Love's Rebirth

Chapter 6

Xavier's POV

I woke to sunlight streaming into the room through the curtains, bringing with it new hope and fresh resolve. I got up and readied myself for what would be a very productive day. I made my way downstairs with the confident swagger of a man who knew what the future held. I entered the dining room with determined steps, eager to fuel my body with the sustenance it needed to get me through all my plans.

My mother sat serenely at the dining table, across from my father, and looked up as I entered. Her smile faltered, but her voice remained steady as she greeted me. The look she gave me seemed anxious, almost afraid, and I knew that she had not informed my father of what she had discovered. I nodded a greeting to them both before sitting at the head of the table, waiting for my breakfast to be brought to me. I cleared my throat and began detailing my brother's indiscretions to father, leaving out all the sordid details I had discovered since my mother told me. I omitted the fact that my mother was the one who discovered these truths, letting my father believe that all this information was from my own investigation. My father looked shell-shocked, like the rug had been pulled out from beneath him, causing him to lose his equilibrium. By the time I got up to leave, my father had regained his composure, and we had all agreed to keep our knowledge hidden from Leon. It would give me more time to gather all the evidence before presenting Delia with my proposition.

I left for work shortly after. I made a call to my head of security in the car, reminding him of the task I had assigned to him and stressing the importance of his stealth and discretion. I needed to know how far back the affairs started, how many women he had entertained, and how much he had spent on them. I needed to know if he had done anything to interfere with our family's business. I needed to know if he was jeopardizing more than his relationship. I wanted every single piece of information, no matter how trivial. It would help me plan how to deal with Leon and gain Delia's trust, although I doubted she'd give it easily. My mind paused on that thought, and I realized Delia's pain would most likely blind her from the practicality of my proposal. I worried that my brother's betrayal could lead to her hating our entire family. I shuddered at the thought of never getting the chance to be with her.

By the time I reached Knight Global Enterprises, I was vibrating with nervous energy. I reached the executive floor and was greeted by my assistant, Mildred. She was a middle-aged, plump, motherly lady who took her work very seriously, approaching every task with precision. She was diligent and discreet, never allowing problems to reach me unless they needed my direct intervention. She was sharp as a tack and quick-witted, too. She ran the executive floor with the efficiency and order of an army general. She rattled off my schedule for the day, reminding me of the back to back meetings I had from 10 am to 4 pm. I sighed, dreading the work, but mentally preparing myself anyway.

"Mildred, do you think it's time I settled down?" I asked her, trying to gauge her reaction. She looked mildly surprised before schooling her features into a look of practiced calm. "Mr Knight, I don't believe your love life is any of my business. However, as someone who's worked closely with you for years, I believe the longer you wait, the less inclined you'll be to settle down. If you already have a lady in mind, I'd say take the chance. Life means more when you have someone to share it with." With those words, she backed out of my office and returned to her work station, resuming her work as if we hadn't discussed my love life or lack thereof.

I took off my jacket and got to work, immersing myself in all the tasks, pushing thoughts of Delia to the back of my mind. I couldn't afford distractions today. I needed to be clear-headed and sharp, or else the meetings I had would not go well. The day passed in a blur of Zoom calls, in-person meetings, and teleconferences. By the time 5 pm rolled around, I was exhausted and eager to leave. That would have to wait, however, because my head of security, Magnus, walked into my door with interesting news. "Apologies for the interruption, Mr Knight. I thought you might like to hear what we've found so far. Your brother has been quite sloppy, which I'm grateful for because it's made our job that much easier." I looked him, motioning for him to sit, eager for him to reveal his findings. He wasted no time and went into a summarized version of what he'd found. My brother had been unfaithful to Delia for a while, and they were still uncovering just how far back it went. They also found some suspicious transactions in his account, as well as possible embezzlement. The preliminary report held enough information to warrant serious consequences, but I wanted everything to be airtight and irrefutable when I finally dealt with Leon. I thanked Magnus and watched him leave the office.

I finished off the tasks that remained before logging off and preparing to leave. Mildred had left already, so I was the last to leave the executive floor. It was 6 pm, and I was exhausted. I made it to the entrance where my driver waited for me. He opened the rear passenger door, and I silently entered the car. The car moved silently through the city streets, making its way back to Knight estate. By the time I arrived, dinner was already being set up in the dining room, giving me very little time to freshen up. I made it downstairs in time to see my brother entering the house with

casual confidence, as though he wasn't systematically destroying everything our father had built. I composed myself, tempering my anger and schooling my features to a bored expression. "I didn't think you'd be joining us this evening, brother. What a treat." I said, sounding disinterested. He raised his brow at my tone, his lips pressing into a thin line before he smirked and replied with, "I didn't think I had to announce my comings and goings to you, brother. I'll try to remember for next time." I gave him a slight nod and made my way to the dining room. He followed close behind me, and it took all my power just to keep from punching that smirk off his face. My mother looked up, and her smile died when she saw Leon behind me. Dinner was an awkward affair, but it didn't seem like Leon knew why. I had given our parents pointed looks throughout the evening, reminding them to stay silent on what we discussed. Leon left immediately once his plate was clear, saying he had plans later and needed to get ready. None of us acknowledged his announcement, and he didn't seem to care. Once he was gone, my mother sighed and looked at me. I quietly said, "I'm handling it." which seemed to calm them both. Once my parents left the dining room, I took a deep breath and prayed that I could maintain my composure until the time came to confront Leon. I went to my bedroom after a glass of whiskey, and Delia visited my dreams again. This time, I welcomed the memories.