CHAPTER FIVE :The Reception(continued)
290 Words
Anna’s POV – Present
Madison’s perfume lingers long after she steps away.
I keep smiling.
Because cameras are everywhere.
Because weakness here would be fatal.
Because this world does not forgive cracks.
But my hands—
My hands won’t cooperate.
They’re trembling.
Not violently.
Just enough that the champagne glass vibrates against my fingers.
I hate that.
I hate that they can still affect me.
I lower the glass slightly, hoping no one notices.
But someone does.
Xavier.
He doesn’t look at my face.
He looks at my hands.
And before I can pull away—
He gently takes the glass from me.
Sets it aside.
Then, without a word, he takes both of my hands into his.
His palms are warm.
Steady.
Completely still.
The difference between us feels overwhelming.
He leans slightly closer.
From the outside, it looks intimate.
Romantic.
A newlywed whisper.
But his voice is low. Controlled.
“Look at me.”
I do.
His gaze is calm.
Not questioning. Not pitying.
Grounded.
“Your hands,” he says quietly. “Are you Okay ?.”
“I’m fine,” I whisper automatically.
I’ve said those words my whole life.
He studies me for half a second.
Then his thumbs press lightly against my knuckles.
Not tight.
Just enough pressure to anchor me.
“Breathe,” he repeats.
The same word from the altar.
Inhale.
Exhale.
My trembling slowly fades.
The noise of the room dims again.
And for the first time tonight…
I don’t feel alone.
When he releases my hands, he doesn’t step away.
He stays close.
A silent wall between me and the world.
And I realise something unsettling.
The rumours said Xavier Cortez was cold.
But cold men don’t notice trembling hands.
- Writer
