Page 121 of King of Ruin

Her smile softened, almost unconsciously.

"And somewhere along the way..."

She let out a quiet breath.

"I fell in love with him."

Astrid's heart tightened.

"But now..." Elise looked back up, her expression peaceful despite the sadness lingering beneath it. "He's brought you into this house as the woman he wants to be with." She smiled gently. "I won't stay between the two of you."

There wasn't a trace of anger in her words.

"I won't accept being with someone whose heart belongs to someone else."

Astrid stared at her for several seconds before an unexpectedly bright smile spread across her face.

"I think that's a very smart decision."

Astrid leaned forward across the table, mischief sparkling in her eyes.

"When you leave here, marry for love." She paused dramatically before adding, "But make sure the man is filthy rich."

Elise started giggling.

"What?" Astrid asked, looking utterly innocent despite the grin threatening to escape. "Love is important."

She lifted one finger for emphasis.

"But money is more important."

Smiling, Elise reached across the table and gently patted Astrid's hand.

"Before I leave this house..."

Astrid looked at her curiously.

"I'll teach you everything about Xavier."

Her eyes widened.

"Everything?"

Elise nodded with an encouraging smile.

"Everything. What he likes and dislikes, his habits, the little routines he never notices he has, the foods he prefers, the thingsthat annoy him… I'll tell you all of it. I'll make sure you know him well enough to make him fall in love with you. So you can marry him as soon as possible."

Chapter 13

At the Chen Group office, everyone had been walking on eggshells since the morning.

By the time noon arrived, not a single person had left their desk for lunch. The meeting that had started early in the morning had continued far longer than anyone expected, stretching hour after hour without a sign of ending.

And the reason was simple.

Xavier Chen was in a terrible mood.

The atmosphere inside the conference room was suffocating. Every executive sitting around the long table was careful with every word they spoke, every document they placed in front of him, and every question they dared to ask.