Chapter 6

I had always set the tone for my own life. I was just an ordinary girl from an ordinary family.

Growing up, the thing I heard most was: "Yvette, our family doesn't have any background, so we can't do much for you. You'll have to rely on yourself."

I had seen the flashy side of life, especially back when I was dating Ryan. He brought me into circles with all kinds of big shots.

But I never fantasized about being some Cinderella. Honestly, I already felt like my life was pretty great, and I was content with what I had.

But then Xavier said I was one in a million.

Something inside me jolted, and a wave of emotions I couldn't even name crashed over me.

Xavier looked at me seriously, tapping his fingers on the table. "The company is about to open a new branch in Riversielle, and we'll be transferring some staff over there.

"So there'll be plenty of positions opening up at headquarters. You know what I mean, right?"

For a period of time afterwards, Xavier was busy with the new branch.

Just like he said, a bunch of colleagues at headquarters got transferred out, and the manager spot in our department opened up.

I got what Xavier was hinting at, so this time, I went for it.

The newly appointed director shot me a knowing look and said, "You're just way too passive. From now on, you've gotta step up and really give it your all."

Ever since my promotion, work got a lot crazier, but somehow, Xavier and I started talking even more.

During breaks, he'd hit me up with totally random texts. [It's drizzling. I'm getting soaked.]

I couldn't help but laugh. [Mr. Drizzle, did you forget your umbrella?]

After grinding for a whole week to finish a massive marketing plan, I shot him a message, all hyped: [Guess who pulled off this awesome proposal?]

He fired back in seconds: [You gonna make me guess? Or you just wanna show off?]

He even invited me over to his place a few times.

Xavier was obsessed with coffee. His kitchen had a full-on pour-over setup, and his shelves were packed with beans from every corner of the globe.

But honestly, I just couldn't get into it. To me, it was all sour and bitter.

He'd just shake his head, calling it a crime against coffee, but in the end, he'd still dump sugar and milk into my cup.

I always felt like I was wrecking his super expensive beans, so I started watching tutorials online. Next time he invited me, I brought homemade pastries to pair with his coffee. This was my way of making up for it.

It didn't take long for my coworkers to notice how cheerful I'd been lately. They started gossiping. "Yvette, are you seeing someone these days?"

I quickly tried to hide my smile and waved it off. "What are you talking about?"

I didn't even dare to dream about having a relationship with Xavier. I was already content with my life.

I knew I was falling for Xavier, but the more my heart raced for him, the less I dared to take another step forward.

These days were some of the rare moments of light in my life, with happiness I could only keep safe in a crystal bottle. And I'd be reliving those memories over and over, afraid to let them slip away.

One weekend night, Xavier and I caught a movie together. The plot was kind of boring, and halfway through, his phone suddenly started buzzing.

Xavier answered in a hushed tone.

Someone on the other end started yelling, "What the hell kind of parking is this? You're blocking my way. Get your ass out here and move your car."

Xavier pressed his lips together, looking pretty irritated.

I tugged at his sleeve. "This movie is not that great. Let's just go."

When we stepped out of the theater, we saw a guy kicking the hell out of Xavier's car tire.

When I got a good look at his face, I froze. It was Ryan. He was clearly drunk and radiating pure hostility.

Standing next to him was a girl all dolled up, watching him throw a fit with a look that said she was totally fed up.

Xavier walked up and looked down at Ryan.

Ryan looked up, still cursing, but the moment he realized who it was, he sobered up fast. "M-Mr. Sterling. I'm so sorry. I didn't know this was your car. I've had too much to drink tonight, please don't—"

Then he caught sight of me and just froze. His lips trembled for a long moment, but he couldn't get a single word out.

Xavier furrowed his brows, held the door open for me, and said, "Get in."

I slipped inside, and with a sharp slam, the door shut Ryan out completely.

On the way home, my phone wouldn't stop buzzing. I silenced it and kept chatting with Xavier, acting like everything was totally normal.

When I finally got home and checked my phone, it was packed with messages from Ryan.

[Yvette, I never would've guessed you had it in you.]

[Seriously, what's Xavier doing hanging around a woman like you?]

[No wonder you disappeared after we broke up. Turns out you latched onto him.]

[But I heard his dad already picked out a fiancée for him, the heiress of Bluewave Group. Perfect match, right? They're getting engaged next month.]

[Guess that makes sense. He can still have some fun before the wedding, and someone like you, low-maintenance, never causing drama, is just the type he needs.]

[Once the wedding rolls around, he can just kick you to the curb whenever he feels like it.]

[Let me guess. You two haven't even made things official, have you?]

[So do yourself a favor and don't push your luck. Don't make him throw you out himself, just like I did.]

I flopped onto my bed, covering my eyes with my arm, and didn't bother replying to a single one.