Page 114 of King of Ruin

"Why would you do that?"

Elise looked at her for a moment before giving a small, almost helpless shrug.

"Because I won't be staying with him forever."

The casualness of her answer made Astrid go still.

Elise turned away and walked back toward her chair, her fingers brushing lightly against the edge of the table as she continued.

"So it would be better if you were there."

Astrid followed her with her eyes.

"You actually mean that?"

Elise looked back at her.

"Of course."

She returned to her seat and picked up her teacup, though she didn't drink from it immediately. Instead, she stared down at the warm liquid for a moment, her expression becoming thoughtful.

"I don't want Xavier to come home to an empty house." Her voice softened. "I think he likes having someone waiting for him."

A faint smile appeared on her face, almost as if she were imagining the scene.

"Someone to talk to. Someone who makes the house feel like a home."

She paused.

"Even if that person isn't me."

Astrid remained completely silent.

Elise seemed to realize how serious she sounded and quickly brushed the thought away with a small shrug.

"That's all."

Astrid stared at Elise with a look of genuine confusion on her face. For once, her usual confidence and sharpness seemed to falter because she couldn't understand the woman sitting in front of her. Everything Elise had done since she arrived went against what Astrid expected. She had expected jealousy, anger, or at least some resentment from the woman whose place she had openly announced she intended to take. Instead, Elise had offered to help her.

It didn't make sense.

"Why would you do that for him?" Astrid asked, her eyebrows drawing together as she leaned back slightly in her chair. "If Xavier isn't going to be with you anymore, then why does it matter?"

Her fingers lightly tapped against the armrest as she continued, still trying to understand Elise's reasoning.

"He's not going to be your husband. He won't be your family anymore. Doesn't that mean it's not your business anymore?"

Elise remained quiet for a moment, her gaze lowering to the teacup in her hands. Her fingers gently moved along the edge of the porcelain, not because she was unsure of her answer, but because she was choosing her words carefully.

"I know," she said softly.

Then she looked back at Astrid.

"But I was with him for a year."

There was no bitterness in her voice when she said it. No attempt to hold onto something that was already slipping away. She simply stated the truth.

"And during that time, Xavier never treated me badly." A faint smile appeared on her face, though it carried a quiet sadness. "He may not love me the way I wanted him to, but he was never cruel to me. He took care of me. He respected me. He gave me a place beside him."