Page 155 of King of Ruin

Astrid stopped mid-sentence as Elise scrolled through it for a few seconds before turning the screen toward her.

"Look."

Astrid blinked.

On the screen were photographs of exquisite jewelry pieces—diamonds, rare gemstones, and elegant designs that looked like they belonged in a private collection rather than a normal jewelry store.

"This is the jewelry collection Xavier's parents prepared for his future bride," Elise explained as she swiped through the pictures one by one. "These are some of the things she will receive."

The rest of Astrid's sentence completely disappeared.

Her eyes widened.

She leaned closer to the phone.

Then closer.

And within seconds, all traces of her previous panic vanished.

She practically snatched the phone from Elise's hand and began scrolling through the pictures herself, staring at each piece with complete fascination.

The diamonds reflected in her eyes as she examined every detail carefully, looking like she was seconds away from drooling over the jewelry.

"Wow..."

Her voice had completely changed.

"This is..."

She swallowed, still staring at the screen.

"This is incredible."

A moment later, as if she had forgotten everything she had said only seconds ago, she looked back at Elise with a bright smile.

"All right." She nodded firmly. "I'll do it."

Elise raised an eyebrow.

Astrid hugged the phone closer to herself.

"I guess I can make some sacrifices for money. It's fine. I'll compromise. I'll sleep with Xavier."

***

Darkness had settled over Manhattan by the time Benjamin steered the Rolls-Royce away from Chen Group headquarters.

Unlike that morning, the back seat felt unusually empty.

Elise wasn't there.

She had already left for the mansion in a cab before Xavier had come downstairs. The moment Benjamin had informed him, an inexplicable irritation had settled over him, one that had only grown stronger with every passing minute.

The city lights streaked past the tinted windows while silence settled heavily inside the cabin.

Yet despite the silence, Elise's presence lingered.

The faint floral perfume he had sprayed in the car that morning still hung in the air. It was soft, delicate. The one she wore often. Every breath Xavier took carried traces of her, making it impossible to push her from his mind.