Chapter 9 – Making An Entrance
ROSE
The drive home from the courthouse felt longer than it should have. My thoughts raced, bouncing between disbelief, anxiety, and a strange sense of excitement. I’m married. Again. To Xander. It sounded absurd, even in my head, but there was no turning back now.
As I walked through the front door, the familiar scent of freshly baked cookies hit me. Mom must’ve been stress–baking again. I paused in the hallway, the weight of what I had to say pressing down on me.
“Rose?” my mother’s voice called from the kitchen. “You‘ re late for dinner!”
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I took a deep breath and stepped into the room. My mom and dad were seated at the table, their faces lighting up when they saw me. My brother, Liam, was leaning against the counter, eating a cookie.
“Hey,” Liam said, his mouth full. “What’s up?”
“Hi,” I began awkwardly, my hands
fidgeting with the strap of my purse. “So… I
have some news.
Mom tilted her head, her brow furrowing in concern. “What kind of news?”
“I got married.”
The room fell silent. My dad blinked, lowering his fork. Liam froze mid–chew, and my mom’s eyes widened in disbelief.
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Chapter 9 Making An Entrance.
“You did what?” Mom exclaimed, her voice rising an octave.
“To Xander,” I added quickly.
Liam swallowed his bite, a grin spreading across his face. “Wait, Xander? My Xander? As in my best friend?”
“Yes,” I said, feeling a little relieved at his
reaction.
“Well, that’s awesome!” Liam said, laughing. “He’s a great guy. He’ll take care of you.”
My mom, however, wasn‘ t as easily convinced. “Rose, what are you talking about? You just got out of a marriage! And now you‘ re rushing into another one?”
“It’s not like that,” I said, holding up a
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hand. “This is… complicated. It’s part of a
plan to deal with Jacob.”
“Jacob?” Dad said, his tone darkening.
“Yes.” I sighed, pulling out a chair and sitting down. “Xander and I have a plan to show Jacob exactly what he’s lost and to expose Jenna for who she really is. We thought this would be the best way to make an impact.”
Mom pinched the bridge of her nose, clearly overwhelmed. “Rose, I don‘ t even know where to begin. This just sounds so… drastic.”
“I know,” I admitted. “But Xander promised that if it doesn’t work out, we can end it with no strings attached.”
Dad leaned back in his chair, his expression
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thoughtful. “Do you trust him?”
“Yes,” I said without hesitation.
“Then that’s what matters,” Dad said firmly. “If Xander‘ s on your side, I trust him too.”
“Same here,” Liam chimed in. “Xander‘ s solid. If anyone can pull this off, it’s him.”
Mom still looked hesitant, but after a moment, she nodded. “I just want you to be happy, Rose.
“Thanks, Mom,” I said softly.
The next morning, I barely had time to sip my coffee before Xander‘ s sleek black car pulled up outside. He stepped out, looking as confident as ever in a tailored suit.
“You ready?” he asked as I climbed in.
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“As ready as I’ll ever be,” I replied, smoothing the skirt of my dress.
The drive to the new company was a blur. My nerves buzzed as we arrived, and the sight of the modern glass building looming above us did little to calm them.
Inside, Xander led me past the lobby, his hand resting lightly on the small of my back. His presence was steadying, a silent
reassurance that he had everything under control.
“Mr. Biden,” the secretary greeted him warmly. “Your guest is already waiting in the boardroom.”
“Perfect,” Xander said with a confident smile. “Lead the way.”
We followed the secretary through a maze of
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hallways until we reached a large conference room. The glass walls gave me a clear view of Jacob, sitting at the head of the table, scrolling through his phone. My stomach churned at the sight of him, but I
straightened my shoulders, determined not to let him see my fear.
The secretary opened the door and stepped inside. “Mr. Lowell,” she said, her voice crisp. “Allow me to introduce the new CEO, Xander Biden, and his wife, Mrs. Biden.‘
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Jacob looked up, his face a mixture of confusion and disbelief. His gaze flicked between Xander and me, his brow furrowing. Then, suddenly, he laughed.
“This is a joke, right?” he said, leaning back in his chair. “A bad joke. Rose, what the hell
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hapter 9 – Making An Entrance
are you doing?”
I met his gaze, refusing to back down. “I’m here with my husband,” I said firmly.
“Husband?” Jacob repeated, his voice dripping with sarcasm. “Come on, Rose. Stop playing games. Let’s go home and talk about this.”
“She’s not going anywhere,” Xander said, his tone calm but deadly.
Jacob’s laughter faded as he turned to
Xander. “And who the hell do you think you are?”
“The man who owns this company,” Xander replied smoothly.
Jacob’s eyes narrowed. “No, you don’t. This company belongs to-
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“To me,” Xander interrupted. “I finalized the acquisition last week.”
The color drained from Jacob’s face as he realized the truth. “You… you can’t be serious.”
“Oh, I’m very serious,” Xander said, his smile sharp. “And as of this moment, our deal is off.”
Jacob shot to his feet, his hands slamming onto the table. “You think you can just walk in here and take everything? You‘ re nothing but a fraud!”
Xander’s expression didn’t waver. He turned to the security guards stationed by the door and gestured toward Jacob. “Please escort Mr. Lowell out of the building.”
The guards moved forward, and Jacob’s
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outrage turned to panic. “You can’t do this!” he shouted as they grabbed his arms.
“Rose, you‘ re making a huge mistake!”
