Page 42 of King of Ruin

"I've never asked Miss Foster..." He shook his head lightly before letting his hand fall back to his side. "...and she's never said a word about it."

Another heavy sigh escaped him.

"But after working beside Mr. Chen for so long, there's one thing I've noticed."

He folded his arms loosely across his chest, still watching the office in silence before continuing.

"No matter how furious Mr. Chen is before Miss Foster walks into that office..." His gaze lingered on the closed doors for another second. "...when she comes back out, his anger is gone."

Benjamin didn't sound relieved.

If anything, the crease between his brows deepened.

His fingers curled unconsciously against his sleeves as guilt settled in his chest.

He had watched the same scene play out countless times over the years. Whenever Xavier's temper exploded and the entire executive floor braced for the storm, it was always Miss Foster who quietly knocked on the office door, and walked inside without complaint.

No one knew what happened after that.

Benjamin didn't know whether Xavier shouted at her.

He didn't know whether Elise simply stood there listening in silence until Xavier calmed down.

He had wondered about it more than once.

But every time Elise came back out with the same gentle smile on her face and returned to work as though nothing had happened, he found himself swallowing the question before it ever left his mouth.

Perhaps he hadn't wanted to know the answer.

After all, whatever happened behind those doors spared the rest of the company from becoming the target of Xavier's rage.

Sometimes Benjamin couldn't help feeling ashamed of that.

Ashamed that, without anyone ever saying it aloud, the entire executive floor had gradually come to rely on Elise to shoulder a burden that should never have belonged to her in the first place.

Beside him, Hailey slowly turned her head toward Xavier's office.

Her grip on the notebook tightened until the corners dug into her palms. She bit her lower lip, her eyes fixed on the silentdoors as her imagination painted scene after scene of Elise enduring Xavier's temper alone.

The longer she stared, the tighter her chest became.

In her mind, Elise wasn't simply taking documents into the president's office.

She was stepping into the fire so no one else would have to.

Hailey sniffed quietly and blinked several times, quickly lowering her head before the tears gathering in her eyes could spill over. She hugged the notebook tightly against her chest, feeling a heartbreaking mix of admiration and pity for the gentle woman who, she was convinced, silently endured everything while protecting everyone else.

Meanwhile, unaware of the emotions her actions had stirred in the people around her, Elise had already arrived at the place where she had spent countless hours before.

She knocked lightly before opening the door to Xavier's office.

The moment she stepped inside, the atmosphere of the executive floor seemed to follow her in.

Xavier's office was exactly like the man himself.

The spacious room was designed with understated luxury. Floor-to-ceiling windows stretched across one entire wall, offering a breathtaking view of the city below, while sunlight spilled across the polished dark wooden floor. Everything inside was arranged with meticulous attention to detail: the expensive leather sofa placed perfectly across from the fireplace, the neatly organized shelves filled with business awards and rare books, the spotless glass desk holding only the documents that needed his attention.

There was no unnecessary decoration, no trace of disorder.