Ruby stood there in shock, anger rising fast enough to cut through the numbness. Was this some kind of sick joke? "Excuse me, sir, what the hell?" Ruby snapped, her voice trembling with offense and disbelief.
Max didn't flinch.
"I mean no disrespect," he said calmly. "It came out wrong." He paused, choosing his words carefully and precisely, this time, always deliberate. "What I'm offering is simple. You marry me for one year. In exchange, I pay for your mother's surgery and all related bills."
Ruby stared at him as if he had lost his mind. "Why would you think I'd ever agree to that?" she demanded. "This is insane. You're Seron's father, my ex-husband's father."
"Stepfather," Max corrected gently. "And I have my reasons."
He reached into his briefcase and placed a document on the small hospital table. "But the choice is entirely yours," he added. "If you agree, you sign here. We get married immediately."
Ruby's chest tightened as she stared at the papers. Her thoughts spiraled, her mother's fragile breathing, the mounting bills, the silence of an empty future. She looked back up at him, suspicion blazing in her eyes.
"Did Seron do something?" she asked sharply. "Is this about revenge? Are you trying to use me to get back at your own son?"
Max held her gaze, something unreadable flickering in his eyes, something he quickly buried. He had always liked her that much, which was true. What he didn't say or what he couldn't say was that the truth was far more complicated than Ruby was ready to handle. That this wasn't about Seron at all.
And Max knew, deep down, that if she knew the whole truth now, it would destroy her. So instead, he waited. Because sometimes, the hardest bargains are born not of cruelty but of fear.
"Forget about what I want," Max said quietly. "What do you want? After everything Seron did to you… your baby…." Max let out a short, humorless scoff.
Before he could say anything else, Ruby lifted her head. "I'll marry you." The words came out blunt, almost cold but inside, she was shaking.
Her pride no longer mattered. Her dignity had already been trampled on. This wasn't love, and she didn't pretend it was. This was survival. This was a hand being offered when she was drowning, and she would take it. And maybe… just maybe… it was also a chance to rise again.
Seron had broken her heart. He had humiliated her, reduced her to nothing, and treated her like she was disposable. He couldn't respect her as his wife.
Fine.
She would teach him what it meant to respect a woman by becoming his stepmother. Ruby didn't care what he would gain from this, the arrangement worked for her.
Max studied her for a long moment. "Good," he said finally, his voice low. There was no smile. No warmth. No flicker of emotion. The infamous ice-cold CEO lived up to his name.
Ruby searched his face, trying to read his intentions, but there was nothing there, just calm, controlled stillness. Eventually, she gave up. What she didn't see was the quiet relief settling deep inside him.
Without another word, Ruby picked up the pen and signed the papers without reading a single line. "Great," Max said, gathering the documents neatly.
At that moment, the hospital door opened, and a group of doctors walked in, their expressions serious but purposeful.
Ruby's heart skipped. "Wait, what's going on?" she asked, confused, panic creeping into her voice. Max turned to her calmly. "I told you," he said. "I solve problems."
"Everything is ready for your mother's surgery," the doctor said gently but firmly. "We've secured a compatible heart for transplant. However, your mother needs to be transported to North Caronland. We have one of the best cardiology teams there, already on standby to operate."
Before Ruby could fully process his words, nurses were already moving, adjusting machines, and preparing to wheel her mother out. Everything was happening too fast, too suddenly.
"W–wait… North Caronland?" Ruby stammered, panic flooding her chest. "I…I need to be with my mother. I'll have to apply for a visa and.."
"Don't worry," Max interrupted calmly. "Your mother will be in very good hands." Ruby turned to him, still dazed. "But you," Max continued, his voice lowering, "you need to come with me."
"What?" Ruby asked, confused. "Why, sir?" He paused for half a second, then said evenly, "To get married."
A soft smile tugged at the corner of his lips, it was so brief it was almost gone before it appeared. He wiped it away quickly, his expression returning to its usual composure.
Ruby caught it. For a moment, she wondered if her exhausted mind was playing tricks on her. He couldn't possibly be happy about this… could he? Before she could say anything else, Max reached for her hand.
"Come," he said simply. He walked fast, his long strides confident and purposeful. Ruby had to almost jog to keep up, her heart racing, not just from fear for her mother, but from the reality settling in. Her life had changed direction in a single morning again, and it was terrifying, it looked like an answered prayer at the same time a time bomb she fear will crash on her soon.
It was 9 a.m. on a Tuesday, far too early in the week for daydreaming, yet Ruby found herself drifting anyway. Moments later, they stood beside Max's sleek black BMW, its surface gleaming under the morning sun. The driver stepped forward to open the door, but Max lifted a hand, stopping him.
"I've got it," he said calmly. He opened the door himself. As Ruby bent to get in, Max placed his hand above her head, shielding her just in case she hit the car frame.
It was such a small thing, but Ruby noticed. She hesitated for half a second, then slid into the seat. Her heart felt oddly tight. With the unreadable look on Max's face, she couldn't convince herself that the gesture meant anything personal.
He's just being a gentleman, she told herself. Probably because of his age. She wasn't used to this kind of consideration. That explanation felt safer.
Max walked around to the other side, unbuttoned his suit jacket, and settled into the back seat beside her. They sat at opposite ends close enough to feel each other's presence, yet far enough to keep the space carefully intact.
Ruby kept her eyes fixed on the window, watching the city blur past, her hands folded tightly in her lap. She felt stiff and very uncomfortable, as if she didn't quite belong in this moment.
Max, on the other hand, looked completely at ease. The car pulled away. After a few minutes, the BMW slowed in front of a high-end clothing store. The driver parked.
Ruby turned, confused. "Why are we stopping here, sir?"