The engagement party ended well, and it was in the car that Gregory made his appearance as a topic this time.
"What's going on between Mr.Ashton and you?" Andrew asked as he drove her back.
"Nothing."
"Xenia, please, we said no secrets."
"Andrew, I'm not sureㅡ."
"Xenia, you can tell me. I mean, it's not like you two slept together or something," Andrew smiled, imagining the unrealistic CEO romance ploy. The grin disappeared as the overwhelming silence took a seat in the car.
"What, you slept with him?" Andrew turned to glance at Xenia.
"It's not what you think; we dated for a couple of months. For my defense, I didn't know Gregory owned the company. I thought he was a simple internal auditor, and so did everybody else."
"Wait a minute, Xenia, you dated your boss, the owner of Ashton&Ashton and half of the companies on the globe, and you didn't think it was something you needed to tell?"
"Andrew, I'm sorry. I ended everything with him when I found out; I didn't tell you because I dreaded how your interpretation of the matter, and you have the exact reaction I thought you would."
"I'm surprised, Xenia. How do you think I should take it? Oh, Xenia, you slept with your boss, who happens to be the biggest investor of Intech, no worries, it happens all the time."
"Andrew, it's an old story now. We're through. There's absolutely nothing between Mr. Ashton and me."
"Xenia, the man, came all the way here. I don't think it's over for him. People like Gregory Carlton- I-don't-remember-which-number-he-is-Asthon, don't show up at events like this for fun. You should have told me, Xenia, I would have liked to know who I'm up against."
"Andrew, please, you are up against nothing. Please don't play the rival ploy because Gregory and I are through. I'm sorry, Andrew, I don't know why he showed up," Xenia looked out the window.
Andrew drove silently, the man who was never mad fumed in his seat. He dropped her off at her mother's.
As she got out of the car, Andrew grasped her hand.
"Xenia, I'm not angry. I'm frustrated because you didn't tell me. I didn't expect such a farfetched scenario. I know you didn't sit idly for almost ten years waiting for me to pop back into your life."
Xenia sat back down in the car, "Andrew, I love you. I swear, never in a million years, I would have imagined him coming here."
"I know, Xenia, listen, we're both tired, and I don't want to say whatever, so I'll see you tomorrow," Andrew kissed Xenia on the lips, "Sarangae-yo," he whispered in her ear.
"I love you too."
Xenia couldn't find sleep; her heart raced as someone floating on a raft waiting for a shark attack. Xenia had heard about these clichés situations. She laughed at them in movies, usually dissing the girl for making the wrong choices. Now in the same plot, she realized the dilemma wasn't fun at all.
What was Gregory thinking?
Did he decide to ruin her life?
Xenia was unable to sleep; she tossed and turned as images of Gregory kept flashing before her eyes. He was more dazzling in real life than in her memory, and that suit one could think he was James Bond in his tailoring.
Had Gregory always been this handsome, or had his eyes always been so bright?
Even his voice seemed deeper and warmer, and it echoed in every cavity of her body. Xenia shuddered in remembrance of his touch, which brought out goosebumps.
"Damn you, Gregory, damn you," Xenia muttered while she hit her head with a pillow.
XY XX
The next day it was panda eyed that sleepless Xenia went to work praying she wouldn't be bothered, and she would just spend the day updating her client files. The interview she had with Andrew's friend turned out well, so she replaced their consultant on pregnancy leave.
Xenia, there's a client who wants to consult you."
"Consult me. Who is it?"
Sabine, her colleague, shrugged.
The persistent fatigue made Xenia want to transfer the client, "I'm busy right now. Can't nobody else advise the client?"
"Richard said it has to be you."
"Well, if the boss says so, tell the client to come in."
"He's in the conference room."
"Who is he, Emmanuelle Macron, to be in the conference room?"
Sabine smiled before saying, "he seems to be a VVVVIP." She then accompanied Xenia to the conference room.
"Mr. Ashton, she's here," Sabine said and made way for Xenia, who glared at her. Sabine gave Xenia an apologetic stare and left.
"I bet you put them up to this," Xenia crossed her arms in protest as she stood close to the closed door. She glanced at the doorknob; it was at a reachable distance just in case.
"I did; I said I needed to talk to you. So I found the time and the place."
"I have nothing to say to you, Gregory; I'm engaged to Andrㅡ."
"Xenia, can you sit down a minute," Gregory patted the seat next to him.
"I'm fine where I am."
"Come on, Xenia, if there's nothing between us, you can do it."
He challenged her; Xenia came to sit next to him. Gregory immediately grabbed her hand.
"What are you doing?"
"It's nothing Xenia, let me hold your hand a minute and listen. I left when I shouldn't have; I didn't get to express anything," Gregory caressed her hand, "Xenia, look at me."
"Don't do this, Gregory."
"Xenia, we're not over," the man's hypnotizing gaze devoured Xenia, who had to fight to make her will surface.
"Gregory, you know, that you and I be can't be."
"Why, Xenia?"
"Where do you put Anya Heinrich?"
Gregory chuckled to the point the woman almost saw tears in his eyes, "God, Xenia, there's nothing between Anya and me. We dated a while back, and my family and financial advisors had great expectations, but then I came to Paris, and you happened. I cleared things up with her, and tabloids made assumptions, which weren't true. I am interested in investing in her father's company, that's all. Don't tell me you read a little article, slewed your Spotify ballads playlists, and got Andrew Woo tattooed in your heart."
Xenia sneered, "do you think that's funny? You and Rosie Huntington-Whitely's lookalike seemed close."
"And so you threw yourself in Andrews' arms?" Gregory took the tone of a parent trying to figure out why their child scribbled crayons all over the white wall.
"I didn't throw myself; I love him."
"Look at me in the eyes and say that."
Xenia found herself cornered. Gregory could feel her pulse, which rose as she supported his gaze.
"I love him," Xenia tried not to blink.
"Xenia, I refuse to let you go. I won't lose you to him. I know you still love me. I can see it in your eyes. I can feel it in your pulse; let's start over."
"Let go of my hand, Gregory," Xenia snatched her hand and got up to leave. Gregory followed.
"Why him, Xenia?"
Gregory was a player who never lost anything. The thought of being benched by Xenia and not being her MVP was unbearable; he had to know why she ran to Andrew.
"Because he is gentle and honest, I'm happy with him. We don't argue; we're happy."
Xenia was now outside of her office; the two stood on the pavement as they quarreled.
"Oh, you don't argue, and you're happy. Is that what was wrong with us? Yes, we rumble so that I can love you better. You think you can be satisfied with a four o'clock Tetley tea or PG Tips relationship, it's tranquility, but it's only a short pause. I mean, if you want the tranquille life, you might as well do that next to me. I'm one of the world's top 5 eligible bachelors and Top 10 fortunes in the world," Gregory motioned his hands towards himself.
Xenia rolled eyes, "I can't believe you just that; it's so petty of you."
"Neither can I. Can we rewind and erase that passage."
"You see, Gregory, it's not possible. The rich, you, isn't bearable."
"Oh, so Andrew is better as far as I remember he isn't a pauper. He's self-employed that makes him the better type, according to you.
Sorry for being well-born and not having humble beginnings or not being a simple auditor. Yes, I'm wealthy, and I have trunk loads of obligations and possessions, but it doesn't change the fact that all I desire is you."
"No, Gregory, you have an empire to attend to, and getting richer is your purpose. You can't fully invest yourself in a relationship."
"Try me; I'll show you. Andrew can't love you the way I do. He can't give you the love that makes your heartbeat so fast you think your dying with every breath. How do you think I've been these last couple of months? I've been living like someone on a life support machine because I can't get one woman out of my mind."
"Gregory, stop."
Xenia wondered where the taciturn Gregory went. The quiet man seemed to have upgraded new software with a wordiness option.
Xenia desired to know how he felt without having the slightest idea that Gregory's feelings were like pandora's box, waiting to cause havoc. At this instant, they pushed her heart to shatter.
There was a small tap on Gregory's shoulder; he turned only to receive a punch.
"Andrew, no."
The roses Andrew held were on the floor.
"Xenia, you could have warned me before the punch. Oh, here is the man himself. Excuse us, Mr. Woo, Xenia, and I are in the midst of a crucial conversation," Gregory said while he held his jaw where Andrew's punch had landed. Gregory was fine with seeming rude and obnoxious, for this was how his jealousy was.
Andrew came to throw another blow, but this time, Gregory gave him one, making the man fall backward.
The situation was surreal; Xenia ran to Andrews's side before standing up in front of Gregory.
"Gregory, look at you, look at us, it's ridiculous. I love Andrew, I'm going to marry him, and I want you to leave."
"Xenia."
"Leave, Gregory."
Gregory could read fright in Xenia's eyes. The only question that came to mind was, for whom was Xenia's concern?
Was it for Gregory or Andrew?
No, the truth was Xenia was afraid of having her feelings exposed once more.
Though vexed that Xenia got engaged to another man, Gregory knew this was a spontaneous reaction to his errors.
A part of the man wanted to embrace Xenia and tell her everything would be fine. The man felt as though Xenia punished him, he didn't like it, but Gregory's other rational side told him to retreat for now. For the warrior in him, losing a battle didn't mean losing the war. He left Xenia, who knelt to tend to Andrew.