Chapter 6 His Rival
ROSE
I blinked, still frozen in place. Of all the people I expected to meet today, Xander Biden was nowhere on that list.
“What are you doing here?” I asked, my voice sharper than I intended. “Did Jacob send you?”
Xander chuckled, his expression cool and unreadable. “Jacob? No, I came here on my own.”
My chest tightened at the mention of Jacob’s name. “If he didn’t send you, then why are you here?” I demanded.
Xander took a step closer, pulling out a chair
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and sitting across from me. He rested his elbows on the table, his fingers interlaced as he studied me. “I have a proposition for you.”
I shook my head, rising from my seat. “I’m not interested. I don‘ t care what you have to say.”
“You might want to hear me out,” he said, his tone calm but firm.
“And why would I do that, huh?” I asked, glaring at him, “I know you’re in some kind of sick rivalry with Jacob and I want nothing to do with it.
“I would never use you as a gamble or bargaining chip against Jacob, Rose,” he said.
His words were so gentle and sincere, that
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they infuriated me. “Stop acting like you know me!” I snapped. The last time I had listened to a guy for being all sweet and sincere I lost my baby, I wasn’t about to give someone else that opportunity.
“I’m not like Jacob,” he said as if he was reading my mind.
I glared at him, “What are you? A mind reader?”
He shrugged, “With the way your face was, it’s not hard to guess what you were thinking about.”
I scoffed, “Oh, so you’re an expert on explaining how facial expressions work now, had no idea.”
My voice was thick with sarcasm but he didn’t seem to mind. In fact, he just relaxed on the
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I
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couch and stared at me with a lazy smile on his face.
I’ve known about Jacob and Xander‘ s rivalry for a long time but I’ve never been in a room with Xander. I’ve always heard everything from Jacob and possibly from the little times I’ve witnessed their animosity.
But the fact that he had something to do with Jacob made me rethink my entire decision. Maybe mom was right and I wasn’t ready for this. I shouldn’t have come.
Xander had demanded specifically for me because he knew I was the heiress
something even Jacob didn’t know. I was curious as to how he knew but at the same
time, I wanted to leave.
“This is a mistake, I never should have come
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here,” I said and spun on my heels, ready to leave.
“It has to do with getting back at Jacob,” Xander’s voice sounded behind me.
I stopped mid–step. My heart pounded as his words sank in. I turned slowly, narrowing my eyes at him.
“What are you talking about?” I queried, then I smacked my forehead, “No, this is a prank. You want to use me to get back at Jacob. Just forget it because it’s not going to work.”
“Sit down, and I’ll explain. It’s not a prank, Rose,” he said, gesturing to the chair I’d just vacated.
Every instinct told me to leave, to walk out and never look back. But something in his
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voice–his confidence, his certainty–kept me rooted to the spot. Against my better
judgment, I sat back down, folding my arms defensively.
“Fine,” I said. “Start talking. And make it quick.”
Xander leaned back in his chair, a faint smirk tugging at his lips. “First, let me say that I know a lot more about you and Jacob than you might think.”
I stiffened. “How?”
“Jacob and I have a… complicated history,” he began, choosing his words carefully.
“We’ve been rivals for years, both
professionally and personally. When I heard about what he did to you, I couldn’t just ignore it.”
Chapter 6 His Rival
My stomach churned. “And what exactly do you know?”
Xander’s expression softened, just slightly.
“I know about Jenna. I know about the affair. And I know about the baby.”
The words hit me like a punch to the gut. My throat tightened, and I fought to keep my emotions in check. “Who told you that?” I whispered.
“I have my sources,” he said simply. “Let’s just say Jacob isn’t as good at keeping secrets as he thinks he is.‘
I clenched my fists, my nails digging into my palms. “If you‘ re here to gloat or stir up trouble, you can save it. I don’t need your pity or your games.”
