Chapter Eleven - Cairo
1417 Words
Being at Xander’s house hadn’t been as terrible as I had expected.
Actually…
That was the problem.
It had been comfortable.
Too comfortable.
There was something about the house that I couldn’t explain. Certain corners felt familiar. The garden felt familiar. The library felt familiar. Even the way the rooms were arranged felt strangely close to the house I had described years ago when Caleb and I were teenagers.
I couldn’t understand it.
Maybe it was coincidence.
Maybe Xander simply had excellent taste.
Whatever it was, I wasn’t going to think about it too much.
When I got home, Mom was waiting for me.
“Where were you?”
I paused.
“With Caleb.”
The lie came out automatically.
There was no way I was going to say, I spent the day at Xander’s house.
That sounded strange.
Very strange.
Especially considering how terrified I had been of that man for most of my life.
Mom nodded.
“Okay, honey.”
I escaped upstairs.
The mint-green outfit was still on me, and honestly, I loved it.
It was soft.
Comfortable.
Elegant.
Exactly my style.
I changed into pajamas after showering, climbed into bed, and had barely settled beneath the covers when my phone buzzed.
Xander: What are you doing?
I stared at the message.
Seriously?
I had been with him for hours.
Now I was home.
Why did he need to know what I was doing?
I typed.
Me: I was in the bathroom. Just showered.
His reply came quickly.
Xander: Okay. Get some rest. Good night.
I blinked.
That was it?
No interrogation?
No Where are you?
No Who are you with?
Thank God.
Me: Good night.
I put my phone down.
For once, I slept peacefully.
⸻
The next morning, Dad was already talking business over breakfast.
“You’ve had a very good first week.”
I looked up.
“Really?”
“Very good.”
He smiled.
“The investor you met last week signed.”
I smiled.
“That’s great.”
“It is. You handled the negotiations well.”
I felt proud.
Maybe I really could do this.
Maybe working at Harris Holdings wouldn’t be so bad.
Maybe I could finally prove that I wasn’t just the owner’s son.
I had my own qualifications.
My own experience.
My own ideas.
And apparently, I was already making an impression.
The thought made me happy.
Unfortunately, the happiness didn’t last.
Because around noon, my phone rang.
“Princess!”
I smiled.
Caleb.
“Hey.”
“Are you free?”
“Why?”
“Lunch.”
I looked at the clock.
“Today?”
“Yes, today. Come on. Let’s go somewhere nice.”
I hesitated.
“Caleb, can I—”
“Why are you hesitating?”
“I’ll call you back.”
“Why can’t you just answer?”
I hung up before he could interrogate me.
I sat there staring at my phone.
I knew exactly what I needed to do.
Ask Xander.
I hated that.
I was twenty-seven years old.
I didn’t need permission to have lunch with my best friend.
But after everything that happened…
I wasn’t taking chances.
I called.
He answered almost immediately.
“What is wrong?”
I frowned.
“Hi to you too.”
“You never call me, Cairo.”
I said nothing.
“So if you’re calling me, something is wrong. What is it?”
I sighed.
“Caleb invited me to lunch.”
“No.”
He didn’t even let me finish.
I closed my eyes.
“Please?”
“No.”
“Xander, it’s lunch.”
“No.”
“It’s nothing dramatic.”
“No.”
I became irritated.
“Why am I even asking you? I’m twenty-seven years old. I’m an adult. I’m just calling to tell you.”
Silence.
Then:
“Where?”
“Can I go?”
Another pause.
“Yes.”
I almost smiled.
“Really?”
“But.”
Of course.
“If you’re going, text me when you leave.”
“Okay.”
“And send me a picture of what you’re wearing.”
I stared at the phone.
“No.”
“Then you’re not going.”
I groaned.
“Fine.”
“And I want to see the picture before you leave.”
“Okay.”
I hung up.
“Insane,” I muttered.
⸻
Caleb was coming around one.
I changed into a chocolate-colored satin shirt with matching trousers.
It looked beautiful.
The fabric fell perfectly against my body.
I tucked the shirt slightly into my pants, left a few buttons open, and took a picture.
I sent it.
His response came almost instantly.
Xander: Button them.
I looked down.
Three buttons were open.
Three.
Not ten.
Three.
Me: Seriously?
Xander: Button them.
I sighed.
Me: Fine.
Xander: Send another picture.
I stared at the screen.
Who does that?
I buttoned the shirt.
Took another picture.
Sent it.
Xander: Good.
I threw my phone onto the couch.
“Control freak.”
The doorbell rang.
Caleb.
I grabbed my bag and left.
⸻
Caleb took me to an incredible restaurant.
Of course he did.
The atmosphere was beautiful.
The food was amazing.
And for the first time all week, I felt completely relaxed.
Until Caleb brought up Xander.
“So…”
I looked at him suspiciously.
“What?”
“That closet.”
I groaned.
“Don’t.”
“Princess, I’m just saying.”
“The clothes are actually really nice.”
“Really?”
“Yes.”
He laughed.
“Of course they are. My brother is spending serious money on you.”
“Can you stop saying it like that?”
“I’m only telling the truth.”
I took a sip of my drink.
“They’re exactly my taste.”
Caleb raised an eyebrow.
“That’s the problem.”
“What problem?”
“My brother knows your taste.”
I stared at him.
“What does that mean?”
“It means Xander has been paying attention to you for a very long time.”
I looked away.
I didn’t like where this conversation was going.
Then Caleb suddenly snapped his fingers.
“Wait.”
“What?”
“The reason you said you’d call me back earlier…”
I froze.
He pointed at me.
“You had to ask Xander.”
“No.”
“Yes.”
“No.”
“Yes!”
I laughed nervously.
“Caleb.”
“You had to ask my brother if you could come to lunch!”
“I didn’t ask permission.”
“You did.”
“I didn’t.”
“You absolutely did.”
I rolled my eyes.
He started laughing.
“Xander is acting crazy.”
I sighed.
“That’s your brother.”
“Unfortunately.”
“You two have the same genes.”
“Not the same version.”
I laughed.
“He has the crazy version of the family gene.”
“That is true.”
We both laughed.
For a while, everything was normal.
We ate.
We talked.
We caught up.
Caleb made me forget about work.
Forget about Xander.
Forget about the strange feeling that had followed me since returning home.
For a few hours, I was simply Cairo again.
Not Harris Holdings’ new COO.
Not Xander’s responsibility.
Not the man being monitored by a terrifying CEO.
Just me.
And I needed that.
⸻
Eventually, Caleb dropped me home.
The moment I walked through the door, my phone buzzed.
Xander: Are you still at lunch?
I stared.
I had barely stepped inside.
Me: No. I just got home.
His response came.
Xander: Good.
Then:
Xander: Prepare for Monday.
I stopped.
Monday.
I looked at the calendar.
Today was Sunday.
Which meant Monday was coming.
Another week.
Another five days.
Another week of Xander.
Another week of his staring.
His questions.
His lunches.
His texts.
His terrifying voice.
His rules.
His ridiculous obsession with what I wore.
I dropped onto my bed.
“Oh, God.”
I buried my face in the pillow.
One week had already exhausted me.
And now I had to start another one.
Somewhere across the city, Xander was probably sitting in his office, completely calm, probably planning his week.
Meanwhile, I was already stressed about Monday.
I didn’t know what scared me more.
The fact that Xander was becoming more controlling…
Or the fact that a tiny part of me was beginning to get used to having him around.
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