Page 70 of King of Ruin

She froze.

Blinking once.

Then twice.

Her mouth slowly fell open as she openly stared at the woman standing beside Xavier.

"Holy shit," she breathed, almost under her breath. "No way..."

A slow grin spread across the woman's face as realization slowly dawned on her.

She looked from Elise to Xavier, then back to Elise again, her blue eyes roaming over her from head to toe as though trying to reconcile the image in front of her with all the stories she'd heard.

"This can't be..."

She let out a quiet laugh and lightly covered her mouth with her fingertips before lowering her hand again.

"Xavier..." she said, still sounding genuinely astonished. "This is the woman you're going to marry?"

She gestured toward Elise with the champagne flute in her hand, her brows lifting high.

"Your arranged bride?"

Elise blinked.

Her lips parted slightly in surprise as she instinctively turned to look at the woman standing before her.

She was absolutely gorgeous.

Long blonde hair tumbled over one bare shoulder in luxurious waves, catching the lights every time she moved. A shimmering silver dress hugged her slender figure, its daring cut making her look effortlessly glamorous without appearing overdone. Her heels clicked softly against the polished deck as she shifted her weight onto one hip, studying Elise with unconcealed curiosity.

Beside her, Xavier's expression visibly hardened.

The easy composure on his face disappeared, replaced by an unmistakable frown.

"Juliet."

His voice was clipped.

A warning.

"She isn't some 'arranged bride.'"

His arm, which had remained around Elise's waist since they'd boarded the yacht, instinctively tightened, pulling her a little closer against his side.

His gaze settled firmly on Juliet.

"She's simply a woman my family wants me to marry because our parents have been best friends for decades."

He spoke through slightly clenched teeth.

"As if that's still a valid reason to decide our future."

Juliet stared at him for all of two seconds before rolling her eyes dramatically.

"Oh, please."

She flicked a dismissive hand through the air.