The nerve of that man to join this dinner!
My father wears a passive look. The way he pressed his lips into a thin line is my only sign that he is in for business. This is what I was afraid of. After this night, a rift will give enough distance to the unbreakable bond of the Walker and Luciano clan, two of the most wealthy and powerful families in New York City.
We exchanged pleasantries. It surprised me to see Xavier gracing us with his presence. He never comes to any family gathering, ever… so why is he here?
“They forced me to come and wear this,” he said, answering my mother’s compliment about the gray suit he’s wearing.
He looks good indeed. The Luciano brothers are quite an alluring sight dressed to the nines. Xavier has that hot and rugged yet smooth vibe going on, with his shoulder length brown hair combed back to perfection. While Calvin… Well, I didn’t even pay any attention to him.
My mother gave my thigh a gentle squeeze under the table, a signal that I have to stop drinking my wine now. I gave her a gentle smile. The appetizer, main course, and dessert passed like bliss. Everything was blunt in my taste, apart from the wine.
Pier and Francine are on their hype, talking about the business expansion throughout the entire dinner. That’s the only time I paid attention to Calvin. His head bowed down, eyes staring deep into his plate as if he could see an endless pit there, and he wanted to discover where it leads. He can’t look me in the eye because he didn’t tell his parents any shit about what happened to us.
What a coward.
“What about the honeymoon?” Francine, damn oblivious of the bomb that’s about to explode in her face, inquired gleefully. “Have you decided on where you want to go, Zia? A tour around Asia would be nice, don’t you think?”
“About the wedding.” My father looked at me. I just stared back at him, giving him all the right to decide for me. I trust his decision, his judgment. “Calvin?”
Damn. I didn’t see that coming.
Cavin raised his head, eyes frantic because everyone, apart from Xavier, was looking at him... waiting.
“Is there something you want to say to your parents, boy?”
Shit. Levi Walker is mad. I’ve never heard him speak this way before. His voice is so cold and intimidating.
Pier’s brows arched questioningly, passing glances to my father, me, and to his son who’s sitting quietly between Francine and Xavier.
“What?” Francine butted in, still wearing a sweet smile on her full lips.
Calvin’s Adam’s apple bobbed up and down before he stared straight into my eyes, pleading. I shook my head, disappointed that he couldn’t even have the decency to come out clean with what he did. “Can I have a word with you, please?”
I rolled my eyes, scoffing, lifting the glass of wine to my lips.
“What did you do, Ragazzo?” Pier’s voice came out deeper, clearly losing his patience. (boy)
“Zia…”
“Calvin!”
“I cheated on her, Papà,” Calvin blurted out, stunned by his father’s voice. “Zia, please, I’ll make it up to you, I promise.”
“You’re delusional if you think I’ll allow my daughter to marry you after what you did,” my mother surprised me - all of us - with her distant tone. She’d always been fond of Calvin and for her words to come out like that. I don’t even want to ponder how deep her anger is.
“I’m sure we can talk something out,” Francine mumbled, panic rising within her as she reached for her glass of wine.
“What about the agreement, Walker?” Pier addressed my father by his surname, pulling his menacing gaze away from his younger son.
My father sighed. “I’m with my wife in this matter. Your son promised his other woman to divorce my daughter after five years into their marriage.”
“Oh mio Dio,” Francine mumbled, hands reaching up flat above her heart. (Oh my god)
“I cannot forgive that, Luciano, no matter how good our relationship with your family is.”
I don’t understand shit about this agreement, but the way Dad and Pier look at each other in the eyes, using their surnames instead to address one another, it’s as if they are bidding goodbye to their friendship, ready to enter a war.
“What is this agreement, Dad?” I dared to ask. My curiosity is getting the best out of me again.
“It’s nothing you should worry about.” Mom squeezed my thigh once more.
It must be the alcohol because I probed. “Dad?”
“It’s an agreement made by our fathers, Zia,” Dad sighed. “Nadia and Xavier’s wedding was supposed to seal the deal. And with your sister’s death, the burden was handed down to you and Calvin. If no wedding is to take place, all partnerships between the two companies will cease. And right now, both companies are on the brink of bankruptcy.”
“What?!” It seems like I’m the only one at this table who looked surprised.
Even Calvin knew about it?
A deafening silence conquered the entire lounge. It’s so loud; I could hear a silent ringing sound if that even makes sense.
I gulped down, hard and deep, feeling so little moisture dampened my parched throat.
Bankrupt? Our billion-dollar company? I didn’t even know Dad was dealing with this kind of problem.
Cold sweat drenched my skin. My heartbeat sped up within seconds. The weight of this situation just held its toll on my head, pouring iced water over my entire body. The metallic taste of blood that came from my hard chewing on the inside of my cheeks made my face scrunch.
The truth left a foul taste in my mouth. Dizziness overcomes my better judgment.
“What if a wedding still takes place?” I mumbled under my breath without contemplating what I’ve spoken.
“No, honey-”
“No, Mom… Dad, I have a solution.” I babbled out, gazing over the only person in this room who looked as calm as the morning breeze, sipping his wine silently. “Xavier? Will you marry me?”
Thank you for voting, commenting and leaving a review. Hope you’re enjoying this crazy journey ;) xx
‘When in trouble, blame it on the alcohol.’ I reminded myself, swallowing hard, ignoring the ear-splitting silence that followed my declaration. My mother’s hands squeezed my thighs excessively tight, surely leaving a mark on my skin. Francine choked on her wine. The poor lady couldn’t even bring her hand to wipe the beads of the liquid that dribbled on the side of her pouty lips. Pier gaped, green eyes fixated in my direction while my father remained calm. It’s like he was expecting me to say something stupid. “Fuck, no!” Calvin assumed he had the right to speak his mind into this matter, announcing his protest, breaking the painful stillness. “Zia, honey,” my eyes stand glued on Xavier, watching him. His features remain still, as if he’s lounging on a beach, alone
Something in me felt different. I can’t point out what it was. All I can say is that I don’t like what I’m feeling. I hate it. If this was part of his game to change my decision about my proposal, well, it’s damn working. He could’ve just said no. He didn’t have to humiliate me like this. I didn’t wait for Erik to respond to my message and headed straight through the door where we came in. I might have shoved one or two intoxicated clubgoers on my journey to exit accompanied with half-hearted apologies. Truly, I am not sorry because they’re blocking my way out of this suffocating place. So I’m dealing with the asshole, Xavier. He lives up to his surname. He lives up to the standard his brother imposed on my head. I don’t
This is your author CastielLj, and I’d like to introduce my stories before FFMH if it’s your first time stumbling upon my work. If you are already a follower of mine, thank you so much! We’ve come a long way since Devin, eh ;) Here are my books on GN. 1|Devin ~ CEO/Billionaire Romance 2|Don’s Fiancée~ Mafia Romance 3|Promise Me Jake~ Teen Romance [A sad love story.] 4|Evan~ CEO/Billionaire Romance [Devin’s spin off but it can be read as standalone] 5|Falling For My Husband ~~ Lastly, this novel is a work of fiction. All names, characters, locations, and incidents are a product of the author’s imagination, or have been used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual people living or dead, locales, or events is entirely coincidental. xx ~She’s the flame that melted his cold heart. He’s the glacier that calmed her burning
“You do?” Once again, I spoke without thinking. My words came out as if what he uttered was an answer to a prayer I’ve waited years for a positive response. I’m thankful for the darkness that looms over this alley. If not for it, this infuriating man would’ve wallowed in the heat crawling on my cheeks. Not to mention the uncomfortable burning sensation in my core that’s still perturbing me up to this moment. I cleared my throat, rephrasing my statement, hoping to save myself from humiliation. “I mean, you agree, to marry me?” Xavier sighed, sauntering away, leaving me confused. The patter of his Italian shoes with each step bounces off of the walls. His figure, almost bathing in the warm street light glow, paused and asked without glancing back, “are you coming or what?”
What he said baffled me, but I didn’t say anything. I waited for him to explain further. “Nadia and I, we came to an understanding that we will keep our marriage, but we will still see other people. Everything is just a responsibility to our families.” “Oh,” I never actually thought of that because again, I acted on impulse, which landed me in this troubling situation. But the effect of this reality turned my stomach upside down. I want to puke all the alcohol I’ve consumed. I knew this was his way of saying there could be no love between us. What was I expecting, anyway? Needing something to keep me going, I finished the content of my glass, hoping it was enough to help me accept this. Something about what he said made
“What?!” my blood didn’t boil. No, it thickened - fast, like molten lava slipping within each vein, looking for a way out. It tickles every nerve ending in my body, teasing me to let out my fury to the world. “It’s not their choice,” Xavier explained, stepping further into the dimness. “I don’t care!” I hissed, succumbing to my anger. My foot began tracing the pattern of the Persian rug laid on the floor. Each skid of my flat shoes sounds like the wheels of a drifting car. “The nerve of that bitch to set foot in my house!” “Zia, calm down.” He pulled out a pack of cigarettes from his jean’s pocket, lighting it up, taking a long drag before puffing out the smoke in the dimmed light of the balcony. Leaning on the stone railing, he had one palm gripping the edges while the other held the slow burning cig.
I knew Xavier was speaking. I can hear every word, but my mind can’t process what he meant. I took another glance from the dimly lit garden back to his face, locking gaze with his dark hues. There was something in my chest that disturbed me. It’s confusing, but the sensation of the tight knots in my belly is not helping me figure out what it is. From the contour of my closed knuckles that’s still holding onto his shirt, I could feel his beating heart. It’s as wild as my own, and his chest is heaving the same way mine does. The only difference between us is the calmness in his face. How he managed to put on a show like that is beyond my understanding. I’m pretty aware of how hot my entire skin is. It’s not because of the humidity… it’s because of this man. The burning splash on my cheeks and core clouded my thoughts. All senses in my body are in an uproar, but
One… one, two… one… one, two… This is the tapping pattern of Xavier’s fingers on my knee. His rough, large palm never wandered higher. He didn’t have to. The warmth spreading from his touch is enough to make my insides combust. He’d remove his hold on me when he needed to eat his food and slyly slide it back under the table to resume where he’d been touching me. I knew what he was doing. He’s distracting me like what he did back in my room. It’s working. I managed to eat my food properly - timidly - and my focus remained on myself, in the burning need building up on my core. I’ve ignored everything around me, including the thoughts of Ashley and Calvin and the contemptuousness of dining with them. Never in my life has this happened before. I feel so hot all over agai