THE DIVORCE GAMBIT From Dumped Wife to CEO's Forever novel Chapter 488

To Xavier, his sister meant the world.

But so did the person who had once saved his life.

He would do his best to be fair to both.

“Father Xavier, first of all, I completely understand how you’re feeling right now. Second, don’t be so pessimistic. It’s not only if the person was a mermaid that she’d leave the scene, you know? Even though I have no idea why she took off in such a rush after saving you—leaving Katrina to pick up the pieces—I do believe we’ll find her in the end.”

A debt owed to your savior must be repaid, but there was no way Katrina would get the upper hand.

—

Meanwhile—

Inside her hotel room, Katrina lay sprawled on the bed, waiting for Xavier to call her. She waited and waited, but the phone never rang.

A knot of worry began to twist in her stomach.

Was Xavier really going to cut ties with the woman who had saved his life?

The thought made her uneasy, her anxiety rising with every passing minute.

She slipped off the bed and picked up the phone from the bedside table, dialing the front desk. “Room service, please. Bring me the chef’s special for one, and put it on Xavier’s account.”

“Of course, Miss Prescott. I’ll let the kitchen know right away.”

Katrina hung up.

Ordering food wasn’t really the point; she was testing the waters.

She wanted to see where she stood in Xavier’s heart.

She knew the front desk would contact Xavier immediately after her call. If he truly wanted to break up, he would refuse to cover her bill. But if he still cared, he’d allow it without a word.

Half an hour later—

Ding-dong!

The doorbell chimed.

Katrina called out, “Who is it?”

“Miss Prescott, it’s room service with your meal.”

A satisfied smile crept onto her lips. “Coming!”

She knew it—Xavier would never really break up with her.

They were truly in love.

And besides, she was his savior! For that reason alone, Xavier would never be rid of her.

She rose and opened the door.

The moment she heard his voice, Katrina burst into tears. “Xavier! You finally picked up!”

“I’ll take care of all your expenses while you’re in Neon Spire,” Xavier said, his voice flat, “but our relationship ends here. I hope you find someone better for you.”

“There is no one better than you.” Katrina’s voice came through the phone, trembling. “Xavier, are you really breaking up with me? Don’t forget—I saved your life. I nearly lost my own for your sake.”

“If you never meant to take responsibility, you shouldn’t have accepted my confession! You knew how much I loved you. If you’d never given me hope, I’d have let it go, but you gave it to me yourself—only to snatch it away!”

“Xavier, look into your heart—how is this any different from playing with my feelings? Is this how you repay someone who saved your life?”

On the other end, Katrina’s voice rose to a fevered pitch, every word a desperate accusation, her tears and rage threatening to spill over. She heaped all the blame on Xavier.

Katrina had taken enough psychology classes to know all the tricks—nobody could fake heartbreak better than she could.

Otherwise, Xavier would have seen through her long ago.

Listening to her, Xavier rubbed his temples, regret gnawing at him. Maybe he never should have accepted her feelings in the first place.

He had his faults, too—he couldn’t deny it.

“No matter what, you’re my savior. I’ll make it up to you, whatever it takes,” he said quietly. He couldn’t just ignore the debt he owed her.

But since he’d chosen to end things, he’d have to find another way to repay her.

Hearing this, Katrina’s eyes narrowed, a flash of malice crossing her face. Her voice dropped, cold and sharp. “Xavier, I’ll ask you one last time. Are you sure you want to break up with me?”