Page 55 of King of Ruin

She knew from experience that refusing Logan over the phone would only earn her another five minutes of relentless persuasion. At twenty-one, he was still as stubborn as an ox, refusing to back down once he'd made up his mind.

She ended the call with a quiet exhale and slipped the phone into her handbag.

The moment she looked up, she found Xavier watching her.

His tall frame stood only a step away, close enough that his expensive cologne lingered in the air between them. Broad shoulders cut across the afternoon sunlight streaming through the floor-to-ceiling windows, casting a long shadow over her desk. The silver-rimmed glasses resting on the bridge of Xavier's nose concealed most of his eyes, but the unwavering angle of his head made it obvious they were fixed entirely on her.

"I won't be joining you for lunch," Elise said gently.

She gathered the contracts scattered across the desk with practiced efficiency, aligning the uneven edges before tapping the stack lightly against the polished wood. Once the pages were perfectly straight, she slipped them into a folder and closed it with quiet care.

"I'll let Benjamin know he'll be driving you to the restaurant instead."

Xavier's expression remained calm, but she watched the slight crease appear between his brows before his lips parted.

"Why?"

Elise slid the completed file into its folder, carefully aligning the edges before closing it.

"I already have plans."

"With who?"

“It’s personal.”

"With who?."

She paused, her fingers resting on the edge of the file before finally looking up.

"What?"

"Who are you having lunch with?"

His voice remained even, almost conversational.

Only the unmistakable edge beneath it betrayed his growing impatience.

Elise suppressed a sigh.

"It doesn't matter."

"It does to me."

She blinked at him.

Without realizing it, Xavier had already taken another step closer. The space between them narrowed until she could once again feel his presence surrounding her.

"Who?"

She lowered her gaze, smoothing an invisible crease from the folder with the palm of her hand.

"It's nothing important."

His eyes narrowed slightly.

"Then tell me."

"Xavier..."