Xavier sat up with a frown as he stared at Nate.With narrowed eyes and a displeased look, he said, âDonât you dare tell me this is a coincidence because I wonât believe it. Also, take off those sunglasses.
The only impression people will have of you wearing sunglasses in such a dim cabin is that youâre blind.âNate thought Xavier would be surprised to see him, but he never expected Xavier to make such snarky comments.Still, it seemed like⦠Xavier had a good point.As he took off his sunglasses, he squeezed out, âIâm just worried that my fans will recognize me.ââFans?â Xavier shot Nate a look. âHow long has it been since you stopped working? Do you still have fans?âHis words successfully rendered Nate speechless.âTell me.â Xavier gave Nate a warning look. âWhat do you want? If my memory hasnât failed me, I remember giving you a warning before. If you sabotage whatever I am doing again, Iâm not going to spare you because of Aunt Beatrice anymore.ââI know!ââYou know, but youâre still here?ââJust give me a chance!â Nate cried out before continuing in a sincere tone, âI swear Iâm not there to make a mess out of things. Iâm going there to earnestly make amends. Moreover, I made a huge mess this time. Even my dad canât stand the sight of me, so I wanted to get out of their line of sight.âXavier rolled his eyes at Nate. âYou didnât want to appear in their line of sight, so you decided to come to me? Iâd like to find out how you discovered my tracks. Who told you about it?ââNo one said anything!â Nate knew what Xavier wanted to ask. âDonât worry. There are no spies around you. I wanted to ask Louis about it, but he kept his lips sealed tight. He wouldnât budge no matter what threats and temptations I said. I was just lucky as I guessed that youâd probably go to Winnie Garland, and this was the earliest flight of the day. Itâs not that difficult to stalk you, you know? These are things I learned from my fans.âXavier was at a loss for words.âWhy are you looking at me like this? I swear everything I said is the truth!ââHow many times must I remind you? Sheâs my wife and your in-law, not some stranger. Also, youâre going back to Chanaea right after we land.ââWhy must you force me to leave? I just wanted to apologize to Winnâ¦
Err⦠my in-law. I have no other aims.ââShut up.â At that, Xavier closed his eyes in hopes that by not seeing Nate, he would be able to have a moment of peace.An hour later, the plane landed at the airport in Yartranâs capital on time.Even after they left the plane and went to the baggage reclaim area, Xavier said nothing to Nate. Nate even thought that Xavier had forgotten about chasing him back to Chanaea.Yet, right after they retrieved their luggage, Xavier took Nate to buy the return ticket.There was no way Nate was going to let him do that. To be honest, not only was he there to make amends, but he was also there for the sake of Fraser familyâs future.To compensate for his mistake of poisoning Xavier via Yolanda for Yulissa, his family had to let Fairchild Corporation reap more benefits in their collaboration.He was the one who had messed up, but his family business had to suffer the consequences. The directors of the board were long annoyed by his father and brotherâs decision.Regardless of everything, he could not watch Winnie and Xavierâs relationship go sour.
Otherwise, he would be the ultimate victimâXavier might lose his temper at him instead, and when that happens, his father and brother would have to step in.Hence, he stood at his spot and said, âXavier, donât make me leave. I really wonât cause any trouble for you, I swear.âXavier did not even bother looking at him. âCease the nonsense. Weâre in a public space, and I donât want to make things embarrassing for you, so donât force me to do that.âXavier was taller than Nate, and he was of a larger build than the latter. If he were to really pull or push Nate around, Nate would not stand a chance against Xavier.Furthermore, Nate did not want to be humiliated in public, so he had no choice but to let Xavier push him away.Midway to the counter, he abruptly whipped his head around and said to Xavier, âXavier, thereâs something wrong.âThinking that he was trying to con his way out of this, Xavier forced him to take another big step forward. âYou can write an email and tell me whatâs wrong when youâre back in Chanaea. If youâre inspired, you can even write a ten-thousand-word email.ââXavier!â Nate turned around again, his expression was solemn and his voice was low. âIâm not kidding with you. I think someoneâs been watching us from the shadows.âXavier halted in his tracks before surveying his surroundings. Then, he asked, âWho is it? Are you talking about the airport staff?âIt was not entirely impossible that no one would be watching them. After all, any normal person would be able to see that Xavier was forcing Nate to walk somewhere else.However, Nate said, âNo, itâs definitely not the airport staff. The airport staff wouldnât be acting so suspiciously. Moreover, the staff members are all wearing uniforms. The ones I saw earlier were wearing black suits.âHearing that, Xavier narrowed his eyes and stopped searching the area. Instead, he pretended as if nothing had happened and continued pushing Nate down the path.Nate immediately flew into a panic. âYou have to believe me, Xavier! Iâm not lying to you!ââI know.â Xavier gritted his teeth. âShut up. I know what to do.âAs he spoke, he pushed Nate to the back of a giant billboard.Right as Nate was about to speak, Xavier lifted his arm and stopped him.At that, Nate instantly realized that Xavier was trying to lure the people who were tailing them out.Indeed, not long after they âdisappearedâ behind the billboard, someone ran out.Upon hearing the urgent footsteps behind them, Nate lifted his head to glance at Xavier.âXavier, they must be the ones who were following us earlier. They must have come for us.âXavier lowered his head to look at Nate and emphasized, âTheyâre here for me, so scram and go home.âWhile they spoke, the few men in black arrived at the back of the billboard.Once they spotted Xavier, they formed a circle to surround Xavier and Nate.Xavierâs sharp eyes met with the leading manâs eyes.âWho are you, and why are you following me?âThe leader of the men in black was expressionless as he said to Xavier, âGreetings, Mr.
Fairchild. Mr. Speiser wishes to invite you for a meeting. Please come with us.ââWilhelm Speiser?ââThat is correct, Mr. Fairchild.âXavier drew his brows together. He had contacted Winnie before his trip.She told him that she was going to the airport to pick him up, but he did not want her to exert herself, so he rejected her offer. He had also asked her for the address, planning to head there himself to meet up with her.However, what Winnie never mentioned to him was that her brother, Wilhelm Speiser, was going to pick him up.Therefore, Xavier ignored the man in black and took out his phone instead. He called Winnie, but she did not pick up the call.Xavier thought that Winnie might not have her phone with her at the moment, but what he did not know was that Winnie was actually watching her phone vibrate in front of her on the table.She wanted to pick up the call, but Wilhelm did not allow her to do so.âWinnie, we have agreed on this. Weâre going to test him, and youâre not allowed to tell him anything. Thatâs why you have to pretend to not notice the call.âAs she rapped her finger on the armrest of the chair she was on, she said, âMust we do this? Iâve already agreed to not say anything to him.
Even if I pick up the call, I wonât tell him anything about this.âWilhelm stared at Winnie for a few seconds. âIâve already made the rules. Is there something youâre worried about? Could it be that your beloved Mr. Fairchild wonât be able to pass the test?ââWilhelm!â The corners of Winnieâs lips turned downward. âThatâs mean of you to say that.ââPerhaps, but Iâll still test him regardless.âAt that, Wilhelm gestured for Winnie to stay silent before making a call.In the meantime, the leader of the men in black received a call from Wilhelm.After a while of listening to Wilhelmâs instructions, the leader passed the phone to Xavier.âMr. Fairchild, itâs a call from Mr. Speiser. Heâd like to talk to you for a bit.âXavier could not possibly reject the call, so he took the phone.The moment he put his ears to the speaker, he recognized Wilhelmâs voice. It was the same voice as the one he heard the other time.âHello, Mr.
Speiser,â Xavier said in a flat tone. âIâm Xavier Fairchild. Your men have stopped me at the airport. May I know why?ââThey stopped you? I told them to invite you here,â came Wilhelmâs cold voice. âDonât worry. Iâll tell them off later. Could you please come over now? Youâre not unhappy about meeting me, right?ââOf course not, Mr. Speiser.â Xavier pursed his lips. âThough, I have a question.ââPray tell.ââIs Winnie okay?ââOf course,â Wilhelm replied, a little upset at that. âMr. Fairchild, it seems like you aim to humiliate us with your question. This is Winnieâs home. Are you implying that we put her in a difficult spot at home?âNevertheless, Xavier did not take Wilhelmâs mocking to heart.âIâm glad to hear that. Iâll see you soon, Mr. Speiser.âWith that, Xavier returned the phone to the man in black, who then moved forward and gestured.âThis way please, Mr. Fairchild.âAt the same time, another man in black took Xavierâs suitcase for him.When Xavier began walking, Nate tried to follow him.Not wanting to verbally persuade Nate to return anymore, Xavier said to the men in black, âThe one Mr. Speiser wishes to meet is me. Please take those who are unrelated in the meeting away.âAt that, the leader of the men in black lifted his arm. In the next second, two men towed Nate away.Less than half an hour later, Xavier was brought to a building in the city center.After leading him to the conference room, the men in black left.All it took for Xavier to lock onto the location of the camera was a brief round in the conference room.When he lifted his head to stare at the black camera, he narrowed his eyes slightly.Meanwhile, the image of him frowning at the camera was displayed on the screen, and seated in front of the screen were Winnie, Wilhelm, and Emily.Looking at the image, Emily said, âIf we judge him solely on his looks, then I must say that Mr. Fairchild is a handsome man. He looks like a fine man who is worthy of Winnie.âWinnie agreed with her grandmotherâs thoughts, but before she could say anything, Wilhelm stood up and solemnly said to Emily, âGrandma, itâs too early to come to a conclusion like this. Iâm going to meet him now. Please keep a close eye on Winnie and donât let her tell him anything.âWinnie was speechless for a moment. âWilhelm, do you really think Iâm still that silly kid from the past? If I tell you I wonât say a word to him, I wonât contact him naturally.âWilhelm glanced at Winnie. âI hope thatâs the case.âJust as Xavier took a sip of his coffee, Wilhelm entered the room.Without missing a beat, he rose to his feet to greet Wilhelm.Xavier used a normal amount of strength when they shook hands, but Wilhelm held his hand exceptionally hard.Nevertheless, Xavier saw that coming. He knew Wilhelm was not going to go easy on him, so he promptly responded by tightening his grip.The two of them were almost of the same height. Moreover, they had cold expressions and were people who commanded attention with their presence. For a moment, neither seemed to be able to overpower the other in the room.The silent and tense handshake lasted for a few seconds before Wilhelm let go of Xavier.Then, he walked to the main seat by the conference table and gestured at Xavier to sit on a chair by the side of the table.âPlease have a seat, Mr. Fairchild.âXavier nodded. Xavier was in Wilhelmâs territory, and he was not going to stir up trouble with the man of the house. Thus, he was fine with taking the seat by the table, which signified his lower status in comparison to Wilhelm.âI was planning to make a visit, but who knew that Iâd be honored enough to meet you first, Mr. Speiser? May I know why youâre looking for me?âXavier revealed no traces of nervousness when he said those words, which was something that surprised Wilhelm.Hence, Wilhelm decided to start putting pressure on Xavier. âMr. Fairchild, itâs a little too early for you to say that youâd be paying us a visit. Not everyone can get into the Speiser family.
Since youâre here, I might as well be clear with you. Iâm sure you know who Vivian Speiser is. To my knowledge, Fairchild Corporationâs shares had skyrocketed when she was first revealed to be the adopted daughter of the Speiser family in Chanaea. However, a while earlier, when the media revealed the possibility of her getting engaged to the Huxley familyâs son, Fairchild Corporationâs shares fell. Iâm not at all surprised that she was able to affect Fairchild Corporationâs shares that greatly with her identity. Besides, I wonât be surprised to hear that you would like to continue staying married to her.
However, Mr. Fairchild, your ulterior motive is too obvious, and I feel bad for Vivian. You want to profit, donât you? Iâll give you that. Youâre no nouveau riche, so I wonât degrade you by offering you checks.
Instead, Iâll offer you opportunities and resources. Here are three collaboration contracts. One is for trading with Yartran, one is a multinational economic alliance, and one is with the Epean Economic Alliance. As long as you sign them, Fairchild Corporation will be able to enter the Epean market without a hitch. Iâm sure you donât need me to elaborate on the gains you will reap from these contracts. Youâre a successful businessman, so thereâs no way you canât see what kind of bright future these contracts will give you. Mr. Fairchild, this is a big gift, and all you need to do is sign your name on these. But this is all under one condition. Once you take the contracts, you must stay away from my sister and never appear in front of her ever again.â