Page 41 of King of Ruin

Hailey lowered her voice instinctively. "When Miss Foster goes in there... does Mr. Chen shout at her?"

Benjamin's expression faltered. He slipped both hands into his trouser pockets and looked back at the office door, remaining silent for a few moments before answering with an honest shake of his head. "I don't know. I've never stayed inside long enough to find out."

He sighed, his shoulders drooping with exhaustion.

"All I know is that whenever Mr. Chen is in one of these moods, Miss Foster goes into his office. When she comes back out..." He paused, glancing at the tightly shut doors once more. "...his temper is gone. That's all any of us know."

Hailey's grip on her notebook tightened until the edges bent beneath her fingers. She stared at the office door, her imagination filling in everything Benjamin couldn't answer.

"So... she goes in there alone while he's furious?" she murmured, almost to herself.

Benjamin didn't respond.

Taking his silence as confirmation, Hailey's face slowly fell.

"Poor Miss Foster..." she whispered. "She's an executive director. She's also Mr. Chen's fiancée. She shouldn't have to face him every time he's angry."

Benjamin rubbed the back of his neck, already sensing where this conversation was heading. "I really don't think you should assume—"

"But what if he takes all his anger out on her?" Hailey interrupted, her voice filled with genuine worry. She looked back at Benjamin with wide, anxious eyes. "She always looks so gentle. She probably doesn't even argue back."

Her gaze drifted to the office again, and she hugged the notebook even tighter.

"If he's this terrifying at work, then... what must he be like when they get home?"

Chapter 6

Benjamin opened his mouth to answer, but Hailey had already disappeared into her own frightening conclusions.

"What if she has to apologize every day even when she hasn't done anything wrong? What if she has to quietly stand there and let him scold her until he calms down?"

Her voice grew softer with every sentence, and the more she imagined, the paler she became.

"Everyone thinks she's so lucky because she's engaged to Mr. Chen, but..." She swallowed hard, blinking rapidly as her eyes turned red. "Maybe she's the one who has it the hardest."

Benjamin couldn't help sighing.

Hailey sniffled quietly, staring at the office door as though Elise had walked into a lion's den instead of an executive office.

"She's already so busy managing the company, and now she has to carry Mr. Chen's temper too." She pressed her lips together, trying to stop them from trembling. "She's basically working two full-time jobs... executive director during office hours and emotional punching bag after that."

Benjamin looked at the young intern for a long moment before letting out another weary sigh.

"Hailey," he said, unable to decide whether to laugh or correct her, "your imagination is... remarkably active."

She turned to him immediately.

"So I'm wrong?"

Benjamin didn't answer right away.

He stood silently with one hand resting on his hip while the other absently rubbed the back of his neck. His eyes never left the closed walnut doors of Xavier's office, his brows drawn together in a faint frown as though he could somehow see through them.

After several long moments, he finally spoke.

"I don't know what happens once those doors close."

His voice was quiet, almost thoughtful.