Chapter 60 My Choice
Anna’s POV
Serena didn’t rush.
That was the first thing I noticed.
While my heart was still racing from the shock of seeing her standing there—alive, bold, and completely out of place in Xavier’s territory—she simply walked further into the room like she owned it.
Then she pulled out a chair and sat down.
Calm.
Collected.
Like this was just another routine meeting.
“Relax,” she said, crossing one leg over the other. “Your cover is still intact.”
I stared at her.
“Are you insane?” I snapped in a hushed voice, stepping closer. “You just walked into Xavier’s space like this—what if he recognizes you? What if—”
“He won’t,” she cut in smoothly.
Too smoothly.
“That was the best way to reach you without raising suspicion,” she added, her gaze flicking briefly over my face before narrowing slightly.
“What happened to you?”
I hesitated for a second.
Then sighed. “We got intel on Zack last night,” I said. “We moved on it… but things got messy.”
Her expression didn’t change.
“Messy how?”
“I got hit,” I said flatly. “He escaped.”
She nodded once, like that was just another line in a report.
“Fine,” she said. “We’ll adjust.”
Then her eyes sharpened.
“What about Xavier?”
My stomach tightened slightly.
“What about him?”
“Your decision,” she said. “The marriage.”
There it was.
I folded my arms, shaking my head.
“I’m not doing it.”
That got a reaction.
Not loud.
Not dramatic.
But I saw it.
A flicker of surprise. “You’re refusing?” Serena asked, her tone lowering slightly.
“Yes.”
Her gaze hardened just a little.
“You’re going against the agency?”
“I’m going against a forced marriage,” I shot back. “Let’s call it what it is.”
Silence stretched between us.
Then I exhaled softly and added,
“Doesn’t matter anyway… Xavier isn’t giving me a choice.”
Serena studied me for a moment longer…
Then— She smiled. Not mocking. Not amused.
Just… calculating.
“Then that works in our favor.”
—
I blinked at her. “What?”
She leaned back slightly.
“If he’s forcing it, then we don’t need your consent,” she said calmly. “We just need access.”
I stared at her, my brows pulling together.
“That’s your takeaway?”
“That’s the mission,” she corrected.
I shook my head slightly, running a hand through my hair.
“Okay… let’s say I go through with this,” I said slowly. “Then what?”
Her eyes stayed on me.
“Then you get closer.”
“To Xavier?”
“To everything,” she said. “His network. His operations. His weaknesses.”
Her lips curved faintly. “Zack is the endgame.”
I swallowed slightly.
“And after?” I pressed. “After we kill Zack… what happens to me? To this marriage?”
For a brief moment—
Serena hesitated.
Just a flicker.
But I caught it.
“We’ll navigate that when we get there,” she said.
I let out a soft laugh.
“That sounds like you have no plan.”
“It means we adapt,” she replied coolly. “Right now, your job is simple—cooperate.”
I nodded slowly, though my chest felt anything but calm. Then something else crossed my mind. “Lucas,” I said.
Serena raised a brow. “What about him?”
“He’s in love with me.” That made her laugh.
Actually laugh.
Like I had said something mildly entertaining.
“Lucas?” she repeated. “That’s irrelevant.”
My jaw tightened slightly.
“It doesn’t feel irrelevant.”
“It is,” she said firmly. “Lucas is not part of the plan. He’s a distraction.”
I exhaled slowly.
“He doesn’t think so.”
Serena waved a hand dismissively.
“Men like Lucas always think they matter more than they do.”
I didn’t respond immediately.
Because part of me knew she was right.
But another part…
Wasn’t so sure. “He wants us to run,” I said quietly.
That made her pause.
“For real?” she asked.
I nodded.
“He doesn’t want me marrying Xavier.”
Now that—
That surprised her.
I saw it clearly.
Her posture shifted slightly, her expression turning thoughtful.
“That complicates things,” she muttered.
“No kidding.”
“If he interferes…” she trailed off.
I looked at her sharply.
“You’re not touching him.”
She raised a brow.
“I didn’t say that.”
“You were thinking it.”
Silence.
Then she sighed lightly.
“Fine,” she said. “For now.”
That didn’t reassure me at all.
She opened her mouth to say something else—
But the door opened.
Both of us turned.
Xavier.
Walking in like he hadn’t just interrupted something dangerous.
And smiling.
That smile—
It made my heart skip.
Not in a good way.
In a something’s about to go wrong kind of way.
Serena didn’t miss a beat.
She stood up smoothly, turning toward him like this was all perfectly normal.
“I noticed you weren’t at the party last night,” she said casually.
Xavier adjusted his cuffs slightly.
“I had business,” he replied.
His gaze flicked briefly to me.
Then back to her.
“If you don’t mind,” he added, “I need Anna for something important.”
Serena smiled.
“Of course.”
Too easy.
Too smooth. “I was just leaving anyway.”
She turned toward me for a brief second—
Just enough for our eyes to meet.
Then she walked out. No hesitation. No backward glance.
And just like that— She was gone.
I barely noticed.
Because all my attention was on Xavier.
Watching him.
Studying him.
Waiting.
Did he suspect anything?
Did he notice?
Did he know?
He looked… normal.
Too normal.
Which made it worse.
“Where are we going?” I asked carefully.
He stepped closer.
Slow.
Measured.
Then stopped right in front of me.
His eyes locked onto mine.
Dark.
Unreadable. “To get the deed done,” he said.
My heart dropped.
“What deed?”
His lips curved slightly.
“You’ll see.”