Page 192 of King of Ruin

For the first time, the silence inside the car felt suffocating.

His gaze lingered there far longer than he intended, and the longer he looked, the heavier the emptiness settled inside his chest. That seat had always belonged to Elise. She had sat there countless times beside him, arguing with him, laughing at him, glaring at him, or simply keeping him company without saying a word. He had never noticed how natural her presence had become until it disappeared.

The thought that she might never sit there again tightened painfully around his chest. The possibility of never driving home with her, never seeing her beside him again, filled him with an anxiety that no amount of work had been able to bury. Only after she walked away did Xavier realize how deeply she had become woven into every part of his daily life.

He hadn't understood how much her presence meant to him... until she was no longer there.

"Sir, we are here."

Benjamin's voice broke through Xavier's thoughts, pulling him back to reality. He blinked once, looked out of the window, and realized the car had already come to a stop in front of Florence Restaurant.

Without saying anything, he pushed open the door and stepped out.

The restaurant was one of the classiest in Manhattan, its grand entrance glowing beneath warm golden lights. Through the floor-to-ceiling windows, the elegant dining hall could be seen, every table occupied by well-dressed guests. The quiet hum of conversations, the soft music drifting through the air, and the impeccable service made it obvious that this was one of the city's finest restaurants.

Benjamin took care of everything at the entrance while Xavier walked inside.

A waiter immediately led him toward one of the private dining rooms.

The moment Xavier pushed open the door, he found the table already occupied. Juliet, Amara, Elias, and Cassian were all seated around it, talking among themselves. As soon as he entered, every pair of eyes shifted toward him.

A smile immediately appeared on Amara's face, while the others greeted him before he pulled out the empty chair and sat down beside them.

The table was already filled with food, its rich aroma spreading through the room, but Xavier had no appetite.

Without even glancing at the dishes, he reached for the bottle of alcohol, poured himself a glass, and emptied it in one go. He poured himself another almost immediately, leaning back in his chair as he silently drank, his mind somewhere far away from the conversation happening around him.

It wasn't until he had almost finished his second glass that he realized the room had gone completely silent.

His brows knitted together.

Slowly lifting his head, he looked around the table, only to find every single one of them staring at him.

Xavier frowned.

"What the hell?" he asked, looking from one face to another. "Why is everyone staring at me like I'm the cartoon in the room?"

It was Cassian who answered.

"You haven't stopped drinking ever since you took that damn seat," he said, gesturing toward Xavier's glass with one hand before leaning back in his chair.

Dressed in nothing more than a black T-shirt and a pair of jeans, Cassian looked completely relaxed. Beside him, Elias was equally casual in a white T-shirt layered beneath an open half-sleeved shirt and jeans. Across the table, Juliet wore fitted jeans with a skin-tight top, while Amara was dressed in a long, flowing casual dress that reached her ankles.

All four of them were staring at Xavier as though they were trying to figure out what the hell had happened to him.

Xavier looked back at them without saying a word.

The silence stretched for another moment before Juliette finally broke it.

"What is going on?" she asked, her brows knitting together with concern. "You're not this fond of drinking."

Xavier stared silently at the glass in his hand, his thumb running slowly around the rim before he poured himself another drink. The amber liquid rippled inside the glass as he lifted it to his lips, taking a slow sip before finally speaking.

"Elise refused to come back home." His voice was quieter than before. "She said she has broken up with me, and she has no intention of coming back."

Chapter 21

A heavy silence settled over the table.