King of Sloth

Sloane allows Xavier to stay a few nights at her apartment, a liberty that she rarely grants to the men she dates. Sloane tells Xavier that Perry’s social media accounts have been banned but that his blog is still up. Kai Young has also contacted Sloane. He will buy Perry’s blog if the conditions and price are right. Xavier reveals that once he receives his inheritance, he plans to give half of it to charity—specifically to charities that his father hated.

Xavier begins making physical preparations for his nightclub. During a walkthrough with Vuk and his associate, Willow, Xavier’s lead electrician, Ronnie, pulls him aside. Ronnie warns Xavier about outdated wiring and insulation issues. Although Ronnie advises rewiring the areas for safety reasons, the work cannot be completed before the new year due to the holiday schedule. Deciding that the venue is safe enough for now, Xavier chooses to delay the rewiring, prioritizing the club’s opening schedule.

On Saturday, Xavier meets with Vuk and Willow to continue the tour. Suddenly, a mysterious figure in a baseball cap runs into him outside the vault but disappears around a corner too quickly for Xavier to identify them. Midway through the continued walkthrough, a fire breaks out in the club. Memories of his mother’s death overwhelm Xavier, but he manages to drag Vuk, who has frozen in fear, to safety. Everyone escapes unharmed, but the incident deeply shakes both Xavier and Vuk.

Firefighters determine that faulty wiring caused the fire. Xavier is consumed by guilt, blaming himself for ignoring Ronnie’s warnings in his rush to meet the deadline for opening. Xavier decides to abandon the nightclub project entirely, convinced that the risk of failure is too great, and he does not want to harm any more people with his mistakes.

Sloane arrives at the scene and vehemently opposes his decision to give up. She challenges him to persevere, but Xavier lashes out, exclaiming, “Not all of us can go through life pretending they don’t feel, Sloane!” (349). Sloane is deeply wounded by his words, and although Xavier immediately apologizes, she leaves. Their relationship is momentarily strained.

Sloane knows that Xavier didn’t mean what he said, but the words dig at old wounds. A week passes without contact between them. On the day after Christmas, Sloane spends time with her friends, watching rom-com movies. As the trial period of her relationship with Xavier nears its end, she resolves to end things early, afraid that if she commits to a deeper attachment, she will only experience greater heartbreak further down the line.

Meanwhile. Xavier drowns his sorrows at the Valhalla Club. Kai Young finds him and learns of his intention to abandon the nightclub venture. Disappointed, Kai urges him not to quit, emphasizing that all those influential people on his list “believed in [Xavier] enough to invest their time, money, and resource into the club” (356). He urges Xavier not to disappoint the people who are supporting him. Kai’s words rekindle Xavier’s resolve to persevere with the club.

Xavier decides to fight for both his nightclub and his relationship with Sloane. He visits Sloane’s apartment, where he apologizes and pleads for reconciliation. He makes a heartfelt confession, revealing that his nickname for her, “Luna,” symbolizes her status as a guiding light in his life, and he also professes his love for her. However, Sloane still chooses to end their relationship.

After shutting the door on Xavier, Sloane cries real tears. These are the first tears in her life that she has shed out of sadness. She reflects that her decision is not rooted in a belief that she and Xavier are incompatible; instead, she acted out of self-preservation because she fears that the pain of losing him later would be unbearable.

Xavier remains outside Sloane’s door until a neighbor threatens to call the police. The next morning, he visits Alex Volkov in Washington, DC, and learns that the nightclub fire was an act of sabotage, not an accident. This revelation lifts Xavier’s guilt, as he realizes that the fire wasn’t his fault.

Xavier returns to New York, and when he visits Sloane’s office, he overhears a confrontation between her and Perry Wilson, who accuses her of orchestrating his downfall by feeding him false information through the gossip grapevine. Sloane denies the allegations, prompting Perry to storm out in frustration.

Xavier tells Sloane about the sabotage and his renewed commitment to the nightclub, a decision that she supports. Xavier also refuses to accept their breakup and declares that he will spend every remaining moment of their trial period hoping that she will give them another chance. He invites her to meet him at the Empire State Building at midnight the next day if she wants to continue their relationship.

Xavier’s ultimatum leaves Sloane torn. The following day, she contemplates whether she should face her fears and choose him or take the safe route and leave their relationship unexplored. During lunch with her friends, she encounters her stepmother, Caroline, who admits that Pen has been inconsolable; she has refused to eat and is being a nightmare for the new nanny. Pen demands that Rhea be rehired and that Sloane be allowed back in her life. Caroline is willing to negotiate for her daughter’s happiness. This surprises Sloane, who has always believed Caroline to be a neglectful parent who is ashamed of Pen. While Caroline still is not a model mother, Sloane decides that she’s not as villainous as she seemed to be. Caroline tells Sloane to watch for a message from her when she reaches a decision.

As midnight approaches, Sloane finally acknowledges her love for Xavier and realizes that the pain she feared over his loss has already materialized with their separation. Desperate to fix things, she races through holiday traffic to reach the Empire State Building. Arriving two minutes before midnight, Sloane is crushed to find the rooftop seemingly deserted. Assuming that Xavier left after believing that she wouldn’t be coming, she burst into tears. Moments later, Xavier appears, explaining that he stepped away to assist an elderly couple down the stairs.

Sloane confesses that she pushed him away out of fear. Xavier admits that he is scared, too, but that he also looks forward to exploring the unknowns of their relationship together. They share a kiss on the roof, which Sloane enjoys despite her past criticism of romantic clichés.

Sloane and Xavier return to her apartment, where they sleep together.

Sloane and Xavier spend the remainder of their holidays blissfully spending time together. After the new year, Sloane becomes immersed in public relations work for her client Ayana’s engagement announcement, while Xavier prioritizes repairing the fire damage at his nightclub, investing extra money and adding new fireproof elements. During a visit to Vuk’s office, Xavier receives notice about the guest list for his club’s opening event. Vuk specifically requests that Ayana be added. Though she was already on the list, Xavier makes sure that her attendance is guaranteed.

Two weeks after meeting Caroline at lunch, Sloane receives an email that invites her to her father’s penthouse. At the meeting, Caroline and George reluctantly agree to let Sloane visit Pen once a week. Pen is excited to reunite with Sloane, who also learns that Rhea has been rehired.

Georgia is still wearing Bentley’s ring despite their temporary separation, and she is as hostile as ever toward Sloane, rendering any hope of reconciliation between the sisters impossible. During the visit, Sloane notices that Georgia is moving back into the family house, even though she still wears Bentley’s ring on her finger. She and Bentley are still trying to work things out despite their temporary separation.

Four months pass as Xavier rushes to get his club ready for opening night. Xavier and Sloane take turns spending the night at each other’s homes. The club opening is a major success. During the party, Xavier notices Vuk sourly regarding Ayana across the room as she stands with her fiancé—a fashion CEO and one of Vuk’s old college friends. Dante Russo has a brief interaction with Xavier and congratulates him on his success, although he admits that he momentarily doubted Xavier. The following morning, Xavier meets with his committee via video conference. While two members vote against him, Sloane, Eduardo, and Dante all vote in his favor. Xavier passes the terms of the will, at least for the first six-month inspection.

Eighteen months later, Xavier has successfully completed three evaluations, each of which granted him another installment of his inheritance. His club, The Vault, has launched into fame, and Xavier is actively planning to open a second location in Miami. Xavier and Sloane move in together, and Xavier gives Sloane a new goldfish, which she names Feisty. The couple eventually takes a month-long vacation to Spain. Their vacation is filled with dancing, romantic sunsets, and watching rom-coms—though Sloane now genuinely loves these films.