Page 44 of King of Ruin

He lowered his head until only a few inches separated them.

"Ms. Foster," he said quietly, his deep voice smooth yet carrying enough authority to make her heartbeat stumble, "if you're going to come in late every single morning, perhaps you should stay home instead of coming to work."

Feeling the warmth radiating from his body and the overwhelming closeness between them, Elise looked up at Xavier in confusion. His tall frame stood directly in front of her, leaving nowhere for her to go. His hand remained braced against the desk beside her hip, effectively trapping her between the solid mahogany and his broad frame, while the other still held her hip.

She blinked.

"I wasn't late," she reminded him softly, her brows drawing together as she searched his face. "I reached the office on time."

Instead of easing his mood, her answer only made the muscles along his jaw tighten.

‘I don't care whether you reached the office on time. I wanted you to come with me. In my car. Is that really so damn difficult to understand?’

The thought pounded through his mind, making the irritation simmering beneath his composed exterior even harder to suppress.

Xavier Chen had spent years mastering every emotion that threatened to show itself. Anger, frustration, jealousy... they all remained buried beneath the same composed expression that intimidated board members and rival CEOs alike.

His thumb brushed once against her hip before becoming still again.

"Ms. Foster."

His voice was low and even, carrying the quiet authority that never failed to command an entire boardroom.

"Who approved your change in transportation this morning?"

Elise stared at him for a moment before shaking her head.

"No one."

"Then why did you arrive separately?"

"I..." She hesitated only because she was trying to understand the question. "My dad called while I was leaving. We hadn't spoken in several days."

Her voice remained gentle.

"I ended the call as quickly as I could, but when I came outside..." She looked at him apologetically. "...you'd already left."

Xavier's gaze never left her face.

"I waited."

Those two words were enough to make Elise's eyes widen.

"You... waited?"

"I looked back twice."

His tone remained as calm as ever.

"When you didn't appear, I left."

"I didn't know," Elise said quickly, guilt immediately filling her expression.

She looked at him earnestly, her brows knitting together.

"I'm sorry."

Xavier remained silent.