Chapter 203: An Urgent Meeting
Oliver was the first to bring it up once the quiet stretched too long. "That guy downstairs... Victor, right? He looked like he owned the damn place. He had so much security and guards and stuff. I think I have seen him renting this place like every month."
Xavier leaned back in the couch, one leg crossed over the other, still wearing that half-lidded look that gave away nothing. "So what’s his deal? Some bigshot with actual pull, or just another rich mofo throwing cash to look important?"
Angel didn’t turn to face him, but her voice carried steady from her desk. "I did some digging a while back. Victor’s not a politician or corp head if that’s what you’re asking. He’s more of a... dealer, scavenger, collector type. He can get you pretty much anything from anywhere in the universe—restricted tech, rare relics, even stolen shit—as long as you’re willing to pay the right price."
Xavier’s brows lifted. "So basically, a black-market Santa Claus."
Angel let out a small snort. "Something like that. Except Santa doesn’t cut throats if you miss a payment."
Xavier’s eyes narrowed faintly, filing that away. "Interesting."
The conversation carried on, circling back to Victor’s reputation, how dangerous his connections might be, and whether crossing him tonight would stir up trouble. Xavier listened, weighing every word, but didn’t give much of his own thoughts away.
Then his phone rang. A simple tone, nothing special. He picked it up, glanced at the caller ID but it was private.
He answered, but didn’t say a word in response.
Just silence on his end as he listened. His face didn’t shift, didn’t betray a thing, but the tension in the room thickened. After a few seconds, he hung up.
He rose from the couch in one smooth motion, slipping his phone into his pocket. "I need to finish an urgent business," he said, voice calm, steady. "So I’ll take my leave here."
Oliver stood too, scratching his head. "All good, man. Don’t worry about dropping me off, I’ll just call my driver."
Xavier gave him a nod of acknowledgment before turning to Reva. "Will you drop by my apartment anytime soon? Lyra’s been asking about you. She wants to meet you again."
Reva smiled faintly. "I’ll make some time for that."
Finally, his gaze shifted toward Angel. She didn’t look up from her screen, not once. Not even when he paused.
"Angel," he said, tone carrying a teasing edge, "you should thank me—even if it’s not necessary."
Still no glance his way.
He let it go with a low chuckle, then headed out. The door shut behind him, muffling the music downstairs. Moments later, the low growl of his bike echoed through the alley, then roared off into the night as Xavier disappeared into the city.
Xavier parked his bike by the curb, tilted his head back, and stared up at the glowing sign of the restaurant. Chandeliers spilled light through the tall glass windows, and people in designer suits and dresses moved inside with laughter on their lips. He checked the location on his phone one more time, then shoved it back into his pocket.
"Right place."
The guards at the door gave him a look but said nothing once their eyes dropped to the academy uniform on his shoulders. Xavier slipped past them without slowing. He glanced around the wide dining hall, scanning faces, until a hand lifted from a table near the window.
That figure was none other than Cassian Voss, Oliver’s father.
Xavier walked over, pulling out a chair and sitting down across from him. "You didn’t need to book a place like this. Could’ve gone anywhere else."
Cassian smiled politely, but there was tension in his eyes. "I wasn’t sure if you’d like the food there. Here, at least, you’ll have options."
"Fine," Xavier said, waving at the server. "I’ll order a few things." He rattled off a couple dishes that caught his eye and leaned back. When the server left, his gaze shifted back to Cassian. "So? Why call me here? You could’ve said whatever you wanted over text or a call. You’re not exactly a free man. You’re a senator."
Cassian folded his hands, his expression steady. "I wanted to meet in person to show you how important this is."
Xavier’s eyes narrowed slightly. "Is it about Oliver?"
Cassian nodded.
"With what you’ve been doing lately," he said slowly, carefully, "the danger you’re stirring up—it’s not something I want near my son. I won’t let it swallow him."
Xavier let out a quiet exhale, almost amused. "I know the risk. That’s why I mentioned Oliver in my last stream. To make sure nothing happens to him."
"I appreciate that," Cassian replied. "But telling the entire public that Oliver is your best friend—do you realize how much attention you’ve drawn to him? You might’ve brought more danger than protection."
"Maybe you’re right," Xavier said with a shrug. "But as long as he’s with me, nothing’s going to happen to him. And you can’t stop danger from knocking, Cassian. You can’t lock him up in the house forever."
The senator fell quiet at that. His shoulders sank, and for a moment he wasn’t the calm politician, but a man carrying something heavier. Silence lingered between them, broken only by the soft clinking of glasses around the hall.
"My wife," Cassian said finally, his voice lower, "Oliver’s mother—she was a journalist. She made it her life’s work to track down every bit of corruption, every crime hidden in the city. And then one day, she found something she shouldn’t have. Something too big. She was killed for it."
His eyes dropped to the table, fingers tightening slightly. "The medical report said it was natural causes. But I know better. I’m a senator, Xavier, yet I couldn’t save her. Couldn’t even give her justice. I still don’t know who had her killed."
He swallowed hard, jaw tense. "If I had paid more attention, if I had stopped her from digging, if I had known what case she was working on—she might still be alive. Instead... she’s gone."
The senator’s voice cracked just faintly, before he steadied himself. "I was a terrible husband. And I refuse to repeat that mistake. I won’t fail as a father too."
Xavier sat back in silence, watching the man across from him.