21 Mr. Daniels’ smug smile deepened, feeding on his own cruelty. His voice dripped with venom. “Oh yeah, Joyce. He’s not poor, is he?” Daniels mocked, his eyes glinting. “Of course I know you. And your husband? He’s nothing but a punching bag. A loser. Always has been.” Aurora, who had been clinging to her mother’s side, stepped forward, her little face flushed red with anger. Her voice trembled but came out loud enough for everyone to hear. “My daddy is not a loser!” she declared, her eyes blazing with childish defiance. A ripple of surprise passed through the crowd, but Daniels threw back his head and laughed. It was loud, mocking, and filled with ridicule. “Oh, darling,” he said, his tone sickeningly sweet, dripping with false pity. “I’m so sorry to say this in front of you, but your daddy is a loser. A punching bag. A poor bartender. That’s what he was when we were in high school. A big-time loser.” His laugh grew harsher, joined by snickers from a few in the crowd who hung

22Mr. Daniels stood there, frozen in place. His usually sharp, calculating eyes darted between Xavier, Joyce, and the crowd as if searching for some hidden explanation. His lips twitched, his forced smile collapsing into something closer to disbelief.It couldn’t be.This man standing before him, dressed in a perfectly tailored suit, exuding confidence and power, couldn’t possibly be the same Xavier he remembered.The Xavier he knew was nothing but a poor bartender. A man Daniels had mocked in high school, dismissed in the company halls, humiliated in front of others. A man from a family Daniels had always looked down on.But now…This same man was standing here as the CEO of the very company that was about to sponsor them, the one worth five billion dollars.Daniels’ thoughts scrambled. It’s not possible. It can’t be real. How could he, how could this man, be worth $5 billion?Joyce, however, wasn’t thinking about Daniels. Her trembling hand slid into Xavier’s, holding him tightly a

24Xavier didn’t respond to Joyce’s words with a long explanation. He simply let out a slow breath, masking the flicker of unease in his eyes.“Just… go into the car,” he said calmly, his voice level but firm. “I’ll come and meet up with you both.”Aurora, still clutching her father’s hand, hesitated. “Daddy, aren’t you coming now?”“I will,” Xavier assured with a smile that didn’t quite reach his eyes. He gave her cheek a gentle tap. “Go with Mommy first. I’ll be right behind you.”Aurora nodded reluctantly, letting go of his hand. Joyce gave him a searching look, there was something in his tone that felt like a quiet calculation, a plan she wasn’t privy to, but she didn’t push. She took Aurora by the hand and walked her toward the waiting car.As soon as they were out of sight, Xavier turned sharply, his demeanor shifting from warm husband to calculating strategist. His eyes scanned the crowd quickly, ensuring Daniels had stormed off completely. Then, without wasting a second, he st

26Xavier had never been a man who enjoyed being dragged into hostile spaces, but here he was, returning with Joyce to her family’s house.He wasn’t exactly thrilled about the idea.Not because of Joyce. No. He loved her fiercely.But because of who was waiting inside.The news had reached him even before Joyce suggested the trip: the police had released Keisha. And not just her, Greg and Mira had returned as well.Xavier could still remember the smug smirks and venom-laced words of those three.They were poison.But when Joyce’s eyes softened, when she said she wanted to see her family for the holidays, Xavier bit back the refusal on the tip of his tongue. He had been away far too long. He didn’t want to provoke her or bring more friction between them, not after everything they’d endured.So he agreed.He didn’t like it, but he agreed.….When the car rolled to a stop in front of the familiar house, the air already felt charged.Before they even made it to the door, the first person

28For the first time since stepping back into this tangled web of family chaos, Xavier’s voice rose, firm, cutting through the air like a whip.“Keisha,” he said, his tone low but charged with warning, “or whatever it is you call yourself…”The sudden steel in his voice made the room pause.“This time around, I’m not going to let you trample on me like that. Rich or not, I don’t care. You will not talk to me like that again. I am not some type of your maid. We are in-laws, and you will treat me like one.”His eyes locked on hers, unwavering.“Because the next time you try,” his voice lowered even further, deliberate and steady, “I won’t raise my hand… but I won’t hesitate to slap that stupid arrogance off your face so hard your cheeks will turn red before the hour is over.”The room seemed to hold its breath.Keisha’s eyes widened.This wasn’t the Xavier she was used to, the quiet, almost too-polite man she could mock freely. There was something in his stance, in the way his jaw was