Her Heart Her Terms (Lily and Xavier) novel Chapter 243

Chapter 243 

Lily answered Xavier’s call not because she wanted to, but rather out of fear that he might show up and confront her in front of everyone if she didn’t. 

Any interaction between contestants and sponsors or judges was highly sensitive in the eyes of others during competitions. The slightest misstep could lead to accusations of favoritism or comption. 

Xavier left her with a cryptic tematk before hanging up, leaving the persistent sound of the dial tone ringing in her ears. 

She regained her senses and stared at her darkened phone screen momentarily before shoving it back into her pocket and silently continuing to wait for a ride. 

Perhaps due to the shortage of cars and abundance of people, the hotel security arranged for carpooling for those headed in the same direction, speeding up the process considerably. 

Two male designers happened to be going the same way as Lily, so they shared a ride. Since her home was the farthest, they dropped the other two first before heading to Bayview Gardens. 

It was morning rush hour. It had been two hours since Xavier called her by the time she got out of the car. 

A piercing screech of tires shattered the stillness of the winter midday just as she was about to enter the complex. She stopped in her tracks and turned around to see Xavier stepping out of his car. 

His expression was solemn with a barely restrained anger. He lit a cigarette, took a long drag, and fixed her with a penetrating gaze through the smoke. 

She felt rooted to the spot under his gaze. Her legs felt as if weighed down by lead, unable to move. 

He had come for her. However, he certainly wasn’t here to congratulate her for advancing in the competition 

Lily clutched the invitation in her pocket and hesitated momentarily before walking toward him “Did you need something?” 

“Do you want to win the championship for the Avelon Designs Competition?” 

Xavier’s anger seemed to abate slightly when he saw her approach. He had spent an hour loolding for her only to find out she had shared a car ride home. Lily lowered her head and kicked the small pebbles by her foot. “I do,” 

She hadn’t held out any hope before signing up for the competition. However, the desire to win the championship became impossible to ignore after participating in the competition. 

Xavier held his cigarette between his fingers and spoke 

e in a tone that carried a lunt of condescension “Come home with me, and the championship is yours.” Lily looked up in surprise. The misty winter air swirled between them. She waved away the smole and the mist to get a clearer view of his expression. 

This wasn’t a casual offer but a grave and deliberate proposition. He didn’t care whether Lily wanted it or not. He was stubbornly convinced that this was exactly what she desired.. 

“Xavier, even if you’re not here to congratulate me, could you at least stop humiliating me?” Did he think the only way she could win was if someone handed it to her? Was her effort so inconsequential? 

The cigarette burned slowly between Xavier’s fingers. The cold wind blew away the accumulated ash. 

He suddenly laughed. His voice was deep and resonant. “Do you really have no idea how you advanced? Why did you take it when someone gives it to you, but it becomes an insult when I do?”