Page 205 of King of Ruin

Astrid stepped out in a pair of black heels, dressed in a black suit with a skirt and matching jacket adorned with golden buttons. The outfit was elegant and feminine at the same time, making her look both powerful and effortlessly beautiful. Her hair was pulled up neatly, held in place with a clip, as she walked toward them.

Her eyes briefly moved toward Xavier before dropping to Elise.

A frown immediately appeared on her face when she noticed them standing close together.

Elise immediately tried to pull away from Xavier's arms to go and greet her, but he didn't let her go. She pushed againsthis hold, trying to free herself, but he only tightened his arms around her.

Finally, she pinched his arm hard enough that he had no choice but to loosen his grip.

The moment he let go, Elise stepped away and walked toward Astrid.

Astrid's expression instantly softened as she rushed toward her with excitement written all over her face. She grabbed Elise's hands and smiled brightly.

"Are you happy to see me? It took me so many months to come back. I am so happy to see you."

She pulled Elise into a tight hug, holding her with genuine affection.

Then Astrid turned toward the driver and gestured for him to bring the things from the car.

The driver immediately walked to the trunk and returned with several gift bags, carrying them over and placing them in front of Elise.

Astrid looked at the bags with excitement before turning back to her.

"I brought all the designer dresses I could find for you," she said, picking up one bag after another. "This one is going to be featured in the Varina magazine after the upcoming fashion show. And look, this one is the most exclusive one."

She pointed toward each gift, explaining every detail with enthusiasm.

Watching the scene unfold, Xavier felt a familiar irritation building inside him.

He walked over to Elise, bent down slightly, and leaned close to her ear.

"I'll buy you better ones," he whispered. "Tell her to take them back."

Elise turned her head and looked at him, immediately noticing the jealousy written all over his face. The expression was so obvious that she could barely stop the small smile from appearing on her lips.

She quickly turned back toward Astrid.

"Thank you so much for all the gifts," Elise said warmly. "You really shouldn't have done this. These are all too expensive."

Astrid only smiled and waved her concern away.

"Don't worry about the money."

Before Elise could say anything else, Astrid turned toward the driver.

"Take care of these. Bring them inside the house and give them to Layla. The maids will take care of everything."

Xavier's jaw tightened the moment he heard her.

"Can you stop ordering people around in my house?" he snapped. "This is my house. Why are you telling your driver to go inside my house and do things without my permission?"

Astrid barely spared him a glance. She didn't respond or acknowledge his irritation, simply turning her attention back to Elise as if his words hadn't affected her at all.

"Let's go," she said with a smile. "How about dinner? I booked a really good place for us. I want to take you there."

Elise smiled at her and stepped away from Xavier.

The moment she took a step forward, Xavier reached out and grabbed her arm, pulling her back toward him. He leaned down slightly, lowering his voice as he looked into her eyes.