“That son-of-a-bitch better watch his fucking back!” Greta snarled, “Cause the next time I set my eyes on him, I’ll be ripping his skin off his bones!”“Jesus, Greta,” Halle said in shock, “You need to calm down,”She could feel the woman’s anger through the phone and Halle knew what Greta was capable of when angry.“The last thing I want is for you to go to jail because of my personal problems,” Halle said. Her phone was on the vanity table and loudspeaker as both her hands were busy, pulling out the pins on her hair and releasing her thick strands from their tight bondage.“Your personal problems?” Greta practically seethed, Halle could almost imagine the smoke leaving her ears and her narrowed eyes.“This shit is far beyond a personal problem Halle! Why didn’t you go to the fucking cops?”“Because…” Halle sighed in relief as her hair finally came loose and fell to her back.“It's Simon and—”“—oh forget it!” Greta groaned, “After all, when you were supposed to call the cops on that

Xavier sat up, his eyes no longer avoiding hers once she’d asked the question, she tried to gauge his reaction but for someone that was pretty confident in her accuracy of reading people, she was failing miserably right now. She couldn’t understand a single thing when it came to Xavier. His expression became blank and he reclined into his chair and interlocked his fingers in front of him. Halle bit her bottom lip nervously, staring into his insanely calm eyes and wondering if she should be worried about such a reaction. He looked like he didn’t have a care in the world, he looked like Halle didn’t just ask him if he killed someone in cold blood. What was she going to do if he said yes? How was she going to react? Would that change her views or mayhap by chance, her feelings? “You think I killed him,” Xavier said, swirling the wine in his glass before emptying it yet again! He closed his eyes and let out a soft sigh like he was savoring the taste. Halle caught a glimpse of his p

Halle spent the next two days hiding out in her room, using reading for her final exams as an excuse. As much as she didn’t want to take advantage of the women working in Xavier’s house, she had begged Collette to bring up her food any time they cooked.As much as Halle wanted to be in the kitchen, where all the magic happened, she also wanted to avoid Xavier as much as possible, not liking just how strong his effect on her was.Halle spent most of her time in the room reading and the time she wasn’t reading in preparation for the exams, she spent it repeating to herself that this was a job and nothing else.Sure, Xavier had done more for her than any other boss would do and she had more benefits than any surrogate she’s heard of. These things made it tougher for her to convince her mind that everything was strictly professional and that they should continue to stay that way.That dinner with Xavier had almost broken every single one of the rules she had set for herself because Ha

Xavier stared down at the laptop screen on his lap. His eyes burned from not sleeping all night but that wasn’t enough to slow him down. His fingers danced across the keyboard at a speed that one could only achieve from years of practice and skills, Monty, his cousin, stood in front of him with a solemn expression, like he always had. “We don’t have to go to that event today, you should stay—” “—I am not staying home tonight,” Xavier said, interrupting Monty’s words. Sure he felt better whenever the man opened his mouth to speak willingly but as always, their opinions will always differ. “We do not know what moves the Delgados will make tonight, we will all be in public, in an open space, Xavier,” Monty’s eyes narrowed, “Vulnerable in every way,” He finished. Xavier shook his head and added the last characters to the codes he’d been working on since the day before. “We will not be vulnerable, you’re only saying that because you think I can not handle it,” Xavier takes off his gl

“You…you clean up quite nicely,” Halle said awkwardly, worried about what he would think if she just straight up told him what was actually on her mind.Would he see her as a weirdo and get creeped out if she told him she found him so stunning that she couldn’t breathe?Yes, he definitely would feel creeped out. Xavier flashed her a magnificent sight of his white teeth and pulled the lapels of his tux forward.“I do, don’t I?” He claimed with a cocky grin. Halle’s lips curled up and she visibly relaxed in his presence.Martha had joined them in the living room a few seconds later, she wore a white dress that made Halle realize the woman would be the center of attention tonight.She graced everyone with a smile and clapped her hands excitedly with a content and satisfied expression.“You all look amazing!” She smiled, her eyes landed on a spot behind Halle and her lips slowly turned into a sneer.“I am not interested in looking like we're a couple tonight Tobey,”Halle could