(Free Chapter ) ***** “I was thinking I would work a few more months, add to the money the Blackwood already gave us. That way, I can buy a proper house somewhere decent and somewhere I can finally give my children the life I promised them when I left the village.” As God’s Time finished speaking, he lowered his gaze, avoiding Xavier’s expression as anxiety crawled up his spine. 'What if he thinks I’m stalling? Or trying to dodge responsibility?' The thought burned into his mind like acid. ‘What if he believes I lied just to keep my kids away?’ But then… Xavier smiled, the same rare, inexplicably reassuring smile. “I understand your dilemma,” he said, nodding his head. “How about this? Once you’re feeling a bit stronger, you and your wife can go find your dream house. Pick anywhere and anywhere. I’ll pay for it upfront.” God’s Time’s breath caught in his throat. “But…” Xavier continued before the man could interrupt, “I’ll deduct five percent of your salary every month

*****In the taxi, Xavier couldn’t help but silently remind himself that he would be buying his own car soon… and prayed God’s Time would heal quickly, so he could move freely, anytime and anywhere, without having to tiptoe around a driver’s pride, even when he was the one paying.Just then, however, a thought crossed his mind, and he smiled.If someone had told him just six years ago that he would one day become rich enough to hire a personal chauffeur and pay them half a million dollars per annum, pay their taxes, and give them a bonus, he would’ve laughed straight in their face. Not a polite chuckle... no, a full-blown, doubled-over, a d hysterical laugh of disbelief, insisting he would rather drive himself than throw away such huge money that he could spend on something more worthwhile and important.And yet, here he was. The idea still felt absurd to him.He was a guy who had once begged for rides… now, here he was, hiring a full-time chauffeur. And not just any driver… his

*****Having just witnessed such a comical scene, Xavier didn’t just laugh… he detonated.It wasn’t a polite chuckle and not a smug smirk, but a full-blown, spine-shaking eruption of laughter that made the glass walls tremble.The sound rolled through the office like an earthquake in a comedy club.He bent over, clutching his stomach, gasping between bursts. “So… pfft… so funny. You should’ve… hahaha! You should’ve seen your face just now!”It was the laugh of a man who had just watched a goat steal someone’s wedding bouquet.And seeing him like this, Dorothy’s face darkened so quickly it was like watching a storm cloud blot out the sun. Her nostrils flared; she actually snorted.“You…” she spat, finger jabbing toward him like she was about to conduct an exorcism. “Did you want to give me a heart attack?”Xavier only laughed harder, the sound turning into wheezing fits that made him wipe at his eyes. He tried to get control, but every time he glanced at her furious face, the l

*****Ultimately, Xavier clicked his tongue in disbelief. “How can someone be that stingy?” he muttered, shaking his head.Then his eyes drifted back to the almost-empty bag in his hand. Slowly, with deliberate defiance, he plucked out another chip and popped it into his mouth.The crunch was like music. The flavor hit his tongue… salty and tangy.Xavier invited himself to sit in a chair and leaned, savoring the last salty crunch on his tongue like it was the climax of a five-star meal.He let out a satisfied sigh and muttered under his breath, “Now I understand why she almost tried to tear me limb from limb. This stuff is criminally good. This stuff is really worth getting punched for.”His hand dipped back into the bag out of habit… only to find it empty. He stared at the hollow foil pouch as if it had personally betrayed him.“Dang!” he exclaimed, shaking his head. “What’s in this thing? Black magic? How can a snack turn a man into a petty thief in under two minutes?”Still

*****Just like that, the silence between the couple continued stretching on until what felt like an eternity.And finally… Xavier’s throat worked, his Adam’s apple bobbing, and down before he muttered, his tone so reverent that it might as well have been a prayer:“So… beautiful.”His voice wasn’t raised or theatrical, no.Instead, it sounded almost as if the words themselves had slipped out of his mouth before he even realized he had spoken them.And that… was the final straw that broke the camel’s back, ultimately sending Grace over the edge.In the next second, her cheeks flushed a furious crimson of red. She nearly wished for the ground to open up and swallow her, then she glanced away so fast she nearly gave herself whiplash.Grace had been looked at before. In fact, often than not, she had been gawked at, admired, praised, and even adored. But has never had this reaction before.She has never gotten such a flutter of butterflies and such a rush of exhilaration that mad