Xavier's gaze stayed locked on her, his expression unreadable, his silence stretching longer than she anticipated. Anastasia pressed on, her voice steady. "I'm sure Tracie has already told you most of what I do. We're after the same enemy, Xavier. Why fight separately when we can work together to bring him down?"
The offer lingered in the charged air, each second feeling heavier than the last, thick with unspoken tension and the weight of what such an alliance could mean.
"Why should I trust you?" Xavier asked, his tone sharp and guarded. His dark eyes bore into hers, searching for any hint of deception.
Anastasia met his gaze without flinching. She understood his hesitation—it wasn't every day someone aligned with Xander came offering an alliance. Still, she could see the wheels turning in his mind, weighing the risks. What if this woman, sitting so calmly beside him, was merely bait, waiting for the right moment to lead him into a trap?
"I'm not a bad person, Mr. Wallace—"
