"May I remind you again that we're married?" Before she could protest, he lifted her clean off the ground.
"Hey!" Ruby gasped. In seconds, she was already seated inside the car, the door shut, her seatbelt fastened.
"To the mansion," Max instructed the driver. Then, turning to her, he said quietly but firmly,
"You'll stay with me from now on. And in public, we are a real couple." Ruby swallowed and nodded, deliberately avoiding his gaze.
"Are you hungry?" Max asked.
Ruby opened her mouth to say no. What she really wanted was silence. A room. Space to breathe. The air around him felt heavy, too heavy, and her chest tightened just thinking about sitting across from him.
"I'm hungry," Max added calmly. "We should eat." Before she could object, the car slowed to a stop in front of a five-star restaurant glowing softly against the evening sky.
Inside, they were led into a private room. Max ordered without hesitation, his voice low and assured. When the dishes arrived, Ruby froze.
Every plate, every single one, was her favorite. She told herself she wouldn't eat. She had planned to sit there politely, untouched. But her stomach betrayed her, growling loudly in the quiet room.
She glanced up. Max was watching her or pretending not to. Slowly, she picked up her fork.
One bite turned into another. Then another. For the first time in weeks, she ate like someone who hadn't been surviving on grief alone. Max watched quietly, his gaze soft, unguarded.
Only when she realized nearly every plate was empty did Ruby stop. Her cheeks warmed with embarrassment. "I'm sorry," she said softly. "I didn't realize I was that hungry."
"That's fine," Max replied easily. "You've got something on your face." She quickly tried to wipe it away, fumbling awkwardly. "Here…sorry…"
Before she could finish, Max leaned closer and gently brushed his thumb against her cheek, wiping the spot clean. Their eyes met.
For a second, the world stilled. "Thank you," Ruby said quickly, leaning back, breaking the moment.
Max studied her, then smiled softly. "Are you okay? Do you want to leave… or would you like anything else?"
Ruby stared at him, startled. That was the third time she'd seen him smile. Is this really the ice-cold man everyone talks about? she wondered. And for reasons she didn't yet understand, that question unsettled her more than anything else, but her stomach came first.
"Ah…no," Ruby said, then hesitated. "But some seafood wouldn't be bad."
She tried not to sound greedy, but she knew her body would demand food again later. It was better to be prepared.
Max smiled again. He found it strangely amusing that she could turn down a limitless credit card yet light up at the thought of food.
He ordered more dishes, asking for them to be packaged. Ruby watched with quiet excitement, unable to hide it.
As they waited, her thoughts drifted to her mother. She missed her deeply and wished she could call, but she knew she'd still be under heavy sedation on the flight to North Caroland. Tomorrow, Ruby promised herself. I'll try again tomorrow.
They left the restaurant around half past seven.
By the time the car reached the remote Byron estate, night had fully settled in it was past eight. At some point during the drive, Ruby had fallen asleep. Her head rested against Max's shoulder, her breathing soft and even.
When the car finally came to a stop, she jolted awake. "Oh, I'm sorry sir," she murmured quickly, pulling back, embarrassed.
Max didn't say anything right away. He simply looked at her, his expression unreadable… as if he'd been there for a while, letting her sleep.
Max opened the car door for her and gestured for her to go first. "The house is usually quiet," he said as they walked toward the entrance. "The maids come in the morning and leave before five. I can have a few stay behind if you need anything."
Ruby glanced around. The estate was vast, too vast and yet strangely still. It felt empty, almost echoing. Oddly enough, she liked the quiet. After everything her life had thrown at her, the silence felt like a pause she desperately needed.
Still… being alone in such a place with the infamous ice-cold boss was mildly terrifying.
"No, it's fine, sir…" She stopped, groaned softly, and smacked her forehead. "I mean… Mr. Ice-cold, sorry, Mr. Byron."
Max slid his hands into his pockets, watching her fluster. For reasons he didn't care to examine, he found it… cute. "This is your home now," he said calmly. "Change anything you want. Rearrange. Replace. Do whatever makes you comfortable."
He knew calling him by his name wouldn't come easily, so he didn't push it. Max pushed open the main door. The house was dark. He was just about to reach for his phone when…Red lights flared on.
Music filled the space. Three gorgeous half-naked women appeared in silhouette, dancing gracefully and seductively in the dim glow. Ruby froze, her mouth falling open.
Rich people and their strange habits, she thought. Was this some kind of welcome?
Or… did he forget to tell his mistresses he had company tonight? She slowly turned to Max, speechless and very much awake now.
Suddenly, the lights snapped fully on. "I got you these beauties…" Samuel said cheerfully, dragging out the last word.
Then he saw Ruby. His smile froze. "Huh… I thought uh hmm."
Max didn't raise his voice, but the temperature in the room dropped instantly. "Get out. All of you," he said flatly. Samuel clapped his hands once, forcing an awkward grin. "Alright, ladies. Party's over. Time to go."
The women gathered their things quickly, murmuring apologies as they hurried past Ruby. "Sorry," Samuel added under his breath as they left. Max turned his gaze to him.
"You too. Get out." Samuel winced but still tried to play it off. "Hey, Mrs. Byron," he said to Ruby casually, recognizing her as Seron's wife.
"Mrs. Maximillian Byron," Max corrected coldly. Samuel blinked. Ruby tilted her head slightly, her expression unreadable. Well… yeah, she thought. Story of my life.
Samuel stared between them, confusion written all over his face. "You and I will discuss this later," Max continued. "For now…leave. And your bonus this month is canceled."
"Oh come on, I was only…" Samuel started. "And next month's too," Max added without hesitation. Samuel's mouth snapped shut.
He nodded once, wisely choosing silence this time, and walked out quickly, leaving the room steeped in an awkward, newly established truth. Ruby exhaled slowly.
"Sorry about that," Max said after a moment. "He can be… I don't…"
He stopped, clearly searching for the right words. He wanted to explain that he wasn't that kind of man. That those women meant nothing.
Ruby simply nodded. "Which way is my room?" she asked quietly, still holding the packed food in her hand.
Max paused, then nodded. "I'll take you." He walked ahead, and Ruby followed, her eyes drifting over the quiet glamour of the mansion. Everything felt unreal, too polished, too grand.
"This is the master bedroom," Max said, opening a door. "You can stay here. There are clothes and necessities inside. If you need anything, tell Jo, the housekeeper. She'll be here tomorrow."
Ruby stepped inside slowly, absorbing the space. "Goodnight," Max added. He placed the black card on the table, then turned and walked out without looking back.
Once he was gone, Ruby closed the door and leaned against it for a second, exhaling. She walked into the walk-in closet and froze.
Clothes. Shoes. Bags. Jewelry. So many of them. It felt as though he had known she would say yes. As though this space had been waiting for her. Her gaze shifted to a corner where several shopping bags were neatly arranged. Curious, she opened one… then another.
They were the dresses. The ones she had tried on earlier that day, many others she saw on the rack.
A small smile tugged at her lips before she could stop it. She dropped onto the bed and rolled across it like a little girl, letting herself forget just for a moment how broken she had been hours ago.
After a long shower, she changed into a soft nightgown she found in the closet, plugged her phone in, and finally opened the packed seafood.
As she ate, she absentmindedly scrolled through her phone. Then she saw it.
Seron and Acacia arm in arm, smiling at a high-profile event. The photo was already trending. Her blood boiled, they don't know what is coming for them.
Her fingers tightened around the phone. She was about to toss it across the room when
It started to ring.