Janae truly had a lot of questions. But she was exhausted and needed to rest up.

So, she pushed her questions aside and decided to address them later. Sheepishly, she bid both of them goodnight and retired into the bedroom. Janae waited till she heard the thud of the bedroom door closing, before turning to Xzavier to discuss other important things. She addressed the elephant in the room;

"So, what comes next Xzavier? Truly you've outdone yourself with the impossible."

Xzavier shrugged indifferently. "It had to be done."

"But how? How exactly were you able to get her out of there Xzavier? It's obvious you didn't break in and steal her out."

"Don't worry about the details. Your sister is home now, hale and hearty. That is the most important thing at the moment."

Babara couldn't argue with that. She didn't know how exactly he had done it. More than anyone, she knew just how the elites of the town kept their sex slaves. There was no power on earth that could separate a noble from his slave. Not even other nobles themselves. Babara saw that Xzavier wasn't going to tell her the details. No doubt, she was eager to know, but what was done was done already. Right now, one thing took precedence; she needed to know his next move.

"I am not exactly sure how you did it, but I can imagine that Quaid wouldn't be thrilled about losing Janae."

Babara was simply using her intuition here. She was very perceptive, but what she truly wanted was to know Xzavier's next move. That was the key to deciphering the whole thing.

"If I am being completely honest, if I were in your shoes, I would let go completely. I would absolutely understand if you choose to do so. Quaid isn't a man that most people would dare to confront. He is the governor for a reason…"

Babara's point was very valid. But Xzavier was far from what she was saying.

"I have a strategy in line already. I have surveyed the situation from all angles thoroughly…" He revealed his plan to her; "If I decide to go all out with violence, the fallout may be more disastrous than necessary. Ultimately, I would be robbing myself of any more opportunities to effect any kind of change."

He paused to let that sink in, and the perceptive Babara continued to listen attentively.

""However, if I decide to take a more diplomatic approach, I may achieve something worthwhile."

Now Babara was curious. "Diplomatic approach? You mean like proposing a deal?"

Xzavier nodded. "Yes."

"But how? No offense Xzavier, but you're a penniless baron with only an empty title. At best your title is titular. So what exactly do you plan to offer Quaid that he doesn't have?"

Babara's biting cynicism was hard to miss. She stated it as it was in her mind without any filter whatsoever. Xzavier wasn't offended. On the contrary, he actually appreciated her forwardness and blunt nature. In a world of politicians and constant lies he had been living in, he welcomed Babara's straight forwardness. She was a straight shooter and she was unapologetic about it."The governor wants one thing that only I can provide- powerful weapons."

Babara's blinked. Of course! That made much sense. Xzavier explained further.

"I know just how attached he is to this castle. He benefits a lot from providing this services to the rich and powerful. Quaid is a man who loves to have a hold over his enemies. He is constantly searching for new means to expand his domain. My deal gives him the same leverage over his enemies."

Babara was starting to see the plan. She kept mute as Xzavier filled her in.

"So, if Quaid is willing to discontinue this illegal venture for the sake of more powerful and sophisticated weapons, then there might actually be room for reprieve. This is clearly the best bet."

Babara wasn't expecting all of this. It looked like Xzavier had given this a lot of thought. Though she couldn't understand why he was so invested in this.

"I must confess, I am quite shocked by your proposal Xzavier, but honestly though, you don't have to do this…"

"Let me stop you right there Babara. If I don't do this, no one else will stand up to Quaid. And more and more little girls will keep getting roped into his shady business."

"Xzavier! You're not listening to me! If you chose to engage Quaid, you might end up sinking down an abyss of endless problems! You have to let this go, your future is bright and filled with endless possibilities, why waste that?"

Xzavier stubbornly maintained his ground.

"If I back down now, then I would be no better than Quaid."

"Come on Xzavier, you know you're not the same as him."

"If I decide to turn a blind eye, I might as well be the same as Quaid. I would never have undertaken the task of rescuing Janae from the beginning, and not only that, I would have fucked her like a bitch and abandoned her."

Looking at Babara squarely in the face, he asked her;

"So tell me Babara, if I had done all of that, would you still be worried about me as you are now?"

Babara was practically speechless. Xzavier had used logic to corner her, completely stripping her of anything tangible to say. It took her awhile, but she finally began to see what kind of man Xzavier truly was. Slowly, it all began to come together in her mind. This was a man that truly cared for the masses. He didn't allow his lofty position, his reputation and extraordinary skillset to keep him from being a decent human being.

This was the very quality that had endeared Babara to him in the first place. She remembered all those long weeks of surveillance and just how good Xzavier had been to everyone he had met. Even to her, despite her vitriolic attitude at their first meeting. This was just the type of man Xzavier was. So, she began to formulate the ideal plan."Okay, since you have stubbornly insisted on taking this path, we have to consider all the possible ways this might blow back."

"That's a good way to start. What are you thinking?"

"First off, if I was Quaid and I wanted to come at you, I wouldn't do so directly, instead I would come for everything and everyone you care for. Thus, crippling you before the battle even begins."

Xzavier hated the thought of it, but she was right. "That's downright diabolical Babara."

"It doesn't change the fact that it's a possibility. We have to consider it. So, who do you think might take the fall for you?"

Xzavier knew the answer immediately even without thinking too far;

"Adalia! Quaid would probably try to snatch her back or worse."

Babara was aware of the maid's reputation. She felt a pang of jealousy somewhere within her. Adalia got to have Xzavier's full attention. And Babara on the other hand had to blackmail Xzavier before he could sleep with her. It hadn't been her proudest moment, but she didn't regret doing it anyway. So, she set aside her jealousy for the time being and pursued the plan.

"Good. We have to get her out of town, at least for a while."

Xzavier nodded affirmatively. "Your sister as well- you need to get her out. It's not safe for her too."

Babara agreed. This was the best path yet. If a fight were to ever break out, they both knew that Quaid wouldn't find it easy to defeat Xzavier. So, he was definitely going to scorch the earth to find both Adalia and Janae, just to unnerve Xzavier. Seeing that Xzavier wouldn't have the extra energy to protect the two of them, then it was best that the two ladies skipped town for a bit.

After concluding their plans, Xzavier went back to the governor's mansion, leaving Babara to brief Janae on the recent update. He himself resolved to handle Adalia.

It was very late by the time Xzavier arrived back at the governor's mansion. So, with nothing on his itinerary, he went straight to his room to rest. It had been a very eventful day and he needed to clear his head. But as he opened the door, he met another surprise waiting for him.

Sprawled out on his bed, draped in a very revealing nightgown was the beautiful Adalia. Xzavier was taken aback. He had definitely not been expecting this. The exquisitely beautiful blond sat up to welcome him;

"I have been waiting for you all evening Xzavier …come to bed already…"

Xzavier was a bit stunned. How long had she been waiting there for him anyway? She had taken care to light extra candles all around room. Giving it a kind of warm, magical and sensual glow. But Xzavier's mind wasn't on all of that. He welcomed her presence no doubt. In fact, Adalia was the very person he wanted to see right away.

"We need to talk Adalia."

She grumbled stubbornly. "Oh come on! Don't be a grouch! We can talk later, I need you now…"

Xzavier was actually worried that he might have turned her into a sex freak. He refused to go over to the bed. Instead, he strolled closer to her and stood afar off from a meaningful distance.

"This is serious Adalia, snap out of it."

Adalia wasn't in the least pleased. She frowned slightly and asked him sourly;

"Fine. What is it that can't wait till later? I mean you just walked in here, and you didn't even bother to ask how I am even thoug-"

Xzavier cut her off sharply; "I need you to leave town for some time."