Cathleen's grip slackened, her resolve wavering in the gilded foyer of their grandiose home. The weighty click of her luggage clasped shut echoed, a symbol of her intent to depart. Doctor West, stern as ever, approached with outstretched hands, firm and sure, seizing the handles that she couldn't bear. His arms tensed as he lifted, his eyes not unkind, guiding the heavy burdens away from her trembling form.

"Nothing that belongs to my wife will leave this premises. Including her," Xavier's voice sliced through the air, a razor-edged decree that halted everyone in their tracks. It was laced with an authority that bordered on the primitive, a claim staked deep...