Page 34 of King of Ruin

Xavier gave a small nod.

"Mm."

His voice was low and indifferent.

He continued walking toward the entrance without slowing his pace.

Elise watched him for a second before speaking into her phone a little more quickly.

"Dad, I'll call you later. Xavier's leaving."

Kevin chuckled knowingly.

"Go on then. Don't keep him waiting."

"I won't. Bye, Dad."

"Bye, sweetheart. We love you."

"I love you and Mom too."

After hanging up, Elise slipped her phone into her purse and hurried after Xavier.

When Elise stepped out of the manor, the cool morning air greeted her, carrying with it the scent of freshly trimmed hedges and blooming roses from the gardens lining the driveway. She automatically looked toward the front entrance where the black Rolls-Royce was parked every morning, expecting to find Xavier already inside going through documents while Benjamin stood nearby with his tablet.

Instead, the driveway was empty.

She slowed to a stop, her eyes instinctively searching the courtyard before turning toward the security guards stationed by the gate. A faint crease formed between her brows as confusion replaced the smile that had lingered on her face moments ago after speaking with her parents.

She looked around once more, her brows knitting together slightly as her gaze swept across the front courtyard.

"...Where's the car?"

A nearby security guard immediately noticed her and hurried over.

"Miss Foster."

He stopped a respectful distance away and bowed slightly.

Elise turned to him, a hint of confusion in her eyes.

"Where is Xavier?"

The guard's expression stiffened.

He exchanged an awkward glance with another guard before looking back at her.

"Mr. Chen... has already left for the company."

Elise froze for a brief second.

"...He left?"

"Yes, Miss Foster." The guard shifted awkwardly on his feet, clearly uncomfortable being the one delivering the news. "Secretary Carter arrived a few minutes ago, and they came out together discussing work. Just before getting into the car, Mr. Chen stopped at the bottom of the steps and turned to look back toward the manor."

He gestured toward the entrance behind Elise as though replaying the moment in his mind. "At first, I thought he was waiting for you to come out, but after standing there for a few seconds..." He hesitated, lowering his voice. "Mr. Chen looked rather upset."

Elise's fingers slowly tightened around the strap of her handbag as she listened without interrupting.