Chapter 10 Missed.

After Xavier finished speaking, he turned and was about to go back to his office to continue his work. 

But before he could take more than two steps, Allison rushed forward and grabbed his arm tightly.

“Xavier.”

Her grip was firm, almost desperate.

He immediately felt the eyes of his employees on them. The lobby was too open since it was a public space, and he disliked unnecessary attention, and right now every single staff member was pretending not to stare.

His jaw tightened.

Without saying a word, he gently but firmly pulled his arm free only to grab her wrist instead and guide her toward the private elevator.

“Let go...". she hissed under her breath, but she still followed him.

The elevator doors opened, and they stepped inside. The moment it closed, it cut off the view from the lobby, making the employees outside exchange looks.

Some even sneered quietly because for once, they had enjoyed the outcome.

Meanwhile, Inside the elevator, it was silent. 

Allison pouted her lips with her eyes slightly red. She stared at Xavier, who stood straight with his hands in his pockets, completely ignoring her presence.

The silence hurt more than his words downstairs.

She opened her mouth to speak but nothing came out.

And she tried again, nothing still came out.

Right now, her pride wouldn’t let her speak first, but yet, she was feeling agitated. 

Just then, the private elevator doors opened and Xavier quickly stepped out without looking back.

For a second, Allison stood frozen, then she quickly jogged after him and when she caught up with him, she grabbed his hand tightly and said, “Xavier, wait.”

Hearing this, Xavier stopped walking but he didn’t look at her.

Instead he looked at the hallway, and when he saw that it was silent, he sighed softly. 

“Why have you been ignoring me?” she asked softly,  “You don’t answer my calls. You don’t reply to my messages. What did I do?”

When she finished saying this, all she met was his silence.

He gently removed his hand from hers and continued walking. But Allison called out again and rushed towards him. 

Then she stared at him, and when she saw that he wasn’t ready to talk, her eyes began to tear up.

Sniffing, she burst out and said, “You have been acting strange”. 

“You are distant, you don’t talk to me like before. I don’t like it.” Listening to all this, her voice began to crack.

Xavier knew all her tears were fake, but then, he closed his eyes briefly and pinched the bridge of his nose in frustration.

And when he opened it, he turned to look at her.

“I have been busy,” he said calmly and added. “Work has been overwhelming lately and I don’t have time for unnecessary distractions.”

His words were not harsh, but they weren’t gentle either.

Allison knew him well enough to understand that part of it was true, but she also knew something had changed.

Still, she wasn’t foolish enough to argue further at this moment. So she nodded her head slowly and said. “Okay, I understand.”

Saying this, she stepped closer and held his arm lightly.

“You should at least tell me,” she said softly, tilting her head as she added. “I was worried about you.”

Her tone was really sweet when she said this, so she leaned slightly against him and muttered softly. “You know I care about you, right?”

Xavier’s expression remained unreadable, but Inside, he felt irritated because right now, he disliked and hated her clinginess.

And right now, he especially disliked how she was acting coy as if nothing had happened downstairs.

But he said nothing.

Instead, his mind was already searching for an excuse, something reasonable to send her away without causing another scene.

Because one thing was clear to him, and that was he did not want her staying here any longer.

Allison continued holding his arm lightly, her voice soft and sweet, unaware of what was going through his head.

“You have really changed, Xavier,” she said gently and added with a pout. “You weren’t like this before.”

He looked at her shortly and for a brief second, all he was seeing was Amelia.

The woman he had coldly chased away seven years ago just to be with Allison.

Remembering this, his chest tightened.

Back then, he had thought he was making the right choice. 

Allison was his first love who left him to go study abroad. And because she was bright, charming, confident he chose her back and discarded Amelia who had been quiet, and independent.

He had misunderstood everything and only after Amelia stopped existing in his daily life did he finally realize something terrifying.

He had fallen for her.

Now, every time Allison stood in front of him, smiling sweetly, acting clingy, It reminded him of what he had lost and what he had destroyed with his own hands.

“Xavier?” Allison called softly when she noticed he had gone quiet for a while.

Coming back to the present, Xavier blinked his eyes  slightly and answered, “Yes?”

“You are spacing out,” she said angrily as she asked, “Are you even listening to me?”

“I am,” he replied to her flatly.

Hearing this, she couldn’t help but pout her lips as she asked. “Then why do I feel like you’re miles away?”

‘Because I am’, he thought and seven added. ‘Because every time I look at you, I remember the biggest mistake of my life’.

But he didn’t say that.

Instead, he calmly removed her hand from his arm and said to her, “I told you I’m busy.”

“Busy enough to ignore me for days?” she asked quietly.

But his expression hardened slightly as he responded. “The company doesn’t run itself.”

She bit her lip and said softly. “I just....I miss how we used to be.”

He almost laughed at that as he slowly asked, “Used to be?”

Seeing her shake her head, he couldn’t help chuckle.

Seven years ago, he had pushed Amelia away without hesitation. He had believed Allison was the one who understood him, who matched his ambition.

But Allison had never challenged him or  looked at him the way Amelia did.