Chapter 111 111
Maisie's pov.
I ran my hands down the silken material of the dress I had picked out, looking at myself in the mirror of the shop. Laced delicately and shimmering under the soft light, it was perfect, just like everything else I'd rebuilt from the ashes of my past. I let myself bask for a moment, reveling in my own achievement, in the life I had fought for, in the empire I had clawed back from my past.
Even then, though, a prickle ran down my spine. Today, I knew, wasn't going to be peaceful.
I was ready to walk out, my wedding dress safely tucked into a garment bag, when I saw him. Xavier. My heart clenched, and I looked into his dark, desperate eyes that immediately locked with mine. He looked broken, but it was the same Xavier I'd once loved and feared, the one who'd walked away and left me shattered.
"Maisie," he called out to me, his voice so low it could almost be imagined across the shop. All eyes in the store immediately darted to me, and I could feel the heat of confrontation prickling on my skin. I clenched my fists at my sides. I'd planned for this. I wouldn't back down.
"I...I know I hurt you," he started as he took a tentative step towards me, his shoulders rigid and his eyes pleading. "But please... Give me a chance. Please let me fix it. I... I can't-"
"I've moved on," I said, cutting him off with steel in my voice. There was no room in my world for my past. There was no room for Xavier. I'd moved on. Roman was my anchor, my protection, my future.
He faltered and his eyes narrowed. "You...you can't just move on. After everything we... We had..."
My lips tightened into a thin line. I shook my head. "Xavier, that was then. This is now. And right now, you're too late."
He gritted his teeth, and I saw the storm brewing in his eyes. The arrogance and dominance of his previous persona were gone, replaced with sheer, desperate rage. Was he sorry or just mad that he couldn't control me?
Just as he opened his mouth to speak again, a car screeched to a halt right outside the shop.
The glass doors immediately slid open, and Emma stepped out, phone in hand.
"I called Roman," she said coolly, surveying the tense scene. "He's on his way."
Xavier's gaze flickered to the car then back to me, a flicker of fury crossing his face. "Maisie...please...I can fix it. You can't just leave me..."
Roman stepped out of the car with slow, measured movements, his very presence dominating the room and shrinking the boutique. His eyes locked on Xavier, bypassing all the other gawking faces in the store, as he spoke with a cold edge that was sharper than a blade, "Stay away from my fiance."
Xavier scoffed and moved closer, closing the distance between them. "If you hadn't left me, she wouldn't be yours!" His voice was rough with a desperate sort of anger, and the regret in it was palpable.
Roman's eyes narrowed into slits, and a slow, confident smile spread across his lips. "I'm glad you were stupid enough to abandon her, because she's mine now and if I ever see you anywhere near her again, I will beat you until you forget who you are."
Xavier's fists clenched tightly at his sides, his muscles bunching. He was ready to fight, to take back what he thought he owned.
My stomach tightened, my heart hammering against my ribs. I didn't want this. I had built a life, a reputation, a whole new world from nothing. I wouldn't let him tear it all down with just fury and regret.
Before Xavier could make a move, Cole and a few other men grabbed him by the arms and pulled him toward the exit, dragging him kicking and screaming down the street. The tension finally broke like a stretched rubber band.
Roman turned to the ladies, who had been watching the entire drama unfold. He gave them a curt, apologetic nod and said, "I'm sorry about the disturbance. Please, get in the car." His voice was calm, authoritative, and there was no question that they should do as he said.
I watched as they slid into the sleek black car, murmuring to each other, then turned to Roman, relief and gratitude washing over me.
“Are you okay?” he asked softly, his fingers brushing against mine.
I nodded and leaned into his touch. "I'm fine. I just... Didn't expect him to show up."
He wrapped his arms around me from behind, kissing the crown of my head. His presence was calming, an impenetrable shield against the chaos Xavier was trying to reignite.
As the car pulled away from the boutique, I let out a long breath. My mind kept drifting back to Xavier. He had been so sure he'd always have a claim on me, so confident that he'd always be within my reach. He had underestimated the woman he had left behind.
"He's becoming desperate," I murmured almost to myself.
Roman's grip tightened around mine slightly. "I know," he said, his voice low and confident. "And I'll never let you out of my sight again. No one will ever threaten what we have."
I leaned my head back against his shoulder, closing my eyes for a moment as the car glided through the city. I remembered the struggle, the rebuilding, the fighting, the reclaiming. I remembered the nights spent crying, the crushing anxiety, the weight of the world on my shoulders. And now... I had power, stability, love, and protection.
I opened my eyes and looked out at the blur of city lights outside the car. Xavier had made his choice long ago. He'd abandoned me and left me to fight for myself. In doing so, he had lost me.
Roman's voice was a warm, steady presence in my ear. "You don't have to worry anymore. I'll handle him."
I leaned back into him, allowing his strength to fill me with a sense of security. "I know," I whispered. "It's just... Sometimes the past doesn't let go as easily as you want it to."
He kissed my temple, pulling me closer. "The past is gone. We can't change it. But we can protect the future. And I will protect ours with everything I have."
I smiled faintly, a rush of relief and pride surging through my chest. Xavier had been my past, my regret, my pain. But he no longer had a place in my world. Roman did. He always had. And that thought filled me with a peace I hadn't felt in a long time.
I looked out the window again, watching the neon city lights streak by like a colorful river. The city, the streets, the night-they all belonged to me now. And so did my life.
As we continued to drive, the tension melted away, replaced by a quiet intimacy and a calm sense of power. I rested my head on Roman's shoulder, feeling the steady rhythm of his heartbeat against my cheek. For the first time in months, I allowed myself to truly relax, to let myself be safe.
Xavier could rage, he could plead, he could claw at my past-but he could never take this away from me. Not now. Not ever.
I closed my eyes, allowing the night to envelop me, the soft hum of the car and Roman's protective presence a comforting lullaby. My past had tried to pull me back, but I had moved on. I had grown stronger, and I had built a life that no one-not even Xavier-could dismantle.
And for the first time in a very long time, I let myself smile, a genuine, heart-felt smile. I had survived. I had reclaimed everything I had ever lost. And with Roman by my side, I would never look back.