Chapter 7 #2
Elise's fingers tightened slightly around the phone.
Before she could turn it over or silence the call, Xavier's gaze dropped to the display. His eyes lingered on the name. His expression remained unreadable, his face composed, yet something subtle shifted in his eyes as he stared at the name of an unknown man glowing on her screen.
Elise quickly accepted the call.
"Hello?"
Logan, her brother's young, familiar voice came through immediately, carrying his usual confidence.
"I'm downstairs. Come on, let's have lunch together."
Elise's eyes moved toward Xavier without thinking.
He was standing right in front of her, watching her silently.
She turned slightly away, lowering her voice as she replied, "I already have plans."
Her tone remained polite but firm, hoping that would be enough to end the conversation.
Xavier’s attention remained entirely focused on her, his dark eyes following every small change in her expression as she listened. The longer the call continued, the more his brows drew together, and a faint tension appeared along his jaw.
Then, without warning, he stepped closer.
Elise felt his presence before she fully registered his movement.
Her eyes lifted in surprise as the distance between them disappeared, his tall figure now standing directly beside her.
Xavier lowered himself slightly, his head dipping toward her shoulder as he leaned closer to the phone in her hand.
The gesture was so unexpected that Elise simply stared at him.
Was he actually listening?
Her lips parted slightly in disbelief.
For a man who appeared so detached and dangerous in front of everyone else, he was shamelessly eavesdropping like a jealous boyfriend.
He didn't even look embarrassed.
When her eyes met his, Xavier merely looked back at her with complete composure, as though there was nothing unusual about standing this close and openly trying to hear her conversation.
Elise held his gaze for a moment before silently resisting the urge to sigh.
She didn't push him away.
Instead, she shifted her weight from one foot to the other, subtly attempting to create some space between them, though his closeness made the effort almost pointless. His shoulder brushed near hers, and his presence surrounded her completely.
Logan's voice sounded again through the phone.
"If you already have plans, then I'll join you. We can still have lunch together."
Elise closed her eyes briefly.
A quiet sigh slipped past her lips.
Of course.
She should have known he wouldn't give up that easily.
"No..." she started, already feeling the beginning of a headache forming.
Before Logan could respond, Elise lifted her free hand and rubbed lightly at her forehead, her fingertips lingering against her temple as she searched for what little patience she had left.
"I'm coming down in a minute."
The words left her with obvious reluctance.
She knew from experience that refusing Logan over the phone would only earn her another five minutes of relentless persuasion. At twenty-one, he was still as stubborn as an ox, refusing to back down once he'd made up his mind.
She ended the call with a quiet exhale and slipped the phone into her handbag.
The moment she looked up, she found Xavier watching her.
His tall frame stood only a step away, close enough that his expensive cologne lingered in the air between them.
Broad shoulders cut across the afternoon sunlight streaming through the floor-to-ceiling windows, casting a long shadow over her desk.
The silver-rimmed glasses resting on the bridge of Xavier's nose concealed most of his eyes, but the unwavering angle of his head made it obvious they were fixed entirely on her.
"I won't be joining you for lunch," Elise said gently.
She gathered the contracts scattered across the desk with practiced efficiency, aligning the uneven edges before tapping the stack lightly against the polished wood. Once the pages were perfectly straight, she slipped them into a folder and closed it with quiet care.
"I'll let Benjamin know he'll be driving you to the restaurant instead."
Xavier's expression remained calm, but she watched the slight crease appear between his brows before his lips parted.
"Why?"
Elise slid the completed file into its folder, carefully aligning the edges before closing it.
"I already have plans."
"With who?"
“It’s personal.”
"With who?."
She paused, her fingers resting on the edge of the file before finally looking up.
"What?"
"Who are you having lunch with?"
His voice remained even, almost conversational.
Only the unmistakable edge beneath it betrayed his growing impatience.
Elise suppressed a sigh.
"It doesn't matter."
"It does to me."
She blinked at him.
Without realizing it, Xavier had already taken another step closer. The space between them narrowed until she could once again feel his presence surrounding her.
"Who?"
She lowered her gaze, smoothing an invisible crease from the folder with the palm of her hand.
"It's nothing important."
His eyes narrowed slightly.
"Then tell me."
"Xavier..."
"Who are you meeting?"
His persistence was beginning to chip away at her patience.
Every answer she gave only seemed to invite another question, and every attempt to avoid the conversation was met with him calmly steering it back again.
She slowly lifted her head and met his eyes.
The determined look on his face made it painfully obvious that he had no intention of letting her leave until he had the answer he wanted.
Xavier's jaw tightened so sharply she saw the muscle flex beneath his skin. His shoulders stiffened almost imperceptibly, and the hand resting casually at his side slowly curled into a loose fist before relaxing again.
The displeasure he'd been keeping hidden finally surfaced.
His eyes darkened as they remained locked on hers.
Then something resolute settled over his features.
It was the same expression she had seen countless times during business negotiations—the look that appeared whenever Xavier had already decided how things were going to end.
Without breaking eye contact, he adjusted the cuff of his suit jacket before reaching across the desk for his phone.
"Cancel it."
Elise frowned.
"What?"
"Whoever you're meeting." His tone was matter-of-fact, as though there were nothing unreasonable about the request. "Tell them you'll reschedule."
Her eyebrows lifted in disbelief.
Xavier slipped the phone into the inside pocket of his jacket before looking at her with complete certainty.
"You're having lunch with me today."
There wasn't the slightest hint of invitation in his voice.
It was an instruction.
For years, people had responded without hesitation whenever Xavier spoke in that tone.
Employees immediately carried out his decisions.
Business partners adjusted their positions.
Assistants rearranged entire schedules.
And more often than not, Elise had been the one quietly smoothing over whatever disruptions followed.
Clearly, he expected today to be no different.
"No."
The quiet refusal seemed to catch him completely off guard.
For the first time that day, genuine surprise crossed his face. His brows lifted ever so slightly, and he stared at her as though he couldn't quite believe what he'd heard.
"No?"
Elise calmly reached for her handbag, slipping the strap over her shoulder before smoothing the front of her blouse with one hand.
"Yes."
His eyes followed each of her movements.
The surprise faded almost as quickly as it had appeared, replaced by visible irritation.
Meanwhile, Elise remained perfectly composed.
She offered him a small, professional smile, the kind she had worn countless times during meetings.
"I hope you enjoy your lunch."
Without giving him another opportunity to object, she turned toward the door. The soft click of her heels echoed across the office as she walked away, her hand reaching for the handle without once looking back.
She could feel his gaze following her every step, heavy enough to burn between her shoulder blades, but she resisted the temptation to glance over her shoulder.
A moment later, the door clicked softly shut behind her.
Elise released a quiet breath she hadn't realized she'd been holding.
Xavier's office suddenly felt far away, yet the weight of his gaze seemed to linger on her back as she walked across the executive floor.
She adjusted the folder against her chest and let her eyes travel through the open workspace until they landed on Benjamin, who was standing near one of the assistants with a tablet tucked beneath his arm.
"Benjamin."
At the sound of her voice, he immediately excused himself and walked over.
"Yes, Ms. Foster?"
"Mr. Chen will still be going to the restaurant for lunch," she explained with her usual gentle smile. "Could you please drive him? Something came up, so I won't be joining him."
Benjamin looked momentarily surprised.
"Of course."
"Thank you."
Offering him another appreciative smile, Elise turned toward the elevators.
The soft click of her heels echoed across the floor as she walked, and moments later the elevator doors slid open.
She stepped inside, pressed the button for the lobby, and watched the executive floor disappear behind the closing doors.
By the time she stepped out of the Chen Group headquarters, the warm Manhattan afternoon had settled over the city.
Streams of office workers flowed along the sidewalks, taxis rolled steadily through the busy streets, and conversations blended with the distant chorus of honking horns.
The familiar energy of the city wrapped around her, bustling and alive.
She paused just outside the revolving glass doors and glanced up and down the street.
There was no sign of Logan.
A tiny crease formed between her brows.
With a small sigh, she reached into her handbag and pulled out her phone. Her thumb found Logan's name almost automatically, and she lowered her gaze to the glowing screen as she tapped the call button.
The phone had barely begun to ring.
Without warning, two arms slipped securely around her arms from behind.