Chapter 46 Announcement
Anna's POV
“This night,” he continued smoothly, “was meant for something else. But plans change.”
Xavier turned his head slightly, his eyes landing on me again. “And she,” he said, gesturing toward me, “is the reason.”
A murmur spread across the room.
I swallowed hard. I didn’t like this.
Xavier continued like he was enjoying every second of it. “Some of you came here with expectations.”
Another pause. “Expectations that will not be met.”
More murmurs. I could feel the weight of their disappointment, their curiosity.
Xavier stepped closer to me.
His voice cut clean through the noise of the room, commanding attention without him even trying.
“I know the real reason most of you are here,” he said, his tone smooth, almost amused. “It’s not the drinks. Not the party. It’s her.”
I felt it immediately, dozens of eyes turning toward me at once.
My grip tightened slightly around the glass in my hand, but I kept my face calm, my posture steady.
Xavier continued, his lips curling into a faint smile. “Some of you are even secretly bidding for her already.”
A few low chuckles echoed across the room, but no one denied it.
Men like these didn’t hide what they wanted.
They just took it.
“I must say,” Xavier went on, tilting his head slightly, “I expected most of you to back out after what happened with Zack.”
Then his smile widened, darker this time. “But it seems your interest has only increased.”
That sent another ripple through the crowd.
Xavier’s gaze shifted, landing directly on me for a brief second before he spoke again. “But I’m afraid,” he said, voice suddenly colder, “Anna is no longer in the market.”
The reaction was instant, I saw disappointment on their faces. Low protests spreading across the room.
I exhaled slowly, not sure if I should feel relieved… or even more trapped.
Then a female voice cut through the murmurs. One of the masked women stepped forward slightly.
“With all due respect,” she said, her tone calm but firm, “it would be in your best interest to let her go.”
The room quieted again. Even I turned slightly, curious.
“She is the reason Zack has his eyes on you,” the woman continued. “Letting her go would take that attention away.”
My chest tightened. That wasn’t entirely wrong.
Xavier smiled. But it wasn’t a pleasant smile. “That’s the thing,” he said slowly. “I don’t want Zack to take his eyes off me.”
Silence followed, until the Butcher’s voice came from somewhere behind. “Is that because she saved your life?”
Everything froze, even the air.
My heart skipped. Slowly, I turned my head, my gaze instinctively finding Xavier, watching him to see his reaction.
He didn’t respond immediately. He just stood there.
Then his expression shifted. He looked… irritated.
His gaze moved toward the Butcher.
“Were you there,” Xavier asked calmly, “the day Zack attacked?”
The Butcher didn’t hesitate. “No.”
Xavier nodded once. “Then keep your ugly mouth shut.”
A sharp breath caught in my throat.
That was bold. I had expected tension. Maybe a back-and-forth, but not outright insult. Especially not toward someone like him.
I flicked my gaze toward the Butcher. For a moment, I thought he would snap. But he didn’t. He stayed quiet.
Only his dark, hard eyes gave him away. Like something violent was sitting just beneath the surface… waiting.
Xavier turned back to the room like nothing had happened. “Does anyone else,” he asked, voice suddenly colder, “have another stupid question?”
No one spoke. No one even moved.
“I’m not in the mood to kill tonight,” he added casually. “But one more stupid question might change that.”
Everyone went dead silent, I could almost hear a pin drop.
Xavier exhaled softly, like he was bored. “It’s true,” he said. “She saved my life.”
My heart thudded, I wasn't expecting him to admit it or say it out loud in front of everyone.
He continued, his tone steady. “I would probably be dead if she hadn’t intervened.”
The room remained quiet.
“An act like that…” he paused, glancing briefly in my direction, “doesn’t go unrewarded.”
My stomach tightened.
“But the reward,” he continued slowly, “is not just keeping her.”
He paused long enough for the tension to build, long enough for every eye in the room to lock onto him. “It’s more than that.”
My pulse quickened.
“I am going to marry her," he added sharply.
Everything stopped. My breath. My thoughts.
Marry? Did he just—
My eyes widened before I could stop myself. The word echoed in my head, over and over again.
But the crowd— They reacted completely differently, applauses went up, they cheered his decision.
Like he had just made the most natural decision in the world.
Like I had just been promoted from property… To something else. Something worse and permanent.
I stood there, frozen. My fingers felt numb. I couldn’t even tell if I was breathing properly.
Xavier’s gaze found mine through the crowd.
And he was smiling like a victorious man at me.
Then just like that, he turned away. “Enjoy the party,” he announced. And he disappeared into the crowd.
People started coming toward me. Congratulating me, praising me like I had just won something.
I forced a smile, responded where I had to.
But inside? My mind was spinning.
I turned slightly, and just like I expected, I saw the Butcher, he was already walking toward me again, like a man who had never been told no a day in his life.
He stopped right in front of me.
Those dark eyes of his studied me, not like the others, no hunger, no lust… just interest.
“Tell me something,” he said, his voice low, almost thoughtful. “This marriage… is it something you want?”