Mr Lorenzo went on a deep rant. For a moment, she caught Xavier’s gaze through her peripheral vision. He stared long at her.
“Is this some type of play?” Xavier spoke. She couldn't believe her ears. Xavier’s gaze flickered towards her. She looked up, catching his face perfectly since the course of the dinner for the first time. He had a tiny scar across his brow he arched notoriously. If he were someone less important, she would have laughed stupidly. “I don't understand what you mean by that?” She poked her steak with the fork. "You are usually very outspoken. I know quite a lot about you.” He said flatly. “I'm rather surprised, if I'm being honest, Mr Lorenzo. I'm surprised you've taken your time to go through my credentials and political stance.” Aveline shifted in her seat uncomfortably. Fucking set of weirdos. Her life was a public record and easy to dissect. Still, she couldn't help but cling to a small relief that at least they’d found something admirable about her. “My apologies. That was rude of me. I was curious about my fiance.” He tipped her wine bottle. Denzo sat, shocked by his display. He quickly shut his mouth, adjusting in his seat. Everyone had a role to play. Hopefully, it will come together at the end. Aveline stared long at him. Neither of them tore their gaze. Heat boiled inside her. She couldn't explain why she suddenly felt so much anger. Was it his indifference or his casualness? “Mr Lorenzo—” “Xavier.” Dissecting his steak. “It's Xavier.” “Xavier.” She paused. “You seem rather disinterested during the course.” “I assure you, Linda, it has nothing to do with you.” He munched, indifferent. “Aveline. It's Aveline.” She frowned. “Well, maybe you could tell me. Is the steak too buttery or too juicy.” It wasn't about steak. “I can't pretend like your apathy doesn't bother me.” She tightened round her fork. “I knew you were chatty but not forward. Look at you.” He looked down to her hands. “I should be asking you that. Does my presence bother you so much?” Aveline's anger dissolved into a calm. She smiled. “Forgive my forwardness.” “You’ve nothing to apologize for. I don’t expect you to be interested in me. or in the dinner, for that matter.” He glanced briefly at his glass, then back at her. “If you don’t mind, I’d rather take you hunting one of these days. We can talk properly then, without all this… dressed-up noise.” Her brow arched. “Is that your way of saying you have no business being here?” She tilted her head, trying to gauge his reaction. Xavier smiled, a quick, low rumble escaping his chest. She couldn’t tell if it was amusement or mockery. “You may be a little too quick for me.” Denzo froze Amidst all the malicious jabs. Aveline thought it strange that Mrs Lorenzo kept quiet throughout their back and forth. “The wedding will take place in a month from now.” Mrs Lorenzo’s voice cut through. “Mrs Lorenzo, we didn't discuss the date.” Denzo countered. “A month is fine.” Aveline stared at Mrs Lorenzo, challenging. Xavier caught her expression in the corner of his eye, studying her every move. “Xavier, when we meet again before our wedding, I’d love it if you could educate me a little on guns,” she said sharply. “I’m sure you don’t mind. Or does owning an armed weaponry empire lack passion?” She lifted her gaze to meet his. He considered her, his expression unreadable. “Hmm,” he said in mild reassurance in his tone. More than he cared to admit, he was intrigued and amused. ******** The night swept into an uncomfortable silence. Neither of them spoke. Aveline completely forsook her meal. Mrs Lorenzo ate little. Xavier ate a decent amount of food he seemed to enjoy. Seconds blurred into minutes. Eventually, the dinner came to an end. The Lorenzos rose to leave. Just at the door, Xavier paused, turning back toward her. Aveline kept her composure. Did he have something to say? “I wouldn’t want to visit my fiancée empty-handed,” he said. “That would reflect poorly on us.” Xavier opened a tiny box he brought out of his pocket. He opened it carefully, revealing a glittering silver necklace, adorned with a delicate diamond pendant. Aveline turned her back instinctively, as he woke the necklace round her neck. Her fingers lingered on her neck, tracing the feeling over her neck. Heat rose to her cheeks, not from affection, but from irritation. The gesture, small as it was, reminded her of the obligations. She hadn’t prepared a gift, she hadn’t anticipated this encounter, and yet here he was. She looked up at him one last time, but he was already walking toward the door, in a haste. He checked through his watch as they were escorted into their vehicle. Aveline walked past her father, letting the silence drift within them, exhausted from all the rich saga frenzy. Her hands fell lazily by her side. She wished she could just wake up to a life where the Lorenzos were deleted from history.Tilly kept quiet, oblivious to the growing tension. Tania looked over to Sonia, hiding her surprise. The group spread across the terrain. Each, out to catch a prey. Most shots were from Xavier followed by Sonia. Aveline steadied her gaze, turning serious. A thrill ran down her spine, brushing the loose strands of her curls behind her ears. She couldn't back down. Aveline walked further away from the group, her boots rustling against the dried Autumn leaves. Minutes flew by quickly. Aveline fired seven shots within a few minutes. She walked with caution that Matteo couldn't help but stare at.Aveline’s eye caught a squirrel scratching near the trunk of a pine tree. She bent low, breath steady, finger brushing the trigger.Bang!The squirrel vanished into the woods and Sonia hit the ground. Her scream broke into the air. Aveline’s body locked. She hadn’t even seen her. Sonia had come out of nowhere. Blood darkened the dirt as Sonia clutched her leg.Aveline threw her rifle to the gr
It was the day of the hunt. Xavier stood by the courtyard fountain, rifle in his hands. She was late. The hunt wasn’t just sport, it was a Lorenzo tradition. A test of composure, instinct, and presence to welcome a new member. And she was late. Tilly, his maternal cousin, leaned against the edge of the fountain, her blonde curls spilling over her shoulder. “I can’t wait to meet her in person,” she teased, spinning her rifle once. “Xavier’s very own fiancée. To his left, Matteo and Sonia, Xaviers's friends, stood waiting. Matteo was restless, tapping his boot on the gravel. Then movement caught his eye. Two figures approaching from the far path out of a car. Aveline. And beside her, a woman he didn’t recognize. Her steps were quick, deliberate, as though she’d been scolded for being late and intended to make up. “Here she comes,” Matteo smirked, placing his arm around Tilly’s shoulder. Xavier folded his arms across his chest, watching every step she took. “You’re late,” he s
Aveline spent days contemplating what gift could possibly suit Xavier. A wristwatch? He probably had an entire gallery. Shirts were too basic. The shoes were stupid. Rings? Too intimate.Guns. The thought excited her for a moment before she discarded it. Xavier had inherited command of the LDS—Lorenzo Defense Systems—a company founded in wartime. No gun could impress him. She slumped back, sweeping her hands roughly through her thick curls.. Denzo inherited her maternal grandfather’s finance company, but her mother had inherited her grandmother’s empire: an art and fashion gallery of different niches. That was the key. A painting. She grabbed her phone off the table, pausing as her thumb hovered over the screen. Her mother hadn’t cared to visit since she came back from Paris. To the world, Freya and Denzo were divorced but behind closed doors, Freya would never let divorce strip her of the ties to her father’s company no matter how reckless she was. That was the only reason they w
Mr Lorenzo went on a deep rant. For a moment, she caught Xavier’s gaze through her peripheral vision. He stared long at her. “Is this some type of play?” Xavier spoke. She couldn't believe her ears. Xavier’s gaze flickered towards her. She looked up, catching his face perfectly since the course of the dinner for the first time. He had a tiny scar across his brow he arched notoriously. If he were someone less important, she would have laughed stupidly. “I don't understand what you mean by that?” She poked her steak with the fork. "You are usually very outspoken. I know quite a lot about you.” He said flatly. “I'm rather surprised, if I'm being honest, Mr Lorenzo. I'm surprised you've taken your time to go through my credentials and political stance.” Aveline shifted in her seat uncomfortably. Fucking set of weirdos. Her life was a public record and easy to dissect. Still, she couldn't help but cling to a small relief that at least they’d found something admirable about her.
The Lorenzos sat, basking in the grandeur of the Rivas estate, yet its splendor was still nothing compared to the Lorenzo empire.Mrs. Lorenzo sat at the right side of the long table, dressed in a light blue silk gown with pearl earrings, her hair pulled into a neat bun. It was simple for such a grand evening. Too simple. Had she worn it because she thought little of them, or because she already considered them family?Aveline had never been given the chance to share something as ordinary as a conversation with her soon-to-be mother-in-law. Mrs. Lorenzo’s expression was hard to engage. Was she inspecting? Suspecting? Was she unimpressed or impressed? Maybe it was a billionaire thing. Trust wasn’t offered, it was earned. They didn’t reach their heights by flashing smiles at everyone who came close. Xavier was just like her.Xavier. She couldn’t bring herself to look at him. What was she doing? He kept glancing at his watch, as though this dinner were a waste of his time. Uninterested o
My Mia, you look rather exceptional tonight.” Mr Denzo’s voice rang through the room, his voice whipped with mischief. Aveline forced a smile that didn't reach her eyes, mocking her father's excitement. “Surely, it's been a while. I wouldn't want Xavier to think less of me.”“Aveline, Xavier is a good man.” He placed an arm over her shoulder, glancing at her reflection in the mirror with a wide smile.“Yeah, good for whatever you have up your sleeve.” She nudged him off, adjusting the strap of her dress. Mr. Denzo’s laughter filled the air “You’ll thank me one day, Mia.”Her lips pursed as she slipped on her earrings. “Or curse you,” she muttered incoherently. He waved her off, pretending not to hear. That was his way of ignoring what didn’t suit him.she couldn’t mess the night with the Lorenzos. With the room full of eyes waiting to judge, not with and certainly not with Xavier himself, the boy turned billionaire, waiting at the other end.“And what's my end of the deal? What do