Chapter 21 #2
Before she could ask what was happening, Xavier carried her toward a waiting limousine. The door was already open, and he stopped in front of it before carefully lowering her back onto her feet.
Then, without letting go of her hand, he guided her forward and opened the limo door.
Elise gasped.
The entire inside of the limousine had been transformed.
Flowers filled every corner.
There were dozens of bouquets arranged throughout the luxurious interior, each one different from the other—roses, lilies, and countless other flowers filling the space with color and fragrance.
For a moment, she could only stand there, staring.
Before Elise could even catch her breath, Xavier stepped closer.
Then, as if it was the most natural thing in the world, he leaned down and pressed a kiss against her cheek.
Elise froze.
She turned her head toward him, staring at him in complete surprise.
"This limousine is yours from now on," he said, his voice carrying the same drunken certainty he had shown all night. "I'll bring flowers for you every day from now on. You can use this to go to work."
He glanced toward the car before looking back at her.
"And if you want another car, I'll get you another one. If you want a different color, a different model, anything... I'll buy it."
Elise could only stare at him.
Her gaze slowly moved back toward the limousine.
The inside was unlike anything she had ever seen.
The entire space had been transformed into something almost unreal.
Luxurious seats, elegant decorations, and flowers filling every corner until it looked less like a vehicle and more like a private garden on wheels.
There were even small arrangements placed carefully throughout the interior, making it impossible to look anywhere without seeing another bouquet.
For a moment, she forgot what she was supposed to say.
Her heart skipped slightly as she turned back toward him, disbelief written all over her face.
"What is going on?" she asked.
Her voice came out barely above a whisper, because she genuinely couldn't understand what was happening.
But Xavier didn't give her time to process it.
His eyes moved from her stunned expression to the limousine and then back to her again, as if he had decided something else.
Before she could question him, he bent down and lifted her into his arms again.
Elise gasped.
"Xavier!"
He ignored her protest and carried her toward the car parked beside the limousine. Carefully opening the door, he slid her inside before climbing in after her.
As Elise lifted her head, still trying to understand the chaos of the night, she noticed the person sitting in the driver's seat.
Benjamin.
The man looked completely exhausted, like he had been dragged out of his own bed and rushed there without a moment's notice.
"Benjamin? What are you doing?" Elise asked, shocked.
Benjamin gave her a tired smile, though there was still a strange happiness on his face.
"Don’t worry about me, Ms. Foster. I got five million dollars from Mr. Chen to come and help him," he said proudly. “I haven't earned that much money even after five years at my job."
The grin on his face stretched from ear to ear, as if he had just received the best news of his life.
Elise could only stare at him.
Before she could say anything else, Xavier reached forward and grabbed her face, turning her attention back toward him.
"Just drive already," he ordered Benjamin.
"Yes, boss."
Benjamin immediately started the car.
The vehicle pulled away from the apartment building and moved onto the quiet streets of the city. It was late, and most of the city had already gone silent. The usual chaos of New York had disappeared, leaving only empty roads and scattered lights in the distance.
For a long time, neither of them spoke.
The drive continued through the empty streets, and slowly, the exhaustion from the night caught up with Elise. Despite everything that had happened, despite the confusion and disbelief, she eventually leaned against Xavier without realizing it.
Her head rested on his shoulder.
And before long, she fell asleep.
When she woke up, the first thing she felt was the gentle movement of the car beneath her. Her body shifted slightly as she slowly opened her eyes.
For a moment, she didn't know where she was.
Then she looked outside.
The sky was beginning to brighten.
The first rays of morning light were appearing, and the car was coming to a stop.
Elise sat up, looking around in confusion.
When she stepped out of the car, she realized they were on top of a hill overlooking the city.
Xavier turned toward Benjamin.
"Go back down. You can get a cab or something," he ordered.
Benjamin didn't even hesitate.
The moment he was dismissed, he turned around and walked away almost immediately, practically jogging down the hill like he had just been given the happiest assignment of his life.
Elise watched Benjamin disappear down the hill, confusion written all over her face. She turned back to Xavier, her brows knitting together.
"What is happening?"
Xavier didn't answer.
Instead, he closed the distance between them, reached for her hand, and laced his fingers through hers before gently tugging her along.
Without another word, he led her farther up the hill.
Elise glanced at him several times but didn't question him again, simply following as they walked in silence for the next few minutes until they finally reached the very edge of the hill.
She looked around in confusion before lifting her eyes to him.
"Why did you bring me here?" she asked, eyeing the steep drop ahead. "To murder me?"
Xavier immediately frowned.
"Don't joke about killing or death," he said, his voice low. "I don't like it."
Elise pressed her lips together, biting back the smile that threatened to appear, but she didn't argue. Instead, she watched as Xavier quietly lifted his hand and pointed toward the horizon.
She turned her head.
The sun was just beginning to rise, spilling golden light across the horizon as the first rays stretched over Manhattan.
From the top of the hill, the city looked breathtaking, its skyline glowing beneath the morning sky while the rolling hills and lush greenery surrounding them made it feel almost unreal.
It was as though they were standing at the very top of the world, with the entire city spread out beneath their feet.
For a long moment, Elise simply stood there, taking in the view before slowly turning back to him.
"Why did you bring me here?" she asked softly.
Xavier met her eyes. There was an unfamiliar innocence in them, almost boyish, and a small frown rested between his brows as though he was afraid of saying the wrong thing.
"Because I don't want you to leave me."
He held her gaze before continuing quietly.
"Cassian said that if I bought you expensive gifts, brought you flowers, and took you on drives, you'd see that I really love you." A helpless smile tugged at the corner of his lips. "I can't wait for years until you come back to me to do all those things. So... I decided to do them all now."
His fingers tightened gently around hers as he stepped closer. His free hand slowly rose to her face, his thumb brushing softly against her cheek.
"I'll do everything that makes you happy, Elise," he said, his voice rough with emotion. "Even if there are a million things, I'll do every single one of them. I'll spend the rest of my life showing you how much I love you."
He cupped her cheek a little more firmly, his eyes searching hers with quiet desperation.
"But please..." he whispered. "Can you love me again?"
His thumb continued to caress her cheek in slow, gentle strokes, the touch so tender that her heart clenched painfully in her chest. He was standing before her with every wall torn down, every ounce of pride stripped away, his heart completely exposed as he waited for her answer.
There wasn't a trace of an arrogant man in front of anymore.
There was only a man who loved her so much that he had laid everything he was at her feet.
Elise searched his eyes for a long moment before taking a small step closer. Slowly, she lifted her hands and wrapped them around his neck, holding his gaze.
"Do you promise?" she asked softly.
Xavier looked at her as though his heart had stopped beating. His breathing turned uneven, his grip on her hand tightening instinctively.
"I promise," he answered without hesitation. "Whatever it takes... whatever you want... I promise it'll be yours. I promise." His voice caught as he repeated the words, almost desperately. "I promise."
A faint smile appeared on Elise's lips.
She rose onto her tiptoes, closed the distance between them, and pressed her lips to his.
For a heartbeat, Xavier froze, unable to believe she was really kissing him.
Then his hand slid to the back of her head, gently cradling her as he kissed her back with all the longing he had kept buried inside him for so long.
Relief, gratitude, and love poured into that single kiss until neither of them seemed to notice the world around them.
It was afternoon by the time Xavier finally drove the car back down the hill. They had been driving in comfortable silence for several minutes when Elise looked out the window. As the familiar streets came into view, a small frown crossed her face.
She turned to him in confusion.
"Where are we going? That's not the way to my apartment."
The moment the words left her mouth, a worried expression crossed Xavier's face. He glanced at her before looking back at the road.
"You want to go back to your apartment? I thought we were—"
He couldn't even finish the sentence.