Sarah pursed her lips and asked, "Have you and Lily gotten a divorce?"
"No. We haven't, and we won't," Xavier replied, his eyes locking onto hers with a sharp gaze. "You seem very interested in our situation."
"We're friends. It's only natural that I care about you," Sarah smiled. "She misunderstood us before, so I should be even more concerned. Has she stopped now?"
Xavier continued eating, seeming indifferent. "Do you think there's anything for her to misunderstand about us?"
He left the question hanging in the air, testing her reaction.
After a moment of tense silence, Sarah put down her utensils, her expression clouded with worry.
"Xavier, do you remember the last time at the Avelon Designs closed competition, when I promised Xyla I'd take photos for her, but the hotel wouldn't allow it?"
Xavier raised his eyes lazily. "What about it?"
Sarah's voice took on a self-reproachful tone. "The event organizers took my USB drive, saying they'd return it after the competition. I got busy and forgot about it. When I asked for it back the other day, they told me it had gone missing."
"Lost?" Xavier's eyes narrowed. "What do you mean?"
"They said no personal items were allowed during the competition and that the organizers kept everything. They assured me it wouldn't get lost, but it could have been taken by someone with ulterior motives."
Sarah's gaze lifted with concern. "This could just be an excuse from the event staff to avoid responsibility. There's nothing confidential on it—just photos I took for Xyla. Some of them include you and me having meals together. Do you think this could cause you any trouble?"
Xavier's calm gaze remained unchanged. "What kind of trouble?"
"Well, if someone with ill intentions gets hold of it and makes others misunderstand our relationship... that would be troublesome, isn't it?" Sarah didn't dare elaborate further.
She trusted Xavier would understand what she meant. She was subtly throwing dirt on Terence and Lily’s relationship, and anyone perceptive enough would catch on.
Comments
The readers' comments on the novel: Her Heart Her Terms (Lily and Xavier)