Chapter 78 A Deep Affection.

Chapter 78 A Deep Affection.

Chapter 78.

Xavier’s POV.

I love her. I know I do.

I knew it from the exact moment my cold and broken heart began to ache just seeing a single tear slip down her face. I knew it from the moment that I couldn’t stand the mere thought of losing her to someone else, the mere image of another man touching her skin making my blood boil. I knew it from the day my dead heart began to fantasize about a love outside of sex, a life where she was simply sitting beside me, breathing the same air. And I knew it from that day when I had refused to carry on with the engagement to that Clara lady… the day I had accepted that Bunny was the only one I wanted to marry.

But that was a decision I took a few years back.

Ever since my brother left this world because of me, I was meant to live my life as repayment for his. I was meant to follow a strict path, shutting down my own desires and operating like a machine, regardless of how much I wanted to live for myself. And I was fine with it. Or, at least, I thought I was. Because the fucking moment that Bunny’s presence became active in my life, I could not stand the thought of being with another woman. She completely rewrote the code inside my head without even trying.

I took a gentle step forward, stretching my hand out to cup her right cheek in my palm. Seeing her in this much pain broke my heart more than I could ever find the words to express. Her face tilted slightly away from my touch, and she hesitated for a brief second, her eyes scanning my face with a mixture of fear and defiance, before she finally stilled under my touch, letting my large palm rest against her soft, warm skin.

I cupped her cheek gently now, staring deeply into her eyes and searching them. I knew that showing love properly was something I didn’t know how to do. I was a man built on violence, control, and silence. But I truly did not want to hurt Bunny. The absolute last thing I wanted on this earth was to be the source of her pain, to be the reason she looked like she wanted to shatter into pieces.

Bunny stared up at me with a very calm but expectant expression. In her eyes, there was a quiet, heavy vulnerability, and it felt like she was waiting for me to do something… anything to fix this, to prove that I wasn’t just another monster trying to break her heart.

“I am sorry.”

The words slipped past my lips before I could even think to stop them, my voice sounding rough and completely stripped of its usual authority.

The exact moment those words left my mouth, the air around us stiffened completely, and Bunny’s body went totally rigid in my arms.

I blinked softly, trying to believe that those words had actually made it past my lips. It was almost impossible to believe. I had never apologized to anyone in my entire life. My father made sure of that. Growing up, he would always beat me ruthlessly for apologizing, calling it a trait of the weak. Whenever I did anything wrong as a child, I would plead and cry for him to forgive me, but with every plea, he made sure to break my bones instead, teaching me that power meant never showing remorse. Eventually, I learned to never apologize, and every command from him was carried out promptly without a single drop of regret.

But for Bunny, the rules didn’t matter. For her, I would break every single thing my father built inside me. If apologizing kept her safe with me, I would do it a thousand times over.

Bunny’s POV.

My heart completely melted the moment those words left his mouth.

Right now, I couldn’t even tell if it was because he was truly sorry or simply because the almighty, untouchable Xavier Thorne had actually lowered his pride to apologize to me. I knew it was wrong to see such a small effort as a massive, life-changing action. I knew I deserved to be appreciated properly, to be treated with kindness without having to fight for it.

But who exactly had ever thought to appreciate me in my life? Hadn’t I always been criticized by everyone around me? Hadn’t I always been mocked and stepped on, treated like an afterthought or a shadow in the background? Wasn’t I always the girl who had to take all the shit in the world, swallowing my tears and bearing the weight of everyone else’s cruelty, regardless of how heartbroken I was?

So, seeing a powerful, intimidating man like him… a man who could crush anyone with a single look… put in so much raw effort just to validate my feelings made me feel so fucking seen. It made the walls I was trying to build around my heart tremble and crack.

I opened my mouth to speak, to tell him how much his words meant to me, but before I could utter a sound, Xavier spoke again, his grip on my cheek softening completely.

“I had not meant to hurt you, Bunny. I just… I just wanted you around me. I couldn’t stand seeing you look at him like that.”

Xavier? The cold, ruthless Xavier Thorne was actively expressing his feelings to me, putting his insecurity on display?

My heart melted even further hearing those raw words from him. He reached down, grabbing my hand and holding it firmly in his large, warm grip while staring directly into my eyes, searching for any sign of forgiveness.

“Please… let’s celebrate this little moment. Please, Bunny.”

My brows pulled together softly at his sudden words, my mind struggling to keep up. It felt like he had completely changed the topic out of nowhere, and I did not understand what he was talking about at all. The shift was too sudden, too unexpected, given the heavy tension we were just suffocating in.

“What… what little win are we celebrating, Xavier?” I asked, my voice barely a whisper, my eyes searching his face for an answer.

Xavier smiled softly now… a genuine, breathtaking smile that completely transformed his harsh features, making him look younger, almost relaxed. He suddenly moved his large hands up to my shoulders, gently spinning my body around until I was no longer facing him.

Instead, I was now staring directly at the massive, beautiful house standing proudly in front of us, the afternoon sun reflecting off the pristine glass windows.

“This is your little win, Bum Bum,” Xavier murmured near my ear, his deep voice wrapping around me, his grip tight and protective on my shoulders as he held me against him. “I bought you a house.”

The moment those words left his mouth, my lips parted in complete shock. The breath left my lungs instantly. I stood completely frozen on the concrete pavement, staring at the stunning, luxurious building in front of me with so much surprise my brain couldn’t even begin to process the reality of it. He didn’t just find an apartment. He bought me a whole home.