Xavier~
"B... Be... Bella. What are you doing here?" As soon as I noticed her standing behind me, I felt a surge of anxiety.
"Tell me, Xavier, what you're keeping from me." She looked at me with a doubt-filled gaze.
"No, nothing. Everything is fine." I put my phone in my pocket to hide the reason for my anxiety.
I don't want to upset her by informing her about the latest bomb Jordan Lucas dropped on us. I was preoccupied with wondering what surprise Jordan had in store for us after his early-morning phone call. My phone rang a familiar number as soon as we got engaged, and after hearing the news on the other end, I realized that this was Jordan Lucas's plan this time.
"Xavier, are you going to tell me or not? I know you're hiding something from me." She blocked my path by standing in front of me and questioning me in an authoritative tone.
"We'll discuss that later, Bella. Our guests are waiting for us." I instructed her to attend to our guests. When she saw James and Victor coming toward us, she let out a sigh and followed me inside the party hall.
I am relieved that James and Victor have shielded me from her questions.
"Come meet my close friend Bosco, Xavier. He was my college friend." My dad called to introduce me to his friend.
My heart felt at ease as I saw my dad's pride shining in his eyes.
"Even though I've made many mistakes in my life, I've never apologized to my wife, which shows how brave you are, Xavier. However, it was incredibly motivating when you acknowledged your errors in front of everyone." His friend praised me.
"He is my son; he never feels ashamed of accepting his mistakes." Dad put his hand on my shoulder.
As he spoke about me to his friend Bosco, his chest swelled with pride.
"My wife berated me for failing to express regret for my errors. Please advise me on how to win my wife over." Bosco teased me while sipping wine from his glass.
I stared at his wife, following his gaze. She and Bella were conversing. The way they smiled when they saw us suggested that they were talking about us.
As I looked at Uncle Jorawar, my mind began to worry once more. He only came to this party with the promise that we would reopen Laila's case, but I'm not sure how we'll follow through on that given Jordan's new plan. Bella had already promised Uncle Jorawar that she would not drop Laila's case under any circumstances, and now Jordan had once more exploited the strained relationship between our family members to play a new, nefarious game with us.
Her face turned pink as she noticed my gaze on her. Indeed, she looks beautiful today. Her pearly white teeth complement her beauty even more. When I couldn't find the exact gown for her, I had to settle for this red silk gown even though I wanted to see her in the same engagement gown again.
"Ladies and gentlemen, I would like to welcome our star couple to the stage for a dance performance." After calling out our names, James motioned for us to start dancing.
I was trying to avoid Bella so she wouldn't question me about the phone call again, but James's announcement drew me closer to her.
I murmured in James' ear, "How could she dance when she fractured her leg?"
"Come on, Xavier. You can dance by holding her in your arms. Don't make excuses. You're not old enough, in my opinion, to not bear her burden." He made fun of me.
"Don't make fun of me now, James." Angrily, I pinched his hand.
Bella joined me on the dance floor as the music started and met my gaze. Only one spotlight followed us when the hall light went out.
"Are you sure?" I held her hand and whispered into her ear.
"I will manage; not to worry." She blinked her eyes to reassure me and nodded her head.
To start the dance, I took hold of her waist and drew her to me. She effortlessly picks up my dancing moves, much like water finds a way to flow.
My thoughts kept going back to the news I had heard on the phone, even though I wanted to be in the present so I could savor this unique moment.
"What's upsetting you, Xavier?" She murmured in my ear once again.
"N..nothing, Bella." I masked the anxiety from her by forcing a grin.
My heart usually feels better when she is around, and for a while, I forget myself in her brown eyes. I looked around me as the music stopped and the light in the hall came on.
After our dance performance, everyone applauded.
"You two ought to quit practicing law and join my band." Victor complimented us.
"You dance so beautifully, Mama and Dad." Alan joyfully leaped and hugged me on my knees.
"How many talents did you conceal from us, Bella? I would have put the ring on your finger if Xavier hadn't stopped me that day." James teased her. To conceal her blush from the guests, she placed her face on my shoulder. After finishing the party, we returned to our house.
Everyone was so exhausted that they immediately went back to their rooms. I felt a sense of relief when Bella fell asleep on the way, resting her head on my shoulder. I put Bella to sleep on her bed and left her room to prevent her from questioning the phone call.
I can't sleep because my mind is constantly racing with thoughts of everyone's reactions to the latest breaking news. At midnight, there was a loud knock on the door of my room. As I opened my room, I was shocked to see Bella standing before me.
"What happens, Bella? Why are you knocking on my door so furiously?" I rubbed my eyes and told her that I was sleeping soundly.
"What is this, Xavier? Why don't you tell me about this?" She showed me her phone display.
"Bloody Jordan Lucas finally succeeded in his plan by ruining my engagement day." I muttered under my breath.
"I never thought you would keep such important news from me, Xavier." She walked into my room and took a seat on the bed. She sounded disappointed.
"Bella, I'm sorry, but I don't want to cause you any trouble. For that reason, I withheld this news from you." I bowed my head in embarrassment.
"What should I tell Uncle Jorawar now, Xavier?" She covered her face with her hands.
"Since solving Lincon and Dixie's case is our top priority, we are unable to reopen Laila's investigation at this time." I held her hand and rubbed my hand to comfort her.
"No matter what, Xavier, I will not keep my promise to Uncle Jorawar." She jumped out of bed in rage after jerking my hand.
Her remarks heightened my tension, as Jordan Lucas's recent actions are not only impacting Dixie and Lincon's lives but also creating a new conflict between Bella and me.