Chapter Two- Xander
1693 Words
Xander Felix Carrington had never been a good man.
At least, that was what most people believed.
And Xander had never bothered correcting them.
At six-foot-four, with a body built through years of discipline and a presence that could make an entire room fall silent, he had never needed to raise his voice to command attention.
He simply walked into a room.
And people moved.
His shoulders were broad, his jaw sharply defined, his features devastatingly handsome in a way that somehow became intimidating rather than inviting.
But it was his eyes that unsettled people.
Black.
Not dark brown.
Not hazel.
Black.
Two cold, bottomless pools that seemed to see far more than they should.
Xander could stare at someone for five seconds and make them question every decision they had made in the last five years.
He was feared in business.
Respected in boardrooms.
Avoided in social circles.
And absolutely ruthless when someone crossed him.
But there was one thing about Xander Carrington that nobody knew.
One thing that had existed long before the businesses, the money, the power, and the reputation.
Cairo Amos Harris.
He had been obsessed with Cairo since they were children.
And Xander had never been ashamed of it.
Not once.
He remembered Cairo at seven years old.
Small.
Beautiful.
Soft.
Always following Caleb around.
Always carrying some ridiculous little stuffed animal that he refused to let anyone touch.
Xander had been twelve then.
And even at twelve, he had noticed.
Cairo was different.
He was gentler than everyone else.
Kinder.
Quieter.
He never fought.
Never shouted.
Never pushed anyone away unless he was genuinely uncomfortable.
And somehow, that gentleness had made Xander want to protect him.
At first, it had been innocent.
Or at least, Xander told himself it had been.
He would chase away boys who teased Cairo.
He would stand between Cairo and anyone who made him uncomfortable.
He would glare at anyone who touched him without permission.
Then they grew older.
And something changed.
Protection became possession.
Concern became obsession.
And the simple thought of Cairo belonging somewhere other than beside him became unbearable.
By fifteen, Xander had made himself a private rule.
No boy was getting close to Cairo.
None.
Not at school.
Not at parties.
Not anywhere.
If a boy tried to flirt with Cairo, Xander knew.
If someone asked Cairo out, Xander knew.
If someone even looked too interested, Xander knew.
And usually, that was enough.
Because one look from Xander Carrington was enough to make most boys reconsider their life choices.
Cairo had always been afraid of him.
Xander knew.
He had seen it in those beautiful blue eyes countless times.
And perhaps that should have bothered him.
It didn’t.
Not enough to change anything.
Because Xander had never wanted Cairo’s fear.
He wanted something else.
He wanted Cairo’s trust.
His affection.
His attention.
His love.
But most importantly—
He wanted Cairo.
And Xander had always been patient.
Four years of patience.
Four years while Cairo lived in Milan.
Four years while Xander stayed behind and watched from a distance.
He had never followed Cairo.
Never dragged him home.
Never forced him to return.
He could have.
God knew he could have.
But Xander had lines.
Very few.
But they existed.
He had never physically forced Cairo into anything.
Never touched him without permission.
Never cornered him.
Never confessed his feelings when he knew Cairo would panic.
Instead, he had let Cairo have his freedom.
From a distance.
A very carefully monitored distance.
Raya had been useful.
Very useful.
She never interfered.
She simply watched.
She knew where Cairo went.
Who he spent time with.
Which restaurants he visited.
Where he studied.
What events he attended.
Nothing more.
Xander had never asked her to interfere with his life.
He only wanted information.
He needed to know Cairo was safe.
That was all.
At least, that was what he told himself.
Because whenever Raya called, Xander always asked the same questions.
Was Cairo safe?
Was he alone?
Who was with him?
Was there a man?
Had anyone touched him?
Had anyone tried to get close?
And every time the answer had been nothing concerning, Xander had been satisfied.
Until Cairo came home.
⸻
“He’s back.”
Xander’s hand stopped halfway to his coffee.
He looked across the breakfast table.
Caleb was scrolling through his phone, completely unaware that he had just delivered the best news Xander had heard in four years.
“What did you say?”
Caleb looked up.
“Cairo’s back.”
Silence.
Xander slowly placed his cup down.
“When?”
“Yesterday.”
Yesterday.
Cairo had landed yesterday.
Cairo was home.
In the same city.
The same country.
Close enough that Xander could see him.
His jaw tightened.
“Why didn’t you tell me?”
Caleb shrugged.
“I just found out.”
Xander stared at him.
Caleb sighed.
“Don’t start.”
“I’m not starting anything.”
“You have that look.”
“What look?”
“The one you get whenever Cairo is involved.”
Xander leaned back.
“He’s home.”
“Yes.”
“That’s all.”
Caleb laughed.
“Sure.”
Xander ignored him.
His mind was already moving.
Cairo was home.
He could see him again.
Hear his voice.
Watch him smile.
Perhaps touch his hand.
Four years.
Four years without seeing those crystal-blue eyes in person.
Four years without hearing that soft voice.
Four years of watching photographs instead of reality.
And now—
Cairo was home.
Xander’s phone vibrated.
A message from his assistant.
The meeting with Harris Holdings has been confirmed.
Xander stared at the message.
Then smiled.
Slowly.
Dangerously.
Perfect.
⸻
By noon, Xander had already made several decisions.
He was moving part of his executive operations.
Carrington Holdings could function without him sitting in the main office every minute of every day.
He was the CEO.
He had people.
Executives.
Managers.
Directors.
People who could handle what he delegated.
And now he had something much more important to handle.
Cairo.
The Harris family had asked him to mentor Cairo.
Xander couldn’t believe his luck.
For four years, he had respected the distance Cairo wanted.
Now Cairo’s own father had unknowingly removed that distance.
He would be working with him.
Seeing him every day.
Watching him learn.
Guiding him.
Protecting him.
And perhaps, eventually, making Cairo understand what Xander had known since childhood.
That Cairo belonged with him.
Xander walked into his office.
“Move half of my executive schedule to the Harris division.”
His assistant blinked.
“Sir?”
“You heard me.”
“You’re moving offices?”
“Not entirely.”
“Then why—”
“Because Cairo will be there.”
The words came without hesitation.
His assistant went silent.
Xander looked at him.
“Is there a problem?”
“No, sir.”
“Good.”
The assistant quickly nodded and left.
Xander sat behind his desk.
For several minutes, he simply stared at the city through the glass windows.
Then he opened his phone.
There was one photograph saved in a private folder.
Cairo.
Taken in Milan.
Cairo was standing outside a café, wearing a pale sweater.
His hair was slightly messy.
He was smiling at someone outside the frame.
Xander stared at the photograph.
His thumb slowly traced the screen.
“You’re finally home.”
His voice was barely above a whisper.
He smiled.
“About time.”
⸻
That evening, Xander received another message.
From Raya.
Cairo is currently at the Harris residence. He had lunch with his parents. No visitors.
Xander read it.
Then deleted the notification.
He didn’t need the report anymore.
Not like before.
Cairo was home.
He wouldn’t need to rely on photographs.
Wouldn’t need to hear about Cairo through someone else.
Soon, he’d see him himself.
Soon, Cairo would be sitting across from him.
Soon, that beautiful face would be looking at him again.
And Xander knew something else.
Cairo was going to be frightened.
Perhaps even more than before.
But Xander didn’t care.
He had waited.
He had given Cairo four years.
He had allowed him to live his life.
He had stayed away when every instinct inside him screamed to go to Milan and bring him home.
He had been patient.
Now it was his turn.
Cairo didn’t know it yet.
But the moment he had stepped back into the country, the rules had changed.
Cairo was no longer thousands of miles away.
He was no longer unreachable.
He was here.
And Xander intended to make sure he stayed.
Not by force.
Not by dragging him anywhere.
But by becoming so deeply woven into Cairo’s life that leaving would eventually feel impossible.
Xander’s jaw tightened.
He wanted Cairo close.
He wanted to know what made him smile.
What frightened him.
What made him happy.
Who he trusted.
Who he disliked.
Who touched him.
Who looked at him.
Who dared to think they had a chance with him.
Because Xander could tolerate many things.
He could tolerate Cairo being afraid of him.
He could tolerate Cairo avoiding him.
He could tolerate Cairo hating him.
But there was one thing Xander would never tolerate.
Another man taking Cairo away from him.
That would never happen.
Not while Xander was alive.
He had spent years watching from the shadows.
Now the shadows were no longer necessary.
Cairo was home.
And Xander was coming for him.
Not tomorrow.
Not someday.
Now.
Because Cairo had always been the one person Xander had never been willing to lose.
The one person he had loved long before he even understood what love was.
His obsession.
His weakness.
His greatest temptation.
His Cairo.
And perhaps Cairo didn’t know it yet.
Perhaps Cairo would argue.
Perhaps he would insist that he belonged only to himself.
Xander would let him say it.
He would even smile.
Because Xander had never needed Cairo to understand immediately.
He only needed time.
And Xander had plenty of it.
He had already waited four years.
He could wait a little longer.
But this time…
He would be waiting much closer.
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