Xavier's POV
She looks like she is going to faint soon. Her face goes pale and white as she continues to watch me with her hands around her mouth and her eyes bulging wide open.
I can vow that this isn't the first time she is seeing a man naked so I wonder why the overreaction.
Andre is known for her wild lifestyle.
Suddenly, it hits me.
I am dealing with a different person now. There is a high possibility that this is not Andre but someone else who looks just like her.
It's hard to believe but I am giving it a chance even though nothing is changing about us pushing through with the wedding. I won't let my guard down. I won't be tricked again until another person is produced as Andre.
This is when I will be fully sure that the woman before me who seems innocent and naive, unlike the fiery, strong-headed woman who left me at the altar months ago, is different.
When she isn't moving or batting her eyes, I decide to cover up. I grab a towel from the stand and wrap it around my waist.
I do this all the time.
Nobody dares to come into my room without permission or at least a knock.
Not even Ethan, my second in command, who just arrived from Switzaland this morning. Mathew and Antonio who are the next closest to me can't do that either but standing before me is the woman I am going to get married to tomorrow seeing my nakedness and getting overwhelmed by the sight of it.
There is no reason to be mad at her. Whether now or later, she is still going to get a view of it. It's just coming a day earlier.
"What do you want?" I ask, trying my best not to sound authoritative or harsh. We are getting married.
Her white face is replaced by the normal expression I know her of. She stands straight, avoiding my gaze and gulps loudly.
Narrowing my eyes at her, I ask again. "What do you want?"
If there is anything else I hate aside from betrayal, then it is repeating myself when it is so clear that she heard me the first time.
Suddenly, she breaks down into tears.
"Please, let me go. I promise not to stay close to you. I promise to go far away from here. Maybe China or run off to Africa so you don't have to see me again. Just let me go. I can't pay for the sins of another. I can't do this. I can't get married to you. I don't know you. You don't know who I am either. I…"
Her outburst is surprising and quite amusing.
As she trails off, I wait with arms akimbo, expecting her to continue with her rambling but she stops, probably after realizing that none of what she has said made any sense.
"I'm sorry", she begins to wipe her tears.
I take a step towards her, dropping my hands. Three more long strides bring me close to her.
She does not look at me. Instead, she is staring at her feet as she plays with her fingers.
Andre would never do this. She would stare back at me with venom and the same rage as mine, even curse at me before storming off.
That was what I found intriguing about her. The fact that she was always ready to disobey me. The fact that she was never scared of me.
But standing before me is another amusing piece. Another intriguing object. She is scared of me and it is written all over her. Her type of fear is different from the others. I still can't pinpoint what differentiate them from each other when it comes to this.
She scoots backwards, leaving a large space between us. I follow until her back hits the wall.
"We are finally getting married, Andre," I say in a whisper, waiting for her to throw a tantrum about not being Andre but she is quiet.
As I move my face close to hers, my breath hitting her face, she shuts her eyes tightly.
"You don't need to be scared, Mia cara. We just need to resolve what you did months back and that is all. This time, I will do everything I can to make sure you appear at the altar even before I do. There is no escaping for you now. Whether China or Africa, I don't care. You stay here and you will be married to me first thing tomorrow morning, understood?!" My voice at the end comes out loud and she shakes her head without opening her eyes.
"Good girl", I smile and pat her stiff shoulder. "You can go now."
Turning back, I move to the closest to grab some clothes. Since I have asked my men to get rid of that bastard's body and help me track Russell down, I still have more work to do. It can't affect the wedding and the wedding won't affect it.
We are going to be using the basement now. I don't need to go to the other mansion to see my betrayals. They will be brought down to me here.
Usually, I don't even go there to see them. I just give my orders and Antonio will get rid of them but I had to go this morning because I wanted to see who shot me. I was curious to find out who was behind it.
Russell will pay for the betrayal. Just like how Andre is paying for hers.
I don't care if she is Andre or not. The fact that I am beginning to think there is a difference between them is really messing with me so I don't want to think about that anymore.
She is Andre and we are getting married.
Final!
After grabbing the clothes, I toss them to the bed as I walk towards it. Then I notice a figure still standing by my door.
It is her.
She isn't crying or looking pathetic now. She is looking at me defiantly with pure hatred.
It makes me chuckle. That is what gives me pleasure.
"I want to go see my dad", she announces out of the blue, making me go into spasm of laughter.
Her supposed dead father or the one here in New York? Didn't she say her father is dead?
She must have read my mind. "Since you don't believe a single word I have said, I guess it's time to accept reality. He is my father, isn't he?"
Seriously, I wonder where she got this courage from. She was crying minutes ago and now she is acting like her.
I sober up and smile, without saying a word.
This might be her after all. Maybe she thinks putting up a show as though she is timid and naive will throw me off guard.
"Can I go to see my Father?" she requests again, this time louder. She is beginning to irk me.
"No!" I reply sharply.
"What? Why?!"
"Because I said so."
"So now I can't see the man you call my Father and you want me to marry you?"
I say nothing as I begin to wear my clothes. If she doesn't go out by the time I am done, I am throwing her out. I am done being nice. I have had enough for the day.
"Hey!"
My head whips around her way and she stays frozen when she sees my anger-filled expression.
"Get out!" I roar with annoyance.
She does not move an inch.
"You. Are. Going. Nowhere", I begin to step towards her again. If this is another way to escape, then she is mistaken this time. I won't take any chances. In fact, I will have her locked up till it is time to go to the registry tomorrow. "Now, get out!"
Instantly, she scurries out as another crying sound leaves her mouth but I care less about what she thinks or how she feels.