It was her father. Alex Emerald. "Where did you take your mother?" Alex demanded the moment she answered. "She's fine," Ruby said quietly. "She's getting the surgery she needs."
A pause, then his tone shifted, satisfied. "Good. That means you went back to your husband. Tell him I need three million. The company is collapsing. You have to help your father."
Ruby's hand tightened around the phone. "So you can gamble it away again?" she asked softly. "I'm sorry, Dad. I can't. And I don't have three million to give you. You'll have to figure this out on your own from now on."
It was the first time she had ever said no. In the past, every demand, every crisis, she had obeyed. She had sacrificed everything. And still, he couldn't save the company. He couldn't even save her mother.
"How dare you talk to me like that!" Alex roared. "I'm still your father! You owe me! You should be responsible for me!" Ruby swallowed hard, her chest burning.
"I should have let your mother abort you when she got pregnant," he continued viciously. "You ungrateful curse."
The words shattered something inside her. Tears spilled down her cheeks as she sat there, shaking, listening to her own father strip her of worth with his voice.
Behind her, the door knocked softly. Max hadn't meant to intrude. But before Ruby could end the call, before her numb fingers could press the button, Max stepped inside. And he heard everything.
"Get me that money," Alex yelled through the phone, "or you'll regret it. I'm warning you!"
The room went dead silent. Ruby stood frozen, tears falling freely now, and Max's expression hardened into something dark, cold… and dangerous. Max walked toward her with a small bottle in his hand. He gently took the phone from her fingers.
"I don't know who you are," he said into the receiver, his voice cold and steady, "but if you threaten my wife again, you'll regret it." Then he ended the call. He placed the phone carefully on the table.
Ruby lowered her head, shame and hurt weighing heavily in her chest.
"Yes," Max said softly, holding up the small bottle. "I brought this for you. With all the seafood you ate, I thought you might need it." Ruby forced a small smile.
It was late. She always took digestive medicine after heavy meals. How did he know? she wondered. Seron never had, not once. "Thank you," Ruby said quietly.
"I'll leave you to rest," Max replied. He was already in his pajamas. As he turned away, he paused.
Then, gently, he lifted her chin and wiped the tears from her cheeks with his thumb. "Sorry about my dad," she said. "He can be… harsh," Ruby said and swallowed hard.
"You don't have to tolerate him anymore," he said. "You need anything else?" Max asked softly. She shook her head. He hesitated, glanced back once, then twice as if wanting to say something more.
But in the end, he walked out. The door closed behind him. Ruby glanced at the seafood on the table. Despite everything, she refused to let the food go to waste.
She sat back down and continued eating, sniffing softly as she wiped her face with the back of her hand. But in her distraction, the sauce slipped.
Straight into her eyes. "Ahhh!" she screamed, dropping her head back, still stubbornly clutching the crab in her hand. The pain burned instantly.
Across the hall, Max heard the scream and bolted out of his room as if the house were on fire. "What happened?" he asked urgently, rushing in. He froze for half a second, then nearly laughed.
Ruby stood there with her eyes tightly shut, face scrunched in pain, still holding onto the crab like her life depended on it. "What happened?" Max asked again, trying to sound serious.
"I…I got pepper in my eyes," Ruby cried. "It hurts!"
"Okay, okay…easy," Max said quickly. "Give me that." He gently took the crab from her hand. "Try to relax," he added. "No, it burns," she whimpered. "I know," Max said softly. "Come on."
He guided her into the bathroom, turned on the shower, and carefully helped her rinse her face and hands. Cool water streamed down as he steadied her, his hands firm but gentle. Slowly… the burning eased. "Try opening your eyes," Max said quietly.
Ruby hesitated, then slowly blinked them open. Max was right there, close. Too close. He leaned in slightly, blowing cool air toward her eyes to soothe the sting. Water dripped from his hair, his shirt clinging lightly to his broad frame.
Ruby suddenly felt very small. And very aware. Her gaze drifted downward before she could stop herself, taking in his solid presence, the way he held her without hesitation. How can one man be this dangerously calm… and this unfairly attractive? she thought.
Neither of them moved. The bathroom was quiet except for the sound of water dripping, and the unspoken tension filling the space between them.
Max quickly grabbed a towel and gently wrapped it around her shoulders. "Is it better now?" he asked, worry clear in his voice. Ruby blinked, suddenly pulled back to reality.
"Yes… I'm sorry. Thank you," she murmured. She stepped out of the bathroom first, clutching the towel tightly to herself. "It's nothing..I…I'll leave for you to change," Max added softly and turned to leave, moving a little too fast.
His foot slipped. Everything happened at once. He lost his balance and fell forward, but instinct kicked in. His arm wrapped protectively around Ruby's head as they both went down onto the carpet.
The impact was soft. Too soft. Ruby lay frozen beneath him, his weight pressing her gently into the floor. She felt small, overwhelmingly so, but there was something else, too. Something she couldn't quite name. Not fear. Not panic.
Max froze the second they landed. His hand was still cradling her head, his other braced beside her. For a heartbeat, he simply stared at her, his expression full of desire, intense, restrained.
For one dangerous second, it felt like the entire world held its breath. Then reality rushed back in. Max pushed himself up immediately, stepping away as if burned. "I…I'm sorry," he said quickly, voice tight. "Are you hurt?"
Ruby shook her head, her heart pounding far too fast for a simple fall. "No," she whispered.
They stood there in silence, both wet, both shaken, both pretending that moment hadn't almost crossed a line.