Chapter 8

Lily picked up the document on the table and shoved it into Sarah's arms before pulling out her phone and taking a couple of quick photos. "I'll hand this over to you then, Ms. Lynde. It has nothing to do with me if anything goes wrong." She felt utterly drained without the energy or position to go head-to-head with Sarah. The favored never had to hold back. She was nothing but insignificant in Xavier's eyes. A chill ran down her spine and spread from her heart even though the office's temperature was comfortably warm. She took the elevator down and walked out of the company entrance. She was bathed in the sunlight, yet the chill within her remained. She stood on the bustling street. There was a slight twitching movement at the corners of her lips as she let out a self-deprecating and sarcastic smile. Maybe they only booked hotel rooms occasionally. The office lounge was their usual arrangement. She already knew Xavier had slept with Sarah. She shouldn't have hurt like this again even after seeing even more blatant evidence. It hit her even more deeply and heartbreakingly than any of her realizations these past few days about his betrayal and his inexistent love for her. The sudden ring from her phone jolted her out of her sadness. She took out her phone and answered, "Hello?" "Lily, come home right now." There was no room for argument in her father's tone. She was only scheduled to play the piano at the restaurant later that afternoon. Today was Saturday, and she had no interviews to attend. It would only leave her drowning in suffocating emotions by doing nothing, so she simply agreed even though she truly didn't want to go home. "Got it."' … Xavier hadn't postponed the meeting as he had said. He had moved it earlier instead. He thought it would humble Lily even more by letting her wait. What should have been a 50-minute meeting stretched to nearly two hours. It was already noon by the time he left the conference room. He removed the glasses on his nose bridge and rubbed his temples before slowly walking to the office. "Mr. Fulton, I have a document that needs your signature!" A manager from the finance department rushed over with a document in hand. Timothy blocked his path. "You sure know how to make things convenient for yourself. Are you trying to get Mr. Fulton to sign it while he's attending a meeting? Mr. Fulton still has important matters to attend to. Bring it over to the company in the afternoon instead." The finance manager looked disgruntled. He was just trying to cut corners. "What's the hurry about?" Xavier unusually stopped in his tracks. He took over the document and signed it before handing it back to him and continuing toward his office. He wondered just how pitiful Lily must look by now. She had better not cry. He felt the most annoyed when women cried. He knew exactly how to find the right balance and where to draw the line. He felt victorious and pushed the door open before his gaze instantly shifted to a look of nonchalance. However, no one was sitting on the couch as he had anticipated or standing by the floor-to-ceiling window. There was nowhere to hide in the office. It was immediately clear that Lily wasn't here at all. A faint sound came from the lounge, and his brow immediately furrowed. He didn't know what she was here for. Had she seriously gone into his private lounge without his permission? He had been swamped with work the past two days and couldn't sleep because of her. Therefore, he had downed quite a bit of alcohol in there. She might think it was for her if she saw it… "Xavier." Sarah stepped out of the lounge and was shocked at his look of irritation as she asked, "What is it?" His hand extended toward the door halted as it came level with Sarah's chest. He quickly withdrew his hand and regained his usual composure. "It's nothing. What are you doing here?" Sarah smiled. "I wanted to make sure you're looking your best. You have a press conference this afternoon, so I sent your clothes to be dry-cleaned and hired someone to tidy up your lounge. You need to take care of yourself even when you're busy. Both the company and I are counting on you." "When did you get here? Was there anyone in the office?" Xavier returned to his desk and sat down. His gaze landed on a document at the corner of the table. His eyes darkened slightly as a thought crossed his mind. He pursed his lips tightly. "There wasn't anyone in the office. But Mr. Snyder's assistant mentioned someone brought you a document. I've checked it. It's for the use of the press conference later." Sarah followed him and stood by his side. "It must've been sent over by the Fulton family's household staff at Tamara's request. The staff certainly doesn't understand proper etiquette. She just dropped it off and left without handing it to you directly. What if something goes wrong?" It turned out that Lily had come to deliver the document. His chest was filled with anger. How ridiculous his previous assumptions seemed now. He had imagined confronting her in his office during the meeting, which he had delayed for two hours. He clenched his sharp and well-defined jaw. "She certainly lacks decorum." She had married Lily for her obedience. Yet, she had been challenging his patience continuously ever since that night. Outrageous. She didn't even know how to behave decently as a wife anymore! "I'll attend the press conference with you this afternoon. If you run into tough questions, just pass them my way as usual. I'll handle them for you." Sarah opened the document and set it on his desk. "Let's have dinner together tonight." Her voice softened and shedded the mechanical tone she used at work as she spoke the last sentence. Xavier shook off the negative emotions Lily had stirred up. He narrowed his sharp eyes slightly. There was a touch of gentleness in his voice. "Alright, you pick the place." He was still certain Lily would come crawling back to him even if this had been a misunderstanding. The longer she took, the more she would understand what regret truly meant. Sarah gave him a bright smile and turned around to leave the office to find Timothy. "Mr. Snyder, could you make a reservation for us at the restaurant where Xavier dined with Mr. McKay last time?" Timothy immediately took out his phone to make a reservation. "Thanks for your hard work these past few days. You can just take off early tonight. I'll go to the restaurant with Xavier alone." Sarah propped herself with her hands on his desk and smiled professionally. "What?" Timothy lifted his head and looked at her. "Did Mr. Fulton say that?" Sarah shook her head. "No, I did. He's a workaholic. He'll probably drag you into working late after he returns from dinner. Just go home. I'll bear the consequences if anything comes up." He had indeed been quite busy for the past few days and barely got five hours of sleep every night. He agreed immediately. "Thank you, Ms. Lynde." Although he reported directly to Xavier, he knew well enough that Xavier and Sarah shared an unusual relationship. He decided not to hold back since Sarah claimed she would handle it. … The Joyner family used to live in a villa in the affluent eastern district. Later, they fell on hard times and moved to a three-story duplex apartment. This place was still worth millions here in Jadeford where every inch of land is valuable. Yet, it was still a far cry from the villa they used to own. Lily had returned home, but her mind was elsewhere. "Lily." Her mother, Hazel Johanson, had been talking to her only to be met with silence. She was quite displeased at her distraction. "Did you fight with Xavier?" She forced herself to pay attention and shook her head. "No." Hazel scrutinized her. "Then you've got something on your mind." "You wouldn't understand, so please don't ask." Lily took out her phone to avoid Hazel's questions. "I can stop asking, but you can't keep looking so gloomy. Xavier has been busy working all day. He's exhausted. It'll kill his mood when he comes home to see you like this. Besides, don't drag him down and risk upsetting him if this has nothing to do with him!" Hazel snatched her phone and tossed it aside. "Did you hear me?"