Chapter 69: The Only One
Xavier steered with one hand while the other gripped the gear shift firmly. The black car sliced through the thinning streets of Paris. Beside him, Agatha leaned her head against the window. Her hair, now completely loose and messy, draped over her shoulders and obscured part of her face. The lingering heat of their kiss at the restaurant still burned on her lips.
"Are we not going straight home?" Agatha asked quietly. Her voice was slightly hoarse.
"Not yet," Xavier replied shortly.
"Then where are we going?"
"To a place where no other eyes can see you but mine."
Agatha turned her head. She studied Xavier’s profile, which was illuminated by the passing streetlights. His jaw was still set in a rigid line. "You are still so tense, Xavier. Have you not already gotten what you wanted? You ruined my hair and chased everyone out of that restaurant."
Xavier glanced at her briefly before returning his focus to the road ahead. "That was not enough to erase the discomfort of seeing them stare at your back."
"You are being far too dramatic," Agatha muttered.
"Perhaps. But I do not care."
The car continued to climb as the road grew steeper. Xavier drove toward a hilly area well away from the crowded center of the city. They reached a secluded asphalt clearing that offered a view of all Paris from the heights. The city lights flickered below, creating a vast and breathtaking expanse of brilliance.
Xavier brought the car to a stop right at the edge of the overlook. He cut the engine. Silence immediately filled the cabin. The only sounds left were the ticking of the dashboard clock and the heavy rhythm of their breathing.
"Go ahead and get out if you want to see the view," Xavier said.
"I prefer it in here," Agatha countered. She unbuckled her seatbelt and shifted her body to face him fully. "It is very quiet here."
"This is the only place where I feel I truly have you without any interruptions," Xavier said. He unbuckled his own seatbelt and turned toward her.
Agatha looked out at the city lights before meeting Xavier’s green eyes, which had grown darker. "Why are you so obsessed with possessing me completely, Xavier? You have everything. Money, power. Why does it have to be me?"
Xavier reached out. His fingers trailed up her neck, feeling the steady thrum of her pulse beneath her soft skin. "Because none of the things you mentioned matter if you are not by my side. You are the only thing I could not possess easily. I admit I forced you with a marriage contract, but it was only to keep you with me."
Agatha felt the warmth of his fingers. He began to gently rub the back of her ear. "But you lock me away. You treat me like a prized display piece that must never be touched by dust."
"I am protecting you, Agatha. The world out there is not as beautiful as these lights. You know that better than anyone, given your own reputation as an assassin."
"I know how to handle the world. I am not a weak woman who needs to be hidden under your protection."
Xavier pulled her closer. His other hand moved to her jaw, forcing her to maintain eye contact. "I know you are strong. It is your strength that frightens me. I am afraid that one day you will realize you do not need me, and then you will leave."
Agatha let out a soft laugh. The sound was thin and delicate in the silence of the night. "So this is all about your fear?"
"Call it what you want. But I will not let that happen."
Xavier leaned forward. He pressed a long kiss to her forehead, then moved to her nose, and finally stopped at the corner of her mouth. Their breaths began to mingle. The atmosphere in the car, which had been silent moments ago, began to heat up again. Agatha looped her arms around his neck, pulling him in until there was no space left between them.
Xavier’s hand slid down to her shoulder. He brushed against the bare skin of her back where the black gown was cut away. The touch was rough yet filled with a deep longing that made Agatha tremble slightly. He kissed her along her jawline and moved down to her neck with intense passion.
"Xavier," Agatha exhaled softly.
"Be quiet, Agatha. Just let me feel this for a moment," Xavier whispered against her ear.
He continued to press small kisses against her neck while his hands never stopped wandering through her hair and over her back. Their movements became more urgent within the confined space of the car. Agatha felt her heart racing. She could feel Xavier’s emotions boiling over in every touch.
In the midst of the escalating passion, Agatha took a sharp breath. She pulled her face back slightly, bracing her hands against his chest to slow him down. She was breathless.
"Xavier, wait," Agatha said.
Xavier stopped. His dark eyes searched hers with a silent question. "Why?"
Agatha looked deep into his eyes. There was one question that had been weighing on her heart, something far more important than their arguments over freedom or possession.
"Tell me one thing," Agatha said, her voice wavering.
"What is it?"
"Are you doing all of this just because you want to control me? Just because you want to show that you are my husband and have full rights over me?"
Xavier fell silent. He did not answer right away. His hands remained steady on her waist.
"Or do you love me, Xavier?" Agatha finally asked.
Silence returned to the cabin. The Parisian city lights filtered through the window, casting dramatic shadows across Xavier’s face. He took a long breath and exhaled slowly.
"Why do you ask something you already know the answer to?" Xavier asked in return.
"I need to hear it directly from your mouth. Without the talk of contracts, without guards around us, and without the anger over this dress. Tell me, Xavier Calestiano Valois. Do you love me?"
Xavier stroked her cheek with his thumb. His gaze softened, becoming far more tender than it had been at the restaurant. The hardness that usually defined his features seemed to melt away.
"Since the first time I saw you save me, I knew my life would never be the same," Xavier said with a low, raw honesty. "I never planned to have these feelings for anyone. I always thought love was a weakness."
Agatha waited patiently.
"But with you, that weakness feels like the only reason I want to keep standing every day. I love you, Agatha. I have loved you since the very first day, and you are the only woman who has ever truly held my heart. There is no one else. There will never be anyone else."
Agatha’s eyes shimmered with unshed tears as she heard his confession. Those words were exactly what she had been looking for behind her provocative behavior all day. She needed to know she was valuable to him as a woman, not just as a status symbol or a piece of property.
"Thank you for saying that," Agatha whispered.
She reached for the collar of Xavier’s shirt and pulled him back into a kiss. This time, it was different. The aggression and the need for dominance were gone. Their kiss was filled with genuine love and a quiet acceptance.
Xavier responded with deep feeling. He ran his fingers gently through her hair, letting the dark strands fall over his hands and face. They stayed in the car parked on the hill, surrounded by the stunning glow of the Paris lights.
Every touch, every whisper, and every breath they shared that night felt like an unwritten promise. Even if they continued to test and provoke one another, they would always return to the same embrace.
Agatha leaned her head against Xavier’s chest once everything had settled. She could hear his heart rate beginning to stabilize. Through the window, the Eiffel Tower stood tall in the distance, its iconic lights shining bright.
"Will you forbid me from going out again tomorrow?" Agatha asked playfully.
Xavier kissed the top of her head. "Perhaps. But I might consider coming with you if you wear something that is actually modest."
Agatha laughed softly. "You truly will never change."
"And you will never stop baiting me, will you?"
Agatha smiled. She closed her eyes, soaking in the warmth of his body and the view of the city that had witnessed his honest confession. In the silence of the Parisian night, Agatha finally felt she had found true freedom. It was not the freedom to walk away, but the freedom to love and be loved without conditions.
Xavier held her tightly, as if to ensure she was really there in his arms, the only light that mattered among the thousands of glowing windows before them.