Chapter 85 New Boss
Anna's POV
For several seconds, I thought he was joking.
Then I realized he wasn't. My eyes widened. I pointed at myself. "Me?"
"Yes."
I almost dropped my wine.
There had to be thousands of people in his organization.
Experienced men, capable men. Men who actually knew what they were doing.
And somehow he had chosen me. "You're serious."
"Very."
I stared at him. My heart had started racing. Being in charge of Xavier's affairs wasn't something I had ever imagined.
Not even in my wildest dreams. My agency would probably faint if they heard this.
I swallowed. "How long will you be gone?"
He shrugged. "I don't know."
"A week?"
"Maybe or several weeks."
That wasn't comforting.
Not even a little.
I studied him carefully. "Is it important?"
"Yes."
"What are you doing?"
He immediately shook his head. "Don't ask."
"Why?"
"Because I won't tell you."
I sighed. There was no point pressing him. "When are you leaving?"
"Tomorrow." He paused. "Or the next day."
I nodded slowly. For some reason, I didn't like the idea of him leaving.
That realization annoyed me.
Before I could think about it further, Xavier spoke again.
"I'm organizing a banquet tonight."
I looked at him. "A banquet? What for?"
He smiled. "Because I can."
I groaned.
Typical Xavier.
Then he casually added, "And I'm very sure your friend Serena will be invited."
My heart skipped a beat.I quickly looked away so he wouldn't notice my reaction.
I forced myself to remain calm.
I stared at Xavier for a moment. "I'm not sure putting me in charge is a good decision. I hope you don't regret it."
Xavier took a sip of his wine. "It's not hard to do."
"What do you mean?"
"My capos already know their duties. Every man under me already knows what he's supposed to do. Your job is simply to supervise."
I folded my arms. "That's all?"
"That's all."
I didn't believe him. Nothing involving Xavier was ever that simple.
He seemed to read my thoughts because he smiled and added, "Make sure no one acts out of script."
"And if they do?"
His smile widened. "If anyone looks at you funny, you have my permission to kill that person."
I nearly choked. "What?" I stared at him. The scary thing was that he wasn't joking.
I swallowed. "You're putting too much trust in me."
He shook his head. "It's less about trust and more about a test."
I raised an eyebrow. "Oh, I see. You're testing me."
"Not just you."
That got my attention. I sat up straighter. "What do you mean?"
Xavier placed his glass down. "I believe Zack has bought the loyalty of some of my capos."
My heart skipped a beat. "You think some of them are working for him?"
"I know at least one is."
I frowned. "Then why not investigate them?"
"Because people become careful when they know they're being watched."
I slowly understood. He wasn't leaving me behind because he trusted me. He was using me.
I pointed at myself. "So you're using me as bait to lure them out?"
Xavier stepped closer. Close enough for me to smell his cologne. "Don't see it that way."
"Then how should I see it?"
Instead of answering, he leaned forward and kissed me.
My eyes widened. The kiss lasted only a few seconds.
But it was enough to make my brain stop working.
When he pulled away, he looked entirely too pleased with himself. "You have come a long way, Anna. If you do this right, you might actually win my heart."
I rolled my eyes immediately. "I'm not interested in winning your heart."
Xavier chuckled. "That's what makes it interesting."
I hated how confident he sounded. Then he waved a hand toward the door. "You should rest, there's a party this evening. And you can't be late."
I saluted him dramatically. "Yes, Boss."
He laughed.
I left before he could come up with another ridiculous reason to keep me there.
The moment I stepped into the hallway, I released a long breath.
My head was still attached to my shoulders. For now. That felt like a victory.
\---
Back in my room, I immediately headed for the shower.
Hot water ran over my skin as I replayed the conversation.
Xavier was putting me in charge. And somehow I wasn't sure if that was a good thing or a terrible thing.
Probably both.
After showering, I changed into something comfortable.
A maid brought breakfast shortly afterward.
I hadn't realized how hungry I was until I started eating.
The room felt strangely quiet. Part of me missed Eve's constant chatter.
As annoying as she could be, she had always filled the room with life.
Then there was Lucas. I hated admitting it, but I missed him too.
Not the version that drugged me. The old Lucas.
The one who constantly annoyed Xavier. The one who always found reasons to visit me.
The one who looked at me like I was the only woman in the world.
I wondered where he was. I wondered if he was safe.
And I hated myself for caring. Eventually my thoughts drifted back to the bigger problem.
Zack knew who I was.
That fact alone was enough to make my stomach tighten.
If he knew my identity, then everything had changed.
There was no more room for mistakes. No more room for delays.
I had to find him. And I had to kill him.
Before he destroyed everything.
The thought stayed with me until exhaustion finally won.
I lay down on the bed. Then everything went dark.
When I opened my eyes again, someone was sitting beside me.
I almost jumped out of my skin.
Serena immediately raised both hands. "Before you panic, Xavier invited me."
I exhaled sharply. "Of course he did."
She smiled. "What does that mean?"
"He's been wanting to see you."
"I can deal with that."
I sat up slowly. "Good luck."
Serena laughed. Then her expression turned serious. "So?"
"So what?"
"What has happened since we last spoke?"
I hesitated. Then I told her. "Xavier is traveling."
Her eyebrows rose. "When?"
"A day or two."
"Interesting."
"That's not the surprising part."
"What is?"
I looked directly at her. "He's putting me in charge while he's gone."
Serena looked genuinely shocked. "He what?"
I nodded."He wants me supervising his affairs."
A slow smile spread across her face. "That's good news."
I frowned. "How?"