Chapter 2

Upstairs in the control room of Trojan House, Xavier Roman watched the events going on from the cctv. There had been several reports of some sleazy men groping women and drugging their drinks as well as many other ugly characters he did not need to spoil the reputation of his club, so he was watching to see if he could catch one red-handed and teach them a painful lesson.

Deep down however, Xavier knew that watching out for predatory behavior wasn’t his main reason for taking over supervision tonight, when he could have been doing anything else he wanted.

Jonah was having his engagement party and although he had abruptly refused to go no matter how often he was asked, Xavier just had to watch it happen somehow.

No one in the family truly wanted him there. They just needed to use his club as it was the most exclusive in the state and it was impossible to book an appointment there without his notice. He didn’t care that they didn’t want him though, as he had more important things to worry about than his ashy family.

Just a few days ago, the woman Valerie, who Jonah had engaged had been in his office, trying to seduce him. Besides the fact that she was way too skinny and had no chance in hell with him, he knew she was just trying to get him to fall for her like the hundreds of other women who had tried the same tactic and failed. She was the daughter of one of the wealthiest men in the state who he had blatantly refused to do business with, so it wasn’t hard to put two and two together.

Xavier had seen enough and now wanted to leave. However, he noticed a woman who looked vaguely familiar walk in. Immediately he saw her, something told him she didn’t belong there. From the camera planted closest to her, she looked terrified and like someone who would faint soon.

He had to see this. The woman hesitated by the door, torn between staying or leaving when Jonah’s bride walked up to her and began to insult her. He couldn’t tell what was said, but from the terrified woman’s expression, he could imagine it.

Jonah came up soon after and made things worse like he always did by opening his mouth. While he spoke, Xavier noticed the woman start to tremble and turn white, like someone on the verge of fainting.

That was strange.

He knew she hadn’t been drugged in his club as he had seen her walk in, but he couldn’t possibly have her faint there and increase the bad rep his club was beginning to get.

“Carlos,” he called his guard who always followed him everywhere.

“Yes, boss,” the big man responded, ever ready to do whatever his boss requested.

He pointed at the woman who was barely maintaining her balance now. “Don’t let her back touch the ground,” he instructed him.

“Yes, boss,” Carlos responded, before disappearing from the room and appearing on the screen behind the woman a few seconds later.

Just as Xavier had asked, the young woman fell right on him and her back did not touch the ground.

When his guard looked up at the screen with the woman in his hand, Xavier realized he didn’t know what to do with the woman now. The people around them looked angry that Carlos had saved the woman from touching the ground, so even if he kept her on a chair somewhere around there, she would not be safe.

He had no idea who the woman was, but from what he could see, the people around them did not seem to like her. She also looked like she was begging his nephew Jonah for something and he understood immediately.

She was probably one of his mistresses. Xavier would never understand what these loose girls saw in his nephew.

“Bring her here,” he instructed his guard through the Bluetooth mic in his mouth.

“Sir, I think she needs urgent medical care,” the guard responded. “She’s wheezing but she’s turning blue. I don’t think she can breathe.”

“Hold on,” Xavier said, cutting his connection to the guard off. He connected the head of medical staff next who rushed down to the scene immediately and took her into the make-shift medical center he had built in in case of emergencies like this.

Usually, the emergencies that occurred in his club included over-drinking or in worse cases, a heart attack, but something told him this wasn’t either of them.

“She has been treated but she is still unconscious,” the guard said to him a few minutes later.

“Bring her here,” he ordered and almost regretted it.

What was he going to do with this woman when she came? She was probably one of Jonah’s flings who didn’t know when to quit, but no matter who she was, he had to keep her safe until she regained consciousness. He didn’t need any stories.

“Tell the IT guy to run a background check on her,” Xavier instructed the guard after he brought the woman into the control room.

Knowing the woman would help a great deal. At least he would know who to contact.

“She is the wife of your nephew, sir. No one has seen her in two years until now.”

That interested Xavier, who looked at the woman with more interest now that he knew who she was. No wonder she looked familiar.

“So she came to crash the engagement party?” He asked.

“I think so,” the guard said, looking displeased.

“What did the others say?”

“No one gave me any favorable answer,” he said with disgust which interested Xavier. Never had he seen his guard speak passionately about anyone. “They just kept calling her names like piggy, bad luck, pretender, home wrecker and several others. She hasn’t been seen in two years. It’s almost like she stopped existing until today.”

Xavier cocked his head to the side as he regarded the woman who looked worse for wear. Now he saw her up close, he could remember her.

He had only seen her a few times when Jonah had brought her over and the only thing he remembered of her was how timid and afraid of everything she had been. It was safe to say she hadn’t changed at all. He had felt bad for her when they announced they were getting married, but he couldn’t possibly pull her aside and advise not to marry his nephew.

It was not his place and he really didn’t care.

“You say she hasn’t been seen in two years?” Xavier asked, to be sure he had heard right.

“Yes, sir.”

“Who has she been living with?”

“Your nephew. Some rumors say he never let her leave the house while some people from her past say she has always been antisocial.”

Xavier nodded, as he watched the woman.

“When did they get divorced?” He asked.

“They are not divorced.”

“But he’s marrying someone else,” he inquired, confused.

Carlos shrugged. “There has not been an official divorce, sir. Sir Jonah just wants her out of his life as I heard him say downstairs.”

Xavier stroked the small beard under his chin absentmindedly, deep in thought.

“Does she have close relatives besides him?”

“Her father and younger sister are outside the country, so there is no one for now. He threatened to send her out of the house into the streets right before she fainted.”

“Hmm,” Xavier muttered, ideas forming in his head.

Besides the fact that she was still legally married to his nephew, she seemed to be the perfect candidate. She was quiet, so she would definitely not cause any trouble.

With his mind made up, he stood up and started to leave the room.

“Put her in my car right away,” he instructed Carlos.

“Yes sir,” the guard responded, without daring to ask why his master would make such an odd request.