My Great Escape Led Me to You novel Chapter 265

Xavier Gonzalez didn’t come from much. His parents died young, and he grew up in an orphanage. All through high school and college, he juggled classes with odd jobs, spending most of his time off-campus trying to make ends meet.

It was during one of those high school jobs—working at a small café—that he first met Isabella Austin.

She was unforgettable. While the rest of the students milled about in their identical gym clothes, cheeks flushed and hair plastered to their foreheads with sweat, Isabella stood out in a white summer dress. Her skin was luminous, her legs slender and pale, her smile both radiant and gentle. Even in a crowd, she shone—a bright, graceful presence among the tired and disheveled.

Xavier’s gaze latched onto her and simply wouldn’t let go. He stared, dumbstruck, as she crossed the room and stopped right in front of him.

That was all it took—Xavier fell for Isabella at first sight.

Years passed, and the feeling never really faded, not even after long stretches without seeing her.

But he never told anyone. Not even Elizabeth Wilson, his friend and business partner through the ups and downs of their startup days. Only when Andrew Lane set his sights on absorbing Elizabeth’s company—when it became clear he’d stop at nothing to remove her as a competitor—did Xavier finally reveal his feelings to the group.

During the acquisition talks, Xavier spent weeks trying to persuade Elizabeth to accept Andrew’s offer.

So long, in fact, that Elizabeth started to suspect something was off. After digging for answers and pressing him, Xavier finally admitted it: his feelings for Isabella.

He said it was his wedding gift to Isabella Austin.

Emily Blair, watching all this unfold, felt a mix of emotions.

To be honest, by then Elizabeth’s company was already on the ropes. Andrew Lane had cornered her in the market, lured away most of her clients and resources—selling was the only way out.

Still, Emily couldn’t help but wonder: when Elizabeth’s company was under siege, had Xavier helped? Or had he played both sides?

But seeing that Elizabeth and Xavier remained on good terms after everything, she guessed he hadn’t betrayed her. Elizabeth was loyal to her friends but had no patience for disloyalty.

Emily set her phone aside, her mind racing.

Given how things panned out in this lifetime, it was possible that Elizabeth and Xavier would meet—and maybe even start a business—much earlier.

But was Xavier really someone she could trust?

And Isabella Austin—she still couldn’t put her mind at ease about Isabella.

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