Chapter 42 A Fool
Chapter 42 A Fool
“You want me to apologize?” Xavier scoffed. “It’s just a dress!”
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Lisa locked eyes with him, rage boiling behind her stillness. Her fingers dug into her palms.
Just hold on, Lisa. Two more months, and you won’t have to see them again.
She breathed deep. No more fights with the Olsens.
She stayed silent, turned, and walked out of the garden without looking back.
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Xavier’s face twisted with anger. He kicked the easel hard, sending it crashing to the ground. “What is her problem? Ruin a dress and suddenly I’m the devil?”
Tiffany winced. “Maybe she’s upset because it was a gift from someone important.” She hesitated, then added softly, “Xavier, you shouldn’t have thrown that brush. You crossed a line.”
J–oh,
“Oh, so now you’re on her side too?”
“I’m not taking sides,” Tiffany said, exasperated. “But you know Lisa has always felt like I stole her place. No matter how much I give her, she’ll think it’s out of guilt. But if you push her to give me her things… it just makes it worse.”
“She’s the one who ran off years ago. That’s not your fault.” Xavier ran a hand through his hair, agitated. Then he paused. His eyes narrowed. “Wait. You said that dress was a gift?”
“Yeah,” Tiffany nodded. “The way she looked when it got ruined … it had to be from someone important.”
Xavier’s jaw tightened. “You think it was William?” He let out a bitter laugh. “Mom said she used to hang all over him. Could never keep her distance.”
“I wouldn’t know,” Tiffany said quietly. “Lisa never tells me anything about her relationship.”
Xavier muttered under his breath, “Can’t believe she’d fall for a guy like that.”
His eyes dropped to the canvas lying on the floor. The sketch was done. The girl on the swing stared back at him through messy strokes and smeared color, like she knew exactly what he’d done.
A strange tightness settled in his chest.
He thought of her younger–when she used to cling to his arm, always laughing.
His face hardened. “Forget it,” he said. “Have someone clean this up.”
Lisa knelt by the basin in the laundry room, scrubbing the dress over and over again, the paint still clinging stubbornly to the fabric.
She had expected this. The fabric was too delicate. The paint had seeped deep into the fibers, and no matter how hard she tried, the stain wouldn’t budge. The material was warping in her hands.
She crouched there, staring at the stubborn stain. Flint’s cold, indifferent eyes flashed in her mind. No judgment, no contempt. Just a detached gaze. Yet it stung, pushing her closer to the edge. Tears gathered in her eyes and fell into the water, rippling the surface.
This was the first real gift she’d gotten since arriving in Arglonas. And now it was ruined.
Xavier stood in the doorway, watching her silently. He saw Lisa holding the ruined dress, tears staining her face, and cursed under his breath at her helplessness.
William was trash. No matter how nice the dress, it was just fabric. It didn’t deserve this much of a reaction.
Yet, despite his irritation, Xavier felt something tighten in his chest.
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Chapter 42 A Fool
After a moment of indecision, he headed to his studio. He grabbed a bottle of turpentine.
It could remove the oil paint. Maybe, just maybe, it would stop her from crying.
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“Xavier?” Tiffany’s voice broke through as she walked in, an easel in her arms. “What are you doing?”
Xavier moved quickly to help. “You could’ve just had the servants do it. Why’re you carrying it? You’re too small for this.” Tiffany shook her head. “The servants wouldn’t know where to put it. If they mess it up, it’d be a nightmare. You’ve got so many one–of–a–kind pieces. Hard to replace.”
She eyed the bottle in his hand. “What’s that?”
Xavier cleared his throat. “Turpentine. It’ll clean off the paint.”
Tiffany smiled knowingly. “You act tough, but deep down, you care about Lisa, don’t you?”
Xavier clicked his tongue. “I don’t care about her. I just can’t stand how pathetic she is. And I ruined the dress. I should fix it.” Tiffany’s smile lingered, but her heart twisted.
Could it really be that simple? Xavier, so self–centered, was admitting fault? Could blood be so powerful?
“Xavier, Tiffany said quietly, her voice soft. “You made her cry. If you take it to her, she’ll probably just refuse it. Let me take it to her instead.”
Xavier hesitated. He knew Lisa’s temper. If he went, she might just throw the turpentine in his face.
“Alright,” he said finally, “you take it.”
Tiffany nodded and left, her heart a little lighter.
She reached the laundry room and stood at the window. Lisa was still scrubbing the dress, tears clinging on her chin, looking so fragile.
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