Ruby
Feeling completely drained, I stepped into Damian’s office, finding him completely engrossed in his work. When he looked up and caught sight of me, a faint smile graced his lips, but it quickly faded into a look of concern. His blue eyes softened with worry as they met mine, sensing the exhaustion written all over my face.
“Fuck, you must have had a rough day,” he remarked, his tone sympathetic. He rose from his chair, a gesture of solidarity, as I made my way to the inviting, comfy couch in his office.
“Trust me, I fucking did,” I managed to joke, a weary smile playing on my lips. Self-consciously, I brushed a loose strand of hair behind my ear, feeling suddenly vulnerable under his intense gaze.
I had made a conscious decision to regard Damian strictly as a business partner and not a mate in order to feel more comfortable around him. However, the intense gaze he was giving me now ignited an unexpected feeling of warmth inside me, causing me to reconsider my initial stance.
For a moment, I entertained the idea of giving in to temptation and indulging in a playful flirtation with Damian. His prolonged gaze seemed to hint that he could sense my thoughts. Eventually, a gentle smile reappeared on his lips.
Despite the urge deep within me to draw closer to him, driven by a sense of connection that could only be caused by the mate bond between us, I quickly pushed it aside. Instead, I cleared my throat awkwardly, attempting to diffuse the tension between us.
Romance seemed like an unaffordable luxury in my life, especially with Damian still entangled with unresolved issues concerning his ex-mate. I refused to be just a rebound for him; despite this, the idea of spending just one night with him tantalisingly lingered in my mind. Perhaps, I mused, it could serve as a cathartic release, a way to finally purge him from my thoughts and alleviate the stress that had built up over seven long years of sexual frustration.
“You look stunning with blond hair,” he complimented suddenly, catching me off guard. My cheeks flushed with a blush, surprised and flattered by his remark. I felt like a high school girl meeting her crush for the first time after years of secretly admiring him.
“Thank you,” I responded, a bit flustered, grateful when he returned to his chair after noticing my discomfort and giving me a moment to collect myself.
“So…” he began, breaking the silence.
“So….” I awkwardly echoed his words, avoiding direct eye contact as I nervously glanced around the room, silently hoping he couldn’t sense the lingering arousal in the air.
“So, how was your first day working at the Smith house?” he asked, his tone gentle as he shifted the conversation to a lighter topic, which I appreciated. Memories of the day flooded back, causing me to release a heavy sigh.
“Don’t even get me started.”
Damian leaned back in his chair, his expression attentive. “What happened?” he inquired, his curiosity piqued.
“Mrs. Smith made it pretty clear she doesn’t trust me,” I began, frustration evident in my voice. He raised his eyebrows in mock surprise. “Shocking, right?”
“I’m not joking, Damian. I was so fucking close to getting my ass fired, and right now I’m damn lucky she didn’t,” I confessed, measuring a small gap with my thumb and forefinger.
“Really? That bad?” Damian’s tone was laced with disbelief, his eyebrows furrowing slightly.
“Yeah, it was that bad,” I replied, rolling my eyes in exasperation.
“Obviously, you weren’t expecting her to welcome a stranger into her home, especially an unexpected one, and serve you a feast. But I was confident in you that you could handle everything alone. Besides, you changed your look, so what went wrong?” He asked, leaning forward with genuine curiosity, his eyes scanning my face for a reaction. I nodded in agreement, acknowledging his point.
“Yeah, I know. But I think it’s not just me alone; it seems like she has a problem with every female nurse she has ever employed. I think she sees them as a threat or something, so she made it pretty clear that she doesn’t want me meddling in her affairs by going to places I aren’t allowed to,” I explained, noticing Damian’s frown deepen as he processed my words.
“That doesn’t sound promising for our future plan. Did you notice anything else?”
“Yeah,” I replied, nodding. “I managed to snoop around and found a picture of the Smith family, but there was something off about it.”
“What do you mean?” Damian asked, clearly intrigued.
“Well, in the picture, Mrs. Smith and her son seemed distant from each other,” I explained, gesturing with my hands to emphasise my point.
“Their body language was almost… guarded, as if they were hiding something,” I explained, noticing Damian’s expression darken as he absorbed my observation.
“That’s concerning. It sounds like there’s more going on in that household than meets the eye,” Damian remarked, his tone tinged with worry. I nodded in agreement, feeling a sense of unease settle in the pit of my stomach.
“I think we should keep an eye on them. Who knows what secrets they’re hiding? It might be the key we need to perfect our plan. I will send a guard to discreetly monitor them and report any suspicious movement,” Damian proposed, his tone resolute.
Lost in thought, I simply nodded in response.
“Did you see the boy in person?” Damian’s question snapped me out of my reverie, and I met his gaze as he narrowed his eyes in curiosity.
“No, I didn’t. It was almost as if he didn’t live there,” I replied, shaking my head to emphasise my point.
“But when I asked Mrs. Smith about him, she became defensive and nearly fired me on the spot.” I sighed, and Damian’s expression darkened further, a frown creasing his brow.
“Now that’s fucking suspicious. Do you think they’re hiding something about him?” Damian’s tone conveyed urgency and suspicion, his brows furrowing as he contemplated the situation.
“Maybe,” I responded, feeling a shiver of apprehension run down my spine, my voice tinged with doubt.
“There’s definitely more to this family than meets the eye, and the boy might have the answers I need. I just need to find him; it shouldn’t be hard, right?” I questioned, my lips quirking into a wry smile.
“Yeah, that’s if it’s possible. I bet Mrs. Smith’s eyes would be on you for snooping around the last time. It would be a miracle for you to find him,” he responded.
“Yeah, she would definitely have her eyes glued to my back.” I chuckled, my laughter tinged with nervousness.
“One more thing, Damian,” I continued, my tone turning serious.
“Something strange happened when I gave Mr. Smith his medication.”
“What?” His eyebrows were raised in anticipation.
“While I waited for him to take the medication I gave him, instead of taking it instantly like I expected, he gazed outside the window with a distant look in his eyes,” I explained, furrowing my brow in confusion.
“Then, when I questioned him, he told me that he was ready to do the impossible to find a cure for his sickness.”
Damian’s expression shifted to one of awe as he processed my words. “And when I asked if it meant losing his position to a worthless omega as the council president, we got interrupted by the voice of his wife.”
“Interesting,” Damian mused, his brows furrowing in thought. “Desperation can drive people to extreme measures.”
I nodded in agreement, still processing the significance of Mr. Smith’s words.
“If he’s willing to go to such lengths, then he must be vulnerable,” Damian continued, a calculating gleam in his eyes.
“Hmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm,”
“Perhaps this is an opportunity for you to exploit his vulnerability and manipulate him into giving up his position as council president,” Damian suggested, his smirk indicating confidence in the plan.
“If he’s desperate enough to do anything to heal himself, then this will be as easy as stealing candy from a baby for you. I mean, you are very skilled at healing people,” Damian added, gesturing to himself as an example. The idea sent a shiver down my spine, but I couldn’t deny its potential for leverage.
“It’s risky,” I pointed out, voicing my concerns. “Although it could be worth it if it means uncovering the truth and bringing justice, but…” I sighed, running my hands through my hair in frustration.
“But?” Damian prompted, sensing my hesitation.
I chewed on my bottom lip, contemplating his question. “Yes, Damian, there’s a hurdle. It isn’t as easy as it looks,” I admitted.
“Before I even went there, I searched through my grandmother’s book for a cure, but I couldn’t find anything-it’s almost as if what’s wrong with him is incurable,” I confessed, feeling a pang of guilt gnaw at my conscience for considering exploiting the man’s vulnerability.
Damian’s brows furrowed in concern, a flicker of disbelief crossing his features. “That’s strange,” he remarked, rubbing his chin.
“If your book can’t heal him, then we have no choice but to use the Flower of Life, as it contains more supernatural healing properties,” he added, his suggestion catching me off guard. I nearly hit the table in surprise at his words.
“Damian!” I exclaimed, my voice betraying a mix of shock and disbelief.
“You risked your life to get that; would you just waste it away? Besides, you haven’t even used it for the main reason you got it,” I retorted, unable to hide the jealousy in my tone.
“What’s that?” Damian questioned, seeming oblivious to my implication. I rolled my eyes at his apparent ignorance. He just wanted me to say it, didn’t he?
“Your dead mate, remember?” I said, a hint of mockery in my laughter.
“Oh yeah, about that, Ruby, I’ve thought about everything that’s happened recently. I wanted to tell you this: I don’t plan on bringing Ava back to life anymore. It was selfish and stupid of me not to think about your feelings,” Damian confessed, his words catching me off guard.
I could only nod my head, feeling my heart threaten to explode as a sense of unease settled in the pit of my stomach. I couldn’t help but wonder if he was lying, although his eyes held a sincerity that was hard to ignore.
The atmosphere grew awkward for a moment, and I could tell Damian was expecting me to say something, but I was at a loss for words.
“I don’t care whatever you do with your life, Damian, or who you choose to raise from the dead. We have more pressing issues at hand, like, for instance, what if there’s more to his condition? Perhaps there’s something he’s not telling us, something he’s keeping hidden that is beyond my grandmother’s book,” I replied, my mind racing with possibilities.
Damian’s expression darkened, his eyes narrowing thoughtfully. “I never thought about that. We have to dig deeper,” he declared, a determined edge to his voice. We exchanged a meaningful look, and I knew that no matter what secrets lay hidden within the walls of the Smith household, I was prepared to uncover them, no matter the cost.
“Yeah, we must dig deeper,” I muttered, turning to leave.
“Ruby?” Damian called my name, sending shivers down my spine.
“What?” I turned back to face him, curious about what he had to say.
“What you said reminded me of something. I just recalled hearing about a similar case to Mr. Smith,” Damian began, capturing my attention with his words.
“There was someone who suffered from a similar illness as Mr. Smith, but he was cured when he confessed his crime.”
“His crime?” I echoed, and my interest piqued. “What kind of crime?” I inquired, eager for more information.
“He confessed to cheating on his mate. The rare sickness was a result of the moon goddess punishing him for his betrayal, and his illness was a manifestation of that punishment,” Damian revealed, his expression somber.
Wow. Could Mr. Smith have cheated on his wife, and that’s why he was being punished by the moon goddess? Or could that explain why Mrs. Smith is so insecure about the female nurses and got defensive when I asked her about the boy? Could it be that he wasn’t her son?
Before I could voice my thoughts, the door burst open, and Anna rushed in, pushing past me to reach her father. I couldn’t help but notice the change in her behaviour. There was something off about her, as if she no longer liked me and was avoiding me intentionally-not that I cared about her opinion, though.
“Daddy,” Anna’s voice was soft, but it carried a hint of desperation, and I realised she was sobbing.
“What is it, angel?” Damian’s concern was evident in his tone.
“I need my mommy back, Daddy. I need her,” Anna pleaded, her voice breaking with emotion.
She needs her mummy?
Fuck me.