Back inside the car, Ivy leaned slightly forward, resting her elbow against the seat as she glanced at the man in the driver’s seat.
"So, Teddy," she began casually, "how long have you been working with Xander?"
The silence inside the car had started to suffocate her, and she needed sothing, anything, to break it.
Teddy kept his eyes on the road, his posture as straight and rigid as ever.
"Seven years, Madam."
Ivy nodded slowly, absorbing the information. Seven years was not a short ti. That ant loyalty. Trust. Access.
Her gaze briefly shifted to the rearview mirror, catching sight of the car following them. The guards were still there, maintaining a careful distance.
She sighed softly and shook her head before turning back to Teddy.
"Seven years," she repeated thoughtfully. "Then you must know quite a lot about him... and his family."
There was a slight pause.
Teddy did not answer imdiately this ti. His grip on the steering wheel tightened just a fraction before he gave a faint nod.
"I am familiar with them, Madam."
Ivy’s lips curved into a small, knowing smile.
"Good."
There was a subtle shift in her tone. Lighter on the surface, but sharper underneath.
"Then tell sothing, Teddy..." she said, her voice lowering just enough to draw his full attention. "Why do you think Xander was attacked that night?"
The question hit its mark.
Teddy’s eyes flickered for a split second, a crack in his otherwise disciplined composure. He glanced at her briefly through the mirror before returning his focus to the road, surprise evident despite his attempt to mask it.
"Madam..." he started cautiously.
Ivy leaned back slightly, watching him with quiet interest.
"Yes?"
"That is not sothing I am authorized to discuss."
A soft chuckle escaped her lips, though there was no real amusent in it.
"Of course," she murmured. "I expected that."
Her gaze drifted back to the window, but her mind was anything but distracted.
Raven knew.
She knew that attack had not been random. It had been planned, precise, and intentional. That was the only reason she had been assigned to it in the first place. Missions like that were never accidents.
But what she did not know... was who had ordered it.
And that was a problem.
Her fingers tapped lightly against her arm as her thoughts deepened.
’So I presu this isn’t the first ti Xander was attacked’
If she was going to stay here, if she was going to survive in Xander’s world, she needed answers. Not fragnts. Not guesses.
The truth.
Her eyes shifted back to Teddy, calr now, but far more observant.
"Alright," she said lightly, as if dropping the topic. "Then let ask you sothing else."
Teddy remained silent, waiting.
"Does Xander trust easily?"
This ti, the question seed simpler. Safer.
Teddy answered without hesitation.
"No, Madam."
Ivy smiled faintly.
"I thought so."
Her gaze lowered slightly, her expression unreadable.
Because if he didn’t trust easily...
Then she would have to make sure he never suspected the truth.
Not yet.
***
Xander, along with Taylor, stepped into Globe International and headed straight for the private elevator that led to the top floor.
The mont the doors opened, both n stepped out with their usual composed stride, their presence alone enough to command attention. The office floor was quiet, efficient, and disciplined—just the way Xander preferred it.
But before they could proceed any further, the receptionist quickly stood up.
"Boss, you have a visitor."
Taylor frowned instantly, his brows knitting together as he pulled out the tablet in his hand.
"A visitor?" he muttered, already scrolling through Xander’s tightly packed schedule. "Was there an appointnt today?"
"No, I don’t think so," he added a second later, glancing back at the receptionist.
The woman, Mona, pursed her lips slightly. She was not soone who allowed just anyone to step into Xander’s territory without proper clearance. But this situation had been... different.
"Boss," she said carefully, "she claid to be family."
That was the only reason she had even let the woman wait instead of turning her away imdiately. Still, she had not taken any chances.
Xander’s expression darkened slightly, a faint crease forming between his brows.
"Na?" he asked, his tone calm but edged with impatience.
Taylor looked between his boss and Mona, already sensing where this might be going.
"Miss Nora Ford, sir."
The mont the na left her lips, Taylor stiffened.
He imdiately stepped closer to Xander, lowering his voice just enough for only him to hear.
"Boss... she’s here," he whispered. "After you ignored her call."
Xander said nothing.
His expression remained unreadable, but Taylor knew better than to be fooled by that silence.
On their way to the company earlier, Xander had abruptly asked him to change his number. The request had co out of nowhere, catching Taylor completely off guard.
"It’s spamming with unwanted calls," Xander had said flatly.
At the ti, Taylor had been confused.
Xander was not soone who entertained long conversations on the phone. In fact, he barely used it unless it was strictly necessary—and most of those calls were work-related.
The idea of him being "bothered" by calls had not made much sense then.
But now...
Taylor’s eyes flickered toward the waiting area, realization dawning.
Everything clicked into place.
He resisted the urge to sigh.
So that was the reason.
Nora Ford.
Taylor straightened, stepping back into position as if nothing had happened, though a hint of irritation crossed his face.
Xander, on the other hand, remained still for a brief second, his gaze distant and cold, as if he had already lost interest in the situation before it even began.
Then he moved.
Without sparing another glance toward the waiting area, he walked past Mona, his tone flat and final.
"Tell her to take an appointnt."
The words were not a suggestion. They were a dismissal.
Before anyone could respond, he had already pushed open the door to his office and stepped inside, shutting the matter behind him as if it held no significance at all.
Mona blinked, montarily stunned.
Taylor, however, was far less surprised.
A faint, knowing look crossed his face as he adjusted his glasses and followed Xander without hesitation. He had expected nothing less. If anything, this was Xander being uninterested.
***
"What do you an he said to take an appointnt? Didn’t you tell him who I was?"
Nora’s voice rose despite her effort to stay composed. The humiliation burned through her as Mona calmly relayed Xander’s ssage.
He refused to et anyone without an appointnt.
Anyone.
The word echoed in her mind like an insult.
First, he had ignored her calls. Now, he would not even see her in person. Worse, he had reduced her to just another visitor who needed to schedule ti to et him.
Nora’s fingers curled into her palm, her nails digging into her skin as anger slowly surged through her.
For a brief mont, she caught the faint, unreadable look on Mona’s face. It was professional, neutral even, but to Nora, it felt like judgnt.
That only made it worse.
Her pride took the hit harder than anything else.
Without another word, Nora turned sharply on her heel and stord away, her heels striking the floor with sharp, echoing clicks.
If he thought he could dismiss her like this...
He was wrong.
But before she could reach the elevator, her shoulder collided with soone.
"Can’t you see where you’re going?" She snapped, irritation spilling out without restraint.
Then she looked up.
And froze.
All the anger that had been blazing within her disappeared in an instant, replaced by sothing entirely different.
"Nora... what are you doing here?"
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