Sophia's POV

Xavier pulled up outside my apartment building.

He lingered, as if on the verge of saying something, but I wasn't interested in dragging out the tension.

Without giving him the chance, I swung the car door open.

"Thanks," I muttered, then hobbled out, my limp pronounced.

The dull ache in my knee pulsed with every step, but I could barely register the pain.

All I wanted was the refuge of my room—some distance from the weight of his suffocating gaze.

Inside, Ava was curled on the couch watching TV. The moment I stepped through the door, she looked up, concern tightening her expression.

"Sophia, how'd it go today?"

I let out a weary sigh and dropped beside her, rubbing the soreness from my knee.

"Not bad. Caelum signed three units. Looks like I get to keep my job—for now."

Ava gave a small nod but didn't smile. Her tone sharpened.

"Sophia, you need to keep your distance from Caelum. That man's a notorious flirt. He's trouble."

I gave a faint, dismissive smile.

"I know. He's just a client—I'm only in it for the commission. That's all."

No man, no matter how charming, could distract me from the fire burning inside.

Right now, vengeance was the only thing that mattered.

In the middle of the night, a voice pulled me from sleep—deep, low, and unmistakably familiar.

"Sophia. Come next door."

Groggy and disoriented, I blinked into the darkness.

"Xavier? Do you even know what time it is?"

"Come. Now."

He repeated the command, voice flat and immovable.

I sighed, already dreading whatever this was.

If I didn't answer, he'd probably keep calling—or worse, come pounding on the door.

Not wanting to wake Ava, I slipped on a coat and limped toward the entrance.

The moment I cracked open the door, a solid wall of heat and muscle lurched into me.

Startled, I threw my arms around him instinctively.

He was heavy—nearly toppled me—but the doorframe at my back held firm, sparing me from being flattened under his massive frame.

His body slumped against mine, his breath hot and unsteady against my ear.

"Xavier—are you drunk?" I whispered, careful not to disturb Ava.

But before I could process anything further, the world tilted.

In one swift motion, he hoisted me over his shoulder—like I weighed nothing.

"Xavier—what the hell!" I nearly cried out, the scream caught in my throat.

Instinctively, I clung to him, arms wrapped tight around his neck.

His palm landed squarely on my ass with a firm, startling slap. A surge of heat shot through me, fast and sharp.

"Put me down! Do you hear me?" I hissed, my voice low but furious.

He didn't respond.

Instead, he yanked my apartment door shut behind us and strode down the hall into his own.

When my feet finally touched the floor, I landed on his couch, dizzy and breathless.

Xavier shrugged off his coat and suit jacket, tossing them carelessly onto a nearby chair.

He dropped onto the couch beside me, the crisp white shirt clinging to the muscular frame beneath.

One arm slipped around my waist and drew me closer.

I turned my gaze away, heart pounding.

"What's going on between you and Caelum?"