Page 76 of King of Ruin

They were talking about him like he was someone they knew.

Chapter 9

Before Elise could dwell on the thought any longer, Juliet suddenly straightened, her eyes narrowing slightly as another piece of gossip came to mind.

"Oh."

She lifted her champagne glass, pointing it slightly toward the crowd.

"I just remembered something."

Amara turned toward her, already knowing that tone.

"What now?"

Juliet leaned her shoulder lightly against the railing, the corner of her lips curving into a knowing smile.

"Wendy and Roger seem to be getting a divorce."

Amara immediately shook her head.

"Nah..." She adjusted the bracelet around her wrist before looking back at Juliet. "They already reconciled."

Juliet blinked.

"Wait, they did?"

Amara nodded, swirling the champagne in her glass before taking a small sip.

"I saw them together yesterday." She lowered the glass and gave a casual shrug. "They looked perfectly fine. I honestly thought they'd worked everything out."

Juliet frowned, clearly unconvinced.

"No, I'm telling you—"

"Too late."

The deep masculine voice drifted into the conversation before she could finish.

All three women turned.

A tall man strode toward them with an easy confidence that seemed second nature. One hand rested casually in the pocket of his perfectly tailored dark suit while the other loosely held a crystal glass of whiskey. His dark, slightly wavy hair shifted in the sea breeze as he walked, and the neatly trimmed stubble along his jaw only added to the rugged handsomeness that had made him a recognizable face in business magazines for years. There was a quiet warmth in his dark eyes that balanced the commanding presence he carried so naturally.

Elise recognized him immediately.

Elias Creed.

Owner of Apex Airlines.

She had never met him personally, but she had seen his face often enough to know exactly who he was. Whenever the financial news covered the country's most influential young billionaires, Xavier was almost always photographed alongside the same close-knit group of friends.

Elias Creed.

Cassian Han.

Lucius Frost.

And occasionally Maverick Bishop.