Chapter 3 The confrontation.

Armed with Alexander's limitless black card, I walked into the city's most exclusive luxury boutique. For the past two years, Xavier had kept me locked away behind high walls, forcing me to dress in dull, modest clothes so as not to "draw attention." But today, I was shedding that old, submissive skin. ​I pulled a breathtaking, emerald-green silk gown off the rack and stepped into the fitting room. When I emerged and looked in the mirror, I barely recognized the woman staring back at me. The rich fabric hugged every curve, and the color made my skin glow. I didn't look like a victim anymore. I looked powerful. I looked dangerous. ​"Well, well, well. Look what the rain washed into the upper class." ​A venomous, familiar voice shattered my reflection. I turned to see Mia gliding into the boutique, dripping in designer logos and brandishing a platinum card. She stopped dead, her eyes flashing with malicious glee as they locked onto me. ​"Elena? What on earth are you doing in a place like this?" Mia asked, pasting on a sickeningly sweet, fake smile. ​I completely ignored her, turning back to the mirror to adjust the neckline. ​"Come on, Elena, I know you must be devastated about the divorce, but you really shouldn't let it weigh you down," she pressed, stepping closer. ​Still, I said nothing, refusing to give her the satisfaction of a reaction. ​"Besides, Xavier was never yours to begin with," she taunted, her voice lowering. Out of the corner of my eye, I spotted a familiar, broad-shouldered figure walking toward us from the entrance. Xavier was heading this way, but he hadn't seen me yet. ​A cold, calculating thrill rushed through me. I kept my face entirely emotionless, channeling Alexander's chilling aura. "I'm shopping, Mia. Leave me alone." ​"Shopping? With what money?" Mia scoffed, stepping right into my personal space. She dropped her voice to a mock whisper, thinking the shop assistants couldn't hear. "Cut the pretense already, Elena. I know you left that estate with absolutely nothing on your back." ​I turned slowly to face her, letting a dangerous, quiet smile touch my lips. "I know what you did, Mia." ​Mia blinked, momentarily thrown off, before a vicious smirk twisted her features. She leaned in closer. "What are you talking about, love?" she mocked, her eyes glinting with pure malice. "You really thought you could stay Xavier's wife forever? You naive little idiot. You were so easy to ruin. It took me less than an hour to photoshop those hotel pictures and drop them right where he'd find them. He believed me instantly because he never loved you in the first place. I took your husband, your home, and your dignity-and there is absolutely nothing you can do about it." ​She spilled her confession way too fast, blinded by her own arrogance. She didn't notice the heavy, freezing silence that had suddenly fallen behind her. ​I clenched my fists so hard my nails bit deep into my palms, but I held my ground. "So, you admit you framed me." ​"Of course I did!" Mia bragged, throwing her head back with a triumphant laugh. "And Xavier will never believe a word you say anyway, you pathetic-" ​"Mia." ​A dark, trembling voice echoed from behind her. ​Mia froze. The color instantly drained from her face, leaving her chalk-white as she slowly spun around. ​Xavier stood a few feet away. He was completely paralyzed, his eyes wide and bloodshot with a sickening mixture of horror, disbelief, and agonizing realization. He had heard every single word. Her confession had bounced off the luxury mirrors and straight into his chest. ​"X-Xavier..." Mia stammered, her voice turning into a pathetic squeak as she dropped her expensive shopping bags. "It's not what it sounds like! I was just-" ​"Shut up!" Xavier roared. ​The raw, explosive rage of a mafia lord twisted his features into a mask of pure fury. Before Mia could flinch, his hand flashed through the air with a brutal backhand that sent her crashing violently into a glass display rack, shattering ornaments everywhere. ​"Get out of my sight before I kill you myself!" he bellowed. ​Sobbing hysterically, Mia scrambled to her feet and bolted out of the store like a frightened animal. ​The boutique fell into a dead, suffocating stillness. The terrified shop assistants had already ducked behind the counters. Xavier slowly turned his gaze back to me. The blind anger in his eyes vanished instantly, replaced by a crushing, desperate wave of regret. He looked at my emerald dress, then up at my face, finally grasping the horrifying truth of what he had done: he had abused, beaten, and exiled an innocent woman who loved him. ​"Elena..." Xavier choked out, his voice cracking violently. He took a trembling step toward me, his eyes brimming with heavy, pathetic tears. "Elena, I... oh, god, I didn't know. I was blind. Please, love, let me explain. Come back home with me. I'll make this right. I swear it." ​He reached out, his fingers shaking as he tried to grab my waist to pull me into a desperate embrace. ​"Don't touch me, you monster!" I snapped, violently flinching away from his reach. ​"I know I wasn't good to you, but I'll change! I promise, Elena," he begged, falling apart right in front of me. "You're my wife-" ​"Ex-wife, you moron!" I spat. ​He lunged forward, trying to grab me again, refusing to accept the reality he had built with his own hands. But before his fingers could even graze the silk of my dress, a massive, unyielding hand clamped around his wrist like a steel vice. ​The temperature in the boutique plunged to below freezing. ​Alexander stepped out from behind the clothing racks, his towering, muscular frame placing an impenetrable wall between Xavier and me. His dark eyes locked onto Xavier, burning with a lethal, predatory intensity that made the air heavy. ​"I believe the lady told you to leave her alone, Vance," Alexander murmured, his deep, smooth voice dripping with absolute danger. He tilted his head, a cold, mocking smirk playing at the corner of his lips. ​Xavier winced, trying to yank his arm back, but he couldn't even budge an inch against Alexander's grip. Panic and humiliation flashed across his face. "What the hell, Sterling? I'm speaking to my wife, and I suggest you mind your damn business!" ​Alexander's smirk widened into something terrifyingly sharp. He tightened his grip until a sharp wince of pain crossed Xavier's face. ​"Ex-wife," Alexander corrected him softly, pulling me just a fraction closer to his side. "And as her future husband... I highly suggest you keep your dirty hands off my woman."