Page 170 of King of Ruin

Before Xavier could even process what was happening, Elise's car began moving down the driveway, slowly at first and then disappearing through the gates of the mansion. Within moments, it was gone from his sight.

The cold morning air surrounded Xavier, biting against his bare skin, but he didn't feel it.

He was still standing there without a shirt, his upper body exposed to the freezing air, yet the cold was nothing compared to the numbness spreading through him. The pain inside his chest was so overwhelming that it seemed to drown out everything else—the cold, the anger, even the sound of his own breathing.

He couldn't feel anything.

As the last glimpse of her car disappeared from view, the fury that had been burning in his eyes returned. His face twisted with anger, and before he could stop himself, he turned toward the nearest car parked in the driveway.

His fist slammed against the hood.

The loud impact echoed through the silence of the morning.

Layla and the other staff members standing nearby flinched at the sound, their faces immediately filling with shock and concern as they watched Xavier. His chest rose and fell heavily, every breath coming out harsh and uneven as he stood there, his hands clenched tightly at his sides.

A moment later, he turned toward Layla.

"Bring me the fucking car keys."

His voice was sharp and commanding, but beneath the anger was something far more desperate.

Layla immediately froze.

"Mr. Chen..."

"Now!"

The urgency in his voice made her move instantly.

She turned around and rushed back inside the mansion, hurrying to get the keys. Her hands trembled slightly as she searched, and the moment she found them, she ran back outside.

But she barely had time to reach him.

Xavier was already walking toward her, his expression unreadable as he snatched the keys from her hand before pressing the button to unlock the car.

The loud beep of the car unlocking echoed through the driveway, and Xavier immediately got inside, starting the engine before anyone could stop him. He didn't even wait for the gates to fully open before driving out of the mansion, his hands gripping the steering wheel tightly as he followed the same direction Elise's car had disappeared into.

He kept looking ahead, searching every road and every passing vehicle, convinced that he would find her if he just drove a little farther. He didn't know where she was going, but he couldn't accept that she was simply going to vanish from his life.

But no matter how far he drove, there was no sign of her.

The emptiness of not finding her only made the pain in his chest grow worse. His breathing became heavier, his vision blurringslightly from the exhaustion and the emotions consuming him. He continued searching until the thought of one place finally crossed his mind.

Her parents' house.

If Elise needed somewhere to go, somewhere she felt safe, then surely she would go there.

He drove straight there, his heart pounding with a mixture of fear and hope, but when he arrived, there was nothing waiting for him. Her car wasn't parked outside. There was no sign that she had been there.

Still, Xavier parked near the entrance and waited.

Minutes turned into hours as he sat there, staring at the large doors, expecting them to open at any moment. He convinced himself that she would come back, that she would walk through those doors and he would finally be able to talk to her.

But she never came.

The early morning slowly turned into afternoon. The cold air that had surrounded him earlier had faded into the warmth of the sun, but Xavier barely noticed. He remained sitting there, still wearing only his trousers, his body exposed to the changing temperature as exhaustion slowly began to take over.

His head started to feel heavy, and his vision became slightly blurred. The burning in his body grew stronger, but the pain in his chest was far worse. After six hours of waiting, he finally had to accept that Elise wasn't coming.