Chapter 4

Lucia's POV

"Stop!"

I knew that voice too well. It was Xavier.

Everyone froze at once. Julia's hand hung in the air, still gripping the stick, her expression shifting from vicious to annoyed in an instant.

Xavier strode in, his eyes sweeping over me on the floor before landing on Julia, his voice low. "What are you doing?"

"Teaching this bitch a lesson." Julia threw the stick to the ground and pointed at me, completely unapologetic. "She beat Theo. His whole body is covered in bruises. I'm just giving her what she deserves, and you're already taking her side?"

Xavier's brow furrowed slightly as he looked toward Theo, who was huddled in the corner.

Theo was trembling, tear tracks still wet on his face, the bruises on his arms and legs standing out sharply under the light.

My heart clenched like someone had grabbed it in their fist. I struggled to push myself up, my voice rough. "I didn't hit him. It was Mia. Mia did it. Theo's just too scared to say so."

"Shut your mouth!" Julia spun around and glared at me. "My daughter is six years old. How could she possibly hurt anyone? Don't you dare make up lies like that!"

Mia peeked out from behind Julia, her eyes wide and innocent, her voice small and trembling. "Mommy, I really did see this bad lady hit Theo..."

She was so convincing. Even her voice had a little sob in it, like she was genuinely terrified.

I took a slow breath and forced myself to stand, cold sweat breaking out from the pain in my back.

I looked straight at Xavier and said each word clearly. "Xavier, believe me just this once. I did not hit Theo. I have nothing on me. What would I even hit him with?"

Xavier looked at me in silence, his expression unreadable.

Julia saw him hesitate and her face darkened immediately. "Xavier, what is that supposed to mean? You believe her over me?"

"That's not what I mean." Xavier looked away, his voice dropping back into its usual coldness. "I just don't see the point in beating her."

"Then what do you suggest?" Julia crossed her arms, her tone sharp and demanding.

Xavier was quiet for a moment, then looked at me with something in his eyes I had never seen before, something distant and unfamiliar. "The reason you keep going after Theo is because you want a child, isn't it?"

My stomach dropped. I had a feeling I knew where this was going.

"Fine. Then I'll give you one."

Julia stared at him. "Have you lost your mind?"

Xavier ignored her and turned to the bodyguard behind him. "Take Theo and Mia out."

The bodyguard stepped forward immediately and led both children out of the room.

Before Theo left, he looked back at me. His eyes were full of fear and confusion, and it nearly broke me.

The door closed. Only the three of us remained.

Julia stormed up to Xavier and grabbed him by the collar. "What do you think you're doing?"

Xavier looked down at her, his tone flat. "You've been saying she won't stop going after Theo. If she has her own child, she'll leave him alone."

"You—" Julia's face went pale with rage. "You want to sleep with her? Don't you dare."

"I'm solving a problem." Xavier removed her hands from his collar, his voice completely empty. "You've hit her, you've screamed at her, and she still won't leave Theo alone. So we try something else."

Julia stared at him, her eyes going red, her chest heaving.

Then she turned and looked at me, and her eyes were full of pure hatred. "You just wait."

She slammed the door on her way out.

Now it was just the two of us.

I backed up until I was flat against the wall, my voice shaking. "What are you going to do? Stay away from me."

Xavier loosened his tie and walked toward me, his face blank.

"You want a child. I'll give you one."

"No." I shook my head hard. "I only want Theo. He's my son."

"He is not your son." Xavier grabbed my wrist and pinned me against the wall, his voice low. "I'm telling you one last time. Theo came from an orphanage. He has nothing to do with you."

"You're lying!" I fought to push him away, but he was too strong. I couldn't move at all. "He looks exactly like you. He is my son."

Something shifted in Xavier's eyes. He leaned down close to my ear, his voice cold as ice. "Since you want a child so badly, I'll give you what you want."

"No... let go of me..."

I struggled with everything I had, but he forced me down onto the floor, pinning both my wrists with one hand, tearing at my clothes with the other.

Tears ran down my face. I sobbed and cried out. "Xavier, you can't do this to me... you weren't like this before..."

His movements paused for just a second, barely a breath, then he was rough again.

"People change." There was nothing in his voice, no feeling at all. "Same as you. Didn't you want to leave me?"

"Because you cheated on me! You killed our baby!" My voice came out as a raw scream, barely more than a rasp.

Xavier said nothing after that.

That night, he kept at it no matter how much I cried or begged him to stop.

The next morning I was lying on the floor, covered in bruises, unable to move.

Xavier got dressed, glanced down at me, and said calmly, "If you're pregnant, carry it to term. And stop going after Theo."

He turned and walked out without looking back.

I closed my eyes. Tears slid down my face without a sound.

For the next few days, Xavier came to my room every night.

Julia came every time to make a scene, pounding on the door from outside, screaming at him, but Xavier paid her no attention at all.

"Xavier! Get out here! What gives you the right to go back to that bitch!"

The door shook under her fists, her voice sharp enough to cut.

Xavier was on top of me when he heard her. He frowned slightly but showed no sign of stopping.

I lay there, numb, staring up at the ceiling with empty eyes.

I had stopped fighting. There was no point.

After a few days of this, Julia finally couldn't take it anymore. One night she burst through the door.

She took one look at what was happening, her face going ashen, and flew at Xavier. "You bastard! How could you do this to me?"

Xavier caught her wrist, his eyes cold. "Are you done?"

Julia faltered under his stare, her voice losing some of its edge. "You... you're yelling at me?"

"I've already punished her." Xavier let go of her wrist, his tone impatient. "What more do you want? If you're not satisfied, handle it yourself."