Page 3 of King of Ruin

Without another word, Elias extended his hand across the table.

Cassian looked down at it for a second before he reached forward and clasped Elias's hand firmly, giving it a single shake.

"Deal."

The two men exchanged the handshake with the solemn expressions of businessmen closing a billion-dollar contract.

Across from them, Lucius watched the exchange with quiet amusement, slowly swirling the whiskey in his glass before taking another sip.

"You two realize," he said dryly, "that you're talking about your wives as if you're negotiating the return of hostages."

"They are hostages," Cassian replied without the slightest hesitation. "Mine's being held against her will."

Elias snorted.

"Against her will? Juliet is the one refusing to leave."

Xavier, who had remained silent throughout the conversation, leaned back against the sofa with the faintest trace of a smile tugging at the corner of his lips. He lifted his glass to his mouth,taking an unhurried sip while watching the two men continue their pointless argument.

The atmosphere inside the lounge gradually relaxed, the conversation drifting to lighter topics as glasses clinked softly against the marble table.

Then, without warning, the heavy wooden door behind them creaked open.

The quiet sound cut cleanly through the music filtering in from outside.

The conversation came to an abrupt halt.

Every pair of eyes in the room turned toward the entrance.

Maverick Bishop came to an abrupt halt the moment he stepped through the doorway.

One foot remained inside the room while the other was still planted in the hallway, as though his body had simply refused to take another step. His gaze swept across the spacious VIP lounge, lingering on the four men occupying the leather sofas before a look of surprise settled across his face.

For a brief moment, no one spoke.

The easy laughter that had filled the room only seconds earlier vanished, replaced by a silence thick enough to be felt.

Elias slowly lowered the whiskey glass in his hand onto the marble table with a quiet clink before leaning back against the sofa. Beside him, Lucius lifted his eyes from his drink, his expression as calm and unreadable as ever, though there was a flicker of curiosity in his gaze.

Cassian looked from Maverick to Elias, then back again, the corners of his mouth twitching upward as though he had suddenly realized something entertaining was about to unfold.

Xavier remained silent.

His dark eyes shifted from Maverick to Elias before returning to Maverick once more, his gaze lingering between the two men. Without saying a word, he picked up the subtle tension that had settled over the room, and judging by the faint arch of his brow, he seemed perfectly content to sit back and watch whatever happened next.

Maverick, meanwhile, was still standing by the door.

His eyes finally settled on Cassian, and a faint frown creased his forehead. Raising one brow in question, he slipped a hand into the pocket of his trousers before speaking.

"I thought..." His gaze drifted briefly around the room again before returning to Cassian. "...you were meeting me alone."

Cassian cleared his throat, unable to hide the amused smile tugging at his lips.

"That was the plan." He spread his hands innocently. "Then these three invited themselves."

Elias immediately scoffed.

A low chuckle escaped Lucius as he lifted his glass to his lips, while Xavier simply leaned farther back into the sofa, crossing one leg over the other with quiet amusement. His gaze never left Maverick, waiting to see how the man would respond now.