Zoey Brown has spent her entire life anticipating the arrival of this day. In the past few days, she would have enthusiastically accepted the proposition of sitting in the back seat of her brother's vehicle. She was in the car with him, and she truly wanted to get away from him.
It was only a short car ride back to his hotel, but it felt like the longest ride she had ever experienced in her entire life. She experienced the sensation of sitting next to a silent statue throughout the entire journey. When the car stopped in front of his hotel, she expressed her gratitude. Xander opened his door when the driver stepped out of the vehicle, and he opened it for her. After giving the driver a brief thank you, she followed Xander into the hotel and muttered something to him.
It appears everyone, particularly the personnel at the hotel, knew him. Zoey was experiencing a great deal of discomfort; she did not miss the hostile looks directed at her by everyone, particularly the young ladies who worked at the reception desk. Xander stopped and followed her gaze, and when he noticed that the woman was watching him, he grabbed her hand. He seemed to sense her discomfort. "Come with me." Following his command, he dragged her toward the front desk. The women appeared overly preoccupied as soon as they noticed him approaching. "Is there a problem here?" While he was asking, they needed more to look up.
"Xander." After Zoey pulled on his arm, he turned to look at her, surprised. He had never imagined that she would speak so close to him, and the way she uttered his name made him forget everything he had been thinking about. She looked at him and begged him with her eyes to listen to what she had to say. Xander was about to speak when a receptionist abruptly interrupted him.
"It is Mr. Gomez." The woman flinched in response to the look that Xander gave her as he shifted his attention to her. His two bodyguards materialized and positioned themselves next to him before anyone could comprehend what was happening. He remained silent as he raised his arm and double-snapped his fingers. Without paying attention to them, he instructed, "Gentlemen, please escort Anna out of the building; make sure that she leaves nothing of hers behind because I don't want her to set foot in this hotel again." Everyone in the vicinity, including Zoey, let out a gasp of horror.
Despite Zoey staring at him with wide eyes and saying, "Xander," he did not pay any attention to her.
If anyone else wants to address my sister, please do so immediately—we don't have all day!" This time, he spoke more loudly, and more surprised gasps erupted from the audience. The other women's faces turned bright red with embarrassment, leaving Zoey speechless.
"Please forgive me, Mr. Gomez. I am genuinely sorry for what I have done. I'm pleading with you, Miss, to talk to him for me. Please." Once the woman made her statement and attempted to seize Zoey, Xander shielded her by pushing her behind him. After that, Xander instructed the men to evict the woman from the hotel. He left without saying anything else, forcing Zoey to run after him.
"Hey, you didn't have to do that." When she finally approached him, she uttered the words with breathlessness.
The only thing he said was, "Don't worry, she had it coming." They rode the elevator, and a few minutes later, Zoey was at his hotel suite. "Would you like anything to drink?" He inquired, and she was unable to respond. With a sigh, Xander took a seat next to her. The ceiling focused his attention as he leaned back against the couch.
It was the first time he had ever found himself in such an embarrassing situation, and he was certainly in dire need of a drink. However, he refrained from drinking because he wanted to leave a positive impression on his sister, who had been absent for a considerable amount of time. He struggled to find the right words to break the awkward silence surrounding her.
"Why have you been ignoring my calls?" he abruptly asked, to which Zoey fiddled with her fingers without responding.
Since his personal assistant called to cancel their meal, Xander had been attempting to contact her, but she had been ignoring his phone calls. To protect him, she did not want to listen to what his personal assistant had to say. The fact that he had canceled on her was an excruciating blow to her.
"I assumed your personal assistant was calling to provide more significant explanations for the cancellation of our dinner meeting." Her words were more pointed than she had intended, and she clenched her teeth in shame.
I understand now why she didn't respond! Xander found himself shifting uncomfortably as he pondered. "But it was me, not my secretary; you should have answered to find out." Zoey gave him a sneer as he continued to insist on his obstinacy.
So, I was supposed to answer your call so you could explain why you didn't tell me you wouldn't meet with me beforehand?" she asked. She asked.
"No, my secretary would have done that." This was a careless shrug from Xander.
"That's the whole damn point!" Zoey's yell and abrupt rise surprised Xander. "You are approaching this entire situation like a business transaction, and you are treating me the same way." With that, she threw her hands to her sides and exclaimed, "Do you have any idea how important this is to me, Xander?" For the past eight years of my life, I have been searching for you because I wanted the opportunity to finally have my own family. However, this does not mean anything to you. My presence in your life is a source of friction."
After a brief period of appearing surprised, Xander's expression changed to one of resoluteness. "You know, you are right; you are an inconvenience in my life!" Suddenly, he yelled, and Zoey took a step backwards in response. "I am hurt. I feel hurt because of you. It used to be that I had complete freedom and could do whatever I wanted whenever I wanted, but now I must put my life on hold because of a foolish lady like you." When he yelled, Zoey jerked her head back. The impact of his comments was comparable to that of a barrage of icy water and a slash to the chest. Despite the residual optimism she harbored, it dissipated instantly. "What is it that you want from me?" Frighteningly, he asked before rising from the couch. "Is it money that you want?" He took a step closer to her. "How much do you want?" He posed the question as he stood before her. "Just name your price, and we can end this whole thing. Then, we can all go back to our old lives."
In front of him, Zoey made a vow to herself that she would not cry, and she did not break that promise. She kissed him on the cheek, grabbed her handbag, and walked out of his hotel, without even attempting to chase after her.