Chapter 46 GREEK GOD

Chapter 46 GREEK GOD
VERONICA POV

My heart slammed against my ribs so hard I was sure Xavier could hear it.

The moment Agatha’s innocent words left her mouth—“I like Birdie man more than Daddy Zane”—something sharp and electric shot through my entire body. Heat flooded my cheeks, then my neck, spreading downward like wildfire. My stomach twisted in that nauseating mix of panic and warmth I couldn’t quite name. The kids had just casually dropped a bomb. 

It wasn’t even what she said that was the problem. 

Because obviously, there was nothing between me and Zane. Nothing. Maybe except the fact that he was pushing beyond his boundaries; aside from that, nothing at all.

A kind of ease that had slowly built itself without permission. And maybe that was the dangerous part.

The kids didn’t know that, though. To them, words were just words.

But to adults?

Words were complications.

And the worst part was the thought I couldn’t quite push away—I don’t want Xavier to know about this.

Not because I was doing anything wrong. I wasn’t. I knew that. But because I didn’t want him to look at me differently. I didn’t want that quiet shift in his expression, like something had changed and no one told him when.

A tighter knot formed in my chest.

And underneath it, something softer—more unsettling—was starting to surface whenever Xavier was near. Something I didn’t have a name for yet. Something I wasn’t sure I wanted to stop, even as it scared me.

I swallowed hard.

And then his voice cut through everything.

“Daddy Zane?”

My breath caught immediately.

The air in the room felt heavier now, like it had been pressed down by that one question.

His voice was calm—too calm—but I caught the slight edge beneath it, the way his eyebrow rose slowly as he looked up at me from where he was still crouched with Adrian and the Lego pieces.

“Uhmm… Zane… Zane is just like an uncle to the kids,” I said quickly, my voice higher than I wanted it to be. I hated how defensive I sounded.

Before I could even finish, Agatha cut in with her usual unfiltered honesty, tilting her head as she stared up at Xavier with those big, trusting eyes.

“Yes… my mummy always say he’s my uncle, but I like him as my daddy. But I don’t want him to be my daddy anymore. I want you to be me and Adrian daddy.”

Oh God.

I groaned, pressing my palm hard against my forehead as embarrassment burned through me. Agatha and her runny mouth. She said whatever popped into her little head without a single filter. I couldn’t even scold her properly—she was just a child. Still, the words landed like tiny grenades.

Xavier didn’t miss a beat. He rose smoothly from his crouch, that dangerous yet tender smirk tugging at his lips as he looked at our daughter.

“I’m your daddy already, my princess.”

The simple declaration sent a rush of warmth blooming across my chest and face. My heart did a stupid little flip. The way he said it—so naturally, so possessively gentle—made something deep inside me soften even as anxiety still buzzed under my skin.

A few minutes later, he finished helping Adrian snap the last pieces of the Lego creation together. The kids’ faces lit up.

“Thank you, Daddy!” they chorused in unison, grabbing the toy and racing back up the stairs, their little feet thumping excitedly against the wood. Adrian was already explaining to Agatha how the “Birdie man” had made the spaceship extra strong.

Then… silence.

The kind of thick, awkward silence that pressed against my lungs. I could feel Xavier’s gaze on me like a physical touch. I avoided his eyes, suddenly very interested in the pattern on the living room rug.

“Uhmm… let me get you some coffee,” I mumbled, already turning toward the kitchen like it was my escape route.

But I didn’t make it two steps.

Xavier’s hand caught my wrist, firm yet careful. He pulled me back gently, and I spun, colliding straight into his solid chest. My breath hitched sharply at the impact.

He didn’t let go. Instead, he slid one arm around my waist, holding me close while his other hand came up to brush a stray curl from my face. Then he pressed a slow, lingering kiss to my forehead, his lips warm and soft against my skin.

“You didn’t tell me you love me back, kitten,” he murmured, voice low and teasing, but I heard the real question underneath.

I rolled my eyes even as my pulse raced. “If I did? That would be a lie. Because I don’t.”

I tried to pull free, but his hold was gentle and unrelenting. His lips curved into a smirk.

“Oh, so you love whoever this Zane is, huh?”

I couldn’t help it—I tapped the tip of his nose playfully, smirking right back even though my cheeks were still warm. “Now who’s the jealous one?”

Xavier’s eyes darkened with something intense, but his voice stayed soft. “I’m not jealous. I’m curious.” His thumb stroked slow circles against my lower back, the touch both soothing and possessive. “And my children wanting him to be their daddy before now… doesn’t sit well with me.”

“It’s nothing, really,” I said, trying to sound casual. “Zane has just been around for the past years. He helped when things were… complicated.”

He went quiet for a moment, his gaze searching my face. I could feel the shift in his energy, the way his body tensed ever so slightly against mine.

“What’s it?” I asked, my voice gentler now.

Xavier exhaled slowly, his fingers still tracing lazy patterns on my back. “I don’t know… the name kinda made me remember my brother. My stepbrother, rather.” His jaw tightened just a fraction. “It’s been quite a while since we last spoke. Like years.”

The vulnerability in his tone caught me off guard. For a second, the powerful, teasing Xavier Cross looked almost… human. Unlike the way he always carried himself like some kind of Greek god who had the world at his feet.