Hours had passed since Victor's assault at the club. The digital clock on Xavier's desk blinked 11:55 PM, its red glow casting eerie shadows across his office. Xavier had just returned from his meeting with the Moretti family—a crucial alliance he'd been nurturing for months which was shaken by the attack on his drug shipments—only to be greeted with news of Joshua's attack. His pristine suit jacket lay discarded on the leather couch, his tie loosened, and several buttons of his shirt undone.
Selena stood at the far end of the room, her back pressed against the wall. Her red dress from the club was wrinkled now, mascara smudged beneath her eyes. She hadn't been allowed to change. Xavier had summoned her immediately upon his return, his voice cold with barely contained fury when he called.
