Chapter 4

Xavier's POV

“What? She left?” I blurted out in shock as I stared at the wrinkled side of the bed she had occupied last night, now cold and empty.

I couldn’t believe the woman had left before I even woke up. What made it worse was how deeply I had slept, I hadn’t even noticed her slipping away. Irritated, I grabbed my phone and called the hotel security line, only to be informed that the lady had checked out early that morning.

“What a joke!” I muttered, dragging a hand through my hair in frustration.

I couldn’t believe I had let someone so important slip out of my hands without a fight. And it stung even more because I had known, from the very first moment, that she wasn’t someone I could afford to lose.

I knew it the second she walked through that bar door.

I had gone to the bar last night because someone I was searching for had been reported to be there. But the moment I saw her in that sleek dinner dress, scanning the room like she knew she didn’t belong there, I was completely thrown off. She looked out of place, cautious yet bold, and that contradiction pulled me in instantly.

At first, I thought it was just a fleeting attraction. So I approached her to talk, to confirm it.

I was wrong. She wasn’t just beautiful, I badly wanted her room.

“Boss?”

A voice cut into my thoughts, and I finally realized my right-hand man, Gerald, was already in the room. How had I not noticed that either?

“Gerald, I need you to find someone,” I said, my voice low but urgent.

“Who?” he asked, glancing around suspiciously. My next words made him freeze.

“The woman I slept with last night. The one from the bar.” It took him a few seconds to process that.

“Wait, boss! Do you mean you slept with a woman?” he asked, gasping when I confirmed it with a look. Truthfully, I was still shocked myself.

“This is unbelievable. I thought it was a no-show like always, but clearly… with the state of this room… holy fuck!” Gerald exclaimed.

He wasn’t wrong.

The hotel room was a disaster, clothes scattered everywhere, used condoms piled near the bed. No soothsayer was needed to tell him I’d had a wild night.

But how dare she disappear on me?

I never would have imagined something like this happening because I had never been attracted to a woman before. For years, I thought maybe I liked men, that was the only explanation I had for my complete lack of desire toward women. So I tried dating men. That wasn’t it either.

Eventually, I had no choice but to see a psychiatrist. He told me my trauma had caused psychological damage, making me subconsciously repulsed by women. It was a plausible explanation. After what happened that day, it was a miracle I hadn’t completely lost my mind.

But this woman?

She was different.

One smile from her, and I had wanted to bend her over the bar counter and take her right there. I had only intended to talk to her, even though my body had been screaming for something else. She was irresistible.

And that was how I ended up spending my first night with a complete stranger whose name I didn’t even know. It was messed up.

“Okay, boss, but do you have anything we can use to identify her?” Gerald asked cautiously. “She might be married… I don’t know,” I admitted quietly.

I had seen a ring on her finger. But I had chosen to ignore it because I didn’t want to believe a young, stunning woman like her belonged to someone else. Or maybe I just didn’t want to lose the first woman I had ever truly desired.

“You did what?” Gerald gasped, I didn’t care about his reaction.

“That doesn’t matter. Even if she’s married, I’ll just take her away from her husband, right?” I said, my voice rising with something close to obsession.

Gerald stared at me like I had grown a second head. He probably couldn’t believe his usually composed, formidable boss sounded this desperate.

“Or maybe she ran because the sex was bad. I mean, even though you watched a series of videos to prepare yourself, this was different. It was still your first time, so..” He trailed off immediately when he caught my deadly glare.

He knew better than to continue.

“I should just leave,” he muttered quickly. I nodded. That would save him from getting killed, because he really didn’t know when to shut up.

“Did you place this money here?” he suddenly asked, pointing at the stack of cash on the side drawer. “I know you’re rich, but don’t you think it’s careless to leave money lying around? What if that girl had robbed you?”

He walked toward the door, still grumbling, but I wasn’t listening anymore. Because I knew I hadn’t placed any money there.

My mouth slowly fell open as the realization hit me. “This money… could it be…?” I breathed, my nostrils flaring with anger.

No, that wasn’t possible.

It would be an insult beyond measure if she truly thought I was some call boy who had approached her to please her for cash.

“Did she really think I was a call boy?” I muttered, deeply offended.

But what irked me even more..I was underpaid. I had performed exceptionally well for her to leave such a small amount.

“That damn woman,” I growled, my face burning as I picked up the money.

She had ignited something dangerous inside me and then vanished like it meant nothing. I would find her. Even if she was hiding in hell itself, I would drag her back.

“But before that… I should visit my old man,” I said quietly as I stood from the bed. “I’m sure he must have missed me. Because I missed him so much.” My expression darkened, murderous intent settling heavily in my chest.

This time that I was back, I would repay everyone who had wronged me, tenfold. And I would start with him.