Chapter 63: Stained

Meanwhile, a mysterious handsome man clad in his black suit was sitting behind an antique mahogany desk with a glass of whisky in his hand.

He was listening to his assistant's report. His face was calm with no hint of emotion on it. His hand was busy playing with his pen as he spun it around his fingers.

After reporting, his subordinate then left the office and closed the door behind him.

The man seemed to be in deep thought as his obsidian black eyes seemed to devour every soul who would look into it.

He then grabbed his phone from the desk and dialed a number.

"Yes. I'll be flying to Country Z's Oakridge City tomorrow. Don't worry. I have a plan."

He then ended the call and got up from his seat. He walked and stood by the glass wall of his office and looked at the tall skyscrapers in front of him.

He shoved his hand into the inside of his pocket while a devilish smile decorated his handsome face.

Just who was he?

Meanwhile back in Xavier and Zarah's private room, the atmosphere became warm and comforting as love filled the air.

Zarah and Xavier's emotions exploded with the kiss.

Perhaps because of the fact she was injured, he was gentle with her.

The kiss was so full of love and passion yet it was gentle and pure.

Xavier knew that he was close to his limit, so he decided to stop kissing Zarah and let go first before their deep passion would take them to the point of no return.

Xavier could hear a groan of frustration from Zarah as they parted.

Xavier smiled in fulfillment while Zarah was pouting. She was indeed back.

As much as he wanted to make love to her, they were at the wrong place and at the wrong time.

He then affectionately touched Zarah's face and she leaned on his touch.

"Please be patient mon amour. I felt the same way as you do. However, do you want the doctors to see us in this position? I thought you want us to be low-key." Xavier didn't forget to tease her and Zarah's face turned crimson in embarrassment.

She then playfully pushed him and Xavier groaned in pain.

Zarah cried in panic, "Oh my gosh! Did I hurt you?" Xavier looked like he was in severe pain.

Zarah remembered that they suffered a car accident. And she remembered that this man used his body to shield her from the impact when that car crashed into her position.

Zarah kept calling on Xavier's name but he was silent and curled like a ball. Zarah panicked and tears began to trickle down her face.

She then reached out to press the button but Xavier grabbed her hand and stopped her from doing what she wanted to do.

Seeing that she was shedding tears, Xavier then stopped his act and said.

"I'm sorry. It's a prank." Xavier said it plainly. There was no hint that he was joking in his voice.

As soon as Zarah found out that he was only messing with her, she got annoyed and pushed the man hard on the chest.

But then Xavier grabbed her hand and pulled him to him and she fell on his chest.

Xavier groaned as he felt the pain.

He suffered no broken bones but the impact left him bruises that felt tender when being touched with force.

However, it was not on his chest but on his back.

Zarah thought that he was playing pranks again and so she wanted to ignore him. However, she could see that he was indeed hurt.

Perhaps because his body became relaxed the moment he learned that she had gotten her memories back, the pain blockers in his brain lowered the same with his pain tolerance.

"How badly hurt are you? Do you want me to call the doctor?" Zarah asked while trying to get off his body however, he stopped her and even pulled her closer.

"Don't worry. I'm fine. The important thing is you're safe."

Xavier had no idea what his life could become should Zarah suffer from severe and fatal injuries because of that accident.

The fear of losing her exceeded his fear of losing his life.

Zarah knew what he meant with his words and so she felt so touched that she could feel her heart swelling in both warmth and joy.

Zarah wanted him to swear to not do it again. "Tim. Promise me. Promise that whatever happens in the future, you will not pull such a dangerous act again."

Just like Xavier, she feared losing him. Should something bad happen to him, she could only blame herself for being weak. Before she recalled her memories, she knew deep in her heart that this man became the extension of her life.

Should he die, she was good as dead, too.

Xavier felt displeased when he heard Zarah and so he reasoned, "How could I even do that? Should I do that, do you think I'm qualified to be called your boyfriend?" Xavier said as he let go of Zarah and the latter got off him and sat on the bed.

She offered to help him, yet he rejected her hand and got up into a sitting position himself.

Zarah knew that he was upset and that it was her fault.

"Z, the moment you used your body to shield me from that car accident four years ago, I could only blame myself for being weak and useless. I should be the one protecting you. Yet, you did it for me. In the end, we suffered this painful separation for four years. I don't want it to happen again!" The pain was evident in every word he said.

He was glad that the tables had turned and he was able to protect her this time.

He was utterly frustrated.

Of course, Zarah remembered it vividly now that her memories were back.

He was right. When that accident happened, she threw herself to protect him. Her head hit hard that was why she suffered from amnesia.

As she recalled it, she was traumatized by it, too. Perhaps this was the other reason why she had amnesia. To suppress that traumatic experience.

She suddenly felt guilty as although she lost memories, she was doing fine during the past four years. However, she could not fathom how painful it was for Xavier to watch from afar the woman he loved living a life wherein he didn't exist and she was loving another man instead of him.

To know that she was fine and happy yet he was living in pain and self-blame.

As she put herself in his shoe, she could feel her heart bleed.

"I'm sorry." She didn't mean to open his old scars. She could still recall the panic, worry, and fear on his handsome face four years ago when their car flipped upside down and was constantly bumped by the assailant's car.

She closed her eyes as she wanted to forget about that accident and also this accident.

However, Zarah was gifted with a sharp memory and it made her fail to forget about it. It seemed like she would be forever haunted by these two accidents together with the darkest memories she wanted to bury six feet under her memory.

Zarah did not realize that she was trembling and this caused Xavier to panic.

"Zarah!" He called her name yet she didn't respond to him.

Xavier thought that she was having a panic attack and so he grabbed her shoulder and started rubbing them gently.

It pained him to see this vulnerable side of her.

"Mon amour, it's fine. Listen to my voice okay? I love you then, I love you now, I love you to infinity. Nothing could separate us from each other."

Xavier's voice reached her but she was preoccupied with those dark memories she wished she had forgotten.

Should she choose to forget something, she hoped that it was not him.

A bitter smile then showed on her lips. She remembered back when she was not saved yet, the man she recognized as her father for eleven years said that she was cursed. And to eliminate the curse, she had to be strong. She had to be the best in everything and make him happy so that the curse would not linger on her and made the people around her suffer.

During her downtime, she would recall that memory and she thought that perhaps this was the reason her parents abandoned her.

She opened it up to Isaiah once but then he said, "I was cursed to be abandoned by the people I loved because of my mistakes. If two people with negative vibes came together, the result would be positive. Therefore I'm confident that I will never be affected by your curse."

In the end, Isaiah died. All the people she cared for would either be in great danger or would lose their lives.

Xavier had no other reason but to kiss Zarah hoping that this would calm her down.

For some reason, it did.

Xavier heaved a sigh of relief when he saw that she stopped trembling and started responding to his kiss.

As they parted their lips, Xavier did his part and apologized to her for voicing his frustration.

What he said must have triggered something inside her.

"Tim, I think I'm cursed. You should stay away from me." Zarah tried to warn him.

"Who told you that?" Xavier asked her.

Who would dare say those words to her?!

Only an idiot would!

"Someone I used to know back then." Xavier saw how vulnerable she was at the moment. And so he knew that he should be careful with his words to not provoke her.

"Deep in your heart, do you believe that you are cursed?" He asked her and was silent.

Xavier then gently smiled and hugged her.

"So what if you're cursed?" Xavier then chuckled and his chuckle vibrated on his chest and brought warmth to her body.

"I heard the same thing too. A relative told me that I came from a cursed bloodline. My grandparents were cursed to death because they went against the rules of my clan and got together."

Xavier then heaved a deep sigh before he continued, "My mother turned her back on the family and she suffered a miserable death at the hands of her husband's ex-wife. Then, I was born with a disability and was told that my disability was cursed by the heavens because of my disobedient grandmother and mother."

Xavier then showed a self-mocking smile before he continued, "Do you know what's worse? I believe him! I believe that I was indeed cursed and even cursed myself for being weak and incapable. I started blaming myself for my mom's death and believed that I would not be able to walk again. I lived with deep hatred in my heart."

His life was very depressing that he thought he was living inside a cold cave and was locked in there for a lifetime.

Zarah felt strong empathy for Xavier and her heart ached so much as she listened to him.

She thought that Xavier had a dark past just like she did. Their past was like a fresh bleeding deep wound that would always stain the fabric placed against it unless it was treated and dressed properly.

She knew that she should take care of her past so it would not stain her present and future.

Zarah knew that she had to seek a consult with her psychologist regarding this matter. She didn't want this to continue.

She was afraid that this might ruin her relationship with Xavier.

He then broke off the hug and looked at Zarah's green eyes and continued, "However, when I met you, you opened my eyes. And without even realizing it, you became my light. Your smile, your carefree, and your bold attitude left a deep impression on me. You gave me reasons to believe that there was a colorful life outside my cold and dark world."

The young Zarah back then helped Xavier to have a new perspective and thought that there was hope for him. It was around this time that he developed a strong affection for her and he called it love.

However, he only understood the real meaning of his love for her within the four years that they were apart.

"They said two negative people who decided to be together would have a miserable ending. However, in Algebra, when two negatives are combined, it produced a positive number."

Zarah's lips twitched as only Xavier would do such a comparison. However, she was stunned as it was similar to what Isaiah told her back then.

Then Xavier continued, "I'd rather believe in the latter over the former."

Xavier believed that no one was doomed to have a miserable ending on the day he or she was born.

It was his or her choices and decision that would influence the ending.

Zarah understood what he was trying to tell her and so she nodded her head.

"Good girl." Xavier then kissed her forehead and then said, "Now, I kissed your painful memories away. Let's create a new life together shall we?"

Perhaps drowsiness had finally got Xavier and he yawned. That was when she realized something.

Zarah looked at the bed next to her and figured that must be his bed.

"How long was I passed out?"

"You were asleep the whole night. It's morning now."

Perhaps because of the curtains and the blinds blocking the window, Zarah didn't realize that it was mid-morning.

She looked at the man's haggard face and that was when she realized that perhaps this man was up all night to watch over her.

"Come lay next to me," she invited him and Xavier would never refuse this.

Zarah laid down and Xavier cuddled her and they both drifted to sleep.

***