chapter four
1085 Words
Eve
There should honestly be a survival guide for working with Xavier Moore.
Something simple.
Like:
Rule number one: Do not look directly into his eyes for too long.
Rule number two: Never interrupt him during meetings.
Rule number three: Absolutely do not start developing feelings for him.
Unfortunately for me, I was already failing rule number three.
And it was becoming a serious problem.
I stared at my laptop screen inside my office, pretending to work while replaying yesterday’s conversation in my head for the hundredth time.
I trust you.
Who says things like that and expects the other person to remain emotionally stable afterward?
Especially when they look like Xavier Moore.
I groaned softly and rubbed my forehead.
“Okay,” I whispered to myself. “You need help.”
“Mentally or financially?”
I looked up to see Lena Hart walking into my office carrying iced coffee with the confidence of someone who definitely didn’t work here.
“How did you even get past security?”
She shrugged. “I flirted a little.”
“You can’t flirt your way through a corporate building.”
“Watch me.”
I accepted the coffee gratefully while she sat across from me dramatically.
“So,” she said immediately, “tell me everything about your emotionally constipated billionaire.”
I nearly choked.
“He is not my billionaire.”
“You defend him like he pays you extra for loyalty.”
“He literally pays me.”
“You know what I mean.”
Unfortunately, I did.
And I hated that she noticed.
Lena leaned closer suspiciously. “You like him.”
“I like sleep too, but life disappoints me constantly.”
“That’s not a denial.”
I opened my mouth to argue—
Then froze.
Because Xavier had just walked past my office.
And somehow, despite the glass walls and dozens of employees nearby…
His eyes found mine instantly.
Every single time.
Like he was always aware of where I was.
The thought shouldn’t have affected me.
But it did.
Terribly.
Lena slowly turned to look at him before gasping dramatically.
“Oh my God.”
“What now?”
“That man looks illegally attractive.”
I sighed deeply. “Please lower your voice.”
“No, seriously, Eve. How do you work around that every day?”
“I survive.”
“Barely.”
She wasn’t wrong.
Because Xavier Moore had this horrible habit of looking at me like he was trying to figure me out.
And every time he did, I forgot how to breathe properly.
A few seconds later, my office phone rang.
I already knew who it was.
“You’re needed in the conference room,” Xavier’s deep voice said.
No greeting.
Typical.
“I’ll be there in a minute.”
The line disconnected immediately.
Also typical.
Lena grinned wickedly. “Your husband sounds stressed.”
“He’s not my husband.”
“Yet.”
I threw a pen at her before leaving quickly.
—
The conference room was filled with executives by the time I arrived.
Tension immediately settled in my stomach.
Something was wrong.
Xavier stood at the head of the table looking colder than usual, one hand resting against the polished surface while investors spoke anxiously around him.
The moment I entered, his gaze lifted toward me briefly.
And for some reason…
He looked relieved.
The strange expression disappeared almost instantly.
“Miss Adams,” one older executive snapped impatiently, “where are the revised financial projections?”
“I emailed them an hour ago.”
“We never received them.”
My stomach dropped.
That wasn’t possible.
I opened my tablet quickly and checked.
Sent successfully.
My eyes narrowed slightly.
Someone was interfering with company files again.
Before I could speak, another executive slammed a folder onto the table.
“This company is becoming careless.”
The room grew quiet.
Very quiet.
Because nobody accused Moore Industries of carelessness.
Not in front of Xavier.
I slowly looked toward him.
Dangerous mistake.
Because the expression on his face almost made me step backward.
Cold.
Furious.
Controlled.
The kind of anger that destroyed careers quietly.
“I suggest,” Xavier said softly, “you choose your next words carefully.”
Nobody moved.
Even the air felt tense.
The executive cleared his throat nervously. “I simply meant—”
“You implied incompetence.”
Silence.
Xavier walked around the table slowly.
Measured steps.
Calm movements.
Which somehow made him more intimidating.
“My company,” he continued quietly, “does not tolerate incompetence.”
Then unexpectedly, his gaze shifted toward me.
“And neither does Miss Adams.”
The room fell silent again.
I blinked slightly.
Was he defending me?
The realization warmed my chest in a way it absolutely should not have.
The meeting ended shortly afterward, leaving the atmosphere heavy with unease.
As everyone exited, I stayed behind organizing files while trying to ignore the tension still sitting in my chest.
“You didn’t have to do that,” I said softly once we were alone.
Xavier loosened his tie slightly before answering.
“Yes, I did.”
“You defended me.”
His gray eyes met mine directly.
“You sound surprised.”
“I am.”
He stared at me for a long moment.
Then finally—
“You’re the only person in this building who never lies to me,” he admitted quietly.
Something about his voice felt different today.
Less guarded.
More honest.
And somehow that was far more dangerous than his coldness ever was.
I swallowed carefully. “People are scared of you.”
“They should be.”
“You know,” I said slowly, “that attitude is exactly why everyone thinks you’re a robot.”
One corner of his mouth lifted slightly.
“There’s the Eve Adams I’m familiar with.”
My heart betrayed me again.
Because I liked when he smiled.
Even tiny smiles.
Especially tiny smiles.
The silence between us softened unexpectedly.
Comfortable.
Warm.
Too warm.
Then his phone rang.
And just like that, the moment shattered.
His expression darkened the second he looked at the screen.
I noticed the name immediately.
Mira Laurent.
Reality returned like ice water.
Of course.
The fiancée.
The beautiful, elegant woman who belonged in his world.
Not me.
Xavier declined the call without hesitation.
But the damage was already done.
Because for one reckless second…
I had almost forgotten he was never mine to want.
- Writer
