Page 88 of King of Ruin

Just... empty.

As though something inside him had quietly broken.

A knot formed in her stomach.

"Logan..."

She swallowed, her heart beginning to beat a little faster.

"Stay there."

She was already turning away from the railing before the words had fully left her mouth.

"I'm coming."

The call ended.

Without wasting another second, Elise slipped her phone back into her clutch and hurried through the crowd, quietly apologizing whenever she brushed past another guest.

The music, laughter, and conversations around her faded into meaningless background noise as she made her way toward the passerelle, her thoughts consumed by worry.

She descended the yacht almost at a run, disappearing toward the marina without looking back.

Several minutes passed before Xavier noticed.

He had been surrounded by businessmen discussing a contract, his attention fixed on negotiations that demanded his full concentration. It wasn't until the conversation paused that his gaze wandered across the deck out of habit, searching for the familiar flash of pink.

His eyes swept past Juliet.

Then Amara.

The place where Elise had been standing was empty.

A faint frown settled between his brows.

Almost unconsciously, he searched the crowd again.

She wasn't anywhere.

Then, through the moving guests near the exit, he caught sight of her.

She was already stepping off the yacht, her pace hurried as she crossed the passerelle and disappeared toward the marina.

His expression immediately hardened.

Without another thought, Xavier broke away from the conversation and strode after her.

The music faded behind Elise as she stepped onto the pier, replaced by the rhythmic sound of water lapping gently against the wooden pilings below. The night air carried a cool breeze that lifted strands of her hair across her shoulders as she looked around for Logan.

She didn't have to search for long.

The moment he saw her, he hurried toward her.

Before she could even call his name, Logan closed the distance between them and wrapped both arms tightly around her, pulling her against him with such force that she instinctively took half a step backward to steady them both.

He didn't say anything.

He simply held her.