<b>Chapter </b>319
Xylia nced at Joshua, fast asleep on the bed, then slipped out with her phone in hand,
Her voice faded as she walked away, and through the door you could just make out her murmuring,
“Big brother, I need you to help me investigate a few people,”
The moment the bedroom door clicked shut, Joshua’s eyes snapped open.
He turned his head toward the door, a faint smile ying on his lips.
The whole scene tonight was his setup, designed to make the world believe that Garcia Group was starting to crumble under Connor’s deliberate attacks.
But Xylia’s actions were something he hadn’t anticipated.
Normally, Xylia was like a kitten that never got angry, her asional outbursts more like yful pouts.
He had never seen her with such amanding presence as she had tonight.
And he liked it.
After finishing her call with Kaden, Xylia brought a cup of coffee from the kitchen into the bedroom, careful not to spill as she carried it.
As she walked in, she saw Joshua lying on his side, his big bright eyes watching her by the door.
They locked eyes for a moment.
Joshua’s lips slipped into a small smile.
“I’m hungry,” he mumbled.
His face was tinged with a light blush, and his voice sounded both clingy and slurred.
Xylia thought to herself, ‘Seriously? He’s drunk, but he still wakes up from hunger?”
‘Looks like he really didn’t get a proper meal tonight,‘ she grumbled inwardly.
‘Those damn people!‘
Still cursing those people in her heart, Xylia came over to the bed, the herbal tea in hand.
“Drink this first,” she told him.
Joshua lounged at the edge of the bed, lookingzy and rxed, but he couldn’t take his eyes off Xylia’s face.
He watched as she softly coaxed him into drinking the herbal tea.
Her gentle gaze seemed to caress him, full of tenderness as she looked his way.
He let Xylia gently take his hand, helping him up and guiding him downstairs.
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Joshua had been ying it cool, but the moment Xylia was about to head into the kitchen, that all changed.
He caught her hand and, with a little pull, settled her right onto hisp.
“Where are you going?” he asked, his voice soft.
“It’s gettingte, so I’ll whip up some noodles for you,” Xylia replied.
She couldn’t bring herself to wake the staff at this hour–they were all fast asleep.
Joshua said, “I’ll do it myself.”
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Xylia kept her voice gentle, teasing, “With you this tipsy, you’d probably set the kitchen on fire. Better let me handle it.”
She kept her tone soft, still fussing over him.
Even though she could tell Joshua was much more awake now, she couldn’t help but feel a little sorry for him after what happened earlier.
“You’ve never had my noodles, have you? The kitchen made tomato beef stew earlier–I’ll turn it into tomato beef noodle soup, okay? Let’s eat together,” Xylia suggested.
She reached out, yfully pinched his earlobe, and coaxed him in a gentle murmur.
Joshua, for some reason, was stubborn about this.
He caught Xylia by the hand and sat her down at the dining table.
“Just stay put and don’t move,” Joshua told her.
Then, without another word, he marched off toward the kitchen.
Surprisingly, his steps were pretty steady.
But from the look of him, there was no way he was really sober.
Xylia couldn’t help but worry, so she ended up following him anyway.
She hovered by the kitchen doorway, watching as Joshua pulled out the leftover tomato beef stew, grabbed some fresh greens, and fished out a couple of eggs.
He handled the veggies and eggs like a pro–if you didn’t know better, you’d think he hadn’t had a drop to
drink.
Seeing he was getting along just fine, Xylia didn’t want to bug him and risk him getting annoyed, so she just watched from the doorway.
<b>9:10 Wed</b><b>, </b><b>Oct </b><b>1 </b>
The study was spacious, and Joshua cutting across the kitchen looked all the more imposing from behind.
Xylia couldn’t help but sh back to how Joshua had been messed with at the club carlier.
Her lips pressed into a thin, stubborn line.
No way was she letting those people off the hook.
Joshua had two steaming bowls of noodles ready in no time.
He nced back and saw Xylia waiting in the doorway, giving her a gentle look. “Hungry already?” he teased.
“A bit,” Xylia admitted.
She reached out for a bowl, but Joshua yfully moved it out of her reach, dodging her hand with a subtle grin.
“Let’s go dinner’s served,” he said, giving her a wink as he led them over to the table.
Each bowl of tomato beef noodles was crowned with fresh, crunchy greens and a perfectly crisp, golden fried egg–mouthwatering just to look at.
Even though she’d had dinner earlier, the sight and smell had Xylia’s cravings kicking in all over again.
After they finished eating, Xylia could tell Joshua was mostly sobered up.
“Go wash up and get some sleep. You have work tomorrow, don’t you?” she reminded him.
Joshua half–expected Xylia to start questioning him.
He’d already rehearsed what he’d say in his head.
But instead, she just told him–calm as could be–to get some rest.
It was <b>as </b>if none of what happened tonight ever urred.
He parted his lips to speak, but ultimately said nothing.
Early the next morning, Joshua woke up and found himself alone in bed–Xylia was already up and gone.
He was usually the first one awake, so seeing she’d already disappeared this early caught him off guard.
After washing up, he headed downstairs, but Xylia was nowhere to be seen.
One of the staff mentioned she was in the study, so Joshua made his way over to find her.
When Joshua walked in, he saw Xylia dressed exceptionally formal–a white zer over a slim camisole and matching dress pants, her hair pulled neatly back and just a hint of natural makeup on her face.
Joshua found it a bit odd.
9:10 Wed, Oct 1
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Most days, Xylia preferredid–back clothes, and if she was feelingzy, she’d skip makeuppletely. Even on her more presentable days, it was just a quick swipe of brow pencil and some lipstick.
It was rare to see her this polished and professional.
“You heading somewhere important today?” Joshua asked,
He strolled into the study, tossing out the question without much thought.
When Xylia saw Joshua walk in, she greeted him casually, “You’re up.”
She set down her tablet and walked over to him.
“I’m meeting a few business partners today. The meeting should be done by noon, so why don’t we get lunch together afterward?” she suggested.
Her radiant smile–and the touch of fresh makeup–made her look even more dazzling.
“What kind of business partners? Richard?” Joshua asked.
“Of course not! Didn’t you help me end things with Prairie Rose? How could I possibly still be talking to Richard now?” Xylia replied.
Joshua got it, but with how things were right now, he needed <i>to </i>be sure she was safe.
“Send me your live location. Real–time updates,” he insisted.
“Alright, alright!” Xylia answered, grinning at him.
They headed out together, but each got into their own car.
Xylia headed over to a rtively smallpany in Jupiton.
As Sadler Group’s partnership liaison, she easilynded a meeting with the boss.
It was none other than one of the men fromst night at the private lounge–Victor Quinn.
He was Victor Quinn.
Victor Quinn was stunned when Xylia walked in–his whole body went stiff, eyes wide with disbelief.
“You… you’re with the Sadler Group? You’re here on their behalf…?” he blurted out.
Before he could get another word out, Xylia set a contract down on the table, her movements crisp and no-
nonsense.
“After careful consideration, Sadler Group has decided to end our cooperation with yourpany,” Xylia dered, her voice cool and resolute, leaving no room for negotiation.
Victor froze for a moment, then shot Xylia a defiant re.
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“So you’re breaking off our deal just because of Joshua? We already hashed things out with Sadler Group, everything was set. Who gave you the right to just drop our partnership whenever you feel like it?” he snapped.
Xylia couldn’t be bothered by his rant.
There was an indifferent curve to her lips, as if none of this was her problem.
“Why? Because I’m one of Sadler Group’s top shareholders–and you better get this through your head,” she replied, her voice cool and in control.
She rose to her feet, shooting him a frosty stare.
“This has nothing to do with Joshua. Frankly? I just can’t stand you,” she said, blunt and unforgiving.
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