Page 153 of King of Ruin

Elise looked between him and Astrid before continuing in the same calm, reasonable tone. "I don't think Astrid should move into the guest room next to our bedroom. If she is your girlfriend now, then wouldn't it make more sense for her to move directly into your bedroom?"

For a second, Xavier simply stared at her.

The words didn't register.

"It would be better this way," Elise continued, completely unaware of the storm building inside him. "She shouldn't have to stay in a guest room when she is the person you want beside you."

She glanced at Astrid before looking back at him with the same supportive expression.

"And I think I should move downstairs instead. The guest room there is perfectly comfortable. Astrid can take my place and live with you from now on. That would make the most sense."

The room fell silent.

Xavier looked at her as if he had just heard that his entire empire had collapsed overnight and he had somehow gone from being the man who owned everything to someone with nothing left.

Almost without thinking, he reached for the glass of water on his desk and took a drink, needing a moment to process what he had just heard.

The second the water touched his throat, he choked.

A violent cough escaped him as he turned away, completely caught off guard.

Benjamin, who had been standing silently near the door and had heard every word of the conversation, immediately rushed forward.

"Mr. Chen!"

He quickly took the glass from Xavier's hand and placed it back on the desk, his expression filled with concern.

"Are you all right?"

But Xavier looked anything but all right.

His face had lost its color, not from weakness, but from the sheer disbelief and fury fighting inside him. He pushed Benjamin aside and turned back toward Elise, his eyes burning with frustration.

"Did I ask you to do that?"

His voice thundered through the office, harsher and louder than anyone expected.

"Don't decide things for me."

His jaw tightened as he stared at her.

"Mind your own business. I don't interfere with what you want for yourself, so don't interfere with what I want for myself."

He rose to his feet, unable to understand how she could calmly arrange for another woman to take her place.

"Did I say I wanted her to move into my bedroom?"

His voice became sharper.

"Did I ever tell you that was what I wanted?"

The anger that had been building inside him finally broke through.

"Then why the hell are you making that decision for me?"

Elise looked at him with slight concern when she saw the expression on his face.

"Don't be like this," she said, trying to calm him down.