Chapter 5 Chapter Five
Riana sat quietly as the car glided through the crowded streets of New York. Now she was to where it had all begun.
Her client, Mr. Damien Jake, had reached out to her in desperation. One of the people closest to him was lying in a coma. And now his newly wedded wife was circling his fortune like a vulture, demanding half his wealth and threatening divorce, even though he was fighting for his life. The case was delicate and one of those battles only Riana’s reputation could carry.
She told herself once this case was over, she would leave immediately. No lingering or looking back.
“Mom, here is sooo beautiful!” Xavier’s small voice cut into her thoughts.
Riana turned, catching sight of her son pressed against the car window, waving at a mannequin in a glittering dress outside a boutique.
A faint smile touched her lips. “Yes, I know, Xavier. You’ll get to see more once we’re settled.”
In the back seat, Anna, Xavier’s nanny joined his chatter as the city whirred past. Their voices filled the car, while Riana’s own mind drifted to darker places she dared not linger.
The driver’s voice pulled her back to the present. “Here we are, ma’am.”
The car rolled to a stop in front of the Wingstone Presidential Hotel. Riana stepped out first, adjusting her suit jacket against the soft breeze. She helped Anna and Xavier out, then paid the driver before he drove off.
She turned slowly, her gaze lifting up the towering hotel. For a moment, her breath caught. Something about this place struck her as hauntingly familiar. Has she been here before? She couldn’t be sure. She had chosen it for its reputation as one of the best in town. But now, as she stared at it, uneasiness stirred deep in her chest.
“Welcome, ma’am,” one of the male attendants said warmly as they stepped into the lobby. “We’ll take your luggage. Your room has been specially prepared for you.”
Riana nodded once, then turned to Anna. “You and Xavier can sit there,” she said, gesturing toward a cluster of velvet chairs in the reception area.
“Yes, ma’am,” Anna replied, guiding the boy gently by the hand.
Xavier looked around in awe, his little head turning this way and that, drinking in every detail of the glittering hotel.
Riana, meanwhile, handed over her reservation slip at the front desk and followed the staff.
—---
Xavier sat quietly in the lobby, his little legs dangling from the chair as his wide blue eyes swept over the shining chandeliers. Everything about the hotel fascinated him.
The lobby had fallen into a peaceful rhythm, until it shattered in an instant.
From the grand staircase, two men appeared, both dressed in suits. One wore a black mask that concealed half his face, while the other strode barefaced beside him.
“You must be out of your mind if you think I’ll sign that damn thing!” The masked man roared. He jabbed a finger at the other man. “Go tell your accomplices you never met me at all!”
The unmasked man only smirked. “You’ll sign. I swear it. I’ll be back, and when I do, your pen and your lawyer had better be ready!”
All eyes turned to the confrontation. And yet, strangely, none of the hotel staff moved to interfere. They remained at their posts, smiling stiffly, as though such outbursts were nothing new.
From his seat, little Xavier’s eyes widened. Anna, sitting beside him, placed a hand on his shoulder.
The unmasked man gave one final glare before storming out, leaving the masked man pacing at the bottom of the staircase, fists clenched, chest heaving.
Then, without warning, lXavier hopped down from his seat.
“Xavier!” Anna’s voice rang sharp with alarm. She scrambled to her feet. “Come back here!”
But the boy didn’t listen. His small legs carried him quickly across the gleaming lobby floor until he stood right in front of the masked man. He tilted his head up, his innocent blue eyes locking onto the stranger.
“Hi, Uncle Mask,” he said brightly.
The masked man, Xavier Elberta, stiffened. Slowly, he looked down. And there he saw himself. A boy who was almost a mirror, a miniature version of him. The resemblance struck him so hard he staggered slightly.
How…? His mind reeled. How could this little boy look so much like him?
It couldn’t be, it must be a coincidence. That was the only explanation.
He forced himself back into control. His mind snapped to the argument he just had with Brian. His own brother had tried to strong-arm him into signing away half his property, pushing for Freda, the woman his father had forced into his life. The world believed he was still lying unconscious from the accident weeks ago. Only a handful of people knew the truth that he was very much awake, and Brian wasn't one of the few that knew before.
But now he knew. Somehow, despite all his caution, Brian had discovered his secret.
Still, Brian didn’t know everything. He didn’t know about the lawyer. The woman his PA had tracked, the one with a reputation for solving even the most impossible cases. She would be representing him in court this very afternoon.
And now, here before him, was this boy.
Xander Elberta crouched slightly, studying the child. He smiled under the mask. “Hey, little guy. Why did you run over here?”
Xavier blinked. “Because you were fighting with the other uncle. Don’t you know it isn’t good to fight? Mom always tells me that.”
“That uncle made me angry,” he admitted, his deep voice lowering for the boy’s ears alone. “He was being a bully. But you’re right….your mother has taught you well. It isn’t good to fight. He pushed me first, but still…”
Xavier tilted his head, then solemnly stretched out his tiny pinky finger. “Then promise me you won’t fight again.”
For the first time in a long while, Xander felt a genuine smile tug at his lips. He bent down slightly, hooked his larger finger around the boy’s. “I promise.”
Xavier laughed. Then, his eyes narrowed with curiosity. “But Uncle… why’re you wearing a mask? And—” he pointed up at him with both hands, “you also have my kind of eyes. Why? Answer me and I'll say thank you. Mommy said to always say that.”
Anna arrived just in time, her heart pounding from chasing after him.
“Your mother must be proud. You’ve taught him so well,” he said, turning his gaze briefly to Anna, thinking she was his mother.
“Thank you,” Anna replied carefully, ignoring the man’s assumption. She wasn’t about to correct him.
“That’s enough for now, Xavier,” she said. “We really should be going.”
But Xavier wasn’t ready to leave. His hand clung stubbornly to his trouser. “What’s your name, sir?” he asked instead.
“Xander,” Xander replied.
The boy’s mouth dropped open. “Really? That’s almost like my name too!” He began bouncing on his feet with delight. “Uncle Masked Xander also has like my name!”
Xander laughed. He reached out, ruffling the boy’s dark hair. “That makes us special, doesn’t it? Two Xa-xa in one place.”
“Can I call you Uncle Xander?” the boy asked eagerly.
“Yes, of course.”
But then, the child’s smile faltered just a little. “But… I won’t see you again, will I?”
Xander crouched lower. “Oh, you will,” he said. “I stay here in one of the best rooms. You see…” He paused, then gave a small, almost mischievous smile. “I own this place. Which means you’ll see me often. And I can even take you to the playgrounds across the wing. They’re the best in the city.”
Anna’s eyes widened slightly. He’s the owner of the Wingstone Presidential Hotel?
Xavier gasped. “Oh my God! Uncle Xander is sooo rich!” He turned his puppy eyes to Anna. “Mom also got a beautiful room here. Can we please go with him? Just once?”
Anna sighed, torn. “If you promise to behave,” she said at last, “then maybe. But first, we need to rest.”
“I promise! I’ll be good!” he exclaimed, bouncing again.
He turned back to Xander. “I know I shouldn’t be friends with strangers… but I like you. And you’re not a stranger anymore, because I know your name, and we’ll be neighbors for some days, since we both live here. Right?”
Xander’s throat tightened unexpectedly. He felt a strange warmth he hadn’t felt in years. He nodded slowly. “You’re right. We’re not strangers anymore, you’re a very clever boy.”
Just then, Anna’s phone buzzed. She glanced down to see it was a new message from Riana.
Come to Room 304 now.
Anna grabbed Xavier's hand. “It’s time to leave.”
This time, he didn’t resist. He glanced back at the Xander, smiling brightly. “Thank you, Uncle Xander. We’ll see you later.”
Xander gave a short nod, his eyes following the boy closely. “And I’ll be waiting,” he promised.
The boy trotted away with Anna, still waving as they left the lobby. Xander stood rooted to the spot for a long moment, watching them disappear around the corner. Slowly, he adjusted his mask, then began walking toward the stairs.
In a clinical, almost like a private ward. Medical tools were carefully arranged on steel trays.
Xander Elberta stood motionless in front of a wide television mounted on the wall. This wasn’t a sickroom, it was a facade he had constructed to convince the world he was still in a coma. After the accident, it had been the only way to survive. Someone wanted him dead, and until he unearthed the traitors, he could not risk living openly.
Only three people knew the truth: his personal doctor, his loyal PA, and regrettably, his stepbrother Brian.
On the screen, a live feed from the courtroom flickered into focus. Xander’s eyes studied every detail, every face, his jaw tightening as murmurs filled the room.
Brian was supporting Freda, the woman their father had forced into Xander’s life as his “wife.” Now she stood determined to claim half his fortune, demanding divorce while he was supposedly lying helpless. It sickened him. What baffled him more was Brian’s loyalty to her. Why? What did Brian stand to gain from her victory? He knew they've always hated each other, but not to the extent.
He had yet to meet the lawyer his PA had secured for him. She was only a name to him.
Then the quiet hum of the courtroom shattered. A wave of shocked gasps rose from the audience.
Xander’s head snapped up, his pulse spiking. His gaze locked on the screen.
And there she was.
A woman strode confidently into the courtroom, clad in a sharp suit that carried both elegance and authority. The sight of her rooted him in place, his breath catching as though the air itself had been stolen from him.
Riana Theodore. The name slammed into him.
The woman he had searched for in vain all these years. The woman with whom he had struck a deal long ago, only for one unforgettable night to bind itself into his memory. The woman whose absence had haunted him more fiercely than any enemy’s bullet.
His brother’s ex-fiancée. His own wife, by a twist of fate.
The one he had once prepared a proposal for.
And now, impossibly, she stood before him again. Not as a memory, nor as a ghost. But as his lawyer.
Xander’s hands curled i
nto fists, his mask of composure cracking as emotions of shock, fury, longing, disbelief surged.
Riana…
The name echoed in his mind, at once curse and salvation.
