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My family's murder was not ordinary. Every step I took in uncovering the truth only led to more and more questions—especially about Xavier being involved in them.
I couldn't stop the questions that kept flooding my mind after I saw that file, "What was my brother's name doing on Xavier's desk.
"Was he truly the mastermind behind all this? Or was he just another pawn in a game that was bigger than the both of us?"
I pulled my coat tighter around me, my heels clicking against the wet pavement as I walked toward my car. The air was filled and thick with the scent of rain, the city's distant hum overshadowed by the late-night silence.
That was when I felt it. A presence. Someone was watching me. I turned sharply, scanning the dimly lit street with my eyes.
A shadow moved near the alleyway, barely visible in the glowing light of the dying streetlamp. My pulse immediately rose insanely.
I wasn't alone. Someone else was here with me.
Before I could react, He stepped out of the darkness. Tall, dressed in black, his face mostly hidden under the cover of a hood.
"Leave everything you are trying to find out alone," the man growled. His voice was low, a warning filled with threat. My fingers curled around the pepper spray in my hands
"I don't know what you're talking about." He walked closer to me. I took a step back, my back brushing against the cold metal of my car door.
"You're digging into things you shouldn't. Walk away now while you still can."
"Or what?" I shot back, unmoved by his threats.
A cruel smile twisted his lips before he lunged towards me to attack. My gut Instincts took over, and I sprayed the pepper spray straight into his eyes.
He let out a pained shout, staggering back with his hands clawing at his eyes. Wasting no time, I forced open my car door, entered inside and slammed it shut.
My hands trembled as I put the key into the ignition. The engine immediately roared to life, and I sped off, my heart hammering so hard it echoed in my ears.
Who the hell was that? And more importantly, who sent him?. I whispered questions that clearly had no answers to myself as I drove away.
****************************************
Few minutes later, I arrived at the Moretti Mansion. The mansion was silent when I arrived, but I knew Xavier was still awake. He always was. His world knew nothing about rest or sleep.
I pushed open the grand doors and walked inside, only to find him standing at the edge of the staircase, holding a glass of whiskey in hand, his piercing eyes fixed on me.
"Thank you for accepting my invitation," he murmured, stirring the amber liquid with his hands. I forced a casual smile. "You're my boss, so I had no other option than to accept your invitation."
Xavier took a slow step closer to me, his presence closing every space between us. "Are you sure about that ? Or did you come here trying to find something?"
I moved my head a little, forging innocence. "I don't have anything to find out, or are you keeping any secrets that I should know of?"
His expression changed, his jaws tightening with a solid edge. "Why are you so interested in my affairs, Elena?"
I raised my shoulder, moving closer to him until there was no single space between. "Maybe I just love being curious about things I do not know."
His eyes darkened. The tension between us sparking like a live wire. If I couldn't shift his suspicion towards me with words, I would have to use something else.
I raised my hands, gently trailing my fingers lightly along the collar of his shirt, my touch deliberately slow.
"Are you worried about what I might find?"
Xavier's hand reached out, grabbing my wrist. His grip is firm, yet possessive. "You're playing a dangerous game."
A slow smirk curled my lips. "Aren't you?"
For a second, he took his time, his eyes watching my lips, and in that moment, the atmosphere between us changed. His grip loosened, his fingers touching my skin in a way that sent an unexpected shiver down my spine.
But he immediately let go. "I don't play games, Elena," he murmured, his voice firmer than the time it Carried before.
I held his gaze. "What would you call this then?"
The silence between us stretched further, thick and filled with unspoken words.Then, he turned away, gulping the rest of his drink before walking past me.
*************************************
Later that night, I found myself standing outside his office door, my pulse a heavy drum against my ribs.
The door was slightly open, an invitation I should never have accepted—but did anyway.
I immediately scanned the office with my eyes, looking for something, anything. Maybe I could find something about that file that had my brother's name.
My gaze immediately landed on the polished wood. The nearly arranged files lay on top of it.
And then I saw it.
A single file, kept differently under the stack of files, it's corners stretching out just enough to tempt me. I moved quickly, raising the stack of files and pulling out that particular file.
The name written on the front cover sent a chill through me.
It was…. My father's name.
I opened it, my breath stopping as I glanced through the first few lines. The words stuck together as my pulse roared in my ears.
It was all a list of transactions that was made between my father and Xavier. Secret meetings that were held, different names I could not recognize. Names that carried fear wherever they were mentioned.
Before I could read further to find out more, a shadow stood over me.
"Looking for something?"
My body went stiff. I turned slowly, my pulse hammering against my throat as I looked back to meet Xavier's cold eyes on me.
The file slipped from my fingers, landing with a soft thud on the desk.
I had been caught, but I needed to quickly find a way out of this, unless I would not be alive anymore to carry out my revenge.