Page 21 of King of Ruin

As if protecting Xavier wasn't something she had to think about.

It was simply instinct.

Elise, however, seemed entirely unaware of the effect her answer had just had on them. Her eyes had already drifted past their shoulders toward the closed door of the VIP lounge.

"Where's Xavier?" she asked softly, taking an instinctive step toward the door. "Is he hurt? Can I see him?"

Neither man answered.

Cassian simply stepped aside and pulled the heavy wooden door open.

The moment Elise crossed the threshold, the conversation inside the private lounge came to an abrupt stop.

Every pair of eyes lifted toward the entrance.

She barely noticed.

Her gaze swept anxiously across the spacious room, searching from one corner to the other before moving over the expensive leather sofas, the marble table scattered with crystal whiskey glasses, and the floor beneath them. Everything was perfectly in place. There wasn't a single piece of broken glass, no overturned furniture, no trace of blood or chaos—nothing to suggest the violent accident she'd imagined during the frantic drive to the club.

Elise's hurried footsteps gradually slowed as she moved deeper into the room. The anxiety that had carried her all the way from the Chen Manor slowly gave way to confusion, her gaze sweeping across the room before coming to rest on the men waiting for her.

Maverick stood near the entrance with his arms folded loosely across his chest, while Elias remained seated comfortably on one of the leather sofas, a crystal whiskey glass resting between his fingers. Beside him, Lucius watched her in thoughtful silence, his expression as composed as ever.

Then...

Her eyes found Xavier.

He stood only a few feet away near the floor-to-ceiling windows, one hand tucked casually into the pocket of his tailored trousers, his immaculate black suit untouched. There wasn't a single scratch on him, no sign that he'd been involved in any accident.

Elise stopped where she was.

She blinked once, then again, her eyes moving slowly over him as though making certain she wasn't imagining it. The frantic worry that had consumed her during the drive over was suddenly replaced with bewilderment, and for several long moments she simply stood there, unable to make sense of what she was seeing.

An almost unsettling silence settled over the room.

Before anyone could speak, the door behind her opened once more.

Cassian strolled back inside with the easy confidence that never seemed to leave him, one hand slipping into the pocket of his tailored slacks as he pushed the heavy wooden door shut behind him. His gaze swept leisurely around the room before landing on Xavier, and a slow, thoroughly entertained smile curved across his lips.

"Well..." he drawled, breaking the silence. "You all heard her, didn't you?"

He tipped his chin toward Elise before looking back at Xavier.

"If you'd killed someone tonight, she really would've taken the blame for you."

Elias lowered the whiskey glass in his hand onto the marble table, his gaze drifting from Elise to Xavier without saying a word. Even Lucius, who was rarely surprised by anything, regarded Elise with quiet contemplation, his usually unreadable expression betraying the faintest hint of disbelief.

Leaning against the wall, Maverick folded his arms across his chest, satisfaction evident in the slight lift of one corner of his mouth.

"I told you," he said evenly, his eyes never leaving Xavier. "She’s head over heels in love with you."

This time...

No one laughed.

The joke had stopped being funny the moment Elise entered the room.

Across the room, Xavier remained perfectly still.