The morning sun over City X was bright and strong, shining through the large windows of Ruby's bedroom.
She lay still for a while, watching the light hit the different fabrics on the mannequin in the corner.
Usually, looking at a new project, like the silk jacket she was making for her senior show, made her feel peaceful.
But today, her mind was on a different texture. She kept thinking about the dark, heavy sweater the stranger had worn and the cold look in his eyes that felt more real than anything else in her house.
A soft knock came at her door.
"Ruby? Breakfast is ready. Your father is asking for you," her mother called out.
Elena's voice always sounded a bit shaky, as if she were worn out from years of pretending to be the perfect wife to such a powerful man.
Ruby rolled over and pulled her blanket up. "I'm skipping, Mom. I have a big project due at school, and I need to get to the studio early. I'll just eat something on the way."
The hallway went silent for a moment. Ruby knew her mother was probably worried about how Marcus would react, but she finally heard her walking away. Ruby waited until it was quiet before she sat up.
She loved her fashion studies at the city's top arts university. It was a world full of color and expression, everything her father's world was not.
While he dealt with cold facts and national security, she focused on how the right cut of fabric could change a person's whole look. It was her own way of being a rebel.
She dressed quickly in a simple, stylish outfit with loose pants and a structured top, then grabbed her sketchbook. She wanted to focus on her designs, but as she went downstairs, she realized she wouldn't escape the house so easily.
Marcus was standing in the foyer, checking his watch while a guard held his bag. He looked like he hadn't slept at all, and his face was hard with concentration.
Steve was already gone; her brother had left for his own apartment the night before to avoid more talk about "shadow forces" and "threats."
Marcus looked up when Ruby reached the bottom of the stairs. He looked at her outfit, not with pride, but as if he were calculating something.
"You're leaving early," he said. It wasn't a question.
"Studio time is hard to get, Dad. Everyone is working on their collections," Ruby said, keeping her voice light.
"Wait a moment," Marcus said, stepping in her way. "The National Security Charity Gala is in exactly one week. It's an important night for this family.
I've already hired a designer to come by tomorrow afternoon for your measurements. I want you to wear something that shows our status. Nothing too... experimental."
Ruby felt a heavy weight in her stomach. The gala. It would be a room full of stiff suits, fake smiles, and people trying to impress her father. "I can design my own dress, Dad. I am literally a fashion major."
"This isn't a school project, Ruby. It's a statement. Be here at three o'clock tomorrow. Don't be late."
He didn't wait for her to argue. He turned and walked out the door with his guards following him like shadows.
Ruby stood in the quiet hall, feeling annoyed. He didn't care about what she did; he only cared about how she looked in a photo next to him.
The University of City X was a beautiful place, a mix of old stone and modern glass. When Ruby stepped into the fashion department, the air felt different.
It smelled like steam and fabric dye. It was loud and messy, and for a few hours, she was able to lose herself in her work.
She spent the morning at her table, but her sketches were coming out wrong. Instead of the soft lines she usually liked, her hand kept drawing sharp angles and dark, heavy shapes.
She found herself sketching the jawline of the man from the club over and over again in the corners of her notebook.
"Wow, who is the mystery man?"
Ruby jumped and quickly flipped the page. Her friend Maya was standing there with two cups of coffee. Maya was the opposite of Ruby, loud, colorful, and not impressed at all by the Mariposa name.
"Just a character study," Ruby lied, taking the coffee. "I'm thinking of doing something more structured for the gala."
"The gala? Oh right, the 'Most Boring Night of the Year,'" Maya joked, sitting on the table. "I don't know how you do it. I'd go crazy if I had to stand around all those old generals and CEOs.
Did you hear the gossip, though? My cousin says a huge company called Vanguard is buying up the whole industrial district. People say it's a big deal for the city."
Ruby's heart skipped a beat. "Vanguard? I think my dad mentioned them."
"Yeah, they're everywhere suddenly," Maya said, taking a sip of her coffee.
"But nobody knows who the boss is. Some say he's a billionaire from Country V, others say he's a tech genius who hates the spotlight. Either way, everyone is talking about him."
Ruby nodded, trying to look like she didn't care much. "Sounds like just another rich guy."
"Maybe. But a rich guy with a lot of secrets is always more interesting, don't you think?" Maya winked and went back to her sewing station.
Ruby looked back at her sketchbook. A rich guy with secrets. She thought of the way the man had looked at her. He didn't look like a guy who cared about money or being famous. He looked like a man carrying a heavy, dark burden.
The rest of the day moved slowly. Ruby stayed in the studio until sunset, but she couldn't get her work done. The image of the man raising his glass kept flashing in her mind. It was like a puzzle she couldn't solve.
When she finally went home, the house was quiet but felt tense. The guards at the gate were very alert, and there were extra black SUVs parked in the back.
Her father was in his study with the door shut, and her mother was in the living room, staring at a magazine.
"Steve called," Elena said as Ruby walked past. "He said he's staying at his place tonight because he has a lot of work to do."
Ruby nodded. She knew "work" was just an excuse for her brother to stay away from their father. She felt a wave of loneliness. In this giant house, she felt like the only one who wanted to scream.
She went up to her room and threw her bag down. She didn't want to think about the gala or the designer coming tomorrow. She walked out onto her balcony and looked at the city. It started to rain, a soft drizzle that made the city lights look blurry.
She thought about the man again. Where was he now? Was he in one of those tall glass buildings, or was he somewhere in the dark industrial district?
She pulled out her sketchbook and opened it to the page she had hidden from Maya. The drawing was rough, but it showed the intensity in his eyes. She traced the lines with her finger.
'Some things, once lost, have a way of finding their way back.'
The words he had said felt like they were pulling at her. She didn't know who he was, but she knew that her quiet, perfect, boring life in this house wasn't enough anymore.
She wanted to know why he had looked at her like that. She wanted to know why he felt so familiar, yet so foreign at the same time.
She looked at her dark leather jacket
hanging on the door. Her father wanted her to be a doll in a pretty dress for his gala, but Ruby knew she couldn't wait a week.
The mystery was right there, just beyond the walls of the estate, and she was tired of sitting in the dark.
She wasn't a child anymore. She was a woman who knew how to find what she was looking for.