Chapter 15 #3
Then, instead of getting into the car, she turned around.
Her eyes moved toward Astrid, who was standing nearby.
"Come on, Astrid," Elise said, pointing toward the open car door. "It's getting late. You should get to the office on time."
The change was immediate.
The expectation in Xavier’s eyes vanished.
His expression darkened almost instantly.
The anger that flashed across his face was so intense that the entire atmosphere seemed to shift. His jaw tightened, the sharp line of his face becoming even more pronounced as he stared at Elise.
One hand remained resting against the car door, his fingers slowly curling against the surface as though he was physically restraining himself from saying the words already burning at the tip of his tongue.
The silence that followed was heavy.
Oppressive.
Even the cold air outside seemed to grow still.
Benjamin, standing nearby, felt his heart sink the moment he saw the look on Xavier’s face.
If this continued for even a few more seconds, Benjamin had no doubt that his boss was going to lose his temper completely.
The kind that could leave destruction behind.
And unfortunately, Benjamin had a strong suspicion that he might be standing dangerously close to the destruction zone.
Before Xavier could say anything, Benjamin immediately stepped forward.
Immediately stepping forward, Benjamin placed himself between the car and the two women, trying to ease the tension before Xavier completely lost his patience.
"Miss Foster..." he said carefully, looking between them with concern. "What are you talking about?"
His eyes flickered toward Astrid.
"Why are you asking Miss Astrid to get in?"
Benjamin glanced toward the car, then back at Elise, his brows slowly drawing together in confusion.
"What... what's going on?"
The question escaped him before he could stop it. He looked between Elise and Xavier, trying desperately to understand the situation, but the more he listened, the more impossible it seemed to make sense.
Elise stood there with a calm expression, as though she had just made a simple business decision. Meanwhile, Xavier remained seated inside the car, his face unreadable to anyone who didn't know him well—but Benjamin knew him better than most.
The anger coming from him was like a raging fire burning his skin.
The tension in the air was so thick that Benjamin could almost feel it pressing against him, and he had a sinking feeling that this day was about to become one of the most difficult days of his career.
Elise, however, seemed completely unaffected by the storm brewing around her.
Looking at Benjamin, she explained in the same composed tone she used when discussing matters at the company.
"Since Astrid is Xavier's girlfriend now, I think it would be better if she starts learning about the business as well."
Benjamin froze.
For a moment, he simply stared at her, waiting for her to say she was joking.
But Elise continued.
"She should understand my responsibilities and learn my position at the company because I won't be there anymore."
Her words were calm, almost practical.
"I think it would be better if she slowly takes over my position as director. That way, when I'm no longer there, everything will already be arranged, and there won't be any confusion."
Benjamin's eyes widened.
He looked at Elise as though he was trying to determine whether he had misunderstood her, because there was no way she had just casually announced that she was handing over her position, her responsibilities, and her place beside Xavier as if it were nothing more than transferring a file to someone else.
Xavier sat motionless inside the car, staring at Elise.
Her words had been delivered with such calm certainty that, for a moment, he almost wondered if he had heard her wrong.
But he hadn't.
Every single word had reached him clearly.
His entire body went rigid, and his hands clenched tightly against his thighs. His fingers dug into his palms with such force that the pressure became painful, the only thing keeping him from losing control of the rage building inside him.
He couldn't understand it.
How could she say something like that so easily? How could she talk about leaving, about giving away her position, about replacing herself as though none of it mattered?
Meanwhile, Benjamin was silently fighting his own battle.
Standing between the two of them, he could practically feel the anger coming from Xavier behind him. The atmosphere was becoming more dangerous by the second, and he had no desire to become the unfortunate person caught in the middle of it.
Quickly stepping in before the situation could escalate, Benjamin forced a calm expression onto his face.
"Miss Foster," he said carefully, choosing each word with caution, "I think perhaps this is happening a little too quickly."
He gave a small glance toward Xavier before continuing.
"For now, why don't you get into the car first? I can arrange a separate private car for Miss Astrid, and we can slowly introduce her to the work and responsibilities over time."
He tried to sound reasonable.
"You don't need to rush everything today. It would be better if you went to the office with Mr. Chen first so you aren't late."
Benjamin was practically pleading at this point, though he tried his best not to show it.
But Elise simply looked at him and shook her head.
"No."
Her answer was gentle but firm.
"I think it would be better to start now while everything is still new."
She turned her gaze toward Astrid for a moment before looking back at Benjamin.
"Astrid is already here, and the longer we wait, the more complicated things will become."
Her expression remained calm, as though she was discussing a perfectly logical arrangement.
"This will also be her first day at the office. I think it would be better if everyone meets her from the beginning as someone important in Xavier's life, so there won't be any misunderstandings later."
Benjamin opened his mouth to respond, but no words came out.
Elise gave him a reassuring smile.
"Don't worry. I'll just take a cab."
The moment those words left her mouth, the silence inside the car became even heavier.
Elise turned toward Astrid and gave her a small, encouraging smile before stepping aside and motioning toward the open car door.
"Go ahead."
Astrid nodded without hesitation. The soft clicking of her heels echoed across the driveway as she walked around the car and quietly climbed into the seat Elise had just given up.
Throughout the entire time, Xavier never took his eyes off Elise.
He watched her standing there, watched her willingly give away the seat he had prepared for her, watched her treat everything he had done that morning as though it meant absolutely nothing.
The anger on his face was no longer something he could conceal.
It burned plainly in his eyes, tightening every sharp line of his face until even Benjamin, who had stood beside him for years, felt his heart skip a beat with fear.
Benjamin instinctively lowered his head, not daring to speak another word.
Inside the car, Xavier kept staring at Elise as she walked away, his eyes never leaving her retreating figure. With every step she took away from him, the jealousy burning inside him flared even hotter, mixing with a rage he could barely contain.
‘Is she really so desperate to get rid of me that she'd walk away from me so easily?’
His jaw clenched so tightly it hurt.
‘I did all this for her... and she's still acting as though none of it matters. As if everything I personally prepared this morning was for another woman instead of her.’
His gaze remained fixed on her back, unable to look away.
‘Haven't I made it obvious enough that I want you? How can you still not see it?’
The questions pounded through his mind, each one fueling the anger already consuming him.
His hands slowly curled into fists until his nails dug into his palms, every muscle in his body locking with the effort of holding himself back.
Jealousy, frustration, possessiveness, and a fury he could no longer suppress churned violently inside him, burning through his chest until it felt as though he was about to lose control completely.
As Elise walked toward the main road to hail a cab, her heel suddenly caught in a small pothole.
She stumbled forward.
Inside the car, Xavier straightened instantly.
Every trace of anger vanished from his face, replaced by raw concern so quickly that he didn't even have time to hide it. His hand instinctively moved toward the door, ready to get out.
But before he could, Elise caught herself.
She steadied her footing, adjusted her balance, and after brushing a loose strand of hair behind her ear, continued walking toward the main road as though nothing had happened.
Only then did Xavier slowly settle back into his seat.
The concern that had surfaced disappeared just as quickly, replaced once again by the anger he had been trying to suppress.
His eyes shifted toward Benjamin, who was still standing frozen beside the car.
"What the hell are you doing just standing there?" Xavier snapped, his voice cold with irritation. "Drive!"
Benjamin practically jumped at the order.
"Yes, Mr. Chen!"
Without wasting another second, he hurried to follow the order, relieved to have something to do before Xavier's temper exploded on him instead.