chapter eleven
892 Words
Chapter Eleven
Xavier
Sleep became impossible after that phone call.
Not unusual.
I rarely slept well.
But tonight was different.
Because every time I closed my eyes, I heard Eve Adams asking me the same question again.
You love her?
And worse—
The answer came naturally.
No hesitation.
No confusion.
No guilt.
Just truth.
I stood inside my penthouse office staring out at the sleeping lights of New York City while tension settled heavily in my chest.
For years, my relationship with Mira Laurent made sense.
It was logical.
Efficient.
Predictable.
We understood each other’s worlds.
Business families. Public expectations. Power.
There was respect.
Partnership.
Convenience.
But love?
No.
And suddenly, that absence felt impossible to ignore.
Because now I knew what emotional attachment actually felt like.
It felt like noticing every change in Eve’s voice.
Like becoming irrationally angry when she looked exhausted.
Like wanting to destroy anyone who made her life harder.
Dangerous feelings.
Weak feelings.
The exact kind I spent years avoiding.
My phone buzzed against the desk.
Security updates.
I ignored them.
Then another message appeared.
Xylem.
YOU LIKE EVE.
I stared at the text blankly.
Then typed:
Go to sleep.
Three dots appeared instantly.
THAT IS NOT A DENIAL.
Annoying child.
I threw the phone onto the desk and rubbed my forehead slowly.
This was becoming a problem.
Not attraction.
Attraction was manageable.
Temporary.
Predictable.
But Eve?
She affected my decisions.
My moods.
My focus.
That made her dangerous.
And the worst part?
I wasn’t sure I wanted the danger to stop.
—
The next morning, the executive floor felt strangely tense the second I arrived.
Employees avoided eye contact more than usual.
Whispers stopped when I walked past.
Interesting.
I stepped into my office and immediately noticed Eve sitting at her desk outside, focused on paperwork.
Professional.
Calm.
Like she hadn’t emotionally destroyed my self-control over a phone call last night.
She looked up when she sensed me approaching.
And there it was again.
That instant shift in my chest whenever our eyes met.
I disliked it.
Deeply.
“Good morning,” she said carefully.
Too carefully.
“You’re avoiding me.”
Straight to the point.
Her eyebrows lifted slightly. “That was fast.”
“You didn’t look at me properly once.”
“I’m literally looking at you right now.”
“Deflecting.”
A small smile almost appeared on her face before she looked back at her computer.
Interesting.
So she was affected too.
Good.
Selfishly, I preferred knowing I wasn’t suffering alone.
“You’re in a better mood today,” she observed quietly.
“I’m not.”
“You haven’t terrorized anyone yet.”
“It’s still early.”
That earned the soft laugh I’d been unconsciously waiting for.
Dangerous.
Everything about this was dangerous.
Before I could say anything else, Clara from accounting rushed toward us looking pale.
“Mr. Moore,” she said nervously, “there’s… um… a situation downstairs.”
I frowned immediately.
“What kind of situation?”
She swallowed hard.
“The press.”
Eve looked up instantly. “Press?”
“They’re outside the building asking questions about company leaks and…” Clara hesitated awkwardly.
“And?” I asked coldly.
Her eyes flickered briefly toward Eve.
Ah.
I understood immediately.
Rumors.
The irritation hit instantly.
“How many reporters?” Eve asked calmly.
“Too many.”
I exhaled sharply before turning toward Eve.
“You’re staying upstairs today.”
Her expression changed immediately.
“What?”
“I don’t want reporters near you.”
The words came out harsher than intended.
Too protective.
Eve crossed her arms slowly. “You can’t hide me in the office like a corporate hostage.”
“Yes, I can.”
Her eyes narrowed instantly.
“You’re being controlling.”
“And you’re being difficult.”
“I’m always difficult.”
True.
But today my patience was already thin.
Because the thought of reporters questioning her, photographing her, dragging her into public scandal—
Absolutely not.
“I’ll handle it,” I said firmly.
Eve stood from her chair slowly.
And suddenly we were too close again.
That happened too often lately.
“You can’t protect me from gossip forever,” she said softly.
“I can try.”
The honesty slipped out before I could stop it.
Silence followed immediately.
Heavy silence.
Eve looked up at me carefully, and for one reckless second, I almost touched her face.
God.
What was happening to me?
Then suddenly—
“Xavier!”
Mira’s voice cut sharply through the moment.
We both stepped apart instantly.
Interesting reaction.
Mira Laurent walked toward us wearing a perfectly tailored white dress and an expression sharp enough to start wars.
Her eyes moved between us once.
That was all it took.
She noticed everything.
Of course she did.
“The reporters downstairs are asking about your assistant,” Mira said smoothly.
Eve looked uncomfortable immediately.
I felt angry again.
“What exactly are they saying?” Eve asked quietly.
Mira smiled without warmth.
“That the great Xavier Moore appears more interested in his employee than his fiancée.”
Silence.
Cold silence.
Then Mira looked directly at me and asked the one question neither of us was ready for.
“Tell me, Xavier…”
Her voice remained perfectly calm.
“Are they wrong?”
- Writer
