The Cherished Wife

Xavier originally did not want to attend the event. For him, such gatherings were just a source of frustration, especially with the kind of people Winter had invited.

Although he knew them all, he did not particularly like any of them. However, Winter was now his wife, and he couldn't simply ignore her. Besides, the thought of seeing Noelle today ultimately persuaded him to go.

Winter was in the middle of talking to Annie when she saw that Xavier had arrived. She immediately rushed over to him and wrapped her arm around his, greeting him with a sweet smile. "Xavier, you're here!" she said cheerfully. "You worked so late. Are you tired?"

Xavier initially felt a bit reluctant, but seeing the smile on Winter's face and remembering that it was her birthday, he forced a smile. "I'm not tired. But I do hope you're not upset that I'm late."

"Of course not! You're working hard to support us, so how could I be upset?" Winter responded, her tone oozing with affection. "Xavier, a lot of my friends are here tonight, including Noelle!" She continued, holding onto his arm. "Let me introduce you to them!" Xavier's expression tightened slightly, and his pupils contracted when he heard Noelle's name. He nodded. "Alright."

Winter and Xavier proceeded to greet several groups of guests. As Winter kept track of the time, she realized it was almost time for the next part of the evening's plan. She texted Annie: [How's it going with Suzy?]

done, but Suzy

Suzy again, but there was no reply, and her calls went unanswered. A sense of foreboding crept over Annie, though she

noticed that Xavier seemed distracted. She

just realized I haven't seen Noelle for a while. She was here earlier," Winter said, biting

a bit too much to drink, but it's been over half

"Winter, is it time to cut the

playing along with Annie. "Everyone's here now, except

her. She's your sister, after all. It's important that she's here for your

he could barely contain his

had Winter by his side, and

at his offer. "Sure, let's go together! You two still have some misunderstandings between you. If we