Page 197 of King of Ruin

Elise gasped.

"Xavier!"

He ignored her protest and carried her toward the car parked beside the limousine. Carefully opening the door, he slid her inside before climbing in after her.

As Elise lifted her head, still trying to understand the chaos of the night, she noticed the person sitting in the driver's seat.

Benjamin.

The man looked completely exhausted, like he had been dragged out of his own bed and rushed there without a moment's notice.

"Benjamin? What are you doing?" Elise asked, shocked.

Benjamin gave her a tired smile, though there was still a strange happiness on his face.

"Don’t worry about me, Ms. Foster. I got five million dollars from Mr. Chen to come and help him," he said proudly. “I haven't earned that much money even after five years at my job."

The grin on his face stretched from ear to ear, as if he had just received the best news of his life.

Elise could only stare at him.

Before she could say anything else, Xavier reached forward and grabbed her face, turning her attention back toward him.

"Just drive already," he ordered Benjamin.

"Yes, boss."

Benjamin immediately started the car.

The vehicle pulled away from the apartment building and moved onto the quiet streets of the city. It was late, and most of the city had already gone silent. The usual chaos of New York had disappeared, leaving only empty roads and scattered lights in the distance.

For a long time, neither of them spoke.

The drive continued through the empty streets, and slowly, the exhaustion from the night caught up with Elise. Despite everything that had happened, despite the confusion and disbelief, she eventually leaned against Xavier without realizing it.

Her head rested on his shoulder.

And before long, she fell asleep.

When she woke up, the first thing she felt was the gentle movement of the car beneath her. Her body shifted slightly as she slowly opened her eyes.

For a moment, she didn't know where she was.

Then she looked outside.

The sky was beginning to brighten.

The first rays of morning light were appearing, and the car was coming to a stop.

Elise sat up, looking around in confusion.

When she stepped out of the car, she realized they were on top of a hill overlooking the city.

Xavier turned toward Benjamin.

"Go back down. You can get a cab or something," he ordered.

Benjamin didn't even hesitate.