《Xavier my Nemesis! 》全部章節：第 31 章 - 第 40 章

“Woah, relax, man. I truly mean no harm,” Kendrick said to Xavier before reaching into a paper bag and holding out a small box to me.Before I could take it, Xavier stepped in.He took the box from Kendrick instead, opened it, and carefully checked its contents. Only after making sure everything was fine did he hand it over to me.I couldn’t help but find the gesture endearing.At the same time, it made me realize just how deeply Kendrick’s actions had damaged their relationship. Xavier no longer trusted his own brother—not even enough to let him hand me a simple gift without checking it first.I lowered my gaze to the box.In it were Muffins. I glanced at the label. They were banana-flavored, my favorite.He still remembered. How… thoughtful.If only he’d done this because he genuinely wanted to, and not because he was trying to make up for everything he’d done, maybe the gesture would’ve meant more than it did right now.“…Um… I thought I’d get you something you’d enjoy,” Kendrick

The morning of the procedure arrived much faster than I expected.After checking in at the clinic, a nurse led me to a private room where I changed into a pale blue hospital gown.I sat on the edge of the bed, nervously twisting my wedding ring around my finger while a nurse checked my blood pressure one final time.“You’ll be under light anesthesia,” she explained kindly. “You’ll be asleep throughout the procedure so that you won’t feel any pain.”I nodded, though my stomach continued to churn.The nurse smiled. “Do you have any questions before we take you in?”I glanced at Xavier who stood beside the bed with his hands tucked into the pockets of his trousers. He looked impossibly calm.I envied him.“No.” “Ready?” he asked.I let out a shaky laugh. “Not even a little.”He pulled a chair beside the bed and sat down.“You’ll be fine.”“I know.”“You don’t sound convinced.”“I’m trying to be brave.”“You already are.”The simple words eased some of the tension knotting in my chest.A

“Oh my gosh! I can’t believe you’re going to Italy!” Ava squealed excitedly as I broke the news to her over the phone.“I know, right?” I said, unable to hide my excitement.“Oh, we’re definitely going shopping. You need new clothes, a new bag, a new look. Heck, you need to renew everything!” she rattled off in one breath.“You sound even more excited than I am. Girl, chill,” I chuckled.“Oh, you have no idea. I wish I could trade places with you right now.”“Even with a fake husband and a fake honeymoon?”“Well, Italy isn’t fake. The vacation isn’t fake. The pictures won’t be fake. I’d take it regardless. A win is a win.”I burst out laughing in amusement.This fake marriage does come with its perks.“I assume the baggage comes with your wish too. The bloggers, paparazzi, scandals, the crazy ex, and everything else.”“Err… okay, I take that back. I’d rather chase clients and sales targets.”I rolled my eyes as if she could see me.“But still, I’m so jealous. Oh my gosh. I should be t

I stood at the foot of the staircase, staring at the two large suitcases Xavier had somehow packed in less than thirty minutes.Mine, on the other hand, took me almost two days. I glanced at him suspiciously.“How did you even finish packing that quickly?”He looked up from the tablet in his hand.“I travel often.”“Still… that’s suspicious.”He shrugged. “I know what I need.”“I don’t.”“I noticed.”I frowned. “What is that supposed to mean?”“You packed enough clothes for a month.”“We’re going for three weeks.”“Exactly.”I scoffed.“I’m preparing for every possible situation.”His lips twitched. “I sincerely hope you didn’t pack snow boots.”I looked away.“…They’re comfortable.”He sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose. “I’ll pretend I didn’t hear that.”A smile threatened my lips.We arrived at the airport an hour later. I expected us to pull into the busy airport like I always see on television.Instead, Xavier’s car turned into a completely different entrance.There were no

The polished marble floor reflected the crystal chandelier hanging above us as we stepped into the grand lobby.I instinctively slowed my pace. The place was breathtaking.Fresh lilies filled enormous crystal vases in every corner, their delicate fragrance lingering in the cool air. Soft piano music drifted from somewhere across the lobby, blending with the murmur of guests enjoying afternoon tea.Everything looked expensive. Costly type of expensive.The concierge greeted Xavier as though he’d been expecting us all day.“Welcome back to Grand Hotel Tremezzo, Mr. Crest.”Back?I glanced sideways at Xavier. He nodded.“Thank you.”The receptionist smiled warmly.“And welcome, Mrs. Crest. We’re delighted to have you with us.”Again with Mrs. Crest.One day I’d stop reacting to it. Today clearly wasn’t that day.“We made reservations for two rooms.” Xavier glanced over to the receptionist behind the desk. “One minute, I want to check the reservations, sir,” she said typing on the keyboa