Gia’s words made the conversation insidee to a sudden halt.
Xylia hurried to exin, “I just went to the bathroom.”
Giapletely ignored her, pushed the door open, and pulled Xylia inside.
“Tessa, how’s your hand?” Gia’s heart ached as she looked at Tessa’s red and swollen hand.
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“Tessa is the star of the dance team. What if her hand gets scarred? What are we going to do then?” Gia fretted.
“Mom, I’m really fine. Ziggy went to get the best medicine from the doctor. You don’t have to worry,” Tessa reassured her.
Gia was still fuming inside.
She shot Xylia a fierce re. “Are you just going to stand there? Apologize to Tessa.”
As soon as Xylia walked in, she could feel Connor’s scrutinizing gaze fixed on her.
She forced herself to stay calm, suppressing her inner panic, and looked steadily at Gia and Tessa sitting on the hospital bed.
“I pped her back, so I’m not apologizing,” Xylia said firmly.
“Xylia! What did you just say?” Gia shot Xylia a death re, thinking, ‘She just refuses to take the easy way out. Is she really forcing me to get tough with her?‘
Tessa reached out and held Gia’s arm, her voice gentle andforting. “Mom, I’m really okay. I’m sure Xylia didn’t mean it. And now that she’s a Garcia, it’s not really your ce to discipline her anymore.”
Gia grew angrier at Tessa’s words.
“So what if she’s a Garcia now? The Schultz family raised her into who she is. Am I not even allowed to discipline her a little? Xylia, let me make this clear. Today, you must properly apologize to Tessa.” Gia snapped, her tone brooking no argument.
Xylia didn’t want to stick around any longer. She was ready to turn and walk out.
Connor suddenly spoke up, “I’ll apologize to Tessa for Xylia. Gia, can we please just drop this now?”
Neither Gia nor Tessa expected Connor to actually take Xylia’s side.
Tessa nced at Connor and instantly saw the worry flicker in his eyes.
Tessa wondered, ‘Did Xylia hear what we were talking about just now?
‘Connor was clearly trying to feel her out.
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Tessa nodded softly. “We’re all family here. It’s no big deal. Connor, why don’t you take Xylia and have someone treat her face?”
Gia started to say something, but Tessa gently held her back.
Gia bit back her frustration and let Connor lead Xylia out of the room.
After the doctor finished treating Xylia’s face, Connor leaned in and spoke softly, “I might’ve gotten a little worked up earlier, so don’t take it to heart. But Tessa was trying to help you out, and you still shoved her away. That wasn’t right either.”
As he spoke, his voice grew more stern.
He reached out and brushed his hand over Xylia’s slightly swollen cheek. “From now on, stay away from
Tessa.”
Xylia pulled back, avoiding his touch.
“I don’t need you making decisions for me,” she said, her voice cold.
Xylia thought, ‘Who I choose to see isn’t up to him.’
Connor’s hand hovered in the air for a moment, the warmth of her skin still lingering on his fingertips. He rubbed them together, not taking Xylia’s little tantrum to heart.
He had more important things on his mind right now.
“How long were you standing outside the room just now?” Connor asked, his voice calm but probing.
Xylia was replying to Josie’s message, answering offhandedly at the same time, “What do you mean? I just got to the door after using the bathroom when Mrs. Schultz called me over.”
Connor frowned, “Mrs. Schultz?”
Connor thought, ‘Wow, she switched up fast.’
Xylia didn’t say anything.
Connor just scoffed, “Xylia, I know exactly what you’re thinking. Now that the Garcia family is on your side, you’re just going to leave the Schultz family behind? Don’t forget that they raised you for eighteen years. You owe them!”
Xylia paused and looked up at him.
“Connor, you really have no idea what I’ve been through thesest eight years, do you? Even if the Garcia family never showed up, I would’ve cut ties with the Schultz family sooner orter,” Xylia said.
Xylia thought, ‘I’d cut you off just as clean.‘
Connor pressed his lips together, just giving her a cold stare.
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It had been ages since he’d really looked into Xylia’s eyes, and now that he did, there was something different about them.
Back then, Xylia was always walking on eggshells around him and the Schultz family.
She was always hoping for their love. She was soft and gentle, but every now and then, she’d still show a bit of attitude toward him.
He could always see the love in her eyes.
‘When did the love in her eyes for me disappear?‘ Connor wondered.
The thought hit Connor like a punch to the gut. His heart felt empty for a split second.
No! Impossible!
Xylia was crazy about him. All these years, she’d been the one fussing over him, washing his clothes, making his food, even keeping his bed warm at night.
They used to be inseparable.
They were just having a little spat. Xylia’s only mad because of that p earlier.
Connor slowly calmed down, his voice softening as he spoke to Xylia, “Let’s head back.”
Xylia turned and walked away without a word, and Connor followed behind, trying to reassure himself over and over.
It seemed that Xylia didn’t catch what he and Tessa were talking about.
But Connor was dead set on tracking down whoever was investigating that hit–and–run.
When Xylia returned to the Ford Mansion, she immediately noticed that the servants‘ attitudes toward her
had shifted.
In the past, because of her family background, the servants at the mansion never treated her as Mrs. Ford, and they always kept their distance.
Now, they even greeted her when she walked in.
Even Mnie didn’t get snarky. When she saw Xyliae back, she greeted Xylia, though her voice was still cold.
“You’re back,” Mnie said tly.
Xylia gave her an indifferent look, ignored herpletely, and went straight upstairs.
Mnie red at her as she walked away, muttering through clenched teeth, “That bitch! Ever since she got in with the Garcia family, she’s really grown a backbone, huh? She’s so rude.”
Connor said a few words tofort Mnie.
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Mnie dragged Connor to the side and whispered, “Has Xylia met with the Garcia family yet? Any news from their side?”
“They’re still a bit hesitant. Once things are cleared up, they’ll meet with her,” Connor replied.
“What are they so worried about?” Mnie snapped, clearly annoyed. “How could a paternity test be fake? The Garcia family is always making a fuss over nothing!”
“They’re just being cautious. If it were you, would you really trust a test result without double–checking?” Connor replied.
“Yeah, I suppose so,” Mnie sighed and then nced over at Connor.
“I used to want you to split up with Xylia, but now that she’s part of the Garcia family, I’d rather you stay married,” Mnie said.
“Rx, Mom. Divorce isn’t even on my mind,” Connor replied.
Connor nced up at the second floor, spacing out for a second.
He thought for a moment and then stepped outside to call his assistant.
“Have you found the person yet?” Connor asked.
His assistant replied.
“Keep a close watch on the tech team too. Don’t let the Garcia family catch wind of anything,” Connor added.
His assistant replied to him again.
“Have someone reach out to Seth and make sure he knows what to say and what to keep quiet about,” Connor
instructed.
As soon as Xylia got back to her room, she called her private investigator.
She told him everything she’d overheard at the hospital.
After hearing what Xylia had said, Maverick was quiet for a moment before speaking up, “Got it, Ms. Schultz. I’ll follow this lead and see where it goes. Just don’t do anything to tip them off.”
“Thanks, Maverick. I owe you one,” Xylia replied.
After hanging up, Xylia sat there zoning out in front of her drawing board for a while. Then she applied thest medicated patch to her wrist, grabbed her brush, and got back to working on her unfinished project.
She was down to herst patch. Tomorrow, she’d have to swing by Rachel’s ce for more.
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