The past hour had probably been the most difficult hour of her life. Threat had always been looming on her head, but never had she been as scared as she was now.
Not even when Malin attempted to kill her.
Xavier meant the world to her.
He had given her things that she hadn't found anywhere. And it wasn't the materialistic things that she was thankful for. The job, the house, it all meant nothing compared to the love, care and kindness that he had showered her with.
He had taken her out of the bed of thorns and put her onto a bed of rose petals.
He had plucked each and every single one of her sorrows from her life and replaced them with pure happiness.
He had made her laugh and he had made her smile.
But most importantly, he had made her love.
Love. A feeling she never thought she'd feel ever again.
But she felt it now. She felt it with every breath she took. With every glance at Xavier's blue mystical eyes. With his every gentle touch. With the comfort of his arms and the rhythm of his heartbeat as she laid nestled on his chest, their legs tangled but their hearts in sync.
And she wished she could stay their forever, laying in his arms for an eternity and even then, she would not get tired with the essence of his smell, nor the warmth of his touch.
But everything was coming to an end.
The man that had treated her like an angel from heaven, was the very man she had put into a pit of danger.
She had been foolish to think she'd ever get a man like Xavier. He was a prince, but she was no princess. She had wounds and scares and demons that surrounded her. Things that would haunt her till she took her last breath and though she had grown accustomed to living in the dark shadows, she couldn't let Xavier do the same.
He was her knight in shining armor, but she couldn't allow him to save her, for saving her meant putting himself on the frontline.
And Raine wouldn't allow that. She wouldn't let even a scratch come Xavier's way.
She wanted a forever with Xavier, but while he had everything to give her, she had nothing. Her heart had been long crushed by the reality of life, and only small pieces of it remain now. And she was willing to give up each and every piece that was left.
But would that be fair?
He deserved the world, but all she had to offer was the shattered bits of her fragile heart.
* * *
"Raine?!" Jordon's voice echoed as Raine turned around, facing the large glass doors of Thorn Inc.
She had just taken a taxi back after meeting Charles and his words kept repeating in her mind like a broken cassette.
Jordon ran to the door as Raine took careful steps towards him, after paying the taxi driver.
She had thought that she would make it back to the office  before Xavier's meeting had ended but the encounter with Charles had taken longer then she had anticipated.
"Raine!" Jordon panted, catching his breath as he watched her enter the lobby. "Where on earth have you been?! Do you have any idea how long Mr. Thorn has been searching for you? He practically ordered every single member of this company to find you!"
"What?!" Raine shrieked. She knew that Xavier would be quick to notice her absence but to this extent, she had not anticipated.
"Yes, Raine." Jordon nodded. "Mr. Thorn has been losing his mind. He even ended the meeting in less than an hour. Not that the hour he was in the meeting was any productive. He was glancing at the door every two minutes, waiting for you to arrive."
"Oh gosh." Raine panicked, running her fingers through her hair. "God, where is he?" She said looking around at the other employees who were staring at her and Jordon quietly.
"At home." He answered. "Waiting for you."
"Shit, I need to get home." She mumbled, turning around.
"Wait, Raine." Jordon stopped her. "I'll take you there. Nick and Cole went out searching for you on Mr. Thorn's orders. I'll just call him and notify him of your whereabouts."
"Alright." Raine nodded, her stomach dropping. She was going to have to face Xavier in a couple of minutes and she was dreading that.
If Xavier ever found out that she had gone to meet Charles, he would lose his mind. And if Charles found out that Raine had told Xavier the truth, he'd hurt Xavier.
And she wasn't going to let that happen.
Lying to Xavier was hard. But she was going to have to do it. And although it crushed her heart, she was left with no other choice.
"It's for his good." She thought.
* * *
As soon as the car pulled into the driveway, Raine could make out Xavier's figure pacing at the front door.
And just as his eyes landed on the car parking in front of him, he rushed down the steps, yanking the door open before Jordon even had the chance to put the car in park.
"Raine!" Xavier shouted, his voice laced with anger, frustration, but even more than that was fear and longing.
He did not let her respond. Instead, he pulled her out of the car with force, crushing her into his chest tightly. One of his arms wrapped strongly around her waist, while the other pushed her head against his chest.
Raine could not stop the tears from welling up in her eyes as she stood still in Xavier's arms, but she quickly blinked them away. If she was going to hide the truth from him, she'd have to be stronger.
All of Xavier's men left the duo, giving them the privacy they needed and after a couple moments of silence, Xavier finally released her from his hold.
"Where the hell were you?!" Xavier roared. "I was so worried! I thought something--"
"Xavier, relax." Raine calmed him down. "I'm fine."
"Fine?!" Xavier asked in disbelief. "You were missing for four hours! Where the hell was your phone?!"
"Calm down Xavier, I was just visiting Daisy and I forgot my phone in the office." She said, pushing herself away from him.
"Visiting Daisy?!" He questioned. "And since when did you start ditching mandatory meeting to visit your friends?"
Xavier was obviously not buying this lie. He knew Raine. She wasn't one to put aside such an important meeting to socialize with her friends. Raine was responsible and Xavier had no doubt about that.
"Xavier, I hadn't met her in a while and I needed to see her after I found everything out about Malin's involvement in the coffee shop being destroyed." Raine responded. "I don't get why you made such a big deal out of this. I know you're my boss and all, but that doesn't mean you make all the decisions in my life."
"I'm your boss?" Xavier said in a pained voice. Raine could see hurt swirling in his blue orbs and instantly, she wished she could take back her words. "Raine, you're so much more then an employee. This isn't about your job."
"I didn't mean it like that." She quickly said, guilt creeping in. "Xavier, I just... I wanted to get away for a while. Daisy called and she said she wanted to meet. I know I shouldn't have ditched the meeting like that. It wasn't professional at all and I'm sorry."
"I don't give a fuck about that meeting Raine." Xavier let out a breath. "I was worried. About you. Not the goddamn meeting or anything else... Malin is still out there and I can't breath knowing that you were out there, unprotected without me knowing where you were. All I want is to protect you Raine. I don't want to dictate your life or make all of your decisions. You're free to do whatever you please. But I just want you safe. That's all."
"I know..." Raine said. "And I'm sorry for all of this. I didn't mean to scare you."
"Losing you scares me more then dying, Raine." Xavier whispered.
"I'm sorry." Raine said, leaning in to kiss his cheek. "I'll tell you before I run off next time.
"You better." he pinched her cheeks.
* * *
The next morning, Xavier woke up before Raine. Not that he had gotten much sleep the night before anyways.
It was obvious that Raine was hiding something. But Xavier didn't know what and he didn't know why.
Her whole behavior had changed. She would rarely look into his eyes when he cooked dinner for the two of them and when she did, the sparkle of her eyes that he had fallen for was no longer visible.
There was something wrong and Xavier had to figure out what that was.
"XAVIER!"
The sound of Raine's scream echoed around the house. Xavier's heart froze for just a second before it began thumping loudly in his chest. Throwing the cup of coffee across the floor, Xavier ran for his life, up the marble stair case and into his room.
"Raine!" He shouted, running around the bed and to her side. She was shivering, yet swell trickled down her forehead. "Baby, what happened?! Are you aright?"
It took her a couple of minutes for her to familiarize herself with the room. Her eyes spun around the entire room, landing on Xavier's concerned ones that were looking back at her in worry.
"Y-yeah..." She managed to let out. "I...It was another nightmare."
"But it's been so long since you've had them." Xavier said, cradling her in his arms.
"I don't know." Raine mumbled. "They come and go. It's not a big deal, I'm fine Xavier."
"I can see that." Xavier said, rolling his eyes and looking back at her. "And it is a big deal. Anything that causes you pain or distress of any kind is a bloody big deal."
"I'm fine, Xavier." Raine said raising her voice which caused Xavier to go quiet.
Raine's eyes softened as she saw hurt cross Xavier's face. It was killing her to do this but she had no choice. The closer she was to Xavier, the more danger was looming over him.
Although nightmares had become a common part of her life, this one was different. Raine was always the one getting hurt. But this time, it wasn't the sight of Malin's hands on her body that terrified her. It was the sight of Xavier's white shirt drenched in blood that made a shiver run down her spine.
"What is it Baby?" Xavier gently asked, noticing the paleness of her face and the loss of her once glowing smile.
"Nothing." She mumbled, pushing herself into his chest. The tears began rolling out of her eyes and she was afraid that she'd expose everything.
"Raine..." Xavier whispered, rubbing her back. "What's wrong, Raine? What made you cry?" He asked, hurting at the sight of her tears.
"I... I'm just tired." She whispered, digging her head into his chest. "I wanna just run away."
"Shhh..." Xavier rubbed her back. "This will all be over soon, Baby. And then I promise you, we'll leave all of this behind."
* * *
"Babe, I'm leaving for work." Xavier told Raine who was walking down the steps, ready to work.
After her little episode, Xavier had come downstairs to make Raine breakfast while she had gone to take a shower.
"And you're leaving me behind?" Raine asked, smiling for the first time since yesterday.
"Love, I think you need to take a day off."
"But I'm fine." She pouted.
"Raine, why must you be so stubborn?" Xavier signed. "You know I can't say no to you."
"Well I have to take advantage of your weaknesses." Raine giggled.
"Alright, you can come along, but you will not leave the office without my permission." Xavier conditioned.
"Yes sir!"
"And also, I will be going out for a meeting later today." Xavier slowly began. "I'll be going with Jordon, you don't need to come."
"What meeting?" Raine asked. As far as she knew, there weren't any meeting that Xavier had lined up."
"It's in Brooklyn." He said. "At one of our hotels, there was an issue with the management that I have to solve. But like I said, you don't need to come there. I can handle that on my own."
"Ok." Raine said.
Xavier nodded, putting his arms around her waist as he guided her out to the car.
* * *
"Did you do what I told you to do?" Xavier asked as soon as Jordon set foot in Xavier's office.
Xavier had dropped Raine to her cabin before he was back in strict business mode, ordering Jordon in the room.
"Yes sir." Jordon nodded. "The meeting that was scheduled with Killian Hawthorne has been relocated to our Brooklyn hotel."
"Good." Xavier sighed.
"Mr. Thorn, is there a reason for the sudden change?" He asked. "And have you talking to Raine about it?"
"No." Xavier said sternly. "Do not tell Raine a single thing . She is not to know about our meeting with Killian."
"But--"
"Killian is dangerous, and Raine is too innocent to see that. I will not allow her to go in front of that vile man who threatened to kill her as a child and has been the source to all of her misery."
"I understand Sir."
"I will meet Killian away from this company and away from Raine. I will lure him into the trap." Xavier stated. "I've almost lost Raine once and I am not going to let that happen again."
"Alright, I'll have the car ready. We can leave soon."
"Good, I've already notified Raine that I will be heading out with you and that she is to stay here." Xavier explained.
Jordon nodded and before heading out the door.
Xavier waited till he left before getting out of his seat and walking towards the panoramic window that over looked the whole city.
He didn't want to do this. To lie to Raine. But he had no other choice.
He had to meet Killian without Raine's presence no matter what Raine said. Killian was smart and putting Raine in front of him would be too big of a risk that he wasn't willing to take.
"It's for her good." Xavier whispered before taking his coat and heading out the door to meeting Raine before he left.
* * *
"Love?" Xavier asked softly knocking on the door.
Raine looked up from her computer, a weak smile appearing on her face.
"Xavier, don't you have somewhere to be?" She asked.
"Yeah..." He rubbed the back of his neck. "I was just heading out."
"Alright." Raine nodded.
"Just please make sure to--"
"I know." Raine interrupted. "Take care of myself and call you if I need anything or go anywhere."
Xavier smiled before leaning across the desk and landing his lips on her forehead. "I'll be back soon..." Xavier whispered, causing Raine's heart to drop slightly.
"Y-yeah..." She managed to mumble, her eyes not meeting his.
Xavier frowned. He had thought everything was good but again, Raine's behavior had changed. Unfortunately, he didn't have time to question anything. He had to leave and get this meeting over with so that he could relieve Raine from these demons from her past.
As soon as Xavier left, Raine's walls came crushing down. The happy face that she had plaster onto her face was now gone and dread replaced it.
Shuffling through the papers that were scattered on her desk, she pulled out a specific one and put it at the top.
I see you didn't spill the beans to your billionaire boyfriend. Good. If you want him to stay alive, keep it that way.
I hope 24 hours was enough for you to get what I want.
Meet me at the same hotel, same room in an hour. And don't forget to bring my prize.
-Charles Hadleigh
p.s. Keep your mouth shut and your eyes open. I've got my eyes on you so don't even think about making copies of those tapes.
Just like the day before, a fax had come for Raine through a private number with the very message that she was dreading.
Today was the day Raine would have to give Charles the only evidence that she had to prove her parent's innocence and put the people behind the bar, who had taken their lives. And she was about to give that evidence to Charles so he could destroy it forever.
There was no time to think. No time to make plans. Raine had to do this. Proving her parent's innocence was important, but not as important as Xavier's life.
This was a battle that had stolen a lot from Raine. But Xavier would not be a casualty.
* * *
"Mr. Thorn." Killian's voice echoed throughout the conference room. "Oh, I remember the days I used to call your father that." He chuckled.
Killian was just as Xavier had imaged him. His white hair was pushed back with gel and his face was pale and aged. He had been partnering with his father for years now and Xavier had guessed that he'd be on the older side of the CEOs.
"Mr. Hawthorne." Xavier greeted statically, shaking his hands with displeasure.
"You're just like you father, eh?" Killian started. "No talk, only business."
"To my displeasure." Xavier responded causing Killian to smirk.
Everyone in the industry knew that Xavier and his father did not have the best of relations. And CEOs had hoped that Xavier would not take up the CEO position after his father's death. They were betting on Thorn Inc's failure but Xavier had proven everyone wrong when he not only took up the position, but also the entire hotel industry.
"So, why the change of location?" Killian asked. "I was looking forward to seeing that company of yours."
"I was here for some other work." Xavier explained. "Thought it would be easier for you to just meet me here."
"Well, it's certainly a nice place you have here." Killian nodded. "But I must say, it's been ages since I've done business with your company. Why the sudden meeting?"
"You see, Mr. Hawthorne..." Xavier began. "My company is actually in the process over overtaking another franchise. I'm sure you have heard of Isha Resorts in California?"
"Oh yes." Killian said. "It's a stunning resort chain. But I was under the impression that the current own does not intend on selling it."
"Well, it did take a lot of strings to be pulled to get everything to work out." Xavier said smoothly. "But my company made an offer that they certainly could not refuse."
"So Thorn Inc is taking over?" Killian asked. "I haven't heard anything in the media about this yet."
"That is because Isha Resorts and our company shareholders have come to an agreement of keeping things under the table until the deal had been signed."
"That is quite the achievement." Killian nodded.
"So cutting straight to the point, I'll explain to you why you're here." Xavier stated. "I was going through old records and I found that my father partnered with Lyzo Corp each time they acquired new properties"
"You've heard correctly." Killian said. "My company, Lyzo Corp, make equipment for hotels. All kinds of appliances and security surveillance as well. Our company's products are the best and in most hotels throughout the country."
"Exactly." Xavier smirked. "Which is why I am giving you a contract for all of the Isha Resort properties. I need your company to provide appliances for each room and build a security system for each resort."
"All of them?!" Killian said, stunned.
"Yes." Xavier nodded. "Of course, since it is a big project, the profits will be big as well."
"How big are we talking?" Killian pondered.
"250 million dollars." Xavier smirked. "The company will provide an advance payment of 100 million dollars at the signing of the contract and the rest of the payment will be once the work is done. How does that sound?"
"I like the sound of that." Killian said.
"I'm glad." Xavier smiled. "But there's one glitch."
"And what might that be?"
"The deal must be finalized today."
"Today?" Killian frowned. "But none of the paperwork is ready and the board members of Lyzo Corp haven't been debriefed about the deal."
"Don't worry about the paperwork." Xavier assured. "I've gotten the contracts made, all you need to do is sign them."
"I'm afraid I cannot sign the papers until consulting the rest of the company." Killian said. "Give me one day, the least?"
"I'm afraid I cannot do that." Xavier shook his head. "My company already isn't keen on giving the deal to Lyzo Corp when there are newer companies that can get the job done in less. However, I persuaded them to allow this meeting to take place and give you the first offer for the deal. If you cannot finalize it today, then unfortunately, I will have to give the offer to someone else."
"No, no!" Killian stopped him. "My company will accept the deal."
"Very well then."Â Xavier smiled. "Jordon, give me the documents."
Jordon nodded, pulling out all of the paperwork that he had prepared.
"I don't have my lawyers with me." Killian said, glancing at the contract.
"Oh come on Mr. Hawthorne." Xavier played off. "Years of business with my father and you still don't trust Thorn Inc?"
"I trust your father." Killian said. "He was always great with contracts."
"Well, I assure you that this contract is full proof."
Killian nodded, flipping through the papers of the contract and skimming them briefly. Xavier and Jordon watched him intently as he went through the contract, smiling at each other when the saw Killian pick up the pen to sign the paper.
"Everything looks good." Killian said, finally signing the paperwork.
"Congratulations!" Xavier smiled, shaking hands with Killian. "It's a pleasure doing business with you."
"Pleasure's all mine." Killian laughed.
* * *
As soon as Raine watched Xavier and Jordon's car leave the building, she crept out of her office and headed straight for Xavier's office.
"Where did he put it?" Raine muttered as she spun around the office, looking for a spot where he could've put the chip.
Xavier knew that those were vital to the case and would be the prime evidence when they took down Killian, Malin, and Charles. So he had to have put them in the safest spot he could find.
Raine rushed to the cabinet that was placed next to the bookself. Xavier would always put important documents in those filing cabinets and it was always locked, it's key placed inside of his pen drawer.
Quickly, Raine grabbed the keys and unlocked each of the drawers, hoping to locate the tapes. However, as she shuffled through each compartment, Raine realized that they were filled with nothing but papers.
"Damn it." Raine said, kicking a chair. "Where'd Xavier put everything?"
Raine was running out of time and she had made no progress in locating a single thing.
The last time she had seen the chip was when they watched it together with Xavier. After watching it, Xavier had taken her home and no one had ever mentioned the location of the chip again.
Raine did recall the boxes filled with her parent's belongings being shipped to Xavier's house, but Raine had individually gone through each of the items when she cleaned everything out and the chip was no where to be found.
Raine signed, sitting down on Xavier's desk and resting her forehead on the cool glass desk.
She had to meet Charles in less then an hour and still not a clue of the chip that contained all of the recording her parents had made.
"What if Xavier took them home?" She thought out loud.
Raine's eyes widened as the thought crept into her mind. She was about to jump out of the chair and rush out the door when something caught her eyes.
Raine had been to Xavier's office hundreds of times but she had never sat on his chair and seen his desk from Xavier's point of view. Perhaps that is why she had ever seen the photograph that sat proudly on top of his desk in a crystal frame.
It was a picture of Raine sleeping on Xavier's bare chest. Her head was resting on his heart and Xavier had enveloped her in his arms as he leaned in , pressing a kiss atop her forehead as she slept peacefully. Xavier had most likely taken the picture without her knowledge.
She picked the frame up, brushing her fingers on Xavier's face. A tear trickled down her eyes and just as she went to wipe it off, her fingers made contact with some tape that was stuck behind the velvet back of the frame.
Frowning, Raine turned the picture frame around, shocked to find the very chip that she was looking for, taped behind the frame.
"Got it!" She said, relieved that she had finally found what she had been looking for. Carefully, she took the tape off the memory card, and placed it into her purse, getting ready to leave.
But as she took steps towards the door, she couldn't help but feel a strange pull that stopped her from advancing. She turned around once more, staring at the picture of her and Xavier.
Charles had told her that no harm would come her way as long as she did everything that he told her. But Raine knew better to believe him.
As she was getting ready to hand over the most important piece of evidence she had against her parents' murderers, Raine realized that there was a possibility that she'd never make it back.
That she'd never see Xavier's ocean blue eyes, nor see the warmth of his smile. But knowing that he'd be ok, safe and sound, was enough for her.
She walked back to the picture frame, pulling the stoppers off and taking the glossy photograph out of the frame.
This was it. She had given her heart over to a man who had handled it with care. He had nourished it and showered it with love and affection but now it was time to go. It was time to say goodbye.
She folded to picture carefully, tucking it into her bag before taking one last look at Xavier's office. She didn't know if she'd ever make it back but she would always keep Xavier close to her heart as long as she lived.
Her heart belonged to him, and no one would ever be able to change that.
"I'm sorry, Xavier." Raine whispered, tears trickling down her face. "I'm sorry."
______________________
A/N: Hey guys!! So this is probably the longest I've gone without updating and I am so sorry for that! Life had been crazy, but I guess that's what happens when you're in your last year of college. But as I completed my finals and projects, I was happy to get back to writing so I wrote, edited, and published this part all in one day.
It's my birthday in 3 days and I'd love for you guys to shower me with some votes! I might not be able to update soon but you can convince me otherwise by voting and commenting.
Question of the day: What are your holiday plans?!
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