Page 56 of King of Ruin

"Who are you meeting?"

His persistence was beginning to chip away at her patience.

Every answer she gave only seemed to invite another question, and every attempt to avoid the conversation was met with him calmly steering it back again.

She slowly lifted her head and met his eyes.

The determined look on his face made it painfully obvious that he had no intention of letting her leave until he had the answer he wanted.

Xavier's jaw tightened so sharply she saw the muscle flex beneath his skin. His shoulders stiffened almost imperceptibly, and the hand resting casually at his side slowly curled into a loose fist before relaxing again.

The displeasure he'd been keeping hidden finally surfaced.

His eyes darkened as they remained locked on hers.

Then something resolute settled over his features.

It was the same expression she had seen countless times during business negotiations—the look that appeared whenever Xavier had already decided how things were going to end.

Without breaking eye contact, he adjusted the cuff of his suit jacket before reaching across the desk for his phone.

"Cancel it."

Elise frowned.

"What?"

"Whoever you're meeting." His tone was matter-of-fact, as though there were nothing unreasonable about the request. "Tell them you'll reschedule."

Her eyebrows lifted in disbelief.

Xavier slipped the phone into the inside pocket of his jacket before looking at her with complete certainty.

"You're having lunch with me today."

There wasn't the slightest hint of invitation in his voice.

It was an instruction.

For years, people had responded without hesitation whenever Xavier spoke in that tone.

Employees immediately carried out his decisions.

Business partners adjusted their positions.

Assistants rearranged entire schedules.

And more often than not, Elise had been the one quietly smoothing over whatever disruptions followed.

Clearly, he expected today to be no different.

"No."

The quiet refusal seemed to catch him completely off guard.

For the first time that day, genuine surprise crossed his face. His brows lifted ever so slightly, and he stared at her as though he couldn't quite believe what he'd heard.

"No?"