Fallen Actress' Comeback: Torn Between the Director and the Mafia Lord Chapter 35: You’re Not Alone

Chapter 35

~Xena’s POV~

Xavier and I sprang apart like teenagers caught doing sothing illegal. Xavier cleared his throat. I covered my face, retemding to rubbing my palm down before turning to face my daughter.

"I’ll, um... take her," I muttered. "I’ll be right back."

Xavier chuckled as I left with Skai. I could bet he had his signature smirk on his lips.

Putting Skai to bed took all of two minutes. She fell asleep hugging her giant teddy bear, completely unaware of the chaos she’d interrupted twice.

When I returned to the living room, Xavier was already near the door, shirt and jacket on, cap in hand, like nothing we did in the last two minutes mattered.

"You’re leaving?" I asked quietly.

He hesitated for a mont, then nodded. "Yeah. If I stay longer..." He looked at , a slow, knowing smile forming. "...I won’t want to leave at all."

My heart tripped. Part of hoped for more now that our little chaotic disturber was asleep, but there was no way in hell I was making the first move, nor was I going to ask him for sex.

I masked my sadness with a smile. He opened the door halfway, then looked back.

"Goodnight, Xena."

"Goodnight, Xavier."

He stepped outside, walked a few steps, then glanced back again — a look that said he wasn’t done with . Not even close.

And as the door closed behind him, I realised I wasn’t sure I wanted him to be done with either.

I walked over to the door and shut it, then leaned back against it. "Oh goodness, Xena. Get a grip."

After making sure everything in the house was right, I went for a bath, cald myself even though the spot between my legs ached.

By the ti I was safely tucked into my bed, I picked up my phone, wanting to thank Xavier for today.

I noticed a text ssage and imdiately checked it when the first two letters of his na popped up on my screen.

However, I was a little bit disappointed. Rather than Xavier, I saw Xade’s na.

Xade: Hey. Good evening. Trust you’ve been good. Just a reminder for your shoot tomorrow. Don’t be late.

I reread the ssage, my mind hinting at his last words, ’don’t be late,’ and recalling how he reminded that all of my actions reflected on him.

: Sure, thanks.

I typed and hit the send button.

I decided to check social dia to see the buzz for the upcoming movie when my phone rang.

My first thought was that it must be Xavier, probably calling to inform he had gotten ho.

I halted, my fingers hovering over the green answer icon.

It was an unknown number ,and honestly, I wasn’t sure.

"What of it wasn’t Xavier?"

I heaved a deep sigh and answered the call, not sure what to expect.

"Hello, Xena. My na’s Slade. Skye’s twin." A deep, calm voice reverberated from the phone.

My eyes widened for a second, and I quickly shot into a sitting position on the bed.

"Slade. Oh my God. Good evening. Thank you for calling."

I felt a hint of a smile in his tone. "Anyti. I apologise for getting back to you late. Work seed to have loved more these days."

My cheeks pulled back in a smile. "No need to apologise. Thanks for reaching out."

"Oh, I hope I did not disturb your sleep?"

"No. You didn’t."

I bit my lower lip, my eyes darting about my room, thinking of what to do.

"Alright. I will arrange a eting when I touch down tomorrow, but for now, I’d love a good briefing on this case."

I shifted upright properly and pulled my blanket over my lap. "Okay... where do I start?"

"Let’s start from the beginning," Slade said, his voice smooth and businesslike through the phone. "Preferably with the first actionable wrongdoing. I need a clear tiline."

Right, tiline. He sounded exactly the way a lawyer should.

"Walk through everything. What happened with your father, the paynts, and the scandal. I need a full picture before I decide on the best legal approach."

I inhaled slowly, sitting straighter on my bed even though he couldn’t see .

"Okay," I began. "I started acting when I was twenty. My real na is Xena Winters, but I’ve always valued my private life, so I used my middle na and my mom’s surna—Rhia Rael."

"Your alias," Slade murmured in understanding. "And this was agreed upon with your father?"

"Yes. Back then, I was signed under my father’s talent managent company. He managed my contracts, my shoots, my public image... basically everything. He supported it."

I rubbed my eyebrow when he didn’t say anything and continued. "And since he handled most of my early career paperwork, I didn’t question much. Even when I noticed he took more than the agreed percentage as my manager... I let it go. He was my father."

"Noted," Slade said a bit firmly, as if already filing ntal docunts.

"Things were good for a while. He got roles I loved... and so I didn’t, but I still took them. My career was on the rise, and I was about to beco an A-List actress."

I swallowed, rembering the blow, the emotional whiplash.

"And then... four years ago, I was twenty-three when everything crashed. A scandal hit. A private video of was leaked online. Except I never fild it, nor was I aware I was being recorded with a stranger. There was no consent. I was set up and drugged."

"Do you know the source?" Slade asked.

"Yes." My jaw tightened. "My cousin Joan. She hacked into my social dia accounts the sa night the video was posted. She also emptied my bank balance, everything I’d saved."

There was a short silence on the line. Not shocked. Slade didn’t sound easily shocked, more like controlled displeasure.

"Continue," he said quietly. "And I am guessing you have proof?"

"Honestly, no. I overheard her on the phone, but I had nothing to confront her with, plus I was emotional. My phone wasn’t even with either."

"I see. Go on," he urged.

"My father didn’t believe . Or maybe he did, and chose not to care. He kicked out, cut off, denied , said I brought sha to the family." My throat tightened, but I pushed on. "He also withheld my final pay from a movie I shot, five hundred thousand dollars plus a seventy-thousand-dollar completion bonus."

"Did you ever sign anything waiving your right to that paynt?"

"No."

"Good," Slade said. "Keep going."

"The other day," I said, the mory making my chest tighten, "I went to his house to ask for what I’m owed... and for help." I exhaled shakily. "Soone important to , my nanny, the woman who raised , was scheduled for surgery and I needed help paying for it."

"And he refused," Slade said flatly, not a question.

"He mocked ," I whispered. "Told the guards to throw out. Denied, I was even his daughter. He said he could make Rhia Rael disappear."

This ti, the silence was heavier.

When Slade spoke again, his tone had shifted into sothing colder, razor-sharp, the way a surgeon might prepare a scalpel.

"Alright," he said slowly. "Based on what you’ve shared, you may have multiple actionable claims: unpaid wages, contract breach, fraud, misappropriation of funds, emotional distress, and possibly defamation—depending on what he said publicly during your scandal. As for your cousin Joan..." His voice dipped lower. "Cybercri, identity theft, financial theft, and reputational damage."

I blinked, stunned. "That many?"

"You’ve been wronged in more ways than one, Xena. And we will address each one." His voice softened just slightly. "But for now, I need every docunt you have. Contracts, bank statents, old emails, anything linking you to your father’s company or showing the alias he encouraged."

"I’ll gather everything."

"Good. Though things may get tricky with your cousin, but I’ll have experts track the money, no matter how long. I bet she wouldn’t know what hit her."

I smiled. "Thanks. I hope so."

"Sure. And don’t stress too much tonight." He paused. "We’ll speak again tomorrow. I’ll return to town before noon and arrange a eting in person."

Sothing in my chest loosened at the sound of that.

"Thank you, Slade," I said quietly. "Really."

"You’re welco. And Xena?"

"Yes?"

His tone lowered, almost warm despite the professionalism. "You’re not alone in this anymore."

It felt like the weight on my chest was finally being lifted and my life was going to take a different turn. A small breath left . "I’m assured now. Goodnight, Slade."

"Goodnight."