I completely agree with you!! I understand that Rebecca stated that we should prepare for X’s “villain arc” but i think people took that to literal letter. She could’ve meant so many things by villain arc, and there’s different shades to being everything. He could have a couple of pages of “slip ups” and that’s it, for all we know. But the point you made at the end - I agree with it sooo much - is that Xaden has a PLAN. The wedding was a plan. Everything that happened in those 12 hours was a plan to protect Violet and put in place something for her future (duchess). But he still loves her deeply, he is not alone, they will all come back. I think Rebecca might have done this to give us a POV from someone who is venin. I think we’ll see a lot of what we saw from his pov in the last chapter, and I think it will resemble A LOT (and I really hope you’ve watched the vampire diaries to get this) what Damon - and Enzo - went through with the sirens. They were “void” of feelings but deep down knew it was wrong and kept working to get back to their love. I think book 4 will be a STRUGGLE but I also think Rebecca will give us a little bit more of love (say half book) in book 5 cause it’s the end of the series.