Chapter 6
Benjamin opened his mouth to answer, but Hailey had already disappeared into her own frightening conclusions.
"What if she has to apologize every day even when she hasn't done anything wrong? What if she has to quietly stand there and let him scold her until he calms down?"
Her voice grew softer with every sentence, and the more she imagined, the paler she became.
"Everyone thinks she's so lucky because she's engaged to Mr. Chen, but..." She swallowed hard, blinking rapidly as her eyes turned red. "Maybe she's the one who has it the hardest."
Benjamin couldn't help sighing.
Hailey sniffled quietly, staring at the office door as though Elise had walked into a lion's den instead of an executive office.
"She's already so busy managing the company, and now she has to carry Mr. Chen's temper too." She pressed her lips together, trying to stop them from trembling. "She's basically working two full-time jobs... executive director during office hours and emotional punching bag after that."
Benjamin looked at the young intern for a long moment before letting out another weary sigh.
"Hailey," he said, unable to decide whether to laugh or correct her, "your imagination is... remarkably active."
She turned to him immediately.
"So I'm wrong?"
Benjamin didn't answer right away.
He stood silently with one hand resting on his hip while the other absently rubbed the back of his neck. His eyes never left the closed walnut doors of Xavier's office, his brows drawn together in a faint frown as though he could somehow see through them.
After several long moments, he finally spoke.
"I don't know what happens once those doors close."
His voice was quiet, almost thoughtful.
"I've never asked Miss Foster..." He shook his head lightly before letting his hand fall back to his side. "...and she's never said a word about it."
Another heavy sigh escaped him.
"But after working beside Mr. Chen for so long, there's one thing I've noticed."
He folded his arms loosely across his chest, still watching the office in silence before continuing.
"No matter how furious Mr. Chen is before Miss Foster walks into that office..." His gaze lingered on the closed doors for another second. "...when she comes back out, his anger is gone."
Benjamin didn't sound relieved.
If anything, the crease between his brows deepened.
His fingers curled unconsciously against his sleeves as guilt settled in his chest.
He had watched the same scene play out countless times over the years. Whenever Xavier's temper exploded and the entire executive floor braced for the storm, it was always Miss Foster who quietly knocked on the office door, and walked inside without complaint.
No one knew what happened after that.
Benjamin didn't know whether Xavier shouted at her.
He didn't know whether Elise simply stood there listening in silence until Xavier calmed down.
He had wondered about it more than once.
But every time Elise came back out with the same gentle smile on her face and returned to work as though nothing had happened, he found himself swallowing the question before it ever left his mouth.
Perhaps he hadn't wanted to know the answer.
After all, whatever happened behind those doors spared the rest of the company from becoming the target of Xavier's rage.
Sometimes Benjamin couldn't help feeling ashamed of that.
Ashamed that, without anyone ever saying it aloud, the entire executive floor had gradually come to rely on Elise to shoulder a burden that should never have belonged to her in the first place.
Beside him, Hailey slowly turned her head toward Xavier's office.
Her grip on the notebook tightened until the corners dug into her palms. She bit her lower lip, her eyes fixed on the silent doors as her imagination painted scene after scene of Elise enduring Xavier's temper alone.
The longer she stared, the tighter her chest became.
In her mind, Elise wasn't simply taking documents into the president's office.
She was stepping into the fire so no one else would have to.
Hailey sniffed quietly and blinked several times, quickly lowering her head before the tears gathering in her eyes could spill over.
She hugged the notebook tightly against her chest, feeling a heartbreaking mix of admiration and pity for the gentle woman who, she was convinced, silently endured everything while protecting everyone else.
Meanwhile, unaware of the emotions her actions had stirred in the people around her, Elise had already arrived at the place where she had spent countless hours before.
She knocked lightly before opening the door to Xavier's office.
The moment she stepped inside, the atmosphere of the executive floor seemed to follow her in.
Xavier's office was exactly like the man himself.
The spacious room was designed with understated luxury.
Floor-to-ceiling windows stretched across one entire wall, offering a breathtaking view of the city below, while sunlight spilled across the polished dark wooden floor.
Everything inside was arranged with meticulous attention to detail: the expensive leather sofa placed perfectly across from the fireplace, the neatly organized shelves filled with business awards and rare books, the spotless glass desk holding only the documents that needed his attention.
There was no unnecessary decoration, no trace of disorder.
Just like Xavier, everything in the room appeared carefully maintained.
Yet beneath that perfect appearance was an invisible pressure that made people instinctively lower their voices the moment they entered.
Xavier stood near the floor-to-ceiling window with his back facing the door, completely absorbed in the tablet held in his hand.
One hand rested against his waist, his fingers curling slightly against the side of his suit jacket, while the other held the device firmly as his thumb moved across the screen, scrolling through the endless stream of information.
The city below was nothing more than a blur behind the glass. His entire focus was on the reports in front of him.
His charcoal suit was perfectly fitted against his tall, frame, the sharp cut of the fabric emphasizing his broad shoulders.
His long black hair brushed against his shoulders, a few strands falling slightly forward as he lowered his head to read.
The silver-rimmed glasses resting on the bridge of his nose gave him an even colder appearance.
A deep, unsettling frown was etched across his forehead. His brows were pulled together, his lips pressed into a thin line, and his jaw tightened as his long fingers tapped against the tablet screen with restrained impatience.
Every small movement revealed his irritation.
The slight shift of his shoulders. The impatient tapping of his fingers. The way he held himself completely still, like he was forcing himself not to lose his temper.
Elise could tell whoever had disturbed him before her had not received a pleasant response.
She quietly stepped further inside, closing the door behind her.
The soft click of the door caught his attention. Xavier’s thumb stopped moving. The coldness around him deepened.
Without turning around, his hand lowered the tablet slightly, and his fingers tightened around its edge.
“What now? If this is another one of those useless business files, then tell them to—”
He turned around sharply, his dark eyes already filled with fury.
The tablet remained clenched in one hand while the other dropped from his waist, his sharp features darkening beneath the silver glasses perched on his nose.
A deep frown carved itself across his forehead as his piercing eyes locked onto the person who had interrupted him.
The angry words came out fast, edged with the fury of a man whose patience had already been exhausted.
Then he saw her.
The rage that had been ready to explode stopped as suddenly as it had appeared.
His jaw remained tight, and the irritation didn't completely disappear, but it no longer felt directed at her.
Instead, he exhaled through his nose, his shoulders dropping the slightest bit as he muttered something under his breath, the words carrying far more frustration than anger.
"...It's you."
His voice was noticeably lower now, rough and restrained instead of explosive.
Before Elise could even greet him, Xavier strode toward her with long, purposeful steps. She instinctively stiffened as he stopped directly in front of her, leaving barely a breath of space between them.
Without a word, he reached for her wrist.
His large hand wrapped around it with firm confidence, warm enough to make her heartbeat skip. Before she could react, he gave her a sharp tug.
A startled gasp escaped her as she stumbled forward, her body pulled straight into his.
She barely had time to steady herself before Xavier pivoted, guiding her backward until the edge of his massive desk pressed against the small of her back. The polished wood stopped her retreat, leaving nowhere else to go.
She swallowed as Xavier took another step forward, erasing the last bit of distance between them.
His broad frame boxed her in effortlessly. One hand came down on the mahogany desk beside her hip with a quiet thud while the other continued holding her wrist, his grip firm enough to keep her from slipping away but never painful.
She was completely surrounded by him.
His familiar scent drifted over her—a clean blend of cedarwood and black tea touched with fresh bergamot and the warmth of amber. It lingered around her, making the already small space between them feel even more intimate.
Elise slowly lifted her eyes to meet his.
Behind the thin silver frames of his glasses, Xavier's dark gaze remained fixed on her face. Calm on the surface, but beneath that composure she could clearly see the irritation simmering in his eyes.
He lowered his head until only a few inches separated them.