AT THE SAME TME

ISABELLA

I clutched the cocktail Vince had handed me, swirling it nervously like it could somehow dissolve the tension in the room. My wet hair stuck to my cheeks, and I tried to convince myself that I wasn’t completely aware of Xavier Blackstone moving closer, circling the bar like a predator in a silk suit. Vince leaned against the counter, polishing a glass with one hand, the other nudging me ever so slightly. 

"Ah… look at that. Our little nightingale’s got a fan." He said with a grin.

I froze mid sip. Fan? No. He can’t know anything. Xavier stopped a few feet away, crossing his arms, the picture of ice and power. His eyes were fixed on me like he’d discovered a rare artifact, and I could feel the hum of curiosity vibrating straight through my bones. Vince tilted his head, smirking. 

"Mr. Blackstone. You seem… intrigued."Vince grinned.

Xavier’s lips twitched in a near-smile. 

"Intrigued? I think that’s a little weak. I want… details."He said.

Vince chuckled, low and conspiratorial, leaning closer as if letting him in on the world’s most delicious secret. "Well… she’s called Siren around here."He said.

I nearly choked on my drink. Siren. My voice. My other life. My everything I am trying to hide. Xavier’s gaze snapped to me, calculating, searching. 

"Siren? That’s… the voice I heard?"He asked.

"Yeah." Vince said, his grin practically cracking his face in half. "That voice. It doesn’t just hit notes. It hits your heart, your gut… sometimes your brain. One note and you’re hooked. And our girl? She knows it. Always knows it."

I felt my cheeks heat up. I tried to look casual, but I could feel every eye in the bar flicking toward me, and not just Xavier’s. One of the regulars piped up from the corner, glass in hand. 

"She once sang for my uncle’s wedding. We cried… twice."He said.

Another laughed. 

"She made me buy tickets to a concert I didn’t even want to go to. Worth every penny. That woman-" He gestured vaguely in my direction. "-she’s dangerous!"

Vince raised a brow at me, nudging subtly. 

"See? Dangerous. That’s Siren for you."Vince grinned proudly.

Xavier leaned slightly closer, voice low, deliberate.

"Dangerous… how?"He asked.

Vince’s smirk widened. 

"Ha! Let’s see… she’s sharp. I mean sharper than a diamond cutter. She can read a room like she wrote the script. And she… oh, this one’s my favorite, she knows exactly when to hit a note so it leaves you trembling… and she does it with a smile like it’s nothing." Vince said proudly.

I felt my ears turn red, my fingers clenching around the glass. Please stop… please stop… Xavier didn’t blink. He didn’t move. He just stared. And somehow, the intensity made me want to both run and hide… and also, frustratingly, look right back. From the back of the room, someone else joined in. 

"She once sang in a competition and the judges didn’t even know how to score her. They just… cried."She said.

Vince laughed, shaking his head. 

"Told you. Not your usual talent. She’s… one of a kind. And don’t even get me started on what she does when she’s angry or heartbroken."Vince teased while winking.

I swallowed hard, blinking rapidly, as the bar seemed to hum with stories of me, without ever revealing me. I was Siren, but only in their whispered tales, their awed glances, their subtle reverence. Xavier’s lips curved into a very dangerous smirk. 

"And this… Siren, she’s here… right now?"He asked.

Vince tilted his head toward me, a glint of mischief in his eye. 

"You tell me. But be careful, Mr. Blackstone. She doesn’t just sing… she ensnares. And trust me, once you’re caught, there’s no letting go."He grinned.

I felt the blush spread across my face. Ensnare? Really? Could we not? Another regular clinked their glass. 

"I once heard her laugh after a song. It was… terrifying. And beautiful. Don’t let that fool you."He grinned.

I hugged my cocktail like it was a shield, hoping Xavier didn’t notice how hard my heart was pounding. But he did. I could see it the way he leaned forward slightly, the tiny tightening of his jaw, the ice cold precision of someone who didn’t just want to know… but needed to know. Vince smirked, clearly enjoying the show, and leaned closer to me, whispering so that even Xavier could hear. 

"Don’t worry, Izzy… tonight, you get to enjoy the chaos without giving up the goods. Just smile, sip your drink… let them chase the shadow."He said softly.

I nodded, almost spilling my cocktail, all the while aware that the chase had officially begun, and Xavier Blackstone wasn’t going anywhere. It was like he was trying to make a cold hearted billionaire instantly fall in love with me. Ha. Like it is even possible.

Xavier leaned against the bar, his gaze sharp as a laser beam, silently noting every detail: the way I clutched the cocktail like it was a lifeline, the way my cheeks were blooming pink under the dim lights, the tiny tremor in my fingers as Vince described 'Siren.' He didn’t speak, just observed, folding his hands, tilting his head, calculating.

Vince, noticing the intensity, nudged me. 

"Uh-oh… he’s noticing something."I muttered.

I swallowed, trying to hide my blush behind the rim of the glass, but Xavier’s ice blue eyes didn’t miss a thing. Not the blush, not the nervous sip, not the way I glanced around like I was hoping the bar itself would swallow me whole. He leaned closer, voice low, deliberate. 

"She’s… not used to this attention, is she?"He asked.

Vince snorted. 

"Not in the slightest. That’s why it’s so fun."He said.

Xavier’s smirk deepened, and suddenly, he looked at me with that calculating intensity of someone connecting invisible dots. 

"Wait…" He muttered, almost to himself. "This… voice. The bar, the stories… the name he’s dropping, Vince called her Siren… and you…" He glanced at me, noting the flush climbing my neck, the way my eyes darted away, the tiny twitch of panic in your smile.

I froze mid sip, glass halfway to my lips. He’s… figuring it out. Vince leaned back, clearly loving the show. 

"What’s he doing?" I hissed.

"Watching… deducing… scheming." Vince whispered. "Oh, this is going to be fun."

Xavier’s gaze sharpened, ice cold focus melting into a smoldering curiosity. 

"And you… you’re Siren."He said softly. "The Siren."

I choked on my drink. I am not saying a word! My brain scrambled for an escape, but my blush betrayed me, creeping all the way to my ears. Vince clapped slowly, grinning wide. 

"Ohhhh… looks like the ice heart billionaire finally put two and two together. Took you long enough, mate."He smirked.

Xavier didn’t look at Vince. He looked at me. The rest of the bar had gone silent, sensing the tension, the almost tangible aha moment crackling in the air.

"And yet." Xavier said, voice low, almost teasing. "You didn’t even flinch when they were talking about you. You… like it. You enjoy this little game."

I wanted to curl into a puddle on the floor. 

"I… I-" I squeaked, nearly spilling my cocktail.

Vince elbowed me lightly. 

"Told you. Dangerous. And apparently… flammable when cornered."He grinned.

Xavier’s lips curved in a slow, knowing smile. 

"Flammable. Clever. Elusive. Dangerous… and just a little embarrassed." His eyes flicked down to my shaking fingers. "Perfectly human too. Interesting combination."

I practically melted into my stool, hoping the floor would swallow me whole. The bar erupted into whispers and chuckles.

"Look at him! He’s obsessed already!"One costumer called.

Another laughed. 

"Yeah… the ice billionaire’s got a crush, and he doesn’t even know it yet."Another called.

Vince leaned closer to me again. 

"Brace yourself. He’s not leaving. He’s connecting dots like a chess master, and that blush? Jackpot."He girnned.

Xavier finally took a measured step closer. 

"You know." He murmured, voice low enough that only I could hear. "I think I like that you hide behind stories and songs. But every hint you give… tells me everything I want to know."

I nearly dropped my cocktail again, heart hammering like a drum. Everything you want to know… oh no, oh no, oh no.

Vince’s grin widened. 

"And just like that, the chase begins."He smirked.

The bar patrons erupted into soft laughter and knowing nods, everyone basking in the quiet chaos as Xavier Blackstone’s smoldering stare met mine, and I realized… there was no escaping this game.