Exposed to the CEO Behind the Mafia Mask (by Silver Spoon) novel Chapter 507

Chapter 507: Chapter 103 Cracks in Paradise

Daniel’s POV

The secure line on my desk buzzed with an encrypted call. Xavier’s name appeared on the display, but his voice carried none of its usual calculated confidence when he asked if I could meet him at our private club after my shift ended. Something in his tone immediately put me on alert. Xavier Black, Thorne’s chief strategist and one of the most composed men in our circle, never sounded this rattled.

"Of course," I agreed without hesitation. "The sanctuary this evening?"

Hours later, I walked through the mahogany doors of our exclusive establishment, a place where men like us could speak freely without worrying about surveillance or unwanted ears. I found Xavier hunched over the marble bar, his usually immaculate appearance slightly disheveled as he traced patterns around a crystal tumbler of aged whiskey.

"Inspector," he greeted me, but the familiar title lacked its usual warmth. The weight of whatever was troubling him hung heavy in the air between us.

"You look like you’ve been through hell," I said bluntly, claiming the leather stool beside him. "What’s eating at you?"

The bartender, a discrete man who’d served our families for decades, approached silently. I ordered my usual while Xavier gathered his thoughts.

"It’s Ruby," he finally admitted, staring into the amber liquid as if searching for answers. "Everything’s falling apart between us."

I nodded slowly. I’d noticed the signs over recent weeks. Ruby had been conspicuously absent from family gatherings, always armed with elaborate excuses to avoid our circle.

"She’s been keeping her distance from all of us lately," I observed. "But I didn’t realize the problems ran deeper between you two personally."

Xavier’s laugh held no humor. "Deeper doesn’t begin to describe it. We’re like strangers living in the same house, finding reasons to tear each other apart over nothing." He took a long pull from his drink. "Today was particularly brutal."

"What happened this time?"

"She summoned me home during lunch, claimed she needed to discuss something important. Then she exploded because I hadn’t mentioned Jude’s visit to see Nora over the weekend." Xavier ran his fingers through his dark hair. "How was I supposed to know about Jude’s movements? And since when does she care about his personal affairs?"

I frowned at the strangeness of it. "That doesn’t make sense."

"It gets worse. When I told her I had no knowledge of Jude’s whereabouts, she launched into this tirade about how I don’t trust her with family business." Xavier’s confusion was evident in every line of his face. "The whole conversation felt like a trap, like she was deliberately trying to provoke a confrontation."

The bartender placed my drink before me with practiced silence. I took a measured sip before responding.

"Speaking of Jude and Nora, don’t you find their entire situation peculiar? She’s been away for months now." This had been nagging at me for some time, though I’d avoided prying into Jude’s private matters.

Xavier nodded grimly. "Jude keeps insisting she’s caring for her ailing father, but my instincts tell me there’s more beneath the surface. If anyone knows the truth, it’s Lila. Those two share everything."

"Lila hasn’t mentioned anything unusual to me," I said. "But you’re absolutely right about their bond. If Jude’s confided his secrets to anyone, it would be her."

"She’s fiercely loyal, that one," Xavier said, a genuine smile flickering across his features for the first time tonight.

"Let’s get back to your situation with Ruby," I redirected. "When did you first notice this change in her behavior?"

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