MARCO'S POV
When the call came in about Xavier’s accident, I was shocked beyond words. The words barely registered at first—“severe accident,” “hospitalized,” “unconscious.” I just sat there at my desk, phone pressed against my ear, trying to make sense of it. Xavier? The Xavier I spoke to less than twenty-four hours ago? The guy who always laughed as he teased me about always being “too serious” during meetings?
It didn’t seem real.
Two days ago, after that tense meeting with Melissa about withdrawing the contract, I had this nagging feeling about him. Something in the way he’d been quiet, distracted—eyes lingering on Melissa when she wasn’t looking. I’ve known Xavier long enough to read him better than most. He has this… front he puts up—carefree, charming, like nothing gets to him. B
