Chapter 8 #3
Her eyes landed on Elise.
She froze.
Blinking once.
Then twice.
Her mouth slowly fell open as she openly stared at the woman standing beside Xavier.
"Holy shit," she breathed, almost under her breath. "No way..."
A slow grin spread across the woman's face as realization slowly dawned on her.
She looked from Elise to Xavier, then back to Elise again, her blue eyes roaming over her from head to toe as though trying to reconcile the image in front of her with all the stories she'd heard.
"This can't be..."
She let out a quiet laugh and lightly covered her mouth with her fingertips before lowering her hand again.
"Xavier..." she said, still sounding genuinely astonished. "This is the woman you're going to marry?"
She gestured toward Elise with the champagne flute in her hand, her brows lifting high.
"Your arranged bride?"
Elise blinked.
Her lips parted slightly in surprise as she instinctively turned to look at the woman standing before her.
She was absolutely gorgeous.
Long blonde hair tumbled over one bare shoulder in luxurious waves, catching the lights every time she moved.
A shimmering silver dress hugged her slender figure, its daring cut making her look effortlessly glamorous without appearing overdone.
Her heels clicked softly against the polished deck as she shifted her weight onto one hip, studying Elise with unconcealed curiosity.
Beside her, Xavier's expression visibly hardened.
The easy composure on his face disappeared, replaced by an unmistakable frown.
"Juliet."
His voice was clipped.
A warning.
"She isn't some 'arranged bride.'"
His arm, which had remained around Elise's waist since they'd boarded the yacht, instinctively tightened, pulling her a little closer against his side.
His gaze settled firmly on Juliet.
"She's simply a woman my family wants me to marry because our parents have been best friends for decades."
He spoke through slightly clenched teeth.
"As if that's still a valid reason to decide our future."
Juliet stared at him for all of two seconds before rolling her eyes dramatically.
"Oh, please."
She flicked a dismissive hand through the air.
"You just described an arranged marriage with extra words."
Tilting her head, she shrugged innocently.
"So..."
Her grin widened.
"Arranged bride."
Xavier slowly inhaled through his nose.
The muscle in his jaw flexed.
"Juliet."
"What?" she asked, completely unbothered.
"You know I'm right."
He pinched the bridge of his nose beneath his silver glasses before lowering his hand again.
"How," he asked slowly, "do you even know about her?"
Juliet looked positively offended by the question.
"What kind of question is that?" She laughed. "Did you seriously think you could hide something this juicy from us?"
She pointed at herself with one finger before swinging that same finger across the deck.
"Look."
Elise followed the direction of her hand.
Near the railing stood an elegant brunette in a fitted crimson dress, one hand resting around the arm of a tall, handsome man dressed in a navy suit. The couple were in the middle of a conversation when the brunette happened to glance over, offering Juliet a small wave.
Juliet waved enthusiastically back.
"Our husbands," she said matter-of-factly. "They tell us everything."
She lowered her voice theatrically.
"They're absolutely hopeless at keeping secrets."
Xavier closed his eyes.
For exactly one second.
Then he muttered under his breath,
"Goddamn childish assholes."
He released a slow breath, his hand slipping away from Elise's waist before dragging it down his face in visible frustration. His fingers lingered over his mouth for a moment before he rubbed his forehead, looking every bit like a man questioning why he'd ever befriended anyone.
When he looked back at Juliet, his patience had clearly worn thin.
"Stop gossiping."
His tone left little room for argument.
"No one else is supposed to know about this."
Juliet simply blinked.
Then she burst into laughter.
She leaned forward, clutching her stomach as the champagne in her glass sloshed dangerously close to the rim.
"No one else?" she repeated between laughs.
Straightening again, she looked around the crowded yacht, gesturing broadly with both hands.
"Xavier..." She stared at him with exaggerated disbelief. "Who exactly do you think doesn't know?"
A heavy silence followed.
Xavier's jaw clenched so tightly that Elise saw the muscle twitch beneath his cheek.
He looked moments away from saying something.
Thought better of it.
And instead let out another slow, controlled breath through his nose.
Juliet ignored him entirely.
Pivoting gracefully on her heel, she stepped toward Elise instead, extending her free hand with a bright, infectious smile.
"Hi!"
Her voice had turned warm now, all of her teasing reserved exclusively for Xavier.
"I'm Juliet."
She tipped her head toward Xavier's retreating figure with an amused smile.
"Cassian Han's wife. Cassian and Xavier have been close friends for years."
Elise smiled politely as she slipped her hand into Juliet's.
"I'm Elise."
Juliet shook her hand enthusiastically.
"It's so nice to finally meet you."
Just then, Xavier's phone vibrated inside his jacket.
He slipped it from his pocket, glanced at the screen, and released a quiet sigh.
Business.
His gaze lifted to Elise.
"I'll be back."
His hand briefly returned to her waist, giving it a gentle squeeze before letting go. His thumb brushed lightly against her side as if reluctant to leave before he finally turned away.
Within moments, several businessmen intercepted him, and Xavier disappeared into their conversation with the same composed authority he carried everywhere.
The instant Xavier disappeared into the crowd of executives, the brunette Juliet had pointed out earlier made her way toward them.
Her crimson dress flowed around her legs as she crossed the deck, the evening breeze lifting a few loose strands of chestnut hair away from her face. A warm smile spread across her lips the moment her eyes met Elise's.
"I'm Amara."
She stopped beside Juliet and offered her hand.
"You must be Elise."
Elise returned the smile, shaking her hand. "It's nice to meet you."
"You too."
Before either of them could say anything else, Juliet let out an impatient sigh and slipped between them, looping one arm through Amara's while waving her champagne glass with the other.