Mirror Crown
Xavier sat at the long boardroom table, a dozen sharply dressed executives watching him, their pens poised, their expectations sky-high. For a few agonizing seconds, silence filled the room. No one spoke, and Xavier could feel the weight of a name that wasn't his sitting like an anchor on his chest.
Then something clicked.
Enough was enough.
*What if I stop trying to be Christian... the way they remember him? What if I become Christian—but in my own way?
Xavier straightened his posture. His nerves were still there, still bubbling beneath the surface, but he leaned into them. Let them sharpen him instead of drown him.
The meeting began. Numbers were presented. Reports discussed. People turned to him for decisions. And instead of faking it with empty nods and vague nods like he had yesterday—Xavier leaned in.
He asked questions. Real questions.
"Why are the projections off compared to last quarter?"
"What's our actual client retention rate, not just the pitch numbers?"
"Is this really the best direction—or just the safest?"
The room went quiet more than once, but not out of suspicion. No, this was a different silence.
A surprised one.
The people in the room glanced at each other, eyebrows raised—some intrigued, others clearly unsure what to make of this new Christian.
But Xavier saw it: they were listening.
They weren't mocking him. They were adjusting to him. The silence was respect.
By the end of the meeting, one of the older men leaned back in his chair and smiled. "Well, looks like vacation did you some good, young man. You're sharper than ever."
Xavier nodded slowly. He didn't know whether to laugh or panic. But inside?
He felt something he hadn't felt in days.
Control.
Later that night, he stood on the balcony of Christian's massive bedroom, staring out at the lights of the estate. For the first time, he wasn't just scared.
He was curious.
Who was Christian really? What kind of life had he lived that had brought him to this point—feared, admired, and clearly complicated? What had made him the person everyone remembered?
And more importantly...
What would happen if Xavier became the version of Christian this world needed—not the cold, arrogant prince they were used to... but a leader with a soul?
Not fake. Not cruel. Not scared.
Just... different.
He exhaled, slow and steady.
"This is my life now," he whispered to the stars. "I didn't choose it. But I'm not running anymore."
From this point forward, Xavier wasn't going to keep playing catch-up.
He was going to lead.
But on his terms.