2025-07-10 10:43:20Xavier mumbled in his sleep, his body twitching.
"No… she’s mine. You can’t… this is my house…”
His arms flailed suddenly, knocking into the edge of the couch. And then he tumbled off the couch and hit the floor face-first with a groan.
“Damn,” he muttered, blinking against the light.
He wasn’t in his room. Or Lisa’s. Or anywhere familiar.
“What the...?”
Amber appeared in the doorway with a wooden spoon in one hand and a smirk on her face. “Falling off the couch now? What were you dreaming about?
He sat up, rubbing his temple. “Where am I?”
“My house, genius,” she said, laughing as she walked in. “You cried yourself to sleep on my couch last night, remember?”
It came back to him in pieces, the previous days. Lisa’s betrayal, losing Emerald and the house, getting fired, Chris turning him away.
His smile faded.
Amber noticed. “Hey. I meant what I said, you can stay here for as long as you want.”
He nodded slowly, still trying to swallow everything.
“I made you breakfast,” she added. “Toast, eggs… nothing fancy. She turned to leave but stopped to look at him again. “There are clean towels in the bathroom, be careful not to use my shampoo as shower gel. I know you men are clueless about such things”.
Xavier cracked a small smile. “Thanks.”
“And don’t just sit here sulking all day, okay? Take a walk. Breathe. Life’s ugly but it still goes on.”
She grabbed her bag. “I have to go, before old Mike gets on my case. We are yet to find a replacement for you and you know how busy City Roast can be.
“I do.” Xavier managed to answer with the stinging reminder that he is jobless.
She shot him a playful glare and left.
Xavier sat there for a moment, staring around the small apartment. Quiet, too quiet.
He showered. Ate. Put on his cleanest shirt, then stepped out into the sunlight.
It felt… good.
He walked two blocks, mind mostly blank, when he heard it.
“That’s him! That’s the guy!”
He turned, there were three teenage boys standing in front of a bodega, their phones out and whispering.
One of them zoomed in.
“Brooo, that’s him from TikTok. The guy that got rejected and dumped at the same time.”
Xavier froze.
Another boy waved, grinning like he’d seen a celebrity. “Yo! You really proposed to a woman that wasn’t your baby mama?”
The third boy laughed. “He’s a walking L!”
He didn’t respond. Just kept walking.
But they followed.
“Hey! At least give us a smile, you’re a celebrity now, man!”
Xavier turned and in a split second, lunged at the boy holding the phone and snatched it from his hand.
“Yo! What’s wrong with you, man?!” the boy yelled, stumbling back in shock.
Xavier gripped the phone tight, his jaw clenched. “You think this is funny? Recording people without their consent?
The second boy, chewing gum lazily, stepped forward with a smug grin. “Relax, old man. It’s called content. Everyone’s doing it, we are in 2024.”
“You’re going to delete every damn thing you recorded,” Xavier growled, voice low but burning. “Right now.”
“Or what?” the first boy challenged. “You gonna beat us up in broad daylight? Try it. I dare you.”
Xavier took a step closer. “You crossed a line. You had no right to record me.”
“Give me back my phone!” the boy snapped, reaching for it again.
Xavier held it out of reach. “Not until you delete the videos. All of them.”
The argument grew louder, drawing attention from passersby. But none of them noticed the patrol car that had pulled up a few feet away. A uniformed officer stepped out, eyes sharp, one hand resting near his taser.
“What’s going on here?” the cop asked, voice cutting through the tension like a blade.
Before Xavier could open his mouth, the first boy ran toward the cop, panic suddenly painted on his face like a masterpiece.
“Officer! Thank God you’re here! This man attacked us, he stole my phone and said he’d beat us if we said anything!”
Xavier froze. “What?! That’s a damn lie!”
The second boy nodded, sniffling on cue. “He cornered us, asked us to hand over everything or he’d make us disappear. I was so scared!”
The cop’s expression hardened instantly. “Sir, hands where I can see them. Now!”
Xavier took a step back, raising his voice. “No! I didn’t steal anything, these three have been harassing me. They recorded me without my permission and started mocking me in public!”
“Sir, drop the phone and place your hands behind your back,” the officer ordered, stepping closer, his voice suddenly cold and firm. “Don’t make this harder than it has to be.”
“Please, you’ve got to listen to me!” Xavier pleaded. “I didn’t do anything wrong!”
But the boys were already playing their parts, crying, looking scared, pointing fingers. And the crowd nearby started murmuring, some pulling out their phones to film the scene.
“Officer, he’s dangerous,” the first boy said, his voice shaking dramatically. “He said he has people around. A gang.”
“That’s a lie!” Xavier shouted. “You’re not listening—check the damn video on his phone!”
The officer didn’t flinch. “We’ve had multiple complaints of harassment in this area. Men approaching pedestrians, acting aggressively. You fit the description.”
Xavier’s mouth dropped open. “You’re seriously profiling me right now?”
“You can explain at the station,” the officer snapped, grabbing Xavier by the arm and twisting it behind his back.
“No, no, no... this isn’t happening,” Xavier muttered, panic finally setting in. “You’re making a mistake!”
The cuffs clicked shut around his wrists.
The first boy stepped forward smugly, holding out his hand. “Can I get my phone back, though? I need it for my school work, sir.”
Xavier turned to him with fire in his eyes. “You’re going to regret this.”
“Oh, I doubt that,” the boy smirked. “This video’s gonna blow up. Thanks for the free content, loser.”
The officer shoved Xavier toward the patrol car, ignoring his protests. He didn’t even see the bystanders whispering.
He only stepped out for a walk like Amber advised. Just a walk. Now, he was in handcuffs, being shoved into a patrol car.
His heart pounded. His vision blurred.
How did a simple stroll turn into a nightmare?
And then…
He heard someone call his name.
Previous Chapter
Latest Chapter
The One Before The Final Decision
The courtyard of Amber’s estate was no longer just tense — it was vibrating with a dangerous electricity that made even the guards keep their hands hovering near their weapons. The echo of Celeste’s voice still lingered in the air, sharp and acidic, and the look on Amber’s face as she stood at the top of the stone steps was the quiet promise of war.Xavier did not move. He stood planted between both women, jaw locked, eyes scanning the estate’s perimeter like he was calculating a thousand risks at once. He didn’t like scenes. He didn’t tolerate ambushes. And he definitely wasn’t going to let a loose-mouthed outsider start a fire on territory he’d sworn to keep safe.Antonio took one slow step forward. “Celeste,” he growled under his breath, “get back in the car—”“Don’t you dare talk to me like I’m the problem,” she hissed, throwing him a glare. “I warned you this was a bad idea. I told you we should have waited. But no— you just had to run straight to Xavier, like he’s the only one w
Forced Confession
The guards pulled back but didn’t disperse. They lingered around the courtyard like a pack waiting for Xavier’s next order. No one breathed freely. No one blinked too long. The air between all four of them was thick enough to slice.Xavier stood in front of Antonio, the tension between them bordering on physical. “Start talking,” he said. “And don’t test my patience with selective details.”Antonio didn’t answer immediately. His eyes flicked between Xavier, Amber, then Celeste—who remained by the gate, rigid, silent, controlled only by the need not to break again in their presence.Xavier took one step forward. “I asked you a question.”Antonio exhaled through clenched teeth. “Fine. You want the truth? You’ll get it.”Amber folded her arms, jaw locked. “About time.”Celeste didn’t move. She stayed outside the gate, watching, unreadable, yet every nerve in her body was braced—because she knew whatever Antonio said next would drag her name into the center of a storm she didn’t create.A
THE BLOW-UP
Antonio had barely gotten the first sentence out before Celeste’s patience finally snapped.“Before New York?” she repeated, her voice shaking with the kind of anger that had been building since the instant her passport was flagged in Heathrow. “You’re starting from ‘before New York’ when I’ve been dragged across borders, detained, questioned, embarrassed, and now told to stand outside like a stray?”Amber’s lips curved. Not kindly. “If the shoe fits.”Celeste turned slowly toward her.Xavier muttered, “Amber—”“Don’t ‘Amber’ me,” she cut in, eyes fixed on Celeste. “I’ve watched this woman circle Antonio like a shadow for months. Every time trouble touches him, somehow she’s in the picture. You want me to act blind now?”Celeste didn’t laugh—she scoffed. “You think I enjoy being anywhere near him? You think I flew across the world because I like being part of your little drama-filled circle?”“This is not a circle,” Amber said sharply. “This is my estate. My security. My responsibilit
Distractions
“Sir, something’s happening at the east entrance. You need to see this now.”The guard’s voice cut through the hallway like a blade. Xavier didn’t move at first; his eyes stayed locked on Antonio, who still looked like a man hanging onto the last thread of patience he had left. But the urgency in the guard’s face made Xavier shift.Amber pushed past the guard before Xavier could respond. “What now?” Her irritation sharpened every word. “Your estate is turning into a circus, Xavier.”Xavier followed her, and Antonio trailed behind them despite the earlier warning not to move. No one addressed him; the tension had become its own breathing thing.They turned the corner toward the east entrance—then everything snapped into focus.Celeste.Standing outside the gate like a storm that had found legs.She wasn’t just arguing with the guards; she was practically ready to tear the gate off the hinges if that’s what it took to get inside. Her voice was raised, firm, unfiltered—demanding that the
Say It With Your Chest
Amber’s heels hit the marble before Xavier even finished his sentence. A sound that told the room she had heard enough even before stepping inside.Antonio turned slightly as she entered the atrium, but Amber didn’t spare him a glance at first. She looked at Xavier directly like she was confirming something she already knew.Then she finally faced Antonio.Her expression didn’t hold anger. It held precision. A different kind of heat—controlled, intelligent, dangerous.“Good,” Amber said, adjusting the sleeve of her robe like she had walked into a board meeting, not a standoff. “You’re still here. Saves me the trouble of dragging you back.”Antonio straightened. “I didn’t come here for you.”“And yet,” Amber replied, “you’re on my property.”“That wasn’t your problem ten minutes ago,” Antonio snapped. “I just want to see my daughter.”Amber tilted her head. “And I want a world without incompetent men. Look how life disappoints us both.”Antonio’s jaw locked. “Don’t start with—”“I’m no
You Don't Get To Demand Anything Here
Amber’s estate did not welcome unexpected visitors. The gates alone stood like a verdict—silent, fortified, and far from forgiving. Antonio stepped out of the black sedan the moment it stopped, posture rigid, eyes fixed on the security point as though he intended to force his way through by sheer will.He didn’t get the chance because Xavier was already outside. He looked prepared, like someone who had been counting down the minutes to this confrontation.Antonio’s jaw tightened. “Where is she?”Xavier didn’t blink. “Behind a gate you’re not walking through.”Antonio took a step forward, and Xavier raised a hand, not a threat, just a warning. “Don’t test me today.”“I came to see my daughter,” Antonio said, voice lowered, steady. “That’s all.”“You came to confirm the damage you caused without telling me,” Xavier corrected. “And you’re going to start with that.”Antonio let out a breath he’d been holding since New York. “Xavier, I don’t have time for this.”“You will make time,” Xavie
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