Her Heart Her Terms (Lily and Xavier)

Xavier stared at Lily for a few seconds. He leaned over the couch to grab his phone before exiting the ward.

Lily assumed that he must be figuring out a plan to save Sarah. The light in her eyes dimmed when she looked out of the window. The neon lights had just come to life, illuminating the city in a bright splash of colors.

Knowing that Xavier had gone to bail Sarah out, Lily's heart felt unbearably cold. Even though she knew from the start that when it came to Sarah, there was nothing that Xavier wouldn't do, she had foolishly harbored a small spark of hope in her heart.

She had nearly turned Xavier into a laughingstock by almost cheating on him, and her hand was now crippled. She had thought Xavier would no longer unconditionally protect Sarah without asking for anything in return. But he had still chosen to shelter her.

Outside the ward, Xavier called Timothy. "The evidence that the police have, is it enough to convict her?"

Timothy had been following Sarah's case closely. He had seen the footage from the surveillance cameras and heard the recording from Bruce's dashboard camera.

"They're not fake."

Xavier was beyond frustrated. He leaned his hand on the windowsill. The neon lights outside the window cast a brilliant glow on his handsome face.

"Sarah really has feelings for me?"

Timothy paused for a moment before replying in a small voice, "That time you got drunk and I sent you and Ms. Lynde home, I think she kissed you."

The silence that followed was deafening. Xavier gritted his teeth and hissed, "Timothy Snyder, do you have a death wish?"

Subconsciously, Xavier lifted his hand and wiped his mouth on the back of it.

"No, no, no! She didn't kiss you!" Timothy rushed to explain. "My eyes might have been playing tricks on me, which is why I never said anything..."

Xavier could hear how loudly he was grinding his teeth. When he'd suspected that Sarah liked him, he'd only been a little annoyed. Now that he knew without a doubt that she had feelings for him, his mood dropped down into the dumps.

After some time passed, Xavier said, "Find out if Sarah's camera being taken away by the organizers during the Avelons Design Competition was real or fake."

"Yes!" Timothy replied immediately, hanging up to do as he was told.

It wasn't a case that was difficult to investigate. There was only one reason why Xavier had been so easily manipulated by Sarah-he hadn't had his guard up around her.

Not even ten minutes later, Timothy called back with his findings.

"The organizers of Avelons Design Competition never tampered with the memory card inside Ms. Sarah's camera."

Truly, one needed to keep their friends close and their enemies closer.

It wasn't as if Xavier had completely let his guard down around Sarah. He was wary of a betrayal in the business side of things. He just never would have thought that she would be a thorn in his side in his personal life!

"Now that Ms. Lynde is in the public spotlight, the company's stock value has continued to fall." Timothy paused for a moment before he continued, "Mr. Fulton, is there anything you need me to do?"

Timothy's words were like a live spark, setting the embers in Xavier's chest aflame. Xavier burned with an inextinguishable anger.

"What? Do you still expect me to bail her out?"

Timothy hesitated. "It's nearing the end of the year. I only worry that the directors will use this as an excuse to give you a hard time. Especially since you've backed her up in the past."

"I know. I can handle whatever the directors throw at me," Xavier replied determinedly.

No matter what happened, Xavier wouldn't extend a helping hand to Sarah. He wouldn't give Sarah even a sliver of hope.

"I understand."

Timothy didn't dare say more. Xavier

gave him some orders to make

some arrangements and efficiently

handle anything the board of directors attempted to criticize him with when the end of the year rolled around.

tont

tel.re

After cutting the call, Xavier turned to look at the ward. His mind was a mess; he didn't know what to think of the situation. However, he did feel that he should at least say something to Lily. Just as he was about to go into the ward, he was distracted by someone catting his name.

"Xavier!" Xyla called out to him.

Xavier stopped in his tracks. He turned to see Xyla exiting the elevator. She was wearing a hospital gown.

Xyla made her way over to him. The tear tracks on her face were still fresh as she asked, "Why hasn't Sarah come back yet?"noveldrama