Fallen Actress' Comeback: Torn Between the Director and the Mafia Lord-Chapter 17: Get a Grip

Chapter 17

~Xavier’s POV~

The moment the taxi door shut behind Xena, something in my chest tightened in a way I didn’t appreciate.

I didn’t move right away. I watched the car until the red taillights disappeared down the road, the small white cake box still in my hand like an idiot.

She didn’t even look back.

Holding my head high, I walked back into the shop, the bell chiming behind me, too cheerful for the way my mood dipped.

Ren Raius, my waiter and my dangerous driver, was wiping down the counter, humming to himself, but he stopped the second he saw my face.

I didn’t think he had come to work or was going to, considering I had given him the day off to tend to issues in my family.

But instead, this little shit came here.

"Boss..." My brows creased in response. "She didn’t take it?" he asked carefully, while adjusting his sleeves.

I didn’t answer. I dropped the box on the counter with more force than necessary and walked straight to my office.

As soon as I was safe within the walls of my office, which suddenly felt smaller and quieter, to the point it was almost too damn irritating, I groaned deeply and threw a punch at the wall.

The sound echoed in the quiet room, but nothing moved me. Not even the pains my fist should have been in.

Why did she run like that?

Why did I care?

I shut the door behind me, leaning back against it for a second before pushing off and heading toward the coffee table.

A glass of water sat there from earlier. I picked it up out of habit, trying to calm myself enough to think.

But it didn’t help.

Xena’s expression when she pulled away, the accidental kiss. The look on Xade’s face, like he’d witnessed something he wasn’t supposed to.

It was all tangled in my head until irritation flooded in hot and fast.

My jaw tightened.

Before I could stop myself, I hurled the glass at the wall.

It shattered instantly, pieces skittering across the floor. The sharp sound snapped through the room, echoing everything swirling in my head.

I dragged a hand through my hair, pushing it back roughly. I didn’t quite understand what was going on with me.

Not that I did not, I did, but still, I had never been this restless because of the opposite gender.

"Get a grip," I muttered, straightening my spine as I heaved out a deep sigh.

My mind drifted and twirled for God knows how long before my phone screen lit up as it buzzed on my desk.

Slowly, I threw a glance at it to see Ares’s name appear. Of course. Without wasting time, I answered. "What?"

"Boos, the Master wants to see you."

"I’m busy, he can..."

"Now." His voice was as cold as always, clipped and direct.

A muscle in my cheek twitched. "Why?"

"It’s about the shipment. The missing one."

I inhaled sharply through my nose. "And you didn’t bother giving him an answer? Or telling him I’m busy?"

"He wasn’t asking, Xavier," Ares replied. And I knew that anytime he used my name like that, it meant things weren’t good. "You know how he gets. Stubborn isn’t even the word."

I pinched the bridge of my nose. He wasn’t wrong. My father and patience had never met in their entire lives.

"Fine," I muttered. "Tell him I’m coming."

"Already did."

Of course, he had. That’s why he was my second in command and personal bodyguard.

I ended the call and tossed my phone on the desk, the sound hitting harder than necessary.

Ignoring it, my gaze drifted to the broken glass on the floor.

For a moment, all I could think about was that night—the one where the D’Amato family barged into the estate, shouting, accusing, the tension thick enough to choke on.

They left a huge mess, one I didn’t want to touch again, and my enraged father wasn’t ready to let things go. And now the missing shipment on top of it? Perfect.

I rolled my shoulders back, exhaling slowly, then pressed a red button on my desk. No point delaying.

Within seconds, a knock came on my door. I knew who it was. "Well," I muttered, grabbing my keys and pushing out of the office, "let’s go."

"Yes, boss."

I locked the door behind me and stepped out into the cold evening air, ready—or not—to deal with the chaos waiting at home, but as soon as I... we did, someone unexpected stepped into my line of sight.

"Xavier."

My feet halted on their own accord as I blinked, making sure the lady before me was Xena.

"Mr Xavier," a little feminine voice rang out from beside Xena.

I hadn’t bothered to look before, but when I glanced at her side and saw the little pumpkin holding tightly onto her mother’s hand, something in me flickered.

"Hello, there, little one." The little girl who looked so much like her mother, just with blonde hair, smiled softly as she hid part of her face behind he mother’s hand. "What’s your name?"

She glanced up at her mother before looking at me. "Skai."

"Skai... what a lovely name for a lovely girl."

This time, she sheepishly looked away but stopped hiding from me. Instinctively, I stretched my hand to her, and she shook it, less reluctantly than before.

Then I straightened, lightly touched her cheek, and looked at Xena. "She’s beautiful. A nd I can see the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree."

"Thanks," Xena gave a nod, trying to hide the blush creeping up her cheeks.

"What brings you here?"

"Umm..." I watched Xena’s bashful face as she bit on her lower lip and tightened her fist.

"Well?"

"Mummy, tell Mr. Xavier that I want to buy cake."

My lips pulled back at the side. Xena averted her gaze, and I knew why. Not wanting to give her an escape option, I leaned closer.

"I did chase you to take the cake and bread, you know."

With a small smile on her face, Xena nodded, scratching the back of her head a little.

"Sorry about that, I was in a hurry. I remembered something important."

I knew she was lying, but not wanting to tease her further, I nodded, accepting it. "Good thing you know the chef."