Her Heart Her Terms (Lily and Xavier) novel Chapter 8

Lily picked up the document on the table and shoved it into Sarah's arms before pulling out her phone and taking a couple of quick photos.

"I'll hand this over to you then, Ms. Lynde. It has nothing to do with me if anything goes wrong." She felt utterly drained without the energy or position to go head-to-head with Sarah.

The favored never had to hold back. She was nothing but insignificant in Xavier's eyes.

A chill ran down her spine and spread from her heart even though the office's temperature was comfortably warm.

She took the elevator down and walked out of the company entrance. She was bathed in the sunlight, yet the chill within her remained.

She stood on the bustling street. There was a slight twitching movement at the corners of her lips as she let out a self-deprecating and sarcastic smile.

Maybe they only booked hotel rooms occasionally. The office lounge was their usual arrangement.

She already knew Xavier had slept with Sarah. She shouldn't have hurt like this again even after seeing even more blatant evidence.

It hit her even more deeply and heartbreakingly than any of her realizations these past few days about his betrayal and his inexistent love for her.

The sudden ring from her phone jolted her out of her sadness. She took out her phone and answered, "Hello?"

"Lily, come home right now." There was no room for argument in her father's tone.

She was only scheduled to play the piano at the restaurant later that afternoon. Today was Saturday, and she had no interviews to attend.

It would only leave her drowning in suffocating emotions by doing nothing, so she simply agreed even though she truly didn't want to go home. "Got it."'

…

Xavier hadn't postponed the meeting as he had said. He had moved it earlier instead.

He thought it would humble Lily even more by letting her wait.

What should have been a 50-minute meeting stretched to nearly two hours.

It was already noon by the time he left the conference room.

He removed the glasses on his nose bridge and rubbed his temples before slowly walking to the office.

"Mr. Fulton, I have a document that needs your signature!" A manager from the finance department rushed over with a document in hand.

Timothy blocked his path. "You sure know how to make things convenient for yourself. Are you trying to get Mr. Fulton to sign it while he's attending a meeting? Mr. Fulton still has important matters to attend to. Bring it over to the company in the afternoon instead."

The finance manager looked disgruntled. He was just trying to cut corners.

"What's the hurry about?" Xavier unusually stopped in his tracks.

He took over the document and signed it before handing it back to him and continuing toward his office.

He wondered just how pitiful Lily must look by now. She had better not cry. He felt the most annoyed when women cried.

He knew exactly how to find the right balance and where to draw the line.

He felt victorious and pushed the door open before his gaze instantly shifted to a look of nonchalance.

However, no one was sitting on the couch as he had anticipated or standing by the floor-to-ceiling window.

There was nowhere to hide in the office. It was immediately clear that Lily wasn't here at all.

A faint sound came from the lounge, and his brow immediately furrowed.

He didn't know what she was here for. Had she seriously gone into his private lounge without his permission?

He had been swamped with work the past two days and couldn't sleep because of her. Therefore, he had downed quite a bit of alcohol in there.

She might think it was for her if she saw it…

"Xavier." Sarah stepped out of the lounge and was shocked at his look of irritation as she asked, "What is it?"