The next day moved with a fast, blurry speed that Ruby found exhausting.
Between her classes at the university and the heavy mood at the estate, she felt like she was being pulled in a dozen different directions.
The morning at the school was a mess of final projects and quick changes. In the design studio, the air was thick with the smell of steam and the chatter of students who were worried about their graduation projects.
Ruby sat at her workspace, pinning a sleeve, but her mind was far away.
She wasn't looking for the man from the night before, at least, that's what she told herself but the memory of him was like a quiet sound in the back of her head.
Every time the door opened, she looked up, half expecting to see a tall, dark shadow, even though she knew that was silly. He didn't belong in a bright room full of sewing machines and sketches. He belonged to the night.
Her graduation was coming soon, and the pressure of her future felt like a physical weight.
For a long time, she had been quietly planning to leave. She had a folder on her laptop with pictures of small apartments in the city where the walls weren't thick and there were no cameras watching her.
She hadn't told her father yet. Marcus Mariposa saw his family as a group under his command.
He would think his daughter living in a normal apartment was a danger to her security. Ruby decided the gala next week would be the last time she acted like the perfect daughter.
After that, she would stand up for herself. She needed her own space and a life that didn't feel like a performance.
"Still hiding from the real world, Ruby?"
The voice was loud and sounded arrogant. Ruby didn't have to look up to know it was Julian Vane.
Julian was the son of one of her father's business partners. He was a rich, spoiled guy who treated the school like a social club. He was handsome in a boring way, with perfect hair and a fake smile.
"I'm working, Julian," Ruby said, her voice flat as she reached for her pins.
"Working on what? Another dress you'll never wear?" Julian leaned on her table, his shadow falling over her work.
"You're a Mariposa. You don't need a job. You just need to show up to the gala and look like a princess. My father said your dad expects a big crowd. I'll see you there, right?"
Ruby finally looked up, her face showing how bored she was. "I'll be there because I have to be, Julian. Not because I want to hear you talk about your new boat for three hours."
Julian's smile dropped, but he didn't leave. "You're always so mean, Ruby. It's a bit much for a Tuesday morning. I'll see you at the country club later? My parents are having a small party."
"I have a fitting to get to," she lied. "And then I have to study. Enjoy your party."
She went back to her work, ignoring him until he finally walked away. Maya, her only real friend, came over the second he was gone.
"God, he is so annoying," Maya whispered. "How do you not just poke him with a needle?"
"Because then I'd have to deal with his father's lawyers," Ruby sighed. "He is exactly what I'm trying to get away from, Maya."
"You're really going to move out?"
Ruby looked at her sketches and the messy lines she had drawn. "I have to. If I don't leave after graduation, I'm never going to go. I'll just be a decoration in my father's house until he decides which businessman I should marry."
The return to the estate that afternoon was just as stiff as she expected. The designer her father had hired was already there with a measuring tape around his neck.
Her mother, Elena, was standing by the window, looking tired as she stared at fabric samples.
Ruby stood on a small platform while the designer worked. The tape measure moved around her waist and shoulders. They talked about her as if she weren't even there, discussing things like "modesty" and "elegance" and which shade of blue would best represent the family name.
"The Director wants you to look graceful," the designer muttered, pinning silk to her shoulder.
Ruby felt like a doll being fixed for a shelf. The more they pinned, the more she wanted to run. By the time they were done and her father had given a quick nod of approval from the door, Ruby felt like she was suffocating.
The house was too quiet and the walls were too thick.
She needed to go back to the lounge.
She didn't know why, and she didn't try to think about it. She just wanted to see if the man with the gray eyes was real.
She waited until the house was quiet for the night. This time, she didn't wear her student clothes. She chose a small, black dress from the back of her closet, one she had bought herself and never shown anyone. It was simple and made her feel like herself.
She slipped out of the estate and took a taxi to the lounge. The place was busier tonight, smelling like expensive drinks and filled with the sound of jazz.
Ruby walked in, her heart beating slow and heavy. She didn't look at the bar. She looked straight at the VIP section.
And there he was.
He was sitting in the same booth under the dim light. He wore a dark, perfect suit that made him look very handsome.
He was just sitting there with a glass in his hand, looking at the room with a cold, focused look. He looked powerful and exciting.
Ruby felt a pull immediately. It was a physical feeling, like gravity drawing her toward him. She didn't stop this time. She walked right to the booth and sat down across from him.
The man slowly looked up. A small, dark smile touched his lips. He didn't look surprised.
"Back so soon?" he asked. His voice was low and smooth, vibrating in the air between them.
"I couldn't sleep," Ruby replied, her voice steady even though her heart was racing. "And I don't like leaving conversations unfinished."
"There was nothing left to say," he said, leaning forward. The light caught the sharp lines of his face and his strong jaw. He looked at her, his eyes moving from her neck to her dress.
"You look different tonight. Like someone who knows the city is dangerous."
Ruby felt a flush of heat. "Is that a compliment?"
"It's an observation," he said softly. He set his glass down. "You have a look in your eyes, Ruby. Like you're waiting for your life to start, but you're afraid of what will happen when it does."
The mood between them was thick and heavy with tension. Ruby knew she should be careful, this man was a stranger who lived in the shadows, but she couldn't pull herself away. He felt like the only thing in the city that was actually real.
"You talk a lot about me," she said, leaning in. "But you still haven't told me anything about yourself. Not even your name."
"Maybe I don't want you to have a name to put in a box," he said. "Names give people power over you. I prefer to keep mine."
The music in the lounge changed, becoming slow and rhythmic. He stood up, his tall frame looming over the table. He held out his hand.
"Dance with me."
It wasn't a question; it was a challenge. Ruby looked at his hand, then at his face. Her brain told her to leave and go back to the safe estate. But her heart was already lost. She put her hand in his.
The moment their skin touched, it felt like a jolt of electricity. His hand was warm and firm. He led her to the small, dark dance floor and pulled her close. Ruby felt the heat of his body through her thin dress.
They moved slowly to the music. Ruby placed her hand on his shoulder, feeling the hard muscle beneath his suit. He was much taller than her, and his presence felt overwhelming. The smell of his cologne filled her senses.
It was dangerous. She could feel it in the way he held her and the way he looked at her. But she couldn't pull away.
"You're shivering," he whispered near her ear.
"It's not cold in here," she admitted.
He pulled her a little closer against his chest. She could feel the steady beat of his heart. For a few minutes, the rest of the world was gone. There was no Marcus, no school, and no gala.
There was only the music and the man who felt like a storm she was willing to walk into.
She looked up at him, her face inches from his. He was so handsome in the shadows. "Why do you look at me like that?" she whispered.
"Like what?"
"Like you know me. Even though we've never met."
His face changed for a second, and a dark look passed through his eyes before he hid it. "Maybe I just recognize someone else who is tired of living in a world that doesn't belong to them."
He stopped moving, but he didn't let her go.
They stood in the middle of the floor as the music faded. The tension between them was so tight it felt like it was about to snap. Ruby looked at his lips, wondering what it would feel like to kiss him.
But he pulled back first.
He didn't drop her hand right away, but he moved back, looking around the room as if he had noticed something change.
"I should get you a taxi," he said, his voice suddenly cold and professional.
"I didn't ask for a taxi," Ruby said, feeling disappointed.
"It's late," he said, looking toward the door. "And you shouldn't be in a place like this after midnight. Not alone."
He walked her to the door, his hand resting lightly on her back. He didn't say anything else until they reached the street.
He called a taxi and opened the door for her.
"I don't even know where to find you if I want to talk again," Ruby said before she got in.
"You don't need to look for me, Ruby," he said, looking into her eyes one last time. "If you're meant to find me, you will."
He closed the door. As the car drove away, Ruby looked out the back window. He was standing on the sidewalk under the streetlights, watching her disappear into the traffic.
She sat back in the seat, her heart still hammering. She didn't know his name or what he wanted.
She only knew that the "safe" life she had been living was gone. She was curious, and she was terrified of how much she wanted to see him again.
As the taxi drove toward the estate, Ruby looked at her hand, the one he had held. She could still feel the warmth.
The gala was only days away, and her father's world was waiting, but all she could think about was the man in the shadows.
She wasn't looking for trouble. But for the first time in years, she felt like trouble had finally found her.