Ruby bestowed upon Quinn a courteous smile, a silent salutation. She uttered no further words, busying herself with drying her hands before disappearing from sight.


    Quinn''s gaze lingered on Ruby''s retreating figure, a graceful silhouette against the backdrop of their mundane surroundings. As her attention returned to her own reflection, she couldn''t help but notice the stark contrast between them. Quinn was disheveled, a stark contrast to Ruby''s poise. The realization dawned on her that some individuals possessed the ability to stir feelings of insecurity with a mere nce.


    Ruby was likely the object of everyone''s admiration.Quinn studied her unruly hair in the mirror, a wry smile tugging at the corners of her mouth. ''How could anyone find me appealing?'' she mused. After taming her rebellious locks, she exited the restroom.


    Upon returning to her desk, Quinn noticed Ruby standing beside Maria, both women engrossed in whatever was disyed on Maria''sputer screen. Their conversation was a murmur of hushed whispers.


    Maria''s eyes flicked towards Quinn as she whispered, "Ruby, do you have any dirt on that dummy?"


    Ruby''s demeanor faltered for a moment before she regained herposure. "Focus on your work and stop spreading rumors," she admonished.


    Maria pouted but obediently returned to her task, finalizing the documents at hand. Ruby shot Quinn a nce, an unreadable emotion flickering in her eyes before she retreated to her office.


    With Ruby''s return, Maria dared not ck off, leaving Quinn with little to do in the past few days. Although Kyle had burdened her with a stack of worksheets, he ended uppleting most of them himself, leaving Quinn with an abundance of free time.


    However, a problem arose concerning Leon. On Friday, as she prepared to leave, she overheard whispers of an issue with Leon''s ounts and the impending arrival of an investigator. The rumor mill suggested that Leon might face imprisonment.


    Sympathetic nces were thrown in Quinn''s direction as the office buzzed with whispers. The consensus seemed to be that Quinn was involved with Leon, and with his current predicament, she had lost her protector.Ignoring their stares, Quinn positioned herself quietly in a corner. As the elevator arrived, she stepped in and swiftly exited the building.


    The previous night, Alexander hadn''t returned home, but Nichs had sent her a message detailing their meeting location for the following day.


    Clutching her phone, Quinn spent the night on the couch, rising early the next morning to head to the coffee shop Nichs had chosen.


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    There, at the designated spot, sat a man who appeared to be in his thirties. He was dressed in a suit, his hair styled with precision. His chiseled features and determined gaze mirrored the resolve in his voice. Quinn approached and took the seat opposite Nichs.


    Upon noticing her, Nichs offered a smile and a nod. "Quinn, right?"She responded with a slight nod.


    "We''ve already discussed the specifics via text, so let''s head to the elder''s ce," Nichs suggested.


    Confusion clouded Quinn''s features. She had no idea where Ariel resided.Nichs, noticing her perplexed expression, inferred as much. "You don''t know?"Quinn nodded, her cheeks flushing with embarrassment. She felt as though she had wasted Nichs''s time.


    Nichs furrowed his brows. "Thisplicates things, but wait here. I''ll make a call."


    He retrieved his phone and dialed a number. "Can you look someone up for me? Yeah, I''ll send over the info soon, thanks."Original from N?velDrama.Org.


    After ending the call, he turned to Quinn. "You know he goes by Ariel. Do you have any other information?"


    Quinn typed on her phone, "Juliet had a grandson who''s about to get married."


    "Got it," Nichs acknowledged with a nod.As they waited for a response, Nichs picked up the menu. "What would you like to drink?"Quinn touched her cheek, remembering that she didn''t drink coffee and currently couldn''t due to being on an IV drip. She requested a ss of water.


    Nichs observed her for a moment before speaking. "Quinn, I don''t mean to pry, but were you born unable to speak, or...?"


    She bit her lip and shook her head, indicating that she didn''t know.