All Chapters of The Fine Print of Falling: Chapter 21 - Chapter 30

The aftermath of Milan was brutal.For three days, the photos dominated headlines. Body language experts. Relationship therapists. Random people on social media, all convinced they knew the truth about Xander’s feelings based on a single cropped image.Priya’s statement helped, but it wasn’t enough. The narrative had momentum. Seraphina was the wronged ex. I was the convenient replacement. Xander was the conflicted billionaire caught between two women.“We need something bigger,” Priya said during an emergency call. “A statement isn’t enough. We need a moment. Something public, undeniable, that reframes the entire narrative.”“Like what?” I asked.“The Tech Innovation Summit is in two days. Alexander is the keynote speaker. Five thousand attendees. Live-streamed globally. Every major tech outlet will be there.”Xander looked at me. “It’s perfect timing.”“For what?”“To make a statement. Publicly. Unequivocally. About us.”The next two days were a blur of preparation. Priya worked wit

The liquor license appeal moved forward, but slowly. Xander had mobilized every connection he had. Called in favors from politicians, business associates, anyone with influence at the State Liquor Authority. His legal team filed motions. Priya worked the media angle, painting Vivienne’s complaint as vindictive family drama rather than legitimate concern.Within a week, cracks appeared in Vivienne’s case. The SLA investigator assigned to review the complaint found inconsistencies. The theft allegations had been publicly disproven. The claims about financial misconduct were unsupported. The complaint was clearly motivated by personal grievance, not genuine concern about licensing standards.Ten days after Vivienne filed, the SLA dismissed the complaint entirely and approved Veridian’s liquor license.“It’s done,” Xander told me, showing me the official letter. “You’re licensed. Veridian can open on schedule.”I should have felt relieved. Triumphant. Instead, I felt exhausted.The battl

I woke before dawn, Xander’s arm draped across my waist, his breathing steady against my neck. The penthouse was quiet except for the distant hum of the city waking up fifty-two floors below.I slipped out of bed carefully, not wanting to wake him. He’d been working eighteen-hour days preparing for a major acquisition, coming home exhausted and falling asleep mid-conversation. I’d learned to let him rest when he could.In the kitchen, I made coffee and stood at the windows watching the sun paint the sky in shades of pink and gold. The city stretched endlessly, and somewhere in Brooklyn, Maya was probably just going to bed after a late night in her studio.Maya.My best friend. The woman who’d taken me in when I had nothing. Who’d held me while I cried. Who’d believed in me when I didn’t believe in myself.Maya, who still lived in that tiny walk-up with the questionable plumbing and the stairs that made her knees ache. Who worked constantly, producing brilliant art that sold for a frac

The morning of Veridian’s soft opening, I woke at four AM in a cold sweat.Xander stirred beside me. “Diana?”“I can’t do this. I can’t open a restaurant. What was I thinking? I’m not a restaurateur. I’m an events manager who got lucky and—”“Stop.” He pulled me against his chest. “Breathe. You’re spiraling.”“I’m realistic. What if nobody comes? What if the food is terrible? What if the critics destroy us? What if I’ve built this beautiful space and it fails spectacularly and publicly and—”“Diana.” His voice was firm. “You’ve executed flawless events for years under impossible conditions. You rebuilt your reputation after being destroyed. You created something revolutionary. You’re not going to fail.”“You don’t know that.”“Yes, I do. Because I’ve watched you work. I’ve seen your vision. And I’ve eaten the tasting menu your chef prepared. It’s extraordinary.” He kissed my temple. “Now get dressed. You have a restaurant to open.”By five AM, I was at Veridian. The staff arrived at s

Xander came home late that night. After midnight. I heard the elevator, heard his footsteps in the hallway, heard him pause outside my door before continuing to his own room.He didn’t come in.I lay in the darkness, staring at the ceiling, feeling the distance like a physical thing.The next morning, he was gone before I woke. A text on my phone: Early meeting. Don’t wait up tonight.He didn’t come home that night either.Or the next.By the third day, I was furious.I knew what this was. Eleanor’s words had gotten under his skin. Made him doubt. Made him wonder if she was right about the differences between us, about the impossibility of this working long-term.On the fourth night, I’d had enough.I waited in the living room, lights off, sitting in the dark like some kind of vengeful ghost. When the elevator opened at one AM, I was ready.“Where have you been?”Xander stopped, his briefcase dropping from his hand. “Diana. I didn’t know you were still awake.”“Of course I’m awake. My