Xavier drove like a man who had already invited death into the passenger seat. He blew through four red lights, the screech of tires and the blare of horns fading behind him like echoes from another life. His knuckles were white against the leather steering wheel, his jaw locked so tight it felt like his teeth might shatter. Inside his mind, the System was haywire. A persistent, high-pitched ringing echoed in his skull as red HUD warnings flickered across his peripheral vision, flashing urgent data on velocity and collision probabilities. [WARNING: CRITICAL SPEED THRESHOLD EXCEEDED] [PROBABILITY OF FATAL ACCIDENT: 84%] "Shut the hell up!" Xavier bellowed at the empty air, his voice cracking with rage. "Disable alerts! Just get me there!" The System went silent, though the red pulses remained, a rhythmic reminder of his own mortality that he simply didn't care about. He swerved onto his estate’s driveway, the car barely coming to a halt before he was out. The silence of the house a

"Fast ropes! Now!" Xavier’s voice tore through the comms. He didn't wait for the chopper to level out. He gripped the rope, his gloves smoking from the friction as he descended like a falling star into the heart of the chaos. He hit the corrugated roof with a bone-jarring thud, unclipped, and was up in a crouch before the dust had even settled. Around him, his team landed. "Peter, give me the layout!" Xavier barked into his headset, his rifle tucked tight against his shoulder. "The thermal signatures are concentrated in the basement level—the old cold storage," Peter’s voice crackled, steadier now that they had a target. "Xavier, be careful. That floor is reinforced concrete. If he rigged it to blow, the whole structure would fold in on itself." "Then we don't give him time to press the button." Xavier kicked through a rusted skylight, dropping fifteen feet onto a catwalk. Any guard that stepped into his peripheral vision was met with a double-tap before they could even raise a

The morning sun filtered through the blinds, casting a warm glow over the sterile room. Xavier’s consciousness returned in waves—first the sharp, stinging smell of antiseptic, then the heavy, throbbing ache radiating from his spine and head. He let out a shallow breath, his eyes flickering under his eyelids. As he tried to shift, he felt a weight pressing against his right side. He looked down, his breath catching. Ari was curled into him, her head resting securely on his shoulder, one of her hands still tangled with his. She looked small in the oversized gray sweatshirt, her face finally free of the terror of the previous night. A slow, genuine smile tugged at Xavier's lips. He didn't move, content to just watch the steady rise and fall of her chest. The moment of peace was shattered by the door swinging open. Peter and two of the guards stepped in, their faces tight with concern. Xavier’s first instinct was to squeeze his eyes shut and pretend he was still out, wanting to savor th

Ari carefully steered Xavier’s wheelchair along the stone path, navigating the bumps with a smile that made Xavier’s heart swell. "You know," Xavier said, glancing up at her with a mischievous glint in his eyes, "it wasn't that long ago that I was the one wheeling you out for fresh air. My, how the tables have turned." Ari burst into a soft laugh, leaning over to nudge his shoulder. "Consider it a pay back. Besides, you’re much heavier than I am. I should be charging you for the labor." "Put it on my tab," he chuckled, then sighed contentedly as he felt the breeze on his face. "I think I need a bit of a sugar rush to deal with this recovery. Any chance for a soda?" "Coming right up," Ari said, patting his hand. "Don't move. Not that you can go very far anyway." She winked and headed toward the vending machine tucked near the glass doors of the East Wing. Xavier pulled out his phone, his expression shifting into something more serious as he scrolled through encrypted reports, looki

The golden morning light filtered through the heavy velvet curtains of the master's bedroom,painting soft streaks across the rumpled charcoal sheets. Ari stirred first, feeling a heavy, warm weight draped across her waist. Xavier was still deep in sleep, his breathing rhythmic and calm, his arm anchored around her as if even in his dreams he was making sure she hadn't disappeared. She lay there for a moment, simply watching him. He looked younger—almost peaceful. She reached out, hovering her fingers just above the bandage on his forehead, her heart swelling with an ache she couldn't quite name. Slowly, she tried to peel his arm away, intent on sneaking into the kitchen to whip up a real breakfast for him. But the moment she moved, the arm tightened, pulling her back against his chest with surprising strength. "Where do you think you're going?" his voice rasped, thick with sleep and vibrating against her back. "I was going to make you breakfast," she whispered, turning her head to