Page 72 of King of Ruin

"No one else is supposed to know about this."

Juliet simply blinked.

Then she burst into laughter.

She leaned forward, clutching her stomach as the champagne in her glass sloshed dangerously close to the rim.

"No one else?" she repeated between laughs.

Straightening again, she looked around the crowded yacht, gesturing broadly with both hands.

"Xavier..." She stared at him with exaggerated disbelief. "Who exactly do you think doesn't know?"

A heavy silence followed.

Xavier's jaw clenched so tightly that Elise saw the muscle twitch beneath his cheek.

He looked moments away from saying something.

Thought better of it.

And instead let out another slow, controlled breath through his nose.

Juliet ignored him entirely.

Pivoting gracefully on her heel, she stepped toward Elise instead, extending her free hand with a bright, infectious smile.

"Hi!"

Her voice had turned warm now, all of her teasing reserved exclusively for Xavier.

"I'm Juliet."

She tipped her head toward Xavier's retreating figure with an amused smile.

"Cassian Han's wife. Cassian and Xavier have been close friends for years."

Elise smiled politely as she slipped her hand into Juliet's.

"I'm Elise."

Juliet shook her hand enthusiastically.

"It's so nice to finally meet you."

Just then, Xavier's phone vibrated inside his jacket.

He slipped it from his pocket, glanced at the screen, and released a quiet sigh.

Business.

His gaze lifted to Elise.

"I'll be back."

His hand briefly returned to her waist, giving it a gentle squeeze before letting go. His thumb brushed lightly against her side as if reluctant to leave before he finally turned away.

Within moments, several businessmen intercepted him, and Xavier disappeared into their conversation with the same composed authority he carried everywhere.