Chapter Eight: The Deal Breaker
682 Words
Aisha woke before dawn, though sleep had barely claimed her through the long, uneasy night. She could still feel the ghost of Xavier’s hand on her arm from hours earlier — a touch that confused her more than it comforted her.
What did it mean?
Was it guilt? A warning? Or the beginning of something neither of them could afford?
She pushed the thought away and rose quietly. The mansion felt even colder than usual as she padded through the silent corridors toward the kitchen, craving coffee and a moment alone.
But fate, as always, denied her peace.
In the dining room, she found Xavier already seated at the table. He wasn’t eating. Instead, he sat staring at the screen of his tablet, jaw clenched, a storm brewing in his dark eyes.
Aisha froze, tempted to turn around, but something in her refused to back down.
“I thought you’d be asleep,” she said quietly.
Xavier looked up, and for a moment, there was something unreadable in his gaze.
“Couldn’t sleep,” he muttered.
Neither could I, Aisha thought but didn’t say it aloud.
She poured herself coffee and sat at the far end of the long table, as far from him as possible without making it obvious.
After a long silence, Xavier spoke.
“My mother came to see you.”
It wasn’t a question.
Aisha’s fingers tightened around her cup. “I suppose she told you what she thinks of me.”
He let out a bitter, humorless laugh. “She thinks the same of everyone. Don’t let her get under your skin.”
“I’m not sure that’s possible anymore,” Aisha said sharply. “Between her threats and Zara’s schemes, I’m already drowning.”
Xavier’s expression darkened at the mention of Zara’s name.
“She’s pushing the board against me. They want me to either step down as CEO or… make an arrangement with Zara.”
Aisha’s stomach twisted. “What kind of arrangement?”
“A business merger through marriage,” he said, his voice cold and flat.
The words hit Aisha like a slap.
“A marriage?” she repeated, her voice shaking.
Xavier looked at her then — really looked at her, and for the first time in a long while, his mask cracked.
“I told them no,” he said quietly. “I won’t marry her.”
Aisha swallowed hard. “Why? You married me out of convenience.”
“I married you because I had to,” he admitted. “But… it’s different now.”
Aisha’s heart pounded, but she forced herself to meet his gaze. “Different how?”
Xavier’s jaw worked, and for a moment, she thought he might say something real — something she wasn’t prepared to hear.
But then he looked away.
“I don’t owe anyone an explanation,” he said, his voice hardening again.
The fragile moment between them shattered like glass.
Aisha rose from her seat. “Good to know where we stand.”
She turned to leave, but Xavier’s voice stopped her.
“Aisha… stay.”
She hesitated, one hand on the doorframe. “Why?”
“Because I don’t trust anyone else,” he admitted.
The words made her chest ache in ways she didn’t understand.
“I’ll think about it,” she said softly, then walked away.
---
Later That Day
Zara stood in a high-rise office downtown, watching the city lights flicker against the dusk sky. She sipped wine as Marcus delivered the latest report.
“So, he refused the deal,” she said with a smirk.
“Yes, ma’am,” Marcus confirmed, tension in his voice. “He’s digging his heels in.”
“Good,” Zara purred, turning to face him. “That makes it more fun.”
She walked over to her desk and picked up a folder. Inside were photos of Aisha — leaving the mansion, speaking with Xavier, looking lost, vulnerable.
“Time to remind our dear Mrs. Kane what happens to liabilities.”
Zara’s smile was cold, lethal.
“This isn’t over.”
- Writer
