Find me in your labyrinth (Stella and Jonathan) novel Chapter 1546

In the darkness, Xavier was chilling by the bed, puffing away at his cigarette. The tiny sparks flickered, and smoke swirled around in the darkness, blurring his icy, untamed face.
He seemed to be in deep shit.
He always treated the little girl like a sister. But now that he’s found out she's somehow connected to Estelle, how the hell was he supposed to tell her to back off?
Xavier was a night owl. He didn’t get up until nine in the morning.
The upstairs was eerily quiet, Zachary and his gang were already downstairs, getting the shop ready for business.
After freshening up and changing his clothes, Xavier headed downstairs. As he was passing by the kitchen door, he heard the sound of water and Norah's voice from the backyard.
He immediately took a detour towards the backyard.
There, Norah was watering her roses with a hose, dressed in a white shirt and denim overalls. She was playfully spraying the curious cats watching her. The morning sun reflected off the water mist, casting a faint rainbow, and her smile looked pure and innocent.
Seeing someone approach, Norah turned around, her smile even brighter. "You're up? I got breakfast, go have some first."
Xavier had a lot he wanted to say to Norah, but seeing her talk to him so naturally, like everything was as it used to be, he found himself speechless.
Norah turned back to continue playing with the cats, tidying up the water bucket, and sweeping up the fallen leaves. She seemed busy.
Xavier didn’t disturb her, and he just stood there for a while before leaving.
In the lobby, Zachary and the others were having breakfast. Seeing Xavier come in, they made room for him.
"Boss, did you see Norah?" Damian joked, "She brought us breakfast."
Xavier just nodded. "Next time, get up earlier. Don't let a girl buy breakfast for a bunch of guys like us. It's not cool."
Zachary shrugged. "We're all family; Norah won't mind."
Before he could finish, he saw Xavier's stern gaze. He quickly shoved a sausage into his mouth, not daring to say another word.
Damian chuckled. "We don't need to make a big deal out of it. It's not like Norah can buy us breakfast every day."
Xavier paused at his words. "Why do you say that?"
Damian looked surprised. "Didn't Norah tell you? She got a new job. That guy, Adrian, who's always hanging around her invited her, to work at his company. She's already said yes, and she'll start next Monday."
Xavier squinted slightly. "When did this happen?"
"She said it was decided a few days ago, she told us this morning when she came over," Damian answered.
Xavier nodded slowly. He had wanted to talk to her about work. But it seemed unnecessary now.
But she just confessed her feelings to him yesterday, yet a few days ago she had agreed to work at Adrian's company. What the hell was going on?
Didn't she know Adrian had a thing for her?
She confessed to him while agreeing to work with a guy who liked her?
Suddenly, the toast in his mouth tasted like sandpaper. Xavier put down his cutlery, declaring he was full, and then headed upstairs.
"What's up with Xavier?" Zachary noticed Xavier's off-beat vibes too.
"He's been acting weird since last night. Does anyone know what Xavier was up to yesterday?" Damian asked the others.