Grinding his teeth, Xavier restrained himself and continued, "For the sake of our many years of friendship and you protecting your only sister, no matter what you say about me, I'll let it slide. But saying she's no good!"
"She?!" Christan laughed. "So there really is a 'she'! Who is she?!"
"..." Xavier pressed his tongue against his teeth, thinking for a moment, before saying, "Don't worry about that! The point is, I won't allow anyone to say a single bad word about her! Not even you!"
On the other end of the phone, Christan's hand shook, and he seemed stunned by the sudden revelation.
The assistant hurried over. Seeing his bad mood, he hesitated for a moment before cautiously saying, "Boss, it's almost time for you to go on stage to receive your award!"
Christan shot him a look, and the assistant immediately clammed up.
Turning around, Christan spoke into the phone in an annoyed tone, "This matter concerns my sister's reputation, and I won't let it slide!"
With that, he hung up the phone decisively.
Turning back, he tugged at the hem of his tuxedo, his expression darkening, and said to the assistant, "Let's go!"
The assistant's face lit up, and he hurried to follow behind, "Boss, we just received word from the organizers. You've won both the Best Actor of the Year and Most Popular Male Actor of the Year awards, the two most prestigious prizes. I've prepared the acceptance speech for you, would you like to review it first?"
Saying this, the assistant quickly took out a folded piece of paper from his pocket and handed it to Christan.
"No need!" The man didn't even blink, "After so many awards, the acceptance speeches are always the same. I've memorized them all."
"Oh, okay!"
The assistant didn't dare to say anything more and obediently followed behind him toward the stage.
...
In the living room.
Serena looked at Xavier in disbelief, "Who is this person? You're actually so tolerant towards him. He's been insulting you for so long, and you didn't even respond. This is not the usual style of you, Mr. Blaze."
"Sigh!" Xavier shrugged. "Christan Ryder! The hottest person in the entertainment industry right now!"
"The Blaze family is so wealthy, and he's just an actor. You're this tolerant of him?!"
"He's no ordinary actor! At just over twenty, he's already swept all major film and television awards and became the youngest ever Best Actor in history. The Ryder family has been in the arts for generations. His grandfather was a national-level actor in Vernon, and his parents have performed numerous times for the country's leaders and foreign dignitaries. Besides, he and I have been friends for ten years. He's a brother I acknowledge!"
Serena only nodded when she heard that last part.
No wonder!
Xavier had a privileged background, and from a young age, he had always been proud and aloof. Ordinary people couldn't catch his eye.
But his temper was also stubborn. Once he accepted someone, he would treasure them deeply, offering his heart and soul.
Serena was a living example of this!
"So, what do you plan to do?! He seems really unhappy with you because of Celia"
Furrowing his brows, Xavier rarely became serious. "What can I do?! I can't just ruin my lifelong happiness for him!"
Lowering her head, Serena muttered softly, "Actually, I think Celia is pretty good. She's young, beautiful, and from a good family. If you're with her, you wouldn't be losing out. Maybe..."
"Uh!" Before she could finish, she let out a surprised shout, suddenly leaning back without warning.
A large hand wrapped around the back of her head, preventing her from hitting the armrest of the sofa.
Serena's eyes widened as she gave him a questioning look. "What... what are you doing?!"
Xavier's other hand rested beside her face, his body hovering above hers as he looked down at her from above. "Serena, don't ever say that again. I won't want any other woman except you!"
Their bodies were nearly pressed together, and Serena felt her face burn with heat.
She gently pushed against his chest. "Get up first, let's sit down and talk."
The blush on her cheeks made Xavier feel a deep, restless stir inside.
Swallowing hard, he stubbornly refused to listen to her. "I won't get up. You have to promise me that you won't mention other women in front of me again!"
"I don't mean anything by it, I'm just being kind. Celia is really quite good, and she comes from an artistic family..."
"Mm!" Her lips were suddenly captured by his cool ones. She barely managed to let out a whimper before she couldn't say another word.
His soft, sexy lips moved over hers, and Serena felt as though she was floating, like walking on clouds.
In her dazed state, she couldn't hold back a soft moan.
That sound was like a heavy bomb, directly landing on Xavier's heart.
Clenching his teeth, he forced himself to pull away from her soft lips. He raised his head and looked at her with his dark, black pupils. "Serena, you're tempting me to commit a crime!"
Serena's face was flushed, and she felt a heat spread through her entire body.
Uncomfortably, she licked her lips, her eyes hazy, like a little beast just waking up from sleep, so innocent it was almost unbelievable.
His willpower was being challenged like never before. Xavier took a deep breath, constantly reminding himself to stay calm.
But there she was, beneath him, in that state, facing him...
Moments later, his once-proud willpower shattered into pieces. Xavier cursed under his breath. Before Serena could react, he had already lowered his head and pressed his lips against her neck. The hot breath he exhaled made Serena shiver involuntarily.
The man's dominant, pheromone-laden scent fiercely invaded her nostrils. He was so close, and due to his height and long legs, the length of the sofa wasn't enough. He had to bend his legs and arch his back.
An indescribable, overwhelming heat spread throughout her body. Serena felt her mouth go dry, the sensation growing more intense.
The room temperature rose, and in the intoxicating atmosphere, Xavier was already on the verge of losing control.
Serena's eyes were glazed, her mind a mess, and she could no longer tell what she was doing.
It wasn't until a burning hand slid under her hem, tracing the veins of her skin as it moved upward, that she snapped back to her senses and realized what was happening.
She tried to push the man away, but found him to be incredibly strong, still kissing her neck with abandon.
Serena gritted her teeth, closed her eyes, suddenly raised her knee, and struck at the man's most vulnerable spot...
***