Chapter Four

Xavier

I could feel her surprised gaze.

Whoever this woman was now, she must be pretty important to affect Stan as much.

‘You’re lying, Xavier,’ Stan sneered, ‘as always.’

‘Stop being such a pain in the ass,’ I scoffed then turned to the woman. ‘Let’s go, sweetheart.’

‘How long have you been you sleeping with my brother, Harper?’ Stan faced the woman.

Harper…

For a moment her eyes widened in shock, but she quickly composed herself.

‘Long enough to be his fiancée,’ she replied.

I was stunned. This pretty little liar had some guts, I’d give her that.

She held my hand and we both walked out, not saying a word until we were outside.

‘Let’s never do that again.’ She gave out an exasperated sigh.

‘That’s a very strange way to say “thank you,’ I grumbled.

‘Are you actually Stan’s brother?’ She eyed me like I was a fraud or something.

‘Unfortunately,’ I sighed.

‘I never knew he had a brother,’ she said under her breath.

She was nervous; I could tell from the way she consistently ran her hand through her full hair, and her tongue licking those full lips of hers.

Looking at them made me want to kiss her again, while running my fingers through her hair and…

The sound of a car made me snap out of my thoughts. I had barely talked to this woman and here I was thinking about intimate things I wanted to do to her.

She looked at the cab and began to walk away. But then she stopped and turned to me briefly.

‘‘Thank you,’ she smiled at me.

I didn’t reply but watched in silence as she got in a cab and was gone. Watching her leave brought back those memories along with same old feelings I thought I had repressed.

With much effort, I tuned my gaze away from her direction. There was no point in staying out here alone. I had to face the pack of wolves I called family.

‘Xavier, darling.’ My mom spotted me first and gave me a hug. She was followed closely by my father.

‘Hello mother of mine,’ I hugged her with a straight face.

‘Stan told me you’re engaged,’ father said without a preamble.

‘Uhm…actually-‘ I tried to explain.

‘Oh!’ Mom gasped. ‘That’s wonderful news, darling. You must bring her over.’

‘No mom,’ I began to talk. ‘The thing is-‘

‘This changes everything, you know,’ my father cut in. ‘You finally being responsible and settling down? I think we can finally begin to discuss company shares.’

I paused. Father finally wanted to talk about the will? It seemed my luck had changed tonight.

‘What’s going on?’ Stan joined us with a woman that clinged to him like a purse.

‘I was just discussing with your brother about the company,’ father smiled. ‘He finally decides to be responsible.’

‘You mean his sham of an engagement?’ Stan sneered again.

‘We’re in love,’ I looked at him, silently daring him to keep on talking.

‘Since when does a playboy understand the meaning of love?’ Stan gave a mirthless laugh. ‘Prove it then.’

‘Stan…’ I narrowed my eyes at him.

He ignored me. ‘Bring your fiancée for dinner sometime soon, and let mom and dad see for themselves.’

‘That would be wonderful,’ mom beamed.

Dad smiled a little too, and soon the little gathering dispersed in chatting and laughing.

But I wasn’t laughing; I was enraged. Just when I was so close to receiving my father’s full blessings, my brother from hell showed up and ruined everything.

I walked out of the house, racking my brain on what to do. I couldn’t ask Stan where the woman was; he would know I was lying about the engagement. And she didn’t leave any clue behind.

Suddenly I felt like I was in a Scooby Doo movie, only this person was unmasked and attractive.

I pulled out my phone and called my assistant.

‘Craig,’ I spoke once he answered the phone. ‘I need all intels you know of someone connected to my brother ASAP. Her name’s Harper Williams.’

‘And a good evening to you, sir,’ Craig grumbled over the phone.

‘Hurry up and get back to me, it’s urgent.’ I ended the call and went back to the house.

I had no intention of staying long at the celebration, but mom somehow cajoled me into spending the night at the house.

The next morning I was up early and ready to leave. I never liked staying at home, it brought too many memories I wanted to leave behind.

Mother escorted me on my way out with a long hug.

‘Make sure you visit soon with that fiancée of yours,’ she reminded me.

‘Yeah,’ I nodded then asked the question that has been on my mind. ‘What happened to the Williams maid?’

Mom’s expression darkened. She hated everything relating to the Williams family, for reasons I couldn’t fathom.

‘Her mother is probably dead for all I care,’ she scoffed. ‘And as for the daughter, Stan finally had the courage to divorce her.’

‘She married Stan?’ I tried to hide my shock.

‘Yes. Three years of torture for my poor boy, after trapping him with a pregnancy. But he’s free now, thank goodness.’

I couldn’t reply. As my mom continued to blab on, the memories began flooding in and I couldn’t bear it any longer. My fists clenched and I could hear slight ringing in my ears.

‘Goodbye mother,’ I interrupted and kissed her goodbye.

Getting in the car, I exhaled loudly before driving. Stan had managed to keep his marriage hidden from the world for years. Of course he didn’t love her.

He never did.

And now somehow I had to find the same woman who had eluded me all these years, but I didn’t know where to start from.

Just then my phone rang.

‘Boss,’ Craig’s voice came on the speaker.

‘Talk to me,’ I replied, keeping my eyes firmly fixed on the road.

‘I found your woman.’

‘Took you long enough. Where is she?’

‘She just applied for a job. At Blackwood Finances,’ Craig chuckled.

‘You know what to do,’ I ended the call and pressed on the accelerator.

I had let her go once. I wasn’t going to let her go again.