Chapter <b>125 </b>
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Over the following days, Xylia was constantly busyunching her studio.
Her to–do list was daunting: filing the paperwork to register her business with the state, obtaining an Employer Identification Number from the IRS, setting up her business banking ount, and beginning the search for talented designers and a project manager.
For now, she was a one–woman show, and the weight of every task fell on her shoulders.
Kaden had suggested she simply take a wing of the Sadler Group headquarters. Though the corporation had no fashion division, he assured her they could easily create one for her.
Xylia had refused.
Building her own studio was about independent entrepreneurship; she didn’t want to take a shortcut reliant on the family name.
Seeing her determination, Kaden didn’t press the issue.
The studio space needed aplete build–out, so Xylia asked Hudson for Zayn’s contact information.
Lately, Hudson had been mysterious–leaving early,ing homete, and far busier than usual.
Yet, he always returned home buzzing with energy, unlikely to have spent his time on work.
Whenever Xylia asked what he was so busy with, he would just blink and give her a mysterious look.
“I’m upied with something very important,” he’d say.
Seeing he wouldn’t borate, Xylia didn’t press
him.
He forwarded Zayn’s contact info and gave her an encouraging pat on the shoulder.
“Work hard, Xylia! I know you can do it. Once I’m done with this… I’ll have a surprise for you!” he eximed.
“A surprise? What kind of surprise?” Xylia asked.
She thought of Rosalind and looked at him with a sly expression.
“Hudson, don’t tell, me you’re bringing home a girlfriend, too?”
<b>9:37 </b>Wed<b>, </b><b>Sep </b>17
“Tsch! What nonsense!” he brushed it off with augh.
But he zeroed in on her word. “Why ‘too“?”
Xylia told him about seeing Kaden and Rosalind at the restaurant.
Hudson’s eyes lit
lit up
with immediate interest.
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He pulled Xylia out onto the balcony swing, handed her a ss of iced juice, pulled up a stool, andunched into the story with the relish of a seasoned gossip.
“So, the epic saga of Kaden and Rosalind,” he began, settling in. “It’s a tale of childhood friends and lifelong rivals…”
Hudson chattered away, happily spilling all of Kaden’s secrets.
The Sadlers and the Webbs were both old–money families, their children destined to grow up in the same exclusive circles.
“Rosalind is the youngest and most brilliant daughter of the Webb family,” Hudson exined.
“But the Webbs have one ring w: a ridiculously old–fashioned preference for sons over daughters.
“The elders won’t allow women into senior management. Rosalind may have enjoyed a privileged life, but she’s no unambitious socialite. She’s fiercely driven and has been striving topete with her own brother for a top position in thepany.”
He lowered his voice. “She and Kaden were actually together once. But she ended it to focus entirely on her career. A pretty massive barrier has been between them ever since.”
Xylia listened, captivated. “But I can tell they still have feelings for each other. After all this time, can’t they find a way to reconcile?”
Hudson shrugged.
“They’re both too stubborn and proud to yield. But the rest of us brothers have already epted Rosalind as our future sister–inw. Sooner orter, I’m sure Kaden will be the one to cave<i>,</i>”
Xylia nodded; she thought so too.
That night at the restaurant, she had watched them.
Though Kaden had maintained a stoic front, his attention never wavered from Rosalind, responding to her ‘every word despite his sullen demeanor.
9:37 Wed, Sep 17
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Just as they finished their conversation and stood up to leave, they turned to find Kaden himself standing silently in the balcony doorway.
Neither had heard him arrive.
Hudson and Xylia froze, identical looks of guilt shing across their faces.
Hudson forced a wide, nervous smile. “Kaden! Xylia and I were just… uh… we have things to do. We’ll get out of your way!”
He grabbed Xylia’s hand and tried to make a quick escape.
“Xylia,e with me to the study,” Kaden said, his voice cool and even.
He nced at Hudson. “You. Get lost.”
Hudson could only shoot Xylia a desperate ‘good luck‘ look before practically fleeing the
scene.
Xylia watched his retreating back, clenching her jaw in frustration.
‘Some brother you are!‘ she fumed inside.
In the study, Kaden handed Xylia a thick folder.
She opened it with curiosity to find aprehensive business n tailored for her studio. It included detailed market analysis, operational structures, and even a list of potential investors and partners.
She looked up at him, her eyes wide with surprised delight. “Kaden, you did all this for me?”
He nodded.
“While fashion isn’t my industry, I have contacts who are experts. I consulted them to put this together. I thought it might be helpful.”
“This is incredibly helpful! Thank you, Kaden!” she eximed, genuinely touched.
As a first–time entrepreneur, she had often felt overwhelmed.
This guidance was a crucial and timely gift, and she held the folder like a precious treasure.
Seeing her happiness<b>, </b>a gentle smile touched Kaden’s lips.
“Xylia, you’re home now. You can try to rely on us more.”
His words struck a chord. Xylia was momentarily taken aback, then smiled warmly.
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“Thank you, Kaden. I will.”
He watched her, his heart aching for her.
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He could <i>see </i>how hard she was trying to integrate into the family, but the deep wounds from her time with the Schultzes and Fords had left a lingering sense of inferiority.
Her fierce independence in handling the studio herself was admirable, but it also spoke of a fear of being a burden.
For him and their brothers, nothing concerning their sister was a trouble.
He knew building her trust and reliance would take time; he could only patiently help her regain her confidence in having a family to lean on.
“By the way,” he added, his tone shifting slightly. “That Joshua… you shouldn’t get too close to him.”
A young man who hid his true identity from her couldn’t possibly have
He couldn’t bear to see his newly found sister get hurt again.
Xylia gave a soft, helplessugh.
pure
intentions.
“Kaden, Joshua is my friend. He helped me consistently when I was in Jupiton. Please don’t be hostile toward him.”
“No one is that kind without a motive. Do you know what his motive is?” Kaden pressed gently.
“He doesn’t need a motive. We’re friends,” Xylia stated decisively.
Kaden fell silent, recognizing the stubborn set of her jaw. Arguing further would only upset her.
Xylia stood up, clutching the folder to her chest.
“I have a meeting soon, Kaden. I should get going.”
With a final smile, she left the study.
Alone, Kaden let out a long sigh and leaned back into the sofa.
His mind drifted back to the fragment of Hudson’s conversation he’d overheard on the balcony.
‘Sooner orter, I’m sure Kaden will be the one to cave.‘
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9:38 Wed, Sep 17
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The image of Rosalind surfaced in his mind unbidden–her tears, herughter, her stubbornness, the vulnerable look she tried so hard to hide.
*****
Xylia’s phone buzzed with a notification. It was a news link from Josie.
The article detailed a paparazzi scoop: photographs of Tessa walking arm–in–arm with a man, appearing intimate as they dined out andter returned home together.
A clear, frontal shot identified the man as Connor.
A momentter, Josie’s call came through.
“Well, there they are. Your ex–husband and his mistress, finally out in the open.”
Seeing those two faces again stirred no emotion in Xylia’s heart. She felt nothing but a distant, cold indifference.
She even managed a lightugh for her friend.
“You’re all the way abroad, yet you’re better informed than I am.”
Josie’s voice held a mysterious smile. “Who said I was abroad?”
AD