Xavier's POV
As soon as I opened my eyes and saw her next to me, I knew I fucked up.
She was curled under the sheets, hair scattered, her body rigid, like she'd been holding her breath the whole night. I didn't even recall half of what happened, and the half I did, I wanted gone.
I sat up. My skull throbbed. With every pulse of my heart, a sharp pain pierced behind my eyes. I pushed my legs down off the bed and grabbed my shirt off the floor. The absence of the voice was a hangover far worse than any drink.
She sat up, pulling the sheet around her boobs like it was armor. "We didn't—did we? Did we…I mean, we didn't—did we?" Her voice cracked like glass. "What can we do about it?"
I didn't look at her. I buttoned my cuffs. "Nothing."
She blinked. "What?"
"We do nothing," I said, slipping on my jacket. "Nothing happened. Forget it."
Her breath hitched. Her shoulders slumped, like my words physically gutted her. But she didn't argue. She stared at me, mouth open, eyes cloudy.
"I —" she attempted again, but I silenced her with a look.
"You just go back to work on Monday and carry on like nothing happened."
Then I picked my watch up from the nightstand and headed toward the door. I paused for just long enough to look over my shoulder. "My lawyer will be sending an NDA to your home."
That was it. I offered no apology or explanation. I didn't wait for her to react.
But I wasn't prepared for it.
"Are you serious right now?" she said abruptly, rising, pulling the sheets close. "You're only going to act like it never happened? Like I'm nothing?"
"Exactly," I said coldly. "You're nothing. It was a mistake."
Her palm cracked across my cheek before I could blink.
The sting didn't bother me. What disturbed me was how much she was shaking.
"You think you can do that?" she said, her voice shaking. "You can't treat people like trash."
"I will," I replied flatly, holding her stare. "Because feelings complicate things. And I don't do complications."
Her eyes glistened but she didn't cry. She just nodded once, slow and sharp, like she'd finally decided something.
I left, and didn't look back. I heard her sniffle before I closed the door.
********
Monday morning came a little too fast. My office was colder than usual, though maybe it was just me. The blinds were open. Gray clouds hung over the skyline.
I sat behind my desk with a file open in front of me, but I hadn't read a word. The words blurred together. My mind kept looping back to that hotel room.
I hated the fact I found her attractive and I had done that to her. I never went over the boundaries with my workers.
I hadn't sent the NDA yet. I had no idea why I was stalling.
What the hell was I thinking?
I rubbed my face and forced myself to focus on the paper. But my hand was frozen over the page. Her voice was still echoing in my head.
"Damn it," I muttered. "Why the hell did I drink like that? I never get drunk. Never."
The door burst open.
Diego walked in holding two coffees, his eyes scanning me like a detective. "You look like you got hit by a truck. What the hell happened to you?"
I didn't answer right away. Just stared at him.
He raised an eyebrow. "Don't tell me it's a hangover. You don't get hangovers. You don't drink."
"I slept with Elena," I blurted.
He almost threw the coffee and gawked at me. "You what?"
"I slept with her," I repeated.
He laughed once, awkwardly. "Yeah, right. Try again."
"I'm not joking," I said bluntly.
The color drained from his face. "Wait. Chill out for a sec. Are you serious?" He sat down slowly. "You mean…that Elena? The assistant you said was off-limits?"
I nodded once.
Diego dragged a hand over his face. "Oh, for the love of…Xavier, you can't just go around sleeping with your staff."
"We were drunk," I said.
"You never get drunk," Diego responded.
"Yeah. You dropped her off, didn't you?" I asked.
Diego's head jerked back. "Yeah," he said and I raised my brow at him. "But I didn't know you were in the damn room. I swear, if I knew, I would've stayed. I only left her at the door."
"Christ," I hissed. "I didn't plan it."
"That makes it worse. You didn't plan it, which means it was emotional. Was Gabriella there too?" Diego asked.
I answered immediately. "Yeah."
His eyes widened. "You brought Gabriella too?"
"I must have." I clenched my jaw. "She was with me. I think I sent her home."
"You think?" Diego asked.
"I don't remember," I snapped. "I was out of it. I woke up with Elena by my side. Naked."
Diego leaned forward. "Are you still into Gabriella?"
I didn't answer.
He laughed bitterly. "Of course. That's your damage talking. She cheated on you two years ago and you still walk around like she owns your soul."
I stood up sharply, the chair scraping against the floor. "Shut up."
He didn't.
"You command armies, Xavier. You get people on their knees with a single look. But you can't get over one manipulative ex who screwed you over with some loser."
I turned away from him and stared out the window. My reflection looked just as dead as I felt.
Diego sighed. "You seriously didn't realize she was that far gone?"
"What do you mean?" I asked.
"Elena," he said. "She looked broken when I saw her coming up. Her eyes looked hella dead. What did you do?"
I clenched my fists. "I told her to forget it."
Diego stared at me. "You're unbelievable."
"I told her it meant nothing."
"And what if it didn't to her?" Diego stood, placing the coffee cups on the table. "You treat people like dirt and expect loyalty. No wonder you'll die alone."
That one landed harder than it should have.
He kept going. "You want everyone to pretend you're made of stone. But you're not. You bleed just like the rest of us. You're hurt. And what's worse, you hurt others just to keep your mask on."
I stayed silent.
"I don't know what to do," I muttered.
Diego softened, only slightly. "Then start by taking responsibility. Don't crush her just because you're broken."
The door opened before I could answer.
What was it with people and barging in like they owned the place?
"For fuck sakes. Knock," I said, and frowned as I stared at the man that walked in.
It was my father, Matteo.
He wore a tailored three-piece suit, in the color grey with silver pinstripes, a deep red tie. His hair was slicked back, not a strand out of place. His eyes scanned the office as usual.
"Hello, son," he greeted.
Matteo straightened immediately, and I sat on my seat.
"I didn't know you were in town," I said coldly.
Matteo responded. "I like surprises."
Diego took a coffee off the table and sipped.
He glanced at Diego. "You look well."
Diego nodded politely. "Same as you, Mr. Moretti."
Then he looked at me again. "We need to talk."
"About what?" I asked.
"Xavier," Matteo called.
I didn't have time for this and wanted him gone.
Just then, someone knocked and I answered. "Come in."
Elena walked in with a file in her hands.
She paused when she saw Matteo. "Excuse me," she said softly, then walked past him while his eyes sliced into her back.
She placed the file on my desk, met my eyes for a second coldly and turned.
That one second messed me up.
Diego smiled at her, trying to break the awkward silence. "Hey, Elena."
She nodded at him, avoiding my eyes. "Morning."
Then Matteo spoke. His voice was smooth.
"And who might this be?"
Elena stopped. So did my heart.
She turned slowly. "Elena, sir. I'm Xavier's assistant."
Matteo studied her. Something shifted in his face.
I knew that look anywhere. He knew her. It vanished just as soon as it came.
"Charming," he said too slowly.
I didn't like the way he spoke to her. Diego and I exchanged glances. This wasn't good.