Chapter 12
The next day was the death anniversary of Xavier’s father, Derick Caldwell.
Reina carefully did her makeup and styled her hair, then changed into a dress she knew Xavier liked.
“Ms. Yarrow, Mr. Caldwell is appearance–oriented. Once he sees your pretty face, I bet he’ll cool off at least halfway,” Leon said, trying to lift her spirits. “And I’ve reserved the presidential suite at Starlight Grove for tonight. The fireworks show starts at 8:00 pm.”
Reina nodded in approval. “Leon, get in touch with Dr. Lawrence, that world–renowned fertility specialist. Fly him into Northreach City immediately. want a joint consultation for me and Xavier. We’ll go for IVF.”
She had originally planned to adopt a child with Xavier someday to fulfill his long–held wish to become a father.
But now, she wanted to go all in. She wanted a baby who was theirs. And she was sure Xavier would be overjoyed when he found out.
Reina braved the rain and waited at the cemetery from morning until nightfall, but no one ever showed up. She kept checking the time and convinced herself over and over again that maybe Xavier got stuck in traffic because of the rain.
But by the time the cemetery was closing, Xavier still hadn’t shown up.
Reina gazed at the dim sky in disappointment, finally realizing that Xavier had truly left her. He would never come back.
She had no desire to go to work, and she didn’t want to return to that empty home. With no Xavier there to welcome her, the place felt more like a cold hotel room.
So she went to a bar to drown her sorrows. Her friends took turns trying to cheer her up.
“Reina, weren’t you planning to divorce Xavier once you landed that billion–dollar contract? Now that he’s gone, you’ve saved yourself a ton of trouble. You should be happy!”
“Yeah, if someone’s been missing for two years, you can declare them dead in court. Then you and Hugo could go public. It’s perfect!”
“Reina, you love Hugo, no Xavier. Why let Xavier’s disappearance get you down? It’s actually a good thing for you. It makes room for Hugo!”
Reina slammed her glass down, irritation clear in her voice. “Who said I was going to divorce Xavier? I never even thought about it!”
Her friends went quiet, exchanging confused glances.
One of them spoke up. “Reina, you went as far as using a fake marriage certificate to deceive Xavier just to reserve your husband’s place for Hugo. What’s going on now?”
“Are you really planning to keep your relationship with Hugo a secret even though you’re married? That’s just not fair to him.”
“Xavier is four years older and can’t have kids. You’ve already given him three years as your husband. Don’t you think that’s enough? You don’t need to spend the rest of your life sacrificing for him out of gratitude.”
The way they constantly belittled Xavier stabbed at Reina like sharp knives.
She swept the glass off the table and shouted, “I’ve never once considered divorting him! Got that? Anyone who badmouths him again will regret it!” The room fell into a heavy silence.
Then, a quiet voice from the corner broke through. “Reina, have you really figured out your feelings? Who do you truly love? Hugo or Xavier?” “I love Hugo, of course,” Reina replied firmly. “But I’ll never abandon Xavier. I won’t let anyone push him around. Now, help me find him!”
ter 13
