Chapter Nineteen — Avi
1725 Words
I stood in front of the mirror for what felt like the hundredth time.
The suit fit perfectly.
Almost too perfectly.
The dark fabric sat against my shoulders exactly the way it was supposed to, the trousers fell neatly over my shoes, and the shirt underneath was tailored so well that I couldn’t find a single thing to complain about.
I adjusted my cufflinks.
Then I looked at myself again.
How had Xavier known my exact size?
I didn’t remember telling him.
But then again, this was Xavier.
If there was one thing I had learned about him in the past month, it was that he somehow knew everything.
My size.
My schedule.
Where I worked.
Who I spoke to.
When I ate.
When I came home.
Probably what time I breathed.
I shook my head.
“Crazy man.”
I grabbed my jacket and headed downstairs.
The moment I reached the bottom of the stairs, I stopped.
Xavier was waiting.
And he was staring.
Not casually.
Not politely.
Staring.
His eyes traveled over me slowly, and something about the intensity of his gaze made me suddenly conscious of every part of myself.
I swallowed.
“What?”
He didn’t answer immediately.
He just kept looking.
“Xavier?”
“You look good.”
There was something different about his voice.
Lower.
Softer.
Almost hungry.
I cleared my throat.
“Thank you.”
His eyes remained on me.
“You look very good.”
I smiled slightly.
“I heard you the first time.”
He finally looked away.
“Let’s go.”
I followed him outside.
And for some reason, I was smiling.
I didn’t know why.
But I liked the way he had looked at me.
I really did.
⸻
The event was bigger than I had expected.
Much bigger.
The venue was filled with business executives, investors, politicians, celebrities, lawyers, and people whose names I recognized from newspapers and business magazines.
I suddenly understood why Xavier had been so serious about me coming.
He belonged here.
The moment we walked inside, people started approaching him.
“Mr. Falcon.”
“Xavier.”
“Congratulations.”
“Good to see you.”
“I’ve been hoping to speak with you.”
Everyone seemed to know him.
Everyone wanted something from him.
And yet, every few seconds, his eyes would return to me.
Like he needed to know exactly where I was.
At one point, he leaned closer.
“Stay close.”
I looked at him.
“I can take care of myself.”
“I know.”
“Then why?”
“Because I want you close.”
I didn’t argue.
For some reason, I didn’t mind.
We eventually saw my father.
“Dad.”
His face immediately brightened.
“Avi!”
He hugged me briefly before turning toward Xavier.
“Congratulations, Xavier. We are incredibly proud of you.”
“Thank you.”
My father continued talking.
He thanked Xavier for his investment in the family business.
He praised his achievements.
He spoke about how much Xavier had accomplished.
I stood there quietly.
I had heard my father talk about successful businessmen before.
But this was different.
There was genuine respect in his voice.
Maybe even admiration.
After a while, we separated.
I looked around.
And that’s when I realized something.
I had never seen Xavier like this.
At home, he was annoying.
Controlling.
Possessive.
Interrogative.
Obsessive.
But here?
He was powerful.
He was composed.
Cold.
People watched him carefully before speaking.
He barely smiled.
He barely needed to raise his voice.
People simply listened.
And I realized something else.
Xavier wasn’t trying to impress anyone.
They were trying to impress him.
Investors approached him.
Business owners shook his hand.
Executives asked for meetings.
People wanted his attention.
And somehow, through all of it, he kept looking at me.
It was strange.
Very strange.
But I liked it.
⸻
The ceremony eventually began.
Everyone took their seats.
The lights dimmed slightly.
The host walked onto the stage.
“Tonight, we celebrate excellence, innovation, leadership, and extraordinary contributions to the world of business.”
I listened quietly.
Then she began talking about the recipient.
“A man who has transformed multiple industries…”
I glanced at Xavier.
He was sitting beside me, completely calm.
“…a visionary whose influence extends across international markets…”
I looked at him again.
Who exactly had I married?
The host continued.
“Tonight’s most prestigious award recognizes an individual whose business empire has become one of the most influential in the region.”
My eyes widened slightly.
The audience applauded.
Then she said the name.
“Please welcome our Business Leader of the Year…”
She paused.
“Mr Xavier Alexander Falcon.”
The entire room erupted.
Applause.
Cameras.
People standing.
And I just sat there.
Xavier stood.
For the first time that night, I saw something resembling pride on his face.
He walked toward the stage.
I watched him.
The man who had spent the past month driving me insane was suddenly standing in front of hundreds of people being recognized as one of the most influential businessmen in the room.
I couldn’t help feeling proud.
The host spoke about his accomplishments.
Companies.
Investments.
International expansion.
Jobs created.
Businesses rebuilt.
Industries transformed.
I had no idea.
None.
The only Xavier I knew was the man who asked me where I was every ten minutes.
Apparently, there was another side to him.
A very powerful side.
He accepted the award.
Then he stood behind the microphone.
His speech was short.
He spoke about discipline.
Failure.
Risk.
Leadership.
He spoke about how success wasn’t simply about money, but about building something that survived beyond you.
It was actually inspiring.
Then he paused.
His eyes found mine.
And suddenly, I knew.
He was going to say something.
“My final thanks tonight goes to someone who made it possible for me to experience this moment differently.”
My heart skipped.
“My husband.”
The room went quiet for half a second.
Then Xavier smiled.
“I’m grateful that my husband is here tonight to witness this.”
I froze.
My husband.
He had said it so naturally.
So proudly.
There was no embarrassment.
No hesitation.
He was proud of me being there.
And somehow, that touched something inside me.
I clapped harder than I intended to when he finished.
When Xavier came down from the stage, he walked directly toward me.
Then, without warning, he pulled me into a hug.
Right there.
In front of everyone.
Cameras flashed.
People watched.
I froze for a second.
Then I slowly relaxed.
His arm remained around me.
Possessive.
Protective.
Very Xavier.
But this time, I didn’t pull away.
⸻
After the ceremony came the cocktail reception.
Xavier was surrounded again.
People wanted to congratulate him.
People wanted photographs.
People wanted business meetings.
I eventually excused myself.
“I’m going to the bathroom.”
He looked at me.
“Do you want me to come?”
I stared at him.
“To the bathroom?”
He shrugged.
“I was asking.”
“I’ll be fine.”
He nodded.
“Come back.”
I rolled my eyes.
“Yes, Xavier.”
When I returned, I stood a few feet away.
Xavier was talking to several businessmen.
He looked serious.
Professional.
Powerful.
But then his eyes found me.
Again.
He kept speaking to the people in front of him, but his gaze stayed on me for a moment.
Something about that look made my stomach flutter.
I didn’t understand it.
I turned away.
Two women standing nearby were talking.
“That’s Xavier Falcon.”
“He’s incredibly wealthy.”
“I heard he owns businesses in several countries.”
“He’s so successful.”
I listened quietly.
And strangely, something inside me tightened.
Why?
Why did I care that they were talking about him?
He was my husband.
My husband.
The words sounded strange in my head.
I’d never really thought of him that way before.
Not seriously.
Not emotionally.
But tonight, hearing other women admire him made something uncomfortable twist inside me.
I didn’t like it.
Not one bit.
⸻
When the event finally ended, Xavier came toward me.
He took my hand.
I looked down at our hands.
Then at him.
He didn’t say anything.
He simply led me outside.
He ignored several people calling his name.
For once, I didn’t complain.
We got into the car.
The ride home was quiet.
But it wasn’t an uncomfortable silence.
It was different.
When we arrived, I finally spoke.
“Congratulations.”
He looked at me.
“Thank you.”
“I didn’t know you were that successful.”
His lips curved into a small smile.
“I told you.”
I rolled my eyes.
“You told me you had enough money to take care of both of us. You didn’t tell me you were receiving awards for being one of the biggest businessmen around.”
He chuckled.
“I didn’t think you cared.”
I looked at him.
“Maybe I do.”
His smile disappeared for a second.
He looked at me carefully.
“Maybe?”
I shrugged.
“Don’t get excited.”
He laughed softly.
I smiled.
Then I went upstairs.
But as I lay in bed that night, I couldn’t sleep.
My mind kept replaying the evening.
The award.
His speech.
The way he had looked at me.
The way he had called me his husband in front of hundreds of people.
The way everyone respected him.
The way women had admired him.
And the strange feeling that had appeared when they did.
I stared at the ceiling.
Who exactly had I married?
Three years ago, I had signed a marriage certificate with a man I barely knew.
For three years, he had been nothing more than a name on a document.
Now he was standing in front of me, and I was beginning to realize that there was an entire world behind the man I thought I knew.
A world of power.
Money.
Influence.
Danger.
And somehow…
I was part of it.
I turned onto my side.
For the first time, the question wasn’t Why did Xavier come back?
It was something much bigger.
Who was Xavier Alexander Falcon—and what exactly had I married into?
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