Chapter 705

The jerk was messing with me. Refusing to let him win, I kept chewing, swallowing with dramatic flair. Then, smirking, I raised a hand and used one finger to tip his chin up. Leaning in close, I murmured, “I’ve already done that with you—does it really matter?”

Xander’s eyes darkened, but before he could react, I pulled back, spun around, and dodged toward the bathroom to wash my hands. He’d ruined a perfectly good meal with that jab. Even so, it wasn’t the same kind of sour feeling I got when dealing with Wayne. Thinking of Wayne brought back the memory of his behavior last night, and I felt a wave of disgust creep over me.

Things between us were to be painfully awkward now. I couldn’t keep using him for information either; the risk of him flipping the game on me was too high. If I kept pushing, I’d lose control before I could get what I needed.

And then there was Xander. Wayne wouldn’t just let him off the hook—not after last night. Xander had disrupted his plans and bruised his ego. Confrontation wasn’t Wayne’s style, but retaliation? That was inevitable.

By the time I finished washing up, Xander had already set the table. The cream soup was poured, steaming gently beside an array of dishes.

“Where are you going after this?” I asked casually, taking a sip of the soup.

“Why? Do you need something?” Xander replied, eating his breakfast.

He was so composed, so unbothered. Even when I’d been poking at him earlier in the kitchen, he hadn’t flinched.

“No,” I said, setting my spoon down. “I’m just worried Wayne won’t let you off the hook after what you pulled last night.”

Xander slid a small dish closer to me. “Try this.”

“You’re not worried at all? Or are you just waiting for him to make his move?” I asked, ignoring the food.

“Even if last night hadn’t happened, he still wouldn’t have let me off the hook.”

I got what he meant right away. Wayne would’ve come for him eventually. Last night just sped up the timeline.

“Wayne doesn’t like getting his hands dirty,” I muttered, recalling all the schemes I’d seen him run in Houston. “He prefers pulling the strings and letting others do the work.” Xander didn’t respond immediately, but he gave me a look that made me pause.

“What are you staring at?” I asked, frowning.

Dropping his gaze, he said, “I’ll take care of myself.”

Before I could answer, his phone buzzed. He glanced at the screen and got to his feet.

“Is it Cole or Wayne?” I asked.

Xander hesitated, just for a beat, before answering. “Cole.”

“Take the call here,” I said firmly.

I wanted to hear whatever Cole had to say. Xander might not have admitted he was Hayden yet, but I knew. And if he was going to keep risking himself, I wasn’t about to let him make another mistake that could put him in danger.

Xander held my gaze for a long moment before sighing. Finally, he sat back down and answered the call on speaker.

“Where are you?” Cole’s voice came through, casual but laced with that sharp arrogance.

“At Ms. Kay’s place. Having breakfast,” Xander replied, no hesitation.

Cole scoffed. “Not bad! You’re really something.”

It could’ve been praise, but the sarcasm was as clear as day. And, just as I expected, his tone turned cold fast. “Xander, do you have any idea whose woman she is? Are you tired of living comfortably?”

“And yet, you didn’t object when she decided to ‘keep’ me, did you?” Xander shot back.

It was the perfect clapback. After all, Xander’s involvement with me—his entire presence in my life—was all part of Cole’s plan. Cole had made sure Xander’s striking resemblance to Hayden would needle Wayne just right.

“I didn’t object, true. But I sure as hell didn’t tell you to go against Wayne. You’ve pissed him off now—figure out how to deal with the fallout yourself.”

“So you’re telling me to handle it alone?”

“What else?” Cole snorted. “You dared to poke the bear—surely you have a plan.”

This wasn’t just a warning; Cole was testing him, probing for cracks in his armor.

These men—they were all like that. Cunning, calculating foxes with their own angles to play.

“My plan,” Xander said, “is to have you backing me up.”

Polite, but cutting. A reminder to Cole that he couldn’t wash his hands of this now.

Cole chuckled dryly. “Ha. Xander, you know why I kept you at DracoLux.”

Xander didn’t respond right away, letting the silence linger. Finally, Cole broke it with a light cough. “Xander,” he said, his tone shifting, “If you want my protection, you’ll need to answer me honestly. Are you Hayden?”