Chapter 68 68
Maisie's Pov
Public declarations were rarely about love. They were about leverage. But this one? I didn't know what to call it.
The controlled chaos of cameras and reporters filled the air as I stood on the podium of the conference hall with Xavier.
Poised, elegant, and trapped, I wore my smile perfectly. Everyone saw a beautiful woman and the face of The Healer's wristband. What no one saw was the tension in my shoulders and the way my fingers curled slightly at my sides.
Cameras clicked and reporters shuffled through their notes, as Xavier stepped forward.
“Thank you all for coming,” he began. “Today marks a turning point not just for Dominion Industries but for me personally.”
My heartbeat quickened when a woman in a blue dress piped up with the question I’ve been dreading, and one they’ve all been waiting for. “What do you mean by that, sir?”
I swallowed. Here it comes.
“For a few months, I'd kept my private life … private,” he smiled, glancing at me. “But some things deserve to be shared.”
Then he took my hand and drew me flush against him. “This woman has changed my life.”
Another reporter, a thin man in a brown suit, held up his mic. “Miss Chloe? But what about your Luna Kylie?”
Camera shutters paused before they went off with a cacophony of more questions.
“Doesn't matter right now,” Xavier smiled at me. Chloe is mine.”
The word landed wrong.
Murmurs cut through the air but he continued, not seeming to care about the chaos he's just spilled.
“Meet Chloe Thompson,” Xavier said. “My partner and soon, my fiancee.”
The room erupted with more questions.
“Is this an engagement announcement?”
“How long have you two been together?”
“What about your Beta Jason? Wasn't she in a relationship with him?”
I watched the journalists exchange glances, their curiosity as sharp as glasses.
“Miss Chloe, what do you have to say about this discovery?”
“Ms. Chloe, are you what people would call a gold digger?”
My head snapped up so quickly that I felt a pull in my neck.
Anger gripped my throat, and my chest constricted at her words.
What the fuck was she on? Me, a good digger? Xavier had no gold for me to dig. My hands tightened into fists, and I had half a mind to flip over this mic and storm out of there.
Before I could fire a retort, Xavier blurted out.
“That's enough for you!” He snapped. “This conference is over.”
Security moved in and showed us the exit.
As Xavier ushered me away, his grip on my wrist was no longer gentle. He was angry and whenever he was, everyone felt it.
I was about to get in the backseat when my eyes met his.
Roman.
Something dark flashes in his eyes and I recognize it. He was angry too. I looked between both gentlemen. They were glaring daggers at each other.
He took a step towards us and extended his hand to Xavier. “Congratulations, you've successfully stolen her from me.”
“What can I say?” Xavier planted a soft kiss on my cheek. “She deserves better and that's what she's going to get.”
Roman smiled but it didn't reach his eyes.
“I knew there was a snake somewhere,” he went in. “I didn't know it was you.”
“Careful, Jason. Snakes bite when cornered.” Xavier straightened.
Roman leaned in. “So do men who realize they've been robbed.”
Then he turned down his heels and left.
I stared behind him and swallowed. The game had just accelerated and someone was going to bleed for it.
Now that I was going to beat Xavier's last name and I’m forced to share space with him, everything is crumbling apart.
I looked up at him as my lungs were empty of oxygen and filled with his scent. I’m unwillingly trapped in his frosty eyes, his tragically handsome face, and his sharp features.
And in moments like these, I have to squash any remnants of the old me with bloody hands and chipped nails.
He stood up from the couch before I could process his words.
His fingers trace my cheek, leaving a trail of goosebumps in their wake before he grabs my chin.
He looked down at me without his usual disregard and studied my face so intently, so lovingly, that if I were watching the scene from the outside, I’d mistake it for affection between a married couple.
His touch burned but his intense stare left me frozen. It’s like he’s searching for something. What, I don’t know.
Finally, he released me. “Sleep tight, Chloe.”
Xavier walked out with firm, measured strides. The door clicked shut behind him, leaving me in a perpetual state of confusion and unbearable warmth.
What type of game are we playing now? Because no one informed me of the new rules.