Her Heart Her Terms (Lily and Xavier)

Lily knelt, picked up the broken ceramic spoon shards, and glanced at the dining room entrance through her peripheral vision

It was empty, and Xavier was nowhere in sight. Could it be that her guilty conscience had led her to hallucinate?

She threw the broken spoon shards into a trash bin before leaving the kitchen and walking around. Through that, she confirmed nobody was outside, and Xavier wasn't there either. Only then did she sigh in relief and return to her work in the kitchen.

A red light flickered on the surveillance camera in the living room's upper right corner. Any footage captured by the camera would play out live on Xavier's computer. Since Lily stood a distance away, Xavier couldn't hear the name of the organization she joined. However, he hadn't seen her smile like that in a long time. That was why he unconsciously spoke through the speaker earlier. He wanted to know what made her so happy.

Yet, he immediately realized he shouldn't have done so.

Xavier told himself that he shouldn't give all his attention to Lily. Although she had returned, she didn't seem like her old self. So, he wanted to observe if she would be as obedient as before.

As expected, she dutifully remained at home and prepared a meal. It seemed she had also pretended to be upset last night.

With that in mind, Xavier decided to cut her some slack and let her sudden change in emotions these past two days slide.

He shut the camera stream off before looking out the window. It was already dark out, and lights illuminated the entire city.

A soft shuffle sounded behind him as Sarah, who wore a white robe, exited the private lounge attached to his office. "Xavier, could you come house-hunting with me if you're free this weekend?"

Xavier removed his gold-rimmed glasses to massage his brows. "I own a few houses. You can live in whichever one suits your fancy."

Sarah stood at the end of the desk, her slightly unfurling bathrobe revealing her smooth skin. She slightly leaned forward but pretended to be unaware of her actions. "It's already inappropriate that I've been living in your office, though. Are you sure I can stay in one of your houses?"

"Why wouldn't it be fine?" Xavier raised a brow a tinge of indifference flickering in his eyes.

Upon hearing that, Sarah straightened her body and flashed him a smile. "Alright, then. I'll have food delivered for dinner. You should have some food before leaving."

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Xavier's slender finger held his chin. As for his gaze, It didn't linger on Sarah's body for long."

No-"

"Today's Xyla's birthday. She wants to buy a meal for her friends and loved ones to celebrate her big day. That'll make her very happy, so she lisisted I buy you a meal." Sarah sounded helpless yet affectionate when talking about her younger sister, Xyla Lynde. Sarah added, "I would've cooked you a meal in person, but there's no way to cook in this office. Hmm... We could also eat out. I feel bad for troubling you with my recent affairs. So, dinner will be on me."

She used Xyla and several things as excuses to convince Xavier to stay, which worked.

After a brief silence, Xavier texted Lily, saying he would work overtime tonight. Once he sent it, he put away his phone and told Xyla, "Let's get some food delivered to the office.

Sarah then ordered a few dishes based on Xavier's preferences.

The food soon arrived, and a bountiful feast sat on Xavier's desk.

While eating, Xavier would chat and laugh with Sarah. He even occasionally placed some of the food onto her plate.

Halfway through the meal, Sarah took out her phone and raised it at an angle. "Would you mind if I take a photo and report back to Xyla?"

"Go ahead." Xavier didn't mind. In fact, he even complied with the request by putting down his cutlery. Then, he rested both hands on the table's edge and looked at the camera. Sarah looked like a lovely, happy woman in the photo.

Meanwhile, Xavier bore an indifferent expression. Despite that, he seldom took photos outside of worknoveldrama

this photo was enough to prove he didn't have an ordinary relationship with

Sarah.

Sarah sent the photo to Xyla before putting her phone away to continue eating. She and Xavier didn't have a huge appetite, so the dishes looked barely touched. Chungerar