《To the Love of My Life》 Chapter 1 - 1: 1: The Male God Lives Next Door (1) Chapter 1 - 1: 1: The Male God Lives Next Door (1) Trantor:549690339 You give me warmth, and I promise you a world in love ¡ª¡ª When Ruby Gregory wakes up, it¡¯s already bright outside. She stretcheszily, then feels a soreness throughout her body. Frowning, she sits up and sees the faint shadow of a tall figure in the bathroom with the ss door open, apanied by the sound of running water. Ruby is stunned for two seconds before suddenly recalling the passionate moments with Steve Burton the previous night. Her face turns slightly red, and she instinctively grabs the quilt, lowering her head shyly. Ruby and Steve have known each other since childhood and have always been close friends. Now that they finally share a bed, he should take responsibility and marry her, right? Upon thinking this, Ruby¡¯s eyes light up with excitement. About ten minutester, the bathroom door opens. Ruby looks up to see Steve, dressed neatly, walking out. Despite knowing him for nearly twenty years, the man before her still astounds her: deep eyes, pale lips, perfect features, all paired with a simple white dress shirt, presenting a stunning, breathtaking appearance. Ruby holds onto the quilt a little tighter, a gentle smile on her face as she softly calls his name, ¡°Steve¡­¡± Steve¡¯s face is almost expressionless. He walks past Ruby sitting on the bed, with a graceful demeanor, but never once ncing at her. Standing in front of the wardrobe, he picks up his suit jacket, and wearing it leisurely in front of the cheval mirror. Justst night, they were so sweet together. But after their passionate encounter, he¡¯s be so cold. Ruby frowns but keeps the same gentle smile on her face, speaking again, ¡°Steve,st night¡­¡± As Ruby utters these two words, she falls silent. Even though she wants to marry him, how can she bring up such an event? Steve has his back turned towards Ruby, and when he hears the words st night,¡± his fingers pause slightly before casually buttoning up his suit one by one. Only then does he slowly turn around and meet Ruby¡¯s gaze. The man doesn¡¯t speak, his face still expressionless and seemingly calm, yet somehow exuding an aura of pressure that fills Ruby with an uncontroble sense of tension and unease. Ruby swallows hard and tactfully asks, ¡°Steve, do you have something to doter¡­?¡± Before Ruby can finish speaking, Steve interrupts her with his absolutely stunning voice. His tone is neutral, yet connected to her previous sentence, ¡°Last night? What aboutst night?¡± What does he mean, ¡°What aboutst night?¡± They had slept together¡­Ruby opens her mouth, looking puzzled at the elegantly dressed and refined Steve, not quite understanding the meaning behind his words. Steve takes two steps forward, raises Ruby¡¯s chin with his hand, and leans in, getting closer to her face. ¡°Although you were inexperienced and a bit shy, which didn¡¯t make itpletely satisfying, I still quite liked it¡­¡± Steve pauses for a moment before adding, ¡°However, that¡¯s limited to onlyst night in bed.¡± Chapter 2 - 2: 2: The Male God Lives Next Door (2) Chapter 2 - 2: 2: The Male God Lives Next Door (2) Trantor:549690339 The man¡¯s voice was low and pleasant, yet, this pleasant voice was like a knife, plunging deeply into Ruby Gregory¡¯s heart. Thest trace of color on her face faded awaypletely, her voice slightly pale: ¡°Steve Burton, what do you mean by that?¡± Upon hearing her retort, Steve Burton sneered coldly, looking at Ruby Gregory with her pale face. He opened his mouth as if he wanted to say something, but in the end, he simply pulled up a corner of his lips, then let go of Ruby Gregory¡¯s chin and turned to leave. ¨C With the ¡°bang¡± of the door closing, Ruby Gregory¡¯s face became even paler. She sat dazedly on the bed ¨C her brain buzzing with confusion. Why would Steve Burton say such a thing to her? Where did things go wrong? Why did Steve seem like a changed man after their night of passion? Just as Ruby Gregory was puzzling over this, a pleasant ringtone sounded in the room. Ruby came back to her senses, picked up the phone next to her, nced at the caller ID. It was her father, Maxwell Gregory. Ruby hesitated for a moment, then answered the phone. She didn¡¯t get a chance to speak before she heard her father¡¯s voice, somewhat stern,ing from the other end of the phone: ¡°Ruby, did you and Stevest night¡­¡± Even though Maxwell Gregory¡¯s words were only half-spoken, Ruby understood what he was asking. With her head down, she gently said ¡°yes¡± into the phone. Hearing her confirmation, Maxwell Gregory on the other end of the phone sounded a bit excited: ¡°So did Steve say he¡¯d take responsibility? Did he say when he would marry you?¡± Steve Burton¡¯s words shed through Ruby Gregory¡¯s mind, making her hesitate and unsure how to respond. Maxwell Gregory, honed by decades in the business world, sensed something was amiss even across a phone call: ¡°Ruby, what¡¯s the problem?¡± He paused, then asked, ¡°Or is Steve not prepared to take responsibility for you?¡± Ruby Gregory was taken aback by Maxwell Gregory¡¯sst sentence. Her father had always hoped she could marry Steve Burton. However, Steve¡¯s words seemed to suggest that he didn¡¯t want to take responsibility. Fearing her father¡¯s disappointment, Ruby vaguely said, ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡± Maxwell Gregory on the other end of the line was silent for a while before saying, ¡°Ruby,e home first. Maybe Steve will callter and say he¡¯ll take responsibility.¡± ¨C Wait¡­ this waitsted from morning until night, but Steve¡¯s call never came. The atmosphere in the Gregorys¡¯ house was getting more and more depressing until the third day at breakfast. Maxwell Gregory, seeing Ruby Gregory head down eating her porridge, finally couldn¡¯t bear it any longer and put down his chopsticks to ask, ¡°Has Steve not contacted you at all?¡± Ruby Gregory swallowed the porridge in her mouth before she lifted her head and shook it in reply to her father. Ruby¡¯s mother turned to Maxwell and said, ¡°What do we do now? Ruby and Steve have grown up together, and we all assumed that once they became intimate, they would naturally get married. But now, there¡¯s not a trace of news from Steve, he clearly has no intention of taking responsibility and marrying Ruby. Doesn¡¯t that make it seem like Ruby is cheap?¡± After a brief pause, Maxwell said, ¡°How about¡­ I make a call to the Burtons and try to gauge the situation?¡± Chapter 3 - 3: 3: The Male God Lives Next Door (3) Chapter 3 - 3: 3: The Male God Lives Next Door (3) Trantor:549690339 Ruby Gregory hurriedly objected, ¡°Dad, don¡¯t.¡± Maxwell Gregory and his wife looked at Ruby simultaneously. Ruby pressed her lips together and said, ¡°If he doesn¡¯t want to marry me, making a phone call won¡¯t change his mind. It would only humiliate us and might even result in some malicious gossip, making us look even worse.¡± Ruby¡¯s mom interjected, ¡°So we¡¯re just letting this go? That¡¯s so unfair to Ruby.¡± Struggling to put on a smile, Ruby lowered her eyes. Unfair? It was. While she had given her innocence to Steve Burton, it didn¡¯t mean he had to take responsibility for her. If he didn¡¯t want her, even if she begged on her knees, he wouldn¡¯t give her a second nce. So she had to bear the injustice alone. Maxwell, who had been silent for a while, suddenly asked, ¡°Ruby, did you and Steve use any contraceptives that night?¡± Ruby was taken aback, then shook her head. Maxwell asked again, ¡°Ruby, think carefully. Did you do something wrong or upset Steve, causing him not to take responsibility for you?¡± Ruby furrowed her brow slightly. Over the past few days, she too had been wondering if she had done anything to offend Steve, but no matter how hard she tried, she couldn¡¯t find a single issue. Ruby shook her head again in reply to her father¡¯s question. Maxwell contemted for a moment and said, ¡°As Ruby just mentioned, hastily calling The Burtons now might indeed humiliate us. However, if Ruby were pregnant, things would be different.¡± So, they waited again. This time, they waited for half a month. During that half-month, Steve never contacted Ruby. They were like strangers now, with no connection to their once inseparable, innocent friendship. One morning after nearly half a month, when Ruby saw her period had arrived, she knew she wasn¡¯t pregnant and that there was no point in waiting any longer. The day after her period started, Rubypleted the necessary paperwork to go abroad. And on the day her period ended, she boarded a flight to Costa Luna. Their night of passion was just like a dream, leaving no trace and causing no ripple in their lives. ¨C Three yearster. ¨C Today, this was the fourth gathering Steve had attended. The gathering took ce in the Chess and Cards Room of the Capital Club, with three full tables of people enjoying a lively round of games. Each person had a beautiful young girl by their side or in their arms, trying to please their malepanions in various ways. The room was bustling with chatter, as people discussed a variety of random topics. Suddenly, the man sitting across from Steve asked, ¡°Mr. Burton, can I ask you something?¡± Steve sat in the middle of the central table, ying his cards quickly and precisely without saying much. The woman beside him was polite and understanding, not overly clingy like the other women in the room. Upon hearing the question, Steve raised his head slightly, chewing on a piece of fruit that hispanion had just fed him. After taking a couple of bites, he replied calmly, ¡°Hmm?¡± Chapter 4 - 4: 4: The Male God Lives Next Door (4) Chapter 4 - 4: 4: The Male God Lives Next Door (4) Trantor:549690339 ¡°A few days ago, I saw an acquaintance at the airport. Guess who it was?¡± The man sitting across from Steve Burton said. Steve slowly drew a tile, while scanning his own hand and asked nonchntly, ¡°who?¡± After that, Steve slowly threw out a mahjong tile of two circles. The man sitting across from Steve held the dice, rotated it slowly, and then said, ¡°Ruby Gregory, she¡¯s back¡­¡± As soon as the man had spoken, Howard Coleman and Edward Woods, sitting on either side of Steve, both secretly gasped; for the past three years, Ruby Gregory¡¯s name had been a forbidden topic, and no one had dared to mention it in front of Steve. Howard and Edward instinctively turned their heads to look at Steve. As expected, Steve¡¯s eyes had already darkened. Those who knew Steve were aware that his most dangerous moments were when his gaze turned gloomy. Howard and Edward exchanged nervous nces, not daring to breathe as they silently worried for the man who had spoken. The man sitting across from Steve seemed oblivious to the tense atmosphere and continued, ¡°Mr. Burton, weren¡¯t you and Ruby Gregory once very close? She has returned, didn¡¯t she contact you?¡± Steve¡¯s face remained expressionless, as if he hadn¡¯t even heard the man¡¯s words. But just as he was about to draw another tile, he suddenly pushed the tiles in front of him over and said indifferently, ¡°It¡¯s gettingte, you guys continue ying. The money left uncollected from my winnings can be consideredpensation.¡± With that, Steve got up and walked towards the door. The femalepanion sitting next to him hurriedly stood up and followed. Howard and Edward pushed aside their own femalepanions, grabbed their coats, and chased after Steve, but didn¡¯t dare get too close, always maintaining a certain distance. Steve walked out of the Capital Club, took out his car keys, unlocked the car, and pointed to the back door for the woman following him, saying, ¡°Get in, I¡¯ll take you home.¡± Then, Steve coldly walked around the car and got into the driver¡¯s seat. Steve¡¯s femalepanion hesitated for a moment before opening the passenger door and sitting down, even though she knew Steve had instructed her to get into the back seat. Steve¡¯s hand, which was fastening his seatbelt, paused slightly. He turned his head and said coldly to hispanion, ¡°Get out!¡± The woman was startled by Steve¡¯s sudden coldness, then put on a smile and cooed, ¡°I want to sit in the front with you.¡± ¡°Out!¡± The woman shuddered, realizing Steve was genuinely angry, and immediately tried to cate him, ¡°I was wrong, I¡¯ll get out now. Don¡¯t be angry¡­¡± ¡°I said, out!¡± Steve repeated once more, scaring the woman into pushing open the car door and stumbling out. Steve didn¡¯t wait for her to steady herself before mming the elerator and speeding away. Howard and Edward, who had followed closely behind, saw this and couldn¡¯t help but shake their heads. ¡°Another woman has trespassed our brother¡¯s forbidden topic.¡± ¡°How strange that our brother¡¯s taboo doesn¡¯t allow any woman to sit in his passenger seat.¡± ¡°Not just women, he doesn¡¯t allow men either!¡± ¨C Steve expertly drove through the streets of Ciawell, his car speeding fast. The car window was down, and the whistling wind made his ears ache slightly. Chapter 5 - 5: 5: The Male God Lives Next Door (5) Chapter 5 - 5: 5: The Male God Lives Next Door (5) Trantor:549690339 Not knowing how long he had been driving, Steve Burton gradually slowed down. That¡¯s when he realized he had unknowingly driven back to the vi area in North Suburb. He stopped his car for a moment at the entrance of the vi, then slowly drove in. Passing several vis, he finally reached the innermost vi, The Burtons¡¯ Mansion. As the Burton family had already gone to bed, Steve parked the car, got out, and looked through the fence at the brightly lit room on the second floor of a neighboring vi. The vi next door belonged to the Gregorys. The lit room was the one Ruby Gregory had lived in since childhood. Indeed, she had returned¡­ Steve leaned against his car, staring at the light from that room, his mind slightly dazed. ¨C A business banquet was taking ce at thergest club in Ciawell. With melodious violin music, the tranquil atmosphere in the banquet hall was beautifully decorated, luxurious and grand. All attendees were dressed elegantly and eye-catching, a dazzling sight to see. Escorting her father, Maxwell Gregory, Ruby spent the entire evening mingling amongst the crowd. Feeling slightly weary, she was just about to suggest taking a break to go to the restroom when Maxwell turned his head and pointed towards a corner, saying, ¡°Ruby,e with Dad for a moment.¡± Maxwell pointed to the most inconspicuous corner of the venue. Ruby assumed her father needed to rest and willingly escorted him over without any objections. The corner was considerably quieter than the banquet area. Thevish atmosphere had subdued, and the lighting was no longer dazzling, even appearing slightly dim. As they approached, Ruby noticed a man sitting on an elegant European-style couch against the wall, away from the bustling banquet hall. Hidden in the shadows, she couldn¡¯t see the man¡¯s face clearly, but she could sense a familiar, elegant noble air in his demeanor. Ruby had a vague idea of who it might be and hesitated for a moment, wondering if she should turn back. Her father, Maxwell, addressed the man, ¡°Steve.¡± Seated on the couch, Steve Burton heard his name and stirred, turning his head. His gaze first nced at Ruby¡¯s face, thennded on Maxwell¡¯s. Slowly standing up, Steve spoke in a restrained and graceful manner, ¡°Uncle Gregory.¡± ¡°Howe you¡¯re sitting here alone?¡± Maxwell inquired, leading Ruby to the couch and gesturing for her to sit down, as the three of them took their seats. Though Steve sat casually, an undeniable air of nobility and radiance surrounded him. He maintained eye contact with Maxwell during their conversation, never once directing his attention toward Ruby, nor even bothering to nce at her. Ruby had anticipated that she would inevitably meet Steve once she returned to Ciawell from Costa Luna. She had imagined their encounter, expecting Steve to be cold and distant towards her. However, she had never thought that he wouldpletely ignore her, as if she didn¡¯t exist, as if that night three years ago when they had spent the night together had never happened at all. Chapter 6 - 6: 6: The Male God Lives Next Door (6) Chapter 6 - 6: 6: The Male God Lives Next Door (6) Trantor:549690339 Three years ago, after that one night Ruby Gregory had with Steve Burton, she didn¡¯t end up pregnant, and Steve never contacted her again. Knowing about that night¡¯s incident, Maxwell Gregory felt that his daughter had been wronged, so he took her to Costa Luna. Now, three years had passed, and Maxwell felt that the memory of that night had faded. Ruby and Steve had grown up together from a young age, so their reunion shouldn¡¯t feel awkward, and maybe they could even rekindle their friendship, but now, sitting in front of Steve, he never brought up Ruby or that night. Could it be that after only three years, Steve no longer remembers Ruby? Maxwell pondered for a moment and naturally steered the conversation towards Ruby: ¡°Attending these banquets can be quite tiring, but since Ruby recently returned from Costa Luna and has be estranged from many people in Ciawell, I mainly brought her tonight to help her familiarize herself with everyone.¡± Finally, the conversation hade to this point, and Steve atst turned his head to look at Ruby. He hadn¡¯t seen her in three years, and she had grown more beautiful than before, with stunning features and captivating eyes. Steve didn¡¯t say anything; he only stared at her for a moment before saying indifferently: ¡°So, you are Uncle Gregory¡¯s daughter. It has been a long time since I saw you¡­ what¡¯s your name again¡­?¡± Steve paused for a moment, as if he couldn¡¯t remember Ruby¡¯s name. They had known each other for twenty years, and she even had a night of intimacy with him. Yet, he could no longer remember what she was called. Not only had he pped Ruby¡¯s face, but he had also pped Maxwell¡¯s face. Ruby¡¯s face turned a bit pale, and her hands unconsciously clenched into fists. Maxwell¡¯s expression also became hard to read. Steve furrowed his brow as if he was genuinely trying hard to remember. After a while, he finally uttered the three words: ¡°Ruby Gregory.¡± Maxwell¡¯s expression improved slightly, he turned to Ruby and said, ¡°Ruby, you and Steve have been ssmates for many years. Howe you haven¡¯t even greeted him yet?¡± There was a time when others would call him Mr. Steve, or Steve, but Ruby would only address him as Steve Burton or by the nickname she gave him, Time. However, now she found it difficult to know how to address him given his cold demeanor. After considering it for a moment, she ultimately opted for the most conservative greeting. Ruby gazed at Steve and disyed a smile that hit the perfect bnce, neither too warm nor too distant: ¡°Mr. Burton, hello!¡± After knowing her for so many years, Steve could easily distinguish between Ruby¡¯s sincere smiles and her diplomatic ones. Mr. Burton? Quite a bureaucratic tone¡­ Steve¡¯s face instantly turned cold, and he showed no reaction to Ruby¡¯s greeting. Ruby had no idea what she had done wrong. She had only greeted him, and yet he turned his face away from her in an instant ¨C just like three years ago, when before one night of bliss, he was treating her as usual, but then turned his back on her coldly the next day. It was just inexplicable. Maxwell had been in the business world for a long time and had long learned to read people¡¯s emotions. Seeing Steve¡¯s unhappy expression, he quickly and wisely changed the subject: ¡°Steve, Ruby has decided to stay in Ciawell this time. A few days ago, I contacted the HR department at Pristine¡¯s Enterprises and heard that your Secretariat is recruiting secretarial assistants, so I submitted Ruby¡¯s CV and offered her the opportunity to practice in yourpany¡¯s secretariat.¡± Chapter 7 - 7: 7: The Male God Lives Next Door (7) Chapter 7 - 7: 7: The Male God Lives Next Door (7) Trantor:549690339 Ruby Gregory turned her head with some confusion, looking at Maxwell Gregory. Is she going to work as a secretary assistant in Steve Burton¡¯spany? Why doesn¡¯t she know about this? Maxwell Gregorypletely ignored the doubts in Ruby¡¯s eyes, and continued to speak to Steve, ¡°Steve, I hope you will take good care of Ruby when the timees.¡± Steve Burton showed no emotion, only maintaining his usual aloof attitude, responding to Maxwell Gregory, ¡°Uncle Gregory, of course.¡± Upon seeing Steve agreeing, Maxwell Gregory burst intoughter, saying, ¡°Steve, I have some business to attend to, so I won¡¯t disturb you any longer.¡± With that, Maxwell Gregory stood up. He nced at Ruby who was preparing to leave, and then added, ¡°Oh right, Steve, didn¡¯t you say you were leaving the banquet for some business? Don¡¯t drive if you¡¯ve been drinking. Luckily, Ruby drove here. Let her give you a ride.¡± After a slight pause, Maxwell Gregory seemed a bit hesitant, adding to Ruby, ¡°Ruby, you¡¯ll give Steve a ride, understood?¡± Ruby cast a nce at Steve and seeing that he didn¡¯t refuse, she could only nod in agreement. Only then did Maxwell Gregory leave, satisfied. On the corner sofa, only Steve and Ruby were left, and it suddenly seemed a lot quieter. Only the melodious violin song from the distant banquet surrounded them. Steve Burtonzily sat on the sofa, his fingers constantly spinning the crystal cup on the table. Ruby Gregory sat across him, her eyebrows and eyes calm. The two didn¡¯t exchange a word. Pristine Enterprises is renowned worldwide, owning a piece ofnd in variousrge business opportunities, and is considered the industry leader. Therefore, since his birth, Steve Burton was enveloped in a halo. Brought up in luxury from childhood to adulthood. Even without showing anger, his background alone already made many people apprehensive. Ruby Gregory was no exception. She was also wary of Steve Burton, but back when their rtionship was good, that kind of apprehension wasn¡¯t so obvious in her heart. But now it¡¯s different, now she¡¯s not just apprehensive about Steve, but there¡¯s also some fear in her heart. Therefore, the two were sitting together in silence, which made Ruby increasingly nervous, until her palms were full of sweat. Just when Ruby didn¡¯t know how much longer she could maintain her calmness, Steve Burton stood up and walked away without a word. Ruby Gregory, unclear if he wanted her to drive him, had to quickly follow. As they exited the club, the night outside was already deep, the neon lights on the roadside reflecting each other. When Ruby arrived, the club¡¯s parking was already full, so she found a temporary parking spot on the roadside, which was a bit far away from the entrance of the club. Ruby and Steve always maintained arge distance, with pedestrians constantly passing between them. To anyone passing by, they might seem like strangers to each other. The expression on Steve¡¯s face, along with Ruby¡¯s car, gets closer and closer, it gradually bes more and more sullen. Ruby noticed Steve¡¯s unhappiness, but she didn¡¯t know why he was unhappy, so she became even more cautious, keeping her eyes straight ahead as she walked. Ruby pulled out her car key, prepared to unlock the car, when all of a sudden, Steve¡¯s phone rang. Steve answered the call. The voice of the person calling was a little loud. Even over the phone, Ruby faintly heard, ¡°Bro, I¡¯ming to pick you up, where are you?¡± Chapter 8 - 8: 8: The Male God Lives Next Door (8) Chapter 8 - 8: 8: The Male God Lives Next Door (8) Trantor:549690339 Steve Burton raised his eyelids and nced at Ruby Gregory, saying, ¡°Go east for 500 meters.¡± After he finished speaking, he hung up the phone. Someone wasing to pick up Steve? So she didn¡¯t need to give him a ride, right? Ruby twiddled with her car keys, hesitating back and forth withouting to a conclusion. She sneakily raised her eyelids, nced at Steve, and calcted silently. She thought that since Steve had told the person picking him up the address, he probably didn¡¯t need her to give him a ride. Maybe he was even waiting for them right now. It was as if he didn¡¯t see her at all ever since they met, or perhaps, he didn¡¯t have her in his sights. Ruby thought about it and then said to Steve, ¡°Mr. Burton, take it easy on the road. Goodbye.¡± Upon hearing these words, Steve was slightly stunned. However, Ruby had already taken a step to leave in front of him. Although it waste at night, the streets of Ciawell were still bustling, with cars passing by and asional honkinging from near and far. Steve maintained his cold demeanor, watching Ruby slowly walk around him. Just when she was about to walk past him, Steve suddenly stepped forward, reached out, and yanked Ruby in front of him. Then he pushed her down onto her car, lowered his head, and fiercely kissed her. rm red from Ruby¡¯s car, startling countless people around. But Steve seemed not to hear it at all, just passionately sucking on Ruby¡¯s lips. Her lips were as soft and sweet as ever, carrying a fresh fragrance. Ruby froze for a moment before realizing the scorching heat from their connected lips. She then regained her senses and struggled with her hands and feet. Steve grabbed her iling hands with one hand and held her chin with the other, using his body to force her under him, and continued to increase the intensity of their kiss. He continued kissing her until she gradually lost the strength to resist, and her entire body became soft and submissive. Only then did he slowly release his grasp on her. His once fierce kiss slowly softened. Steve¡¯s breath gradually became heavier. With his hand, he felt her body through her clothes, eventually stopping at the zipper behind her skirt. Ruby¡¯s body shivered. She raised her hand to stop Steve when suddenly a honk came from the side of the road, apanied by a voice calling out, ¡°Bro.¡± Steve¡¯s movement abruptly stopped. He lowered his head onto Ruby¡¯s lips and took two deep breaths before slowly opening his eyes. Then he moved his lips to her ear, whispering with a heated breath, ¡°Spend one night with me each month, and I¡¯ll let you work at Pristine¡¯s Enterprises.¡± Ruby frowned for a moment before she finally understood the meaning of Steve¡¯s words. She raised her head and looked into his eyes. At this moment, Steve had none of the passion from when they were kissing. He looked cold and detached. It seemed like he had no patience as he added, ¡°Same as before, every month on the tenth. But instead of apanying me on a vacation like before, you¡¯ll sleep with me!¡± Steve deliberately emphasized the words ¡°sleep with.¡± For a moment, the color in Ruby¡¯s face faded slightly. Steve let her go, nonchntly tidying up his slightly disheveled clothes. After saying, ¡°Think about it,¡± he left with a flourish, opening the car door and getting in. Chapter 9 - 9: 9: The Male God Lives Next Door (9) Chapter 9 - 9: 9: The Male God Lives Next Door (9) Trantor:549690339 Howard Coleman sat in the car, first looked at the silent Steve Burton, then turned his head to look at Ruby Gregory outside the window. After a pause, he squeezed out a smile towards Ruby and started, ¡°Ru¡­¡± Before thest syble left his mouth, Howard saw Steve¡¯s cold gaze through the rearview mirror. Startled, he quickly corrected himself, saying, ¡°Miss Gregory, goodbye.¡± Howard drove the car while continuously stealing nces at Steve sitting in the back seat. The man seemed calm, eyes closed, appearing to be leisurely resting. However, Howard felt an ominous atmosphere, which caused him not to dare to breathe too deeply throughout the drive. Even when he felt the urge to cough due to difort in his throat, he repressed it with all his might. Howard slowly drove the car into the vi in the West Suburb. He was the first to jump out of the car and then personally opened the door for Steve. Without giving Howard a nce, Steve headed straight into the vi. Howard hurriedly followed behind. On the first floor of the vi, several people were ying cards in the living room. Seeing Steve enter, they all called out, ¡°Bro.¡± It seemed as if Steve didn¡¯t hear the greetings; his face showed no reaction as he took off his coat, handed it to a servant, changed his shoes, and headed for the elevator of the vi. The card yers all turned to Howard, who made a ¡°shushing¡± gesture, cleared his throat, and cautiously said to Steve, ¡°Bro, you must not have eaten anything at the banquet tonight. Are you hungry? Do you want Mrs. Bressett to prepare somete-night snacks for you?¡± ¡°No need.¡± Steve answered indifferently with two words, then stepped into the elevator, closed the door, and went upstairs. The first-floor living room fell silent for a full two minutes before Edward Woods pushed the cards in front of him and asked Howard, ¡°Howard, what¡¯s going on with our brother? He was fine before he left; howe he came back like this? Look at his expression now; it makes my hair stand on end.¡± ¡°You guys don¡¯t even know; I almost suffocated to death on the way back from picking up our Bro. You guys know I¡¯m scared of his cold, silent demeanor,¡± Howardined while sitting on the sofa, and then mysteriously continued, ¡°Guess who I met when I went to pick up our Bro today?¡± Rusell Henris was counting the money he¡¯d won on the table, nced at Howard trying to build suspense and asked, ¡°I care about our brother; who cares who you met?¡± Howard: ¡°Rusell, isn¡¯t that obvious? It¡¯s got to be someone rted to our Bro!¡± After Howard spoke, the atmosphere in the room became tense, and after a minute of silence, Rusell put down the money in his hand and uttered three words: ¡°Ruby Gregory?¡± ¡°Rusell, you¡¯re clever, guessed right on your first try.¡± Howard replied. ¡°What¡¯s that got to do with being smart? All these years we¡¯ve been with our Bro, every time he¡¯s in a bad mood, isn¡¯t it because of Ruby Gregory?¡± Edward Woods remarked. Rusell raised his hand, rubbed his brow, and said, ¡°I really don¡¯t understand what our Bro wants deep down. At first, it was him who wanted to sleep with Ruby, then he didn¡¯t take responsibility after he did, clearly, Ruby is the one who was wronged, but every time, it¡¯s our Bro who¡¯s upset, as if Ruby did him wrong.¡± Chapter 10 - 10: 10: The Male God Lives Next Door (10) Chapter 10 - 10: 10: The Male God Lives Next Door (10) Trantor:549690339 ¡°You know, originally our brother and Ruby were neighbors, they grew up together, have known each other for so many years, and it wasn¡¯t easy for our brother to finally sleep with Ruby, but he just turned his back on her? I always thought Ruby would end up being our sister-inw.¡± ¨C Ruby didn¡¯t return to the banquet, she sat alone in her car, her mind filled with the words Steve had said before getting in the car. ¡°Join me once a month, and I¡¯ll let you work at Pristine¡¯s Enterprises.¡± ¡°As usual, it¡¯s the 10th of each month, but not to apany me on vacation as before, but to apany me in bed!¡± Ruby didn¡¯t know if children from other families were born with a mission, but she did know that she, the daughter of the Gregorys, had a responsibility. Pristine¡¯s Enterprises¡¯ business scope was extensive, and manypanies relied on Pristine¡¯s Enterprises for survival, the Gregorys being one of them. In the circle of wealthy businessmen, marriages were seen as alliances,monly known as marriages of convenience. So, many family businesses, in order to strengthen their own status and assets, would choose to marry into the Burtons. The Burtons had many rtives, and even if they did not marry directly into the line of session of Pristine¡¯s Enterprises, marrying into other Burton families would still be helpful for their own family business. However, the Gregorys had some bad luck. In Maxwell¡¯s generation, the Gregorys had all sons, and the Burtons did too, so the Gregorys could only watch theirpetitors marrying into the Burtons¡¯ family and then watch their own family business gradually decline.¡± In Ruby¡¯s generation, the Gregorys had only male children, and it was only after great anticipation that they finally got Ruby, the girl. So from the moment she was born, the people of the Gregorys unanimously arranged her future, which was to marry into the Burton family. At first, the Gregorys didn¡¯t expect Ruby to marry the direct heir of Pristine¡¯s Enterprises, but the Burtons in this generation had few descendants, and most of them were girls who wouldn¡¯t marry into the Gregorys. The few male descendants they managed to find either were already married or had an age gap with Ruby.¡± So, after all the selection, in the end, Ruby¡¯s marriage target could only be Steve.¡± When Ruby was very young, the Gregorys began to instil an ideology in her. That ideology had only three points: First: She had to like what Steve liked. Second: She had to do everything possible to please Steve. Third: She had to marry Steve. It was as if she was born to serve Steve, and from childhood to adulthood, everything in her life revolved around Steve. For example, Steve liked blue, disliked sweets, preferred long-haired women, didn¡¯t like sugar in his coffee, didn¡¯t like the smell of perfume, and insisted on keeping the air conditioner at 25 degrees Celsius while sleeping at night¡­ Of course, the Gregorys also spent a lot of effort cultivating her since she was young. Whether she liked it or not, she had to learn and master various skills, such as ying the piano, chess, calligraphy, painting, singing, and dancing. Her life was given by the Gregorys, and she had a duty to protect them. The honor and wealth of the Gregorys all depended on her. So, she had no choice. Moreover, since she was a little girl, she had been educated with only one goal in mind, which was to marry Steve and be a good housewife of the Burtons. If even this goal were to be abandoned, she really wouldn¡¯t know the meaning of her existence. Chapter 11 - 11: 11: The Habit of Not Waiting for Others (1) Chapter 11 - 11: 11: The Habit of Not Waiting for Others (1) Trantor:549690339 Ruby Gregory thought about it and took out her phone, found Steve Burton¡¯s number, and dialed it. When Ruby called, Steve had just finished his bath and walked out of the bathroom. As he wiped his dripping wet hair, he nced at his phone and saw the name ¡°Ruby.¡± Steve¡¯s hand holding the towel paused for a moment before he slowly answered. Before he had a chance to speak, Ruby¡¯s voice came from the other end of the line: ¡°I agree.¡± Just three words. It made Steve pause for a moment before he unconsciously responded, ¡°Huh?¡± Ruby gripped her phone, thinking Steve had forgotten what he had said to her. She pursed her lips and calmly said, ¡°I said I agree to your proposal just now. One date a month with you, and you let me work at Pristine¡¯s Enterprises.¡± It took a moment for Steve toe back to his senses, and he held his phone without a reply. It was strange. It was his proposal, but now that she agreed, he felt as if there was a fire in his heart that had nowhere to vent. Ruby waited a while and seeing that Steve was silent, she asked, ¡°When can I start working at Pristine¡¯s Enterprises?¡± Steve was amused by Ruby¡¯s words, and couldn¡¯t help but burst outughing. Eventually, he released the words full of scorn and ridicule: ¡°Ruby Gregory, I slept with you and didn¡¯t want you back then, yet now, you¡¯re eager to give yourself away. How thick-skinned can you be?¡± His words were ruthless, like a sharp knife that instantly tore Ruby¡¯s dignity to shreds. Although they were on the phone and Ruby knew he couldn¡¯t see her humiliation, she still sat up straight in her car seat, trying her best to maintain a dignified calm demeanor. She knew the saying ¡°the early bird catches the worm,¡± so she had to work at Pristine¡¯s Enterprises. Marrying Steve and bing the mistress of the Burtons had been her ultimate goal since childhood. Nobody could stop her. Even if that person was Steve himself, it wouldn¡¯t work! After a long silence between the two, Steve finally spoke up: ¡°Tomorrow is the tenth of this month. Tomorrow night at ten o¡¯clock, you know where. Drive yourself over and make me happy. The day after, I¡¯ll let you into Pristine Enterprises.¡± Steve paused for a moment before adding, ¡°Ten o¡¯clock ¨C you know I don¡¯t have the habit of waiting.¡± Having said that, Steve hung up the phone. PS: For my new book, remember to leavements, save to favorites, and vote. Rewards will be avable once the contract is signed in a few days. There are Q-coins for the first 100ments tonight! PPS: There is an event for the new book. Each day, a reader who follows the story will be chosen to receive a signed copy of ¡°Pristine¡¯s Enterprises¡± (This signed book is different from the ones previously purchased. This one can have your own words that you want me to write to you! Plus, it¡¯s a free giveaway!) and a 2015 calendar (I am still working on the calendar design, but with a month left in 2015, it will be released eventually). All these items are limited editions, let¡¯s see who the lucky readers will be! This is a reward for the faithful readers who follow each update. If you save up chapters to readter, you might miss out on the prizes! I truly hope that you will apany me on this journey with each update! Chapter 12 - 12: 12: The Habit of Not Waiting for Others (2) Chapter 12 - 12: 12: The Habit of Not Waiting for Others (2) Trantor:549690339 The two people were silent for a long time, and finally, Steve Burton spoke: ¡°Tomorrow is the 10th of this month. At 10 o¡¯clock tomorrow night, you know where to go. Drive there yourself, and if you please me, I¡¯ll let you into Pristine¡¯s Enterprises the day after tomorrow.¡± After a pause, Steve added, ¡°Ten o¡¯clock, you know, I¡¯m not in the habit of waiting for people.¡± After saying this, Steve hung up the phone. The room was eerily quiet, droplets of water continued to drip down from Steve¡¯s hair, but he didn¡¯t have any inclination to dry his hair. He felt a little stifled, an unspeakable pressure in his chest. He walked to the balcony, pushed the window open, and the cool night breeze slowly blew in, mixed with the fragrance of flowers in the courtyard, fresh and enchanting. The evaporation of the moisture made him feel a bit chilly, and his mood slowly calmed down. Standing there for who knows how long, only after his hair waspletely dry did Steve finally turn around, picked up the phone he had thrown aside, unlocked it, and the recent call history with Ruby Gregory caught his eye. The saved photo of her on his phone was charming and captivating. Steve stared at the screen for a while, then clicked on the contact page, made a phone call, and without waiting for the person on the other end to speak, he directly said, ¡°Tomorrow, I¡¯lle over.¡± ¡°Understood, Mr. Steve.¡± Steve¡¯s throat moved slightly, and he said, ¡°She will be there too.¡± He didn¡¯t wait for a response from the other end before directly hanging up. The person who answered the call listened to the busy signal from the receiver and was only stunned for a moment before understanding who Mr. Steve was referring to. After three years, the person who came to this holiday vi every month was no longer just Mr. Steve. ¨C There was always an old tradition between Ruby Gregory and Steve Burton. That tradition began when Ruby was thirteen. Every 10th of the month, Steve would take Ruby to a holiday vi called ¡°Red Park¡± in the Ciawell suburb, owned by the Burtons. Over time, an unwritten rule was established in the ¡°Red Park¡± holiday vi: on the 10th day of each month, it would close its doors to the public. ¨C Although Steve told Ruby that their appointment was at 10 pm, she didn¡¯t return home until midnight. She fell asleep after 1 am, but Ruby still woke up early the next day. Some things had been ingrained in her since she was young. Though already etched in her memory, to prevent any mistakes, Ruby brought out her journal that had been kept for over a decade. Inside were rows of entries, from the first page¡¯s childish handwriting to thest page¡¯s elegant script, all documenting the essence of Ruby¡¯s twelve years. Chapter 13 - 13: 13: The Habit of Not Waiting for Others (3) Chapter 13 - 13: 13: The Habit of Not Waiting for Others (3) Trantor:549690339 All the messages were about Steve Burton ¨C his preferences, his taboos, his dislikes¡­ Even though Ruby Gregory clearly remembered each and every one, she nevertheless went through them one by one. By the time she finished, it was already 3 p.m. Ruby had been away from Steve for three years straight. She had no idea how much his habits had changed over these years, or whether his taboos had increased. To avoid making any mistakes the first time they faced each other, Ruby felt it necessary to prepare herself by getting some information on Steve¡¯s situation over the past three years. Though Steve seemed to have dealings with many people, Ruby knew that those who knew him best were his childhood buddies whose family interests were intertwined: Rusell Henris, Edward Woods, and Howard Coleman. These three had been hitting it off with Steve since childhood. Ruby figured if she were to ask them, she might not get much of anything and they might go straight and tell Steve about it. So finally, Ruby thought of Madeleine. Madeleine was the only girl among the brothers, and she was a year older than Ruby. Except for Steve who was the heir to Pristine¡¯s Enterprises, the rest of the siblings were the heirs to the four major shareholders of Pristine¡¯s Enterprises. Since Ruby and Steve were neighbors, they had known each other since childhood. Ruby had yed with them and integrated into their circle. Perhaps because she and Madeleine were both girls, their rtionship was much closer than others¡¯. So, Ruby had chosen Madeleine. When Ruby called Madeleine, she had justnded from her flight. The call was a bit chaotic. Ruby repeated her words several times, ¡°Madeleine, I need a favor from you,¡± before Madeleine heard her clearly and hurriedly said, ¡°Ruby, no need to stand on ceremony. Just tell me what you need.¡± Ruby paused and then asked, ¡°Madeleine, what has Steve been most intolerant of over the past three years?¡± Madeleine on the other end of the phone fell silent upon hearing this. Her silence made Ruby feel a bit uneasy. She swallowed and asked again, ¡°Madeleine, don¡¯t you feelfortable answering that?¡± Madeleine remained silent. Just as Ruby thought she wouldn¡¯t answer, Madeleine suddenly spoke out, but she didn¡¯t answer Ruby¡¯s question. Instead, she said, ¡°Ruby, do you know that to my brother, you¡¯re something he doesn¡¯t want anymore? He doesn¡¯t want you, why do you still care about his feelings?¡± Ruby¡¯s fingers trembled at Madeleine¡¯s words, almost dropping the phone. So, in others¡¯ eyes, she was something that Steve didn¡¯t want¡­ Ruby pressed her lips together, a glint of hurt shing in her eyes. She lowered her gaze slightly and said, ¡°Madeleine, I don¡¯t mean anything else. I¡¯ve returned to Ciawell, I¡¯m bound to run into him at some point. I just don¡¯t want to identally tread on his taboos.¡± PS: I forgot to inform everyone about the daily update times when I posted yesterday, so, today, I¡¯ve posted two chapters to rify that the update times are from 3 p.m. to 8 p.m. each day. You can get all the daily updates within five hours. During the day, work and study hard; by 8:30 p.m., you can start reading the updates~~ There will be more updates today. See you at 3 p.m.! Also, for the first 100 readers who received Q-coins and the lucky readers who received signed books and calendars yesterday, please check the pinned post in thement section (the pinned post is posted at 10 p.m. every night). Chapter 14 - 14: 14: The Habit of Not Waiting for Others (4) Chapter 14 - 14: 14: The Habit of Not Waiting for Others (4) Trantor:549690339 ¡°Ruby, even though he¡¯s my brother, in the matter between you and him, indeed, it¡¯s my brother who went overboard.¡± There was obvious sympathy in Madeleine¡¯s tone. This kind of sympathy, on the contrary, made Ruby Gregory feel that it was more hurtful than the hurtful words Madeleine had just said. ¡°Why did it suddenly happen¡­ since you two were just very harmonious before?¡± Madeleine said to this point, sighed faintly, remained silent for some time, then spoke up, saying, ¡°Ruby, actually there haven¡¯t been any big changes in my brother these years. If there¡¯s something specific he¡¯s really sensitive about, it¡¯s that he doesn¡¯t like others, especially women, to sit in his car¡¯s passenger seat. As long as a woman sits there, he will definitely break up with her.¡± At this point, Madeleine¡¯s tone became somewhat agitated: ¡°Ruby, speaking of this, you have no idea. The shortest-lived girlfriend of my brother onlysted less than 10 minutes, from introduction to breakup. The reason was, when he was driving to take her to dinner, she eagerly climbed into the passenger seat of his car. As a result, he yanked her out, got in the car with a dark face, stepped on the elerator and left, leaving the woman standing there, utterly bewildered.¡± ¡°Ny percent of my brother¡¯s girlfriends broke up because they touched this sensitive point of his¡­¡± Madeleine got to this point, seemingly realizing that it might not be appropriate to mention the girlfriends that Steve Burton had been seeing for these three years in front of Ruby Gregory, and hurriedly stopped herself from talking. Clearing her throat, she said: ¡°Ruby, don¡¯t think too much about it. As you know, my brother attends many parties, so he always needs femalepanions. In fact, he doesn¡¯t care much about those women.¡± ¡°It¡¯s okay, Madeleine. If nothing else, I¡¯ll hang up first.¡± ¨C After hanging up the phone, Ruby sat on the sofa, staring nkly for a while, then picked up a pen and added a new entry to the notepad. Entry 1893: Steve Burton doesn¡¯t like people sitting in his passenger seat. After writing this sentence, Ruby put the notepad away in the dresser drawer in her bedroom and then went into the bathroom to take a shower. Steve Burton doesn¡¯t like women who wear heavy makeup, so Ruby applied light makeup. Steve Burton prefers straight hair, so Ruby called for Mrs. Woods from downstairs and had her curly hair straightened with a t iron. Steve Burton doesn¡¯t like strong scents and has praised Chanel No. 5 before, so Ruby sprayed on some Chanel No. 5 perfume. Ruby looked at her reflection in the mirror, her straight hair flowing, and her face looking good. After ensuring there were no ws, she walked towards the closet. Blue is Steve Burton¡¯s favorite color, so Ruby¡¯s dressing room was filled with clothes for all seasons. However, these clothes had onemon feature ¨C they were all blue, differing only in shades and styles. Chapter 15 - 15: 15: The Habit of Not Waiting for Others (5) Chapter 15 - 15: 15: The Habit of Not Waiting for Others (5) Trantor:549690339 In the corner of the dressing room, a few clothes of other colors hung sporadically. Ruby Gregory walked over, nced at them for a moment, but in the end, she chose a blue long dress and put it on. In fact, she also wanted to be like most girls, wearing white, pink, or pale yellow clothes, or even going shopping in bold red. However, to cater to Steve Burton¡¯s preferences, she could only secretly change into other colored clothes in the quiet of the night, looking at herself in the mirror to satisfy her own desires. The Gregorys¡¯ home was a two-hour drive from the holiday vi at Red Park. Fearing traffic jams or unexpected incidents, Ruby set off at six o¡¯clock. She arrived at the holiday vi at Red Park just around eight o¡¯clock. As before, the holiday vi at Red Park was closed for the day. With no one there for leisure vacations, the vast vi seemed somewhat quiet, with only a few scattered staff members walking about the courtyard. Perhaps Steve Burton had sent word ahead of time. The vi¡¯s manager, upon receiving news of Ruby¡¯s arrival, immediately sent someone with a sightseeing car to personally wee her and escorted her to the presidential suite deep within the vi. Red Park holiday vi used to be an Imperial Garden. After it was bought by the Burtons, it was turned into a holiday vi. Three years had passed, and the vi remained unchanged, with its corridors, Gand Lake, pavilions, and willows, the scenery still the same. However, the presidential suite that Ruby and Steve used to stay in during their vacations had been renovated, its original white walls now red. The vi¡¯s manager handed Ruby the key card and inquired respectfully, ¡°Ms. Gregory, is there anything you need?¡± Ruby shook her head and took a nce around at the furnishings. They were unchanged from before, just reced with new ones. The vi¡¯s manager handed Ruby the room card and politely said, ¡°Ms. Gregory, please rest. I¡¯ll be leaving now. If you need anything, just call the front desk.¡± ¡°Okay,¡± Ruby nodded and gave the vi¡¯s manager a smile. The vi¡¯s manager bowed slightly, pushed the room door open and closed it behind him as he left. The presidential suite, spanning over a hundred square meters, had only Ruby inside. The crystal chandelier cast a dazzling, enchanting light, highlighting the luxurious decorations in the room and making it even more dreamy. Ruby Gregory first went to the room she always stayed in during her vacations. Standing by the window, she could see the Gand Lake of the vi, reflecting its brilliant lights. Ruby stood there for a long time before turning around and walking out. As she stood in front of the door of another bedroom, herplexion turned slightly pale. Chapter 16 - 16: 16: The Habit of Not Waiting for Others (6) Chapter 16 - 16: 16: The Habit of Not Waiting for Others (6) Trantor:549690339 It was in this room that her rtionship with Steve Burton first developed. Although the Gregorys had warned her that something might happen between her and Steve when she came of age, and she had mentally prepared herself for it, that night was still excruciating. She was scared, in pain, and wanted to run away, but all she could do was tolerate it and act docile and obedient. However, no matter how torturous that night was, she endured. She thought that as long as she gritted her teeth and bore it, she could marry Steve. But to her dismay, it was all just a fantasy she had built up in her mind. The suite was eerily quiet. Ruby Gregory fetched her mobile phone and nced at the time. There was still an hour before ten o¡¯clock, and she was filled with mounting tension. ¨C In the conference room at the top floor of Pristine¡¯s Enterprises Building, Howard Coleman, who had been engrossed in reading a document, suddenly looked up and said to Edward Woods and Rusell Henris sitting across him, ¡°Do you find anything strange about today?¡± Rusell Henris adjusted the sses sliding off his nose, nced at the usually talkative Howard, and went back to the report in his hand. Edward Woods took a sip of water and looked at Howard, clearly confused, before mumbling a puzzled ¡°Hmm?¡± Howard furrowed his brow, speaking more to himself than to them, ¡°What¡¯s the date today?¡± As he picked up his phone, browsed the calendar, and seemingly arrived at a realisation. Then, in an excited voice, he proimed, ¡°I know. I know now!¡± Rusell pped the report he was reading on the table, eximing, ¡°Howard, can you please concentrate on your work for a while?¡± Undeterred by Rusell¡¯s admonition, Howard exims,, ¡°Damn, it¡¯s the tenth today! The tenth!¡± Rusell seemed to freeze for a moment. Edward Woods choked on his water and had to cough several times before he could speak, ¡°Today¡¯s the tenth?¡± Looking at his own phone¡¯s calendar, he eximed, ¡°Indeed, it is the tenth. I¡¯ve been so busy with this new project that I¡¯ve lost track of time.¡± ¡°No wonder I felt there was something off today, I just couldn¡¯t put my finger on it. Now I know, it¡¯s the tenth and our brother still hasn¡¯t left, despiteing in early. We are stuck working overtime because of him,¡± Howard said. ¡°Under normal circumstances, he would be at Red Park Resort in the early morning!¡± Edward Woods furrowed his eyebrows and spected, ¡°Could it be possible that he forgot because he¡¯s been so busy recently?¡± ¡°Impossible, our brother always prioritises his visits to Red Park Resort on the tenth of every month. Regardless of how busy he is, he never forgets to visit. How could he forget this time?¡± Howard adamantly shook his head. Rusell twirled his pen, ¡°Howard is right. Our brother hasn¡¯t cracked a smile since yesterday. Today, he hasn¡¯t even gone to Red Park. It seems like he¡¯s really not feeling well this time.¡± Chapter 17 - 17: 17: The Habit of Not Waiting for Others (7) Chapter 17 - 17: 17: The Habit of Not Waiting for Others (7) Trantor:549690339 ¡°Whose turn is it to persuade our big brother this time?¡± Edward Woods asked. ¡°It¡¯s Howard¡¯s turn.¡± As Rusell put it, both Edward Woods and Rusell fixed their eyes on Howard Coleman. Howard rubbed his nose, stood up begrudgingly, and walked towards Steve Burton¡¯s office. Howard paced back and forth at the office door, not finding the courage to knock. Rusell and Edward Woods in the meeting room were getting impatient. They both ran out, Rusell knocked on the office door while Edward Woods forcefully pushed Howard forward. Then, when the frosty ¡°Come in¡± sounded from the office, they hurriedly ran away. Howard braced himself and opened the door, but only poked his head in, saying, ¡°Brother, it¡¯s gettingte. Should we go out and get something to eat?¡± Steve sat in his office chair and looked at the time on theputer screen¡¯s upper right corner. His fingers quickly resumed typing. Seeing Steve ignore him, Howard had no choice but to keep talking, ¡°Brother, just now Rusell said that some new youngdies have arrived at the Capital Club. They¡¯re all beautiful and have amazing figures, and they¡¯re of the perfect age. We haven¡¯t been out for a long time, so why don¡¯t we go there tonight?¡± Steve seemed to not have heard Howard¡¯s words. He calmly finished typing thest line in English, sent the email, and then looked up at Howard. Cold-faced and cold-eyed, Steve nevertheless spoke in a very mild tone: ¡°I have something tonight.¡± ¡°Brother, you haven¡¯t rxed in a long time. How about not working tonight?¡± Howard hesitated for a moment, then chuckled and said, ¡°Brother, it¡¯s been a while since you¡¯ve seen the Homing Queen of the Chinese Department from A University, right? How about I take the car, pick her up, and she¡¯ll apany you tonight?¡± Steve fell silent again. Howard, who had been ustomed to Steve¡¯s cold attitude ever since he was little, continued, ¡°How about inviting Lulu? She just finished shooting a movie so she¡¯s avable.¡± Steve still remained silent. ¡°What about Lina?¡± ¡°No? Annie Beischel? Anna?¡± When Howard had recited the names of ten women, Steve finally lifted his head, nced calmly at Howard, who thought Steve had agreed. He pulled out his phone, prepared to make a call, but the next second, Steve grabbed a pile of documents from the table and furiously threw them at Howard¡¯s head: ¡°Get lost!¡± Howard quickly jumped back two steps to dodge, then bent down, picked up the documents from the floor, and ran towards the meeting room in disappointment. Chapter 18 - 18: 18: The Habit of Not Waiting for Others (8) Chapter 18 - 18: 18: The Habit of Not Waiting for Others (8) Trantor:549690339 The office suddenly fell silent. Steve Burton sat at his desk, lost in thought for a moment, then closed hisptop, picked up his coat and car keys, and walked straight out of the office. When Steve arrived at the ¡°Red Park¡± holiday vi, it was just half past nine. He parked his car and was promptly greeted by the vi manager who said, ¡°Mr. Steve, you¡¯ve arrived?¡± Steve nodded slightly, looked up and scanned the high-rise hotel rooms in the distance. Then he asked, ¡°Is she here yet?¡± The manager opened the door of the sightseeing car for Steve, ¡°Ms. Gregory has been here for over an hour.¡± Without a word, Steve leaned back in the sightseeing car¡¯s seat and closed his eyes lightly. By the time the sightseeing car reached the presidential suite halfway up the hillside, the time was already fifty minutes past nine. As the manager was about to reach for the room card to open the door for Steve, Steve waved him off. Sensing Steve¡¯s wishes, the manager handed over the room card to Steve politely and then retreated respectfully. Steve nced at his wristwatch. It was fifty-one minutes past nine. He had five more minutes to the time agreed with Ruby Gregory. At the entrance of the presidential suite, there was arge bunch of gorgeous and luscious flowers exuding a sweet fragrance. Steve leaned against the wall, silently counting in his mind. After about five hundred counts, he nced at the time again. It was less than a minute left. He then stood up, took out the room card, twirled it around twice in his hand, and then gradually put it against the lock. The door opened with a beep. ¨C By ten o¡¯clock, the vi had fallen deathly quiet ¨C unlike in the city where cars could be heard zooming by even at midnight. To calm her nervousness, Ruby Gregory turned on the television, tuning into Stephen Chow¡¯s film. Chow¡¯s exaggerated acting and humorous lines, however, failed to draw augh from Ruby. Instead, they only intensified her anxiety. She again looked up at the clock on the wall: it was nearly ten. Just as Ruby was about to take a deep breath to stabilize her rapid heartbeat, the sound of the door unlocking came. Her breath choked in her chest, and she quickly stood up. Then Ruby saw Steve Burton, who had just entered the room. This man always managed to effortlessly exude an unmatchable elegance, provoking jealousy in men and resentment in women about the unfairness of life. Steve first looked at Ruby, then closed the door behind him, walked over to the sofa. Stephen Chow¡¯s iconicughter was heard on the TV. Ruby¡¯s legs felt weak from her nervousness. She worked hard to stabilize herself, waiting until Steve walked up to her. Then she swallowed and called out, ¡°Mr. Steve.¡± Yesterday it was Mr. Burton, today it was Mr. Steve? Steve just grunted lightly through his nose and sat down on the sofa. His grunt left Ruby unsure of his intention, and she stood there, not daring to make a sound, her nervousness growing. Other than Stephen Chow¡¯s voice from the TV, the room was silent. The oppressive silence made Ruby feel somewhat suffocated. She covertly lifted her eyes to peek at Steve. He was as expressionless as ever, showing no signs of emotion. Chapter 19 - 19: 19: The Habit of Not Waiting for Others (9) Chapter 19 - 19: 19: The Habit of Not Waiting for Others (9) Trantor:549690339 Are the two of them really going to stay like this, one standing and the other sitting, until dawn? Just as Ruby was thinking about whether she should say something, Steve suddenly stood up and walked towards his bedroom: ¡°I¡¯m sleepy.¡± Ruby of course knew what those three words meant. She hesitantly followed behind Steve, and when she reached the door of his bedroom, her hands clenched tightly, her fingernails digging into her palm, causing a faint pain. Ruby stood at the door for a whole minute before closing her eyes, biting her teeth, and stepping inside. At this point, Steve had already removed his coat and was sitting casually on the side of the bed, his gaze fixed on her heavily. Under such scrutiny, Ruby, although scared, still timidly approached Steve, only giving him a brief nce before quickly lowering her eyes. Steve sat there motionless, staring at Ruby. After a long time, when Ruby still hadn¡¯t reacted, Steve finally spoke: ¡°Ruby, have you forgotten what I said to you yesterday?¡± Ruby instantly raised her head, looking at Steve. Steve¡¯s eyes narrowed slightly, clearly displeased, revealing his irritation: ¡°I said, if you take care of me today and make me happy, I¡¯ll let you start working at Pristine¡¯s Enterprises tomorrow.¡± ¡°Haven¡¯t you forgotten how to do that after spending three years in Costa Luna, or do I need to teach you again?¡± Ruby¡¯s body trembled slightly, her hands clenching even tighter. She knew what he meant by ¡°taking care of him.¡± He had told her that night three years ago, kissing her. Only that night, his tone had been gentle, even with a touch of indescribable tenderness, unlike now, cold and indifferent. Ruby bit her teeth secretly, took two steps forward, then tremblingly extended her hand to unbutton Steve¡¯s shirt, one button at a time. Ruby was much shorter than Steve, who lowered his eyes to watch her closely. Feeling his gaze, Ruby¡¯s fingers gradually began to tremble, and she felt his breath growing hotter and hotter. She wanted so badly to just let go and run away. But she couldn¡¯t. Her family was counting on her to save their business, and they had pinned all their hopes on her. Now, she still remembered the disappointed looks in her family¡¯s eyes when they found out Steve had not married her after their night of passion. So, even if she didn¡¯t want to do this now, she had to force herself. She had already been forced to do too many things she didn¡¯t want to or like since she was a child, so she didn¡¯t care about adding one more this time. With her eyes slightly downcast, Ruby removed Steve¡¯s shirt and then, with even more shaking fingers, undid his belt. Even though she kept telling herself to endure it, she still didn¡¯t have the courage to pull his zipper. Her fingers reached out and withdrew, back and forth several times. Finally, as if losing his patience suddenly, Steve sneered: ¡°Have you given up on joining Pristine¡¯s Enterprises?¡± Chapter 20 - 20: 20: The Habit of Not Waiting for Others (10) Chapter 20 - 20: 20: The Habit of Not Waiting for Others (10) Trantor: 549690339 Ruby Gregory was so stimted by this remark that her body trembled even more violently. She tightly closed her eyes, fooling herself by telling herself that what she couldn¡¯t see wouldn¡¯t hurt her. She then forced herself to ignore all her embarrassment and extended her hand forward. Steve Burton watched Ruby Gregory, who looked as if she was going to the execution ground, with a resolute expression. He couldn¡¯t help but scoff, ¡°Let me tell you, Ruby Gregory, don¡¯t put on such a reluctant look for me. If you don¡¯t want to do this, leave right now!¡± Ruby Gregory¡¯s hand trembled violently when Steve Burton scolded her. She paused for a moment, her lips tightly pressed together. As if she hadn¡¯t heard the sarcasm from his mouth, she finally touched him. Steve Burton, who had been holding himself tautly, quickly extended his hand, pulled Ruby Gregory up, and threw her onto therge bed behind him. His actions were moderately violent, and his grip was somewhat heavy. Somehow, he left a noticeable mark on her delicate, fair skin. Yet, she didn¡¯t utter a single sound, as if she didn¡¯t feel any pain. Seeing her like this, he felt all the more irritated, his annoyance near the point of madness. His only solution was to punish her in the most primal way. His kiss was more like a bite. When he bit her neck, he suddenly increased his strength. Even though her body clearly flinched, she emitted only a barely audible groan, followed by silence. It remained silent even after he could taste blood, all still silent. Her numb reaction made him feel ayer of self-mockery in his eyes, followed by a quick shift to the main topic. Her eyes were somewhat damp, but she only dared to keep her eyes shut tightly, afraid that she would unwittingly shed tears and upset him. Because once, he said, he didn¡¯t like it when she cried. If such torment and pain could exchange for her opportunity to work at Pristine¡¯s Enterprises, or to bear a child, she thought, everything would be worth it. After a long while, it all ended. Ruby Gregory felt as if she had just taken a round trip through the gates of hell. Ruby Gregoryy in bed in a daze for a long time, slowly regaining some consciousness. She heard Steve Burton¡¯s slightly hurried breath next to her ear. Ruby Gregory slowly turned her head to see Steve Burton staring at the ceiling, apparently lost in thought. She hadn¡¯t fullyplied with what he had previously asked for, and she was uncertain whether her ordeal was over for the night. Ruby Gregory hesitated for a moment before finally voicing out, ¡°Can I go to work at Pristine¡¯s Enterprises tomorrow?¡± Ruby Gregory didn¡¯t understand why her question was amusing, but Steve Burton chuckled lightly before his face turned cold. He turned his head and stared at her face for a long time. Then, he slightly nodded, pointed at the door, and said, ¡°You may leave now!¡± PS: That¡¯s it for today, see you tomorrow at three in the afternoon! Remember to check the first post of thement section around ten o¡¯clock for the winner¡¯s announcement.. Commenting still gives you a chance to win! Chapter 21 - 21: 21: I’ll Let You Get Lost (1) Chapter 21 - 21: 21: I¡¯ll Let You Get Lost (1) Trantor: 549690339 Ruby Gregory did not know why her question had evoked such a reaction in Steve Burton. He smiled mysteriously, letting out a soft chuckle before his expression suddenly turned cold. He looked at her for a long moment, then nodded his head slightly, pointed to the door, and said, ¡°You can go!¡± The rapid shift in Steve Burton¡¯s demeanor frightened Ruby slightly. Having known Steve since childhood, Ruby had a deep understanding of him and could read his moods through subtle changes in his eyes, gestures, and tone. She could discern whether he was truly upset or merely pretending. However, after just three years apart, she could no longerprehend what this man, who she had known for more than two decades, was thinking. He said she could leave¡­ Did this mean he was denying her entry to Pristine¡¯s Enterprises? Was he dissatisfied with her submission? Anxiety began to build in Ruby¡¯s heart. She couldn¡¯t afford to lose without even starting. sping her hands, Ruby stared into Steve¡¯s dark, intense eyes and spoke softly, ¡°Did I do something wrong?¡± Steve¡¯s face was cold as ice, and he didn¡¯t even nce at Ruby, turning away and leaving her his back. Ruby clenched her lips and paused before leaning forward and pressing herself against Steve¡¯s strong back. Steve¡¯s body heat was much higher than hers, making Ruby shiver slightly before mustering the courage to stretch out her arms and hug his waist. Steve¡¯s body tensed up, and he was acutely aware of the delicate-soft woman trembling behind him. She seemed very nervous, her chest heaving with anticipation. After a while, her breath grew closer to his ear as she left a light, ethereal kiss on his cheek before her lipsnded on his. Her lips shook violently, but she still kissed him with determination. Steve felt slightly dizzy and, after a long time, he suddenly pulled Ruby to him and, in one movement, pinned her beneath him. He kissed her back, desperate and forceful, his entire demeanor passionate and breathing more rapid. However, as Steve continued to kiss her, he seemed to notice something and suddenly stopped. He opened his eyes to see Ruby, her eyes tightly shut and her face void of joy or pleasure. This made him feel like ice water had been poured over him from head to toe. Steve¡¯s eyes narrowed slightly before he swiftly got out of bed, leaving Ruby behind. The sudden departure of the man puzzled Ruby, causing her to frown and sit up in confusion. Before she could ask what was wrong, Steve picked up her clothes from the floor and angrily threw them at her face, ¡°Get out!¡± Ruby frowned, unsure about what had just happened with the once passionate Steve, and stared at him with a mix of confusion and innocence, unable to react. Ruby¡¯s passiveness infuriated Steve, who snapped at her, ¡°I told you to get out!¡± Chapter 22 - 22: 22: I’ll Let You Get Lost (2) Chapter 22 - 22: 22: I¡¯ll Let You Get Lost (2) Trantor: 549690339 Ruby Gregory¡¯s body shuddered violently, and she came back to her senses. She didn¡¯t know what she had done wrong to provoke such anger from him. She stared at Steve Burton, her mouth slightly open, but in the end, she said nothing. She didn¡¯t even care whether or not she could enter Pristine¡¯s Enterprises tomorrow; she just picked up the clothes he had thrown at her and quickly put them on without a word. Ruby¡¯s movements were somewhat frantic as she put on her clothes; the zipper of the skirt was on the side, and she lowered her head, pulling it several times before finally managing to close the gap. From childhood to adulthood, she had never been so humiliated in front of anyone. She had tried her best, and all she received in return was his harshmand to ¡°get lost.¡± The more Ruby thought about it, the more wronged she felt, and her eyes began to feel hot and slightly sore. Fearing that she would suddenly shed tears in front of Steve, she kept her head down the entire time. After putting on her clothes, Ruby didn¡¯t even look at Steve. She just walked quickly past him and out of the bedroom. In the living room of the suite, the television was ying advertisements. Ruby walked in front of the sofa, picked up her purse, ced the suite¡¯s keycard on the coffee table, and then hurriedly headed towards the door. When Ruby left the bedroom, she didn¡¯t close the door. Steve happened to see Ruby leaving; he saw her fumbling to open the door and then running away, her footsteps slightly unsteady. His hand tightened into a fist, his knuckles turning white, as if he was suppressing something. After a long time, Steve finally moved slightly, picked up a nearby bathrobe, and casually wrapped it around himself. He stood in ce, staring at the messy bed, his eyes bing somewhat zed. Suddenly, he felt very tired. He had been busy withpany matters in the past, staying awake for three days and nights, but he had never felt this kind of exhaustion before. This fatigue came from deep within his heart, apanied by sharp, bone-piercing pain. Ruby walked out of the presidential suite and went directly to the vi¡¯s public restroom. Ignoring her body¡¯s difort, she looked into the mirror and neatened her disheveled hair and clothes. She made sure her appearance was elegant and poised before taking out her phone and calling the vi¡¯s front desk, asking them to send a sightseeing car to pick her up from the mountain. Ruby did this because she couldn¡¯t let anyone see her present state of embarrassment and disarray. She was the daughter of the Gregorys, and no matter how Steve had just treated her and how much grievance he had given her, she had to maintain her elegant and poised appearance in front of others. Therefore, when the vi¡¯s staff drove the sightseeing car to her, Ruby forced down the exhaustion and difort in her body and gave the staff a perfectly polite smile, then handed them a tip. Maintaining her bright and enchanting posture, Ruby drove out of the vi for about ten kilometers before stopping her car by the roadside and slumping into her seat.. Chapter 23 - 23: 23: I’ll Let You Get Lost (3) Chapter 23 - 23: 23: I¡¯ll Let You Get Lost (3) Trantor: 549690339 Ruby Gregory pulled down her cor a little, looking into the car mirror, she saw the bite mark left by Steve Burton on her neck, now discolored to a blue-purple hue. She gently pressed her fingers against it, feeling a sharp pain. Startled, Ruby withdrew her hand, then thought about how her parents¡¯ eyes lit up with excitement and happiness when they found out that she and Steve were going to Red Park tonight. At that time, her dad couldn¡¯t stop grinning, telling her mom, ¡°I knew it, our Ruby is so beautiful, and she has so many years of affection with Steve. There¡¯s no way he doesn¡¯t have a ce for her in his heart.¡± If she went back home now, they¡¯d probably be disappointed and heartbroken again, wouldn¡¯t they? Given Steve¡¯s reaction, she probably wouldn¡¯t be able to work at Pristine¡¯s Enterprises tomorrow. She just didn¡¯t know whether she would get pregnant afterst night. If she were pregnant, she¡¯d still have a glimmer of hope. If not, what would she Ruby sighed softly, driving her car leisurely into the city. It wasn¡¯t until 7 in the morning that Ruby drove towards her home. The road to the West Suburb wasn¡¯t congested in the early morning, so it only took Ruby half an hour to get back. Before getting out of the car, Ruby looked in the mirror and forced a smile on her face. She then took a deep breath, opened the car door, and went inside. Maxwell Gregory and his wife were eating breakfast at the table. When they saw Ruby returning, they both put down their chopsticks, and Ruby¡¯s mom immediately rushed over to her, taking her hand and asking as they walked towards the table, ¡°Ruby, was Steve nice to you yesterday?¡± ¡°Yes,¡± Ruby replied briefly, sitting down at the table. Seeing the nutritious breakfast spread out before her, she had no appetite, but fearing her parents would notice something amiss, she reluctantly picked up a spoon and had some porridge. Maxwell saw Ruby eating and joined her, then asked after a while, ¡°Ruby, has Steve said when you can start working at Pristine¡¯s Enterprises?¡± Ruby¡¯s movements paused slightly at Maxwell¡¯s question. She might not be able to enter Pristine¡¯s at all. How was she going to break the news to her parents? Would she have to once again see them wear the same downcast expressions they had three years ago? Ruby bowed her head even lower. The atmosphere at the table suddenly turned stagnant. Maxwell and his wife exchanged nces, and then Maxwell, with a grave face, asked, ¡°Ruby, are you hiding something from us?¡± Perhaps she could hide other things, but Ruby knew that not being able to work at Pristine¡¯s Enterprises was something she couldn¡¯t conceal.. Chapter 24 - 24: 24: I’ll Let You Get Lost (4) Chapter 24 - 24: 24: I¡¯ll Let You Get Lost (4) Trantor: 549690339 Ruby Gregory gritted her teeth, preparing to admit she might not get a job at Pristine¡¯s when suddenly her mobile rang. Picking up her phone, Ruby noticed it an unfamiliarndline number. Inquisitively, she nced at her father before answering, ¡°Is this Miss Ruby Gregory?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Ruby responded with a note of confusion, ¡°Who is this?¡± ¡°Hello, Miss Gregory, I¡¯m the Manager of Pristine¡¯s Enterprises¡¯s Human Resources Department. I¡¯m calling to confirm some details with you. A while ago, you submitted your resume here, applying for the post of Assistant to the Secretary to the CEO of Pristine¡¯s, correct?¡± Ruby remembered that her father, Maxwell Gregory had helped her send the resume. She nodded and confirmed, ¡°Yes.¡¯ ¡°Miss Gregory, congrattions! Ourpany has decided to hire you. If you¡¯re free this afternoon, we¡¯d like you toe and report to thepany.¡± Ruby Gregory¡¯s reporting time at Pristine¡¯s Enterprises was set for three in the afternoon. Upon her arrival, the secretary to the HR manager guided her through several protocols including taking a picture for her work ID card before giving her a tour around Pristine¡¯s Enterprises and a brief introduction. Finally, she led Ruby to the executive office on the top floor of the building. The top floor hosted five independent offices and four small conference rooms. Four offices were lined up, while another upied one side of the floor. Outside each independent office was a row of office desks. In the very center of everything were four ss-walled conference rooms. Ruby gathered from the HR manager¡¯s secretary that the four offices were separately upied by Rusell Henris, Edward Woods, Madeleine, and Howard Coleman, and that the people busy at the desks outside were their secretaries. Leading her to a seat nearest to the CEO¡¯s office, the HR Manager¡¯s secretary whispered something to a slightly younger woman. Nodding to Ruby with a smile, she then left. The slightly older woman stepped forward towards Ruby and asked her with a gentle smile, ¡°Miss Ruby Gregory, right?¡± Ruby nodded slightly in response. The older woman then pped her hands together and announced, ¡°Ladies, this is our new colleague, Miss Ruby Gregory, the newest member of our CEO¡¯s secretarial team.¡± Afterwards, the older woman introduced Ruby to every person in the office. Truth be told, Ruby had already received a detailed profile of each member of the Secretarial Unit of the CEO of Pristine¡¯s Enterprises from his father, Maxwell Gregory, earlier that morning. The older woman was a distant rtive of the Burtons; she had been serving as the CEO¡¯s secretary in Pristine¡¯s Enterprises for nearly thirty years. As for the assistant secretaries, two of them were fresh college graduates with ordinary backgrounds, but with excellent academic performances. Two others were old employees of Pristine¡¯s Enterprises who were already married with children. The remaining two were Olivia Foster and Maya Mitchell.. Chapter 25 - 25: 25: I’ll Let You Get Lost (5) Chapter 25 - 25: 25: I¡¯ll Let You Get Lost (5) Trantor: 549690339 The other two were Olivia Foster and Maya Mitchell. Maya Mitchell was Ruby Gregory¡¯s college ssmate. Maya came from a humble family, and Ruby had helped her pay for a year of tuition fees. Maya¡¯s academic performance was outstanding, and she got a job at Pristine¡¯s Enterprises before graduating from college. Olivia Foster, on the other hand, was an old rival of Ruby¡¯s. Olivia was an illegitimate daughter of the Fosters and only imed her heritage at the age of ten. It was also that year when Ruby met Olivia. Olivia and Ruby were of the same age and graduated from the same schools, from junior high to high school, and then to college. Ruby knew that the reason she and Olivia attended the same schools was not due to fate but because many people wanted to get closer to Steve Burton. Just like when the Gregorys worked hard behind the scenes to ensure she attended the same school as Steve, Ruby also studiedte into the night. That was why Olivia was her old rival. Because they both wanted to marry Steve Burton. For Ruby, it was a mission that she carried from birth. Olivia, on the other hand, hoped to cleanse her reputation as an illegitimate child and gain respect within the Fosters. Thus, the two of thempeted openly and covertly in school for Steve¡¯s attention. At that time, Ruby was close to Steve and his brothers, so she always had the upper hand in thepetition with Olivia. Both the Fosters and the Gregorys depended on Pristine¡¯s Enterprises for their livelihood. However, in recent years, the Fosters had been faring much better than the Gregorys. Olivia¡¯s older cousin married Steve¡¯s fourth cousin, and this connection alone allowed the Fosters to snatch many clients from the Gregorys. When Ruby saw Olivia¡¯s name in Steve¡¯s secretary department that morning, she realized that some people had been quicker in seizing opportunities. Now that she and Olivia, two ipatible people, met again, Ruby knew that no matter how many advantages Olivia had gained over her in the past three years, she could only win, not lose! The day after reporting for work, Ruby officially started working at Pristine¡¯s Enterprises. As a neer, Ruby was hardly assigned any tasks, only asionally helping other secretaries and assistants print or photocopy documents. An entire morning passed without Ruby seeing Steve. At first, she thought he had arrived at the office early and stayed in his office, so she didn¡¯t leave her seat during the lunch break. Even when work resumed at 2 p.m., the door to Steve¡¯s office remained closed. In the afternoon, the other employees were still very busy, and Ruby made several trips between the printing room and the office. By the time work ended in the evening, Steve still hadn¡¯t appeared before Ruby. Three days passed in the blink of an eye since Ruby started working at Pristine¡¯s Enterprises. In those three days, Ruby learned many things, such as the most important news: when Steve went to external banquets and events and needed a secretary, he almost always took Olivia with him. And during these three days, Ruby had yet to see Steve in person.. Chapter 26 - 26: 26: I’ll Let You Get Lost (6) Chapter 26 - 26: 26: I¡¯ll Let You Get Lost (6) Trantor: 549690339 Right before the end of the workday, Ruby Gregory went to the restroom and happened to run into Maya Mitchell, who had just finished washing her hands. Through the mirror, Maya spoke to Ruby, ¡°Ruby.¡± Ruby smiled and greeted her, intending to walk towards a stall. Suddenly, as if recalling something, she stopped and turned to Maya, who had just finished washing her hands and was about to leave. ¡°Maya?¡± Maya stopped and turned her head, looking at Ruby, ¡°Hmm?¡± she replied, then asked, ¡°Ruby, what¡¯s up? In the past, it was always others trying every means to inquire about Steve Burton from her, Ruby Gregory. Never would she have imagined that one day she would fall into the position of being the ¡°others¡±, inquiring about Steve from someone else. Especially this person, who knew about the good rtionship she had once had with Steve. Ruby hesitated for a moment before asking, ¡°Maya, howe I haven¡¯t seen Mr. Burton these past few days?¡± As someone who had been promoted from a secretary assistant to a secretary, Maya was well-informed about Steve¡¯s schedule. So when she heard Ruby¡¯s question, she didn¡¯t hesitate to answer, ¡°Mr. Burton has gone on a business trip to Agrabah, he¡¯ll be back this afternoon.¡± Ruby uttered an ¡°Oh¡± and thanked Maya before turning to go into the stall. After using the restroom, Ruby pushed the door open and walked towards the sink, rearranging her skirt as she did so. Ruby had only taken a few steps when she heard a cold, sneeringughter behind her. She furrowed her brows and then heard Olivia Foster¡¯s mocking and sarcastic voice, ¡°Ruby Gregory, you were just eagerly asking Maya about where our Mr. Burton is, what are you trying to do?¡± Ruby knew from that sentence that Olivia had overheard her conversation with Maya earlier. However, she hadn¡¯t expected that Olivia¡¯s ability to distort facts and exaggerate situations had increased significantly over the years. Ruby let her eyelids droop, ignoring Olivia¡¯s words. She elegantly and nonchntly turned on the faucet to wash her hands. Seeing Ruby¡¯s calm expression in the face of her sarcasm, Olivia chuckled and, with a seductive stride, walked to Ruby¡¯s side. She opened the faucet as well, washing her hands side-by-side with Ruby. ¡°Ruby Gregory, I¡¯ve heard that back in the day, you voluntarily climbed onto Steve¡¯s bed, but he rejected you. Humiliated, you had no choice but to run off to Costa Luna, right?¡± Not many people knew about the incident back then, but it did not mean that Olivia was unaware of it. After all, her cousin had married into the Burtons, so she must have heard the news from them.. Chapter 27 - 27: 27: I’ll Let You Get Lost (7) Chapter 27 - 27: 27: I¡¯ll Let You Get Lost (7) Trantor: 549690339 Olivia Foster looked at Ruby Gregory¡¯s slightly stiffened face, feeling a bit relieved and spoke with a lighter tone, ¡°Ruby Gregory, during those three years in Costa Luna, did it hurt when you thought about how Steve Burton slept with you and didn¡¯t want you anymore?¡± Since she returned to the country, in just a few days, more than one person had mentioned how she was initially slept with and then abandoned by Steve Burton. Steve Burton said mockingly, ¡°Ruby Gregory, I slept with you and didn¡¯t want you. You stille knocking on my door, how thick-skinned are you?¡± Madeleine said, ¡°Ruby, do you know that you¡¯re something my brother doesn¡¯t want anymore? Since he doesn¡¯t want you, why do you still care about his feelings?¡± Now, Olivia Foster said the same words. She couldn¡¯t offend Steve and couldn¡¯t be angry with Madeleine, who cared for her wellbeing. But it was different with Olivia Foster, who was just ridiculing her,ughing at her, and humiliating her. In Ruby Gregory¡¯s dictionary, the only person she should tolerate,promise with, and please in this world was Steve Burton. From an early age, she knew that besides enduring Steve¡¯s temper, she didn¡¯t have to tolerate anyone else¡¯s. She was just much better than Olivia Foster, who had been groomed by the Gregorys as the future mistress of the Burtons from an early age. The Gregorys taught her to remainposed, calm, and elegant at all times, never showing her emotions. So even though she was angry, her face remained calm and gentle. Her tone was also steady and smooth, ¡°Thank you for your concern. During my three years in Costa Luna, I was much better off than you, bearing the title of illegitimate daughter and trying every possible way to please the Fosters.¡± Use their own method against them. Olivia Foster attacked her with the biggest weakness in her life, so she would do the same and counter her with the biggest weak point in her life. Olivia Foster¡¯s face suddenly turned pale. She stared at Ruby Gregory, gritting her teeth and said, ¡°You,¡± then didn¡¯t know what else to say. Indeed, as Ruby Gregory said, she was an illegitimate daughter, and the Fosters never held her in high regard. So she had always tried her best to please them. Ruby Gregory remembered Olivia¡¯s first sarcastic words, and the smile on her face became even more elegant and noble. She leaned forward slightly, speaking in a voice that only the two of them could hear, ¡°Just now, you said I am eagerly asking Maya about Mr. Burton¡¯s whereabouts? However, have you ever thought that if it were true, like you said, and Mr.. Burton is really annoyed with me, how could I be sitting in his secretary¡¯s office? Don¡¯t you know that his secretaries and assistants are all handpicked by him?¡± Chapter 28 - 28: 28: I’ll Let You Get Lost (8) Chapter 28 - 28: 28: I¡¯ll Let You Get Lost (8) Trantor: 549690339 Olivia Foster¡¯s face became even more unsightly, how could she not know that it was Steve Burton who allowed Ruby Gregory to join Pristine¡¯s Enterprises? On her very first day at Pristine¡¯s Enterprises, her family had told her that, no matter what means necessary, she must drive Ruby Gregory out of thepany in the shortest time possible. She just happened to overhear Ruby asking Maya Mitchell about Steve¡¯s whereabouts, so she casually mocked her a bit. Unexpectedly, after three years, Ruby still had such a sharp tongue! Olivia Foster, seemingly reaching her boiling point, her hateful tone trembled, ¡°Ruby Gregory, don¡¯t push people too far, and don¡¯t be too arrogant. What men neverck are women who offer themselves up. Right now, Steve is just missing you after three years and finding you a novelty, wanting to taste some freshness again!¡± Upon hearing this, Ruby Gregory let out a softugh, the pupils of her eyes, beneath her arched brows, rippled like water. She deliberately lowered her voice and said to Olivia, very deliberately, ¡°Well then, Olivia Foster, now the question is, do you think in Mr. Burton¡¯s eyes, you are no longer considered fresh? Or is it that Mr. Burton has never deigned to taste you at all?¡± Olivia Foster was immediately rendered speechless by Ruby¡¯s words. Indeed, in order to gain the respect of her family, to break away from her title as an illegitimate daughter, she had always wanted to marry a Burton man, just like her older cousin, and secure some speaking power within the family. She and Ruby were of simr ages, so she could only target Steve Burton, but when she finally met him, she realized that he wasn¡¯t just a target, he was her life¡¯s pursuit of deep love. She even thought that Steve didn¡¯t need to marry her; as long as he allowed her to be his woman, she would be content. However, in all these years of scrambling after him, bumping and stumbling, Steve had neverid a finger on her. A faint mist appeared in the corner of Olivia Foster¡¯s eyes. Ruby blinked and said, ¡°Olivia Foster, don¡¯t tell me that you¡¯re so fragile that you¡¯re about to cry because of a few words from me? Once your eye makeup is ruined by crying, you¡¯ll look terrible. Don¡¯t me me for not reminding you that Mr. Burton ising back this afternoon.¡± Olivia Foster could only try her best to hold back her tears. Ruby Gregory no longer continued to pay any attention to Olivia Foster, she simply turned around and walked out of the restroom. At 2:30 in the afternoon, just as Maya Mitchell had said, Steve Burton appeared in the office on time. Following behind him were Howard Coleman and Rusell Henris. The three of them stepped out of the elevator, and he said something to them that made Howard and Rusell return to their respective offices, while he headed directly to his own office. All the secretaries in the office put down their work and stood up simultaneously, greeting him, ¡°Mr. Burton, hello!¡± Steve Burton nodded slightly and walked straight to his office.. Chapter 29 - 29: 29 Birthday Invitation (1) Chapter 29 - 29: 29 Birthday Invitation (1) Trantor: 549690339 Steve Burton slightly nodded and headed for his office. The oldest secretary, just as Burton was about to enter his office, suddenly behaved like he remembered something, respectfully said, ¡°Mr. Burton, since you were out on business trips these past few days, I haven¡¯t had a chance to report to you. The new colleague approved by the HR department has already started working.¡± The oldest secretary gave a nce to Ruby Gregory. Ruby immediately stood up. Despite their years of acquaintance, Ruby gave a simple introduction, ¡°Hello, Mr. Burton, I am Ruby Gregory.¡± Steve¡¯s silhouette paused slightly, stopped in his tracks. After a moment, he slightly turned his head and lightly nodded at the oldest secretary, way of acknowledging him, then, without even ncing at Ruby who had greeted him, he walked directly into his office. Although Stevees from a good family and radiates a strong aura, and normally gives off the feeling of superiority, when facing employee greetings, he would at least so much as nod, even though his attitude would be frosty. Moreover, Ruby is a new employee, he justpletely ignored her! All the secretaries looked at Ruby with various expressions in their eyes, some helpless, some sympathetic, some puzzled, and even a smug look in Olivia Foster¡¯s eyes ¡­ In her first-ever encounter at Pristine Enterprises, he made her lose face in front of so many people. Ruby forced herself not to care about other people¡¯s gazes and attempted to maintain her calm and elegant demeanor as she slowly settled back into her seat. For several hours, Ruby kept her head down, staring at theputer screen, daring not to catch anyone¡¯s eye. Steve seemed to be very busy. Since entering his office at two-thirty, he hadn¡¯te out until four-thirty. He called the secretaries thrice¡ªonce to confirm tomorrow¡¯s meeting and twice to have them bring documents inside. Around five o¡¯clock, the phone on Ruby¡¯s desk rang. The call came from an internal line and the caller ID disyed ¡°8888¡±. Ruby understood that it was a call from Steve¡¯s office. Her fingers trembled a little, and then she quickly picked up the phone, respectfully answering, ¡°Mr. Burton.¡± At the other end of the line, Steve¡¯s voice was devoid of any emotion. The words that came out of his mouth were clear and concise, without any unnecessary verbiage: ¡°Get me a cup of coffee.¡± Before Ruby could respond with ¡°Yes¡±, she heard a ¡°click¡± sound. He had hung up. Ruby quickly put down the phone and went to the pantry to make a coffee. She prepared it ording to the tastes of Mr. Burton that she had noted down on her notepad¡ªtwo sachets of creamer and one sachet of sweetener, then carried it towards Steve¡¯s office. Ruby first raised her hand, knocked at the door, and only when she heard e in¡± from inside, did she push open the door.. Chapter 30 - 30: 30 Birthday Invitation (2) Chapter 30 - 30: 30 Birthday Invitation (2) Trantor: 549690339 Before Ruby Gregory could walk in, she heard Olivia Foster¡¯s yful voice from inside the office: ¡°Steve, take a look and choose one!¡± ¡°Stop it, I¡¯m busy.¡± Steve Burton¡¯s voice sounded somewhat indifferent, but not the least bit impatient. ¡°Steve, I spent a whole week carefully picking out these gifts for you. Just choose one, and then deal with those documentster.¡± Olivia¡¯s tone carried a hint of coquettishness. Upon hearing this, Ruby¡¯s heart shuddered fiercely. Olivia really had a lot of nerve, not only she addressed Steve as ¡°Steve¡± instead of ¡°Mr. Burton¡± in the office, but she even persisted, pestering him while he was working! Her father once told her that nothing was more annoying for men than being continually bothered by a woman when they were busy. She wondered if Olivia wasn¡¯t afraid of angering Steve! As these thoughts ran through Ruby¡¯s mind, her face showed no signs that she had heard Olivia and Steve¡¯s conversation. She pushed open the door, holding the coffee and walked in. Upon hearing the door being opened, Olivia twisted her head around. Upon seeing Ruby, she hesitated for a moment, then turned back nonchntly and handed the iPad in front of Steve. Steve caught a glimpse of Ruby entering from the corner of his eye, and his fingers on theputer keyboard paused for a moment. Then he took the iPad from Olivia. Steve swiped a couple of times on the iPad, casually pointed to the screen twice, and asked Olivia, ¡°Which one do you think is better, this or that?¡± Olivia leaned closer to Steve, tilted her head, puckered her lips, looking innocently cute as she stared at the iPad screen. After a while, she pointed at the screen and said, ¡°This one. The other design is a bit too conservative.¡± ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll take your advice,¡± Steve agreed without objection. Olivia¡¯s face immediately bloomed into a flowery smile: ¡°Then it¡¯s settled, Steve!¡± Steve handed the iPad back to Olivia, without any hint of me in his voice, he said reprimandingly, ¡°Don¡¯t ck off during work hours in the future.¡± Olivia pouted, showing no sign of guilt, and said, ¡°I understand, Steve.¡± The two carried on their conversation about non-work-rted matters, as if they hadn¡¯t noticed the entrance of Ruby into the office at all. Ruby neatly ced the coffee on Steve¡¯s right side, not interrupting their conversation, and tactfully prepared to leave. However, Olivia suddenly turned her head towards Ruby, shing her a crafty smile, and said, ¡°Ruby, your timing is perfect. I was just telling Steve about his birthday party next week.. You¡¯ve known Steve for so many years, so he must have sent you an invitation, right?¡± Chapter 31 - 31: 31 Birthday Invitation (3) Chapter 31 - 31: 31 Birthday Invitation (3) Trantor: 549690339 Upon Olivia Foster¡¯s mention, Ruby Gregory suddenly remembered that it was indeed Steve Burton¡¯s birthday. As for Steve Burton¡¯s birthday invitation¡­ Ruby Gregory secretly nced at Steve. He had not mentioned it in front of her. Naturally, Ruby couldn¡¯t tell Olivia that she hadn¡¯t received the birthday invitation. So, seeing her smug expression, Ruby just smiled and chose to remain silent, giving Olivia an ambiguous answer. Assuming that Ruby had already received Steve¡¯s birthday party invitation, Olivia turned her head away and stopped paying attention to Ruby: ¡°Steve, have you booked your birthday cake?¡± Steve seemed quite interested in the topic and directly closed hisputer: ¡°I don¡¯t arrange my birthday parties; my older sister always does. However, speaking of that, I suddenly remember that my sister said she would order several different vors of cake this time. After all, everyone has different tastes. Olivia, what vor do you prefer?¡± Olivia didn¡¯t expect Steve to care about her preferences. She was excited and asked, ¡°Can I choose two vors?¡± Steve nodded slightly. With Steve¡¯s permission, Olivia thought for a moment and said, ¡°Strawberry and purple yam.¡± Steve made a humming sound, seemingly taking note of her preferences. Then, suddenly, he turned to Ruby and asked, ¡°How about you?¡± Ruby initially thought she was just an extra person there. Suddenly hearing Steve asking about her preferred taste, she hesitated for a moment before a hint of warmth filled her heart. Since she had returned, Steve had held nothing but disdain and a terrible attitude towards her. Now that he was asking about her preferences, could it be that there was still hope for her? Although Ruby was excited inside, she didn¡¯t show it like Olivia. After thinking for a moment, she looked at Steve and said, ¡°Matcha vor. Actually, she didn¡¯t like matcha-vored cake and even found it somewhat repulsive. Her real favorite vor was vani. However, she pretended to like matcha because it was Steve¡¯s favorite cake vor, hoping that their shared preference would win his favor. Upon hearing the words ¡°matcha vor,¡± a sneer instantly appeared on Steve¡¯s face. Staring at Ruby, he said mockingly, ¡°Matcha vor? How unfortunate. I hate matcha-vored cakes the most. They make me sick!¡± At these words, a smile curved up on Olivia¡¯s lips. Under the ridicule of Steve and the self-satisfaction of Olivia, the color drained from Ruby¡¯s face in an instant.. Chapter 32 - 32: 32 Birthday Invitation (4) Chapter 32 - 32: 32 Birthday Invitation (4) Trantor: 549690339 Steve Burton stared at the destion in Ruby Gregory¡¯s eyes, his lips pursed tightly, and his tone suddenly became somewhat somber: ¡°Alright, you all can get back to work.¡± Olivia Foster and Ruby Gregory walked out of Steve¡¯s office one after the other, Olivia giving Ruby a smug look before walking gracefully to her seat and taking a seat. Ruby lowered her eyes. From the beginning to the end, she had always overestimated her influence on Steve. She had thought that even though he had inexplicably abandoned her three years ago, they had more than 20 years of shared history and he wouldn¡¯t bring too much humiliation upon her! But today, she saw Olivia cling to and flirt with Steve, and not only did he not get angry, but even his criticism was so light and breezy; even when Olivia wanted two different vored cakes, he indulged her. And what about her, Ruby Gregory? She always tried to be aposed and graceful woman in front of him, putting his preferences first. However, in return, she only received his mockery, disdain, and disgust! Perhaps it was because he simply couldn¡¯t stand the sight of her, so no matter how well she performed, he would always pick out ws! In fact, she didn¡¯t ask for much. She didn¡¯t need his love or favor; all she needed was the position of Mrs. Burton. Ruby¡¯s heart suddenly felt heavy. More importantly, it seemed that he had no intention of inviting her to his birthday party. Many of the elite knew that she had once been close to him. Now that she¡¯s back, if he doesn¡¯t allow her to attend his birthday party, she would be theughingstock among many people, and the Gregorys would be ridiculed by countless families! Ruby nced at the calendar on herputer. There were less than five days before his birthday, and within these five days, she would do everything possible to get an invitation to his party¡­ After Ruby and Olivia had left, Steve stood up and walked to the French windows. The gentle glow of the setting sun draped over the Ciawell City, setting it aglow with grandeur and magnificence. However, Steve had no interest in appreciating the beautiful view and only felt a nagging irritation in his heart. Matcha vor? That was clearly his favorite vor. From childhood to adulthood, during the more than 20 years he had known her, when had Ruby ever touched anything with a matcha vor? Did she really think he was so easily fooled like a fool? Steve couldn¡¯t help but let out a coldugh at the corner of his lips. However, this coldugh turned into a bitterugh in the end. It was trulyughable. He had known her for exactly 20 years and only now did he realize that he knew nothing about the woman he once believed he knew so well. For instance, her favorite vor of cake, her favorite color, her favorite food¡­ Come to think of it, he was truly pathetic! At this thought, a frustrated expression appeared in Steve¡¯s eyes. PS: Something came up unexpectedly, had to go out for a bit.. There are still 4 more chapters to update, will write them when I get back! Chapter 33 - 33: 33 Birthday Invitation (5) Chapter 33 - 33: 33 Birthday Invitation (5) Trantor: 549690339 Only a line of hedges separated the Gregorys¡¯ Vi from the Burtons¡¯ Mansion. From both yards, one could clearly see into the other¡¯s. So, not only was Ruby Gregory close with Steve Burton, but she knew all of the Burtons¡¯ family members well, from the old to the young. On this Saturday morning, Ruby woke up early. From the second-floor balcony, she could see the lines of luxury cars parked at the Burton Mansion. Last night, Ruby had made a point to note that the car Steve drove back to the mansion was a Porsche. After breakfast, Ruby went upstairs again to nce at the Burton¡¯s parking lot. Upon seeing that Steve¡¯s Porsche was gone, she brushed her teeth, put on some sky-blue sportswear and went downstairs. In the backyard of the Gregorys¡¯ home, two rows of vegetables were growing. Since it was harvest season, Ruby picked out some fresh vegetables, had the maid pack them into a basket, and headed to the Burtons¡¯. The Burton Mansion was still staffed by the old servants from three years ago. Upon seeing Ruby, they stopped in their tracks and greeted, ¡°Ms. Gregory.¡± One hurriedly led Ruby into the mansion, crying out anxiously, ¡°Ma¡¯am, Ma¡¯am!¡± ¡°What¡¯s the matter that you¡¯re in such a flurry?¡± a melodious voice came from across the door as it was pushed open. ¡°Ma¡¯am, it¡¯s Ms. Gregory,¡± replied the servant. Ruby thought it a coincidence. She was here to see Wenny Burton, Steve¡¯s elder sister. Upon seeing Ruby, Wenny was slightly surprised, then asked, ¡°Ruby, you really came back?¡± Ruby gave a slight smile and lifted the vegetables in her hand, saying, ¡°Our backyard garden is ripe for picking, we¡¯ve got an abundance and can¡¯t possibly eat it all. My mother asked me to bring some over for you.¡± ¡°Aunt Gregory is always so considerate.¡± Wenny moved to the side and said, ¡°Come in quickly.¡± Ruby handed the vegetables over to a servant and followed Wenny into the house. The decor of the Burtons¡¯ home had all changed from three years ago when she left. It was now much more luxurious and grandiose. Wenny gestured Ruby to sit and asked a servant to prepare tea, saying, ¡°This is green tea freshly brought from West Lake. It has quite a fragrant scent, you should try it.¡¯ ¡°Thank you.¡± Ruby responded politely, lifted the teacup, and took a symbolic sip. ¡°While ago, I heard you returned, but I hadn¡¯t seen you and thought it was only a rumor.¡± Ruby smiled at Wenny and put the teacup back on the table. ¡°Ruby, how have you been in Costa Luna these past three years?¡± When Wenny asked this, she hesitated slightly. Finally, she lowered her voice and said, ¡°I¡¯m really sorry about what happened three years ago..¡± Chapter 34 - 34: 34 Birthday Invitation (6) Chapter 34 - 34: 34 Birthday Invitation (6) Trantor: 549690339 Once again, the topic was brought up, and Ruby Gregory felt somewhat numb to it. Her face still held a faint, calm smile as she did not respond. Wenny Burton seemed to realize that she had brought up something she shouldn¡¯t have. She gave an awkward smile and apologized, ¡°Ruby, why did I bring that up¡­¡± ¡°Wenny¡­¡± Ruby interrupted her as if nothing had happened, ¡°Have you been painting all these years?¡± Ruby had learned many things since she was young, with painting being her strongest skill. Wennyter became fascinated with painting, but due to her limited talent, her paintings alwayscked a certain touch. So, she would always ask Ruby for help with modifications. Wenny knew Ruby was trying to change the subject and immediately followed along, ¡°I still paint asionally, but after you left, all my paintings became half-finished. This was precisely what Ruby was waiting for her to say, ¡°Coincidentally, I¡¯m free today, so if you¡¯re not busy, Wenny, why don¡¯t you bring out those paintings? I¡¯ll help you finish them.¡± ¡°Sure.¡± Wenny was delighted at Ruby¡¯s offer and quickly stood up. She led Ruby upstairs to her painting studio. This time, Ruby¡¯s visit seemed to be about delivering vegetables to the Burtons. In reality, she came because Steve Burton once mentioned in his office that Wenny was in charge of his birthday party, so she figured the invitations must be sent out by Wenny. Hence, her purpose was to get the invitation to Steve¡¯s birthday party from Wenny. During the three years in Costa Luna, Ruby had not wasted her skills. Her painting technique became even better than before, and she put extra care into Wenny¡¯s half-finished works. After her modifications, the paintings were worlds apart from their original state. Wenny was genuinely excited and couldn¡¯t stop praising Ruby, ¡°Ruby, you¡¯re truly amazing! These paintings are absolutely gorgeous after you¡¯ve touched them up!¡± Ruby felt inner joy at thosepliments and became even more focused while refining the paintings for Wenny. ¡°Wenny, if you ever need help, feel free to ask me.¡± Wenny immediately nodded without hesitation andughed, ¡°Sure, as long as it doesn¡¯t bother you.¡± ¡°Not at all.¡± Ruby seemingly casually looked at Wenny, who was admiring the finished painting in her hands. She sensed that her chance had arrived, so she paused for a moment before turning to Wenny and asking, ¡°Wenny, isn¡¯t Steve¡¯s birthdaying up in a few days?¡± Steve didn¡¯t leave the Burton residence. It was just that his eldest cousin got drunkst night and had someone send him home. The next day, when he went out, he borrowed Steve¡¯s car. Steve had slepttest night, and since it was a weekend, he didn¡¯t get up until noon. After freshening up and putting on a casual outfit, he went downstairs, just in time to see a servant setting the silverware on the dining table. ¡°Mr. Steve.¡± ¡°Hmm.¡± Steve grunted, pulled out a chair, and sat down.. He noticed that there were three sets of silverware on the table, then said, ¡°Isn¡¯t it just my sister and me at home today?¡± Chapter 35 - 35: 35 Birthday Invitation (7) Chapter 35 - 35: 35 Birthday Invitation (7) Trantor: 549690339 ¡°Yes, but this morning, Ms. Gregory came.¡± Steve¡¯s movement to pick up the vegetables with his chopsticks paused slightly: ¡°Ms. Gregory?¡± ¡°Ms. Ruby Gregory.¡± The servant filled Steve with soup: ¡°Ms. Gregory brought some vegetables over this morning and is now with the youngdy in the painting studio upstairs.¡± Steve¡¯s brows furrowed a little, but he said nothing. The servant set the silverware and stepped aside, ¡°Mr. Steve, shall I go upstairs and call the youngdy and Ms. Gregory down for dinner?¡± Steve didn¡¯t respond, picked up the vegetables with his chopsticks, and chewed a couple times before stopping the servant who was about to go upstairs, ¡°Wait.¡± The servant turned around, looking somewhat puzzled. Steve put down his chopsticks, stood up: ¡°I¡¯ll go.¡± Without waiting for the servant to react, he got up and headed directly upstairs. The door to the painting studio was slightly ajar. As Steve approached and was about to push the door open, he heard Ruby¡¯s voice from inside, ¡°Wenny, whenever you need anything, feel free toe to me for help.¡± Steve frowned, hesitated in pushing the door and heard Ruby hesitate before continuing, ¡°Wenny, isn¡¯t Steve¡¯s birthdaying up in a few days?¡± As expected¡­ Ruby never does anything without a purpose. Steve¡¯s gaze became a bit colder, and just as his sister was about to say, ¡°It¡¯s next Wednesday, if you have time¡­,¡± he pushed the door open suddenly. Ruby tried hard to suppress her excitement, knowing that Wenny would surely invite her to Steve¡¯s birthday party if she were avable. However, before she could hear the second half of Wenny¡¯s sentence, the door behind her was pushed open: ¡°Time for dinner.¡± At the sound of those three words, Ruby¡¯s hands shook and the paintbrush almost fell out of her palm. How could he be home? Hadn¡¯t he left in the car? Wenny¡¯s second half of the sentence got stuck in her throat as she turned to look at Steve with a slightly mocking tone, ¡°I thought I was mistaken, but it really is you who came to call me for dinner.¡± Steve showed no annoyance at his sister¡¯s teasing, but in the next moment, his gaze shifted onto Ruby, ¡°What are you doing here?¡± His voice was cold and distant, making Ruby feel distinctly unwee. Ruby felt awkward and didn¡¯t know how to respond. Wenny gave Ruby an apologetic nce before turning to Steve and exining, ¡°I asked Ruby to help me touch up some of my old paintings.¡± Steve¡¯s face showed no reaction. Ruby was keenly aware of Steve¡¯s displeasure, she turned to Wenny and said, ¡°Wenny, I should get going first.¡± ¡°Stay for lunch.¡± Ruby shook her head, then gave Steve a slight nod as a greeting before hurrying out of the room. As Ruby was about to leave the painting studio, Steve¡¯s voice suddenly rang out again, ¡°How many more paintings does she need to touch up? Gather them all up now and let her take them away, so she doesn¡¯t keep using this excuse toe here every day, it¡¯s annoying!¡± Chapter 36 - 36: 36 Birthday Invitation (8) Chapter 36 - 36: 36 Birthday Invitation (8) Trantor: 549690339 Steve Burton¡¯s tone had a touch of maliciousness, causing Ruby Gregory¡¯s silhouette to slightly sway. ¡°Steve, how can you talk like that!¡± Wenny Burton couldn¡¯t believe that Steve would say such ruthless words, her tone filled with reproach. Steve Burton didn¡¯t bother to respond to Wenny¡¯s reprimand. He turned around and strode past Ruby, leaving the painting studio. Wenny looked at Ruby somewhat awkwardly and said, ¡°Ruby, Steve may be in a bad mood and said some harsh words. Don¡¯t take it to heart¡­¡± Ruby managed to shake her head at Wenny, forcing a smile, and said, ¡°Wenny, I¡¯m going first.¡¯ Ruby quickly left the entrance of the Burton¡¯s house before she dared to lower her head, revealing a hurt expression on her face. Did he hate her so much that he didn¡¯t even want her toe to his home¡­? When he faced irrelevant people, he would only show a cold and distant attitude at most. But when facing her, he always attacked her with harsh words. Just like three years ago, overnight, he became apletely different person toward her¡­ She never knew why. When Ruby was about to reach her own doorstep, she raised her head, took a deep breath towards the sky, and then squeezed out a smile. She tried hard to make herself look rxed. No matter how much Steve had wronged her, she didn¡¯t want her parents to know. She was afraid that they would be disappointed in the daughter they had raised for over twenty years, pouring all their efforts into her upbringing. When Ruby saw her smile looked natural, she prepared to step forward. Suddenly, a car stopped beside her at a fast speed, apanied by a sharp braking sound. Before Ruby could react, a powerful force pulled her over and stuffed her into the car. Ruby looked up instinctively, seeing Steve staring at her coldly. Ruby felt a little scared under Steve¡¯s gaze. Steve didn¡¯t say a word, staring at her unblinkingly. Even the breath he sprayed on her face carried a cold chill. Ruby felt ayer of cold sweat creeping onto her back, and she subconsciously moved backward to avoid him. In the next second, Steve suddenly lowered his head, covered her lips, and began to pull at the zipper of her clothes. Ruby knew what Steve was going to do next. In broad daylight and inside the car, people or vehicles could pass by any moment¡­ If they were seen¡­ At that thought, Ruby couldn¡¯t care less if she would anger Steve, and her whole body instinctively struggled violently. Steve didn¡¯t expect Ruby to resist. He was initially a bit taken aback, but then a subtle delight crossed his eyes. So, she hadn¡¯t reached the point of obeying him without any limits! Steve stopped his actions, looked into Ruby¡¯s eyes, and said after a while, ¡°Don¡¯t you want an invitation to my birthday party? Sleep with me now, and I¡¯ll have Wenny send you the invitation!¡± PS: The lucky readers who won the calendar, and signed the book yesterday are:(If you didn¡¯t win, don¡¯t be discouraged).. See you tomorrow at 3 §²§®~ Chapter 37 - 37: 37: Enduring Without a Choice (1) Chapter 37 - 37: 37: Enduring Without a Choice (1) Trantor: 549690339 Steve Burton stopped his actions and gazed into Ruby Gregory¡¯s eyes. After a moment, he said, ¡°You want an invitation to my birthday party, don¡¯t you? Sleep with me now, and I¡¯ll have Wenny Burton send you an invite!¡± How did he know she wanted an invitation to his birthday party? Could it be that he already knew her true purpose for going to the Burtons to see Wenny Burton? Although she didn¡¯t know what had annoyed Steve Burton three years ago, based on his current attitude towards her, he probably never intended to invite her to his birthday party. Originally, her n was to bypass Steve Burton and ask Wenny Burton for an invitation, so she wouldn¡¯t be humiliated by not being able to attend his birthday party and be aughingstock. However, now he saw through her little scheme. If he were to intervene, Wenny Burton would definitely not give her an invitation to his birthday party¡­ Could it be that she really had to follow his words and exchange for his birthday invitation in the way he described? Ruby was feeling a mix of hesitation and struggle deep within her heart. Steve Burton¡¯s eyes, usually cold and indifferent, seemed to warm up, even carrying a hint of a smile when he saw the hesitation and uncertainty in hers. It turned out that Ruby Gregory was not so desperate and helpless; deep down, she still cared about her dignity and pride. Suppressing the joy in his heart, Steve Burton¡¯s words were still indifferent and cold, but his tone had softened considerably, no longer as sharp and biting. ¡°Ruby Gregory, you know that if I say the word, Wenny Burton would never dare to give you that invitation.¡± As expected, he wouldn¡¯t let things go smoothly for her. Ruby clenched her hand into a fist. Her feminine reserve and dignity made it impossible for her to agree to his proposal. Many people in Ciawell knew about the once good rtionship between the daughter of the Gregorys and the sessor of the Burtons, and many knew about her inexplicable departure to Costa Luna three years ago. Although they might not know the specifics of what had happened, everyone was eager to see the oue of her return to the country and her subsequent interactions with Steve Burton. Having grown up in the upper-ss circles, Ruby understood better than anyone that if she were not invited to Steve Burton¡¯s birthday party, the mystery of her trip to Costa Luna three years prior would turn into her being cast aside by Steve Burton long ago. Most of the Gregorys¡¯ business in recent years was founded on the belief that Ruby might marry Steve Burton and tied their coboration with the Burtons ordingly. If everyone knew that she had no hope with Steve Burton, those shrewd businessmen would surely realize that the Gregorys offered no benefits for the future; they would undoubtedly cease to cooperate with the Gregorys. At that point, the Gregorys¡¯ business would be in grave danger! Ruby was lost in thought for too long, making Steve Burton believe that she might actually refuse his proposal.. Chapter 38 - 38: No Choice But to Endure (2) Chapter 38: No Choice But to Endure (2) Trantor: 549690339 The car was very quiet. In the silence, Steve Burton seemed a little dazed as he stared at Ruby Gregory¡¯s beautiful face, with a slight loss of focus. He was three years older than her. When he was a little grown-up wearing a suit and trying to look cool, she happened to be wearing a soft pink princess dress and learning to walk in the Gregorys¡¯ yard. Watching her maid leave, she slowly walked towards the fence that separated the two yards. She had just learned to walk and her steps were still a bit shaky. After taking a few steps, she identally fell to the ground. She didn¡¯t mind the dirt and crawled using her hands and feet. There was arge gap in the fence between the two yards. At just one-year-old, she crawled through the gap and into the Burtons¡¯ yard. At the time, four-year-old Steve was already recognizing many characters and loved storybooks. He tried to imitate the adults, crossed one leg over the other, read the story with great interest. However, he realized there was some weight on his raised foot. Frowning, Steve looked up and saw a dirty little girl holding onto his leg. She stood up, rubbing against him, eyeing the book in his hand with innocent, curious eyes. Even though he was only four years old, Steve was already obsessively clean. Seeing her beautiful dress, white socks, and chubby little face covered in mud, he frowned without hesitation and pulled his leg free from her grasp. After cing the storybook on the table, he took a tissue and began wiping the dirt from his trousers. Perhaps due to pulling his leg away too quickly, the girl lost her bnce and squatted on the ground. Instead of crying, she rolled over on the spot, crawled over to the table, stood up silently, and reached out her dirty little hand towards his storybook. He had just gotten to an exciting part of the story, and her hand was so filthy that he quickly said with disgust, ¡°Dirty!¡± Steve quickly snatched the storybook away. At that time, she could already understand mostnguages and speak simple words. She probably knew ¡°dirty¡± was a bad adjective, so she pouted and red at him, visibly annoyed. A girl this dirty, he had no intention of bothering with her! Steve picked up his book, intending to escape to his room without a second thought. But as he stood up, she suddenly reached out, and her nimble hands quickly snatched the storybook from him. Steve turned around and instinctively tried to take it back. She probably knew he was going to grab it or that she couldn¡¯t get away with it, so her plump little hands tore the storybook in half.. Chapter 39 - 39: No Choice But to Endure (3) Chapter 39: No Choice But to Endure (3) Trantor: 549690339 At this memory, Steve Burton couldn¡¯t help but let the corners of his lips curve into a slight smile. At that time, she was only one year old, but she already knew that if she couldn¡¯t take what she wanted, she should destroy it! More than twenty years have passed, and he still clearly remembers what his expression was like at that time. He was obviously so angry that he gritted his teeth, wanting to kick the little dumpling lying on the ground, but he had to maintain his little gentleman¡¯s demeanor and hold it in. His face turned red with anger, as he red at her fiercely. Yet, she seemedpletely oblivious, focusing on tearing his serialized storybook. ¡°Ruby? Ruby?¡± Suddenly, a clear and beautiful call came. Ruby Gregory immediately threw away the mess she had made of the serialized storybook and crawled towards the railing. ¡°Ruby, how did you crawl into the Burtons¡¯ yard?¡± ¡°Ruby, look at you, why are you so dirty?¡± Her mother scolded her with a stern face, wiped her face with a handkerchief, and then looked up to see him, standing on the other side of the railing. Even though he was annoyed with Ruby in his heart, he did not forget his manners and immediately spoke politely, saying: ¡°Aunt Gregory, hello.¡± ¡°Hello, Steve.¡± Ruby¡¯s mother bent down and said to Ruby, ¡°Ruby, that¡¯s your Aunt Burton¡¯s youngest son, call him Steve Burton.¡± Ruby¡¯s speech was not yet clear, so she couldn¡¯t say the four-word name quickly. She had already forgotten the grudge she held against him because he ripped her serialized storybook. She stared at him with her pitch-ck eyes and called out tenderly: ¡°Brother.¡± Her originally dirt-streaked face had been wiped clean by Aunt Gregory. He finally caught a clear glimpse of her cute, innocent face: round like an apple, making the nearly-four-year-old Steve have an impulse to pounce on her and take a bite. After a long internal struggle, Ruby looked straight into Steve¡¯s eyes. She hesitated before asking, ¡°Will you keep your word?¡± Still lost in his memories, Steve suddenly heard Ruby¡¯s voice. He snapped out of his reverie but had no idea what she had just said. Steve¡¯s silence made it difficult for Ruby to grasp what he was thinking. With a slightly trembling voice, she said, ¡°If I really sleep with you now, will you give me the invitation to your birthday party?¡± She had no choice. The Gregorys had ced all their bets on her, so regardless of the difficult problem Steve posed to her, all she could do was face it head-on. Even if the problem made her feel humiliated and degraded, she had to ept it. Steve¡¯s body froze instantly. The tenderness and lingering sentiment that had just risen in his heart evaporated in an instant, as if he had been thrown into cold water and turned into ice.. Chapter 40 - 40: 40: No Choice But to Endure (4) Chapter 40 - 40: 40: No Choice But to Endure (4) Trantor: 549690339 ¡°Ruby Gregory, it seems I¡¯ve overestimated you!¡± Steve Burton spoke, his tone cold. He had thought she would refuse, but it seemed he had thought too much. What did he mean, he had overestimated her¡­ Ruby didn¡¯t understand the meaning behind Steve¡¯s words. She lifted her eyelids, stealing a nce at him, only to find that his gaze had be frighteningly cold at some point, sending a chill down her spine. She quickly lowered her gaze, avoiding his stare. Initially, when she returned from abroad, she thought her nervousness around him was just stress. Butter, she realized she was actually afraid of Steve, and her fear continued to grow. She feared his cruel, hurtful words and the humiliation he could cause her in front of others. ¡°You really enjoy debasing yourself!¡± Steve¡¯s voice was dripping with undisguised sarcasm, his whole being exuding a violent storm. ¡°Since you don¡¯t think highly of yourself, there¡¯s no need for me to be polite with you either! ¡± Without waiting for Ruby to react, Steve pushed her down onto the car seat. Her body tensed up, her fingertips trembling violently. The car¡¯s space was rather small; Steve didn¡¯t even bother taking off their clothes before forcing himself on her. She felt humiliated and pained¡ªher eyes tightly closed, she tried to forget her own indignity. Just like thest time, she clenched her fists so tightly that her nails dug into her palm. Yet, she couldn¡¯t feel any pain from that, as the hurt he caused her was iparably more excruciating. His actions became harsher and more brutal, as if he was venting his frustrations on her. She could scarcely endure it¡ªshe felt tears burning at the backs of her eyes, but she couldn¡¯t cry. She could only grit her teeth and bear it, evenforting herself at the bottom of her heart. She told herself it was okay; she didn¡¯t need to care about the humiliation he was causing her now. As long as she became pregnant with his child, the Burtons would never allow their flesh and blood to go unimed¡ªespecially since their families were neighbors, they would definitely arrange for them to get married. Once they were married, she wouldn¡¯t have to ingratiate herself to him or walk on eggshells to please him. Their marriage would secure the Gregory family¡¯s business. At that point, she would only need to be a well-behaved mistress of the Burton household¡ªshe didn¡¯t need a loving marriage, mere mutual respect would suffice, or even a cold, distant rtionship. Once they were married, she could stay as far away from him as possible¡­ Ruby felt her nails breaking in her clenched palms, a sticky liquid seeping out. She knew it was blood. She never knew she could endure so much. Finally, Steve stopped. Inwardly, Ruby let out a sigh of relief, feeling as if she had been revived from the brink of death in the depths of hell.. Chapter 41 - 41: 41: No Choice But to Endure (5) Chapter 41 - 41: 41: No Choice But to Endure (5) Trantor: 549690339 The air in the car was filled with a flirtatiously ambiguous atmosphere. With every breath Ruby took, she could smell this scent, constantly reminding her of the humiliation she had just endured. She couldn¡¯t bear to stay in the car for even a moment longer. Regardless of how ufortable she felt, she managed to endure and slowly straightened her clothes. Then, after ncing at Steve, she pushed the door open, lowered her head, and hurriedly got out of the car. Steve thought he would see grievance and tears in Ruby¡¯s eyes, but her eyes were as dark and clear as ever, without even a hint of dampness. A familiar sense of defeat welled up within him as he watched her through the car window, her steps slightly frantic as she headed towards her home. Perhaps he had been too rough with her earlier, causing her pain as she walked with a slight limp. Ruby¡¯s figure disappeared into the Gregorys¡¯pound for a long time before Steve finally shifted his gaze and slowly looked towards the car seat where Ruby had been sitting. He saw a wet stain on the dark seat, touched it, and found it to be bright red. Then his fingers picked up a bloodstained half-broken fingernail from beside lt. With the nail in his hand, Steve felt like there was something stuck in his throat, making it hard to breathe. They hadn¡¯t always been like this¡­ If it weren¡¯t for that incident three years ago, he wouldn¡¯t have mocked and derided her, shirking responsibility after sleeping with her. That incident was a sharp thorn buried deep in his heart that he never wanted to bring up again in his lifetime! In truth, he didn¡¯t want their rtionship to be like this either. But if he didn¡¯t act this way, would Ruby still repeatedly circle around him? He couldn¡¯t bear to let her go, but if he held onto her like this and married her, he feared she would have distanced herself from him as much as possible by now, not investing as much effort and thought into him as she currently did. Ruby didn¡¯t dare let the Gregory household see her in such a disheveled state. She entered the house through the back door, went directly to her room on the second floor, and returned to her bedroom. Once in the room, she took a shower first, as if only then could she wash away the humiliation he had inflicted on her. After her shower and standing in front of the cheval mirror in her bedroom, Ruby saw the numerous scars on her body and her eyes grew dim. On her neck, the purplish bruise from the bite she had given himst time at the holiday vi in Red Park still hadn¡¯t faded. The nail-scratched palm of her hand ached deeply. Ruby lowered her gaze, quickly put on her pajamas, and climbed directly into bed. Wrapped tightly in her nket, she felt exhausted but couldn¡¯t sleep. As her mind swirled with confusion, her phone suddenly rang.. Chapter 42 - 42: 42: No Choice But to Endure (6) Chapter 42 - 42: 42: No Choice But to Endure (6) Trantor: 549690339 Ruby Gregory picked up the call, saw it was from Steve Burton, hesitated slightly before answering. However, before she could utter a word, a somewhat cold male voice came from the other end: ¡°Birthday invitation, Wenny Burton will send it to you tonight!¡± Then, without waiting for Ruby Gregory¡¯s response, Steve Burton hung up the call. Ruby listened to the dial tone, feeling a slight relief amid her heavy mood. No matter how tormented or humiliated she was just now, she was, after all, able to secure an invitation to Steve Burton¡¯s birthday party. Regardless of how Steve¡¯s actions may have pped her in the face privately, at least to the outside world, she had preserved her dignity, and that of the Gregorys. Ruby, after being tossed around so brutally by Steve, spent her whole weekend without setting foot outside, cooped up in her house, and needed two-day rest to recuperate. Monday was always the busiest day for all office workers, and Pristine¡¯s Enterprises was no exception. While the official working hours at Pristine¡¯s Enterprises began at half-past nine, Steve was at a meeting room in a club next to the Forbidden City for a meeting at eight-thirty. The secretary apanying Steve to the meeting was Olivia Foster. Steve and Olivia arrived at the club on the dot of eight. Since they had half an hour before the meeting¡¯s start, Steve and Olivia first went to the club¡¯s private lounge. Olivia handed Steve the materials she had brought with her, saying, ¡°Steve, here are the materials for our meeting today.¡± Usually, during official business, Olivia would call him ¡®Mr. Burton¡¯. However,st week, when she went to his office to approve some documents, Steve uncharacteristically brought up his birthday, asking her if she had a gift prepared for him. Having known Steve for many years and served as his secretary for over two, she had never shown her affection for him, always striving to get closer to him. But his attitude towards her was always lukewarm. Therefore, when he suddenly asked her for a birthday gift, her heart felt like it was about to soar, and she inadvertently called him, ¡°Steve¡±. Everyone knew Steve was strict with his subordinates at the office, yet he not only didn¡¯t lose his temper at her, but he even discussed his birthday gift with her. She plucked up the courage to bother him to see the gift she had chosen, and he didn¡¯t object. Olivia thought that after enduring so long, she finally saw a ray of light, and once again instinctively blurted out ¡°Steve¡±, a term filled with her affection. Steve, with a cold expression, took the documents from her and opened them.. Without even ncing at Olivia, he said, ¡°When did I get a sister like you?¡± Chapter 43 - 43: 43: No Choice But to Endure (7) Chapter 43 - 43: 43: No Choice But to Endure (7) Trantor: 549690339 Last week, thanks to Steve¡¯s indulgence towards Olivia, she could hear the sarcasm in his words, but still had the confidence to pout at him, saying, ¡°Steve, there are no strangers here anyway.¡± Steve casually flipped through the file, his eyes glued to the words on the pages, and with a calm and steady manner, uttered striking words: ¡°No outsiders? Aren¡¯t you one then?¡± His tone was so light, but it instantly chilled Olivia¡¯s heart. How did Steve¡¯s attitude towards her change like night and day after just one weekend? When someone loves another, they can easily be swayed by every word and action. Olivia was no exception. She would be excited for the entire weekend because Steve would voluntarily chat with her about non-work-rted topics in the office. However, at times like this, his singlement would send her down to the bottom and put her in despair, leaving her tone sounding somehow sadder: ¡°Steve, did I do something not good enough to make you angry?¡± Upon hearing her words, Steve curled his lips into a light smile, as if he had just heard a hrious joke. With a cold tone, he said even more hurtful words: ¡°Olivia, that¡¯s really funny. To an outsider like you, do you think I need to spare any unnecessary emotions?¡± ¡°Butst week¡­¡± Thinking ofst week, Steve remembered how he had used Olivia to find out what kind of cake Ruby liked, only to end up with a bunch of useless answers. His expression turned somber and his cold voice had traces of anger when he replied, ¡°Last week? I don¡¯t remember.¡± I don¡¯t remember¡­ such a definitive statement turned the glimmer of hope in Olivia¡¯s heart into utter despair in an instant. She thought that she would be the first to benefit from their closeness, seeing the clouds part and the moon reveal itself. However, it turned out to be her own wishful thinking. If Olivia had never had any hope, she wouldn¡¯t feel so miserable. But now, as her newfound hope abruptly vanished, she found her heart aching so dramatically that her eyes turned red in an instant. Yet, facing Olivia with her reddened eyes, Steve¡¯s attitude not only remained unchanged, but became even colder and more indifferent: ¡°Olivia, just because I criticized you a little, you¡¯re crying? There¡¯s even worse toe. I told you, do not call me ¡®Steve¡¯ during work. If it happens again, don¡¯t bothering to the secretary department.. Just go straight to HR toplete your resignation and leave Pristine¡¯s Enterprises!¡± Chapter 44 - 44: No Choice But to Endure (8) Chapter 44: No Choice But to Endure (8) Trantor: 549690339 After speaking, Steve Burton added, ¡°And, don¡¯t cry. If you cry, leave Pristine¡¯s Enterprises immediately!¡± Upon hearing Steve¡¯s harsher words, Olivia Foster swallowed the tears that were about to fall from her eyes. Steve Burton satfortably on the couch, flipping through the documents one by one. Then he frowned, lifted his head and said to Olivia Foster with a somewhat stern tone, ¡°Why didn¡¯t you bring the most important partnership agreement?¡± Upon hearing these words, Olivia was immediately scared, forgetting the nasty words Steve had just said. She bent down, checked the documents one by one, and found that she really had forgotten to bring the partnership agreement. ¡°Who prepared the partnership agreement?¡± The color drained from Olivia¡¯s face. She had been very busy at workst Friday and had not noticed who had printed the partnership agreement. However, such an oversight in her work would definitely attract criticism. Moreover, her father had told her to try to remove Ruby Gregory from Pristine¡¯s Enterprises as soon as possible¡­ Last week, in Mr. Burton¡¯s office, his attitude towards Ruby Gregory was disastrous. She might have forced herself into Pristine¡¯s Enterprises, but if she now implicated Ruby in this major mistake, Mr. Burton might kick her out of Pristine¡¯s Enterprises! Thinking of this, Olivia calmed herself down and said, ¡°The partnership agreement was prepared and printed by Ruby Gregory. I asked her to ce it in my office documents on Friday night, but surprisingly she didn¡¯t.¡± Continuing, Olivia said, ¡°It¡¯s only four subway stops from thepany to here, with a distance of a few hundred meters in between. It¡¯s only 8:05 now, if she delivers it, it won¡¯t take more than twenty minutes. I¡¯ll call Ruby now.¡± After saying this, Olivia walked out of the lounge and made a phone call to the secretary¡¯s office. She had already calcted the time it would take from thepany to here for Mr. Burton. If Ruby Gregory could not deliver the partnership agreement before 8:30, then that would be due to herck of ability! Given Mr. Burton¡¯s strict demands on employees, Ruby Gregory is definitely in a precarious situation! At eight o¡¯clock, Ruby Gregory swiped her card and entered the Pristine¡¯s Enterprises office building. There were quite a few people taking the elevator, Ruby had to wait for two rounds before she got on and reached to the top floor, before she could put down her bag, Maya Mitchell shoved a document into her hand and said, ¡°Hurry up and deliver this document to Mr. Burton at the clubhouse, it¡¯s needed for the meeting!¡± Before Ruby could react, Maya added, ¡°Ruby, Mr. Burton said that if this document isn¡¯t delivered before 8:30, he¡¯ll have you kicked out of Pristine¡¯s Enterprises!¡± PS: See you tomorrow- Yesterday, the reader who won signed books and a calendar was: Chapter 45 - 45: A Narrow Escape from Death (1) Chapter 45: A Narrow Escape from Death (1) Trantor: 549690339 Ruby Gregory was still in a daze, unable to react, when Maya Mitchell added, ¡°Ruby, Mr. Burton said that if this document isn¡¯t delivered by 8:30, he¡¯ll have you kicked out of Pristine¡¯s Enterprises!¡± 8:30? Ruby Gregory raised her wrist, nced at the time, and saw that it was already 8:09. She only had twenty-one minutes left before 8:30. Was Steve Burton deliberately making things difficult for her, intending to use this to have her removed from Pristine¡¯s Enterprises? Ruby Gregory took the document from Maya Mitchell and casually asked, ¡°This coboration case isn¡¯t under my responsibility, so why am I the one who has to deliver it?¡± Maya Mitchell said, ¡°I don¡¯t know what exactly is going on either, but Olivia Foster just called, saying that Mr. Burton asked you to deliver it.¡± Olivia Foster made the call? Ruby Gregory frowned slightly and then asked, ¡°Olivia Foster said it was Mr. Burton who said that?¡± Maya Mitchell didn¡¯t quite understand why Ruby Gregory wanted her to repeat her own words, but she nodded and urged her, ¡°Ruby, you¡¯d better hurry and deliver it, or you may not make it in time. It¡¯s rush hour now, so don¡¯t drive. Just take the Number 2 subway line.¡± Ruby Gregory¡¯s expression remained calm, but her eyes deepened slightly. She was silent for a moment, then just said ¡°oh,¡± before turning around and leaving with the coboration case in hand. Ruby Gregory was no fool. Although Maya Mitchell didn¡¯t provide her with much information, she could still vaguely guess some things. She was not sure whether Steve Burton actually said that she would be kicked out of Pristine¡¯s Enterprises if she couldn¡¯t deliver the coboration case by 8:30. However, she knew that the huge problem she was facing now was definitely connected to Olivia Foster! She never thought that after three years, Olivia Foster¡¯s tactics would still be so clumsy and easily discovered. The purpose of Olivia Foster¡¯s actions was obvious¡ªshe just wanted to use the situation to force Ruby out of Pristine¡¯s Enterprises! At this thought, Ruby¡¯s eyes grew colder. She gripped the document containing the coboration case and hurriedly rushed towards the subway station. Although the Gregory family was not as wealthy as the Burtons, they had always pampered Ruby like their precious gem. She had never before experienced cramming into a subway with other passengers during rush hour. Ruby Gregory was squeezed so that her feet barely touched the ground, and she was surrounded by various odorsing from the other passengers. But she clenched her teeth and endured it. Wasn¡¯t it that Olivia Foster just wanted to see her lose, to watch her make a fool of herself? Then, whatever it was that she thought Ruby couldn¡¯t aplish, Ruby was determined to prove her wrong and do even better at it! She had said before that, no matter who gets in the way of her marrying Steve Burton, she would show no mercy! The nearest subway station was about five hundred meters away from the club. The streets were jammed with cars, and trying to hail a taxi would probably waste even more time. Ruby Gregory raised her wrist again, looked at the time, and saw that she had eight minutes left. Gritting her teeth, she plunged toward the club¡¯s direction and started running.. Chapter 46 - 46: 46: A Narrow Escape from Death (2) Chapter 46 - 46: 46: A Narrow Escape from Death (2) Trantor: 549690339 Ruby Gregory hadn¡¯t expected to face such a difficult challenge on Monday, so before going to work, she deliberately chose a beautiful and dignified light blue professional outfit, paired with a pair of high heels in the same color scheme. Not yet an adult, Ruby started wearing high heels. Due to habit, she didn¡¯t feel especially tired even after walking in them for a long time. It might have been because she was running too fast and was a bit anxious. Her heel identally got caught in a sewer grate, causing a sudden, immense pain in Ruby¡¯s ankle. Ruby immediately squatted down, covering her ankle with her hand. Seeing that there were only five minutes left, Ruby endured the pain and took off her high heels, holding them in her hand. Ignoring the gazes of those around her, she hobbled barefoot toward the clubhouse. At first, Ruby could bear the pain in her ankle. But as she kept walking, the pain intensified, causing her forehead to break out in sweat. Eventually, she squatted down, finding it difficult to stand up. There were only three minutes left. If she couldn¡¯t make it, she would be used of ipetence. Moreover, if Steve Burton really wanted her out of Pristine¡¯s Enterprises, her chances of staying looked slim this time. Ruby gritted her teeth, trying to stand up again, only to be met with an even sharper pain in her ankle. Ruby knew she wouldn¡¯t make it in time. But she couldn¡¯t just stand by and watch herself get kicked out of Pristine¡¯s Enterprises, not after only being there for a few days! She had to find a solution to her problem before 8:30 a.m. But how should she go about finding a solution? Ruby bit her finger, her eyes rolling around in thought. Maya Mitchell said the phone call was from Olivia Foster. Olivia hated her so much, so if she called Olivia right now and asked her toe get her, who knew what Olivia would do to sabotage her further! Maya was in the office and couldn¡¯t help her now. After going back and forth, Ruby could only think of one person: Steve Burton. Just thinking of that name filled Ruby with an indescribable fear. But if she failed to deliver the coboration proposal and jeopardized his work, given Olivia¡¯s current close rtionship with him, she might add fuel to the fire. Who knew if Steve would really ask her to leave right away! Besides, perhaps Steve¡¯s statement about her leaving Pristine¡¯s if she failed to deliver the proposal was just Olivia¡¯s own fabrication on the phone call. After weighing her options for a while, Ruby gritted her teeth, pushed down her fear, and took out her phone. She found Steve Burton¡¯s phone number and dialed it.. Chapter 47 - 47: 47: A Narrow Escape from Death (3) Chapter 47 - 47: 47: A Narrow Escape from Death (3) Trantor: 549690339 Even if there¡¯s only a slim chance, she wouldn¡¯t give up! As the call connected, a long beeping sound came through, and Ruby Gregory¡¯s heart grew more and more tense with this sound. The phone rang five times, just when Ruby thought no one would answer, the call was picked up. At the other end of the call, it wasn¡¯t Steve Burton¡¯s voice, but the sound of footsteps. After a while, the footsteps stopped, and only then Steve¡¯s usual cold tone came through: ¡°Hello?¡± Ruby listened to his voice, her heart almost stopped. Her palm, gripping the phone, was sweaty. She took a deep breath and said, ¡°Mr. Burton, this is Ruby Gregory.¡± ¡°Hmm.¡± His response was genuinely restrained, just a cold and indifferent tone. Ruby knew that Steve had no intention of making any conversation, she swallowed and tried to sound calm: ¡°I have brought the coboration case for the meeting you will be holding today. Can you have Olivia Fostere over and pick it up?¡± Not only Olivia could y mind games, so could Ruby. As Steve asked her toe and pick it up, she wouldn¡¯t dare to have any other thoughts. ¡°Bring it up yourself!¡± Steve said directly to Ruby without any hesitation or negotiation. What did she mean? The coboration case was delivered, but she didn¡¯te up? Was it because of what happened over the weekend that she didn¡¯t want to see him? Though they were separated by a phone call, Ruby could vaguely sense the intimidating aura emanating from Steve. Her nervous heart almost stopped beating, fearing that in the next second, he would tell her to get out of Pristine¡¯s Enterprises. So she carefully spoke in a negotiating tone: ¡°Could you maybe start the meeting a bitter? I¡¯ve sprained my ankle and it might slow me down a bit¡­¡± At the other end of the call, there was no sound. Ruby couldn¡¯t guess what Steve was thinking, making her even more uneasy. Just when Ruby thought Steve had agreed, and she was about to hang up the phone and bear the pain of her injured ankle to deliver the case before seeing a doctor, Steve suddenly spoke, asking: ¡°Where are you?¡± Ruby thought he had agreed to let Oliviae and get the documents, and she immediately replied: ¡°About 300 meters east of the club¡­¡± Ruby¡¯sst word hadn¡¯t even settled when the phone clicked off. Her words were cut off, stuck in her throat. Ruby sat patiently by the road, waiting for Olivia toe and collect the coboration case. However, after waiting for about ten minutes, Ruby couldn¡¯t see Olivia¡¯s figure. Just as she hesitated whether to make another call to inquire, suddenly, a shy yellow Ferrari stopped in front of her.. Chapter 48 - 48: A Narrow Escape from Death (4) Chapter 48: A Narrow Escape from Death (4) Trantor: 549690339 The car window rolled down, revealing Howard Coleman¡¯s trademark sunny smile: ¡°Hey Ruby!¡± Ruby Gregory thought to herself, the world really is small. She was squatting by the roadside waiting for Olivia Foster and unexpectedly ran into an old acquaintance. For Ruby, Howard and Madeleine were both long-time friends of many years, unlike her rtionship with Steve Burton, where she always felt somehow beneath him, cautious and careful to please him. Thus, running into Howard was a genuinely happy event for Ruby. Even though her ankle was throbbing with pain and tears welled up in her eyes, she still wore a beaming smile as she greeted Howard casually and naturally: ¡°Howard, it¡¯s been a while.¡± ¡°Hey Ruby, it¡¯s been a long time. What are you doing squatting here by yourself?¡± Howard asked, his gaze dropping to Ruby¡¯s clutched ankle. Howard pushed open the car door, got out immediately, walked over to Ruby, reached out his hand, and helped her up: ¡°Can you walk?¡± Ruby Gregory forced herself to lift her foot and took a step, but the pain made her gasp. Without thinking twice, Howard bent down and carried Ruby to the car, opened the door, and pushed her in. As Howard started the car and prepared to take Ruby to the hospital, she remembered that she hadn¡¯t yet delivered the coboration project to Mr. Burton, so she quickly said, ¡°Howard, could you drop me off at the club up ahead first? I need to give the coboration project to Mr. Burton.¡± Howard smoothly turned the steering wheel, merging onto the main road, and said, ¡°No need to go there.¡± As he spoke, Howard nced at the rearview mirror and then met Ruby¡¯s somewhat puzzled gaze, exining, ¡°The meeting¡¯s been canceled.¡± ¡°Canceled?¡± The confusion in Ruby¡¯s eyes turned to astonishment. Wasn¡¯t this meeting supposed to be a big deal for Pristine¡¯s Enterprises? How could it be canceled? ¡°What happened? Why? Was there an issue?¡± ¡°What else could it be? It¡¯s all because of¡­¡± At this point in Howard¡¯s sentence, he suddenly remembered what Steve had told him and quickly swallowed thest word ¡°you¡±. He was just about to arrive at Pristine¡¯s Enterprises when Steve called and told him Ruby had twisted her ankle en route to delivering the documents. He asked Howard to take her to the hospital. At the time, Howard casually asked if he should first deliver the coboration project so as not to dy the meeting. Without any hesitation, Steve said it wasn¡¯t necessary, and the meeting was simply canceled. The multi-million dor deal was called off just because of Ruby¡¯s ankle. Howard tried to reason, ¡°Bro, a twisted ankle isn¡¯t a big deal. Let me just deliver the project after all. You¡¯ve been working on this case for so long and put in a lot of effort.¡¯ Steve¡¯s mood seemed to be bad, and he snapped, ¡°I said I don¡¯t want it, I don¡¯t want it. Ruby¡¯s twisted her ankle before. You take her to the hospital right now so she doesn¡¯t develop any habitual ankle problems!¡± Having been friends with Steve for so many years, Howard could tell that his brother was using anxiety to cover up his uneasiness, caused by worrying about Ruby. Howard immediately agreed and was about to hang up when Steve suddenly added, ¡°Don¡¯t let her know it was me who asked you to take her.¡± PS: There are still four chapters. Update at 10 PM. Going to have a family dinner on Saturday.. Have a good time- Steve, you sneaky guy, at least own up to it. Chapter 49 - 49: A Narrow Escape From Death (5) Chapter 49: A Narrow Escape From Death (5) Trantor: 549690339 Without thinking, he asked back, ¡°Why?¡± As a result, Steve Burton didn¡¯t say anything and just hung up the phone with a snap. ¡°Isn¡¯t it because¡­¡± Howard Coleman thought for a moment, then casually picked a rather indifferent-sounding excuse, saying, ¡°Bro¡¯s not interested anymore.¡± Such a big case, and he just lost interest, saying he wouldn¡¯t do it anymore. So capricious, while the Gregorys, for that case that was not even one-thousandth as important to him, were still doing everything they could to win it. That is the difference between the Gregorys and the Burtons. Ruby Gregory suddenly became a little mncholic; she tilted her head slightly and looked out the window without making a sound. Through the rearview mirror, Howard Coleman looked at the silent Ruby Gregory. In the end, he moved his lips but didn¡¯t say anything. He just focused on driving the car, taking Ruby to the nearest hospital. Ruby Gregory¡¯s ankle was not injured to the bone and there was no serious problem. The doctor provided her with some topical anti-inmmatory and analgesic medication, reminding Ruby Gregory not to exert force on her ankle within the next two days. Howard Coleman told Ruby to wait for him on the hospital hallway¡¯s chairs while he queued up to get the medication. There were quite a few people in the hospital, and it took Howard about ten minutes to get in line, collect the medicine, and prepare to find Ruby when his phone rang. It was Steve Burton calling. Howard answered, ¡°Bro.¡± ¡°Where are you?¡± The question on the other end of the phone was straightforward and without any dy. ¡°I¡¯m in the pharmacy picking up the medicine, about to go back.¡± Howard hesitated for a moment and then ingratiatingly said, ¡°The doctor said Ruby¡¯s ankle is fine, no injury to the tendons and bones. Just don¡¯t put any force on it for the next two days, and there won¡¯t be any major issues¡­¡± On the other end of the phone, Steve Burton was clearly listening to Howard¡¯s words carefully, but the moment he was sure that Ruby wasn¡¯t in any serious danger, he hung up the phone decisively,pletely ignoring Howard¡¯s attempt to ingratiate himself. Howard walked towards Ruby with the medicine in hand, reached out, and helped her stand up. ¡°Can you walk?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Just now, when the doctor had checked her ankle, he had pressed on it twice. Although the pain had nearly caused her to shed tears, she felt much better after the pain had passed. Ruby¡¯s ankle was injured, so she and Howard walked slowly. Just as they were about to exit the pharmacy, Steve Burton and Rusell Henris strode inside. Russell quickly saw Howard and Ruby ahead of them. ¡°Howard, I was just looking for you.¡± Russell walked ahead of them and stood in front of Ruby and Howard.. He looked at Ruby, gave a slight smile, and said, ¡°Ruby, you¡¯re back?¡± Chapter 50 - 50: A Narrow Escape from Death (6) Chapter 50: A Narrow Escape from Death (6) Trantor: 549690339 After all these years, Rusell Henris remained unchanged, speaking with a gentle and refined tone. Ruby Gregory smiled brightly at Rusell, her eyes curving with the grin. Just then, the sunlight hit her face, reflecting a dazzling brilliance. ¡°Jack.¡± ¡°It¡¯s been three years, and Ruby, you have be much more beautiful than before.¡± Rusell looked Ruby up and down, then added, ¡°However, you have also lost quite a bit of weight.¡± No matter how beautiful and attractive a woman is and regardless of her figure, she will always feel slightly overweight. Ruby Gregory was no exception. Even though Rusellplimented her for being slim and made her feel overjoyed, her response was far from pleased. In fact, it had a hint ofint, ¡°Jack, you¡¯re saying that I was fat and not good-looking before.¡± Rusell said, ¡°Ruby, you are clearly twisting my words.¡± Ruby replied, ¡°Jack, I¡¯m simply making a justified argument.¡± Howard Coleman was about to join in the conversation between Rusell and Ruby when he suddenly spotted Steve Burton walking over with a cold face. He immediately changed his words and called out, ¡°Bro.¡± At that moment, Rusell just happened to speak up, ¡°Confucius really had great foresight, leaving behind such a truth ¨C ¡®only women and viins are hard to deal with.¡¯ Ruby snorted at Rusell, about to reply with, ¡°Yes, I¡¯m a woman, and you¡¯re a viin!¡± However, she caught Howard¡¯s call of ¡°bro¡± and instinctively tilted her head, finding Steve Burton standing two steps behind Rusell. Ruby¡¯s words choked in her throat, and the lively, bright smile on her face disappeared in an instant. She stood in her original spot with proper etiquette and a perfect smile, calling out softly, ¡°Mr. Burton.¡± Steve Burton showed no reaction, his gaze coolly falling on Ruby¡¯s face. Even though she was smiling at him as well. But, it waspletely different from her previous smile. When she smiled at Rusell, it came from the bottom of her heart. Her smile towards him, however,cked sincerity and soul; it was merely a formal smile. It was as if the joyfullyughing, blooming woman from just moments ago was an entirely different person. Ruby knew that Steve Burton was staring at her, and tension began rising within her heart. Her expression grew more and more rigid as a result. As her expression changed, so did Steve Burton¡¯s face, which gradually turned colder and colder. Feeling the atmosphere around them suddenly freeze, Howard hastily spoke up, trying to defuse the tension, ¡°Bro, what brings you here?¡± Steve Burton continued to fix his gaze on Ruby for another two seconds before shifting his cool gaze away. With an emphasised icy tone, he answered, ¡°I came to get the cooperation case..¡± Chapter 51 - 51: A Narrow Escape from Death (7) Chapter 51: A Narrow Escape from Death (7) Trantor: 549690339 Rusell Henris stood by, and upon hearing this serious statement, he let out a ¡°pfft¡±ugh. But hisughter was only halfway through when Steve Burton¡¯s sharp gaze swept over, like fifty sharp knives shooting at him at once, scaring Rusell into forcefully holding back hisughter. Only then did Steve look back at Ruby Gregory with an indifferent gaze and ask, ¡°What about the cooperation case?¡± Ruby looked at Howard Coleman and was just about to speak, but Howard quickly said, ¡°It¡¯s in my car.¡± ¡°Are you Ruby Gregory?¡± Steve turned his head, nced at Howard, and then left with a cold face. Howard, Rusell, and Ruby hurriedly followed him. Steve walked quickly, while Ruby, who had an injured foot, walked slowly. As Howard and Rusell struggled to decide whether to follow Steve or apany Ruby, Steve¡¯s pace gradually slowed down. Entering the parking lot, Howard quickly opened the car door, took out the cooperation case, and handed it to Steve. Steve snatched the cooperation case fiercely, nced at Ruby standing by, then said to Howard, ¡°Take her home.¡± Home? She still had unfinished work at thepany, and if it piled up until tomorrow, she would be insanely busy. Ruby hurriedly said, ¡°The doctor said I¡¯m fine, and I feel much better now.¡± ¡°Pristine¡¯s Enterprises won¡¯t go bankrupt without you,¡± Steve said coldly, then turned around and went to his own car, got in, stepped on the gas, and drove away. Howard and Rusell sent Ruby home and then rushed back to Pristine¡¯s Corporation, just in time for the weekly Monday noon meeting. During the meeting, Steve, as usual, just listened to everyone¡¯s summary of thepany¡¯s performancest week, and avoided speaking as much as possible. However, when it was Rusell¡¯s and Howard¡¯s turn to summarize their work, Steve seemed to have be a different person, with every word hitting the mark, nitpicking at the two men until he found a whole bunch of faults. In the end, Steve mmed Howard¡¯s nning case on the table and said, ¡°Howard, redo this nning case for me!¡± Then he raised his head and said to Rusell, ¡°If the original eco-park idea you submit this afternoon is not good enough, I¡¯ll send you straight to a godforsaken mountain vige to experience what ¡®original ecology¡¯ truly is! ¡± When Steve finished, he threw out an ¡°end of the meeting¡± and left the conference room with the files on his table. As soon as Steve left, the atmosphere in the conference room became lively again.. Madeleine leaned on the table, looking at Rusell and Howard without hiding her delight in their predicament, and asked Howard, ¡°Howard, how did you and Rusell manage to offend our brother today?¡± Chapter 52 - 52: A Narrow Escape from Death (8) Chapter 52: A Narrow Escape from Death (8) Trantor: 549690339 Although Howard Coleman was also scolded by Steve Burton, he immediately didn¡¯t hesitate to share when he thought about watching Rusell Henris beughed at: ¡°Today, when Ruby gave our brother the cooperation case, she twisted her ankle. Even though our brother was obviously worried in his heart, he pretended to be fine and called me to send Ruby to the hospital.¡± ¡°After Ruby and I saw the doctor and got the medication, we were about to leave the hospital when our brother and Jack came over. Then I asked our brother why he came over. Can you guess what he said?¡± Madeleine curiously asked, ¡°What? What?¡± ¡°Our brother clearly came for Ruby, but he insisted on saying that he came to get the cooperation case.¡± Howard Coleman said andughed: ¡°Our brother canceled the meeting and decided not to cooperate anymore. The cooperation case became as useless as waste paper. Yet, he still said he came to get the cooperation case. And then, Jack burst intoughter on the spot.¡± ¡°Howard, stop making fun of me. Aren¡¯t you the same? Our brother was clearly talking to Ruby, asking her about the cooperation case, right? But then, you blurted out that the cooperation case was in the car, causing our brother to leave all thepany matters behind and rushed to the hospital just to hear Ruby say one sentence!¡± ¡°What was that sentence?¡± Madeleine asked. ¡°Mr. Burton.¡± ¡°Pfft!¡± ¡°Hahahaha!¡± ¡°After all these years, our brother¡¯s true nature of being an introverted and cold person hasn¡¯t changed!¡± The next day, Ruby Gregory stayed home and rested for the day. She originally nned to go to work, but at 7 a.m., she received a call from Maya Mitchell telling her, ¡°Mr. Burton said that in order not to cause trouble for everyone in thepany, you should continue to rest at home.¡± On the third day, Ruby¡¯s swollen ankle fully recovered. Steve Burton¡¯s birthday party was in the afternoon, but at 4:30 pm, the secretarial department got off work early. Since Ruby had just injured her ankle wearing high heels, she went home in the afternoon and changed into a formal dress, choosing to wear a pair of mid-heels instead of high heels. Steve Burton¡¯s birthday party was scheduled for 7:30 pm. Ruby arrived at 7 pm. The venue was already crowded with many well-known officials and aristocrats from Ciawell. The birthday party scene was arranged by Wenny Burton, which was both luxurious and elegant. At 7:10 pm, Madeleine and Howard Coleman arrived together. Since Ruby returned to her country, other than a phone call with Madeleine, the two haven¡¯t met each other in person because Madeleine had been busy abroad. The two girls had a great rtionship since childhood, and now that they met, they immediately hugged each other. After a long time without seeing each other, the two girls naturally had a lot to talk about, so Madeleine immediately took Ruby to a rtively quiet corner and sat down. PS: That¡¯s it for today. We will continue tomorrow.. Yesterday¡¯s readers who won signed books and calendars are¡­ Chapter 53 - 53: Let Her Be Happy for a While (1) Chapter 53: Let Her Be Happy for a While (1) Trantor: 549690339 It had been a long time since theyst saw each other, so naturally, the two girls had a lot to catch up on. Madeleine immediately took Ruby to a rtively quiet corner to sit and chat. Ruby and Madeleine had been inseparable since kindergarten, like a pair of twin flowers. Even though they hadn¡¯t seen each other for three years, their closeness hadn¡¯t been affected. Theypletely disregarded their surroundings and chatted animatedly and rapidly without pause. Suddenly, at half-past eight, the lights of the banquet hall dimmed, interrupting Ruby and Madeleine¡¯s conversation. Madeleine turned her head and saw the light on the stage: ¡°The birthday banquet is about to start, let¡¯s go over there.¡± Ruby smiled and stood up, holding Madeleine¡¯s hand, as they walked towards the stage. The guests had already crowded around the stage. Madeleine raised her head, trying to find a spot closer to the stage. She locked eyes with Howard, who waved her over. Madeleine then held Ruby¡¯s hand and apologized, making her way through the crowd to Howard¡¯s side. Just as Ruby and Madeleine settled into their spots, Steve Burton emerged from behind the stage. The man wore a simple, hand-made ck suit, with the most ordinary white shirt inside, and a red tie, which made him look imposing. He slowly walked to the center of the stage, a beam of white light peacefully shone on his tall and slender figure, his handsome face looking somehow unreal in its perfection. His expression was somewhat indifferent as he held the microphone and spoke a few official words, then directly handed it over to Rusell Henris standing nearby. Rusell, wearing a red suit, spoke clearly: ¡°Thank you all foring to Mr. Steve Burton, Pristine¡¯s Enterprises¡¯ President¡¯s birthday banquet. I hope everyone enjoys the food and alcohol, and has a great time!¡± Rusell¡¯s words were met with a round of enthusiastic apuse from the audience. Well-trained waiters carried champagne, handing a ss to each guest one by one. ¡°A toast to everyone.¡± Steve Burton raised his ss slightly to the crowd, then without blinking, tilted his head and drained the ss. The guests also raised their sses and drank to the bottom. As everyone¡¯s sses wereid down, the lights in the banquet hall gradually brightened. As soon as Steve and Rusell stepped down from the stage, they were quickly surrounded by people who offered them birthday blessings, toasts, and gifts. Whether or not Steve genuinely appreciated the gifts, he personally received each one with a word of thanks and then handed it over to Rusell standing by his side.. Chapter 54 - 54: 54: Let Her Be Happy for a While (2) Chapter 54 - 54: 54: Let Her Be Happy for a While (2) Trantor: 549690339 Steve Burton faced the many people attending the banquet with ease andposure. A warm, courteous smile always graced his face. That smile was perfectly measured, neither too intimate nor too arrogant. However, despite this, it still seemed to keep people at a distance. This was Steve¡¯s outstanding trait. No matter how friendly he seemed or how polite his words, no matter whether he was standing right in front of you, he could give you a sense of distance, making it impossible to fathom what he was thinking. Madeleine took two sses of alcohol from a servant and handed one to Ruby Gregory before joining the crowd, their arms linked. There were quite a few beautifully dressed youngdies standing around Steve. They eagerly wanted to engage, but still maintained a reserved demeanor. No matter how stunning these youngdies were, Steve¡¯s face always maintained a light, official smile. Madeleine finally squeezed her way to the front, raised her pretty head, and called out, ¡°Brother.¡± Then she raised her ss to Steve. Steve¡¯s expression did not change, but his gaze softened slightly when looking at Madeleine. They clinked sses and drank, and Madeleine handed Steve a gift she had prepared earlier, saying, ¡°Happy birthday, Brother!¡± ¡°Thank you.¡± Steve took the gift, but didn¡¯t hand it to Rusell Henris, instead giving it to Edward Woods. Edward Woods and Rusell Henris both stood by Steve¡¯s side, helping him receive gifts. Others might not understand the difference between giving the gifts to Edward Woods or Rusell Henris, but Ruby, who had known Steve for many years, did. Since there were too many people giving gifts to Steve, it was impossible for him to unwrap each one. For those who were not particrly important to him, Steve would hand the gift to Rusell Henris, and it would go straight into storage without being opened. As for the gifts he handed to Edward Woods, Steve would open and keep them. Thus, to determine whether someone was important to Steve, one only needed to see which of these two he handed their gift to. From the moment Ruby stood near Steve, she had been paying attention to this detail and noticed that almost all the youngdies¡¯ gifts were handed to Rusell Henris. After offering her blessings and giving her gift, Madeleine stepped aside, grabbed Ruby¡¯s hand, and pulled her right in front of Steve. As Ruby was about to raise her ss and offer her blessings to Steve, someone suddenly spoke up from the side.. Chapter 55 - 55: 55 Let Her Be Happy for a While (3) Chapter 55 - 55: 55 Let Her Be Happy for a While (3) Trantor: 549690339 ¡°Happy birthday, Steve,¡± Olivia Foster said, standing in an eye-catching red long dress in front of Steve Burton, raising her ss to him. Her glitzy, well-manicured nails reflecting dazzling light under the crystal chandelier. Steve nced at Ruby Gregory. The woman stood graciously in ce, without any signs of displeasure or loss over being outperformed by Olivia Foster. Steve slightly lowered his eyes, then turned his head toward Olivia Foster, offering a faint smile as he clinked his ss against hers. After their toast, Olivia Foster handed over the gift she had prepared in advance. ¡°Thank you,¡± Steve expressed his gratitude as he took the gift, subtly casting a sidelong nce at Ruby. Seeing herposed face, he hesitated for two seconds before handing the gift to Edward Woods. This was the first gift from a wealthy heiress of the evening that Steve had given to Edward Woods. It seemed Olivia Foster held a special ce in Steve¡¯s heart. Ruby blinked slightly, pushing down the dull feeling in her heart. After toasting and sipping her drink with Steve, she extended her own prepared gift in front of him, ¡°Happy birthday, Mr. Burton.¡± Steve, time¡­ When did her address for him turn into such distant terms such as Mr. Burton? Steve gazed at Ruby¡¯s attractive smile, taking a while to show no intention of epting the gift. The gift was not heavy, but as Steve hesitated to take it, Ruby gradually felt a sense of heaviness in her wrist. ¡°What¡¯s going on? Why isn¡¯t Mr. Burton epting the gift?¡± ¡°Who is this woman?¡± ¡°The daughter of the Gregorys, Ruby Gregory.¡± ¡°So it¡¯s her; I heard she used to have a good rtionship with Mr. Burton.¡± ¡°Didn¡¯t she go to Costa Luna afterwards?¡± Because of Steve¡¯s pause, people began whispering discussions. Ruby could only force herself to hold the gift package tighter, causing the outer wrapping paper to wrinkle somewhat. Even though Madeleine had a soft spot for Ruby in her heart, she didn¡¯t dare to upset Steve; instead, she gave a sign to Edward Woods. Even if she didn¡¯t know where Ruby had offended Steve, Madeleine knew, without a doubt, that he would treasure Ruby¡¯s birthday gift. These people had grown up together since childhood, understanding each other¡¯s intentions through actions and nces. Therefore, Edward Woods immediately took two steps forward, thanking Ruby on behalf of Steve, ready to ept the gift. But Steve suddenly reached out to snatch the gift from Ruby¡¯s hand, handing it directly to Rusell Henris. Ruby¡¯s gift was then lost amongst many other lesser considered presents.. Chapter 56 - 56: 56: Let Her Be Happy for a While (4) Chapter 56 - 56: 56: Let Her Be Happy for a While (4) Trantor: 549690339 Madeleine naturally understood that the gift Rusell took was bound for abandonment, and she couldn¡¯t help but shout out, ¡°Brother!¡± However, Steve Burton acted as if he hadn¡¯t heard Madeleine¡¯s protest, turning gracefully and continuing to greet the next person. Ruby Gregory stared fixedly at her own gift box in the cart in front of Rusell. She hadn¡¯t expected that one day, she would exchange ces with Olivia Foster. Once carelessly thrown by Steve Burton into the abandoned gift pile without even blinking, Olivia Foster now gained his attention. While Ruby, who used to be the first to take a gift and unwrap it on Steve¡¯s birthdays, was now thrown by him into the abandoned gift pile without even a nce. Just like three years ago, after their one night of passion, she was discarded by him without any lingering affection. Perhaps because Ruby had been staring at her gift box in front of Rusell for too long, Madeleine became worried at heart and couldn¡¯t help but make faces at Howard Coleman. Howard tossed his gift directly to Edward Woods, then tried to smooth things over, saying, ¡°Madeleine, Ruby, want to join me for a drink or two ¡°Sure, sure.¡± Madeleine agreed, and pulled Ruby away vigorously, forcing her to leave Steve¡¯s vicinity. They went back to the secluded corner where Ruby and Madeleine had chatted earlier. Once seated, Madeleine and Howard began talking animatedly. However, Ruby no longer had the liveliness and vitality that she had before the banquet when chatting with Madeleine; she simply sat and listened in silence. Madeleine and Howard had started chatting for Ruby¡¯s sake, but since she remained silent, their conversation gradually petered out. In the end, the three of them fell into silence all at once. At this very moment, the banquet began, and Madeleine hurriedly spoke up to break the silence: ¡°Ruby, let¡¯s go get something to eat.¡± Ruby Gregory really had no appetite, but still followed Madeleine, heading to the buffet area. Just as Steve had mentioned in his office that day, there were many vors of cake prepared for his birthday party. When Ruby and Madeleine came to get food, Steve was blowing out the candles and cutting the cake. Many people still surrounded him. Even Madeleine held her te up close, waiting for a piece of cake. So many people celebrated his birthday, and even if he didn¡¯t like some of them, he didn¡¯t show it, but she was the exception. Ruby feared that he would embarrass her, making her theughingstock of those around her. So, Ruby silently avoided the cake-cutting area, hid far away, chose some light food, and returned to the secluded corner. Howard had also gone to join in the fun around the cake cutting, and with everyone gathered there, Ruby sat alone in the corner. Ruby Gregory sat with her back to the cake-cutting area, while behind her, the sounds of merriment constantly reached her ears, making her surroundings seem deste and cold.. Chapter 57 - 57: 57: Let Her Be Happy for a While (5) Chapter 57 - 57: 57: Let Her Be Happy for a While (5) Trantor: 549690339 When she first returned to the country, deep down, she firmly believed she could sessfully marry Steve Burton, help The Gregorys rise to prominence, and be a person of high status in her family. Throughout this period, she had been working hard and persisting for this goal, constantly believing that as long as she always performed better and pleased Steve, she would eventually marry him and be the mistress of The Burtons. So, no matter how much humiliation and embarrassment Steve subjected her to, she endured it. She had always thought that she could bear it, bear it until she became his wife, bear it until her goal was achieved. But now, she found herself unable to endure it any longer. Ruby Gregory moved her lips slightly, and a trace of confusion crept into her eyes. ¡°Ruby¡­¡± All of a sudden, Madeleine¡¯s voice came from behind her. Ruby quickly masked her despondent expression, swallowed saliva, and turned around with a smile. Madeleine and Howard Coleman each carried two tes that held different vors of cake. Madeleine and Howard put the cakes on the table. Madeleine shook her somewhat tired wrist, having carried the te all the way, and said, ¡°Howard and I brought a piece of each vor of cake for you, Ruby. Take whichever one you like.¡± As Madeleine said this, she bit her finger, then raised her head and looked at Howard, asking, ¡°Howard, did you remember the vors I told you to remember?¡± Howard had always possessed an exceptional memory. He raised his hand and started pointing at the cakes on the te from the left, recounting the vors for each one. Ruby followed his fingers, looking at each cake in turn until she heard, ¡°Vani cake.¡± She then took a knife, cut arge piece, and ced it on her te. The cake was delicious, but it was too much to eat all at once. Ruby ate half of it and then put down her fork. There was still a lot of activity in the distance, as if some game was going on. Three yearster, Madeleine, who hadn¡¯t gained any weight, was still the same as before, trying to eat less at dinner. So she only ate a few bites before stopping. When Ruby and Howard finished eating, she spoke up, ¡°Why don¡¯t we go over there and join in the fun?¡± Ruby nced at the bustling scene in the distance and immediately saw Steve Burton sitting calmly in his seat, lifting a cup of alcohol. She wasn¡¯t sure if it was her imagination, but it seemed like Steve was looking in her direction. Ruby quickly averted her eyes, shook her head at Madeleine and Howard, and lied, ¡°I drank some alcohol and am feeling a bit unwell, so I won¡¯t be going over there. You two go ahead and have fun.¡± Madeleine and Howard, both being perceptive people, could easily tell that Ruby was actually avoiding a public encounter with Steve Burton.. Chapter 58 - 58: 58: Let Her Be Happy for a While (6) Chapter 58 - 58: 58: Let Her Be Happy for a While (6) Trantor: 549690339 Ruby Gregory didn¡¯t go, so Madeleine and Howard Coleman naturally wouldn¡¯t leave her here by herself and go. Howard¡¯s sharp eyes spotted a Backgammon game on a nearby table, so he picked it up, cleared some space on the table, and said, ¡°I¡¯m tired today and don¡¯t feel like socializing, how about we y Backgammon, Ruby?¡± ¡°The two of us against you, ¡± suggested Madeleine. ¡°Alright, I fear no one with my superior chess skills!¡± Howardid out the chessboard and pushed the white piece towards Ruby and Madeleine, grabbing a ck piece and cing the first one. Ruby seemed a bit absent-minded, while Madeleine, on the other hand, was really enthusiastic about battling with Howard. Backgammon itself isn¡¯t very difficult or tricky, so Howard and Madeleine, one attacking and one defending, continued to y until all the ck and white pieces were used up, without a clear winner. So the two of them started a new game. Originally unhappy because of Steve Burton, Ruby increasingly focused on the Backgammon game. She even gradually leaned her head over the chessboard to help Madeleine devise strategies. The second round ended with the ck and white pieces yed, still without a winner. ¡°Two against one, and you still couldn¡¯t beat me.¡± As Howard picked up the chess pieces, he made a clicking sound twice, sounding quite smug. For some reason, Ruby was even more enthusiastic in the third game, possibly provoked by what Howard had said. Seeing that Ruby finally regained her spirits, Howard fought for a while and then purposely let Ruby and Madeleine win. A smile blossomed on Ruby¡¯s face, her beautiful eyes rxed, and her stunning beauty shone through. Picking up the white pieces proudly, she raised an eyebrow at Howard, tilting her chin slightly, and replied arrogantly to his earlierment, ¡°You lost!¡± ¡°I¡¯m not convinced! Let¡¯s y again!¡± So, a new game began once more. Ruby seemed much brighter and livelier than before, and she started talking more as well. Howard had purposely let Ruby win thest game, but this time, he yed rigorously to keep her interest. Ruby almost lost several times when she wasn¡¯t paying close attention. As the number of chess pieces in the tray dwindled, Ruby and Howard still hadn¡¯t settled on a winner. Just when Ruby thought it would be a draw, Howard ced a ck piece. This ck piece was cleverly ced, so Ruby could defend one spot but not the other. The game was set, and Ruby lost. Howard, knowing he¡¯d won, imitated Ruby¡¯s previous expression, raised his eyebrow at her, and said, ¡°I just let you win earlier.. As long as I want, I can make you lose anytime!¡± Chapter 59 - 59: 59: Let Her Be Happy for a While (7) Chapter 59 - 59: 59: Let Her Be Happy for a While (7) Trantor: 549690339 Ruby Gregory looked at Howard Coleman¡¯s arrogance, her eyes rolled slightly, then she lifted her foot and kicked the table fiercely, causing it to move slightly towards Howard Coleman¡¯s side. The chess pieces on the chessboard on the table also became a mess. If she couldn¡¯t win, she would y dirty! Ruby, who clearly did it on purpose, tilted her head and looked at Howard innocently. She spread her hands and said, ¡°Howard, the chessboard is messed up now, so thest game doesn¡¯t count. We have to start over.¡± Howard gritted his teeth and red at Ruby, saying, ¡°Despicable! Shameless!¡± Ruby, who has been cursed at, didn¡¯t get angry at all. Instead, she looked at Howard, who was gritting his teeth and helpless, and smiled even more brightly, ¡°Howard, this is called being cunning in war!¡± Then, a new game began. This time, Howard used all his tricks to try to defeat Ruby in the shortest possible time and make her ept the loss gracefully. Ruby also fought back with all her strength. Unfortunately, in a moment of carelessness, she was tricked by Howard and was on the verge of losing again. Ruby frowned, pouting a little. She then directed her gaze on Howard, who was waiting smugly for her to move, and said, ¡°Howard, are you a man?¡± ¡°I am,¡± Howard nodded. ¡°So, am I a woman?¡± ¡°Aren¡¯t you?¡± Howard made a nonsense expression. ¡°I am.¡± Ruby, who didn¡¯t care about his expression, continued, ¡°Being a gentleman is a basic quality that every man should have, right?¡± ¡°Hmm, ¡± Howard got a bit dizzy by Ruby¡¯s roundabout questioning. ¡°So shouldn¡¯t you also show some gentlemanly manners and let me have one move?¡± Ruby asked Howard back with a smile, then she raised her hand, picked up one of the four ck chess pieces, and removed it. So, after going around and around, that was her goal? How could he forget that Ruby had always been a mischievous and cunning girl since childhood? Howard reached out to snatch the ck piece from Ruby¡¯s hand, but Ruby spoke first, ¡°Howard Coleman, you admitted you¡¯re a man, and you have gentlemanly manners! If you try to take the ck piece from my hand, I¡¯ll tell all of Ciawell¡¯s socialites tomorrow about the time you sent a love letter to a girl in the next ss in elementary school and she rejected you!¡± That was the most humiliating event in Howard¡¯s life! Howard gritted his teeth, enduring it, determined to win againter! Less than two minutester, Howard was about to win again against Ruby. This time, Ruby calmly removed another ck piece, then raised her eyelids, looked at Howard, and said without blushing or panting, ¡°Howard, Madeleine is also a woman.. You let me have one ck piece, so you have to let Madeleine have one ck piece, otherwise it means you don¡¯t see Madeleine as a woman!¡± Chapter 60 - 60: Let Her Be Happy for a While (8) Chapter 60: Let Her Be Happy for a While (8) Trantor: 549690339 Madeleine lifted her head, looking at Howard Coleman, ¡°Howard, are you trying to fight me? I¡¯ll call Jack over to help me right now.¡± Two against one? How could he possibly win? Howard gritted his teeth till they chattered, looking at the smug Ruby Gregory, he swallowed his anger again. A game of Backgammon ended with Ruby winning, after countless bizarre reasons and threats served as excuses to remove Howard¡¯s ck pieces from the game. Ruby busily tried to convince Howard to y another round, but Howard, who had been forced to recall every humiliating event from elementary school to university by Ruby, shook his head, absolutely refusing! Although Steve Burton appeared to be immersed in the atmosphere of the birthday party, he had been watching Ruby all along. Despite the distance, Steve¡¯s good eyesight allowed him to clearly see Ruby, Howard, and Madeleine ying Backgammon. It seemed like Ruby had won. Her radiant smile was as brilliant as the zing sun, dazzlingly beautiful. Soon, she and Howard started another round. Her expression was serious, sometimes frowning, sometimes pouting, and sometimes even biting her own finger, seemingly lost in thought. She looked so animated and appealing with her myriad of expressions, more so than when she was always cautiously meticulous around him. He couldn¡¯t help but be drawn to her. It seemed like Ruby was about to lose to Howard, so she cheated by kicking the table and ruining the game. This was just like the Ruby he first saw when he was four¡­ if she couldn¡¯t get something, she would just destroy it! A faint smile curved at the corner of Steve¡¯s lips, causing him to be penalized a drink for not paying attention to the game at hand. After the game was wrecked, Ruby and Howard started another round. From a distance, he couldn¡¯t tell what she was saying to Howard, but she kept removing the ck pieces from the board. Howard¡¯s face looked like he had eaten shit, getting uglier and uglier, bing more despondent as each piece was removed. Towards the end, it looked as if Howard was about to cry. Steve couldn¡¯t help but let out a softugh, causing him to lose the game once again and was penalized another drink. These games were child¡¯s y for Steve, who had never lost in all these years. Rusell Henris couldn¡¯t help wondering why Steve was losing, only to realize that his gaze kept straying in Ruby¡¯s direction. The next time Steve was penalized a drink, Rusell finally asked, ¡°Bro, should we go see what Madeleine and Howard are up to?¡± Upon hearing this, Steve, who had been raising his ss, paused. His eyes became a bit dimmer, and a hint of dejection could be heard in his voice: ¡°If I go over, she might get upset.¡± Rusell was taken aback. Steve lifted his ss, downing the drink with one gulp. His eyshes cast a shadow on his cheeks as he squeezed the ss in his hand, speaking again: ¡°Let her be happy a little while longer.¡± PS: That¡¯s it for today, we¡¯ll continue tomorrow.. The winners of yesterday¡¯s calendar and autographed book are: Deceit&qu, please speak up if you see your name, and be sure to join group 67726183 (non-winners who want to join are also wee, after all, you might be the winner tomorrow!) Chapter 61 - 61 All Deep Love is Not a Secret (1) Chapter 61: All Deep Love is Not a Secret (1) Trantor: 549690339 Steve Burton picked up his ss, finishing the alcohol in one gulp. With his eyes downcast, he tightly pinched the ss in his hand and said to Rusell Henris, ¡°Let her be happy for a while longer.¡± Although Steve¡¯s tone at that moment was no different from his usual manner, as if he were casually giving work instructions, somehow, these two sentences managed to inexplicably soften Rusell¡¯s heart, filling him with a nameless pain. After saying his piece, Steve¡¯s gaze gentlynded on Ruby Gregory in the distance, who was ying with Howard Coleman and Madeleine so passionately. The corners of his lips curved up, forming a slow smile. That handsome face softened because of the smile, even the depths of his eyes seemed to ripple gently. Lost in thought, he stared at the scene. In Rusell¡¯s memory, Steve had always been the best among them since childhood. From birth, they were burdened with the mission of their family¡¯s future, seemingly filled with enviable nobility. However, people often only saw the surface and didn¡¯t know the unbelievable effort and price they paid for those envious nces. It¡¯s easy to go from poverty to wealth, but it¡¯s difficult to maintain that wealth and prosperity. Especially for Steve Burton, the sessor of Pristine¡¯s Enterprises. In his hands, he held not only his own destiny, but also the fate of the entire Burton family, and the thousands of families who depended on Pristine¡¯s Enterprises for survival. He couldn¡¯t let the welfare and sries for those employees who relied on Pristine¡¯s Enterprises for their livelihood be reduced in his hands. So, from a young age, Steve was astonishingly outstanding. This man seemed to possess an innate charisma that could captivate and bend others to his will, without question. He was revered as a god. He seemed invincible. However, such a man, who was worshiped by them like a god, still sumbed to so-called fate. In the beginning, Rusell had always thought that love was an inconsequential thing for Steve. After all, since the moment their adolescent feelings blossomed, there had been countless girls who had taken the initiative to show him affection. Regardless of their beauty, figure, or family background, Steve always appeared disinterested, not even sparing a nce at those women. He seemed so aloof. Despite this, countless women still came one after the other, constantly throwing themselves at him. No matter how colorful his and Edward Woods¡¯ youth had been, Steve Burton had always maintained his aloofness, like a nk canvas. It wasn¡¯t until theyter grew into mature and sophisticated adults with keen insight, that they discovered Steve had a deep-rooted secret hidden in his heart the whole time.. Chapter 62 - 62: All Deep Love Is No Secret (2) Chapter 62: All Deep Love Is No Secret (2) Trantor: 549690339 That secret was Ruby Gregory. They once asked Steve Burton why he didn¡¯t have a passionate love affair in his prime so that he could leave behind the most beautiful silhouette of his youth in his old age. At that time, Steve Burton heard these words and let out a soft chuckle. His voice was faint, making him sound indifferent: ¡°Toozy to care.¡± What a cold and indifferent person one must be not to even care about love. But when they discovered the secret, they understood that Steve Burton was not careless about love, nor toozy to care, but rather, his heart was taken, and his eyes could no longer amodate anyone else. Later on, they realized that it wasn¡¯t because they were sophisticated and observant, but because all deep love could not be kept secret. If you truly love someone, your eyes will always inadvertently fall on her. If you truly love someone, her emotions will uncontrobly affect you in your most vulnerable moments. If you truly love someone, you would focus solely on them, portraying the kind of calm andposed demeanor like that of a wise man. As for the others¡­ Although they seemed to be ying games among different women, perhaps without any emotional investment, or perhaps with a fleeting moment of thrill, they ultimately remained unattached, unloved, and carefree. Is it the jealousy of heaven? Such a brilliant and dazzling man, who should have led a smooth and triumphant life, couldn¡¯t escape from the clutches of love. So early on, he confined himself to a circle called ¡°Ruby Gregory.¡± In the end, Howard Coleman couldn¡¯t outy Ruby, and they started a new game of Backgammon once more. This time, Ruby had learned her lesson after several losses to Howard and began to strategize three to four moves ahead in anticipation of Howard¡¯s five consecutive pieces. Howard¡¯s several setups were seen through by Ruby, and the duel between the two became increasingly fierce. Steve Burton, who was usually busy with socializing, was not someone who would be drunk after a thousand drinks. But for some unknown reason, perhaps due to Ruby¡¯s presence, he started feeling a bit hazy after three to four sses of wine. So, he made an excuse and left. Steve Burton originally wanted to go outside for a breath of fresh air to clear his head, but somehow, his footsteps led him to the corner where Ruby, Howard, and Madeleine were sitting. From about five meters away, Steve Burton could clearly hear Ruby¡¯s voice. She seemed to be bickering with Howard. Her words were clearly unreasonable, yet they made it impossible for anyone to refute. When she had rendered Howard speechless, she didn¡¯t forget to provoke him by raising her eyebrows. That appearance clearly showed that she had gained the upper hand and was still pretending to be innocent.. Chapter 63 - 63: All Deep Love is Not a Secret (3) Chapter 63: All Deep Love is Not a Secret (3) Trantor: 549690339 Such an energetic Ruby Gregory, she¡¯s as vibrant as she was many years ago¡­ Steve Burton¡¯s steps halted in ce, his gaze fixed on Ruby¡¯s lively expression. Her clear, haughty words from her mouth and her asionalughter provoked his thoughts, and he couldn¡¯t resist tracing back to the past. After Steve first met Ruby, four-year-old Steve often sat in the courtyard, engrossed in aic book. However, his thoughts weren¡¯t on the plot of theic, but rather, he was attentively observing the movements in the courtyard next door. Ruby Gregory¡¯s movements. At four, children couldn¡¯t discern beauty from ugliness, but in Steve¡¯s memory, Ruby of that time resembled the Barbie doll in his older sister¡¯s room, always dressed in a colorful princess dress, her sparse hairbed into two neat braids, each tied with a butterfly bow. asionally, when Steve would sneak a peek at Ruby, the little girl would meet his gaze. But the one-year-old girl, having seemingly forgotten who he was, was quickly lured away by the toys and snacks in the hands of adults. Like that, about a month passed, transitioning from summer to early autumn. The leaves in the courtyard gradually turned yellow, and the weather outside became chilly. Ruby increasingly stoppeding outside. When he sat in the courtyard with hisic books, he would be called back into the house by the servants. Autumn in Ciawell was always short. A gust of northern wind would sweep through, and the fallen leaves would nket the ground. The temperature dropped rapidly too, and Steve increasingly spent less time in the courtyard. At that time, Steve had started going to kindergarten. Although he was only four, his learning task was already quite heavy. Steve saw Ruby again during the Chinese New Year that year. As the saying goes, a snowy year is a prosperous year. A Chinese New Year in the north without snow feels lifeless. That year during Chinese New Year, a heavy and moist snowfall urred. Though Steve was born with responsibilities and appeared more mature than his peers, he was still a child at heart. Seeing the courtyard covered in a nket of snow, he ran out in his new clothes, carrying a child¡¯s shovel, and began to build a snowman. Possibly due to the Chinese New Year, many housekeepers had returned home for the New Year, so house chores were left to the family, leading to Ruby, who was alone, to emerge from the house. She was ying by herself in the snow but noticed Steve making a snowman in the neighboring yard. At that time, Ruby was able to walk steadily. She had grown a bit taller but could still crawl through the fences. Steve was concentrating on his snowman, oblivious to Ruby¡¯s approach.. Chapter 64 - 64: All Deep Love is Not a Secret (4) Chapter 64: All Deep Love is Not a Secret (4) Trantor: 549690339 As kids grow teeth, snacks like candy are inevitably controlled more strictly. Because of New Year, Steve Burton¡¯s pocket was fortunately filled with all kinds of candies, including milk candies, fruit candies, chocte candies¡­ When he finished making the snowball, he conveniently took out two ck-wrapped candies from his pocket and stuck them onto the snowball as eyes. Just as Steve was about to fetch half a carrot from the house to use as the snowman¡¯s nose, he saw Ruby Gregory standing nearby, tilting her head with her finger in her mouth as she stared at the snowball in front of him. Children¡¯s memories don¡¯tst too long, so when Steve suddenly saw Ruby, it took him a moment to realize that this was the little girl who had torn his storybook apart in the summer. Fortunately, Steve had a good memory, so he remembered her name, and was about to greet her when Ruby suddenly looked like she¡¯d seen something exciting. She walked up to the snowball with her short little legs, bent down and dug out the ¡°one eye¡± that was the candy he had just put into the snowball. Perhaps she had eaten the ck-wrapped candy before and recognized it, so she took the package to her mouth and bit it twice. In the end, she bit open the packaging but the candy fell onto the snow pile. She didn¡¯t care about the dirt, bending down to pick up the candy. But Steve frowned and said, ¡°You can¡¯t eat that!¡± Seeing Ruby picking up the candy, Steve hurriedly reached out to snatch the candy from her hand. But when Ruby saw someone trying to steal her food, she lowered her head and bit Steve¡¯s candy-holding finger hard without a second thought. A child, just over a year old, may not have all her teeth, but the bite made Steve¡¯s finger feel a sharp pain. He loosened his grip and Ruby managed to put the candy in her mouth. Perhaps because of getting the candy, she squinted her eyes at him and smiled. It was the first time Steve had been bitten by someone since he was little, so he looked at the uneven bite marks on his finger and couldn¡¯t help but smile back. After that, Steve couldn¡¯t bring himself to eat the candies in his pocket, even the ones his family allowed him to eat. He would secretly save them up and give one to Ruby whenever he saw her. After many encounters, Ruby knew that she could always get candy from Steve that her mom wouldn¡¯t let her eat. So she would sneak out every day when her mom wasn¡¯t looking. And so, Steve and Ruby began their innocent childhood sweethearts era. Later on, Ruby started going to kindergarten, and Steve was already in first grade. As time went on, Ruby started elementary school, and The Gregorys sent her to the same school Steve attended.. Chapter 65 - 65: All Deep Love is Not a Secret (5) Chapter 65: All Deep Love is Not a Secret (5) Trantor: 549690339 From that time on, the childhood sweethearts started spending more time together. Primary school was unlike kindergarten, with more time spent on y than on learning. By the second semester of their first school year, Steve Burton had crossed the line into his second decade of life, officially turning eleven. At that time, Steve started refusing rides from the family driver to and from school. Mountain bikes were in fashion then, and he, along with Rusell Henris, Howard Coleman, and Edward Woods, rode their mountain bikes in an attempt to look cool. Dressed in white shirts carrying backpacks, they would speed past the school forest, under the towering Paulownia trees. This was a daily spectacle at the school. Ruby Gregory and Madeleine, on the other hand, were still being chauffeured by their respective family drivers. Despite her young age, Ruby was prone to procrastination. She would watch cartoons the moment she got home from school, sometimes until eight or nine at night, at which point she¡¯d realize that she hadn¡¯t done her homework. She would then, under her mother¡¯s nagging, pick up her pen and start writing about ¡°Mountains, Woods, Water, Earth,¡± while struggling to stay awake. One weekend, Ruby was so engaged in ytime that shepletely forgot about her homework. Only when she was dropped off at the school gates by the family driver on Monday morning did she realize that she had not written even a single word of her homework. For a primary school student, criticism from one¡¯s teachers was a matter of great shame. Afraid that she¡¯d be made to stand in front of the whole ss as punishment, much like a student at the back of her row who habitually failed toplete his homework, she hung around the school gates, unable to muster the courage to enter the school. Finally deciding against it, she slipped into the school¡¯s bicycle shed and began diving into her backlog of work. As Ruby wrote, she kept checking the time. There was half an hour left till the start of school, and she had barely covered a third of her homework. If she finished her homework, she would bete for ss. If she wasn¡¯tte, she would be unable toplete her homework. It seemed like she couldn¡¯t escape punishment from her teacher no matter what. As Ruby was torn between the severity of being punished for beingte and notpleting her homework, the screech of a bike brake resounded in front of her, followed by Howard Coleman¡¯s voice, ¡°Ruby Gregory, what are you doing here?¡± Ruby looked up to see both Rusell Henris and Edward Woods pulling up and stopping their bikes as well. They were all looking at her. However, as if Ruby didn¡¯t even exist, Steve didn¡¯t slow down at all. Instead, he skillfully maneuvered around her, parked his bike neatly in an empty spot, and locked it. Only then did he, with the bike key in hand and the backpack slung over one shoulder, walked over to Ruby.. Chapter 66 - 66: 66: All Deep Love is Not a Secret (6) Chapter 66 - 66: 66: All Deep Love is Not a Secret (6) Trantor: 549690339 At eleven years old, Steve Burton was already much taller than Ruby Gregory. Now Ruby Gregory was sitting on the steps, and when Steve looked at her, he had to look down. There were a mess of textbooks, writing books, pencil cases, and pencils scattered all around her. Ruby had an eraser in her mouth, her hair a bit disheveled, and her face smeared with graphite from the pencils. Steve frowned at the disordered Ruby and said with a cold tone, ¡°What are you doing squatting here?¡± Ruby, though only in the first grade of elementary school, had a sense of pride. She raised her hand to cover her writing book, looked up at Steve with a pair ofrge, ck eyes, and shook her head, ¡°Nothing.¡± ¡°Haven¡¯t finished your homework?¡± Steve¡¯s frown deepened. Although he was only eleven, he could tell from Ruby¡¯s little movements what she was doing there and then. She was found out! Ruby¡¯s little face blushed in an instant, and she red at Steve angrily, puffing out, ¡°It¡¯s none of your business!¡± Steve snorted lightly, his expression somewhat disdainful. He turned his head and waved to Howard Coleman, Rusell Henris, and Edward Woods parking not far away, signaling them to leave first. Watching Howard, Rusell, and Edward leave, Steve kicked away the textbook in front of him and moved forward a couple of steps. Seeing the filthy steps beside Ruby, he frowned in revulsion, took off his backpack from his shoulder and threw it beside Ruby. He sat down, bent over, rummaged on the ground for a while, picked up a brand new writing book from Ruby, and snatched the writing book Ruby was working on. He nced at the handwriting, asked, ¡°Writing each character ten times?¡± Ruby hadn¡¯te out of her angry embarrassment, and she puffed out her cheeks, only letting out a ¡°hmm.¡± Steve picked up the textbook from the ground, leafed past the pages smeared and messed up by Ruby¡¯s pencil, and frowned at the chaos. Then he turned to a nk page and asked, ¡°Up to the word ¡®road¡¯?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Ruby was about to ask why he was asking so many questions, but Steve had already picked up a pencil and told her, ¡°You can stop at the word ¡®square¡¯.¡± He then went on with the new writing book, imitating Ruby¡¯s handwriting and finishing the sentence for her. Steve wrote three times as many words as Ruby, yet finished earlier than her. Seeing her write one word and erase it twice, he impatiently reached out, took her writing book, finished thest few words for her, and then tore out all the remaining unused pages.. Chapter 67 - 67: 67: All Deep Love is Not a Secret (7) Chapter 67 - 67: 67: All Deep Love is Not a Secret (7) Trantor: 549690339 Steve handed both the homework notebook he wrote and the one Ruby wrote to Ruby, saying, ¡°If the teacher asks you why you wrote in two notebooks, just say that one of them ran out of pages. Got it?¡± Ruby hadn¡¯t fully recovered from the surprise of her homework beingpleted so easily and nodded nkly at Steve¡¯s words. Steve frowned at her foolish expression, then took out some tape from his backpack and helped Ruby stick the two notebooks together before stuffing them back into her bag with peace of mind. Ruby¡¯s close call of forgetting to do her homework and almost getting punished by the teacher didn¡¯t give her a wake-up call. Instead, herziness intensified, making her even less inclined to do her homework after school. As for Steve, every night after school he would finish the homework assigned by his teacher, then study middle school knowledge on his own. The next morning, he would get up early, pick up Ruby for school, and then, in the school¡¯s small garden, he would mimic Ruby¡¯s notes toplete the mind-numbing assignments. At first, Ruby and Steve would write together. Eventually, it became just Steve writing while Ruby sat nearby, either readingic books or happily sipping a milk tea. asionally, when Ruby had stayed upte the night before and hadn¡¯t gotten enough sleep being woken up by Steve, she would pout andin to him, who was busy writing her homework, ¡°Why are you so slow at doing homework? Because of you, I have to wake up so early and I haven¡¯t had enough sleep.¡± It was also during that time that Steve¡¯s mountain bike was no longer just his cool mountain bike, as a rear seat was added to the bike. His mountain bike became the tool he used to take Ruby to and from school every day. The impressive sight of several outstanding young boys riding their mountain bikes at school remained, except now one of those boys had a delicate, beautiful young girl on the back seat of his bike. At that time, although Ruby already knew that The Gregorys had begun instilling in her the idea of marrying Steve in the future, she didn¡¯tpletely lose herself in front of him. Back then, Ruby, taking advantage of her young age, would act just as spoiled as Madeleine in front of them. That Ruby, who didn¡¯t write a single piece of summer break homework, ended up having Steve, Edward Woods, Russell Henris, and Howard Coleman spending three whole days in The Burtons¡¯ study tirelessly writing her assignments just three days before school started. Ruby at that time¡­ was so wonderful¡­ But for some reason, she changedter on. Chapter 68 - 68: 68: All Deep Love is Not a Secret (8) Chapter 68 - 68: 68: All Deep Love is Not a Secret (8) Trantor: 549690339 Over the years, her true nature had never changed. It¡¯s just that her entric humor and lively spirit were shown to everyone except him. Towards him, she was always gentle, well-mannered, and dignified. It was as if the time when they were ¡°riding bamboo horses together, ying with green plums around the bed, ¡± was merely a unique illusion. Despite it being such a beautiful past, there was an unspeakable bitterness choking him in his throat whenever Steve Burton recalled those times. Swallowing hard, he slightly moved forward two steps. Madeleine seemed to notice the movement behind her, and suddenly turned her head. Upon seeing Steve, she subconsciously wanted to call out ¡°brother¡± but was silenced by Steve¡¯s hand gesture. Swiftly shutting her mouth, Madeleine nced at Ruby Gregory, who was entirely focused on ying Backgammon with Howard Coleman, and silently stood up to give Steve a seat. With smooth and almost soundless motions, Steve sat down beside Ruby. Without intending to, Howard caught a glimpse of Steve and saw Madeleine gesturing for him to be quiet. Immediately, Howard yed along and continued the Backgammon game with Ruby. Ruby waspletely absorbed in her match against Howard, not realizing the person beside her had be Steve instead of Madeleine. Steve sat nearby, silently watching without saying a word. Just when Ruby was hesitating about her next move, Steve suddenly reached out his hand, pointed to a position on the chessboard and said, ¡°Put it here.¡± Ruby, startled by his voice, trembled, causing the white piece to fall on the chessboard with a ¡°snap.¡± When did Steve sit down beside her? Wasn¡¯t he ying games with those people? When did hee over? Feeling incredibly flustered, Ruby hurriedly nced at Steve and then averted her gaze before she could even get a good look at his expression. As expected, she became restrained and unhappy as soon as he arrived. Steve swallowed slightly, forcing himself to ignore her feigned gentle expression when she was facing him. He stretched out his slender, beautiful fingers to pick up the chess piece that Ruby had dropped on the table and ced it on the spot he had just pointed out. Steve¡¯s move was utterly random and without strategy. Unable to discern any clue from it, Howard simply went along with his own n and ced a piece. Now it was Ruby¡¯s turn. However, due to Steve¡¯s arrival, Ruby¡¯s mind went nk and she couldn¡¯t react for a long time. Steve stared at Ruby¡¯s profile, his expression contemtive. Unable to figure out what Steve was thinking, Howard feared that Ruby¡¯s extended pause would anger him. So he reminded her, ¡°Ruby, it¡¯s your turn!¡± At this moment, Ruby¡¯s thoughts hadpletely strayed far away from the Backgammon game. She came to her senses, picked up the white piece, and ced it on the board without even looking at the game¡­ PS: I really wish I had a little bamboo horse who could help me with my homework- See you tomorrow- Yesterday¡¯s lucky reader was: Er Ni Tai Hao PPS: Here¡¯s a little ad ¨C I¡¯d like to rmend a book for everyone to check out! Author¡¯s name: Yili Yiyao, book title: The Number One Concubine in the World: Divine Physician¡¯s Mad Wife (Ancient times literary work¡ª Please check it out if you¡¯re looking for something to read) Chapter 69 - 69: 69 Get Out if You Want to Leave (1) Chapter 69 - 69: 69 Get Out if You Want to Leave (1) Trantor: 549690339 At this moment, Ruby Gregory¡¯s mind was already far beyond Backgammon. Coming back to reality, she replied in agreement, picked up a white piece without even looking at where Howard Coleman had yed, and randomly ced it on the board. Madeleine stood nearby, drinking a ss of water. Seeing such a reckless move from Ruby, she choked violently and started coughing. Yet, shaking her finger at Howard¡¯s three clustered ck pieces on the board, she teased Ruby, and said, ¡°Ruby, you¡¯re obviously taking it easy on Howard!¡± Ruby had yed this move without giving it much thought. Now, Madeleine suddenly exposed it, causing her face to flush with embarrassment. She hurriedly picked up the piece she had just yed and put it at one end of Howard¡¯s trio of ck pieces. However, before Ruby¡¯s white piece could settle down, Madeleine said, ¡°Ruby, if vou y it that wav, Howard will still win.¡± Before Steve Burton¡¯s arrival, Ruby Gregory might not be able to say she had left Howard Coleman in aplete mess, but she could deal with him easily enough. Now that Steve was sitting by her side, her mind seemed unable to function. It was in aplete state of confusion. Holding a chess piece, she seemed to be staring at the Backgammon pattern on the table, but her mind had already drifted far away. She spent a long time staring foolishly at the board without understanding what Madeleine was pointing at. Ruby held the chess piece, hesitating for a good while without putting it down. Seeing Ruby indecisive, Madeleine began to grow anxious too. Not caring about the rule that spectators should not interfere with the game, she directly said, ¡°Ruby, blocked from the other side. If you don¡¯t block him, Howard¡¯s next move will be a winning one.¡± The other side? Ruby turned her head and nced at Madeleine. But the corner of her eye caught sight of Steve Burton¡¯s stunningly handsome face. The man¡¯s face was expressionless, his gaze fixated on her. This sight further confused Ruby, turning her brain to a mush. Despite staring at the game, she couldn¡¯tprehend the situation. She held a white piece hesitantly, weakly ced it on a spot, then raised her head. Her eyes filled with an inquiring look towards Madeleine, implicitly asking if this was the right spot. ¡°No, not there, block the other side of those three ck pieces you just blocked.¡± Madeleine¡¯s instructions were straight-forward, but seeing Ruby still looking confused, she had to continue, ¡°Move two squares to the left.¡± To the left? Ruby quickly turned her head, nning to count two squares to the left. But with a slight movement, she brushed against Steve¡¯s clothes. This startled her and in her nervousness, she ced the white piece two squares below the original position.. Chapter 70 - 70: 70 Get Out if You Want to Leave (2) Chapter 70 - 70: 70 Get Out if You Want to Leave (2) Trantor: 549690339 ¡°Ruby, it¡¯s two squares to the left, not two squares down.¡± Madeleine said, caught betweenughter and tears. Ruby Gregory¡¯s face turned red as if it could bleed, and she hastily picked up the white piece, quickly moving it two squares to the left. ¡°Ruby, what on earth is wrong with you? It was your previous position that needed to move two squares to the left, not your current position!¡± Madeleine was somewhat frustrated with Ruby. Confused by Madeleine¡¯s words and with Steve Burton by her side, Ruby¡¯s mind was disoriented. She held the chess piece and continued to move it two squares to the left. ¡°I can¡¯t take it anymore, I¡¯m going to cry!¡± Madeleine finally cracked, putting down her ss of alcohol and letting out a wail. Howard Coleman couldn¡¯t help but chuckle. Ruby held the white piece, suddenly feeling at a loss, her face red as if it could bleed. Howard and Madeleine were amused by Ruby¡¯s bewildered actions. However, Steve couldn¡¯t find any joy. It was as if he had just drunk Chinese goldthread instead of alcohol, rolling in his stomach and filling it with bitterness. He suddenly regretteding to her side while under the influence. Previously, even if he could only see her from a distance, unable to hear her voice or smell her scent, he could still see a genuine and beautiful Ruby. But now, she looked nervous, not knowing how to be herself. As Steve watched Ruby about to randomly ce the white piece again, he suddenly reached out and grabbed her hand. Ruby¡¯s body seemed to freeze as if she was struck by an acupoint, and she became as stiff as a statue in her seat, unconsciously gripping the chess piece harder. She could clearly feel the burning heat from the man¡¯s palm as it traveled up her hand and into her bloodstream. Her instincts told her to pull her hand away, but deep down, she knew she couldn¡¯t. So, Ruby could only remain stiff as Steve held her hand, too nervous to even swallow her saliva. Steve could feel Ruby¡¯s delicate hand turn as hard as a stone in his palm. A moment of dismay and defeat shed in his eyes before he quickly returned to his usual cold and indifferent self. He casually held Ruby¡¯s hand, cing the chess piece on the square Madeleine had been pointing at. Howard¡¯s chess strategy was blocked, so he randomly chose a position and ced down a ck piece. This time, Steve didn¡¯t wait for Ruby¡¯s reaction and immediately pointed to an empty spot, saying, ¡°Move here.¡± While Steve was holding Ruby¡¯s hand earlier, he had leaned closer to her, and he hadn¡¯t moved away since. Now, when he spoke, his warm breath brushed against Ruby¡¯s ear.. Chapter 71 - 71: 71 Get Out if You Want to Leave (3) Chapter 71 - 71: 71 Get Out if You Want to Leave (3) Trantor: 549690339 Ruby Gregory¡¯s body tensed up even more, and she didn¡¯t dare to take a breath, like a robot, quickly listening to Steve Burton¡¯s words. She took a white piece and ced it on the position he had just pointed at. From then on, Ruby followed Steve¡¯smand for every move she made on the chessboard. In an instant, the game between her and Howard Coleman turned into a match between Steve and Howard. Steve was sitting on Ruby¡¯s right, andter on, the battle between Steve and Howard shifted to her left side, so when Steve directed her moves, he would reach around her shoulder to point. This action was as if Steve was embracing Ruby in his arms. At first, Steve would retract his hand after giving instructions, butter, he seemed to find it troublesome and simply left his arm resting on Ruby¡¯s shoulder. Ruby¡¯s head leaned closely against Steve¡¯s chest, and she could clearly hear the steady and powerful rhythm of the man¡¯s heartbeat, which made her own heart throb faster and faster. The temperature in the banquet hall was a bit chilly due to the air conditioning, and Ruby initially felt somewhat cold. However, now she felt her entire body heat up, and soon she was covered in a thinyer of sweat. Ruby gradually grew restless, and after holding it in for some time, seeing that the chess game between Steve and Howard showed no sign of ending, she finally swallowed her saliva, made up an excuse, and told Steve, ¡°Mr. Burton, I want to go to the restroom, you and Howard continue to y chess.¡± She called him ¡°Mr. Burton¡± and Howard ¡°Howard¡±. Steve¡¯s gaze turned slightly cold, as if he hadn¡¯t heard Ruby¡¯s words, and continued to direct her moves, pointing to a position and said, ¡°Go here.¡± ¡°Mr. Burton, I¡­¡± Ruby tried to speak again, but after uttering just three words, Steve¡¯s gaze shifted to her face. His eyes were indifferent but carried an oppressive force, causing the rest of Ruby¡¯s words to be forced back into her throat, unable toe out. Steve stared at Ruby, remaining silent. Such behavior from Steve was a sign of his bad mood. Howard and Madeleine exchanged worried nces, fearing that Steve would suddenly lose his temper at Ruby in the next moment. Time slowly trickled by. The atmosphere became heavy and suffocating. Ruby felt the air around her thinning. Just as Madeleine was about to speak up and try to ease the tension, Steve suddenly lifted his gaze from Ruby¡¯s face and withdrew the hand he had rested on her shoulder. He calmly stood up and made room for Ruby. Howard and Madeleine¡¯s eyes filled with disbelief¡­. Steve actually didn¡¯t lose his temper? Chapter 72 - 72 Get Out if You Want to Leave (4) Chapter 72: Get Out if You Want to Leave (4) Trantor: 549690339 Ruby Gregory was also slightly surprised deep down. If it were any normal situation, if he were to look at her with such a gaze, the next second he would definitely turn cold and ruthlessly say something hurtful and vile. But now, he actually silently moved aside and let her pass? Ruby hesitated for a moment, then stood up and walked away from Steve Burton¡¯s side, heading straight for the restroom. Steve¡¯s gaze remained on the departing Ruby Gregory. From the woman¡¯s seemingly elegant and poised walk, he could faintly discern her desperate attempt to conceal her panic and haste under a calm demeanor. He even noticed that her tense body rxed once she had walked a considerable distance away. Steve¡¯s expression darkened, to the point where hepletely forgot about the backgammon game he had been ying with Howard Coleman on the table. Did Howard and Madeleine have the courage to remind Steve?- They were afraid that, at any moment, Steve¡¯s bad mood might be directed at innocent bystanders. So Madeleine quickly made an excuse, ¡°I¡¯m going to see what Jack is up to,¡± and hurried away. After Madeleine left, the pressure on Howard only increased. He raised his hand to rub his nose, ¡°I just remembered, I didn¡¯t drive here. I need Edward to give me a lift home. I¡¯m going to tell him now.¡± With that, he stood up and made his escape. Ruby didn¡¯t actually want to go to the restroom; she was just looking for an excuse to get away from Steve and catch her breath due to the oppressive atmosphere around him. Ruby had thought she would stay in the restroom a bit longer, but on her way out, two elegantly dressed young women entered, sizing her up, and one of them whispered, ¡°Isn¡¯t she the woman who gave gifts to Mr. Burton and got him to ept them only after hesitating for a long time?¡± Though the woman¡¯s voice was barely audible, it reached Ruby¡¯s ears nheless. Pretending not to hear, Ruby tried to feign disinterest as she left the restroom. She washed her hands and then walked out of the restroom, heading for the corner seat. As she approached, she realized that Madeleine and Howard were no longer on the sofa in the corner, and only Steve Burton remained, leaningzily against the sofa, idly picking up chess pieces from the table and cing them one by one back into the box. Ruby¡¯s footsteps hesitated slightly, and she instinctively wanted to leave while Steve¡¯s attention was elsewhere. However, Steve suddenly looked up, locking his gaze with hers. Ruby¡¯s footsteps paused for a moment, and she reluctantly walked towards Steve. Steve was sitting on the side of the sofa that Howard had previously upied, so Ruby returned to her original seat.. Chapter 73 - 73 Get Out if You Want to Leave (5) Chapter 73: Get Out if You Want to Leave (5) Trantor: 549690339 Steve Burton didn¡¯t seem to intend to speak. He continued to slowly pick up the backgammon pieces on the table. Ruby Gregory saw that he wasn¡¯t making a sound, so she also followed suit and remained silent. Between the two of them, the only sounds were the hustle and bustle in the distance and the crisp noises of the backgammon pieces when Steve ced them on the board. Ruby thought sitting like this seemed foolish. She looked at the small piece of cake remaining on her te and picked at it with a fork, nibbling away to alleviate her embarrassment. After eating so much cake, it was a bit greasy and dry. The water she had asked a waiter for earlier was already empty, so Ruby waved to a waiter in the distance. Seeing that Steve had been sitting here all along without a drink, she asked, breaking the silence between them, ¡°Would you like something to drink?¡± Steve¡¯s hand slightly hesitated as he held a chess piece, and then he said, ¡°A cocktail, please.¡± In order to please Steve, the Gregorys had told Ruby long ago that she should be a meticulous and considerate woman. Ruby recalled that many people had toasted Steve tonight, so she instinctively pursed her lips and suggested, ¡°Drinking too much alcohol isn¡¯t good for your health. Perhaps some hot tea or warm water would be better.¡± After saying that, Ruby realized that she hadn¡¯t been using a tone that asked for his opinion, so she added, ¡°Is that alright?¡± With a slightly baffled expression, Steve looked at Ruby and then just lightly hummed in agreement. Ruby called the waiter over and ordered two cups of warm water. She first ced one of the cups on Steve¡¯s right-hand side before sitting down in her seat with the other cup. Perhaps Ruby¡¯s considerate care took effect as Steve¡¯s demeanor softened considerably. He was no longer as cold as earlier. He held the cup of water, took a sip, and nced at the scattered cake that Ruby ate on her te. He casually asked, ¡°Is that a matcha-vored cake?¡± Ruby was taken aback, then she remembered that Steve had once asked her what kind of cake she liked. She answered that she liked matcha cake, which was his favorite. It was only because Steve wasn¡¯t around that she had chosen her favorite vani cake. How could she be so careless, continuing to eat vani cake in front of him when there were many vors nearby? Wasn¡¯t she allowing him to know that her favorite was not the matcha cake, she lied to him? Ruby swallowed nervously and said, ¡°No.¡± As she spoke, Ruby lowered her head, not daring to look at Steve. She timidly added, ¡°It¡¯s vani-vored.. Chapter 74 - 74: 74 Get Out if You Want to Leave (6) Chapter 74 - 74: 74 Get Out if You Want to Leave (6) Trantor: 549690339 Ruby spoke, then hurriedly nced at Steve¡¯s face. She thought the man¡¯s expression would immediately darken. However, unexpectedly, not only did Steve¡¯s face show no sign of gloom, it even became brighter. He seemed in a good mood as he continued to leisurely pick up the chess pieces. All along, Ruby felt that having known Steve for many years, she should understand him well, but now she discovered that the man was far different from what she knew. For instance, she thought he would be angry and unhappy at that moment, but he wasn¡¯t. And sometimes, when she felt she had done well enough, he would suddenly turn his back on her mercilessly. Steve picked up all the chess pieces on the table before looking up and ncing at Ruby. As if he suddenly thought of something, he said, ¡°It¡¯s noisy here, apany me upstairs to find a quiet ce and sit for a while.¡± Ruby didn¡¯t expect Steve to suggest leaving them alone. She was slightly surprised, but by the time she came to her senses, he had already stood up. Ruby looked at the bustling banquet scene in the distance. Although everyone seemed to be chatting and ying games, many people¡¯s gazes were still on Steve. Ruby thought about the words she heard those two people say when they saw her in the restroom. The reason she fought to be at this banquet was to avoid bing aughingstock herself and not let the Gregorys be ridiculed, but she hadn¡¯t expected that she would still be a topic of discussion due to a slip. If she left with Steve now, others would assume that their rtionship had never broken and that his attitude towards her during the gift-giving was just a temporary coldness. After all, even the best of friends could have their quarrels at times. In this way, not only would she regain her dignity but also save face for the Gregorys. With that in mind, Ruby slowly got up and followed behind Steve, leaving the banquet scene under the deliberate and unintentional gazes of others. Steve brought Ruby to a suite on the top floor of the banquet hall. Compared to the lively birthday party, the suite was quiet without any noise. In the suite¡¯s vase, there was a bouquet of stunningly beautiful flowers, emitting an elegant fragrance. Steve took off his suit jacket, threw it onto the living room couch, and then went into the bedroom, lying directly down on the bed. Ruby didn¡¯t dare disturb Steve, so she carefully picked up his casually discarded suit jacket, hung it in the closet with a hanger, and straightened it out. The bedroom door was left open, and Ruby saw Steve lift his hand from time to time to rub his brow.. Chapter 75 - 75: 75 Get Out if You Want to Leave (7) Chapter 75 - 75: 75 Get Out if You Want to Leave (7) Trantor: 549690339 Ruby Gregory thought the reason Steve Burton¡¯s head hurt might be because of the alcohol. The hotel had a fully equipped kitchte, where she found half a watermelon. She scooped out the flesh, then painstakingly removed the seeds one by one. She put the flesh in a juicer, and brought the freshly squeezed watermelon juice to the bedroom. Steve had his eyes closed and didn¡¯t open them until Ruby put the juice on the bedside table. She hesitated whether she should call him or not. Since she returned, they had met several times, but she¡¯d never dared to observe him closely. He seemed more mature and stable than when he gave her gifts three years ago, his features were more profound, and the noble air between his brows made him more unapproachable. Just as Ruby was staring at him, Steve opened his eyes suddenly as if he had sensed something. Ruby¡¯s body shuddered, and she quickly looked away, handing the watermelon juice to Steve, ¡°This can relieve the effects of alcohol.¡± Steve nced at the watermelon juice in Ruby¡¯s hand, then took it and drank it all in one gulp. After drinking it, Steve really felt the burning sensation of alcohol in his stomach had eased. He handed the empty ss to Ruby and asked, ¡°How did you know watermelon juice would relieve the effects of alcohol?¡± Ruby paused, then said, ¡°When I was little, The Gregorys¡¯ business wasn¡¯t as bad as it is now. Dad had more social engagements back then and would often drink too much. When he came home with a headache, Mom would make him watermelon juice. After drinking it, he would feel much better.¡± ¡°So, The Gregorys¡¯ business has been bad in the past few years?¡± Ruby mentioned their family¡¯s business in passing, but didn¡¯t expect Steve would suddenly ask about it. Her heart trembled, and she looked down, answering hesitantly, ¡°It¡¯s not as good as it used to be.¡± By ¡°the past few years,¡± she meant the three years she and Steve were apart. Many people had partnered with The Gregorys because of her close rtionship with Steve. Later, when she suddenly moved to Costa Luna and cut off contact with him, many people thought there was no hope for them, so their business gradually waned. Even this year, The Gregorys faced losses, which forced her to return from Costa Luna. No matter how much this man had despised her and demanded from her, she still had no choice but to return to his side. Although Ruby¡¯s words were vague, Steve still understood that she was referring to the three years they were apart. Steve stared at Ruby, not speaking for a long time. As she recalled the events of three years ago, Ruby¡¯s heart seemed to be cut by a sharp de, silently exuding unbearable pain. Even though she seemed calm in front of her parents that night, it didn¡¯t mean she didn¡¯t care about the hurtful words he said to her: ¡°Even though it was your first time and you were a little shy, I still liked it¡­ But only the you fromst night on the bed!¡± Ruby blinked and forced a soft smile at Steve, ¡°I just remembered, I didn¡¯t unplug the juicer.¡± After saying that, Ruby turned to leave the bedroom. However, Steve suddenly reached out, grabbed her wrist, and yanked her onto the bed. He swiftly switched positions to pin her down beneath him. Ruby quickly realized what he was trying to do. She didn¡¯t know if it was the painful experiences from their recent intimate encounters, but she had be more and more resistant of him. She subconsciously wanted to struggle, but remembering The Gregorys and her parents who had ced all their hopes in her, she eventually closed her eyes. Her eyshes trembled violently, betraying her hidden refusal and fear. Steve, intently watching her restrained herself, saw her reluctance and tolerance. She clearly did not want to do these things with him, but forced herself to bear it. Steve¡¯s chest rose and fell slightly as he stared at Ruby with her eyes closed. He lowered his head and covered her lips with his own. Her body remained stiff, like a piece of wood, making Steve feel as if he were dealing with a soulless puppet. He saw her clenching her fist tightly. He remembered the blood-stained fingernail he had identally discovered thest time they were together in the car. So she had been using the pain here to distract herself from what theyd done. Fearing that she might hurt herself again by clenching her palm so hard, Steve took her stockings, wrapped them around her wrists twice, and tied them tightly. Unable to use her wrists, Ruby could no longer distract herself by clenching her fists. Yet her face remained calm and unresponsive. Steve couldn¡¯t stand it anymore, increasing his strength, wanting to evoke a response from her with pain. However, Ruby just kept her eyes tightly shut, silently enduring it all. He couldn¡¯t even make her let out as a weak moan or frown from the pain.. Chapter 76 - 76: 76 Get Out if You Want to Leave (8) Chapter 76 - 76: 76 Get Out if You Want to Leave (8) Trantor: 549690339 Whenever the events of that night three years ago were brought up, Ruby Gregory¡¯s heart felt as if it was being cut by a sharp de, silently pouring out unbearable pain. Despite appearing calm in front of her parents, not showing any grief or shedding a single tear, it didn¡¯t mean that she didn¡¯t care deep inside. In unfamiliar Costa Luna, she often thought about that night when she was alone, remembering the hurtful and ruthless words he said to her: Although it was your first time and you were somewhat shy, it wasn¡¯t enough for me to fully enjoy, but I still quite liked it¡­ However, onlyst night¡¯s Ruby in bed! Regardless of how sad Ruby felt inside at that moment, she didn¡¯t allow herself to show any of it in front of Steve Burton, so she blinked and gave him a soft smile: ¡°I just remembered, I haven¡¯t unplugged the juicer.¡± With that, Ruby turned around, trying to leave the bedroom. Steve, however, suddenly reached out to grab her wrist, pulled her forcefully towards the bed, and then flipped himself over, pinning Ruby down beneath him. Ruby quickly regained her senses, vaguely knowing what he was about to do. She didn¡¯t know if it was because of their recent encounters when he had hurt her significantly, but she had been increasingly repulsed by the idea of doing such things with him. Subconsciously wanting to struggle, she thought about the Gregorys and her parents, who had ced all their hopes on her, eventually closing her eyes. Her eyshes trembled with extra intensity, revealing her inner resistance and fear. Steve¡¯s gaze was constantly fixated on Ruby, he could see her reluctance and her endurance. She clearly didn¡¯t want to do these things with him, but forced herself to endure them instead. Steve¡¯s chest was slightly heaving as he stared at Ruby with closed eyes for a long time. Then, he lowered his head and covered her lips with his. Ruby¡¯s body was still rigid, like a piece of wood, unknowingly making Steve feel as if he was doing these things with an intable doll without a soul. He saw her tightly clenching her wrists. He remembered a previous encounter in the car when he had identally discovered a half-bloodied nail on her hand. So, it turned out she relied on the pain from there to distract herself from the feelings of their intimate acts. Steve, afraid that she might hurt herself by gripping her palm so tightly, took her stockings from the side and wrapped them around her wrists, binding them tightly. Unable to use her wrists, Ruby could no longer rely on clenching her fists to distract herself. Nevertheless, her face remained calm, showing no reaction. Steve couldn¡¯t help but increase the intensity, hoping to use the pain to evoke her response. However, she just kept her eyes shut tightly, silently enduring everything. Even the slightest whimper or furrowed brow due to pain, she did not give him. PS: That¡¯s it for today, continuing tomorrow, yesterday¡¯s readers who got signed books and calendars: (The system was acting up this afternoon, so the update was dyed- It just so happens to be the next morning, so let¡¯s do some voting- Vote-) Chapter 77 - 77: 77 Get Out if You Want to Leave (9) Chapter 77 - 77: 77 Get Out if You Want to Leave (9) Trantor: 549690339 Steve Burton couldn¡¯t help but increase his strength, trying to use pain to evoke her response. However, she just kept her eyes tightly shut, silently enduring it. Not even a weak moan or a frown due to pain was given to him. He thought of her reuniting and warmly smiling at Howard Coleman, Russel Henris, Madeleine, and Edward Woods after their separation, while being spoiled and making a fuss. But when facing him, she either addressed him respectfully as Mr. Burton or tried to please him cautiously. No matter how harshly he treated her or how cold he was toward her, she could always act as if nothing had happened with such calmness, toozy even to give him the slightest bit of anger or tears. Just like now, he blocked her way of diverting her thoughts and pain. He tried his best to make her hurt, but she just maintained her silence and indifference, with no change in her expression. This numb Ruby Gregory stimted Steve Burton, making him treat her even more brutally. Waves of pain seared through Ruby¡¯s heart. She wanted to scream, moan, and release her shackled wrists to clench her palms and alleviate the pain. But in the end, she merely trembled her eyshes slightly and continued to silently endure the storm Steve brought upon her. The man¡¯s actions became more and more ruthless, without any tenderness or mercy, as if he was purely venting his own desires. His actions not only hurt her body, but also her heart. Although Ruby only had intimate rtions with Steve, she knew that his brute and crude treatment of her was only because he didn¡¯t care about her at all, just taking advantage of her body. He tormented her like this. When Ruby was in so much pain that she thought she might die like this, he finally stopped, satisfied. Despite herck of response or cooperation, he was still dazzled by the stimting sensation when it ended. His gaze shifted to her face with a hint of confusion, finding her expression calm, like an emotionless shell. So, it turned out that their rtionship had always been just his own revelry. Steve Burton¡¯s lips curled with a touch of bitterness. He raised his hand, untied Ruby¡¯s wrists, rolled over, and left her body. Ruby wrapped her shoulders and slowly turned over, her back to Steve, curling up her body. The room was very quiet, her face pale and her eyes closed, her breathing bing somewhat weak. Stevey beside her, staring at her smooth and delicate back for a while, then looked up at the ceiling, his eyes seeming somewhat lost.. Chapter 78 - 78: 78 Get Out if You Want to Leave (10) Chapter 78 - 78: 78 Get Out if You Want to Leave (10) Trantor: 549690339 Steve Burton couldn¡¯t help but increase his strength, trying to use pain to provoke her response. However, she just tightly closed her eyes, silently enduring it. She didn¡¯t even give him a sigh of pain or a frown. He thought about her warm smile and her spoiled behavior when she reunited with Howard Coleman, Rusell Henris, Madeleine, and Edward Woods. Yet, when facing him, it was either respectfully Mr. Burton or cautiously pleasing him. No matter how harshly he treated her or how indifferent he was, she always acted so calmly as if nothing had happened, not even bothering to give him the basic annoyance or tears. Just like now, he had blocked her way to divert her thoughts and pain. He tried desperately to make her hurt, but she just maintained her silent indifference, with no change in her expression. This numb Ruby Gregory severely stimted Steve Burton, making him even more frantically treat her. Bursts of pain went straight to Ruby¡¯s heart. She wanted to scream, wanted to break free from the bondage on her wrist, and try to alleviate the pain by clenching her fists. But in the end, all she ended up doing was trembling her eyshes slightly, continuing to silently bear the storm that Steve brought her. His actions not only hurt her body but also her heart. Although Ruby had only given herself to Steve, she knew, his rude treatment of her was just him secretly not considering her important, only trampling on her body. He used this way to torture her. Only when Ruby was in so much pain that she thought she might die did he finally stop, satisfied. Although she didn¡¯t respond or cooperate with him at all, he still felt somewhat dizzy from the intense experience when it was over. His eyes nced at her face, finding her calm andposed, looking like an emotionless shell. It turned out that between them, it was always just his own revelry. Steve Burton¡¯s mouth curled slightly in bitterness, and he raised his hand to untie Ruby¡¯s wrist, turning and leaving her body. Ruby clutched her shoulders, slowly turning over to face away from Steve, curling up her body. The room was very quiet, her face pale as she closed her eyes, even her breathing bing somewhat weak. Stevey down next to her, staring at her smooth and delicate back for a while before raising his gaze to the ceiling, his eyes slightly vacant. Aside from their breathing, the bedroom was silent. Because Steve was lying right behind Ruby, asionally he would turn over or shift his head, causing subtle sounds. However, Ruby maintained her position, not moving at all. Ruby was very tired, and just wanted to fall asleep on thefortable bed. But she thought that on the 10th of this month, after doing those things with him at the holiday vi, he told her to leave. No one would want to share a bed with someone they despised for even a single night. Rather than wait for him to tell her to leave, she might as well take the initiative and go. Ruby¡¯s fingers trembled slightly. When she had recovered some energy, she slowly sat up. Steve noticed Ruby¡¯s movement and turned to see her bending down, picking up her clothes, his brow unconsciously furrowed. Ruby and Steve¡¯s gazes met, and seeing his furrowed brow, she hesitated for a moment, then quickly put on her underwear, saying, ¡°It¡¯ste; I should go home.¡± Steve just silently looked at Ruby without speaking, but his eyes seemed to deepen. Ruby couldn¡¯t figure out what Steve was thinking. Seeing that he didn¡¯t stop her, she silently put on her gown. Her carefully styled hair was now a total mess, so Ruby simply grabbed it, tied it up with a hair band, then bent down to put on her shoes. During their passionate encounter, Steve had thrown their clothes all over the floor. Ruby stood up, originally nning to say goodbye and leave, but seeing Steve¡¯s clothes on the floor, she finally bent down and picked them up one by one. Ruby knew that Steve was a clean freak. If he took off his clothes and they weren¡¯t washed, he would never wear them again. So when Ruby picked up his clothes, she asked, ¡°Do you need me to call theundry service for you?¡± Ruby knew that Steve was a clean freak. If he took off his clothes and they weren¡¯t washed, he would never wear them again. So when Ruby picked up his clothes, she asked, ¡°Do you need me to call theundry service for you?¡± For some reason, when Steve heard this, his eyes suddenly turned cold and full of sarcasm, as he mocked her, ¡°Ruby Gregory, it¡¯s really a pity, remembering all these things so clearly!¡± He loved matcha-vored cakes, taking off his clothes and not wearing them until they were washed, casually mentioning that he liked Chanel No.5 perfume, and that his favorite color was blue¡­. Chapter 79 - 79: 79 Get Out if You Want to Leave (11) Chapter 79 - 79: 79 Get Out if You Want to Leave (11) Trantor: 549690339 So she always dressed in the same unchanging style, always wearing blue, and her body was always enveloped by the faint scent of Chanel No. 5 perfume. But she didn¡¯t know that for Steve, these preferences could change. What he liked was her, and he thought that the faint natural fragrance she exuded was much more charming than the scent of Chanel No. 5. What he liked was her, and as long as she wore the clothes, no matter what color, he would find them more adorable than his favorite blue. Ruby really didn¡¯t know that doing things ording to his habits would bring her ridicule. She folded his clothes one by one and ced them on the sofa, then picked up theundry list on the table and marked the clothes to be washed. Ruby secretly nced at Steve and found his face even more terrifying, so she lowered her head and said, ¡°I¡¯ll call for you now.¡± She hurriedly picked up the phone and dialed the number for room service. Listening to Ruby¡¯s gentle voice, reporting the room name to the staff on the phone, Steve¡¯s eyes grew even gloomier. Ruby¡¯s series of actions were truly thoughtful and meticulous, impable! But it only made Steve angrier, and he sneered at Ruby, his tone as harsh as could be, ¡°Ruby, do you ever get tired of being so hypocritical with these things? I¡¯m disgusted on your behalf!¡± Ruby had just hung up the phone when she heard Steve¡¯s voice. She turned her head to look at his unhappy face and subconsciously stepped back a couple of steps. After racking her brains for a long time, she still couldn¡¯t figure out where she had done something wrong to disgust him so much. Could it be that he was fed up with her lingering around too long? That was the only conclusion Ruby coulde up with, so she lowered her eyes, grabbed the corner of the table, and spoke softly, ¡°The hotel staff will be here soon. I¡¯ll hand off these clothes to them and then leave.¡¯ Before Ruby¡¯s words had even settled, Steve grabbed a pillow from the side and threw it at her with full force. It grazed her body, hit the table, knocked down the telephone andmp, making a loud crashing noise. Ruby¡¯s shoulders shrank, even before she could lift her head. Steve¡¯s slightly brutal voice came through, ¡°If you want to leave, just go!¡± Ruby¡¯s face instantly lost any color, and this time she didn¡¯t even nce at Steve. Instead, she just lowered her head, picked up her bag, and headed for the hotel room door. At the moment when Ruby opened the door, a hotel staff member just happened to arrive to collect the clothes that Steve wanted to be washed.. Chapter 1 - 1: The Male God Lives Next Door (1) 1 Chapter 1: The Male God Lives Next Door (1) Trantor: 549690339 You give me warmth, and I promise you a world in love ¡ª¡ª When Ruby Gregory wakes up, it¡¯s already bright outside. She stretcheszily, then feels a soreness throughout her body. Frowning, she sits up and sees the faint shadow of a tall figure in the bathroom with the ss door open, apanied by the sound of running water. Ruby is stunned for two seconds before suddenly recalling the passionate moments with Steve Burton the previous night. Her face turns slightly red, and she instinctively grabs the quilt, lowering her head shyly. Ruby and Steve have known each other since childhood and have always been close friends. Now that they finally share a bed, he should take responsibility and marry her, right? Upon thinking this, Ruby¡¯s eyes light up with excitement. About ten minutester, the bathroom door opens. Ruby looks up to see Steve, dressed neatly, walking out. Despite knowing him for nearly twenty years, the man before her still astounds her: deep eyes, pale lips, perfect features, all paired with a simple white dress shirt, presenting a stunning, breathtaking appearance. Ruby holds onto the quilt a little tighter, a gentle smile on her face as she softly calls his name, ¡°Steve¡­¡± Steve¡¯s face is almost expressionless. He walks past Ruby sitting on the bed, with a graceful demeanor, but never once ncing at her. Standing in front of the wardrobe, he picks up his suit jacket, and wearing it leisurely in front of the cheval mirror. Justst night, they were so sweet together. But after their passionate encounter, he¡¯s be so cold. Ruby frowns but keeps the same gentle smile on her face, speaking again, ¡°Steve,st night¡­¡± As Ruby utters these two words, she falls silent. Even though she wants to marry him, how can she bring up such an event? Steve has his back turned towards Ruby, and when he hears the words st night,¡± his fingers pause slightly before casually buttoning up his suit one by one. Only then does he slowly turn around and meet Ruby¡¯s gaze. The man doesn¡¯t speak, his face still expressionless and seemingly calm, yet somehow exuding an aura of pressure that fills Ruby with an uncontroble sense of tension and unease. Ruby swallows hard and tactfully asks, ¡°Steve, do you have something to doter¡­?¡± Before Ruby can finish speaking, Steve interrupts her with his absolutely stunning voice. His tone is neutral, yet connected to her previous sentence, ¡°Last night? What aboutst night?¡± What does he mean, ¡°What aboutst night?¡± They had slept together¡­Ruby opens her mouth, looking puzzled at the elegantly dressed and refined Steve, not quite understanding the meaning behind his words. Steve takes two steps forward, raises Ruby¡¯s chin with his hand, and leans in, getting closer to her face. ¡°Although you were inexperienced and a bit shy, which didn¡¯t make itpletely satisfying, I still quite liked it¡­¡± Steve pauses for a moment before adding, ¡°However, that¡¯s limited to onlyst night in bed.¡± Chapter 2 - 2: The Male God Lives Next Door (2) 2 Chapter 2: The Male God Lives Next Door (2) Trantor: 549690339 The man¡¯s voice was low and pleasant, yet, this pleasant voice was like a knife, plunging deeply into Ruby Gregory¡¯s heart. Thest trace of color on her face faded awaypletely, her voice slightly pale: ¡°Steve Burton, what do you mean by that?¡± Upon hearing her retort, Steve Burton sneered coldly, looking at Ruby Gregory with her pale face. He opened his mouth as if he wanted to say something, but in the end, he simply pulled up a corner of his lips, then let go of Ruby Gregory¡¯s chin and turned to leave. ¨C With the ¡°bang¡± of the door closing, Ruby Gregory¡¯s face became even paler. She sat dazedly on the bed ¨C her brain buzzing with confusion. Why would Steve Burton say such a thing to her? Where did things go wrong? Why did Steve seem like a changed man after their night of passion? Just as Ruby Gregory was puzzling over this, a pleasant ringtone sounded in the room. Ruby came back to her senses, picked up the phone next to her, nced at the caller ID. It was her father, Maxwell Gregory. Ruby hesitated for a moment, then answered the phone. She didn¡¯t get a chance to speak before she heard her father¡¯s voice, somewhat stern,ing from the other end of the phone: ¡°Ruby, did you and Stevest night¡­¡± Even though Maxwell Gregory¡¯s words were only half-spoken, Ruby understood what he was asking. With her head down, she gently said ¡°yes¡± into the phone. Hearing her confirmation, Maxwell Gregory on the other end of the phone sounded a bit excited: ¡°So did Steve say he¡¯d take responsibility? Did he say when he would marry you?¡± Steve Burton¡¯s words shed through Ruby Gregory¡¯s mind, making her hesitate and unsure how to respond. Maxwell Gregory, honed by decades in the business world, sensed something was amiss even across a phone call: ¡°Ruby, what¡¯s the problem?¡± He paused, then asked, ¡°Or is Steve not prepared to take responsibility for you?¡± Ruby Gregory was taken aback by Maxwell Gregory¡¯sst sentence. Her father had always hoped she could marry Steve Burton. However, Steve¡¯s words seemed to suggest that he didn¡¯t want to take responsibility. Fearing her father¡¯s disappointment, Ruby vaguely said, ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡± Maxwell Gregory on the other end of the line was silent for a while before saying, ¡°Ruby,e home first. Maybe Steve will callter and say he¡¯ll take responsibility.¡± ¨C Wait¡­ this waitsted from morning until night, but Steve¡¯s call never came. The atmosphere in the Gregorys¡¯ house was getting more and more depressing until the third day at breakfast. Maxwell Gregory, seeing Ruby Gregory head down eating her porridge, finally couldn¡¯t bear it any longer and put down his chopsticks to ask, ¡°Has Steve not contacted you at all?¡± Ruby Gregory swallowed the porridge in her mouth before she lifted her head and shook it in reply to her father. Ruby¡¯s mother turned to Maxwell and said, ¡°What do we do now? Ruby and Steve have grown up together, and we all assumed that once they became intimate, they would naturally get married. But now, there¡¯s not a trace of news from Steve, he clearly has no intention of taking responsibility and marrying Ruby. Doesn¡¯t that make it seem like Ruby is cheap?¡± After a brief pause, Maxwell said, ¡°How about¡­ I make a call to the Burtons and try to gauge the situation?¡± Chapter 3 - 3: The Male God Lives Next Door (3) 3 Chapter 3: The Male God Lives Next Door (3) Trantor: 549690339 Ruby Gregory hurriedly objected, ¡°Dad, don¡¯t.¡± Maxwell Gregory and his wife looked at Ruby simultaneously. Ruby pressed her lips together and said, ¡°If he doesn¡¯t want to marry me, making a phone call won¡¯t change his mind. It would only humiliate us and might even result in some malicious gossip, making us look even worse.¡± Ruby¡¯s mom interjected, ¡°So we¡¯re just letting this go? That¡¯s so unfair to Ruby.¡± Struggling to put on a smile, Ruby lowered her eyes. Unfair? It was. While she had given her innocence to Steve Burton, it didn¡¯t mean he had to take responsibility for her. If he didn¡¯t want her, even if she begged on her knees, he wouldn¡¯t give her a second nce. So she had to bear the injustice alone. Maxwell, who had been silent for a while, suddenly asked, ¡°Ruby, did you and Steve use any contraceptives that night?¡± Ruby was taken aback, then shook her head. Maxwell asked again, ¡°Ruby, think carefully. Did you do something wrong or upset Steve, causing him not to take responsibility for you?¡± Ruby furrowed her brow slightly. Over the past few days, she too had been wondering if she had done anything to offend Steve, but no matter how hard she tried, she couldn¡¯t find a single issue. Ruby shook her head again in reply to her father¡¯s question. Maxwell contemted for a moment and said, ¡°As Ruby just mentioned, hastily calling The Burtons now might indeed humiliate us. However, if Ruby were pregnant, things would be different.¡± So, they waited again. This time, they waited for half a month. During that half-month, Steve never contacted Ruby. They were like strangers now, with no connection to their once inseparable, innocent friendship. One morning after nearly half a month, when Ruby saw her period had arrived, she knew she wasn¡¯t pregnant and that there was no point in waiting any longer. The day after her period started, Rubypleted the necessary paperwork to go abroad. And on the day her period ended, she boarded a flight to Costa Luna. Their night of passion was just like a dream, leaving no trace and causing no ripple in their lives. ¨C Three yearster. ¨C Today, this was the fourth gathering Steve had attended. The gathering took ce in the Chess and Cards Room of the Capital Club, with three full tables of people enjoying a lively round of games. Each person had a beautiful young girl by their side or in their arms, trying to please their malepanions in various ways. The room was bustling with chatter, as people discussed a variety of random topics. Suddenly, the man sitting across from Steve asked, ¡°Mr. Burton, can I ask you something?¡± Steve sat in the middle of the central table, ying his cards quickly and precisely without saying much. The woman beside him was polite and understanding, not overly clingy like the other women in the room. Upon hearing the question, Steve raised his head slightly, chewing on a piece of fruit that hispanion had just fed him. After taking a couple of bites, he replied calmly, ¡°Hmm?¡± Chapter 4 - 4: The Male God Lives Next Door (4) 4 Chapter 4: The Male God Lives Next Door (4) Trantor: 549690339 ¡°A few days ago, I saw an acquaintance at the airport. Guess who it was?¡± The man sitting across from Steve Burton said. Steve slowly drew a tile, while scanning his own hand and asked nonchntly, ¡°who?¡± After that, Steve slowly threw out a mahjong tile of two circles. The man sitting across from Steve held the dice, rotated it slowly, and then said, ¡°Ruby Gregory, she¡¯s back¡­¡± As soon as the man had spoken, Howard Coleman and Edward Woods, sitting on either side of Steve, both secretly gasped; for the past three years, Ruby Gregory¡¯s name had been a forbidden topic, and no one had dared to mention it in front of Steve. Howard and Edward instinctively turned their heads to look at Steve. As expected, Steve¡¯s eyes had already darkened. Those who knew Steve were aware that his most dangerous moments were when his gaze turned gloomy. Howard and Edward exchanged nervous nces, not daring to breathe as they silently worried for the man who had spoken. The man sitting across from Steve seemed oblivious to the tense atmosphere and continued, ¡°Mr. Burton, weren¡¯t you and Ruby Gregory once very close? She has returned, didn¡¯t she contact you?¡± Steve¡¯s face remained expressionless, as if he hadn¡¯t even heard the man¡¯s words. But just as he was about to draw another tile, he suddenly pushed the tiles in front of him over and said indifferently, ¡°It¡¯s gettingte, you guys continue ying. The money left uncollected from my winnings can be consideredpensation.¡± With that, Steve got up and walked towards the door. The femalepanion sitting next to him hurriedly stood up and followed. Howard and Edward pushed aside their own femalepanions, grabbed their coats, and chased after Steve, but didn¡¯t dare get too close, always maintaining a certain distance. Steve walked out of the Capital Club, took out his car keys, unlocked the car, and pointed to the back door for the woman following him, saying, ¡°Get in, I¡¯ll take you home.¡± Then, Steve coldly walked around the car and got into the driver¡¯s seat. Steve¡¯s femalepanion hesitated for a moment before opening the passenger door and sitting down, even though she knew Steve had instructed her to get into the back seat. Steve¡¯s hand, which was fastening his seatbelt, paused slightly. He turned his head and said coldly to hispanion, ¡°Get out!¡± The woman was startled by Steve¡¯s sudden coldness, then put on a smile and cooed, ¡°I want to sit in the front with you.¡± ¡°Out!¡± The woman shuddered, realizing Steve was genuinely angry, and immediately tried to cate him, ¡°I was wrong, I¡¯ll get out now. Don¡¯t be angry¡­¡± ¡°I said, out!¡± Steve repeated once more, scaring the woman into pushing open the car door and stumbling out. Steve didn¡¯t wait for her to steady herself before mming the elerator and speeding away. Howard and Edward, who had followed closely behind, saw this and couldn¡¯t help but shake their heads. ¡°Another woman has trespassed our brother¡¯s forbidden topic.¡± ¡°How strange that our brother¡¯s taboo doesn¡¯t allow any woman to sit in his passenger seat.¡± ¡°Not just women, he doesn¡¯t allow men either!¡± ¨C Steve expertly drove through the streets of Ciawell, his car speeding fast. The car window was down, and the whistling wind made his ears ache slightly. Chapter 5 - 5: The Male God Lives Next Door (5) 5 Chapter 5: The Male God Lives Next Door (5) Trantor: 549690339 Not knowing how long he had been driving, Steve Burton gradually slowed down. That¡¯s when he realized he had unknowingly driven back to the vi area in North Suburb. He stopped his car for a moment at the entrance of the vi, then slowly drove in. Passing several vis, he finally reached the innermost vi, The Burtons¡¯ Mansion. As the Burton family had already gone to bed, Steve parked the car, got out, and looked through the fence at the brightly lit room on the second floor of a neighboring vi. The vi next door belonged to the Gregorys. The lit room was the one Ruby Gregory had lived in since childhood. Indeed, she had returned¡­ Steve leaned against his car, staring at the light from that room, his mind slightly dazed. ¨C A business banquet was taking ce at thergest club in Ciawell. With melodious violin music, the tranquil atmosphere in the banquet hall was beautifully decorated, luxurious and grand. All attendees were dressed elegantly and eye-catching, a dazzling sight to see. Escorting her father, Maxwell Gregory, Ruby spent the entire evening mingling amongst the crowd. Feeling slightly weary, she was just about to suggest taking a break to go to the restroom when Maxwell turned his head and pointed towards a corner, saying, ¡°Ruby,e with Dad for a moment.¡± Maxwell pointed to the most inconspicuous corner of the venue. Ruby assumed her father needed to rest and willingly escorted him over without any objections. The corner was considerably quieter than the banquet area. Thevish atmosphere had subdued, and the lighting was no longer dazzling, even appearing slightly dim. As they approached, Ruby noticed a man sitting on an elegant European-style couch against the wall, away from the bustling banquet hall. Hidden in the shadows, she couldn¡¯t see the man¡¯s face clearly, but she could sense a familiar, elegant noble air in his demeanor. Ruby had a vague idea of who it might be and hesitated for a moment, wondering if she should turn back. Her father, Maxwell, addressed the man, ¡°Steve.¡± Seated on the couch, Steve Burton heard his name and stirred, turning his head. His gaze first nced at Ruby¡¯s face, thennded on Maxwell¡¯s. Slowly standing up, Steve spoke in a restrained and graceful manner, ¡°Uncle Gregory.¡± ¡°Howe you¡¯re sitting here alone?¡± Maxwell inquired, leading Ruby to the couch and gesturing for her to sit down, as the three of them took their seats. Though Steve sat casually, an undeniable air of nobility and radiance surrounded him. He maintained eye contact with Maxwell during their conversation, never once directing his attention toward Ruby, nor even bothering to nce at her. Ruby had anticipated that she would inevitably meet Steve once she returned to Ciawell from Costa Luna. She had imagined their encounter, expecting Steve to be cold and distant towards her. However, she had never thought that he wouldpletely ignore her, as if she didn¡¯t exist, as if that night three years ago when they had spent the night together had never happened at all. Chapter 6 - 6: The Male God Lives Next Door (6) 6 Chapter 6: The Male God Lives Next Door (6) Trantor: 549690339 Three years ago, after that one night Ruby Gregory had with Steve Burton, she didn¡¯t end up pregnant, and Steve never contacted her again. Knowing about that night¡¯s incident, Maxwell Gregory felt that his daughter had been wronged, so he took her to Costa Luna. Now, three years had passed, and Maxwell felt that the memory of that night had faded. Ruby and Steve had grown up together from a young age, so their reunion shouldn¡¯t feel awkward, and maybe they could even rekindle their friendship, but now, sitting in front of Steve, he never brought up Ruby or that night. Could it be that after only three years, Steve no longer remembers Ruby? Maxwell pondered for a moment and naturally steered the conversation towards Ruby: ¡°Attending these banquets can be quite tiring, but since Ruby recently returned from Costa Luna and has be estranged from many people in Ciawell, I mainly brought her tonight to help her familiarize herself with everyone.¡± Finally, the conversation hade to this point, and Steve atst turned his head to look at Ruby. He hadn¡¯t seen her in three years, and she had grown more beautiful than before, with stunning features and captivating eyes. Steve didn¡¯t say anything; he only stared at her for a moment before saying indifferently: ¡°So, you are Uncle Gregory¡¯s daughter. It has been a long time since I saw you¡­ what¡¯s your name again¡­?¡± Steve paused for a moment, as if he couldn¡¯t remember Ruby¡¯s name. They had known each other for twenty years, and she even had a night of intimacy with him. Yet, he could no longer remember what she was called. Not only had he pped Ruby¡¯s face, but he had also pped Maxwell¡¯s face. Ruby¡¯s face turned a bit pale, and her hands unconsciously clenched into fists. Maxwell¡¯s expression also became hard to read. Steve furrowed his brow as if he was genuinely trying hard to remember. After a while, he finally uttered the three words: ¡°Ruby Gregory.¡± Maxwell¡¯s expression improved slightly, he turned to Ruby and said, ¡°Ruby, you and Steve have been ssmates for many years. Howe you haven¡¯t even greeted him yet?¡± There was a time when others would call him Mr. Steve, or Steve, but Ruby would only address him as Steve Burton or by the nickname she gave him, Time. However, now she found it difficult to know how to address him given his cold demeanor. After considering it for a moment, she ultimately opted for the most conservative greeting. Ruby gazed at Steve and disyed a smile that hit the perfect bnce, neither too warm nor too distant: ¡°Mr. Burton, hello!¡± After knowing her for so many years, Steve could easily distinguish between Ruby¡¯s sincere smiles and her diplomatic ones. Mr. Burton? Quite a bureaucratic tone¡­ Steve¡¯s face instantly turned cold, and he showed no reaction to Ruby¡¯s greeting. Ruby had no idea what she had done wrong. She had only greeted him, and yet he turned his face away from her in an instant ¨C just like three years ago, when before one night of bliss, he was treating her as usual, but then turned his back on her coldly the next day. It was just inexplicable. Maxwell had been in the business world for a long time and had long learned to read people¡¯s emotions. Seeing Steve¡¯s unhappy expression, he quickly and wisely changed the subject: ¡°Steve, Ruby has decided to stay in Ciawell this time. A few days ago, I contacted the HR department at Pristine¡¯s Enterprises and heard that your Secretariat is recruiting secretarial assistants, so I submitted Ruby¡¯s CV and offered her the opportunity to practice in yourpany¡¯s secretariat.¡± Chapter 7 - 7: The Male God Lives Next Door (7) 7 Chapter 7: The Male God Lives Next Door (7) Trantor: 549690339 Ruby Gregory turned her head with some confusion, looking at Maxwell Gregory. Is she going to work as a secretary assistant in Steve Burton¡¯spany? Why doesn¡¯t she know about this? Maxwell Gregorypletely ignored the doubts in Ruby¡¯s eyes, and continued to speak to Steve, ¡°Steve, I hope you will take good care of Ruby when the timees.¡± Steve Burton showed no emotion, only maintaining his usual aloof attitude, responding to Maxwell Gregory, ¡°Uncle Gregory, of course.¡± Upon seeing Steve agreeing, Maxwell Gregory burst intoughter, saying, ¡°Steve, I have some business to attend to, so I won¡¯t disturb you any longer.¡± With that, Maxwell Gregory stood up. He nced at Ruby who was preparing to leave, and then added, ¡°Oh right, Steve, didn¡¯t you say you were leaving the banquet for some business? Don¡¯t drive if you¡¯ve been drinking. Luckily, Ruby drove here. Let her give you a ride.¡± After a slight pause, Maxwell Gregory seemed a bit hesitant, adding to Ruby, ¡°Ruby, you¡¯ll give Steve a ride, understood?¡± Ruby cast a nce at Steve and seeing that he didn¡¯t refuse, she could only nod in agreement. Only then did Maxwell Gregory leave, satisfied. On the corner sofa, only Steve and Ruby were left, and it suddenly seemed a lot quieter. Only the melodious violin song from the distant banquet surrounded them. Steve Burtonzily sat on the sofa, his fingers constantly spinning the crystal cup on the table. Ruby Gregory sat across him, her eyebrows and eyes calm. The two didn¡¯t exchange a word. Pristine Enterprises is renowned worldwide, owning a piece ofnd in variousrge business opportunities, and is considered the industry leader. Therefore, since his birth, Steve Burton was enveloped in a halo. Brought up in luxury from childhood to adulthood. Even without showing anger, his background alone already made many people apprehensive. Ruby Gregory was no exception. She was also wary of Steve Burton, but back when their rtionship was good, that kind of apprehension wasn¡¯t so obvious in her heart. But now it¡¯s different, now she¡¯s not just apprehensive about Steve, but there¡¯s also some fear in her heart. Therefore, the two were sitting together in silence, which made Ruby increasingly nervous, until her palms were full of sweat. Just when Ruby didn¡¯t know how much longer she could maintain her calmness, Steve Burton stood up and walked away without a word. Ruby Gregory, unclear if he wanted her to drive him, had to quickly follow. As they exited the club, the night outside was already deep, the neon lights on the roadside reflecting each other. When Ruby arrived, the club¡¯s parking was already full, so she found a temporary parking spot on the roadside, which was a bit far away from the entrance of the club. Ruby and Steve always maintained arge distance, with pedestrians constantly passing between them. To anyone passing by, they might seem like strangers to each other. The expression on Steve¡¯s face, along with Ruby¡¯s car, gets closer and closer, it gradually bes more and more sullen. Ruby noticed Steve¡¯s unhappiness, but she didn¡¯t know why he was unhappy, so she became even more cautious, keeping her eyes straight ahead as she walked. Ruby pulled out her car key, prepared to unlock the car, when all of a sudden, Steve¡¯s phone rang. Steve answered the call. The voice of the person calling was a little loud. Even over the phone, Ruby faintly heard, ¡°Bro, I¡¯ming to pick you up, where are you?¡± Chapter 8 - 8: The Male God Lives Next Door (8) 8 Chapter 8: The Male God Lives Next Door (8) Trantor: 549690339 Steve Burton raised his eyelids and nced at Ruby Gregory, saying, ¡°Go east for 500 meters.¡± After he finished speaking, he hung up the phone. Someone wasing to pick up Steve? So she didn¡¯t need to give him a ride, right? Ruby twiddled with her car keys, hesitating back and forth withouting to a conclusion. She sneakily raised her eyelids, nced at Steve, and calcted silently. She thought that since Steve had told the person picking him up the address, he probably didn¡¯t need her to give him a ride. Maybe he was even waiting for them right now. It was as if he didn¡¯t see her at all ever since they met, or perhaps, he didn¡¯t have her in his sights. Ruby thought about it and then said to Steve, ¡°Mr. Burton, take it easy on the road. Goodbye.¡± Upon hearing these words, Steve was slightly stunned. However, Ruby had already taken a step to leave in front of him. Although it waste at night, the streets of Ciawell were still bustling, with cars passing by and asional honkinging from near and far. Steve maintained his cold demeanor, watching Ruby slowly walk around him. Just when she was about to walk past him, Steve suddenly stepped forward, reached out, and yanked Ruby in front of him. Then he pushed her down onto her car, lowered his head, and fiercely kissed her. rm red from Ruby¡¯s car, startling countless people around. But Steve seemed not to hear it at all, just passionately sucking on Ruby¡¯s lips. Her lips were as soft and sweet as ever, carrying a fresh fragrance. Ruby froze for a moment before realizing the scorching heat from their connected lips. She then regained her senses and struggled with her hands and feet. Steve grabbed her iling hands with one hand and held her chin with the other, using his body to force her under him, and continued to increase the intensity of their kiss. He continued kissing her until she gradually lost the strength to resist, and her entire body became soft and submissive. Only then did he slowly release his grasp on her. His once fierce kiss slowly softened. Steve¡¯s breath gradually became heavier. With his hand, he felt her body through her clothes, eventually stopping at the zipper behind her skirt. Ruby¡¯s body shivered. She raised her hand to stop Steve when suddenly a honk came from the side of the road, apanied by a voice calling out, ¡°Bro.¡± Steve¡¯s movement abruptly stopped. He lowered his head onto Ruby¡¯s lips and took two deep breaths before slowly opening his eyes. Then he moved his lips to her ear, whispering with a heated breath, ¡°Spend one night with me each month, and I¡¯ll let you work at Pristine¡¯s Enterprises.¡± Ruby frowned for a moment before she finally understood the meaning of Steve¡¯s words. She raised her head and looked into his eyes. At this moment, Steve had none of the passion from when they were kissing. He looked cold and detached. It seemed like he had no patience as he added, ¡°Same as before, every month on the tenth. But instead of apanying me on a vacation like before, you¡¯ll sleep with me!¡± Steve deliberately emphasized the words ¡°sleep with.¡± For a moment, the color in Ruby¡¯s face faded slightly. Steve let her go, nonchntly tidying up his slightly disheveled clothes. After saying, ¡°Think about it,¡± he left with a flourish, opening the car door and getting in. Chapter 9 - 9: The Male God Lives Next Door (9) 9 Chapter 9: The Male God Lives Next Door (9) Trantor: 549690339 Howard Coleman sat in the car, first looked at the silent Steve Burton, then turned his head to look at Ruby Gregory outside the window. After a pause, he squeezed out a smile towards Ruby and started, ¡°Ru¡­¡± Before thest syble left his mouth, Howard saw Steve¡¯s cold gaze through the rearview mirror. Startled, he quickly corrected himself, saying, ¡°Miss Gregory, goodbye.¡± Howard drove the car while continuously stealing nces at Steve sitting in the back seat. The man seemed calm, eyes closed, appearing to be leisurely resting. However, Howard felt an ominous atmosphere, which caused him not to dare to breathe too deeply throughout the drive. Even when he felt the urge to cough due to difort in his throat, he repressed it with all his might. Howard slowly drove the car into the vi in the West Suburb. He was the first to jump out of the car and then personally opened the door for Steve. Without giving Howard a nce, Steve headed straight into the vi. Howard hurriedly followed behind. On the first floor of the vi, several people were ying cards in the living room. Seeing Steve enter, they all called out, ¡°Bro.¡± It seemed as if Steve didn¡¯t hear the greetings; his face showed no reaction as he took off his coat, handed it to a servant, changed his shoes, and headed for the elevator of the vi. The card yers all turned to Howard, who made a ¡°shushing¡± gesture, cleared his throat, and cautiously said to Steve, ¡°Bro, you must not have eaten anything at the banquet tonight. Are you hungry? Do you want Mrs. Bressett to prepare somete-night snacks for you?¡± ¡°No need.¡± Steve answered indifferently with two words, then stepped into the elevator, closed the door, and went upstairs. The first-floor living room fell silent for a full two minutes before Edward Woods pushed the cards in front of him and asked Howard, ¡°Howard, what¡¯s going on with our brother? He was fine before he left; howe he came back like this? Look at his expression now; it makes my hair stand on end.¡± ¡°You guys don¡¯t even know; I almost suffocated to death on the way back from picking up our Bro. You guys know I¡¯m scared of his cold, silent demeanor,¡± Howardined while sitting on the sofa, and then mysteriously continued, ¡°Guess who I met when I went to pick up our Bro today?¡± Rusell Henris was counting the money he¡¯d won on the table, nced at Howard trying to build suspense and asked, ¡°I care about our brother; who cares who you met?¡± Howard: ¡°Rusell, isn¡¯t that obvious? It¡¯s got to be someone rted to our Bro!¡± After Howard spoke, the atmosphere in the room became tense, and after a minute of silence, Rusell put down the money in his hand and uttered three words: ¡°Ruby Gregory?¡± ¡°Rusell, you¡¯re clever, guessed right on your first try.¡± Howard replied. ¡°What¡¯s that got to do with being smart? All these years we¡¯ve been with our Bro, every time he¡¯s in a bad mood, isn¡¯t it because of Ruby Gregory?¡± Edward Woods remarked. Rusell raised his hand, rubbed his brow, and said, ¡°I really don¡¯t understand what our Bro wants deep down. At first, it was him who wanted to sleep with Ruby, then he didn¡¯t take responsibility after he did, clearly, Ruby is the one who was wronged, but every time, it¡¯s our Bro who¡¯s upset, as if Ruby did him wrong.¡± Chapter 10 - 10: The Male God Lives Next Door (10) 10 Chapter 10: The Male God Lives Next Door (10) Trantor: 549690339 ¡°You know, originally our brother and Ruby were neighbors, they grew up together, have known each other for so many years, and it wasn¡¯t easy for our brother to finally sleep with Ruby, but he just turned his back on her? I always thought Ruby would end up being our sister-inw.¡± ¨C Ruby didn¡¯t return to the banquet, she sat alone in her car, her mind filled with the words Steve had said before getting in the car. ¡°Join me once a month, and I¡¯ll let you work at Pristine¡¯s Enterprises.¡± ¡°As usual, it¡¯s the 10th of each month, but not to apany me on vacation as before, but to apany me in bed!¡± Ruby didn¡¯t know if children from other families were born with a mission, but she did know that she, the daughter of the Gregorys, had a responsibility. Pristine¡¯s Enterprises¡¯ business scope was extensive, and manypanies relied on Pristine¡¯s Enterprises for survival, the Gregorys being one of them. In the circle of wealthy businessmen, marriages were seen as alliances,monly known as marriages of convenience. So, many family businesses, in order to strengthen their own status and assets, would choose to marry into the Burtons. The Burtons had many rtives, and even if they did not marry directly into the line of session of Pristine¡¯s Enterprises, marrying into other Burton families would still be helpful for their own family business. However, the Gregorys had some bad luck. In Maxwell¡¯s generation, the Gregorys had all sons, and the Burtons did too, so the Gregorys could only watch theirpetitors marrying into the Burtons¡¯ family and then watch their own family business gradually decline.¡± In Ruby¡¯s generation, the Gregorys had only male children, and it was only after great anticipation that they finally got Ruby, the girl. So from the moment she was born, the people of the Gregorys unanimously arranged her future, which was to marry into the Burton family. At first, the Gregorys didn¡¯t expect Ruby to marry the direct heir of Pristine¡¯s Enterprises, but the Burtons in this generation had few descendants, and most of them were girls who wouldn¡¯t marry into the Gregorys. The few male descendants they managed to find either were already married or had an age gap with Ruby.¡± So, after all the selection, in the end, Ruby¡¯s marriage target could only be Steve.¡± When Ruby was very young, the Gregorys began to instil an ideology in her. That ideology had only three points: First: She had to like what Steve liked. Second: She had to do everything possible to please Steve. Third: She had to marry Steve. It was as if she was born to serve Steve, and from childhood to adulthood, everything in her life revolved around Steve. For example, Steve liked blue, disliked sweets, preferred long-haired women, didn¡¯t like sugar in his coffee, didn¡¯t like the smell of perfume, and insisted on keeping the air conditioner at 25 degrees Celsius while sleeping at night¡­ Of course, the Gregorys also spent a lot of effort cultivating her since she was young. Whether she liked it or not, she had to learn and master various skills, such as ying the piano, chess, calligraphy, painting, singing, and dancing. Her life was given by the Gregorys, and she had a duty to protect them. The honor and wealth of the Gregorys all depended on her. So, she had no choice. Moreover, since she was a little girl, she had been educated with only one goal in mind, which was to marry Steve and be a good housewife of the Burtons. If even this goal were to be abandoned, she really wouldn¡¯t know the meaning of her existence. Chapter 11 - 11: The Habit of Not Waiting for Others (1) 11 Chapter 11: The Habit of Not Waiting for Others (1) Trantor: 549690339 Ruby Gregory thought about it and took out her phone, found Steve Burton¡¯s number, and dialed it. When Ruby called, Steve had just finished his bath and walked out of the bathroom. As he wiped his dripping wet hair, he nced at his phone and saw the name ¡°Ruby.¡± Steve¡¯s hand holding the towel paused for a moment before he slowly answered. Before he had a chance to speak, Ruby¡¯s voice came from the other end of the line: ¡°I agree.¡± Just three words. It made Steve pause for a moment before he unconsciously responded, ¡°Huh?¡± Ruby gripped her phone, thinking Steve had forgotten what he had said to her. She pursed her lips and calmly said, ¡°I said I agree to your proposal just now. One date a month with you, and you let me work at Pristine¡¯s Enterprises.¡± It took a moment for Steve toe back to his senses, and he held his phone without a reply. It was strange. It was his proposal, but now that she agreed, he felt as if there was a fire in his heart that had nowhere to vent. Ruby waited a while and seeing that Steve was silent, she asked, ¡°When can I start working at Pristine¡¯s Enterprises?¡± Steve was amused by Ruby¡¯s words, and couldn¡¯t help but burst outughing. Eventually, he released the words full of scorn and ridicule: ¡°Ruby Gregory, I slept with you and didn¡¯t want you back then, yet now, you¡¯re eager to give yourself away. How thick-skinned can you be?¡± His words were ruthless, like a sharp knife that instantly tore Ruby¡¯s dignity to shreds. Although they were on the phone and Ruby knew he couldn¡¯t see her humiliation, she still sat up straight in her car seat, trying her best to maintain a dignified calm demeanor. She knew the saying ¡°the early bird catches the worm,¡± so she had to work at Pristine¡¯s Enterprises. Marrying Steve and bing the mistress of the Burtons had been her ultimate goal since childhood. Nobody could stop her. Even if that person was Steve himself, it wouldn¡¯t work! After a long silence between the two, Steve finally spoke up: ¡°Tomorrow is the tenth of this month. Tomorrow night at ten o¡¯clock, you know where. Drive yourself over and make me happy. The day after, I¡¯ll let you into Pristine Enterprises.¡± Steve paused for a moment before adding, ¡°Ten o¡¯clock ¨C you know I don¡¯t have the habit of waiting.¡± Having said that, Steve hung up the phone. PS: For my new book, remember to leavements, save to favorites, and vote. Rewards will be avable once the contract is signed in a few days. There are Q-coins for the first 100ments tonight! PPS: There is an event for the new book. Each day, a reader who follows the story will be chosen to receive a signed copy of ¡°Pristine¡¯s Enterprises¡± (This signed book is different from the ones previously purchased. This one can have your own words that you want me to write to you! Plus, it¡¯s a free giveaway!) and a 2015 calendar (I am still working on the calendar design, but with a month left in 2015, it will be released eventually). All these items are limited editions, let¡¯s see who the lucky readers will be! This is a reward for the faithful readers who follow each update. If you save up chapters to readter, you might miss out on the prizes! I truly hope that you will apany me on this journey with each update! Chapter 12 - 12: The Habit of Not Waiting for Others (2) 12 Chapter 12: The Habit of Not Waiting for Others (2) Trantor: 549690339 The two people were silent for a long time, and finally, Steve Burton spoke: ¡°Tomorrow is the 10th of this month. At 10 o¡¯clock tomorrow night, you know where to go. Drive there yourself, and if you please me, I¡¯ll let you into Pristine¡¯s Enterprises the day after tomorrow.¡± After a pause, Steve added, ¡°Ten o¡¯clock, you know, I¡¯m not in the habit of waiting for people.¡± After saying this, Steve hung up the phone. The room was eerily quiet, droplets of water continued to drip down from Steve¡¯s hair, but he didn¡¯t have any inclination to dry his hair. He felt a little stifled, an unspeakable pressure in his chest. He walked to the balcony, pushed the window open, and the cool night breeze slowly blew in, mixed with the fragrance of flowers in the courtyard, fresh and enchanting. The evaporation of the moisture made him feel a bit chilly, and his mood slowly calmed down. Standing there for who knows how long, only after his hair waspletely dry did Steve finally turn around, picked up the phone he had thrown aside, unlocked it, and the recent call history with Ruby Gregory caught his eye. The saved photo of her on his phone was charming and captivating. Steve stared at the screen for a while, then clicked on the contact page, made a phone call, and without waiting for the person on the other end to speak, he directly said, ¡°Tomorrow, I¡¯lle over.¡± ¡°Understood, Mr. Steve.¡± Steve¡¯s throat moved slightly, and he said, ¡°She will be there too.¡± He didn¡¯t wait for a response from the other end before directly hanging up. The person who answered the call listened to the busy signal from the receiver and was only stunned for a moment before understanding who Mr. Steve was referring to. After three years, the person who came to this holiday vi every month was no longer just Mr. Steve. ¨C There was always an old tradition between Ruby Gregory and Steve Burton. That tradition began when Ruby was thirteen. Every 10th of the month, Steve would take Ruby to a holiday vi called ¡°Red Park¡± in the Ciawell suburb, owned by the Burtons. Over time, an unwritten rule was established in the ¡°Red Park¡± holiday vi: on the 10th day of each month, it would close its doors to the public. ¨C Although Steve told Ruby that their appointment was at 10 pm, she didn¡¯t return home until midnight. She fell asleep after 1 am, but Ruby still woke up early the next day. Some things had been ingrained in her since she was young. Though already etched in her memory, to prevent any mistakes, Ruby brought out her journal that had been kept for over a decade. Inside were rows of entries, from the first page¡¯s childish handwriting to thest page¡¯s elegant script, all documenting the essence of Ruby¡¯s twelve years. Chapter 13 - 13: The Habit of Not Waiting for Others (3) 13 Chapter 13: The Habit of Not Waiting for Others (3) Trantor: 549690339 All the messages were about Steve Burton ¨C his preferences, his taboos, his dislikes¡­ Even though Ruby Gregory clearly remembered each and every one, she nevertheless went through them one by one. By the time she finished, it was already 3 p.m. Ruby had been away from Steve for three years straight. She had no idea how much his habits had changed over these years, or whether his taboos had increased. To avoid making any mistakes the first time they faced each other, Ruby felt it necessary to prepare herself by getting some information on Steve¡¯s situation over the past three years. Though Steve seemed to have dealings with many people, Ruby knew that those who knew him best were his childhood buddies whose family interests were intertwined: Rusell Henris, Edward Woods, and Howard Coleman. These three had been hitting it off with Steve since childhood. Ruby figured if she were to ask them, she might not get much of anything and they might go straight and tell Steve about it. So finally, Ruby thought of Madeleine. Madeleine was the only girl among the brothers, and she was a year older than Ruby. Except for Steve who was the heir to Pristine¡¯s Enterprises, the rest of the siblings were the heirs to the four major shareholders of Pristine¡¯s Enterprises. Since Ruby and Steve were neighbors, they had known each other since childhood. Ruby had yed with them and integrated into their circle. Perhaps because she and Madeleine were both girls, their rtionship was much closer than others¡¯. So, Ruby had chosen Madeleine. When Ruby called Madeleine, she had justnded from her flight. The call was a bit chaotic. Ruby repeated her words several times, ¡°Madeleine, I need a favor from you,¡± before Madeleine heard her clearly and hurriedly said, ¡°Ruby, no need to stand on ceremony. Just tell me what you need.¡± Ruby paused and then asked, ¡°Madeleine, what has Steve been most intolerant of over the past three years?¡± Madeleine on the other end of the phone fell silent upon hearing this. Her silence made Ruby feel a bit uneasy. She swallowed and asked again, ¡°Madeleine, don¡¯t you feelfortable answering that?¡± Madeleine remained silent. Just as Ruby thought she wouldn¡¯t answer, Madeleine suddenly spoke out, but she didn¡¯t answer Ruby¡¯s question. Instead, she said, ¡°Ruby, do you know that to my brother, you¡¯re something he doesn¡¯t want anymore? He doesn¡¯t want you, why do you still care about his feelings?¡± Ruby¡¯s fingers trembled at Madeleine¡¯s words, almost dropping the phone. So, in others¡¯ eyes, she was something that Steve didn¡¯t want¡­ Ruby pressed her lips together, a glint of hurt shing in her eyes. She lowered her gaze slightly and said, ¡°Madeleine, I don¡¯t mean anything else. I¡¯ve returned to Ciawell, I¡¯m bound to run into him at some point. I just don¡¯t want to identally tread on his taboos.¡± PS: I forgot to inform everyone about the daily update times when I posted yesterday, so, today, I¡¯ve posted two chapters to rify that the update times are from 3 p.m. to 8 p.m. each day. You can get all the daily updates within five hours. During the day, work and study hard; by 8:30 p.m., you can start reading the updates~~ There will be more updates today. See you at 3 p.m.! Also, for the first 100 readers who received Q-coins and the lucky readers who received signed books and calendars yesterday, please check the pinned post in thement section (the pinned post is posted at 10 p.m. every night). Chapter 14 - 14: The Habit of Not Waiting for Others (4) 14 Chapter 14: The Habit of Not Waiting for Others (4) Trantor: 549690339 ¡°Ruby, even though he¡¯s my brother, in the matter between you and him, indeed, it¡¯s my brother who went overboard.¡± There was obvious sympathy in Madeleine¡¯s tone. This kind of sympathy, on the contrary, made Ruby Gregory feel that it was more hurtful than the hurtful words Madeleine had just said. ¡°Why did it suddenly happen¡­ since you two were just very harmonious before?¡± Madeleine said to this point, sighed faintly, remained silent for some time, then spoke up, saying, ¡°Ruby, actually there haven¡¯t been any big changes in my brother these years. If there¡¯s something specific he¡¯s really sensitive about, it¡¯s that he doesn¡¯t like others, especially women, to sit in his car¡¯s passenger seat. As long as a woman sits there, he will definitely break up with her.¡± At this point, Madeleine¡¯s tone became somewhat agitated: ¡°Ruby, speaking of this, you have no idea. The shortest-lived girlfriend of my brother onlysted less than 10 minutes, from introduction to breakup. The reason was, when he was driving to take her to dinner, she eagerly climbed into the passenger seat of his car. As a result, he yanked her out, got in the car with a dark face, stepped on the elerator and left, leaving the woman standing there, utterly bewildered.¡± ¡°Ny percent of my brother¡¯s girlfriends broke up because they touched this sensitive point of his¡­¡± Madeleine got to this point, seemingly realizing that it might not be appropriate to mention the girlfriends that Steve Burton had been seeing for these three years in front of Ruby Gregory, and hurriedly stopped herself from talking. Clearing her throat, she said: ¡°Ruby, don¡¯t think too much about it. As you know, my brother attends many parties, so he always needs femalepanions. In fact, he doesn¡¯t care much about those women.¡± ¡°It¡¯s okay, Madeleine. If nothing else, I¡¯ll hang up first.¡± ¨C After hanging up the phone, Ruby sat on the sofa, staring nkly for a while, then picked up a pen and added a new entry to the notepad. Entry 1893: Steve Burton doesn¡¯t like people sitting in his passenger seat. After writing this sentence, Ruby put the notepad away in the dresser drawer in her bedroom and then went into the bathroom to take a shower. Steve Burton doesn¡¯t like women who wear heavy makeup, so Ruby applied light makeup. Steve Burton prefers straight hair, so Ruby called for Mrs. Woods from downstairs and had her curly hair straightened with a t iron. Steve Burton doesn¡¯t like strong scents and has praised Chanel No. 5 before, so Ruby sprayed on some Chanel No. 5 perfume. Ruby looked at her reflection in the mirror, her straight hair flowing, and her face looking good. After ensuring there were no ws, she walked towards the closet. Blue is Steve Burton¡¯s favorite color, so Ruby¡¯s dressing room was filled with clothes for all seasons. However, these clothes had onemon feature ¨C they were all blue, differing only in shades and styles. Chapter 15 - 15: The Habit of Not Waiting for Others (5) 15 Chapter 15: The Habit of Not Waiting for Others (5) Trantor: 549690339 In the corner of the dressing room, a few clothes of other colors hung sporadically. Ruby Gregory walked over, nced at them for a moment, but in the end, she chose a blue long dress and put it on. In fact, she also wanted to be like most girls, wearing white, pink, or pale yellow clothes, or even going shopping in bold red. However, to cater to Steve Burton¡¯s preferences, she could only secretly change into other colored clothes in the quiet of the night, looking at herself in the mirror to satisfy her own desires. The Gregorys¡¯ home was a two-hour drive from the holiday vi at Red Park. Fearing traffic jams or unexpected incidents, Ruby set off at six o¡¯clock. She arrived at the holiday vi at Red Park just around eight o¡¯clock. As before, the holiday vi at Red Park was closed for the day. With no one there for leisure vacations, the vast vi seemed somewhat quiet, with only a few scattered staff members walking about the courtyard. Perhaps Steve Burton had sent word ahead of time. The vi¡¯s manager, upon receiving news of Ruby¡¯s arrival, immediately sent someone with a sightseeing car to personally wee her and escorted her to the presidential suite deep within the vi. Red Park holiday vi used to be an Imperial Garden. After it was bought by the Burtons, it was turned into a holiday vi. Three years had passed, and the vi remained unchanged, with its corridors, Gand Lake, pavilions, and willows, the scenery still the same. However, the presidential suite that Ruby and Steve used to stay in during their vacations had been renovated, its original white walls now red. The vi¡¯s manager handed Ruby the key card and inquired respectfully, ¡°Ms. Gregory, is there anything you need?¡± Ruby shook her head and took a nce around at the furnishings. They were unchanged from before, just reced with new ones. The vi¡¯s manager handed Ruby the room card and politely said, ¡°Ms. Gregory, please rest. I¡¯ll be leaving now. If you need anything, just call the front desk.¡± ¡°Okay,¡± Ruby nodded and gave the vi¡¯s manager a smile. The vi¡¯s manager bowed slightly, pushed the room door open and closed it behind him as he left. The presidential suite, spanning over a hundred square meters, had only Ruby inside. The crystal chandelier cast a dazzling, enchanting light, highlighting the luxurious decorations in the room and making it even more dreamy. Ruby Gregory first went to the room she always stayed in during her vacations. Standing by the window, she could see the Gand Lake of the vi, reflecting its brilliant lights. Ruby stood there for a long time before turning around and walking out. As she stood in front of the door of another bedroom, herplexion turned slightly pale. Chapter 16 - 16: The Habit of Not Waiting for Others (6) 16 Chapter 16: The Habit of Not Waiting for Others (6) Trantor: 549690339 It was in this room that her rtionship with Steve Burton first developed. Although the Gregorys had warned her that something might happen between her and Steve when she came of age, and she had mentally prepared herself for it, that night was still excruciating. She was scared, in pain, and wanted to run away, but all she could do was tolerate it and act docile and obedient. However, no matter how torturous that night was, she endured. She thought that as long as she gritted her teeth and bore it, she could marry Steve. But to her dismay, it was all just a fantasy she had built up in her mind. The suite was eerily quiet. Ruby Gregory fetched her mobile phone and nced at the time. There was still an hour before ten o¡¯clock, and she was filled with mounting tension. ¨C In the conference room at the top floor of Pristine¡¯s Enterprises Building, Howard Coleman, who had been engrossed in reading a document, suddenly looked up and said to Edward Woods and Rusell Henris sitting across him, ¡°Do you find anything strange about today?¡± Rusell Henris adjusted the sses sliding off his nose, nced at the usually talkative Howard, and went back to the report in his hand. Edward Woods took a sip of water and looked at Howard, clearly confused, before mumbling a puzzled ¡°Hmm?¡± Howard furrowed his brow, speaking more to himself than to them, ¡°What¡¯s the date today?¡± As he picked up his phone, browsed the calendar, and seemingly arrived at a realisation. Then, in an excited voice, he proimed, ¡°I know. I know now!¡± Rusell pped the report he was reading on the table, eximing, ¡°Howard, can you please concentrate on your work for a while?¡± Undeterred by Rusell¡¯s admonition, Howard exims,, ¡°Damn, it¡¯s the tenth today! The tenth!¡± Rusell seemed to freeze for a moment. Edward Woods choked on his water and had to cough several times before he could speak, ¡°Today¡¯s the tenth?¡± Looking at his own phone¡¯s calendar, he eximed, ¡°Indeed, it is the tenth. I¡¯ve been so busy with this new project that I¡¯ve lost track of time.¡± ¡°No wonder I felt there was something off today, I just couldn¡¯t put my finger on it. Now I know, it¡¯s the tenth and our brother still hasn¡¯t left, despiteing in early. We are stuck working overtime because of him,¡± Howard said. ¡°Under normal circumstances, he would be at Red Park Resort in the early morning!¡± Edward Woods furrowed his eyebrows and spected, ¡°Could it be possible that he forgot because he¡¯s been so busy recently?¡± ¡°Impossible, our brother always prioritises his visits to Red Park Resort on the tenth of every month. Regardless of how busy he is, he never forgets to visit. How could he forget this time?¡± Howard adamantly shook his head. Rusell twirled his pen, ¡°Howard is right. Our brother hasn¡¯t cracked a smile since yesterday. Today, he hasn¡¯t even gone to Red Park. It seems like he¡¯s really not feeling well this time.¡± Chapter 17 - 17: The Habit of Not Waiting for Others (7) 17 Chapter 17: The Habit of Not Waiting for Others (7) Trantor: 549690339 ¡°Whose turn is it to persuade our big brother this time?¡± Edward Woods asked. ¡°It¡¯s Howard¡¯s turn.¡± As Rusell put it, both Edward Woods and Rusell fixed their eyes on Howard Coleman. Howard rubbed his nose, stood up begrudgingly, and walked towards Steve Burton¡¯s office. Howard paced back and forth at the office door, not finding the courage to knock. Rusell and Edward Woods in the meeting room were getting impatient. They both ran out, Rusell knocked on the office door while Edward Woods forcefully pushed Howard forward. Then, when the frosty ¡°Come in¡± sounded from the office, they hurriedly ran away. Howard braced himself and opened the door, but only poked his head in, saying, ¡°Brother, it¡¯s gettingte. Should we go out and get something to eat?¡± Steve sat in his office chair and looked at the time on theputer screen¡¯s upper right corner. His fingers quickly resumed typing. Seeing Steve ignore him, Howard had no choice but to keep talking, ¡°Brother, just now Rusell said that some new youngdies have arrived at the Capital Club. They¡¯re all beautiful and have amazing figures, and they¡¯re of the perfect age. We haven¡¯t been out for a long time, so why don¡¯t we go there tonight?¡± Steve seemed to not have heard Howard¡¯s words. He calmly finished typing thest line in English, sent the email, and then looked up at Howard. Cold-faced and cold-eyed, Steve nevertheless spoke in a very mild tone: ¡°I have something tonight.¡± ¡°Brother, you haven¡¯t rxed in a long time. How about not working tonight?¡± Howard hesitated for a moment, then chuckled and said, ¡°Brother, it¡¯s been a while since you¡¯ve seen the Homing Queen of the Chinese Department from A University, right? How about I take the car, pick her up, and she¡¯ll apany you tonight?¡± Steve fell silent again. Howard, who had been ustomed to Steve¡¯s cold attitude ever since he was little, continued, ¡°How about inviting Lulu? She just finished shooting a movie so she¡¯s avable.¡± Steve still remained silent. ¡°What about Lina?¡± ¡°No? Annie Beischel? Anna?¡± When Howard had recited the names of ten women, Steve finally lifted his head, nced calmly at Howard, who thought Steve had agreed. He pulled out his phone, prepared to make a call, but the next second, Steve grabbed a pile of documents from the table and furiously threw them at Howard¡¯s head: ¡°Get lost!¡± Howard quickly jumped back two steps to dodge, then bent down, picked up the documents from the floor, and ran towards the meeting room in disappointment. Chapter 18 - 18: The Habit of Not Waiting for Others (8) 18 Chapter 18: The Habit of Not Waiting for Others (8) Trantor: 549690339 The office suddenly fell silent. Steve Burton sat at his desk, lost in thought for a moment, then closed hisptop, picked up his coat and car keys, and walked straight out of the office. When Steve arrived at the ¡°Red Park¡± holiday vi, it was just half past nine. He parked his car and was promptly greeted by the vi manager who said, ¡°Mr. Steve, you¡¯ve arrived?¡± Steve nodded slightly, looked up and scanned the high-rise hotel rooms in the distance. Then he asked, ¡°Is she here yet?¡± The manager opened the door of the sightseeing car for Steve, ¡°Ms. Gregory has been here for over an hour.¡± Without a word, Steve leaned back in the sightseeing car¡¯s seat and closed his eyes lightly. By the time the sightseeing car reached the presidential suite halfway up the hillside, the time was already fifty minutes past nine. As the manager was about to reach for the room card to open the door for Steve, Steve waved him off. Sensing Steve¡¯s wishes, the manager handed over the room card to Steve politely and then retreated respectfully. Steve nced at his wristwatch. It was fifty-one minutes past nine. He had five more minutes to the time agreed with Ruby Gregory. At the entrance of the presidential suite, there was arge bunch of gorgeous and luscious flowers exuding a sweet fragrance. Steve leaned against the wall, silently counting in his mind. After about five hundred counts, he nced at the time again. It was less than a minute left. He then stood up, took out the room card, twirled it around twice in his hand, and then gradually put it against the lock. The door opened with a beep. ¨C By ten o¡¯clock, the vi had fallen deathly quiet ¨C unlike in the city where cars could be heard zooming by even at midnight. To calm her nervousness, Ruby Gregory turned on the television, tuning into Stephen Chow¡¯s film. Chow¡¯s exaggerated acting and humorous lines, however, failed to draw augh from Ruby. Instead, they only intensified her anxiety. She again looked up at the clock on the wall: it was nearly ten. Just as Ruby was about to take a deep breath to stabilize her rapid heartbeat, the sound of the door unlocking came. Her breath choked in her chest, and she quickly stood up. Then Ruby saw Steve Burton, who had just entered the room. This man always managed to effortlessly exude an unmatchable elegance, provoking jealousy in men and resentment in women about the unfairness of life. Steve first looked at Ruby, then closed the door behind him, walked over to the sofa. Stephen Chow¡¯s iconicughter was heard on the TV. Ruby¡¯s legs felt weak from her nervousness. She worked hard to stabilize herself, waiting until Steve walked up to her. Then she swallowed and called out, ¡°Mr. Steve.¡± Yesterday it was Mr. Burton, today it was Mr. Steve? Steve just grunted lightly through his nose and sat down on the sofa. His grunt left Ruby unsure of his intention, and she stood there, not daring to make a sound, her nervousness growing. Other than Stephen Chow¡¯s voice from the TV, the room was silent. The oppressive silence made Ruby feel somewhat suffocated. She covertly lifted her eyes to peek at Steve. He was as expressionless as ever, showing no signs of emotion. Chapter 19 - 19: The Habit of Not Waiting for Others (9) 19 Chapter 19: The Habit of Not Waiting for Others (9) Trantor: 549690339 Are the two of them really going to stay like this, one standing and the other sitting, until dawn? Just as Ruby was thinking about whether she should say something, Steve suddenly stood up and walked towards his bedroom: ¡°I¡¯m sleepy.¡± Ruby of course knew what those three words meant. She hesitantly followed behind Steve, and when she reached the door of his bedroom, her hands clenched tightly, her fingernails digging into her palm, causing a faint pain. Ruby stood at the door for a whole minute before closing her eyes, biting her teeth, and stepping inside. At this point, Steve had already removed his coat and was sitting casually on the side of the bed, his gaze fixed on her heavily. Under such scrutiny, Ruby, although scared, still timidly approached Steve, only giving him a brief nce before quickly lowering her eyes. Steve sat there motionless, staring at Ruby. After a long time, when Ruby still hadn¡¯t reacted, Steve finally spoke: ¡°Ruby, have you forgotten what I said to you yesterday?¡± Ruby instantly raised her head, looking at Steve. Steve¡¯s eyes narrowed slightly, clearly displeased, revealing his irritation: ¡°I said, if you take care of me today and make me happy, I¡¯ll let you start working at Pristine¡¯s Enterprises tomorrow.¡± ¡°Haven¡¯t you forgotten how to do that after spending three years in Costa Luna, or do I need to teach you again?¡± Ruby¡¯s body trembled slightly, her hands clenching even tighter. She knew what he meant by ¡°taking care of him.¡± He had told her that night three years ago, kissing her. Only that night, his tone had been gentle, even with a touch of indescribable tenderness, unlike now, cold and indifferent. Ruby bit her teeth secretly, took two steps forward, then tremblingly extended her hand to unbutton Steve¡¯s shirt, one button at a time. Ruby was much shorter than Steve, who lowered his eyes to watch her closely. Feeling his gaze, Ruby¡¯s fingers gradually began to tremble, and she felt his breath growing hotter and hotter. She wanted so badly to just let go and run away. But she couldn¡¯t. Her family was counting on her to save their business, and they had pinned all their hopes on her. Now, she still remembered the disappointed looks in her family¡¯s eyes when they found out Steve had not married her after their night of passion. So, even if she didn¡¯t want to do this now, she had to force herself. She had already been forced to do too many things she didn¡¯t want to or like since she was a child, so she didn¡¯t care about adding one more this time. With her eyes slightly downcast, Ruby removed Steve¡¯s shirt and then, with even more shaking fingers, undid his belt. Even though she kept telling herself to endure it, she still didn¡¯t have the courage to pull his zipper. Her fingers reached out and withdrew, back and forth several times. Finally, as if losing his patience suddenly, Steve sneered: ¡°Have you given up on joining Pristine¡¯s Enterprises?¡± Chapter 20 - 20: The Habit of Not Waiting for Others (10) Chapter 20: The Habit of Not Waiting for Others (10) Trantor: 549690339 Ruby Gregory was so stimted by this remark that her body trembled even more violently. She tightly closed her eyes, fooling herself by telling herself that what she couldn¡¯t see wouldn¡¯t hurt her. She then forced herself to ignore all her embarrassment and extended her hand forward. Steve Burton watched Ruby Gregory, who looked as if she was going to the execution ground, with a resolute expression. He couldn¡¯t help but scoff, ¡°Let me tell you, Ruby Gregory, don¡¯t put on such a reluctant look for me. If you don¡¯t want to do this, leave right now!¡± Ruby Gregory¡¯s hand trembled violently when Steve Burton scolded her. She paused for a moment, her lips tightly pressed together. As if she hadn¡¯t heard the sarcasm from his mouth, she finally touched him. Steve Burton, who had been holding himself tautly, quickly extended his hand, pulled Ruby Gregory up, and threw her onto therge bed behind him. His actions were moderately violent, and his grip was somewhat heavy. Somehow, he left a noticeable mark on her delicate, fair skin. Yet, she didn¡¯t utter a single sound, as if she didn¡¯t feel any pain. Seeing her like this, he felt all the more irritated, his annoyance near the point of madness. His only solution was to punish her in the most primal way. His kiss was more like a bite. When he bit her neck, he suddenly increased his strength. Even though her body clearly flinched, she emitted only a barely audible groan, followed by silence. It remained silent even after he could taste blood, all still silent. Her numb reaction made him feel ayer of self-mockery in his eyes, followed by a quick shift to the main topic. Her eyes were somewhat damp, but she only dared to keep her eyes shut tightly, afraid that she would unwittingly shed tears and upset him. Because once, he said, he didn¡¯t like it when she cried. If such torment and pain could exchange for her opportunity to work at Pristine¡¯s Enterprises, or to bear a child, she thought, everything would be worth it. After a long while, it all ended. Ruby Gregory felt as if she had just taken a round trip through the gates of hell. Ruby Gregoryy in bed in a daze for a long time, slowly regaining some consciousness. She heard Steve Burton¡¯s slightly hurried breath next to her ear. Ruby Gregory slowly turned her head to see Steve Burton staring at the ceiling, apparently lost in thought. She hadn¡¯t fullyplied with what he had previously asked for, and she was uncertain whether her ordeal was over for the night. Ruby Gregory hesitated for a moment before finally voicing out, ¡°Can I go to work at Pristine¡¯s Enterprises tomorrow?¡± Ruby Gregory didn¡¯t understand why her question was amusing, but Steve Burton chuckled lightly before his face turned cold. He turned his head and stared at her face for a long time. Then, he slightly nodded, pointed at the door, and said, ¡°You may leave now!¡± PS: That¡¯s it for today, see you tomorrow at three in the afternoon! Remember to check the first post of thement section around ten o¡¯clock for the winner¡¯s announcement.. Commenting still gives you a chance to win! Chapter 21 - 21: I’ll Let You Get Lost (1) Chapter 21: I¡¯ll Let You Get Lost (1) Trantor: 549690339 Ruby Gregory did not know why her question had evoked such a reaction in Steve Burton. He smiled mysteriously, letting out a soft chuckle before his expression suddenly turned cold. He looked at her for a long moment, then nodded his head slightly, pointed to the door, and said, ¡°You can go!¡± The rapid shift in Steve Burton¡¯s demeanor frightened Ruby slightly. Having known Steve since childhood, Ruby had a deep understanding of him and could read his moods through subtle changes in his eyes, gestures, and tone. She could discern whether he was truly upset or merely pretending. However, after just three years apart, she could no longerprehend what this man, who she had known for more than two decades, was thinking. He said she could leave¡­ Did this mean he was denying her entry to Pristine¡¯s Enterprises? Was he dissatisfied with her submission? Anxiety began to build in Ruby¡¯s heart. She couldn¡¯t afford to lose without even starting. sping her hands, Ruby stared into Steve¡¯s dark, intense eyes and spoke softly, ¡°Did I do something wrong?¡± Steve¡¯s face was cold as ice, and he didn¡¯t even nce at Ruby, turning away and leaving her his back. Ruby clenched her lips and paused before leaning forward and pressing herself against Steve¡¯s strong back. Steve¡¯s body heat was much higher than hers, making Ruby shiver slightly before mustering the courage to stretch out her arms and hug his waist. Steve¡¯s body tensed up, and he was acutely aware of the delicate-soft woman trembling behind him. She seemed very nervous, her chest heaving with anticipation. After a while, her breath grew closer to his ear as she left a light, ethereal kiss on his cheek ?before her lipsnded on his. Her lips shook violently, but she still kissed him with determination. Steve felt slightly dizzy and, after a long time, he suddenly pulled Ruby to him and, in one movement, pinned her beneath him. He kissed her back, desperate and forceful, his entire demeanor passionate and breathing more rapid. However, as Steve continued to kiss her, he seemed to notice something and suddenly stopped. He opened his eyes to see Ruby, her eyes tightly shut and her face void of joy or pleasure. This made him feel like ice water had been poured over him from head to toe. Steve¡¯s eyes narrowed slightly before he swiftly got out of bed, leaving Ruby behind. The sudden departure of the man puzzled Ruby, causing her to frown and sit up in confusion. Before she could ask what was wrong, Steve picked up her clothes from the floor and angrily threw them at her face, ¡°Get out!¡± Ruby frowned, unsure about what had just happened with the once passionate Steve, and stared at him with a mix of confusion and innocence, unable to react. Ruby¡¯s passiveness infuriated Steve, who snapped at her, ¡°I told you to get out!¡± Chapter 22 - 22: I’ll Let You Get Lost (2) Chapter 22: I¡¯ll Let You Get Lost (2) Trantor: 549690339 Ruby Gregory¡¯s body shuddered violently, and she came back to her senses. She didn¡¯t know what she had done wrong to provoke such anger from him. She stared at Steve Burton, her mouth slightly open, but in the end, she said nothing. She didn¡¯t even care whether or not she could enter Pristine¡¯s Enterprises tomorrow; she just picked up the clothes he had thrown at her and quickly put them on without a word. Ruby¡¯s movements were somewhat frantic as she put on her clothes; the zipper of the skirt was on the side, and she lowered her head, pulling it several times before finally managing to close the gap. From childhood to adulthood, she had never been so humiliated in front of anyone. She had tried her best, and all she received in return was his harshmand to ¡°get lost.¡± The more Ruby thought about it, the more wronged she felt, and her eyes began to feel hot and slightly sore. Fearing that she would suddenly shed tears in front of Steve, she kept her head down the entire time. After putting on her clothes, Ruby didn¡¯t even look at Steve. She just walked quickly past him and out of the bedroom. In the living room of the suite, the television was ying advertisements. Ruby walked in front of the sofa, picked up her purse, ced the suite¡¯s keycard on the coffee table, and then hurriedly headed towards the door. When Ruby left the bedroom, she didn¡¯t close the door. Steve happened to see Ruby leaving; he saw her fumbling to open the door and then running away, her footsteps slightly unsteady. His hand tightened into a fist, his knuckles turning white, as if he was suppressing something. After a long time, Steve finally moved slightly, picked up a nearby bathrobe, and casually wrapped it around himself. He stood in ce, staring at the messy bed, his eyes bing somewhat zed. Suddenly, he felt very tired. He had been busy withpany matters in the past, staying awake for three days and nights, but he had never felt this kind of exhaustion before. This fatigue came from deep within his heart, apanied by sharp, bone-piercing pain. Ruby walked out of the presidential suite and went directly to the vi¡¯s public restroom. Ignoring her body¡¯s difort, she looked into the mirror and neatened her disheveled hair and clothes. She made sure her appearance was elegant and poised before taking out her phone and calling the vi¡¯s front desk, asking them to send a sightseeing car to pick her up from the mountain. Ruby did this because she couldn¡¯t let anyone see her present state of embarrassment and disarray. She was the daughter of the Gregorys, and no matter how Steve had just treated her and how much grievance he had given her, she had to maintain her elegant and poised appearance in front of others. Therefore, when the vi¡¯s staff drove the sightseeing car to her, Ruby forced down the exhaustion and difort in her body and gave the staff a perfectly polite smile, then handed them a tip. Maintaining her bright and enchanting posture, Ruby drove out of the vi for about ten kilometers before stopping her car by the roadside and slumping into her seat.. Chapter 23 - 23: I’ll Let You Get Lost (3) Chapter 23: I¡¯ll Let You Get Lost (3) Trantor: 549690339 Ruby Gregory pulled down her cor a little, looking into the car mirror, she saw the bite mark left by Steve Burton on her neck, now discolored to a blue-purple hue. She gently pressed her fingers against it, feeling a sharp pain. Startled, Ruby withdrew her hand, then thought about how her parents¡¯ eyes lit up with excitement and happiness when they found out that she and Steve were going to Red Park tonight. At that time, her dad couldn¡¯t stop grinning, telling her mom, ¡°I knew it, our Ruby is so beautiful, and she has so many years of affection with Steve. There¡¯s no way he doesn¡¯t have a ce for her in his heart.¡± If she went back home now, they¡¯d probably be disappointed and heartbroken again, wouldn¡¯t they? Given Steve¡¯s reaction, she probably wouldn¡¯t be able to work at Pristine¡¯s Enterprises tomorrow. She just didn¡¯t know whether she would get pregnant afterst night. If she were pregnant, she¡¯d still have a glimmer of hope. If not, what would she Ruby sighed softly, driving her car leisurely into the city. It wasn¡¯t until 7 in the morning that Ruby drove towards her home. The road to the West Suburb wasn¡¯t congested in the early morning, so it only took Ruby half an hour to get back. Before getting out of the car, Ruby looked in the mirror and forced a smile on her face. She then took a deep breath, opened the car door, and went inside. Maxwell Gregory and his wife were eating breakfast at the table. When they saw Ruby returning, they both put down their chopsticks, and Ruby¡¯s mom immediately rushed over to her, taking her hand and asking as they walked towards the table, ¡°Ruby, was Steve nice to you yesterday?¡± ¡°Yes,¡± Ruby replied briefly, sitting down at the table. Seeing the nutritious breakfast spread out before her, she had no appetite, but fearing her parents would notice something amiss, she reluctantly picked up a spoon and had some porridge. Maxwell saw Ruby eating and joined her, then asked after a while, ¡°Ruby, has Steve said when you can start working at Pristine¡¯s Enterprises?¡± Ruby¡¯s movements paused slightly at Maxwell¡¯s question. She might not be able to enter Pristine¡¯s at all. How was she going to break the news to her parents? Would she have to once again see them wear the same downcast expressions they had three years ago? Ruby bowed her head even lower. The atmosphere at the table suddenly turned stagnant. Maxwell and his wife exchanged nces, and then Maxwell, with a grave face, asked, ¡°Ruby, are you hiding something from us?¡± Perhaps she could hide other things, but Ruby knew that not being able to work at Pristine¡¯s Enterprises was something she couldn¡¯t conceal.. Chapter 24 - 24: I’ll Let You Get Lost (4) Chapter 24: I¡¯ll Let You Get Lost (4) Trantor: 549690339 Ruby Gregory gritted her teeth, preparing to admit she might not get a job at Pristine¡¯s when suddenly her mobile rang. Picking up her phone, Ruby noticed it an unfamiliarndline number. Inquisitively, she nced at her father before answering, ¡°Is this Miss Ruby Gregory?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Ruby responded with a note of confusion, ¡°Who is this?¡± ¡°Hello, Miss Gregory, I¡¯m the Manager of Pristine¡¯s Enterprises¡¯s Human Resources Department. I¡¯m calling to confirm some details with you. A while ago, you submitted your resume here, applying for the post of Assistant to the Secretary to the CEO of Pristine¡¯s, correct?¡± Ruby remembered that her father, Maxwell Gregory had helped her send the resume. She nodded and confirmed, ¡°Yes.¡¯ ¡°Miss Gregory, congrattions! Ourpany has decided to hire you. If you¡¯re free this afternoon, we¡¯d like you toe and report to thepany.¡± Ruby Gregory¡¯s reporting time at Pristine¡¯s Enterprises was set for three in the afternoon. Upon her arrival, the secretary to the HR manager guided her through several protocols including taking a picture for her work ID card before giving her a tour around Pristine¡¯s Enterprises and a brief introduction. Finally, she led Ruby to the executive office on the top floor of the building. The top floor hosted five independent offices and four small conference rooms. Four offices were lined up, while another upied one side of the floor. Outside each independent office was a row of office desks. In the very center of everything were four ss-walled conference rooms. Ruby gathered from the HR manager¡¯s secretary that the four offices were separately upied by Rusell Henris, Edward Woods, Madeleine, and Howard Coleman, and that the people busy at the desks outside were their secretaries. Leading her to a seat nearest to the CEO¡¯s office, the HR Manager¡¯s secretary whispered something to a slightly younger woman. Nodding to Ruby with a smile, she then left. The slightly older woman stepped forward towards Ruby and asked her with a gentle smile, ¡°Miss Ruby Gregory, right?¡± Ruby nodded slightly in response. The older woman then pped her hands together and announced, ¡°Ladies, this is our new colleague, Miss Ruby Gregory, the newest member of our CEO¡¯s secretarial team.¡± Afterwards, the older woman introduced Ruby to every person in the office. Truth be told, Ruby had already received a detailed profile of each member of the Secretarial Unit of the CEO of Pristine¡¯s Enterprises from his father, Maxwell Gregory, earlier that morning. The older woman was a distant rtive of the Burtons; she had been serving as the CEO¡¯s secretary in Pristine¡¯s Enterprises for nearly thirty years. As for the assistant secretaries, two of them were fresh college graduates with ordinary backgrounds, but with excellent academic performances. Two others were old employees of Pristine¡¯s Enterprises who were already married with children. The remaining two were Olivia Foster and Maya Mitchell.. Chapter 25 - 25: I’ll Let You Get Lost (5) Chapter 25: I¡¯ll Let You Get Lost (5) Trantor: 549690339 The other two were Olivia Foster and Maya Mitchell. Maya Mitchell was Ruby Gregory¡¯s college ssmate. Maya came from a humble family, and Ruby had helped her pay for a year of tuition fees. Maya¡¯s academic performance was outstanding, and she got a job at Pristine¡¯s Enterprises before graduating from college. Olivia Foster, on the other hand, was an old rival of Ruby¡¯s. Olivia was an illegitimate daughter of the Fosters and only imed her heritage at the age of ten. It was also that year when Ruby met Olivia. Olivia and Ruby were of the same age and graduated from the same schools, from junior high to high school, and then to college. Ruby knew that the reason she and Olivia attended the same schools was not due to fate but because many people wanted to get closer to Steve Burton. Just like when the Gregorys worked hard behind the scenes to ensure she attended the same school as Steve, Ruby also studiedte into the night. That was why Olivia was her old rival. Because they both wanted to marry Steve Burton. For Ruby, it was a mission that she carried from birth. Olivia, on the other hand, hoped to cleanse her reputation as an illegitimate child and gain respect within the Fosters. Thus, the two of thempeted openly and covertly in school for Steve¡¯s attention. At that time, Ruby was close to Steve and his brothers, so she always had the upper hand in thepetition with Olivia. Both the Fosters and the Gregorys depended on Pristine¡¯s Enterprises for their livelihood. However, in recent years, the Fosters had been faring much better than the Gregorys. Olivia¡¯s older cousin married Steve¡¯s fourth cousin, and this connection alone allowed the Fosters to snatch many clients from the Gregorys. When Ruby saw Olivia¡¯s name in Steve¡¯s secretary department that morning, she realized that some people had been quicker in seizing opportunities. Now that she and Olivia, two ipatible people, met again, Ruby knew that no matter how many advantages Olivia had gained over her in the past three years, she could only win, not lose! The day after reporting for work, Ruby officially started working at Pristine¡¯s Enterprises. As a neer, Ruby was hardly assigned any tasks, only asionally helping other secretaries and assistants print or photocopy documents. An entire morning passed without Ruby seeing Steve. At first, she thought he had arrived at the office early and stayed in his office, so she didn¡¯t leave her seat during the lunch break. Even when work resumed at 2 p.m., the door to Steve¡¯s office remained closed. In the afternoon, the other employees were still very busy, and Ruby made several trips between the printing room and the office. By the time work ended in the evening, Steve still hadn¡¯t appeared before Ruby. Three days passed in the blink of an eye since Ruby started working at Pristine¡¯s Enterprises. In those three days, Ruby learned many things, such as the most important news: when Steve went to external banquets and events and needed a secretary, he almost always took Olivia with him. And during these three days, Ruby had yet to see Steve in person.. Chapter 26 - 26: I’ll Let You Get Lost (6) Chapter 26: I¡¯ll Let You Get Lost (6) Trantor: 549690339 Right before the end of the workday, Ruby Gregory went to the restroom and happened to run into Maya Mitchell, who had just finished washing her hands. Through the mirror, Maya spoke to Ruby, ¡°Ruby.¡± Ruby smiled and greeted her, intending to walk towards a stall. Suddenly, as if recalling something, she stopped and turned to Maya, who had just finished washing her hands and was about to leave. ¡°Maya?¡± Maya stopped and turned her head, looking at Ruby, ¡°Hmm?¡± she replied, then asked, ¡°Ruby, what¡¯s up? In the past, it was always others trying every means to inquire about Steve Burton from her, Ruby Gregory. Never would she have imagined that one day she would fall into the position of being the ¡°others¡±, inquiring about Steve from someone else. Especially this person, who knew about the good rtionship she had once had with Steve. Ruby hesitated for a moment before asking, ¡°Maya, howe I haven¡¯t seen Mr. Burton these past few days?¡± As someone who had been promoted from a secretary assistant to a secretary, Maya was well-informed about Steve¡¯s schedule. So when she heard Ruby¡¯s question, she didn¡¯t hesitate to answer, ¡°Mr. Burton has gone on a business trip to Agrabah, he¡¯ll be back this afternoon.¡± Ruby uttered an ¡°Oh¡± and thanked Maya before turning to go into the stall. After using the restroom, Ruby pushed the door open and walked towards the sink, rearranging her skirt as she did so. Ruby had only taken a few steps when she heard a cold, sneeringughter behind her. She furrowed her brows and then heard Olivia Foster¡¯s mocking and sarcastic voice, ¡°Ruby Gregory, you were just eagerly asking Maya about where our Mr. Burton is, what are you trying to do?¡± Ruby knew from that sentence that Olivia had overheard her conversation with Maya earlier. However, she hadn¡¯t expected that Olivia¡¯s ability to distort facts and exaggerate situations had increased significantly over the years. Ruby let her eyelids droop, ignoring Olivia¡¯s words. She elegantly and nonchntly turned on the faucet to wash her hands. Seeing Ruby¡¯s calm expression in the face of her sarcasm, Olivia chuckled and, with a seductive stride, walked to Ruby¡¯s side. She opened the faucet as well, washing her hands side-by-side with Ruby. ¡°Ruby Gregory, I¡¯ve heard that back in the day, you voluntarily climbed onto Steve¡¯s bed, but he rejected you. Humiliated, you had no choice but to run off to Costa Luna, right?¡± Not many people knew about the incident back then, but it did not mean that Olivia was unaware of it. After all, her cousin had married into the Burtons, so she must have heard the news from them.. Chapter 27 - 27: I’ll Let You Get Lost (7) Chapter 27: I¡¯ll Let You Get Lost (7) Trantor: 549690339 Olivia Foster looked at Ruby Gregory¡¯s slightly stiffened face, feeling a bit relieved and spoke with a lighter tone, ¡°Ruby Gregory, during those three years in Costa Luna, did it hurt when you thought about how Steve Burton slept with you and didn¡¯t want you anymore?¡± Since she returned to the country, in just a few days, more than one person had mentioned how she was initially slept with and then abandoned by Steve Burton. Steve Burton said mockingly, ¡°Ruby Gregory, I slept with you and didn¡¯t want you. You stille knocking on my door, how thick-skinned are you?¡± Madeleine said, ¡°Ruby, do you know that you¡¯re something my brother doesn¡¯t want anymore? Since he doesn¡¯t want you, why do you still care about his feelings?¡± Now, Olivia Foster said the same words. She couldn¡¯t offend Steve and couldn¡¯t be angry with Madeleine, who cared for her wellbeing. But it was different with Olivia Foster, who was just ridiculing her,ughing at her, and humiliating her. In Ruby Gregory¡¯s dictionary, the only person she should tolerate,promise with, and please in this world was Steve Burton. From an early age, she knew that besides enduring Steve¡¯s temper, she didn¡¯t have to tolerate anyone else¡¯s. She was just much better than Olivia Foster, who had been groomed by the Gregorys as the future mistress of the Burtons from an early age. The Gregorys taught her to remainposed, calm, and elegant at all times, never showing her emotions. So even though she was angry, her face remained calm and gentle. Her tone was also steady and smooth, ¡°Thank you for your concern. During my three years in Costa Luna, I was much better off than you, bearing the title of illegitimate daughter and trying every possible way to please the Fosters.¡± Use their own method against them. Olivia Foster attacked her with the biggest weakness in her life, so she would do the same and counter her with the biggest weak point in her life. Olivia Foster¡¯s face suddenly turned pale. She stared at Ruby Gregory, gritting her teeth and said, ¡°You,¡± then didn¡¯t know what else to say. Indeed, as Ruby Gregory said, she was an illegitimate daughter, and the Fosters never held her in high regard. So she had always tried her best to please them. Ruby Gregory remembered Olivia¡¯s first sarcastic words, and the smile on her face became even more elegant and noble. She leaned forward slightly, speaking in a voice that only the two of them could hear, ¡°Just now, you said I am eagerly asking Maya about Mr. Burton¡¯s whereabouts? However, have you ever thought that if it were true, like you said, and Mr.. Burton is really annoyed with me, how could I be sitting in his secretary¡¯s office? Don¡¯t you know that his secretaries and assistants are all handpicked by him?¡± Chapter 28 - 28: I’ll Let You Get Lost (8) Chapter 28: I¡¯ll Let You Get Lost (8) Trantor: 549690339 Olivia Foster¡¯s face became even more unsightly, how could she not know that it was Steve Burton who allowed Ruby Gregory to join Pristine¡¯s Enterprises? On her very first day at Pristine¡¯s Enterprises, her family had told her that, no matter what means necessary, she must drive Ruby Gregory out of thepany in the shortest time possible. She just happened to overhear Ruby asking Maya Mitchell about Steve¡¯s whereabouts, so she casually mocked her a bit. Unexpectedly, after three years, Ruby still had such a sharp tongue! Olivia Foster, seemingly reaching her boiling point, her hateful tone trembled, ¡°Ruby Gregory, don¡¯t push people too far, and don¡¯t be too arrogant. What men neverck are women who offer themselves up. Right now, Steve is just missing you after three years and finding you a novelty, wanting to taste some freshness again!¡± Upon hearing this, Ruby Gregory let out a softugh, the pupils of her eyes, beneath her arched brows, rippled like water. She deliberately lowered her voice and said to Olivia, very deliberately, ¡°Well then, Olivia Foster, now the question is, do you think in Mr. Burton¡¯s eyes, you are no longer considered fresh? Or is it that Mr. Burton has never deigned to taste you at all?¡± Olivia Foster was immediately rendered speechless by Ruby¡¯s words. Indeed, in order to gain the respect of her family, to break away from her title as an illegitimate daughter, she had always wanted to marry a Burton man, just like her older cousin, and secure some speaking power within the family. She and Ruby were of simr ages, so she could only target Steve Burton, but when she finally met him, she realized that he wasn¡¯t just a target, he was her life¡¯s pursuit of deep love. She even thought that Steve didn¡¯t need to marry her; as long as he allowed her to be his woman, she would be content. However, in all these years of scrambling after him, bumping and stumbling, Steve had neverid a finger on her. A faint mist appeared in the corner of Olivia Foster¡¯s eyes. Ruby blinked and said, ¡°Olivia Foster, don¡¯t tell me that you¡¯re so fragile that you¡¯re about to cry because of a few words from me? Once your eye makeup is ruined by crying, you¡¯ll look terrible. Don¡¯t me me for not reminding you that Mr. Burton ising back this afternoon.¡± Olivia Foster could only try her best to hold back her tears. Ruby Gregory no longer continued to pay any attention to Olivia Foster, she simply turned around and walked out of the restroom. At 2:30 in the afternoon, just as Maya Mitchell had said, Steve Burton appeared in the office on time. Following behind him were Howard Coleman and Rusell Henris. The three of them stepped out of the elevator, and he said something to them that made Howard and Rusell return to their respective offices, while he headed directly to his own office. All the secretaries in the office put down their work and stood up simultaneously, greeting him, ¡°Mr. Burton, hello!¡± Steve Burton nodded slightly and walked straight to his office.. Chapter 29 - 29 Birthday Invitation (1) Chapter 29: Birthday Invitation (1) Trantor: 549690339 Steve Burton slightly nodded and headed for his office. The oldest secretary, just as Burton was about to enter his office, suddenly behaved like he remembered something, respectfully said, ¡°Mr. Burton, since you were out on business trips these past few days, I haven¡¯t had a chance to report to you. The new colleague approved by the HR department has already started working.¡± The oldest secretary gave a nce to Ruby Gregory. Ruby immediately stood up. Despite their years of acquaintance, Ruby gave a simple introduction, ¡°Hello, Mr. Burton, I am Ruby Gregory.¡± Steve¡¯s silhouette paused slightly, stopped in his tracks. After a moment, he slightly turned his head and lightly nodded at the oldest secretary, way of acknowledging him, then, without even ncing at Ruby who had greeted him, he walked directly into his office. Although Stevees from a good family and radiates a strong aura, and normally gives off the feeling of superiority, when facing employee greetings, he would at least so much as nod, even though his attitude would be frosty. Moreover, Ruby is a new employee, he justpletely ignored her! All the secretaries looked at Ruby with various expressions in their eyes, some helpless, some sympathetic, some puzzled, and even a smug look in Olivia Foster¡¯s eyes ¡­ In her first-ever encounter at Pristine Enterprises, he made her lose face in front of so many people. Ruby forced herself not to care about other people¡¯s gazes and attempted to maintain her calm and elegant demeanor as she slowly settled back into her seat. For several hours, Ruby kept her head down, staring at theputer screen, daring not to catch anyone¡¯s eye. Steve seemed to be very busy. Since entering his office at two-thirty, he hadn¡¯te out until four-thirty. He called the secretaries thrice¡ªonce to confirm tomorrow¡¯s meeting and twice to have them bring documents inside. Around five o¡¯clock, the phone on Ruby¡¯s desk rang. The call came from an internal line and the caller ID disyed ¡°8888¡±. Ruby understood that it was a call from Steve¡¯s office. Her fingers trembled a little, and then she quickly picked up the phone, respectfully answering, ¡°Mr. Burton.¡± At the other end of the line, Steve¡¯s voice was devoid of any emotion. The words that came out of his mouth were clear and concise, without any unnecessary verbiage: ¡°Get me a cup of coffee.¡± Before Ruby could respond with ¡°Yes¡±, she heard a ¡°click¡± sound. He had hung up. Ruby quickly put down the phone and went to the pantry to make a coffee. She prepared it ording to the tastes of Mr. Burton that she had noted down on her notepad¡ªtwo sachets of creamer and one sachet of sweetener, then carried it towards Steve¡¯s office. Ruby first raised her hand, knocked at the door, and only when she heard e in¡± from inside, did she push open the door.. Chapter 30 - 30 Birthday Invitation (2) Chapter 30: Birthday Invitation (2) Trantor: 549690339 Before Ruby Gregory could walk in, she heard Olivia Foster¡¯s yful voice from inside the office: ¡°Steve, take a look and choose one!¡± ¡°Stop it, I¡¯m busy.¡± Steve Burton¡¯s voice sounded somewhat indifferent, but not the least bit impatient. ¡°Steve, I spent a whole week carefully picking out these gifts for you. Just choose one, and then deal with those documentster.¡± Olivia¡¯s tone carried a hint of coquettishness. Upon hearing this, Ruby¡¯s heart shuddered fiercely. Olivia really had a lot of nerve, not only she addressed Steve as ¡°Steve¡± instead of ¡°Mr. Burton¡± in the office, but she even persisted, pestering him while he was working! Her father once told her that nothing was more annoying for men than being continually bothered by a woman when they were busy. She wondered if Olivia wasn¡¯t afraid of angering Steve! As these thoughts ran through Ruby¡¯s mind, her face showed no signs that she had heard Olivia and Steve¡¯s conversation. She pushed open the door, holding the coffee and walked in. Upon hearing the door being opened, Olivia twisted her head around. Upon seeing Ruby, she hesitated for a moment, then turned back nonchntly and handed the iPad in front of Steve. Steve caught a glimpse of Ruby entering from the corner of his eye, and his fingers on theputer keyboard paused for a moment. Then he took the iPad from Olivia. Steve swiped a couple of times on the iPad, casually pointed to the screen twice, and asked Olivia, ¡°Which one do you think is better, this or that?¡± Olivia leaned closer to Steve, tilted her head, puckered her lips, looking innocently cute as she stared at the iPad screen. After a while, she pointed at the screen and said, ¡°This one. The other design is a bit too conservative.¡± ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll take your advice,¡± Steve agreed without objection. Olivia¡¯s face immediately bloomed into a flowery smile: ¡°Then it¡¯s settled, Steve!¡± Steve handed the iPad back to Olivia, without any hint of me in his voice, he said reprimandingly, ¡°Don¡¯t ck off during work hours in the future.¡± Olivia pouted, showing no sign of guilt, and said, ¡°I understand, Steve.¡± The two carried on their conversation about non-work-rted matters, as if they hadn¡¯t noticed the entrance of Ruby into the office at all. Ruby neatly ced the coffee on Steve¡¯s right side, not interrupting their conversation, and tactfully prepared to leave. However, Olivia suddenly turned her head towards Ruby, shing her a crafty smile, and said, ¡°Ruby, your timing is perfect. I was just telling Steve about his birthday party next week.. You¡¯ve known Steve for so many years, so he must have sent you an invitation, right?¡± Chapter 31 - 31 Birthday Invitation (3) Chapter 31: Birthday Invitation (3) Trantor: 549690339 Upon Olivia Foster¡¯s mention, Ruby Gregory suddenly remembered that it was indeed Steve Burton¡¯s birthday. As for Steve Burton¡¯s birthday invitation¡­ Ruby Gregory secretly nced at Steve. He had not mentioned it in front of her. Naturally, Ruby couldn¡¯t tell Olivia that she hadn¡¯t received the birthday invitation. So, seeing her smug expression, Ruby just smiled and chose to remain silent, giving Olivia an ambiguous answer. Assuming that Ruby had already received Steve¡¯s birthday party invitation, Olivia turned her head away and stopped paying attention to Ruby: ¡°Steve, have you booked your birthday cake?¡± Steve seemed quite interested in the topic and directly closed hisputer: ¡°I don¡¯t arrange my birthday parties; my older sister always does. However, speaking of that, I suddenly remember that my sister said she would order several different vors of cake this time. After all, everyone has different tastes. Olivia, what vor do you prefer?¡± Olivia didn¡¯t expect Steve to care about her preferences. She was excited and asked, ¡°Can I choose two vors?¡± Steve nodded slightly. With Steve¡¯s permission, Olivia thought for a moment and said, ¡°Strawberry and purple yam.¡± Steve made a humming sound, seemingly taking note of her preferences. Then, suddenly, he turned to Ruby and asked, ¡°How about you?¡± Ruby initially thought she was just an extra person there. Suddenly hearing Steve asking about her preferred taste, she hesitated for a moment before a hint of warmth filled her heart. Since she had returned, Steve had held nothing but disdain and a terrible attitude towards her. Now that he was asking about her preferences, could it be that there was still hope for her? Although Ruby was excited inside, she didn¡¯t show it like Olivia. After thinking for a moment, she looked at Steve and said, ¡°Matcha vor. Actually, she didn¡¯t like matcha-vored cake and even found it somewhat repulsive. Her real favorite vor was vani. However, she pretended to like matcha because it was Steve¡¯s favorite cake vor, hoping that their shared preference would win his favor. Upon hearing the words ¡°matcha vor,¡± a sneer instantly appeared on Steve¡¯s face. Staring at Ruby, he said mockingly, ¡°Matcha vor? How unfortunate. I hate matcha-vored cakes the most. They make me sick!¡± At these words, a smile curved up on Olivia¡¯s lips. Under the ridicule of Steve and the self-satisfaction of Olivia, the color drained from Ruby¡¯s face in an instant.. Chapter 32 - 32 Birthday Invitation (4) Chapter 32: Birthday Invitation (4) Trantor: 549690339 Steve Burton stared at the destion in Ruby Gregory¡¯s eyes, his lips pursed tightly, and his tone suddenly became somewhat somber: ¡°Alright, you all can get back to work.¡± Olivia Foster and Ruby Gregory walked out of Steve¡¯s office one after the other, Olivia giving Ruby a smug look before walking gracefully to her seat and taking a seat. Ruby lowered her eyes. From the beginning to the end, she had always overestimated her influence on Steve. She had thought that even though he had inexplicably abandoned her three years ago, they had more than 20 years of shared history and he wouldn¡¯t bring too much humiliation upon her! But today, she saw Olivia cling to and flirt with Steve, and not only did he not get angry, but even his criticism was so light and breezy; even when Olivia wanted two different vored cakes, he indulged her. And what about her, Ruby Gregory? She always tried to be aposed and graceful woman in front of him, putting his preferences first. However, in return, she only received his mockery, disdain, and disgust! Perhaps it was because he simply couldn¡¯t stand the sight of her, so no matter how well she performed, he would always pick out ws! In fact, she didn¡¯t ask for much. She didn¡¯t need his love or favor; all she needed was the position of Mrs. Burton. Ruby¡¯s heart suddenly felt heavy. More importantly, it seemed that he had no intention of inviting her to his birthday party. Many of the elite knew that she had once been close to him. Now that she¡¯s back, if he doesn¡¯t allow her to attend his birthday party, she would be theughingstock among many people, and the Gregorys would be ridiculed by countless families! Ruby nced at the calendar on herputer. There were less than five days before his birthday, and within these five days, she would do everything possible to get an invitation to his party¡­ After Ruby and Olivia had left, Steve stood up and walked to the French windows. The gentle glow of the setting sun draped over the Ciawell City, setting it aglow with grandeur and magnificence. However, Steve had no interest in appreciating the beautiful view and only felt a nagging irritation in his heart. Matcha vor? That was clearly his favorite vor. From childhood to adulthood, during the more than 20 years he had known her, when had Ruby ever touched anything with a matcha vor? Did she really think he was so easily fooled like a fool? Steve couldn¡¯t help but let out a coldugh at the corner of his lips. However, this coldugh turned into a bitterugh in the end. It was trulyughable. He had known her for exactly 20 years and only now did he realize that he knew nothing about the woman he once believed he knew so well. For instance, her favorite vor of cake, her favorite color, her favorite food¡­ Come to think of it, he was truly pathetic! At this thought, a frustrated expression appeared in Steve¡¯s eyes. PS: Something came up unexpectedly, had to go out for a bit.. There are still 4 more chapters to update, will write them when I get back! Chapter 33 - 33 Birthday Invitation (5) Chapter 33: Birthday Invitation (5) Trantor: 549690339 Only a line of hedges separated the Gregorys¡¯ Vi from the Burtons¡¯ Mansion. From both yards, one could clearly see into the other¡¯s. So, not only was Ruby Gregory close with Steve Burton, but she knew all of the Burtons¡¯ family members well, from the old to the young. On this Saturday morning, Ruby woke up early. From the second-floor balcony, she could see the lines of luxury cars parked at the Burton Mansion. Last night, Ruby had made a point to note that the car Steve drove back to the mansion was a Porsche. After breakfast, Ruby went upstairs again to nce at the Burton¡¯s parking lot. Upon seeing that Steve¡¯s Porsche was gone, she brushed her teeth, put on some sky-blue sportswear and went downstairs. In the backyard of the Gregorys¡¯ home, two rows of vegetables were growing. Since it was harvest season, Ruby picked out some fresh vegetables, had the maid pack them into a basket, and headed to the Burtons¡¯. The Burton Mansion was still staffed by the old servants from three years ago. Upon seeing Ruby, they stopped in their tracks and greeted, ¡°Ms. Gregory.¡± One hurriedly led Ruby into the mansion, crying out anxiously, ¡°Ma¡¯am, Ma¡¯am!¡± ¡°What¡¯s the matter that you¡¯re in such a flurry?¡± a melodious voice came from across the door as it was pushed open. ¡°Ma¡¯am, it¡¯s Ms. Gregory,¡± replied the servant. Ruby thought it a coincidence. She was here to see Wenny Burton, Steve¡¯s elder sister. Upon seeing Ruby, Wenny was slightly surprised, then asked, ¡°Ruby, you really came back?¡± Ruby gave a slight smile and lifted the vegetables in her hand, saying, ¡°Our backyard garden is ripe for picking, we¡¯ve got an abundance and can¡¯t possibly eat it all. My mother asked me to bring some over for you.¡± ¡°Aunt Gregory is always so considerate.¡± Wenny moved to the side and said, ¡°Come in quickly.¡± Ruby handed the vegetables over to a servant and followed Wenny into the house. The decor of the Burtons¡¯ home had all changed from three years ago when she left. It was now much more luxurious and grandiose. Wenny gestured Ruby to sit and asked a servant to prepare tea, saying, ¡°This is green tea freshly brought from West Lake. It has quite a fragrant scent, you should try it.¡¯ ¡°Thank you.¡± Ruby responded politely, lifted the teacup, and took a symbolic sip. ¡°While ago, I heard you returned, but I hadn¡¯t seen you and thought it was only a rumor.¡± Ruby smiled at Wenny and put the teacup back on the table. ¡°Ruby, how have you been in Costa Luna these past three years?¡± When Wenny asked this, she hesitated slightly. Finally, she lowered her voice and said, ¡°I¡¯m really sorry about what happened three years ago..¡± Chapter 34 - 34 Birthday Invitation (6) Chapter 34: Birthday Invitation (6) Trantor: 549690339 Once again, the topic was brought up, and Ruby Gregory felt somewhat numb to it. Her face still held a faint, calm smile as she did not respond. Wenny Burton seemed to realize that she had brought up something she shouldn¡¯t have. She gave an awkward smile and apologized, ¡°Ruby, why did I bring that up¡­¡± ¡°Wenny¡­¡± Ruby interrupted her as if nothing had happened, ¡°Have you been painting all these years?¡± Ruby had learned many things since she was young, with painting being her strongest skill. Wennyter became fascinated with painting, but due to her limited talent, her paintings alwayscked a certain touch. So, she would always ask Ruby for help with modifications. Wenny knew Ruby was trying to change the subject and immediately followed along, ¡°I still paint asionally, but after you left, all my paintings became half-finished. This was precisely what Ruby was waiting for her to say, ¡°Coincidentally, I¡¯m free today, so if you¡¯re not busy, Wenny, why don¡¯t you bring out those paintings? I¡¯ll help you finish them.¡± ¡°Sure.¡± Wenny was delighted at Ruby¡¯s offer and quickly stood up. She led Ruby upstairs to her painting studio. This time, Ruby¡¯s visit seemed to be about delivering vegetables to the Burtons. In reality, she came because Steve Burton once mentioned in his office that Wenny was in charge of his birthday party, so she figured the invitations must be sent out by Wenny. Hence, her purpose was to get the invitation to Steve¡¯s birthday party from Wenny. During the three years in Costa Luna, Ruby had not wasted her skills. Her painting technique became even better than before, and she put extra care into Wenny¡¯s half-finished works. After her modifications, the paintings were worlds apart from their original state. Wenny was genuinely excited and couldn¡¯t stop praising Ruby, ¡°Ruby, you¡¯re truly amazing! These paintings are absolutely gorgeous after you¡¯ve touched them up!¡± Ruby felt inner joy at thosepliments and became even more focused while refining the paintings for Wenny. ¡°Wenny, if you ever need help, feel free to ask me.¡± Wenny immediately nodded without hesitation andughed, ¡°Sure, as long as it doesn¡¯t bother you.¡± ¡°Not at all.¡± Ruby seemingly casually looked at Wenny, who was admiring the finished painting in her hands. She sensed that her chance had arrived, so she paused for a moment before turning to Wenny and asking, ¡°Wenny, isn¡¯t Steve¡¯s birthdaying up in a few days?¡± Steve didn¡¯t leave the Burton residence. It was just that his eldest cousin got drunkst night and had someone send him home. The next day, when he went out, he borrowed Steve¡¯s car. Steve had slepttest night, and since it was a weekend, he didn¡¯t get up until noon. After freshening up and putting on a casual outfit, he went downstairs, just in time to see a servant setting the silverware on the dining table. ¡°Mr. Steve.¡± ¡°Hmm.¡± Steve grunted, pulled out a chair, and sat down.. He noticed that there were three sets of silverware on the table, then said, ¡°Isn¡¯t it just my sister and me at home today?¡± Chapter 35 - 35 Birthday Invitation (7) Chapter 35: Birthday Invitation (7) Trantor: 549690339 ¡°Yes, but this morning, Ms. Gregory came.¡± Steve¡¯s movement to pick up the vegetables with his chopsticks paused slightly: ¡°Ms. Gregory?¡± ¡°Ms. Ruby Gregory.¡± The servant filled Steve with soup: ¡°Ms. Gregory brought some vegetables over this morning and is now with the youngdy in the painting studio upstairs.¡± Steve¡¯s brows furrowed a little, but he said nothing. The servant set the silverware and stepped aside, ¡°Mr. Steve, shall I go upstairs and call the youngdy and Ms. Gregory down for dinner?¡± Steve didn¡¯t respond, picked up the vegetables with his chopsticks, and chewed a couple times before stopping the servant who was about to go upstairs, ¡°Wait.¡± The servant turned around, looking somewhat puzzled. Steve put down his chopsticks, stood up: ¡°I¡¯ll go.¡± Without waiting for the servant to react, he got up and headed directly upstairs. The door to the painting studio was slightly ajar. As Steve approached and was about to push the door open, he heard Ruby¡¯s voice from inside, ¡°Wenny, whenever you need anything, feel free toe to me for help.¡± Steve frowned, hesitated in pushing the door and heard Ruby hesitate before continuing, ¡°Wenny, isn¡¯t Steve¡¯s birthdaying up in a few days?¡± As expected¡­ Ruby never does anything without a purpose. Steve¡¯s gaze became a bit colder, and just as his sister was about to say, ¡°It¡¯s next Wednesday, if you have time¡­,¡± he pushed the door open suddenly. Ruby tried hard to suppress her excitement, knowing that Wenny would surely invite her to Steve¡¯s birthday party if she were avable. However, before she could hear the second half of Wenny¡¯s sentence, the door behind her was pushed open: ¡°Time for dinner.¡± At the sound of those three words, Ruby¡¯s hands shook and the paintbrush almost fell out of her palm. How could he be home? Hadn¡¯t he left in the car? Wenny¡¯s second half of the sentence got stuck in her throat as she turned to look at Steve with a slightly mocking tone, ¡°I thought I was mistaken, but it really is you who came to call me for dinner.¡± Steve showed no annoyance at his sister¡¯s teasing, but in the next moment, his gaze shifted onto Ruby, ¡°What are you doing here?¡± His voice was cold and distant, making Ruby feel distinctly unwee. Ruby felt awkward and didn¡¯t know how to respond. Wenny gave Ruby an apologetic nce before turning to Steve and exining, ¡°I asked Ruby to help me touch up some of my old paintings.¡± Steve¡¯s face showed no reaction. Ruby was keenly aware of Steve¡¯s displeasure, she turned to Wenny and said, ¡°Wenny, I should get going first.¡± ¡°Stay for lunch.¡± Ruby shook her head, then gave Steve a slight nod as a greeting before hurrying out of the room. As Ruby was about to leave the painting studio, Steve¡¯s voice suddenly rang out again, ¡°How many more paintings does she need to touch up? Gather them all up now and let her take them away, so she doesn¡¯t keep using this excuse toe here every day, it¡¯s annoying!¡± Chapter 36 - 36 Birthday Invitation (8) Chapter 36: Birthday Invitation (8) Trantor: 549690339 Steve Burton¡¯s tone had a touch of maliciousness, causing Ruby Gregory¡¯s silhouette to slightly sway. ¡°Steve, how can you talk like that!¡± Wenny Burton couldn¡¯t believe that Steve would say such ruthless words, her tone filled with reproach. Steve Burton didn¡¯t bother to respond to Wenny¡¯s reprimand. He turned around and strode past Ruby, leaving the painting studio. Wenny looked at Ruby somewhat awkwardly and said, ¡°Ruby, Steve may be in a bad mood and said some harsh words. Don¡¯t take it to heart¡­¡± Ruby managed to shake her head at Wenny, forcing a smile, and said, ¡°Wenny, I¡¯m going first.¡¯ Ruby quickly left the entrance of the Burton¡¯s house before she dared to lower her head, revealing a hurt expression on her face. Did he hate her so much that he didn¡¯t even want her toe to his home¡­? When he faced irrelevant people, he would only show a cold and distant attitude at most. But when facing her, he always attacked her with harsh words. Just like three years ago, overnight, he became apletely different person toward her¡­ She never knew why. When Ruby was about to reach her own doorstep, she raised her head, took a deep breath towards the sky, and then squeezed out a smile. She tried hard to make herself look rxed. No matter how much Steve had wronged her, she didn¡¯t want her parents to know. She was afraid that they would be disappointed in the daughter they had raised for over twenty years, pouring all their efforts into her upbringing. When Ruby saw her smile looked natural, she prepared to step forward. Suddenly, a car stopped beside her at a fast speed, apanied by a sharp braking sound. Before Ruby could react, a powerful force pulled her over and stuffed her into the car. Ruby looked up instinctively, seeing Steve staring at her coldly. Ruby felt a little scared under Steve¡¯s gaze. Steve didn¡¯t say a word, staring at her unblinkingly. Even the breath he sprayed on her face carried a cold chill. Ruby felt ayer of cold sweat creeping onto her back, and she subconsciously moved backward to avoid him. In the next second, Steve suddenly lowered his head, covered her lips, and began to pull at the zipper of her clothes. Ruby knew what Steve was going to do next. In broad daylight and inside the car, people or vehicles could pass by any moment¡­ If they were seen¡­ At that thought, Ruby couldn¡¯t care less if she would anger Steve, and her whole body instinctively struggled violently. Steve didn¡¯t expect Ruby to resist. He was initially a bit taken aback, but then a subtle delight crossed his eyes. So, she hadn¡¯t reached the point of obeying him without any limits! Steve stopped his actions, looked into Ruby¡¯s eyes, and said after a while, ¡°Don¡¯t you want an invitation to my birthday party? Sleep with me now, and I¡¯ll have Wenny send you the invitation!¡± PS: The lucky readers who won the calendar, and signed the book yesterday are:(If you didn¡¯t win, don¡¯t be discouraged).. See you tomorrow at 3 §²§®~ Chapter 37 - 37: Enduring Without a Choice (1) Chapter 37: Enduring Without a Choice (1) Trantor: 549690339 Steve Burton stopped his actions and gazed into Ruby Gregory¡¯s eyes. After a moment, he said, ¡°You want an invitation to my birthday party, don¡¯t you? Sleep with me now, and I¡¯ll have Wenny Burton send you an invite!¡± How did he know she wanted an invitation to his birthday party? Could it be that he already knew her true purpose for going to the Burtons to see Wenny Burton? Although she didn¡¯t know what had annoyed Steve Burton three years ago, based on his current attitude towards her, he probably never intended to invite her to his birthday party. Originally, her n was to bypass Steve Burton and ask Wenny Burton for an invitation, so she wouldn¡¯t be humiliated by not being able to attend his birthday party and be aughingstock. However, now he saw through her little scheme. If he were to intervene, Wenny Burton would definitely not give her an invitation to his birthday party¡­ Could it be that she really had to follow his words and exchange for his birthday invitation in the way he described? Ruby was feeling a mix of hesitation and struggle deep within her heart. Steve Burton¡¯s eyes, usually cold and indifferent, seemed to warm up, even carrying a hint of a smile when he saw the hesitation and uncertainty in hers. It turned out that Ruby Gregory was not so desperate and helpless; deep down, she still cared about her dignity and pride. Suppressing the joy in his heart, Steve Burton¡¯s words were still indifferent and cold, but his tone had softened considerably, no longer as sharp and biting. ¡°Ruby Gregory, you know that if I say the word, Wenny Burton would never dare to give you that invitation.¡± As expected, he wouldn¡¯t let things go smoothly for her. Ruby clenched her hand into a fist. Her feminine reserve and dignity made it impossible for her to agree to his proposal. Many people in Ciawell knew about the once good rtionship between the daughter of the Gregorys and the sessor of the Burtons, and many knew about her inexplicable departure to Costa Luna three years ago. Although they might not know the specifics of what had happened, everyone was eager to see the oue of her return to the country and her subsequent interactions with Steve Burton. Having grown up in the upper-ss circles, Ruby understood better than anyone that if she were not invited to Steve Burton¡¯s birthday party, the mystery of her trip to Costa Luna three years prior would turn into her being cast aside by Steve Burton long ago. Most of the Gregorys¡¯ business in recent years was founded on the belief that Ruby might marry Steve Burton and tied their coboration with the Burtons ordingly. If everyone knew that she had no hope with Steve Burton, those shrewd businessmen would surely realize that the Gregorys offered no benefits for the future; they would undoubtedly cease to cooperate with the Gregorys. At that point, the Gregorys¡¯ business would be in grave danger! Ruby was lost in thought for too long, making Steve Burton believe that she might actually refuse his proposal.. Chapter 40 - 40: No Choice But to Endure (4) Chapter 40: No Choice But to Endure (4) Trantor: 549690339 ¡°Ruby Gregory, it seems I¡¯ve overestimated you!¡± Steve Burton spoke, his tone cold. He had thought she would refuse, but it seemed he had thought too much. What did he mean, he had overestimated her¡­ Ruby didn¡¯t understand the meaning behind Steve¡¯s words. She lifted her eyelids, stealing a nce at him, only to find that his gaze had be frighteningly cold at some point, sending a chill down her spine. She quickly lowered her gaze, avoiding his stare. Initially, when she returned from abroad, she thought her nervousness around him was just stress. Butter, she realized she was actually afraid of Steve, and her fear continued to grow. She feared his cruel, hurtful words and the humiliation he could cause her in front of others. ¡°You really enjoy debasing yourself!¡± Steve¡¯s voice was dripping with undisguised sarcasm, his whole being exuding a violent storm. ¡°Since you don¡¯t think highly of yourself, there¡¯s no need for me to be polite with you either! ¡± Without waiting for Ruby to react, Steve pushed her down onto the car seat. Her body tensed up, her fingertips trembling violently. The car¡¯s space was rather small; Steve didn¡¯t even bother taking off their clothes before forcing himself on her. She felt humiliated and pained¡ªher eyes tightly closed, she tried to forget her own indignity. Just like thest time, she clenched her fists so tightly that her nails dug into her palm. Yet, she couldn¡¯t feel any pain from that, as the hurt he caused her was iparably more excruciating. His actions became harsher and more brutal, as if he was venting his frustrations on her. She could scarcely endure it¡ªshe felt tears burning at the backs of her eyes, but she couldn¡¯t cry. She could only grit her teeth and bear it, evenforting herself at the bottom of her heart. She told herself it was okay; she didn¡¯t need to care about the humiliation he was causing her now. As long as she became pregnant with his child, the Burtons would never allow their flesh and blood to go unimed¡ªespecially since their families were neighbors, they would definitely arrange for them to get married. Once they were married, she wouldn¡¯t have to ingratiate herself to him or walk on eggshells to please him. Their marriage would secure the Gregory family¡¯s business. At that point, she would only need to be a well-behaved mistress of the Burton household¡ªshe didn¡¯t need a loving marriage, mere mutual respect would suffice, or even a cold, distant rtionship. Once they were married, she could stay as far away from him as possible¡­ Ruby felt her nails breaking in her clenched palms, a sticky liquid seeping out. She knew it was blood. She never knew she could endure so much. Finally, Steve stopped. Inwardly, Ruby let out a sigh of relief, feeling as if she had been revived from the brink of death in the depths of hell.. Chapter 41 - 41: No Choice But to Endure (5) Chapter 41: No Choice But to Endure (5) Trantor: 549690339 The air in the car was filled with a flirtatiously ambiguous atmosphere. With every breath Ruby took, she could smell this scent, constantly reminding her of the humiliation she had just endured. She couldn¡¯t bear to stay in the car for even a moment longer. Regardless of how ufortable she felt, she managed to endure and slowly straightened her clothes. Then, after ncing at Steve, she pushed the door open, lowered her head, and hurriedly got out of the car. Steve thought he would see grievance and tears in Ruby¡¯s eyes, but her eyes were as dark and clear as ever, without even a hint of dampness. A familiar sense of defeat welled up within him as he watched her through the car window, her steps slightly frantic as she headed towards her home. Perhaps he had been too rough with her earlier, causing her pain as she walked with a slight limp. Ruby¡¯s figure disappeared into the Gregorys¡¯pound for a long time before Steve finally shifted his gaze and slowly looked towards the car seat where Ruby had been sitting. He saw a wet stain on the dark seat, touched it, and found it to be bright red. Then his fingers picked up a bloodstained half-broken fingernail from beside lt. With the nail in his hand, Steve felt like there was something stuck in his throat, making it hard to breathe. They hadn¡¯t always been like this¡­ If it weren¡¯t for that incident three years ago, he wouldn¡¯t have mocked and derided her, shirking responsibility after sleeping with her. That incident was a sharp thorn buried deep in his heart that he never wanted to bring up again in his lifetime! In truth, he didn¡¯t want their rtionship to be like this either. But if he didn¡¯t act this way, would Ruby still repeatedly circle around him? He couldn¡¯t bear to let her go, but if he held onto her like this and married her, he feared she would have distanced herself from him as much as possible by now, not investing as much effort and thought into him as she currently did. Ruby didn¡¯t dare let the Gregory household see her in such a disheveled state. She entered the house through the back door, went directly to her room on the second floor, and returned to her bedroom. Once in the room, she took a shower first, as if only then could she wash away the humiliation he had inflicted on her. After her shower and standing in front of the cheval mirror in her bedroom, Ruby saw the numerous scars on her body and her eyes grew dim. On her neck, the purplish bruise from the bite she had given himst time at the holiday vi in Red Park still hadn¡¯t faded. The nail-scratched palm of her hand ached deeply. Ruby lowered her gaze, quickly put on her pajamas, and climbed directly into bed. Wrapped tightly in her nket, she felt exhausted but couldn¡¯t sleep. As her mind swirled with confusion, her phone suddenly rang.. Chapter 42 - 42: No Choice But to Endure (6) Chapter 42: No Choice But to Endure (6) Trantor: 549690339 Ruby Gregory picked up the call, saw it was from Steve Burton, hesitated slightly before answering. However, before she could utter a word, a somewhat cold male voice came from the other end: ¡°Birthday invitation, Wenny Burton will send it to you tonight!¡± Then, without waiting for Ruby Gregory¡¯s response, Steve Burton hung up the call. Ruby listened to the dial tone, feeling a slight relief amid her heavy mood. No matter how tormented or humiliated she was just now, she was, after all, able to secure an invitation to Steve Burton¡¯s birthday party. Regardless of how Steve¡¯s actions may have pped her in the face privately, at least to the outside world, she had preserved her dignity, and that of the Gregorys. Ruby, after being tossed around so brutally by Steve, spent her whole weekend without setting foot outside, cooped up in her house, and needed two-day rest to recuperate. Monday was always the busiest day for all office workers, and Pristine¡¯s Enterprises was no exception. While the official working hours at Pristine¡¯s Enterprises began at half-past nine, Steve was at a meeting room in a club next to the Forbidden City for a meeting at eight-thirty. The secretary apanying Steve to the meeting was Olivia Foster. Steve and Olivia arrived at the club on the dot of eight. Since they had half an hour before the meeting¡¯s start, Steve and Olivia first went to the club¡¯s private lounge. Olivia handed Steve the materials she had brought with her, saying, ¡°Steve, here are the materials for our meeting today.¡± Usually, during official business, Olivia would call him ¡®Mr. Burton¡¯. However,st week, when she went to his office to approve some documents, Steve uncharacteristically brought up his birthday, asking her if she had a gift prepared for him. Having known Steve for many years and served as his secretary for over two, she had never shown her affection for him, always striving to get closer to him. But his attitude towards her was always lukewarm. Therefore, when he suddenly asked her for a birthday gift, her heart felt like it was about to soar, and she inadvertently called him, ¡°Steve¡±. Everyone knew Steve was strict with his subordinates at the office, yet he not only didn¡¯t lose his temper at her, but he even discussed his birthday gift with her. She plucked up the courage to bother him to see the gift she had chosen, and he didn¡¯t object. Olivia thought that after enduring so long, she finally saw a ray of light, and once again instinctively blurted out ¡°Steve¡±, a term filled with her affection. Steve, with a cold expression, took the documents from her and opened them.. Without even ncing at Olivia, he said, ¡°When did I get a sister like you?¡± Chapter 43 - 43: No Choice But to Endure (7) Chapter 43: No Choice But to Endure (7) Trantor: 549690339 Last week, thanks to Steve¡¯s indulgence towards Olivia, she could hear the sarcasm in his words, but still had the confidence to pout at him, saying, ¡°Steve, there are no strangers here anyway.¡± Steve casually flipped through the file, his eyes glued to the words on the pages, and with a calm and steady manner, uttered striking words: ¡°No outsiders? Aren¡¯t you one then?¡± His tone was so light, but it instantly chilled Olivia¡¯s heart. How did Steve¡¯s attitude towards her change like night and day after just one weekend? When someone loves another, they can easily be swayed by every word and action. Olivia was no exception. She would be excited for the entire weekend because Steve would voluntarily chat with her about non-work-rted topics in the office. However, at times like this, his singlement would send her down to the bottom and put her in despair, leaving her tone sounding somehow sadder: ¡°Steve, did I do something not good enough to make you angry?¡± Upon hearing her words, Steve curled his lips into a light smile, as if he had just heard a hrious joke. With a cold tone, he said even more hurtful words: ¡°Olivia, that¡¯s really funny. To an outsider like you, do you think I need to spare any unnecessary emotions?¡± ¡°Butst week¡­¡± Thinking ofst week, Steve remembered how he had used Olivia to find out what kind of cake Ruby liked, only to end up with a bunch of useless answers. His expression turned somber and his cold voice had traces of anger when he replied, ¡°Last week? I don¡¯t remember.¡± I don¡¯t remember¡­ such a definitive statement turned the glimmer of hope in Olivia¡¯s heart into utter despair in an instant. She thought that she would be the first to benefit from their closeness, seeing the clouds part and the moon reveal itself. However, it turned out to be her own wishful thinking. If Olivia had never had any hope, she wouldn¡¯t feel so miserable. But now, as her newfound hope abruptly vanished, she found her heart aching so dramatically that her eyes turned red in an instant. Yet, facing Olivia with her reddened eyes, Steve¡¯s attitude not only remained unchanged, but became even colder and more indifferent: ¡°Olivia, just because I criticized you a little, you¡¯re crying? There¡¯s even worse toe. I told you, do not call me ¡®Steve¡¯ during work. If it happens again, don¡¯t bothering to the secretary department.. Just go straight to HR toplete your resignation and leave Pristine¡¯s Enterprises!¡± Chapter 46 - 46: A Narrow Escape from Death (2) Chapter 46: A Narrow Escape from Death (2) Trantor: 549690339 Ruby Gregory hadn¡¯t expected to face such a difficult challenge on Monday, so before going to work, she deliberately chose a beautiful and dignified light blue professional outfit, paired with a pair of high heels in the same color scheme. Not yet an adult, Ruby started wearing high heels. Due to habit, she didn¡¯t feel especially tired even after walking in them for a long time. It might have been because she was running too fast and was a bit anxious. Her heel identally got caught in a sewer grate, causing a sudden, immense pain in Ruby¡¯s ankle. Ruby immediately squatted down, covering her ankle with her hand. Seeing that there were only five minutes left, Ruby endured the pain and took off her high heels, holding them in her hand. Ignoring the gazes of those around her, she hobbled barefoot toward the clubhouse. At first, Ruby could bear the pain in her ankle. But as she kept walking, the pain intensified, causing her forehead to break out in sweat. Eventually, she squatted down, finding it difficult to stand up. There were only three minutes left. If she couldn¡¯t make it, she would be used of ipetence. Moreover, if Steve Burton really wanted her out of Pristine¡¯s Enterprises, her chances of staying looked slim this time. Ruby gritted her teeth, trying to stand up again, only to be met with an even sharper pain in her ankle. Ruby knew she wouldn¡¯t make it in time. But she couldn¡¯t just stand by and watch herself get kicked out of Pristine¡¯s Enterprises, not after only being there for a few days! She had to find a solution to her problem before 8:30 a.m. But how should she go about finding a solution? Ruby bit her finger, her eyes rolling around in thought. Maya Mitchell said the phone call was from Olivia Foster. Olivia hated her so much, so if she called Olivia right now and asked her toe get her, who knew what Olivia would do to sabotage her further! Maya was in the office and couldn¡¯t help her now. After going back and forth, Ruby could only think of one person: Steve Burton. Just thinking of that name filled Ruby with an indescribable fear. But if she failed to deliver the coboration proposal and jeopardized his work, given Olivia¡¯s current close rtionship with him, she might add fuel to the fire. Who knew if Steve would really ask her to leave right away! Besides, perhaps Steve¡¯s statement about her leaving Pristine¡¯s if she failed to deliver the proposal was just Olivia¡¯s own fabrication on the phone call. After weighing her options for a while, Ruby gritted her teeth, pushed down her fear, and took out her phone. She found Steve Burton¡¯s phone number and dialed it.. Chapter 47 - 47: A Narrow Escape from Death (3) Chapter 47: A Narrow Escape from Death (3) Trantor: 549690339 Even if there¡¯s only a slim chance, she wouldn¡¯t give up! As the call connected, a long beeping sound came through, and Ruby Gregory¡¯s heart grew more and more tense with this sound. The phone rang five times, just when Ruby thought no one would answer, the call was picked up. At the other end of the call, it wasn¡¯t Steve Burton¡¯s voice, but the sound of footsteps. After a while, the footsteps stopped, and only then Steve¡¯s usual cold tone came through: ¡°Hello?¡± Ruby listened to his voice, her heart almost stopped. Her palm, gripping the phone, was sweaty. She took a deep breath and said, ¡°Mr. Burton, this is Ruby Gregory.¡± ¡°Hmm.¡± His response was genuinely restrained, just a cold and indifferent tone. Ruby knew that Steve had no intention of making any conversation, she swallowed and tried to sound calm: ¡°I have brought the coboration case for the meeting you will be holding today. Can you have Olivia Fostere over and pick it up?¡± Not only Olivia could y mind games, so could Ruby. As Steve asked her toe and pick it up, she wouldn¡¯t dare to have any other thoughts. ¡°Bring it up yourself!¡± Steve said directly to Ruby without any hesitation or negotiation. What did she mean? The coboration case was delivered, but she didn¡¯te up? Was it because of what happened over the weekend that she didn¡¯t want to see him? Though they were separated by a phone call, Ruby could vaguely sense the intimidating aura emanating from Steve. Her nervous heart almost stopped beating, fearing that in the next second, he would tell her to get out of Pristine¡¯s Enterprises. So she carefully spoke in a negotiating tone: ¡°Could you maybe start the meeting a bitter? I¡¯ve sprained my ankle and it might slow me down a bit¡­¡± At the other end of the call, there was no sound. Ruby couldn¡¯t guess what Steve was thinking, making her even more uneasy. Just when Ruby thought Steve had agreed, and she was about to hang up the phone and bear the pain of her injured ankle to deliver the case before seeing a doctor, Steve suddenly spoke, asking: ¡°Where are you?¡± Ruby thought he had agreed to let Oliviae and get the documents, and she immediately replied: ¡°About 300 meters east of the club¡­¡± Ruby¡¯sst word hadn¡¯t even settled when the phone clicked off. Her words were cut off, stuck in her throat. Ruby sat patiently by the road, waiting for Olivia toe and collect the coboration case. However, after waiting for about ten minutes, Ruby couldn¡¯t see Olivia¡¯s figure. Just as she hesitated whether to make another call to inquire, suddenly, a shy yellow Ferrari stopped in front of her.. Chapter 54 - 54: Let Her Be Happy for a While (2) Chapter 54: Let Her Be Happy for a While (2) Trantor: 549690339 Steve Burton faced the many people attending the banquet with ease andposure. A warm, courteous smile always graced his face. That smile was perfectly measured, neither too intimate nor too arrogant. However, despite this, it still seemed to keep people at a distance. This was Steve¡¯s outstanding trait. No matter how friendly he seemed or how polite his words, no matter whether he was standing right in front of you, he could give you a sense of distance, making it impossible to fathom what he was thinking. Madeleine took two sses of alcohol from a servant and handed one to Ruby Gregory before joining the crowd, their arms linked. There were quite a few beautifully dressed youngdies standing around Steve. They eagerly wanted to engage, but still maintained a reserved demeanor. No matter how stunning these youngdies were, Steve¡¯s face always maintained a light, official smile. Madeleine finally squeezed her way to the front, raised her pretty head, and called out, ¡°Brother.¡± Then she raised her ss to Steve. Steve¡¯s expression did not change, but his gaze softened slightly when looking at Madeleine. They clinked sses and drank, and Madeleine handed Steve a gift she had prepared earlier, saying, ¡°Happy birthday, Brother!¡± ¡°Thank you.¡± Steve took the gift, but didn¡¯t hand it to Rusell Henris, instead giving it to Edward Woods. Edward Woods and Rusell Henris both stood by Steve¡¯s side, helping him receive gifts. Others might not understand the difference between giving the gifts to Edward Woods or Rusell Henris, but Ruby, who had known Steve for many years, did. Since there were too many people giving gifts to Steve, it was impossible for him to unwrap each one. For those who were not particrly important to him, Steve would hand the gift to Rusell Henris, and it would go straight into storage without being opened. As for the gifts he handed to Edward Woods, Steve would open and keep them. Thus, to determine whether someone was important to Steve, one only needed to see which of these two he handed their gift to. From the moment Ruby stood near Steve, she had been paying attention to this detail and noticed that almost all the youngdies¡¯ gifts were handed to Rusell Henris. After offering her blessings and giving her gift, Madeleine stepped aside, grabbed Ruby¡¯s hand, and pulled her right in front of Steve. As Ruby was about to raise her ss and offer her blessings to Steve, someone suddenly spoke up from the side.. Chapter 55 - 55 Let Her Be Happy for a While (3) Chapter 55: Let Her Be Happy for a While (3) Trantor: 549690339 ¡°Happy birthday, Steve,¡± Olivia Foster said, standing in an eye-catching red long dress in front of Steve Burton, raising her ss to him. Her glitzy, well-manicured nails reflecting dazzling light under the crystal chandelier. Steve nced at Ruby Gregory. The woman stood graciously in ce, without any signs of displeasure or loss over being outperformed by Olivia Foster. Steve slightly lowered his eyes, then turned his head toward Olivia Foster, offering a faint smile as he clinked his ss against hers. After their toast, Olivia Foster handed over the gift she had prepared in advance. ¡°Thank you,¡± Steve expressed his gratitude as he took the gift, subtly casting a sidelong nce at Ruby. Seeing herposed face, he hesitated for two seconds before handing the gift to Edward Woods. This was the first gift from a wealthy heiress of the evening that Steve had given to Edward Woods. It seemed Olivia Foster held a special ce in Steve¡¯s heart. Ruby blinked slightly, pushing down the dull feeling in her heart. After toasting and sipping her drink with Steve, she extended her own prepared gift in front of him, ¡°Happy birthday, Mr. Burton.¡± Steve, time¡­ When did her address for him turn into such distant terms such as Mr. Burton? Steve gazed at Ruby¡¯s attractive smile, taking a while to show no intention of epting the gift. The gift was not heavy, but as Steve hesitated to take it, Ruby gradually felt a sense of heaviness in her wrist. ¡°What¡¯s going on? Why isn¡¯t Mr. Burton epting the gift?¡± ¡°Who is this woman?¡± ¡°The daughter of the Gregorys, Ruby Gregory.¡± ¡°So it¡¯s her; I heard she used to have a good rtionship with Mr. Burton.¡± ¡°Didn¡¯t she go to Costa Luna afterwards?¡± Because of Steve¡¯s pause, people began whispering discussions. Ruby could only force herself to hold the gift package tighter, causing the outer wrapping paper to wrinkle somewhat. Even though Madeleine had a soft spot for Ruby in her heart, she didn¡¯t dare to upset Steve; instead, she gave a sign to Edward Woods. Even if she didn¡¯t know where Ruby had offended Steve, Madeleine knew, without a doubt, that he would treasure Ruby¡¯s birthday gift. These people had grown up together since childhood, understanding each other¡¯s intentions through actions and nces. Therefore, Edward Woods immediately took two steps forward, thanking Ruby on behalf of Steve, ready to ept the gift. But Steve suddenly reached out to snatch the gift from Ruby¡¯s hand, handing it directly to Rusell Henris. Ruby¡¯s gift was then lost amongst many other lesser considered presents.. Chapter 56 - 56: Let Her Be Happy for a While (4) Chapter 56: Let Her Be Happy for a While (4) Trantor: 549690339 Madeleine naturally understood that the gift Rusell took was bound for abandonment, and she couldn¡¯t help but shout out, ¡°Brother!¡± However, Steve Burton acted as if he hadn¡¯t heard Madeleine¡¯s protest, turning gracefully and continuing to greet the next person. Ruby Gregory stared fixedly at her own gift box in the cart in front of Rusell. She hadn¡¯t expected that one day, she would exchange ces with Olivia Foster. Once carelessly thrown by Steve Burton into the abandoned gift pile without even blinking, Olivia Foster now gained his attention. While Ruby, who used to be the first to take a gift and unwrap it on Steve¡¯s birthdays, was now thrown by him into the abandoned gift pile without even a nce. Just like three years ago, after their one night of passion, she was discarded by him without any lingering affection. Perhaps because Ruby had been staring at her gift box in front of Rusell for too long, Madeleine became worried at heart and couldn¡¯t help but make faces at Howard Coleman. Howard tossed his gift directly to Edward Woods, then tried to smooth things over, saying, ¡°Madeleine, Ruby, want to join me for a drink or two ¡°Sure, sure.¡± Madeleine agreed, and pulled Ruby away vigorously, forcing her to leave Steve¡¯s vicinity. They went back to the secluded corner where Ruby and Madeleine had chatted earlier. Once seated, Madeleine and Howard began talking animatedly. However, Ruby no longer had the liveliness and vitality that she had before the banquet when chatting with Madeleine; she simply sat and listened in silence. Madeleine and Howard had started chatting for Ruby¡¯s sake, but since she remained silent, their conversation gradually petered out. In the end, the three of them fell into silence all at once. At this very moment, the banquet began, and Madeleine hurriedly spoke up to break the silence: ¡°Ruby, let¡¯s go get something to eat.¡± Ruby Gregory really had no appetite, but still followed Madeleine, heading to the buffet area. Just as Steve had mentioned in his office that day, there were many vors of cake prepared for his birthday party. When Ruby and Madeleine came to get food, Steve was blowing out the candles and cutting the cake. Many people still surrounded him. Even Madeleine held her te up close, waiting for a piece of cake. So many people celebrated his birthday, and even if he didn¡¯t like some of them, he didn¡¯t show it, but she was the exception. Ruby feared that he would embarrass her, making her theughingstock of those around her. So, Ruby silently avoided the cake-cutting area, hid far away, chose some light food, and returned to the secluded corner. Howard had also gone to join in the fun around the cake cutting, and with everyone gathered there, Ruby sat alone in the corner. Ruby Gregory sat with her back to the cake-cutting area, while behind her, the sounds of merriment constantly reached her ears, making her surroundings seem deste and cold.. Chapter 57 - 57: Let Her Be Happy for a While (5) Chapter 57: Let Her Be Happy for a While (5) Trantor: 549690339 When she first returned to the country, deep down, she firmly believed she could sessfully marry Steve Burton, help The Gregorys rise to prominence, and be a person of high status in her family. Throughout this period, she had been working hard and persisting for this goal, constantly believing that as long as she always performed better and pleased Steve, she would eventually marry him and be the mistress of The Burtons. So, no matter how much humiliation and embarrassment Steve subjected her to, she endured it. She had always thought that she could bear it, bear it until she became his wife, bear it until her goal was achieved. But now, she found herself unable to endure it any longer. Ruby Gregory moved her lips slightly, and a trace of confusion crept into her eyes. ¡°Ruby¡­¡± All of a sudden, Madeleine¡¯s voice came from behind her. Ruby quickly masked her despondent expression, swallowed saliva, and turned around with a smile. Madeleine and Howard Coleman each carried two tes that held different vors of cake. Madeleine and Howard put the cakes on the table. Madeleine shook her somewhat tired wrist, having carried the te all the way, and said, ¡°Howard and I brought a piece of each vor of cake for you, Ruby. Take whichever one you like.¡± As Madeleine said this, she bit her finger, then raised her head and looked at Howard, asking, ¡°Howard, did you remember the vors I told you to remember?¡± Howard had always possessed an exceptional memory. He raised his hand and started pointing at the cakes on the te from the left, recounting the vors for each one. Ruby followed his fingers, looking at each cake in turn until she heard, ¡°Vani cake.¡± She then took a knife, cut arge piece, and ced it on her te. The cake was delicious, but it was too much to eat all at once. Ruby ate half of it and then put down her fork. There was still a lot of activity in the distance, as if some game was going on. Three yearster, Madeleine, who hadn¡¯t gained any weight, was still the same as before, trying to eat less at dinner. So she only ate a few bites before stopping. When Ruby and Howard finished eating, she spoke up, ¡°Why don¡¯t we go over there and join in the fun?¡± Ruby nced at the bustling scene in the distance and immediately saw Steve Burton sitting calmly in his seat, lifting a cup of alcohol. She wasn¡¯t sure if it was her imagination, but it seemed like Steve was looking in her direction. Ruby quickly averted her eyes, shook her head at Madeleine and Howard, and lied, ¡°I drank some alcohol and am feeling a bit unwell, so I won¡¯t be going over there. You two go ahead and have fun.¡± Madeleine and Howard, both being perceptive people, could easily tell that Ruby was actually avoiding a public encounter with Steve Burton.. Chapter 58 - 58: Let Her Be Happy for a While (6) Chapter 58: Let Her Be Happy for a While (6) Trantor: 549690339 Ruby Gregory didn¡¯t go, so Madeleine and Howard Coleman naturally wouldn¡¯t leave her here by herself and go. Howard¡¯s sharp eyes spotted a Backgammon game on a nearby table, so he picked it up, cleared some space on the table, and said, ¡°I¡¯m tired today and don¡¯t feel like socializing, how about we y Backgammon, Ruby?¡± ¡°The two of us against you, ¡± suggested Madeleine. ¡°Alright, I fear no one with my superior chess skills!¡± Howardid out the chessboard and pushed the white piece towards Ruby and Madeleine, grabbing a ck piece and cing the first one. Ruby seemed a bit absent-minded, while Madeleine, on the other hand, was really enthusiastic about battling with Howard. Backgammon itself isn¡¯t very difficult or tricky, so Howard and Madeleine, one attacking and one defending, continued to y until all the ck and white pieces were used up, without a clear winner. So the two of them started a new game. Originally unhappy because of Steve Burton, Ruby increasingly focused on the Backgammon game. She even gradually leaned her head over the chessboard to help Madeleine devise strategies. The second round ended with the ck and white pieces yed, still without a winner. ¡°Two against one, and you still couldn¡¯t beat me.¡± As Howard picked up the chess pieces, he made a clicking sound twice, sounding quite smug. For some reason, Ruby was even more enthusiastic in the third game, possibly provoked by what Howard had said. Seeing that Ruby finally regained her spirits, Howard fought for a while and then purposely let Ruby and Madeleine win. A smile blossomed on Ruby¡¯s face, her beautiful eyes rxed, and her stunning beauty shone through. Picking up the white pieces proudly, she raised an eyebrow at Howard, tilting her chin slightly, and replied arrogantly to his earlierment, ¡°You lost!¡± ¡°I¡¯m not convinced! Let¡¯s y again!¡± So, a new game began once more. Ruby seemed much brighter and livelier than before, and she started talking more as well. Howard had purposely let Ruby win thest game, but this time, he yed rigorously to keep her interest. Ruby almost lost several times when she wasn¡¯t paying close attention. As the number of chess pieces in the tray dwindled, Ruby and Howard still hadn¡¯t settled on a winner. Just when Ruby thought it would be a draw, Howard ced a ck piece. This ck piece was cleverly ced, so Ruby could defend one spot but not the other. The game was set, and Ruby lost. Howard, knowing he¡¯d won, imitated Ruby¡¯s previous expression, raised his eyebrow at her, and said, ¡°I just let you win earlier.. As long as I want, I can make you lose anytime!¡± Chapter 59 - 59: Let Her Be Happy for a While (7) Chapter 59: Let Her Be Happy for a While (7) Trantor: 549690339 Ruby Gregory looked at Howard Coleman¡¯s arrogance, her eyes rolled slightly, then she lifted her foot and kicked the table fiercely, causing it to move slightly towards Howard Coleman¡¯s side. The chess pieces on the chessboard on the table also became a mess. If she couldn¡¯t win, she would y dirty! Ruby, who clearly did it on purpose, tilted her head and looked at Howard innocently. She spread her hands and said, ¡°Howard, the chessboard is messed up now, so thest game doesn¡¯t count. We have to start over.¡± Howard gritted his teeth and red at Ruby, saying, ¡°Despicable! Shameless!¡± Ruby, who has been cursed at, didn¡¯t get angry at all. Instead, she looked at Howard, who was gritting his teeth and helpless, and smiled even more brightly, ¡°Howard, this is called being cunning in war!¡± Then, a new game began. This time, Howard used all his tricks to try to defeat Ruby in the shortest possible time and make her ept the loss gracefully. Ruby also fought back with all her strength. Unfortunately, in a moment of carelessness, she was tricked by Howard and was on the verge of losing again. Ruby frowned, pouting a little. She then directed her gaze on Howard, who was waiting smugly for her to move, and said, ¡°Howard, are you a man?¡± ¡°I am,¡± Howard nodded. ¡°So, am I a woman?¡± ¡°Aren¡¯t you?¡± Howard made a nonsense expression. ¡°I am.¡± Ruby, who didn¡¯t care about his expression, continued, ¡°Being a gentleman is a basic quality that every man should have, right?¡± ¡°Hmm, ¡± Howard got a bit dizzy by Ruby¡¯s roundabout questioning. ¡°So shouldn¡¯t you also show some gentlemanly manners and let me have one move?¡± Ruby asked Howard back with a smile, then she raised her hand, picked up one of the four ck chess pieces, and removed it. So, after going around and around, that was her goal? How could he forget that Ruby had always been a mischievous and cunning girl since childhood? Howard reached out to snatch the ck piece from Ruby¡¯s hand, but Ruby spoke first, ¡°Howard Coleman, you admitted you¡¯re a man, and you have gentlemanly manners! If you try to take the ck piece from my hand, I¡¯ll tell all of Ciawell¡¯s socialites tomorrow about the time you sent a love letter to a girl in the next ss in elementary school and she rejected you!¡± That was the most humiliating event in Howard¡¯s life! Howard gritted his teeth, enduring it, determined to win againter! Less than two minutester, Howard was about to win again against Ruby. This time, Ruby calmly removed another ck piece, then raised her eyelids, looked at Howard, and said without blushing or panting, ¡°Howard, Madeleine is also a woman.. You let me have one ck piece, so you have to let Madeleine have one ck piece, otherwise it means you don¡¯t see Madeleine as a woman!¡± Chapter 66 - 66: All Deep Love is Not a Secret (6) Chapter 66: All Deep Love is Not a Secret (6) Trantor: 549690339 At eleven years old, Steve Burton was already much taller than Ruby Gregory. Now Ruby Gregory was sitting on the steps, and when Steve looked at her, he had to look down. There were a mess of textbooks, writing books, pencil cases, and pencils scattered all around her. Ruby had an eraser in her mouth, her hair a bit disheveled, and her face smeared with graphite from the pencils. Steve frowned at the disordered Ruby and said with a cold tone, ¡°What are you doing squatting here?¡± Ruby, though only in the first grade of elementary school, had a sense of pride. She raised her hand to cover her writing book, looked up at Steve with a pair ofrge, ck eyes, and shook her head, ¡°Nothing.¡± ¡°Haven¡¯t finished your homework?¡± Steve¡¯s frown deepened. Although he was only eleven, he could tell from Ruby¡¯s little movements what she was doing there and then. She was found out! Ruby¡¯s little face blushed in an instant, and she red at Steve angrily, puffing out, ¡°It¡¯s none of your business!¡± Steve snorted lightly, his expression somewhat disdainful. He turned his head and waved to Howard Coleman, Rusell Henris, and Edward Woods parking not far away, signaling them to leave first. Watching Howard, Rusell, and Edward leave, Steve kicked away the textbook in front of him and moved forward a couple of steps. Seeing the filthy steps beside Ruby, he frowned in revulsion, took off his backpack from his shoulder and threw it beside Ruby. He sat down, bent over, rummaged on the ground for a while, picked up a brand new writing book from Ruby, and snatched the writing book Ruby was working on. He nced at the handwriting, asked, ¡°Writing each character ten times?¡± Ruby hadn¡¯te out of her angry embarrassment, and she puffed out her cheeks, only letting out a ¡°hmm.¡± Steve picked up the textbook from the ground, leafed past the pages smeared and messed up by Ruby¡¯s pencil, and frowned at the chaos. Then he turned to a nk page and asked, ¡°Up to the word ¡®road¡¯?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Ruby was about to ask why he was asking so many questions, but Steve had already picked up a pencil and told her, ¡°You can stop at the word ¡®square¡¯.¡± He then went on with the new writing book, imitating Ruby¡¯s handwriting and finishing the sentence for her. Steve wrote three times as many words as Ruby, yet finished earlier than her. Seeing her write one word and erase it twice, he impatiently reached out, took her writing book, finished thest few words for her, and then tore out all the remaining unused pages.. Chapter 67 - 67: All Deep Love is Not a Secret (7) Chapter 67: All Deep Love is Not a Secret (7) Trantor: 549690339 Steve handed both the homework notebook he wrote and the one Ruby wrote to Ruby, saying, ¡°If the teacher asks you why you wrote in two notebooks, just say that one of them ran out of pages. Got it?¡± Ruby hadn¡¯t fully recovered from the surprise of her homework beingpleted so easily and nodded nkly at Steve¡¯s words. Steve frowned at her foolish expression, then took out some tape from his backpack and helped Ruby stick the two notebooks together before stuffing them back into her bag with peace of mind. Ruby¡¯s close call of forgetting to do her homework and almost getting punished by the teacher didn¡¯t give her a wake-up call. Instead, herziness intensified, making her even less inclined to do her homework after school. As for Steve, every night after school he would finish the homework assigned by his teacher, then study middle school knowledge on his own. The next morning, he would get up early, pick up Ruby for school, and then, in the school¡¯s small garden, he would mimic Ruby¡¯s notes toplete the mind-numbing assignments. At first, Ruby and Steve would write together. Eventually, it became just Steve writing while Ruby sat nearby, either readingic books or happily sipping a milk tea. asionally, when Ruby had stayed upte the night before and hadn¡¯t gotten enough sleep being woken up by Steve, she would pout andin to him, who was busy writing her homework, ¡°Why are you so slow at doing homework? Because of you, I have to wake up so early and I haven¡¯t had enough sleep.¡± It was also during that time that Steve¡¯s mountain bike was no longer just his cool mountain bike, as a rear seat was added to the bike. His mountain bike became the tool he used to take Ruby to and from school every day. The impressive sight of several outstanding young boys riding their mountain bikes at school remained, except now one of those boys had a delicate, beautiful young girl on the back seat of his bike. At that time, although Ruby already knew that The Gregorys had begun instilling in her the idea of marrying Steve in the future, she didn¡¯tpletely lose herself in front of him. Back then, Ruby, taking advantage of her young age, would act just as spoiled as Madeleine in front of them. That Ruby, who didn¡¯t write a single piece of summer break homework, ended up having Steve, Edward Woods, Russell Henris, and Howard Coleman spending three whole days in The Burtons¡¯ study tirelessly writing her assignments just three days before school started. Ruby at that time¡­ was so wonderful¡­ But for some reason, she changedter on. Chapter 68 - 68: All Deep Love is Not a Secret (8) Chapter 68: All Deep Love is Not a Secret (8) Trantor: 549690339 Over the years, her true nature had never changed. It¡¯s just that her entric humor and lively spirit were shown to everyone except him. Towards him, she was always gentle, well-mannered, and dignified. It was as if the time when they were ¡°riding bamboo horses together, ying with green plums around the bed, ¡± was merely a unique illusion. Despite it being such a beautiful past, there was an unspeakable bitterness choking him in his throat whenever Steve Burton recalled those times. Swallowing hard, he slightly moved forward two steps. Madeleine seemed to notice the movement behind her, and suddenly turned her head. Upon seeing Steve, she subconsciously wanted to call out ¡°brother¡± but was silenced by Steve¡¯s hand gesture. Swiftly shutting her mouth, Madeleine nced at Ruby Gregory, who was entirely focused on ying Backgammon with Howard Coleman, and silently stood up to give Steve a seat. With smooth and almost soundless motions, Steve sat down beside Ruby. Without intending to, Howard caught a glimpse of Steve and saw Madeleine gesturing for him to be quiet. Immediately, Howard yed along and continued the Backgammon game with Ruby. Ruby waspletely absorbed in her match against Howard, not realizing the person beside her had be Steve instead of Madeleine. Steve sat nearby, silently watching without saying a word. Just when Ruby was hesitating about her next move, Steve suddenly reached out his hand, pointed to a position on the chessboard and said, ¡°Put it here.¡± Ruby, startled by his voice, trembled, causing the white piece to fall on the chessboard with a ¡°snap.¡± When did Steve sit down beside her? Wasn¡¯t he ying games with those people? When did hee over? Feeling incredibly flustered, Ruby hurriedly nced at Steve and then averted her gaze before she could even get a good look at his expression. As expected, she became restrained and unhappy as soon as he arrived. Steve swallowed slightly, forcing himself to ignore her feigned gentle expression when she was facing him. He stretched out his slender, beautiful fingers to pick up the chess piece that Ruby had dropped on the table and ced it on the spot he had just pointed out. Steve¡¯s move was utterly random and without strategy. Unable to discern any clue from it, Howard simply went along with his own n and ced a piece. Now it was Ruby¡¯s turn. However, due to Steve¡¯s arrival, Ruby¡¯s mind went nk and she couldn¡¯t react for a long time. Steve stared at Ruby¡¯s profile, his expression contemtive. Unable to figure out what Steve was thinking, Howard feared that Ruby¡¯s extended pause would anger him. So he reminded her, ¡°Ruby, it¡¯s your turn!¡± At this moment, Ruby¡¯s thoughts hadpletely strayed far away from the Backgammon game. She came to her senses, picked up the white piece, and ced it on the board without even looking at the game¡­ PS: I really wish I had a little bamboo horse who could help me with my homework- See you tomorrow- Yesterday¡¯s lucky reader was: Er Ni Tai Hao PPS: Here¡¯s a little ad ¨C I¡¯d like to rmend a book for everyone to check out! Author¡¯s name: Yili Yiyao, book title: The Number One Concubine in the World: Divine Physician¡¯s Mad Wife (Ancient times literary work¡ª Please check it out if you¡¯re looking for something to read) Chapter 69 - 69 Get Out if You Want to Leave (1) Chapter 69: Get Out if You Want to Leave (1) Trantor: 549690339 At this moment, Ruby Gregory¡¯s mind was already far beyond Backgammon. Coming back to reality, she replied in agreement, picked up a white piece without even looking at where Howard Coleman had yed, and randomly ced it on the board. Madeleine stood nearby, drinking a ss of water. Seeing such a reckless move from Ruby, she choked violently and started coughing. Yet, shaking her finger at Howard¡¯s three clustered ck pieces on the board, she teased Ruby, and said, ¡°Ruby, you¡¯re obviously taking it easy on Howard!¡± Ruby had yed this move without giving it much thought. Now, Madeleine suddenly exposed it, causing her face to flush with embarrassment. She hurriedly picked up the piece she had just yed and put it at one end of Howard¡¯s trio of ck pieces. However, before Ruby¡¯s white piece could settle down, Madeleine said, ¡°Ruby, if vou y it that wav, Howard will still win.¡± Before Steve Burton¡¯s arrival, Ruby Gregory might not be able to say she had left Howard Coleman in aplete mess, but she could deal with him easily enough. Now that Steve was sitting by her side, her mind seemed unable to function. It was in aplete state of confusion. Holding a chess piece, she seemed to be staring at the Backgammon pattern on the table, but her mind had already drifted far away. She spent a long time staring foolishly at the board without understanding what Madeleine was pointing at. Ruby held the chess piece, hesitating for a good while without putting it down. Seeing Ruby indecisive, Madeleine began to grow anxious too. Not caring about the rule that spectators should not interfere with the game, she directly said, ¡°Ruby, blocked from the other side. If you don¡¯t block him, Howard¡¯s next move will be a winning one.¡± The other side? Ruby turned her head and nced at Madeleine. But the corner of her eye caught sight of Steve Burton¡¯s stunningly handsome face. The man¡¯s face was expressionless, his gaze fixated on her. This sight further confused Ruby, turning her brain to a mush. Despite staring at the game, she couldn¡¯tprehend the situation. She held a white piece hesitantly, weakly ced it on a spot, then raised her head. Her eyes filled with an inquiring look towards Madeleine, implicitly asking if this was the right spot. ¡°No, not there, block the other side of those three ck pieces you just blocked.¡± Madeleine¡¯s instructions were straight-forward, but seeing Ruby still looking confused, she had to continue, ¡°Move two squares to the left.¡± To the left? Ruby quickly turned her head, nning to count two squares to the left. But with a slight movement, she brushed against Steve¡¯s clothes. This startled her and in her nervousness, she ced the white piece two squares below the original position.. Chapter 70 - 70 Get Out if You Want to Leave (2) Chapter 70: Get Out if You Want to Leave (2) Trantor: 549690339 ¡°Ruby, it¡¯s two squares to the left, not two squares down.¡± Madeleine said, caught betweenughter and tears. Ruby Gregory¡¯s face turned red as if it could bleed, and she hastily picked up the white piece, quickly moving it two squares to the left. ¡°Ruby, what on earth is wrong with you? It was your previous position that needed to move two squares to the left, not your current position!¡± Madeleine was somewhat frustrated with Ruby. Confused by Madeleine¡¯s words and with Steve Burton by her side, Ruby¡¯s mind was disoriented. She held the chess piece and continued to move it two squares to the left. ¡°I can¡¯t take it anymore, I¡¯m going to cry!¡± Madeleine finally cracked, putting down her ss of alcohol and letting out a wail. Howard Coleman couldn¡¯t help but chuckle. Ruby held the white piece, suddenly feeling at a loss, her face red as if it could bleed. Howard and Madeleine were amused by Ruby¡¯s bewildered actions. However, Steve couldn¡¯t find any joy. It was as if he had just drunk Chinese goldthread instead of alcohol, rolling in his stomach and filling it with bitterness. He suddenly regretteding to her side while under the influence. Previously, even if he could only see her from a distance, unable to hear her voice or smell her scent, he could still see a genuine and beautiful Ruby. But now, she looked nervous, not knowing how to be herself. As Steve watched Ruby about to randomly ce the white piece again, he suddenly reached out and grabbed her hand. Ruby¡¯s body seemed to freeze as if she was struck by an acupoint, and she became as stiff as a statue in her seat, unconsciously gripping the chess piece harder. She could clearly feel the burning heat from the man¡¯s palm as it traveled up her hand and into her bloodstream. Her instincts told her to pull her hand away, but deep down, she knew she couldn¡¯t. So, Ruby could only remain stiff as Steve held her hand, too nervous to even swallow her saliva. Steve could feel Ruby¡¯s delicate hand turn as hard as a stone in his palm. A moment of dismay and defeat shed in his eyes before he quickly returned to his usual cold and indifferent self. He casually held Ruby¡¯s hand, cing the chess piece on the square Madeleine had been pointing at. Howard¡¯s chess strategy was blocked, so he randomly chose a position and ced down a ck piece. This time, Steve didn¡¯t wait for Ruby¡¯s reaction and immediately pointed to an empty spot, saying, ¡°Move here.¡± While Steve was holding Ruby¡¯s hand earlier, he had leaned closer to her, and he hadn¡¯t moved away since. Now, when he spoke, his warm breath brushed against Ruby¡¯s ear.. Chapter 71 - 71 Get Out if You Want to Leave (3) Chapter 71: Get Out if You Want to Leave (3) Trantor: 549690339 Ruby Gregory¡¯s body tensed up even more, and she didn¡¯t dare to take a breath, like a robot, quickly listening to Steve Burton¡¯s words. She took a white piece and ced it on the position he had just pointed at. From then on, Ruby followed Steve¡¯smand for every move she made on the chessboard. In an instant, the game between her and Howard Coleman turned into a match between Steve and Howard. Steve was sitting on Ruby¡¯s right, andter on, the battle between Steve and Howard shifted to her left side, so when Steve directed her moves, he would reach around her shoulder to point. This action was as if Steve was embracing Ruby in his arms. At first, Steve would retract his hand after giving instructions, butter, he seemed to find it troublesome and simply left his arm resting on Ruby¡¯s shoulder. Ruby¡¯s head leaned closely against Steve¡¯s chest, and she could clearly hear the steady and powerful rhythm of the man¡¯s heartbeat, which made her own heart throb faster and faster. The temperature in the banquet hall was a bit chilly due to the air conditioning, and Ruby initially felt somewhat cold. However, now she felt her entire body heat up, and soon she was covered in a thinyer of sweat. Ruby gradually grew restless, and after holding it in for some time, seeing that the chess game between Steve and Howard showed no sign of ending, she finally swallowed her saliva, made up an excuse, and told Steve, ¡°Mr. Burton, I want to go to the restroom, you and Howard continue to y chess.¡± She called him ¡°Mr. Burton¡± and Howard ¡°Howard¡±. Steve¡¯s gaze turned slightly cold, as if he hadn¡¯t heard Ruby¡¯s words, and continued to direct her moves, pointing to a position and said, ¡°Go here.¡± ¡°Mr. Burton, I¡­¡± Ruby tried to speak again, but after uttering just three words, Steve¡¯s gaze shifted to her face. His eyes were indifferent but carried an oppressive force, causing the rest of Ruby¡¯s words to be forced back into her throat, unable toe out. Steve stared at Ruby, remaining silent. Such behavior from Steve was a sign of his bad mood. Howard and Madeleine exchanged worried nces, fearing that Steve would suddenly lose his temper at Ruby in the next moment. Time slowly trickled by. The atmosphere became heavy and suffocating. Ruby felt the air around her thinning. Just as Madeleine was about to speak up and try to ease the tension, Steve suddenly lifted his gaze from Ruby¡¯s face and withdrew the hand he had rested on her shoulder. He calmly stood up and made room for Ruby. Howard and Madeleine¡¯s eyes filled with disbelief¡­. Steve actually didn¡¯t lose his temper? Chapter 74 - 74 Get Out if You Want to Leave (6) Chapter 74: Get Out if You Want to Leave (6) Trantor: 549690339 Ruby spoke, then hurriedly nced at Steve¡¯s face. She thought the man¡¯s expression would immediately darken. However, unexpectedly, not only did Steve¡¯s face show no sign of gloom, it even became brighter. He seemed in a good mood as he continued to leisurely pick up the chess pieces. All along, Ruby felt that having known Steve for many years, she should understand him well, but now she discovered that the man was far different from what she knew. For instance, she thought he would be angry and unhappy at that moment, but he wasn¡¯t. And sometimes, when she felt she had done well enough, he would suddenly turn his back on her mercilessly. Steve picked up all the chess pieces on the table before looking up and ncing at Ruby. As if he suddenly thought of something, he said, ¡°It¡¯s noisy here, apany me upstairs to find a quiet ce and sit for a while.¡± Ruby didn¡¯t expect Steve to suggest leaving them alone. She was slightly surprised, but by the time she came to her senses, he had already stood up. Ruby looked at the bustling banquet scene in the distance. Although everyone seemed to be chatting and ying games, many people¡¯s gazes were still on Steve. Ruby thought about the words she heard those two people say when they saw her in the restroom. The reason she fought to be at this banquet was to avoid bing aughingstock herself and not let the Gregorys be ridiculed, but she hadn¡¯t expected that she would still be a topic of discussion due to a slip. If she left with Steve now, others would assume that their rtionship had never broken and that his attitude towards her during the gift-giving was just a temporary coldness. After all, even the best of friends could have their quarrels at times. In this way, not only would she regain her dignity but also save face for the Gregorys. With that in mind, Ruby slowly got up and followed behind Steve, leaving the banquet scene under the deliberate and unintentional gazes of others. Steve brought Ruby to a suite on the top floor of the banquet hall. Compared to the lively birthday party, the suite was quiet without any noise. In the suite¡¯s vase, there was a bouquet of stunningly beautiful flowers, emitting an elegant fragrance. Steve took off his suit jacket, threw it onto the living room couch, and then went into the bedroom, lying directly down on the bed. Ruby didn¡¯t dare disturb Steve, so she carefully picked up his casually discarded suit jacket, hung it in the closet with a hanger, and straightened it out. The bedroom door was left open, and Ruby saw Steve lift his hand from time to time to rub his brow.. Chapter 75 - 75 Get Out if You Want to Leave (7) Chapter 75: Get Out if You Want to Leave (7) Trantor: 549690339 Ruby Gregory thought the reason Steve Burton¡¯s head hurt might be because of the alcohol. The hotel had a fully equipped kitchte, where she found half a watermelon. She scooped out the flesh, then painstakingly removed the seeds one by one. She put the flesh in a juicer, and brought the freshly squeezed watermelon juice to the bedroom. Steve had his eyes closed and didn¡¯t open them until Ruby put the juice on the bedside table. She hesitated whether she should call him or not. Since she returned, they had met several times, but she¡¯d never dared to observe him closely. He seemed more mature and stable than when he gave her gifts three years ago, his features were more profound, and the noble air between his brows made him more unapproachable. Just as Ruby was staring at him, Steve opened his eyes suddenly as if he had sensed something. Ruby¡¯s body shuddered, and she quickly looked away, handing the watermelon juice to Steve, ¡°This can relieve the effects of alcohol.¡± Steve nced at the watermelon juice in Ruby¡¯s hand, then took it and drank it all in one gulp. After drinking it, Steve really felt the burning sensation of alcohol in his stomach had eased. He handed the empty ss to Ruby and asked, ¡°How did you know watermelon juice would relieve the effects of alcohol?¡± Ruby paused, then said, ¡°When I was little, The Gregorys¡¯ business wasn¡¯t as bad as it is now. Dad had more social engagements back then and would often drink too much. When he came home with a headache, Mom would make him watermelon juice. After drinking it, he would feel much better.¡± ¡°So, The Gregorys¡¯ business has been bad in the past few years?¡± Ruby mentioned their family¡¯s business in passing, but didn¡¯t expect Steve would suddenly ask about it. Her heart trembled, and she looked down, answering hesitantly, ¡°It¡¯s not as good as it used to be.¡± By ¡°the past few years,¡± she meant the three years she and Steve were apart. Many people had partnered with The Gregorys because of her close rtionship with Steve. Later, when she suddenly moved to Costa Luna and cut off contact with him, many people thought there was no hope for them, so their business gradually waned. Even this year, The Gregorys faced losses, which forced her to return from Costa Luna. No matter how much this man had despised her and demanded from her, she still had no choice but to return to his side. Although Ruby¡¯s words were vague, Steve still understood that she was referring to the three years they were apart. Steve stared at Ruby, not speaking for a long time. As she recalled the events of three years ago, Ruby¡¯s heart seemed to be cut by a sharp de, silently exuding unbearable pain. Even though she seemed calm in front of her parents that night, it didn¡¯t mean she didn¡¯t care about the hurtful words he said to her: ¡°Even though it was your first time and you were a little shy, I still liked it¡­ But only the you fromst night on the bed!¡± Ruby blinked and forced a soft smile at Steve, ¡°I just remembered, I didn¡¯t unplug the juicer.¡± After saying that, Ruby turned to leave the bedroom. However, Steve suddenly reached out, grabbed her wrist, and yanked her onto the bed. He swiftly switched positions to pin her down beneath him. Ruby quickly realized what he was trying to do. She didn¡¯t know if it was the painful experiences from their recent intimate encounters, but she had be more and more resistant of him. She subconsciously wanted to struggle, but remembering The Gregorys and her parents who had ced all their hopes in her, she eventually closed her eyes. Her eyshes trembled violently, betraying her hidden refusal and fear. Steve, intently watching her restrained herself, saw her reluctance and tolerance. She clearly did not want to do these things with him, but forced herself to bear it. Steve¡¯s chest rose and fell slightly as he stared at Ruby with her eyes closed. He lowered his head and covered her lips with his own. Her body remained stiff, like a piece of wood, making Steve feel as if he were dealing with a soulless puppet. He saw her clenching her fist tightly. He remembered the blood-stained fingernail he had identally discovered thest time they were together in the car. So she had been using the pain here to distract herself from what theyd done. Fearing that she might hurt herself again by clenching her palm so hard, Steve took her stockings, wrapped them around her wrists twice, and tied them tightly. Unable to use her wrists, Ruby could no longer distract herself by clenching her fists. Yet her face remained calm and unresponsive. Steve couldn¡¯t stand it anymore, increasing his strength, wanting to evoke a response from her with pain. However, Ruby just kept her eyes tightly shut, silently enduring it all. He couldn¡¯t even make her let out as a weak moan or frown from the pain.. Chapter 76 - 76 Get Out if You Want to Leave (8) Chapter 76: Get Out if You Want to Leave (8) Trantor: 549690339 Whenever the events of that night three years ago were brought up, Ruby Gregory¡¯s heart felt as if it was being cut by a sharp de, silently pouring out unbearable pain. Despite appearing calm in front of her parents, not showing any grief or shedding a single tear, it didn¡¯t mean that she didn¡¯t care deep inside. In unfamiliar Costa Luna, she often thought about that night when she was alone, remembering the hurtful and ruthless words he said to her: Although it was your first time and you were somewhat shy, it wasn¡¯t enough for me to fully enjoy, but I still quite liked it¡­ However, onlyst night¡¯s Ruby in bed! Regardless of how sad Ruby felt inside at that moment, she didn¡¯t allow herself to show any of it in front of Steve Burton, so she blinked and gave him a soft smile: ¡°I just remembered, I haven¡¯t unplugged the juicer.¡± With that, Ruby turned around, trying to leave the bedroom. Steve, however, suddenly reached out to grab her wrist, pulled her forcefully towards the bed, and then flipped himself over, pinning Ruby down beneath him. Ruby quickly regained her senses, vaguely knowing what he was about to do. She didn¡¯t know if it was because of their recent encounters when he had hurt her significantly, but she had been increasingly repulsed by the idea of doing such things with him. Subconsciously wanting to struggle, she thought about the Gregorys and her parents, who had ced all their hopes on her, eventually closing her eyes. Her eyshes trembled with extra intensity, revealing her inner resistance and fear. Steve¡¯s gaze was constantly fixated on Ruby, he could see her reluctance and her endurance. She clearly didn¡¯t want to do these things with him, but forced herself to endure them instead. Steve¡¯s chest was slightly heaving as he stared at Ruby with closed eyes for a long time. Then, he lowered his head and covered her lips with his. Ruby¡¯s body was still rigid, like a piece of wood, unknowingly making Steve feel as if he was doing these things with an intable doll without a soul. He saw her tightly clenching her wrists. He remembered a previous encounter in the car when he had identally discovered a half-bloodied nail on her hand. So, it turned out she relied on the pain from there to distract herself from the feelings of their intimate acts. Steve, afraid that she might hurt herself by gripping her palm so tightly, took her stockings from the side and wrapped them around her wrists, binding them tightly. Unable to use her wrists, Ruby could no longer rely on clenching her fists to distract herself. Nevertheless, her face remained calm, showing no reaction. Steve couldn¡¯t help but increase the intensity, hoping to use the pain to evoke her response. However, she just kept her eyes shut tightly, silently enduring everything. Even the slightest whimper or furrowed brow due to pain, she did not give him. PS: That¡¯s it for today, continuing tomorrow, yesterday¡¯s readers who got signed books and calendars: (The system was acting up this afternoon, so the update was dyed- It just so happens to be the next morning, so let¡¯s do some voting- Vote-) Chapter 77 - 77 Get Out if You Want to Leave (9) Chapter 77: Get Out if You Want to Leave (9) Trantor: 549690339 Steve Burton couldn¡¯t help but increase his strength, trying to use pain to evoke her response. However, she just kept her eyes tightly shut, silently enduring it. Not even a weak moan or a frown due to pain was given to him. He thought of her reuniting and warmly smiling at Howard Coleman, Russel Henris, Madeleine, and Edward Woods after their separation, while being spoiled and making a fuss. But when facing him, she either addressed him respectfully as Mr. Burton or tried to please him cautiously. No matter how harshly he treated her or how cold he was toward her, she could always act as if nothing had happened with such calmness, toozy even to give him the slightest bit of anger or tears. Just like now, he blocked her way of diverting her thoughts and pain. He tried his best to make her hurt, but she just maintained her silence and indifference, with no change in her expression. This numb Ruby Gregory stimted Steve Burton, making him treat her even more brutally. Waves of pain seared through Ruby¡¯s heart. She wanted to scream, moan, and release her shackled wrists to clench her palms and alleviate the pain. But in the end, she merely trembled her eyshes slightly and continued to silently endure the storm Steve brought upon her. The man¡¯s actions became more and more ruthless, without any tenderness or mercy, as if he was purely venting his own desires. His actions not only hurt her body, but also her heart. Although Ruby only had intimate rtions with Steve, she knew that his brute and crude treatment of her was only because he didn¡¯t care about her at all, just taking advantage of her body. He tormented her like this. When Ruby was in so much pain that she thought she might die like this, he finally stopped, satisfied. Despite herck of response or cooperation, he was still dazzled by the stimting sensation when it ended. His gaze shifted to her face with a hint of confusion, finding her expression calm, like an emotionless shell. So, it turned out that their rtionship had always been just his own revelry. Steve Burton¡¯s lips curled with a touch of bitterness. He raised his hand, untied Ruby¡¯s wrists, rolled over, and left her body. Ruby wrapped her shoulders and slowly turned over, her back to Steve, curling up her body. The room was very quiet, her face pale and her eyes closed, her breathing bing somewhat weak. Stevey beside her, staring at her smooth and delicate back for a while, then looked up at the ceiling, his eyes seeming somewhat lost.. Chapter 78 - 78 Get Out if You Want to Leave (10) Chapter 78: Get Out if You Want to Leave (10) Trantor: 549690339 Steve Burton couldn¡¯t help but increase his strength, trying to use pain to provoke her response. However, she just tightly closed her eyes, silently enduring it. She didn¡¯t even give him a sigh of pain or a frown. He thought about her warm smile and her spoiled behavior when she reunited with Howard Coleman, Rusell Henris, Madeleine, and Edward Woods. Yet, when facing him, it was either respectfully Mr. Burton or cautiously pleasing him. No matter how harshly he treated her or how indifferent he was, she always acted so calmly as if nothing had happened, not even bothering to give him the basic annoyance or tears. Just like now, he had blocked her way to divert her thoughts and pain. He tried desperately to make her hurt, but she just maintained her silent indifference, with no change in her expression. This numb Ruby Gregory severely stimted Steve Burton, making him even more frantically treat her. Bursts of pain went straight to Ruby¡¯s heart. She wanted to scream, wanted to break free from the bondage on her wrist, and try to alleviate the pain by clenching her fists. But in the end, all she ended up doing was trembling her eyshes slightly, continuing to silently bear the storm that Steve brought her. His actions not only hurt her body but also her heart. Although Ruby had only given herself to Steve, she knew, his rude treatment of her was just him secretly not considering her important, only trampling on her body. He used this way to torture her. Only when Ruby was in so much pain that she thought she might die did he finally stop, satisfied. Although she didn¡¯t respond or cooperate with him at all, he still felt somewhat dizzy from the intense experience when it was over. His eyes nced at her face, finding her calm andposed, looking like an emotionless shell. It turned out that between them, it was always just his own revelry. Steve Burton¡¯s mouth curled slightly in bitterness, and he raised his hand to untie Ruby¡¯s wrist, turning and leaving her body. Ruby clutched her shoulders, slowly turning over to face away from Steve, curling up her body. The room was very quiet, her face pale as she closed her eyes, even her breathing bing somewhat weak. Stevey down next to her, staring at her smooth and delicate back for a while before raising his gaze to the ceiling, his eyes slightly vacant. Aside from their breathing, the bedroom was silent. Because Steve was lying right behind Ruby, asionally he would turn over or shift his head, causing subtle sounds. However, Ruby maintained her position, not moving at all. Ruby was very tired, and just wanted to fall asleep on thefortable bed. But she thought that on the 10th of this month, after doing those things with him at the holiday vi, he told her to leave. No one would want to share a bed with someone they despised for even a single night. Rather than wait for him to tell her to leave, she might as well take the initiative and go. Ruby¡¯s fingers trembled slightly. When she had recovered some energy, she slowly sat up. Steve noticed Ruby¡¯s movement and turned to see her bending down, picking up her clothes, his brow unconsciously furrowed. Ruby and Steve¡¯s gazes met, and seeing his furrowed brow, she hesitated for a moment, then quickly put on her underwear, saying, ¡°It¡¯ste; I should go home.¡± Steve just silently looked at Ruby without speaking, but his eyes seemed to deepen. Ruby couldn¡¯t figure out what Steve was thinking. Seeing that he didn¡¯t stop her, she silently put on her gown. Her carefully styled hair was now a total mess, so Ruby simply grabbed it, tied it up with a hair band, then bent down to put on her shoes. During their passionate encounter, Steve had thrown their clothes all over the floor. Ruby stood up, originally nning to say goodbye and leave, but seeing Steve¡¯s clothes on the floor, she finally bent down and picked them up one by one. Ruby knew that Steve was a clean freak. If he took off his clothes and they weren¡¯t washed, he would never wear them again. So when Ruby picked up his clothes, she asked, ¡°Do you need me to call theundry service for you?¡± Ruby knew that Steve was a clean freak. If he took off his clothes and they weren¡¯t washed, he would never wear them again. So when Ruby picked up his clothes, she asked, ¡°Do you need me to call theundry service for you?¡± For some reason, when Steve heard this, his eyes suddenly turned cold and full of sarcasm, as he mocked her, ¡°Ruby Gregory, it¡¯s really a pity, remembering all these things so clearly!¡± He loved matcha-vored cakes, taking off his clothes and not wearing them until they were washed, casually mentioning that he liked Chanel No.5 perfume, and that his favorite color was blue¡­. Chapter 79 - 79 Get Out if You Want to Leave (11) Chapter 79: Get Out if You Want to Leave (11) Trantor: 549690339 So she always dressed in the same unchanging style, always wearing blue, and her body was always enveloped by the faint scent of Chanel No. 5 perfume. But she didn¡¯t know that for Steve, these preferences could change. What he liked was her, and he thought that the faint natural fragrance she exuded was much more charming than the scent of Chanel No. 5. What he liked was her, and as long as she wore the clothes, no matter what color, he would find them more adorable than his favorite blue. Ruby really didn¡¯t know that doing things ording to his habits would bring her ridicule. She folded his clothes one by one and ced them on the sofa, then picked up theundry list on the table and marked the clothes to be washed. Ruby secretly nced at Steve and found his face even more terrifying, so she lowered her head and said, ¡°I¡¯ll call for you now.¡± She hurriedly picked up the phone and dialed the number for room service. Listening to Ruby¡¯s gentle voice, reporting the room name to the staff on the phone, Steve¡¯s eyes grew even gloomier. Ruby¡¯s series of actions were truly thoughtful and meticulous, impable! But it only made Steve angrier, and he sneered at Ruby, his tone as harsh as could be, ¡°Ruby, do you ever get tired of being so hypocritical with these things? I¡¯m disgusted on your behalf!¡± Ruby had just hung up the phone when she heard Steve¡¯s voice. She turned her head to look at his unhappy face and subconsciously stepped back a couple of steps. After racking her brains for a long time, she still couldn¡¯t figure out where she had done something wrong to disgust him so much. Could it be that he was fed up with her lingering around too long? That was the only conclusion Ruby coulde up with, so she lowered her eyes, grabbed the corner of the table, and spoke softly, ¡°The hotel staff will be here soon. I¡¯ll hand off these clothes to them and then leave.¡¯ Before Ruby¡¯s words had even settled, Steve grabbed a pillow from the side and threw it at her with full force. It grazed her body, hit the table, knocked down the telephone andmp, making a loud crashing noise. Ruby¡¯s shoulders shrank, even before she could lift her head. Steve¡¯s slightly brutal voice came through, ¡°If you want to leave, just go!¡± Ruby¡¯s face instantly lost any color, and this time she didn¡¯t even nce at Steve. Instead, she just lowered her head, picked up her bag, and headed for the hotel room door. At the moment when Ruby opened the door, a hotel staff member just happened to arrive to collect the clothes that Steve wanted to be washed.. Chapter 80 - 80: 80 Get Out if You Want to Leave (12) Chapter 80 - 80: 80 Get Out if You Want to Leave (12) Trantor: 549690339 Before the waiter had a chance to ring the doorbell, Ruby Gregory pulled the door open. The waiter lowered his hand and gave Ruby a shallow, respectful smile, ¡°Miss, did you call for the clothing service just now?¡± Ruby¡¯s eyes were slightly red from being scolded by Steve Burton. Upon seeing the waiter, she hurriedly lowered her head, trying to speak and tell the waiter to go in and fetch the clothes herself, but in the end, she found her voice trembling. Ruby simply shook her head and walked quickly past the waiter and towards the outside. The waiter hesitated, knocked on the door, and just opened his mouth, calling, ¡°Excuse me, anyone there?¡± A furious ¡°Get out!¡± came from inside. Startled, the waiter quickly raised his hand, closed the door, and fled. In the hotel room, there was only Steve Burton left in an instant. The room still lingered with the intimate atmosphere left behind by their lovemaking. Steve leaned against the pillow, lost in thought for a moment, then threw off the nket, went into the bathroom, and took a shower, washing away the traces of Chanel No. 5 fragrance on himself from her. He came out of the bathroom and stood in the bedroom with his eyes closed, trying desperately to smell the faint scent of her, caught unintentionally amongst the Chanel No. 5 when he pressed his face against her neck. However, after a long sniff, Steve found that the scent was as elusive as a figment of his imagination, leaving no trace. He walked to the window, pushed it open, and let the cold night breeze flow slowly into the room, dispersingpletely any lingering Chanel No. 5 scent she left behind. After his shower, he didn¡¯t bother to dry the droplets of water on his body, but casually wrapped himself in a towel. When the cold wind blew, he felt a slight chill on his body. But it was as if he couldn¡¯t feel it, allowing the wind to dry the droplets of water on his body. Because, that coldness, no matter how cold, couldn¡¯t reach the bottom of his heart. Being remembered by the one you love, for all your likes, habits, and dislikes, was supposed to be a joyous and blissful thing. But when you learn that the reason they remembered those things was maniptive and insincere¡­ You don¡¯t have happiness or joy. All you have areyers of despair and helplessness that swallow you whole. Just like now, her knowledge, and her gentle consideration, were only to make a good impression on him, to make him think she was a suitable wife, and to make him marry her. Her kindness toward him was never sincere, never genuine. He would rather not have any treatment that wasn¡¯t genuine! Chapter 81 - 81: 81: Settling Old and New Accounts Together (1) Chapter 81 - 81: 81: Settling Old and New ounts Together (1) Trantor: 549690339 The birthday celebration downstairs was still in full swing. Howard Coleman, Rusell Henris, Edward Woods, and Madeleine were holding their drinks, clinking sses every now and then and taking a few sips. The four of them looked pretty good in spirits. Howard Coleman downed a ss of wine, ¡°Ever since Ruby came back to the country, you guys have no idea, I was so anxious for our brother. Recall when Ruby sprained her ankle and went to the hospital, our brother decidedly went for her but insisted he was there for a work case. He was just ying coy. Today our brother was rather manly and actually took Ruby away alone. In my view, he should have done this long ago!¡± Edward Woods started speaking like a psychologist, ¡°I dare not guess our brother¡¯s other thoughts, but over the years I have seen through his feelings for Ruby. When Ruby was giving gifts that time, our brother embarrassingly did not give Ruby any face in front of everyone. On the surface, our brother seemed uncaring. In reality, he cared more than anyone about Ruby being talked about, so he purposely took Ruby away alone in front of everyone, just to let everyone know that she has his backing. He wants people to afford Ruby some respect!¡± Rusell Henris lifted his wine bottle, filled everyone¡¯s sses, looked at Madeleine and asked, ¡°Madeleine, didn¡¯t you just call to ask where our brother took Ruby?¡± Madeleine said, ¡°He took her to the presidential suite upstairs.¡± Upon hearing these words, Howard Coleman was immediately interested, ¡°You mean, could our brother and Ruby be upstairs right now, rekindling old mes?¡± After saying this, Howard Coleman¡¯s face showed a hint of annoyance, ¡°If only I¡¯d prepared some aphrodisiac to slip to Ruby. In the hotel room, Ruby would certainly be aggressive with our brother. Our brother would be absolutely delighted. If everything goes well, tomorrow morning when he wakes up, he will undoubtedly be in high spirits. Our good days would arrive!¡± Rusell Henris chuckled, ¡°Enough, Howard, you alwayse up with useless ideas. With our brother¡¯s charm, does he really need to use any aphrodisiac? Maybe right now, our brother is treating Ruby like royalty.¡± Edward Woods said, ¡°There is an old saying, make up in bed after a fight. Although our brother and Ruby reconciled quitete and it took three years, but you guys don¡¯t know. Every time the 10th of the monthes around and our brother drives alone to the Red Park Resort & Vis, I feel awful. The manager always calls me to say our brother just sits there all day without eating or drinking. When has our brother ever behaved like this?¡± ¡°Actually, it¡¯s not only on the 10th of every month that our brother misses Ruby. Do you guys remember those many times when our brother would just stare nkly at hisputer screen in the office?¡± As Edward Woods brought up the past, Rusell Henris¡¯s expression suddenly sobered up.. Chapter 82 - 82: 82: Settling Old and New Accounts Together (2) Chapter 82 - 82: 82: Settling Old and New ounts Together (2) Trantor: 549690339 ¡°At the time, I thought our brother was just spacing out. But once, I went to his office to look for him, and after knocking for a while with no response, I just walked right in. As I got closer, he quickly closed hisptop. Even though he was fast, I still saw it ¨C our brother was staring at hisputer screen, and on it, was a photo of Ruby.¡± After Rusell finished talking, the room fell silent. ¡°Since you guys have shared, let me tell you a story too. When have you ever seen our brother drink too much? I saw it once.¡± Edward Woods said, slightly furrowing his brow as if trying to recall the exact timing: ¡°It was probably the fifth day after Ruby went to Ennd. Our brother was originally supposed to go out for a business meeting that night, but he didn¡¯te back until veryte. I received a call from the bar manager saying that our brother had drunk too much and asked me to pick him up. I thought the manager was bullshitting our brother has been famous for being able to down liquor like water since he was young. But because the call came from his phone, I went anyway. I even thought our brother might be ying a trick on me. But when I pushed open the private room door, I saw him sitting on the ground in a total mess, surrounded by empty bottles ¨C wine, liquor, beer, and cocktails. The bottles were almost drowning him, and there was a lot of broken ss. I couldn¡¯t believe it was our brother. He waspletely drunk. With the help of the bar manager, I got him into the car. I tipped the manager, and after he left, I saw our brother¡¯s head tilted. I was worried he might suddenly vomit and choke himself, so I helped him. At that moment, our brother grabbed my hand and called out Ruby¡¯s name.¡± Edward Woods paused for a moment: ¡°That night, our brother only spoke those two words, and after three years have passed, I can still clearly remember that tone ¨C so helpless. Can you imagine our brother, who has had everything since childhood, feeling so helpless?¡± After Edward Woods finished his story, the table was silent for even longer. After about five minutes, Howard Coleman picked up his ss and said, ¡°Only Ruby Gregory could make our brother like this in this world!¡± Rusell said, ¡°Anyway, they¡¯re alone in a room now. Something is bound to happen. Tomorrow, we can finally see our brother¡¯s smiling face again. Let¡¯s toast to celebrate.¡± All four raised their sses and clinked them together. Just as they were about to drink, Madeleine suddenly noticed Steve Burton walking out of the elevator. Madeleine¡¯s hand, holding the ss, paused for a moment, and then she stuttered, ¡°Brother, our brother¡­.¡± Chapter 83 - 83: 83: Settling Old and New Accounts Together (3) Chapter 83 - 83: 83: Settling Old and New ounts Together (3) Trantor: 549690339 ¡°What¡¯s up with our big brother?¡± Howard Coleman nced at Madeleine and started drinking from his ss. ¡°Our big brother ising down.¡± Before Madeleine could finish her sentence, Howard spewed out the alcohol in his mouth. Coughing, he turned his head to follow Edward Woods and Rusell Henris¡¯ gazes, and indeed saw Steve Burton walking straight towards them with a grim expression from the elevator. ¡°Didn¡¯t our big brother go upstairs with Ruby?¡± ¡°It¡¯s only been two hours; why is he back already?¡± ¡°Did we all guess wrong? Did our big brother have a fight with Ruby?¡± ¡°Our big brother¡¯s face doesn¡¯t look good at all, and it seems even scarier than the ugliest it was before.¡± As Edward Woods¡¯s words settled, Steve Burton arrived at their table. Howard immediately stood up, shouting, ¡°Bro!¡± Steve Burton didn¡¯t say a word from beginning to end, just staring at Rusell Henris. Rusell Henris was somewhat baffled by Steve Burton¡¯s gaze. He turned his head to look at Edward Woods, then Madeleine, and finally realized that everyone was as confused as he was. He quickly reviewed everything he had done recently in his mind and found no mistakes. Then he grinned at Steve Burton, saying, ¡°Bro, what¡¯s up? ¡°Stuff.¡± When Steve Burton was in a bad mood, his words became extremely stingy. ¡°Stuff? What stuff?¡± Rusell Henris blurted out, seeing Steve Burton¡¯s face getting colder. He subconsciously scanned the surroundings, nning an escape route if Steve Burton decided to hit him. Although this idea made him seem too cowardly, there was no other choice ¡ª he couldn¡¯t win against him. Escaping is always better than getting beaten up! Steve Burton was already slowly striding towards Rusell Henris. Rusell Henris stood up and took two steps back. He thought about running towards the crowd on the left, while smiling warmly at Steve Burton, ¡°Bro, I don¡¯t think I¡¯ve touched any of your stuff recently¡­¡± As Rusell Henris spoke, he saw Steve Burton reaching out his hand towards him. Just as he was about to run, it seemed like something clicked in his mind, and he eximed, ¡°Bro, I remember what you are talking about! The gift is already in your car!¡± Steve Burton¡¯s outstretched hand suddenly stopped in its tracks upon hearing this. After two seconds, he retracted his hand, not even bothering to nce at the other three people. He turned around and strode towards the entrance of the banquet hall. Rusell Henris sighed with relief, adjusted his cor, and sat back down.. Chapter 84 - 84: 84: Settling Old and New Accounts Together (4) Chapter 84 - 84: 84: Settling Old and New ounts Together (4) Trantor: 549690339 Howard Coleman poked his head out and asked like a curious father, ¡°What gift?¡± Before Rusell Henris had a chance to speak, Edward Woods rolled his eyes and said, ¡°What else could it be? A gift from Ruby Gregory, of course.¡± Steve Burton went straight to the underground parking lot. Seeing him, the parking attendant promptly unlocked the car and opened the door for him, ¡°Mr. Burton, would you like me to drive you out?¡± Steve shook his head and simply reached out his hand. The parking attendant respectfully ced the car key in Steve¡¯s hand and tactfully left. Steve bent down, got into the car, closed the door, fastened his seatbelt, and turned his head. Just as Rusell had said, he saw an exquisitely wrapped gift box on the passenger seat. Steve reached out, gently caressed the gift box for a moment, then turned on the car¡¯s interior light, picked up the gift box, and carefully began to unwrap it. For three whole years, after celebrating his birthday and facing all sorts of wrapped packages in the room, he didn¡¯t know which to open first. For three whole years, he had not received a birthday gift from her. Steve¡¯s fingertips trembled slightly as he unwrapped the gift. He tried his best to steady them, finally tearing off the outeryer of wrapping paper and revealing the box. It was a small, delicate, and beautiful blue box with the GUCCI logo on top. Steve opened the box and saw a simple yet elegant tie clip inside. Steve fastened the tie clip to his tie, examined it in the rearview mirror, and then stepped on the gas pedal, driving straight back to the Burtons¡¯ house. Steve parked the car in the Burtons¡¯ yard and habitually nced at the neighboring yard before entering. He saw that the room where Ruby lived on the second floor only had a dim night light on. She must have already returned home and gone to bed. Steve stood in the yard, staring at the light in Ruby¡¯s room for quite some time before going inside the house. It was already past eleven o¡¯clock at night, and only the old housekeeper was watching TV in the living room. When she saw him enter, she quickly stood up, ¡°You¡¯re back, young master? Would you like ate-night snack?¡± Steve shook his head and went straight upstairs. Upon returning to his bedroom, he headed right for the closet. Through the ss door of the closet, one could see many boxes from different brands neatly arranged inside. Underneath each box, there was a card with a date written on it. These were all gifts from Ruby Gregory, starting from when she was five years old and became aware of the world around her. Steve used his key to unlock the closet and ced the gift box containing the tie clip inside. However, there was a gap of three cards marked with dates but no gifts between this gift box and the other ones. Ruby didn¡¯t attend Steve¡¯s birthday party after returning to her suite. She left the suite, went straight to the underground parking lot, and drove home. PS: Today¡¯s update is finished. We will continue tomorrow. Our signed book and calendar winner for yesterday is: Extravagant.. Chapter 85 - 85: 85: Settling Old and New Accounts Together (5) Chapter 85 - 85: 85: Settling Old and New ounts Together (5) Trantor: 549690339 Ruby Gregory didn¡¯t return to Steve Burton¡¯s birthday party. She left the suite and headed straight for the underground parking lot to drive home. Ruby was exhausted and in pain after being tormented by Steve. When she got home, she took a hot shower and went straight to bed, but she couldn¡¯t fall asleep. Even though tonight, Steve, in front of everyone at the birthday party, had only taken her away, saving her face when she gave him a gift and maintaining the dignity of the Gregory family. However, she knew it was just a temporary illusion that deceived the eyes of others, making them think that her rtionship with Steve was as good as ever. In fact, only she, the person involved, knew how terrible her rtionship with Steve was. When she returned to the country, she had considered that she might not be as close to Steve as before after their three-year separation. However, it turned out to be just a wild wish. Instead of being close, he seemed to despise her more than ever. No matter what she did, he could find a lot of faults with it. Only when someone is particrly displeased with another person would their eyes be so harsh. More than twenty years, she had known Steve for more than twenty years. How could he just turn his back on her like this? Ruby tossed slightly in bed, her eyes wide open, staring at the dim sleep light on the bedside table. Thoughts in her mind were bing chaotic. Since childhood, she had been ingrained by the Gregory to prioritize Steve in everything she did. As a result, all her actions revolved around him. In the past, she had done so, and he had never been angry or disgusted with her¡­ As Ruby thought of this, her eyebrows furrowed slightly. Could it be rted to that incident three years ago? As soon as this idea crossed Ruby¡¯s mind, she hugged her quilt, and abruptly sat up in bed. Her face turned pale as snow, and her fingers gripping the quilt trembled slightly. Impossible, absolutely impossible. How could Steve possibly know about that incident? Even her mom and dad didn¡¯t know, so she must have been overthinking it, she must have¡­ Ruby kept reassuring herself in her heart. Her breathing became slightly rapid, and after a long time, she finally managed to calm down. She realized that she had been sweating all over from the shock. Ruby raised her hand to wipe the cold sweat from her forehead, curled up with the quilt back into bed, still looking somewhat terrified. Ruby couldn¡¯t remember what time she had fallen asleepst night. Because she went to bedte, her rm didn¡¯t wake her up the next day. In the end, Lady Gregory personally went upstairs to wake her up.. Chapter 86 - 86: 86: Settling Old and New Accounts Together (6) Chapter 86 - 86: 86: Settling Old and New ounts Together (6) Trantor: 549690339 At this time, Maxwell Gregory would usually have left the house for thepany. But today, when Ruby Gregory came downstairs for breakfast after washing up, she unexpectedly found Maxwell in his formal attire, sitting at the dining table, reading the newspaper. ¡°Dad.¡± Ruby greeted him and sat down opposite Maxwell. Upon seeing the family gathered, the servants immediately served breakfast. The breakfast was Chinese-style, with smooth and soft porridge, apanied by refreshing pickles and aromatic baguettes. It looked simple, but it was quite delicious when eaten. Maxwell didn¡¯t eat much. He only took a couple of sips of the porridge before putting down his spoon. He nced at Ruby, who was drinking her porridge with her head bowed, then sighed softly. Picking up the spoon again, he stirred the porridge in his bowl, as faint wisps of steam rose. Maxwell put down the spoon again, nced at Ruby, and seemed to hesitate to speak. After a while, unable to hold back any longer, Maxwell opened his mouth and asked, ¡°Ruby, how have you been at Pristine¡¯s Enterprises recently?¡± Besides Steve Burton tormenting her asionally, everything else had gone quite smoothly. So Ruby looked up, met her father¡¯s eyes for a moment, nodded, and said, ¡°I¡¯m doing fine.¡± ¡°As long as you¡¯re fine.¡± Maxwell paused, then asked again, ¡°How¡¯s Steve treating you?¡± Ruby¡¯s movement of drinking her porridge paused slightly. Afraid that her father would notice any inconsistency, she lowered her eyes and tried her best to maintain the tone she had just spoken in, lying, ¡°He¡¯s fine.¡± ¡°That¡¯s good.¡± Maxwell¡¯s expression didn¡¯t brighten, but instead became even more serious. Ruby furrowed her brows, put down the spoon in her hand, and asked, ¡°Dad, is something wrong?¡± This time, Maxwell let out a heavy sigh but didn¡¯t speak. Ruby turned her head to look at her mother. Lady Gregory nced at her husband before speaking, ¡°The Gregorys¡¯ business has been in a loss for the past two years. We¡¯ve been using our family¡¯s savings to keep thepany afloat. A few days ago, ourpany¡¯s biggest client was poached by the Fosters, and without this most significant source of ie, ourpany is now at risk of operating difficulties.¡± The Fosters¡­ Olivia Foster¡¯s family, who always saw themselves as rivals to the Gregorys¡¯ Ruby pursed her lips. ¡°Your Grandpa devoted his entire life to thispany. I cannot let it be destroyed under my watch. Many people in the Gregorys rely on thepany for their livelihood. I¡¯ve sought a bank loan a few days ago, and no matter what, I will save thepany.¡± Maxwell took a deep breath and continued, ¡°Ruby, the future of the Gregorys now depends on you.¡± Ruby naturally understood that when her father said he depended on her, he was hoping she would sessfully marry Steve Burton.. Chapter 87 - 87: 87: Settling Old and New Accounts Together (7) Chapter 87 - 87: 87: Settling Old and New ounts Together (7) Trantor: 549690339 Her father had just turned fifty, but his temples were already slightly tinged with white, and he looked much older than before. She thought of Olivia Foster¡¯s father, who was the same age as her father, but whose career was flourishing, leading a life of prosperity. Steve Burton¡¯s father was a few years older than her father, but he had handed over thepany to Steve five years ago and retired, enjoying his leisurely days. And there were Edward Woods, Rusell Henris, Howard Coleman, and Madeleine¡¯s parents, who were either vacationing in Avalon, climbing mountains, or rxing in the warm Pavale. Yet her father, who had lived more than half of his life, couldn¡¯t enjoy thefortable life of old age, and instead had to bear a massive debt. Ruby Gregory¡¯s heart suddenly felt somewhat distressed. She knew that Steve Burton treated her harshly, and she knew that being the mistress of the Burton family might be a luxury for her now, but she still nodded her head to her father and said sincerely, ¡°Dad, don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll definitely marry Steve.¡± No matter how humiliated or difficult the road to marrying Steve was, she would grit her teeth and carry on. She didn¡¯t want her father to lose sleep over his worries, discovered when she went downstairs for a drink of waterte at night. She didn¡¯t want her father, at his age, to have to plead with others for loans. She didn¡¯t want her mother to be so frugal that she couldn¡¯t bear to buy herself any new luxury goods after so many years. She wished her family could rise to the top, and she hoped her parents could enjoy their golden years like other people¡¯s parents. She got upte that morning, and after discussing the Gregory¡¯spany affairs with Maxwell Gregory, Ruby barely made it to Pristine¡¯s Enterprises just in time for work. Ruby had just put down her bag when the secretary looked up and said in an official tone, ¡°Ruby, did you print the report I asked for yesterday morning? Mr. Burton is waiting to see it.¡± Ruby turned on herputer while picking up the folder on her desk. But when she opened it, there was nothing inside. Ruby¡¯s brow lightly furrowed. She had printed it and put it in the folder yesterday. How could it be missing now? Seeing that Ruby had no response yet, the secretary asked, ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± ¡°I clearly put the report in this folder, but now¡­¡± Before Ruby could finish her exnation, Olivia Foster, who was sitting across from her, sneered and interrupted her, ¡°Ruby, are you going to say you can¡¯t find it now?¡± That was indeed the truth, but since Olivia had mentioned it first, it seemed as if Ruby was making excuses for herself.. Chapter 87 - 87: Settling Old and New Accounts Together (7) Chapter 87: Settling Old and New ounts Together (7) Trantor: 549690339 Her father had just turned fifty, but his temples were already slightly tinged with white, and he looked much older than before. She thought of Olivia Foster¡¯s father, who was the same age as her father, but whose career was flourishing, leading a life of prosperity. Steve Burton¡¯s father was a few years older than her father, but he had handed over thepany to Steve five years ago and retired, enjoying his leisurely days. And there were Edward Woods, Rusell Henris, Howard Coleman, and Madeleine¡¯s parents, who were either vacationing in Avalon, climbing mountains, or rxing in the warm Pavale. Yet her father, who had lived more than half of his life, couldn¡¯t enjoy thefortable life of old age, and instead had to bear a massive debt. Ruby Gregory¡¯s heart suddenly felt somewhat distressed. She knew that Steve Burton treated her harshly, and she knew that being the mistress of the Burton family might be a luxury for her now, but she still nodded her head to her father and said sincerely, ¡°Dad, don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll definitely marry Steve.¡± No matter how humiliated or difficult the road to marrying Steve was, she would grit her teeth and carry on. She didn¡¯t want her father to lose sleep over his worries, discovered when she went downstairs for a drink of waterte at night. She didn¡¯t want her father, at his age, to have to plead with others for loans. She didn¡¯t want her mother to be so frugal that she couldn¡¯t bear to buy herself any new luxury goods after so many years. She wished her family could rise to the top, and she hoped her parents could enjoy their golden years like other people¡¯s parents. She got upte that morning, and after discussing the Gregory¡¯spany affairs with Maxwell Gregory, Ruby barely made it to Pristine¡¯s Enterprises just in time for work. Ruby had just put down her bag when the secretary looked up and said in an official tone, ¡°Ruby, did you print the report I asked for yesterday morning? Mr. Burton is waiting to see it.¡± Ruby turned on herputer while picking up the folder on her desk. But when she opened it, there was nothing inside. Ruby¡¯s brow lightly furrowed. She had printed it and put it in the folder yesterday. How could it be missing now? Seeing that Ruby had no response yet, the secretary asked, ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± ¡°I clearly put the report in this folder, but now¡­¡± Before Ruby could finish her exnation, Olivia Foster, who was sitting across from her, sneered and interrupted her, ¡°Ruby, are you going to say you can¡¯t find it now?¡± That was indeed the truth, but since Olivia had mentioned it first, it seemed as if Ruby was making excuses for herself.. Chapter 88 - 88: Settling Old and New Accounts Together (8) Chapter 88: Settling Old and New ounts Together (8) Trantor: 549690339 Ruby Gregory slightly pursed her lips, her gaze towards Olivia Foster turned somewhat cold. Olivia Foster seemed oblivious, turning her head to speak unhurriedly to the secretary general, ¡°Ms. Taylor, you didn¡¯t attend Mr. Burton¡¯s birthday party yesterday, so you may not know, our Ms. Gregory here in our office, is not a simple figure. She has only been at the Pristine¡¯s Enterprises for a few days and yesterday she had Mr. Burton leave his birthday banquet halfway with only her, just the two of them. Ms. Taylor, don¡¯t say I didn¡¯t warn you, there are some people you simply cannot cross.¡± As she was saying this, Olivia Foster nced at Ruby Gregory, grinned, and continued, ¡°Because of her, Mr. Burton¡¯s work got disrupted, Ms. Taylor, it won¡¯t be long before a good tongueshinges your way. It isn¡¯t your fault, but s, you have to take the fall.¡± Olivia Foster¡¯s words were filled with insinuation which no one in the room could miss. But in the office of Pristine¡¯s Enterprises, she had always been acting arrogantly, leveraging her longest acquaintance with Steve Burton. The others were all here to simply make a living and get paid, and naturally, they wouldn¡¯t dare offend her. No one wanted to invite such trouble, so everyone remained silent. The cleverness of Olivia¡¯s words was apparent, she broadcasted to everyone that Ruby was a career-climbing woman who seduces her boss, and used this as fodder to stir up trouble between the secretary general and herself. Olivia Foster¡¯s speech simply implied that Ruby shirked work thanks to her connection with Steve, causing trouble for which the secretary general would be reprimanded. Such a move from Olivia Foster was truly malicious, making the others in the office distance themselves from Ruby after this incident. Ruby Gregory slightly squinted her eyes, she wouldn¡¯t let Olivia Foster seed! Ruby Gregory was a bit scared of Steve Burton in her heart, but she took the office phone from the table without thinking twice and dialed Steve¡¯s direct line in front of everyone in the office. The phone only rang once before it was answered. Suppressing her nervousness, Ruby Gregory spoke respectfully into the phone, ¡°Mr. Burton, this is Ruby Gregory.¡± Steve Burton on the other end of the phone had no reaction. Ruby Gregory swallowed, saying, ¡°The report that you asked for, I forgot to print it yesterday. I will print it now and will hand it over to the secretary generalter.¡± After Ruby Gregory spoke, she held her breath. She knew Steve Burton loathed people who were careless and not meticulous in their work! But she had no other option. If she didn¡¯t take responsibility for this mistake in front of Mr. Burton now, she would lose her standing in this office! Moreso, knowing oneself and knowing your enemy is the only way to be invincible in battle! There were many things about Steve Burton that she still needed to learn from these secretaries! Chapter 89 - 89: Settling Old and New Accounts Together (9) Chapter 89: Settling Old and New ounts Together (9) Trantor: 549690339 Ruby Gregory had been waiting for a long time, but there were no words of reprimand from Steve Burton on the other end of the phone. She frowned slightly in confusion, and then heard a cold voice from the other end of the phone: ¡°I know.¡± Then, before Ruby could respond, Steve hung up the phone directly. Ruby listened to the busy tone on the phone, blinking in disbelief. Steve Burton didn¡¯t lose his temper at her? Ruby blinked again incredulously, realizing this wasn¡¯t a dream. She hung up the phone slowly and quickly opened the document for the report on herputer, clicking print. Olivia Foster hadn¡¯t expected that Ruby would actually call Mr. Burton to admit her mistake. She nced sideways at the secretary¡¯s room and found that she didn¡¯t show any displeasure because of what she said. She clenched her teeth and stared at herputer, typing harder on the keyboard. Ruby stepped out of the office, and before entering the printing room, she heard a voice behind her: ¡°Ruby.¡± Ruby stopped, turned around, and saw Maya Mitchell walking over with a document in her hand. Maya stood in front of Ruby and handed the document directly to her: ¡°In the morning, there are usually many people in the printing room. If you go now, you¡¯ll have to queue, and if Mr. Burton gets anxiouster, you¡¯ll get scolded.¡± Ruby looked at the document in Maya¡¯s hand with confusion, finding it was the report she had printed yesterday. She frowned slightly: ¡°How did it end up with you?¡± ¡°I picked it up from the trash can.¡± Maya paused for a moment, nced behind to make sure no one hade out of the secretary¡¯s office, then took two steps forward and whispered to Ruby: ¡°It was my turn to clean Mr. Burton¡¯s office today, so I came in early, and I also cleaned out the trash cans in our office. That¡¯s when I found this document. At this point, Ruby frowned slightly. Although Maya didn¡¯t say it explicitly, Ruby knew that her report had been deliberately thrown into the trash can by someone. ¡°Ruby, once in school, I almost got kicked out because I couldn¡¯t afford my tuition. You helped me pay for it, and I was able to graduate and join Pristine¡¯s Enterprises. I have always been grateful to you deep down, but as you know, there are some people I can¡¯t afford to offend, so I¡¯m sorry I didn¡¯t just give you this report in the office earlier.¡± Maya didn¡¯t mention who deliberately threw Ruby¡¯s report in the trash, but Ruby knew that the person everyone dreaded the most in the secretary¡¯s office was Olivia Foster! When she first noticed that the report was missing, she thought it might have been Olivia, but she was afraid she had misced it herself and didn¡¯t want to jump to conclusions! Now that Maya had handed her the report, it confirmed her suspicion! Chapter 88 - 88: 88: Settling Old and New Accounts Together (8) Chapter 88 - 88: 88: Settling Old and New ounts Together (8) Trantor: 549690339 Ruby Gregory slightly pursed her lips, her gaze towards Olivia Foster turned somewhat cold. Olivia Foster seemed oblivious, turning her head to speak unhurriedly to the secretary general, ¡°Ms. Taylor, you didn¡¯t attend Mr. Burton¡¯s birthday party yesterday, so you may not know, our Ms. Gregory here in our office, is not a simple figure. She has only been at the Pristine¡¯s Enterprises for a few days and yesterday she had Mr. Burton leave his birthday banquet halfway with only her, just the two of them. Ms. Taylor, don¡¯t say I didn¡¯t warn you, there are some people you simply cannot cross.¡± As she was saying this, Olivia Foster nced at Ruby Gregory, grinned, and continued, ¡°Because of her, Mr. Burton¡¯s work got disrupted, Ms. Taylor, it won¡¯t be long before a good tongueshinges your way. It isn¡¯t your fault, but s, you have to take the fall.¡± Olivia Foster¡¯s words were filled with insinuation which no one in the room could miss. But in the office of Pristine¡¯s Enterprises, she had always been acting arrogantly, leveraging her longest acquaintance with Steve Burton. The others were all here to simply make a living and get paid, and naturally, they wouldn¡¯t dare offend her. No one wanted to invite such trouble, so everyone remained silent. The cleverness of Olivia¡¯s words was apparent, she broadcasted to everyone that Ruby was a career-climbing woman who seduces her boss, and used this as fodder to stir up trouble between the secretary general and herself. Olivia Foster¡¯s speech simply implied that Ruby shirked work thanks to her connection with Steve, causing trouble for which the secretary general would be reprimanded. Such a move from Olivia Foster was truly malicious, making the others in the office distance themselves from Ruby after this incident. Ruby Gregory slightly squinted her eyes, she wouldn¡¯t let Olivia Foster seed! Ruby Gregory was a bit scared of Steve Burton in her heart, but she took the office phone from the table without thinking twice and dialed Steve¡¯s direct line in front of everyone in the office. The phone only rang once before it was answered. Suppressing her nervousness, Ruby Gregory spoke respectfully into the phone, ¡°Mr. Burton, this is Ruby Gregory.¡± Steve Burton on the other end of the phone had no reaction. Ruby Gregory swallowed, saying, ¡°The report that you asked for, I forgot to print it yesterday. I will print it now and will hand it over to the secretary generalter.¡± After Ruby Gregory spoke, she held her breath. She knew Steve Burton loathed people who were careless and not meticulous in their work! But she had no other option. If she didn¡¯t take responsibility for this mistake in front of Mr. Burton now, she would lose her standing in this office! Moreso, knowing oneself and knowing your enemy is the only way to be invincible in battle! There were many things about Steve Burton that she still needed to learn from these secretaries! Chapter 89 - 89: 89: Settling Old and New Accounts Together (9) Chapter 89 - 89: 89: Settling Old and New ounts Together (9) Trantor: 549690339 Ruby Gregory had been waiting for a long time, but there were no words of reprimand from Steve Burton on the other end of the phone. She frowned slightly in confusion, and then heard a cold voice from the other end of the phone: ¡°I know.¡± Then, before Ruby could respond, Steve hung up the phone directly. Ruby listened to the busy tone on the phone, blinking in disbelief. Steve Burton didn¡¯t lose his temper at her? Ruby blinked again incredulously, realizing this wasn¡¯t a dream. She hung up the phone slowly and quickly opened the document for the report on herputer, clicking print. Olivia Foster hadn¡¯t expected that Ruby would actually call Mr. Burton to admit her mistake. She nced sideways at the secretary¡¯s room and found that she didn¡¯t show any displeasure because of what she said. She clenched her teeth and stared at herputer, typing harder on the keyboard. Ruby stepped out of the office, and before entering the printing room, she heard a voice behind her: ¡°Ruby.¡± Ruby stopped, turned around, and saw Maya Mitchell walking over with a document in her hand. Maya stood in front of Ruby and handed the document directly to her: ¡°In the morning, there are usually many people in the printing room. If you go now, you¡¯ll have to queue, and if Mr. Burton gets anxiouster, you¡¯ll get scolded.¡± Ruby looked at the document in Maya¡¯s hand with confusion, finding it was the report she had printed yesterday. She frowned slightly: ¡°How did it end up with you?¡± ¡°I picked it up from the trash can.¡± Maya paused for a moment, nced behind to make sure no one hade out of the secretary¡¯s office, then took two steps forward and whispered to Ruby: ¡°It was my turn to clean Mr. Burton¡¯s office today, so I came in early, and I also cleaned out the trash cans in our office. That¡¯s when I found this document. At this point, Ruby frowned slightly. Although Maya didn¡¯t say it explicitly, Ruby knew that her report had been deliberately thrown into the trash can by someone. ¡°Ruby, once in school, I almost got kicked out because I couldn¡¯t afford my tuition. You helped me pay for it, and I was able to graduate and join Pristine¡¯s Enterprises. I have always been grateful to you deep down, but as you know, there are some people I can¡¯t afford to offend, so I¡¯m sorry I didn¡¯t just give you this report in the office earlier.¡± Maya didn¡¯t mention who deliberately threw Ruby¡¯s report in the trash, but Ruby knew that the person everyone dreaded the most in the secretary¡¯s office was Olivia Foster! When she first noticed that the report was missing, she thought it might have been Olivia, but she was afraid she had misced it herself and didn¡¯t want to jump to conclusions! Now that Maya had handed her the report, it confirmed her suspicion! Chapter 90 - 90: 90: Settling Old and New Accounts Together (10) Chapter 90 - 90: 90: Settling Old and New ounts Together (10) Trantor: 549690339 Ruby Gregory¡¯s eyes suddenly turned cold. Well, Olivia Foster was really something. First, she tried to get her kicked out of Pristine¡¯s Enterprises under the guise of handing over a cooperation casest week. Today she threw away her report, attempting to expose her rtionship with the secretary-general and make her a thorn in the side of the president¡¯s secretary department! On top of that, the Fosters had been encroaching on Gregorys¡¯ businesses over the years, relying on the fact that they had a daughter married to the Burtons. An intense rage welled up within Ruby Gregory. In this world, only Steve Burton could make her swallow her pride and endure humiliation! As for Olivia Foster, she would be waiting for her! From a young age, Ruby Gregory had been groomed as both an educated, refined, and elegantdy and the forceful wife of the Burton family. As the saying goes, a gentleman takes his revenge after ten years. Unfortunately, Ruby wasn¡¯t that kind of person. She wouldn¡¯t wait ten years, ten days, or even ten hours. Instead, she struck backter that afternoon! At three o¡¯clock in the afternoon, Steve Burton held a meeting with coborators in therge conference room of Pristine¡¯s Enterprises. Olivia Foster had always been responsible for this coboration, so she prepared all the meeting materials. So, Olivia spent the entire morning busily preparing materials for Steve¡¯s afternoon meeting. Even at lunchtime, Olivia had her meal delivered to her office and continued to type away furiously on the keyboard between bites. By two o¡¯clock, Oliviapleted everything on time, sending all the documents to Steve for review. Although Ruby appeared to be someone with nothing better to do and busied herself with other matters, she was actually keeping a close eye on Olivia¡¯s movements. Seeing Olivia finally stretch her arms and show a rxed expression, she knew Olivia had finished her work. The printing room was not particrly crowded at noon. There were twenty printers in total, three of which were being used by others. Ruby casually walked over to the unupied machines, swiped her work card on all seventeen of them, and then those printers started printing her twenty sets of documents. Her documents were just random novels copied from the inte, with each file being around a hundred pages long. She printed twenty sets, amounting to a total of two thousand pages. Pristine¡¯s Enterprises¡¯ printers were extremely fast, able to print about 50 pages per minute. Two thousand pages would take forty minutes. It was now two-ten, and once she finished printing everything, it would be two-fifty. She left Olivia Foster only ten minutes to print her materials.. Chapter 91 - 91: 91: Settling Old and New Accounts Together (11) Chapter 91 - 91: 91: Settling Old and New ounts Together (11) Trantor: 549690339 It was two thirty when Olivia Foster arrived at the printing room. Twenty printers were working non-stop, printing the novel content that Ruby Gregory had randomly copied from the inte. The smell of ink in the printing room was somewhat strong, and Olivia disgustedly raised her hand to pinch her nose, walking around the printers. Seeing all of them upied, she quickly left the room. At two thirty-five, Olivia came in again. All the printers were still busy, and she left once more. At two forty and two forty-five, Olivia visited the room again, but the printers were still all in use. Her face showed a hint of displeasure. At two fifty, when Olivia entered once more, a printer finally stopped. She found the nearest avable one, but just as she was about to press ¡®run,¡¯ she realized there was no paper. Olivia, annoyed, switched to another one, only to find no ink. Dodging other printouts, she moved on to another printer and was finally able to print. About fifty pages in total needed printing, along with two copies of a contract, making a total of roughly one hundred and fifty pages. Halfway through her printing job, the printer suddenly stopped working ¨C out of paper, just like the first one. Olivia nced at the time, saw there were just eight minutes left until the meeting started, and quickly snatched a stack of paper from the neighboring printer and continued her task. After about two minutes, she managed to finish. Olivia finally let out a sigh of relief, and picked up the printed materials before rapidly rushing out of the room and heading to the secretary¡¯s office. Judging from Olivia speeding past the staircase, a hand suddenly reached out and grabbed her. Before she could react, she was pulled into the staircase. As she just started to regain herposure, Ruby mmed the door shut behind her and locked it. Olivia stared at Ruby, asking hurriedly, ¡°Ruby Gregory, what do you want? Mr. Burton is waiting for my materials for the meeting!¡± Compared to Olivia¡¯s anxiousness, Ruby appeared calm. She leisurely enjoyed seeing Olivia upset, casually asking, ¡°Olivia Foster, so you do get nervous?¡± Olivia didn¡¯t want to deal with Ruby at all and turned to leave towards the staircase door. However, Ruby reached out and grabbed Olivia, pushing her against the wall. Olivia nced at her wristwatch. There were only four minutes left until the start of the meeting. Olivia red at Ruby, saying, ¡°I¡¯m warning you, Ruby Gregory, if you cause any dy for the materials Mr.. Burton needs for this conference, you¡¯ll pay for it!¡± Chapter 92 - 92: 92: Settling Old and New Accounts Together (12) Chapter 92 - 92: 92: Settling Old and New ounts Together (12) Trantor: 549690339 Under Olivia Foster¡¯s murderous re, Ruby Gregory smiled and replied, ¡°Olivia, didn¡¯t you say it yourself? At Mr. Burton¡¯s birthday partyst night, he only took me away alone. Some people shouldn¡¯t be messed with so easily, right?¡± Olivia didn¡¯t expect Ruby to use her words against her. She was momentarily dumbfounded and couldn¡¯t find the right words to speak. In an instant, Ruby¡¯s eyes turned ice cold, and she unexpectedly reached out to snatch the documents from Olivia¡¯s hand. After casually flipping through a couple of pages, she found the coboration project, smirked, and tore it up without hesitation. Then, she tossed the pieces into a nearby trash bin. Olivia¡¯s eyes widened in anger and disbelief, and she eximed, ¡°How dare you rip up the coboration project that Mr. Burton is going to review!¡± Ruby simply smiled and continued looking through the documents in her hand. When she came across a report, she tore it into even smaller pieces without any hesitation. Waving the remnants in a smug manner at Olivia, she stuffed them into the trash bin as well. ¡°You, you¡­!¡± Olivia angrily stomped her foot on the ground, struggling for words. ¡°What about me?¡± Ruby retorted with Olivia¡¯s words. ¡°Ruby Gregory, just you wait! I¡¯m going to find Mr. Burton right now!¡± Olivia pushed Ruby away forcefully, her eyes slightly red, seemingly enraged to her breaking point, her voice trembling. Instead of stopping her, Ruby stepped two steps back gracefully and calmly watched Olivia¡¯s fit, speaking gently, ¡°Olivia, it was you who forgot to bring the coboration project on Monday morning, but med it on me, iming it was my responsibility. If you¡¯re not afraid of Mr. Burton finding out that you were trying to avoid your responsibility during a crucial time, feel free to go find him. Olivia¡¯s steps momentarily paused. Unhurriedly, Ruby continued, ¡°If the coboration project isn¡¯t delivered by 8:30, then get out of Pristine¡¯s Enterprises! That¡¯s what Mr. Burton said, right?¡± As she spoke, Ruby carefully observed Olivia¡¯s reaction and noticed her stiffen slightly. This confirmed Ruby¡¯s suspicions, and her following words carried much more confidence, ¡°Tell me, if Mr. Burton finds out that you¡¯re using his name to threaten his employees, how do you think he¡¯ll react?¡± Olivia¡¯s hands clenched into fists. Ruby slowly walked towards Olivia, ¡°And this morning, Olivia, why was my report in the office trash can? Do I need to find Mr. Burton now and ask him to review the security footage?¡± Olivia¡¯splexion turned from green to white. Ruby¡¯s mood, however, improved significantly. She handed the remaining un-torn documents back to Olivia, saying, ¡°Next time you try to set me up, either do it openly and proudly like I did just now, or do it so discreetly that no one notices. Don¡¯t leave so many loopholes that anyone can see through, knowing you¡¯re the one behind it.¡± PS: End for today. To continue tomorrow- Yesterday¡¯s lucky reader who won a signed book and calendar: Next page, ¡°Riddle¡¯s Answer¡± PPS: Some people are experiencing a book shortage, so let me rmend a book for everyone: ¡°A Thin Line Between Enemies: Rabbits Prefer Grass By Their Dens¡±, by Murong Gugesong.. Chapter 93 - 93: 93 She doesn’t love me (1) Chapter 93 - 93: 93 She doesn¡¯t love me (1) Trantor: 549690339 Ruby¡¯s mood immediately improved. She handed the remaining, unshredded documents back to Olivia, saying, ¡°Next time you try to set me up, either do it openly like I did today, or do it so subtly that no one would notice. Don¡¯t leave obvious ws for others to easily identify that it was you pulling strings behind the scenes!¡± Olivia was already fuming with rage, and Ruby¡¯s words rendered her speechless. The frustration churning in her chest had nowhere to vent, and eventually turned into tears, shimmering in her eyes, threatening to fall at any moment. Despite the touchingly pitiful sight before her, Ruby showed no mercy. She nced at her wristwatch and spoke in a frustratingly nonchnt tone, ¡°Olivia, there¡¯s only one minute left before Mr. Burton¡¯s meeting. If you can¡¯t submit your coboration proposal and report in time, you¡¯ll disrupt the meeting. I wonder if Mr. Burton will fire you from Pristine¡¯s Enterprises or simply scold you?¡± Ruby was giving Olivia a taste of her own medicine, returning the favor of the two set-ups. Olivia pressed her lips together tightly, her tearful gaze turning slightly fierce. Just as she was about to speak, Ruby cut her off, continuing, ¡°Olivia, don¡¯t look at me with such hatred, and don¡¯t get all resentful.¡± ¡°If you had the guts to set me up in the first ce, you should have the courage to face the consequences now!¡± ¡°Today, I simply returned the favor of everything you¡¯ve done to metely.¡± ¡°If there¡¯s a next time, Olivia, I won¡¯t be as merciful as I was today!¡± Ruby paused for a moment, then leaned in, whispering into Olivia¡¯s ear, ¡°Olivia, don¡¯t think I don¡¯t know what your real motive is. You just want to drive me out of Pristine¡¯s Enterprises, right? Let¡¯s see who stays and who leaves in the end. ¡± Ruby lightly chuckled near Olivia¡¯s ear, then straightened up and took two steps back. Just as she was about to turn around, she suddenly seemed to remember something. ¡°Oh,¡± she said, as an afterthought, ¡°Olivia, let me just remind you again: you have thirty seconds left to print.¡± With that, Ruby offered Olivia a shallow smile, turned on her heel, and gracefully headed towards the elevator in her high heels. Thirty seconds, only thirty seconds left. If she went back to her office to print, time would run out. She couldn¡¯t submit the documents in time for Steve. For three whole years, she had been diligent and responsible to leave a good impression on Steve, so she could forever stand by the side of the man she deeply loved.. Chapter 94 - 94: 94 She doesn’t love me (2) Chapter 94 - 94: 94 She doesn¡¯t love me (2) Trantor: 549690339 For three years, she hadn¡¯t made any mistakes, and even if she did, she would find a way to clear her name. But now, all her efforts and good impressions had been destroyed by Ruby Gregory! Olivia Foster swallowed her saliva, staring at Ruby Gregory¡¯s back, suddenly opened her mouth and fought back, ¡°Ruby Gregory, I really want to know where your confidencees from?¡± Ruby Gregory had her back to Olivia Foster, chuckled softly, and ignored herpletely, just walking away at a leisurely pace. ¡°Ruby Gregory, didn¡¯t you mock mest time for being an illegitimate child? Yes, I am an illegitimate child, but so what? You, the legitimate daughter of the Gregorys, are still at a disadvantage when facing this illegitimate child, aren¡¯t you?¡± Disadvantaged? Ruby Gregory, upon hearing that word, sneered instantly. She paused her steps, tilted her head, and nced sideways at Olivia Foster, ¡°Are you sure you¡¯re not joking?¡± ¡°Disadvantaged?¡± ¡°One person is inferior to another and is at a disadvantage, I¡¯ve never felt that I¡¯m inferior to you. How could I be at a disadvantage?¡± ¡°If I remember correctly, I¡¯ve been opposed by you ever since I joined Pristine¡¯s Enterprises, but not once have you won against me. The one who¡¯s really at a disadvantage is probably you, Miss Olivia Foster!¡± ¡°Ruby Gregory, stop deceiving yourself and others with harsh words! Don¡¯t you know that the business partner your family is desperately trying to keep even dreams of working with us Fosters?¡± Ruby Gregory slightly furrowed her brows. ¡°Ruby Gregory, do you know? Just two days ago, as far as I know, your family¡¯s biggest business partner wanted to work with us, the Fosters. Your father tried his best to please them, making huge concessions, but in the end, they didn¡¯t stay. And I¡¯ve heard that the partner had agreed to discuss a lease with your father, but in the end, they never showed up. Do you know what that partner was doing at that time? He was ying golf with my father at a suburban golf course. He told my father that he was totally annoyed by your father, and merely gave him a perfunctory negotiation time as a courtesy. But your father actually went to the agreed ce with such naivete. It rained that day; your father got soaked, waiting for a whole day, and the partner never appeared. It¡¯s quite pitiful, really.¡± Ruby Gregory¡¯s hands clenched tightly into fists, her gaze bing somewhat cold. Staring intently at Olivia Foster, her voice trembled a bit when she spoke, ¡°Olivia Foster, can you not involve our families in our personal grudges?¡± However, Olivia Foster continued speaking as if she hadn¡¯t heard Ruby Gregory¡¯s words at all.. Chapter 95 - 95: 95 She doesn’t love me (3) Chapter 95 - 95: 95 She doesn¡¯t love me (3) Trantor: 549690339 ¡°Oh, I forgot, it¡¯s not just your father who¡¯s so pitiful, but your mother too. At thest Charity Gathering, your mother bid on a jade bracelet, wanting to give it to a major merchant who had business dealings with the Gregorys. In the end, she spent so much money, but the merchant still didn¡¯t show any gratitude and didn¡¯t cooperate with the Gregorys. Besides, I heard from someone that the money your mother used to bid on that jade bracelet was her dowry when she married your father. For your mother, her parents¡¯ dowry should be the most precious thing, right?¡± Ruby had always known that her father and mother had given their all to the Gregorys. Their efforts and hardships had always been the deepest pain in her heart. No matter how Ruby and Olivia Foster fight, no matter how Olivia tries to provoke and ridicule Ruby! But she absolutely won¡¯t allow Olivia to ridicule her parents! Ruby¡¯s face was covered with an air of resentment, and her voice was slightly agitated: ¡°Olivia Foster, I said, can you not involve our families in the grievances between you and me?¡± ¡°Right, Ruby, I heard that your father has been running around to arrange bank loans these days, and the loan amount seems to be quiterge. Many banks have already avoided your father, and now he has started to pull strings everywhere. I really don¡¯t know how, when your father is so humble and trying to please others, his daughter can be so arrogant?¡± Ruby stared at Olivia, not saying a word. Olivia looked at Ruby¡¯s upset face, and finally broke into a smile: ¡°I really hope your father can find someone to help him with the bank loan, otherwise, I¡¯m afraid that before long, Ruby, you¡¯ll be penniless and can no longer be the daughter of a wealthy family.¡± ¡°p-¡°, a resounding p sound suddenly cut off Olivia¡¯s words. Olivia was stunned for a moment, then btedly raised her hand to cover her left cheek, staring at Ruby in disbelief. Through the gaps between Olivia¡¯s fingers, Ruby could see the deep red handprint on her face. ¡°Ruby, how dare you hit me?¡± Olivia didn¡¯t know if she was beaten senseless, or if it was the first time in her life she had been hit. Shepletely forgot to fight back, just staring angrily at Ruby, her voice as vicious as possible: ¡°If you have the guts, hit me again!¡± ¡°Alright!¡± Ruby calmly epted Olivia¡¯s challenge, and without any hesitation, raised her hand again and fiercely pped Olivia¡¯s right cheek. Olivia¡¯s eyes widened in shock, her mouth gaping open as she covered her right cheek with her hand, tears streaming down from the corner of her eyes.. Chapter 96 - 96: 96 She doesn’t love me (4) Chapter 96 - 96: 96 She doesn¡¯t love me (4) Trantor: 549690339 Ruby Gregory red hard at Olivia Foster, not even leaving a fragment of a sentence behind, as she turned around and walked out of the staircase. Although Ruby had pped Olivia twice, directly and satisfyingly, her heart did not feel the slightest bit of pleasure because of it; instead, it became even heavier. She never knew that her own parents would be seen as so pathetic and pitiful in the eyes of others. In this world, people always strive for higher grounds, just as water naturally flows to lower levels. Everyone wants to cling to the strong. Now, the disadvantaged Gregorys would indeed be looked down upon by others. Borrowing money could only solve temporary problems, but not the problems of a lifetime. Even if Dad¡¯s loan was sessful, it would not be long before repayment would be required, and at that time, an even more significant problem would arise. She had originally thought that her rtionship with Steve Burton could progress slowly, but now, Steve was obviously displeased with her, and the Gregorys were in dire straits. By the time Steve¡¯s impression of her improved and he truly married her, would the Gregorys still exist? Ruby took a slow breath, her heart heavy with troubles, as she returned to her office. Just as Ruby sat down, a secretary behind her quietly asked, ¡°Ruby, do you know where Olivia is?¡± Ruby, who knew everything, feigned innocence and shook her head at the secretary behind her, ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± ¡°The meeting Mr. Burton had this afternoon was her responsibility, and yet, at 2:50 PM, she hadn¡¯t brought the materials. Mr. Burton¡¯s face was so dark, it seemed as if he could kill someone at any time. Finally, Maya Mitchell, courageously, said she would print another copy of the materials and deliver them to Mr. Burton in five minutes, which slightly improved his mood.¡± Ruby turned to look at Maya Mitchell¡¯s seat, and, only then, noticed it was empty. She casually asked, ¡°Where¡¯s Maya?¡± ¡°Since Olivia wasn¡¯t there, Mr. Burton asked Maya to apany him to the meeting room when she handed over the materials.¡± Ruby vaguely felt that something wasn¡¯t right, but she couldn¡¯t figure out what exactly was wrong. Finally, she frowned and pondered for a while, then seemed somewhat indifferent, and turned her head back with an ¡°oh¡±. Staring at theputer screen, Ruby clenched her teeth and was lost in thought for a while. Eventually, she shook her head, thinking she might just be overthinking, and proceeded to open theputer. As a result, she saw a reminder message shing across the screen. Ruby clicked on the message, only to find that it was a reminder of her uing period. Her periods had always been regr, urring on the first day of every month. The reason she set up this reminder was to determine whether or not she might be pregnant.. Chapter 97 - 97: 97 She doesn’t love me (5) Chapter 97 - 97: 97 She doesn¡¯t love me (5) Trantor: 549690339 Today was already thest day of this month, and she and Steve Burton had been together three times this month. Whether she was pregnant or not, she would soon find out. Just as she had been worried about how to marry Steve earlier, now she suddenly saw a glimmer of hope. As long as she had a child, her marriage to Steve could be settled. In that case, the Gregorys would be saved. Ruby Gregory raised her hand and gently pressed it against her chest, realizing that her heart was beating a bit faster than usual. The meeting ended at five o¡¯clock. Howard Coleman and Edward Woods were responsible for escorting the clients out. In the vast conference room, only Steve Burton and Maya Mitchell remained. Maya carefully reviewed her meeting notes, then stood up, walked respectfully to Steve¡¯s side, holding herptop with both hands ced it in front of him, and said softly, ¡°Mr. Burton, these are the minutes I took during the meeting.¡± Steve¡¯s expression was cold as he nodded and reached out to look at theptop screen, his fingers asionally scrolling through the touchpad. Maya stood quietly beside Steve, her gaze following his slender, beautiful fingers, gradually moving from his cuff, upwards bit by bit, finally stopping on his perfectly lined chin. Maya¡¯s fingers unconsciously clenched the pen in her hand, and she gently pressed her lips before slowly looking up, taking in the man¡¯s whole face. Perhaps it was because he had had alcohol at his birthday party yesterday, or just the sheer volume of things he had to do today, but Steve¡¯s eyes looked a little tired, emotionless, radiating an aura of coldness that deterred others from getting close. Despite this, it didn¡¯t affect his beauty. It was only when he was focused on work that she dared to secretly admire his looks so boldly. She didn¡¯t have the beautiful and entangled past that Ruby and Steve shared, nor did she have a prestigious background like Olivia Foster. She was just an ordinary woman from an ordinary family. So even the love deep in her heart could only be secretly admired from a distance. She didn¡¯t dare to let him know. Just as Maya was getting lost in her thoughts, she suddenly noticed the man¡¯s eyebrows and eyes twitched slightly. She quickly gathered her thoughts and pulled her face back to its usual serious and professional demeanor. Steve nced at her and closed theptop, handing it back to Maya. Although he didn¡¯t say anything, Maya knew that her meeting notes had been approved and could be filed away. As Maya took theptop with both hands, she was about to say, ¡°Mr. Burton, I¡¯ll leave first,¡± when there was a sudden knock on the door of the conference room.. Chapter 98 - 98: 98 She doesn’t love me (6) Chapter 98 - 98: 98 She doesn¡¯t love me (6) Trantor: 549690339 Steve Burton furrowed his brows slightly and gave Maya Mitchell a look. Maya understood immediately, turning around to open the door to the conference room. It was Olivia Foster knocking on the door. Her normally neatlybed hair had fallen loose, covering both sides of her face. Olivia didn¡¯t even nce at Maya, simply brushing past her and walking directly in front of Steve, bowing her head as she stood there. Steve was reviewing a document in his hands, and he only slightly lifted his eyelid to nce at Olivia before continuing to focus on the file without any reaction. The expression on Steve¡¯s face was very indifferent, making it impossible to discern his thoughts. Olivia fidgeted with the hem of her clothes nervously, wanting to admit her mistake, but hesitated as she saw that Maya was still in the conference room. She then turned her head and red at Maya fiercely. When Maya made eye contact with Olivia, she immediately understood that Olivia was irritated by her presence. Maya walked to the conference table, picked up her files, and softly said to Steve, ¡°Mr. Burton, I¡¯ll be leaving first.¡± Steve didn¡¯t even bother to lift his eyes, just lightly hmmed in acknowledgment. Maya turned around and gave Olivia a faint smile. Only then did she notice that both of Olivia¡¯s cheeks, hidden behind her long hair, were red and swollen. In an instant, Maya understood that Olivia had been pped by someone, and the most likely person to dare to hit her was Ruby Gregory. Hitting someone in thepany¡­ If Steve found out about it¡­ Ruby always acted wisely. If she dared to hit Olivia, then she must be sure that Olivia wouldn¡¯t dare to speak up about the incident. However, just because Olivia stayed quiet didn¡¯t mean she had to. Maya stared at Olivia¡¯s expression for only a second, not even a full second before feigning surprise and blurting out as if unintentionally, ¡°Olivia, your face¡ª¡± Maya¡¯s words were very skillful; she stopped halfway through her sentence and immediately adopted an apologetic expression, closing her mouth. Immediately after, Maya cast a sidelong nce at Steve out of the corner of her eye. As expected, Steve lifted his eyelid and took a look at Olivia¡¯s face. Seeing that her goal had been achieved, Maya bowed her head, turned around, and walked out of the conference room. The room fell silent once more. Standing in front of Steve, Olivia bit her lower lip and then lowered her head, looking remorseful. She said, ¡°Mr. Burton, I¡¯m sorry, it was my mistake. I didn¡¯t manage to get the materials to you in time at noon today..¡± Chapter 99 - 99: 99 She doesn’t love me (7) Chapter 99 - 99: 99 She doesn¡¯t love me (7) Trantor: 549690339 Steve Burton seemed not to have heard Olivia Foster admit her mistake, only leisurely flipping through the documents in his hand. The atmosphere in the conference room was eerily quiet. Olivia felt her heartbeat quicken, she stealthily raised her eyelids, nced at Steve, and then spoke, ¡°Mr. Burton, I promise, it won¡¯t happen again.¡± Steve ¡°hmm¡¯d¡± in response, closed the document in his hand, tossed it onto the table, and looked at Olivia. Even after two hours, Olivia¡¯s face was still swollen and somewhat rming. There was little reaction on Steve¡¯s face as he picked up another document, opened it, and finally spoke, ¡°Olivia Foster, are you afraid that I would me you for your poor work performance and are deliberately ying the martyr, pping yourself twice?¡± Olivia waspletely unprepared for Steve to say that. She raised her head, looked at him with wide eyes, and began saying with a hint of redness in her eyes, ¡°No.¡± Olivia had thought that after she said no, Steve would continue with her words and ask what had happened. However, to her surprise, Steve just calmly sat in his chair, staring intently at the documents in his hands and showing no concern for the two ps on her face. In fact, Olivia came to Steve to admit her mistake, just as Maya Mitchell had guessed. She dared not let Steve know that it was Ruby Gregory who had hit her. After all, her grudge with Ruby had been instigated by her. Even if Ruby was wrong in hitting her, she was the one who provoked it first. If Steve were to hold them ountable, neither she nor Ruby would have a good oue. No matter how much she hated Ruby and wished she would leave Pristine¡¯s Enterprises and Steve Burton¡¯s side immediately, she was not so foolish as to make Steve have a negative opinion of Ruby and herself at the same time. But now, Steve suspected her of ying the martyr. Olivia¡¯s heart was filled with uncertainty. Only when someone truly loved someone would they care so deeply about the impression they left on that person. After hesitating for a while, Olivia finally chose to speak up to Steve and exin what had happened to clear herself of suspicion of using a trick. ¡°Mr. Burton, I didn¡¯t hit myself. Someone else hit me.¡± When such a fight urred in thepany, Steve, as the president, exhibited no anger or surprise. He acted as if he didn¡¯t care, focusing on the documents in his hands, and even picked up a pen from the side to make some notes. Olivia waited for a while, and when Steve didn¡¯t react, she continued, ¡°It was Ruby Gregory who hit me..¡± Chapter 100 - 100: 100 She doesn’t love me (8) Chapter 100 - 100: 100 She doesn¡¯t love me (8) Trantor: 549690339 Steve Burton¡¯s pen movement on the paper paused for a moment, then continued in a fluid and graceful manner. Since the main character of the incident had already been introduced, it was natural to move on to the course of events. When retelling the incident from Olivia Foster¡¯s perspective, she would naturally try to downy her own mistakes and emphasize Ruby Gregory¡¯s errors. So, she chose her words carefully and said, ¡°At noon today, the reason why I couldn¡¯t hand over the materials to you in time was that Ruby interfered. She directly tore up the contract I printed, and then we had a quarrel. After that, she pped me twice.¡± Afterpleting his notes, Steve Burton continued to read the document, twirling his pen lightly. Having spent considerable time with Steve, Olivia Foster hade to understand him a bit. She knew that what she had just said seemed to deliberately paint Ruby in a bad light while portraying herself as overly aggrieved. Moreover, she was the one who started the trouble in the first ce. So, Olivia continued, ¡°The reason why Ruby tried to stop me was because this morning, when I was tidying up the office, I saw a document on the floor under her desk. I thought it was useless trash, so I picked it up and threw it into the trash can. I didn¡¯t expect that it was a report you needed today. She thought I did it on purpose and didn¡¯t believe my exnation, so she tore up the contract I printed¡­¡± Before Olivia could finish her long statement, Steve suddenly stood up.
The man was much taller than her. Olivia looked up at Steve, somewhat stunned. Steve leaned forward, raised his hand, and lifted Olivia¡¯s chin, carefully staring at her face for a moment before asking, ¡°Ruby did this?¡± This was the first time Steve had touched Olivia¡¯s face. Olivia felt her heart nearly leap out of her chest. She was nervous yet excited,pletely forgetting to decipher Steve¡¯s tone¡ªhappy or angry. Staring at Steve, Olivia hesitated for two seconds, then nodded and said, ¡°Yes. Steve didn¡¯t say anything this time, simply pinching Olivia¡¯s chin, turning it from side to side, and even reaching out his finger to touch the red marks on her face from the p, asking, ¡°Does it hurt?¡± Was Steve showing concern for her? A sudden surge of happiness welled up in Olivia¡¯s heart. In the depths of her mind, she even thought that if Ruby¡¯s ps could win her Steve¡¯s care, she would be willing to be pped by Ruby every day. Olivia looked at Steve, nodding like a helpless young woman, with a tone that was both aggrieved and coquettish, saying, ¡°It hurts.¡± ¡°Really?¡± Steve asked airily. Then he said, ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter whether you have this face or not. If it gets ruined by Ruby, you can just go to South Genovia and have a new one.¡± Olivia looked incredulously into Steve¡¯s eyes. Suddenly, the hand that held Olivia¡¯s chin tightened, causing Olivia pain, and her tears streamed down. Although the man¡¯s expression had been calm just moments ago, it had turned dark and fierce in an instant. His tone was exceptionally venomous and mocking, ¡°I¡¯m really curious, facing a face like yours, Ruby could still bear to hit it. Doesn¡¯t she fear dirtying her hands?¡± PS: Oh dear, Brother Time, can your mouth not be so poisonous? That¡¯s it for today, continue tomorrow.. The reader who won the signed book and calendar yesterday is: Heartless TEL Chapter 101 - 101: 101 She doesn’t love me (9) Chapter 101 - 101: 101 She doesn¡¯t love me (9) Trantor: 549690339 Just moments ago, the man¡¯s expression had been light and breezy, but now it turned dark and sinister in an instant. The tone he used was especially harsh and scornful, ¡°I¡¯m really curious, how could Ruby Gregory bear to touch a face like yours? Isn¡¯t she afraid of dirtying her hands?¡± For a woman, nothing is more important than her appearance. Being despised for her face is undoubtedly the greatest blow to a woman. And Steve Burton is the man Olivia Foster loves the most. In his every word and phrase, he didn¡¯t bother to hide his disgust for Olivia¡¯s face. As a result, the impact instantly magnified tenfold, making Olivia feel as if the sky hade crashing down on her.
Staring at Steve¡¯s unrealistically handsome face, Olivia was dumbfounded for two minutes before finally blinking her eyes and uttering, ¡°Mr. Burton.¡± As Olivia called his name, tears streamed down her face. Even if her initial mistake with Rubyy with her, Steve didn¡¯t know that, and from her words, it seemed that Ruby was even more in the wrong. Moreover, it was wrong for Ruby to hit someone in the first ce. Why didn¡¯t Steve have any reaction and just reprimanded her directly? When Olivia was pped twice by Ruby in the afternoon, she felt aggrieved, but it wasn¡¯t earth-shattering. However, now she felt like Dou E, bearing the grievances of the world, with a chilling snowstorm descending in her heart. As if defending herself, Olivia responded with a hint of resentment, ¡°Ruby was the one who hit me, Ruby was the one who provoked me first. Mr. Burton, if you handle it like this, aren¡¯t you just indulging her to act even more recklessly? This is unfair.¡± Steve looked at Olivia¡¯s indignant expression as if hearing a particrly amusing joke and chuckled softly twice. Reckless? He truly wished that Ruby would act recklessly in front of him, even just a little bit, and he would be satisfied. Not the current cautious and restrained behavior! Steve¡¯sughter was low-pitched and slow, even carrying a tad bit of mellifluousness. However, for some reason, it made Olivia¡¯s heart feel a sense of danger as itnded in her ears. Olivia, who had been initially neither arrogant nor obsequious, blinked while looking straight into Steve¡¯s eyes. Suddenly, Steve stoppedughing, stared at Olivia for two seconds, and then spoke slowly in his usual melodious tone with a hint of his signature mockery, ¡°Olivia Foster, I¡¯ve seen those who are spoiled and arrogant, but never have I seen someone like you, who possesses no favor yet still acts so arrogantly!¡± Chapter 102 - 102: 102 She doesn’t love me (10) Chapter 102 - 102: 102 She doesn¡¯t love me (10) Trantor: 549690339 ¡°Olivia Foster, I¡¯ve really never seen anyone like you who just brings trouble upon themselves!¡± Steve Burton looked down at Olivia¡¯s tear-streaked face, his voice suddenly icy-cold: ¡°Don¡¯t be ungrateful ¨C if you¡¯re tired of being at Pristine¡¯s Enterprises, get the hell out of here right now!¡± Steve roughly let go of Olivia¡¯s face, which he had been pinching, and casually wiped his hands with a wet towel in front of her. Steve¡¯s shamelessness did not lie in disregarding who was right or wrong, but only in protecting Ruby Gregory wholeheartedly, and then letting things be when the situation was favorable. Steve¡¯s shamelessness also did not lie in secretly supporting Ruby, verbally helping her, but also striking Olivia harder with his actions. Steve¡¯s most shameless act was that his strike was so sharp and merciless.
It was not just that he had wiped his hands clean with a tissue ¡ª he had continued wiping his hands repetitively with a second one. Olivia was no fool; as she watched this scene, the blood drained from her face. However, unfortunately, Steve seemed to not know how to let matters rest, showing no consideration for others. After wiping his hand with two wet tissues, he threw them onto the table, looking as if he couldn¡¯t be more disgusted. The most outrageous thing was that he wouldn¡¯t even clean up his own mess, and instead wanted Olivia to clean up the trash he had created out of disgust for her! Steve spoke to Olivia with an extremely cold tone: ¡°Clean up the trash on the conference table!¡± He then picked up the documents from the table, didn¡¯t even giving Olivia a nce, and walked straight out of the conference room. The moment Steve closed the door of the meeting room, he faintly heard the sound of Olivia¡¯s sobbing. He had nopassion for her, and there was even a hint of mockery in his eyes. Ruby, that woman, only wanted to show her best side in front of him obedient, understanding, and well-behaved. How could she possibly cause trouble in thepany? What Ruby feared the most was his anger, which might lead to her being driven out of Pristine¡¯s Enterprises. If there was a conflict between her and Olivia, it must have been because Olivia had done something to cross Ruby¡¯s bottom line! Even if he didn¡¯t investigate the matter thoroughly and Ruby truly made trouble due to her favored position, there was no fairness to speak of in his eyes. Fairness? Did Olivia¡¯s mind rust, daring to bring up fairness with him when it came to Ruby? Was she asking for trouble? What was even more ridiculous was that those who should be arrogant due to being favored weren¡¯t, while those without any qualifications to be arrogant insisted on doing so, overstepping their boundaries and being relentless! Was something wrong with this world? Chapter 103 - 103: 103 She doesn’t love me (11) Chapter 103 - 103: 103 She doesn¡¯t love me (11) Trantor: 549690339 As Steve Burton returned to his office from the meeting room, his secretary, Ms. Taylor, stood up. She first reported his schedule for tomorrow morning, and then asked, ¡°Mr. Burton, who should apany you to your dinner with Ms. Annie tonight?¡± Only then did Steve remember that he was having dinner tonight, and Ms. Annie Beischel was a foreign client who had always been entertained by Olivia Foster. Olivia, who had been pped twice by Ruby Gregory, and her face was swollen and red, naturally could not attend. Among the young women in the office there were only three: Ruby Gregory, Maya Mitchell, and Olivia Foster. With Olivia ruled out, Maya and Ruby were the only ones left.
Ruby, being new, wasn¡¯t particrly familiar with Ms. Annie. Therefore, the most suitable candidate could only be Maya. Ms. Taylor, noticing that Mr. Burton hadn¡¯t responded for a while, thought it over, and then gently suggested, ¡°Thest time Olivia was sick, Maya filled in for her and entertained Ms. Annie. She¡¯s quite familiar with Ms. Annie, so why not let Maya apany you this time?¡± Maya, seemingly focused on herputer screen, was actually listening carefully to the conversation between Ms. Taylor and Mr. Burton. She had performed very well at the afternoon meeting, and moreover, she had swiftly solved a problem when Olivia Foster had almost been unable to turn in her material. Steve must be very pleased with her work performance. Furthermore, since Ruby Gregory had pped Olivia, and Mr. Burton was always fair to his employees, he would surely agree to have her apany him to the dinner tonight. A faint smile began to appear at the corners of Maya¡¯s lips. After hearing Ms. Taylor¡¯s words, Steve didn¡¯t show much emotion on his face. He simply picked up his pen and signed his name on the document that Ms. Taylor needed his approval for. Ms. Taylor assumed that Steve had epted her suggestion, and was about to instruct Maya to get ready and apany Steve to the dinner. However, as Steve put down his pen, he paused slightly, then turned his head, nced at Ruby who seemed engrossed with herputer screen, and said in a slightly chilly voice, ¡°Let Ruby go with me.¡± The words ¡°Maya¡± that were about toe out of Ms. Taylor¡¯s mouth got stuck in her throat instantly. The smile on Maya¡¯s lips froze instantly. By the time Ms. Taylor regained herposure, Steve had already left his office. Experience came with age. Although Ms. Taylor was puzzled as to why Steve had chosen Ruby, who knew nothing about Ms. Annie, she quickly regained herposure and said with the usual bureaucratic tone, ¡°Ruby, tonight you will apany Mr. Burton to the dinner party.¡± Ruby looked at Ms. Taylor with some confusion: ¡°Dinner? With Ms.. Annie?¡± Chapter 104 - 104: 104 She doesn’t love me (12) Chapter 104 - 104: 104 She doesn¡¯t love me (12) Trantor: 549690339 The Secretary General nodded slightly at Ruby Gregory, then turned to Maya Mitchell and instructed, ¡°Maya, please share with Ruby about Ms. Annie¡¯s habits and the points to be aware of when apanying Mr. Burton at dinner parties. ¡± Maya Mitchell¡¯s face was as gentle and friendly as always, just a hint of gloominess passed over the depths of her eyes. However, it quickly dissipated and she turned to Ruby, her tone was very affectionate and serious. She did not hold back anything, and shared everything she knew with Ruby Gregory. Ruby Gregory seriously remembered each point and said to Maya Mitchell, ¡°Thank you.¡± Maya Mitchell¡¯s tone was still soft and pleasant, ¡°It¡¯s no problem.¡± The dinner was scheduled for seven-thirty.
The venue was the Hilton Grand Hotel on the West 2nd Ring Road. As the traffic was always heavy in Ciawell during peak hours, Steve Burton set off with Ruby at half past six. The driver had already prepared the car at the main entrance of the Pristine¡¯s Building. As he saw Steve Burton and Ruby appear from the building, he quickly got out of the car and was about to open the car door when Steve Burton reached out his hand and said, ¡°Give me the keys.¡± Ruby, who was following behind Steve, felt a tight knot in her stomach at his words. Was Steve nning to drive her there? The thought of being alone with him in the car made Ruby feel extremely nervous. The driver respectfully handed over the car keys. Steve took the keys, opened the vehicle¡¯s passenger door and threw a sentence to Ruby behind him, ¡°Get in.¡± Then, he walked around the car and got directly into the driver¡¯s seat. Ruby looked at the open passenger seat, frowning. Was Steve asking her to sit in the front? However, Madeleine had clearly warned her that over the past three years, Steve¡¯s biggest ¡°no-no¡± was having a woman sit in the passenger seat of his car. Many women had cut off all rtions with him as a result of breaking this unwritten rule. Was it possible that Steve intended to open the rear door, but identally opened the wrong one? Ruby Gregory raised her head and nced at Steve, who was already in the driver¡¯s seat, having just started the car. The man¡¯s expression was as icy as ever. Ruby knew that his patience was always limited, so she hesitated for a moment, then deciding to y it safe, shut the passenger seat door and opened the rear door instead, climbing in swiftly. Before Ruby had time to settle in, before she even managed to close the car door, Steve Burton stepped on the elerator hard, sending the car shooting forward. Ruby¡¯s body jerked forward slightly, she lifted her head and through the rearview mirror, she caught a glimpse of Steve¡¯s quiet face, a hint of gloominess was spreading across it. Her initial anxiety due to being left alone with him intensified considerably.. Chapter 105 - 105: 105 She doesn’t love me (13) Chapter 105 - 105: 105 She doesn¡¯t love me (13) Trantor: 549690339 Steve Burton stared straight ahead, constantly mming on the brakes and stomping on the elerator. There was some congestion on the road, and the car could hardly move for more than a moment beforeing to a stop. The sudden starts and stops made Ruby Gregory feel nauseous, but she didn¡¯t dare to speak up. Finally, they hit a red light thatsted two minutes, and Ruby breathed a quiet sigh of relief. Steve appeared impatient, tapping the steering wheel with his finger. After a moment, he rolled down the window, and the noise of the traffic and honking horns outside invaded the car.
In her heart, Ruby silently prayed for the red light to pass slowly. With thirty seconds remaining, Steve suddenly asked in a t tone, ¡°What was your New Year¡¯s wish during the Chinese New Year when you were sixteen?¡± Ruby was now 25 years old, and the Chinese New Year when she was sixteen was almost a decade ago. Her New Year¡¯s wish from ten years ago? Why was he asking her about a decade-old New Year¡¯s wish? Ruby¡¯s mind felt somewhat muddled. She stared nkly at Steve, her eyes full of confusion. After her puzzlement, Ruby tried her best to recall the events of ten years ago. She clearly remembered that it was that year when she learned that Steve liked the color blue, that he liked Chanel No. 5 perfume, and that he enjoyed eating matcha-vored cakes. She even remembered that a girl had confessed her love to Steve that year, only for him to reject her because she was wearing a light green dress. That day, Ruby returned home and packed away anything she owned that was light green, throwing it all into The Gregorys¡¯ storage room. Furthermore, from that day on, even if she saw something beautiful in light green, she would immediately consider it taboo. As Ruby reflected on those memories, she realized that she remembered all the details about Steve, but had no impression of her New Year¡¯s wish from that year. Ruby looked up, discreetly observing Steve¡¯s expression. She found his face even more solemn than before. Her hand subconsciously tightened, and she swallowed, forcing a small smile, ¡°It¡¯s been so many years, I can¡¯t quite remember¡­¡± As she spoke, Steve¡¯s face grew more frightening, and the air in the car became thinner. Ruby¡¯s voice became lower and lower, to the point where she didn¡¯t even finish saying the word ¡°clear.¡± Instead, she just closed her mouth. The red light turned green, and Steve pressed on the car window before flooring the elerator. The car shot out like an arrow leaving its bow. Ruby¡¯s heart jumped into her throat as well. She sat quietly and well-behaved in the car, not daring to move or even breathe too forcefully.. Chapter 106 - 106: 106 She doesn’t love me (14) Chapter 106 - 106: 106 She doesn¡¯t love me (14) Trantor: 549690339 Just when Ruby Gregory felt like she was about to suffocate before the car reached its destination, the car finally came to a stop. Steve Burton didn¡¯t pay any attention to Ruby Gregory in the back seat, and directly pushed open the car door, getting out of the car. Ruby took a deep breath as soon as the car stopped, then hurriedly got out of the car, only to find her legs shaking uncontrobly after she stood on the ground. Steve Burton didn¡¯t even nce at Ruby Gregory as he walked straight into the hotel. His footsteps were fast but didn¡¯t seem rushed at all, giving people a sense of grace andposure.
Ruby trailed closely behind Steve Burton at a jog. The private room they had reserved was on the top floor of the Hilton Grand Hotel. By the time the waiter led Steve Burton and Ruby to the private room, Ms. Annie Beischel and her female assistant were already inside waiting. As soon as the door opened, Ms. Annie stood up with a bright smile to greet them. Ms. Annie had waist-length golden curls and wore a low-cut short dress, her features strong and delicate. She greeted them with somewhat stiff Chinese, ¡°Steve, long time no see.¡± Steve¡¯s face had already returned to his usual elegant indifference. He politely shook hands with Ms. Annie and responded fluently and urately in English, ¡°Sorry to keep you waiting.¡± Blinking her blue eyes, Ms. Annie switched to English, ¡°That¡¯s alright, I just arrived not long ago myself.¡± Pausing for a moment with a slightly tender expression, Ms. Annie openly showed her admiration and fondness for Steve, ¡°And Steve, you know, I¡¯m more than happy to wait for you.¡± Although Ms. Annie was speaking in English, Ruby, who had been in Costa Luna for three years, understood her words. She subconsciously nced at Steve and found that he remained indifferent to Ms. Annie¡¯s tant confession, simply gesturing for everyone to take their seats in a gentlemanly manner. The dishes had been ordered when the restaurant was reserved, and after they were served, the waiter silently left the private room, closing the door behind them. Ms. Annie picked up her wine ss, raised it gracefully, and said, ¡°Steve, I¡¯m delighted to have dinner with you tonight.¡± Steve raised his wine ss, lightly clinking it against Ms. Annie¡¯s ss, and took a sip. Only after putting down her wine ss did Ms. Annie realize that Steve had brought a different secretary today. She stared at Ruby for a moment before asking, ¡°Steve, is this your new secretary?¡± Steve Burton nodded slightly. Ruby picked up her wine ss and clinked it against Ms. Annie¡¯s. In English, she greeted politely, ¡°Hello, Ms. Annie. I¡¯m Ruby Gregory, nice to meet you for the first time. Please give me your guidance..¡± Chapter 107 - 107: 107 She doesn’t love me (15) Chapter 107 - 107: 107 She doesn¡¯t love me (15) Trantor: 549690339 ¡°Hello.¡± Ms. Annie smiled friendly at Steve Burton and clinked sses with Ruby Gregory, drinking a sip of alcohol elegantly. Before attending the dinner party, Maya Mitchell told Ruby a lot of precautions, which Ruby firmly kept in mind. However, she realized that the dinner party was not asplicated as she had imagined when she was actually there. Throughout the whole dinner table, she and Ms. Annie¡¯s assistant seemed like redundant presences. The most they did from start to finish was pour alcohol. Ruby could understand English, and the conversation between Ms. Annie and Steve was about things unrted to work. Steve did not speak much and would asionally say a sentence or two; most of the time, it was Ms. Annie who spoke endlessly, talking about her recent trips, new cooperation strategies with variouspanies, and even rmending some delicacies and scenery to Steve. The conversation between the two did not resemble that of business partners but old friends catching up.
Ms. Annie had a cheerful personality, and she wouldugh heartily while speaking. Perhaps because of the alcohol, her face was slightly flushed; her eyes were constantly fixed on Steve¡¯s face and never left for even a moment. At some point, Ms. Annie whispered something to her assistant, who got up, apologized to Steve and Ruby, and then left the private room. The alcohol in front of Ms. Annie was gradually running out. Ruby stood up to pour more alcohol, but Ms. Annie stopped her by holding down the wine bottle on the table, then turned to Ruby with a smile and said: ¡°Ms. Gregory, I¡¯m sorry, but I have some matters to discuss with Mr. Burton privately. Would you mind giving us some space?¡± Ruby subconsciously looked at Steve. Steve showed no reaction on his face. Ruby hesitated for a moment, then nodded at Ms. Annie, took her cell phone, and left the private room. With two fewer people in the private room, it became somewhat quiet. Ms. Annie picked up the wine bottle, filled both her and Steve¡¯s sses, and then raised her own, clinking it lightly with Steve¡¯s. She threw her head back, drank the alcohol in one gulp, and then said: ¡°Steve, it¡¯s been so long. You¡¯ve be even more charming than before.¡± Steve remained calm in the face of such praise. ¡°Steve, I originally only nned to visit Shanghai in China, but I specifically flew to Ciawell to see you. I¡¯m going back to Lilliput tomorrow,¡± Ms. Annie took another sip of alcohol and continued, ¡°Steve, you know I admire you. This time, I don¡¯t want to leave disappointed like before..¡± Chapter 108 - 108: 108 She doesn’t love me (16) Chapter 108 - 108: 108 She doesn¡¯t love me (16) Trantor: 549690339 Ms. Annie stood up, walked around the dining table, and strode towards Steve Burton. She stood in front of him, gazing at his stunning face with a touch of obsession in her eyes. Then, she boldly reached out, unzipping her dress¡¯s side zipper. Steve Burton frowned, ¡°Ms. Annie, you¡¯re drunk. I¡¯ll have the waiter take you upstairs to rest.¡± ¡°Steve, I¡¯m not drunk. I know what I¡¯m doing.¡± Ms. Annie hurried over, stopping Steve from making a call with one hand, looked down at his eyes, swallowed, and then sat on hisp. She reached up to unbutton his suit jacket, ¡°Steve, don¡¯t reject me anymore. I admire you, I like you too. I know you don¡¯t want me as your lover, but can I be your one-night lover?¡± Steve raised his hand, grabbing Annie¡¯s hand to stop her.
However, Ms. Annie leaned forward and attempted to kiss Steve. Steve quickly dodged backward, identally knocking the chair behind him over with a loud crash due to the force and angle. Ruby Gregory had been standing at the door of the private dining room, not leaving. After an unknown amount of time, Ruby heard a loud noise from inside. It was like something had fallen to the ground. Ruby didn¡¯t know the situation inside. Fearing that something unexpected might have happened, she knocked on the door and pushed it open, ¡°Mr. Burton¡­ ¡® Ruby could only utter two words before being rendered speechless by the scene before her. Ms. Annie was sitting disheveled on Steve¡¯sp, her two snow-white legs tightly pressed against his suit pants. She grasped Steve¡¯s cor tightly, while his hand pressed on hers¡­ The scene was too explicit and tant. Steve and Ms. Annie didn¡¯t expect someone to suddenly enter after knocking, and they both froze in ce. In just one second, when Steve saw that the visitor was Ruby, he almost jumped up from the chair, pushing Ms. Annie off him without mercy. At that moment, Steve felt like a husband caught cheating by his wife, panic surged from the bottom of his heart. He instinctively opened his mouth, wanting to exin to Ruby. As Steve moved, Ruby snapped out of her daze, her face turning red. She had interrupted Steve¡¯s intimate moment. Would he be angry with her and dislike her even more? Ruby quickly spoke up, ¡°Sorry, I didn¡¯t mean to. Carry on.¡± Then, without waiting for Steve and Ms. Annie to react, Ruby mmed the door shut with a bang. The words on the tip of Steve¡¯s tongue were abruptly strangled in his throat. He stared at the closed door in front of him, as his panic was instantly flooded with an indescribable sense of mncholy¡­ PS: That¡¯s it for today.. Continue tomorrow- Here¡¯s some news: the calendars are already being printed! We¡¯ve posted some pictures on Twitter- The previous group is full, we¡¯ll announce a new group tomorrow- Yesterday¡¯s lucky readers who won signed books and calendars are: Ruchu. Chapter 109 - 109: 109 She doesn’t love me (17) Chapter 109 - 109: 109 She doesn¡¯t love me (17) Trantor: 549690339 Steve Burton¡¯s words at the tip of his tongue, were brutally choked back in his throat. He stared at the tightly closed door in front of him, the chaos in his heart was instantly submerged by an unspeakable mncholy. A woman who remembers all your likes and dislikes, whose life¡¯s goal is to be your wife, seeing you disheveled with another woman, her first reaction wasn¡¯t anger, sadness, or breakdown, but rather speaking calmly and apologetically, ¡°I¡¯m sorry, continue,¡± and then considerately closing the door for you. What about him? Anytime something happened, he was always able to remain poker-faced, even in an emergency, he would appear nonchnt. But today, for the first time in his life, he showed signs of panic.
At this moment, Steve Burton felt his recent flustered behavior was so ridiculous and excessive. Steve Burton¡¯s reaction was too intense. When he pushed Ms. Annie off him, he used so much force that he identally knocked her to the ground. Ms. Annie looked at Steve Burton, who was standing aside. As always, he was gazing somberly at the closed door. But she wasn¡¯t sure if it was her imagination, she felt that Steve Burton¡¯s expression subtly revealed a sense of sorrow. Ms. Annie got up from the floor, she didn¡¯t show any anger or shame because of Steve¡¯s rejection. She fixed her clothes andbed her long hair, then slowly walked towards Steve Burton and said, ¡°It seems, I can only be your business partner.¡± Steve Burton took his gaze off the door and put it on Ms. Annie. Ms. Annie gave Steve a bright smile, extended her hand towards him, ¡°Although the situation is embarrassing, it¡¯s not necessarily a bad thing. At least, I tried my best and have no regrets.¡± Steve Burton reached out, shook hands with Ms. Annie, said ¡°I¡¯m sorry¡±, and then they separated. The words Ms. Annie said didn¡¯t seem to care at all, but her tone was heavy with loss, ¡°That¡¯s okay, I have the right to like you, and you have the right to reject me.¡± Not two minutes after Ruby Gregory closed the door, the door to the room was opened again. She quickly turned her head and saw Ms. Annie, neatly dressed and elegantly standing out, walking out of the room. Ruby Gregory hurriedly started to apologize again, ¡°Ms. Annie, I¡¯m really sorry about earlier.¡± Ms. Annie gave Ruby a barely friendly nod, her tone slightly stiff, ¡°It¡¯s okay..¡± Chapter 110 - 110: 110 She doesn’t love me (18) Chapter 110 - 110: 110 She doesn¡¯t love me (18) Trantor: 549690339 As soon as she finished speaking, Ms. Annie turned around and left. Ruby stared at Ms. Annie¡¯s figure disappearing at the elevator entrance before turning her head to look at the half-open door of the private room. Was it because of her interruption that Steve and Ms. Annie didn¡¯t continue? It was clear that Ms. Annie left very unhappily, but what about Steve? Was his mood very bad at this very moment?
In front of him, it seemed like anything she did was wrong. Yesterday at his birthday party, he took her upstairs, and after a passionate night, he stillshed out at her angrily. Today, she didn¡¯t dare to approach him easily at thepany, fearing that he was still angry. Now that this incident had happened¡­ Standing at the door, Ruby raised her hand several times to touch the door, but ultimately didn¡¯t have the courage to open it. After hesitating five or six times, Ruby finally took a deep breath and entered the room. The private room was very quiet; Steve was sitting by the window, his head tilted, looking out the window as if thinking about something. The window was open, and a cool breeze was blowing in. Ruby tiptoed inside, and only two meters away from Steve, she paused before holding her breath and stepping up to his side. Steve nced sideways at Ruby. The man¡¯s expression seemed cold, and Ruby looked down hurriedly after just one nce, thinking that Steve was indeed unhappy because of her interruption earlier. Steve looked out the window indifferently after just a brief nce at Ruby. Ruby would asionally lift her eyelids and steal a nce at his side profile. She could tell he had no intention of speaking, so she couldn¡¯t keep silent forever. She noticed that there were no traces of food on his te, and he hadn¡¯t eaten much that night, so she asked, ¡°Mr. Burton, you haven¡¯t eaten anything all night; is it because the food doesn¡¯t suit your taste?¡± Her words, like talking to herself, received no response whatsoever. She saw that the food on the table had already gone cold, and even if it suited his taste, the picky Steve wouldn¡¯t eat it now. Ruby knew that Steve preferred to eat light food at night, so she spoke again, saying, ¡°Shall I ask the hotel to prepare some vegetarian dishes for you?¡± Finally, Steve reacted by turning his head to look into Ruby¡¯s eyes. His eyes were very charming, with ck, bright pupils that were deep and spirited.. But inside them, there was a sharp, icy hint: ¡°Ruby, can you stop being so hypocritical in front of me?¡± Chapter 111 - 111: 111 She doesn’t love me (19) Chapter 111 - 111: 111 She doesn¡¯t love me (19) Trantor: 549690339 Steve Burton¡¯s tone was sharp and piercing, not at all concealing the sarcasm deep in his heart. Ruby Gregory¡¯s heart tightened upon hearing this, and she pursed her lips, her eyelids drooping slightly to hide the hurt in her eyes. She suddenly rememberedst night, when she had wanted to help him wash the clothes he had taken off, but ended up being met with his irritation, just like today. Every time she tried to be considerate of him, all she received in return was his disdain. She desperately tried to do her best, but it only resulted in his aversion.
She recalled that when Steve used to talk to her in the past, his tone was sometimes cold, like now, but that was only when she had made a mistake. At that time, his tone would be slightly cold at most, and he had never said hurtful words. But now, even if she was not in the wrong, and was thinking about him in every way, all she got in return were sharper, more ruthless, and hurtful words each time. She wasn¡¯t a person without temper or pride, and she really wanted to just turn around and walk away,pletely cutting ties with him, never having anything to do with him again. But thinking of the sorrow on her father¡¯s face this morning, and the mockery by Olivia Foster at noon, Ruby could only grip her fists tightly, forcing herself to be numb, to pretend not to hear Steve¡¯s words, and to not care about them. Steve stared at the submissive Ruby for two seconds before turning his head and continuing to look out the window. The private room became even quieter. Because Ruby had interrupted Steve¡¯s conversation with Ms. Annie, she was already feeling restless and nervous, not wanting to face Steve now. After his mockery, she felt even more pressured and wanted to disappear before Steve more than ever. Ruby thought that if she remained silent for a while, Steve would eventually settle the bill and leave. But as time ticked away, Steve remained unresponsive, leaving Ruby with no choice but to speak up: ¡°Mr. Burton, it¡¯s gettingte. Should I ask the waiter for the bill?¡± Steve turned his head, nced at Ruby, and although he still didn¡¯t say anything, he stood up from his seat. Ruby was standing half a meter away from his seat. As Steve stood up, he took a small step forward, standing right in front of Ruby. The sudden closeness startled Ruby, her heart leaping into her throat. Being much shorter than him, she didn¡¯t dare to look up at his face, but only stared nkly at the buttons on his suit, swallowing nervously. She found an excuse to turn away and distance herself: ¡°I¡¯ll go call the waiter now.¡± Without waiting for Steve¡¯s approval, Ruby took the initiative to turn around and prepared to head towards the door.. Chapter 112 - 112: 112 She doesn’t love me (20) Chapter 112 - 112: 112 She doesn¡¯t love me (20) Trantor: 549690339 Steve, however, reached out a step ahead and held Ruby¡¯s shoulder, preventing her from moving. Ruby felt as if her shoulder was on fire, waves of heat emanating from it. After a few encounters, she gradually realized the hidden meanings behind some of Steve¡¯s actions, like now and the situation in the hotel yesterday. After feeding him watermelon juice, she attempted to escape, but he reached out and threw her onto the bed. This foreboding feeling made Ruby tremble all over. Could it be that he wanted to do those intimate things with her that he couldn¡¯t do with Ms. Annie, right here? Was this his punishment for her interruption? Ruby could clearly sense Steve¡¯s face getting closer and closer to hers, her heart bing a panicky mess. She quickly thought of ways to stop him, but after pondering for a long time, she couldn¡¯te up with a reasonable excuse. In the end, she desperately recalled that Ms. Annie was staying at the Four Seasons Hotel, just across from the Hilton Hotel. Steve med her for interrupting their moment, so if she could somehow bring them back together alone, she would be safe, right?
With this thought, Ruby blurted out, ¡°Mr. Burton, I just remembered that you haven¡¯t talked to Ms. Annie about next month¡¯s order quantity yet. Should I call her now and arrange for you to meet her at the coffee shop downstairs to As Ruby spoke, Steve¡¯s gaze became vicious, and the hand holding her shoulder suddenly increased in strength, causing her so much pain that her next words were reced with a gasp. He and Ms. Annie could be intimate in the hotel¡¯s private room, yet her reservedness and pride told her that she couldn¡¯t allow it. Ruby¡¯s mind was buzzing, and at this very moment, she didn¡¯t have the capacity to think about anything else. All she hoped for was that he would let her go. She dodged Steve¡¯s lips and hurriedly said, ¡°I didn¡¯t mean to interrupt you and Ms. Annie, I really didn¡¯t do it on purpose¡­¡± Ruby¡¯s anxiety was apparent in her voice, but her desperation didn¡¯t soften Steve¡¯s heart.. Chapter 113 - 113: 113 She doesn ‘t love me (21) Chapter 113 - 113: 113 She doesn ¡®t love me (21) Trantor: 549690339 In the end, she couldn¡¯t escape her fate. Ruby Gregory furrowed her brows tightly, and in the next second, Steve Burton reached out and grabbed her wrist, just like thest time. He took her torn skirt and bound her hands with it. Then, without any hesitation, Steve went straight to the point. It was the same familiar and heart-wrenching pain. Ruby¡¯s body was as tense as stone, and her facial expression was as miserable as being on the execution ground. Her look deeply provoked Steve, causing him to lose all restraint.
Behind Ruby was an icy cold, hard wall, and pain was sent from her back as she rubbed against it. She clenched her teeth tightly, closed her eyes, and silently let him do as he pleased, praying in her heart for this nightmare to end quickly. The more she tried to endure, the harder it was for Steve to control his hand. In the end, he pressed her against the wall so tightly, and the way he kissed her was not like a kiss at all, but more like a bite. On the opposite wall, there was a mirror. Ruby saw her pale face and bound hands in it. She was like a fish, grasping at the life in Steve¡¯s merciless jeu. Yes, if she could choose, she definitely wouldn¡¯t want to walk down this path. But she had no other choice. The Gregorys¡¯ business wasn¡¯t as prosperous as before, the Gregorys¡¯ wealth wasn¡¯t as abundant as before, and it was difficult for a declining family to return to its former glory. And she was the one who needed something from Steve. If she wanted something, she had to give up something and make sacrifices. As long as the end result was that she could marry him, then her sacrifices and sufferings would be worth it. Every time she endured this, she tried to reassure herself like this. But every time, it failed to alleviate the pain he inflicted on her. Ruby¡¯s mind was a haze with countless thoughts, even reminiscing about her carefree childhood. Back then, she didn¡¯t know about her preordained fate. She didn¡¯t have to please Steve constantly, and she was just living for herself. That was the best time in her life. Finally, after enduring such hellish torture, Ruby closed her eyes and quietly let out a breath of relief. The second time took even longer than the first. She didn¡¯t know how long it had been, only that time seemed almost to have stopped. Finally, Steve left her body, and Ruby¡¯s legs gave way, causing her to copse weakly on the ground. She curled up, her hands still bound. The open window let in cold wind, causing her shivers to run throughout her body.. Chapter 114 - 114: 114 She doesn’t love me (22) Chapter 114 - 114: 114 She doesn¡¯t love me (22) Trantor: 549690339 Ruby Gregory softly moved her head and saw that Steve Burton¡¯s clothes, although a bit messy, were still properly worn on his body. As for her, she waspletely naked and as embarrassed as could be. From the depths of Ruby¡¯s dark eyes, a blush arose. She quickly lowered her eyelids and forcefully turned her wrist to free herself. Then, she unfastened her torn clothes. Although the clothes had been torn apart by Steve, she managed to barely cover herself up with them. But deep down, Ruby was slightly worried about how she would leave the hotel without any clothes to wear now.
Steve¡¯s mind was a bit dazed and it took him a while toe back to his senses. His gaze fell upon Ruby curled up on the floor, covering herself with tattered clothes. Her exposed skin was covered with green-and-purple bruises, some left by him yesterday, with today¡¯s darkening colors making them even more apparent. Her head hung low, he couldn¡¯t see her expression, only her delicate straight nose. Her hands tightly grasped the clothes. Although she seemed calm, he still noticed her fingertips trembling slightly. She was always like this, maintaining her silence regardless of how he treated her. Even if she was unwilling deep down. It was her seemingly submissive andpliant demeanor that provoked him into losing control. Steve stared at Ruby for a while before withdrawing his gaze. He picked up the suit jacket hanging on a nearby clothes hanger, felt for the phone inside the pocket, but didn¡¯t take it out. Instead, he put the suit on and left the private room directly. It was only when he stood in the corridor that Steve took out his phone and called Madeleine. There were some things he didn¡¯t want to do in front of her. After hanging up the phone, Steve stood at the door of the private room for a few seconds. In the end, he called a female waitress over and took out a wad of red bills from his pocket to hand to her, saying: ¡°Keep an eye on this door. Don¡¯t let anyone in until Ms. Madeleine arrives.¡± Steve Burton, Madeleine, Edward Woods, Howard Coleman, and Rusell Henris were all regrs at the Hilton Grand Hotel, and the staff there recognized them. So when Steve mentioned Ms. Madeleine, the waitress immediately knew he was talking about Madeleine. The waitress took the money and nodded properly in agreement. The moment the private room door closed, Ruby looked up to see that she was the only one left in the empty room. She curled her body even tighter. He just left her like that and walked away? Ruby pressed her lips hard and struggled to get up from the floor. She picked up her phone, about to call Madeleine when an iing call from Madeleine appeared on her phone screen.. Chapter 115 - 115: 115 She doesn’t love me (23) Chapter 115 - 115: 115 She doesn¡¯t love me (23) Trantor: 549690339 Ruby and Madeleine had known each other for many years, and Madeleine had seen Ruby in countless embarrassing situations before. But at this very moment, Ruby didn¡¯t want anyone to see her disheveled appearance, which was a result of Steve Burton¡¯s actions. This was her humiliation, and she wouldn¡¯t allow anyone to witness it. Although her dress was torn by Steve, Ruby still managed to put on her undergarments and wore the dress. She then sat upright in the dining chair. Madeleine arrived quite quickly, in less than twenty minutes.
She was carrying a bag and hurriedly pushed the door open. Although Ruby was sitting properly in the dining chair, looking as if nothing had happened, Madeleine could see her messy hair, torn clothing, swollen lips, and the marks on her exposed skin. She was stunned for a moment. Ruby¡¯s attempt to conceal her humiliation crumbled under Madeleine¡¯s gaze, and she quickly lowered her head. After a while, Madeleineposed herself. She was no fool and understood what had just transpired between Steve and Ruby. Madeleine¡¯s voice was a little low as she said, ¡°Ruby.¡± Ruby could hear the sympathy in Madeleine¡¯s tone. She turned to smile at her, trying to seem nonchnt. Speaking lightly, she said, ¡°Madeleine, give me the clothes.¡± Madeleine handed the clothes to Ruby. When Ruby took them, Madeleine clenched the bag and called out softly, ¡°Ruby.¡± Madeleine¡¯s words were somewhat hesitant. Ruby knew what Madeleine wanted to say, but she didn¡¯t want to hear it. Because anything Madeleine said would only rub salt into Ruby¡¯s wounds. Ruby¡¯s tone remained calm, as she said, ¡°Madeleine, wait for me outside.¡± Madeleine hesitated, but ultimately said nothing. She released her grip on the bag, turned around, and walked out of the private room. The dress was likely brought from home by Madeleine. Ruby was slightly thinner than Madeleine, so when she put the dress on, it was a little loose. When Ruby came out of the private room, she only exchanged two nces with Madeleine. The two said nothing and headed towards the elevator. During the drive back to the Gregorys¡¯ home, Madeleine and Ruby remained silent. Ruby sat wearily in the passenger seat, her face pale and frightening. She stared out the window, not blinking, her whole being devoid of life. Madeleine wanted to ask Ruby about her and Steve several times, but in the end, she couldn¡¯t bring herself to do it. Instead, she brought Ruby to the entrance of the Gregorys¡¯ house, watched her go inside, and only then did she pick up her phone to send a message to Steve before driving away.. Chapter 116 - 116: 116 She doesn’t love me (24) Chapter 116 - 116: 116 She doesn¡¯t love me (24) Trantor: 549690339 Steve Burton¡¯s car was parked in the Burton family¡¯s yard. He remained inside the car, not getting out. He watched through the car window illuminated by themps in the two yards, as Ruby Gregory got off Madeleine¡¯s car, her steps slightly hesitant along The Gregorys¡¯ gravel path, bypassing The Gregorys¡¯ back door, and returned inside the house. In less than two minutes, Steve saw the lights inside Ruby¡¯s room turn on. She had already returned safely, but he still had no intention of getting out of the car.
The night in the suburb was quiet, and Steve could faintly hear the sound of insects chirping from outside through the car. That sound somehow brought a sense of emptiness within him. Steve reached out to turn on the car radio, and a popr song happened to be ying. ¡°She doesn¡¯t love me, holding hands feels too cold, hugging isn¡¯t close enough.¡± ¡°She doesn¡¯t love me, her words don¡¯t feel sincere, her silence too focused. ¡°I know, she doesn¡¯t love me, her eyes reveal her heart.¡± ¡°She doesn¡¯t love me, and yet, she still walked away with my heart.¡± Unsure if it was because the music was too enchanting, Steve suddenly turned his head to stare at the passenger seat, bing lost in thought. Ten years ago, during one Chinese New Year, Ruby Gregory was sixteen, and he drove her up the mountain to set off fireworks. Standing on the mountaintop, they could enjoy the night view of the vi area in the Western suburb of Ciawell, with dazzling lights and neon signs flickering everywhere, reflecting off the stars in the sky, creating a beauty akin to a paradise on Earth. He set off the fireworks, one after another, as they illuminated the sky with their vivid disy. Looking at the mesmerizing sight, she smiled in a pure and genuine way. The weather was cold, so they didn¡¯t linger long, and soon returned to the car. Through the car window, they could still see fireworks constantly flying into the sky and blooming. The moment thest firework blossomed, it happened to coincide with the countdown to the New Year. Amidst the chiming bells, he asked her, ¡°Do you want to make a New Year¡¯s wish?¡± ¡°Yes!¡± She grinned sweetly, nodded her head, looked around and turned towards him, saying, ¡°Steve, back when you used to ride a bicycle, I had the seat behind you. Now that you drive a car, would your passenger seat be reserved just for me too?¡± What kind of New Year¡¯s wish was that? However, he still remembered that New Year¡¯s wish of hers, which heughed at back then, deep in his heart. He remembered it for ten years. A decadeter, only he remembered that wish. What she casually mentioned became his lifelong vow. She must not love him, that¡¯s why she remained so calm upon seeing him and Annie Beischel, undone. She must not love him, that¡¯s why he was the only one foolishly remembering the promises made between them. She must not love him, and he knew that from an event three years ago. She doesn¡¯t love him, but despite that, she still walked away with his heart. PS: End of today¡¯s part, will continue tomorrow.. Yesterday, the reader who won the signed book and calendar was: How good is peace Chapter 117 - 117: 117: Loving Her is the Perfect Pantomime (1) Chapter 117 - 117: 117: Loving Her is the Perfect Pantomime (1) Trantor: 549690339 She did not love him, but even so, she won his heart. Thus, loving her became a perfect mime show performed by him alone. Every time Ruby Gregory and Steve Burton became intimately close, she would always sneak back to her room on the upper floor through the back door of the Gregorys¡¯ house, take a hot bath, change into long clothes, hide all the blue and purple marks on her body, and then go downstairs to greet her parents, telling them that she had returned home. Tonight was no exception. The reason for her doing this was simple, she just didn¡¯t want her parents to see her disheveled state.
However, tonight when Ruby Gregory snuck in through the back door, she unexpectedly bumped into Lady Gregory, who happened to being out of the kitchen with a ss of water. The dress Madeleine got for her was mid-sleeve, and on the exposed pale wrists were traces of blue and purple caused by Steve Burton¡¯s binding. At the first sight of her mother, Ruby Gregory¡¯s heart trembled violently. Instinctively, she hid her handbag behind her back, looked at Lady Gregory, and called out, ¡°Mom.¡± Seeing Rubying in from the back door, Lady Gregory paused for a moment, ¡°Why did youe in from the back?¡± ¡°I went back to check on the flowers that Housekeeper and I nted a few days ago.¡± Ruby made up an excuse and changed the subject, ¡°Mom, why haven¡¯t you gone to bed yet?¡± ¡°Your Dad is thirsty, so I¡¯m getting him a ss of water.¡± Lady Gregory casually answered Ruby¡¯s question, seemingly without suspicion, and carried the ss of water toward the master bedroom on the first floor. Ruby breathed a sigh of relief, but before she couldpletely swallow it, Lady Gregory, who had only taken a few steps, suddenly stopped and turned around to look at Ruby with furrowed brows. Ruby¡¯s heart was filled with unease due to Lady Gregory¡¯s expression. She held her bag tightly behind her back and forced a rxed smile, ¡°Mom, what¡¯s the matter?¡± Lady Gregory scrutinized Ruby from head to toe, as if finally noticing something wrong, she said, ¡°Ruby, I remember you wore a different dress when you left this morning¡­¡± As she spoke, Lady Gregory stared at the love bite on Ruby¡¯s neck, her brow deeply furrowed, ¡°Ruby, that mark on your neck¡­¡¯ Realizing that her question was too direct, Lady Gregory softened her tone and asked, ¡°Who were you with tonight?¡± It seemed she hadn¡¯t managed to hide it after all. Ruby felt slightly nervous, afraid that her mother might discover other ws and find out about Steve Burton¡¯s cruelty towards her. Her mind raced as she quickly came up with a seemingly shy demeanor.. She slightly lowered her head and whispered, ¡°With Steve Burton¡­ I identally tore my clothes¡­¡± Chapter 118 - 118: 118: Loving Her is the Perfect Pantomime (2) Chapter 118 - 118: 118: Loving Her is the Perfect Pantomime (2) Trantor: 549690339 Her mother was an experienced woman, and when she saw the hickey on her neck and the changed clothes, she already guessed what she had done tonight, so she didn¡¯t need to lie. Moreover, her father and mother both hoped, deep down, that she and Steve Burton could be together. Therefore, she deliberately made her words so obscure and subtle, with the intention of giving her mother an impression that Steve identally tore her clothes while they were being intimate, and that was why she changed into new ones. As Ruby Gregory expected, Lady Gregory instantly understood the hint in her words, and her expression instantly rxed, leaving only a remark, ¡°You should rest early.¡± Then, she entered the bedroom. Ruby watched the door of her parents¡¯ bedroom close, then she quietly breathed a sigh of relief and walked towards the stairs.
The room was very quiet, and through the door, Ruby could hear her mother narrating everything she had seen to her father. She could tell from her mother¡¯s tone that there was a hint of satisfaction. After listening, her father¡¯s tone was also very cheerful, ¡°I knew it, our Ruby has been raised by us so well, and she¡¯s so beautiful. How could Steve not like ¡°Ruby and Steve are progressing so smoothly, you can be relieved now.¡± In her mother¡¯s words, there was a hint of a smile. ¡°I don¡¯t know when the loan can be approved. Now that Ruby and Steve have such a promising future, we need money in thepany. Why don¡¯t we sell the cemetery plot we bought before? Thend is vast, and the feng Shui is good. We spent a lot of money when we bought it, and now it¡¯s worth several times more. When Ruby marries Steve in the future, we will be rich, and we can buy a better one.¡± Standing outside the door, Ruby heard her father¡¯s n, looked sideways at her bruised wrist, was lost for a moment, and then pursed her lips slightly and walked upstairs. As she wished, she had used a suggestive and evocative story to make her parents happy and make them believe that she and Steve Burton really had a chance. But in the end, she was unfilial and could only make her parents happy for such a brief moment. Only she knew deep down just how deep Steve¡¯s disgust and disdain for her truly was. Last night, Ruby had been restless in bed, tossing and turning for a long time, already sleep-deprived, so as soon as she took a bath tonight and crawled into bed, she fell into a deep sleep. In her dreams, Ruby had a wonderful dream. She saw her younger self and a very young Steve Burton, who already looked like a little adult. When she was very young, her memory of Steve was limited to the fact that she would always get many delicious treats when she met this older brother.. Chapter 119 - 119: 119: Loving Her is the Perfect Pantomime (3) Chapter 119 - 119: 119: Loving Her is the Perfect Pantomime (3) Trantor: 549690339 Her deep-rooted memories of Steve Burton began when she started sitting on the backseat of his bike every day. Actually, she couldn¡¯t quite remember how Steve started giving her a ride to and from school each day. In her memories of elementary school, Steve would help her solve her homework every morning. Initially, they would do her homework together, but then it became just Steve doing it, while she held aic book or a cup of milk tea, watching him write. With such a ready-made homework solver, she became even morezy and unwilling to do her homework.
As her ss level went up, the amount of homework increased, and Steve entered the sixth grade of elementary school, preparing for the exam to enter junior high school. However, even so, Steve still helped her with her homework every morning, rain or shine. Back then, Steve had a really good temper. At least in Ruby¡¯s memory, although he had a sharp tongue, he never gave her the cold shoulder. And because no matter what she said or did, he never got angry with her, she became somewhat unbridled in front of him. Though so many years had passed, Ruby clearly remembered that by the time Steve finally stopped helping her with her homework, she didn¡¯t feel grateful at all. Instead, she took it for granted, and even when she had a pile of homework that he couldn¡¯t finish, she didn¡¯t offer to help butined with a disappointed face, huffing, ¡°Steve, are your test scores fake or something?¡± ¡°You¡¯re writing this fourth-grade homework so hesitantly and sluggishly. Did you only get into the sixth grade because you used your wealthy Burton family connections?¡± ¡°Oh, Steve, can you hurry up? Our ss leader keeps track of who enters the ssroom first, and I want to be the first one in!¡± Sometimes, when Steve was annoyed by her nagging, he would finish her homework, pack it neatly with her textbook into her backpack, and coldly say, ¡°Don¡¯t ask me to help you with your homework tomorrow!¡± After that, he would wear an aloof and unreachable expression, slinging his bag over his shoulder, and walk toward his own ssroom without even ncing at her. Yet, the next morning, Steve would still show up on time at the Gregory¡¯s doorstep, ready to take her to school, park their bike, and, ignoring his words from the day before, grab her backpack and ask, ¡°What was yesterday¡¯s homework?¡± Although he could forget what he said at any time, she didn¡¯t. Staring with wide eyes and pursed lips, she would say, ¡°Weren¡¯t you not going to help me with my homework?¡± When she reminded him of his own words, he didn¡¯t feel embarrassed or at a loss for words. Instead, he casually raised his head, nced at her, and said, ¡°You think I care about helping you?¡± while his hands had already found the teacher¡¯s assignment card, and he began to imitate her handwriting and write.. Chapter 120 - 120: 120: Loving Her is the Perfect Pantomime (4) Chapter 120 - 120: 120: Loving Her is the Perfect Pantomime (4) Sometimes, Steve Burton would inevitably make some mistakes. These mistakes could be something like writing a wrong character, or inadvertently writing a wrong English letter while writing in English. The teacher always had sharp eyes and could urately pick out such inconspicuous errors from the many homework assignments, marking them with a red pen. Whenever that happened, Ruby Gregory would point to the red marks on her homework andin to Steve with a disgruntled face: ¡°Steve, how on earth do you do your homework? You¡¯re in sixth grade, sixth grade, and you still make such stupid mistakes!¡± ¡°Steve, do you know that because you wrote one wrong English letter, the teacher made me copy this word thirty times!¡± It was clear that Ruby wouldn¡¯t be the one writing those thirty copies, but she acted as if she were the one doing it, stomping her feet and clenching her teeth while repeating: ¡°Thirty times! Thirty times!¡±
Compared to Ruby¡¯s excitement, Steve, who helped her with her homework and was med by her, remained exceptionally calm. Though he was only in sixth grade, the words he said were enough to render Ruby speechless: ¡°If you were the one writing, you¡¯d probably be punished to write not thirty times, but three hundred.¡± Ruby stared defiantly, about to retort, when Steve spoke again, silencing her with his words: ¡°If you have the guts, write your own homework today.¡± At that time, he was only twelve years old, but the words he spoke already carried a sense of authority. However, when he took out her homework and helped her write one word thirty times, his actions effortlessly dissolved his previous aura of authority. At that time, Ruby thought Steve was truly shameless. He bullied her with his words, yet helped her with his actions. It made it impossible for her to hate him! In Ruby¡¯s memory, what truly made Steve shameless was not these incidents, but the one time she ranked first in her grade in elementary school. Although Ruby didn¡¯t do her homework, she was not stupid. She learned what needed to be learned, but because of herziness, she asionally remembered some words or characters vaguely, which led to some mistakes during exams. At that time, the term ¡°top student¡± was not popr yet, but Steve was a genuine top student. All the teachers in the school liked him very much, so when he took the initiative to offer to help a teacher grade the final exam papers, they agreed without even blinking. Of course, Ruby didn¡¯t know that the reason why Steve, who normally disdained to help, offered to help this time was because his teacher was in charge of grading the final exam papers for Ruby¡¯s ss.. Chapter 121 - 121: 121: Loving Her is the Perfect Pantomime (5) Chapter 121 - 121: 121: Loving Her is the Perfect Pantomime (5) Trantor: 549690339 Steve Burton brought home Ruby Gregory¡¯s term papers from her ss and began grading them right in front of her. No elementary school student is indifferent or uncurious about their own end-of-term results. Ruby was no exception, she stood by the table, sucking on a lollipop, tiptoeing, her eyes fixed on Steve Burton grading her paper. That day in Steve Burton¡¯s study, the scene unfolded like this: While working on the fourth grade examination questions, Steve Burton didn¡¯t hesitate to criticize Ruby Gregory whenever he found mistakes: ¡°Ruby Gregory, were you half asleep during the exam? Even the word ¡®encounter¡¯ is wrong in yourposition.¡±
Back then, elementary school exam papers were mostlypleted with a pencil. As he spoke, he took out an eraser and erased Ruby Gregory¡¯s misspelled word ¡®encounter¡¯, reced it with the correct one, and marked it with a check in red pen. ¡°Ruby Gregory, did you skip breakfast? You didn¡¯t even bother to answer this fill in the nk question, just skipped directly past it.¡± ¡°Forgot? Howe you don¡¯t forget that your name is Ruby Gregory, huh?¡± ¡°Ruby Gregory, are you a pig? Even US$27-5 divided by twenty-seven, you can¡¯t get it right.¡¯ ¡°Ruby Gregory¡­ ¡± ¡°Ruby Gregory¡­ ¡± ¡°Ruby Gregory¡­¡± As many mistakes as there were on Ruby Gregory¡¯s end-of-term paper, that was how many times Steve Burton sarcastically scolded Ruby Gregory. As many times as Steve Burton scolded Ruby Gregory, that was how many times he took the eraser and erased Ruby Gregory¡¯s mistakes, and corrected them with a pencil. After being scolded one by one by Steve Burton¡¯s wicked words, Ruby¡¯s eyes turned red in the end. ncing at her teetering tears, Steve Burton tightened his grip on his pencil, clearly trying tofort the girl about to cry. However, the words that came out ot his mouth werecking infortingponents: ¡°Ruby Gregory, dare to shed a tear, try it.¡± Ruby Gregory felt even more wronged, and the tears fell pitter-patter on their own. Steve Burton was even more flustered deep down. He stared at the paper, and the words that came out of his mouth were all threats: ¡°Ruby Gregory, if you dare to shed another tear, I¡¯ll grade all your finals zero.¡± Ruby Gregory burst into crying instantly like a child. Steve Burton threw down his pen, muttered a low, ¡°troublemaker,¡± Then he took a tissue from the table, wiped the tears from the corner of Ruby Gregory¡¯s eyes, and his tone became a little more constrained: ¡°Alright, I was wrong, stop crying.¡± Although not a hint of admitting his mistake could be heard from his voice tone. But that was the first time he had ever backed down in front of Ruby Gregory in his life. Ruby Gregory was not a child who harbored grudges, she stopped crying immediately, looked at Steve Burton, and asked the question she cared most about: ¡°So, how many points exactly did I score?¡± Chapter 122 - 122: 122: Loving Her is the Perfect Pantomime (6) Chapter 122 - 122: 122: Loving Her is the Perfect Pantomime (6) Trantor: 549690339 Steve Burton turned around without saying a word,pletely ignoring the words ¡°fair and just¡± on the exam paper, and directly, without any embarrassment or hesitation, picked up a red pen. He felt it was only natural to write a series of 100 points for Ruby Gregory¡¯s exams in all subjects. Ruby burst intoughter, but she didn¡¯t notice Steve¡¯s silent sigh of relief as he watched her tearful smile. Howard Coleman and Madeleine were born on the same day, but unfortunately, Madeleine was born two minutes earlier than Howard, so she was considered the older sister. Howard and Madeleine were in the same ss as Ruby Gregory. With perfect scores in all subjects, Ruby couldn¡¯t contain her joy and borrowed the phone in Steve¡¯s study to call Madeleine and Howard. She proudly bragged her achievement to them.
However, Howard sneered at Ruby and said, ¡°I don¡¯t need Steve¡¯s help to change my answers, I can get full marks on my own.¡± The phone was on speaker, so Steve could hear the arrogance in Howard¡¯s voice. He also noticed Ruby pouting over Howard¡¯s disdain. At that time, Steve had mastered the art of prioritizing love over friendship. Without any hesitation, he dug through a pile of exam papers to find Howard¡¯s exam, saw that Howard indeed answered everything correctly, and then used an eraser to change a few of Howard¡¯s answers to incorrect ones. As a result, Howard¡¯s score went from a perfect 100 to 90 points. That year, Ruby Gregory received the first ce award at the final exams and won the praise of all the teachers. She returned home for the New Year in high spirits. On the other hand, Howard, who always ranked first, didn¡¯t even make it to the top ten that year. He was scolded by his teachers and went home with a downcast face. Even his parents rebuked him, and his New Year¡¯s pocket money was cut in half. How beautiful and carefree those days were, thought Ruby in her dreams, with the corners of her lips turned up in a smile. Shezily rolled over in bed, wanting to continue dreaming, but somehow, the colorful scenes of her childhood suddenly changed into ck and white images. The two people in the images were instantly erged and transformed into their present selves. The look in Steve¡¯s eyes was no longer clear and innocent like in their childhood. It was cold and filled with shattered ice that sent chills down her spine. ¡°Get lost, if you want to get lost!¡± ¡°Disgusting! ¡± ¡°Hypocrite!¡± These cruel and hurtful words were what he hurled at her! Ruby felt as if countless needles were ruthlessly stabbing into her body, causing her intense pain and making her tremble all over. Ruby¡¯s brow furrowed, and her forehead was covered in sweat. Suddenly, she bolted upright in bed.. Chapter 123 - 123: 123: Loving Her is the Perfect Pantomime (7) Chapter 123 - 123: 123: Loving Her is the Perfect Pantomime (7) Trantor: 549690339 Ruby Gregory gasped for breath, looking around and seeing the familiar surroundings of her room, and she finally breathed a sigh of relief in secret. Raising her hand, she gently wiped the sweat from her forehead, thinking of the childhood scenes she had recalled in her dream, her expression slightly dazed. She pursed her lips, lowered her eyshes, andy back down into the soft bed and nket. Over the years, she had never reminisced about the past, so what happened tonight that made her think of those previous events? If only time could go backward, stopping forever in the ignorant childhood years, how great would that be. Ruby Gregory raised her hand, picked up her phone, and nced at the time. It was three in the morning. She closed her eyes, trying to fall back asleep, but she felt a slight heaviness in her lower abdomen. Ruby frowned, turned over, and found the feeling even stronger. That¡¯s when she suddenly realized something, lifted the covers, and quickly got out of bed, running into the bathroom.
As Ruby squatted on the toilet, she saw the red stain on her underwear, and her mood suddenly became even heavier. In the afternoon, she had thought that if she were pregnant, everything would be solved, but the first day of this month had just arrived, and her hopes were already shattered. This month, she had done it four times with Steve Burton, but she still didn¡¯t get pregnant. Given how much Steve currently despised her, unless she was pregnant with his child, he definitely would not marry her. So did this mean she would have to continue doing those things with Steve? Thinking about it, Ruby felt a faint paining from her lower body. Herplexion turned a little pale as she slowly applied a sanitary pad, stood up, washed her hands at the sink while thinking about when she would not be able to bear that kind of suffering anymore. She had toe up with a way to get out of that torment as soon as possible. Moreover, the Gregorys were now in urgent need of her marriage to Steve Burton as a rescue. Therefore, the only option now was to conceive a child within this month. This way, she only needed to endure one more month, and all the problems would be solved. Ruby Gregory climbed back into bed but couldn¡¯t sleep a wink. She took out her phone and searched on how to get pregnant quickly. Then, Ruby saw information about the safe period and conception period. Her period started on the first day and ended on the sixth, making the tenth day the beginning of her safe period. The fifteenth to the twenty-fifth were her conception period, with the twentieth being the day of her highest ovtion. Those days were the best chance to get pregnant. As Ruby tilted her head and thought about it, she realized that she had always been intimate with Steve during her safe period. It was no wonder she hadn¡¯t been able to get pregnant.. Chapter 124 - 124: 124: Loving Her is the Perfect Pantomime (8) Chapter 124 - 124: 124: Loving Her is the Perfect Pantomime (8) Trantor: 549690339 She had to find a way to make¡­ love with Steve Burton during this month¡¯s conception period. If possible, she truly did not want to endure that kind of pain again. But before she became pregnant, she could not avoid the suffering, so¡­ since she had to endure, she had to bear some rewards and value . As long as she could have a child, everything would be worth it. On the second day when Ruby Gregory went to work at Pristine¡¯s Enterprises, she happened to run into Steve Burton.
She had just started the elevator with her card and saw Steve Burton and Edward Woods standing in the elevator, talking about something. Ruby Gregory hesitated for a while. Thinking about what Steve Burton had done to herst night, she subconsciously wanted to wait for the next elevator. She had just decided to quickly dodge to the side, but the keen-eyed Edward Woods waved at her with a warm smile, calling out, ¡°Ruby, good morning.¡± Ruby Gregory had to stop, returning Edward Woods¡¯s gesture with a smile worse than a crying face: ¡°Mr. Woods.¡± Then, she slowly turned her gaze to Steve Burton and whispered softly, ¡°Mr. Burton, good morning.¡± As always, Steve Burton looked at Ruby Gregory without expression. Ruby Gregory was so terrified by his gaze that she trembled, and her bag dropped to the ground. The contents spilled all over the floor because the bag¡¯s zipper wasn¡¯t fastened. However, Ruby Gregory secretly felt relieved, knowing that her bag had dropped at just the right time. She hurriedly crouched down to pick up the items while telling Steve Burton and Edward Woods, ¡°I¡¯ll wait for the next elevator.¡± ¡°Need help?¡± asked Edward Woods. But before he could step out of the elevator, Steve Burton raised his hand and pressed the elevator button. The elevator doors closed, blocking Edward Woods¡¯ action. Ruby Gregory watched the elevator ascend before she finally let out a long sigh of relief. She quickly shoved the scattered items back into her bag and pressed the button for another elevator. ¡°Then in ordance with your instructions, I will contact Prosperity Enterprises in Shanghai today, and convey ourpany¡¯s opinion to them. If they do not agree, we will simply withdraw our investment, ¡± Steve Burton responded to Edward Wood¡¯s statement with a slight nod of approval. The elevator doors opened and Steve Burton and Edward Woods walked out. ¡°If there¡¯s nothing else, I will get going.¡± Steve Burton didn¡¯t respond to Edward Woods. He just walked towards his office. After taking two steps, Steve Burton suddenly stopped, turned his head, and called out, ¡°Edward.¡± Edward Woods turned his head, his eyes met Steve Burton¡¯s in confusion. Steve Burton paused for a moment and said, ¡°Order thepany¡¯s cafeteria to serve brown sugar ginger tea for lunch today.¡± Brown sugar ginger tea? What kind of soup is that? Edward Woods furrowed his brows but before he could ask, Steve Burton turned and walked away. Just before the elevator doors closed, Steve Burton had seen that there was a pack of sanitary napkins inside Ruby¡¯s bag that had fallen to the ground. Today was the first of the month, the day of her menstrual cycle. She was slightly cold, and her hands and feet were cold during these few days. He had read some articles before and learned that drinking brown sugar ginger tea would help. However, he didn¡¯t know how to make some of his special considerations for her, so he just provided them in this way, presenting them to her. Just like, he loved her, with a sentiment she could not perceive. PS: End for today. Continues tomorrow- The winner of the prize draw is: Ex , PSS: Book Rmendation ¨C Genius Summoner: The Cute and Sly Dark Lady. Chapter 125 - 125: 125: Loving Her is the Perfect Pantomime (9) Chapter 125 - 125: 125: Loving Her is the Perfect Pantomime (9) Trantor: 549690339 However, he didn¡¯t know how to do some things specifically for her, so he could only use this way to bring it to her face. It¡¯s like his love for her, an expression she can¡¯t see. An expression he didn¡¯t want her to see. When Steve Burton passed by the secretary¡¯s office, Ms. Taylor, the chief secretary, quickly stood up and gave a proficient and quick summary of Mr. Burton¡¯s schedule for the day. At the end, Ms. Taylor raised her head from the itinerary sheet, looked at Mr. Burton, and asked, ¡°Mr. Burton, you have a golf appointment with Mr. Taylor this morning, and Ruby Gregory will be apanying you. Do you want me to have the driver prepare the car now?¡± Steve Burton¡¯s eyebrows moved slightly, turning his head and asking, ¡°Indoors or outdoors?¡± ¡°Outdoors.¡±
Steve Burton nced at the window, the wind was a bit strong today, and Ruby was having her period, it was not good for her to catch a chill. Steve Burton instinctively wanted to ask Ms. Taylor to change the golf course to an indoor one but then remembered that a woman¡¯s first day of her period would make her tired and weak, not easy to travel around outdoors. Steve Burton¡¯s throat rolled twice, his tone emotionless, ¡°Let Maya Mitchell apany me to meet Mr. Taylor today.¡± Ms. Taylor was slightly stunned, feeling that Mr. Burton was bing more and more unpredictable. Clearly, at the dinnerst night, Maya Mitchell was more suitable for the asion than Ruby Gregory, but Mr. Burton chose Ruby. And today¡¯s golf game was just for the secretary to apany. Ruby was the most beautiful secretary in the group, so she was the most suitable choice, but Mr. Burton chose Maya Mitchell instead. When Steve Burton entered his office, he faintly heard Ms. Taylor say to Ruby Gregory, ¡°Ruby, you don¡¯t have to apany Mr. Burton to the golf course today. Maya Mitchell is going.¡± Through the mirror on the office door, Steve Burton saw Ruby¡¯s expression stiffen slightly when she heard the news. Then she quickly lowered her eyes, nodded, and sat down at her desk. Having known Ruby for so many years, Steve Burton could tell she was unhappy at this moment. Steve Burton grasped the door handle and applied a little force, like nothing was wrong, then pushed open the office door and walked in. Steve Burton took off his suit jacket, sat in his office chair, opened theputer, and was immediately greeted by the screensaver made with a picture of Ruby Gregory from her student days. In the picture, she was smiling beautifully and charmingly,pletely unlike now when she faced him, lowering her eyes, appearing afraid, cautious, and extremely careful. If he could, he really wished he could express this love openly, and be able to personally make her a cup of brown sugar ginger tea when she had her period, and tell her clearly that she should not go out on the first day of her period, so he had Maya Mitchell rece her temporarily at work.. Chapter 126 - 126: 126: Loving Her is the Perfect Pantomime (10) Chapter 126 - 126: 126: Loving Her is the Perfect Pantomime (10) Trantor: 549690339 However, for Ruby Gregory, who doesn¡¯t love him and only married him to marry him, these thoughts of his only make her feel even less of his presence in her heart. So, he can only not love her, working very hard not to love her, even though he loves her very much. Steve Burton always has endless work to do; sometimes, Ruby wouldn¡¯t even see him for an entire day at the office. Although the two of them are neighbors, Steve, who always has his after-work schedule filled with social engagements, rarely meets Ruby at home. Ruby has long lost her initial confidence that she could definitely marry Steve when she returned home. Even in the face of Steve¡¯s torture in bed, time and time again, Ruby would unconsciously want to hide when she ran into him at the office.
The 10th is the day Ruby and Steve agreed to go to Red Park. Unable to conceive this month, Ruby deliberately looked up information, and the 10th is her safe day. The chances of her getting pregnant are almost negligible. If she keeps relying on this day, she may never have a child in her life. So, for her, that night on the 10th with Steve was just meaningless torture. As a result, Ruby was already feeling nervous four days before the 10th, right after her period ended on the 6th. On the evening of the 9th, Ruby hardly fell asleep, with her mind constantly turning over what she and Steve would do the next night. Although she was lying alone in her own bed now, she could already feel a faint pain. Early on the 10th, Ruby got up. Having not slept well the night before made her slightly tired. She went to work, looking somewhat dispirited. At 10 0¡¯clock in the morning, Steve suddenly called the secretary¡¯s office to book a flight to Bolivia, saying that there was a temporary issue with the partnerpany there and he needed to handle it. Upon hearing this news, Ruby secretly let out a sigh of relief for escaping her nightmare that night, and her spirit instantly lifted. Steve¡¯s business tripsted an entire week. and he didn¡¯t return until the 17th. Because the trip was not prearranged, many tasks had piled up in Ciawell¡¯s office. As soon as Steve returned to Ciawell, he immediately became extremely busy, working overtime at the office every night. Medically speaking, a woman¡¯s body temperature drops during ovtion and rises sharply the following day, with a temperature difference of about 0.50C. Ruby has always been calcting in her heart about getting pregnant sooner, so she purposely bought a thermometer two weeks ago. Every day between 6 and 7 a.m., she would measure her temperature with the thermometer and record a curve chart.. Chapter 127 - 127: 127: Pregnancy Little Thoughts (1) Chapter 127 - 127: 127: Pregnancy Little Thoughts (1) Trantor: 549690339 At six o¡¯clock in the morning on the twentieth, Ruby Gregory was woken up by the rm clock. She drowsily raised her hand to turn off the rm, then reached out from the pillow, grabbed the thermometer and ced it under her armpit. About five minutester, Ruby took out the thermometer, opened her eyes, and looked at it. Then she suddenly sat up in bed, looked carefully again, picked up her phone to record the body temperature curve. She found that her body temperature was 0.6 degrees Celsius lower than yesterday. To be on the safe side, Ruby shook the thermometer and ced it under her armpit again. Another five minutester, she took it out, and it was still 0.6 degrees Celsius lower than normal body temperature. As she held the thermometer, Ruby suddenly became tense. Tonight, tonight, she must have sex with Steve Burton because tonight, her pregnancy rate would be at its highest.
But how could she have sex with Steve tonight? Usually, Ruby would continue to sleep after recording her temperature, but today, she didn¡¯t feel sleepy at all. She hugged the quilt, bit her finger, and frowned, thinking for a long time, until Lady Gregory called her for breakfast, she then came to her senses, washed up, and went downstairs. During breakfast, Ruby was still thinking about tonight¡¯s problem between her and Steve. Halfway through, she suddenly put down her chopsticks, raised her head, looked at Lady Gregory, and asked, ¡°Mom, are you busy this afternoon?¡± ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡± ¡°Steve used toe to our house for dinner a lot, and he especially liked some of the dishes you made.¡± Maxwell Gregory¡¯s eyes brightened slightly upon hearing this: ¡°That¡¯s true. Since Ruby returned to China, Steve hasn¡¯te to our house for dinner. Is heing tonight?¡± Ruby shook her head: ¡°No, he¡¯s been working reallyte these days, and I was thinking of asking mom to prepare some food for his supper.¡± Creating opportunities for the two of them to be alone together was the only hope for something else to happen. Ruby didn¡¯t know if she could seed, but with Steve¡¯s aversion towards her, getting pregnant as soon as possible was the only way left for her now. For the sake of the Gregorys and for her own goal of being told to marry Steve, she could only make the greatest effort and give it a shot. During the day, Ruby deliberately left her work undone, not starting it until 6 PM. After work, she started dealing with the reports and materials she was responsible for. By around 6:30, half of the top floor employees had already left. At seven o¡¯clock, the top floor office became somewhat quiet.. Chapter 128 - 128: 128: Pregnancy’s Little Thoughts (2) Chapter 128 - 128: 128: Pregnancy¡¯s Little Thoughts (2) Trantor: 549690339 At 7:20, Edward Woods, Rusell Henris, Howard Coleman, and Madeleine exited the office, bidding Steve Burton¡ªwho was still processing files in his office¡ªgoodbye as they left one after another. At 7:35, Maya Mitchell put down her mouse, her tone tender as she asked Ruby
Gregory, ¡°Ruby, you haven¡¯t finished yet?¡± Ruby, who it seemed was diligently but slowly filling out the form, paused upon hearing Maya¡¯s voice. She looked up and shook her head at Maya. Maya nced at the lit-up CEO¡¯s office, briefly contemted, and kindly offered Ruby, ¡°Do you need help It¡¯s already past seven; I don¡¯t know what time will it be when you finish.¡± Of course, she didn¡¯t need help. All she wanted was to drag out this bit of work until only she and Steve remained in the top-floor office. Ruby shook her head and declined,¡± No need, thank you. I¡¯ll be finished soon.¡± Maya took another look at Steve¡¯s office and thoughtfully turned to Ruby, who seemed to be fully engaged in her work, ¡°Or shall I wait for you so we can leave work together?¡± That was even less needed! Ruby had just made up her mind when she slightly furrowed her brows. Though Maya had always been kind to her, why did she somehow feel odd about Maya at this moment? Ruby turned her head and scrutinized Maya for a moment but couldn¡¯t detect anything odd. She then smiled and responded, ¡°No need. Someone will be picking me up soon.¡± After pausing, Ruby added, ¡°Maya, thank you. You go ahead.¡± Maya nodded, hesitated a bit, then turned herputer off, slowly packed up and stood up. Seeing that Ruby was still working, she managed to say, ¡°Ruby, goodbye.¡±
¡°Goodbye.¡± This time, Ruby didn¡¯t even lift her head when she responded. Maya, her bag in hand, paused for a moment before slowly heading out of the office. Ruby waited for Maya to get into the elevator before lifting her gaze from theputer screen. At this point, no one else remained in the top-floor office. The report Ruby was working on wasn¡¯t particrlyplicated. She feared Steve would ask why she was still not leaving work; thus, she intentionally left off a part of it and halted her work. She nced at the time¡ªit was already 8:45. At 9 0¡¯clock, thete-night snack prepared by her mother would be delivered. Ruby took her workcard, tiptoed from her seat, visited the restroom, and then took the elevator downstairs.. Chapter 129 - 129: 129: Pregnancy’s Little Thoughts (3) Chapter 129 - 129: 129: Pregnancy¡¯s Little Thoughts (3) Trantor: 549690339 When Ruby Gregory arrived at the entrance of Pristine¡¯s Enterprises, thete-night meal had just been delivered. Retracing her steps to the top floor, Ruby ced the food box on her own desk. She caught a glimpse of the light in Steve Burton¡¯s office, closed her eyes and took a deep breath. Then, carrying the food box, she walked towards Steve¡¯s office.
As she got closer and closer to the office door, Ruby¡¯s heartbeat sped up even more. She really wanted to just turn around and flee with the food box in hand. In the end, it felt like it took all the strength of nine oxen and two tigers for Ruby to finally drag her heavy-feeling feet to the door of Steve¡¯s office. Ruby raised her hand several times, wanting to knock on the door, but eventually she pulled back awkwardly. After hesitating several times, Ruby finally gritted her teeth and gently knocked three times on the door. Ruby felt like her heart was about to stop beating. Holding her breath, she perked her ears up and waited for about two seconds before she heard a simple, clear and concise word from inside: ¡°Come in.¡± Ruby carefully cracked the door open. Through the gap, she saw Steve sitting at his desk, concentrating on a file in his hand. He was wearing a light gray shirt without a tie, two buttons on the cor undone to reveal his beautiful, delicate corbone. He appeared elegant, yet casual. Although he knew someone had knocked, he didn¡¯t raise his head. His eyshes were long, and as he looked down at the report, they cast a beautiful shadow on his eye socket under the bright office lights, like butterfly wings. Something in the file seemed to puzzle him as his brows furrowed slightly. Soon he grabbed a pen and made a couple of marks on the paper. His movements were simplistic yet elegant, an irresistible charm about them. Ruby felt her heart race even faster. She tightly gripped the food box in her hand, gently closed the door, and walked over to the sofa with the food box before cing it on the coffee table. She nced at Steve, who was still concentrating on the file in his hand, and did not disturb him. The office was unusually quiet, with only the asional sound of Steve flipping through papers while reading the file, and nothing else.
Ruby stood dutifully nearby, as if she were invisible. After a while, it seemed that Steve noticed no one had spoken. He finally lifted his eyelids, and when he saw Ruby¡¯s figure, his brows furrowed slightly, a barely visible surprise shing in his eyes.. He lowered his head again, as if nothing had happened, and asked nonchntly, ¡°Why haven¡¯t you left work yet?¡± Chapter 130 - 130: 130: Pregnancy’s Little Thoughts (4) Chapter 130 - 130: 130: Pregnancy¡¯s Little Thoughts (4) Trantor: 549690339 His tone was devoid of any emotion and even carried a hint of coldness, making Ruby Gregory¡¯s heart even more nervous, ¡°Some work wasn¡¯t finished, so I¡¯m a bitte.¡± Steve Burton didn¡¯t respond this time, not even bothering to lift his head and look at her.
His indifference made Ruby¡¯s prepared exnations seem inadequate, and she suddenly didn¡¯t know where to start. Steve, however, seemed much moreposed than her, as if she didn¡¯t exist, and continued to peruse the documents in his hands. It wasn¡¯t until Steve finished reading the documents that he nced at Ruby, ¡°What is it?¡± His tone was somewhat perfunctory, as if he was annoyed because his work was interrupted. And what she was going to talk about had nothing to do with work, Ruby couldn¡¯t help but wonder if she¡¯d anger Steve if she couldn¡¯t say it. She couldn¡¯t help but purse her lips slightly. Steve furrowed his brow gently, ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Ruby knew that this man had never liked hesitation, so she had to gather her courage and blurt out the excuse she had been thinking about all day, ¡°Due to overtime, I didn¡¯t return home until eight o¡¯clock, so someone from home sent over somete-night snacks.¡± ¡°I noticed that you¡¯ve been busy and didn¡¯t eat anything for dinner, would you¡­¡± At this point, Ruby couldn¡¯t bear to look at Steve and hung her head, asking, ¡°Would you like something to eat?¡± It was then that Steve noticed a food box on the small table behind Ruby, and his gaze on her softened slightly. Ruby hung her head, waited for a long time, and didn¡¯t hear Steve speak. Regardless if he was pleased or not, she opened her mouth again, saying, ¡°It¡¯s important to work, but it¡¯s not good for your health to be so busy that you neglect your meals every day¡­¡± Before Ruby could finish her sentence, she noticed a pair of leather shoes by her feet.
Ruby¡¯s tone paused, and as she lifted her head, she saw Steve standing in front ot her, his gaze deeply fixed on her. His stare made her heart tighten, and she couldn¡¯t say the rest of the sentence. Steve then asked, ¡°What¡¯s there to eat?¡± Ruby heard these words and knew that Steve had agreed to have dinner. She immediately turned and walked to the coffee table, opened the food box, and disyed the food one by one. Ruby first served Steve a bowl of rice, ced it in front of him, and handed him a pair of chopsticks. Steve¡¯s expression softened as he took them, and without saying anything, he began eating. The two didn¡¯t have much interaction, and Ruby¡¯s mind was filled with thoughts about how she would naturally develop a rtionship with Steve after dinner. So, she asionally nced at him.. Chapter 131 - 131: 131: Pregnancy’s Little Thoughts (5) Chapter 131 - 131: 131: Pregnancy¡¯s Little Thoughts (5) Trantor: 549690339 With the amount of times she observed him, Ruby was inevitably caught in the act by Steve. Ruby¡¯s hand trembled nervously, afraid that Steve would notice something amiss. She quickly ced the food from her chopsticks into Steve¡¯s bowl: ¡°You should eat more.¡±
After saying that, Ruby quickly pulled back her chopsticks and buried her head in her bowl of rice. Steve was momentarily stunned by Ruby¡¯s series of actions before he finally snapped back to reality. He nced at her as she kept stuffing rice into her mouth, a faint smile ying on his lips. Then he continued eating in silence. After finishing their meal, Ruby dragged her feet to clean up the food boxes on the tea table. She took a paper towel and wiped the table clean. She knew that at this point, she should be taking the food boxes out of Steve¡¯s office to avoid disturbing his work. But there was only one day in the whole month when her chances of getting pregnant were the highest, and she didn¡¯t want to miss this perfect opportunity. So, Ruby racked her brain to find a topic: ¡°Do you have to workter?¡± Steve nced at the thick stack of documents piled up on his desk, raised his hand to massage his neck, and nodded in response. Ruby noticed Steve rubbing his neck and knew that it was stiffness caused by sitting and working with documents for a long time. Perhaps it was because she had no other choice that her courage grew and she became more proactive than before. Before she knew what was happening, Ruby found herself behind Steve, reaching out to touch his neck. Steve¡¯s body tensed up suddenly.
Seeing that he didn¡¯t push her away, Ruby¡¯s confidence grew even more, and she gently pinched Steve¡¯s neck. Ruby had never learned massage techniques, but she had often been to a SPA. Following the SPA procedures she was familiar with, she kneaded Steve¡¯s neck, then his shoulders and arms. Finally, she ced her hand on Steve¡¯s temples and slowly rubbed them. Steve closed his eyes slightly. Although his face was still expressionless, the coldness had somewhat subsided. When it came to bedroom matters, aside from her few encounters with Steve, Ruby had no other experience. As Ruby became lost in thought, her hands stopped massaging him. Steve thought her hands had be tired from the massage, so he opened his eyes and called for a halt: ¡°That¡¯s enough.¡± That¡¯s enough? Did that mean that everything she had prepared for tonight would end just like this? Ruby felt a little anxious and came up with another excuse: ¡°Let me massage your eyes..¡± Chapter 132 - 132: 132: Pregnancy’s Little Thoughts (6) Chapter 132 - 132: 132: Pregnancy¡¯s Little Thoughts (6)
Trantor: 549690339 Steve Burton thought Ruby Gregory had been holding her position for a while, her wrist must be tired, so he straightened up and said, ¡°It¡¯s all right, I feel much better now.¡± Ruby staring at Steve¡¯s perfect and impable face, rolled her eyes for a bit, continued to find excuses: ¡°Do you want coffee?¡±
Having just eaten, who would have the appetite for coffee? Steve shook his head: ¡°I still have some documents to work on, don¡¯t you have unfinished work as well?¡± So, everything she did tonight was in vain? She didn¡¯t want to miss such a high probability of getting pregnant tonight. But what should she do? The more anxious Ruby was, the more chaotic her mind became, and the words she said were somewhat confused: ¡°It¡¯s sote, how do we go back home? Are you going back or not?¡± Steve simply thought that Ruby was worried about driving home alone since it was sote, so he said: ¡°I¡¯ll finish the urgent documents for tomorrow, not much left, and then I¡¯ll drive you back.¡± He¡¯s taking her home? Going home, wouldn¡¯t that mean they were each going to their own homes? How could they continue doing those things if they went their separate ways? ¡°I, I¡¯m not going home tonight!¡± Ruby blurted out in her hurry. Steve frowned, turned his head to look at Ruby: ¡°If you¡¯re not going home, where are you nning to go?¡±
Ruby was suddenly at a loss for words when Steve asked her this. She couldn¡¯t just tell him directly that she wanted to be with him tonight, could she? Sweat covered Ruby¡¯s forehead as she watched Steve approach his office desk. Suddenly, not knowing where her courage came from, she darted over and reached out to grab Steve¡¯s hand. Steve was taken aback by Ruby¡¯s grip, twisted his head to look into her eyes. Ruby only felt the heat rolling in Steve¡¯s palm. Staring into his eyes, she open her mouth but couldn¡¯t say that she wanted to be with him tonight. Ruby¡¯s face flushed slightly, she swallowed her saliva, her grip on Steve¡¯s hand couldn¡¯t help but tighten, then she stuttered two words: ¡°I¡­tonight¡­¡± Immediately, her face turned red as if it could drip blood. Her trembling lips were like fluttering petals. Ruby¡¯s words were muddled; Steve had no idea what she was trying to express. He just felt that at this moment, her blushing and awkward appearance was genuinely touching, far more alluring than her usual cautious and well-behaved demeanor when she saw him. For a moment, Steve was captivated. He felt her holding his hand, soft and delicate, with a hint of trembling.
An indescribable sense of heat quickly began rolling throughout his body. Ruby clenched her teeth, preparing to take the initiative to kiss Steve¡¯s lips. However, the man was one step ahead of her, suddenly reaching out his hand, wrapping it around her waist, and fiercely sealed her lips. PS: I was stuck with the text today, wrote until after one o¡¯clock to.The winning reader from yesterday is: Satan MO MO Chapter 133 - 133: 133: Pregnancy’s Little Thoughts (7) Chapter 133 - 133: 133: Pregnancy¡¯s Little Thoughts (7)
Trantor: 549690339 Ruby Gregory gritted her teeth, nning to take the initiative to kiss Steve Burton¡¯s lips, but the man was one step ahead and suddenly stretched out his hand, wrapping his arm around her waist and fiercely blocking her lips. His kiss was wild and unexpected, with a sense that he wanted to devour her alive.
Steve Burton forcefully sucked on Ruby Gregory¡¯s soft tongue as if he wanted to suck all the air from her body. Just when Ruby felt faint and thought she might suffocate at any moment, the intensity of Steve¡¯s kiss gradually slowed down, eventually bing gentle and even cautiously tender. This was the first time Steve Burton had kissed Ruby Gregory so softly. Unlike before when his kisses were aggressive, biting her lips as if venting some frustration, leaving her lips swollen for a long time. Without the pain from previous kisses, Ruby could faintly sense an indescribable, strange feeling from their connected lips, rapidly spreading through every inch of her body. That feeling was something Ruby had never experienced before, so unfamiliar that it made her feel panicked and disoriented, yet not repulsive. In fact, she even seemed to like it a little, gradually immersing herself in it. Perhaps Ruby was too invested in this kiss, causing Steve Burton to be even more focused as well. He lifted his hand to cradle her head, deepening the kiss until they were both out of breath. Finally, he slightly pulled away from her lips but didn¡¯t separatepletely. His eyes locked onto hers, the haziness in her eyes making him feel an unbearable burning sensation, so he couldn¡¯t resist covering her lips again. Steve Burton¡¯s breath gradually grew hotter, and the hand clutching Ruby¡¯s head slowly moved down. Through her clothes, he touched Ruby¡¯s chest. Although they had only been intimate a few times, Ruby could urately predict when he was about to start doing that again. This familiar beginning caused a familiar premonition to spring up in Ruby¡¯s mind. As if to confirm her premonitions, Steve¡¯s hand moved from her chest to her cor, slipping inside. Her premonition turned out to be correct; what wasing next was indeed that.
Thinking of the heartbreaking pain every time, Ruby shuddered violently. Immediately after, she felt her clothes being undone by Steve Burton, her chest exposed. Ruby instinctively wanted to free herself from Steve¡¯s embrace, but she remembered that all her efforts tonight were for this very moment.. Chapter 134 - 134: 134: Pregnancy’s Little Thoughts (8) Chapter 134 - 134: 134: Pregnancy¡¯s Little Thoughts (8)
Trantor: 549690339 She wanted a child of his, she wanted to marry him, she wanted to be the mistress of Pristine¡¯s Enterprises, she wanted to help The Gregorys¡¯ soar under her stewardship¡­ Therefore, for all she desired, she now must ept, must endure. Ruby Gregory unconsciously clenched her fists, repressing the repugnance deep in her heart, forcing herself to bear.
Her body became incredibly rigid instantly. Steve Burton felt the tension in the woman¡¯s body, his hands touching her skin halted momentarily and he slowly opened his eyes. The woman in his arms, her eyes tightly shut, a crease forming gently between her brows, her eyshes trembling terribly, she indeed looked like facing death bravely. Was intimate involvement with him really so unbearable for her? Steve Burton¡¯s brows and eyes suddenly grew cold, kissing Ruby¡¯s lips with greater force, the originally slow caresses on her skin bing increasingly forceful. Within moments, Steve Burton had discarded his and Ruby¡¯s clothes and went straight to the point. Like before, It was the same unbearable pam. But thankfully, this time, Steve Burton hadn¡¯t bound her hands like he had the previous times, allowing her to ease the pain he brought her in a way she had been ustomed to. With Steve¡¯s motions, Ruby¡¯s body grew stiffer and stiffer, until at the end, it was as unmovable as stone. Due to the strain, her hands clenched into fists grew slightly white. Suddenly, Steve Burton stopped.
Ruby frowned, opened her eyes, observing Steve Burton ncing around as if looking for something. The moment Steve Burton picked up his shirt, Ruby instantly realized what he intended to do, she shivered fiercely, a sh of pain in her eyes. Was she ultimately unable to escape the fate of having her hands bound? His actions made her feel like nothing more than an object for his release. Ruby really wanted to tell him not to do this, but she feared ruining his mood by voicing out. He already loathed her; if she also denied this bit of pleasure, would this entire night go to waste? For the sess of bing pregnant, she had to endure a little longer¡­ Ruby swallowed the words that had reached the tip of her tongue hard, when she saw Steve raise her hands above her head to bind them with his shirt, she slowly closed her eyes, pretending that not seeing it meant it didn¡¯t hurt at her heart. Without the method of clenching her fists to shift her thoughts, Ruby found herself somewhat unable to bear the pain Steve was about to inflict. The color on her face gradually faded, her eyes tightly closed, she silently hoped deep within her heart that all this could end quickly..
Chapter 135 - 135: 135: Pregnancy’s Little Thoughts (9) Chapter 135 - 135: 135: Pregnancy¡¯s Little Thoughts (9)
Trantor: 549690339 However, it was as if Steve Burton saw right through Ruby Gregory¡¯s thoughts, and instead of stopping, his movements became even more intense. Finally, when Steve finished, Ruby let out a long sigh of relief.
Ruby rarely expressed her inner thoughts in front of Steve, but today, perhaps because she had endured for too long, her expression involuntarily rxed when he withdrew from her body. Seeing her expression, Steve¡¯s gaze darkened. He grabbed her waist, turned her over, pressed her onto his office desk, and entered her from behind, once again ravishing her mercilessly. Ruby gritted her teeth and told herself that if she could get pregnant tonight, she swore she would avoid having sex with Steve as much as possible in the future! The more Ruby thought this way, the more Steve seemed to go against her, bing even more relentless. After being ravished twice in a row, Ruby felt like she was on the verge of copse, her entire body limp and weak as she squatted on the ground, her legs trembling. Steve stood beside her, panting heavily. It took him a while to catch his breath and when he looked down at Ruby, she appeared lifeless, curled up on the ground with her hands still bound. Her body was covered in bruises. Steve¡¯s eyes were filled with passion, as he felt the fire within him ignite once again. He leaned down slightly to pick up Ruby from the floor. Ruby shuddered violently, with her head drooping and curled up in his embrace, not daring to move at all. Steve¡¯s breathing became somewhat unsteady. He carried Ruby to the adjoining resting room in his office, ced her on the bed, and untied her hands. Then, seeing her lips swollen by his kisses, he couldn¡¯t help but lower his head and kiss her again.
Ruby never knew that Steve could have such frightening stamina. She felt that if they did it again, he would definitely wear her out. When his hand caressed her waist, Ruby instinctively reached out to grab it. Steve did not expect Ruby, who always behaved like a lifeless doll in bed, to react in this way. He was first taken aback, then his eyes gleamed. He lifted his head to look at her. Just as Ruby was about to push Steve¡¯s hand away, she thought that having sex more times tonight would increase her chances of getting pregnant. Moreover, it would only make her feel exhausted for a few days, and if she got pregnant, it wouldn¡¯t be uneptable. So, Ruby lifted her eyelids, nced at Steve, and gently moved her hand away.. Chapter 136 - 136: 136: Pregnancy’s Little Thoughts (10) Chapter 136 - 136: 136: Pregnancy¡¯s Little Thoughts (10)
Trantor: 549690339 When Ruby Gregory barely touched Steve Burton¡¯s hand, it set off a thousand waves of emotions in the depths of Steve¡¯s heart,plete with joy, excitement, and exuberance¡­ Even Steve¡¯s fingers touching Ruby¡¯s skin trembled slightly as a result. In the past, after Ruby and Steve made love, she would barely manage to leave with her exhausted and aching body. However, today he had done it three times in a row.
At this moment, she didn¡¯t even have the strength to get off the bed, let alone leave. Although Ruby had always assumed that Steve didn¡¯t like sleeping with her at night, she no longer had the energy to care about whether he would be displeased, and she simply copsed onto his bed and closed her eyes. After a moment, Ruby heard Steve getting up, and too tired to open her eyes, she faintly heard the sound of watering from the bathroom. Ruby knew that Steve was taking a shower. At this point, her mind waspletely filled with the thought that she should be pregnant now. Although she was so tired that she wanted to fall asleep at any moment, she managed to force herself up, quietly left the bedroom, picked up her phone, and re-entered the bedroom. Ruby nestled in the soft bedding, picked up her phone, and opened some files she had saved earlier. She read them over and found that she had not made any mistakes ¨C the only thing left now was her sleeping position. The information stated that after sex, sleeping with a pillow under the waist in a supine position is beneficial for conception. Ruby was afraid that this action would arouse suspicion when Steve came out of the shower. So, she clenched her phone and propped it under her waist. Perhaps due to her exhaustion, Ruby soon fell deeply asleep. When Steve came out of the shower, Ruby was already sound asleep. He held a wet towel in his hand, slowly walked to the bedside, lifted the nket, and cleaned Ruby¡¯s body. He noticed something hard underneath Ruby¡¯s waist.
Steve frowned, lifted Ruby up a bit, and saw that a phone was ced under her waist. Ruby¡¯s phone wasn¡¯t locked, and because it was pressed under her body, the screen was lit up. When Steve picked it up, he casually nced at it and saw a chart on the screen. Curious, Steve swiped through it and found that it recorded Ruby¡¯s body temperature every day, along with notations for safe and fertile days. There was also a red star marked for special notes. Steve opened it, puzzled, and saw that it was filled with text. Steve quickly skimmed through it and discovered that every entry was a small tip for helping with conception.. Chapter 137 - 137: 137: Pregnancy’s Little Thoughts (11) Chapter 137 - 137: 137: Pregnancy¡¯s Little Thoughts (11)
Trantor: 549690339 Ruby Gregory wants to get pregnant? The thought had just crossed Steve Burton¡¯s mind when he recalled the graph chart of safe and fertile period he had just seen. He clicked on the ¡°return¡± icon and saw that today marked the ovtion¡ªa day with the highest chance of conceiving in a month.
Having returned from his Bolivia business trip, this was his fourth consecutive day working overtime. In the past three days, Ruby had never shown up in front of him. However, today, she suddenly appeared with food. Coincidentally, today was the day when Ruby¡¯s chances of getting pregnant were the highest. Countless things suddenly made sense in Steve¡¯s mind. It turned out that Ruby¡¯s appearance in his office tonight was not because she cared about his health, noticing that he hadn¡¯t eaten dinner, and decided to bring him ate-night snack. It turned out that Ruby¡¯s initiative to massage his aching neck was not out of genuine concern for his exhaustion and fatigue. As it turned out, Ruby had an ulterior motive for everything she did. Very well, that was just like the undaunted, ruthless Ruby Gregory who seemingly did everything for his benefit but had hidden meanings behind her actions. All those years, Ruby did everything for him, memorized every aspect of his life, not because she cared, cherished, or loved him, but because she wanted him to give her and the Gregorys even greater wealth and honor! Steve¡¯s expression turned cold as ice. He shifted his gaze from his phone to Ruby¡¯s sleeping face after a long while, staring at her delicate features. Suddenly, he smirked and began tough. No wonder she became so shy and flustered in front of him. No wonder she forced herself to make love with him even when she didn¡¯t want to. No wonder that during their third touch tonight, she wanted to resist but eventually epted it. It turned out that she didn¡¯t want him tonight; she wanted his child.
Just like all the other women who admired and approached him, she was after his immense wealth! Hadn¡¯t he always known this? But why was it that he so easily fell for her gestures of goodwill, then sunk into them without any hesitation or defense? He was foolish. Her kindness made him lose all his ability to think. He was too desperate, longing for her love to be genuine. All along, he had no defenses against her. Because he loved her too much, he easily disarmed all his defenses. Steve felt as if something was stuck in his throat, and waves of bitterness rose from the bottom of his heart. It seemed that the lesson from the incident three years ago was not brutal or painful enough! Chapter 138 - 138: 138: Pregnancy’s Little Thoughts (12) Chapter 138 - 138: 138: Pregnancy¡¯s Little Thoughts (12)
Trantor: 549690339 The bedroom was eerily quiet. Ruby Gregory slept soundly on the bed.
Steve Burton stood silently beside the bed, staring at Ruby. His eyescked their usual coldness, reced with a thick, lingering sadness. At this moment, she didn¡¯t have a ce in his heart. If she were to have a child, the Burtons would let him marry her, right? What would happen then? Steve didn¡¯t want to think about it, but his mind couldn¡¯t help but entertain such a conjecture. By then, Ruby wouldn¡¯t devote any attention to him at all. By then, Ruby would treat him with icy politeness, just as she did now. By then, Ruby would always be like she was now in front of him, a dignified, cautious, knowledgeable, and reasonable woman. By then, Ruby¡­ As Steve thought about it, he couldn¡¯t bear to continue thinking. The night was deep, and the stars and city lights outside the window had be somewhat silent along with Steve. He couldn¡¯t marry a woman who didn¡¯t love him at all.
Even if that woman was the one he truly loved and the only one he¡¯d chosen for life. Because standing in front of the woman he deeply loves, not seeing himself reflected in her eyes, is more painful than never possessing her. Ruby¡¯s slumber was deep and sweet. When she opened her eyes, the sun outside was brilliantly dazzling. Ruby felt slightly dizzy, as she couldn¡¯t figure out where she was at first. Her brain remained bewildered for a while until she realized that she had fallen asleep in an unfamiliar ce. Sitting up abruptly, she saw the love bites on her skin through the mirror opposite the bed. Scenes from the previous night yed back slowly, like a slow-motion movie. Ruby picked up her phone and checked the time ¨C it was already 11:30 in the morning! She hadn¡¯t gone to work the entire morning! And Steve hadn¡¯t woken her up? As Ruby instinctively pulled back the covers and dressed herself, she suddenly realized that she was still in thepany. If anyone saw her sleeping in Steve¡¯s office, who knew what kind of rumors and gossip would spread? Ruby had no choice but to lower her hand, return to the bedroom, and notice a thermos on the bedside table with a note beside it, simply stating, ¡°Eat when you wake.¡± Ruby knew that Steve had prepared this meal for her. She opened the box, saw the delicate dishes inside, picked up her chopsticks, and began to eat. Atter she finished eating, Steve still hadn¡¯t appeared in the ottice. Ruby, once again feeling bored, turned on the television, watched it for a while, and then dozed off again..
Chapter 139 - 139: 139: Pregnancy’s Little Thoughts (13) Chapter 139 - 139: 139: Pregnancy¡¯s Little Thoughts (13)
Trantor: 549690339 Ruby Gregory woke up again, and it was already dark outside the window. No lights were on in the bedroom, making the room seem somewhat dim.
Because Ruby had slept for so long, her mind was somewhat foggy, unable to make out what time it was. She held onto the nket, sitting up from the bed. She was about to turn on the light when she saw a silhouette sitting on the sofa in front of the French windows of the bedroom. Although the room was somewhat dim, Ruby could faintly make out the silhouette¡¯s noble aura through the dimness. It was the distinctive aura that Steve Burton possessed from birth. Ruby vaguely saw that the man was holding something in his hand, knocking on the coffee table in front of the sofa, producing weak and high-pitched sounds repeatedly. Whether because the room was too dark, or because Ruby was somewhat afraid of Steve at the moment. The rhythmic sound made a thread of fear rise in her heart. Ruby moved slightly, still holding onto the nket. She saw Steve¡¯s head slowly turn towards her. Although she couldn¡¯t see his eyes, she knew his gaze hadnded on her. After waiting for a while and he didn¡¯t say anything, Ruby couldn¡¯t bear the silence and quietly asked, ¡°What time is it now?¡± About half a minuteter, came Steve¡¯s usual indifferent voice: ¡°Half past eight. ¡± Half past eight? Sote? Ruby frowned, instinctively picking up her mobile phone. As expected, she saw several missed calls from the Gregorys.
Ruby swallowed, then asked again, ¡°Have all the secretaries left work yet?¡± But this time, Steve didn¡¯t answer her question. Ruby waited for a while, knowing that Steve had no ns to entertain her. She couldn¡¯t possibly stay in Steve¡¯s office forever. Thus, Ruby spoke up again, saying, ¡°I¡¯ll go check. If there¡¯s no one else, I should go home.¡± As she spoke, Ruby lifted the nket. Before her foot even touched the ground, suddenly the man¡¯s slightly lower voice came, ¡°Are you nning to leave like this?¡± What did he mean by that? Was he asking her not to leave? Ruby turned her head, looking towards Steve, who was now just a shadowy figure. Steve tossed the box he was holding onto the coffee table, then stood up and slowly walked towards the bed. As he got closer, Ruby faintly felt a pressure apanying him. Her heartbeat gradually sped up. Steve¡¯s footsteps stopped in front of Ruby. As he got closer, Ruby could see, with the help of the dim light in the room, a hint of brightness in the depth of the man¡¯s dark eyes..
Chapter 140 - 140: 140: Pregnancy’s Little Thoughts (14) Chapter 140 - 140: 140: Pregnancy¡¯s Little Thoughts (14)
Trantor: 549690339 Ruby Gregory moved her lips but before she could speak, Steve Burton suddenly reached out and grabbed her chin, making her head tilt up towards him. He leaned down slightly, staring intently into her eyes. His gaze was somewhat deep and mysterious, she couldn¡¯t figure out what emotions were hidden behind it, and all she could see was a deep darkness.
Ruby felt a little uneasy under his stare. She struggled gently, trying to escape, but Steve suddenly reached out, pinned her down on the bed, kissed her forcefully, and started tearing at both their clothes. Ruby was only wearing a thin dress, which was easily removed by Steve. Her body trembled slightly as her hands were captured by Steve¡¯s. Then, a soft piece of fabric was used to bind them together. Steve¡¯s actions were so sudden that Ruby had not yet fully responded when, without a word, he went straight into the main act. Intense pain jolted Ruby awake in an instant. Before her body had time to tense up, Steve had already started moving rough and fierce at a frightening pace. Ruby was in so much pain that a thinyer of sweat covered her forehead. She could vaguely sense that something wasn¡¯t right with Steve, but she couldn¡¯t put it into words, silently enduring the pain he inflicted on her. Last night, he had gone three times in a row, showing no signs of weakness. Today, he was as aggressive and unyielding as ever. Ruby, who had only managed to find a brief moment of rest, was now too weak to move again after being subjected to Steve¡¯s onught. Finally, when Steve finished, Rubyy against the bed, letting out a long sigh of relief. Tiredly, she moved her body, finding afortable position. No more than five minutes had passed, when Steve pulled her under him once more. Ruby realized from his actions that he was about to go again.
In just one day and night, they had already done it four times. If they continued, she wouldn¡¯t be able to go home tonight. She hadn¡¯t gone to work today; would she have to skip work again tomorrow? Ruby frowned and blurted out subconsciously, ¡°I need to go home.¡± ¡°Go home?¡± Steve stopped his movements upon hearing these two words, his tone somewhat mocking, ¡°Are you willing to just go home like that?¡± What did he mean by that? A flicker of doubt shed in Ruby¡¯s eyes as she met Steve¡¯s gaze. Steve¡¯s pupils constricted slightly, staring into Ruby¡¯s eyes for a long time before speaking with a deeper sense of mockery than before, ¡°If you go back like this, how can you do it a few more times? If you don¡¯t do it more, how can you be sure that you¡¯ll get pregnant?¡± PS: Today¡¯s chapter is done.. We¡¯ll continue days the university is starting a new semester, so I¡¯ve been busy during the day, updating at But the updates remain the same number, please forgive Last night¡¯s prize-winning reader was. Chapter 141 - 141: 141: Pregnancy’s Little Thoughts (15) Chapter 141 - 141: 141: Pregnancy¡¯s Little Thoughts (15)
Trantor: 549690339 Steve Burton¡¯s pupils slightly constricted, staring into Ruby Gregory¡¯s eyes for a long while. When he spoke, his voice carried an even deeper mocking tone: ¡°How can you do it twice more just by going back? And if you don¡¯t do it twice more, how can you be sure you¡¯ll get pregnant?¡± Upon hearing the man¡¯s words, Ruby felt her heart drop heavily. What did he mean by saying that?
Could it be that he already knew her purpose? But this little n was her own secret¡­ Was this just his guess? Ruby forced herself to suppress the uneasiness in her heart, looked at Steve Burton, who had slightly restrained his expression, and pretended to be innocent and wronged. Lowering her eyes, she slowly said: ¡°I didn¡¯t go homest night, and I¡¯ve gotten several calls from the Gregorys today. I¡¯m afraid they¡¯re worried.¡± Steve Burton suddenly let out a soft, mockingugh, his face growing colder. It was just a single syble ofughter. It was sharp, crisp, and short, apanied by his unique sarcasm and irony. However, underneath the sarcasm and irony, there was also a hidden emotion Ruby couldn¡¯t quite articte, making her heart shudder violently. Next second, Steve reached out and grabbed Ruby¡¯s wrist, pulling her into his embrace. Both of them were unclothed, their skin tightly pressed against each other. Ruby could clearly feel his pulse, throbbing one beat at a time. This sent shivers down her spine, and she instinctively tightened up, her head drooping slightly, not daring to look at Steve. Steve stared at the top of Ruby¡¯s fluffy head for a while, then lifted his hand, pinched her chin, and raised her head, forcing her to look into his eyes.
His eyes were pitch-ck and deep, devoid of any emotion, making it impossible to discern any expression from his indifferent demeanor. Despite this, he still managed to easily deliver a stunning impact. In normal days, Steve would appear mostly cold and aloof like this, but tonight, a woman¡¯s intuition told Ruby that behind this expressiony a storm of hidden emotions. Even though he said nothing, merely gazing into her eyes like this, Ruby still felt a heavy and oppressive sensation sweeping over her entire body. It was an invisible pressure, intense and powerful, yet it left one unable to dodge or resist. Ruby felt as if her heart had stopped beating, and her facial expression gradually froze. Staring at Ruby¡¯s increasingly stiff face, Steve Burton raised the corner of his lips and smiled faintly. His fingertips gently caressed her chin, moving with extreme gentleness, as if touching some precious jewel.. Chapter 142 - 142: 142: Pregnancy’s Little Thoughts Chapter 142 - 142: 142: Pregnancy¡¯s Little Thoughts
(16) Trantor: 549690339 However, Ruby Gregory did not feel reassured by Steve Burton¡¯s tender actions. On the contrary, she felt more panicked deep within her.
Ruby Gregory knew, the moreposed Steve Burton was, the more dangerous and deadly he became. She clenched her fists secretly, desperately trying to suppress her escting heartbeat due to fear. After a while, Steve Burton finally stopped stroking Ruby Gregory¡¯s chin, held her face in his hands, lowered his head slightly, and moved his face closer to hers. His breath, warm against her face, carried a scorching heat, and the sound of his voice when he spoke to her was exceptionally gentle: ¡°Are you worried about The Gregorys and want to go home?¡± Since Ruby Gregory met Steve Burton, she had never heard him speak with such gentleness to anyone, regardless of whether their rtionship was good or bad. An unprecedented sense of foreboding rapidly overwhelmed Ruby Gregory. She stared into Steve Burton¡¯s eyes, lightly nodded, and said one word: ¡°Yes.¡± Steve Burton¡¯s expression remained unchanged. He lightly brushed his fingers against her soft cheek, and like a tape machine on rey, asked the same question in the same tone and with the same gentleness: ¡°Are you really worried about The Gregorys and that¡¯s why you want to go home?¡± The consecutive questioning deepened Ruby Gregory¡¯s ominous feeling, and a sense of fear enveloped her entire body. This time, she didn¡¯t even dare to speak. She just mustered all her courage to appear calm, slightly nodding at Steve Burton. Just as Ruby Gregory finished nodding, Steve Burton¡¯s voice floated over: ¡°I¡¯ll ask you one more time, you¡¯re sure it¡¯s because you¡¯re worried about The Gregorys that you¡¯re going home¡­¡± This time, Steve Burton didn¡¯t wait for Ruby¡¯s reply. He continued in one breath: ¡°And not because you¡¯re trying to get as far away from me as possible?¡± If it weren¡¯t for her wanting to have his child, she really would have wanted to keep as far away from him as possible. If it wasn¡¯t for maximizing her chances of getting pregnant, she wouldn¡¯t have made love with him four times in just one day and night.
Indeed, she had done it enough times now, if nothing went wrong, she would definitely get pregnant, and that¡¯s why she thought about leaving. However¡­ she had always hidden her intentions well, how could he possibly know what she was thinking? Ruby Gregory shook her head and said quietly: ¡°No.¡± ¡°No?¡± Steve Burton¡¯s voice suddenly turned icy cold.. His hand gripping Ruby Gregory¡¯s face tightened slightly, his tone carried a hint of ruthlessness: ¡°Ruby Gregory, your skill at telling boldfaced lies with eyes wide open is really improving!¡± Chapter 143 - 143: 143: Eat It (1) Chapter 143 - 143: 143: Eat It (1)
Trantor: 549690339 ¡°You say it¡¯s not true, but deep down, you know very well that I¡¯m no use to you now. I¡¯ve been used up, and you can¡¯t wait to get as far away from me as possible!¡± Use.
The word that came out of Steve Burton¡¯s mouth felt like a sharp knife, ruthlessly stabbing at the bottom of Ruby Gregory¡¯s heart, causing her to be terrified to the extreme in an instant. Did he not test her at all, but knew everything instead? Ruby looked into Steve¡¯s eyes with a hint of panic, but still tried to keep herposure and not let herself appear too distraught. She couldn¡¯t throw herself into chaos until she was absolutely sure that he knew everything. Despite Ruby¡¯s efforts to stay calm, a thinyer of cold sweat still appeared on her forehead. Steve¡¯s face became darker and more frightening as he smirked coldly, ¡°Ruby Gregory, do you know how disgusted I am by your hypocritical face right now? You think I¡¯m blind and can¡¯t see your nauseating little schemes?¡± Steve¡¯s hand, gripping Ruby¡¯s cheek, pressed down harder and harder, causing her teeth to ache. The look in his eyes felt like two sharp knives with icy edges, ¡°Don¡¯t you just want to use our child to marry me? If you could, you would want nothing to do with me, right? Since you want to keep so much distance from me, why would you be Steve Burton¡¯s wife!¡± He knew, he really knew everything! Even though she was so careful and cautious, he still found out. He knew she wanted to marry him. He also knew that her appearance in his officest night was just an attempt to use her pregnancy to marry him!
He knew all about her supposedly perfect ns! At this moment, she couldn¡¯t deceive herself anymore ¡ª Steve Burton wasn¡¯t testing her. Ruby¡¯s mind was inplete chaos. ¡°But, Ruby Gregory, don¡¯t you think you¡¯ve overestimated yourself?¡± ¡°Three years ago, I took your innocence and didn¡¯t take responsibility for you. Do you think that three yearster, just because you¡¯re carrying my child, I¡¯d marry you?¡± ¡°You¡¯re really daydreaming!¡± ¡°Let me tell you, Ruby Gregory, whether it¡¯s you or the child in your belly, if I don¡¯t want you, no one can force me to!¡± After he finished speaking, Steve threw Ruby onto the bed. He didn¡¯t even spare her a nce before walking briskly towards the French windows and picking up the box he¡¯d just thrown on the table.. Chapter 144 - 144: 144: Eat It (2) Chapter 144 - 144: 144: Eat It (2)
Trantor: 549690339 Then, she turned and walked to the water dispenser nearby, took a cup, filled it with water, and walked back to the bed. Steve Burton ced the cup on the bedside table first, then threw the box in his hand in front of Ruby Gregory, and said calmly, ¡°Eat it.¡±
Ruby slowly sat up from the bed, her body already stung by Steve¡¯s hurtful words, her face pale. When she saw the words ¡°Yuting¡± on the box that Steve had tossed in front of her, Ruby¡¯s face instantly turned bloodless, even her lips pale. She thought that he had just said those words in anger. If she really was pregnant, that was not up to him to decide. The Burtons would never allow their own blood to be lost, let alone the fact that the Gregorys and the Burtons were neighbors. Once the raw rice was cooked, the Burtons would let her marry into their family. But now, Steve unexpectedly handed her an emergency contraceptive pill. Apparently, what he just said was not just for show¡ªhe really didn¡¯t want her child! As he said, she was indeed delusional! She was nothing but a toy, being taken advantage of time and time again. He had hurt her many times, each time mercilessly and absolutely, leaving her no dignity at all. But this time, he was not only hurting her, but also trampling on her. Ruby clenched the bedsheet tightly, her eyes downcast, staring at the contraceptive pill box.
Steve looked at Ruby, who was still fixated on the contraceptive pill box and made no move. His throat moved slightly, his hands at his sides clenching into fists. When he spoke, his voice was still emotionless and cold, ¡°Take the pill, and I will let you go.¡± ¡°This is for your own good. Although contraceptives have side effects, it¡¯s still better than having an abortion when you are really pregnant.¡± Abortion¡­ Ruby¡¯s body trembled violently, her face almost transparently pale. In front of him, she never allowed herself to be emotional. In the past, she was afraid of provoking him, but this time, she wanted to leave some dignity for herself. Even if she felt like crying now, she would cry when she left him! She knew deep down that if she were really pregnant, she could go to the Burtons, and they would decide the fate of the child¡ªnot him. The Burtons would never kill their own bloodline, nor allow their descendants to be lost. Moreover, the Gregorys and the Burtons were neighbors. Once the raw rice was cooked, the Burtons would ept her into the family. She also knew that if she didn¡¯t take the pill, a monthter, if she were pregnant, she could go directly to the Burtons, and by then, her child would secure a better future for the Gregorys..
Chapter 145 - 145: 145: Eat It (3) Chapter 145 - 145: 145: Eat It (3)
Trantor: 549690339 She was clear that, if she didn¡¯t seek help from Steve Burton, she could pretend to take the birth control pill and deceive him. All along, she had been working and making choices for the overall interests of the Gregorys, as taught by the family since her childhood.
Besides, after struggling for so long, today she could finally see the hope of sess. If she just gave it up, all her previous efforts would be in vain. But today, she suddenly wanted to be selfish and wilful for once, just for the sake of her own pathetic self-esteem. Ruby Gregory stared nkly at the box of birth control pills for a long time, then slowly reached out, her expression calm as she picked up the box. A flickered of Steve Burton¡¯s brows. Ruby Gregory¡¯s fingertips trembled so much that she could hardly open the stic packaging of the contraceptive box. She brought the box up to her mouth and bit it open with a fierce bite, then took out the medication. Without hesitation, Ruby Gregory took out the small pill, without hesitating or pausing, she put the pill directly in her mouth. She swallowed it down without water. The bitter taste quickly spread in her mouth. However, her face remained calm. She didn¡¯t even nce at Steve Burton. She just silently picked up her clothes, not caring that Steve was watching her. She stood uppletely naked and put her clothes on one by one at a leisurely pace. Only after Ruby had dressed properly, she turned around to face Steve Burton. She opened her mouth so he could see she really had swallowed the pill. Then she spoke to him, a bit coolly: ¡°I¡¯ve taken the pill. Can I go now?¡± Steve just stared at Ruby, not saying a word.
This time, Ruby didn¡¯t wait for Steve¡¯s permission. She picked up her phone and turned around to leave, her high heels clicking slowly. Perhaps because she had been through it four times, she truly was exhausted. Her legs seemed to tremble slightly, as if she could fall at any moment. But she didn¡¯t. She walked out of Steve¡¯s sight, step by step. Steve Burton stayed where he was, not moving an inch, his gaze fixed on the spot on the bed where Ruby had just been sitting. As if Ruby hadn¡¯t left yet. It was only after an indeterminable amount of time that Steve blinked and came to his senses. Ruby was no longer in the room, only the contraceptive box on the bed reminding him that everything that had just happened was real. Ruby walked into the elevator in one breath. The moment the elevator door closed, she finally couldn¡¯t bear it anymore, she squatted down, burying her head between her legs, and her shoulders began to shake slightly.. Chapter 146 - 146: 146: Eat It (4) Chapter 146 - 146: 146: Eat It (4)
Trantor: 549690339 As the elevator descended from the top floor to the ground floor, Ruby heard a ding and lifted her head from between her legs. She raised her hand to wipe the tear stains on her face and then stepped out of the elevator. At this point, Ruby was too exhausted to drive her car. She simply hailed a taxi by the roadside beneath Pristine¡¯s Building and went back to the Gregorys¡¯.
When Ruby returned home, Maxwell and Lady Gregory had not gone to bed yet and were watching television in the living room. Lady Gregory stood up immediately as Ruby walked in, ¡°Ruby, why didn¡¯t you pick up your phone?¡± Handing her bag to the housekeeper, Ruby forced a smile and told the truth, ¡°I fell asleep in the afternoon, so I didn¡¯t hear it.¡± ¡°Sleeping? You didn¡¯t go to work this afternoon?¡± Lady Gregory asked confusedly. Then, as if realizing something, she continued, ¡°Ruby, don¡¯t tell me you didn¡¯t go to work all day?¡± Ruby gave her mom a slight nod before heading upstairs. Lady Gregory nced at Maxwell, her eyes filled with a hint of joy. She then followed Ruby upstairs, still talking, ¡°Did you spend the day not working, and with Steve?¡± Hearing Steve¡¯s name, Ruby¡¯s hand, resting on the bedroom door handle, paused momentarily. She then continued to silently nod to her mother before pushing the door open and entering. Lady Gregory followed her daughter into the bedroom, ¡°So, fromst night until now, you¡¯ve been with Steve the entire time?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Ruby hugged a pillownguidly as shey on the couch. Seemingly oblivious to Ruby¡¯s exhaustion, Lady Gregory sat down beside her, ¡°Did Steve eat thete-night snack I sentst night?¡± Ruby answered obediently, ¡°Yes, he did.¡±
¡°He still likes it, right?¡± Ruby seemed slightly perfunctory, ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Well, if Steve has to work overtime again, just let me know, and I¡¯ll have someone send him snacks.¡± This time, Ruby didn¡¯t respond, her eyes fixed on the ceiling. Lady Gregory frowned, ¡°Ruby, are you troubled by something?¡± Snapping out of her thoughts, Ruby shook her head at her mother, ¡°No, I¡¯m just a little tired.¡± ¡°You should rest early then. I won¡¯t bother you anymore. Just remember to cover yourself with the nket at night,¡± added Lady Gregory considerately. Ruby softly murmured her consent. As Lady Gregory stood up to leave, Ruby suddenly called out, ¡°Mom.¡± ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡± Lady Gregory¡¯s face brimmed with joy, perhaps because Ruby had spent the day and night with Steve, making her believe that their rtionship was stable. Ruby initially wanted to say, ¡®Mom, can I not marry Steve?¡¯ However, seeing her mother¡¯s joyful expression and the wrinkles at the corner of her eyes, Ruby couldn¡¯t bring herself to say it. She merely forced a smile and said, ¡°Good night.¡±
PS: Today I will update 6 chapters temporarily. I have a ss tomorrow morning, so I will update 8 chapters tomorrow night. On Saturday, I will make up for the 2 chapters owed today.. Yesterday¡¯s winning reader was: I Am Just A Kid. Chapter 147 - 147: 147: Eat It (5) Chapter 147 - 147: 147: Eat It (5)
Trantor: 549690339 However, seeing her mother¡¯s joyful face and the wrinkles at the corners of her eyes, Ruby Gregory couldn¡¯t quite bring herself to speak. She just curled her lips slightly and said: ¡°Good night.¡¯ Perhaps Lady Gregory was too overjoyed to notice Ruby¡¯s unusual behavior.
Lady Gregory¡¯s voice was soft and filled with barely restrained happiness: ¡°Good night.¡± Ruby didn¡¯t say anything more, a faint smile on her face. Only after watching Lady Gregory leave the bedroom did she suddenly get up from the sofa, rush into the bathroom, open her mouth over the toilet, and began to vomit. However, she couldn¡¯t throw up anything but kept dry heaving, her entire stomach filled with an unbearable nausea. After finally stopping the dry heaving, Ruby squatted on the floor, gripping the toilet, and breathing slightly, only to hear a knock on the door, followed by Lady Gregory¡¯s voice: ¡°Ruby?¡± Ruby hurriedly got up from the floor, turned around, and tidied up her messy hair in front of the mirror at the sink. Only then did she turn around and leave the bathroom. Lady Gregory was holding a ss of milk and offered it to Ruby, saying, ¡°Ruby, drinking milk can help you sleep.¡± Ruby felt her stomach churning again, and she was afraid she would vomit in front of her mother. She clenched her teeth tightly, pretending to be calm and slightly nodded at Lady Gregory. Lady Gregory didn¡¯t linger much longer, leaving the milk on the bedroom tea table and departing. As soon as the bedroom door was closed again, Ruby turned back into the bathroom, bent over in front of the sink, and started dry heaving once more. Ruby heaved until her entire body was drained of energy, finally feeling slightly better. She scooped some water from the faucet to wash her face and then looked up. Through therge, bright mirror in front of her, she saw a woman with a pallidplexion that was somewhat frightening. Ruby stared at the mirror for a long time, gently pursing her lips before leaving the bathroom. Somewhat numbly, shey back down on her bed. The words spoken by Steve Burton in Pristine¡¯s Enterprises¡¯ top-floor office still echoed faintly in her ears. ¡°Ruby, are you perhaps overestimating yourself?¡±
¡°Three years ago, I took your innocence, but I never took responsibility for you. You think that after three years and carrying my child, I¡¯ll marry you?¡± ¡°You¡¯re really daydreaming!¡± ¡°Let me tell you, Ruby, whether it¡¯s you or the child in your stomach, no one can force me to want what I don¡¯t want!¡± She could still remember his expression, so full of disdain and disgust. Ruby stared at the ceiling, her eyes filled with a thickyer of sorrow that seemed to never dissipate.. Chapter 148 - 148: 148: Eat It (6) Chapter 148 - 148: 148: Eat It (6)
Trantor: 549690339 When she was very young, the Gregorys told her that she was to marry Steve Burton in the future, and that other than being kind to Steve, she couldn¡¯t be kind to any other men. Even if there was intimate contact, it could only be with Steve. At that time, she was young and ignorant and didn¡¯t understand what these words meant. She innocently asked her mother, who told her that marrying Steve would mean living together like Mom and Dad.
Back then, Steve didn¡¯t like to smile and always had a cold, childish expression on his face. The words he spoke were often hurtful, but Ruby Gregory didn¡¯t think marrying him would be a terrible thing, so she firmly remembered what the Gregorys had told her. So much so that when she entered middle school and the girls around her began to experience their first crushes and exchange love letters with boys of the same age, all she could do every day was either study tediously or pass the time by reading extracurricr books. She truly lived her life ording to the Gregorys¡¯ instructions, with no men in her life other than Steve, a dull and monotonous existence. She didn¡¯t actually think her life was that pathetic or pitiful. She just thought that everyone had their own pursuits, and hers was simply to marry Steve and save the Gregory family. So, for all these years, she had been persistently striving for this goal that had been arranged for her since she was little. That¡¯s why, three years ago, when Steve slept with her and didn¡¯t take responsibility, even giving her a resounding p, she didn¡¯t get discouraged. After returning to her country, she encountered many setbacks in dealing with him, but she never gave up. After all, people must pay some price to obtain something, and she had to endure. But in the end, she overestimated her own endurance. When she swallowed the contraceptive pill tonight, she suddenly felt disheartened and cold. This pursuit, which she had never thought of giving up no matter how difficult things got throughout her life, made her feel tired now. She wanted to let it go.
Thinking about this, Ruby¡¯s eyes welled up with tears. She turned slightly and curled up in her bed, burying her head under the covers. The next day happened to be a weekend, with two days off in a row. Physically and mentally exhausted, Ruby hid at home and didn¡¯t go out. Weekends always seemed to pass so quickly, and in the blink of an eye, it was Monday and time to go to work. Over the past two days, Ruby couldn¡¯t help but recall the events of that night whenever she spaced out. But time is truly a powerful thing. Though remembering it still made her upset, it wasn¡¯t as earth-shattering as it had been at first. Despite this, Ruby still didn¡¯t want to face Steve.. Chapter 149 - 149: 149: Eat It (7) Chapter 149 - 149: 149: Eat It (7)
Trantor: 549690339 In the past two days, Ruby Gregory had thought about talking to her parents to see if there was another way to save the Gregorys. But every time she saw the rxed and joyful expressions on her parents¡¯ faces because she and Steve Burton had spent a day and night together, she couldn¡¯t bring herself to say anything. Ruby felt utterly useless, as every time she was only able to make her parents happy through deception.
On Monday morning, as usual, she wore a blue dress, sprayed on a light touch of Chanel No.5 perfume, ate breakfast, and then had the Gregorys¡¯ driver take her to Pristine¡¯s Enterprises¡¯ building. After the driver left, Ruby didn¡¯t enter thepany. Instead, she stood by the roadside, sent a text message to her secretary asking for time off, and went to the underground parking garage to get her car and leave. Ruby didn¡¯t know where she should go. She didn¡¯t want to face Steve, but she also didn¡¯t want her parents to find out about the significant problems between her and Steve. So, she could only drive aimlessly along the congested streets of Ciawell, until 5 0¡ä clock in the evening, the regr end of her workday, when she finally drove back to the Gregorys¡¯ home. No matter what time Steve Burton entered the office, the first thing his secretary did was report his agenda for the day. Today was no different. Steve stood in the hallway between the secretary¡¯s office and the CEO¡¯s office, listening to Ms. Taylor¡¯s steady tone, his eyes casually ncing at Ruby¡¯s empty seat, just like yesterday. This was already the second day in a row that she hadn¡¯te to work. It had been tour days since she swallowed a contraceptive pill and lett his office, and he hadn¡¯t seen her since then. After reporting the day¡¯s schedule, Ms. Taylor asked, ¡°Mr. Burton, the president of Woods¡¯ Enterprises has arrived downstairs. Would you like to show them up now?¡± Steve Burton stood emotionless as if he hadn¡¯t heard her question. Ms. Taylor repeated her question, but when Steve remained silent, she bravely called out, ¡°Mr. Burton? Mr. Burton?¡±
Steve snapped back to reality, gave Ms. Taylor a brief nce and nodded, then walked straight into his office. Ms. Taylor was left standing there with her mouth agape. The always decisive and victorious Steve Burton had been daydreaming? After waiting for a moment, Ms. Taylor picked up the phone on her desk and called the inte to Steve¡¯s office, asking her question one more time. As it turned out, Steve Burton didn¡¯t just daydream this one time that day.. Chapter 150 - 150: 150: Eat It (8) Chapter 150 - 150: 150: Eat It (8)
Trantor: 549690339 While he was meeting with clients and conductingpany meetings, he would often suddenly gaze into an empty space, his eyes bing somewhat unfocused. Even when Ms. Taylor came to Steve Burton in the afternoon to have documents reviewed and signed, Steve finished checking the documents and quickly wrote three characters on them with a whoosh.
He wrote quickly, and Ms. Taylor couldn¡¯t see exactly what he had written. As Steve closed the documents and handed them to Ms. Taylor, he suddenly seemed to remember something, opened the documents, nced at the signature column, and his brow furrowed slightly. He immediately tore the documents down, tore them to pieces in two or three strokes, and threw them into the trash can next to him. Then he looked up and said to the stunned Ms. Taylor, ¡°Print me another copy of the document.¡± As a secretary, the most important quality is to obey all orders from superiors. Despite her doubts, Ms. Taylor immediately withdrew her astonished expression when Steve gave the order and nodded respectfully before leaving Steve¡¯s office. Once the office was quiet again, Steve leaned backzily in his chair, raised his hand, rubbed his forehead, and after a moment, bent down, picked up the torn document from the trash can, pieced it together on the table, and finally put together the signature column. In it were three bold, elegant, and flowing characters: Ruby Gregory. On the third day when Steve entered the office, Ruby still hadn¡¯te to work. There was no need for approval for a secretary¡¯s assistant to take leave, so, although Steve wondered when Ruby would be back, he never asked Ms. Taylor. However, on this day, he wasn¡¯t as absent-minded as the day before but seemed to have swallowed gunpowder. His temper became incredibly irritable and, like a loaded machine gun, heshed out at anyone he came across with no mercy, practically carrying out a brutal massacre like a bloodthirsty dictator of ancient times. All morning, in Steve¡¯s office, the sound of mming documents and scolding never ceased, causing the nervous atmosphere outside the secretary¡¯s office to be low-spirited. By the afternoon, Steve¡¯s ¡°machine gun¡± had attacked the offices of Rusell Henris, Edward Woods, Howard Coleman, and Madeleine. The four usually spent their free time in Steve¡¯s office, but after being scolded twice, they considered the area within thirty meters of Steve¡¯s office a restricted zone. At three o¡¯clock in the afternoon, a small problem urred in the Technical Department, but Steve made a big fuss and called the director to his office for a full ten-minute berating.. Chapter 151 - 151: 151: Eat It (9) Chapter 151 - 151: 151: Eat It (9)
Trantor: 549690339 The Director of the Technical Department finally left the president¡¯s office with a dejected face on the verge of tears. Shortly after, the news of Mr. Burton being in a foul mood today spread like a sensational scandal throughout the entirepany. From the receptionist on the first floor to the executives on the top floor, everyone was on tenterhooks, cautious, afraid to make any mistakes that might touch Steve Burton¡¯s nerve. The atmosphere was overwhelmingly oppressive. With half an hour left before the end of the work day, there were already five urgent files piled up in front of the secretary-general.
Holding the files, the secretary-general went to the door of Steve Burton¡¯s office and knocked gently. There was no sound from inside. Gathering her courage, the secretary-general opened the door, only to find the office eerily quiet. Steve Burton was not at his desk; he was standing by the French windows, motionless, staring at the setting sun outside the window, lost in thought. Steve Burton at that moment seemed to have lost the irritability and forcefulness he had before. He emanated an inherent grace and nobility, looking like a refined and elegant gentleman. Ms. Taylor, holding the files, carefully walked up to about three meters behind Steve Burton and then stopped. In a low voice, she said, ¡°Mr. Burton, these are the urgent files that need to be handled.¡± Steve Burton, with his back to Ms. Taylor, showed no reaction. Ms. Taylor stood in ce with the files, just as she thought Steve Burton wasn¡¯t nning on responding to her, his figure suddenly moved lightly. He turned around, not even sparing a nce at Ms. Taylor, walked straight to his desk, and picked up a signing pen. Ms. Taylor hurriedly walked over, handing over the files. Steve Burton signed his name on the document without uttering a word. Ms. Taylor quickly packed up the files: ¡°Mr. Burton, I¡¯ll go out first.¡¯ Then she quickly turned around with the files and fled. Just as Ms. Taylor was about to push the office door open, Steve Burton from behind suddenly spoke, his voice sounding slightly tired: ¡°How long is Ruby Gregory¡¯s leave?¡±
Ms. Taylor stopped in her tracks, turned her head, and didn¡¯t dare to look at Steve Burton, she truthfully responded: ¡°Ruby has taken sick leave, she didn¡¯t say when she will be back at work.¡± After a pause, Ms. Taylor asked, ¡°Do you want me to call her now and ask?¡± ¡°No need,¡± said Steve Burton faintly, his face expressionless. Ms. Taylor silently left Steve Burton¡¯s office, and then reached up to touch her heart, finally allowing herself to let out a long sigh of relief. Inside the office, Steve Burton stared at the cleaned and packed lunch box on the coffee table for a while, then stood up, picked up his car keys, and walked out of his office carrying the lunch box.. Chapter 152 - 152: 152: Eat It (10) Chapter 152 - 152: 152: Eat It (10)
Trantor: 549690339 Ruby Gregory returned home a little earlier than usual today. Dinner was not ready yet, Maxwell Gregory had not returned from thepany, the servants were busy preparing dinner in the kitchen, and Lady Gregory was sitting on the living room sofa, watching a South Genovian idol drama.
She had already taken three consecutive days off and had not gone to thepany. Her mood had not improved at all, and she felt more and more stifled. During these three days, she stayed alone in the car during daylight hours. Ruby didn¡¯t want to continue going upstairs and remain alone in her room, so she sat on the living room sofa and apanied her mother watching TV dramas. The scenes in the TV drama were warm and tender; the male lead was apanying the female lead shopping, and the female lead kept acting coquettish and adorable towards the male lead ¨C she even pretended to have sprained her ankle so that he would carry her. The male lead didn¡¯t show any disdain for the female lead¡¯s burdensome behavior, but rather seemed happy when he carried her on his back. The two of them had spent the whole day shopping, and it seemed that the female lead was really tired ¨C she fell asleep in the car on the way home. Instead of waking her up, the male lead stopped the car, gently carried her down from the car, carefully brought her back to the room, quietlyid her on the bed, and even considerately covered her with a nket. The male lead didn¡¯t leave her side but instead gazed at her sleeping face for a long time, gently lowering his head to kiss her forehead, his care and cherishment for her overflowing. At this moment, the scene on the TV was set at sunset, with the red sunlight streaming through the window, casting onto the male and female leads. The scene was exceptionally beautiful. Although Ruby had no idea about the plot of the drama, she still stared at the scene, daydreaming. Even when the ending song of the drama yed, Ruby didn¡¯t snap out of it. It seemed that the TV screen was still frozen at that moment. After a long time, Ruby¡¯s mind began to churn, and then she realized that she had actually developed a touch of envy deep in her heart.
Yes, she was envious of a scene that did not even exist in real life, something purely fabricated in a TV drama. She never knew that a man could be so gentle towards a woman. In her world, she had never been treated so tenderly by a man. She didn¡¯t even know what the interaction between a man and a woman was supposed to be like. What the Gregorys taught her was that a woman should be dignified, demure, and graceful. That¡¯s why she always appeared cultivated and well-versed in front of Steve Burton. She dared not ask him to do anything for her. As for Steve Burton, he was always rough with her in bed ¨C he even tied up her hands. Even when he kissed her, he bit her lips painfully.. Chapter 153 - 153: 153: Eat It (11) Chapter 153 - 153: 153: Eat It (11)
Trantor: 549690339 So, let alone tenderness. Ruby Gregory lowered her eyes slightly. The warm scenes between the male and female protagonists from the TV drama she had just watched became even clearer in her mind.
¡°Ruby? Ruby?¡± Lady Gregory¡¯s voice broke Ruby¡¯s contemtion. Ruby came back to her senses. She looked at Lady Gregory, whose eyes seemed somewhat lost. Despite her fast heartbeat, she found herself fantasizing about how Steve Burton would treat her tenderly. ¡°What are you thinking? The doorbell rang, and the housekeeper is making dinner. You should go open the door; it might be your dading back,¡± Lady Gregory said. To cover her embarrassment, Ruby quickly stood up and answered ¡°Oh.¡± She hurriedly walked towards the door, passed the foyer, and without even looking through the peephole, she directly opened the door, cutely calling out, ¡°Dad.¡± Ruby¡¯s voice had barely faded when she suddenly bit her lip hard, staring at the figure standing outside. Her face drained of color, and she instinctively tightened her grip on the door handle. Steve stood elegantly at the doorstep with a takeaway container, his gaze fixed on Ruby. Ruby¡¯s heartstrings tightened. She lowered her eyes slightly, hiding her gaze, and remained silent. The two stood quietly facing each other at the doorway. Lady Gregory waited for a long while without anyone entering the house and finally called out: ¡°Ruby, is it your dad?¡± ¡°Ruby?¡± Lady Gregory walked out of the house in her slippers and saw Steve standing at the door. She was momentarily taken aback before a hint of joy flickered in her eyes: ¡°Oh, it¡¯s Steve.¡±
Lady Gregory then nced at Ruby and said somewhat reproachfully: ¡°Ruby, Steve is here, and you just let him stand at the door without inviting him in?¡± Lady Gregory took out a pair of unused men¡¯s slippers from the shoe cab and ced them at the door: ¡°Come on in and sit down.¡± ¡°Thank you, Aunt Gregory,¡± Steve replied politely and bent his body, took off his shoes, changed into slippers, and walked into the room. Lady Gregory enthusiastically invited Steve to sit down, personally brewed tea for him, and handed the teacup in front of Steve. Although the Gregorys and the Burtons were neighbors, Steve was busy with his work. Lady Gregory asionally ran into him, and each time he would greet her. But it never went beyond exchanging greetings, and no extensive conversations LOOK mace. Now Steve¡¯s sudden visit to the Gregory house made Lady Gregory a bit excited, and she warmly chatted with him. In contrast, Ruby sat on the couch as far away from Steve as possible, without saying a word. Steve courteously answered Lady Gregory¡¯s inquiries, but his eyes would asionally drift towards Ruby.. Chapter 154 - 154: 154: Eat It (12) Chapter 154 - 154: 154: Eat It (12)
Trantor: 549690339 Lady Gregory was a wise woman. She noticed that Steve Burton¡¯s gaze had been focused on Ruby throughout, and feeling that her incessant chatter may be interrupting their conversation, she found an excuse to help out in the kitchen, leaving the space free for the two of them. Once Lady Gregory left, the entire living room fell silent.
Seated in her chair, Ruby¡¯s figure appeared slightly rigid. She kept her head down, not looking at Steve. The quietness between Steve and Rubysted until Lady Gregory walked out of the kitchen with a te of fruit. Seeing that Ruby had no intention of talking to him, Steve moistened his lips slightly, stood up, and said, ¡°Aunt Gregory, it¡¯s gettingte. I should head home now.¡± ¡°Stay for dinner,¡± urged Lady Gregory. Steve nced at Ruby but remained silent. Lady Gregory nudged Ruby, ¡°It¡¯s not often that Steve visits our home, let¡¯s invite him to stay for dinner.¡± Ruby¡¯s fingers clenched slightly. She quickly nced at Steve, then immediately lowered her gaze. Her voice was quite calm as she said, ¡°Stay for dinner.¡± Steve stared at Ruby¡¯s figure for a while, then gently nodded. Lady Gregory happily set the fruit te on the tea table, suggested Steve have some fruit, and then went back to the kitchen with a cheerful gait to help the servants prepare dinner. This dinner was the most extravagant Ruby had seen since her return, it was as if they were hosting a very important guest. Steve was sitting next to Ruby, with Lady Gregory sitting opposite them.
Maxwell Gregory still hadn¡¯te home from work yet. Lady Gregory treated Steve as if he were her own son, she served him rice and soup, constantly urging him to eat more. Even, Lady Gregory gave Ruby a look. Ruby understood her mother¡¯s hint but pretended not to see it. Under the table, Lady Gregory kicked her foot. Ruby gripped the chopsticks harder, picked up some food, ced it in Steve¡¯s bowl. Lady Gregory finally had a satisfied smile on her face. Both Steve and Ruby were quiet and this made the atmosphere at the table a bit oppressive. So, Lady Gregory started a conversation, ¡°Steve, what¡¯s on your mind? What brought you over unannounced?¡± Although Steve was born into nobility, he was well-mannered. He had always shown respect to his elders. He swallowed the food in his mouth, lifted his head, looked straight into Lady Gregory¡¯s eyes and said, ¡°I had your food container in my office for several days. I was afraid it would inconvenience you if I dyed its return any longer, so as it happens, I was passing the Gregorys¡¯ mansion and decided to drop it off.¡± Lady Gregory nced at Ruby and said, ¡°Ruby, how could you be so careless? You¡¯ve been working at thepany these past days, how could you forget to bring the food container back home?¡± Upon hearing this, Ruby felt a twinge of nervousness in her heart. She hadn¡¯t been going to work these days, lying to thepany on the one hand and deceiving her parents on the other. Her deceit was not about to be discovered, was it? PS: That¡¯s it for today, to be continued tomorrow¨C I have ss during the day and write at night, sleeping six hours a day without dying updates. I am so dedicated, ain¡¯t I¨C Express your feelings about this in thements-Yesterday¡¯s calendar recipient reader was: Yonganqing Alcohol..
Chapter 155 - 155: 155: Crying herself into unconsciousness (1) Chapter 155 - 155: 155: Crying herself into unconsciousness (1)
Trantor: 549690339 Upon hearing this, a feeling of unease settled in the pit of Ruby Gregory¡¯s stomach. For the past few days, she had been skipping work, lying to herpany while deceiving her parents.
Could it be that her lies were about to be exposed? Not about to be, but her lies had already been uncovered by Steve Burton. Steve Burton always had strict demands for the employees of Pristine¡¯s Enterprises, and her actions could be interpreted as truancy. Having been working at Pristine¡¯s Enterprises for a while, Ruby had witnessed multiple incidents of employees being reprimanded by Steve for their mistakes. Moreover, Steve wasn¡¯t fond of her, if he were to directly confront her in front of her mother¡­ Ruby¡¯s hand clenched the chopsticks tighter, her nerves beginning to fray. Steve was worried that Ruby was really sick, so he came to the Gregorys¡¯. Seeing her standing in front of him, safe and sound, his anxiety finally eased. Now, hearing Lady Gregory¡¯s remarks, he quickly understood. Ruby had been using the excuse of going to work to leave the Gregorys¡¯ house, and then lied to herpany to take sick leave. Her deceit was simply to avoid meeting him at thepany. Steve Burton¡¯s heart, which had just begun to rx, tightened slightly. He turned his head to look at Ruby sitting next to him. Probably because her lie had been exposed on the spot, her face was a little red from nervousness. Her eyshes quivered a little too much, and she bit her lower lip, her fingers squeezing the chopsticks with strength. She looked like a little girl caught doing something wrong, utterly lost and anxious. After a two-second pause, Steve moved his lips, and naturally took up Lady Gregory¡¯s conversation without rushing: ¡°Work has been busy, so it¡¯s normal to forget.¡±
Those ten simple words covered up the lie Ruby had told Lady Gregory. Lady Gregory, of course, knew nothing about Ruby not going to thepany these days. She saw that she was ming Ruby, but Steve spoke up for her first. Clearly, he was protecting Ruby. It seemed that Steve still cared about their Ruby. Lady Gregory immediately smiled and filled Steve¡¯s bowl with soup: ¡°When she was little, and Ruby made a mistake, you always came to her rescue. Even now that she¡¯s grown up, you still speak up for her. This child, she¡¯s spoiled from your protection.¡± Ruby didn¡¯t expect Steve toe to her rescue. She felt a bit surprised deep down and subconsciously turned her head to nce at Steve. Hearing Lady Gregory¡¯s words, Steve also turned his head to look at Ruby, and their eyes met just as Ruby was looking towards him. Ruby was slightly taken aback, then quickly lowered her head to eat her rice.. Chapter 156 - 156: 156: Crying herself into unconsciousness (2) Chapter 156 - 156: 156: Crying herself into unconsciousness (2)
Trantor: 549690339 Ruby Gregory joined Pristine¡¯s Enterprises, and Lady Gregory had never been able to talk to Steve Burton about this matter. Now that it was about Ruby, Lady Gregory followed up on the previous conversation, saying: ¡°Steve, this is Ruby¡¯s first time working, she must have caused you a lot of trouble, and we appreciate you taking responsibility for her.¡±
Steve then slowly moved his gaze away from Ruby¡¯s side face, and as he looked at Lady Gregory, his eyes still held the same tenderness as when he looked at Ruby. He replied indulgently, ¡°Of course.¡± Lady Gregory was delighted to see Steve ept her words without hesitation. She was about to ask Steve to eat more when a servant¡¯s voice came from outside, ¡°Madam, the master is back.¡± As soon as the servant¡¯s voice settled down, Maxwell Gregory walked into the dining room with his briefcase. Lady Gregory quickly stood up, took Maxwell Gregory¡¯s briefcase, and put it on a nearby table. She pulled out a dining chair for Maxwell Gregory to sit down. Steve politely put down his chopsticks and greeted, ¡°Uncle Gregory.¡± Noticing Steve, Maxwell Gregory¡¯s face showed a hint of joy, ¡°So Steve is here too.¡± Maxwell Gregory¡¯s return changed the topics at the dining table from family matters to business. Lady Gregory and Ruby had little to say, so most of the conversation was between Maxwell Gregory and Steve. Maxwell Gregory kept asking Steve questions, mostly about Pristine¡¯s Enterprises¡¯ future work ns. Maxwell Gregory¡¯s tone sounded like a casual conversation between two people, without any distinction of rank. However, Ruby could sense from Maxwell Gregory¡¯s words like ¡°Right?¡±, ¡°Isn¡¯t that right?¡± and ¡°Steve is bing more impressive.¡± that he was being cautious and ingratiating towards Steve. Though Steve maintained an expression of great respect for Maxwell Gregory, his tone ced himself in the younger generation¡¯s position, giving face to Maxwell Gregory. But as Ruby listened to their conversation and looked at the table full of carefully prepared dishes by her mother, she couldn¡¯t help but feel a sense of difort.
It was not enough that she had to stand in a position of pleasing Steve; even her parents, at their age, had to treat Steve with such caution and care. Maxwell Gregory said with a smile, ¡°So Pristine¡¯s Enterprises¡¯ biggest project in the second half of the year is tounch a project in the southern suburbs, opening a New Eco Park; under your leadership, thepany¡¯s profits will significantly increase this year.¡± Steve smiled modestly in response to Maxwell Gregory¡¯s praise. Considering that Steve and Ruby had been growing closertely, and that he came over for dinner at the Gregorys¡¯ tonight, Maxwell Gregory tactfully said, ¡°Actually, I¡¯ve been paying close attention to the Eco Park issue for a while, and I have some ideas for the Eco Park¡¯s design..¡± Chapter 157 - 157: 157: Crying herself into unconsciousness (3) Chapter 157 - 157: 157: Crying herself into unconsciousness (3)
Trantor: 549690339 When Ruby Gregory heard this, she couldn¡¯t help but pinch the chopsticks tightly with her fingertips. Creating the Eco Park for Pristine¡¯s Enterprises involved not only their ownpany but also working with many others. Her father had subtly mentioned that he had a concept for the Eco Park, as if hinting to Steve Burton that if
Pristine¡¯s Enterprises looked for a designpany, they could consider The Gregorys. Back in the day, The Gregorys were first-rate in their design work, but their business had worsened over the years, losing talented employees and falling short of even a second-ratepany. The Eco Park that Pristine¡¯s Enterprises was nning was definitely a high-end project, so apany like The Gregorys was unlikely to be within the considerations for coboration. Her father had only spoken this way, believing that she and Steve shared a close rtionship. However, deep down, her father didn¡¯t know that Steve now only harbored disgust towards her. Why would Steve give special consideration to The Gregorys for her sake? What¡¯s more, The Fosters¡ªrtives of The Burtons¡ªwere also in the design business. They were most likely the primary choice. Ruby Gregory discreetly lifted her eyes and used the corner of her vision to look at Steve Burton. Upon hearing her father¡¯s remark, the man¡¯s expression remained unchanged. It was impossible to detect any emotion, making it difficult to guess what might be going through his mind at this moment. Ruby thought, if she could understand her father¡¯s meaning, then Steve would probably know it even better ¨C the hidden message in her father¡¯s words. Her father wanted Steve to make a special case for The Gregorys because of her, but she was aware that Steve would not give such a significant project to The Gregorys just for her sake.
In front of Steve, she had always been in a humble and weak position. However, she didn¡¯t want her father, a senior to Steve, to lose face in front of him. Instead of waiting for Steve to refuse her father¡¯s request, she tried to save some face for her family by speaking up before him, ¡°Dad, can we stop talking about work when we¡¯re at home? Mom and I can¡¯t join in the conversation.¡± Maxwell Gregory thought that Ruby was just annoyed by him talking too long with Steve, disrupting their time together. He immediately smiled and said, ¡°Alright, alright, no more talk about work. If it makes you unhappy, I won¡¯t bother you two anymore. After a tiring day, I¡¯ll go take a bath first.¡± With that, Maxwell Gregory stood up, and Lady Gregory followed suit, apanying him as they left the dining room.. Chapter 158 - 158: 158: Crying herself into unconsciousness (4) Chapter 158 - 158: 158: Crying herself into unconsciousness (4)
Trantor: 549690339 Ruby Gregory secretly let out a sigh of relief. Without Maxwell Gregory and Steve Burton¡¯s conversation, the dining room seemed somewhat empty and deste.
Ruby was afraid that Steve would look down upon her father, so she exined, ¡°My dad just made a casualment. Don¡¯t overthink it.¡± Steve was very smart. He not only understood Maxwell¡¯s insinuation but also knew why Ruby, who had been quietly eating beside him, suddenly startedining about her father. She probably thought he wouldn¡¯t help the Gregorys. She was afraid that if he refused, it would hurt her father¡¯s pride, so she tried to change the subject and not let him speak up. Ruby had always been like this, fighting in her own way to marry him so that she could rely on this rtionship to make the Gregorys respected and sessful. She never thought abouting to him and asking for help directly. Now, the Gregorys¡¯ business was in chaos and on the brink of copse. They urgently needed loans but could never get them. On the night of his birthday, he asked her about the Gregorys¡¯ situation. Yet, she only quietly changed the subject and never told him that the Gregorys desperately needed money. All he wanted was for her to ask him for help in difficult times, but she never did. She hadn¡¯t three years ago, and she still hadn¡¯t. In her heart, she didn¡¯t want a husband, a marriage, or a family. What she wanted was a marriage alliance, a contract, and a coboration. Steve¡¯s silence made Ruby unsure whether he believed her exnations, or whether they hade across as a cover-up. She shut her mouth, only sitting stiffly and ceremoniously in her dining chair.
After an unknown length of time, Steve finally looked at his wristwatch and stood up. ¡°It¡¯s gettingte,¡± he said. ¡°I should be going home.¡± Ruby quickly raised her head to look at Steve, then promptly averted her gaze and nodded. ¡°Oh,¡± she said. Steve stood there, watching Ruby for a while, then turned and walked out of the dining room. Ruby followed behind him. After Lady Gregory had prepared a hot bath for Maxwell, she walked out of the bedroom to see Steve picking up his suit jacket. ¡°Steve, won¡¯t you stay a bit longer?¡± she asked. ¡°No,¡± he replied. ¡°It¡¯s gettingte.¡± ¡°Ruby, go see Steve off,¡± Lady Gregory insisted as she personally escorted the two of them to the door. ¡°Come visit us whenever you have time, Steve,¡± she said. ¡°I will, Aunt Gregory, goodbye.¡± ¡°Goodbye..¡± Chapter 159 - 159: 159: Crying herself into unconsciousness (5) Chapter 159 - 159: 159: Crying herself into unconsciousness (5)
Trantor: 549690339 Ruby Gregory closed the door and followed Steve Burton, deliberately walking slowly down the steps and increasing the distance between them. The two of them walked along the path, still silent, one behind the other.
The moon tonight was in its waning phase, a crescent hanging on the horizon, casting a gentle luminance on the ground. The night breeze in the suburbs carried a hint of chill, mixed with a fresh fragrance, giving a sense of tranquility. However, Ruby¡¯s heart couldn¡¯t seem to find peace. Steve walked to the main entrance of the Gregorys¡¯ residence, stopped, and turned to look at Ruby, who had fallen far behind him. Ruby¡¯s steps hesitated for a moment, but she still braced herself and slowly approached the entrance, where she finally stopped at a certain distance from Steve. During their time inside the Gregorys¡¯ house, Steve hadn¡¯t had the chance to take a good look at Ruby. Now standing at the entrance with only the two of them, under the dim light of the doorway, Steve saw that in just a few short days, Ruby had lost a noticeable amount of weight. Her already delicate face seemed even more petite. She kept her gaze lowered, not looking up at him, and appeared somewhat nervous. Steve noticed her hands silently hidden behind her skirt, clenched into fists. Steve stared at Ruby for a while before finally speaking, saying, ¡°There¡¯s apany department banquet tomorrow evening.¡± He had spoken concisely, but Ruby understood that this meant she would have to go to work at Pristine¡¯s Enterprises the next day. Ruby gently nodded her head without uttering a word. The two of them fell silent once again.
Ruby thought that her silence brought about the awkwardness, so she tried to quickly think of something to say but couldn¡¯te up with anything meaningful. Finally, she looked up at Steve and said, ¡°Goodbye.¡± Upon hearing these words, Steve¡¯s brow briefly furrowed, but in the next second, he wordlessly turned around and strode toward the Burtons¡¯ entrance without looking back. Ruby stood at the door, watching Steve¡¯s figure gradually disappear around the corner of the Burtons¡¯ entrance, then let out a long sigh of relief. She stared nkly in the direction he¡¯d gone, before slowly turning around and retreating back into the house. Ruby¡¯s pride told her that she didn¡¯t want to marry Steve anymore. But her reason was telling her that she couldn¡¯t abandon the Gregorys, who had raised her all these years. For the past few days, she had been wavering on this issue, but still hadn¡¯t reached a decision. So, on the second day after Steve showed up at the Gregorys¡¯, Ruby went to work at Pristine¡¯s Enterprises.. Chapter 160 - 160: 160: Crying herself into unconsciousness (6) Chapter 160 - 160: 160: Crying herself into unconsciousness (6)
Trantor: 549690339 At thepany, whenever Ruby Gregory saw Steve Burton, she would always avoid him at all costs and keep a distance from him. Despite this, Ruby was still Steve¡¯s secretary assistant, so when Steve was in and out of the office, Ruby would inevitably see him. During those times, she would bury her head directly on the desk and keep her head down, waiting for Steve to leave, before continuing her work. The secretary general thought that she had just recovered from a severe illness, so the workload assigned to her was not too heavy. However, Ruby was still worn out after a day in the office.
Thepany¡¯s banquet was scheduled for tonight and was to be held at the Capital Club. When Ruby arrived, she realized that the gathering had been organized for thepany but was also attended by senior staff from otherpanies that had close ties with Pristine¡¯s Enterprises. The banquet began promptly at eight o¡¯clock. Steve, the president of Pristine¡¯s Enterprises, stood on stage wearing a slim-fitting ck suit. He quickly gave a brief speech before signaling the official start of the banquet. The first part of the banquet was the toast. Such banquets urred at least once a month at Pristine¡¯s Corporation. Steve asionally missed a few but attended most of them. Even when he was present, he would quickly leave the scene after giving a brief speech. However, Steve showed no intention of leaving tonight¡¯s banquet early. Although most employees worked at Pristine¡¯s, for them, their president was an unapproachable figure. Now that the president was staying behind at the banquet, a good number of employees tried their best to get close to Steve, taking the opportunity to toast their sses with him. Ruby could hardly avoid Steve, let alone approach him like other employees. So, as soon as the banquet began, she quietly slipped away from the crowd and found a secluded corner to sit in. Sinceing back to the country, she had only attended such banquets three times. The first banquet was with her father, when she had reunited with Steve after their separation.
The second banquet was Steve¡¯s birthday party. At that time, she had gifted Steve a birthday present, but, feeling hurt, she chose to stay away from everyone. However, she had Madeleine and Howard Coleman to keep her Today, Madeleine left for Lilliput two days ago on a business trip for a project, while Rusell Henris, Edward Woods, and Howard Coleman were entertaining senior staff from otherpanies at tonight¡¯s event. So at this banquet, she was sitting alone in a corner, seeming particrly out of ce. Noisy scenes surrounded her. When Ruby asionally nced back, she could easily see that Steve was always surrounded by arge group of people, as if he was the center of the universe.. Chapter 161 - 161: 161: Crying herself into unconsciousness (7) Chapter 161 - 161: 161: Crying herself into unconsciousness (7)
Trantor: 549690339 In the past, she could naturally and casually stand by his side, attending various banquets together. At that time, she always thought that she could stand by his side for a lifetime. She thought they were a match made in heaven.
Now she no longer has the qualification to stand by his side, and not even the courage to fight for it. Ruby Gregory turned her head, looking out of the window, lost in thought. After an unknown amount of time, she heard footsteps behind her. Ruby turned her head and saw Steve Burton walking over with a man. She faintly recognized the man as the president of Farglory Group, apany that had been working closely with Pristine¡¯s Enterprises recently. Steve Burton seemed to have not noticed Ruby sitting in the corner. When he saw her, his expression was slightly taken aback. Others eagerly went up to toast with him, and now that Steve was in front of her, she had to do the same. So, Ruby Gregory stood up and offered a ss of alcohol to Steve, lowering her gaze and calling out, ¡°Mr. Burton.¡± Then she turned her head, nced at the president of Farglory Group standing next to Steve, smiled faintly, and downed the ss in one gulp. Steve Burton and Farglory Group¡¯s president sat on the sofa where Ruby was originally sitting, as if they had something to discuss. After toasting, she tactfully found an excuse to leave. Steve stared at Ruby¡¯s retreating figure for a long time, then slowly shifted his gaze. Turning his head to look at the Farglory Group President beside him, he noticed the president was also staring at Ruby¡¯s back with obvious amazement and excitement in his eyes. Steve¡¯s brows furrowed subconsciously, staring at the president¡¯s face for a moment, only to find him still focused on Ruby. Eventually, Steve lifted his ss, handed it to the Farglory Group President, and called out, ¡°Mr. Octo.¡±
Mr. Octo had no reaction as he waspletely immersed in the impact made by Ruby, staring at her intently. A hint of displeasure gradually surfaced in Steve¡¯s eyes, and he couldn¡¯t help but cough heavily. Finally, Mr. Octo shifted his gaze from Ruby and noticed Steve¡¯s proffered ss. Hastily raising his own ss, Steve¡¯s expression improved slightly. But the very next second, after they clinked sses and downed their drinks, Mr. Octo¡¯s gaze once again focused on the distant banquet scene. After circling the crowd, his eyes eventually settled on Ruby¡¯s figure again. Steve¡¯s face darkened once more. However, Mr. Octo by his side didn¡¯t notice Steve¡¯s change in expression, and he continued to lock his gaze on Ruby Gregory.. Chapter 162 - 162: 162: Crying herself into unconsciousness (8) Chapter 162 - 162: 162: Crying herself into unconsciousness (8)
Trantor: 549690339 In Steve Burton¡¯s heart, there was suddenly an impulse to kick either Mr. Octo or Ruby Gregory out of the banquet hall. So, he invited Mr. Octo to drink alcohol with him once again.
This time, as Mr. Octo drank with him, his gaze became even more intense, fixating directly on Ruby¡¯s figure. As Steve¡¯s heart was filled with a burning rage, suddenly someone stood beside Ruby, conveniently blocking his view of her. The person blocking Ruby was Maya Mitchell, much to Steve¡¯s knowledge. He silently gave Maya a mental thumbs-up and thought about giving her a raise at the end of the month. However, his relief onlysted half a minute before Maya and Ruby walked together onto the dance floor. Today, Ruby wore a tight blue mini skirt, fully revealing her figure. She stood in the shing lights of the dance floor, dancing face-to-face with Maya. Steve¡¯s expression was calm as he leaned against his chair, his fingers pinching the wine ss while looking at Ruby¡¯s alluring movements. He then nced over at Mr. Octo, who sat beside him, staring dumbfounded at Ruby on the dance floor. Steve suddenly felt a headacheing on. He somewhat regretted visiting the Gregorys to see Ruby yesterday, letting here to work at Pristine¡¯s Enterprises today, and even more regretful for inviting her to thepany banquet tonight. Mr. Octo had no idea what emotions were stirring deep inside the seemingly indifferent Steve. He admired Ruby while asking Steve, ¡°Mr. Burton, the woman who just toasted in the corner and works in yourpany, is she an employee here?¡± Steve didn¡¯t answer, but his headache grew worse.
Because in the distance of the dance floor, Ruby was dancing gracefully, enticingly captivating hearts and souls. Mr. Octo didn¡¯t mind Steve¡¯s apparent disregard for him, focusing instead on Ruby¡¯s figure and unreservedly admiring her. With deep emotion in his voice, he began to praise Ruby, ¡°I never thought that in yourpany, Mr. Burton, there would be such a heavenly beauty. You truly are fortunate. You have no idea, I have lived so many years and seen countless beautiful women, I feelpletely numb to them. But when I saw her, I truly felt a sudden enlightenment, as if stumbling upon a beautiful vige with dark willows and bright flowers, and a sense that she is the sun rising in the east!¡± Mr. Octo¡¯s words were eloquent and sincere in their praise. However, his words fell into Steve¡¯s ears like unbearable noise. What sudden enlightenment, what beautiful vige with dark willows and bright flowers, what sun rising in the east¡­ Such profound and artistic words. Steve¡¯s headache felt increasingly out of control. PS: That¡¯s it for today, continue tomorrow¨C Yesterday¡¯s lucky reader was¡­ Chapter 163 - 163: 163: Crying herself into unconsciousness (9) Chapter 163 - 163: 163: Crying herself into unconsciousness (9)
Trantor: 549690339 What does it mean to say things like ¡®suddenly everything is clear¡¯, ¡®bright prospects after painful struggles¡¯, ¡®there is the East; she is the sun¡¯¡­ Why does it sound so profound?
Steve Burton feels a throbbing headache that is starting to be unbearable. In his heart, he has a burning desire to gouge out Mr. Octo¡¯s wandering eyes. Mr. Octo,pletely oblivious to the danger in store for his eyes, can¡¯t seem to get enough of ogling Ruby Gregory and is even passionatelyvishing praisesced with artistic ir upon her in front of Burton, who is brimming with murderous intent, ¡°Never before have I seen such a perfect woman. Her height, just right ¨C a tad bit more and she¡¯d be too tall, any less and she¡¯d be too short. Exquisite eyes, pretty as a picture. She¡¯s a kind of beauty that can carry both heavy and light makeup perfectly well.¡± Upon hearing Mr. Octo¡¯s remarks, it seems Maya Mitchell called out Ruby Gregory. Ruby turned her head slightly, smiling gently at Maya. Mr. Octo on seeing this scene, had his eyes light up in an unthinkable excitement. Stirred up, he picked up his ss of alcohol and downed it in one gulp, then focused his gaze back towards Ruby on the dance floor, his voice trembling slightly due to the intensity of his emotions, ¡°Her charming nce, a hundred beauties born¡­the surroundings are overshadowed by her glowing beauty¡­She is a rare beauty, a rare beauty indeed!¡± Each time Mr. Octo showered Ruby with another ssic quote intended to describe a beautiful woman, Steve felt not just a headache, but his stomach, heart, and lungs also started aching. Upon hearing Mr. Octo eximing ¡®a rare beauty¡¯ for the second time, Steve could feel his whole body pricked with throbbing aches, as if he was punctured with countless needles. Before Steve could shake off the difort, Mr. Octo once again started singing praises for Ruby. Only this time, he directed them at Steve, ¡°She truly has no ws at all. With a look at other beauties, you can always find some imperfections, but she makes one marvel at her more and more. This means, she¡¯s one in a hundred, no, one in ten thousand¡­¡± After some deliberation, Mr. Octo decided to use a different term, ¡°She¡¯s a once in a lifetime beauty, don¡¯t you think so, Mr. Burton?¡± Steve stared at Ruby dancing in the middle of the dance floor. Hearing Mr. Octo¡¯s final demand for confirmation, a slight smile appeared at the corners of his mouth, his reply casual and rxed, ¡°Is that so?¡± Steve¡¯s offhand tone made Mr. Octo feel as if his goddess was being slighted, which stirred a trickle of anger within him. He finally managed to tear his gaze off Ruby and directed it towards Steve, earnestly raised his hand, pointed at Ruby, and sought confirmation again: ¡°I was referring to that beauty, the one so beautiful, she topples the city. Am I right?¡± In the split-second when Mr. Octo turned his head to look at him, Steve had already taken his eyes off Ruby..
Chapter 164 - 164: 164: Crying herself into unconsciousness (10) Chapter 164 - 164: 164: Crying herself into unconsciousness (10)
Trantor: 549690339 It was only when he saw Mr. Octo pointing at Ruby Gregory that he finally put on a leisurely pose, slowly raised his head, and followed Mr. Octo¡¯s finger to look at Ruby. Just as Mr. Octo had said, she was indeed beautiful, especially under the enchanting lights on the dance floor which made her look even more stunning and hard to resist.
However, Steve Burton only nced at Ruby quickly before lowering his eyes. With a light and indifferent tone, he said, ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I don¡¯t see it.¡± Upon hearing this, Mr. Octo looked at Steve with a strange expression, as if questioning his taste: ¡°Mr. Burton, are you sure that you were looking at the person I mentioned?¡± ¡°Mr. Burton, if she doesn¡¯t count as a beauty, then what kind of woman would you consider beautiful?¡± ¡°Mr. Burton, do you believe me when I say that if I take a picture of her right now and post it online, she will instantly go viral and be known as the most beautiful woman in history?¡± After stating his slight disagreement with Steve, Mr. Octo finally put on a nonchnt expression, as if saying that he didn¡¯t want to argue with Steve. He stared intently at Ruby for a while, and his face gradually revealed a more and more satisfied, more and more captivated look. In the end, he couldn¡¯t help but turn to Steve and ask, ¡°Mr. Burton, since she is your employee and you have her information, could you give me a copy?¡± For a man, he could show off all the stunningly beautiful things he had collected, eliciting admiration from others. But when it came to the woman he deeply loved, he could appreciate her beauty and praise it, yet could not ept the amazement and infatuation that surfaced in others¡¯ eyes when they looked at his beloved woman. So when Steve heard Mr. Octo defending Ruby as usual and asking for her contact information, he just felt a surge of anger. Give him her contact information? In his dreams! Seeing that Steve remained silent for a while, Mr. Octo lowered his head slightly and suggested, ¡°Actually, it doesn¡¯t really count as divulging employee information; we¡¯d just be helping out as friends¡­¡± Friends? When had he be friends with Mr. Octo?
Before this indignant thought could settle in Steve¡¯s mind, Mr. Octo¡¯s voice came again: ¡°After all, a virtuous beauty makes the perfect match for a gentleman.¡± As soon as Mr. Octo¡¯s words left his mouth, Steve felt his anger rushing to his head. What the hell, a virtuous beauty makes the perfect match for a gentleman? He suddenly felt like cursing. What should he do? Steve felt as if a heavy stone was pressing on his internal organs, unable to say a word. At this moment, a secretary passed by the table where Steve and Mr. Octo were sitting.. Chapter 165 - 165: 165: Crying herself into unconsciousness (11) Chapter 165 - 165: 165: Crying herself into unconsciousness (11)
Trantor: 549690339 The secretary had previously met Mr. Octo, who she recognized and thus immediately raised her hand to greet him. The secretary paused, respectfully walked towards Steve Burton and Mr. Octo, and courteously greeted them: ¡°Mr. Burton, Mr. Octo.¡±
Without exchanging pleasantries with the secretary, Mr. Octo pointed directly to Ruby Gregory and asked, ¡°Is she an employee from yourpany?¡± The secretary turned her head and took a brief look. She and Ruby shared the same office, so she naturally recognized her, so she nodded and said, ¡°Yes.¡± Mr. Octo¡¯s eyes sparkled with hope and joy, ¡°What¡¯s her name? Do you have her contact information?¡± ¡°Ruby Gregory.¡± The secretary replied. She tilted her head in thought, but she could only remember the first six digits of Ruby¡¯s phone number. Just as she was about to look it up on her mobile, she noticed Steve Burton, sitting next to Mr. Octo, ring at her as if she hadmitted an unforgivable mistake. Having worked with Steve Burton for a long time, these secretaries were savvy and she immediately realized that she hadpromised Ruby¡¯s privacy, much to Steve Burton¡¯s disapproval. The secretary suddenly turned pale with fright, her fingers trembling as she held her phone. She pretended to look through her contacts, and then feigned not having Ruby¡¯s contact stored on it. She politely said to Mr. Octo, ¡°Mr. Octo, I am terribly sorry, Ruby Gregory just joined Pristine¡¯s Enterprises and I haven¡¯t saved her number yet.¡± Mr. Octo looked disappointed, ¡°I see¡­¡± The secretary stole a quick nce at Steve Burton and noticed that he seemed slightly appeased, yet his gaze remained icy and intimidating. She found it difficult to breathe and hastily concocted an excuse to escape. Although Mr. Octo didn¡¯t find out Ruby Gregory¡¯s phone number, he now knew her name and he was certain he¡¯d meet her again given their cordial coboration with Pristine¡¯s Enterprises. While Mr. Octo did feel regret for a while, he soon cheered up and he could not help but repeatedly uttering Ruby Gregory¡¯s name, ¡°Ruby Gregory¡­ So her name is Ruby Gregory¡­ Ruby¡­ Indeed living up to her name, capable of captivating a city¡­ what a great name, fits a beauty¡­ absolutely fitting¡­¡± Steve Burton sat next to him, appearing calm on the surface, but he was alreadymbasting internally. Did you coin the name Ruby Gregory? Ruby? Are you familiar with her?
You call her Ruby? Even though Mr. Octo was thinking that there¡¯s always tomorrow, he still wanted Ruby Gregory¡¯s contact info. He couldn¡¯t resist turning to Steve Burton again, ¡°Mr. Burton, now that I know Ruby¡¯s name, it would be easier to find her phone number.. Can you help me find out? I would be grateful¡­¡± Chapter 166 - 166: Crying herself into unconsciousness (12) Chapter 166: Crying herself into unconsciousness (12) Trantor: 549690339 Ruby? Damn! He called Ruby Gregory, Ruby?! Steve Burton couldn¡¯t ept it for a moment, his hand trembled, and the phone in his hand mmed onto the ground. Now he not only felt pain all over, his blood rising in anger, he even felt that he couldn¡¯t breathe properly! Could just anyone casually call Ruby Gregory by her childhood nickname? Edward Woods, Rusell Henris, and Howard Coleman grew up alongside him and Ruby Gregory, and none of them dared to call her ¡°Ruby¡± in front of him! At this moment, Steve Burton felt that he not only wanted to gouge out Mr. Octo¡¯s eyes, but he actually wanted to kill him! Mr. Octo bent down, picked up Steve Burton¡¯s phone, and handed it to Steve. He nced at the man, who had a handsome face, outstanding temperament, and a cold demeanor, showing no abnormalities. So, Mr. Octo spoke again, ¡°Mr. Burton, you¡¯re not going to refuse such a small favor, are you?¡± Small favor? Is this called a small favor? Ask any man in the world if they would give up their beloved woman to someone else? Steve Burton sneered twice in his heart and mocked Mr. Octo harshly. When a man knows he¡¯s interested in a woman, the more unattainable she is, the more restless he bes. So, at this moment, Mr. Octo really wanted to know Ruby Gregory¡¯s contact information, and even in the end, he began to make concessions on the cooperation between the twopanies for Ruby Gregory¡¯s Il-digit phone number: ¡°Mr. Burton, how about this, you tell me Ruby¡¯s phone number, and for this cooperation, I will give you 10% more profit on top of the original basis.¡± Again with the ¡°Ruby.¡± Steve Burton almost spat blood. Profit? Was he, the president of Pristine¡¯s Enterprises, such a money-grubber with no principles? ¡°How about 13% more profit?¡± Mr. Octo thought Steve Burton despised low profits and took another step back. Steve Burton¡¯s hand clenched into a fist. ¡°Fifteen percent, we¡¯ve been working together for so many years, when have I ever bled this much?¡± Maybe it was because he got too worked up, but Steve Burton felt his emotions gradually calming down. Mr. Octo hesitated for a moment, gritted his teeth: ¡°Twenty percent.¡± With his mood calmed, Steve Burton¡¯s rationality returned, apanied by the unique shamelessness in him. Finally, when he heard Mr. Octo¡¯sst sentence, he turned his head and looked at Mr. Octo. Seeing that Steve Burton finally responded, Mr. Octo¡¯s face lit up with joy, thinking he had a chance, he opened his mouth: ¡°So¡­¡± Before Mr. Octo could finish saying ¡°then let¡¯s settle this,¡± the previously silent Steve Burton suddenly spoke: ¡°Mr.. Octo, do you think it¡¯s gentlemanly of you to try to win over a married woman?¡± Chapter 167 - 167: Crying herself into unconsciousness (13) Chapter 167: Crying herself into unconsciousness (13) Trantor: 549690339 Mr. Octo¡¯s joyful expressionsted for a whole minute before his brain finally realized that what Steve Burton had told him was not Ruby Gregory¡¯s phone number. He subconsciously muttered a ¡°huh?¡± and then slowly reyed Steve¡¯s words in his head. Mr. Octo, do you think it¡¯s honorable for you to hit on a married woman? A married woman? A married woman? The phrase shed in Mr. Octo¡¯s mind twice, first as a question, then as an exmation! Ruby Gregory is actually a married woman? How could the woman he picked out of a crowd and fell in love with at first sight be a married woman? Mr. Octo suddenly wanted to cry. He looked at Steve, opened and closed his mouth, stuttered for a while, and then murmured, ¡°She¡¯s already married?¡± As Mr. Octo spoke, he nced at Ruby, then looked back at Steve and said, ¡°She looks so young¡­¡± Steve leisurely inspected his phone, which had been scratched a bit on the edge when it fell earlier. For a perfectionist like him, he frowned slightly in disgust, considering asking his secretary to get him a new pher. Meanwhile, he spoke to Mr. Octo casually, saying something even more shocking: ¡°Compared to you, Mr. Octo, she is indeed quite young. But, no matter how young she is, she¡¯s already a mother.¡± If Steve had just casuallybeled Ruby Gregory as a married woman, that would be a petty, unfounded lie. But now that he bestowed upon Ruby the identity of being a mother, that was a major, life-ruining, disgraceful lie. Mr. Octo¡¯s heart shuddered violently. A mother? His love at first sight was not only married but had also given birth? Steve slowly raised his eyelids and nced at Mr. Octo¡¯s regretful and annoyed expression. He leisurely added, ¡°A boy.¡± ¡°She has a son?¡± Mr. Octo asked back, furrowing his brow deeply. He continued to scrutinize Ruby, saying, ¡°Her figure looks great, not at all like someone who¡¯s given birth.¡± Steve directly ignored Mr. Octo¡¯s praise of Ruby¡¯s figure in thetter half of his sentence. Responding to Mr. Octo¡¯s question about a son, he replied calmly, ¡°The boy is already five years old.¡± At that moment, Mr. Octo¡¯s expression instantly stiffened. The woman he wanted to chase had a five-year-old son? It meant that she had been married for six years! Married for six years with a child. This indicated a happy marriage. It seemed that his infatuation this time wouldn¡¯t materialize into action. Steve apparently felt that the blow to Mr. Octo was still not enough. He also seemed to feel that he had shamelesslybeled Ruby Gregory as married for no reason and even added to her a child. Enjoying the look of regret and pain on Mr. Octo¡¯s face, he added even more shamelessly, ¡°And also, a daughter..¡± Chapter 168 - 169: 169: Crying herself into unconsciousness (15) Chapter 168 - 169: 169: Crying herself into unconsciousness (15)
Trantor: 549690339 Ruby Gregory first felt a piercing pain in her forehead, so severe that she nearly passed out. She then realized she was surrounded by a crowd. Falling face-first in front of so many people, Ruby felt utterly humiliated. Perhaps Maya Mitchell and Edward Woods were close to where Ruby had fallen. Seeing it was Ruby, the two quickly squeezed through the crowd.
Edward called out ¡°Ruby!¡± just as he reached down to pick her up. Suddenly, someone grabbed his arm from behind and forcefully shoved him aside. The next second, Ruby, who was still on the ground, was swept into someone¡¯s arms. Ruby had thought that being helped up after a fall wouldn¡¯t be too embarrassing. But the moment shended in a warm and strong embrace, the familiar yet fearful scent wrapping around her nostrils, she was filled with regret. She regretted not enduring the severe pain in her forehead and forcing herself to stand up. Once she recognized that the person holding her was Steve Burton, her body tensed. She did not dare put her arms around him, remaining stiff as he supported her. She didn¡¯t want to face Steve, so she closed her eyes tightly. Although she couldn¡¯t see, Ruby could clearly hear Edward following behind, pressing the elevator button and preparing a car. She could also feel that Steve was walking at an incredibly fast pace. Although she couldn¡¯t see, Ruby could clearly hear Edward following behind, pressing the elevator button and preparing a car. She could also feel that Steve¡¯s pacing was quick, even impatiently hurrying the car service at the club¡¯s entrance, which made him seem agitated. But within his agitation, there seemed to be an undercurrent of urgency. Was Steve being so hurried because he was worried about her?
This realization threw Ruby into a panic for a moment. Impossible. Steve couldn¡¯t possibly be worried about her when he barely tolerated her presence. It must have been the pain in her forehead making her hear and see things. Ruby faintly heard a car stopping in front of her, she sighed quietly in relief. The idea of being free from Steve¡¯s embrace was appealing. But just when she thought he was about to let her down, he climbed in after her, pulling her close. His tone was as cold as ever, ¡°Take us to the nearest hospital.¡± Ruby¡¯s heart, which had just begun to settle, leaped into her throat again. She was leaning against Steve¡¯s chest, listening to the powerful beating of his heart, and she dared not move or even breathe.. Chapter 169 - 170: 170: Crying herself into unconsciousness (16) Chapter 169 - 170: 170: Crying herself into unconsciousness (16)
Trantor: 549690339 Upon arriving at the hospital, it was still Steve Burton who hurriedly carried Ruby Gregory into the emergency room. Ruby really fell quite hard this time, as her injury had turned into a deep purple color.
Since it was a head injury, the hospital first conducted a concussion test on Ruby to ensure she was alright before prescribing some medications to help promote blood cirction and remove blood stasis. In reality, as long as there was no concussion, it would just be an external injury. After about ten days or half a month, it would subside and return to normal. However, since Ruby¡¯s forehead was severely swollen and the bruise turned ckish-purple, it looked rather frightening. So, Steve decided to have the hospital arrange for her hospitalization. Upon learning that nothing serious was wrong with her, Ruby¡¯s deepest desire was to finally go home. At this moment, she felt that her injury wasn¡¯t such a terrible thing. At the very least, she wouldn¡¯t have to endure the party until the end with Steve present. Maybe she could even take a few more days off work using this injury as an excuse and not go to the office. So, when Ruby heard Steve wanting her to be hospitalized, she reflexively spoke up, refusing, ¡°I¡¯m fine, let¡¯s just go home.¡± Edward Woods naturally knew Steve¡¯s intentions; he just wanted to take advantage of Ruby¡¯s minor forehead injury to spend more time with her. So, he didn¡¯t pay attention to Ruby¡¯s objections and went to the first floor toplete her hospitalization procedures. Although Ruby¡¯s injury was just a minor forehead bruise, Edward still arranged for a VIP Suite. Steve ced Ruby on the soft hospital bed, and, finally free from the man¡¯s embrace, she quietly let out a sigh of relief before quietly stretching her limbs buried in the beddings. After sorting everything out, Edward naturally wouldn¡¯t linger here and continue to disturb Steve and Ruby. So, he used the excuse that the party hadn¡¯t ended yet to leave. Although she was no longer being held by Steve, Ruby felt even more uneasy with one less person around, Edward. Shey in bed, not moving at all, eyes closed, ears perked up to listen to the surrounding movements.
Ruby felt Steve standing by her bedside for a while before he left. Only then did she open her eyes, covering her chest as she took a few long breaths, just in time to hear footsteps at the door. Ruby quicklyy back down, and soon after, she heard the door being pushed open. Steve ced a cup of water on the table beside the bed, took out the medicine prescribed by the doctor ording to the dosage, and said lightly to Ruby on the bed, ¡°Take the medicine first. From the moment Ruby fell and was picked up by Steve, she had kept her eyes closed, even while stating that she didn¡¯t want to be hospitalized, in order to avoid him. Now, as the man suddenly called out to her to take the medicine, Ruby¡¯s heart raced, and her hand, hidden beneath the covers, unconsciously gripped the bedsheets. PS: Today¡¯s update isplete, and the story will continue tomorrow Yesterday¡¯s lucky reader was: I¡¯m so confused@ Chapter 170 - 170: 170: Crying herself into unconsciousness (16) Chapter 170 - 170: 170: Crying herself into unconsciousness (16)
Trantor: 549690339 Upon arriving at the hospital, it was still Steve Burton who hurriedly carried Ruby Gregory into the emergency room. Ruby really fell quite hard this time, as her injury had turned into a deep purple color.
Since it was a head injury, the hospital first conducted a concussion test on Ruby to ensure she was alright before prescribing some medications to help promote blood cirction and remove blood stasis. In reality, as long as there was no concussion, it would just be an external injury. After about ten days or half a month, it would subside and return to normal. However, since Ruby¡¯s forehead was severely swollen and the bruise turned ckish-purple, it looked rather frightening. So, Steve decided to have the hospital arrange for her hospitalization. Upon learning that nothing serious was wrong with her, Ruby¡¯s deepest desire was to finally go home. At this moment, she felt that her injury wasn¡¯t such a terrible thing. At the very least, she wouldn¡¯t have to endure the party until the end with Steve present. Maybe she could even take a few more days off work using this injury as an excuse and not go to the office. So, when Ruby heard Steve wanting her to be hospitalized, she reflexively spoke up, refusing, ¡°I¡¯m fine, let¡¯s just go home.¡± Edward Woods naturally knew Steve¡¯s intentions; he just wanted to take advantage of Ruby¡¯s minor forehead injury to spend more time with her. So, he didn¡¯t pay attention to Ruby¡¯s objections and went to the first floor toplete her hospitalization procedures. Although Ruby¡¯s injury was just a minor forehead bruise, Edward still arranged for a VIP Suite. Steve ced Ruby on the soft hospital bed, and, finally free from the man¡¯s embrace, she quietly let out a sigh of relief before quietly stretching her limbs buried in the beddings. After sorting everything out, Edward naturally wouldn¡¯t linger here and continue to disturb Steve and Ruby. So, he used the excuse that the party hadn¡¯t ended yet to leave. Although she was no longer being held by Steve, Ruby felt even more uneasy with one less person around, Edward. Shey in bed, not moving at all, eyes closed, ears perked up to listen to the surrounding movements.
Ruby felt Steve standing by her bedside for a while before he left. Only then did she open her eyes, covering her chest as she took a few long breaths, just in time to hear footsteps at the door. Ruby quicklyy back down, and soon after, she heard the door being pushed open. Steve ced a cup of water on the table beside the bed, took out the medicine prescribed by the doctor ording to the dosage, and said lightly to Ruby on the bed, ¡°Take the medicine first. From the moment Ruby fell and was picked up by Steve, she had kept her eyes closed, even while stating that she didn¡¯t want to be hospitalized, in order to avoid him. Now, as the man suddenly called out to her to take the medicine, Ruby¡¯s heart raced, and her hand, hidden beneath the covers, unconsciously gripped the bedsheets. PS: Today¡¯s update isplete, and the story will continue tomorrow Yesterday¡¯s lucky reader was: I¡¯m so confused@ Chapter 171 - 171: 171: Crying herself into unconsciousness (17) Chapter 171 - 171: 171: Crying herself into unconsciousness (17)
Trantor: 549690339 Steve Burton ced the water ss on the bedside table, took out the medicine prescribed by the doctor ording to the dosage, and spoke faintly to Ruby Gregory lying on the hospital bed, ¡°Take the medicine first.¡± Ever since Ruby had fallen and injured herself and been picked up by Steve, she had kept her eyes closed, even when she insisted she didn¡¯t want to be hospitalized, just to avoid looking at him.
Now that he had suddenly asked her to take the medicine, Ruby¡¯s heart raced. Her hand hidden under the covers, she subconsciously gripped the bedsheet beneath her. Steve stared straight at the unresponsive Ruby, knowing she wasn¡¯t asleep, just unwilling to look at him. Lowering his eyes, Steve nced at the medicine in his hand, took two steps forward, and reached out to nudge Ruby. Ruby¡¯s eyshes trembled violently at the touch, and her body shivered. ¡°Take the medicine.¡± The man¡¯s words were concise and cold this time. Ruby could tell that Steve was unhappy, and although she really wanted to keep pretending to sleep, she could feel him sitting down on the edge of the bed, reaching out to grab her arm as if to hold her and feed her the medicine himself. Ruby quickly opened her eyes and slightly evaded his arm, sitting up by herself. Steve stared at his empty hand, then casually withdrew it, holding out the other hand with the medicine pill to Ruby¡¯s mouth, ¡°Open up.¡± Ruby¡¯s body shuddered, and her lips pursed slightly. Instead of opening her mouth and taking the medicine from his hand, she stretched out her hand to pick up the pill from his palm. Ruby could clearly feel the man¡¯s aura growing colder. She looked up to see an icy expression on Steve¡¯s elegant face. The water ss was on the table behind Steve. She had wanted to ask him to pass it to her, but now she didn¡¯t dare say a word. Biting her lip, she quietly reached out, went around Steve¡¯s back, and took the ss of water from the bedside cab.
Watching Ruby¡¯s silent actions, Steve furrowed his brow. Suppressing the annoyance churning inside him, he turned around, picked up the ss of water, and handed it to her. Ruby hadn¡¯t expected Steve to pass her the water ss. She nced at him in surprise, then took the water ss from Steve and quickly put the medicine in her mouth. Steve watched Ruby the entire time, his gaze neither cold nor warm, but it made her fingers tremble as she brought the ss to her lips and swallowed the medicine down. Drinking the medicine alone with Steve had made her feel so stifled that she was on the verge of breaking down. What if she had to stay the night¡­ Ruby didn¡¯t even dare to think about it. She quietly removed the ss from her lips, nced quickly at Steve, and then carefully chose her words, using a slightly wise and knowledgeable excuse: ¡°The banquet isn¡¯t over yet. Do you want to go back and take a look? After all, you are the boss.¡± Steve was not a fool. He could easily discern the true meaning behind Ruby¡¯s tactful words ¨C she wanted him to leave! PS: I wrote thest chapter a bit hastilyst night. I revised it a bit today, but it won¡¯t affect the reading experience.. Chapter 172 - 172: 172: Crying herself into unconsciousness (18) Chapter 172 - 172: 172: Crying herself into unconsciousness (18)
Trantor: 549690339 Steve Burton seemed to ignore Ruby Gregory¡¯s words, just reaching out and taking the ss cup from her hand. Seeing that Steve did not respond, Ruby hesitated for a moment then made up an excuse: ¡°I just called The Gregorys and they are on their way. You can go do your thing, you don¡¯t need to keep mepany¡­¡±
Before Ruby could finish, Steve fixed his gaze intently on her. The expression on his face grew increasingly indifferent. There was no trace of emotion in his eyes, only a vastness like that of an ocean, giving off a shuddering sensation. Ruby felt a bit jittery under Steve¡¯s gaze. Lowering her eyes, she worked hard to steady her voice and continued, ¡°You have to work tomorrow, you can¡¯t rest well here¡­¡± There was a sharp ¡°pop¡± that interrupted her sentence. Ruby looked up to where the sound came from. The ss cup that Steve had held in his hand had shattered, its fragments scattered all over the floor. The clear and lonely sound it made in the quiet, spacious suite was strikingly hollow and harsh. Ruby¡¯s body jolted as she looked up. Steve¡¯s face was wearing an unnerving, somber expression. Her intuition told her that this was a sign that he was getting angry. Ruby held her breath and a sense of terror rose from the pit of her stomach. Shouldn¡¯t he dislike her? She had fabricated such a considerate excuse for him to leave the person he loathed, why was he still so upset? Ruby¡¯s fingers tightly gripped the bedcover; her eyshes trembled violently as she awaited Steve¡¯s impending outburst. His chest heaved unnaturally. He felt like there was a ball of fire loming inside him, ready to blow him up at any moment.
He stared at Ruby, chuckled lightly, his voice chillingly cool. The tone he took on was a trademark mock, ¡°Ruby Gregory, this is the real you, isn¡¯t it?¡± Ruby did not understand what Steve meant by his words and she had no mental capacity left to second guess his thoughts. Just hearing the familiar sarcasm he used when angered was enough to scare her into a frenzy. She was unsure if his next words would be more biting than the times he said she disgusted him and was hypocritical, and told her to leave. He always wanted to know the real Ruby. From yesterday when he delivered the meal to The Gregorys under the guise of a visit, until now when she feigned concern to get him to leave, he finally saw the real Ruby Gregory. A Ruby who really didn¡¯t want to be with him. His pain deepened at the sight of her hypocrisy. Discovering her true thoughts only intensified his agony.. Chapter 173 - 173: 173: Crying herself into unconsciousness (19) Chapter 173 - 173: 173: Crying herself into unconsciousness (19)
Trantor: 549690339 Actually, his temper wasn¡¯t that explosive, but when faced with her fake concern for him, and her purpose-driven closeness, his temper would be uncontroble. In fact, he wasn¡¯t just angry at her, but even more so at himself, for always being so weak in front of her.
He knew that her persistent approach was because she wanted to be Steve Burton¡¯s wife. Nobody likes it when someone gets close to them with an ulterior motive, let alone when that person is the one they deeply love. It felt like a knife viciously stabbing into his heart. Deep down, he knew he should cut things off, but he just couldn¡¯t bear to do so. She made him feel so conflicted. How could he not be angry? He was angry at himself, knowing that her kindness towards him wasn¡¯t genuine, yet he couldn¡¯t help but easily indulge in it every time. But now, he had finally seen the real her, and he discovered that the satisfaction and happiness he had imagined were not there. It seemed that the distance between them was growing further, and things were getting worse and worse. Steve Burton clenched his fist tightly, and the remaining ss shards in his palm dug deeper. He used that pain to let reason take the upper hand, suppress the anger bubbling up from within, and stop himself from blurting out hurtful words at any moment without thinking. In the past, Steve Burton would suddenly say hurtful things to her without warning. Hearing those words hurt her, but as time went on, she gradually started to anticipate when he would say something hurtful. Just like now, Ruby Gregory knew that he could say something that would hurt her at any moment, but she didn¡¯t know when. At this point, she felt like a person who had been sentenced to death but didn¡¯t know when it would happen. Just as Ruby Gregory held her breath and tightly gripped the bed sheet, waiting for that moment, the man standing beside the bed suddenly turned around and strode out of the hospital room. It wasn¡¯t until the sound of the hospital room door mming shut that Ruby slowly blinked and somewhat incredulously lifted her head. Steve Burton had actually left without saying a single nasty word to her?
Ruby Gregory felt as if she were dreaming. After a moment, she reached out and pinched her thigh, only realizing that everything was real when she felt pain. This time, Steve Burton had truly not mocked her. Ruby Gregory suddenly felt that she understood Steve Burton even less than before. As Steve Burton walked into the hospital corridor, he still felt a heaviness in his chest. He opened the window of the corridor. Directly below was the hospital¡¯s small garden. Through the window, Steve Burton could see a nurse pushing a wheelchair-bound patient, who was taking a leisurely stroll. A gentle breeze blew over him, and only then did Steve Burton feel slightly relieved.. Chapter 174 - 174: 174: Crying herself into unconsciousness (20) Chapter 174 - 174: 174: Crying herself into unconsciousness (20)
Trantor: 549690339 Steve stood there for a long time before he finally averted his eyes and took out his phone, calling Madeleine and then hanging up. He didn¡¯t want to apany her, but he couldn¡¯t just leave her alone in the hospital.
Madeleine, who had a good rtionship with her, was the most suitable choice, but she was abroad. The only thing he could do was to ask Madeleine to call the Gregorys and inform someone from the family toe to the hospital. After putting away his phone, Steve noticed streaks of blood on it as he realized there were several shards of ss in his palm. As if he didn¡¯t feel any pain, Steve extended his hand and pulled the shards out one by one, drops of bright red blood dripping onto the floor from his fingers. The person who arrived at the hospital was Lady Gregory. Seeing Steve standing in the corridor, Lady Gregory paused slightly before a flicker of surprise appeared in her eyes, ¡°Steve, why don¡¯t you go inside?¡± Steve hid his injured hand behind his back and politely said to Lady Gregory, ¡°I have some matters at work, I¡¯ll leave her in your care.¡± Lady Gregory, who had originally nned to leave after seeing Ruby and give the space to the couple, felt a bit regretful but still said with a smile, ¡°It¡¯s okay, you go ahead with your work, I¡¯ll take care of things here.¡± Steve nodded slightly, said goodbye, and left. Ruby just blurted out that someone from the Gregorys wasing, trying to deceive Steve. But she didn¡¯t expect that someone from the family would reallye. When Ruby saw Lady Gregory, she instinctively said, ¡°Mom, what brings you here?¡± ¡°Madeleine called me and said you were injured and in the hospital.¡± Madeleine?
How could Madeleine, who was abroad, know about her injury? As the doubt in Ruby¡¯s heart had not yet settled, Lady Gregory asked worriedly, ¡°Ruby, did you have a disagreement with Steve?¡± Did her mother know something? Ruby¡¯s expression faltered for a moment. ¡°When I arrived just now, I saw Steve standing outside the door, and his expression did not look very good.¡± Upon hearing this, Ruby instantly understood that it must have been Steve who asked Madeleine to call the Gregorys. Immediately, Ruby¡¯s brows furrowed slightly. Hadn¡¯t Steve already left for quite a while? Had he been standing in the corridor all this time without leaving? ¡°Ruby, Steve has been pampered since he was young, and so many people have catered to him. He¡¯s developed a bit of a young master¡¯s temperament. Sometimes, you should be more amodating to him and try not to upset him all the time.¡± Ruby¡¯s emotions, which had been a bit chaotic because Steve had not left, became mncholic when she heard Lady Gregory¡¯s words. She had heard these words for many years now..
Chapter 175 - 175: 175: Crying herself into unconsciousness (21) Chapter 175 - 175: 175: Crying herself into unconsciousness (21)
Trantor: 549690339 The Gregorys always told her to amodate Steve Burton. So, she had always tried her best to amodate him.
But, no one has ever asked about her feelings, her grievances. Ruby Gregory closed her eyes, turned around, and faced away from Lady Gregory. Lady Gregory saw the broken ss on the floor, took a broom to clean it up, and noticed faint traces of blood. She frowned slightly, ¡°Ruby, why is there blood here? Who got hurt?¡± Ruby Gregory turned her head and saw dried, dark red blood staining the ss shards that Lady Gregory had picked up. It was Steve Burton¡¯s; he had just crushed the ss in his hand. Ruby Gregory¡¯s hand subconsciously tightened. Ruby Gregory wasn¡¯t seriously injured, so she left the hospital early the next day and went straight back to the Gregorys¡¯ house. Her swollen purple forehead looked terrifying. Naturally, she couldn¡¯t go out and see people like this, so Ruby Gregory happily got a half-month vacation as she wished. The first three days, the swelling was quite severe, but after that, it receded rapidly day by day. Then, the purple color gradually turned yellow, a sign of the bruise healing. About ten dayster, the bruise on Ruby Gregory¡¯s forehead had faded significantly. With a little makeup, she looked as normal as ever. It was already the 8th of the month, and there were still two days left until the
10th. During these ten days, Steve Burton didn¡¯t even call Ruby Gregory, let alone visit her at the Gregorys¡¯ house. Madeleine flew into Ciawell on the morning of the 8th and went straight back to thepany to report her business trip to Steve Burton. After her report, Steve Burton indifferentlymented and then casually mentioned, ¡°When Ruby Gregory was injuredst time, you were on a business trip abroad, so I had to ask you to call the Gregorys.¡± Due to her recent busyness, Madeleine had already forgotten about this incident. It only came back to her when Steve Burton suddenly mentioned it, that ten days ago, Steve Burton called her to say that Ruby Gregory was injured and in the hospital, and asked her to inform the Gregorys. After Steve Burton finished speaking, he hung up the phone before she could react. Madeleine didn¡¯t know the severity of Ruby Gregory¡¯s injury, so she hurriedly called the Gregorys. Now, upon hearing his words, she realized what had happened. She nced through the ss window and saw that Ruby¡¯s seat was empty, so she asked, ¡°Ruby hasn¡¯t returned to work yet?¡± ¡°Yes,¡± Steve Burton replied indifferently. ¡°How is she doing now?¡± Steve Burton just stared at the files on his desk, not saying a word.
Madeleine could tell from his expression that Steve Burton didn¡¯t know Ruby Gregory¡¯s situation and only then did she realize why he had mentioned the incident of her calling Ruby Gregory after the business meeting.. Chapter 176 - 176: 176: Crying herself into unconsciousness (22) Chapter 176 - 176: 176: Crying herself into unconsciousness (22)
Trantor: 549690339 How could she forget that if Steve Burton came second in being closed-off and moody, no one would dare im the title of first ce in the world. It was clear that Steve wanted to know how Ruby Gregory was doing now, but he couldn¡¯t find a good excuse to go to the Gregorys¡¯, nor could he swallow his pride and tell Madeleine to go directly, so he reminded her in such a roundabout way.
Madeleine thought about it and couldn¡¯t help but chuckle, which made Steve look up and re at her fiercely. Madeleine immediately stoppedughing and pretended to be clueless, then said, ¡°I¡¯ll go visit Ruby tonight.¡± Lady Gregory had been hoping that Steve woulde to see Ruby, but she didn¡¯t expect that after waiting for ten days, it would be Madeleine who woulde instead of Steve. Although Lady Gregory was disappointed, she still warmly weed Madeleine. Since Madeleine had many private words to share with Ruby, she politely chatted with Lady Gregory in the living room for a while before going up to Ruby¡¯s room together. From Edward Woods¡¯ ount, Madeleine had learned about Ruby¡¯s idental fall at thepany banquet, and now, looking at the faint scar on Ruby¡¯s forehead, she thought about how Edward had vividly described Steve¡¯s excitement and anxiety as he carried Ruby to the hospital that day. Madeleine couldn¡¯t help but lean in mysteriously and asked, ¡°Ruby, have you and my brother made uppletely now?¡± Just as Lady Gregory was about to open the door with a te of fruit, she heard Madeleine¡¯s words and subconsciously stopped her movement. Made uppletely? Thinking of the contraceptive pill Steve still gave her, Ruby only felt ironic. The smile on her face that had been there since seeing Madeleine suddenly faded, and she lowered her eyes. Seeing Ruby¡¯s silent and mncholic expression, Madeleine suddenly felt a pang of regret. How could she be so careless? If they had truly made up, why did Steve call her on the night Ruby was injured, asking her to notify the Gregorys¡¯, instead of staying at the hospital himself?
Madeleine smiled awkwardly and then said, ¡°Ruby, you know my brother¡¯s character. Actually, sometimes he doesn¡¯t really mean what he says deep down¡­¡± ¡°Madeleine, you¡¯ve been on a business trip abroad for so many days, you must have bought a lot of stuff, right? What did you buy?¡± Without waiting for Madeleine to finish, Ruby immediately interrupted her. In this world, no one understood Ruby better than Madeleine. She knew that Ruby would only avoid talking about a person when she was holding a grudge against them. Madeleine paused for a moment before asking, ¡°Ruby, are you mad at my brother?¡± ¡°What has my brother done?¡± Chapter 177 - 177: 177: Crying herself into unconsciousness (23) Chapter 177 - 177: 177: Crying herself into unconsciousness (23)
Trantor: 549690339 In this world, only Madeleine would ask her what Steve did when she saw her being wronged, instead of asking her to amodate Steve. Ruby felt a sourness in her nose. She lowered her eyelids slightly, and after a while, she took a deep breath, calming her emotions before raising her head and smiling at Madeleine. She still avoided Madeleine¡¯s question just now: ¡°Madeleine, did you bring me any gifts from abroad?¡±
A good best friend is someone who apanies you when you¡¯re upset, not someone who investigates why you¡¯re upset. So, when Madeleine could tell that Ruby really didn¡¯t want to talk about Steve, she didn¡¯t force her. Instead, she went along with Ruby¡¯s words and took out the gift she had brought for her. On the ninth day, Madeleine had a busy day at work, so after talking to Steve alone in the morning, she forgot to tell him about her visit to Ruby the day before. As a result, in the afternoon, Steve called Madeleine to his office several times. When Madeleine was called into Steve¡¯s office for the fifth time, Howard finally realized that something was wrong and asked, ¡°What¡¯s with our boss today? He keeps calling Madeleine to his office.¡± ¡°Madeleine, did we talk about anything particr?¡± Madeleine was also puzzled: ¡°No, he just asked a bunch of irrelevant questions.¡± ¡°Madeleine, did you do something wrong?¡± Edward asked. Madeleine was startled by this question, and after thinking about it, it seemed that something was indeed amiss. Then, she asked, ¡°I just came back to the country yesterday, how could I have made any mistakes?¡± Howard looked helpless: ¡°You¡¯ll have to think about that yourself.¡± Edward also looked unconcerned and aloof.
¡°You two traitors!¡± Madeleine angrily cursed, then looked expectantly at Rusell, who had been sitting quietly working on a report and hadn¡¯t said a word. Only then did Rusell slowly move his head away from theputer, staring at Madeleine and pointing out: ¡°Our boss¡¯s behavior is clearly sulking again.¡± ¡°Rusell means, it¡¯s not that Madeleine made a mistake, but that our boss wants to ask her something and is too embarrassed to ask,¡± Edward continued analyzing. Howard bluntly asked: ¡°Madeleine, what does our boss want to find out from you?¡± Madeleine was still baffled. Rusell looked at the three of them with a headache, feeling a bit anxious for their IQ: ¡°Our boss has always been sulking towards only one person.¡± When Rusell said this, Madeleine suddenly understood.. She secretly pped the table and said, ¡°How could I have forgotten about that!¡± Chapter 178 - 178: 178: Crying herself into unconsciousness (24) Chapter 178 - 178: 178: Crying herself into unconsciousness (24)
Trantor: 549690339 Madeleine entered Steve Burton¡¯s office and earnestly answered the question he asked. Steve Burton satzily in his office chair, seemingly distracted as he listened to Madeleine¡¯s words. He then raised his head and stared directly at her.
Madeleine knew that Steve Burton¡¯s gaze was probing her. She instinctively said, ¡°Brother, I went to see Ruby yesterday.¡± Madeleine clearly saw that although Steve Burton¡¯s expression hadn¡¯t changed much upon hearing her words, his eyes twinkled slightly. ¡°Ruby¡¯s injury is no longer a problem, and in a few days, you probably won¡¯t see any scars,¡± Madeleine originally just wanted to truthfully describe this much. However, after seeing Steve Burton¡¯s relieved expression upon hearing that Ruby Gregory was fine, and thinking about Ruby¡¯s deste demeanor when she mentioned Steve, Madeleine felt a bit displeased. Although she couldn¡¯t beat Steve Burton and didn¡¯t dare to provoke him, she could now use another method to take petty revenge on him for oppressing her all these years. So, Madeleine added quietly, ¡°It¡¯s just¡­ ¡® Madeleine deliberately struck a hesitant pose. Steve Burton frowned, looked at Madeleine, and asked, ¡°What is it?¡± Madeleine then continued leisurely, ¡°It¡¯s just that Ruby¡¯s mood seems terrible, and she¡¯s not very happy. When she saw me, she didn¡¯t talk much.¡± Little did he know, when Ruby and Madeleine got together, they could chatter endlessly. Steve Burton¡¯s frown deepened. Madeleine knew that her bomb hadnded quite sessfully, and so she took the cue to step back and make a hasty exit.
After hearing this news, Steve Burton became even more restless than when he didn¡¯t know the state of Ruby¡¯s recovery. On the morning of the tenth, Ruby woke up early. Today was the day that she followed the old arrangement with Steve Burton and went to Red Park Resort. She had managed to avoid itst month because he was on a business trip, but this time she didn¡¯t know if she could dodge it again. From the morning, Ruby kept checking her phone. When evening came, she still hadn¡¯t received a call from Steve Burton. Ruby couldn¡¯t help but feel somewhat relieved. It was almost time for dinner, and he still hadn¡¯t called. Didn¡¯t this mean that she didn¡¯t have to go? At noon on the tenth, Steve Burton had a lunch appointment. When it ended, it was already past four in the afternoon. Since he had been drinking some alcohol, as soon as Steve Burton got into the car, he closed his eyes. The driver drove the car while ncing at Steve Burton through the rearview mirror, then asked, ¡°Mr. Burton, should we go back to thepany or your ce?¡± By ¡°home,¡± the driver didn¡¯t mean The Burtons¡¯ Mansion, but a duplex apartment in the city that was 300 square metersrge. Steve Burton didn¡¯t answer the driver¡¯s question but instead closed his eyes and thought for a while before asking, ¡°What day is it today?¡± ¡°It¡¯s the tenth.¡±
The tenth¡­ it was the day of his arrangement with Ruby. Steve Burton was silent for a while before opening his mouth and saying, ¡°Go to The Burtons¡¯ Mansion.¡± Recently, Mr. Burton had been going to The Burtons¡¯ Mansion quite frequently¡­ The driver eyed Steve Burton with surprise before starting the car and heading to West Suburb. Upon reaching The Gregorys¡¯ house, which they had to pass on the way to The Burtons¡¯ Mansion, Steve Burton opened his eyes and said indifferently, ¡°Go to The Gregorys¡¯.¡± PS: That¡¯s all for today, will continue tomorrow- Tomorrow there will be something heartwarming- Yesterday¡¯s winning reader was: <¨¦B?9kfiE PPS: Rmending a book: ¡°ying Dumb and ck Belly: Chasing Mr.. Perfect 1000 Times¡± by, Forgetting to Breathe Cat Chapter 179 - 179: 179: Crying herself into unconsciousness (25) Chapter 179 - 179: 179: Crying herself into unconsciousness (25)
Trantor: 549690339 On the way back to The Burtons¡¯ Mansion, they had to pass by the entrance of The Gregorys. As the car was approaching their house, Steve Burton opened his eyes and said in a casual tone, ¡°Go to The Gregorys¡¯.¡± It turned out that Mr. Burton¡¯s frequent visits to his old house were because of Ms. Gregory¡­ The driver had been working for the Burtons for a long time and had often driven Steve and Ruby Gregory, so he instantly understood the true intentions of Steve. The driver nced at Steve through the rearview mirror and respectfully turned the steering wheel, driving the car through the entrance of The Gregorys¡¯.
The Gregorys¡¯ courtyard was empty, and the long-standing European stylemps on both sides of the corridor seemed a bit outdated. Under the shroud of the sunset, they cast a thinyer of golden light. The car parked steadily in front of The Gregorys¡¯ Vi, the driver got out of the car and opened the door for Steve. As Steve got out, the driver habitually walked to the front door of The Gregorys¡¯, and just as he was about to press the doorbell, Steve, standing nearby, suddenly said, ¡°I¡¯ll do it.¡± The driver instinctively looked at Steve, respectfully stepped back, and got back into the car. Steve stood at the entrance for a while before reaching out and pressing the doorbell on the wall. About half a minuteter, the door was pushed open by a servant who had been working at The Gregorys¡¯ for many years. Seeing Steve, she looked slightly surprised. After a pause, she quickly stepped aside and led Steve into the living room. Once he was seated, she quickly went into the kitchen, made a cup of coffee, and brought it to him, saying, ¡°Mr. Steve, I will go upstairs and call Madam and Ms. Gregory down.¡± Ruby had been on edge since waking up early in the morning, but now she felt more at ease. Seeing that it was still early for dinner, she took a bath and went to the dressing room to change her clothes. Habitually, she picked up a blue dress, hesitated for a moment since she didn¡¯t have to see Steve today, and then chose a light yellow one instead. The dress was an old style she had bought a few years ago, but when Ruby put it on, she was still delighted and twirled in front of the mirror before trying on another blue dress. As Ruby continued trying on different clothes and admiring herself, there was a knock on her bedroom door. As she stepped out of the dressing room, she saw Lady Gregory enter with a bowl of mango sago. Ruby sat on the edge of her bed, happily sipping her dessert. Lady Gregory sat across from her on the sofa, staring at her for a while before saying, ¡°The injury on your head has faded and is barely visible now. You can put on some light makeup and go back to work tomorrow.¡± Ruby paused her dessert eating for a moment, looked up at Lady Gregory, and said, ¡°I¡¯ve taken leave until the 12th.¡±
Lady Gregory didn¡¯t respond immediately.. After a while, she asked, ¡°Ruby, do you not want to work at Pristine¡¯s Enterprises anymore?¡± Chapter 180 - 180: 180: Crying herself into unconsciousness (26) Chapter 180 - 180: 180: Crying herself into unconsciousness (26)
Trantor: 549690339 Ruby Gregory¡¯s expression stiffened slightly, then she said: ¡°How could I not want to go to work?¡± Lady Gregory was silent, just staring at Ruby. After a while, she spoke with a somewhat serious tone: ¡°Or perhaps, Ruby, you actually don¡¯t want to see
Steve.¡± This time, Lady Gregory used an affirmative sentence, rather than a rhetorical question. Ruby, holding her mango sago, slightly shuddered, then lowered her head to take a sip of the mango sago, steadying her slightly panicked heart. Keeping herposure, she lifted her head to look at Lady Gregory, her eyes curving into a gentle tone, ¡°Mom, why would you think that?¡± This time, the silence from Lady Gregorysted much longer than the previous one. Ruby swallowed saliva and with her usual smile still on her face, she said, ¡°Mom, don¡¯t overthink¡­¡± ¡°Ruby¡­,¡± Lady Gregory interrupted Ruby seriously, she stared at Ruby for a while before continuing, ¡°You¡¯ve been injured for so many days and Steve has note to visit you, you tell me, am I really overthinking?¡± Ruby¡¯s expression hardened slightly. She struggled to curve her lips into a smile: ¡°Steven Burton is busy. He may not have time.¡± ¡°In the past, even when you caught a cold from a breeze, Steve would fly back from overseas just to see you. Was Steve not busy then?¡± The words from Lady Gregory rendered Ruby speechless. Her forced smile gradually dissipated. Although she was well aware of Steven Burton¡¯s resentment and neglect towards her, she had always tried to hide it to avoid worrying her parents. Now, could she no longer hide it?
The room fell into a bit of silence. After a long while, Lady Gregory finally spoke, ¡°Ruby, you don¡¯t need to lie to me. I overheard your conversation with Madeleine the day before yesterday.¡± In fact, Lady Gregory didn¡¯t mean to eavesdrop on Ruby and Madeleine¡¯s conversation. Due to the worry caused by Steven Burton¡¯s absence during Ruby¡¯s injury, she didn¡¯t interrupt the conversation between Ruby and Madeleine when Madeleine asked Ruby if she had reconciled with Steven. Madeleine and Ruby had been close friends since childhood. Ruby¡¯s true feelings, which she would open up to Madeleine about, were not shown to her parents. Deep down, she wanted to know what the situation was between Ruby and Steven Burton. It was only when she heard Madeleine¡¯s question, ¡°Are you mad at my brother?¡± that she realized, just as she had suspected, that Ruby was truly at odds with Steven, and it was not Steve who was angry at her, but her who was angry with Steve.. Chapter 181 - 181: 181: Sobbing Overwhelms Heaven and Earth (27) Chapter 181 - 181: 181: Sobbing Overwhelms Heaven and Earth (27)
Trantor: 549690339 Lady Gregory took a deep breath and continued to ask, ¡°You¡¯re angry with Steve Burton, aren¡¯t you?¡± There was no trace ofughter left on Ruby Gregory¡¯s face. She pursed her lips, lowered her gaze, and remained silent.
Just as Lady Gregory was about to speak again, the bedroom door was suddenly knocked on and then pushed open: ¡°Madam, Miss, Mr. Steve is here.¡± Upon hearing this, Lady Gregory¡¯s heavy expression was suddenly filled with a touch of joy. Ruby, however, subconsciously gripped the porcin bowl of dessert in her hand. Why was he here? Lady Gregory sent Ruby downstairs alone. As she urged Ruby to go, she didn¡¯t forget to remind her, ¡°Ruby, you need to have a good talk with Steve.¡± In the first-floor hall, Steve sat quietly on the sofa all by himself, with a cup of hot tea in front of him, emitting wisps of steam. The setting sun¡¯s afterglow shone through therge, bright window onto his body, casting a faint reddish glow around him. He sat sideways, looking out the window, seemingly absorbed in something that caught his attention. It appeared that he had juste from some dinner gathering, as he was still dressed in formal attire. This scene appeared to be a beautifully crafted painting of unrivaled beauty. Ruby stood at the stairway, staring for a while before slowly walking over to the sofa. As she got closer, Ruby smelled a faint scent of alcohol on him.
Ruby gently sat down on the sofa farthest from Steve, and he slowly turned his head, resting his gaze on her. She was wearing a maroon chiffon dress with whitece trimmings today, which made her skin appear even more delicate. Her scent was not the light Chanel No. 5 perfume but a subtle, gentle sweet fragrance he remembered. Today¡¯s Ruby waspletely different from the one he knew, who wore different styles of blue dresses and smelled of Chanel No. 5 perfume. He had always wondered, if Ruby took off the garments she wore to please him, what would she look like in all sorts of other clothes. He had imagined countless times in his mind how beautiful she would be. But now, when he saw her for real, he realized that the beauty he had imagined was not even a fraction of what she was now. For a moment, Steve looked stunned. His eyes were locked on Ruby, staring at her intently. The living room of the Gregorys¡¯ house was unusually quiet, as if the servants and Lady Gregory had all disappeared into thin air. Ruby felt uneasy as Steve stared at her and shifted slightly, finally unable to bear it any longer, she asked, ¡°What did youe to see me for?¡±
Chapter 182 - 182: 182: Crying herself into unconsciousness (28) Chapter 182 - 182: 182: Crying herself into unconsciousness (28)
Trantor: 549690339 Steve Burton snapped back to reality, his gaze never leaving Ruby Gregory. He stared into her eyes and spoke, his voice slightly hoarse, ¡°Today is the 10th.¡± With just five simple words, Ruby understood the purpose of his visit. Her lips instinctively pursed together.
Steve blinked softly and added, ¡°It¡¯s the day we go to Red Park.¡± Going to Red Park used to be apanied by a vacation, but now it involves sharing a bed! Ruby immediately remembered thest time they had been together four times, and he had given her a contraceptive pill afterwards. She subconsciously clenched her hand, her eyes downcast, never looking at Steve. She remained silent for a long time before finally saying softly, ¡°I¡¯m not feeling well today . Before Ruby could finish her words, Lady Gregory, who had been standing quietly around the corner of the stairs, suddenly stepped forward and interrupted Ruby, ¡°Ruby,e here, I have something to tell you.¡± Ruby turned to nce at Lady Gregory, then looked back at Steve. He nodded at her, and only then did Ruby stand up and walk towards the stairs. Lady Gregory didn¡¯t say anything, but simply went upstairs. Ruby followed closely behind. Standing at the door of Ruby¡¯s bedroom, Lady Gregory waited for her to enter the room before she closed the door, turned around, and directly said to Ruby, ¡°Ruby, are you trying to refuse Steve and not go to Red Park with him?¡± Ruby pursed her lips but didn¡¯t say anything. ¡°Ruby, Steve came to you on his own initiative, acknowledging his mistake. He¡¯s trying to make amends, and yet you¡¯re still being so ungrateful!¡± It was clear that Lady Gregory was genuinely angry, and her tone was harsh, ¡°Ruby, how many times have I told you that Steve is bound to have a bit of arrogance in his personality, so you must be understanding. Even if he upsets you, you can alwayse back and talk to me and vent. Don¡¯t protest with him ¨C what good will that do for you?¡±
¡°Ruby, your father and I have ced all our hopes on you. From childhood to adulthood, we have given you so much time and attention ¨C can¡¯t you see that?¡± ¡°Do you know how heartbroken your father would be if he found out about ¡°You¡¯ve really disappointed your father and me!¡± Ruby listened to Lady Gregory¡¯s line-by-line scolding, subconsciously clutching her clothes. Having chastised Ruby, Lady Gregory then made a decision, ¡°Get ready now. Go downstairs and apany Steve to Red Park. Let me go downstairs and tell Steve to wait for you..¡± Chapter 183 - 183: 183: Crying herself into unconsciousness (29) Chapter 183 - 183: 183: Crying herself into unconsciousness (29)
Trantor: 549690339 After Lady Gregory spoke, she walked towards the door. As she reached out to open the door, she turned back and added to Ruby, ¡°Ruby, you won¡¯t disappoint Mom and Dad, will you?¡± Ruby looked at Lady Gregory¡¯s hopeful eyes, hesitated for a moment, and finally slightly moved her lips. But she found herself incapable of uttering a single word, so she just lightly nodded at Lady Gregory.
Only then did Lady Gregory confidently open the door and leave. Ruby stood alone in the bedroom, staring at the tightly closed door. The scolding words Lady Gregory had just spoken with such disappointment were echoing in her mind. No one has ever truly cared whether she is happy or not. No one has ever considered whether she is willing to do such things or not. Is it because she is a member of the Gregorys that she must ept this fate and arrangement? She truly doesn¡¯t want to go ahead with Steve Burton. She wants to have her own self-respect and pride. She would rather live a busy life running around for three meals a day like an ordinary family, 9 to 5, than disgrace herself by clinging to a man who despises her, enduring his scorn, his mockery, his criticism. But her life has never been within her control. Even if she has so many reservations, she still cannot bear to see the disappointment and sorrow in her parents¡¯ eyes. Even though her parents have never cared about whether she is truly happy or not.
Despite all the grievances she has suffered for the sake of the Gregorys. Ruby swallowed hard, then slowly turned around and walked into her dressing room. She numbly selected a blue dress to rece the crimson one she was wearing, then applied a light amount of makeup, like a puppet. She picked up the bottle of Chanel No.5 and sprayed a bit onto herself. Ruby stood in front of the full-length mirror, looking at the poised, beautiful woman within. A bitter smile formed at the corners of her lips. Congrattions, from now on you still have to strive to be that Ruby Gregory who was instilled with the notion of marrying Steve Burton since childhood, all for the sake of the Gregory family! And these days of whims and moods that belong to you, they are nothing more than transient beauty! ¡°Is Rubying down?¡± Lady Gregory spotted Rubying down the stairs at first nce. Steve Burton subconsciously raised his head. Seeing that Ruby had once again donned the same, unvarying blue dress, a touch of disappointment flickered in his eyes. Ruby walked quietly to the couch. Steve Burton could smell the familiar scent of Chanel No.5 on her again, masking her natural scent.. Chapter 184 - 184: 184: Crying herself into unconsciousness (30) Chapter 184 - 184: 184: Crying herself into unconsciousness (30)
Trantor: 549690339 Steve Burton looked somewhat indifferent. He stood up, politely said goodbye to Lady Gregory, then nced coldly at Ruby Gregory, indifferently saying, ¡°Let¡¯s go,¡± before striding towards the door. Seeing Steve and Ruby approaching, the driver immediately exited the car and opened the car door for them. Steve ignored Ruby and sat in first.
Ruby could feel Steve¡¯s displeasure. She clutched her bag and slowly got into the car. Ruby sat close to the car door; the gap between her and Steve was wide enough to fit another person. The man¡¯s expression turned even darker. The driver seemed to sense something amiss. After confirming the destination, he focused intently on the road ahead, doing his best to ignore the two people in the backseat. Upon arriving at Red Park, the driver let out a sigh of relief as if he¡¯d been granted ast-minute reprieve from the death penalty. He opened the car door for Steve and Ruby, then drove away as quickly as possible. Red Park¡¯s manager was already waiting at the entrance. As usual, he sent the two up the hill to the familiar presidential suite in a sightseeing car. Dinner was prepared in the suite¡¯s dining room. When Steve and Ruby reached their room, the manager tactfully left. Steve took off his suit jacket, sat down at the dining table, and nced at Ruby, who was still standing by the door. Ruby clenched her bag and walked to the other end of the dining table before sitting down. Steve did not wait or speak. As soon as Ruby sat down, he started eating enthusiastically.
He appeared to have a voracious appetite, trying every dish and chewing slowly and deliberately. Ruby had little appetite, but she pretended to eat along with Steve. Midway through the meal, Steve suddenly mmed his chopsticks on the table, stood up, walked around the dining table, and grabbed Ruby¡¯s wrist, dragging her away from it. His grip was forceful, and he led her wordlessly to the bedroom they always stayed in at Red Park. He threw her onto the bed and pressed himself on top of her, kissing her fiercely. His kisses were as intense as ever, his teeth biting her lips painfully. Ruby knew that this monthly torment had officially begun. She told herself, all she had to do was grit her teeth and bear it. Once it was over, she could enjoy peace for a month. Steve abruptly stopped kissing her midway through.. Chapter 185 - 185: 185: Crying herself into unconsciousness (31) Chapter 185 - 185: 185: Crying herself into unconsciousness (31)
Trantor: 549690339 He slowly turned his head, pressing his nose against her taut neck and breathing in deeply. Sniffing intently, he suddenly stood up, grabbed Ruby Gregory, and dragged her into the bathroom. He pushed her under the shower, turned on the faucet, and let the water rush over her body. The initial st of water from the faucet was icy cold, causing Ruby to shiver and try to escape to one side instinctively.
However, Steve Burton firmly held onto her, dousing her entire body with water before pulling her back into his embrace. He pressed his nose against her soaked neck and sniffed her carefully. Only then did he whisper softly, ¡°It¡¯s gone.¡± His words were beyond Ruby¡¯sprehension. Shivering, she nced at Steve, who grabbed her and led her out of the bathroom, pushing her back down onto the bed. Both of their bodies were wet, quickly dampening the bedding. Ruby¡¯s clothes clung to her body from the water. Steve tried to remove them but was unsessful. Eventually, like venting out his frustration, he ferociously tore down her cor, ripping her clothes apart. Seeing her sky blue bra, his anger intensified, and he addressed her through gritted teeth, ¡°Don¡¯t you know that you look awful in blue clothes?!¡± Didn¡¯t he always like blue? Why would he call her ugly when she wore blue? Yes, his hatred for her had made him see the blue she wore as a stain on his favorite color. Anyway, she was used to his mockery, right? She had heard it all; what was one more insult? Ruby pretended not to hear Steve¡¯s words and kept her eyes closed, remaining silent. Her indifferent expression made Steve¡¯s thrusts more forceful and ruthless. Ruby felt countless waves of pain rolling within her body, her hands clutching the bedsheets tightly. Yet just as she was about to find sce in the bedsheets, he suddenly grabbed her wrists and used her ruined, torn clothes to bind them tightly.
Then, as if he had gone insane, he fiercely tormented her. In matters like these, no matter how ufortable he made her, she never showed any signs of distress. Like now, although she was clearly in pain, she tried her best to ignore the difort. She told herself that since she had agreed to obey her mom¡¯s wishes, she would y her part well.. Chapter 186 - 186: 186: Crying herself into unconsciousness (32) Chapter 186 - 186: 186: Crying herself into unconsciousness (32)
Trantor: 549690339 But for some reason, she felt the pain today was increasingly unbearable. She wanted to think about other things to distract herself, but she could no longer, as before, console herself with the thought of bearing a child and marrying him.
All her hopes had been shattered by him. In her mind, all she could think of was his cold, mocking words, and his disgust and rejection of her. In the end, Ruby Gregory couldn¡¯t tell if it was her body that hurt, or her heart. She felt the pain reach her utmost limit of endurance, her face gradually turning pale. Finally, unable to bear it, she let out a soft cry: ¡°It hurts!¡± During their intimate moments, she had never made a sound, not even a moan or gasp. But now, suddenly, a faint noise escaped her lips, and Steve Burton froze instantly. It all seemed like an illusion. Steve paused for a moment, then continued forcefully. Ruby frowned, but made no sound. It must have been his imagination! Steve sneered and increased his force. Ruby moaned again: ¡°It hurts¡­¡± ¡°You can feel pain now? Weren¡¯t you always numb to it?¡± Steve sarcastically remarked without any thought, not stopping this time. Ruby felt more and more pain, and in the end, her eyes turned red. She cried out repeatedly: ¡°It hurts, it hurts¡­¡± Before thest ¡°it hurts¡± had settled, tears suddenly spilled from the corner of
Ruby¡¯s eyes. She knew he didn¡¯t like to see her cry in front of him. So she tried her best to hold back her tears. But the more she tried, the more wronged she felt. She thought of how she had been living such a terrible life for a while now, how her Mom looked at her with pain in her eyes, saying she had disappointed them greatly. She thought of Olivia Foster¡¯s ount of her parents¡¯ sorrow and of thest birth control pill Steve had given her¡­ Steve slowly stopped, and the pain inside her gradually eased. But her tears still wouldn¡¯t stop. Steve stared at her tear-streaked face and said tensely, ¡°Don¡¯t cry.¡± Hismand, in those three words, not only failed to stop Ruby¡¯s tears but instead caused her to suddenly break down like a dam bursting, and she burst into loud sobs. All this time, she had been holding back her tears, enduring, enduring, gritting her teeth. But now, she couldn¡¯t help it anymore. She closed her eyes, not caring how unhappy the man in front of her might be, and just cried her heart out, as if she wanted to cry out all her tears in one go. PS: It¡¯s not a crime to.That¡¯s it for today, continue tomorrow .This is the turning point Yesterday¡¯s winning reader: Rongrong from Yunlou..
Chapter 187 - 187: 187 Warm Encounter (1) Chapter 187 - 187: 187 Warm Encounter (1)
Trantor: 549690339 All this time, she had been holding back her tears, bearing them, clenching her teeth to endure. But now, she just couldn¡¯t hold them back any longer. She closed her eyes, disregarding how displeased the man before her might be, and simply let herself cry. It was as if she wished to exhaust all the tears she would shed in her life in one go.
As Steve Burton watched Ruby Gregory¡¯s tear-streaked face, his heart filled with waves of sympathy, along with an inexplicable sense of delight. Yes, her tears brought him an unprecedented joy he had not experienced in years. She finally showed to him the true emotions concealed deep within her heart. Even though it manifested as ceaseless weeping. Despite his distress at her pain, he felt enormous relief. Because the person he faced was no longer a puppet-like Ruby Gregory. Steve Burton remained silent, merely staring at Ruby Gregory as she cried. He didn¡¯t know how much time had passed ¨C maybe only a few minutes, but it felt like a century had passed ¨C all the while, the woman lying on the bed was still sobbing, shedding tears. The joy that had sprung from within him was gradually reced by sympathy. He swallowed and his voice softened, ¡°Stop crying.¡± His tone was deep and pleasing, but carried a slight stiffness.
As if she hadn¡¯t heard him, Ruby continued to keep her eyes closed, letting the tears fall freely. Steve Burton¡¯s hand subconsciously clenched into a fist. He wanted to say somethingforting, but having neverforted anyone before, he didn¡¯t know where to start. He nced around in difort, before turning to face Ruby again, pressing his lips together, and speaking in a slightly severe tone, ¡°I said, stop crying.¡± Ruby still went on crying. Feeling helpless, he paced around the room. When he turned and saw her hair soaked with tears, he felt even more at a loss. Finally, he blurted out in frustration, ¡°Will you just stop! I said, don¡¯t cry!¡± These words were spoken irritably, yet, when he uttered them, there wasn¡¯t an ounce of irritation in his voice. His tone was just a bit heavier, causing Ruby to tremble. Raising her teary eyes, she gave him a hurt look. Her lips quivered, and she began to cry harder than before. In fact, towards the end, she even started hupping from crying too much. Hearing Ruby¡¯s constant hups, Steve Burton felt even more irritated. He took a deep breath and took a step towards her. He reached out to her, only to pull back his hand. Then he tried once more, but finally ended up clenching his hand into a fist, swinging his arm in frustration, and leaving the room.. Chapter 188 - 188: 188 Warm Encounter (2) Chapter 188 - 188: 188 Warm Encounter (2)
Trantor: 549690339 As Steve Burton approached the door, he suddenly stopped in his tracks and turned back, walking to the bedside. Staring at the red, teary eyes of Ruby Gregory, he clenched his teeth and sat down by the bed. He hadn¡¯t spoken yet, but his expression had already be somewhat unnatural: ¡°Alright, don¡¯t cry anymore.¡±
After Steve said this, a hint of red appeared on his fair and handsome face. He lowered his head slightly, licked his lips, and found that the woman beside him was still immersed in tears, showing no reaction. Steve¡¯s throat tightened, and he rubbed his forehead with his fingers. Turning his head, he stared at Ruby for a moment, then reached out to touch her face, gently wiping away her rolling tears. Ruby¡¯s body stiffened for a moment but did not stop crying. Steve did not speak, but silently continued to help Ruby wipe her tears away. His movements were initially somewhat mechanical, but they gradually became more natural. Eventually, Steve reached out, pulled Ruby into his arms, and held her face in his hand, wiping away her tears. He then pressed her head against his shoulder, patting her back like soothing a child, gently caressing her, his voice hoarse and low: ¡°You¡¯ve cried for so long, you¡¯ve had enough. Look, your eyes are swollen from crying. Do you still want to see people tomorrow?¡± Ruby cried in a daze, feeling as if she were in a dream. Her eyshes were still wet with tears. As she blinked, her tears fell onto Steve¡¯s shoulder. Steve distinctly felt the slight impact. He let out a soft breath, pressed the woman more firmly into his chest, and then, with another hand, slowly stroked Ruby¡¯s wet hair, speaking softly, ¡°Be good, let¡¯s not cry anymore, alright?¡± After he spoke, Steve gently rubbed his face against Ruby¡¯s head, close to her ear, and whispered a small ¡°Hmm?¡± that only the two of them could hear. His tone was so light and soft that it reached deep into Ruby¡¯s heart, causing her heart to shudder violently. Her tears stopped momentarily, leaving only asional sobs. Perhaps it was due to crying for so long, or her brain being somewhat sluggish because of theck of oxygen, but at this moment, shepletely forgot her usual evasive and uneasy demeanor in front of Steve. The man¡¯s embrace was warm and wide, giving her a sense of stability. She had been so tiredtely that she longed for a sanctuary to rely on, so she allowed herself to lean against his shoulder and nestle in his arms.. Chapter 189 - 189: 189 Warm Encounter (3) Chapter 189 - 189: 189 Warm Encounter (3)
Trantor: 549690339 Feeling Ruby Gregory¡¯s tenderness and obedience, Steve Burton unconsciously tightened his arms, drawing her into his embrace. Ruby¡¯s sobs gradually diminished. Having cried for so long, she feltzy and exhausted through her whole body, unwilling to move. Her mind grew hazy, and she leaned against Steve¡¯s shoulder, slowly closing her eyes.
Steve¡¯s hand patted her back irregrly and without rhythm, yet it allowed Ruby to rx her body and mind bit by bit. Soon her breathing became steady and even, and she fell into a quiet, peaceful sleep in his arms. Gradually, Steve stopped patting her back, burying his head in the nook of her neck, inhaling her faint fragrance and slowly closing his eyes. Outside the window, the starlight gradually dimmed, and even the chirping of insects faded away. The entire world was plunged into a silent stillness. Steve held Ruby closely the entire time. Only then did he gently move her, carrying her to a nearby sofa. Ruby¡¯s body had already dried naturally, but her long, abundant hair was still wet. Fearing that turning on a hairdryer would wake her, Steve used a towel to carefully dry her hair strand by strand. Steve picked up Ruby and carried her to another bedroom, cing her on the bed and meticulously covering her with a nket. Her abrupt cessation of crying had left Steve feeling pent-up and unable to vent his emotions. Now, as he watched her sleep peacefully, his frustration grew even more intense. Steve¡¯s gaze on Ruby gradually deepened, and his breathing became somewhat heavier. He felt as if he were about to lose control of himself. Yet he tried his utmost to suppress his urges.
His hand gently caressed Ruby¡¯s cheek, feeling as though he could barely control himself. He lightly licked his somewhat dry lips, then leaned down and gently pressed his lips against her swollen eyes, made puffy from crying. Softly, deep in his heart, he whispered: ¡°Goodnight, my Ruby.¡± It was said that saying goodnight was an indirect way of professing love. He had said this to her countless times during countless nights. Yet she had never heard even once. Goodnight. I love you, love you. My Ruby.. Chapter 190 - 190: 190 Warm Encounter (4) Chapter 190 - 190: 190 Warm Encounter (4)
Trantor: 549690339 Steve Burton¡¯s lips lingered on Ruby Gregory¡¯s forehead for a moment before he suddenly pulled away, as if the woman in the bed were a deadly poison. He quickly stood up and left her bedroom. Steve closed the door and leaned against the wall, breathing a long sigh of relief, as if trying to vent the desire welling up inside him.
His bed was damp, and he didn¡¯t want to call someone to change it, afraid of waking her inside the room. He sat on the living room sofa, casually turned on the TV, and tried to divert his wicked thoughts with it. But as he stared at the TV, all he could think of was Ruby Gregory sleeping in the room. The more he thought about it, the more unbearable he felt. He walked to the balcony, but even the cold wind couldn¡¯t calm him down. He could easily touch her by just pushing the door open. Moreover, it was not like they hadn¡¯t done it before. However, he didn¡¯t want to disturb her peace andfort at the moment. Steve stood on the balcony for a while, then put on his jacket and left the suite. Steve called for a set of clothes for Ruby Gregory to be sent to Red Park while waiting for the sightseeing car on the side of the mountain road. Then, he called Howard Coleman, asking where they were. He simply said, ¡°Wait for me¡± before hanging up the phone, and had the Red Park manager drive him straight to the Capital Club. Inside VIP Room 001 at Capital Club, the atmosphere was lively and vibrant, with singing andughing all around. Howard cut off the call and returned to the room, walked straight to the karaoke machine, and shut off the music, interrupting Rusell Henris and a bunny girl singing a duet.
¡°Damn, Howard, are you rebelling?¡± Rusell snapped, throwing the microphone aside, rolling up his sleeves, and looking like he was about to fight Howard. Howard didn¡¯t respond to Rusell, but simply said with a heavy expression, ¡°Our big brother just called.¡± Everyone in the room instantly quieted down, and all eyes were on Howard. He continued with some frustration, ¡°Our big brother said he¡¯sing over soon.¡± ¡°If our big brother wants toe, then let hime! What¡¯s with your expression, Howard? You don¡¯t want to wee him? I¡¯ll take a picture and show him¡­¡± Edward Woods, who had been drinking, giggled and pulled out his phone. As he was about to take a picture, he saw the date on his phone: the 10th of the month. He immediately sprang up and eximed, ¡°Our big brother ising?!¡± Rusell waved his hand, shooing all the bunny girl waitresses out of the room.. Chapter 191 - 191: 191 Warm Encounter (5) Chapter 191 - 191: 191 Warm Encounter (5)
Trantor: 549690339 Rusell waved his hand, ushering out all the bunny girl-dressed attendants in the room. Then, he began to speak, ¡°Today is the 10th, isn¡¯t it supposed to be the day our brother and Ruby go to Red Park? Why did our brother suddenlye here?¡± ¡°Did something between Ruby and our brother happen again?¡±
¡°Definitely, our brother has never likeding to such noisy ces at night. It¡¯s very unusual for him toe tonight.¡± ¡°Last time our brother was unhappy, he dragged us to drink alcohol, and got us three drunk for three days and nights before waking up¡­¡± Rusell recalled the past incident, shuddering all over. Edward Woods said, ¡°Hurry up and have someone send some sobriety medicine over, just in case.¡± ¡°Rusell, you make a call and order some wine for our brother, he¡¯s like a ticking bomb right now, we need to be careful!¡± Under the guidance of the waiter, Steve Burton strolled leisurely to the entrance of VIP Room 001. As soon as the waiter pushed open the door, Edward Woods, Rusell, and Howard Coleman all stood up and shouted, ¡°Bro!¡± With an indifferent expression, Steve Burton strode slowly into the room and sat down elegantly on the sofa. Edward Woods, Rusell, and Howard Coleman exchanged nces,municating with their eyes. Our brother seems pretty normal.
The more normal, the more terrifying. Finally, Howard Coleman, gathering his courage, picked up the wine bottle with a smile and said, ¡°Bro, this is a 1982 Chateau Lafite Rothschild I got for you, have a taste.¡± Steve Burton took the wine ss and nced at Howard Coleman, who also raised his own ss, and said, ¡°I didn¡¯t drive today, so drink less since you¡¯ll have to take me hometer.¡± Howard Coleman, Edward Woods, and Rusell were shocked, exchanging nces once again. He usually likes to drink like water when he¡¯s in a bad mood, but he¡¯s actually not letting Howard drink today? Our brother seems even more abnormal today! After exchanging thoughts, the expressions of the three people became more solemn and serious. As the oldest of the group besides Steve Burton, Rusell often gets more favors from him. So Rusell poured another ss of wine, clinked sses with Steve Burton, and asked, ¡°Weren¡¯t you supposed to go to Red Park today? Why did youe back?¡± As Rusell asked, he observed Steve Burton¡¯s expression and found that his face did not darken when he mentioned Red Park. So, he continued to ask, ¡°It¡¯s been a long time since I¡¯ve seen Ruby. . ..¡± Originally, Rusell wanted to say Ruby, but remembering Steve Burton¡¯s sensitive point, he quickly changed his words, ¡°City, how is she doing?¡± Steve Burton took a leisurely sip of wine, leanedzily on the sofa, and the corners of his mouth seemed to reveal a hint of a smile, ¡°She¡¯s alright, just cried a bit.¡±
Cried? The faces of Rusell, Edward Woods, and Howard Coleman turned pale in an instant.. Chapter 192 - 192: 192 Warm Encounter (6) Chapter 192 - 192: 192 Warm Encounter (6)
Trantor: 549690339 Ruby Gregory was crying? No wonder our bro was acting so differently today.
I remember many years ago, whenever Ruby Gregory cried, my brother would be in such a bad mood that he wouldn¡¯t smile for half a month. The three of them nced at each other and then proceeded more carefully. Edward Woods thought for a moment and said, ¡°Bro, if you¡¯re feeling down, we¡¯ll be there for you, drinking until we can¡¯t anymore!¡± Howard Coleman agreed, ¡°Anyway, tomorrow is the weekend, we can drink all night.¡± ¡°Bullshit!¡± Steve Burton showed a hint of a smile, ¡°Which set of eyes saw me being upset?¡± What¡¯s happening? Our bro actually smiled and even said he¡¯s in a good mood? Is it the same as a drunk person insisting they are not drunk? The other three exchanged a look, then Howard looked at Steve and said, ¡°Bro, the world is filled with beautiful people, why insist on being sentimental?¡± ¡°Get lost! Stop talking nonsense!¡± Steve brushed it off with a mild curse, thenzily stood up, reaching out to Howard, ¡°Give me your car keys, I¡¯m going home.¡± Howard gave Steve his keys.
Stevezily picked up the keys and left them behind with a, ¡°You guys just have fun here,¡± and then he left. Edward Woods, Russel Henris, and Howard Coleman stared at each other for a while, then Russell said, ¡°I genuinely do not understand this time, but I can confirm, our bro seems to be in a pretty good mood.¡± ¡°I¡¯m baffled now, in the past when Ruby cried, it would feel like our world was about to copse.¡± ¡°You think love is so magical? Can it really make people behave so mysteriously and unpredictably?¡± ¡°Who the hell knows!¡± When Ruby Gregory woke up the next day, it was already noon, and the room was quiet. Ruby Gregory opened her eyes, somewhat confused, she was dazed for a while before recalling what had happened the night before. She slowly sat up and realized she had slept in the room she and Steve used when they previously vacationed at Red Park. She was certain she had slept in a different roomst night, how did she end up here? Ruby Gregory turned her head and saw a set of new clothesid out beside her pillow, everything from inner to outerwear. Could it be that Steve had instructed the room service to take care of her?
Ruby Gregory saw the marks on her wrist from being tied up, and wondered what the room service would think of her. Without thinking, she pursed her lips, lifted the nket, and started dressing up. When she left the room, Steve was nowhere to be found. However, his bedroom was still a mess, and her torn clothes were scattered on the floor. Ruby Gregory frowned, the mess hadn¡¯t been cleaned up. Could it be that Steve was the one who carried her to the other room and prepared clothes for her? The suite¡¯s door always had a staff member on duty. Hearing the noises inside, the staff knocked on the door. Ruby Gregory said e in¡±, and the staff at the door entered, looking at Ruby Gregory without a hint of contempt: ¡°Ms. Gregory, would you prefer a Chinese or Western mealter?¡± PS: There will be 6 updates today and 10 updates I have ss in the morning. Even the author waste for ss today! Congrattions to yesterday¡¯s winning reader: New Favourite.. Chapter 193: 193 Warm Encounter (7) Chapter 193: 193 Warm Encounter (7)
Trantor: 549690339 Ruby Gregory said ¡°pleasee in,¡± and the waiter entered. He looked at Ruby without a trace of disdain: ¡°Ms. Gregory, would you like Chinese or Western food for your mealter?¡± Only then did Ruby confirm that the hotel staff hadn¡¯t entered the suite and didn¡¯t know about her embarrassment and disgrace. Ruby pulled herself together and said, ¡°Chinese.¡±
¡°Alright.¡± The waiter smiled, nodded, and left the presidential suite. Ruby remained indifferent as she waited for the waiter to leave, her brows slightly furrowing only afterward. If the waiter hadn¡¯t entered the suite, did that mean that everythingst night was done by Steve Burton? He carried her into another bedroom and tenderly tucked her in with a nket? And the clothes she was wearing now were also delivered by his order, then personally brought to the suite? The more Ruby thought about it, the more puzzled she became. Why would Steve do all this? He had clearly despised and looked down on her, he could have just left her in that state and let others see her humiliation. But why did he do these things? Why did he protect her dignity and pride in front of others? As Ruby was lost in her confusion, another knock on the door came, apanied by the waiter¡¯s respectful tone: ¡°Ms. Gregory?¡± Ruby hastily stopped her wild thoughts and hurried into the bedroom where Steve usually stayed. She picked up the torn clothes from the floor, rolled them up haphazardly and stuffed them into her bag before calming herself and saying, ¡°Come in.¡± Ruby was alone, and she had originally thought that the Chinese meal would be simple. However, when the waiter pushed the dining cart to the table and arranged each dish, she realized just how delicate and abundant this meal was.
How could she eat so much on her own? Ruby frowned and said, ¡°I can¡¯t eat all of this, just leave two dishes and take the rest away.¡± The waiter respectfully looked up at Ruby and said, ¡°This was instructed by Mr. Burton.¡± Instructed by Steve Burton? Ruby¡¯s expression was taken aback as she sat at the dining table, seemingly eating her meal at a leisurely pace, but her mind was aplete mess. Last night, she had cried in front of him, dampening his mood. Shouldn¡¯t he be angry and furious? But why would he have the hotel prepare food for her the next day? Ever since she returned to the country, she had found it hard to read Steve, but now she was truly baffled by him. The end of the weekend on the tenth also happened to be the end of Ruby Gregory¡¯s vacation..
Chapter 194: 194 Warm Encounter (8) Chapter 194: 194 Warm Encounter (8)
Trantor: 549690339 She didn¡¯t know if it was because Steve Burton had been sarcastic to her too many times recently, but she found herself in a constant state of apprehension whenever she was at her desk. After all, she was Steve¡¯s secretary and assistant. Despite trying her best to avoid Steve, there were times when she had to face him directly. At those moments, Ruby became especially nervous. However, every time it turned out to be a false rm.
Once, she had even made a small mistake on a document she submitted to Steve. Steve was standing right in front of her desk, with the other secretaries sitting properly in their seats. Behind him were the manager of the nning Department and the director of the Market Department. At that time, Ruby¡¯s heart was in her throat, as she didn¡¯t know how Steve would scold her. When she thought she was doomed, Steve looked up and asked Ruby, ¡°Where¡¯s the pen?¡± Ruby was stunned for a second, then hurriedly grabbed the pen from her desk and handed it to him. Steve took the pen casually, made a small change on the document to correct Ruby¡¯s mistake, then looked at her and returned the pen. He took the document she submitted, together with the managers of the nning and Market Departments, and entered his office. Ruby stood holding the pen in front of her desk for a while, then listlessly took her seat. What had just happened felt like a dream to her. In fact, Steve was not bad-tempered. His mood swings were mostly negligible. Even when some of the high-level staff at thepany ran into problems, his tone remained calm when he scolded them. But at those moments, even his casual tone still carried an oppressive feeling.
Every time it happened, all the secretaries in thepany would collectively go silent, fearing they might identally be the target of his ire. Ruby was no exception. However, once she was responsible for a document that urgently needed Steve¡¯s signature. At the same time, the Technical Department encountered some issues, causing thepany¡¯s intr to be somewhat paralyzed. This made Steve directly call the manager of the Technical Department and utter, ¡°If this isn¡¯t fixed within three minutes, get out.¡± Steve¡¯s office door was open at the time, and the secretaries in their office could hear his words clearly. With the intr down, everyone naturally couldn¡¯t work, but they lowered their heads, pretending to be busy. Just then, Ruby was at the door of Steve¡¯s office with the document that needed his urgent signature.. Chapter 195: 195 Warm Encounter (9) Chapter 195: 195 Warm Encounter (9)
Trantor: 549690339 When she heard Steve¡¯s words, her first instinct was to turn around and return to her seat, waiting for the internalwork to be restored and Steve¡¯s anger to subside before asking him to sign the document again. However, before Ruby could turn around, Steve had already looked up, his gaze falling directly on her.
Ruby quietly clenched her teeth, then tightly gripped the document, taking small steps and slowly walked over to Steve¡¯s desk. Ruby secretly nced at Steve¡¯s expressionless face, and then handed over the document with both hands, whispering, ¡°Mr. Burton, this is an urgent document that requires your signature.¡± After Ruby finished speaking, she tensed up all over. Steve stared straight at Ruby, just as she thought that the man would unleash his anger from the Technical Department on her, Steve reached out his hand, took the document from her, casually flipped through it, and then signed his name with his pen. Ruby stared at Steve and was instantly dumbfounded. In the past, when he was unhappy about something, he would scold his secretary for notifying him of an urgent meeting. Now he actually signed his name without any anger for her? After Steve signed his name, he looked at Ruby in front of him and realized that she was still staring at him with a silly and dazed expression. The irritation in Steve¡¯s heart caused by the Technical Department dissipated in an instant, and he couldn¡¯t help but let the corner of his lips curve in a smile while looking back at Ruby¡¯s eyes. He raised his hand and lightly tapped the desk, making two slight knocks. Ruby finally snapped back to reality. Her face turned red instantly, and she quickly lowered her head, speaking rapidly, ¡°Mr. Burton, I will leave first.¡± Then she swiftly grabbed the document from the desk and rushed out of the office without looking back.
Steve watched Ruby¡¯s hurried figure, lightly chuckled, and just then, the phone on his desk rang. Steve answered, and it was from the Technical Department, informing him that he would have to wait a few more minutes for the internalwork to be restored. Steve gave a soft ¡°Mmm,¡± said a rxed ¡°No rush,¡± and then slowly hung up the phone. Leaving a manager from the Technical Department, who originally thought he would have been thrown out of thepany, dumbfounded. Days passed like flowing water, eventually reaching the end of the month on the 28th of September. The 60th anniversary of the founding of Pristine¡¯s Enterprises. This day of the year was a big day for Pristine¡¯s Enterprises. The celebration ceremony for the anniversary of Pristine¡¯s Enterprises was held directly at Red Park Resort & Vis.. Chapter 196: 196 Warm Encounter (10) Chapter 196: 196 Warm Encounter (10)
Trantor: 549690339 The celebration ceremony was held on the evening of the 28th. Because the venue was the Red Park Resort & Vis, and it happened to fall on the weekend, the Red Park Resort & Vis was closed to the public for three days.
During these three days, the entire Red Park Resort & Vis was dedicated to the 60th anniversary celebration of Pristine¡¯s Enterprises. All of Pristine¡¯s employees received invitations, allowing them to stay from the 27th to the 29th. Aside from the anniversary dinner on the 28th, the rest of the time was at their leisure. Since she was very young, Ruby Gregory and Steve Burton would visit the Red Park Resort & Vis once a month. Therefore, she was very familiar with the ce and, unlike others, did not intend to take this opportunity to fully enjoy the resort. Ruby Gregory arrived at the Red Park Resort & Vis by car at noon on the 28th. On the morning of the 29th, there was a new product press conference, also hosted at the Red Park Resort & Vis. Thus, Ruby would be staying at the Red Park Resort & Vis overnight on the 29th. Before, Ruby Gregory would naturally stay in their ustomed presidential suite with Steve Burton. However, this time the Red Park Resort & Vis event was for business purposes, and everyone from thepany and even all The Burtons hade. Ruby¡¯s room was arranged in the Mount East District. Maxwell Gregory and Lady Gregory also received invitations to Pristine¡¯s Enterprises¡¯ anniversary celebration. They were guests, so they were hosted by the Public Rtions Department of Pristine¡¯s Enterprises and stayed in the Westhill District of Red Park Resort & Vis. At 6 p.m. on the 28th, night had fallen, and the Red Park Resort & Vis had officially started to be lively. The official start time of the celebration was 8 p.m., but now it was dinner time. Almost all of thepany¡¯s employees and guests had gathered in the banquet hall on the top floor of the Red Park Resort & Vis.
Ruby was not a fan of heavy makeup, but for this gathering, she needed to wear formal attire, so she applied a bit of makeup. Her delicate and outstanding features only needed a simple touch-up to make her incredibly stunning. Ruby arrived at the top-floor banquet hall at 6:10 p.m. Tonight, she wore a light blue short skirt, revealing her long, straight legs. Her fair and tender skin, along with the noble temperament she had been groomed for by The Gregorys since her childhood, made her stand out the moment she entered the banquet hall. As a result, when she stepped into the banquet hall, she was immediately noticed by her colleagues, who came up to greet her. Ruby was not only an employee of Pristine¡¯s Enterprises but also a socialite in Ciawell. Shortly after hering-of-age, The Gregorys were still in a respectable position and she had attended many socialite gatherings in Ciawell. Thus, before she could even properly greet her colleagues, she was intercepted by Olivia Foster and a few other Ciawell socialites.. Chapter 197: 197 Warm Encounter (11) Chapter 197: 197 Warm Encounter (11)
Trantor: 549690339 ¡°Ruby.¡± Upon hearing her name, Ruby Gregory turned her head and saw Olivia Foster.
Olivia was wearing a scarlet bustier dress adorned with numerous sequins that sparkled under the crystal lights of the banquet hall. The well-breddies clustering around her were all strikingly elegant. Ruby knew the women apanying Olivia. They were all of simr age and often interacted since childhood. Especially during her best years with Steve Burton, these women would frequently present her with gifts and surround her during banquets, just as they were now doing with Olivia. With a faint smile on her face, Ruby idly held her ss of wine, slowly turning her body but remaining in ce. Since Ruby had pped Olivia twice before, the two had notmunicated until now. Ruby had assumed that Olivia wouldn¡¯t talk to her anymore, yet surprisingly, Olivia was approaching her with these elite women, striding gracefully. After sizing up Ruby, Olivia thought she stood out amongst the elite women, yet she always seemed to fall shortpared to Ruby. Time flew by, and three yearster, Ruby returned to Ciawell. Her attire was not ordinary but custom-made, her makeup and hairstyle weren¡¯t crafted by top designers. Yet, she still effortlessly outshone Olivia, who had spent a fortune to meticulously enhance her own beauty. Olivia felt a touch of annoyance deep down. She looked at the corners of Ruby¡¯s lips, curved in a smile. She began to speak, her words still as irritating as ever. ¡°Ruby, so many years have passed and you¡¯re still the same, dazzling and eye-catching. I can¡¯t see any hints of your past rejections.¡± Hints of past rejections? Was she referring to the incident wherein Steve slept with her and then discarded her? Ruby blinked, inwardly acknowledging that Olivia¡¯s remark tonight was indeed sophisticated.
She had simultaneouslyplimented Ruby¡¯s beauty and picked at her old wounds. Had Ruby retorted sharply, it might have seemed that Olivia had the upper hand. Too bad for her, Ruby was never one to back down. If Olivia could spice her insult to taste good, surely, so could Ruby. Ruby quietly looked at Olivia. After a moment of silence, she smiled and said, ¡°Olivia, the same goes for you. All these years have passed and you¡¯re still the same. You always need something shiny to just about make yourself look eye-catching..¡± Chapter 198: 198 Warm Encounter (12) Chapter 198: 198 Warm Encounter (12)
Trantor: 549690339 Olivia Foster couldn¡¯t miss the meaning behind Ruby Gregory¡¯s words. Ruby was implying that even with expensive and luxurious items, Olivia couldn¡¯t outshine her.
Olivia¡¯s smile tightened, her gaze turning colder. Just as Ruby thought she would finally show her true colors and start a hysterical argument, Olivia suddenly changed her expression, turned her head, and said to the socialites around her with a smile: ¡°Every time I joke with Ruby, she always manages to silence me with her wit.¡± After saying that, Olivia seemed to have thought of something and continued: ¡°You all must remember Ruby, right? Ruby Gregory, the one who was once very close with Steve Burton.¡± Olivia knew about the details of Ruby having an intimate encounter with Steve Burton and then being discarded by him before she went to Costa Luna. But the others socialites only knew that Ruby had suddenly gone to Costa Luna. So with Olivia¡¯s words, the others began greeting Ruby immediately. ¡°Ruby, long time no see.¡± ¡°Ruby, why did you suddenly go to Costa Luna?¡± ¡°Ruby, how has your rtionship with Mr. Burton been over the years?¡± ¡°Ruby, Mr. Burton must be so happy now that you¡¯re back; he must still treat you like before¡­¡± In fact, the words of these socialites were wless and nothing more than normal pleasantries and greetings. However, Ruby understood that this was the effect Olivia was aiming for. Ruby was once considered undesirable by Steve, and these unknowing people were indirectly exposing her old wound by questioning her about him over and over. Ruby never lost in front of Olivia, but now she had no choice but to swallow her humiliation without protest.
She tried her best to maintain a smile on her face as she responded to the socialites one by one. Then, she quickly found an excuse to slip away. Ruby¡¯s mood plummeted to an all-time low, and she no longer had the appetite to eat. She nced at her wristwatch ¨C there were still ny minutes until the eight o¡¯clock celebratory ceremony. Ruby¡¯s eyes drooped, and she quietly left the scene. Ruby slowly walked down the wooden steps, eventually arriving at a secluded viewing tform on the mountaintop. Looking down at the brilliantly lit Red Park Resort & Vis, she thought of the words the socialites had said to her. She knew that they didn¡¯t know what had happened between her and Steve, which was why they were asking her about it.. Chapter 199: 199 Warm Encounter (13) Chapter 199: 199 Warm Encounter (13)
Trantor: 549690339 However, when she heard those questions, she still felt very sad. The incident from three years ago had been a recurring nightmare for her over the years. She desperately tried to tell herself that it never happened in order to mitigate the pain Steve had caused her.
Three years, a whole three years had passed, and she thought she could forget and not be so concerned about it anymore. But when she heard those questions from others, she still felt gloomy and mncholic. Ruby Gregory leaned against the railing, looking at the distant scenery, thinking of the wonderful times she and Steve Burton had shared during their younger years. She thought about how in the past, she could rightfully stand by Steve¡¯s side at such gatherings and be the object of others¡¯ envy. But what about now? Now, she was like a fallen woman. As Ruby thought about it, her eyes suddenly grew moist, and a few tears rolled down her cheeks. Steve Burton arrived at the top-floor banquet hall at six-thirty. As he walked to the entrance of the hall, he happened to meet Edward Woods¡¯s parents. As he stood to greet them, he caught a glimpse of a figure standing on the viewing tform not far away. Because of the dim light, he couldn¡¯t see clearly who it was, but the figure seemed familiar, like Ruby. After Edward¡¯s dad went into the banquet hall, Steve stared at the viewing tform for a while. After thinking for a moment, he entered the banquet hall. As soon as Steve entered, quite a few people came up to greet him. He responded smoothly, all the while searching for Ruby among the crowd, but he couldn¡¯t find her. Eventually, he seemed to confirm something and walked out of the banquet hall again. He paused for a moment at the doorway, making sure no one was around before heading towards the viewing tform. From the moment Steve entered the hall, Maya Mitchell¡¯s gaze had never left him.
She wasn¡¯t like Olivia Foster, who, though an illegitimate daughter, had the backing of the Fosters. Nor was she like Ruby, who, despite her family¡¯s decline, had been childhood best friends with Steve. Thus, she didn¡¯t have the qualifications to approach Steve and chat casually. All she could do was watch him like this when he wasn¡¯t paying attention. When Steve left the banquet hall, Maya instinctively stood up and walked to the window. She saw Steve pause at the door for a moment, then stride towards the left. Maya clenched her ss for a moment, then put it down and left the banquet hall as well. She walked two steps to the left, then saw a sign by the road indicating the observation deck. PS: Originally, there were supposed to be 10 chapters today, butst night after I finished writing, my hand was scratched by the humidifier, and typing really hurts. My speed has slowed down, so there will be 7 chapters today. Tomorrow, when I should be mostly healed, I¡¯ll make it up to you all.. I apologize for any inconvenience & The winning reader is: Peach Blossom [ * Dance Three Thousand.. Chapter 200: 200 Warm Encounter (14) Chapter 200: 200 Warm Encounter (14)
Trantor: 549690339 Maya Mitchell held her wine ss, paused for a moment, then put it down and left the banquet hall. She took two steps to the left and saw a signpost by the road, which read ¡°Viewing tform.¡±
Maya¡¯s eyebrows furrowed slightly, and a trace of contemtion shed through her eyes. The moon had already risen high in the sky, and it was precisely the time of the year, at the end of September, when the osmanthus flowers blossomed. Red Park was nted with arge area of osmanthus trees, and a gentle breeze brought with it the sweet fragrance of osmanthus flowers. Steve Burton slowly paced, silently walking up behind Ruby Gregory. Ruby had no idea someone was standing behind her, only looking up at the bright moon in the sky, her mood bing increasingly mncholic and deste. In the rural outskirts of the capital city at the end of September, the temperature at night had be quite low. Chilly winds blew in waves, and Ruby gradually felt the chill, shivering involuntarily. As she was about to lift her hand to hug her shoulders, someone suddenly draped a coat over them. Ruby shuddered violently as if she had been electrocuted, subconsciously turning her head to see Steve standing behind her. Her hands shook, and she failed to grab onto her purse, which fell heavily to the ground with a ¡°snap.¡± The purse she had been carrying with her recently had a maic sp, and with that fall, the sp broke open, its contents scattering all over the ground. Steve first nced down casually at the small items strewn from Ruby¡¯s purse, then raised his head, looking into Ruby¡¯s eyes and asked in a nd tone, ¡°What are you doing standing here all alone?¡± Upon seeing Steve, Ruby was already nervous. Now, with his sudden scare from behind, her expression was slightly panicked. Hearing his question, sheposed herself, forced a smile, and said, ¡°The night view here is quite nice.¡± ¡°Is it?¡± Upon hearing this, Steve slowly turned around to stand beside Ruby, taking in the night scene before their eyes. Was this the view she was looking at just now?
In fact, the night scene in front of them was not particrly beautiful and even gave off a sense of loneliness. However, because it was her who had also seen this scene, Steve found it rather charming. Standing where you have stood, looking at the scenery you have seen, would doing so slowly bring me closer to you? Ruby silently stood beside Steve, not saying a word. After a while, Ruby turned her head and nced at the man. She noticed he neither intended to leave nor start a conversation, instead just staring intently at the clear and bright moon, as if genuinely enjoying the view.. Chapter 201: 201 Warm Encounter (15) Chapter 201: 201 Warm Encounter (15)
Trantor: 549690339 The man seemed calm andposed, but Ruby Gregory felt somewhat restless. Ever since returning to the country, she was truly afraid of being alone with him.
Ruby hesitated for a moment, and then spoke: ¡°Isn¡¯t the celebration ceremony starting soon? Shouldn¡¯t you go back and get ready?¡± Steve Burton didn¡¯t turn to look at Ruby. He maintained his posture, gazing at the moon. His fair and handsome face looked even more elegant and refined under the moonlight, ¡°There¡¯s still over an hour.¡± Ruby¡¯s original intention was to find an excuse to leave with Steve and enter the banquet hall. She could then conveniently avoid him. However, she didn¡¯t expect him to respond directly with time as a rejection. Ruby remained silent for a while before saying, ¡°Our colleagues might be there already. I¡¯ll go check.¡± Steve knew her intentions as soon as Ruby said her first sentence. He knew, he had always known, that her approach, initiative, and concern for him were purposeful. It was like the time when she wanted to have his child. She actively brought himte-night snacks, massaged his shoulders and forehead, and didn¡¯t refuse him when he wanted her again and again. Has she given up on the idea of bing his wife now? That¡¯s why she¡¯s been trying so hard to avoid him, escape him, and distance herself from him. He understood all of this. However, it wasn¡¯t until this very situation yed out before his eyes that he realized how deeply his heart ached.
He only wished to enjoy the scenery with her during this hard-earned stolen time together. Even if this enjoyment wasn¡¯t a result of her willingness, nor had they agreed on it beforehand. Even if it was just him pretending they were enjoying such a beautiful view together. However, even this little bit of self-deception driven by selfish desires was just an extravagant hope. Steve¡¯s eyes narrowed slightly. This made Ruby feel slightly defensive in her heart, her desire to leave Steve grew even stronger. She subconsciously squatted down to pick up some scattered little items from the ground. Ruby stuffed them carelessly into her bag, stood up, and nced at Steve before saying, ¡°I¡¯ll go ahead.¡± It was then that Steve finally turned his head and looked at Ruby, before lowering his gaze to see a small box by his feet. Steve bent down to pick up the box and inspected it. It turned out to be a tube of ointment. His pupils contracted slightly as he looked at Ruby with a rather serious expression in his eyes: ¡°Are you injured?¡± Ruby felt that Steve¡¯s question was inexplicable and subconsciously shook her head..
Chapter 202: 202 Warm Encounter (16) Chapter 202: 202 Warm Encounter (16)
Trantor: 549690339 ¡°What do you n to do with this ointment?¡± Steve Burton gave the medicine to Ruby Gregory. Ruby Gregory looked down at it. It was an ointment for stopping bleeding and reducing swelling. Her expression changed slightly, and then she remembered. This was from the night when she was injured, when Steve Burton was at the hospital and she angrily shattered a ss cup. When her mom arrived, she held a piece of bloody ss shard for her to see.
She was awake throughout that night, with the bloody shard filling her thoughts. The next day when she was on her way home, she impulsively stepped into a pharmacy and purchased this ointment. It was after making the purchase that she realised it was unnecessary. She didn¡¯t want to confront Steve Burton, let alone think about how to give him the ointment. Thus, she threw the medicine in her bag and kept it there until this very moment. If Steve Burton hadn¡¯t mentioned it just now, she might havepletely forgotten about it. Steve Burton saw Ruby Gregory looking down and staring at the ointment in her palm, unable to utter a word for a long time. He knew her nature. This lively and animated woman would oddly turn stifled and muffled in his presence, taking forever to squeeze out a single phrase. Just as Ruby Gregory was so eager to get away from him earlier, Steve Burton blurted out in slight anger, ¡°Ruby Gregory, do you have a hearing problem or have you turned mute?¡± It had been a long time since Steve Burton had lost his temper at Ruby Gregory. Upon hearing Steve Burton¡¯s suddenly icy tone, Ruby Gregory instinctively thought he was angry. Without thinking, she blurted out, ¡°No, this ointment, I got it a while back, when you were injured, I bought it for..¡± It was only then that she realised what she had said to Steve Burton. She had bought the ointment but never gave it to him. What if he didn¡¯t believe her when she said it was for him now? Whether it was embarrassment or awkwardness she was feeling, her face turned red, and she lowered her gaze, no longer able to say a word. ¡°Injured?¡± Steve Burton furrowed his brows, his tone still devoid of any warmth and instead expressed impatience, ¡°When did I get injured?¡± Ruby Gregory shrank back slightly from Steve Burton¡¯s tone, her head lowered, she exined in a timid voice, ¡°At thepany banquet a while back.¡±
Only then did Steve Burton suddenlye back to his senses, realising which day Ruby Gregory was referring to. That day, he crushed the ss in his hand out of anger because she had tried to drive him away, cutting his own hand in the process. The injury wasn¡¯t that serious. It was just slightly painful for a couple of days, but afterwards it recovered back to its normal state. He had forgotten about it since he hadn¡¯t given it much thought. Steve Burton asked subconsciously, ¡°If you bought it for me, why didn¡¯t you give it to me all this while?¡± Chapter 203: 203 Warm Encounter (17) Chapter 203: 203 Warm Encounter (17)
Trantor: 549690339 As expected, he didn¡¯t believe that she bought the ointment for him. Steve Burton¡¯s tant disbelief left Ruby Gregory at a loss for how to exin herself.
At this moment, she was like someone who eagerly offered a gift, only to be rejected, causing her face to turn even more red. Steve¡¯s gaze was fixed on Ruby, and as he watched her fair-skinned face turn redder and redder, his mood suddenly improved greatly. He spoke leisurely, ¡°Since the ointment is for me, then apply it for me.¡± Without further ado, Steve pressed the ointment into Ruby¡¯s palm and ced his injured hand in front of her. The man¡¯s hand was beautiful, with long, slender fingers. The injured part of the palm only had a faint reddish mark as a reminder of the once-existing wound. His hand had practically healedpletely, so why apply medicine now? Ruby raised her head with doubts and nced at Steve. Steve¡¯s face remained gentle as he stared at his palm, urging Ruby onward: ¡°Hurry up.¡± Feeling somewhat curious about Steve¡¯s odd behavior, Ruby took off the ointment cap and applied it on his palm. She then spread her fingers, rubbing it gently and evenly. The smell of the ointment was faint and refreshing, mixed with the scent of osmanthus flowers carried by the night breeze wafting around the viewing tform. Ruby waited for the ointment to be fully absorbed before trying to retract her hand, but the man preemptively gripped her palm tightly in his. Ruby felt her whole body stiffen as she stood motionless in front of Steve, her other hand unconsciously clenching into a fist. His fingertips brushed her hand back in a barely-there manner, emanating warmth and an electrifying sensation that gradually seeped through her skin.
Ruby didn¡¯t even dare to breathe, and after a while, she noticed that the man had no intention of letting go of her hand. She raised her head slightly, identally meeting his gaze. Ruby had been crying alone earlier when she stood at this spot, admiring the night view. Her eyes still bore traces of redness and dampness. Steve stared at her eyes for a moment before asking, ¡°Have you been crying?¡± Ruby didn¡¯t expect Steve to notice that she had cried. She hesitated before trying to casually dismiss it, ¡°The wind here is strong, so it made my eyes ufortable and teary.¡± ¡°Really?¡± Steve gently asked back before leaning towards her. His faceing closer and closer to Ruby¡¯s until they were almost touching before he stopped.. Chapter 204: 204 Warm Encounter (18) Chapter 204: 204 Warm Encounter (18)
Trantor: 549690339 Ruby Gregory could feel the man¡¯s scorching breath spraying on her face. She didn¡¯t even dare to breathe, her body tensing up while her eyes hung low, her face red-hot. Steve Burton¡¯s throat moved slightly, his voice a little hoarse: ¡°I¡¯lle and check your eyes for you.¡±
Having said this, Steve¡¯s hand wrapped around Ruby¡¯s waist, pulling her into his embrace while his lips lightly pressed against her eyebrows and eyes. Ruby trembled even more violently. She was extraordinarily sensitive to certain aspects of Steve. She knew what the man would do next; this was the viewing tform after all! Ruby was afraid in her heart that he would truly run wild and, on instinct, wanted to refuse his actions: ¡°Steve Burton¡­¡± Anxiously, Ruby forgot the distance between her and Steve at that moment, unexpectedly calling out his name directly. Steve¡¯s lips pressed against Ruby¡¯s eyebrows quivered sharply, his gruff voice filled with uncontainable joy and even a touch of excitement: ¡°What did you just call me?¡± Ruby was a bit dazed by Steve¡¯s questioning tone. She looked at him somewhat vacantly. Initially, Steve only wished to kiss her, but now he felt the impulse within him rolling violently, unable to be suppressed. In an instant, he could no longer care about anything else and fiercely sealed Ruby¡¯s lips with his own. He kissed her urgently and intensely. His hands tightly gripped her waist, as if wishing to forcibly embed her into his body. He could feel the rigidity and stiffness in her body, yet he wasn¡¯t angered by her resistance and indifference. Steve knew that she still had to attend a banquetter and deliberately avoided her hairstyle. He didn¡¯t even take off her clothes, just lifting her skirt up. On the viewing tform was a stone table. He made her face away from him, an arm wrapped around her waist. Fearing that she would clench her fists too hard and scratch the palm of his hand with her nails, he used his other hand to hold her wrist, preventing her from using any strength. Steve worried about dying the banquet, so he tried his best to shorten the time. Nevertheless, in a ce like this, Ruby was afraid and tense at the bottom of her heart; although the time had been greatly reduced by Steve, she still felt it was very long.
After an unknown amount of time, everything finally stopped. Ruby sighed quietly in relief and, acting on reflex, pushed Steve away. Steve¡¯s gaze at Ruby remained somewhat fervent, as if he was discontent with their hurried lovemaking.. Chapter 205: 205 Warm Encounter (19) Chapter 205: 205 Warm Encounter (19)
Trantor: 549690339 Ruby Gregory spoke without hesitation, saying, ¡°The banquet is about to begin.¡± Steve Burton, however, seemed not to have heard her, and once again kissed her lips. His fingers, somewhat mischievously, ventured back under her skirt.
Just as Steve was about to remove Ruby¡¯s underwear again, footsteps suddenly approached the viewing tform. Ruby¡¯s body stiffened slightly, and then Steve stopped all his actions. The footsteps became clearer and more distinct. Ruby¡¯splexion turned pale as snow in an instant. If what was happening between her and Steve at that moment got seen by others, she couldn¡¯t imagine how the rumors would spread, and it might ruin her entire life! As the footsteps drew closer to the viewing tform, Ruby¡¯s heartbeat quickened. She raised her hand and instinctively pushed Steve away, nced left and right, then rushed to the other side of the tform and hurried away. Ruby moved so quickly that her figure soon disappeared from view. At this point, the footsteps had almost reached the viewing tform, and Steve straightened up, tidying his clothes and preparing to fasten his belt when someone stepped on the tform. It was Steve¡¯s mom, followed by Olivia Foster. Seeing Steve, his mother spoke first, ¡°Steve, what are you doing here all alone? You didn¡¯t answer your phone, and the banquet is about to begin.¡±
As she spoke, Steve¡¯s mom noticed the belt he was fastening. She furrowed her brow and stared at Steve closely. Then she saw a hint of lust on his face. In an instant, Steve¡¯s mom understood what he had been doing on the tform. Her expression darkened, and her voice turned slightly stern as she asked, ¡°Steve, who was just here with you?¡± Steve quickly fastened his belt, tidied up his appearance, and calmly replied, ¡°Mom, let¡¯s talk about itter.¡± Steve¡¯s mom showed no sign of backing down. She nced around and finally fixed her gaze on the direction of Ruby¡¯s escape, saying, ¡°I want to see who would do such an indecent thing! Is it a Pristine¡¯s Enterprises employee, or some family¡¯s daughter!¡± Steve¡¯s mother then walked in the direction Ruby had fled. However, Steve quickly stepped in front of his mom, blocking her way. ¡°Steve, move away for mom! She absolutely will not allow a woman like this near you! How many times has mom told you, indulging in lust will eventually lead to disaster!¡± PS: That¡¯s all for today, continuing Will update earlier in the afternoon after waking up, aiming to start writing by 7 pm and write mor& Yesterday¡¯s winning reader was: Miss Bunny¡­ ??
Chapter 206: 206 Warm Encounter (20) Chapter 206: 206 Warm Encounter (20)
Trantor: 549690339 ¡°Steve, move aside for Mom! I will never allow such a disastrous woman by your side! Mom has told you countless times, indulging in women could end up ruining everything! ¡± Just before the sixtieth-anniversary celebration of Pristine¡¯s Enterprises was about to start, Steve Burton was actually indulging in * * With a woman under the open sky. Presumably, that woman had used some fox-like charm to bewitch Steve.
The more Steve¡¯s mother thought about it, the angrier she got, her lengthy earrings quivering slightly. Facing his mother¡¯s wrath, Steve remained silent, maintaining his calm. Only after Steve¡¯s mother finished venting her anger did she remember that right by her side stood Olivia Foster. Even though her cousin married into the Burtons, she was still an outsider after all. As the saying goes, family affairs should not be made public, especially when the person in front of you is your own son. Had the person involved with Steve been an employee of Pristine¡¯s Enterprises, then it wouldn¡¯t be much of an issue. But if it turned out to be a ¡®Miss¡¯ from a wealthy family, wouldn¡¯t this bring disgrace to that family? Steve¡¯s mother tilted her head, looking towards Olivia Foster. She said, ¡°Olivia, you go first.¡± Olivia Foster definitely knew what had happened on the viewing tform. She had hinted at Steve many times, but she didn¡¯t know whether this man could resist temptation, endure loneliness, or he was genuinely not interested in her. Let alone touching her, he hadn¡¯t even held her hand before. She had always believed that Steve was a man with no interest in love and romance. However, she never would have thought he would engage in such intimacy with a woman in a ce like this. If he wasn¡¯t utterly obsessed with that woman, how could he behave so inappropriately?
More than anyone else, Olivia Foster wanted to know who that woman was. Therefore, she hesitated for a moment when she heard Steve¡¯s mother instructing her to leave. Seeing Steve¡¯s mother¡¯s decisive expression, despite her unwillingness, she feared that her objection might earn her disfavor. Hence, she obediently nodded and reluctantly turned around to leave. Only after Olivia Foster had walked quite a distance did Steve¡¯s mother speak to Steve, ¡°Steve, it¡¯s just you and Mom here now, call her out.¡± There was no way Steve would call Ruby Gregory out. Lowering his eyes, he hesitated for a while before saying, ¡°What happened today was my mistake. If you are angry, you should direct it towards me.¡± ¡°Nonsense!¡± Steve¡¯s mother reprimanded angrily, her breathing bing somewhat rapid. ¡°Steve, are you defending that woman with no sense of propriety?¡± A woman with no sense of propriety? Upon hearing these words, a hint of gloom surfaced on Steve¡¯s usually calm face. His tone, though still gentle, carried a sense of repression, ¡°I¡¯ve said, what happened tonight was my fault..¡± Chapter 207: 207: Mysterious Female Lead (1) Chapter 207: 207: Mysterious Female Lead (1)
Trantor: 549690339 Steve Burton¡¯s mother sensed her son¡¯s displeasure. She moved her lips slightly but didn¡¯t speak. Instead, she just stared at Steve for a while before finally speaking in a rather low voice. ¡°Steve, don¡¯t forget how mom has raised you since you were a child. I¡¯ve always turned a blind eye to how you interact with women outside, believing that you know your boundaries. But today, Pristine¡¯s Enterprises¡¯ 60th-anniversary celebration is about to begin. There are so many guests in the hall, yet you¡¯re not ying host and indulging yourself with a woman here. Steve, don¡¯t forget who you are.¡± Steve pursed his lips and said hoarsely, ¡°I wasn¡¯t considering it carefully.¡±
Seeing that she had spoken to such extent and Steve still sided with the woman hiding behind the viewing tform, his mother was determined to eliminate the enchantress if she could. But she didn¡¯t want to create a rift between herself and her son because of a woman. Moreover, she had never seen her son protect a woman like this before. After weighing things in her heart, Steve¡¯s mother still chose to give her son a way out and said, ¡°Steve, it¡¯s gettingte. Let¡¯s go back to the banquet hall.¡± Steve nodded slightly in agreement. His mother took onest look in the direction where Ruby Gregory was hiding and then left with Steve the way they came. Footsteps gradually faded away until there was no more sound. Ruby, hidden behind the bushes of the viewing tform, felt like she had just survived a catastrophe and instantly copsed on the ground. That was close! The person who came was actually Aunt Burton. As they were neighbors with the Burtons, she had known Aunt Burton since she was young, and Aunt Burton had always liked her and treated her well. However, after what happened three years ago, she went abroad and never contacted Aunt Burton again. Now that she was back, she was quite busy. Moreover, she had been to the Burtons¡¯ once, but Steve told Wenny Burton that it would be better if she didn¡¯t go to the Burtons¡¯ so often as to not bother him. As a result, she never went to the Burtons¡¯ again. From Aunt Burton¡¯s words, she could also hear that Aunt Burton thought she had bewitched Steve and prompted him to take her in such an exposed ce urgently. The more Ruby thought about it, the more frightened she felt.
If Aunt Burton had found out it was her, not only would her image in Aunt Burton¡¯s eyes bepletely ruined, but she would also have no hope of marrying Steve in this lifetime! Ruby closed her eyes and took deep breaths for a long while before managing to support herself off the ground and stand up. She quickly tidied up her clothes.. Chapter 208: 208: Mysterious Female Lead (2) Chapter 208: 208: Mysterious Female Lead (2)
Trantor: 549690339 Then, Ruby Gregory took out her phone and turned on the camera, making sure her hairstyle and makeup were still in good condition before she calmed down, took her bag, and left. Ruby had just hidden behind the observation deck and heard every word between Steve Burton and Aunt Burton.
She knew that, although Aunt Burton had given Steve a way out, it did not mean that Aunt Burton would really let this matter go. Perhaps Aunt Burton had already arranged for someone to wait at the entrance of the banqueting hall, watching to see who woulde out from the direction of the observation deck. Steve had already blocked one risk for her, and she would not allow herself to fall into a second risk voluntarily. Ruby was familiar with every inch of the Red Park Resort & Vis. So aftering up to the observation deck, she did not walk towards the banquet hall. Instead, she took a left at a fork and went downhill. She knew that about two hundred meters down this path, she could circle back to the main route uphill, so if Aunt Burton had really arranged for someone to keep an eye on the observation deck at the door, they would not suspect her. Less than a minute after taking the left turn, Ruby saw a womaning out of the bushes where she had turned. The woman was wearing a long white dress and had a beautiful face, and her long hair fluttered. It was Maya Mitchell. Maya originally wanted to see what Steve was doing alone on the observation deck, and if he was alone, she wanted to pretend to identally meet him and spend some time with him there. But she didn¡¯t expect that she hadn¡¯t even reached the observation deck before hearing Steve talking to someone else. Her footsteps stopped in ce, and after listening for a while, she realized that the person on the observation deck with Steve was Ruby Gregory. Maya only felt as if her whole body had been doused with a bucket of cold water. The excitement and anxiety in her heart turned into an indescribable bitterness in an instant.
Although Steve and Ruby had only exchanged a few words, she could still hear Steve¡¯s concern and affection for Ruby in his voice. She didn¡¯t dare to get too close, fearing that Steve and Ruby would discover her. She couldn¡¯t hear their voices and didn¡¯t know what they were doing. But she vaguely sensed that the atmosphere on the observation deck had be somewhat ambiguous and flowing. That kind of atmosphere was like a sharp weapon that pierced deeply into her body, making her want to escape but unable to do so. Just when she was feeling extremely tormented, she heard Olivia Foster¡¯s voice behind her: ¡°Aunt Burton, let¡¯s go to the observation deck and have a look. Maybe Steve is there.¡± Then footsteps followed. At that moment, she was startled and subconsciously hid in the bushes beside her.. Chapter 209: 209: Mysterious Female Lead (3) Chapter 209: 209: Mysterious Female Lead (3)
Trantor: 549690339 Through the gaps between the trees, she watched as Steve Burton¡¯s mother and Olivia Foster headed towards the observatory. The mountaintop at night was unsettlingly silent.
She hid among the bushes, clearly hearing the conversation between Steve Burton¡¯s mother and Steve Burton on the Observatory tform. Only then did she understand what that ambiguous atmosphere she had sensed earlier really meant. Steve Burton and Ruby Gregory were engaged in the most intimate act between a man and a woman. Maya Mitchell blinked, quietly collecting her thoughts. She stood on the wooden walkway, watching the direction in which Ruby had just departed. A flicker of understanding illuminated her eyes as she realized what Ruby must be thinking. The reason why she was taking such a roundabout route was simply to prevent anyone from discovering that she was the one on the tform with Steve Burton earlier. And what about her? At this moment, she was also on the path from the Observatory. If she were to leave from here, wouldn¡¯t she be taking the me for Ruby? Maya pulled out her mirror and, using the dim streetlight, tidied her dishevelled hair from hiding in the bushes. Then, with an elegant stride, she followed in the direction that Ruby had taken. By the time Ruby Gregory made her way back to the entrance of the banquet hall after a long detour, there were only ten minutes until the start of the celebration. Everyone but her had arrived. There were two guards standing outside the banquet hall, and although Ruby was not sure if they were arranged by Aunt Burton, she knew that her earlier premonition was correct. Ruby smiled and nodded at the two guards before stepping into the banquet square.
Madeleine happened to see Ruby arrive and waved at her. Ruby walked towards her with graceful steps,pletely oblivious to the person closely following her into the banquet hall. Naturally, the Pristine¡¯s Enterprises 60th anniversary celebration was a stylish and elegant affair, with many media organizations invited. At exactly eight o¡¯clock, a male and female presenter stood on stage. The female presenter, dressed in a bright red dress, held up her microphone and cheerfully narrated the 60-year development history of Pristine¡¯s Enterprises. After the female presenter finished, the male presenter led the apuse and began speaking, ¡°We have just discussed the glorious history of Pristine¡¯s Enterprises. Now, we formally invite the current CEO of Pristine¡¯s Enterprises, Mr. Steve Burton, toe onstage.¡± The venue burst into thunderous apuse. Steve Burton emerged from the side of the stage, ascended the steps, and walked gracefully to the center of the stage. He waited for the apuse to die down before raising his microphone, and in a clear, pleasant voice, announced, ¡°I am delighted that you are all here to celebrate the 60th anniversary of Pristine¡¯s Enterprises..¡± Chapter 210: 210: Mysterious Female Lead (4) Chapter 210: 210: Mysterious Female Lead (4)
Trantor: 549690339 Steve Burton¡¯s words had always been concise, even on such a significant day, he only spoke a few words. At the end, he picked up the wine ss that the emcee had prepared in advance and raised it to the audience, saying, ¡°Happy 60th birthday to Pristine¡¯s Enterprises.¡± The people below the stage raised their sses in unison, toasting all around.
Steve Burton walked off the stage amid apuse and continuous shes of light. Pristine¡¯s Enterprises¡¯ celebration ceremony had invited big-name stars to perform, and after each performance, the emcee would draw prizes for lucky guests. The entire celebration ceremony took about an hour and a half, followed by a dance. As the highest executive of Pristine¡¯s Enterprises, Steve Burton was to choose one female guest from the scene to join him in the opening dance. Just as Ruby Gregory had guessed, Steve¡¯s mother had merely given her son face and had not let go. She had genuinely sent someone to guard the exit of the observation deck to see who woulde out from there. As a result, surprisingly, no one came out, and she even sent someone in to search, but they found no traces. So, the female guest Steve Burton chose for the opening dance became the focus of his mother¡¯s attention. Since Steve had been so protective of that woman, he should choose her for the opening dance in front of all the employees and capital city dignitaries. The emcee held the microphone, smiling as he looked at Steve Burton, and asked, ¡°Mr. Burton, I wonder which luckydy will have the honor of dancing the opening dance with you tonight?¡± This question was practically on every woman¡¯s mind at the scene. Everyone¡¯s attention was focused on Steve Burton.
Steve Burton held the microphone with a smile, his gaze politely sweeping over the borately dressed women in front of him. When his gaze fell on Ruby Gregory¡¯s face, it paused slightly. Inadvertently, Ruby Gregory¡¯s heart was startled, subconsciously thinking that Steve was going to choose her. She instinctively nced at Steve¡¯s mother and lowered her head slightly, hiding behind Madeleine. Immediately afterward, Steve¡¯s gaze swept over her and scanned all the women at the venue before he raised the microphone. Ruby Gregory¡¯s heart was in her throat at this moment. If it weren¡¯t for the incident at the observation deck earlier, she would have really hoped that Steve could choose her to dance the opening dance with him. All of the decision-makers in the business world were present, and if she danced the opening dance with Steve, it would naturally attract everyone¡¯s attention. As long as someone with an interest inquired about her, they would know that she and Steve once had an intimate rtionship. In this way, people would naturally think that her rtionship with Steve was excellent, which would undoubtedly bring many benefits to the Gregorys¡¯ business.. Chapter 211: 211: Mysterious Female Lead (5) Chapter 211: 211: Mysterious Female Lead (5)
Trantor: 549690339 But now, if Steve Burton chose her, Aunt Burton would definitely be the first to suspect the things she and Steve did on the viewing tform! Steve¡¯s gaze fell on Ruby Gregory once again, filling her with an ever-increasing sense of unease.
Ruby saw Steve slowly raise the microphone to his mouth. Ruby¡¯s palm clenched slowly as she stared intently at Steve. The moment his mouth opened, the entire banquet hall fell deathly silent. In that instant, Ruby felt as if her heartbeat might actually stop. ¡°I choose¡­¡± Steve deliberately paused at this point, as if toying with everyone¡¯s anticipation. Ruby felt as if she could be crushed at any moment under the weight of this overpowering premonition. Her entire body felt as if her blood had frozen in ce. Just when she thought she might be the one Steve chose, the man looked her in the eyes and pronounced the three words one by one: ¡°Olivia Foster.¡± Ruby¡¯s eyes widened in disbelief, and she stared at Steve, feeling as if this scene must be some kind of illusion. It must be that she was so afraid of Steve choosing her that she was seeing things. Ruby reached out and pinched her thigh hard, feeling the sharp pain. She furrowed her brows and then heard the female emcee, in a tone filled with envy and jealousy, announce, ¡°Congrattions, Miss Olivia Foster!¡± It really was Olivia Foster! Ruby knew that Steve¡¯s wife, Olivia, was her greatest rival. The Fosters were also the Gregorys¡¯ biggestpetitors.
Many times, matters involving Steve would not fall on her, and she would not want them to fall on Olivia either! But tonight, all she felt was relief in her heart. Relieved that Steve had chosen Olivia Foster! And she had narrowly escaped the ordeal once again! Olivia seemed stunned,pletely unable to believe that Steve had chosen her for the opening dance tonight. She stood there, her eyes fixed on Steve as he stood on the stage, not even responding to the emcee¡¯s call to join him. ¡°Miss Olivia Foster? Where is Miss Olivia Foster?¡± The emcee asked two more times. A woman standing next to Olivia gently nudged her. It was only then that Olivia came back to her senses, finally epting that everything was indeed real. Wearing a joyful smile, she took graceful steps and ascended the stage under everyone¡¯s watchful gaze. The lights in the banquet hall went out, leaving only a single bright spotlight shining on Olivia and Steve on the stage. As Olivia looked at the handsome, prince-like Steve in front of her, she felt as if she was in a dream, lost in a daze..
Chapter 212: 212: Mysterious Female Lead (6) Chapter 212: 212: Mysterious Female Lead (6)
Trantor: 549690339 As the music began, Steve slowly reached out and held her hand.
This was their first time holding hands. The sensation made her feel as if her heart would leap out of her throat any moment. Just like Cindere, dressed in a grand gown at midnight and dancing with her prince, she was dancing gracefully with the man she had yearned for all these years, under the envious gazes of the crowd. The musicsted for three minutes and forty seconds. During this time, Olivia felt it was the most wonderful moment of her life. She patiently savored every single second of those three minutes and forty seconds. Following Steve¡¯s steps, she danced gracefully and lightly, feeling not only her heart but her entire being soar. As the music ended, Steve and Olivia stopped along with it. A passionate round of apuse erupted from the audience. Steve and Olivia waited for the apuse to subside before letting go of each other. Steve nodded politely at the audience, then made a gentlemanly gesture for Olivia to leave the stage first. Only after she had left did he step down unhurriedly. After the opening dance, the banquet¡¯s toasting segmentmenced.
Many people had already paired up and started dancing on the dance floor. Upon stepping off the stage, Olivia was immediately surrounded by her well-acquainted socialite friends. They looked at her enviously, and tirelessly inquired about her feelings while dancing with Steve. Last time at thepany, after her conflict with Ruby and being reprimanded by Steve, Olivia thought that Steve truly despised her. However now, Steve surprisingly offered her the chance to dance the important opening dance with him, dispelling any lingering doubts in her heart. In exchange, she realized that deep down, Steve held some feelings for her. Olivia¡¯s spirits soared. While secretly basking in the attention from her socialite friends, she discreetly scanned the crowd for Steve. What Ruby worried about, Steve had also considered. No one knew that as he held the microphone and announced Olivia¡¯s name, the name that echoed in his heart simultaneously was: Ruby Gregory. Even though he yearned to dance a splendid waltz with Ruby to celebrate his kingdom¡¯s banquet, he did not wish to bring trouble to her after the dance. Because, he knew his mother well. If he were to dance with any woman other than Olivia tonight, his mom would suspect that woman to be the one he had been with on the viewing tform..
Chapter 213: 213: Mysterious Female Lead (7) Chapter 213: 213: Mysterious Female Lead (7)
Trantor: 549690339 He didn¡¯t like Olivia Foster, and it had something to do with Ruby Gregory not liking her either. However, he couldn¡¯t hurt other women just because of his own preferences.
So tonight, he had no choice but to choose Olivia Foster to dance the opening dance with him. Because Olivia was with his mom, and his mom knew that the person on the viewing tform with him was not Olivia. People walking around at banquets will inevitably run into those they don¡¯t want to see. Ruby Gregory and Olivia Foster crossed paths. Olivia¡¯s face beamed with self-satisfaction. She nced at Ruby with a show-off expression, like a proud princess, and stepped away elegantly from Ruby. Olivia Foster went to the restroom. After using the toilet anding out, she took out her makeup and touched up her makeup in front of the mirror at the sink. As Olivia was touching up her makeup halfway, Maya Mitchell coincidentally also walked out of the restroom and stood in front of another sink to wash her hands. Olivia never took Maya seriously, so she only nced at her from the corner of her eye and continued to carefully touch up her makeup in front of the mirror. Maya stood aside, silently washing her hands. She could see Olivia¡¯s disdain for herself. She had gotten used to it over the years, so she tried to avoid Olivia. But as she was washing her hands, she saw Olivia¡¯s handbag on the sink and uncharacteristicallyplimented Olivia, ¡°Your handbag is pretty.¡± Olivia knew that Maya was close to Ruby Gregory, so when she heard her words, her expression slightly fell, and she snorted without a response, slowly packing up her makeup. Oliviaughed coldly, ¡°You, who couldn¡¯t even afford tuition back then, would know about Chanel?¡± Then she just opened the faucet and started washing her hands without any concern for others.
How could Maya not hear that Olivia was mocking her humble background? The smile on her face remained unchanged, she gently blinked her eyes, and continued, ¡°I saw Ruby also carrying a Chanel bag.¡± Hearing Ruby Gregory¡¯s name from Maya¡¯s mouth, Olivia¡¯s face became even uglier. She turned off the faucet abruptly, pulled out a paper towel from the side, and wiped her hands forcefully. Compared to Olivia¡¯s anger, Maya seemed calm. She gently took out a paper towel, wiped her hands, and casually said to Olivia, ¡°When I met Ruby, she seemed to be in a bad mood. She left the banquet hall and went directly to the viewing tform.¡± ¡°The viewing tform?¡± Olivia Foster, who was about to leave the restroom, suddenly stopped, turned her head, stared at Maya Mitchell, and asked, ¡°Red Park¡¯s viewing tform?¡± PS: That¡¯s all for today, continue Group number: The winning reader is: Peaceful Like Always. The winning reader must join the group!!! !! PPS: Rmending a book, written by a good friend of Leaf.. It¡¯s a modern novel Pen name: Gorgeous Beauty, Book title: Secret Marriage of the ck Family: Charming Pet for 7 minutes and 77 seconds Chapter 214: 214: Mysterious Female Lead (8) Chapter 214: 214: Mysterious Female Lead (8)
Trantor: 549690339 ¡°The viewing tform?¡± Olivia Foster, who was about to leave the bathroom, suddenly stopped, turned her head, and stared at Maya Mitchell, asking, ¡°Red Park¡¯s viewing tform?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Maya Mitchell nodded, threw the used paper towel into the trash, and walked towards the door.
Though her words seemed casual, she was actually revealing a secret she knew to Olivia. Ruby Gregory and Steve Burton had grown up together as childhood friends. In the three years that Ruby had been gone, there hadn¡¯t been a single woman by Steve¡¯s side. Except for work, his life was uneventful. Now that Ruby was back, the peace in Steve¡¯s life was broken. Maya knew that only when one cared about someone would their emotions be constantly affected by the person they loved. She liked Steve but couldn¡¯t openly be with him like those noble-born women. However, she wouldn¡¯t be foolish enough to expose Ruby and make Steve disgusted with her. Compared to Olivia, who danced the opening dance with Steve tonight, Ruby was her biggest rival. However, she wouldn¡¯t be foolish enough to expose Ruby and make Steve disgusted with her. But Olivia was different. Olivia had been arrogant since childhood, relying on the wealth of the Fosters¡¯ family business. But many times, she was thoughtless. This w of Olivia¡¯s provided opportunities for others to exploit.
Maya only needed to let Olivia know this news, then she would undoubtedly take action against Ruby. An inevitable fight would ensue, and if Steve¡¯s mom found out that the woman on the viewing tform was Ruby, it would be detrimental to Ruby¡¯s situation. As for Olivia, the one who exposed the truth, she would gain no favor from Steve. It was a win-win situation: both things covered perfectly. And all Maya had to do was to reap the benefits. Just when Maya was about to leave the bathroom, Olivia spoke again, asking, ¡°Are you sure you saw Ruby Gregory going to the viewing tform tonight?¡± Even though everything was under Maya¡¯s control, she pretended to be puzzled on the surface. With wide, innocent eyes, she asked, ¡°Why? Is there a problem?¡± Olivia seemed to realize that her reaction was too intense. She slightly concealed her facial expression, shook her head, and said, ¡°Nothing.¡± Maya uttered a faint ¡°oh¡±, walked out of the bathroom, and then heard the sound of something crashing violently inside. Maya knew that was the sound of Olivia¡¯s rage after learning that the woman who was on the viewing tform with Steve tonight was Ruby.
Her lips couldn¡¯t help but curl into a light smile. Then she straightened her back, walked gracefully towards the venue.. Chapter 215: 215: Mysterious Female Lead (9) Chapter 215: 215: Mysterious Female Lead (9)
Trantor: 549690339 No one knew that when she found out Ruby Gregory and Steve Burton were having a romantic encounter on the viewing tform, her heart was filled with jealousy and resentment. No one knew that when she watched Olivia Foster and Steve Burton dance gracefully on the brightly lit stage, she was filled with envy deep within her heart.
Even though she knew that Steve had chosen to dance with Olivia at the celebration ceremony to protect Ruby, she couldn¡¯t help but imagine the possibility of dancing the opening dance with him in such a grand setting, willingly bing a scapegoat. Dance was something that needed to be nurtured from a young age, yet growing up in poverty, she didn¡¯t have the same ess to education as Ruby and Olivia. It wasn¡¯t until she had a stable job at Pristine¡¯s Enterprises that she started silently catching up with them. Only she knew the hardships she had endured. Countless nights, she practiced basic dance moves at home to music, hoping to be as flexible as them. She even sprained her ankle and hurt her back, which made her unable to sleep at night. She would go to the hospital alone and grit her teeth, enduring the pain no matter how unbearable it was the next day, always managing to put on a brave face as a seemingly ordinary secretary at work. She put in so much effort to get close to Steve, but his eyes never fell on her. She would always remain far behind him, watching as his beautifulpanions came and went, never getting a taste of that happiness, even if it was only fleeting. Tonight, everyone was excited and overjoyed for Pristine¡¯s Enterprises 60th anniversary celebration, but she was the only one feeling downhearted, sad, and heartbroken. Now, having told the secret she knew to Olivia, her face, once filled with arrogance and pride at the prospect of dancing with Steve, was now reced with anger. And what about Ruby Gregory? Maya Mitchell stood in the midst of the banquet, casting her gaze on Ruby Gregory, who was talking incessantly to Madeleine about something. Perhaps it was a funny story, as Ruby¡¯s face lit up with a beautiful and charming smile. Maya slightly raised her chin, thinking, ¡°Ruby Gregory, no matter how brilliant and beautiful you are now, Olivia¡¯s impulsive temper will break through your facade in no more than 24 hours!¡±
Chapter 216: 216: Mysterious Female Lead (10) Chapter 216: 216: Mysterious Female Lead (10)
Trantor: 549690339 Just as Maya Mitchell expected, Olivia Foster stood in the restroom at the moment, her facepletely devoid of the excitement she had when she danced with Steve Burton. Instead, she was gritting her teeth in anger. When she went to the viewing tform with Aunt Burton earlier, she was curious about which shameless woman dared to seduce Steve and do such a thing on the tform. Many celebrities attended tonight¡¯s banquet, and she initially thought it was one of them. But to her surprise, it turned out to be Ruby Gregory!
The grudges between her and Ruby all revolved around Steve. Had it been any other woman, she would not have been so furious and resentful! Olivia¡¯s lips were tightly pressed, her eyes staring intensely into the void, and her hands clenched into fists. Ruby had already consummated with Steve, and if Ruby identally got pregnant, where would Olivia¡¯s qualifications topete with here from? Moreover, in which aspect was she inferior to Ruby? Nowadays, the Gregorys couldn¡¯t evenpare to the Fosters. Ruby had recently returned to the country, and she was already so close with Steve. Olivia, on the other hand, had been by Steve¡¯s side for three years, and it was only tonight that she finally got to hold hands and dance with him. Olivia was impulsive and couldn¡¯t see through things, but she wasn¡¯tpletely mindless. At this moment, she finally realized why out of so many women, Steve picked her to apany him in the opening dance. It was only because she had been with Aunt Burton all along, and by choosing her, he could prevent Aunt Burton from finding out who the woman on the viewing tform really was! Steve¡¯s actions were clearly protecting Ruby! Ruby, Ruby, it was always Ruby! Last time, Ruby pped her twice, and Steve took Ruby¡¯s side. And this time, it was the same!
Olivia¡¯s chest heaved violently as she angrily grabbed the hand sanitizer on the washing stand and threw it against the wall. Dissatisfied with this disy, she lifted her foot and kicked the trash can in front of her fiercely. Such venting didn¡¯t ease the frustration in Olivia¡¯s heart. She picked up her bag and stormed into the banquet hall. She scanned the crowd and finally saw Aunt Burton. Striding straight towards her, she made up her mind. Wasn¡¯t Steve trying to protect Ruby? Didn¡¯t Aunt Burton always want to know who that shameless woman on the viewing tform was? Fine then¡­ she would tell Aunt Burton right now, and see how Steve could continue protecting Ruby! Steve¡¯s mother was chatting with a fewdies her age when Olivia marched over, pouting, not caring about the many people watching. She opened her mouth to speak, ¡°Aunt Burton, I know about the viewing tform¡­.¡± Chapter 217: 217: Mysterious Female Lead (11) Chapter 217: 217: Mysterious Female Lead (11)
Trantor: 549690339 When Steve Burton¡¯s mother heard the words ¡°Viewing Pavilion,¡± she knew what Olivia Foster was about to bring up next. Indeed, she wanted to know who the woman with Steve at the Viewing Pavilion was.
However, she would not let an outsider expose her son¡¯s scandal in front of all these wives of famous families. These aristocraticdies were always the spreaders of gossip. If Olivia were to reveal what happened, wouldn¡¯t many people learn that her son was addicted to women, and had engaged in lewd acts with someone at the Viewing Pavilion during Pristine¡¯s Enterprises¡¯ 60th anniversary celebration?! So, Steve¡¯s mother¡¯s eyes slightly darkened with a trace of displeasure, yet her face maintained a dignified smile as if nothing had changed. She turned her head and interrupted Olivia with a tone that was neither too light nor too heavy, ¡°Olivia, your aunts and I are talking. Can we discuss any matters tomorrow?¡± Steve¡¯s mother¡¯sst sentence was a rhetorical question, but it carried the meaning of a derative sentence. Olivia hesitated for a moment, her expression showing slight defiance as she spoke up again: ¡°Aunt Burton, don¡¯t you always want to know¡­¡± ¡°Olivia¡± Aunt Burton interrupted her again with a gentle tone and a smile on her face. Her gaze toward Olivia contained a hint of warning. Then she turned to the aristocraticdies present and said, ¡°Miss Foster just loves to cling to me and look for me to indulge her every whim.¡± Aunt Burton¡¯s disguise remained perfect, the other aristocratic wives didn¡¯t detect any ws. Listening to Aunt Burton¡¯s helpless tone, they assumed she was truly fond of Olivia, so they took turns praising her. Aunt Burton waited for everyone to finish praising, turned her head, and said to Olivia, ¡°Olivia, please enjoy yourself at the party.¡± Olivia knew that Aunt Burton was asking her to leave, and she could see that Aunt Burton didn¡¯t want her to bring up the Viewing Pavilion incident. Olivia felt a surge of anger stuck in her throat, unable toe up or go down. She forced a stiff smile at Aunt Burton, nodded her head and said obediently, ¡°I understand, Aunt Burton.¡± Then she turned around, her expression immediately turning cold as she walked away in her high heels. Olivia really wanted to vent her anger in her heart, and the most direct way she could think of was to tell Aunt Burton and watch the impression of Ruby Gregory plummet.
However, Aunt Burton seemedpletely uninterested in the matter at hand. Olivia nced at Ruby Gregory, who was chatting with Madeleine in the distance. She pressed her lips together and headed towards an intimate acquaintance from a famous family.. Chapter 218: 218: Mysterious Female Lead (12) Chapter 218: 218: Mysterious Female Lead (12)
Trantor: 549690339 During each toast, Steve Burton didn¡¯t drink much, but going through so many toasts with so many people made him somewhat tipsy. He didn¡¯t eat much dinner, so his stomach was now quite ufortable. Steve went to the bathroom to throw up, but couldn¡¯t do it. Instead, he tried topose himself in the rtively quiet bathroom. As he prepared to leave the men¡¯s room, he overheard a few women talking outside.
¡°Do you know Ruby Gregory? The youngdy from the Gregory family?¡± When Steve heard Ruby¡¯s name, he paused for a moment and leaned against the wall, listening to the conversation outside. ¡°I have some gossip for you guys, which happened tonight.¡± ¡°What kind of gossip?¡± ¡°It¡¯s about her and Steve Burton.¡± ¡°Aren¡¯t they on good terms?¡± ¡°Let¡¯s not talk about their rtionship for now. Let¡¯s first discuss what you think of Ruby as a person.¡± ¡°She¡¯s beautiful and graceful. She¡¯s quite nice.¡± ¡°Pfft. That¡¯s just the superficial stuff. Let me tell you a secret: the more pure and innocent these people appear to be on the surface, the more shameless and lustful they are deep down. You guys don¡¯t know, but she actually tried to seduce Steve Burton by the terrace tonight.¡± When Steve heard this, he frowned slightly. He hadn¡¯t noticed anyone watching when he went to the terrace earlier, so how could these people be gossiping about it? Steve leaned slightly to see a young-looking woman excitedly sharing her secret knowledge with the others: ¡°To think a woman could be so shameless trying to entrap Steve Burton in such a public ce. It¡¯s just¡­ unbelievable!¡± As she spoke, the woman shook her head, looking disdainful.
The other people wore shocked expressions, and they chimed in one after another. ¡°Is this for real?¡± ¡°I feel like she doesn¡¯t seem like that kind of person!¡± ¡°What do you guys know? There are witnesses!¡± ¡°Witnesses? Oh my god, she¡¯s really shameless, throwing herself at a man like that. ¡± ¡°I feel my worldview has beenpletely overturned. So these days does looking more reserved anddylike mean that, deep down, a woman is actually morescivious and promiscuous?¡± ¡°Shh, keep your voices down when we discuss this¡­¡± The chatting women left the bathroom, and their voices eventually grew too soft for Steve to hear. Leaning against the wall, Steve stood in the bathroom for quite a while before blinking and straightening up. He turned and walked out of the bathroom, washing his hands at the sink with a nk expression. He lookedpletely unaffected, as if the women¡¯s gossip had nothing to do with him. But deep down, his emotions had been roiled into a storm.. Chapter 219: 219: Mysterious Female Lead (13) Chapter 219: 219: Mysterious Female Lead (13)
Trantor: 549690339 He thought that by choosing Olivia Foster to dance the opening waltz with him, he hadpletely concealed the matter, leaving only a fog of confusion for his mother. But who would have known that despite his efforts, the secret still managed to leak out.
The identity of the person who spread the news didn¡¯t matter; what was important was that he needed to find a way to shift the gossip and rumors that clung to Ruby Gregory onto someone else. The reason he chose Olivia to dance the opening waltz was to avoid implicating innocent bystanders. But just moments ago, that woman had taken the lead in ndering Ruby¡­ He wouldn¡¯t allow anyone to spread rumors and cause trouble behind her back, even if the gossip had nothing to do with him, especially when it hurt Ruby¡¯s reputation! A woman¡¯s most precious asset in her life is her reputation. It¡¯s true that something had happened between Ruby and him on the viewing tform, but it was his momentary loss of control that caused the mistake, not her fault. However, people often don¡¯t care what the truth is; they only take advantage of the weaker party. But hurting Ruby was clearly hurting Steve Burton. Men have their pride, especially Steve. He couldn¡¯t tolerate even the slightest touch to his dignity. And now, someone had the audacity to spread malicious words and rumors about Ruby so openly ¨C it was unbearable! Since the person spreading rumors had already hit rock bottom, Steve was determined to outdo them in their game of utter shamelessness! As Steve thought this, a hint of mockery appeared in the depth of his eyes. When Steve returned to the banquet hall, his gaze swept over the crowd and eventually fell upon the woman he had encountered in the restroom, who had ndered Ruby.
There weren¡¯t many women Steve could remember, and after thinking carefully, he still couldn¡¯t determine who she was. Finally, he nonchntly wandered over to Rusell Henris. Seeing Steve approaching, Rusell handed him a ss of alcohol. Steve took it and shook the ss lightly a couple of times, his attention seemingly elsewhere. He lifted a finger, pointed to the rumor-mongering woman, and asked, ¡°I find thatdy somewhat familiar, what¡¯s her name?¡± Rusell was very familiar with thedies of the capital city. Following Steve¡¯s finger, he only nced once and replied fluently, ¡°She¡¯s the daughter of the chairman of Babylon Corporation, Charlotte Madris.¡± Babylon Corporation? Upon hearing Rusell¡¯s words, information about Babylon Corporation quickly shed through Steve¡¯s brain. It wasn¡¯t a big enterprise, but its performance was quite decent. In recent years, it had been working closely with the Fosters. Rusell took a leisurely sip of his drink and asked, ¡°Why are you suddenly asking about her?¡± Chapter 220: 220: Mysterious Female Lead (14) Chapter 220: 220: Mysterious Female Lead (14)
Trantor: 549690339 Steve Burton didn¡¯t answer, but let his gaze sweep slowly through the crowd, finallynding on his own mother. When his mother looked at him, Steve quickly shifted his gaze to Charlotte Madris.
An innate intuition told him that his mother was already staring at him, so he kept his eyes firmly trained on Charlotte. After about a minute, Steve pretended to notice someone watching him, his gaze shifting slightly, and upon seeing his mother staring at him, quickly averted his gaze from Charlotte, and then turned his head to Rusell Henris beside him and answered his earlier question, ¡°Nothing.¡± As Steve spoke, he continued to keep an eye on his mother from the corner of his eye. Mom seemed to have noticed his attention and moved her unwavering gaze from him but kept ncing at him from time to time. Steve knew that his mother was closely watching him to see which woman he was most interested in. The woman he paid the most attention to could be basically confirmed as the woman on the viewing tform. Usually, Steve¡¯s gaze would intentionally or unintentionally fall on Ruby Gregory, but today, he deliberately let his gaze drift towards Charlotte Madris. Moreover, each time he looked at Charlotte, it was exactly when his mother was looking at him; he shamelessly pretended to be attracted to her, his gaze filled with a trace of fascination. After repeated instances, Steve noticed that his mother¡¯s gaze began to move towards the direction where Charlotte stood, and he knew that his scheme had been initially sessful. His mother had narrowed down the woman on the viewing tform to the few people around Charlotte. Next, his goal was to have his mother ce her full attention and suspicion on Charlotte.
With this thought in mind, Steve raised his wine ss and drained it in one gulp, then stared at Charlotte for a while before noticing that his mother was staring intently at him. At that point, he pretended not to notice and, with a slight tilt of his head, whispered into Rusell¡¯s ear, ¡°Can you help me call that one named¡­ Sun¡­¡± Steve hadn¡¯t really paid attention to the name Rusell had mentioned earlier, only vaguely remembering the surname was Sun, so he paused for a moment before continuing, ¡°The woman I just asked you about, have here to the back door of the banquet hall.¡± Rusell stared at Steve with a surprised look on his face, as he raised his hand and pinched his own thigh hard. Only when he felt the pain did he confirm that this wasn¡¯t a dream. Steve, who had always been indifferent to women, seemed to have gone crazy today, actually wanting to meet a woman? Chapter 221: 221: Mysterious Female Lead (15) Chapter 221: 221: Mysterious Female Lead (15)
Trantor: 549690339 Russell Henris raised his hand, rubbed his nose, and asked, ¡°What¡¯s going on between you and Ruby?¡± Besides Ruby Gregory making Steve Burton act strangely and break norms, Russell couldn¡¯t think of any other possibilities.
Steve Burton nced ntingly at Russell, a hint of warning in his eyes. Russell Henris shuddered all over, promptly raising his hand in surrender. ¡°I¡¯ll arrange it for you right now.¡± Having said this, Russell disappeared swiftly from in front of Steve. Steve elegantly swayed his ss of alcohol, asionally lifting it for a sip. He kept a close eye on Russell and his own mother. A bit of distance separated them, the ambiance of the gathering was noisy, he had no idea what Russell said to Charlotte Madris, but Charlotte gave Russell a sweet smile, nodded slightly, and with aposed posture, followed Russell towards the rear door of the banquet hall. Before exiting the back door, Russell made a gentlemanly gesture inviting Charlotte to proceed, then made an ¡®OK¡¯ hand sign towards Steve from a distance. Steve nced once and then turned his gaze away, scanning the crowd casually, downing the rest of the alcohol, handed his ss to one of the servers, and then strode towards the front door of the banquet hall. Night had fallen deep, the room was brilliantly lit, ss windows and doors reflected like a mirror. Before heading out, Steve clearly saw his mother whispering something to a server, the same server who kept looking in his direction. Steve hid his expression, pretending not to notice, just pushed the door and walked out naturally. He stood outside for a while before he felt someone else exit the door behind him. ncing over, he saw it was the server who had been speaking with his mom earlier. The server looked at him with respect, greeted him, and then appeared to nonchntly walk downwards.
Steve, pretending to be oblivious, veered right towards the back door of the banquet hall. His steps were unhurried, even somewhat casual. The night was incredibly silent, he never turned back. But his innate sharpness informed him that someone was following him the entire time. He knew it was the server, the same one who left the hotel with him. His mother¡¯s nt. Before Steve reached the back door, he saw from a distance, in the pavilion opposite the back door, a charming woman was standing. With long hair and a red dress, she stood tall and beautiful. It was Charlotte Madris, the one Russell had led out of the banquet hall. Strolling unhurriedly, Steve walked into the pavilion. As Charlotte heard footsteps, she instinctively turned back and eximed, ¡°Mr. Henris, are you back?¡± Russell had brought Charlotte out less than a minute ago and he said he had something to attend to, asking her to wait here. Thus, upon hearing the footsteps, she assumed it was Russell. But, when she turned her head and saw Steve, she realized she¡¯d mistaken the person. Suddenly, her face flushed red whileyers of astonishment and throbbing excitement surfaced in her eyes..
Chapter 222: 222: Mysterious Female Lead (16) Chapter 222: 222: Mysterious Female Lead (16)
Trantor: 549690339 A shy blush appeared on Charlotte Madris¡¯s face as she lowered her eyes and softly called, ¡°Mr. Burton.¡± Steve Burton¡¯s expression was slightly indifferent as he walked to the wooden chair in the pavilion and sat down. He looked at Charlotte Madris for a moment before saying, ¡°Ms. Madris.¡±
Charlotte Madris hadn¡¯t expected Steve Burton to know herst name, and a hint of joy appeared in her eyes. She smiled with curved lips but didn¡¯t speak. Steve Burton sat casually, and his natural elegance gave off a leisurely and unrestrained aura. Just as Charlotte Madris was hesitating whether she should make conversation with Steve Burton or leave, he briefly looked up at her, the corners of his mouth curving slightly, ¡°Ms. Madris, your high heels are so tall. Aren¡¯t you tired? Sit down and take a break.¡± As he spoke, Steve Burton pointed to the seat beside him. Charlotte Madris could never have dreamed that Rusell Henris of Pristine¡¯s Enterprises would take the initiative to invite her for a walk. That was already quite unbelievable, but she didn¡¯t expect to run into the legendary Steve Burton, who would actually talk to her voluntarily. She felt unbelievably lucky tonight. Charlotte Madris looked at Steve Burton in surprise, trying hard to conceal the joy that showed in her eyes. She blushed and sat down beside him. Under the dim outdoor lights, the handsome man¡¯s features looked even more lethal. When a woman encounters an outstanding man, she might feel a touch of infatuation. Charlotte Madris was no exception; she didn¡¯t think twice before speaking in a soft and gentle voice that seemed to drip with honey: ¡°Mr. Burton, what brought you out here?¡± As she asked this question, she worried whether she was being too forward from the depths of her heart. However, Steve Burton¡¯s face didn¡¯t show the slightest hint of irritation. Instead, he smiled slightly and said, ¡°Just to clear my mind.¡± After a pause, he asked, ¡°And what about Ms. Madris?¡± Steve Burton deliberately made his maic voice slow and low. The way the words ¡°Ms. Madris¡± came out of his mouth had an indescribable charm to them.
Charlotte¡¯s expression became even more refined and gentle. She looked at Steve Burton and said, ¡°Mr. Henris said he had something to talk to me about and asked me toe out, but now he¡¯s nowhere to be found.¡± At this point, a troubled expression appeared on her face. Steve Burton knew full well that Rusell Henris would not return, but he pretended he knew nothing and said to Charlotte Madris, ¡°Being too beautiful can always cause some trouble for a woman.¡± Did Steve Burton just indirectlypliment her beauty? Charlotte Madris felt so excited that her heart seemed ready to leap out of her throat. It was as if countless ants were crawling through her mind. She tilted her head and, with an innocent romantic expression, asked, ¡°Mr.. Burton, are you making fun of me?¡± Chapter 223: 223: Mysterious Female Lead (17) Chapter 223: 223: Mysterious Female Lead (17)
Trantor: 549690339 Through the dim streetlights, Steve Burton clearly saw the server who came out with him standing not far away, taking pictures of him and Charlotte Madris with his cell phone. He looked at Charlotte with a yful, affectionate expression, his eyebrows flickering slightly. Then, he reached out his hand, cing it on the back of the chair behind her, giving the illusion that he had her in his embrace.
His tone wasnguid, and he sounded almost carefree: ¡°No, I¡¯m justplimenting you. ¡± A delicate smile blossomed on Charlotte¡¯s face like a flower. As Ruby Gregory chatted with Madeleine, she felt an odd change in the atmosphere surrounding her. Well-dressed women she knew and didn¡¯t know appeared before her and Madeleine from time to time, either alone or in groups. Their gaze always seemed to flit over to her, and the groups would exchange knowing nces and smiles, before huddling together in a secretive manner after passing her. The repeated scenes perplexed Ruby Gregory, and even Madeleine seemed to notice something was amiss. Only then did Ruby Gregory start paying attention to the reactions around the room. She noticed many people staring at her, their eyes either mocking or curious. Unaware of what had caused them to treat her this way, Ruby Gregory felt increasingly overwhelmed and decided to make an excuse to leave Madeleine and the banquet early. Ruby Gregory, fearing that leaving through the front entrance would attract even more attention, opted for the back exit. As she pushed the door open and prepared to walk down the mountain path, she heard intermittentughter from not far away. Curious, she paused and looked around, spoting a man and a woman engaged in animated conversation in a gazebo. Despite the distance, the soft red glow emanating from the roundnterns hanging on all sides of the gazebo allowed Ruby Gregory to clearly see who the pair was. With his back facing her, she couldn¡¯t make out Steve Burton¡¯s expression, but she had a clear view of Charlotte Madris¡¯s. The woman looked yfully charming as she gazed at Steve, her eyes twinkling withughter even as she spoke, resembling a delicate flower. Whatever Charlotte said, Steve stood up and walked to the edge of the gazebo, leaning far out to pluck arge bunch of vivid pink chrysanthemums in full bloom, before handing it to her.
Charlotte sped the chrysanthemums with both hands, her smile bright and radiant. Afterward, the two walked shoulder-to-shoulder out of the gazebo and left together along another path. Ruby Gregory stood rooted in ce, staring nkly at the retreating figures of Steve Burton and Charlotte Madris.. Chapter 224: 224: Mysterious Female Lead (18) Chapter 224: 224: Mysterious Female Lead (18)
Trantor: 549690339 Although Ruby Gregory hadn¡¯t seen Steve Burton¡¯s expression during the whole process just now, she could feel that his mood seemed to be quite good. Despite Steve Burton and Charlotte Madris having left a long time ago, Ruby could still feel the harmonious atmosphere when the two were in the pavilion. It gave a very warm feeling, like¡­ like back when Steve had thrown away her contraceptive pills, and she hadn¡¯t gone to work for several days, watching a Korean drama with her mom in the living room, a perfect picture of blissful warmth that made her envious.
It didn¡¯t matter whether it was Olivia Foster, or Charlotte Madris, or even Ms. Annie, whenever they were with Steve Burton, even if there was no affection, the atmosphere was never cold. As for her and Steve, their interactions were minimal, and it seemed that no matter what she said or did, he always found a lot to criticize. Between him and her, whenever they met, they only had intimate rtions, which just always seemed to make her more afraid of being alone with him. Thinking about this, Ruby furrowed her brow slightly and then realized, btedly, that Steve never chose a ce when it came to her, whether it was in the car, in a restaurant, in apany, or on a viewing tform¡­ In his heart, it seemed as if she were only a toy for him to relieve his stress. Ruby silently withdrew her gaze from the figures of Steve Burton and Charlotte Madris as they left, and with a slightly lonely expression, turned her head and slowly walked down the mountain. At ten o¡¯clock the next morning, there was an announcement at Pristine¡¯s Enterprises. Breakfast time was at eight-thirty. Ruby originally went to a restaurant halfway up the mountain, but when she was about to leave, she bumped into Madeleine, who dragged her directly to the private restaurant in the presidential suite area at the top of the mountain. She thought it was going to be only her and Madeleine, but upon entering, she realized that almost all of the five four-person tables were full. Other than Edward Woods, Rusell Henris, and Howard Coleman¡¯s table, which had an empty seat, Steve Burton was sitting alone at one table with three empty seats around him. Madeleine took the initiative to sit at Howard Coleman¡¯s table. Ruby had no choice but to sit at Steve Burton¡¯s table.
Steve Burton seemed to ignore Ruby as he read the morning paper. Ruby took a deep breath and sat down directly across from him. Steve then put down the newspaper in his hand and said to the row of waiters standing nearby, ¡°Let¡¯s ¡± eat. The waiters orderly served breakfast one by one and ced it on each dining table. At this time, Ruby took a brief look at the people seated in the restaurant and realized that they were all Pristine¡¯s Enterprises¡¯ top executives¡¯ family members. The so-called top executives¡¯ family members were the parents of Rusell Henris, Edward Woods, Howard Coleman, and Madeleine.. Chapter 225: 225: Mysterious Female Lead (19) Chapter 225: 225: Mysterious Female Lead (19)
Trantor: 549690339 Steve¡¯s father had left Red Park for a meeting at midnightst night, so only Steve¡¯s mother was present today. Thest table was upied by Steve¡¯s cousins, their spouses, and Olivia Foster.
Although Ruby had heard Steve¡¯s mother¡¯s voicest night, this was her first official meeting with her since returning to the country. So when she saw Steve¡¯s mother, she immediately stood up, bent over politely, and called out, ¡°Aunt Burton.¡± As Ruby and Steve had grown up together, she naturally knew the parents of Edward Woods, Rusell Henris, Howard Coleman and Madeleine, so she greeted each of them before returning to her seat. Among all the parents present, Steve¡¯s mother and Madeleine¡¯s mother were the closest to Ruby. After Ruby had finished greeting everyone, Madeleine¡¯s mother spoke up first with a smile, saying, ¡°Madeleine told me long ago that Ruby had returned from abroad, but it¡¯s only now that I get to see her.¡± ¡°Steve never told me Ruby was back. If I hadn¡¯t seen her today, I wouldn¡¯t have known she¡¯d returned.¡± Steve¡¯s mother chimed in, taking a closer look at Ruby and then smiling, ¡°Three years have passed, and Ruby has grown into a youngdy, much more beautiful than before.¡± Edward Woods¡¯s mother also joined in, smilingly, ¡°Among our girls, Ruby has always been the most outstandingly beautiful since they were young.¡± Howard Coleman¡¯s mother, who was sitting closest to Ruby, reached out, grasped Ruby¡¯s hand, and said, ¡°And Ruby is also the most sensible.¡± Hearing this, Madeleine¡¯s mother nced at her daughter and said, ¡°Indeed, Lady Gregory knows best how to raise a daughter. Look at our Madeleine, always so decisive and resolute, she doesn¡¯t act like a girl at all.¡±
Madeleine pouted but showed no signs of being upset for being the only one criticized. Instead, she proudly said, ¡°That¡¯s right! My Ruby is so naturally beautiful that she can¡¯t help but shine. With her to be the beautiful one, who would dare topare to me? I¡¯ll just send Ruby and she¡¯ll definitely outshine everyone else!¡± With everyone¡¯spliments, Ruby felt a little embarrassed, her face turning slightly red. Steve had many cousins, and today the one who came was his fourth cousin, who brought his wife, Olivia Foster¡¯s older female cousin. Since Ruby entered the restaurant, all the adults had their eyes on her, revolving around her and praising her. Seeing this, Olivia¡¯s expression gradually became somewhat unconvinced. Always impulsive, Olivia couldn¡¯t hold back and blurted out with a hint of jealousy in her tone, ¡°Ruby is still as popr with everyone as ever..¡± Chapter 226: Mysterious Female Lead (20) Chapter 226: Mysterious Female Lead (20) Trantor: 549690339 Olivia Foster¡¯s words seemedplimentary when taken at face value. However, her resentful tone made it sound as though she was mocking everyone for their praise of Ruby Gregory. The atmosphere in the room instantly became tense. Ruby had always thought Oliviacked intelligence, but she never expected her to be this dim-witted. With just one sentence, Olivia managed to make it seem like everyone was ttering Ruby. Ruby nced around the room, feeling a bit awkward. Despite their underlying dissatisfaction, these people, who had weathered many storms, managed to maintain a faint smile on their faces. Steve Burton, on the other hand, showed no expression and continued to leisurely eat his porridge, asionally making a crisp sound with his spoon and bowl. Madeleine, the only female sessor in the Pristine¡¯s Enterprises, had been spoiled to a certain extent and couldn¡¯t bear others¡¯ mockery. After a pause, she put down her chopsticks, looked at Olivia, and asked with a smile, ¡°Olivia, judging by your tone, it seems you¡¯re not happy that Ruby is so liked by everyone here?¡± Madeleine¡¯s pointed question exposed Olivia¡¯s true thoughts in front of everyone. Olivia hesitated and instinctively wanted to counter, but she didn¡¯t know how. Steve¡¯s cousin¡¯s wife, Olivia¡¯s older cousin, naturally took her side. She quietly patted Olivia¡¯s thigh under the table to console her, then spoke up for her cousin, ¡°Ms. Madeleine, what are you talking about? Olivia and Ruby have grown up together since they were children. How could she be unhappy that Ruby is liked by everyone? She¡¯s just a bit straightforward and sometimes speaks without thinking. She didn¡¯t really mean it like that.¡± Steve¡¯s cousin¡¯s wife skillfully smoothed things over, providing an out for everyone present and covering up for Olivia¡¯s jealous tone. Everyone¡¯s expressions finally began to rx a bit. The atmosphere in the dining room no longer felt as frozen as before. Steve¡¯s cousin¡¯s wife finally felt relieved and turned to Ruby with a smile, saying, ¡°Ruby, don¡¯t take it to heart. Olivia is younger than you, so you should be more understanding.¡± Olivia only seemed a year younger than Ruby, but the actual difference was only four months. However, that four-month gap still made her older than Olivia. Moreover, with the adults of the room present and Steve¡¯s cousin¡¯s wife¡¯s words, Ruby would seem unreasonable if she didn¡¯t show gratitude. So, Ruby assumed a magnanimous expression and smiled faintly. Just as she was about to speak, Steve, who had been silently having breakfast across from her, suddenly put down his spoon, turned his head in surprise, nced at Olivia, and stared at his cousin¡¯s wife. He pretended to be ignorant and asked, ¡°Olivia is younger than Ruby? I never noticed. I always thought Olivia was older than both Madeleine and Ruby!¡± PS: There are really 12 chapters updated today! More Steve is quite Torturing people without taking The award-winning readers of these past few days are: summer, Shan Shan is Not San San, and Jasmine Flower.. Chapter 227 - 227 Priding Oneself in One’s Success (1) Chapter 227: Priding Oneself in One¡¯s Sess (1) Trantor: 549690339 Therefore, with an air of magnanimity, Ruby Gregory smiled slightly and was about to speak. However, Steve Burton, who had been quietly eating his breakfast across the table, suddenly put down his spoon. Somewhat surprised, he looked at Olivia Foster, then turned to his cousin-inw and asked innocently, ¡°Olivia Foster is younger than Ruby Gregory? If you hadn¡¯t said, I would never have guessed. I¡¯ve always thought that Olivia Foster was older both than Madeleine and Ruby!¡± All present were astute individuals. They all understood the implication of Steve¡¯s words that Olivia Foster looked older than Ruby Gregory and Madeleine. This was typical of Steve: silent until he suddenly shocked others with his words. The atmosphere, initially filled with awkwardness, was about to be diffused by his cousin-inw¡¯s tactful subject-changing skills. However, his cruel, harsh words caught everyone off guard and dragged the room back into an awkward silence. The situation was even more awkward whenpared to Olivia Foster¡¯s tone of ridiculing how everyone adored Ruby Gregory. Ruby Gregory was about to speak, but Steve¡¯s words, indifferent yet pointed, choked her sentence in her throat. Though Steve¡¯s words were not aimed at her, in fact, they were somewhat in her favor, Ruby Gregory still thought that Steve Burton¡¯sments were quite humiliating! Even after his blunt insult to Olivia Foster, if Ruby Gregory continued to feign her indifferent attitude, she would only add insult to injury. Despite wanting to add fuel to the fire and kick Olivia Foster while she was down, Ruby understood that she could not allow herself a moment of petty satisfaction in front of so many elders. Therefore, Ruby Gregory tugged at her lips and opted to close her mouth and remain silent. Just as Ruby Gregory thought, for a woman, the worst blow is to be told in front of many people that her looks and age do not match. Especially since Steve Burton was the man Olivia Foster was interested in. Her heart shattered instantly with his words, herplexion turned pale and pitiful. Steve¡¯s cousin-inw, who had been defending Olivia Foster, had a slight stiffness creeping into her expression. However, she was more level-headed than Olivia. Within a blink, she found a way to respond. Maintaining her previous smile, she looked at Steve and said crisely, ¡°Steve always treats his own poorly and doesn¡¯t offend outsiders. He knows that our Olivia is younger than Ruby, yet he insists on making such a joke.¡± If previously Ruby Gregory simply felt that Steve Burton¡¯s cousin-inw was articte, now she had another thought in her heart.. Steve¡¯s cousin-inw wasn¡¯t just articte; she was truly a skilled orator! Chapter 228: 228 Priding Oneself in One’s Success (2) Chapter 228: 228 Priding Oneself in One¡¯s Sess (2)
Trantor: 549690339 Ruby¡¯s older cousin married into the Burtons, so Ruby naturally became their rtive as well. In this way, they were truly family, while she, Ruby Gregory, was merely an outsider. Based on Steve Burton¡¯s cousin-inw¡¯s words, it was clear that Steve had only acted that way to save face for an outsider like her, and had intentionally embarrassed Olivia Foster.
What a clever tongue she had, using just a few dozen simple words to easily twist Steve¡¯s words from seemingly defending Ruby into protecting Olivia instead. If there weren¡¯t so many people around, Ruby really wanted to p her hands in apuse! After listening to his cousin-inw¡¯s efforts to change the atmosphere and give Olivia a way out, Steve¡¯s face still held the same indifferent smile. He slowly stirred the porridge in his bowl with a spoon, showing no intention of speaking, as if epting his cousin-inw¡¯s words. Now, in this room, Ruby truly felt like an outsider. Feeling this way, as an outsider, she suddenly became somewhat uneasy. Rusell Henris, trying to smooth things over, said, ¡°Let¡¯s not just talk, everyone should eat breakfast.¡± ¡°Yeah, the breakfast is getting cold.¡± Edward Woods chimed in. Everyone picked up their chopsticks and resumed eating, as if the just urred hup had never happened, lightly passing by. Though Ruby felt uneasy, she forced herself to pick up a spoon and pretended to casually eat her porridge. Steve stared at Ruby across from him, his gaze slightly sluggish, but soon enough, he resumed his naturalposure. He was the one who told Madeleine to invite her over for breakfast. The empty seat in front of him was deliberately left open by Howard Coleman and Rusell Henris at his suggestion.
He invited her to have breakfast together with him. Although there were so many people around for this breakfast, he definitely did not invite her here to be humiliated! Now, not only had he ruined the breakfast time he had nned to spend with her, but he had also severely affected her appetite! Steve lowered his head, staring at the porridge in his bowl, suddenly feeling ack of appetite as well. Since both he and she had lost their appetites, how could he allow those who had ruined their meal to continue eating happily? As Steve thought about this, he gently curled the corner of his lips and spoke without warning, ¡°Cousin-inw, what I said earlier was not a joke.¡± His cousin-inw, holding an herbal egg and peeling its skin, paused upon hearing these words, then raised her head to look at Steve. Steve¡¯s words were too sudden, leaving her somewhat unable to react for a moment. It took her a while to understand that Steve was telling her again that his earlierment about Olivia looking older than Ruby and Madeleine was serious.. Chapter 229: 229 Priding Oneself in One’s Success (3) Chapter 229: 229 Priding Oneself in One¡¯s Sess (3)
Trantor: 549690339 She originally thought that the previous matter had already passed, but she didn¡¯t expect Steve Burton to bring it up again. Madeleine¡¯s face changed momentarily, but before she could think of how to respond, Steve turned his head towards her and spoke in a calm tone, ¡°Madeleine, there¡¯s something I don¡¯t quite understand, and I need to ask you about it.¡±
Steve¡¯s topic had shifted quite quickly. However, Madeleine was d that he had changed the subject and didn¡¯t dwell on the previous matter, so she didn¡¯t give it much thought and nodded to Steve, saying, ¡°Go ahead, Steve, ask.¡± Steve spoke lightly, ¡°Madeleine, I want to know, when did Olivia Foster change herst name to Burton?¡± Steve¡¯s question waspletely baffling. Madeleine was taken aback, then shook her head andughed, ¡°Steve, how could Olivia have thest name Burton?¡± ¡°So she doesn¡¯t¡­¡± Steve appeared relieved, then slowly began speaking, ¡°Well, Madeleine, you¡¯ve really got quite the sense of humor. If Olivia isn¡¯t called Jenny Burton, how could she be considered my family?¡± It turned out that this was Steve¡¯s roundabout intention. The atmosphere in the private dining room suddenly became tense. Although Olivia¡¯s cousin was married to Steve¡¯s cousin, this rtionship wasn¡¯t very close to Steve himself; however,ying it out so bluntly was rather damaging to the rtionship between the two families.
Therefore, Steve¡¯s mom had already started making meaningful nces at him. But Steve simply acted as if he hadn¡¯t seen it and continued to speak lightly, ¡°Actually, I don¡¯t need to worry about anything. After all, no one would believe that our Burton family¡¯s genes could produce someone like Olivia¡­¡± Steve paused for a moment and chose a slightly more tactful phrase, ¡°a less than perfect daughter.¡± Madeleine, who had been eating a bun with her head down, couldn¡¯t help but burst intoughter at thisment, spraying the contents of her mouth all over the te in front of her. Madeleine quickly tried to suppress herughter, her face turning red as she called for the server to rece the te. She then raised her hand and covered her mouth, trying hard to keep herself fromughing again. Olivia certainly knew that Steve was implying she wasn¡¯t pretty enough. Her face turned so red, it seemed as if it could drip blood. Steve¡¯s mom lightly coughed twice, trying to subtly hint at him. However, Steve seemed topletely ignore his mother¡¯s cough and continued to speak in an unhurried tone, ¡°But, Madeleine, be careful when you bring this up in the future. You see, people know that Olivia is your cousin and just slightly rted to the Burtons. But imagine if someone unfamiliar came along and mistakenly thought Olivia was our family, and seeing her appearance, they¡¯d know she¡¯s not a legitimate child. They might think she¡¯s an illegitimate daughter, and by then, our Burton family¡¯s reputation would be ruined..¡± Chapter 230: 230 Priding Oneself in One’s Success Chapter 230: 230 Priding Oneself in One¡¯s Sess
Trantor: 549690339 Everyone present knew that Olivia Foster was the Fosters¡¯ illegitimate daughter, who wasn¡¯t acknowledged and had only been brought back to the Fosters¡¯ house when she was ten years old. Although Steve Burton was afraid that Olivia would be mistaken for the
Burtons¡¯ illegitimate child, his words still alluded to Olivia¡¯s illegitimate status. Olivia¡¯splexion turned from red to pale in a sh. She tightly gripped her chopsticks, and her knuckles turned white from the force. After all, it was the Fosters¡¯ scandal, and even Steve¡¯s fourth cousin, Madeleine, who had been maintaining a forced smile, saw her smile vanish. Pointing out someone¡¯s defects in front of others is like pping them in the face. The atmosphere within the room was tense, but the older generation in attendance was experienced and tried to ease the situation. Among them, Steve¡¯s mother reacted most directly. She scolded Steve first, ¡°Steve, what kind ofnguage is that!¡± Then sheforted Olivia and Madeleine, ¡°Steve doesn¡¯t think before he speaks sometimes, don¡¯t take it to heart.¡± Upon hearing his mother¡¯s words, Steve first looked innocently at Olivia, then nodded his head as if he had just realized something. With an insincere smile, he blurted out, ¡°I¡¯m really sorry, I forgot, you are indeed an illegitimate daughter.¡± If Steve¡¯s previous metaphor could still save some face for Olivia, his blunt words now crushed herst bit of pride. Madeleine was drinking water and burst outughing at Steve¡¯s seemingly innocent words, choking on the water and turning her head to cough violently. Others might not understand Steve, but those who grew up with him did.
It wasn¡¯t that he had forgotten; he was clearly pretending not to remember. Apart from Madeleine¡¯s cough, everyone else in the private dining room was quiet, and their expressions were all awkward. Ayer of mist appeared in Olivia¡¯s eyes, as if tears were about to roll down her cheeks any moment. Even Ruby Gregory, who had always hated Olivia, felt a hint of sympathy when she saw her like this. Ruby looked up at Steve in front of her. The man¡¯s expression remained indifferent, as if the cold atmosphere in the room had nothing to do with him. After a while, he pretended to realize something btedly, raised the back of his hand, and gently rubbed his lips to feign regret. He then put on a faint, barely noticeable apologetic smile and said to Olivia with the same words his mother just scolded him, ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I didn¡¯t think before I spoke..¡± Chapter 231: 231 Priding Oneself in One’s Success (5) Chapter 231: 231 Priding Oneself in One¡¯s Sess (5)
Trantor: 549690339 Madeleine finally managed to stifle her cough, but when she heard Steve¡¯s words, a burst ofughter welled up in her heart, almost making her cough again. Shameless!
Too shameless! He clearly had nned everything in his heart, speaking in a series of traps, each hit on Olivia was more ruthless than the previous one! But in the end, he pretended to inadvertently let something slip! This was not simply torturing someone to death with impunity, but torturing them and leaving them with nowhere to vent! Olivia Foster, in the end, couldn¡¯t help but cry, withrge tears falling down, drip by drip, onto the dinner te in front of her. Seated beside Olivia, Madeleine¡¯s cousin-inw had a crestfallen expression, putting down the herbal egg she had taken two bites of into the bowl in front of her. Now that Olivia and her cousin had lost their appetite, Steve felt his own appetite increase greatly. The food on the table had already gone cold, so Steve called a waiter to clear it, then ordered a new set of dishes for himself and Ruby Gregory. The food was served soon after, and Steve said to Ruby, ¡°Eat while it¡¯s hot.¡± To be honest, although Ruby felt that Steve might have been a little too harsh on Olivia, her mood had indeed improved considerably. After so muchmotion, she was indeed hungry, and with a good mood came a good appetite, so she lowered her head and quietly ate her breakfast. Steve watched Ruby eat breakfast, and his mood improved in an instant.
Although Ruby was eating, she couldn¡¯t help but think about what had just happened. Was Steve just protecting her? Just like that day on the 10th at Red Park Resort & Vis when she couldn¡¯t help but cry in front of him, ruining his good mood. He didn¡¯t get angry and instead took care of everything for her. He clearly had contempt and disgust for her, so why would he be considerate of her at times? Ruby couldn¡¯t help but quietly lift her head and sneak a nce at Steve. The man in front of her had rxed eyebrows, seemingly unaffected by the sobbing Olivia behind him, and with a smile, he took a slice of bread, spread some butter on it, and brought it to his mouth. After returning to China, Ruby was always nervous when she saw Steve, let alone examining him closely. Now, the smile in his eyes and eyebrows softened his cold and indifferent aura, making her less afraid, and she couldn¡¯t help but muster the courage to take a closer look at him. She rarely saw him smile, and his eyes and eyebrows had softened considerably, making his features even more delicate and enchanting. It was as if a radiance emanated from him.. Chapter 232: 232 Priding Oneself in One’s Success (6) Chapter 232: 232 Priding Oneself in One¡¯s Sess (6)
Trantor: 549690339 People who are attractive are hard to take your eyes off. Steve Burton seemed to sense someone was staring at him. When he looked up, his gaze met Ruby Gregory¡¯s.
Ruby didn¡¯t realize the man in front of her was looking back at her, still lost in their gaze, staring intently at Steve. Steve hadn¡¯t expected Ruby to be looking at him. He was slightly taken aback, then gently blinked his eyes, finding her gaze softly falling on his face like water. He couldn¡¯t help but let their gazes intertwine¡­ Olivia Foster finally managed to stop crying. While wiping the corner of her eyes with a tissue, she coincidentally noticed Steve and Ruby gazing at each other. Both of their faces had ayer of soft affection, as if no one else in the room existed. Thinking about what Steve had just said to her, and seeing Steve¡¯s gaze at Ruby now, Olivia¡¯s hard-won calm emotions started to waver again. Last night, she had to beg her cousin for a long time before convincing her to bring her to have breakfast with Steve today. She got up before dawn to shower, try on clothes, and put on makeup, all in hopes of leaving a good impression on Steve during their breakfast together. But she didn¡¯t expect that Ruby would alsoe to the restaurant with Madeleine, easily capturing everyone¡¯s attention, and causing Steve to say those serious words to her because of Ruby! The more Olivia thought about it, the more unbnced she felt. Indeed, she wasn¡¯t as beautiful as Ruby, but aside from that, she had many advantages over Ruby.
Olivia couldn¡¯t stand the dazzling appearance of Ruby at this moment and her own disheveled, tearful state. Olivia looked down, staring at her te while thinking. Last night she wanted to tell Aunt Burton that it was Ruby who had an intimate encounter with Steve in the viewing tform, but she didn¡¯t. In the end, aggravated, she told the gossipy Charlotte Madris instead. At that time, she thought that if she couldn¡¯t expose Ruby¡¯s scandal in front of Aunt Burton, she would make sure all thedies in the capital city knew what kind of woman Ruby was! But now, with all the key people from Pristine¡¯s Enterprises present, if she were to expose Ruby¡¯s shameless seduction of Steve on the viewing tformst night, she wondered whether Ruby could still look at Steve with such soft, tender eyes. Thinking this, Olivia¡¯s long eyshes shimmered gently, she finally looked up at Aunt Burton and spoke with a slightly hoarse voice due to crying, ¡°Aunt Burton, do you remember at the banquetst night I was looking for you?¡± Chapter 233: 233 Priding Oneself in One’s Success (7) Chapter 233: 233 Priding Oneself in One¡¯s Sess (7)
Trantor: 549690339 It was then that Steve Burton¡¯s mother remembered thatst night, Olivia Foster had angrily approached her, almost speaking out in front of many aristocraticdies, revealing Steve¡¯s disgraceful actions on the viewing tform. She had originally nned to ask Olivia about the identity of the woman on the viewing tform after the banquet was over. However, she noticed that during the banquet, Steve frequently looked at a beautiful young woman and sometimes even seemed to be lost in thought while staring at her. When he realized that his mother was watching him, he would immediately shift his gaze and pretend to be engrossed in his conversation with Rusell Henris.
She knew her son well, and that he was simply trying to cover up his actions. The more she observed this, the more suspicious she became of the woman Steve had been looking at. As she had expected, as soon as Rusell escorted the woman out through the back door, Steve left through the front door. She sent a waiter to follow them and took many pictures of Steve and the woman sitting together in the pavilion behind the banquet hall. In the photos, the twoughed and talked happily. In the end, Steve even picked a flower for her and left with her. After receiving the photos, Steve¡¯s mother was certain that this woman was most likely the one she had caught in the act with Steve on the viewing tform. After some investigation, she found out that the woman¡¯s name was Charlotte Madris. Since she had confirmed the identity of the woman on the viewing tform, she did not bother asking Olivia. However, now that Olivia brought it up, it would allow her to confirm her suspicions with certainty. Thus, Steve¡¯s mother nodded at Olivia. Upon seeing that there was no trace of displeasure on Steve¡¯s mother¡¯s face like there had been at the partyst night, Olivia felt relieved and spoke softly, ¡°The women who attended the banquetst night were either employees of Pristine¡¯s Enterprises or daughters of other major corporations. I don¡¯t im to know all of them, but at least I¡¯ve seen most of them before. So, I roughly asked each guest. Almost everyone spent the night with someone they were familiar with, except for¡­¡± At this point, Olivia paused and nced in Ruby Gregory¡¯s direction. By now, Ruby and Steve had returned to their senses.
Ruby had a vague idea of who Olivia was referring to in her story. However, she was not entirely sure. After all, she had deliberately taken a detour on her way back to the banquet hallst night. The rest of the people present did not know what the conversation between Olivia and Steve¡¯s mother was about, so they listened silently, still confused. Steve¡¯s mother carefully observed Olivia, waiting for her to reveal the answer.. Chapter 234: 234 Priding Oneself in One’s Success (8) Chapter 234: 234 Priding Oneself in One¡¯s Sess (8)
Trantor: 549690339 Olivia Foster took her gaze away from Ruby Gregory¡¯s face, picked up the water ss on the table, took a sip, and then said, ¡°Aunt Burton, only Ruby left the banquet hall early, and she didn¡¯te back until just before the dinner began.¡± Ruby Gregory unconsciously clenched her hands when she heard her own name.
Steve Burton, sitting opposite her, had a deep and unfathomable look in his eyes. Steve¡¯s mother had expected to hear ¡°Charlotte Madris¡± from Olivia¡¯s lips, but she hadn¡¯t expected it to be Ruby Gregory. She furrowed her brows severely. Seeing Aunt Burton¡¯s furrowed brow, Olivia¡¯s heart thumped, and she hurriedly said, ¡°Aunt Burton, I¡¯m not ndering her because of the unpleasantness I had with her just now. I¡¯m saying all this because I have evidence. If you don¡¯t believe me, ask her now, was she alone on the observation deckst night?¡± There was no improvement in Aunt Burton¡¯s expression. Ruby¡¯s heart was filled with panic, but she tried to maintain her calm facade so as not to expose her weakness. Olivia Foster couldn¡¯t quite grasp Aunt Burton¡¯s thoughts, so she pondered for a moment, then chose her words carefully and continued, ¡°Aunt Burton, I know you like Ruby Gregory. In your heart, she has always been a well-behaved and sensible girl. But people can be very good at deceiving others, and you never truly know what kind of person she really is. Besides, if she can do such a thing, she will sooner orter harm Steve.¡± Aunt Burton¡¯s expression softened slightly after hearing Olivia¡¯s long speech. After a moment of silence, she turned to Ruby and asked, ¡°Ruby, where were youst night?¡± Ruby quietly looked back at Aunt Burton¡¯s eyes, her lips tightly pursed, and did not speak. Before she could be sure whether or not Olivia Foster hadplete evidence, silence was the best response. Steve¡¯s mother stared at Ruby for a long time, blinked lightly, and asked again, ¡°Ruby, tell Aunt Burton, was it you on the observation deckst night?¡±
Olivia Foster, feeling more confident after hearing Aunt Burton¡¯s question, said, ¡°Aunt Burton, if you ask her like this, she will definitely not admit it.¡± She paused, looked at Ruby, and continued, ¡°Ruby Gregory, if you want to clear yourself of suspicion, produce proof. All you need to do is find someone who can testify that they were with you at that time yesterday, and everything will be resolved.¡± Yesterday, she had left by herself, where could she find someone to vouch for her? PS: Can you guess if Aunt Burton knows that the woman on the observation deck is Ruby Gregory? That¡¯s all for today, continuation tomorrow, and the reader who received the 2015 calendar is: ¨C Mistake PPS: Let me rmend ourmunication forum, which is the Tencent Interest Tribe.. The way to enter the tribe is: Mobile QQ¡ª Dynamic Interest Tribe -+ Search for Ye Feiye, just follow it. Check-in and post topete for the top ten loyal fans, and you can get Christmas gifts ¡­ Chapter 235: 235 Priding Oneself in One’s Success (9) Chapter 235: 235 Priding Oneself in One¡¯s Sess (9)
Trantor: 549690339 Olivia Foster paused and looked at Ruby Gregory, ¡°To clear yourself of suspicion, you need to provide evidence. As long as you can find someone to testify that they were with you at that time yesterday, everything will be resolved.¡± Yesterday, she had left on her own, where could she find anyone to testify for her?
Moreover, the person who was with Steve Burton at the viewing tformst night was indeed her. If she doesn¡¯t find someone to clear her now. it seems that Aunt Burton will truly be suspicious of her. But who can she find to clear her name? Originally, Madeleine would have been the best candidate to provide false testimony for her, but Madeleine is a high-ranking executive at Pristine¡¯s Enterprises, and there were staff with her all day yesterday, so she definitely can¡¯t help. Ruby Gregory¡¯s face struggled to maintain a calm expression, but her heart raced. She knew that if she stayed silent, it would be the same as admitting to being the person with Steve Burtonst night. This mattered to her impression in Aunt Burton¡¯s heart, her own reputation, and The Gregorys¡¯ reputation. If people found out that she was doing those bedroom affairs with Steve Burton in the public view, she would be the vilest among thedies of Ciawell! Though she knew that her struggle might be futile, as long as there was a glimmer of hope, she couldn¡¯t give up. Ruby Gregory tried hard to steady her heart and stared quietly at Olivia Foster and Aunt Burton. After her long eyshes flickered twice, she calmly said, ¡°Last night I was feeling a bit down, so I went out alone for a while, but I don¡¯t know what¡¯s wrong with going out alone for that time?¡±
From beginning to end, Aunt Burton and Olivia Foster only mentioned the viewing tform and Steve Burton, but they didn¡¯t actually reveal what happenedst night. Those who knew the situation were aware that Aunt Burton was referring to a woman who seduced Steve Burton at the viewing tform, while those who didn¡¯t know were naturally confused and bewildered. So, Ruby Gregory deliberately let her tone express deep confusion, showing a baffled appearance. As Olivia Foster said, Ruby Gregory had always been a well-behaved and sensible girl in Aunt Burton¡¯s heart. In her heart, she absolutely didn¡¯t hope nor dare to believe that the woman on the viewing tform could be Ruby. So when she saw Ruby Gregory¡¯s puzzled expression, her expression rxed slightly, revealing a ¡°she knew it wouldn¡¯t be Ruby Gregory¡± meaning. Olivia Foster¡¯s original intention was to expose Ruby Gregory, but now, with just a simple sentence, Ruby had dispelled Aunt Burton¡¯s suspicion.. Chapter 236 - 236 Priding Oneself in One’s Success (10) Chapter 236: Priding Oneself in One¡¯s Sess (10) Trantor: 549690339 Olivia Foster felt somewhat anxious deep down, and her words inevitably carried a bit of sharpness: ¡°People always try their best to cover up unpleasant things. Ruby Gregory, you don¡¯t have to pretend to be so innocent and clueless. Whether it was you on the viewing tformst night, only you know in your heart. Let¡¯s say, even if it wasn¡¯t you, you wouldn¡¯t want Aunt Burton to suspect you, right? Last night, there were peopleing and going all over Red Park. Surely, you must have encountered someone during all that time. All you need to do is find someone who saw you, and that will clear your name. Your casual response hardly holds any credibility.¡± Knowing that Aunt Burton has the most authority in this matter, Olivia Foster didn¡¯t want her to think that she was overstepping, so after saying all that, she raised her head, looked at Aunt Burton, and asked obediently, ¡°Aunt Burton, I actually don¡¯t have any ulterior motives. It¡¯s just thatst night, I heard some gossip about Ruby Gregory and Steve¡­¡± At this point, Olivia Foster purposely paused for a moment. Steve Burton¡¯s mother furrowed her brow slightly: ¡°What gossip?¡± Since Olivia Foster herself had spread the rumors, naturally, she knew how nasty they were. Olivia Foster hesitated for a moment before softly saying, ¡°It¡¯s about how, on the surface, Ruby Gregory appears as pure as a flower, but in reality, she¡¯s quite¡­¡± Olivia Foster stammered and mumbled her words, leaving the dirty, vulgar part of the story for everyone¡¯s imagination as her voice simply disappeared in the end. Without Olivia mentioning it, Ruby Gregory didn¡¯t recall the reason why, inexplicably, people had been looking at herst night at the banquet, gossiping and pointing at her. Now she understood that the secret she thought she had hidden so well had already been leaked. Ruby Gregory¡¯s hand discreetly clenched under the table, and her face started to look a bit off. Steve Burton¡¯s mother also began to look ufortable. Olivia Foster quietly lifted her eyes to sneak a peek at Steve¡¯s mother, and then continued to speak cautiously: ¡°Aunt Burton, the gossip is truly awful. If you don¡¯t believe me, you can ask anyone, and then you¡¯ll know the whole story. As the saying goes, there¡¯s no smoke without fire. There must be a reason for such rumors to exist. If it is just a misunderstanding, this would be the perfect opportunity for Ruby Gregory to exin herself. This way, it would be beneficial for both Ruby Gregory and the Gregorys. So, Aunt Burton, by doing this, I am actually trying to help her..¡± Chapter 237 - 237 Priding Oneself in One’s Success (11) Chapter 237: Priding Oneself in One¡¯s Sess (11) Trantor: 549690339 Aunt Burton hadn¡¯t expected the rumors to have already spread. Her expression became serious. After a moment, she turned her head to regard Ruby Gregory, studying her for a bit before she opened her mouth to ask, ¡°Ruby, can you honestly tell me if the personst night was really you?¡± Upon hearing Aunt Burton¡¯s question, a smirk finally rose in the depths of Olivia Foster¡¯s eyes. Maya Mitchell had imed to have seen Ruby heading towards the viewing tform with her own eyes, and if Ruby could really prove her own innocence, why would she have evaded the truth earlier? In this regard, Olivia had a lot more advantages than Ruby. Throughout the entire breakfast, she had always been at a disadvantage, and now it was finally her turn to watch as Ruby struggled. Everyone in the room, did they not all praise Ruby¡¯s beauty and sensibility? Did Madeleine, Howard, Russell, and Edward not all favor Ruby over her? Well then, she would make them see, once and for all, the true lowliness and depravity hidden beneath the skin of this perfect, beautiful, and knowledgeable woman! As she let these thoughts fill her mind, a smile appeared at the corner of Olivia¡¯s mouth. She straightened her back and confidently awaited Ruby¡¯s response. Although Ruby¡¯s facial expression appeared calm, her heart was in utter chaos. The more frantic she became, the more muddled her thoughts were, making it impossible for her toe up with a solution. The room was quiet, and all eyes were on her, awaiting her response. Aunt Burton waited for a while, but when Ruby still remained silent, she softened her voice and assured her again, ¡°Ruby, you don¡¯t need to be nervous, just tell me frankly. If it isn¡¯t you, don¡¯t worry, I won¡¯t let you take the me. As long as you can clear your name, I will help you rify it in front of everyone.¡± The words of Aunt Burton only increased the pressure on Ruby, to the point where her fingers began to chill. She could feel her feigned calmness on her face starting to falter, ready to crumble at any moment and betray her true feelings. As time trickled away, Ruby felt she could no longer maintain herposure. Her reputation, as well as that of the Gregorys, was on the brink of ruin. It was truly tragic. The Gregorys had hoped that she could bring good fortune to the family, but ironically, she had only brought them a heavyyer of dust. Just as Ruby was about to ept her fate under Aunt Burton¡¯s gaze, Steve Burton, who was sitting across from her, suddenly blurted out an unsuspected question, ¡°Do you know Leony Madris?¡± Chapter 238: 238 Priding Oneself in One’s Success (12) Chapter 238: 238 Priding Oneself in One¡¯s Sess (12)
Trantor: 549690339 Ruby Gregory looked at Steve Burton with doubt, only to find that he was staring at Olivia Foster. Olivia Foster truly didn¡¯t expect Steve Burton to take the initiative to speak to her; she unconsciously responded with a soft ¡°Uh-huh.¡±
Without any impatience, Steve Burton continued to ask, ¡°Leony, do you know her?¡± It was only then that Olivia Foster came to her senses; he was really talking to her¡­ Her eyes, moist from crying, gazed deep into Steve Burton¡¯s eyes, blinking gently. It was as if the warmth, life, and rhythm gradually began to return to a ce deep within her soul that had been left cold and indifferent. Just a moment ago, she had cried because of him, but now a single sentence he took the initiative to say to her had filled her with joy. She truly felt a little self-defeated, but who could me her for genuinely liking him, liking him to the point of being spineless? Though she didn¡¯t know when Charlotte Madris hade to know Steve Burton, she still keenly realized that what Steve Burton said was ¡°Leony.¡± His voice was pleasant, filled with a lingering charm, giving Olivia Foster the subconscious impression that Steve Burton and Leony must have a deep rtionship. In reality, Olivia Foster¡¯s rtionship with Charlotte Madris wasn¡¯t that great. Because the Fosters¡¯ business wasrger than the Madris¡¯, deep down, Olivia Foster somewhat looked down on Charlotte Madris. Nheless, because of Steve Burton¡¯s close rtionship with Charlotte Madris, Olivia Foster spoke up, ¡°You mean Charlotte? I am very close friends with her.¡± Steve Burton seemed to understand something, ¡°Ah, no wonder she brought you up to me.¡±
This statement made Olivia Foster even more certain that there must be an extraordinary connection between Charlotte Madris and Steve Burton. Despite the jealousy welling in her heart, wanting Steve Burton to have a better impression of her, everything she said was full of praise for Charlotte Madris, ¡°Charlotte and I are great friends, we often go shopping and have afternoon tea together. ¡± ¡°So you two are best friends?¡± Steve Burton slightly shifted his body, changing his sitting position. Olivia Foster nodded, smiling without any reservation. Following suit, Steve Burton gave a knowing nod, furrowed his brow, and pondered for a moment before continuing to ask, ¡°So, does that mean if she encountered any danger, you¡¯d stand up without hesitation to help her resolve Without any hesitation, Olivia Foster answered, ¡°Of course.¡± Steve Burton did not speak again, just turned his gaze to his mother. The conversation he just had with Olivia Foster seemed to have no connection to the topic they were discussing earlier. However, he knew that his mother understood what he wanted to express. His mother had suspected that Charlotte Madris was the woman on the observation deck. After having an unhappy encounter with Ruby Gregory, it was only then that Olivia Foster started insisting that Ruby was the woman on the observation deck.. Chapter 239: 239 Priding Oneself in One’s Success (13) Chapter 239: 239 Priding Oneself in One¡¯s Sess (13)
Trantor: 549690339 Olivia Foster mentioned that she had a good rtionship with Charlotte Madris. So, it is not impossible that Olivia was providing a cover for Charlotte and used Ruby to take the fall since she hated her the most.
Fortunately, Steve had prepared for such a situationst night by using Charlotte as his shield. Otherwise, he wouldn¡¯t have known how to help Ruby out of this mess today. As Steve had expected, his mother began to feel doubts in her heart after hearing the conversation between Steve and Olivia. It was not that Aunt Burton changed her mind easily. It was because her staff had indeed taken intimate photos of Steve and Charlotte the previous night. Deep down, Aunt Burton had always felt that the possibility of Charlotte being the girl on the balcony was higher than that of Ruby. Steve¡¯s mother sat in silence for a while without saying anything. It took a long time for her to finally raise her eyelids, look at Olivia, and speak, ¡°Olivia, you know that Aunt Burton hates people who cause trouble and nder others.¡± Olivia had no idea that Steve had tipped off Charlotte in advance to be a scapegoat, so she didn¡¯t know where their conversation earlier had gone wrong. Hearing Aunt Burton¡¯s words, she felt a bit confused. After a while, she nodded and said, ¡°Aunt Burton, I know.¡± Aunt Burton did not soften her expression because of Olivia¡¯s obedience ¨C her tone remained serious and stern, ¡°Olivia, you also know that Aunt Burton is not easily deceived.¡± It was only then that Olivia vaguely sensed that something was off. Her expression became slightly stagnant, her eyebrows furrowed, and she looked at Aunt Burton carefully, saying nothing. After staring at Olivia for a moment, Aunt Burton sighed and concluded, ¡°Today¡¯s incident ends here. I have a clear idea of who was on the viewing terracest night. No one is allowed to mention it again.¡± At this time, Ruby waspletely confused. She was just in a life-or-death situation, but Steve only had a few words with Olivia, and Aunt Burton suddenly changed her attitude. How did he do it?
Ruby furrowed her eyebrows tightly, her eyes shifting back and forth between Steve and Aunt Burton, trying to figure out the reason but failing to do so. Although Olivia was impulsive, she was not stupid. When she heard Aunt Burton¡¯s conclusive words, she finally realized that Aunt Burton thought that she had intentionally tried to trip Ruby up after their quarrel. All the usations of provoking trouble and ndering others she just mentioned were directed at her! Chapter 240: Chapter 240 Priding Oneself in One’s Success (14) Chapter 240: Priding Oneself in One¡¯s Sess (14) Trantor: 549690339 Aunt Burton even thought that Olivia was using her to target Ruby Gregory! In Aunt Burton¡¯s heart, Olivia had be a cunning and evil girl! Olivia¡¯s heart suddenly filled with anxiety. It was fine for others to have a bad impression of her, but she couldn¡¯t leave a negative impression in Aunt Burton¡¯s heart. She had always been hoping to marry Steve Burton, and Aunt Burton might be her future mother-inw¡­ Olivia immediately spoke up to defend herself: ¡°Aunt Burton, you misunderstood me. I didn¡¯t frame Ruby Gregory. I did not instigate trouble, and I never intended to use you to suppress Ruby Gregory!¡± Steve Burton¡¯s mom didn¡¯t show any improvement in her expression after hearing Olivia¡¯s words. Olivia became even more anxious: ¡°Aunt Burton, I really didn¡¯t. The reason I said that was because I had evidence. Aunt Burton, someone witnessed Ruby Gregory going to the observation deck.¡± The more Olivia spoke, the more anxious she became. She unconsciously looked at her older cousin: ¡°Cousin, everything I said is true. Someone really did see Ruby at the observation deck.¡± ¡°If none of you believe me, I can call the person who told me now and let her exin it to you.¡± As Olivia spoke, she pulled out her phone, intending to call Maya Mitchell. Although her fourth sister-inw didn¡¯t know what had happened on the observation deck, seeing Olivia panic-stricken, she couldn¡¯t help but speak up: ¡°Maybe Olivia hasn¡¯t deceived us. Since she insists that someone personally witnessed the scene, let¡¯s call that person over and listen to what she has to say.¡± Olivia immediately nodded vigorously in agreement. Seeing her fourth sister-inw pleading for Olivia, and considering Steve Burton had just embarrassed her, Steve¡¯s mom didn¡¯t want to damage their family rtions further. So, she nodded slightly and said, ¡°It¡¯s better to rify the matter.¡± Her fourth sister-inw knew that Aunt Burton had agreed and immediately looked at Olivia: ¡°What are you waiting for? Call your witness over.¡± Olivia hurriedly nodded and called Maya Mitchell. After three rings, the call was picked up. Maya was obviously surprised that Olivia would call her, her tone uncertain as she said ¡°hello.¡± Olivia had no patience for small talk with Maya and got straight to the point: ¡°The private restaurant at the top floor,e here right now.¡± After hanging up, no one in the room spoke, everyone waiting for Olivia¡¯s witness to arrive with their own thoughts.. Chapter 241: 241 Priding Oneself in One’s Success (15) Chapter 241: 241 Priding Oneself in One¡¯s Sess (15)
Trantor: 549690339 Maya Mitchell had no idea why Olivia Foster had suddenly called her to a private restaurant on top of the hill, but Olivia was a tad higher in rank at thepany. Fearing that it might be work-rted, she had without hesitation called for a tourist car and had herself taken straight to the top of the mountain. A security guard stood by the door of the private restaurant. Seeing Maya
Mitchell approaching, he asked directly, ¡°Did Ms. Foster send for you?¡± Maya nodded gently. The security guard said nothing further, turned around, pushed open the door of the private restaurant, and led Maya inside. This was Maya¡¯s first time at the private restaurant atop the mountain. The interior was luxuriously adorned and filled with expensive paintings. The private restaurant was very quiet with not a sound to be heard. Maya followed behind the security guard, took two turns, and then the guard stopped in front of a door and beckoned her inside. Maya nced at the security guard, let her gaze drop, and slowly moved forward. Standing at the door, she subtly lifted her head and saw many people sitting inside. These were people she would normally have no opportunity to interact with. But she knew every one of them. Something in Maya¡¯s heart clenched. Why had they summoned her? Mitchell hesitated faintly at the door before cautiously stepping inside. She gave a slight bow and called out, ¡°Mr. Burton.¡± When Ruby Gregory saw Maya Mitchell walk in, her expression registered slight surprise. The witness that Olivia Foster had spoken of was Maya Mitchell?
Did Maya see her going to the viewing tform? However, back when she couldn¡¯t afford tuition and was in danger of being expelled from school, it was Maya who had helped her. Even if Maya truly saw her at the viewing tform, why would she spread the word and tell Olivia about it? Steve Burton was also slightly surprised at the sight of Maya. He stared at her for a moment before letting out a brief ¡°Hmm¡± in response to her respectful greeting. Although Steve Burton¡¯s mother rarely appeared in Pristine¡¯s Corporation, she was familiar with Maya, who had been her son¡¯s secretary for three years: ¡°Olivia, is your witness Ms. Mitchell?¡± At this point, Olivia Foster was cing all of her hopes on Maya. So when she saw Maya, it was as though she was looking at herst lifeline. She stared at Maya and asked in a somewhat impatient voice, ¡°Maya, you saw Ruby Gregory go to the viewing tform with your own eyes yesterday, right?¡± Chapter 242: 242 Priding Oneself in One’s Success Chapter 242: 242 Priding Oneself in One¡¯s Sess
(16) Trantor: 549690339 Maya Mitchell did indeed see Ruby Gregory go to the viewing tform with her own eyes, and with the intention of using Olivia Foster as a pawn, she ryed this information to her.
However, deep down inside, she never wanted to get herself involved in this situation. Now, Olivia Foster only asked her a single question, and she already knew that Olivia Foster sought to expose Ruby Gregory in front of Steve Burton. Maya Mitchell suddenly felt like such a failure for involving herself with someone so brainless! She didn¡¯t want to confront Ruby Gregory in front of Steve Burton, that¡¯s why she went through all the trouble to get Olivia Foster involved as a scapegoat! But now, Olivia Foster ended up directly implicating her in front of everyone, leaving her to deal with the most challenging problem. Seeing Maya Mitchell remain silent for a long time, Olivia Foster couldn¡¯t help but urge her, ¡°Maya, tell everyone quickly that you saw Ruby Gregory go to the viewing tform yesterday with your own eyes!¡± Maya Mitchell snapped back to reality and nced at Olivia Foster. Before she could say anything, Steve Burton¡¯s icy voice came through, ¡°Is what she said true?¡± Upon hearing Steve Burton¡¯s voice, Maya Mitchell¡¯s body trembled slightly. She subconsciously looked at him, seeing that his expression was unreadable. His eyes were fixed on her, waiting for her response. While Maya Mitchell hadn¡¯t personally witnessed the intimate scene between Steve Burton and Ruby Gregory on the viewing tform, just by eavesdropping alone, she could feel Steve Burton¡¯s extraordinary feelings for Ruby. Comparing Ruby Gregory and Olivia Foster, Ruby posed the greatest threat to her. To be exact, Ruby was a fatal threat to all women who liked Steve Burton.
As long as she opened her mouth and confirmed the story, Ruby would be finished. Completely finished. From then on, there would never be a woman named Ruby Gregory by Steve Burton¡¯s side ever again. This formidable rival would vanish forever. However, she wouldn¡¯t be able to gain any benefits. Steve¡¯s beloved was to be disgraced and hated by Aunt Burton; Steve would certainly loathe her! Deep down, she hoped Ruby Gregory would vanish from Steve¡¯s life forever and ever. Yet, if the price she had to pay for this disappearance was losing all hope for her future with Steve, she would find it not worth it! She didn¡¯t want both Ruby and herself to suffer this double loss! Though, all of this happened because of her gossip, which had escted to this point.
Although at this very moment, Olivia Foster was still anxiously waiting for her to speak up and help her out of the mess. However, one must take care of themselves, lest they bring about their own destruction. All she could do was be wise about her choices and avoid implicating herself! Maya Mitchell tightened her lips and gently blinked before saying, ¡°I didn¡¯t see anything. ¡± Although it was just a simple five words, it sounded like a huge thunderbolt that harshly swept through Olivia Foster¡¯s mind. PS: That¡¯s all for today, to be continued tomorrow- The prize-winning author is: ¡®Trendy Luxury Items..¡¯ Chapter 243: 243 Priding Oneself in One’s Success (17) Chapter 243: 243 Priding Oneself in One¡¯s Sess (17)
Trantor: 549690339 Maya Mitchell pursed her lips tightly, then gently blinked and said, ¡°I didn¡¯t see.¡± Only five simple words, they struck like thunder in Olivia Foster¡¯s mind.
Olivia Foster¡¯s face turned pale momentarily, as she stared at Maya Mitchell¡¯s eyes, full of disbelief. She stared at Maya Mitchell nkly for a while, finally snapping out of it. The next second, disregarding so many people present and her own image, Olivia shouted at Maya: ¡°Maya Mitchell, what are you talking about? It was you who told me that Ruby Gregory went to the viewing tform, and now you say you didn¡¯t see!¡± Olivia Foster had wanted to clear up Aunt Burton¡¯s misunderstanding by relying on Maya Mitchell¡¯s words, but Maya¡¯s response undeniably confirmed her plot against Ruby Gregory and her malicious framing. Olivia Foster panicked, quickly turning her head to look at the calm-faced Aunt Burton, and anxiously exined: ¡°Aunt Burton, she¡¯s lying! It¡¯s all her who told me everything! ¡± ¡°Aunt Burton, you have to believe me, I only heard it from her.¡± ¡°It was her who told me that Ruby Gregory went to the viewing tform.¡± ¡°Aunt Burton¡­¡± Maya Mitchell subtly shifted her gaze. She nced at Steve Burton first, noticing his slightly gloomy expression. Her heart missed a beat, and then her eyes fell on Ruby, who had a slightly frowned brow. Maya Mitchell knew in her heart that Olivia Foster didn¡¯t arbitrarily point out that it was her who told about Ruby going to the viewing tform. Everyone present must have had their doubts, holding half belief towards her and Olivia Foster. Now only two choices were left for her.
Either both Olivia Foster and her would seem bad in Steve Burton¡¯s eyes. Or it would just be Olivia Foster seeming bad in his heart. With just a fleeting thought, Maya Mitchell made her choice. She quickly weighed her options in her heart, looked at Olivia Foster beside her, who was still repeating her words trying to clear her name. Maya swallowed and opened her mouth slightly trembling, saying: ¡°Yesterday, it was Ms. Foster who asked me if I had seen Ruby¡­¡± As Maya spoke, she secretly organized her thoughts: ¡°At that time, I just happened to walk into the banquet venue and saw Ruby. She did go to the left, but I didn¡¯t see with my own eyes whether she went to the viewing tform.¡± This waspletely different from what she had said to Olivia Foster. But there was no other way. At this moment, she had to say this. She couldn¡¯t let Steve Burton and Ruby Gregory be on guard against her or have a sense of estrangement in their hearts.. Chapter 244: 244 Priding Oneself in One’s Success Chapter 244: 244 Priding Oneself in One¡¯s Sess
(18) Trantor: 549690339 When Maya Mitchell said this, she deliberately paused. She could tell Steve Burton¡¯s face became even darker, knowing that he must think she had spread the news about Ruby Gregory going to the observation deck. She tried to steady her emotions and appeared calm, her voice was gentle as she continued,
¡°Later, I went straight into the banquet hall. While I was getting food, I saw Ruby going down the mountain alone from the left side of the hall through the window. Ruby once saved me, so in my heart, I always regarded her as my benefactor. I was really grateful to her. It was already dark outside, and I was afraid she would be in danger going down the mountain alone, so I called her.¡± As long as the matter of Ruby Gregory going to the observation deck remained unclear, Madam Burton would not stop suspecting her in her heart. Steve Burton and Ruby Gregory must have wanted to cover up what happenedst night. Now, she would cater to their wishes and act as a witness to clear Ruby¡¯s name. ¡°After I made the call, I realized Ruby was not in a good mood. I talked to Ruby for a long time, nearly missing the celebration ceremonyst night.¡± Maya Mitchell said this, while discreetly putting her bag in front of her to block her phone. Then with downcast eyes, she quickly swiped through her phone¡¯s screen with one hand, selected a call log from just before the banquet, and changed the name of the call log to Ruby. Although she was doing these surreptitious actions, she never stopped talking, ¡°When I went to the restroom during the banquet, I bumped into Ms. Foster. She asked me if I had seen where Ruby went before the celebration ceremony started. I didn¡¯t know what was wrong with her inquiries, so I just told her truthfully that Ruby had gone to the left side. Before I had even finished speaking, Ms. Foster hastily asked me if Ruby had gone to the observation deck. ¡± Maya Mitchell said so much, yet only this one sentence was true. ¡°At that time, I noticed something was off about Ms. Foster¡¯s expression, so I asked her if there was a problem. But she told me to leave, and after that, I left the bathroom. Then, just now, Ms. Foster asked me toe up and testify¡­¡± Maya Mitchell quietly nced at Steve Burton, noticing that the coldness in his brow had slightly eased. She felt a bit relieved, took a deep breath, walked up to Aunt Burton with her phone, handed her the edited call log, and said, ¡°Madam Burton, I have the call log as evidence..¡± Chapter 245: 245 Priding Oneself in One’s Success Chapter 245: 245 Priding Oneself in One¡¯s Sess
(19) Trantor: 549690339 The call record was fabricated by her, the duration was far from an hour or two, and it wouldn¡¯t hold up under Steve¡¯s mother¡¯s careful inspection.
Therefore, when Maya handed her phone to Steve¡¯s mom, her finger was already secretly pressing the power button. As soon as Steve¡¯s mother saw Ruby¡¯s name and their call date, Maya turned off her phone, and the screen instantly went ck. Maya took the phone from Steve¡¯s mother, her finger still firmly pressing the power button, and as the system prompt to slide to shut down appeared on the screen, she turned off the phone without hesitation. Then, with an embarrassed look on her face, Maya said to Steve¡¯s mother, ¡°Madam Burton, I forgot to charge my phonest night. Just when I went up the mountain, it had only one percent battery left, and it turned off automatically.¡± Although Steve¡¯s mother didn¡¯t exactly see the actual phone number or how long the callsted, she saw that Maya indeed had a conversation with Ruby over the phone, and the call date was yesterday, which was totally consistent with what Maya described. Maya was backing up Ruby¡¯s testimonial about Olivia and Leony being close friends, and Steve¡¯s mom had doubts about Leony all along. This way, all of Steve¡¯s mother¡¯s suspicions towards Ruby werepletely cleared up. After a long day of all these dramas, Steve¡¯s mom was slightly weary and repulsed, let alone the uing press conference for the new product line of Pristine¡¯s Enterprises. Aunt Burton was tactful towards Olivia just now to save her face. Now, however, she rebuked bluntly, ¡°Olivia, I sincerely hope this is the first and thest time you make such a silly mistake.¡± This simple sentence was undoubtedly a death sentence for Olivia. Maya looked at Steve again, noticing that his forehead and eyes looked calm now. It was only then that she finally felt relieved. Upon hearing Aunt Burton¡¯s words, Ruby, whose mind was thrilled, gave a sigh of relief. Since she returned to her home country and joined Pristine¡¯s Enterprises, aside from Madeleine, who grew up with her, only Maya was closest and took the most care of her. She knew in her heart that Maya was thanking her for the help she gave her years ago.
Although the rtionship between her and Maya was not as close as with Madeleine, to the point of heart-to-heart, she always believed that Maya is thest person to stab her in the back. She was indeed right about her. Olivia¡¯s struggle was just to save herself. Who knew it would turn out to be a self-inflicted disaster! A surge of anger suddenly welled up in Olivia¡¯s heart.. Chapter 246: 246 Priding Oneself in One’s Success Chapter 246: 246 Priding Oneself in One¡¯s Sess
(20) Trantor: 549690339 A burst of anger swelled from the depths of Olivia Foster¡¯s heart.
It was Maya Mitchell who had told her, and now she was being made a fool of by Maya! She had never suffered such a humiliating loss in her whole life! What Maya said wasplete nonsense and was a clear case of kicking a person when they were down! The more Olivia thought about it, the less she felt she could swallow her anger. Disregarding Aunt Burton¡¯s presence and her own usualpliance, she suddenly stood up without any warning. Before anyone in the room could react, Olivia sprung onto Maya. Without any hesitation, she raised her hand and harshly pped Maya¡¯s face. Olivia¡¯s movements were so swift, that the people in the room heard the ringing p before they had a chance toprehend. Steve Burton¡¯s mother immediately stood up: ¡°Stop!¡± Hearing Aunt Burton¡¯s reprimand, Olivia came to her senses. The hand she had already raised dropped a little, but when she looked at Maya standing in front of her, she was met with a mocking smile. Olivia¡¯s momentary recovery was quickly shattered, and like a madwoman, she swung her arm and descended into another fit of brutal fury on Maya. Throughout, Maya never fought back. She only covered her head and just kept screaming. Maya had purposely given that mocking smile to Olivia. Although she had just helped Ruby Gregory, she felt it wasn¡¯t enough. Now if she was to take a beating, and the more brutal the beating, the more sympathy Ruby would feel for her and the more Ruby would defend her.
Olivia, this woman, was vtile, full of ws, and too easily manipted. With just a simple mocking smile, Olivia was duped. Olivia was truly full of hatred for Maya, striking her relentlessly and fiercely. However, Maya remained quiet and endured. Only by enduring could she secure an even bigger reward! The room quickly regainedposure, and Edward Woods and Rusell Henris quickly went over to pull Olivia, who hadpletely lost touch with reality, away from Maya. Olivia couldn¡¯t reach Maya with her hands, so she swung her foot at her, shouting insults without any sense of decorum: ¡°Maya Mitchell, you little whore, you two-faced little whore! How dare you set me up like this!¡± ¡°Maya Mitchell, let me tell you, if you make my life hell, you can expect the same!¡± ¡°Maya Mitchell¡­¡± Olivia Foster was pushed to a very far distance from Maya by Edward Woods, but Olivia was still fuming. Her voice hoarse from shouting, she yelled, ¡°Maya Mitchell, you shameless creature! You did this deliberately, didn¡¯t you!¡± ¡°Just wait, Maya Mitchell!¡±
Chapter 247: 247: You Finally Opened Your Eyes Chapter 247: 247: You Finally Opened Your Eyes
(1) Trantor: 549690339 Steve Burton¡¯s mother frowned as she listened to Olivia Foster¡¯s coarsenguage. Coldly, she said, ¡°Take her out. Let her go back to her room and calm down by herself.¡±
Upon hearing herself being kicked out, Olivia¡¯s anger escted. Seizing the opportunity when Edward Woods wasn¡¯t paying attention, she grabbed a te from the table and hurled it toward Maya Mitchell¡¯s head. Having fought and made a scene for a long time, Olivia was already exhausted. The te she threw, due to herck of strength, didn¡¯t even reach Maya¡¯s face and fell onto the floor. The te shattered, and ceramic shards flew in every direction. One of the shards flew straight toward Maya¡¯s face. Steve was sitting right next to Maya. Without hesitation, he reached out instinctively and blocked the shard from hitting her face. With the momentum, the ceramic shard pierced into Steve¡¯s palm. Bright red blood trickled down the white ceramic shard, drip by drip. Everyone in the room rose from their seats abruptly and gathered around, causing chaos in the dining room. ¡°Quick, get some gauze!¡± ¡°And the hemostatic medicine.¡± ¡°Disinfectant, too!¡± Acting on impulse, Olivia made such a move, intending to hurt Maya but never expecting that in the end, it was Steve who was injured. Staring at the blood seeping from Steve¡¯s palm, Olivia miraculously quieted down.
Her face devoid of color, she stared nkly at Steve¡¯s injured hand as if she had gone numb. Steve¡¯s cousin never expected things to escte to this point. She feared that if Olivia stayed, she might cause even more trouble. So, she strode forward, pushed Olivia and steered her toward the door. Only when Olivia reached the doorway did she graduallye to her senses. She hadn¡¯t shed a tear when Maya had gloated over her, but now, thinking of Steve¡¯s injured hand, her tears rolled down uncontrobly. She looked at Steve¡¯s cousin, her voice quivering with sobs, and said softly, ¡°Cousin, I didn¡¯t mean it. I didn¡¯t want to hurt Steve ¡­¡± As she spoke, Olivia¡¯s tears fell even more heavily. ¡°Don¡¯t say useless things now. Go back to your room and don¡¯t attend the press conference this morning.¡± Steve¡¯s cousin said, and then forcefully pushed Olivia out of the dining room and closed the door. As Olivia stood alone by the doorway, she gazed at the tightly shut door and could faintly hear the anxious and chaotic voices inside due to Steve¡¯s injury. Her tears flowed even more uncontrobly. Although she was heartbroken and sad, she couldn¡¯t help but grin, crying andughing at the same time.. Chapter 248: 248: You Finally Opened Your Eyes Chapter 248: 248: You Finally Opened Your Eyes
(2) Trantor: 549690339 Olivia Fosterughed andughed until herughter turned into tears, and she stumbled, turning around and covering her mouth as she ran away.
Through the ss window, Maya Mitchell could clearly see Olivia Foster¡¯s crying figure stumbling and leaving. Maya Mitchell lowered her eyes slightly and said silently in her heart: Olivia Foster, don¡¯t me me for being ruthless or cold-blooded. I have no choice, just like you want to get Steve Burton, I also want him. Everyone gathered around Steve Burton, treating his wound, and Ruby Gregory couldn¡¯t approach him. She saw Maya Mitchell sitting on the ground with her body curled up, her hair and clothes in disarray, and a footprint left by Olivia Foster on her light yellow skirt. Ruby Gregory nced at Aunt Burton, who was treating Steve Burton¡¯s wound. After thinking for a moment, she picked up a wet towel from the side and walked over to Maya Mitchell, squatting down and handing her the towel. Seeing an additional towel appearing in front of her, Maya Mitchell quickly collected her thoughts and raised her head to see Ruby Gregory, her face immediately filled with apology: ¡°Ruby, I¡¯m sorry.¡± Maya Mitchell pursed her lips and said softly: ¡°I really didn¡¯t expect that telling Olivia Foster where you went would bring you so much trouble.¡± Ruby Gregory shook her head, looking at Maya Mitchell¡¯s bruised face caused by Olivia Foster. Her tone couldn¡¯t help but be softer: ¡°Maya, it has nothing to do with you. I should thank you instead.¡± If it weren¡¯t for her sorting things out for her at a critical moment today, who knows what kind of waves would have been caused byst night¡¯s incident between her and Steve Burton. Maya Mitchell curled her lips, trying to smile, but it only pulled at the scratches on her face caused by Olivia Foster¡¯s nails, causing her to gasp in pain instantly.
Ruby Gregory frowned, looking concerned: ¡°Does it hurt a lot?¡± Of course, it hurt, but Maya Mitchell shook her head and lied with a strong appearance, ¡°No, it doesn¡¯t hurt.¡± As she spoke, Maya Mitchell took the wet towel from Ruby Gregory¡¯s hand, wiped the blood from her face. Her movements looked gentle, but her body was trembling slightly, as if she hadn¡¯t yet recovered from the fear of Olivia Foster¡¯s violent punches and kicks. Maya Mitchell was beaten by Olivia Foster for her sake. Ruby Gregory felt even more guilty and heartbroken. She couldn¡¯t help but say again, ¡°Maya, thank you so much.¡± Maya Mitchell looked down, her hands pausing, and after a while, a faint smile appeared on her face as she looked at Ruby Gregory, ¡°Ruby, you helped me so much back then. Now, everything I do for you is only right.¡± Because of Aunt Burton¡¯s words, Olivia Foster was locked in her room at the Red Park Resort & Vis to calm down. Maya Mitchell¡¯s face was swollen from being beaten by Olivia Foster, and she didn¡¯t attend the press conference, returning to her apartment in the city early.. Chapter 249: 249: You Finally Opened Your Eyes Chapter 249: 249: You Finally Opened Your Eyes
(3) Trantor: 549690339 Steve Burton¡¯s hand wasn¡¯t very serious. After stopping the bleeding and bandaging it, he was fine.
Throughout the entire press conference, his demeanor remained calm andposed. After the press conference was over, there was a luncheon. Ruby Gregory was surrounded by famousdies from the capital city, and although their gazes at her were not as curious and eerie as during the previous night¡¯s celebration ceremony, they still couldn¡¯t help but size her up continuously. She learned from Olivia Foster how terrible the rumors about her and Steve Burton were, so she just sat there without engaging in any conversation with anyone. It was a banquet with alcohol during the luncheon, and the upper management of Pristine¡¯s Enterprises went from table to table toasting. Steve¡¯s mother first went to the table withdies around her age and toasted them one by one. She then came over to where Ruby was sitting. Everyone knew that this was Steve¡¯s mother, and all the beautifuldies were trying to show enthusiasm and understanding. Steve¡¯s mother toasted with everyone individually, finally lifting her ss to Ruby. Ruby reached out with both hands to take the ss: ¡°Aunt Burton.¡± Steve¡¯s mother looked at Ruby with a smile: ¡°Ruby, I forgot my phone at the Burtons¡¯ Mansionst night, and I almost caused you to miss the celebration ceremony. Thank you for going back to get it for me.¡±
Last night she never actually helped Aunt Burton to get her phone back? What did she mean by saying that? Ruby was stunned as she looked into Aunt Burton¡¯s eyes, but as everyone raised their sses and downed their drinks, she finally realized that Aunt Burton was indirectly clearing her name from the rumors that had spread. Ruby gratefully gave Aunt Burton a smile. Aunt Burton nodded at her and then went to the next table. The surroundingdies had almost all heard about Ruby¡¯s shamelessness in seducing Steve at the viewing tformst night. Everybody enjoyed gossiping about that rumor all night. However, rumors just satisfy everyone¡¯s malicious taste, and people held a half-doubting, half-believing attitude towards their veracity. Now, with Aunt Burton¡¯s simple words, everyone instantly understood that the rumor was just that ¨C a rumor. Not being continuously sized up by thosedies, Ruby felt much more rxed, and after the luncheon, everyone gradually dispersed. The tour car could not reach directly where Ruby was residing, so she had to walk along the wooden corridor. Ruby¡¯s room was arranged in the innermost part of the corridor. At first, many people could be seen returning to their rooms, but in the end, she was left alone.
Just as Ruby was about to reach her room, she heard a choked voiceing from the nearby woods. ¡°This is really too sudden, why am I being sent to study in Italy out of the blue?¡± Chapter 250: You Finally Opened Your Eyes Chapter 250: You Finally Opened Your Eyes (4) Trantor: 549690339 The voice was slightly unfamiliar, and Ruby Gregory couldn¡¯t discern who it was. She wasn¡¯t particrly curious and only threw a casual nce, but then she found the woman in the woods strangely familiar. Ruby¡¯s steps suddenly halted. She stared at the woman, pondered for a while, then it dawned on her. This was the same woman who was talking with Steve Burton under the pavilion at the backdoor of the partyst night. Ruby vaguely remembered the woman, her name was Charlotte Madris. Charlotte Madris¡­ Wasn¡¯t she the close friend of Olivia Foster that Steve mentioned this morning at breakfast? What was she doing here, sobbing all by herself? Just as Ruby was puzzled, Charlotte suddenly yelled into the phone, ¡°It¡¯s one thing to send me to Italy, but why make me choose a major that takes seven years toplete? Seven years? Seven years! By the time Ie back, all my friends in Ciawell will have gotten married and started families. I don¡¯t want to go to Italy, I don¡¯t want to go to Italy!¡± ¡°Why don¡¯t I get a say? I¡¯ve alreadye back from my postgraduate studies in Buranda, isn¡¯t my education enough? I don¡¯t want to go to school anymore!¡± ¡°Mom, don¡¯t pressure me like this. Please discuss it with dad and try not to send me abroad, okay?¡± ¡°What, this wasn¡¯t your decision? If it wasn¡¯t your decision, I don¡¯t want to hear it! Do you really have the heart to banish me to stay alone in Italy for seven years?¡± ¡°Afraid of upsetting the Burtons?¡± The Burtons? How are they involved in this? Like Charlotte, Ruby furrowed her brows deeply. Then Charlotte voiced the question in Ruby¡¯s heart: ¡°What does this have to do with the Burtons?¡± ¡°What?!¡± Charlotte¡¯s expression turned awful for a moment at something said on the other end of the phone. ¡°It¡¯s Madam Burton¡¯s idea?¡± Madam Burton? Steve¡¯s mother? Ruby was growing increasingly confused. ¡°Why would Madam Burton, who doesn¡¯t even know me, suddenly send me off to Italy?¡± ¡°It¡¯s rted to Steve?¡± As soon as Charlotte finished her sentence, she hung up the phone and dialed another number. Perhaps holding the phone next to her ear for so long had be ufortable, Charlotte switched on the speaker. After five rings, someone picked up. Before anyone could speak, Charlotte blurted out, ¡°Mr. Burton, could you please plead with your mother not to send me to Italy? I don¡¯t want to go¡­¡± Before Charlotte could finish speaking, a familiar tone that Ruby knew all too well came from the other end of the line, crisp yet indifferent, only four words: ¡°Bon voyage.¡± Then, without waiting for Charlotte¡¯s reaction, the call was abruptly ended. When Charlotte tried to call again, she was met with a busy signal. PS: Bon voyage¡ª Steve, you¡¯re utterly shameless¨C Ruby knows that you¡¯re making Charlotte a scapegoat for her sake¡ª That¡¯s it for today, continuing tomorrow- The award-winning reader is: Breaking Up For No Reason Sis Chapter 251: You Finally Opened Your Eyes Chapter 251: You Finally Opened Your Eyes (5) Trantor: 549690339 Without waiting for a reaction from Charlotte Madris, she promptly hung up the call. As Charlotte tried to reach out once again over the phone, she was met with a busy tone. Clearly, Charlotte¡¯s cell phone number was now on Steve Burton¡¯s cklist. Undeterred, Charlotte kept trying to reach Steve Burton. When Ruby Gregory lost count of how many times Charlotte had hit the call button, Charlotte¡¯s phone suddenly rang. An iing call. Charlotte quickly picked up the phone, still on speaker mode. A middle-aged female voice came through, ¡°Leony, what did Mr. Burton say? Is he willing to help you?¡± Charlotte remained silent. The person on the other end seemed to understand something, sighed and continued, ¡°Leony, I knew it. It¡¯s all your wishful thinking.¡± ¡°How is it my wishful thinking? Mom, you don¡¯t know. Last night, it was Mr. Burton who spoke to me first. He saw me admiring that flower and picked it for me. He even personally escorted me back to my room¡­¡± ¡°Leony, Mr. Burton¡¯s actions may just be him being courteous. Besides, when Madam Burton called your father today, she hinted that you should leave Mr. Burton alone. Leony, don¡¯t expect anything more, get ready to go to Italy. Don¡¯t make things hard for your parents.¡± From a not so far distance, Ruby Gregory watched all this unfold. Her brows furrowing slightly. Last night, she had seen Steve Burton and Charlotte Madris getting along nicely, a sight she had never experienced with him. She thought Steve Burton must have some real feelings for Charlotte. But, from the phone calls Charlotte just made with Steve and her mother, it seemed to be not the case. Even more, Madam Burton personally intervened, sent Charlotte to Italy¡­Only one thing could warrant Madam Burton¡¯s personal intervention¡­ Thinking of this, Ruby Gregory felt she had a vague understanding of something. Her eyes suddenly brightened. Madam Burton never interfered in Steve Burton¡¯s affairs with women, except for his reckless actions on the observation deckst night. During breakfast today, when Ruby was at a loss for how to deal with Olivia Foster, Steve Burton suddenly asked Olivia about Charlotte. At that time, the atmosphere was so tense that Ruby didn¡¯t think much about it. Later, when she recalled the incident, she was somewhat confused as to why Steve would mention Charlotte. Now, she understood. She understood it all. Last night, the scene between Steve Burton and Charlotte Madris at the back door of the banquet hall¡­ was nothing but a show, a y! A y put on for Aunt Burton! Chapter 252: 252: You Finally Opened Your Eyes Chapter 252: 252: You Finally Opened Your Eyes
(6) Trantor: 549690339 No wonder after Steve Burton asked if Olivia Foster and Charlotte Madris were really good friends, Aunt Burton went to me Olivia!
Because, deep down, Aunt Burton firmly believed that Charlotte Madris was that shameless woman on the viewing tform! She had always thought that she could escape death this morning, thanks to Maya Mitchell¡¯s quick thinking in forging a false alibi for her. Although it was Maya who told Olivia about her whereabouts, the unsuspecting Maya didn¡¯t know that it would cause her so much trouble, so she simply answered Olivia¡¯s question. So, deep in her heart, she was truly grateful to Maya. But now, she realized that the reason she was unscathed wasn¡¯t Maya, but Steve Burton! It was Steve Burton, who despised her, looked down on her, and never showed her a good face! If it weren¡¯t for him finding Charlotte Madris to be the scapegoatst night and confusing Aunt Burton, would Maya¡¯s little tricks deceive Aunt Burton today? It was himst night, who let Charlotte Madris take precedence as Aunt Burton¡¯s suspect, and since Aunt Burton has always had a great impression of her, when Olivia pointed her out today, Aunt Burton naturally chose to believe her. Therefore, when Maya made the false testimony, Aunt Burton only needed to see that the call record had her name, and she easily believed it to be true. Everything that happened today was not because of her good luck or her narrowly escaping death but because Steve Burton secretly and quietly prepared and nned everything for her without her knowing! Ruby Gregory¡¯s heart couldn¡¯t help but thump wildly. When Steve made her take the contraceptive pill, she thought there was no hope of marrying him anymore, so she became dispirited and followed her heart, avoiding him and dodging him. She thought she was destined to disappoint her parents and the Gregorys.
But now, she was ignited with a glimmer of hope. Actually, Steve Burton was not as cold-blooded and ruthless to her as she saw, right? Otherwise, why would he go to such lengths to cover up what happened between them on the viewing tformst night? If he really wanted her to suffer, he could have let Aunt Burton know that she was the woman on the viewing tform, and then she would have been the one being sent to Italy instead of Charlotte Madris today! The more Ruby thought about it, the more excited she became. The determination and goal of marrying him, which had been almost wiped out by Steve Burton, began to revive little by little. Ruby Gregory¡¯s lips curved slightly upward. But before the smile could bloom, Ruby furrowed her brows, and her eyes were filled with confusion and puzzlement. Steve Burton was cold-blooded and heartless to her on one hand but secretly helped her on the other¡­. Why would he do this? Chapter 253: 253: You Finally Opened Your Eyes Chapter 253: 253: You Finally Opened Your Eyes
(7) Trantor: 549690339 Some doubts are as enigmatic as ancient mysteries, such as Ruby Gregory¡¯s inability to decipher Steve Burton¡¯s contrasting actions, and what they are hiding behind.
Such puzzles ur in everyone¡¯s life. The answer is often simple: deep love, these two in words. But, what is deep love? Deep love is a maze of illusions, love is confusing for the involved yet clear for the observer. So, although Ruby racked her brains, she never considered that Steve loved her, or perhaps, she was too afraid to venture into that territory. In recent years, smartphones have be increasingly popr due to their portability. This has led to the rise of free chatting apps like WhatsApp, which are gradually recing traditional text messaging. Madeleine created a WhatsApp group, which included not only Steve Burton, Howard Coleman, Edward Woods, and Russell Henris, but also some of their close ssmates and friends. When Madeleine added Ruby to the group, she was surprised to see that Steve and his friends also had WhatsApp ounts. Due to Steve¡¯s presence, Ruby rarely participated in the group¡¯s discussions. However, in her free time, she liked to keep an eye on the message dynamics in the group. The ones who chatted the most in the group were Madeleine, Howard, Edward, and Russell, while Steve barely participated. After the press conference of Pristine¡¯s Enterprises ended, everyone finally had some leisure time. As they didn¡¯t have work till the next day and Red Park Resort & Vis was meant for rxation, Howard started to pull people into ying cards in the group¡¯s afternoon discussions. Howard tagged Steve, who surprisingly responded with a message saying: ¡°nning to take a hot spring bath.¡±
Lying on her bed at the hotel, Ruby was originally nning to take a nap. But after seeing the message, she recalled the injury on Steve¡¯s hand, and her drowsiness faded away. The ceramic piece had cut quite deep. When the doctor at Red Park Health Center bandaged him, he reminded Steve not to get his hand wet. And yet, he was going to take a hot spring bath¡­ wouldn¡¯t his hand get inmed if it gets wet? Ruby held her phone, staring at Steve¡¯s message. She hesitated for a while before finally putting down her phone and closing her eyes. After a while, she sat up restlessly. She picked up her phone and looked at it for a while, bit her lip, and hesitated whether or not to directly message Steve in the group. Eventually, she clicked his icon. She and Steve were not friends on WhatsApp. To send him a message, she needed to add him as a friend first. Ruby hesitated for a moment before finally clicking ¡®add¡¯. Then she attached a message: ¡°The doctor said your hand should not get wet these days. Perhaps you should not take a hot spring bath..¡± Chapter 254: 254: You Finally Opened Your Eyes Chapter 254: 254: You Finally Opened Your Eyes
(8) Trantor: 549690339 After Ruby Gregory sent out the message, she began to feel anxious and apprehensive. She bit her finger and stared at her phone screen for a long time, but there was no sign that Steve Burton added her. Her emotions becameplicated and strange.
Was Steve taking a warm bath and not looking at his phone, or did he simply not agree to her friend request? Ruby pondered for a while and finally put down her phone, only to find her heart more confused. Could he really be soaking in the hot springs? Ruby hesitated for a while, then got out of bed, changed out of her pajamas, and put on a skirt before leaving her room. At Red Park Resort & Vis, there are two areas for hot springs. The halfway point of the mountain has open views, while the top of the mountain has private hot springs. When Ruby used toe to the holiday vi with Steve on the 10th of every month, they would almost always go to the private hot springs. So she was more than familiar with the private hot springs. When Ruby left her room, she intended to relieve her restless thoughts, but by the time she came to her senses, she was already sitting on the sightseeing car heading to the top of the mountain. Ruby got off the sightseeing car and deliberately chose a path in the opposite direction of the private hot springs. However, after walking around for a while, she ended up at the entrance to the private hot springs. The staff members at the private hot springs were still the same people from three years ago when she left.
Only a very few people coulde here for a soak in the hot springs. As a result, these staff members were more than familiar with Ruby. Seeing her, they immediately assumed she was here to see Mr. Burton and greeted her respectfully with a smile, ¡°Ms. Gregory, are you here to see Mr. Burton?¡± The question made Ruby¡¯s face turn slightly red, and she didn¡¯t know whether to say yes or no. The staff member didn¡¯t notice Ruby¡¯s subtle changes and just wore a warm smile, making an inviting gesture, ¡°Ms. Gregory, please follow me.¡± Ruby hesitated for a moment but eventually followed the staff member toward the hot springs. The staff member first led Ruby to the women¡¯s changing room that she¡¯d always used. Like before, a variety of swimsuits were arranged inside. However, the swimsuits were not the same as those from three years ago but were reced with new ones, their tags still uncut. Ruby chose a dark blue swimsuit from the colorful array and entered the changing room. The staff member tidied up the swimsuits that Ruby had picked up. Despite the three-year gap, her actions were not the least bit rusty. In these three years, she changed the swimsuits here from time to time, as Mr. Burton had instructed. Even though Ruby hadn¡¯te here for hot springs in those three years.
PS: The plot isn¡¯t going smoothly, and I¡¯m a bit stuck, so I wrote thiste. I¡¯ll update with more chapters about 3 or 4 in the afternoon, with a total of 12 chapters toe.. Chapter 255: 255: You Finally Opened Your Eyes Chapter 255: 255: You Finally Opened Your Eyes
(9) Trantor: 549690339 While the attendant was lost in her thoughts, Ruby Gregory had already changed into her swimsuit and stepped out of the changing room.
The low-cut two-piece swimsuit, her slim waist, long limbs and snow-white skin were all on disy. Ruby simply tied up her long hair, revealing her smooth and full forehead. Set against the deep blue, she looked innocent and sexy. The sight had the attendant momentarily entranced. Ruby noticed the attendant staring at her unabashedly. Even though they were both women, she felt slightly embarrassed and gave an awkward cough. The attendant snapped to attention, hastily fetched a towel for Ruby to cover herself with, and then led her towards the entrance of the hot springs. The hot springs were surrounded by mountains on all sides. The steaming water made the surrounding greenery seem even fresher. The attendant led Ruby along a cobblestone path that wound through several curves and finally stopped at a hot spring located deep within: ¡°Mr. Burton, Ms. Gregory is here.¡± Having said that, the attendant nodded slightly at Ruby, smiled politely, and then left. The rising steam made the view blurry, aside from the gentle sound of the flowing water, it was peaceful, making it hard to discern whether anyone was in the hot spring or not. Ruby stood by the edge of the hot spring for a long time, listening for any sound. Just when she was starting to suspect if Steve Burton had gone to another hot spring, she heard water sshing within the spring in front of her. As the sshing grew louder, Ruby saw the steam above the hot spring rise rapidly. Steve Burton gradually swam toward her from the far end of the spring.
The hot spring was quite deep; Steve, who was almost 1.9 meters tall, stood up and the water level was still above his chest. Without a swimming cap, his hair hung, dripping wet against his scalp. He lifted his hand, touched the water on his face, looked at Ruby, and then stepped out of the hot spring: ¡°What brings you here?¡± Steve was only wearing swimming trunks, revealing his sexy and perfect physique unexpectedly in front of Ruby. Water drips meandered down his firm and fair chest. Ruby, despite her past physical intimacy with him, couldn¡¯t help but lower her gaze awkwardly, notice his injured hand covered with a waterproof glove. Ruby had originallye out of concern for his hand. Realizing that her worry was uncalled for, she was at a loss about how to respond to Steve¡¯s question. Steve sized Ruby up and down, not bothered by her silence, and walked over to a stone table nearby. On the stone table, there was a teapot, a few teacups, a cellphone ced quietly on one side, and several neatly stacked towels in various colors.. Chapter 256: You Finally Opened Your Eyes Chapter 256: You Finally Opened Your Eyes (10) Trantor: 549690339 After soaking in the hot spring for a while, it was inevitable to sweat and be dehydrated. Just as Steve Burton was about to pick up the teapot to pour water, Ruby Gregory, who was standing by his side, noticed his action and remembered his injured hand. Without any conscious thought, she quickly moved to stand in front of the stone table, picking up the teapot before he could and pouring him a cup of tea. Ruby¡¯s series of movements happened so quickly that Steve was caught off guard, and he stared at her in surprise. After merely three seconds, he shifted his gaze from Ruby¡¯s face, looking down at the teacup in her hand. He extended his uninjured hand, directly grabbing her hand that held the teacup, and brought it to his lips, draining the tea in one gulp. Though the tea waspletely gone, Steve showed no intention of letting go of Ruby¡¯s hand. Ruby dared not withdraw her hand from his grip, only clenching tighter around the empty cup in her palm. She didn¡¯t know if it was because she had unintentionally learned of the things he did behind her back at noon, but she didn¡¯t feel afraid of Steve anymore. However, she was still somewhat unustomed to the intimacy they were sharing. Ruby lowered her eyelids and saw that most of the water droplets on Steve¡¯s body had already evaporated. The hot spring was outdoors, and the water¡¯s temperature was high, so one would feel cold upon stepping out of it, especially when soaked. As the water evaporated, the chill grew worse. Ruby quickly came up with an excuse, saying, ¡°I¡¯ll get you that towel. Be careful not to catch a cold.¡± Having said that, she attempted to pull her hand out of Steve¡¯s grasp. Feeling her trying to withdraw, Steve slightly increased his grip on her hand, and his gaze suddenly turned colder. Ruby¡¯s heart skipped a beat, and she instinctively stopped trying to pull away. When she looked back up at Steve, she found his expression had returned to its usual calm, and his grip on her hand gradually loosened. The entire scene felt like a figment of her imagination. Ruby quietly observed Steve for a moment, and upon seeing his rxed demeanor, she finally withdrew her hand. She ced the teacup on the stone table and, without thinking, grabbed the only sky-blue towel from the pile of colorful towels nearby. It was a habit she had developed over many years, knowing that Steve liked the color blue. So, for everything she prepared for him, she instinctively picked blue. In her heart, there wasn¡¯t any ulterior motive. The blue towel, tucked at the bottom of the pile, would usually be passed over in favor of the white towels on top. However, Ruby specifically pulled out the blue one. This deliberate action, under Steve¡¯s watchful eye, seemed to take on a different vor.. Chapter 257: You Finally Opened Your Eyes Chapter 257: You Finally Opened Your Eyes (11) Trantor: 549690339 So, when Ruby Gregory held the sky-blue bath towel and handed it to Steve Burton, the man¡¯s face had already turned icy cold. Ruby had no idea what she had done wrong to cause him to change his face so quickly. Because she knew that Steve secretly helped her, her boldness and fearlessness were reced by the familiar panic at the bottom of her heart as Steve¡¯s expression turned cold. Ruby stood firmly in front of Steve, her eyes downcast, not daring to look at his frosty face. She waited for a long time for Steve to take the towel, but he didn¡¯t, and her hands holding the towel began to tremble slightly. In the end, Ruby looked up at Steve, only to find that he was staring coldly at her, and her back was soon covered in a cold sweat. Just as Ruby didn¡¯t know what to do, Steve took the towel with a serious face, casually wiped the water droplets off his body, and draped it over himself. Steve didn¡¯t say a word, and Ruby had no idea what she should say either, so the two stood silently facing each other. Finally, it was Steve who broke the silence: ¡°What are you doing here?¡± He had asked her this question when she first appeared, but his tone was even stiffer now. Ruby didn¡¯t know how to answer then, and now, under pressure, she was even more at a loss. Steve¡¯s brow gradually furrowed, and the look in his eyes grew darker. Ruby clearly felt a heavy sense of oppression enveloping her, making it difficult to breathe, and she saw a trace of impatience flicker across the man¡¯s handsome face. The more this happened, the more frightened and unsettled she felt, and the more her mind seemed to be tied in knots, unable to speak. Steve stood straight in front of Ruby, staring silently at her for a while. Was he waiting for her to do something before he would speak? Thinking this, Steve reached out his hand and ced it on Ruby¡¯s shoulder. Just as he had expected, Ruby¡¯s body shuddered violently. Ruby was all too familiar with what Steve¡¯s actions implied. What happened on the viewing tform had been a hair-raising experience, and she didn¡¯t want to cause any trouble in such a public ce again. Before Steve could make any further moves, Ruby hurriedly spoke up, instinctively revealing the thoughts at the bottom of her heart: ¡°I came here to thank you.¡± Steve had only intended to frighten Ruby, but he never expected to hear such wordse out of her mouth. His whole body froze in ce.. Chapter 258: 258: You Finally Opened Your Eyes Chapter 258: 258: You Finally Opened Your Eyes
(12) Trantor: 549690339 After a moment, Steve Burton was stunned and murmured softly, ¡°Thank me?¡±
Ruby Gregory only felt that Steve¡¯s hand on her shoulder was like a fierce beast, full of danger. She didn¡¯t realize the strangeness of the man in front of her, and she couldn¡¯t care about anything else. She just hoped that answering his question would make him calm down and spare her life. She nodded quickly at him and said, ¡°Thanks to you for being preparedst night and finding Charlotte Madris to divert Aunt Burton¡¯s attention. Otherwise, maybe I would have been sent to Italy today.¡± In Steve Burton¡¯s eyes, there was a burst of intense light that suddenly exploded, shattered, and refracted into many bright, dazzling surprises. Did she actually understand what he did? Steve Burton felt that his heart came alive, pounding rapidly at an incredible speed. He wanted to jump with excitement. However, he could only clench his fists tightly to stabilize his emotions, making himself appear calm andposed. His tone was cold and chilling as he said, ¡°Ruby Gregory, you finally opened your eyes.¡± His words were full of mockery, making Ruby¡¯s forting words choke in her throat. She subconsciously bit the corner of her lips, took a timid step back, and looked up at Steve Burton to find that there wasn¡¯t a trace of mockery on his face. On the contrary, his face had lost its icy coldness, bing gentle and even showing a hint of a smile. Steve Burton looked warm and lively like this, staring deeply at her.
Ruby was not sure what Steve¡¯s eyes were trying to convey, whether he was waiting for her to continue speaking. After hesitating for a while, she opened her mouth and said, ¡°I also saw in the WhatsApp group that you came to the hot spring¡­¡± Ruby spoke cautiously, carefully observing Steve¡¯s reaction. Noticing that he didn¡¯t show any changes in expression but rather an increasingly obvious smile, she gradually gained some courage, and carried on speaking, ¡°Your hand got injured this morning, and the doctor said it shouldn¡¯t touch water. I was worried about infection, and I couldn¡¯t help bute over.¡± Ruby finished speaking and sneaked a nce at Steve, only to find that there was a trace ofughter in his eyes and brows. She secretly sighed with relief, then btedly realized that she, in her panic, had blurted out the real reason why she hade to the private hot spring. Although she had never been in a rtionship and didn¡¯t understand the feelings of young love, she knew that these little thoughts shouldn¡¯t just casually be shared with a man. Ruby¡¯s face turned red with embarrassment, and she wished the ground would open up and swallow her.. Chapter 259: 259: You Finally Opened Your Eyes Chapter 259: 259: You Finally Opened Your Eyes
(13) Trantor: 549690339 She was wearing a low-cut swimsuit, and her blushing cheeks spread all the way down to her chest, creating a pinkish hue. This view rendered Steve Burton¡¯s gaze rather heated. His throat slightly quivered, and he couldn¡¯t help but lean in closer to her ear, staring at her blushing earlobe. In a dark, deep voice, he mumbled, ¡°Are you afraid that I¡¯ll get infected, huh?¡±
Along with his voice, warm breath sprayed onto Ruby Gregory¡¯s ear. Especially thest word, ¡°huh¡±, he intentionally raised his pitch, imbued with a touch of teasing. Ruby¡¯s face instantly turned a deep shade of red, as if aze. Steve looked at Ruby¡¯s girlish expression, and his smile spread wantonly across his lips and features. His entire face seemed to glow with brilliance. He reached out and gently touched her forehead, then extended his injured hand to her, ¡°Weren¡¯t you worried about me getting infected? Check it now so your concern won¡¯t be in vain.¡± He was even wearing waterproof gloves, yet he still wanted her to check! Moreover, he was using the words she had just spoken! Having her concern repeated like that, she felt so ashamed that she wanted to cry. She hung her head even lower. Softughter emerged from Steve¡¯s throat. He picked up a strand of her hair and slowly twirled it around his finger, staring at her endearing posture with amusement. Then, shamelessly, he extended his uninjured hand, removing the waterproof glove from the injured one. ¡°I¡¯ve taken the glove off for you, so it¡¯s easier for you to check if I got wet.¡± Ruby wished she could simply vanish into thin air. Not only did she lower her head but she also tightly closed her eyes. However, Steve reached out and lifted her head, ¡°How can you check with your head lowered?¡±
Will he ever stop? He kept harping on this topic, making Ruby feel like she was on fire. She didn¡¯t know where she found the courage, but she suddenly thrust her hand out and forcefully knocked Steve¡¯s arm away from her chin. Without even ncing at Steve, she sprinted away toward the exit of the hot spring. Ruby ran extremely fast, as if a man-eating beast were standing right behind her. She didn¡¯t even look at the road, and turned straight back to the changing room. The staff member who had led her in stayed by the changing room. When she saw Rubying out, she called out, ¡°Ms. Gregory¡­¡± Before she could finish her sentence, Ruby darted into the changing stall and mmed the door shut with a bang. When Ruby came out after changing her clothes, the staff member led her back to the lobby, ¡°Ms. Gregory, do you need to wait for Mr.. Burton?¡± Chapter 260: 260: You Finally Opened Your Eyes Chapter 260: 260: You Finally Opened Your Eyes
(14) Trantor: 549690339 Just as Ruby Gregory left, Steve Burton returned to the men¡¯s changing room from the hot spring. As he finished changing and walked out, he happened to hear the staff member respectfully ask Ruby, ¡°Ms. Gregory, do you need to wait for Mr. Burton?¡±
His steps stopped for a moment, his gaze falling directly on Ruby. Ruby seemed to have heard a curse, shivering all over. Without even acknowledging the staff member, she tightly clutched her bag and turned around to run out the door as if she were an arrow off a bowstring. She ran so desperately fast, as if her life depended on it. Standing next to Steve was the staff member, who looked at Ruby fleeing in panic with a slightly defensive expression, and cautiously nced at Steve, ¡°Mr. Burton, is there anything else you need?¡± Ms. Gregory had actually left so hurriedly without waiting for Mr. Burton; surely he would be in a bad mood. Steve came back to his senses, looked at the staff and gracefully walked towards the door without any hint of irritation. After he left, the staff members in the hot spring lobby exchanged puzzled nces. At this moment, it was sunset, and Steve, squinting into the red sky in the west, couldn¡¯t help but smile at the memory of Ruby fleeing like a frightened deer. His lips involuntarily curled upward. After a while, he lowered his head slightly, staring at the hand that Ruby had pped at the edge of the hot spring, still faintly feeling the lingering intensity and warmth of her touch. He couldn¡¯t help but chuckle, gently caressing the spot she¡¯d hit as if it were barely there. The entire mountain was dyed blood-red by the setting sun. Steve stood still, the evening breeze rustling his clothes and hair, blowing all the way to his heart, gently stirring his emotions, soothing and tingling with an irresistible tremor and thrill.
By the evening, Ruby returned to the city with her parents. Maxwell Gregory drove with undivided concentration, while her mom sat in the passenger seat and Ruby alone in the back. About five kilometers after they left the Red Park Resort & Vis, Ruby¡¯s phone suddenly chimed. Picking up her phone, she discovered that it was a WhatsApp notification. Upon clicking it, she realized that Steve had epted her friend request. Ruby immediately remembered the scene not long ago in the private hot spring, when she and Steve were together. Although it had been some time, Steve¡¯s warm breath as he spoke close to her ear, touching her cheek, vividly resurfaced in her memory. Ruby¡¯s face instantly grew hot.. Chapter 261: 261: Becoming More and More Sensible (1) Chapter 261: 261: Bing More and More Sensible (1)
Trantor: 549690339 She subconsciously gripped her phone tighter, as the embarrassment she had just managed to suppress once again rose in her heart. She even felt her heartbeat getting faster and faster. Just as they were about to enter the capital city, Maxwell Gregory¡¯s phone suddenly rang. He nced at the caller ID and answered directly: ¡°yton, what¡¯s the matter?¡±
yton was Maxwell Gregory¡¯s secretary. ¡°Mr. Gregory, I just called Mr. Robbins to ask about the signing of our next cooperation contract tomorrow. He said that he is going abroad and will discuss it after he returns. Then I got the news that Mr. Robbins contacted Foster Enterprisesst night.¡± Although Ruby was not involved in her family¡¯s business affairs, she knew something about Mr. Robbins. He had cooperated with the Gregorys for many years and was considered an old customer with a long-standing rtionship. The Gregorys¡¯ business was already suffering losses. Losing Mr. Robbins as a major client would make the situation even more difficult. Just as Ruby had thought, yton also said on the phone: ¡°Mr. Gregory, ourpany has been on the verge of profit and loss recently. If we can¡¯t secure Mr. Robbins¡¯ cooperation, I¡¯m afraid thepany will face bankruptcy.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll give Mr. Robbins a call.¡± Maxwell Gregory pondered for a moment, said a sentence to the person on the phone, and then hung up. As Maxwell Gregory was driving, it was Lady Gregory who found Mr. Robbins¡¯ number. Maxwell called, and after several rings, it was finally picked up. Before Maxwell could say anything, Mr. Robbins¡¯ voice came through: ¡°Hello? What are you saying? The signal here isn¡¯t very good. I¡¯m boarding the ne now. When I get to Lilliput, I¡¯ll call you back.¡± Then, without waiting for Maxwell to speak, the call was abruptly disconnected.
At Maxwell¡¯s instruction, Lady Gregory dialed the number again, only to find that Mr. Robbins¡¯ phone had already been switched off. After trying three more times, Lady Gregory finally gave up and nced at Maxwell before saying, ¡°It seems that Mr. Robbins is clearly stalling us. He may have already signed a contract with Foster Enterprises.¡± Maxwell stared at the road ahead without saying anything, his face looking somewhat ugly. Lady Gregory sighed, ¡°It was Olivia Foster and Steve who opened the ceremony dance at Pristine¡¯s Enterprises, so it¡¯s no wonder Mr. Robbins would choose to cooperate with the Fosters for the next project.¡± Ruby¡¯s fingers trembled slightly as she continued to hold her phone. Through the rearview mirror, she saw the worried expressions on her parents¡¯ faces and couldn¡¯t help but feel a pang of heartache. If it weren¡¯t for that night when she and Steve Burton had their encounter on the viewing tform, she would have tried her best to dance the opening dance with him. It was all her fault for messing up such a good opportunity and handing it to Olivia Foster.. Chapter 262: 262: Becoming More and More Sensible (2) Chapter 262: 262: Bing More and More Sensible (2)
Trantor: 549690339 Ruby Gregory was silent for a while, then suddenly spoke up, saying, ¡°I¡¯ll find a way to deal with Mr. Robbins.¡± Lady Gregory turned her head: ¡°Ruby, what could youe up with?¡±
Ruby Gregory lowered her eyes, stayed silent for ten seconds, and then said, ¡°We¡¯ll find a way, don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll make sure Mr. Robbins and Gregory¡¯s Enterprises sign the contract.¡± The reason Mr. Robbins went to Foster Enterprises was that he saw Olivia Foster and Steve Burton dance the opening dance, and thought Olivia Foster was important to Steve Burton. After all, people always want to climb higher branches. Pristine¡¯s Enterprises is undoubtedly that high branch. Ruby thought to herself that she could copy the same method and find a way to let Mr. Robbins think that she was important to Steve Burton as well. In this way, she didn¡¯t think she would need her father to ask Mr. Robbins to cooperate with the Gregorys proactively. As for Ruby, she didn¡¯t have the courage to directly ask Steve Burton to apany her in an act of affection in front of Mr. Robbins. Fortunately, she was Steve Burton¡¯s secretary and rtively familiar with his whereabouts, particrly since Olivia Foster caused a scene at the 60th anniversary celebration of Pristine¡¯s Enterprises and hadn¡¯t been to thepany since, many clients were assigned to Ruby and Maya Mitchell, so Ruby was more informed about Steve Burton¡¯s news. Perhaps it was Ruby¡¯s luck that she inquired from her father about Mr. Robbins¡¯ itinerary and thenpared it with Steve Burton¡¯s, and found amon point ¡ª this Saturday afternoon, Steve Burton, Howard Coleman, and some old customers of Pristine¡¯s Enterprises were going to y golf, and Mr. Robbins and his friends happened to be going to the same golf course.
So, on Saturday afternoon, Ruby Gregory and Madeleine went to the golf course. The weather that day was excellent, with a blue sky, white clouds, and bright sunshine. Ruby Gregory and Madeleine, holding their golf clubs, were casually strolling around the outdoor course. Ruby¡¯s attention was constantly searching through the crowd, and around 2:30 in the afternoon, Steve Burton, Howard Coleman, and a few men entered the golf course. Steve Burton wore a white tracksuit, looking casual and elegant. He and several people stood casually on thewn, spoke a few words, and then started ying. At 3 0¡¯clock, Ruby saw Mr. Robbins and his friends arrive leisurely. Ruby¡¯s target was Mr. Robbins. She handed her golf club to a nearby attendant, found an excuse to go to the restroom, and left. When Ruby returned from the restroom, she deliberately walked past Mr. Robbins, pretending it was a coincidence, and said to him, ¡°Mr. Robbins.¡± PS: Today was supposed to be a 12-chapter day, but the plot was still not smooth, so there will be 12 chapters tomorrow!!! Definitely 12 chapters! I have to continue to adjust the plot now¨C Forcing it will not look good¨C So please understand¨C The award-winning reader is: Danmiao Whose Smoky Makeup. Chapter 263: 263: Becoming More and More Sensible (3) Chapter 263: 263: Bing More and More Sensible (3)
Trantor: 549690339 When Ruby Gregory returned from the restroom, she deliberately walked past Mr. Robbins, pretending to have a chance encounter and said, ¡°Mr. Robbins.¡± Mr. Robbins, donning a deep-red baseball cap, continually swung a golf club to warm up. Hearing his name, Mr. Robbins turned his head and nced at Ruby Gregory. A flicker of surprise passed through his eyes. He quickly scanned through the women he knew in his mind, but still could not recall her name. He propped his golf club on the ground, removed the cap from his head, revealing his bald top, and asked, ¡°Who are you?¡±
During the period when Maxwell Gregory and Mr. Robbins were on good terms in the past, Mr. Robbins often visited the Gregorys. However, after three years, it was normal for him to forget her. Ruby Gregory still wore a faint smile on her face, ¡°Mr. Robbins. I am Ruby Gregory, my dad is Maxwell Gregory.¡± Upon hearing Maxwell Gregory, the expression on Mr. Robbins¡¯s face became somewhat stiff, his smile was nowhere near as warm as before, ¡°So it¡¯s Ms. Gregory.¡± Ruby Gregory could discern the indifference in Mr. Robbins¡¯s tone. She lifted the corner of her mouth slightly. Her words were neither warm nor cold, ¡°Mr. Robbins, what a coincidence, you¡¯re also here to y golf today.¡± In recent days, Maxwell Gregory tried to contact Mr. Robbins on several asions but was continually avoided. When Mr. Robbins heard what Ruby had said, his intuition told him that Maxwell Gregory had sent his beautiful young daughter as a negotiator. Instantly, there was no trace of a smile on his face. His words were neutral, and he said, ¡°What a coincidence indeed.¡± Without any hesitation, Mr. Robbins continued, ¡°I have something to do, so I need to leave.¡±/p> Ruby Gregory clearly saw that Mr. Robbins was trying to avoid her. Since she came today, her mindset was to ensure sess. Ruby Gregory politely nodded, ¡°Mr. Robbins, please feel free, I just saw you and wanted to say hello. I am actually apanying¡­¡± At this point, Ruby paused. In the past, no matter who she was with, she would only call out for Steve Burton. Since she came today to y a role, she had to make it seamless. Ruby Gregory blinked her eyes and continued, ¡°I¡¯m here with Steve Burton to y golf.¡± Just as Ruby had anticipated, Mr. Robbins brightened at the mention of Steve Burton, ¡°Is Mr. Burton also here?¡± This time, it was Ruby Gregory who had no interest in continuing the conversation with Mr. Robbins, ¡°Mr. Robbins, I¡¯m afraid Steve will be waiting, I should go find him.¡± Mr. Robbins nodded. Ruby Gregory gave a faint smile to Mr. Robbins and then walked towards Madeleine.
The reason Ruby Gregory asked Madeleine toe with her was because she wanted to y golf together with Steve Burton and his group. Before she came, Ruby had already shared her n with Madeleine.. Chapter 264: 264: Becoming More and More Sensible (4) Chapter 264: 264: Bing More and More Sensible (4)
Trantor: 549690339 If it hadn¡¯t been for Mr. Robbins giving Steve Burton face and cooperating with the Fosters, Ruby Gregory could have asked Madeleine for the favor and just given Mr. Robbins a heads up. Upon seeing Ruby return, Madeleine immediately asked, ¡°All sorted out?¡±
Ruby nodded, and Madeleine took her arm, leading her towards where Steve Burton and Howard Coleman were. With Madeleine¡¯spany, Ruby got closer and closer to Steve. Her heartbeat gradually quickened, and ayer of sweat formed in her palms. Everything was going ordingto her n. However, she had forgotten just one thing ¡ª the uncontroble nervousness she felt in front of Steve. It took great effort to finally get a weekend off. In reality, Steve didn¡¯t want to engage in outdoor activities; he¡¯d rather stay inside the Mansion, listening to music, sipping coffee, and going over some leftover documents, while staring at the glow of the setting sun and wondering what Ruby, who lived next door, was up to. Nevertheless, golf has always been a favorite social activity among the upper ss. To ensure a pleasant cooperation, he came to the golf course even though he didn¡¯t want to. This ce was the most beautiful golf course in the capital city. Not far away, there was a shimmeringke. The gentle autumn breeze, neither cold nor hot, carried the fragrance of the grass, making it indeed quite pleasant and calming. The bright sun provided warmth without being too hot, and the sky was so blue it seemed as if it had been painted. The clouds were white, hanging low, almost like thin veil. In the bustling city of Ciawell, living a busy life every day, it was rare to see such beautiful scenery. Steve sat elegantly on a sun-shaded chair in the golf course, staring at such beauty. His good moodsted for barely three minutes before he started feeling a sense of boredom. It was because she wasn¡¯t there. Over the years, it had always been like this. No matter where he went or what kind of scenery he was surrounded by, as long as he realized she wasn¡¯t around, the most breathtaking views would instantly lose their charm.
Mountains and rivers, no matter how pleasant the sceneries were on the way, none of them couldpare with being near her. Steve Burton blinked gently, looking away from the view. His gaze, however, Was it an illusion? Was it an illusion created because he was thinking of her? Steve furrowed his brow slightly, only to see Ruby and Madeleine walking towards his direction, hand in hand. Madeleine came here to help Ruby. Being with Steve and Howard required no reason or excuse, so she led Ruby by the arm and stood coquettishly in front of Steve, ¡°What a coincidence, you¡¯re here too. Luckily, Ruby and I can save money on ying golf today.¡± Steve satposed in his seat, his face expressionless.. Chapter 265: 265: Becoming More and More Sensible (5) Chapter 265: 265: Bing More and More Sensible (5)
Trantor: 549690339 His gaze, however, silently fell upon Ruby Gregory, who was dressed in light blue sportswear, her hair tied back into a ponytail that hung down from a matching light blue baseball cap. This attire made her appear much younger.
The appearance of Ruby Gregory made the scenery around Steve Burton feel even more beautiful and captivating than before. While Steve and Howard Coleman were already in thepany of a group of adult men, the addition of two pretty women was certainly wee. As Madeleine was already well-acquainted with these business partners, Howard simply introduced Ruby to each of them. After exchanging greetings, Madeleine pulled Ruby over to some nearby lounge chairs, intentionally giving Ruby the seat next to Steve and sitting beside her. Since her arrival, Ruby had not yet greeted Steve Burton, so after sitting down, she nced over at him and said, ¡°Good afternoon.¡± The simple and ordinary phrase ¡°Good afternoon¡± was quite pleasing to Steve, whose happiness over her appearance now blossomed even more in his heart. He struggled to control the joy welling up inside him, maintaining his icy expression, as he responded to Ruby with a slight nod and a t ¡°Mm.¡± This single ¡°Mm¡± was so noble and captivating that Ruby had no idea what she should chat about with him next. Howard and the clients had already started ying golf, and Madeleine sat beside them for a while before standing and leading the other clients to a distant area to y. Ruby knew that Madeleine was purposely creating another opportunity for her to spend time alone with Steve, so Mr. Robbins, who was watching from afar, would assume that she and Steve had a deep rtionship.
She stealthily nced at Mr. Robbins in the distance and confirmed that the man was indeed staring at her and Steve, as she had expected. In her heart, Ruby thought that she could not just sit with Steve without talking to him. Although she was extremely reluctant to chat with Steve, at this moment, she had no choice but to find a conversation topic, saying, ¡°Howard¡¯s golf skills are still as impressive as they were in the past.¡± Steve continued staring straight ahead, his expression not shifting at all, making Ruby think that he simply did not want to bother with her. Feeling somewhat discouraged, she shifted her gaze away from his profile, but then heard his clear and faint voice, still just one word: ¡°Mm.¡± At least the silence wasn¡¯tplete¡­ Ruby racked her brain to find more trivial topics to chat with Steve about.. Chapter 266: 266: Becoming More and More Sensible (6) Chapter 266: 266: Bing More and More Sensible (6)
Trantor: 549690339 As they chatted, Ruby Gregory inadvertently caught a glimpse of Steve Burton¡¯s injured hand, which had had the bandage removed. Reminded of something, she casually asked, ¡°Is the wound on your hand healed?¡± During their conversation, she had been trying to steer the conversation towards him, but was having little sess, either talking about Howard Coleman¡¯s excellent golf skills or Madeleine¡¯s increasingly impressive career woman demeanor ¨C even getting as far as discussing shopping discounts¡­ What did any of that have to do with Steve Burton? Finally managing to focus on him, Steve¡¯s lips curled slightly. However, when he nced at Ruby, his expression softened as he nodded and said, ¡°Yes.¡± After his usual arrogant and aloof ¡°yes¡±, he added, ¡°It¡¯s healed.¡±
Steve opened his palm for Ruby to see. She noticed a scar in the center of his palm. Such a beautiful hand had such an eye-catching w, and Ruby couldn¡¯t help but blurt out, ¡°Such a prominent scar¡­¡± Ruby hesitated for a moment, then rummaged through the bag she had brought with her and took out a small bottle of ointment, ¡°This is the hand cream I use. It helps remove scars.¡± Ruby remembered the scene at Red Park Resort & Vis¡¯ viewing tform when Steve had asked her to apply the medicine. He shouldn¡¯t mind her applying the medicine, right? Ruby nced at Mr. Robbins, who was still watching her and Steve from a distance. Finally, she tentatively asked, ¡°Do you want me to apply it for you?¡± Steve¡¯s lips suddenly curled into a subtle smile. He didn¡¯t say anything, but simply extended his hand to Ruby. The bright sunlight shone directly onto her face, casting a golden glow on Steve¡¯s fairplexion, making him look as noble as Zeus from Greek mythology. Since there was no table between Ruby and Steve, she had to ce Steve¡¯s hand on her ownp. The man¡¯s hand tensed up slightly, but even through the thinyer of his sports clothes, he could feel the softness and smoothness underneath. Ruby scooped a bit of the ointment with her pinky finger and applied it to the scar on Steve¡¯s palm, carefully spreading it evenly.
She had taken out a little too much ointment and ended up covering Steve¡¯s entire hand with the excess. Steve fixed his gaze on Ruby as she applied the ointment, his mood improving and pleasure reflected in his eyes. As Ruby finished applying the ointment and prepared to let go of Steve¡¯s hand, the man gripped hers and gently caressed the back of her hand. His actions were somewhat sudden and also somewhat meaningful. The thrilling sensation she had experienced at Red Park Resort & Vis when Steve had whispered in her ear crept its way back into her heart.. Chapter 267: 267: Becoming More and More Sensible (7) Chapter 267: 267: Bing More and More Sensible (7)
Trantor: 549690339 That never-before-experienced rapid heartbeat appeared again. Ruby Gregory¡¯s eyes dropped slightly. Unconsciously, she wanted to pull her hand out of his. She only slightly struggled with her hand before thinking of Mr. Robbins, who was looking at her. In the end, Ruby reluctantly forced herself to stop moving.
Steve Burton thought she would find another excuse, just like before, to keep a certain distance from him. However, he didn¡¯t expect that she only slightly moved and finally let him hold her hand obediently. He couldn¡¯t help but loosen his grip slightly. He saw a touch of crimson blush climb onto her cheeks, charming and lovely ¨C nothing like the always-confident and sophisticated Ruby Gregory he had seen before. In recent times, she seemed to have changed a lot¡­ In the hot springs of the Red Park Resort & Vis, she dared to swat his hand away. Steve Burton¡¯s mood became increasingly pleasant. Despite the hustle and bustle of the golf course, he felt an indescribable sense of tranquility. After a long while, Steve Burton suddenly spoke and called out her name: ¡°Ruby.¡± Ruby¡­ this was her nickname. Three years ago, Steve called her by that name, never using her full name like he did now. His voice was deep and pleasing. When he called her ¡°Ruby,¡± the volume deliberately dropped, giving a lingering and intimate sense. Her parents and Madeleine also referred to her as Ruby, and she had grown ustomed to it. But never before had her name sounded so beautiful.
Ruby lifted her head and looked at Steve. Steve stared into her ss-like eyes, a faint smile hidden in his gaze. His voice was soothing and melodious: ¡°Lately, you¡¯ve be more and more sensible.¡± The tone of his voice was filled with praise. All this time since she returned to the country, all he gave her were sarcasticments, ruthless criticisms, and never any praise. Ruby was caught off guard by hispliment. Steve stared at Ruby¡¯s foolish expression, not saying anything more. He only wore a slight smile at the corner of his lips, then turned his head to watch Howard and the others y golf. Ruby stared at Steve¡¯s profile for a moment before finally processing what he had just said in her mind. More sensible? He said she¡¯s be more sensible? Wasn¡¯t she sensible before? She had always been tiptoeing around him, trying to win his approval, striving to be a sensible and well-behaved woman. Ruby¡¯s brows furrowed slightly, her eyes filled with confusion. She was about to speak when a voice suddenly came first: ¡°Ms. Gregory.¡± Ruby turned her head and saw Mr. Robbins, who had unknowinglye up behind her. Steve nced at Mr. Robbins but did not say anything..
Chapter 268: 268: Becoming More and More Sensible (8) Chapter 268: 268: Bing More and More Sensible (8)
Trantor: 549690339 Upon hearing that Ruby Gregory came with Steve Burton, Mr. Robbins had been keeping an eye on her the whole time. Due to the distance, he could only see them engaged in conversation. It wasn¡¯t until he got closer that he noticed Steve and Ruby were holding hands. Mr. Robbins calmly nced over at Ruby and Steve¡¯s hands, then looked at Ruby¡¯s expression. It was not as aloof as when she greeted him earlier, and her tone was much friendlier: ¡°Ms. Gregory, I didn¡¯t expect to see you here.¡±
Ruby saw Mr. Robbins¡¯ expression and a hint of joy crept into her heart. She knew that he had been deceived by the illusion she had created. Ruby politely stood up, smiled, and extended her hand to Mr. Robbins: ¡°Mr. Robbins.¡± Mr. Robbins quickly shook hands with Ruby, then turned his attention to Steve. He hade specifically for Steve. In the capital city, no businessman would pass up the opportunity to forge a connection with Steve Burton. Mr. Robbins¡¯ enthusiasm was even more intense when facing Steve, ¡°Mr. Burton, it¡¯s a pleasure to meet you.¡± Steve remained unmoved by the greeting, sitting in his chair without saying a word, and nced over at Ruby, who had stood up beside him. Not at all feeling awkward, Mr. Robbins even went on to introduce himself in detail to Steve: ¡°Mr. Burton, my name is Theodore Robbins, and Robbins¡¯ World is mypany.¡± Steve¡¯s expression remained unchanged. After being met with resistance twice, Mr. Robbins¡¯ expression showed a hint of embarrassment.
Mr. Robbins is one of the Gregorys¡¯ major clients¡­ With the intention of smoothing things over, Ruby said to Steve: ¡°He¡¯s one of my dad¡¯s old clients; he probably saw me here and came over to say hello.¡± ¡°Yes, yes, yes.¡± Mr. Robbins, standing nearby, smiled and echoed her words. Steve still didn¡¯t say anything but fixed his gaze on Ruby for a moment. Did he really juste to say hello to her? Any perceptive person could see that this man was here for Steve, right? However, she had already spoken¡­ Steve leisurely and gracefully stood up and extended his hand to Mr. Robbins: ¡°Mr. Robbins, hello.¡± Mr. Robbins never expected that a simple word from Ruby would cause Steve to extend his hand to him. He looked at Ruby with a somewhat surprised expression. then quickly used both of his hands to enthusiastically shake Steve¡¯s hand. Ruby was also taken aback by this turn of events. She admits that she is currently using Steve to put on a show for Mr. Robbins to see, but some things could not be done without Steve¡¯s willing cooperation. Take this moment, for example. She simply tried to make the situation morefortable, and Steve surprisingly greeted Mr. Robbins. Such a move would undoubtedly make Mr. Robbins believe that Steve was greeting him out of respect for Ruby..
Chapter 269: 269: Becoming More and More Sensible (9) Chapter 269: 269: Bing More and More Sensible (9)
Trantor: 549690339 Steve Burton nced at Ruby Gregory¡¯s surprised, round eyes and found it a bit amusing. He shook hands with the cheeky Mr. Robbins only to save face, and apparently, it amazed Ruby. Was it that incredible?
But, that Mr. Robbins; was he an old client of The Gregorys? So that means The Gregorys are maintaining a rtionship with Mr. Robbins? Ruby is also from The Gregorys. So that means Ruby is maintaining a rtionship with Mr. Robbins as well? Regardless of how he came to that reasoning, the thought of Ruby maintaining a rtionship with another man made Steve Burton feel a hint of bitterness and jealousy. What a joke! It was supposed to be the other way around ¨C other people should be trying to please his woman! How could his woman be maintaining a rtionship with someone else? Steve Burton lowered his gaze, thought for a moment, then looked up at Mr. Robbins: ¡°Interested in a round of golf?¡± Mr. Robbins never expected Steve to invite him to y golf. His eyes twinkled with excitement: ¡°I¡¯d be delighted!¡± Steve didn¡¯t say anything. He simply took a golf club from a caddy, casually swung it a few times, walked up to the tee, and gracefully struck the ball. The ball followed a perfect arc in the air,nding effortlessly in the hole. Mr. Robbins immediately raised his hands to apud, eximing, ¡°Great shot! Great shot! Mr. Burton, not only are you a business prodigy, but your golf skills are also simply out of reach for the rest of us.¡± Steve wore an indifferent expression when epting the praise from Mr. Robbins, then stepped aside to let him have a try at golf.
Mr. Robbins wanted to impress Steve; he pretended to concentrate on the game. However, he deliberately held back his strength when swinging the club. The ball didn¡¯t have enough momentum, only flying halfway beforending on the ground. Heh¡­fake humans! Steve mocked him silently and looked at Ruby standing nearby. He knew his current actions weren¡¯t enough to boost Ruby¡¯s reputation in front of Mr. Robbins. Steve waved at Ruby and handed her his golf club, saying, ¡°Give it a try.¡± Ruby smiled and took the golf club from Steve, aiming at the distant red g and swinging the club. Ruby¡¯s golf skills were taught by Steve. Steve was a top-notch golfer; although his apprentice Ruby hadn¡¯t surpassed him, she was an above-average yer. The ballnded near the hole, rolled around twice, and then fell in. Unclear about Steve¡¯s attitude towards Ruby, Mr. Robbins instinctively looked at him. Steve stared at Ruby and, mimicking Mr.. Robbins¡¯ earlier actions, pped a few times and praised earnestly, ¡°Nice shot!¡± Chapter 270: 270: Becoming More and More Sensible (10) Chapter 270: 270: Bing More and More Sensible (10)
Trantor: 549690339 Seeing Steve Burton pping, Mr. Robbins hurriedly pped along, praising in unison, ¡°Ms. Gregory, that¡¯s amazing!¡± Ruby Gregory, being praised like this by two people, felt a little embarrassed.
She thought about how she had to show her close rtionship with Steve Burton in front of Mr. Robbins, so she nced at him and said with a smile, ¡°It¡¯s not me who¡¯s amazing, it¡¯s Steve who¡¯s amazing.¡± Apart from the time when she was anxious on the viewing tform and called him Steve once, she always called him Mr. Burton in her mouth. Now she calmly called him by his name, and the depths of Steve¡¯s eyes suddenly brightened when looking at Ruby. However, due to what Ruby said, Mr. Robbins was puzzled, ¡°Ms. Gregory hit a good ball, so how is it Mr. Burton who¡¯s amazing?¡± With a shy smile, Ruby said, ¡°It¡¯s Steve who taught me how to y.¡± Just now, Steve took the lead in pping, and now it turns out that Ruby was taught by Steve. It seems that the woman with a deep rtionship with Steve is not Olivia Foster but Ruby Gregory! Mr. Robbins continued throwing ttery, and it was a double hit, praising both Steve and Ruby, ¡°It¡¯s true that good teachers produce good students!¡± Good teachers produce good students? Unable to help smiling at the corners of his lips, Steve took the golf club, swung smoothly, and just as the club was about to hit the ball, he suddenly turned his wrist, hitting the ball far away from the hole. Despite hitting such a bad shot, Steve showed no embarrassment or shame on his face. Instead, he even had a leisurely smile.
Although Steve said so, Mr. Robbins still noticed that Steve deliberately hit the ball off course just now. This was clearly him giving way to Ruby, just like how Mr. Robbins tried to please Steve earlier. Seeing Steve letting the ball go for Ruby¡¯s sake, Mr. Robbins dared not win anymore, and in order to please both Ruby and Steve at the same time, he didn¡¯t even aim at the ball when he swung the club this time. With a leisurely tone, Steve looked at Ruby who had just defeated both him and Mr. Robbins and said, ¡°My disciple has truly surpassed her teacher.¡± Steve casually handed the golf club to a nearby caddie, then took the bottled water handed over by the caddie, twisted off the cap, and naturally handed it to Ruby who was beside him. This action made Mr. Robbins even more certain that Ruby was much more liked by Steve than Olivia Foster. It seemed that his decision was wrong, but fortunately, he hadn¡¯t signed a contract yet. He had to contact Maxwell Gregory quickly. Of course, he didn¡¯t forget to sell a favor to Ruby, ¡°Ms.. Gregory, is your father¡¯s health alright recently? I wonder when he¡¯ll have time to sign the contract for the next project coboration?¡± Chapter 271: 271: Wanting Her to Love Me (1) Chapter 271: 271: Wanting Her to Love Me (1)
Trantor: 549690339 Mr. Robbins¡¯ words seemed to be aimed at both Ruby Gregory and Steve Burton, hinting that he hoped Steve would take good care of Ruby as a favor to the Gregorys, his business partners. Understanding the implications, Ruby¡¯s felt relieved that her goal had been achieved and her nervousness dissipated. She curved her lips: ¡°Thank you for your concern, Mr. Robbins, my dad is doing well.¡±
In a great mood, Mr. Robbins turned to Steve and said: ¡°It¡¯s been a real pleasure ying golf today, and I¡¯m d I bumped into Ms. Gregory. If not for her, I wouldn¡¯t have known that you were here, and who knows when we¡¯d have the chance to meet again.¡± Ruby met Mr. Robbins? Told him she was on the golf course as well? A hint of contemtion crossed Steve¡¯s eyes, but he quickly regained hisposure and nodded politely at Mr. Robbins. Before leaving, Mr. Robbins didn¡¯t forget to build rapport, saying: ¡°Mr. Burton, I hope we¡¯ll have the chance topare our golf skills in the future.¡± Steve only pressed his lips and shook hands with Mr. Robbins without saying a word. After Mr. Robbins left, Steve turned to look at Ruby, a trace of inquiry in his gaze. Ruby hadn¡¯t anticipated that Mr. Robbins¡¯ words would arouse suspicion in Steve¡¯s heart, and her face still held a shallow smile. Many doubts floated through Steve¡¯s mind. Was Ruby¡¯s sudden appearance at the golf course today coincidental or on purpose? She and Madeleine, being two girls, shouldn¡¯t be interested in the gentlemanly sport of golf, could it be that¡­
At this point, Steve didn¡¯t want to think any further. He was afraid of finding disappointment through further analysis. But despite that, his intuition told him that just now, all those beautiful moments were another fleeting deception. Ruby taking the initiative to talk to him, Ruby struggling when he held her and then giving up, Ruby volunteering to apply medicine for him¡­ It was just like when she had brought himte-night snacks when he was working overtime, her kindness towards him was eventually just to have a child. Steve¡¯s heart began to churn, and his hand clenched into a tight fist. Gradually, Ruby noticed that there was something off about Steve¡¯s gaze, and she put away her smile, raised her head, and looked at him with clear, crystal-like eyes. Looking at Ruby, from her eyebrows to her eyes, and then to her pale pink lips, the emotions she disyed on her face deceived him time and time again. He felt the waves in his chest rolling more fiercely, trying hard to suppress his anger. Even though some beautiful things may be brief and deceive him, they still make him want to work harder to maintain them just a little longer.. Chapter 272: 272: Wanting Her To Love Me (2) Chapter 272: 272: Wanting Her To Love Me (2)
Trantor: 549690339 No matter how hard Steve Burton tried to control himself, Ruby Gregory still faintly felt a hint of danger in the air. Her mind was racing, and she realized that the only thing she could have done to provoke him was to use him as part of her act today.
But she had performed that y with perfect caution, and he shouldn¡¯t have noticed anything suspicious. Perhaps it was just her guilty conscience making her overthink things. With this thought, Ruby steadied her nerves. However, Steve¡¯s gaze was still fixed on her, making it hard for Ruby to calm herself down. Fortunately, Howard Coleman and Madeleine had finished ying golf with their clients, breaking the tense atmosphere between Steve and Ruby. Steve, Howard, and their clients had already arranged dinner earlier, and when they ¡°ran into¡± Madeleine and Ruby in the afternoon, it was only natural for them to eat together. Deep down, Ruby didn¡¯t want to join Steve for dinner but was afraid he might detect any inconsistency. So, when Madeleine didn¡¯t refuse the invitation, she followed suit. They chose the Grand Ciawell Restaurant for dinner. In the private room was arge round table made of red solid wood, and Ruby was cleverly seated next to Steve by Howard and Madeleine. As they took their seats, the conversation inevitably revolved around business matters. Ruby had nothing to contribute and would choose silence even if she could. Steve usually didn¡¯t talk much, but during social interactions, he would still make polite small talk with others. However, he was exceptionally silent tonight, from taking his seat and ordering food to lifting his wine ss and making toasts ¨C he barely spoke. During dinner, toasts were essential. In the past, Steve would only take symbolic sips of alcohol, but tonight, he drank every ss offered to him in one gulp.
Compared to Ruby, Madeleine and Howard knew Steve much better. Howard noticed something was off with Steve¡¯s mood first, so he secretly gave Madeleine a look. Unable to figure out why Steve¡¯s mood had suddenly turned sour after spending a pleasant afternoon with Ruby on the golf course, Madeleine couldn¡¯t help but worry about his health as he swallowed ss after ss of alcohol. Since Madeleine was sitting next to Ruby, she quietly reached out to nudge her and nced at Steve. Ruby had also noticed how fiercely Steve was drinking tonight. Several times, she wanted to intervene but held back at thest minute. Now, given Madeleine¡¯s prompt, Ruby turned to look at Steve, moving her lips but making no sound. Under the table, Madeleine nudged Ruby¡¯s thigh again. Ruby pursed her lips, poured a ss of sour milk from the container in front of her, and silently pushed it towards Steve after he had downed yet another ss of alcohol.. Chapter 273: 273: Wanting Her to Love Me (3) Chapter 273: 273: Wanting Her to Love Me (3)
Trantor: 549690339 As Steve Burton set down his ss of alcohol on the table, he saw a cup of yogurt ced in front of him. He furrowed his brows slightly, tilting his head, and his eyes met Ruby Gregory¡¯s.
¡°Drinking too much alcohol will make you feel ufortableter ¨C drinking some yogurt will help.¡± Ruby bit her lip and added, ¡°Drink less; it¡¯s bad for your health. ¡± On the way to the hotel earlier, he had investigated and learned about the rumors that Mr. Robbins had recently been terminating contracts with Gregory¡¯s Enterprises and was working with Foster Enterprises. This information undoubtedly provided him with the best proof. It made him, who had already guessed the truth, unable to deceive himself. Ruby¡¯s appearance on the golf course was not a coincidence, but a scheme. Little did she know that a single word of concern from her was enough to make him happy for a long time. He yearned for her kindness, but also feared that her kindness had ulterior motives. Now, with her purpose settled, could he deceive himself into believing that her present concern for him was without any agenda or intention, and came from the heart? Steve¡¯s Adam¡¯s apple bobbed twice, then he reached out, picked up the yogurt, and drank half a cup in one gulp. Perhaps it was because of Ruby¡¯s words, but Steve didn¡¯t continue drinking like he did when he first sat down, recklessly pouring the alcohol down his throat. In the evening, Ruby liked to eat lighter dishes, but there were several people from Sichuan at the table who had ordered an array of spicy food.
Finally, a waiter brought out a te of mild pork ribs soup. As the dishes were passed around, every time the pork ribs soup reached Ruby, she would reach out and help herself. Steve noticed her pattern and, holding his ss of alcohol, tilted his head to whisper in Ruby¡¯s ear, ¡°Do the other dishes not suit your taste?¡± Ruby hadn¡¯t expected Steve to suddenly ask her this question. She shook her head, ¡°No, it¡¯s just that I¡¯m used to eating lighter dishes in the evening.¡± Ruby¡¯s words rendered Steve silent for a moment. He had known her for so many years, but it was only now that he learned her dietary habits. They had often eaten dinner together in the past, and he had frequently ordered greasy, spicy dishes for them, but he had never realized her preferences before; In front of him, she had always concealed her true self perfectly, without any ws. Steve gazed intently at Ruby, his face near hers, his warm breath spraying on her face, causing her to feel increasingly ufortable. In the afternoon, she had been acting for Mr. Robbins and had forced herself to endure it. PS: Today¡¯s update isplete; I¡¯ll continue after waking up¨C Award-winning reader: (Chinese username)
Chapter 274: 274: Wanting Her to Love Me (4) Chapter 274: 274: Wanting Her to Love Me (4)
Trantor: 549690339 Steve Burton stared intently at Ruby Gregory, his face very close to hers, and his warm breath sprayed on her face, making Ruby feel ufortable all over. In the afternoon, it was because she had to perform for Mr. Robbins, so she forced herself to endure it. But now, she felt as if her face was about to be burned by his breath, and for the third time, her heart began to pound with a mixture of excitement and shyness.
This unfamiliar feeling made her wish she could stand up and run away immediately. Her breathing gradually became unstable, and her face began to redden. Seeing so many people around her, she feared her feelings would be revealed. She nced anxiously at the pork ribs soup in front of her and remembered his question about why she only drank soup. She said casually, ¡°This soup is very light, would you like to try some?¡± Upon hearing Ruby¡¯s voice, Steve¡¯s long eyshes flickered for a moment, and then he nodded at her, his response slightly gentle, ¡°Alright.¡± As soon as Steve agreed, Ruby quickly and subtly increased the distance between them by standing up. Only then did Ruby feel like she could breathe more smoothly, her facial expression bing more rxed. Steve¡¯s gaze never left Ruby, and with his heightened sensitivity, he could discern something from her expression, even though she tried her best to hide her feelings. It turned out that she had offered to serve him soup to avoid their ufortable closeness. At once, Steve¡¯s expression froze. When Ruby stood up, she grabbed her own bowl in haste. After pouring half a bowl of soup, she realized her mistake, called a waiter, and asked for a new bowl. The waiter politely brought a new bowl and asked, ¡°Would you like some soup?¡± As he reached out to serve the soup for Ruby, she reached out and took the bowl from his hand, ¡°I¡¯ll do it.¡¯
The waiter stepped back with a smile. Steve observed all this silently, his face expressionless. Ruby poured the soup slowly, taking her time. Finally, she finished and took a deep breath, then slowly returned to her seat with the soup in her hand. She turned and smiled as she offered the bowl to Steve. Steve nced at the soup in the bowl without moving his gaze, looked up at Ruby, and showed no intention of reaching out to take it.. Chapter 275: 275: Wanting Her to Love Me (5) Chapter 275: 275: Wanting Her to Love Me (5)
Trantor: 549690339 Ruby Gregory¡¯s heart suddenly rose, her gaze at Steve Burton became somewhat anxious. Fortunately, Steve did not look at her for long, and extended his hand towards her.
Ruby subtly let out a sigh of relief, but her relief was short-lived, as Steve¡¯s hand reaching for the bowl was directly covering hers. Ruby¡¯s heart tightened, she instinctively wanted to pull her hand back, but Steve calmly acted in line with her hand and brought the bowl to his mouth. The palm of her hand felt the warmth of the soup, and the back of her hand felt the burning heat from Steve¡¯s palm. Ruby felt as if her hand was on fire, tormented. Ruby was praying in her heart for Steve to finish the soup quickly, but ironically, it was as if Steve had seen through her thoughts, and in opposition to her, he sipped the soup slowly. Ruby felt the fire in her hand starting to spread along her arm, burning all the way to her heart, she eventually could not help but open her mouth, trying to find an excuse to break free from Steve¡¯s restraint: ¡°I¡¯ll go get some more soup.¡± Steve obviously knew that Ruby was trying to avoid him. Was she really so unwilling to have skin contact with him? Steve nced at the half bowl of soup in the ceramic bowl in front of Ruby, looked down at his own bowl which still had over half of the soup, thinking ironically that he would not grant her wish, so he still held her hand, handing the bowl to her, saying, ¡°There¡¯s still plenty left, drink it all if you like.¡± As he spoke, Steve moved the ceramic bowl towards Ruby¡¯s mouth. Did he want to feed her the soup himself?
Ruby looked up in surprise, looking at Steve, ¡°I can help myself to the soup.¡± Steve tightened his grip on her hand, but his gaze turned icy: ¡°There¡¯s plenty left here, it would be a waste not to drink it.¡¯ In the depths of Ruby¡¯s heart, she had always avoided upsetting Steve, but ironically, every time she ended up making him unhappy. Not that she was unwilling to be close to Steve, in the past, she had never felt so restrained and uneasy in front of him. Ever since that night three years ago, he seemed to have be a different person. After returning to the country, he constantly criticised her for various reasons, and over time, she had developed a habit of bing uncontrobly tense in his presence. Now his gaze suddenly turned ice cold, her only thought was that Steve would definitely be mercilessly angry. The more she thought this way, the more she wanted to get away from Steve, and so, her words diverged more and more from Steve¡¯s intentions: ¡°I can do it myself. ¡± As she spoke, Ruby extended her other hand, wanting to take the soup bowl from Steve¡¯s hand, hoping to free her other hand from his grip that was making it go numb.. Chapter 277: 277: Wanting Her to Love Me (7) Chapter 277: 277: Wanting Her to Love Me (7)
Trantor: 549690339 Upon hearing Ruby Gregory say for the third time that she wanted to leave, the smile on Steve Burton¡¯s face disappearedpletely. Ruby clearly felt that the atmosphere around Steve Burton had be chillingly cold.
Her intuition as a woman told her that she was really in great danger at this moment, and she hurriedly stood up, trying to free her hand from Steve¡¯s. Steve, who had been holding her hand, suddenly released it when he felt her struggle, grabbed a bowl with some soup left in it from beside him, and furiously threw it at the wall. The bowl shattered upon impact, sttering soup everywhere, leaving wet marks along the previously pristine white walls. As everyone at the table had had alcohol, their ability to observe was somewhat dulled, and although Steve was unhappy, he covered it up quite quickly. No one at the table noticed anything amiss. But now that Steve had suddenly smashed the bowl, the atmosphere in the room became instantly still. Everyone first exchanged nces, then set down their sses, their eyes falling on the dark look on Steve¡¯s face. Confusion clouded everyone¡¯s eyes, but no one dared to ask what was going on. Howard Coleman and Madeleine caught each other¡¯s eye, and even though they didn¡¯t know what exactly had happened, the panicked look in Ruby¡¯s eyes gave them a vague idea. In this world, the only person who could make Steve lose control and hisposure was Ruby. Fearing that Steve wouldsh out at Ruby in front of everyone, Madeleine surreptitiously urged Howard to do something.
Understanding Madeleine¡¯s meaning, Howard quickly stood up, raising his ss with a warm smile for the room, saying, ¡°I apologize for the inconvenience. I will arrange a better gathering for everyone another day.¡± Everyone present understood the meaning of Howard¡¯s words. Everyone raised their sses one after another, making excuses about having things to take care of at home, having drunk too much already, or having ns to meet with friendster, and then drank their sses empty and left the room. Soon, only Steve, Ruby, Howard, Madeleine, and two waiters remained in the room. Howard gave the waiters a look, and they tactfully left, even considerately closing the door of the private room behind them. The room was eerily quiet. No one spoke. After a while, Steve kicked back his chair, stood up, took his coat, and casually draped it over his arm. He nced at Ruby: ¡°Come with me.¡± As he spoke, he extended his hand towards Ruby. Ruby was already scared, and upon seeing his gesture, instinctively stepped back. Steve¡¯s face darkened in an instant: ¡°I didn¡¯t see you being so eager to avoid me at the golf course this afternoon..¡±
Chapter 276: Wanting Her to Love Me (6) Chapter 276: Wanting Her to Love Me (6) Trantor: 549690339 Steve Burton¡¯s face grew even more somber, and his tone bitingly sharp, ¡°Just drink it when I tell you to! Why so much backtalk?!¡± In the past, whenever Burton took such a tone with her, she experienced nothing but unpleasantness. Now his words filled her with increasing fear, so much so she couldn¡¯t even make further excuses. Withplete terror on her face, she prepared herself to drink the soup. Burton was the one feeding her the soup. Ruby Gregory tried her hardest to mask her unwillingness, but the thought of Burton watching her take a sip, coupled with his bad mood, made it taste almost repulsive. After only managing two spoonfuls, she couldn¡¯t take any more and started to choke. Her face turning red with embarrassment, she turned away from Burton and started coughing. ¡°I feed you the soup, and you find it this hard to swallow!¡± Burton¡¯s voice was icy cold. Ruby hurriedly shook her head, too scared to even cough any longer. Burton just sneered, didn¡¯t even bother to look at her, turned away, holding her hand and ced the porcin bowl on the table. However, he didn¡¯t show any signs of letting go of her hand. Ruby, who usually couldn¡¯t stand being around Burton, became even more terrified seeing his current gloomy disposition. A cold sweat broke out across her back. Ruby¡¯s heart was pounding heavily. Unable to repress herself, she finally whispered, ¡°I need to go to the restroom.¡± Burton outright ignored her, as he took a cup of alcohol in his other hand and elegantly started to sip it, whilst chatting with guests seated at their table. Ruby feeling like she was sitting on pins and needles, was unsure if Burton had even heard her. She mustered up courage and repeated, after Burton had finished his drink, in a soft voice, ¡°I need to use the restroom.¡¯ With a smile still present on his face as he was talking to a client, Burton paused slightly yet casually. He gestured to the waiter to fill his ss with alcohol and continued to ignore Ruby¡¯s pleading. Ruby could not muster the courage to speak for the third time. Her hand that was held by Burton stiffened. She swallowed hard and turned to face Madeleine, whispering, ¡°Madeleine, do you want to use the restroom?¡± The conversation between Ruby and Burton held in hushed whispers, had been inaudible to the others. Madeleine, having only seen Burton holding Ruby¡¯s hand and feeding her soup, did not suspect anything and assumed Ruby wanted herpany. She stood and agreed, ¡°ok.¡± Apanied by Madeleine, Ruby felt a bit more courageous and turned to Burton once more to softly utter, ¡°Madeleine and I are going to the restroom.¡± Burton heard every word of the conversation between Ruby and Madeleine.. Chapter 278: 278: Wanting Her to Love Me (8) Chapter 278: 278: Wanting Her to Love Me (8)
Trantor: 549690339 Upon hearing Steve Burton¡¯s words, Ruby Gregory suddenly looked up, instinctively ncing at Madeleine. Madeleine¡¯s eyebrows furrowed as well. What did her brother mean by saying that? Could he know about the little tricks she and Ruby Gregory yed this afternoon?
Ruby had the same thought, and her heart grew more and more uneasy. She lowered her eyes, feeling an increasingly ominous premonition. ¡°Why aren¡¯t you saying anything?¡± Steve Burton chuckled lightly, and his voice sounded like icy snow that never melts, ¡°Do I need to make a call to Mr. Robbins and have hime over before you know how to speak up?¡± If Ruby Gregory and Madeleine had only been doubtful before, now, after hearing Steve Burton¡¯s words, they were certain: he knew. Ruby¡¯s hand clutched into a fist without her realizing it. In her mind, she wondered how Steve Burton found out. She instinctively lifted her head to see the darkness on Steve¡¯s face, akin to the gloom that precedes a storm. Howard Coleman and Madeleine both knew that three years ago, Ruby was like a ything to Steve Burton, discarded after he had slept with her. They also knew how much he despised her. But Ruby still wanted to maintain a shred of her dignity in front of them, not letting them see Steve Burton¡¯s disgust and mockery towards her. No matter how afraid Ruby felt inwardly, and how much she wanted to escape, she still summoned the courage to apologize to Steve Burton, ¡°It¡¯s all my¡­¡± Madeleine knew that Ruby had a ce in Steve Burton¡¯s heart, but she was unsure if Steve truly loved Ruby. If he did love her, then why had he been so cruel to Ruby three years ago? However, as a friend to Ruby, Madeleine had always known that Ruby wanted to marry Steve Burton. Madeleine did not know Ruby¡¯s true motive for marrying Steve. She thought it was because Ruby loved Steve and had him in her heart.
In Madeleine¡¯s mind, she had always wanted to help Ruby, and would not hesitate to stand up for her when danger came their way. Like now, even though she had also participated in this afternoon¡¯s events, Ruby was the mastermind behind it all. Madeleine had observed earlier in the afternoon that when Steve and Ruby were together, Steve seemed to be in a good mood. However, she had now discovered that Ruby had an ulterior motive at the time. Madeleine wondered how Steve would find ways to make Ruby suffer! Upon seeing Ruby start to admit her guilt, Madeleine blurted out without thinking, ¡°Brother, don¡¯t me Ruby. What happened this afternoon was all my idea.¡± Ruby¡¯s words lodged in her throat as she gazed at Madeleine in surprise. Madeleine stared at Steve Burton, swallowing hard, ¡°It was my idea that I suggested to Ruby. If you want to me someone, me me..¡± Chapter 279: 279: Wanting Her to Love Me (9) Chapter 279: 279: Wanting Her to Love Me (9)
Trantor: 549690339 Steve Burton¡¯s gaze fell directly on Madeleine, the look in his eyes sharp and piercing, like two knives. Madeleine was somewhat disconcerted by Steve¡¯s stare, but she was more worried about Ruby Gregory being unharmed.
Even if she had angered Steve, the worst he would do to her was vent his anger and not make things too difficult for her. But if it was Ruby¡­ Madeleine remembered the time when she received a call from Steve and went to deliver clothes to Rubyte at night. At that time, Ruby¡¯s clothes were torn, her body covered in bruises, her facepletely devoid of color. Back then, Ruby was like a broken doll without a soul. Madeleine gritted her teeth secretly and without any hesitation said, ¡°Brother, whether you believe it or not, this was really my idea. Mr. Robbins wanted to terminate the partnership with the Gregorys, who are now on the verge of bankruptcy and can only rely on a few clients to survive. It was because of you and Olivia Foster¡¯s opening dance at the Pristine¡¯s Enterprises¡¯ press conference that Mr. Robbins chose to work with the Fosters. I didn¡¯t want to see Ruby in trouble, so I have devised such a n. Besides, Mr. Robbins would usually avoid the Gregorys, so how would they know about his whereabouts?¡± ¡°It was all my arrangement: I took Ruby to the golf course, I took her to meet you guys, I diverted the clients so that she could be alone with you.¡± The more Steve heard Madeleine¡¯s words, the uglier his expression became. He naturally knew there was some truth in Madeleine¡¯s words and that she was partly taking the me for him. But he also knew that without Madeleine¡¯s help, Ruby¡¯s little trick that afternoon would never have seeded! No matter what problems that woman encountered, she had never asked him for help, choosing instead to exploit him secretly. It was a far cry from the afternoon when he had praised her for being more sensible, but everything had turned out to be nothing more than a sham! When her goal was achieved, she couldn¡¯t wait to find an excuse to avoid holding his hand!
As for Madeleine¡­ Even though she knew Ruby was taking advantage of him, she was still wholeheartedly helping her! A trace of fury surfaced in Steve¡¯s eyes as he red at Madeleine and said menacingly, ¡°Ruby doesn¡¯t regard me, and now it seems you are following her in being thoughtless, aren¡¯t you?¡± Steve paused, turned his head, and looked at Ruby. When he was angry, he had always been ruthless in his words. Now, when he addressed Ruby, his words were even more vicious, showing her no mercy, ¡°And you, it¡¯s bad enough that you¡¯re deceitful and repulsive, but don¡¯t drag Madeleine into your wicked ways!¡± Ruby¡¯s body trembled violently, her face instantly losing all color. Steve actually called her deceitful and repulsive right in front of Madeleine and Howard Coleman! She instinctively lowered her eyes to hide the hurt in them. PS: Today¡¯s update is done, it will continue tonight, congrattions to the award-winning author: The Female Tomboy Lost to the Pretentious Cute Girl. Chapter 280: 280: Wanting Her to Love Me (10) Chapter 280: 280: Wanting Her to Love Me (10)
Trantor: 549690339 Ruby Gregory¡¯s body shuddered violently, and the color drained from her face in an instant. Steve Burton actually cursed her for being hypocritical and disgusting in front of Madeleine and Howard Coleman!
She lowered her eyes habitually, hiding the pain in them. Her hand, silently clenched, forced herself not to think about what look would emerge in Howard and Madeleine¡¯s eyes as they stared at her at this very moment. She knew she had done something wrong to him in the afternoon, but she had no choice. She couldn¡¯t bear to watch her parents worry and do nothing. Madeleine looked at Ruby¡¯s bowed head and the pale little face that was barely visible, and a pang of pain rose in her heart. Without thinking, she blurted out, ¡°Brother, I already said it was my fault, why do you have to scold Ruby? Brother, your words are too harsh! If you¡¯re upset or unhappy, just scold me! How can you let Ruby suffer such injustice!¡± Steve Burton nced coldly at the annoyed Madeleine, his eyes narrowing slightly. ¡°Don¡¯t think that helping someone who has nothing to do with me take advantage of me will earn my indulgence. Go home and pack your things now, go and stay in the overseaspany, and don¡¯t stay in the country to learn nothing but mischief from her!¡± After that, Steve turned to Howard Coleman and said, ¡°It¡¯s best if you all don¡¯t try any tricks on me. Without my permission, no one is allowed to let Madeleinee back! ¡± Finishing, Steve Burton gave Ruby Gregory a fierce sideways nce. The seemingly pale woman stood there with her eyes downcast and lips pursed. She was already small and frail, looking somewhat pitiful. However, her face was calm and devoid of any signs of grievance. Steve¡¯s gaze lingered on Ruby¡¯s face for a moment, recalling Madeleine¡¯s angry words from just before. Madeleine said he had gone too far, and that he had been treating Ruby unfairly! Unfair?
A touch of mockery emerged at the bottom of Steve¡¯s heart, even directed at himself. In their rtionship, outsiders always saw him as the one treating her unfairly. But who knew how much she had wronged him all this time? In just a split second, Steve collected all his thoughts, coldly withdrew his gaze from Ruby¡¯s face, and walked directly towards the door of the private room. The door opened, the door closed, and Steve Burton left. There was a two-second silence in the private room, and then the tension eased. Madeleine nced at Howard Coleman before walking over to Ruby and cautiously said, ¡°Ruby, my brother¡¯s just like that. His words might be harsh, but he doesn¡¯t really mean it..¡± Chapter 281: 281: I Want Her to Love Me (11) Chapter 281: 281: I Want Her to Love Me (11)
Trantor: 549690339 Ruby Gregory¡¯s body stiffened, and she regained herposure. At this moment, she would rather not ept Madeleine¡¯sfort.
Because she hoped that her mocked and despised appearance wouldn¡¯t be seen by Madeleine. Before, she didn¡¯t feel like she couldn¡¯t lift her head in front of Madeleine, but now, she didn¡¯t have the courage to look at Madeleine, afraid of seeing sympathy in her eyes. Moreover, Steve Burton kept saying that Madeleine was led astray by her and sent Madeleine abroad¡­ Ruby¡¯s expression tightened, soon it would be Mid-Autumn Festival, and Madeleine would spend it alone abroad? Whatever Steve Burton did to her was fine, but she didn¡¯t want to drag Madeleine down. Thinking of this, Ruby didn¡¯t even nce at Madeleine, and instead rushed towards the door. Her hurried pace didn¡¯t bother with Madeleine¡¯s shouting behind her. Ruby chased out of the Grand Ciawell Restaurant and saw Steve Burton getting into the car. She hailed a taxi from the side, asking the driver to follow Steve Burton¡¯s car. The nighttime traffic in the capital city was smooth, and because there were no traffic jams, the taxi driver didn¡¯t lose sight of Steve Burton¡¯s car. Steve Burton didn¡¯t return to The Burtons¡¯ Mansion, but to a high-end residential area in the city center. He was dropped off by his driver at the entrance of the upscale apartmentplex. Ruby asked the taxi driver to stop a few dozen meters away, paid the fare, and followed Burton out of the cab.
Steve Burton¡¯s car happened to drive away, and he turned around, heading towards the gates of theplex. Ruby quickly followed, calling out just before he swiped his card to enter thepound: ¡°Mr. Burton¡­¡± Steve Burton¡¯s card-swiping motion paused for a moment, but he didn¡¯t look back at Ruby. Instead, he pushed open the security gate and walked in. Ruby didn¡¯t have an ess card for thepound and couldn¡¯t get in. She came here to persuade Steve Burton to change his mind about sending Madeleine abroad. Without any hesitation, Ruby rushed forward, blocking the slowly closing security door, and followed Steve Burton into theplex. Steve Burton knew that Ruby was closely following him, but he didn¡¯t make a sound and didn¡¯t look back. Steve Burton entered the code for the building and walked inside, with Ruby still sneaking in before the door closed. Steve Burton pressed the elevator button, walked inside, and Ruby hesitated for a moment before following him. There were only the two of them in the elevator. Steve Burton stood straight in the center of the elevator, looking straight ahead. Ruby stood in the right corner of the elevator, asionally sneaking a nce at Steve Burton. It was only when the elevator door opened and Steve Burton prepared to leave that Ruby knew she had to speak up, or else she would have no chance once Steve Burton entered his home..
Chapter 282: 282: Wanting Her to Love Me (12) Chapter 282: 282: Wanting Her to Love Me (12)
Trantor: 549690339 Ruby Gregory finally gathered up the courage to speak again, ¡°Mr. Burton, the incident with Mr. Robbins this afternoon was all my fault. Madeleine was afraid¡­ In fact, regardless of whether Madeleine helped her or not, Steve Burton would have scolded her like that.
Ruby Gregory pressed her lips together tightly, lowered her eyelids, and said softly, ¡°Madeleine was afraid that you would make things difficult for me, so she said it was her idea. Therefore, please don¡¯t let her go abroad. The Mid-Autumn Festival ising up soon¡­¡± At this point, Ruby¡¯s eyes became somewhat unfocused. Being alone abroad during Chinese New Year and Mid -Autumn Festival, which are times for reunions, one would experience endless loneliness and solitude. During those three years abroad, she would hide in her room all day during those two holidays withouting out. She missed China, her mom and dad, and her home. However, it seemed like Steve Burton didn¡¯t hear what Ruby Gregory said at all. He entered the password for his front door by himself, reached out, and opened the door. He didn¡¯t close the door but stood in the foyer area to take off his shoes. His movements were slow, and he waited until Ruby Gregory dawdled to the front entrance before bending down to put his shoes on the shoe rack beside him. He slowly turned around and reached out to close the door. Ruby Gregory reflexively reached out, holding the door against her, and said through the half-open door to Steve Burton inside, ¡°If you want to punish someone, punish me. I can leave Pristine¡¯s Enterprises.¡± Steve said that he himself had spoiled Madeleine, so if she left Pristine¡¯s Enterprises, there would be less contact between them.
As Steve Burton inside the house heard Ruby Gregory say she would leave Pristine¡¯s Enterprises, his eyes darkened abruptly, and he directly increased the strength in his hands. Ruby Gregory¡¯s strength was no match for Steve Burton. Despite pushing the door with all her strength, she could still see it closing slowly. In the urgency, she said, ¡°How about this? You let Madeleine stay in Ciawell, and I will go abroad. I¡¯ll go in her ce.¡± Steve Burton¡¯s strength in his hands disappeared instantly, like air leaking from a punctured balloon. Ruby Gregory put in a little too much effort and pushed the door wide open. Ruby Gregory hesitated and then gently furrowed her eyebrows. Had Steve Burton agreed to her proposition? Then she felt a sense of heaviness in her heart that she couldn¡¯t exin. Did Steve Burton want her to go abroad? Indeed, how could he possibly want to see her every day when he hates and despises her so much? She couldn¡¯t exin why, but Ruby Gregory felt suffocated. She looked up at Steve Burton, who was much taller than her, and after a long time, she moved her lips to say, ¡°I promise I won¡¯te back without your permission.¡± As soon as Ruby Gregory finished speaking, Steve Burton, who was standing in the foyer area, reached out and mmed the door shut forcefully..
Chapter 283: 283: Wanting Her to Love Me (13) Chapter 283: 283: Wanting Her to Love Me (13)
Trantor: 549690339 Steve¡¯s sudden move waspletely unexpected. Ruby only felt a strong gust of winding towards her face, and then with a ¡°bang,¡± the door in front of her closed heavily. Subconsciously, Ruby took two steps back, looking at the closed door in front of her, unable to fathom Steve¡¯s series of reactions. What did they mean?
Just when she mentioned going abroad for Madeleine, he opened the door, clearly indicating that he was open to discussing the matter with her. But after hearing her assurance, he angrily mmed the door shut. Ruby frowned, wondering if Steve had agreed to her proposal of going abroad on Madeleine¡¯s behalf and decided to avoid dealing with her altogether. Was that it? Ruby¡¯s gaze dimmed slightly as she lowered her eyes, standing at the door for a moment before turning to walk to the elevator. Ruby raised her hand to press the elevator button, and in less than half a minute, a ¡°ding¡± sound came from the elevator. The elevator doors slowly opened in front of Ruby. Just as Ruby was about to lift her foot and step into the elevator, the door behind her was suddenly yanked open with force. Instinctively, Ruby turned her head back. Before she could fully see the scene in front of her, Steve grabbed her arm, forcefully dragging her into his home. He kicked the door closed with one foot, turned around, and stared at Ruby¡¯s face with an icy cold voice as heshed out, ¡°Ruby Gregory, is that what you truly think deep down inside?¡± Ruby was dumbfounded by Steve¡¯s question, and her eyes revealed a hint of puzzlement. An angry veil covered Steve¡¯s handsome face, making his breath slightly unstable. He tightly stared at Ruby for a long time, suddenly grabbed her wrist, and dragged her into the living room, pushing her onto the couch. Ruby fell heavily, feeling slightly dizzy. Before she could regain her senses, Steve abruptly leaned over her, stretching his hand to grip her chin. Perhaps due to his extreme anger, the corners of his lips curled with a hint of a smile, terrifying to look at. His voice quivered slightly when he spoke, ¡°Ruby Gregory, do you want to go abroad that much?¡± Ruby had never seen Steve like this before, furious yet seemingly afraid.
She dumbly shook her head, and then Steve suddenly ripped her clothes apart. She shivered all over, and the man¡¯s clenched teeth and hissing voice came again, ¡°Since you¡¯re so eager to go abroad, why did youe back? Why didn¡¯t you just die overseas?¡± With gritted teeth, Steve fiercely entered Ruby¡¯s body. His action was direct and intense, making Ruby feel as if her entire being was being torn apart. She was in so much pain that she almost passed out.. Chapter 284: 284: Wanting Her to Love Me (14) Chapter 284: 284: Wanting Her to Love Me (14)
Trantor: 549690339 Ruby Gregory subconsciously wanted to grasp something underneath her, but the real leather sofa, no matter how hard she tried, resisted her grip, leaving her to ball her hands into fists. Her body involuntarily became taut.
Seeing her rigidness, Steve Burton could not help but exert more pressure, his words still echoing with monumental anger: ¡°Ruby Gregory, who do you think you are, having the audacity to bargain with me! Moreover, does Madeleine need you to plead for her?¡± As Ruby tried to ignore her bodily pain, upon hearing Steve¡¯s words, her mind began to furiously analyze their meaning. Apparently, his anger stemmed from her thoughtless attempt to intercede on Madeleine¡¯s behalf. Indeed, he was right. Madeleine, to him, was akin to a sister, even without the bonds of blood, and shared a bond as close as kin. Madeleine didn¡¯t need her to plead for him. His anger was momentary, and his scolding of Madeleine insignificant¡ªwho would take such things to heart? Not like her¡­ once upon a time, she also thought she was like Madeleine, a sister he would protect and cherish. When she was young, she often called him ¡°Brother Steve¡±. Madeleine, noticing his kindness towards her, would yfullyin of his favoritism: ¡°Big brother is always biased towards Ruby!¡± Back then, she believed that she was the most favored one in Steve¡¯s heart. Now, looking back, all these were just her wishful thoughts. ¡°Or do you just want to stay away from me?¡± After Steve asked this question, his movements became even wilder, as if he wanted to vent all his anger on Ruby. Studying abroad¡­ her proposal for Madeleine to study abroad ws just her innermost desire to get away! Without the Gregorys, she wouldn¡¯te back from Costa Luna. Her kindness and efforts to please him were all for the sake of the Gregorys. No one knew how he was intoxicated with her kindness towards him. Every time she showed kindness to him, he felt a fleeting joy and happiness. But in the end, he discovered it was all a deception.
Time and time again, he never learned his lesson from her. Because he always fantasized that her kindness to him came from her heart. But, that never happened. The more Steve thought about it, the angrier he became, and his strength increased. The pain stretched time, rendering it unbearably long. Just when Ruby slowly began to lose consciousness, Steve suddenly moved away from her and headed upstairs. Steve took a bath, washing off all scent of Ruby from his body, changed his clothes, and began walking down the stairs. PS: I will continue updating at around four or five in the afternoon. I¡¯ll try to finish writing before ten at night from now on.. I don¡¯t want to stay upte anymore, otherwise, your dear author may just drop dead from exhaustion Woe is me. Chapter 285: 285: Wanting Her to Love Me (15) Chapter 285: 285: Wanting Her to Love Me (15)
Trantor: 549690339 The room was dead silent, with only the echo of Steve Burton¡¯s footsteps, which eventually stopped in front of the sofa. Steve¡¯s gaze slowly fell upon Ruby Gregory, who was curled up on the sofa, looking disheveled.
The woman¡¯s head was turned toward the inside of the sofa, her shoulders trembling slightly as if she were crying. Steve¡¯s brow furrowed fiercely, his heart feeling like it was being tightly grasped by something, apanied by intense pain and a crazed joy. He stared at her for a moment, swallowed, then slowly leaned down, raised his hand, gripped Ruby¡¯s chin, and pulled her face out of the sofa. The face of Ruby that Steve saw was, apart from being pale, just as usual, without the slightest trace of tears. Ha, was he delusional? She didn¡¯t even care about him, so how could she feel sad by his actions? Steve¡¯s eyes were tinged with a touch ofughter, and he spoke in a voice that was cold as ice, ¡°Ruby Gregory, you really have guts. You seem to care about me, but in reality, you never did. Last time, I made you take contraceptives; this time, you made Madeleine go abroad. I wonder what tricks you¡¯ll pull next!¡± Ruby shuddered violently. Steve slightly increased the pressure on her chin, ¡°Just remember, if I have the power to let the Gregorys survive, I also have the power to let the Gregorys perish!¡± Ruby¡¯s face showed panic, as if she had heard something terrifying. Her closed eyes were trembling violently, as if she had been truly frightened by Steve¡¯s words. Steve looked at Ruby¡¯s expression and realized that his words had gone too far. Wasn¡¯t this woman always saying she wanted to go abroad?
What if she really ran away because of his words? Steve¡¯s lips moved slightly, wanting to say something to remedy the situation, but he couldn¡¯t swallow his pride. In the end, he coldly released Ruby¡¯s chin and, without waiting for her reaction, strode towards the door. As he opened the door, Steve hesitated for a moment, but still left a sentence: ¡°Since you want to use me to save Gregory¡¯s Enterprises, think about what I really want! And what exactly should you give me in return!¡± After finishing, the door was mmed shut forcefully by Steve. Ruby¡¯s entire body became like a puddle of mud,pletely drained of strength. No matter how he mocked her or scolded her, this time, he had used the Gregorys to threaten her. She approached him to save the Gregorys, but didn¡¯t expect that, in the end, she almost ruined the Gregorys. Just as Ruby was disoriented from the fear of Steve¡¯s words, her phone suddenly rang. It took a lot of effort for Ruby to reach her phone and see the caller ID disying her Dad¡¯s name.. Chapter 286: 286: Wanting Her to Love Me (16) Chapter 286: 286: Wanting Her to Love Me (16)
Trantor: 549690339 Ruby Gregory paused before answering the call, trying her best to keep her voice steady. ¡°Dad,¡± she said. From the other end of the line came Maxwell Gregory¡¯s voice, tinged with happiness. ¡°Ruby, Mr. Robbins contacted me for dinner and even signed a contract with me.¡±
Originally, this was what Ruby wanted to happen. But now that the goal had been achieved, she felt no joy. Lowering her eyes, she deliberately asked with a rxed tone, ¡°Really?¡± ¡°Yes, Ruby, what method did you use to get Mr. Robbins to contact me proactively? And he even invited me out for dinner tonight.¡± ¡°There wasn¡¯t any special method¡­¡± Before Ruby could finish, Maxwell interrupted her excitedly. ¡°Ruby, Mr. Robbins mentioned Steve during dinner, and he even said that when I be sessful, I must not forget his help¡­¡± Maxwell paused for a moment, his voice slightly tentative but confident as he asked, ¡°Ruby, did Steve help out?¡± Ruby hesitated for a moment and said, ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°I was worried that your rtionship with Steve was too stable, it seems I was overthinking. Ruby, you absolutely cannot make any mistakes with Steve again. ¡± Ruby lowered her eyelids, ncing at the mess covering her body. Swallowing hard, she obediently responded ¡°yes¡± to her father on the phone. At the end of her reply, a mistyyer formed in the depths of her eyes. Her father on the phone seemed genuinely happy, first asking if she had eaten, then repeatedly reminding her not to make Steve angry, to take care of him, and so on, before hanging up. Only after putting down the phone did Ruby raise her hand, wiping away the tears she¡¯d been holding back at the corner of her eyes. She then curled up on the cold marble floor, hugging her knees and burying her head between her legs. Since childhood, whenever she wanted to do something, she¡¯d always do it well. In middle school, when she wanted to win first ce in a jump ropepetition, she put a lot of effort into learning and ultimately seeded. Later, she wanted to excel in calligraphy, asking her father to find a famous teacher to mentor her, just as she wished, and she won the best calligrapher award. In high school, she saw a celestial dance on TV and went on to learn it, winning the apuse of the whole school at the G Party at the end of the
year. But nobody knew that she had been told since childhood that she must do her best in one thing, and that was to marry Steve Burton. She had been trying her best all along, but found that with this one thing, she just couldn¡¯t do it well; in fact, the more she tried, the worse she became. In front of him, she was nothing but a pitiful creature who always sacrificed herself for others.. Chapter 287: 287: Wanting Her to Love Me (17) Chapter 287: 287: Wanting Her to Love Me (17)
Trantor: 549690339 Now, even the Gregorys are involved, it¡¯s truly a case of making things worse. Ruby Gregory sighed softly. Even though she was tired and sleepy, her mind was still spinning non-stop. Suddenly, she remembered the words Steve Burton had left her with before he left.
¡°If you want to save Gregory¡¯s Enterprises by relying on me, then think about what I really want! And what you should give me in return!¡± Ruby went over these words in her mind several times, first surprised that Steve knew she wanted to save the Gregorys by relying on him. Then, her eyes sparkled with excitement, as her heart jumped wildly, even more exuberant than when she found out Steve had been helping her behind the scenes. Steve said to think about what he wanted and what she should give him in return! Did that mean, as long as she gave him what he wanted, he would marry her? Ruby¡¯s heartbeat sped up, and her hands unconsciously clenched into fists as her breathing grew rapid. Marrying Steve was not impossible, but rather, it was the most hopeful prospect. If that man didn¡¯t want to marry her at all, why would he bother saying those words to her? So, his anger and disdain towards her all this time wasn¡¯t because of disgust, but because she never gave him what he truly wanted? Ruby furrowed her brows slightly. But what did Steve want? The alcohol Steve had drunk that night had mostly worn off after several hours of tossing and turning. He went to the basement, started a car, and sped out of the apartment building. Steve didn¡¯t know where he wanted to go, so he just casually drove through the streets. Just as he was approaching the Third Ring, he received a call from
Howard Coleman. ¡°Bro, are you really going to send Madeleine abroad?¡± ¡°Let Madeleine go abroad for a month.¡± After saying this, Steve was about to hang up the phone, but added: ¡°No one is allowed to leak this information.¡± If Madeleine doesn¡¯t leave, where would Ruby learn her lesson? It¡¯s important to remember that that woman had even taken the contraceptive pills he gave her without gaining any wisdom after the fact. ¡°Got it, got it. I¡¯ll definitely tell everyone that Madeleine angered the big boss and got banished to live abroad forever alone,¡± Howard joked. ¡°Bullshit!¡± Steve cursed and heard faint singinging through the phone. He casually asked, ¡°Where are you?¡± ¡°At The Sapphire Bistro.¡± Howard answered immediately then ingratiatingly asked, ¡°Bro, want toe over? The Sapphire Bistro got a lot of beautiful new girls today, all young and fresh.¡± ¡°Get lost, no one is as shameless as you!¡± Steve scolded him and hung up the phone. The car drove a little further, then he made a U-turn, heading towards The Sapphire Bistro.. Chapter 288: 288: Wanting Her to Love Me (18) Chapter 288: 288: Wanting Her to Love Me (18)
Trantor: 549690339 Steve Burton arrived at The Sapphire Bistro, only to find Howard Coleman, Russell Henris, Edward Woods, and Madeleine present. There were two hostesses in the private room. Howard was wearing a provocative white suit with two buttons undone on his ck shirt, revealing his sexy corbone. He was holding the two hostesses while singing enthusiastically in front of the karaoke machine.
In front of Russell was a thick stack of files. Even in such a loud and colorful environment, he was still able to concentrate and deal with work matters professionally. Madeleine and Edward Woods were ying drinking games with dice. Madeleine seemed to be in a bad mood, nced at Steve, didn¡¯t greet him, and looked at Howard ying with the two young hostesses. Then she quickly lowered her gaze, shaking the dice container absentmindedly. Steve thought Madeleine was not happy because he had lost his temper with Ruby Gregory the other day. As he walked by Madeleine, he reached out and patted her head. Madeleine looked up and pouted, mumbled, ¡°Brother,¡± and looked at Howard again. Steve sat next to Russell, picked up a new wine ss on the table, poured himself a drink, took a sip, nced at the financial report on Russell¡¯s knee and realized it was this past week¡¯s report. Steve took another sip and asked, ¡°How many percentage points did it increase?¡± ¡°Forty-five, not as good as the previous week.¡± Russell answered Steve¡¯s question in seconds, closed the report, took a sip of his drink, nced at Steve, and jokingly said, ¡°But no matter how bad it gets, it¡¯s all better than Ruby Gregory¡¯s second week at Pristine¡¯s Enterprises: that month¡¯s revenue was negative.¡± Steve could clearly tell that Russell was making fun of the incident when he called off the deal because Ruby had twisted her ankle. He hooked his lip, smiled faintly, raised his wine ss without a word, and took a leisurely sip. Russell waited for Steve to put down his wine ss, then calmly asked, ¡°I heard you had a quarrel with Ruby today?¡± Speaking of this, Russell deliberately corrected himself: ¡°Oh, no, not a quarrel, you scolded Ruby, and young Madeleine was bullied as well?¡±
Steve nced at Russell without saying anything, and before he could speak, Russell seemed to know what Steve was going to ask and said, ¡°Howard told me.¡± ¡°Howard sure likes to gossip,¡± Steve said in a low voice. Russell didn¡¯t reply. He slowly savored the wine in his ss and then said, ¡°Steve, I heard you were very harsh to Ruby today.¡± PS: That¡¯s all for today, see you tomorrow during the day¨C Actually, Ruby feels wronged, and Brother Steve also feels wronged. It¡¯s all the fault of the author, who is a big devil.. Big devil, stand up, and I promise I won¡¯t beat you to death! Congrattions to the winning readers: of the show VS I¡¯m really not a viin Chapter 289: 289: Wanting Her to Love Me (19) Chapter 289: 289: Wanting Her to Love Me (19)
Trantor: 549690339 Rusell Henris didn¡¯t speak right away, slowly savoring the alcohol in his cup before finally breaking the silence, ¡°Steve, I heard you said some pretty harsh things to Ruby today.¡± They ranked amongst themselves by settling disputes through fights. Rusell was second only to Steve Burton. Steve often gave Rusell a lot of respect, so Rusell rarely addressed Steve as ¡®brother¡¯ in front of him.
Steve¡¯s eyes flickered but remained silent. His gaze focused on the young man and woman on therge screen ying an MTV video in the cabin, the alternating red and green lights of the room adding a profound beauty to his face. Rusell swirled the alcohol in his hand, and followed Steve¡¯s line of sight to therge screen. Only when Howard Coleman¡¯s howling in falsetto switched to a low, soft singing voice did Rusell start speaking again, ¡°You know, Steve, thest thing I want is trouble. If I liked trouble, I wouldn¡¯t have tried so hard to get rid of Hsin Hsin.¡± As Rusell said this, his voice slightly paused, a lively and pretty figure emerging in his mind. The next second, he turned his head in a rather nonchnt manner, gazing at Steve before saying, ¡°But¡­ Steve, this time I have to put my foot in, say something.¡± ¡°Though I can¡¯t beat you in a fight, I¡¯m willing to risk a two-week hospital stay¡­¡± Rusell nced at Steve andughed before his expression turned serious. ¡°Steve, I honestly don¡¯t know what happened between you and Ruby three years ago.¡± ¡°Of course, even though you¡¯ve never said it, we could all tell how sincere you were in your feelings for Ruby. So, I dare to guess that Ruby must have crossed some line or touched a nerve three years ago leading you to such turmoil, wanting to be good to her, but unable to.¡± ¡°But every time you lose control andsh out at her, it¡¯s you who ends up with the most pain.¡± ¡°In those three years she was in Costa Luna, were you happy every time you went to Red Park? When you saw her photo as a screensaver on yourputer in those three years, did you not miss her so much it hurt? In those three years, how many tickets to Costa Luna have you stuffed into your office desk¡¯s drawer? And every time, you¡¯d end up only at the airport, immediately returning to your original location. Enduring such long, round trip flights several times, aren¡¯t you tired?¡± Steve¡¯s lips pressed tight together, no words came out. ¡°Steve, I simply can¡¯t understand, what are you trying to achieve by doing this? Three years ago, she was willing to sleep with you- it showed that she truly wanted to be with you. You not only got her, so what else are you greedily longing for?¡± Steve¡¯s expression became somewhat dazed hearing these words. His hand clutched the ss tightly, and after a long while, he turned his head, meeting Rusell¡¯s gaze before saying, ¡°I¡¯m not being greedy, I just want her to love me..¡±
Chapter 290: 290: Wanting Her to Love Me (20) Chapter 290: 290: Wanting Her to Love Me (20)
Trantor: 549690339 Steve Burton¡¯s calm voice floated into Rusell Henris¡¯ heart. Yet, in that instant, he felt that Steve¡¯s words were more heart-stirring than Howard Coleman singing Yoga Lin¡¯s ¡°Cruel Moonlight¡± with passion and immersion. Rusell was momentarily at a loss for words.
Steve slowly shifted his gaze from his face back to the big screen in front of him. On the grand stage, Yoga Lin held the microphone, eyes closed, singing every word of the lyrics clearly. ¡°I¡¯ve been wandering, but I¡¯ve never seen the ocean. What I thought was forgotten, is actually lying in your hands.¡± Three years ago, in a fit of anger, he slept with Ruby Gregory, and abandoned her. He thought everything would end like that, but he found that the longing started to flood his mind the moment he learned that she had gone to Costa Luna. Three yearster, he could never forget that afternoon. At that time, he had just taken over Pristine¡¯s Enterprises for a short while. He wanted to break free from the aura of Pristine¡¯s Enterprises hanging over him, so that people would not think he was relying on Pristine¡¯s Enterprises to shine. He wanted to be a legend of Pristine¡¯s Enterprises, a legend in the capital city and even the whole world. So, against the opposition of the entire Shareholders¡¯ Meeting, he pushed a new product in an unpopr market. As a result, the product was sold out nationwide within half a month of itsunch. This was his first sess at Pristine¡¯s Enterprises. With high spirits, he held a cup of coffee and stood in front of the French windows, watching the rare blue sky and white clouds in Ciawell, basking in the sunshine, and stealing azy moment in a leisurely posture. Then, the office door was pushed open by Madeleine, who had red eyes and held a document, needing his signature. She looked at him with a bit of reproach in her eyes. Maybe today, because he finally managed to deter Pristine¡¯s diehard followers with his own strength, his mood that had been upset by Ruby for a whole month improved slightly. Unusually, while signing the document for Madeleine, he looked at her tear-filled eyes and asked, ¡°What happened?¡± Madeleine pursed her lips, staring at his face for a while before saying, ¡°Brother, half an hour ago, Ruby left for Costa Luna. Her return date is undecided.¡±
That sentence, like a violent thunderbolt, exploded in his mind, almost breaking hisposure into pieces. He tried to steady his mind, maintaining a detached and cold demeanor, and replied nonchntly, ¡°Oh.¡± Madeleine angrily picked up the document and walked out of the office, but he had no mood to enjoy his first great victory at Pristine¡¯s Enterprises. In his mind, there were only four words ¨C return date undecided.. Chapter 291: 291: Observe Carefully and Learn Diligently (1) Chapter 291: 291: Observe Carefully and Learn Diligently (1)
Trantor: 549690339 The return date is uncertain. That was the most heartbreaking curse he had ever heard in his life.
When Howard Coleman sang seriously, his voice wasparable to a first-tier singer, so much so that everyone in the private room was focusing on his singing. ¡°I try to smile and be strong, loneliness builds a wall, but it¡¯s no match for the night, the gentlest moonlight, I¡¯ve been wandering all along¡­¡± Having been raised as a strong woman since childhood, Madeleine¡¯s appearance did not seem inferior to those men with iron fists in business. Confidence always sparkled in her eyes, yet at this moment, under the dim and dazzling lights in the room, a touch of softness enveloped Madeleine¡¯s eyes. After singing with great emotion, Howard Coleman immediately took off his prince-like appearance and returned to his usual yboy persona. He casually hugged the two girls he had ordered, asking, ¡°Is there any reward for this?¡± The two girls shyly turned their heads and each gave a kiss on Howard¡¯s face. A touch of sharpness shed in Madeleine¡¯s eyes. The next second, she turned her head and continued ying dice games with Edward Woods. The MTV on the big screen became noisy again. Rusell Henris withdrew his gaze and saw that Steve Burton was still staring at the screen, seemingly lost in thought. He moved his lips and, unable to restrain himself, spoke again, ¡°Steve, if Ruby doesn¡¯t love you, are you really prepared to keep waiting like this for the rest of your life?¡± ¡°Steve, that incident three years ago is definitely a thorn in your heart. Three years have passed, and what seemed earth-shattering back then may have be more understandable. If you can let go, try to treat Ruby well. If you can¡¯t let go of that incident, Steve, you might as well cut the Gordian knot and end this entanglement sooner!¡± End¡­ A trace of sharpness shed in Steve¡¯s eyes. Rusell sensed danger, but showed no signs of backing down. His tone remained calm and steady, ¡°Steve, I¡¯m saying this for your own good, I¡¯m afraid if you continue down this path, you¡¯ll end up in a dead end, and there¡¯ll be no possibility for you and Ruby.¡± Rusell¡¯s words seemed to have moved Steve; the fierceness in his face dissipated rapidly, reced by a trace of worry. Then, his eyes turned somewhat sad. He leaned back into the sofa, and his pride and nobility seemed to scatter in that instant, his voice carrying a touch of helpless pain, ¡°I can¡¯t help it¡­¡±
If he could, he would have given up three years ago. If he could, he would let Ruby Gregory be her true self in front of him, rather than losing control of his temper again and again in front of her. But he couldn¡¯t.. Chapter 292: 292 Carefully observe and learn attentively (2) Chapter 292: 292 Carefully observe and learn attentively (2)
Trantor: 549690339 ¡°If there¡¯s no other way, why not simplify things, marry her.¡± Marry her?
Such four words, spoken so easily, he also wanted to marry her, he was restraining himself, not to marry her now. ¡°You make it sound so simple.¡± Steve Burton tightened his grip on his alcohol ss, the expression on his face bing somewhat frozen. The next second, he turned his head towards Rusell Henris, tugged a corner of his lips into a smile. That kind of smile, though, looked somewhat sad. ¡°Rusell, it¡¯s not that I don¡¯t want to marry her, but I¡¯m afraid that marrying her would indeed wrong her.¡± This time, Rusell Henris was left utterly speechless, because he really didn¡¯t understand how Steve marrying Ruby Gregory could possibly wrong her. Steve Burton¡¯s eyes were caught in a daze for a moment before he finished all of the alcohol in his ss and then slowy stood up. ¡°Brother, where are you going?¡± Howard Coleman, who was hugging a girl, turned his head and asked. He didn¡¯t answer, merely headed towards the door of the private room. As he opened the door, he said, ¡°Going home to sleep.¡± Then, he left and closed the door behind him. Upon leaving The Sapphire Bistro, the night outside seemed even darker and lonelier, and Steve Burton just stood by the roadside without rushing to get into his car. Under the dim yellow streetlight in front of him was a wide street. He watched the asional passing of speeding vehicles, as well as young men and women drunk from their nocturnal revelries pass by him. After a long while, he raised his hand, gazing at his bare ring finger, his hand reaching up to caress it lightly. Indeed, as Rusell said, a pair of rings could solve all the problems, but he was unwilling to solve them.
What he was afraid of was not that Ruby would not love him after marriage, nor was it the depth of the wound in his heart from discovering something inadvertently three years ago. What he was really afraid of was simple ¨C he was afraid of wronging her. Now, seeing her living in front of him with no sense of self, he was already tired for her. If they really got married, wouldn¡¯t it be for a lifetime? Being on guard, being nice to another person for a lifetime, how tiring would that be? Perhaps she didn¡¯t care, she was used to it, she didn¡¯t love him, and just treated this constant need to please as a duty or a job. But he felt distressed for herck of self. Steve Burton drove back to his apartment¡¯s underground parking lot. He sat in the car for a while before pushing open the car door and heading upstairs. When he raised his hand to input the door code, his movements halted slightly. Then he felt that he might be overthinking. Ruby Gregory, who would be willing to stay longer with him, was probably already gone by now. Steve Burton input the code, pushed open the door and changed shoes to go inside. But there he saw, Ruby Gregory in disheveled clothes, curled up on the floor.. Chapter 293: 293: Observe Carefully and Learn Diligently (3) Chapter 293: 293: Observe Carefully and Learn Diligently (3)
Trantor: 549690339 Steve Burton stood at the door, slightly taken aback, his eyes filled with disbelief. In the next second, his eyebrows furrowed. He didn¡¯t like carpets, so under the sofa was the smooth, cold marble floor, and she was sitting on it, wearing nothing. Without thinking, Steve walked straight up to Ruby Gregory, leaned down slightly, patted her shoulder and asked in his usual cold tone, ¡°What are you doing squatting here?¡±
Ruby didn¡¯t respond to him at all. Steve frowned. Was she angry and refusing to talk to him? After suppressing his feelings for the night, he felt much more rxed, and his tone unknowingly lightened, ¡°Didn¡¯t you hear me asking you a question?¡± As he spoke, Steve patted Ruby twice more, using a bit more force this time. Ruby still didn¡¯t move a muscle. The overly still Ruby made a bad feeling rise in Steve¡¯s heart. After patting her twice more and finding no response, he quickly crouched down in front of Ruby, ¡°Ruby? Ruby?¡± Ruby didn¡¯t answer, and Steve finally became thoroughly panicked. He grabbed her shoulders, pulled her up from the floor, and found her pale face with a hint of an abnormal flush. Her eyes were tightly closed, her long eyshes drooping weakly in their sockets, and her whole body went limp as she slumped to one side. Steve¡¯s quick reflexes enabled him to catch Ruby by the waist and bring her into his arms, only then realizing the scorching heat from the woman¡¯s body. At this point, Steve was at a total loss, he patted Ruby¡¯s face and called her name several times. Seeing that she showed no signs of waking up, he finally thought of something, rummaged in his pocket and took out his phone, dialed Rusell Henris¡¯ number, and ran up to the second floor with Ruby in his arms. He kicked open the door of his bedroom, ced Ruby on the bed, and covered her with a nket. Steve truly experienced what it meant to be a long time in an instant. Between the time when Rusell arrived at his apartment with the doctor, it was only a short twenty minutes, but it felt like twenty years to him.
The doorbell rang, and Steve hurriedly opened the door without saying a word. He directly dragged the doctor upstairs and pushed him to the bedside. Ruby was dressed a bit thin for the suburban wind, and after being exposed to the wind for an afternoon, tired in the evening, and sitting on the cold floor for so long, she caught a cold and developed a fever. The doctor administered an antipyretic intravenous injection to Ruby. It would take at least two hours for the medicine to take effect. After giving the injection, the doctor was ready to leave when Steve, worried, insisted that the doctor stayed until Ruby¡¯s fever subsided.. Chapter 294: 294: Observe Carefully and Learn Diligently (4) Chapter 294: 294: Observe Carefully and Learn Diligently (4)
Trantor: 549690339 Steve Burton personally sent the doctor downstairs, who was brought by Russell Henris in his car, so naturally, it was Russell who drove him back. Russell pressed the elevator button, and before the elevator door opened, he said ¡°Goodbye¡± to Steve, who was standing by the door.
As the family doctor of the Henris family, the doctor recognized Steve. Before stepping into the elevator, he seemed to remember something and advised Steve, ¡°Miss Gregory¡¯s resistance is a bit weak, it¡¯s best to take some vitamins regrly to improve her resistance but she should still exercise more.¡± Steve nodded, not saying anything. Russell and the doctor entered the elevator, and the surroundings became tranquil. Steve closed the door and slowly walked back to the room, stood in front of the French windows in the living room, and saw an azure swimming pool. The lights inside the house shone on the blue water, reflecting fragments of light. His apartment was on the 32nd floor, from where he could see the bustling city lights far away, which were already sparse and scattered. Steve stood there for a while,posed himself, then turned around and slowly walked toward the master bedroom upstairs. The bedroom was quiet, and the antipyretic Ruby Gregory received contained sleeping ingredients, causing her to change from unconscious to deep sleep. Steve sat on the edge of the bed, and his slender fingers softly touched Ruby¡¯s face. On thevish bedroom wall, a European-style clock kept making its rounds as the seconds ticked by without pause, and the color outside the window gradually turned white. Steve finally withdrew his slightly stiff arm, pulled the covers up for Ruby, and left the bedroom. Ruby slept quite heavily this time and only woke up at noon. North-facing Steve¡¯s bedroom had bright sunlighting through the wide windows, making it hard for Ruby to open her eyes. Raising her hand to shield the light, Ruby realized she was in a strange environment. Expensive items adorned the bedroom, paintings on the wall were done by famous artists, and each was worth a fortune. In the end, Ruby was attracted to a row of porcin dolls.
There were six porcin dolls in total, made by her and Madeleine when they were in middle school handcrafting ss, featuring themselves, Steve, Russell, Edward Woods, Howard Coleman, and Madeleine. It was only then that Ruby suddenly realized she was in Steve¡¯s bedroom. After talking to her father on the phonest night, she squatted on the cold floor, intending to go home when regaining strength, but somehow lost consciousnesster. Now that she had woken up, she was in Steve¡¯s bed ¨C hadn¡¯t the man leftst night? When did he return? Ruby turned her head with suspicion and saw the women¡¯s clothes prepared on the bedside table. Checking the size, they were indeed hers.. Chapter 295: 295: Observe Carefully and Learn Diligently (5) Chapter 295: 295: Observe Carefully and Learn Diligently (5)
Trantor: 549690339 Ruby Gregory knew that the clothes were prepared for her. However, the dress was goose-yellow in color. She had no other choice but to wear it since Steve Burton had torn her clothes yesterday. So, Ruby picked up the dress, put it on, and tidied it up. When Ruby entered the bathroom, new toiletries were ced on the washstand. After freshening up, she went downstairs from the second floor. As Ruby walked around the spiral staircase, she saw Steve sitting on the living room couch, holding a document in hand, and watching the TV that was ying a financial channel. Steve would intermittently lift his head from the document to nce at the TV screen. The humming sound from the range hood in the kitchen could be heard.
Ruby hesitated for a moment before slowly descending the staircase. As she passed the living room couch, she still decided to address Steve, who was caught between watching the TV and studying the document, saying, ¡°Um¡­ I¡¯ll be going first.¡± Steve¡¯s hand holding the document paused for a moment. As usual, he directly ignored Ruby¡¯s words and turned a page in the document on his own. Ruby Gregory was not sure if Steve had heard her or not. Her lips pursed, she said again, ¡°Goodbye.¡± Steve looked at Ruby, picked up the remote control, turned off the TV, and threw the document on the marble coffee table. He stood up, not even ncing at Ruby, and walked straight past her to the French windows in the living room, pushed open the ss door, went out to the swimming pool, and stood upright with his back to the living room. Ruby frowned slightly at Steve¡¯s disregard and hesitated for a moment before walking towards the door. While Steve¡¯s kitchen was open-concept, Mrs. Taylor, who was cooking in the kitchen, had noticed Rubying downstairs. The reason Steve prepared such an apartment was to have separate private space, so he didn¡¯t hire any servants. Mrs. Taylor had been the Burtons¡¯ housekeeper for many years, and Steve liked her cooking the most. So, whenever Steve didn¡¯t return to the mansion, the Burtons¡¯ driver would bring Mrs. Taylor here to clean up the room and cook for him. Compared to Steve¡¯s mom, Mrs. Taylor was more familiar with Ruby. She took great care of Steve and also looked after Ruby quite a bit. There were some things that the Burtons didn¡¯t know, but Mrs. Taylor did ¡ª for example, Mr. Steve¡¯s feelings towards Ms. Gregory. Mrs. Taylor had witnessed the entire scene between Ruby and Steve in the living room. As a housekeeper, she shouldn¡¯t interfere in her employer¡¯s affairs, but she had always cherished Steve as her own son. So, she couldn¡¯t help but call out to Ruby, who was walking toward the door, and stopped her..
Chapter 296: 296: Observe Carefully and Learn Diligently (6) Chapter 296: 296: Observe Carefully and Learn Diligently (6)
Trantor: 549690339 ¡°Ms. Gregory.¡± Ruby Gregory did not expect that anyone else in Steve Burton¡¯s house would recognize her. Surprised, she turned her head and saw Mrs. Taylor, hesitated for a moment, and then smiled, ¡°Mrs. Taylor.¡±
Mrs. Taylor walked up to Ruby, having just seen her from afar. Now taking a closer look, her eyes were filled with a hint of ecstasy, ¡°I haven¡¯t seen you, Ms. Gregory, for so many years. You¡¯ve be even more beautiful than before.¡± Ruby shyly smiled, ¡°You¡¯re not working at the Mansion anymore?¡± ¡°Mr. Steve lives here alone, and the folks at the Mansion worry about him, so they often send me over to take care of some things.¡± Having worked as a maid in the Burton family for so many years, Mrs. Taylor subtly informed Ruby, ¡°Ms. Gregory, you had a high feverst night, are you feeling better now?¡± Last night, Ruby only remembered herself falling unconscious, and had no recollection of what happened after. Now that Lady Gregory brought it up, she frowned slightly and asked in confusion, ¡°Did I have a feverst night?¡± ¡°Ms. Gregory, your fever reached 1040F. It took the whole day for it to subside. When I arrived, Mr. Steve told me not to clean upstairs, afraid it would disturb your sleep.¡± After saying the important part, Mrs. Taylor asked, ¡°Ms. Gregory, how do you feel now?¡± So the clothes by her bed and the toiletries in the bathroom were all prepared by Steve? Ruby¡¯s heart raced slightly, ¡°I¡¯m all right now.¡± The scent of food wafted in from the kitchen, and Mrs. Taylor said, ¡°Ms. Gregory, why not stay and have lunch? It¡¯s been years since you¡¯ve tasted my cooking.¡± Ruby involuntarily looked toward Steve outside the French windows. Initially, he was standing with his back to the living room, but at some point, he turned his body so he could see into the living room. As their eyes met through the ss and distance, Ruby felt a chill emanating from him. She shivered subconsciously and shook her head with a smile at Mrs. Taylor, ¡°I haven¡¯t been home all night; I¡¯m worried my family might be concerned. Next time, I¡¯ll taste your cooking.¡± Mrs. Taylor had stopped Ruby in order to persuade her to stay. Hearing Ruby¡¯s refusal, she persistently coaxed her, ¡°Ms. Gregory, you¡¯re just giving me excuses. Who knows when next time will be? Besides, Mr. Steve doesn¡¯t want you to leave either.¡± How, after being so cold and indifferent to her, could Steve not want her to leave? Ruby frowned slightly, her eyes filling with doubt.
Seeing the doubt in Ruby¡¯s eyes, Mrs. Taylor swore earnestly, ¡°Ms. Gregory, please believe me, I guarantee that deep down, Mr. Steve doesn¡¯t want you to leave.¡± Ruby was swayed by Mrs. Taylor¡¯s certainty. She had always thought she understood Steve, but every time she ended up making things worse. Mrs. Taylor had been taking care of Steve for years; could she be right? Last night, Steve had told her to think carefully about what he wanted and what she should give. She was utterly clueless; could Mrs. Taylor help her? Ruby struggled within her heart before finally deciding to give it a try. Biting her lip, she asked, ¡°Mrs. Taylor, how did you know that he didn¡¯t want me to leave?¡± PS: That¡¯s it for today, more updates tomorrow- Ruby¡¯s starting to seek advice Congrats to the winning reader: Weng! Reader Group: 192412658 Chapter 297: 297: Observe Carefully and Learn Diligently (7) Chapter 297: 297: Observe Carefully and Learn Diligently (7)
Trantor: 549690339 Ruby Gregory struggled inwardly for a moment, then finally decided to give it a try and tentatively asked, ¡°Mrs. Taylor, how did you know that he doesn¡¯t want me to leave?¡± At Ruby¡¯s question, surprise shed in Mrs. Taylor¡¯s eyes. ¡°Ms. Gregory, you¡¯ve been close to Mr. Steve for so many years. Can¡¯t you see this yourself?¡±
Ruby didn¡¯t know how to respond to Mrs. Taylor¡¯s question. A faint blush spread across her face as she looked at Mrs. Taylor, lips tightly pressed together, and remained silent. Mrs. Taylor¡¯s eyes widened with deeper shock. ¡°Ms. Gregory, didn¡¯t you notice anything off about Mr. Steve just now?¡± Ruby furrowed her brow and tilted her head, recalling her conversation with Steve Burton when she just came downstairs. Shaking her head gently, she replied, ¡°No, I didn¡¯t.¡± Seeing Ruby¡¯s reaction, Mrs. Taylor became increasingly anxious. ¡°Seriously, you didn¡¯t notice anything strange?¡± Ruby thought about it but still couldn¡¯t see any anomaly in Steve¡¯s behavior during their conversation; his demeanor remained aloof and indifferent. He seemed preupied with his reports and TV show and showed no signs of anger or outbursts. She stared at Mrs. Taylor, biting her lower lip, and shook her head again slowly. Mrs. Taylor grew concerned when Ruby didn¡¯t seem to understand her point. Out of patience, she spoke more bluntly: ¡°Ms. Gregory, Mr. Steve was fine watching TV and checking his reports. But when you said you wanted to go home, he suddenly turned off the TV, tossed aside his reports, and left. Doesn¡¯t that strike you as odd?¡± ¡°Didn¡¯t he just get tired from looking at the reports and wanted to take a break?¡± Ruby hesitated, voicing the thought in her mind. Besides, his reaction looked more like he was ignoring her. How did that rte to him not wanting her to leave? Mrs. Taylor felt a touch of despair at Ruby¡¯s misunderstanding: ¡°You usuallye across as such a clever and quick-witted girl. Why do you suddenly be as dull as a bumpkin when ites to this matter? You don¡¯t seem to grasp anything I¡¯ve been trying to say.¡± Ruby¡¯s eyes widened in disbelief as she stared at Mrs. Taylor. No one had ever called her dull before. Mrs. Taylor took a deep breath, trying to calm herself, and continued, a few tones harsher: ¡°It¡¯s very clear that Mr. Steve¡¯s reaction was in response to your mention of leaving. As soon as you brought it up, how could someone as prideful as Mr. Steve openly ask you to stay?¡± Ruby turned her head and looked through the sparkling clean French windows at Steve, who was standing by the poolside.
The man gazed straight into the distance, the bright sunlight illuminating his figure, offsetting the cold, unweing aura he always seemed to carry.. Chapter 298: 298: Observe Carefully and Learn Diligently (8) Chapter 298: 298: Observe Carefully and Learn Diligently (8)
Trantor: 549690339 Despite his sleepless night and his exhausted appearance, it didn¡¯t affect his beauty. He was stunning to begin with, and now under the sunlight, he seemed even more dazzling.
Ruby stared at his exceptional face and couldn¡¯t help but wonder, could it be that Mrs. Taylor was right, and she had been wrong this whole time? Mrs. Taylor stood nearby, urging her, ¡°Lunch is ready; you should call Mr. Steve toe and eat.¡± She thought she knew Steve well but had repeatedly angered him. After what he saidst night, she had been thinking about what he really wanted. She wasn¡¯t sure if Mrs. Taylor waspletely right, but she wanted to give it a try. Ruby clenched her teeth and decided not to leave. Taking a deep breath, she walked towards the swimming pool on the terrace. Mrs. Taylor smiled and left, satisfied, to return to the kitchen. Although Ruby had made up her mind, her heart began to race nervously as she approached the French windows, even before opening the door. She tightened her grip and, with a determined look, pushed open the door to the terrace. The gentle breeze from the distant city blew, lifting her long hair and skirt hem, fluttering them about. Ruby stopped a meter away from Steve and looked at his side profile for half a minute before finally calling out, ¡°Mr. Burton.¡± Steve turned to look at her with a cold expression and asked bluntly, ¡°I thought you left?¡± Ruby felt embarrassed by his words and wished she could disappear. She couldn¡¯t tell him that Mrs. Taylor had informed her that he didn¡¯t want her to leave. So, she thought of a different excuse, mustering up the courage to say, ¡°I¡¯m hungry and want to eat lunch before leaving. Mrs. Taylor has already prepared it, so I came to call you.¡±
After finishing her words, Ruby quietly looked at Steve¡¯s face. Perhaps the warmth of the sun softened his icy expression, as he made a cold, disdainful ¡°hmph¡± sound, but there was no obvious chill in his demeanor. He even leisurely strolled past her and opened the ss door. Steve gave a sidelong nce at Ruby, who was still standing in ce, and said, ¡°What are you waiting for?¡± Ruby snapped out of her daze and hurriedly walked into the house, with Steve following closely behind. He casually entered the first-floor bathroom. Ruby finally loosened her clenched hand, only to find it soaked with sweat. Her heartbeat was extraordinarily fast. What Mrs.. Taylor said was actually right! Chapter 299: 299: Observe Carefully and Learn Diligently (9) Chapter 299: 299: Observe Carefully and Learn Diligently (9)
Trantor: 549690339 Her heartbeat quickened at an extraordinary pace. Mrs. Taylor was actually right!
Steve Burton¡¯s series of reactions just now wasn¡¯t indifference and neglect toward her, but wanting her to stay. It turned out that all those times, she had misunderstood his intentions. Steve came out after washing his hands, seeing Ruby standing foolishly in the living room. He paused and asked, ¡°Why are you standing here like a fool instead of eating when you¡¯re hungry? Ruby nced at Steve, said nothing, and hurriedly ran into the bathroom. When she came out after washing her hands, Steve was already sitting elegantly and leisurely at the dining table. Ruby sat down across from him, and as she watched Mrs. Taylor bustling around preparing the dishes, she felt embarrassed and stood up to help. With adle, Ruby served two bowls of soup and ced a stack oftro beside them. She knew that Steve didn¡¯t liketro, so she only added it to one of the bowls and then handed the other clear soup to him. ¡°Mr. Burton, this bowl of soup doesn¡¯t havetro,¡± she said. Just as Steve was about to reach out for the soup, upon hearing the words ¡°Mr. Burton,¡± he found it particrly mood-breaking. His mood became instantly gloomy, and his hand only lifted slightly before falling back down. Ruby clearly felt the brief change in Steve¡¯s expression, growing colder. She furrowed her eyebrows and thought for a while, not understanding where she went wrong. Was it possible that his appetite had changed and he now likedtro? Unable to decide, Ruby decided to be safe and brought the te oftro to Steve.
His expression darkened further as he stared at the additional te oftro in front of him. Since returning to the country, Ruby had only eaten with him a few times, let alone had a private meal like now. She was tense to begin with, and seeing Steve¡¯s chilly demeanor made her even more uneasy, losing her appetite. She sat cautiously to the side, picked up her chopsticks, and just kept her head down, fiddling with the white rice in her bowl. Her reaction, in Steve¡¯s eyes, appeared to be struggling to swallow her food. Was having a meal with him that unbearable for her? Steve¡¯s expression grew even darker. The white rice was tasteless. Ruby ate without any enjoyment, wanting to try the steamed sea bass but noticed, upon lifting her chopsticks, that the dishes in front of her hadn¡¯t been touched. She nced over and saw that Steve¡¯s soup and rice hadn¡¯t been touched either. Only then did Ruby raise her head and look at Steve¡¯s face, finding his expression even more frightening than before. Her hand holding the chopsticks trembled, and she no longer had the courage to pick up the food. However, the atmosphere was so stifling that Ruby didn¡¯t dare to eat the rice in her bowl anymore. She could only raise her head and look to Mrs. Taylor for help. Mrs. Taylor, standing to the side, had been fretting over the scene. Seeing that Ruby was finally willing to look at her, she quickly nodded at the dishes and then at Steve¡¯s empty te. Ruby instantly understood Mrs. Taylor¡¯s meaning: she wanted her to serve Steve some food. With Mrs. Taylor¡¯s recent sess in understanding Steve¡¯s thoughts, Ruby was quite trusting of her at this point, although she still had some doubts.
She had no idea how Mrs. Taylor could tell that Steve was waiting for her to serve him food, considering that he hadn¡¯t said a word or shown any reaction since they sat down at the table.. Chapter 300: Observe Carefully and Learn Diligently (10) Chapter 300: Observe Carefully and Learn Diligently (10) Trantor: 549690339 Despite everything, Ruby Gregory picked up the chopsticks and served a portion of Steve Burton¡¯s favorite braised meatball in gravy sauce on his te. While serving him the food, Ruby did not forget to carefully gauge Steve¡¯s reaction. Seeing that his mood hadn¡¯t be more depressive, she felt somewhat reassured and proceeded to serve him other dishes in his te consecutively. With every serving, Steve¡¯s demeanour would soften marginally. By the end, Ruby also felt somewhat rxed. Noticing that Steve still hadn¡¯t picked up his chopsticks to eat, she couldn¡¯t help but utter, ¡°Mr. Burton, you should eat something too.¡± Steve¡¯s face suddenly turned worse than before, his voice chilling to the bone, ¡°So, you want me to start eating, so that you can eat in peace?¡± Why did his mood change from sunny to overcast so suddenly? Steve¡¯s frequently changing mood left Ruby somewhat helpless. In a fluster, she shook her head, ¡°No, no.¡± Having said that, she subconsciously raised her head to solicit help from Mrs. Taylor again. Mrs. Taylor had known from the very beginning that Mr. Steve was ufortable because of the ¡°Mr. Burton¡± from Miss Gregory¡¯s mouth. Just a moment ago, she suggested Ms. Gregory to serve food to Mr. Steve to make his heartfortable. But who knew the moment she had managed to soothe Mr. Steve, Ms. Gregory would utter ¡°Mr. Burton¡± again, undoing all her efforts. Mrs. Taylor shook her head helplessly, seemingly ignoring Ruby¡¯s plea for help, smiled, and said, ¡°Ms. Gregory, this isn¡¯t the office. You calling him Mr. Burton all the time even makes me, a servant, feel awkward.¡¯ After saying this, Mrs. Taylor looked into Ruby¡¯s eyes, signaled her and continued, ¡°You have known Mr. Steve for so many years, you are quite familiar with each other, just call him like you used to. Why would you make the rtionship appear so distant?¡± Ruby was quick to realise Mrs. Taylor¡¯s intent, except for when she faced Steve, whose mind she couldn¡¯t fathom. She nced at Steve and hurriedly corrected herself in a soft voice, saying, ¡°Steve,¡± paused for a moment, and added, ¡°if you don¡¯t eat now, the food will get cold.¡± Steve¡¯s face was still cold, but he was no longer sitting motionless, maintaining the tense atmosphere. Instead, he started using his chopsticks. Ruby heaved a sigh of relief. If it weren¡¯t for Mrs. Taylor today, she might have needed another ten years to figure out how to deal with Steve¡¯s fickle temperament. After lunch, Steve rinsed his mouth and went to bask in the sun on the terrace as usual. Ruby, with a desire to learn, went to the kitchen to help Mrs. Taylor clean the silverware. Mrs. Taylor wouldn¡¯t allow Ruby to do any of the housework. Thus, Ruby¡¯s idea of helping was limited to receiving the washed silverware from Mrs. Taylor and cing them in the sterilizer. Ruby was quick to understand that Steve¡¯s somber face was because she called him ¡°Mr. Burton¡± when Mrs. Taylor pointed it out. It wasn¡¯t because he had changed his appetite or started liking parsley. But then, she wondered, if she didn¡¯t do anythingter, why did his face be even more motley? At this thought, Ruby asked with a serious face, ¡°Mrs.. Taylor, did I do anything wrong at mealtime?¡± Chapter 301: Observe Carefully and Learn Diligently (11) Chapter 301: Observe Carefully and Learn Diligently (11) Trantor: 549690339 ¡°Ms. Gregory, when you eat, it¡¯s like you¡¯re going to the gallows. Do you think that would make anyone feel good inside?¡± Mrs. Taylor casually asked a question, and Ruby Gregory was instantly taken aback. She had always thought that she had hidden herself well, but unexpectedly, it was just her own imagination. Seeing Ruby long silent, as if remembering something, Mrs. Taylor leaned to her ear and asked, ¡°Ms. Gregory, when you¡¯re with Mr. Steve, are you always so prim and proper?¡± ¡°Is there anything wrong with that?¡± Ruby frowned, not thinking there was anything wrong with it. Moreover, she was supposed to be Mrs. Burton, thedy of The Burton¡¯s household, and should be dignified and virtuous, with impable manners. ¡°Of course, there is.¡± Mrs. Taylor shook her head and bluntly dispelled Ruby¡¯s thoughts: ¡°It¡¯s a bit too rigid.¡± Rigid? Ruby¡¯s eyes widened instantly. It seemed that the whole day she had been opposed by Mrs. Taylor. First, she was scolded for being foolish, and now she was called rigid. ¡°Now I finally understand that some problems are actually with you. Think about it, when a man faces a lifeless woman like a dead fish every day, how happy can he be deep down?¡± Now she was being called a dead fish? Ruby sucked in a breath of cold air, being continuously pointed out her faults made her face turn slightly red. As Mrs. Taylor was washing the dishes, she suddenly asked another question, ¡°Ms. Gregory, do you find me ugly?¡± To be honest, Mrs. Taylor was indeed a notch worse than most average-looking women. However, when Mrs. Taylor asked this question, Ruby hesitated and didn¡¯t know how to answer. Mrs. Taylor didn¡¯t seem to care and smiled, ¡°You don¡¯t have to be shy to answer me this question. When I was born, I was the ugliest in our vige, but I can tell you, although I am ugly, my husband treats me very well. Later on, many people envied me.¡± As she spoke, a proud look appeared on Mrs. Taylor¡¯s face. She seemed to reminisce about the past, saying, ¡°My husband was the handsomest guy in our vige, and he was really good at singing the mountain songs that were popr at the time for expressing love. Many pretty girls in the vige liked him, but he chose me.¡± Mrs. Taylor cast a sly nce at Ruby and asked, ¡°Do you know why?¡± Ruby shook her head. Mrs. Taylor said with unmistakable satisfaction, ¡°Because I got a hold of his heart. People are born with a bit of a masochistic nature, the more you pique their interest, the more they¡¯ll cling to you. You may not believe me, but my husband really listens to me. It¡¯s just a pity he died early, and I didn¡¯t want to remarry, so I came to the city and found this job at the Burton¡¯s.¡± Ruby looked at the boastful expression in Mrs. Taylor¡¯s eyes and couldn¡¯t help but ask softly, ¡°How did you get to Uncle Taylor¡¯s heart?¡± ¡°Sometimes, the things you think are vulgar and indecent don¡¯t necessarily mean they¡¯re bad. In public, you should maintain your dignified and virtuous image, but when you¡¯re alone, you should be more interesting.¡± Mrs. Taylor, with the attitude of an experienced person, borated on her own philosophies: ¡°If you¡¯re constantly high-born and graceful, no matter how beautiful you are, it will be tedious over time, and men will eventually lose interest in you..¡± Chapter 302: Observe Carefully and Learn Diligently (12) Chapter 302: Observe Carefully and Learn Diligently (12) Trantor: 549690339 Spending time together alone and making it more interesting? How to make it interesting? Ruby Gregory stared at Mrs. Taylor with a puzzled look on her face. ¡°Interesting means keeping the man seeing different sides of you every day, experiencing different impacts. Of course, doing only these is not enough, there¡¯s¡­¡± Mrs. Taylor leaned toward Ruby Gregory¡¯s ear and whispered: ¡°There is an old saying that if you want to capture a man¡¯s heart, you must first win over his stomach. But by stomach, it doesn¡¯t only mean food, it also refers to a certain type¡­ of appetite.¡± After saying it, Mrs. Taylor nced quickly at Ruby Gregory¡¯s chest. Ruby Gregory instantly understood Mrs. Taylor¡¯s meaning. She subconsciously covered her chest, took a step back, her face turning utterly red as if blood would drip from her face. A hint of fear sprang up from her heart ¡ª that certain ¡®appetite¡¯, for her, would be no less than torture. Mrs. Taylor put the final te into the sterilizer, wiped her hands with a nice smile, and said to Ruby Gregory, ¡°Ms. Gregory, it¡¯s gettingte. I need to return to The Burtons¡¯ Mansion. You can apany Mr. Steve a little more.¡± Ruby Gregory nodded, walked Mrs. Taylor to the door. Before leaving, Mrs. Taylor nced toward Steve Burton, who at some point had changed into his swimsuit and was now swimming on the terrace. She said to Ruby Gregory, ¡°At the right time, be a little coquettish, and ask the man to do something for you. They will love it.¡± After saying it, Mrs. Taylor left with a cheerful smile, closing the door behind her. In the expansive living room, in an instant, only Ruby Gregory was left. She stood in the foyer, looking at Steve Burton bathing in the pool, mulling over it for a moment and deciding that whether she leaves now or stays, either way, she needed to go to the terrace and tell Steve Burton first. If Steve Burton¡¯s words fromst night had given her a glimmer of hope of marrying him, then the words from Mrs. Taylor today were of great help to her, rejuvenating the confidence in her decision to marry Steve Burton. Before heading to the terrace, Ruby Gregory first brewed a pot of coffee in the kitchen and made two cups ording to Steve Burton¡¯s liking, and brought them to the terrace. Ruby Gregory ced the coffee on a white round table near the poolside. She watched as Steve Burton elegantly swam from afar in the blue water, causing beautiful sshes of water. Steve Burton swam to the poolside, stopped, stood in the pool, and looked towards Ruby Gregory. Ruby Gregory pointed to the two cups of coffee on the table: ¡°Would you like to drink something?¡± Steve Burton remained silent, stepping out of the water. Despite the sunny day in early October, the air was still a bit chilly. Ruby Gregory quickly handed Steve Burton his bathrobe. Steve Burton casually wrapped himself in the bathrobe, sat on the lounge chair next to the round table, picked up his coffee, and took a sip. It was made ording to his preferences. He took another sip, saw Ruby Gregory still standing foolishly on the side, lifted his chin, and pointed to the lounge chair at the end of the round table: ¡°Sit.¡± Ruby Gregory sat down obediently, picked up the coffee, and took a sip. The afternoon sun shone gently on the two of them, neither of them spoke, a peaceful atmosphere surrounding them. Usually, when Ruby Gregory and Steve Burton were together, she would stay quiet if he didn¡¯t speak. However, ording to Mrs. Taylor, that made her seem a bit too deste. Ruby Gregory contemted for a moment, turned her head, looked at the side profile of Steve Burton as he drank his coffee, curved her lips slightly and asked, ¡°Did I have a feverst night?¡± Chapter 303: Observe Carefully and Learn Diligently (13) Chapter 303: Observe Carefully and Learn Diligently (13) Trantor: 549690339 Steve Burton was initially stunned, then he took a sip of coffee and hummed. After a moment, he casually asked, ¡°How do you feel now?¡± Ruby Gregory smiled again, ¡°Much better.¡± Steve¡¯s eyes softened, and he just nodded before lowering his head to drink his coffee, his Adam¡¯s apple moving beautifully up and down as he swallowed. After finishing his coffee, Steve stood up and removed his bathrobe without any hesitation, jumping into the water. He swam gracefully and skillfully on his back to the other side, then swam back using the breaststroke, resting at the edge of the pool. He looked at Ruby and asked, ¡°Do you want to swim?¡± Ruby shook her head, ¡°No.¡± Steve didn¡¯t speak anymore and just turned around. Ruby couldn¡¯t see Steve¡¯s expression, and wasn¡¯t sure if he was upset because of her refusal. She bit her lower lip and called out, ¡°Steve.¡± Steve hadn¡¯t expected Ruby to suddenly say his name, and he paused for a moment, turning his head and responding with a gentle ¡°Hmm?¡± Only then did Ruby realize she had been too sensitive, but after calling his name, she couldn¡¯t pretend nothing had happened. Racking her brains, she whispered, ¡°Thank you.¡± Steve was confused by her gratitude, unsure of what she was talking about, ¡°What?¡± Ruby thought her voice was too quiet and he hadn¡¯t heard her clearly, but she was too embarrassed to shout her thanks louder. She stood up and walked towards him at the edge of the pool and said, ¡°Aboutst night¡­ when I was sick¡­¡± With her eyes cast down, she continued, ¡°Thank you.¡± Before Ruby had finished speaking, Steve suddenly grabbed her ankle and, before she could react, she fell into the water with a ssh. Caught off guard, Ruby choked on water, struggling to surface. Before she could breathe, Steve suddenly wrapped his arm around her waist, pulling her under and bringing her lips to his. Desperate for oxygen, Ruby tried to breathe. As she and Steve kissed, she felt the air in his mouth and desperately tried to suck it into hers, along with his tongue. Their kiss was gentler than before, with Steve no longer biting her lip as if devouring her. Without the pain, Ruby felt an odd sensation of stimtion that spread throughout her body, causing trembling deep within her heart. Underwater, Steve removed Ruby¡¯s clothes. The softly yellow material floated atop the pool water, drifting to the side with the ripples the two created. With nothing to support her in the water, Ruby felt overwhelmed by Steve¡¯s movements. She stretched out her hands, blindly groping around for something to hold on to. She finally grabbed his arm and instinctively held on tight as if she found something to cling to. Steve¡¯s body stiffened, and he pressed down on Ruby¡¯s head, deepening their kiss. His movements became more intense, but not fierce. Ruby wasn¡¯t sure if it was because they were in the water, but the pain she usually felt was reced by an increasing fervor deep within her. Eventually, the water became calm, and Steve carried Ruby, her body limp, out of the pool and back to their bedroom on the second floor. In her daze, Ruby noticed Steve¡¯s face wasn¡¯t clouded in darkness as it usually was after their passion, but rather showed gentleness and rxation. PS: Today¡¯s update has an extra 200 words per chapter, so although there are only seven chapters, the total word count is 400 words more than if there were eight. From now on, each chapter will have this many words, and updates will be either seven or eight chapters. If everyone¡¯s enthusiasm is high, then it will be eight chapters~ The lucky reader is: Qi Ye Mo PPS: Extra! Extra! There¡¯s a fun event! Just log in to mobile QQ, click on ¡°Dynamic,¡± choose ¡°Interest Tribe,¡± and then join the activities. If you follow ten interest tribes, you have a chance to win an iPhone 6. Be quick and grab it~ Don¡¯t forget to follow: Ye Fei Ye Chapter 304: 304: Observe Carefully and Learn Diligently (14) Chapter 304: 304: Observe Carefully and Learn Diligently (14)
Trantor:549690339 In her daze, she looked at Steve Burton¡¯s face, which, unlike the usual dark clouds that appeared after doing this, actually seemed somewhat rxed and gentle. As for her¡­ Ruby opened her eyes and nced at her body, only to find that there were no new marks added today, except for the bruises he left on herst night.
In the past, she would be in pain for quite a while after it was over, but now there was no pain, just a sense of difort, as if she had been hollowed out, feeling empty inside, which made her subconsciously clench her legs together, trying to alleviate the feeling of emptiness. Steve Burton gently ced Ruby on the bed, not leaving without a word as before, but instead, he sat on the edge of the bed, staring at her. His eyes were burning with intensity, and Ruby knew this was a sign of his unfulfilled desire for more. Just as her intuition hadn¡¯t settled, Steve Burton lowered his head and his lips met hers again. Their kiss was passionate and hot. Just moments earlier in the pool, Ruby struggled to breathe, desperately sucking air through his lips, fighting to steal a bit of air from his mouth. Now, as they kissed normally, Ruby didn¡¯t know how to respond. All she could do wasy there in a daze, letting him take from her. His hands wandered dishonestly across her skin, evoking a strange sensation that spread throughout her body, making the emptiness within her grow even more. This unfamiliar reaction frightened her somewhat, and she subconsciously clung to the bed sheets, causing her body to tense up unconsciously. Steve Burton noticed her unease, and his touch gradually lightened, trying to help her to rx. As his touch became gentler, the strange, empty sensation within Ruby grew even more intense, making her increasingly anxious. Finally, she reverted to her usual stiff, wooden-like state when they engaged in physical intimacy and silently prayed for Steve Burton to finish quickly. Seeing Ruby with her eyes closed, lips tightly pressed together, and looking as if she were headed to execution, Steve Burton¡¯s gentle expression slowly turned cold.
His gaze lingered on her face for a moment before moving down to her hands, which were gripping the bed sheets tightly. The knuckles protruding on her hands held a trace of pallor. Steve Burton¡¯s grip on Ruby¡¯s shoulder tightened, his eyes flickering for a moment, and he lowered his head. The strength of his bite on her skin turned rough again, and his movements grew more violent. Ruby felt the pain clearly as it crept over her entire body, causing herplexion to gradually pale. That nightmarish torment hade again. It was as though their painless, torment-free lovemaking in the pool had been just a figment of her wild imagination. Ruby knew that once this pain unfolded, it would extend for a long time. In an attempt to distract herself, she began counting numbers silently in her heart. However, she had only just reached ¡°nine¡± when the man on top of her suddenly became quiet. Thinking it was her imagination, Ruby closed her eyes and waited for a moment, only to find that there was still no movement, prompting her to finally open her eyes. Chapter 305: 305: Observe Carefully and Learn Diligently (15) Chapter 305: 305: Observe Carefully and Learn Diligently (15)
Trantor:549690339 The moment Ruby Gregory and Steve Burton¡¯s gazes met, Steve suddenly pulled away from her body, with a gloomy face, he grabbed a robe from the side, wrapped himself in it, and turned to enter the bathroom. Soon after, the sound of running water faintly came through.
Ruby was caught off guard by Steve¡¯s sudden halt,pletely clueless about what was happening. She sat on the bed, dumbfounded and holding the quilt, staring at the bathroom door. After about five minutes, the sound of water stopped, and the bathroom door was opened from the inside. Steve, wrapped in a bathrobe and wiping his wet hair with a towel, walked out. His expression still seemed somewhat indifferent, not even ncing at Ruby sitting on the bed. He walked straight to the dressing room, changed into a casual light-colored loungewear, and continued to ignore Ruby as he walked out of the bedroom. When it came to making love, Steve had only stopped suddenly halfway through twice. The first time was when Ruby cried uncontrobly, dampening his enthusiasm, and the second time was today. They were fine while swimming in the pool, but why was it that once they returned to the bedroom, everything suddenly changed like this¡­ Ruby furrowed her eyebrows. Mrs. Taylor only demonstrated it to Ruby twice, but after understanding the concepts, Ruby figured it out after some thinking. While in the pool, she was preupied with the thought of drowning and forgot about her pain, so she wasn¡¯t as tense. Back in the bedroom, her other worries disappeared, and her tension returned. The moment she became tense, Steve started to be visibly displeased. Did that mean that as long as she wasn¡¯t tense when they were together, he would be as cheerful as he was in the pool today after making love, instead of being gloomy? The reason she felt tense when it came to making love was due to her fear of pain. If she could make herself not feel the pain, would that solve everything?
As Ruby thought of this, she suddenly experienced a sense of relief as if she had ovee her biggest difficulty. After having a high feverst night, Ruby was already somewhat weak, and she had just spent a long time with Steve. Feeling rxed, Ruby unknowingly fell asleep. When she woke up again, the sky had started to darken. Ruby looked at the time; it was already 6:30 p.m., and she had slept for over three hours. Steve had already fished her clothes out of the pool and dried them, cing them by the bed. Ruby picked them up and got dressed, then she went downstairs. She didn¡¯t see Steve¡¯s figure in the living room, and the terrace was empty except for the two coffee cups she had brought out at noon. Ruby returned to the second floor; following the circr corridor and going around, she finally heard faint voices from the innermost room. Through the door, Ruby couldn¡¯t quite make out the words being spoken, but she recognized Steve¡¯s voice. She stood at the door, waiting for the room to quiet down before reaching out to knock. After a moment, Steve¡¯s usual indifferent and aloof voice came from inside, ¡°Come in.¡± As Ruby pushed the door open, she realized that this was the study. The light was off, and only theputer in front of Steve cast a thinyer of illumination.
Chapter 306: 306: Observe Carefully and Learn Diligently (16) Chapter 306: 306: Observe Carefully and Learn Diligently (16)
Trantor:549690339 Ruby Gregory stood at the door, not entering. After a while, Steve Burton looked up from hisputer and nced at her standing in the doorway. He asked, ¡°Do you need something?¡± ¡°It¡¯s gettingte, I need to go home.¡±
Steve didn¡¯t respond but just shifted his gaze from Ruby¡¯s face back to hisputer and continued typing away. Ruby kept her eyes on Steve¡¯s face. As the light in the study was dim, she couldn¡¯t see his expression clearly. Considering that he had ignored her when she mentioned going home at noon, she assumed he wasn¡¯t pleased with her departure. So she added, ¡°I have work tomorrow, and there are documents at home I¡¯ll need. I won¡¯t have time to pick them up in the morning.¡± Steve remained silent, his typing not slowing in the slightest. His silence unsettled Ruby but, thanks to Mrs. Taylor¡¯s advice, she had grown smarter. She didn¡¯t say goodbye outright, but instead recalled all the words Mrs. Taylor had said to her. Mrs. Taylor advised that sometimes, when the time was right, a woman should act spoiled and ask a man to do something for her, it might make him happy. Ruby bit her lip, sounding tentative as she asked, ¡°Um¡­ I didn¡¯t drive¡­ and it¡¯ste¡­ Could you please take me home?¡± At Ruby¡¯s words, Steve¡¯s fingers, which had been typing away, paused briefly before resuming their rhythmic tapping on the keyboard. Ruby stood at the door, noticing her heartbeat quickening. How many years had it been since Stevest drove her home? When she was young, she loved to visit the Burtons¡¯ Mansion after school. The Gregorys¡¯ residence and the Burtons¡¯ were adjoining. Whenever she was ready to go home, no matter how busy Steve was, she would relentlessly bug him to take her home. Sometimes he was doing his homework or ying games with Rusell Henris and Edward Woods, getting annoyed by her pestering. He would re at her with impatience but would still stand up, organize the messy books andics she left at his ce, put them in her backpack, and then carried it for her, descending the stairs without a word. Back then, she was young and naive, solely focused on getting what she desired. She bid everyone farewell cheerfully, happily following him home, hopping along the way.
Time had flown by, and those youthful days felt like a dream, a fading memory. The room was quiet, the only sound was Steve¡¯s tapping on the keyboard. Just when Ruby thought Steve wouldn¡¯t drive her home, he suddenly closed theptop with a ¡°snap,¡± stood up, walked over to her using the dim light from the window, and looked into her eyes for a long time under the light from the hallway. Finally, he said, ¡°Wait for me.¡± Afterwards, he brushed past her into the bedroom. In less than a minute, he came out dressed in formal attire, holding a set of car keys. He said to Ruby who was still standing in the doorway, ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡± And with that, he took the lead and went downstairs. Chapter 307: 307: Observe Carefully and Learn Diligently (17) Chapter 307: 307: Observe Carefully and Learn Diligently (17)
Trantor:549690339 In the underground parking garage, Steve Burton opened the passenger seat door for Ruby Gregory. Ruby remembered that Madeleine had told her that Steve really hated having someone sit in the passenger seat. She nced at the door to the back seat and then at Steve, who had already opened the passenger seat. After hesitating for a moment, Ruby finally climbed into the passenger seat. As she fastened her seatbelt, she kept watching Steve¡¯s expression in the rearview mirror, only to find that his face never showed any displeasure. It was then that she felt reassured.
As the car drove out of the city and smoothly headed towards the West Suburb Vi District, Steve turned on the car¡¯s music, allowing the melodious songs to surround the entire cabin. Although they didn¡¯t talk much during the journey when Steve drove Ruby home, she could still feel that his mood wasn¡¯t bad. She also vaguely knew that it was her request for him to drive her home that had pleased him. Over the years, the Gregorys had only taught her how to please Steve, not to refuse his requests, and to consider everything he liked as her own preferences. She had always thought that as long as she followed their methods, she would be sessful. So, from the moment she realized the mission she had been given in life, she no longer asked Steve to do anything for her. She no longer acted spoiled, cute, or difficult as she did when she was a child. In front of him, she became reserved, considerate, and began learning to care for him and treat him well. The Gregorys also told her that men didn¡¯t like clingy and nagging women, nor did they like women who were immature and without a sense of responsibility. So, she always tried to be a woman who wouldn¡¯t cause any trouble for Steve. However, no matter how well she behaved, not only did she fail to gain his affection, but she also nearly dragged the Gregorys down with her in the end. What Mrs. Taylor had taught her today clearly seemed to be correct. It seemed that from today on, she needed to learn once again how to interact with Steve. On Monday, the first day of the workweek, Ruby got up early, washed up, and went to the dressing room to pick out her clothes. She instinctively chose a light blue piece for her autumn outfit. But as she was about to put it on, she remembered Mrs. Taylor¡¯s words: ¡°You need to let the man see a different you every day.¡± Ruby hesitated for a moment, then returned the light blue outfit to the wardrobe and chose a rose-colored knit sweater to wear instead, paired with a pair of white skinny pants. When Ruby arrived at the office, Maya Mitchell, who had been beaten up by Olivia Foster, was already sitting unscathed in the office. Olivia, who hadn¡¯te inst week either, was also back at work. However, she was less mboyant than before, and even her dressing was more subdued and calm. Ruby sat in her seat and greeted Maya. Before she could finish speaking, Steve came out of the elevator, so she had to close her mouth and, like other secretaries, quickly stood up and respectfully greeted: ¡°Mr. Burton.¡± As usual, Steve stopped in front of the senior secretary Ms. Taylor to listen to her report for the day¡¯s schedule. Only today, his eyes would asionally drift towards Ruby instead of being focused intently on the schedule as before.
Chapter 308: 308: Observe Carefully and Learn Diligently (18) Chapter 308: 308: Observe Carefully and Learn Diligently (18)
Trantor:549690339 Steve Burton was already eye-catching, and his frequent nces at Ruby Gregory attracted the attention of other secretaries, who also looked at Ruby. Ruby felt a bit embarrassed by everyone¡¯s staring, so she finally just stared at herputer screen without looking away.
After listening to Ms. Taylor¡¯s report on the meeting schedule, Steve nodded and then nced at Ruby again before walking into his office. As soon as Steve left, one secretary chuckled and said, ¡°No wonder Mr. Burton kept staring at Ruby. I thought there was something different about her today too, and now I remember, it¡¯s because she changed the color of her clothes. It¡¯s a refreshing change from the blue she used to wear all the time.¡± Ruby smiled at thepliment and was about to speak when the inte on her desk rang. It was a call from the president¡¯s office, and she hurriedly picked up. Steve¡¯s usual calm andposed voice came through, ¡°Make a cup of coffee.¡± So throughout the day, Ruby received an inte call from Steve about every hour asking her to make a cup of coffee and bring it to his office. Every time Ruby brought in the coffee, Steve would always be diligently working with his head down,pletely focused. Ruby, afraid of disturbing Steve, gently ced the coffee on the desk and quietly retreated two steps before turning around and leaving. At this point, Steve always lifted his head quickly, picked up the coffee, and sipped it slowly, his gaze following Ruby¡¯s retreating figure with a hint of appreciation as she disappeared through the office door. Just before leaving work in the afternoon, Ruby went to the restroom. As soon as Ruby left, the phone on her desk rang. Maya Mitchell¡¯s desk was only half a meter away from Ruby¡¯s, and the phone happened to be next to the corridor. Maya nced over and saw that it was an inte call, knowing it was from Steve. Before she had a chance to tell Steve that Ruby was not at her seat, Steve¡¯s voice came through the phone calmly, ¡°Coffee.¡± He hung up after just two words, not giving Maya any chance to respond.
Maya had always thought that since she helped Ruby and Steve cover up the scene at the Red Park Resort & Vis¡¯ viewing tform, Steve might have some change towards her. Since she had a document for Steve to sign, she took the initiative to go to the pantry, made a cup of coffee, and then went to Steve¡¯s office. Maya politely knocked on the door and entered when she heard Steve say, ¡°Come in.¡± As before, Steve was staring intently at the documents on his desk. Maya approached quietly, put the coffee on the desk, and stood by with the document, not leaving. Her gaze, however, was fixed on Steve¡¯s face. Steve hadn¡¯t really been concentrating on the documents, and after a while, not sensing Ruby leaving, he looked up nonchntly. To his surprise, he found it was Maya standing in front of him. Steve¡¯s brows furrowed as he nced at the coffee she had ced, but didn¡¯t say anything. Maya quickly retracted her infatuated gaze on Steve and gave a small smile, speaking in a gentle voice: Chapter 309: 309: Observe Carefully and Learn Diligently (19) Chapter 309: 309: Observe Carefully and Learn Diligently (19)
Trantor:549690339 ¡°Ruby went to the restroom, so I answered her phone. Coincidentally, I have a report that needs your signature, so I made a cup of coffee and brought it over.¡± After saying that, Maya ced the report in front of Steve with both hands.
There was no change in Steve¡¯s expression because of Maya¡¯s exnation. He just nced at her indifferently before turning his attention to the report. Maya looked at Steve absent-mindedly scanning the report. She thought about their visit to Red Park Resort & Vis, when Steve blocked the te Olivia threw at her. Softly, she asked, ¡°Mr. Burton, has your hand healed?¡± Steve¡¯s face was calm, still looking at the report, he absent-mindedly nodded to Maya. Maya stared at Steve and said, ¡°Thank you for what happened at Red Park Resort & Vis. If it weren¡¯t for you, I might have been the one injured.¡± Maya was clever; she mentioned Steve¡¯s hand to bring up the events at Red Park Resort & Vis. Although she was the one secretly behind everything, at least on the surface, it appeared that her presence had saved Ruby. Back then, her ruthless actions toward Olivia were solely to leave a good impression on Steve. However, Steve didn¡¯t follow Maya¡¯s train of thought. He didn¡¯t mention her help at the Red Park Resort & Vis. His entire demeanor remained indifferent. He barely acknowledged her with a ¡°hm¡± before flipping to thest page of the report. Finding no mistakes, he signed his name in an elegant manner, closed the report, and nced at Maya, signaling her to take the report and leave. Maya felt disappointed as she looked into Steve¡¯s eyes. She hesitated a moment before speaking up, ¡°Mr. Burton, I¡¯m sorry about what happened at Red Park Resort & Vis. I shouldn¡¯t have told Olivia where Ruby went.¡± After a short pause, Maya continued, ¡°If I hadn¡¯t told Olivia, there wouldn¡¯t have been any trouble.¡± Steve seemed to have forgotten about Maya¡¯s help that day and, upon hearing her humble words, he seriously looked at her and said, ¡°Be more careful next time.¡±
Maya had thought she might hear words of gratitude from Steve. She had never seen him thank anyone before. During her week of resting at home, she often wondered how he would thank her. However, she never imagined that all she would hear from him were these simple four words: Be more careful. It was as if she had made a mistake and he was just not holding it against her. Maya¡¯s expression became slightly rigid. Steve looked up at Maya, who was still standing in front of his desk, and frowned. He asked, ¡°Is there anything else?¡± Maya came to her senses and quickly shook her head at Steve. Steve didn¡¯t say anything else. As Maya was about to turn around and leave, Steve seemed to remember something and suddenly said, ¡°If I recall correctly, there was a semester in college when Ruby paid your tuition, right?¡± Maya was confused as to why Steve brought up the past all of a sudden. She hesitated for a moment before nodding her head to him. Chapter 310: 310: Observe Carefully and Learn Diligently (20) Chapter 310: 310: Observe Carefully and Learn Diligently (20)
Trantor:549690339 ¡°If Ruby Gregory hadn¡¯t paid your tuition back then, would you have had to drop out of school?¡± Maya Mitchell nodded in agreement.
¡°So, you¡¯re saying that you covered for her at the Red Park Resort & Vis out of genuine sincerity without expecting anything in return?¡± It seemed that in Steve Burton¡¯s mind, all the cover-ups she did for Ruby were justified. She had thought that she might be able to use that incident to gain a favorable impression in his heart, which could change their interactions with one another. She tried so hard to get close to him. Yet, even though they met every day, there was always an insurmountable barrier between them. Maya¡¯s expression faltered slightly, as she gritted her teeth and tried to force a casual smile at Steve. She steadied her voice and, using an easy-going tone, replied: ¡°Yes.¡± Maya took a deep breath and made an effort to maintain a smile on her face: ¡°If Mr. Burton has no further queries, I will take my leave.¡± Steve didn¡¯t say anything further. Maya, holding the report, quickly turned around. Her smile immediately vanished. She hadn¡¯t walked more than a few steps when Steve¡¯s voice sounded behind her once again: ¡°Make a cup of coffee.¡± Maya came to an abrupt halt. She had made him a cup of coffee, untouched with visible steam still rising from it, sitting on his desk. Clutching the files tightly, Maya hurried out of Steve¡¯s office.
Just as she was opening the door to the office, she encountered Ruby Gregory, who was entering with a cup of coffee in hand. Maya quicklyposed herself and gave Ruby a warm smile, making way for her to enter the office first. As Maya was closing the office door, she heard Ruby¡¯s slightly surprised voice from within the office: ¡°Isn¡¯t there already a cup of coffee here?¡± Maya¡¯s door-closing motion unconsciously was halted. She then heard Steve¡¯s emotionless and indifferent response: ¡°Just take this cup of coffee away and dump it.¡± His tone was clean and decisive, without any hesitation or pause. Maya¡¯s hand gripped the doorknob tightly, her facepletely drained of color. Ruby¡¯s outfit on Monday didn¡¯t raise Steve¡¯s disdain but instead, attracted his frequent nces. Ruby knew that Mrs. Taylor¡¯s advice had been correct once again. Actually, it was a good thing for Ruby, as no one would want to wear the same unchanging colors for their entire life. So, every day after that, she chose her clothes based on her preferences,bining various colors and styles. Once you try something, there will be more attempts to follow. Ruby had long grown tired of Chanel No. 5 perfume. So, after changing her clothes, she decided to stop wearing it as well. Whether or not it was because of Mrs. Taylor¡¯s prediction, these changes provided a fresh experience for Steve. When he faced Ruby, he no longer maintained the cold and indifferent attitude that he had disyed previously.
Steve often invited Ruby to apany him to importantpany dinners. After they took their seats, he would introduce her proactively. He even, intentionally or unintentionally, mentioned that she was the heiress of Gregory¡¯s Enterprises. PS: The next chapter will be updated a bitter. If you can¡¯t wait, feel free to go to sleep. I have something to attend to and need to go out for a while~ Chapter 311: 311: Blessing in Disguise (1) Chapter 311: 311: Blessing in Disguise (1)
Trantor:549690339 At some importantpany dinners, Steve Burton would often take Ruby with him. After settling down, he would take the initiative to introduce her, mentioning that she was a heiress of the Gregorys. Those willing to attend business dinners with Steve Burton were all well-known people in the capital city. Inevitably, there would be some familiar faces at these dinners. When they repeatedly saw Steve Burton attending various dinners with Ruby, and never asking her to show ttery like other secretaries by offering alcohol, and even if other bosses took the initiative to offer a toast to Ruby, Steve would deliberately block it, and always deliberately introduce Ruby each time. This caught the attention of a lot of people to the Gregorys.
Just because Steve introduced them, it doesn¡¯t mean theserge enterprises would work with the Gregorys immediately. Somepanies didn¡¯t have any business ovep with them. However, once people paid attention to the Gregorys, if there was any work-rted intersection, they would prioritize the Gregorys. Over time, the Gregorys gradually signed a few cooperation agreements. All these developments seemed to be heading in a good direction, but inevitably there was a hup along the way. This hup was both a bad thing and a good thing. It was also a good thing that qualified as a good thing. Later, when Ruby thought about it carefully, she felt that the hup was best described by the phrase ¡°turn misfortune into fortune.¡± It was early November on a weekend. Ciawell had already entered thete autumn, and overnight, yellow leaves were falling all over the city. Thete autumn in Ciawell was the most beautiful Ciawell; deste, bleak, and full of poetry. But Ruby¡¯s mood in such a deste and bleak autumn scene was far from mncholy. On the contrary, she was in high spirits. The once-fallen Gregorys had seen some improvement in their business for more than a month. Maxwell Gregory and Lady Gregory¡¯s mood had improved significantly. Ruby felt happy when she saw her parents in good spirits, as well as her increasingly adept rtionship with Steve Burton. All the difficulties seemed to be easily solved, and the best mood in thest few years was now.
Ruby sat on the balcony, basking in the afternoon sun, watching the red leaves, leisurely drinking tea, and enjoying this delightful time. But this wonderful moment was interrupted by a phone call. The call was from Maya Mitchell, inviting Ruby to go shopping at a department store in the city. During her stay at Red Park Resort & Vis, Ruby hadn¡¯t had a chance to thank Maya for her help. Now, when Maya asked her, Ruby agreed despite not wanting to go out. Since it was a weekend, traffic was heavy, but entering the city was smooth. Ruby arrived at the department store Maya specified in just forty minutes. In fact, Maya didn¡¯t intend to invite Ruby today. On the rare weekend, with winter approaching, she wanted to buy a thicker coat for herself. So she impulsively went shopping alone. It wasn¡¯t that she was particrly thoughtful, but on her way to the department store in her car, she happened to be alongside a car with no license te number. The window of the other car was open, with two men inside, constantly looking at her. Maya couldn¡¯t be considered as stunningly beautiful as Ruby, but she did have some charm. Coupled with her growing ability to dress herself up over the years, getting noticed by men was amon urrence. PS: That¡¯s all for today; we¡¯ll continue tomorrow. The reward reader is: Middle Eastern Demon
Chapter 312: 312: Blessings in Disguise (2) Chapter 312: 312: Blessings in Disguise (2)
Trantor:549690339 Although Maya Mitchell wasn¡¯t as strikingly beautiful as Ruby Gregory, she was still quite attractive. Over the years, she had learned how to dress herself more stylishly, making her the frequent object of men¡¯s gazes. At first, she didn¡¯t pay much attention to the two men, thinking they were just staring at her because they found her attractive.
However, when Maya arrived at the underground parking lot of the shopping mall, she inadvertently caught a glimpse of a man standing not far from her parking spot as she got out and locked her car. Mitchell recognized the man as one of the upants from the car without a license te. She had a strong impression of the man because of his unusual clothing and the winding scar on his left cheek. The man appeared rather young, likely even a few years younger than her. He had a cigarette in his mouth and was nonchntly blowing smoke. Noticing Maya¡¯s gaze, he quickly looked away and began talking to hispanion who remained seated in the car. Mitchell grabbed her bag, locked her car, and walked quickly towards the elevator. Before getting on the elevator, she nced back at the blonde man and saw him still leaning on the car window, chatting with hispanion. Without giving it much thought, she entered the elevator and went upstairs. She soon put the incident out of her mind. It was a cool autumn day in Ciawell, and the heating hadn¡¯t been turned on yet. The shopping mall was warm and crowded, and Maya had already drank two bottles of water while shopping for clothes, which made the air feel even drier. When she came out of a French women¡¯s clothing store on the third floor, she noticed a restroom nearby and decided to use it. The restroom was rtively quiet and empty. As she was about to leave, she happened to pass by a stairwell emergency exit. The door to the stairwell was slightly ajar, and she heard a man¡¯s voice talking on the phone.
¡°Don¡¯t worry, we can definitely handle this¡­ As soon as we have a chance to make a move, I¡¯ll call you after we¡¯ve grabbed her¡­¡± Maya wouldn¡¯t have paid much attention to the conversation, but she caught sight of that familiar blonde man through the crack in the stairwell door. Maya left the restroom and continued shopping. On the fifth floor of the mall, there was a boutique selling high-quality Korean fashion. Maya tried on several outfits and was happily admiring herself in the fitting room mirror when she spotted a familiar figure through the ss. It was the blonde man, with another scruffy-looking guy beside him. Even the most careless person would be more alert after repeatedly encountering the same individuals on the street and in the same mall. As someone who was naturally cautious, Maya immediately connected the dots to the conversation she had overheard in the restroom on the third floor. Had they been talking about abducting her? On the surface, Mitchell pretended to try on clothes, but her focus was entirely on the blonde man and his aplice. She noticed that they had been standing outside her store the whole time, never leaving and never taking their eyes off her. A shiver of foreboding crawled up her spine and settled in her heart. Chapter 313: 313: Blessing in Disguise (3) Chapter 313: 313: Blessing in Disguise (3)
Trantor:549690339 All the signs indicated that those two men were targeting her. But who would be so ruthless towards her?
Maya Mitchell had always been gentle andpliant, never offending anyone openly orpeting for anything. Even in apany filled with women, where friction was inevitable, and people would secretly gossip, she never said anything bad about anyone. So, she had no enemies. Except¡­ Olivia Foster. Back at the Red Park Resort & Vis, she was the one who had added to Olivia¡¯s misery. Knowing Olivia¡¯s impulsive nature, she would not let this go easily. Because Olivia was impulsive, she would be ruthless when acting, just like the two men following her. Maya, being all alone today, feared the worst if she fell into their hands. Even if she managed to escape today, there would still be tomorrow, and the day after¡­ She was bound to slip up at some point! While pretending to focus on selecting clothes, Maya was actually thinking about how to turn this dangerous situation around. When she saw a maroon coat, Maya suddenly had an idea, and a smile appeared on her lips. She asked the salesgirl to bring her the maroon coat, put it on, and checked herself in the fitting-room mirror. Feeling that something was missing, she had the salesgirl grab her a pair ofrge sunsses. She put them on and finally nodded with satisfaction, ignoring the salesgirl¡¯spliments, and simply said, ¡°Help me pack this coat and these sunsses.¡± The salesgirl nodded, about to help Maya take off the clothes, but Maya suddenly waved her hand and nced at the blond man following her through the mirror. She said, ¡°I¡¯ll wear these clothes out. Just help me cut off the tag.¡± After a moment, Maya added, ¡°Pack the outfit I just tried on as well. Also, pack another set of this coat and sunsses I¡¯m wearing now.¡±
¡°Miss, you want two of the coats and sunsses you¡¯re wearing now?¡± the salesgirl asked uncertainly. Maya nodded. During the brief moment the salesgirl was processing the payment, Maya called Ruby Gregory. While waiting for Ruby to arrive, Maya stayed in crowded areas, wearing her newly bought sunsses that covered most of her face. She asionally nced around with her peripheral vision and noticed that the two men were always following her at a certain distance. There were several cafes on the seventh floor of the department store. Maya purposely chose a chain coffee shop. She found a corner seat, had barely sat down when Ruby called her. Maya gave the address of the cafe she was at. After about ten minutes, Ruby finally arrived. Through the cafe¡¯s ss, Maya saw Ruby among the bustling crowd in the shopping mall. Her hair was casually tied in a bun at the back of her head, and she wore a dark gray dress. With such a simple outfit, she still exuded stunning beauty. Was it this beauty that captivated Steve Burton? Maya¡¯s gaze turned a bit cold.
Chapter 314: 314: Blessing in Disguise (4) Chapter 314: 314: Blessing in Disguise (4)
Trantor:549690339 Maya Mitchell¡¯s eyes became slightly colder; however, as Ruby Gregory entered the caf¨¦, she blinked lightly, and the coldness in her eyes disappeared, reced by a gentle glow. Maya stood up gracefully and called out to Ruby, who was looking around: ¡°Ruby.¡±
As Ruby turned her head, Maya smiled warmly and waved enthusiastically at her. Ruby walked elegantly to Maya and sat down opposite her. After waiting for Maya to sit down as well, she smiled and asked, ¡°Have you been waiting long?¡± Smiling, Maya pushed the menu to Ruby and shook her head: ¡°No, I just arrived not long ago.¡± Pausing for a moment, Maya said, ¡°Ruby, see what you¡¯d like to eat.¡± Instead of opening the menu, Ruby pushed it back to Maya: ¡°Maya, you choose what you like. I¡¯m treating you today.¡± ¡°I invited you out, so there¡¯s no reason for you to pay¡­¡± Before Maya could finish her refusal, Ruby smiled and intercepted her, speaking with an undeniably firm tone, ¡°I¡¯ve been meaning to thank you for what happened at the Red Park Resort & Vis, but I haven¡¯t had the chance. You can¡¯t argue with me today! Besides, it¡¯s not much money; it¡¯s all the same, isn¡¯t it?¡± Maya didn¡¯t entangle herself with Ruby over the matter of who should pay, and neatly opened the menu. Ruby calmly extended her hand and pressed the service bell. The waiter walked over with a smile, ¡°Ladies, what would you like to order?¡± Maya looked at the menu for a while, then pointed at it and ordered a cappino, a vani cake and then looked up, smiling at Ruby: ¡°Ruby, what would you like to eat?¡± Ruby took the menu, nced at the dishes, and saw that the caf¨¦ mostly offered the same few afternoon teas. Uninterested, she closed the menu and told the waiter, ¡°I¡¯ll have the same as her¡­¡±
Just as Ruby was about to hand the menu to the waiter, she caught a glimpse of the caf¨¦¡¯s name and hesitated. Then she changed her order, ¡°Change mine to the Summer Tea Set.¡± The waiter was taken aback, ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Miss, but that set is not avable to the public. It¡¯s the owner¡¯s private menu, only avable to tinum VIP Customers.¡± Only then did Ruby suddenly seem to remember something. She took her wallet out of her bag and pulled out a card: ¡°Is it this card?¡± The waiter nced at it, then nodded, his attitude bing much more respectful: ¡°Yes, Miss.¡± The waiter took Ruby¡¯s VIP Card, registered the VIP number on a tablet, and asked Ruby for confirmation: ¡°Miss, could you please report the name on this card?¡± ¡°Steve Burton.¡± Maya, who was sitting opposite Ruby, looked slightly startled. Ruby, however, smiled charmingly and turned her head to look at Maya: ¡°Maya, do you want to change to the set I ordered? It¡¯s their owner¡¯s private menu, and many people haven¡¯t had a chance to taste it.¡± Chapter 315: 315: Blessing in Disguise (5) Chapter 315: 315: Blessing in Disguise (5)
Trantor:549690339 Maya Mitchell slightly rxed her stiff expression, shook her head at Ruby Gregory, and spoke with a polite tone, somewhat less lively and enthusiastic than before: ¡°No need, Ruby, thank you.¡± Ruby didn¡¯t force Maya, and said to the waiter: ¡°We¡¯ll have these, thank you.¡±
¡°Alright, please wait a moment,dies.¡± The waiter smiled as he handed the VIP card to Ruby, bowed slightly, and left with his iPad. Ruby lowered her head and put the VIP card in her wallet, not noticing Maya¡¯s unusual reaction. She chattered, saying: ¡°When you first told me the name of the caf¨¦, it sounded familiar, but since I haven¡¯t been in Ciawell for three years, I couldn¡¯t remember it right away. Suddenly, when I saw the logo on the menu, I remembered that this restaurant is owned by the wife of Steve Burton¡¯s friend. This VIP card was given to him by his friend, and since he doesn¡¯t eat desserts, he gave it to me.¡± ¡°Really?¡± Maya forced a smile on her face, and only when Ruby put the VIP card into her bag did she reluctantly shift her gaze from it. Some privileges are only given to one person, and the man she loves has given that privilege to the beautiful, lively woman sitting in front of her. Just now, when Ruby spoke Steve Burton¡¯s name to the waiter, she did so with such confidence and righteousness, as if she were his wife, entitled to enjoy such treatment. And what about her? Whether in thepany or in private, whether facing Steve Burton or anyone else, the only name she could call him was always ¡°Mr. Burton.¡± Steve Burton, Mr. Burton¡ªone word apart, yet worlds apart. No one knew how many times in the dead of night she dreamed of the graceful, peerless man. She wanted to smile, but could only wear a sad expression. She wanted to call out Steve¡¯s name, yet only the word ¡°Burton¡± came out. How she longed, one day, to hold a privilege card from that man, enjoying the wonderful treatment others couldn¡¯t. Ruby put her wallet back into her bag and looked up to see Maya staring at her, lost in thought. She furrowed her brow: ¡°Maya, what¡¯s wrong?¡± Maya snapped back to reality, only then realizing that she had almost revealed her inner thoughts to Ruby. She quickly shook her head andughed: ¡°I didn¡¯t sleep wellst night, feeling a bit off today.¡±
Maya paused for a moment, then immediately changed the subject, picked up arge paper bag next to her, and handed it to Ruby: ¡°Ruby, during my shopping just now, I bought this outfit that¡¯s the same as the one I¡¯m wearing, as well as a pair of sunsses. When I tried them on, I thought they looked really pretty, and I thought they¡¯d suit you well, so I bought a set for you too.¡± Ruby nced at the clothes in the bag, recognizing the expensive brand. She knew what Maya¡¯s sry was like, and buying a set of these clothes would cost nearly half her wage. Although the Gregorys¡¯ wealth was not as it had been in the past, they still seemed far more well-offpared to Maya. Suddenly, Ruby felt a little embarrassed: ¡°Maya, you should have just bought clothes for yourself, why did you buy them for me too?¡± Chapter 316: 316: Blessing in Disguise (6) Chapter 316: 316: Blessing in Disguise (6)
Trantor:549690339 Ruby Gregory may not be the kind of person who never epts gifts. On the contrary, she often takes the initiative to ask for gifts from Madeleine, who often travels on business. She does so because she knows that the gifts she asks for will not have any impact on Madeleine. However, the gifts given by Maya Mitchell are indeed too valuable for her. If she really epts them, she would feel somewhat uneasy. But since they have already been bought, not epting them would be too awkward. Ruby mulled over her words for a moment, then said, ¡°Maya, this outfit is not cheap. If I just take it like this, I can¡¯t really feel at ease. How about this? I¡¯ll give you the money for the clothes, and I¡¯ll take the sses as a gift from you, okay?¡± Indeed, the outfit was a considerable expense for Maya Mitchell. But the reason she was willing to spend so much was not for Ruby, but for herself. However, her face did not betray any of her thoughts. Instead, when she heard Ruby¡¯s words, she gently shook her head and said, ¡°Ruby, my gift is nothingpared to what Madeleine has given you.¡±
¡°But you and Madeleine¡­¡± Ruby blurted out these few words, then closed her mouth, a trace of apology appearing in her eyes as she looked at Maya. Maya lowered her eyelids, hiding the coldness at the bottom of her eyes. In Ruby¡¯s heart, she had never really valued her. Even when they were in college, and she couldn¡¯t afford her tuition, she had been constantly pressured by the school, embarrassed in front of her ssmates. The only reason Ruby was willing to help her was to use her as a way to show off her own kindness and win everyone¡¯s praise for her willingness to help. Even back then, she must have looked down on her in her eyes. Over the years, she had been trying to live a more refined and bourgeois lifestyle, in order to escape the humiliation and embarrassment that her previous poverty had brought her. But after all these years, Ruby still maintained this condescending attitude towards her. Maya¡¯s hand tightened into a fist, but her expression on her face became a bit deste: ¡°Ruby, in your heart, there noparison between me and Madeleine, right?¡± ¡°Maya, that¡¯s not what I meant¡­¡± ¡°Ruby, I know you¡¯re worried that I spent so much money that it will make my own life difficult. I understand your kindness, but I hope you won¡¯t reject my sincerity.¡± Having gone to such lengths to say all this, Ruby didn¡¯t know what else to say for a moment. Besides, she was also afraid that if she refused again, she might hurt Maya¡¯s self-esteem. Hesitating for a bit, Ruby moved her lips and gave a shallow smile, ¡°Alright, then, I won¡¯t be polite.¡± Only then did Maya reveal a bright smile on her face, as if she were truly happy. Ruby looked at Maya¡¯s heartfelt smile and finally felt at ease, ¡°Maya, thank you.¡± ¡°Ruby, there¡¯s no need to be so polite.¡± As soon as Maya¡¯s words fell, the waiter brought their afternoon tea.
After the waiter left, Maya nced out the window, not unexpectedly, the blond man and his friends were sitting not far away, drinking cold drinks and keeping their eyes on her. Chapter 317: 317: Blessing in Disguise (7) Chapter 317: 317: Blessing in Disguise (7)
Trantor:549690339 The two had been following her for a long while, clearly growing impatient. Ruby Gregory took a sip of her hot drink, and seeing Maya Mitchell staring out the window, asked aloud, ¡°Maya, what are you looking at?¡±
After saying this, Ruby Gregory looked through the window, not finding anything special in sight. Maya Mitchell pulled her gaze back, lowered her head, and took a bite of her cake before shaking her head at Ruby Gregory and saying, ¡°Nothing.¡± After a pause, Maya Mitchell changed the subject: ¡°By the way, Ruby, why didn¡¯t I see you at thepany yesterday afternoon?¡± ¡°Yesterday?¡± Ruby Gregory thought for a moment and honesty replied, ¡°Yesterday at noon, Steve Burton asked me to apany him to a business lunch, and in the afternoon, he yed cards with some friends.¡± Again Steve Burton¡­ Maya Mitchell¡¯s eyes dimmed a bit, she quietly lowered her head, took a sip of her coffee, and mumbled an unintelligible ¡°hmm¡±. Ruby Gregory thought that Maya Mitchell was only drinking coffee and not convenient to talk, so she didn¡¯t think much of it and continued, ¡°By the time the card game finished, it was already past four in the afternoon. Just then, I received a call from Mr. Taylor, so I didn¡¯t go back to thepany, instead, I went straight to another business lunch.¡± After telling the story, Ruby Gregory made a face, poked a piece of cake with her fork, put it in her mouth, andined, ¡°Two business lunches in a day, really exhausting.¡± What Ruby Gregory found exhausting was exactly what Maya Mitchell could only wish for. Herints, in Maya Mitchell¡¯s view, seemed more like bragging. This is the difference between her and Ruby Gregory. She had always known that Ruby Gregory was even more dangerous and difficult to deal with than Olivia Foster. Once her conflict with Steve Burton was resolved, she would be unshakeable by anyone in his presence.
Silently, Maya Mitchell swallowed a gulp of coffee, suppressing the envy and jealousy in her heart. This topic was clearly brought up by her, but it ended up making her feel depressed. Maya Mitchell gave a wry smile and half-jokingly said, ¡°Many people desperately want to apany Mr. Burton to business lunches. Yet, here you are showing disgust. If someone saw this, they might be drowning in jealousy.¡± After Maya had spoken, she didn¡¯t wait for Ruby Gregory to reply and quickly changed the subject: ¡°I just remembered that the coat I got for you was a size S. Their sizes run a little small, when you go to the restroomter, you can try it on. If it doesn¡¯t fit, we can go downstairs and exchange it.¡± Ruby Gregory quickly nodded without suspicion and replied, ¡°Sure.¡± Maya Mitchell gave a subtle smile, but didn¡¯t say anything. Her eyes, however, nced at the blond man sitting outside the window before lowering hershes, her expression slightly scornful. Ruby Gregory and Maya Mitchell didn¡¯t order much, and they also didn¡¯t eat much. Ruby Gregory called for the waiter, paid the bill, and left the caf¨¦ with Maya Mitchell to go to the restroom on the same floor. Before going into the restroom, Maya Mitchell noticed the two men who had been following her: one was watching the direction she and Ruby Gregory were heading in, and the other was paying the bill. Once Maya Mitchell and Ruby Gregory entered the restroom, Maya put on an expectant face and signaled for Ruby Gregory to try on the clothes she bought. Chapter 318: 318: Blessing in Disguise (8) Chapter 318: 318: Blessing in Disguise (8)
Trantor:549690339 Ruby Gregory looked much better than Maya Mitchell, and was a little taller too. Although Ruby didn¡¯t wear high heels as Maya did, the maroon coat she was wearing looked much more dazzling on Ruby than on Maya. In an instant, Maya felt like she was merely an essory wearing the same outfit. She struggled to force a smile and said, ¡°Ruby, this outfit looks so beautiful on you that I¡¯m embarrassed to wear it myself.¡±
Ruby shyly smiled, ¡°Not at all, you look just as beautiful.¡± Maya knew herself well enough to take Ruby¡¯s words as just a polite remark. She then took out a pair of sunsses and personally put them on for Ruby. The sunsses wererge and covered half of her face, making it difficult for anyone to tell who it was at a nce. Maya smiled contentedly at her own choice of outfit, but when her smile met Ruby¡¯s eyes, it seemed like genuine praise: ¡°Ruby, you look really beautiful.¡± Without further ado, Maya immediately tore off the tags on Ruby¡¯s clothes and sunsses, ¡°Ruby, wear this outfit directly. It looks much better than the one you had on earlier, and it will be eye-catching for us to go shopping together wearing matching clothes.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Ruby nodded, admiring herself in the mirror for a few moments before re-arranging her hair. Maya folded Ruby¡¯s original coat and put it in a bag. She looked at Ruby silently and then, after some thought, said, ¡°Ruby, I suddenly really need to use the restroom. Can you wait for me outside?¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Ruby nodded, believing Maya¡¯s words. Maya took her shopping bag and entered a cubicle. Ruby, holding the remains shopping bag containing her own clothes, left the bathroom. Just as Ruby left, Maya opened the door to the cubicle she had gone into, wearing an entirely new set of clothes.
Neither was it the outfit she had on before nor the one that was identical to Ruby¡¯s; instead, it was a different set she had bought. Maya stuffed the other clothes into her shopping bag haphazardly. She approached the bathroom door and peeked out, only to find that Ruby was nowhere to be seen in the hallway outside. About half a minuteter, Maya took a deep breath and slowly walked out of the bathroom. As she walked, she looked around, and it wasn¡¯t until she returned to the mall that she didn¡¯t see Ruby. It was then that she realized her n hade to fruition. The two people who were meant to catch her must have mistaken Ruby, wearing the same clothes and sunsses, for herself and taken her away instead. The moment she knew she was being targeted, Maya thought of Ruby. She didn¡¯t know what methods Olivia Foster would use to target her, but this undeniably gave her a God-sent opportunity. An opportunity that allowed her not only to ruin Ruby with Olivia¡¯s help but also to stir up Steve Burton after Ruby was ruined. And then, with Steve¡¯s help, get rid of Olivia. It was truly a double victory! Thinking of this, a cold sneer appeared in Maya¡¯s eyes. PS: Today¡¯s done, more toe tomorrow! Awarded reader: Yan¡¯er Youyou
Chapter 319: 319: Blessing in Disguise (9) Chapter 319: 319: Blessing in Disguise (9)
Trantor:549690339 Ruby Gregory really hadn¡¯t anticipated that one day in her life, she would experience such a dramatic scene ¨C she was kidnapped. She had always thought that real life wasn¡¯t as melodramatic as TV series or whimsical novels, but sometimes, life turned out to be even more absurd and theatrical than those stories.
Wearing the coat that Maya Mitchell had given her, she came out of the restroom with a beaming smile on her face. The hallway outside the restroom was quiet, with only the crisp sound of her low-heeled shoes tapping on the floor. As Ruby walked, she held her phone and posed for various selfies using the front camera, intending to post a photo on her WhatsApp Status. She quickly took five photos in a row, but due to theck of windows in the hallway, the lighting was somewhat dim, making her skin appear less radiant and healthy in the pictures. Ruby stopped to edit one of the photos when she suddenly heard the sound of the emergency stairwell door being opened behind her. Without taking a good look at the person behind her, she posted the edited photo on her WhatsApp Status along with text: ¡°Shopping with Maya, my new coat from her¡­¡± Ruby hadn¡¯t finished typing when she sensed someone standing behind her. Before she could turn around, a damp cloth suddenly covered her nose and mouth, emitting a peculiar medicinal scent. Without any chance to react, her strength seemed to be drained from her body, leaving her unable to resist. On instinct, Ruby turned her phone to silent mode and slipped it into her pocket. Following that, she was dragged into the emergency stairwell by a pair of strong arms. ¡°How did it go? Sessful?¡± ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡± Ruby only heard a brief exchange between two men before a ck cloth was ced over her head, obscuring her vision. She was then picked up and felt a jolting sensation as if being carried down the stairs. After that, she lost consciousness entirely. When Ruby regained consciousness, her eyes were still covered with the ck cloth. She was sitting in a car on an uneven road, with construction-like noises audible nearby. If during her abduction Ruby hadn¡¯t had time to process what was happening, now she understood ¨C she had been kidnapped.
No one could remain calm in the face of a kidnapping, let alone Ruby, who hadn¡¯t even gotten a clear look at her captors. Thus, her emotions were a mixture of anxiety and unease. She didn¡¯t dare show that she was awake, so she pretended to be still unconscious. With her ears perked up, she waited for what seemed like a long time, but didn¡¯t hear any conversation in the car, only the asional sound of a lighter flicking and the smell of secondhand smoke through the cloth. After about half an hour of jolting and unstable driving, the car finally came to a stop. The door opened, and Ruby was yanked out of the car without any gentleness. Her head still covered with the ck cloth, she was half-dragged and half-carried, stumbling blindly with each step. Chapter 320: 320: Blessing in Disguise (10) Chapter 320: 320: Blessing in Disguise (10)
Trantor:549690339 After walking about 200 steps, Ruby Gregory heard the sound of an iron door being pushed open. She was dragged roughly inside, her legs and feet tied up, and then shoved to the ground. There was something soft on the ground, so Ruby¡¯s fall didn¡¯t hurt too much. With a blindfold still covering her eyes, she listened to the two men leave, followed by the sound of the iron door closing. The world went silent for about a minute before Ruby heard a young voice: ¡°Everything¡¯s done, what¡¯s next?¡±
Ruby did not hear anyone answer, but she guessed the man was making a phone call. As expected, after several seconds, the man¡¯s voice came again: ¡°Alright, once the ransom is in the ount, I¡¯ll do exactly as you say.¡± It seemed like he hung up the phone, as Ruby heard another man¡¯s voice, a somewhat ruffian-like tone: ¡°What did she say?¡± ¡°She said the woman is ours now, and we should find more men to¡­¡± The man on the phone trailed off, but Ruby understood all too well what he was implying. Who on earth could be using such a disgusting and cruel method to frame her? She was a woman, and it was hard enough for her to deal with one man, let alone being tied up and guarded by two men¡­ Ruby gathered her thoughts and finally spoke, her voice trembling slightly: ¡°Who sent you to do this?¡± There was a moment of silence. Just as Ruby thought the two men would ignore her, one of them suddenly spoke: ¡°Whoever you offended is the one who sent us.¡± ¡°They must¡¯ve given you a lot of money, then.¡± Ruby forced herself to calm down and continued diplomatically: ¡°However much they¡¯re paying you, I can pay you too. Let me go, and I¡¯ll pretend today never happened¡­¡± Ruby didn¡¯t think her words were funny, but the two men burst outughing as if they¡¯d heard a joke. After a while, the one who had responded to her spoke again: ¡°Miss, you¡¯re really amusing. In our line of work, we¡¯ve heard that kind of talk way too many times. You say it¡¯s like it never happened, but as soon as we turn our backs, we¡¯d get arrested.¡± ¡°I swear I¡¯ll keep my word.¡± Ruby¡¯s tone was sincere, but the two men justughed and paid her no more mind.
The surroundings were very quiet. Ruby didn¡¯t know what the two men who had captured her were doing, but she could clearly feel her own growing panic. If she were ruined here, how could she ever marry Steve Burton? She carried the responsibility of leading the Gregorys to greatness. She had finally made Steve not hate her as much; the Gregorys¡¯ fortunes were beginning to turn, and everything was just starting to look good. She could not just sit and wait for everything she worked for to fall apart. She had actually faced a simr danger in her youth. Chapter 321: 321: Blessing in Disguise (11) Chapter 321: 321: Blessing in Disguise (11)
Trantor:549690339 In fact, when she was very young, she also encountered a simr danger. In truth, that danger from back then,pared to the peril she faced at this moment, could be said to be a small matter blown out of proportion. It wasn¡¯t a serious threat, but for her, who had just entered the first year of senior high school, it was a terrifying event.
During the final term leading up to the middle school exam, Ruby Gregory had her first period. It was a hot summer afternoon. Ruby was wearing a beautiful light-blue dress, with white lotus scallops at the hem. Her long, straight hair draped gently over her nape. Standing shoulder-to-shoulder with the buzz-cut boyish Madeleine, dressed in a men¡¯s suit on the campus, they attracted quite a few nces. Only, that day, an unusual number of people seemed to be watching her. Since entering seventh grade, the term ¡®puppy love¡¯ became popr. Ruby frequently found love letters and small gifts wrapped in pink and light blue envelopes in her drawer. Hence, she was already used to attention and didn¡¯t mind it. When she entered the ss, several people called her name and then hesitated to speak further. At that time, she waspletely perplexed, with no idea what was going on. Thus, she carried her bewilderment and settled at her desk to start the ss. During that period, Madeleine was immersed in an online game called ¡°The Journey to the West.¡± Often staying upte with Edward Woods and Howard Coleman, leveling up, hence when they reached school, they would stack books high on the table and fall asleep until the school was dismissed. So during breaks, Ruby often went to the bathroom alone. At that time, the school wasn¡¯t equipped like it is today, with a bathroom on every floor. During the time they were in school, a two-story bathroom was built on the sports field. During breaks, countless students would pour out from the teaching building and flock to the field. Unfortunately, today, Ruby chose to go to the bathroom during the long break. The number of people in the sports field was like all the students gathering there for the Monday morning g-raising ceremony. Wherever Ruby went, people were always looking at the hem of her dress, whispering to each other. Ruby had no idea what was happening. She saw the vague expressions on everyone¡¯s faces as if they were trying to suppress theirughter, and she walked into the bathroom. The bathroom was quite crowded, Ruby had to queue up. The girl standing behind her was someone she did not know. When it was Ruby¡¯s turn, when she was ready to use the bathroom, that girl tapped her shoulder blushing, pointing to her dress.
Feeling a bit puzzled, Ruby gave that girl a nce and entered a separate cubicle. When she took off her panties, she found that her cotton pink underwear was draped with sshes of fresh red. She was first taken aback, then it urred to her that people had been staring at her all day. She only understood when she reached over and flipped the back of her skirt to the front, and sawrge patches of red on it. Some of it was already dry and ckened. She had actually bled so much¡­ The first thought that crossed Ruby¡¯s mind was that she had an incurable disease. She squatted in the bathroom for a long time, wishing that her bleeding would stop soon. The school bell rang, and the disorderly restroom quieted down in an instant. Yet, she found that her bleeding was still uncontrolled. There were evenrge clots of blood flowing out of her body. Chapter 322: 322: Blessing in Disguise (12) Chapter 322: 322: Blessing in Disguise (12)
Trantor:549690339 The thought of an incurable disease suddenly became a certainty in her mind, and she began to panic. Subconsciously, she opened her mouth and shouted, ¡°Is anyone there?¡±, hoping that someone would respond and take her to the hospital. Junior high students always executed their teachers¡¯ instructions as if they were unbreakable decrees. No one dared to bete, so only her voice echoed continuously in the empty restroom.
At that time, smartphones hadn¡¯t yet appeared, and Nokia¡¯s color-screen phones had just entered the Chinese market, where everyone regarded them as luxury items. Back then, the Gregorys¡¯ business was still profitable, so Maxwell Gregory bought her a phone. She cried out for help for a while, but no one bothered. Just then, she felt a faint pain in her stomach, apanied by an even more intense flow of blood. She didn¡¯t know that this was a normal physiological phenomenon for a woman, nor did she know that the faint pain in her stomach was due to menstrual cramps caused by eating ice cream with Madeleine at noon and catching a cold. She only thought it was a reaction to the incurable disease, which made her even more panicked. Trembling, she took out her phone, her mind muddled. She even forgot that she should call 110 for help. Her first instinct was to call her parents, but she identally dialed Steve Burton. After one ring, she hung up. As she shakily entered the Gregorys¡¯ phone number, her phone suddenly started vibrating. It was a call from Steve Burton. Before she could even speak, the usual cold and impatient voice from the teenager on the other end of the phone came through, ¡°Ruby, it¡¯s ss time. What are you doing calling me for?¡± After knowing Steve for so many years, Ruby had gotten used to his cold and sarcastic tone. But that day, as she listened to his icy voice and held the phone, her tears fell one by one. Perhaps it was the tears that made her senses even more acute. She felt her stomach hurt more, as if death was near. Silently weeping, she suddenly cried out loud. At that moment, Steve was in the chemistryb doing an oxygen generation experiment. Since it was freeb time, the ssroom was a mess. He felt justified in answering his phone. Holding a test tube, he casually approached the alcoholmp to heat the potassium permanganate in the tube. Upon hearing Ruby¡¯s sudden outburst on the phone, his hand shook, and the test tube fell on the table with a hit. As he clumsily tidied up, he asked Ruby angrily, ¡°Why are you crying?¡± The girl on the phone didn¡¯t answer him but cried even harder. Young Steve, who was already annoyed by the crying, lost all interest in his experiment that he already considered brainless. Without thinking, he walked out of theb, ¡°Did someone bully you?¡± That was the only reason he could think of.
He took off the whiteb coat he was wearing and found that the girl on the phone was still crying nonstop. He couldn¡¯t help but be more anxious, ¡°Ruby, if you cry again, I¡¯ll hang up the phone, I swear!¡± Chapter 323: 323: Blessing in Disguise (13) Chapter 323: 323: Blessing in Disguise (13)
Trantor:549690339 The girl on the phone suddenly stopped crying, though intermittent sobs could still be heard. Steve Burton¡¯s heart softened a bit, his voice bing somewhat gentler: ¡°Who¡¯s been bullying you?¡±
¡°Nobody bullied me¡­¡± Ruby Gregory replied haltingly, every so often interrupted by a sob, ¡°Steve, I¡¯m bleeding, I¡¯m losing a lot of blood¡­¡± There was a sign on the wall of theboratory forbidding running or making noise; when Steve heard those words, his feet instantly propelled him towards the stairs and he began to run. He raced out of theb building, heading straight for the school gate. During school hours at high school, the main gate only allows students in but not out, unless they have ess passes from teachers. When Steve got to the gate, he hesitated slightly then sidestepped to the railing nearby, took a few steps back, sprinted, and vaulted over the fence. Ignoring the shouting from the security guard, Steve hailed an empty cab on the street, told the driver Ruby¡¯s school name and huffed into the phone: ¡°Where did you get hurt? Why are you bleeding?¡± Ruby responded,pletely off-topic: ¡°Steve, I think I¡¯m going to die, I have an incurable disease¡­¡± As if suddenly ovee by grief, there was the sound of Ruby crying into the phone: ¡°I don¡¯t want to die, Steve, what should I do¡­¡± Steve lifted a hand to his forehead, feeling slightly dizzy, and tried his best to stay calm: ¡°Where are you bleeding? How did you get hurt? Have you called an ambnce?¡± After Steve had asked all three questions, Ruby who was on the phone finally stopped crying. There was a pause, and then she said honestly: ¡°I didn¡¯t call an ambnce, and I don¡¯t know how I got hurt¡­¡± ¡°Ruby Gregory, could you be any sillier? The situation has escted to an extent where you¡¯re losing a lot of blood, but you don¡¯t even know how you got hurt?¡± Steve scolded Ruby through the phone, then lifted his head to the cab driver in front of him: ¡°Could you please call an ambnce to Daria High School for me?¡± The cab driver, being rtively warm-hearted, immediately took out his cell phone after hearing about the severe bleeding.
Ruby started crying again after being scolded by Steve: ¡°I really don¡¯t know how I got hurt. I went to the bathroom and saw blood all over my underwear. I don¡¯t know what happened¡­ I started bleeding out of nowhere, and my stomach hurts¡­ From the time I went to the bathroom until now, I have been bleeding non-stop¡­ there are even clots¡­¡± As Ruby cried and spoke, a blush gradually spread across Steve¡¯s anxious face. He cleared his throat, turned to the cab driver who had just dialed a number on his phone and said, ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but you don¡¯t need to make that call.¡± The cab driver turned his head, looking at Steve suspiciously: ¡°Is it toote? Is she dead?¡± Steve didn¡¯t reply, instead he pointed at a supermarket up ahead and said, ¡°Stop the car in front.¡± Steve paid the cab fare, then rushed into the supermarket, while awkwardly reassuring Ruby on the phone, ¡°You¡¯re not going to die.¡± Chapter 324: Blessing in Disguise (14) Chapter 324: Blessing in Disguise (14) Trantor: 549690339 ¡°How do you know I won¡¯t die? My stomach hurts so much right now¡­¡± Steve Burton really didn¡¯t know how to exin this question to Ruby Gregory, so he could only say in a blunt tone: ¡°I said you won¡¯t die, so you won¡¯t die. Just stay in the bathroom honestly, and wait for me to call youter!¡± Having said that, Steve hung up the phone. Then, he entered the supermarket, bought a few packs of sanitary pads, hailed another taxi, and went to Ruby¡¯s school. He had graduated from this junior high school, so he was very familiar with it. He easily arrived at the entrance of the restroom, took out his cell phone, and called Ruby: ¡°Come out, I¡¯m at the bathroom door.¡± Ruby paused for a moment, then spoke in a somewhat pitiful voice: ¡°Steve, can youe in? My legs are numb and I can¡¯t stand up.¡± Steve held his phone, took a deep breath, didn¡¯t say anything in the end, and clicked to hang up the phone again. Then, for the first time in his life, he entered the girls¡¯ bathroom. When he handed the bag of sanitary pads to Ruby, his fair face turned red. He threw down the sanitary pads and turned to leave without saying a word. After taking two steps, he stopped again. Would a woman, who hasn¡¯t been educated about menstruation, know how to use a sanitary pad? Steve hesitated for a moment, then turned his head and asked Ruby: ¡°Do you know how to use it?¡± Ruby opened the bag, looked at the beautifully packaged sanitary pads inside, then shook her head at Steve. As expected¡­ Steve sighed, and said stiffly: ¡°Just open a pack at random, take out one piece, and put it in your underwear.¡± When Steve finished this sentence, his face turned even redder. He looked away from Ruby: ¡°After you¡¯re done,e out quickly.¡± Then he strode out of the girls¡¯ bathroom. Steve waited for about five minutes before Ruby finally emerged from the bathroom, dragging her feet. She stood at the bathroom door, her hands behind her back, unwilling to move. Steve stood at the stairs, looking at her impatiently: ¡°Ruby, what are you doing standing there like an idiot?¡± Ruby didn¡¯t speak. ¡°Are youing or not?¡± Ruby shook her head. ¡°Then I¡¯m leaving¡­¡± Steve said mercilessly, turning around as if he was really going to leave. ¡°Steve¡­¡± The pathetic voice of the girl came from behind. Steve stopped in his tracks, looked at Ruby, whose eyes were red from crying, and helplessly shook his head. Finally, he walked over to her: ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Only then did Ruby pout and slowly turn around in front of Steve. Steve saw the clumps of red on Ruby¡¯s skirt and understood everything. He scolded, ¡°Why are you so troublesome!¡± Then he took off his jacket and tied it around Ruby¡¯s waist, covering her skirt perfectly. With the issue resolved, Ruby finally smiled brightly: ¡°Steve, thank you.¡± Her smiling face, as she spoke these words, curved her eyes deeply towards him: ¡°Steve, it¡¯s so nice to have you, can I call you whenever I have any troubles in the future?¡± Steve looked at her delicate and charming smile, his heart undting. He nodded gently, Chapter 325: Blessing in Disguise (15) Chapter 325: Blessing in Disguise (15) Trantor: 549690339 Steve Burton gazed at the delicate and tender smile on the girl¡¯s face, his heart swaying. He gently nodded but before he could speak, Ruby Gregory looked at him with a somewhat uneasy expression and asked, ¡°Steve, are you sure I don¡¯t have an incurable illness?¡± Perhaps it was due to her gentle and sweet smile that touched his heart. He showed unusual patience, nodded towards Ruby, and gave her an answer, ¡°This is a normal physiological phenomenon for humans. It happens once a month.¡± A normal physiological phenomenon? Ruby¡¯s worried heart finally settled down. Steve looked at her relieved expression and felt himself rxing. He raised his hand and touched her long hair, softly saying, ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡± With that, he held Ruby¡¯s hand and they started walking downstairs. However, just after they had taken a few steps, Ruby suddenly turned her head, looking at Steve while asking, ¡°Steve, do you also experience unstoppable bleeding like I did today, every month?¡± Steve¡¯s face instantly darkened. Abruptly, he let go of Ruby¡¯s hand, quickened his pace, and soon put some distance between them. Ruby pouted, jogging to catch up with Steve and once again taking his hand. She whispered, ¡°You said it¡¯s a normal physiological phenomenon for humans. Aren¡¯t you human?¡± Steve¡¯s face grew colder, and he instinctively tried to pull his hand away. Ruby tightened her grip on his hand. Steve turned his head, looking at Ruby¡¯s innocent face. His struggles gradually weakened, and he added, ¡°It¡¯s a normal physiological phenomenon for women.¡± Ruby nodded her head in sudden realization and obediently stayed silent. As they continued to walk hand in hand, Steve finally sped Ruby¡¯s hand back, looking straight ahead without turning. Out of the blue, he spoke in a clear, cold voice, ¡°Ruby, if you have any problems in the future, you cane to me.¡± Ruby made an ¡°Eh?¡± sound. Steve stopped walking, still holding her hand. He turned to face her directly. In the early summer schoolyard, the trees were lush and buzzing with cicadas. The flowers in the flowerbeds bloomed brightly, with a flock of pigeons fluttering their wings and flying overhead. Steve looked into Ruby¡¯s eyes, filled with a gentle light. Unexpectedly, he exined what he had just said, ¡°Didn¡¯t you just ask me if you cane to me with any problem?¡± ¡°I said yes, you cane to me with any problem, and I will help you solve it.¡± That day, the sky was exceptionally blue, and there was no wind at all. That youthful statement was like a solemn promise, deeply engraved into Ruby¡¯s heart. So much so that when she first entered high school and faced danger, her first thought was of Steve. Later, that thought became a habit that persisted until three years ago when she went to Ennd, and the habit was finally broken. Ruby slowly withdrew from those fairytale-like memories. Fortunately, just before she fainted, she quickly turned her phone to silent and slipped it into her pocket. She moved her tied hands to the pocket and struggled to pull the phone out. Although she couldn¡¯t see anything, she was so familiar with her phone that she could easily take a screenshot and press the home button. She had Steve¡¯s number saved directly on her phone¡¯s desktop. Feeling the edge of her phone, she roughly estimated the position and clicked on it. Immediately, she heard a quiet beeping sounding from the phone. She wasn¡¯t sure if she was pressing it correctly, but her heart was pounding anxiously. After a while, she heard Steve¡¯s familiar cold voiceing from the phone, ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡± PS: The most beautiful thing about childhood sweethearts is the memories. Now that I¡¯m older, I miss my youth and school days more and more. Today¡¯s award goes to: Aperson¡ã Chapter 326: 326: Blessing in Disguise (16) Chapter 326: 326: Blessing in Disguise (16)
Trantor:549690339 She wasn¡¯t sure if she had pressed the right buttons, her heart tightly wound. After a while, she heard Steve Burton¡¯s familiar cold and clear voiceing from the phone, ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Ruby Gregory had always known that Steve¡¯s voice was a rare auditory pleasure in this world, like the sound of nature itself.
However, in the past, when confronted with Steve¡¯s voice, she mostly felt apprehensive, terrified, and restless. Yet, at this moment, for the first time, her heart was filled with excitement. It was as if she were standing in a bottomless pit of despair and saw a sliver of light symbolic of hope. In that particr moment, Ruby¡¯s eyes became slightly hot, and she didn¡¯t dare to speak loudly into the phone, fearing to rm the two men who brought her here. She gently shifted her hips to one side, then slowlyy down on the ground. After her head gently moved, her lips touched the cold metallic phone, and she opened her mouth and whispered weakly, ¡°Save me, Time.¡± It was a rare weekend, and Steve Burton had a prettyfortable day, waking from a sound sleep at 11 o¡¯clock. He received a call from Rusell Henris inviting him to lunch at Yester Garden, where they would have Poham dishes, and after lunch, Howard Coleman called, saying he had set up a mahjong table at the Capital Club and asked if they would like to join. Happy events would always uplift one¡¯s spirit, and Steve was living splendidly during this time. Without even waiting for Rusell¡¯s agreement, hezily replied to Howard on the phone, ¡°Sure, let¡¯s y a few hands.¡± The distance between Yester Garden and Capital Club was significant, and there was some traffic congestion on weekends without traffic restrictions. As born and raised Ciawell residents, in order to save time, Steve and Rusell took some shortcuts and ended up in a courtyard house. There was a sudden quietness as soon as they entered, and they continued smoothly out of the courtyard. When they turned at the road ahead, they saw a sign warning, ¡°School ahead, limit traffic.¡± Steve hadn¡¯t been paying attention to the roads Rusell was driving on. An unintentional nce to the side made him notice the familiar scenery and he furrowed his brows, seeing the words ¡°Ciawell High School¡± outside the window, he straightened up in the passenger seat, ¡°How did we end up here?¡± Rusell slowed down the car, ¡°There is less traffic here on weekends.¡± Steve didn¡¯t respond, raising his hand to roll down the car window, the coolte autumn wind whistling inside, bringing a touch of cold air.
All of them had graduated from this high school. Later they went to college and then took over Pristine¡¯s Enterprises. Their ambitions grew, and they became busy. Although they were in the same city, they rarely passed by this ce. The car moved forward for no more than a hundred meters when Steve saw a group of young boys in school uniforms standing by the roadside. After all these years, the uniforms had not changed, it was still the same as before. A group of impulsive young boys gathered and pointed fingers at each other, arguing about something. Suddenly, one of the boys threw his backpack viciously at the boy in front of him, and then the group rushed forward, the scene bing turbulent. PS: After a day of sses, I had a Christmas Eve dinner and then came back to update the story~ Chapter 327: 327: Blessing in Disguise (17) Chapter 327: 327: Blessing in Disguise (17)
Trantor:549690339 Rusell happened to see this scene, chuckled, and turned the steering wheel slightly, moving farther away from those young men fighting: ¡°My memory of this ce is quite deep. Once, we had a group fight right here.¡± After passing the school gate, the car¡¯s speed increased, and soon the young people fighting were no longer visible in the rearview mirror.
Rusell skillfully controlled the steering wheel with one hand, while taking a cigarette from the pack and lighting it up with the other, took a drag, looked at Steve Burton through the rearview mirror, and then said, ¡°If I¡¯m not mistaken, it was because of Ruby Gregory.¡± Steve didn¡¯t say anything, but his eyebrows softened as he thought about it. He remembered that incident much more vividly than Rusell ever could. Regardless of how dazzling and steady his life had be now, there was a time when even he had been impulsive and fought on a whim for a pretty girl. He couldn¡¯t help but wonder what those boys were fighting for now. Was it for a girl they¡¯d noticed silently, like he had? Was she as beautiful as Ruby? Definitely not¡­ Soon the little episode they witnessed on the road was forgotten as they arrived at the Capital Club. There¡¯s a saying that sess in love results in failure in gambling, but it didn¡¯t seem to apply to Steve at all. His rtionship with Ruby had been thrivingtely, yet he continued to dominate the Mahjong table, beating Edward Woods, Rusell Henris, and Howard Coleman. Howard, with a cigarette hanging from his lips, pressed a button for an automatic Mahjong table, then watched the neatly arranged tiles slowly pushed onto the table, casually asking, ¡°Who¡¯s the dealer?¡± ¡°Who else? Our big bro,¡± Edward Woods replied with a slightly exhausted tone. ¡°He¡¯s been the dealer since the first game and hasn¡¯t let up since.¡± Howard looked surprised: ¡°So, from the very beginning, I¡¯ve just been losing?¡± ¡°Howard, you¡¯re so smart,¡± Rusell put out his cigarette and calmly yed his Mahjong. ¡°Damn¡­¡± Howard muttered a curse word under his breath,menting softly, ¡°I wouldn¡¯t mind losing to anyone else, but not to our big bro. I wouldn¡¯t be able to beat him even if I wanted to welch.¡± Steve casually picked up a tile and swept a nce at Howard: ¡°Howard, I don¡¯t mind if you want to give me a workout.¡±
Despite the breezy way Steve spoke, Howard looked at him with a broad grin. ¡°Bro, it was just a joke to liven up the mood.¡± ¡°Toote,¡± Steve casually threw a tile. ¡°I¡¯ve been itching for a fight anyway these past few days. After this game, you two move out of the way¡­¡± Before Steve could finish speaking, his private cell phone rang in his pocket. Steve took out his phone, was about to finish the half-spoken sentence earlier, but noticed the iing call disy showed the name ¡°Ruby.¡± He instantly closed his mouth and picked up the call. ¡°Who¡¯s calling? Our big bro has a look of suppressed excitement,¡± Howard mumbled softly, earning a re from Steve, who then heard him speak gently into the phone: ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Chapter 328: Blessing in Disguise (18) Chapter 328: Blessing in Disguise (18) Trantor: 549690339 ¡°Who else could be calling? It must be¡­¡± Edward Woods finished the sentence, and then the three of themughed knowingly. But just as theirughter began, Steve Burton¡¯s expression suddenly tensed up. He stood up abruptly, knocking over the heavy wooden chair behind him. Seeing Steve¡¯s expression, Edward Woods, Rusell Henris, and Howard Coleman knew something serious had happened. The three of them exchanged nces and quickly stood up as well. Steve¡¯s lips were tightly pressed, his face dark and unsettled. His voice trembled slightly, almost imperceptibly, as he spoke to the person on the other end of the phone: ¡°Do you know where you are right now?¡± Not knowing what Ruby Gregory said on the other end of the phone call, Steve ryed a few pieces of information to Rusell as he stared at him fiercely. ¡°She is about three o¡¯clock from the Greensource Mall, the roads are under construction, and the ce she is at now has an iron gate.¡± As Steve spoke, Rusell quickly opened hisptop and pulled up a map of Ciawell and its surroundings. First, there was the sound of construction¡­ Rusell typed rapidly on the keyboard ording to the clues Steve passed on, and about twenty locations popped up on the map. The journey began at three o¡¯clock, and it was now almost five, taking approximately an hour and a half to two hours. Therefore, it wouldn¡¯t be a closer or farther distance. Using the process of elimination, Rusell removed closer and farther locations, leaving only three spots on the map. One was to the east, and the other two were to the south. Thest clue was the poor condition of roads, indicating that the roads were bumpy and uneven, and there was an iron gate¡­ Rusell zoomed in on the map, which showed actual scenery. His finger moved swiftly across the touchpad as he located an abandoned factory in one of the construction sites. He moved the cursor further and saw a highway copse due to heavy rain a few days ago¡­ It matched the information ryed by Stevepletely. Rusell looked up at Steve and said, ¡°It should be the abandoned steel factory in the south of the city.¡± Steve narrowed his eyes slightly, showing no reaction, then turned and strode toward the door. Edward Woods, Rusell Henris, and Howard Coleman didn¡¯t dare hesitate and hurriedly followed. Maya Mitchell was a talent nurtured by Pristine¡¯s Enterprises. At the age of twenty-two, in her senior year, she joined Pristine¡¯s Enterprises as an intern due to her excellent academic performance and interview skills. After about six months of training, she officially became Steve Burton¡¯s secretary. The training of employees at Pristine¡¯s Enterprises always had a core ethos: meticulous thinking. No matter how perfect a task seemed, they were taught to approach it with an outsider¡¯s perspective, calmly analyze the issue, detect any ws, and implement a remedy. In order to stand by Steve¡¯s side in the best possible way, Maya had been constantly perfecting herself over the past four years. So, after sessfully having Ruby kidnapped in her ce, she started to wonder if her actions today had left any traces behind. Chapter 329: Blessing in Disguise (19) Chapter 329: Blessing in Disguise (19) Trantor: 549690339 Maya Mitchell sat in her car, deep in thought for a long time. Finally, she realized that if Ruby Gregory managed to escape by chance, her first mistake was that shee didn¡¯t bother to search for her at all. The second mistake was that if she did look for Ruby and found her in an ident, what she should have done was to call the police and find someone to rescue Ruby, instead of ignoring her and being indifferent. So, about twenty minutes after Ruby was kidnapped, Maya made a symbolic gesture of calling Ruby¡¯s phone more than a dozen times. While making the calls, she walked around the mall alone, looking left and right as if she was searching for someone. She knew that Steve Burton might not ess the mall¡¯s surveince footage, but she still acted cautiously just in case. Of course, she also went back to the restroom and changed into an outfit identical to Ruby¡¯s. Maya certainly didn¡¯t want Ruby to be rescued. Olivia Foster¡¯s unexpected arrival provided her with a perfect opportunity to use someone else to do her dirty work. How could she possibly let it slip through her fingers? So she waited until about an hour after Ruby was kidnapped before she panicked and ran to the mall¡¯s help desk to start the search for a missing person. Of course, she knew that Ruby couldn¡¯t hear any announcements, so she stayed at the broadcasting station for about half an hour, estimating that an hour and a half had passed. If those two people took action, perhaps Ruby would already be in trouble by now. Moreover, even if they just started, it might already be toote for Ruby by the time she informed Steve and he arrived to help. Only then did Maya take out her phone and call Steve. The number she saved was Steve Burton¡¯s work number, which was generally unanswered on weekends when he was rxing. Maya then went to thepany¡¯s WhatsApp group to ask for Steve¡¯s whereabouts, and Howard Coleman happened to mention that they were all at the Capital Club ying cards, where Steve ruthlessly defeated them all. Upon seeing this message, Maya immediately drove to the Ciawell Club. She casually parked her car on the roadside, then hurriedly ran towards the Ciawell Club. Halfway there, Maya seemed to remember something. She reached out to mess up her hair, then took off her high heels and continued to run. After pausing for a moment, she noticed a sharp stone on the roadside and, without thinking, picked it up and viciously scraped it across the soles of her own feet. Bright red blood quickly oozed out, staining her feet. Only then did a satisfied glint appear in Maya¡¯s eyes. Gritting her teeth, she endured the pain as she rushed into the Capital Club. While Maya Mitchell was arguing with the security guards in the lobby of the Capital Club that she was looking for Steve Burton, Steve, Rusell Henris, Edward Woods, and Howard Coleman hurriedly emerged from the elevator. Maya immediately broke away from the security guard and ran towards Steve. Blood-stained footprints were left on the pristine white floor of the Capital Club. Steve was already walking hurriedly, and when she charged towards him, they collided, causing her to fall to the ground. Chapter 330: Blessing in Disguise (20) Chapter 330: Blessing in Disguise (20) Trantor: 549690339 Upon seeing the disheveled Maya Mitchell, Steve Burton¡¯s brow furrowed slightly, and he took a step back, leaving Russell Henris to ask, ¡°Miss Mitchell, what are you doing here?¡± Maya quickly nced at Steve before anxiously replying, ¡°Mr. Burton, I was shopping with Ruby, and suddenly, she disappeared. I called her, but she didn¡¯t answer. I tried to make an announcement at the mall, but there was no response. I¡¯m afraid she¡¯s in danger¡­¡± Before Maya finished speaking, Steve went around her and hurriedly walked out of the Capital Club. Lynn Woods, who was thest one, reached out to help Maya up from the ground and called out to a nearby waiter, handing over a wad of cash: ¡°Please help take thisdy to the hospital.¡± Afterpleting the request, Edward Woods turned his head to give Maya an apologetic smile before hurrying to catch up with Steve. Through the bright and spacious windows of the Capital Club, Maya saw several people rush into a car, and before she knew it, the vehicle had already driven off. The atmosphere inside the car was oppressive. Steve Burton¡¯s call with Ruby Gregory remained connected, and neither of them continued speaking. Steve furrowed his brow as he constantly evaluated the situation on the other end of the call. Everyone else in the car was silent, and Howard Coleman, known for his excellent driving skill, drove with undivided attention. Usually, the most rxed and casual person in the car was Russell Henris, but now even his expression was serious and focused. Unable to see anything, Ruby responded to Steve¡¯s questions with a weak, gentle voice before falling into silence. She didn¡¯t hang up the call. Instead, she listened to the sound of Steve¡¯s footsteps, door closing, car engine starting, and his breathing on the other end of the line. This made the panic in her heart subside significantly. Everything around her remained quiet, except for the soundsing from her phone. After some time, Ruby heard the sound of someone knocking on an iron door. Her body instinctively tensed up, and then she heard the iron door being pulled open and several footsteps entering. ¡°How is it? Did you get the money?¡± The voice that spoke first belonged to the man who had made the call earlier. ¡°We got it. US$200,000, all in cash. It¡¯s all here.¡± The person who responded was apletely unfamiliar voice to Ruby. ¡°Where¡¯s the girl?¡± Another unfamiliar voice chimed in. ¡°Over there.¡± ¡°Now that we have the money, let¡¯s quickly wrap this up and avoid any unwanted surprises.¡± As the sentence ended, Ruby clearly heard multiple footsteps approaching her. The footsteps were chaotic, and Ruby could not tell how many people there were, but she knew deep down that all the calmness had passed, and the real storm was finallying. The footsteps grew closer, and Ruby¡¯s own heartbeat elerated. When the footsteps finally stopped in front of her, Ruby¡¯s heartbeat stopped as well. She held her breath as she felt someone lean towards her, their hand tugging twice on the back of her head before the ck cloth covering her face was abruptly lifted. Chapter 331: Blessing in Disguise (21) Chapter 331: Blessing in Disguise (21) Trantor: 549690339 It was him and another aplice who were responsible for tracking and kidnapping Maya Mitchell. They received the address from their employer and knew she lived alone, so they waited outside her house early in the morning. They initially nned to kidnap her right outside her door, catching her off guard. But who would have thought, this woman had such good luck that when she left her house, the neighbor also happened to leave at the same time. They had no choice but to follow her all the way to the department store. They had been in this line of work for a while and had some skills, so they didn¡¯t lose sight of her. However, they were quite far away and couldn¡¯t see her face clearly. When they finally got into the department store to get a better look at her face, she actually bought sunsses and covered half of her face. Now that the ck cloth was removed and they were closer, the man could finally see the face of the woman he had followed all day clearly. The man looked at Ruby Gregory¡¯s expression and was slightly stunned. After a while, he came to his senses and spoke with a strong, suffocating smell of smoke, ¡°Never thought that this girl would be so pretty.¡± ¡°Really?¡± Soon after, another man stepped forward. The moment he saw Ruby¡¯s face, he was also stunned. He then turned to the man with the yellow hair and exchanged nces, and there was a glint of joy in both their eyes, as if they had stumbled upon a great fortune. ¡°After being in this business for so long, we finally get lucky.¡± Following the conversation between the two men, the others surrounded Ruby. The moment everyone saw her, their eyes were filled with amazement, followed by unabashed lust. Ruby realized there were a total of six men. Six pairs of eyes staring straight at her, even though she was fully dressed, she felt naked. Her eyes were filled with fear, and she felt as if she was suspended in midair, neither alive nor dead. One of the older men, who seemed to be the leader, slightly leaned forward and raised his hand to pinch her chin, lifting her face for a closer examination. Ruby felt that the hand holding her chin was full of thorns, making her ufortable. She red at him fiercely and shook off his hand. The man looked at her, sneered and chuckled: ¡°I didn¡¯t expect you to be so stubborn. But anyway, you¡¯ll be ours soon enough. Don¡¯t me us, me the person who got on your bad side.¡± After saying that, the man leaned in close to Ruby¡¯s face and blew a breath of air on her: ¡°But don¡¯t worry, girl, we¡¯re all pretty gentle withdies¡­ ¡± His words led to the other men in the backgroundughing lewdly. Ruby felt that theughter was like a cold snake crawling over her, making her feel sick and terrified. After the man finished speaking, he stood up slightly and gestured for the others behind him to step aside. One of the men, who seemed to have a good rtionship with the leader and was rtively bold, said: ¡°Boss, don¡¯t be selfish, leave some for us too.¡± The leader, looking greedily at Ruby¡¯s face, Chapter 332: 332: Blessing in Disguise (22) Chapter 332: 332: Blessing in Disguise (22)
Trantor:549690339 The leader gazed at Ruby Gregory with desire, his face itching with excitement as he said, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, you¡¯ll get what¡¯sing to youter¡­¡± Hearing their leader¡¯s words, the other men chuckled sinisterly before backing away.
The leader stared at Ruby¡¯s face with a grin, then started to unbuckle his belt. Ruby heard the sound of the buckle and, out of instinct, leaned back against the dirty, decrepit wall. Then she saw the man charge towards her. She wanted to retreat further, but there was nowhere to go. She tried to escape, but her wrists and ankles were tied up. There was no way for her to flee. Ruby could only watch as the man lunged towards her. The feeling of disgust overwhelmed her even before he touched her skin. Just his attempt to remove her coat was enough. She knew that resisting would only make things worse for her. Ruby wasn¡¯t sure where Steve Burton was or if he could even make it in time to save her. Even if she ignored the fact that she wanted to maintain her purity for her uing marriage to Steve, she simply couldn¡¯t ept the touch of this disgusting stranger. Ruby was nervous, but somehow this tension gave her a moment of calm determination. She could only resist once, and it had to be a sudden, decisive move. Otherwise, once these men were on guard, she would have no chance to fight back. So, she stared straight at the man as he approached her. Although her legs were tied, she waited for the moment when his hands braced on either side of her. Then, she swiftly raised her knees and smashed them viciously into the man¡¯s groin.
It was an attack that Steve had taught her years ago, aimed at a man¡¯s most vulnerable area. As expected, the man¡¯s excited face turned pale as he let out a blood-curdling scream and doubled over in pain. The other men, who had been waiting nearby, rushed over upon hearing the agonizing cry. ¡°Boss, boss, what happened?¡± ¡°That bitch¡­¡± the leader groaned, unable to even finish his sentence as he held his lower body and trembled. Another man stormed over to Ruby, his anger boiling over. He raised his hand and pped her hard across the face: ¡°You filthy woman, how dare you fight back?¡± The p left Ruby¡¯s face stinging, and her head was jerked to one side. The next moment, she was dragged from the wall and thrown to the side. The phone she had hidden behind her back was now exposed to everyone. One of the men picked up the phone and saw that it was still on a call. His expression chilled and, without hesitation, he ended the call and threw the phone violently against the wall: ¡°Damn, this bitch has already called for help!¡± ¡°Son of a bitch¡­¡± The man who had pped Ruby stormed toward her and kicked her ruthlessly in the stomach: ¡°Tired of living, are you? Trying to pull a fast one on us? If you won¡¯t drink our alcohol, you¡¯ll drink our punishment instead. Today, you¡¯ll see just what we¡¯re capable of¡­¡±
Chapter 333: 333: Blessing in Disguise (23) Chapter 333: 333: Blessing in Disguise (23)
Trantor:549690339 With that, the man viciously bent down and violently grabbed Ruby Gregory, mming her against the wall behind him. Then his hand darted out, stripping off her coat. At this moment, Ruby, kicked and mmed by this man, felt her every organ burning. Her face was devoid of color, and she hardly had any strength left in her body.
The man tore off her clothes and tossed them aside. One hand clutching her chin, the other hooked onto her cor, he sneered sinisterly, ¡°What¡¯s up, weren¡¯t you good at fighting back just now? Why aren¡¯t you fighting back now?¡± ¡°You ungrateful bitch!¡± he cursed savagely, and with a forceful pull, a ripping sound echoed as Ruby Gregory¡¯s undershirt was harshly torn in two. In a blink, she was exposed to everyone. The man¡¯s hand slid down her neck and hooked onto her bra¡­ Ruby, gathering whatever strength she could find, sharply lowered her head and bit hard onto the man¡¯s hand. Letting out a piercing scream, the man tried to wriggle his hand free, but she bit down harder. With apparent agony in his reddening eyes, the man stretched out his other hand, grabbed Ruby¡¯s hair, and swung her to one side. The man had used so much force that Ruby was flung two meters away, mming against the wall behind her. The acute pain made Ruby¡¯s head swim; she copsed against the wall, slipping down to the ground. The man whose hand she had bitten, clutching his bloodstained arm, staggered towards Ruby. The others closed in on her too. At this moment, Rubycked the strength to move. She watched helplessly as the men dragged her from the corner and one of them reached for her skirt. Ruby¡¯s entire body began to shudder. She knew her circumstance was desperate, with no way out.
The man whom she had bitten came forward and pped her in the face. ¡°What? So now you¡¯re scared? Too bad, it¡¯s too fuckingte. Don¡¯t worry, we¡¯ll make sure not to kill you while having our fun¡­¡± As he spoke, Ruby felt hands reaching for her. She wasn¡¯t sure if her dizziness was due to being thrown against the wall or from fear, but her consciousness began to blur. She desperately told herself she could not close her eyes. If she did, it would be over. She needed to fight back. But deep down she knew she had no strength to resist. Better to fall unconscious and escape this horrific scene. Suddenly someone forcefully pressed down on her. Her body shuddered, and with her eyes shut, shaking her head frantically, she felt despair creep into her heart. Just as she thought she had reached the point of no return, a loud crash echoed by her ear. Ruby turned her head slightly, to see the iron door broken down and several figures rushed in. Before she could see who hade, the men surrounding her disappeared in the blink of an eye. Her ears were filled with sounds, screams, sounds of fighting, groans, cries for mercy, but she found herself embraced in a warm hug. PS: That¡¯s all for today, see you tomorrow~ Merry Christmas Eve everyone~ Don¡¯t forget to eat an apple! Today¡¯s winner is: ¡°Tenacity!?¡±
PPS: I don¡¯t have any Christmas presents for you all, but let me rmend a book~ The author is Mu Qian Ning, and the name of the book is ¡°The Supreme Crazy Empress: The Gold-Medal Summoner.¡± Chapter 334: Blessing in Disguise (24) Chapter 334: Blessing in Disguise (24) Trantor: 549690339 She hadn¡¯t seen who the person was, but in the blink of an eye, the people surrounding her had vanished. A cacophony of screams, fighting, groans, and cries for help filled her ears, but she found herself in a warm embrace. Feeling a familiar yet crisp scent enveloping her, she wondered if this was an illusion. Her dark eyes, usually shining brightly, were now dim. Staring at the person holding her, her gaze seemed lost and vacant. Finally, she reached out to touch Steve Burton¡¯s face, convinced that their soft texture was real. Bliinking, a hint of light returned to her eyes, bringing joy and relief. She opened her mouth to say something but suddenly her hand fell and she descended into total darkness. In thete autumn night, ayer of fog appeared, silently covering the tall buildings of the bustling city. Fading neon lights peeked through the haze, making the entire world seem like a surreal dreamscape. Rapid footsteps broke the silence within the hospital¡¯s hallway. A few people stood outside the ward at the end of the corridor. Rusell Henris stopped near them, handed out bottles of mineral water, and turned to look at the tightly closed door, asking, ¡°Has our brother had dinner yet?¡± Howard Coleman, who had just unscrewed a bottle cap and was about to drink, frowned and dropped the hand holding the water bottle, answering, ¡°No, the nurse just returned the untouched meal.¡± ¡°Did anyone go in to persuade him?¡± Rusell asked, ncing at Edward Woods. ¡°Ever since our brother stormed the steel factory and saw Ruby being held down, hepletely changed¡­¡± Edward recalled Steve¡¯s frenzied behavior in the abandoned factory and shuddered. ¡°Who dares to persuade him now? Whoever tries will face the consequences.¡± Edward, Howard, and Rusell fell silent. After a while, Howard raised his bottle to drink, saying, ¡°There are many ways to deal with those people, but our brother chose the most violent method at that moment. If we hadn¡¯t stopped him, those people would definitely be dead and he might have gotten into even more trouble. Growing up, he¡¯s always been the most level-headed and seemingly good-natured among us. Who would¡¯ve thought that after meeting Ruby, he would be like an entirely different person, turning into a madman?¡± Edward chimed in, ¡°It¡¯s not just madness. You didn¡¯t see it, but his eyes were red, just like a person without any sense. He didn¡¯t make a single sound as he smashed everything in the steel factory to pieces. The only thing he didn¡¯t demolish was the four surrounding walls.¡± ¡°What you two mentioned is nothingpared to the worst part. In the end, our brother took all the USD those people received and piled it in front of them like a small mountain. He then poured the alcohol they bought all over the money, and without blinking an eye, turned on a lighter and threw it onto the pile.¡± Chapter 335: Blessing in Disguise (25) Chapter 335: Blessing in Disguise (25) Trantor: 549690339 ¡°At that time, the scene was like a burst of fire. Among those people, two of them were beaten by our brother to the point of being on the verge of death, but not quite unconscious. Watching their money turn into ashes, their facial expressions were simply spectacr¡­¡± Rusell Henris shrugged his shoulders, his tone somewhat regretful as he stopped speaking. ¡°They should really be grateful that they didn¡¯t actually hurt Ruby. If they had, the scene we¡¯re seeing today would definitely be different.¡± ¡°Our brother ended up like this even though they didn¡¯t actually hurt her. Since entering that steel factory, he hasn¡¯t even uttered a single word, not even a cough ¨C just terribly quiet¡­ It¡¯s downright creepy.¡± ¡°You didn¡¯t see it, but when our brother came back, his hands holding Ruby were trembling. Our brother, who is usually calm in the face of danger, never panicking, and able to remainposed in front of the entire board of directors of Pristine¡¯s Enterprises, was trembling at that moment¡­¡± Howard Coleman¡¯s voice began to tremble as he spoke. ¡°Our brother can¡¯t go on like this. The doctor said Ruby isn¡¯t in any serious danger, but he¡¯s still just standing by her bedside, not eating or drinking.¡± Rusell worriedly looked through the window at Steve Burton¡¯s tall and straight figure, then sighed. ¡°When I went to buy some water, our brother was standing there with the same posture, the same expression. I came back after a while, and he¡¯s still just like that. If you didn¡¯t know better, you might think he¡¯s a statue.¡± Steve¡¯s gaze never left the woman lying quietly on the bed. At this moment, her face was pale, and she¡¯d already changed into clean hospital clothes. Shey there, docile and sound asleep. However, what still lingered in Steve¡¯s mind was the image of her after he had rushed to the steel factory. With a swollen face, messy hair, disheveled clothes,rge patches of her fair skin exposed, and bruised from being beaten and kicked by others. Her beautiful and bright eyes, usually as clear as a deer¡¯s, were devoid of any light, reced by panic, fear, and breakdown. Even though they managed to escape death this time, Steve had vented his anger directly after seeing her in that state. But now, recalling that scene, his hands still instinctively clenched into fists, still feeling the urge to kill. Along with deep fear. A fear he had never experienced before in his life. As time slowly passed, Steve stayed by her side, never wavering or moving for even a second. A nurse came in during this time, removing the needle from Ruby Gregory¡¯s wrist, but Steve had no reaction. He remained utterly silent. The darkness outside the window gradually turned from ck to pitch ck, then to gray, to white, until ayer of light appeared at the eastern horizon. Rusell, who had spent the night sleeping on a chair in the corridor, awoke. Howard and Edward Woods were still asleep nearby. Rusell quietly got up and went to the bathroom to wash his face, then went downstairs to buy some breakfast. He ced two portions on the chair in the corridor, then carried the remaining two portions to the hospital room door, hesitated for a moment, and knocked on the door. There was still no sound inside the room. Rusell paused for a moment, then went ahead and pushed the door open, entering the room. Chapter 336: 336: Blessing in Disguise (26) Chapter 336: 336: Blessing in Disguise (26)
Trantor:549690339 Russell paused for a moment, pushed the door open, and walked in. He nced at Steve, who had not slept all night and hadn¡¯t even sat down for a moment. ¡°You haven¡¯t eaten anything sincest night. I bought some porridge; you should have some.¡± It was as if Steve didn¡¯t hear Russell¡¯s words, his face remaining silent while his gaze was still glued to Ruby¡¯s body.
Still not responding¡­ Russell felt helpless in his heart, unless Ruby woke up now and talked to Steve. Russell paused for a while, then spoke again, ¡°At least eat something. Don¡¯t wait until Ruby wakes up and then pass out yourself. Also, look at your clothes, they¡¯re filthy with blood stains, your hair is a mess, and your beard has grown out. At least take a bath and change into clean clothes.¡± Steve¡¯s brows and eyes remained still. Russell suddenly felt like a nagging mother. He raised his hand, rubbed his nose, ced the breakfast on the table, and continued to persuade Steve, ¡°The doctor has already said that she¡¯s fine. I know you¡¯re not feeling well, but fortunately, we arrived in time, didn¡¯t we?¡± Russell didn¡¯t hold out much hope that Steve would listen to him. He didn¡¯t know what he had said that touched Steve, but Steve¡¯s eyshes suddenly fluttered. Although his eyes didn¡¯t move away from Ruby, he suddenly said, ¡°Time, save me.¡± Only four words, not even rted to what Russell had just said. His voice was murmuring, more like talking to himself. Russell¡¯s lips moved slightly, but he didn¡¯t say anything. Steve turned his head, looking at Russell with a hint of dark red in his eyes. ¡°When she called me, the first words she said were these four.¡± At this point, Steve paused and repeated those four words, ¡°Time, save me.¡± ¡°I never thought that after so many years, she still remembers these four words.¡± Steve¡¯s expression became a bit agitated. He swallowed hard, and his voice, which had barely been used to speak or drink water, was slightly dry. ¡°You don¡¯t know. In the afternoon, when you and I passed by our high school and saw those students fighting, I remembered this phrase and thought it must be a wishful thinking in my heart, but I didn¡¯t expect that just a few hourster, I would hear it from her.¡± I always thought that I was the only one foolishly remembering some pleasant memories.
I never knew, what a coincidence, that you, just like me, also remembered. He was two years older and two grades ahead of Ruby. Although Ruby always tried to get into the same school as him, they only spent one year together in the same school during middle and high school. As the third day of the lunar year approached, Ruby experienced her first menstrual period, and then her entire body went through earth-shattering changes. In just one short summer break, Steve found that his girl had turned into a gracefuldy; a little tempting in her innocence. The liveliest time at school every year was the day new students arrived. Whether they were in second or third-year or attending a prep ss, they would all flock to the school gate to join in the fun. Chapter 337: 337: Blessing in Disguise (27) Chapter 337: 337: Blessing in Disguise (27)
Trantor:549690339 For male students, the greatest pleasure in gathering at the school gate was to find out which new female students were pretty. And for female students, besides checking out the good-looking guys among the freshmen, they would also take a nce at any pretty girls. When Ruby Gregory appeared at the school gate, she really caused a bit ofmotion. Even the usually reserved and aloof boys would take the initiative to approach her and chat, asking if she needed help or directly offering to take her to the freshman registration area.
That day, Steve Burton didn¡¯t show up at the school gate. Instead, he stood on the rooftop of the six-story teaching building, watching the scene. The variety of people surrounding Ruby Gregory was quite annoying for him, so he called Howard Coleman to have him pick her up at the school gate. When Howard arrived, the crowd around Ruby Gregory was so dense that he needed much effort to squeeze through. Then, in front of everyone, he called out ¡°Ruby!¡± and picked up Ruby¡¯s bag, pulled her arm, and walked towards the freshman registration area, breaking the hearts of countless young boys. Although it was just a brief moment at the freshman registration area, Ruby Gregory¡¯s name spread like wildfire overnight to the ears of her new and old ssmates, and even the school¡¯s guidance office director. It led to the elderly director asking who Ruby Gregory was during the second day¡¯s freshman entrance ceremony when he passed her ss. Steve Burton was the Student Union President and often very busy. So, just after Ruby Gregory and Madeleine started school at Ciawell, they had military training under the scorching sun. To help them out, Steve had Howard deliver cold drinks to Ruby Gregory in the yground for each ss, along with Madeleine¡¯s portion. Ruby Gregory received quite a lot of cold drink snacks. However, she habitually drank whatever Howard sent her. Eventually, those ardent boys thought Ruby belonged to Howard, and one by one, their spirits dampened, and the treats they sent to Ruby diminished. During that time, with fewer boys chasing her, Ruby Gregory was pleased deep inside. After all, being pretty meant suffering from unwanted attention and harassment. Unfortunately, she didn¡¯t get to enjoy the peace for long before it was shattered. That¡¯s because during a break from military training, a girl who sat next to Ruby Gregory suddenly asked her, ¡°Are you Howard Coleman¡¯s girlfriend?¡± Ruby and Madeleine were drinking water at the time. When Ruby heard the question, she didn¡¯t react, while Madeleine justughed, spraying the water from her mouth, as if she was the one they said was Howard¡¯s girlfriend. Wiping her mouth and shaking her head, Madeleine asserted in disbelief, ¡°Don¡¯t joke around. Ruby and Howard getting together is totally impossible. Howard treats Ruby like a younger sister.¡±
Madeleine¡¯s remark was quite loud, drawing the attention of everyone around to Ruby. Those boys who had initially given up suddenly became restless after hearing this unexpected good news. Chapter 338: Blessing in Disguise (28) Chapter 338: Blessing in Disguise (28) Trantor: 549690339 However, themotion this time seemed to be a bit too much, not only causing the boys in school to pursue Ruby Gregory tirelessly, but also attracting a gang from outside the school. During those years, Hong Kong¡¯s young thugs were trendy, and many youths, regardless of whether they had dropped out of school or not, followed the trend with a sense of self-righteousness and ambitions, stepping into the ¡°underworld¡± of irregr upations. Perhaps some of the unskilled students in the school had gotten involved with the outside gang, and word got out about the breathtakingly beautiful female student whose name matched her appearance. Every gang involved in the underworld had a leader, and the favorite thing for these leaders to do was to parade around with different fancydies by their side, showing off their self-perceived high social status. So, when the leader heard about Ruby Gregory¡¯s beauty, he rode a motorbike, trailed by ck smoke, to her high school, with a cigarette in his mouth and a group of his sidekicks guarding the school gate. After witnessing Ruby Gregory¡¯s stunning looks, he couldn¡¯t help but praise her, thinking that if he could make her his girlfriend, he would definitely gain face wherever he went. Thus, the leader started to appear frequently at the school gate from that day on. Being part of the underworld, his audacity was quite big and he didn¡¯t have the restraint of the good students in school. After seeing Ruby Gregory only twice, he had his minions stop her and hand her a note with his phone number on it. The leader eagerly waited for a whole week, but he never received a call from Ruby Gregory. In the end, he tried his best to get her phone number from someone else and personally called her himself. Ruby Gregory answered, realizing it was someone she didn¡¯t know, she hung up without hesitation. The leader called back persistently, and Ruby hung up every time, until she got annoyed and simply blocked his number. Ruby Gregory had no idea that her seemingly normal actions were seen as ¡°tough¡± by the leader, hurting his ¡°majesty.¡± So, the offended leader sent his minions to issue a wanted threat to Ruby Gregory, telling her to proactively call him back within two days or face the consequences. With a smile on her face, Ruby Gregory secretly found it ridiculous, as if she was acting in a TV show. She shrugged off the warning, flipped her long hair, walked elegantly in her big-toe shoes into the campus, andpletely put that matter out of her mind. It wasn¡¯t until two dayster, when Ruby Gregory went to the newsstand across the street from her school to buy the Rayli Magazine, that she was surrounded by a group of riffraff boys and remembered the warning from two days ago. Her first thought was to run back to the school, but she was surrounded by the group of people. ¡°Ruby Gregory, right?¡± ¡°You¡¯re pretty arrogant, huh? Our leader¡¯s been trying to get your attention so many times, but you keep ignoring him?¡± ¡°Beautiful, let¡¯s go, our leader hase to pick you up. Come have some fun with him¡­¡± At that time, it was the afternoon rush hour for school, and many students were riding their bikes to school. Ruby Gregory was a new sensation at the school, and everyone knew her by then. So, in less than ten minutes, the news that Ruby Gregory was being surrounded by a group of boys at the school gate spread to Senior ss 1. Chapter 339: Blessing in Disguise (29) Chapter 339: Blessing in Disguise (29) Trantor: 549690339 At that time, Steve Burton was sitting in his seat, solving function problems, when suddenly a boy patted Howard Coleman, who was sleeping with his face down on the desk next to him. Howard raised his head with a bad temper, but before he could speak, the boy said, ¡°Howard, your little high school sister named Ruby Gregory, is surrounded by thugs outside the school.¡± Just after the boy finished speaking, as he was about to watch the reaction of the ¡°big brother¡± who always went to the freshman department to take care of Ruby, Steve Burton, who had been focused on his chemistry problems and oblivious to the world outside, suddenly threw his pen violently and jumped up. He leaped over Howard and ran towards the door at an extreme speed. As he approached the door, Steve Burton grabbed a broom along the way. By this time, Howard was fully awake, and he followed Steve in a hurry. He even stuck his head into the ssroom next door and called in Rusell Henris and Edward Woods. When Steve Burton, Rusell Henris, Edward Woods, and Howard Coleman arrived at the school gate, Ruby Gregory was about to be dragged into a motorcycle. The four young and impulsive teenagers rushed up without hesitation. That day in Ciawell, it was summer with a blue sky, white clouds, and high temperature. That day, four young men from noble backgrounds, who had received elegant educations, fought a mass brawl for a woman named Ruby Gregory. In that brawl, Steve Burton, Rusell Henris, Howard Coleman, and Edward Woods defeated twenty people. Although in the end, the four of them had torn clothes, scratched faces, and a miserable victory, they became a legendary story in the school. That fight attracted the attention of the school security and nearby police and eventually rmed the school leaders. Usually, the school would protect its students in such cases, adding that the thugs were idle and had a criminal record in the police station. When the police heard that they had bullied a girl and that these gant teenagers hade to help, they were deeply moved and took the thugs to the police station without hesitation. At this time, Madeleine had hurried over upon hearing the news. Steve Burton had always been well-liked by school leaders. He only said a few words, and the school leaders did not contact their parents. They all went to the hospital together. When they came out of the hospital, it was already dusk. After a fight and a hectic afternoon, they were all hungry, and the six of them went to have dinner together. Perhaps it was the passionate event of that day that made them too excited. They drank some alcohol during dinner, and before they knew it, they had proposed that they all not return home for the night. Rusell Henris called his home to say he was staying at Howard Coleman¡¯s house, Howard said he was staying at Edward Woods¡¯, Edward said he was staying at Steve Burton¡¯s, Madeleine and Ruby had to say they were staying at each other¡¯s houses, and only Steve Burton picked up the phone in the end and said, ¡°I¡¯m noting home tonight.¡± Then he casually hung up the phone, under the stunned gaze of a group of people, receiving the admiration of Rusell Henris, Howard Coleman, and Edward Woods who also had to report their overnight stays. Chapter 340: 340: Blessing in Disguise (30) Chapter 340: 340: Blessing in Disguise (30)
Trantor:549690339 Back then, it wasn¡¯t that they didn¡¯t have the money to rent a hotel room; it was just that as soon as they showed their ID cards, their families would see through their lies. So after dinner, they all went to the park next door.
Everyoney down on the grass, but Steve Burton didn¡¯t say a word. Howard Coleman, Rusell Henris, and Edward Woods kept chatting on and on. ¡°Howard, didn¡¯t you kick me in the butt during the fight today?¡± ¡°You have the nerve to talk about that when you scratched my face?!¡± ¡°You two shut up! Who pulled out a chunk of my hair? Was it you, Edward?!¡± ¡°Well, you kicked me in return!¡± ¡°Shut up! Didn¡¯t you scratch my face? I rely on my appearance to make a living¡­¡± ¡°You don¡¯t even have a face to feed yourself with!¡± Madeleine listened to the three¡¯s argument, taking pictures of their bruised faces with her phone, giggling all the while. Ruby Gregory and Steve Burton sat not far away, quietly leaning against a tree, side by side. Ruby was amused by Howard Coleman, Rusell Henris, and Edward Woods¡¯ squabble, her lips forming a smile. It was only after a while that she noticed Steve Burton, sitting beside her, gazing at the starry sky expressionlessly.
Ruby stoppedughing: ¡°Steve, what¡¯s wrong?¡± Steve didn¡¯t speak. By this time, Ruby could tell his emotions apart, and she could see that he was not in a good mood. She pouted and thought for a while, then looked at the band-aid on the corner of Steve¡¯s eye and asked, ¡°Is it because your wound hurts?¡± Steve turned his head and looked at Ruby, still remaining silent. Ruby pursed her lips and closed her mouth as well. The night grew darker, and their conversation was gradually reced by drowsiness. The youngsters fell asleep right where theyy on the ground. Ruby slowly began to doze off, leaning against the tree. It wasn¡¯t thefortable princess bed at home, so Ruby¡¯s sleep was restless. She woke up frequently, and during one of her awakenings, she found herself nestled in Steve¡¯s arms. He held a piece of cardboard, fanning away mosquitoes from her. A warmth rose in Ruby¡¯s heart, dispelling her sleepiness. She moved her head slightly in Steve¡¯s arms and met his gaze. She blinked and whispered, ¡°Steve, are you still in a bad mood?¡± Steve didn¡¯t answer her question, but instead asked her directly, ¡°Didn¡¯t I tell you before that you cane to me if you¡¯re in trouble? Why didn¡¯t you call me first today?¡± Steve¡¯s tone was slightly using, making Ruby pause for a moment. After a while, she said softly, ¡°I was too nervous at the time and forgot.¡±
Ruby looked at Steve¡¯s still somber expression, and after some thought, she raised her hand, making a promise gesture, ¡°I swear this is thest time. Next time I¡¯m in a simr danger, I¡¯ll call you first.¡± Steve¡¯s expression finally softened a little. Ruby¡¯s eyes danced withughter. Biting her finger, she looked innocent and carefree, ¡°You call me Ruby, but I can only call you Steve. It makes us seem distant. How about¡­ Steve¡­ Rubyughed, then gently whispered a name, ¡°Time¡­ Steve, how about I call you Time from now on?¡± ¡°If I¡¯m ever in danger again, I¡¯ll say, ¡®Time, save me¡­¡¯¡± PS: That¡¯s it for today, continue tomorrow ~ the winning reader is: The Forgotten Time. Chapter 341: 341: Blessing in Disguise (31) Chapter 341: 341: Blessing in Disguise (31)
Trantor:549690339 Suddenly, a knock on the door interrupted Steve Burton¡¯s reverie. Steve pulled his thoughts back from his memories as Howard Coleman walked in, looking groggy from sleep. ¡°Bro, Ms. Taylor just called and said that you have an appointment with Mr. Foster this morning to sign a contract.¡±
Mr. Foster, Olivia Foster¡¯s father. Yesterday afternoon, they had learned from their captives that it was Olivia who had arranged for Ruby Gregory¡¯s kidnapping. Howard paused for a moment, then continued, ¡°Should we still sign the contract?¡± As the words left his mouth, he felt as if he was stating the obvious. He looked at Steve and quickly changed his statement. ¡°I¡¯ll have Ms. Taylor decline Mr. Foster¡¯s invitation right away.¡± As he spoke, Howard lifted his cellphone. ¡°Howard¡­¡± Perhaps due to the lingering warmth from the memories of his youth, there was still a hint of tenderness in Steve¡¯s eyes. However, that tenderness was gone in a blink, reced by the usual cold indifference. He nced sideways at Howard and said, ¡°Have Ms. Taylor bring me a clean suit.¡± Upon hearing this, Howard hesitated for a moment before understanding what Steve intended to do. He asked with a hint of hesitation, ¡°Bro, are you nning to meet with Mr. Foster?¡± Steve didn¡¯t say a word, but the indifferent expression on his face gave Howard the answer he was looking for. Howard subconsciously looked over at Rusell Henris, who was standing nearby. Rusell naturally understood what the look in Howard¡¯s eyes meant. Given the events of yesterday, it seemed impossible that Steve would let Olivia, the mastermind behind the kidnapping, get away with it. However, some things weren¡¯t as simple as they seemed on the surface. For instance, Steve, the legitimate heir to the Burtons, was destined to take over the family business from birth. Yet, that didn¡¯t mean that others within Pristine¡¯s Enterprises didn¡¯t covet the vastmercial kingdom.
For example, Steve¡¯s fourth cousin had married Olivia¡¯s sister, ostensibly to please the Fosters, but in reality, he was cultivating solid support for himself. The cousin¡¯s mother was Steve¡¯s youngest aunt and his grandma¡¯s sister. They resembled each other a lot. While Steve¡¯s grandma was still alive, Steve¡¯s grandpa had been very fond of his youngest daughter. After his wife¡¯s passing, his favoritism had only intensified. Justst year, he had given his daughter a New Year¡¯s gift of 5% of Pristine¡¯s Enterprises¡¯ shares, which were in his possession. Steve had been in charge of Pristine¡¯s Enterprises for three years. Although he had secured his position, some people harbored ulterior motives. It wasn¡¯t that they didn¡¯t want to act; the timing just wasn¡¯t right. Some situations could set off a chain reaction, and if mishandled, could result in mutual destruction for both sides. If Steve were to act impulsively now, all the groundwork they hadid over the past three years could go to waste! Rusell pondered for a moment, then nodded at Howard. ¡°First, help our brother get a clean suit.¡± Howard had initially hoped for Rusell to dissuade Steve, but to his surprise, Rusell was going along with Steve¡¯s intentions. He frowned and said, ¡°Rusell, are you not thinking straight either? Rusell, however, remained extremelyposed,pletely ignoring Howard. Instead, he picked up his cellphone and called Ms. Taylor himself. Chapter 342: Blessing in Disguise (32) Chapter 342: Blessing in Disguise (32) Trantor: 549690339 Howard Coleman angrily turned around and left the ward. Ms. Taylor quickly delivered the clothes, and Steve Burton went straight to the bathroom in the ward to take a bath and change. When he came out, he was once again clean and elegant, as if the disheveled scene that had just happened was an illusion. Steve stood in front of the cheval mirror in the ward, pulled over the tie held up by Ms. Taylor, looked in the mirror, and skillfully tied a beautiful knot. Then he took a diamond-studded tinum tie clip to secure the tie before taking the suit jacket from Ms. Taylor¡¯s hand. It wasn¡¯t until then that Rusell Henris, who had been in the ward without leaving, waved at Ms. Taylor. Ms. Taylor tactfully left the ward, closed the door thoughtfully, and Rusell slowly stepped forward, walking to Steve¡¯s side. With his hands in his pockets, he looked at Steve¡¯s handsome and ethereal face in the mirror and said, ¡°Steve, you know some things more clearly than any of us do.¡± Steve¡¯s hand, which was buttoning up, paused. He naturally knew what Rusell was hinting at in those words, but his expression didn¡¯t change at all, and he continued to button up gracefully and unhurriedly. ¡°Steve, if you have a falling-out with the Fosters, you¡¯ll be falling out with the rest of your family too. And you know that now is not the right time to have a falling-out with the Fosters.¡± Steve still didn¡¯t say anything. After buttoning up thest button, he nced at himself in the mirror before looking at Rusell. He still didn¡¯t say a word and simply stepped past Rusell and walked out of the ward. Ms. Taylor, as the Secretary-General of Steve Burton¡¯s secretarial office, had brought the partnership case with Foster¡¯s Enterprises when she came. Seeing Stevee out now, she immediately tactfully followed him. Steve walked a few steps, stopped as if he had suddenly remembered something, and slightly tilted his head. He addressed Ms. Taylor, who was half a meter behind him, saying, ¡°Give me the partnership case directly.¡± Ms. Taylor handed it over with both hands. Steve took it with one hand and looked up at Ms. Taylor, saying, ¡°You go back to thepany first. I¡¯ll go on my own.¡± There was a pause, and then Steve added, ¡°Give Mr. Foster a call and change the address to the tea restaurant downstairs at Pristine¡¯s Enterprises Inc. He can bring Olivia Foster along. It¡¯s been a long time since we¡¯ve met to just catch up.¡± ¡°Yes, Mr. Burton.¡± Ms. Taylor nodded respectfully and immediately took out her phone to carry out Steve¡¯s orders. Steve turned around, stepped into the elevator, and left with a flourish. When Steve arrived at the tea restaurant downstairs at Pristine¡¯s Enterprises Inc., neither Mr. Foster nor Olivia Foster had arrived yet. The tea restaurant¡¯s waitstaff knew Steve all too well, and without much questioning, they led him directly to his usual private dining room. Steve hadn¡¯t been sitting for long when the waiter led Mr. Foster and Olivia in. By now, it was alreadyte autumn, but Olivia was wearing a thin coat with thetest autumn Chanel dress, paired with a pair of high boots, looking fashionable and beautiful. As soon as Mr. Foster entered the private dining room and saw Steve, he broke into a broad smile and greeted him enthusiastically, ¡°Steve, you¡¯re already here?¡± Faced with Mr. Foster¡¯s enthusiasm, Steve seemed somewhat cold. He sat indifferently in his seat, staring at Mr. Foster¡¯s smile without any expression on his face. Chapter 343: Blessing in Disguise (33) Chapter 343: Blessing in Disguise (33) Trantor: 549690339 Mr. Foster¡¯s originally broad smile gradually stiffened, and then slowly disappeared. It was only when there was no trace of a smile left on his face that Steve Burton gently tugged at the corners of his lips, revealing a somewhat amused expression. He remained seated, looking at Mr. Foster, and spoke in a clear and cold voice, ¡°Uncle Foster, please sit.¡± Mr. Foster and Olivia Foster sat down opposite Steve. Perhaps because Steve¡¯s demeanor had just been too cold, the atmosphere in the private room seemed somewhat stagnant. Steve, on the other hand, seemed like nothing was wrong. He picked up the teapot on the table, poured three cups of tea, and pushed the first cup in front of Mr. Foster, ¡°Uncle Foster, have some tea.¡± Mr. Foster¡¯s expression finally rxed a little, ¡°Thank you.¡± Steve curved the corners of his lips, said nothing, and pushed the second cup of tea in front of Olivia. Then he slightly raised his eyelids, nced at Olivia, and said two words, ¡°Drink tea.¡± Ever since the incident at the Red Park, Steve and Olivia had no further interaction. She had always thought that she hadpletely lost hope in Steve¡¯s eyes. But unexpectedly, today the secretary-general called her to apany her father to meet Steve, saying that it had been a long time since theyst met, and they should catch up. Catching up¡­ these three words seemed like spring rain sprinkling on her long-desated heart, making it begin to beat again. Olivia reached out, took the cup of tea that Steve personally poured for her, suppressed the excitement in her heart, lowered her eyshes, and whispered softly, obediently, ¡°Thank you, Steve.¡± Steve didn¡¯t respond, and his face didn¡¯t show any displeasure at Olivia¡¯s calling him ¡°Steve.¡± He just picked up thest cup of tea, took a sip at a leisurely pace, and then put down the cup. He pushed the cooperation proposal he brought with him in front of Mr. Foster, and said straightforwardly, ¡°Here¡¯s the contract. Please check if there are any issues, Mr. Foster.¡± Bothpanies had already had peoplemunicate during the drafting process, and the electronic version had been reviewed online before printing to follow the formal process. So there wouldn¡¯t be any issues with the contract, but Mr. Foster still symbolically skimmed through it. He looked up at Steve and said, ¡°Steve, I hope the cooperation between Foster¡¯s Enterprises and Pristine¡¯s Enterprises will continue to be as pleasant as always.¡± Steve curved his lips, didn¡¯t say anything, and leaned on the sofa behind him with a somewhatzy manner, ¡°Uncle Foster, you¡¯ve been making more money these past few years.¡± Mr. Foster smiled and said, ¡°Isn¡¯t it all thanks to Pristine¡¯s Enterprises?¡± ¡°How could it be thanks to Pristine¡¯s Enterprises? It¡¯s Uncle Foster¡¯s own ability.¡± Steveughed and his eyes drifted to Olivia¡¯s face, speaking in a rxed tone, ¡°The sry Pristine¡¯s Enterprises gave Olivia isn¡¯t enough for her to spend US$27,000 at once¡­¡± As if on purpose, Steve emphasized thest two words, ¡°USD.¡± From Steve¡¯s casual tone, it was impossible to discern what he was really thinking. It made people feel like he was just having a leisurely chat. Mr. Foster put down the pen he had originally prepared to sign with, smiled, and nced at Olivia beside him. His tone sounded as if he was reproaching her without any me, ¡°Over the years, I¡¯ve really spoiled Olivia, spending money recklessly. With this attitude, how is she going to get married?¡± Chapter 344: 344: Blessing in Disguise (34) Chapter 344: 344: Blessing in Disguise (34)
Trantor:549690339 ¡°Dad!¡± Olivia Foster¡¯s face turned red, and her tone was slightly coquettish as she chided. Steve Burton squinted his eyes and smiled. His demeanor became even more rxed and natural. He picked up his teacup and slowly took a sip of tea: ¡°With Uncle Foster¡¯s considerable wealth, whoever Olivia marries will surely be from an outstanding background. They wouldn¡¯t mind the rtively small amount of money she spends, would they?¡±
Steve kept calling Olivia by her nickname, causing her face to flush with embarrassment. Mr. Foster was delighted by Steve¡¯s affectionate address and happily poured a cup of tea for him, saying, ¡°While that may be true, we must not indulge this child too much. Otherwise, how will she manage a household in the future? She still needs to be disciplined.¡± Steve¡¯s lips curled, but he didn¡¯t respond to thisment. Mr. Foster then picked up the signing pen and flipped to the signature page of the contract. In the signature field, he wrote down his name. Steve held his teacup, his eyes lowered, watching Mr. Foster¡¯s signature, which was as smooth and flowing as a painting. Suddenly, he asked a seemingly irrelevant question, ¡°Uncle Foster, how has Gregory¡¯s Enterprises been in recent years?¡± Mr. Foster, of course, knew that Ruby Gregory had returned and had been closely following the movements of Gregory¡¯s Enterprises. Hearing Steve suddenly ask about thepany, Mr. Foster¡¯s heart skipped a beat, but his expression remained calm: ¡°Steve, what made you suddenly think of Gregory¡¯s Enterprises?¡± ¡°No reason¡­¡± Steve answered casually, ¡°I just haven¡¯t heard any news about Gregory¡¯s Enterprises in a long time, so I asked casually. After all, such an insignificantpany that can¡¯t get on the big stage isn¡¯t something I would pay much attention to.¡± Insignificant, unable to get on the big stage¡­ These two adjectives actually made Mr. Foster feel a little happy deep down. Twirling the pen in his hand, he tentatively and hypocritically replied, ¡°Gregory¡¯s Enterprises is still considered a bigpany. It¡¯s just that business has been bleak these past few years, and you never know when they might make aeback.¡± ¡°You never know when they might make aeback?¡± Steve repeated Mr. Foster¡¯s words in a low voice, then chuckled. His expression showed a hint of disdain as he said, ¡°It¡¯s just a futile struggle before their demise.¡± Seeing Steve¡¯s expression, Mr. Foster felt even more assured that Ruby Gregory¡¯s return might not be enough to save Gregory¡¯s Enterprises.
Steve continued casually, ¡°I heard that Gregory¡¯s Enterprises has been trying to find banks to get loans.¡± With Steve¡¯s previousments, Mr. Foster didn¡¯t bother being tactful this time, ¡°Many bank managers avoid Maxwell Gregory like the gue when they see him.¡± Steve feigned interest, ¡°Really?¡± Mr. Foster thought Steve was genuinely interested, ¡°Steve, you have no idea how Maxwell Gregory tried to please those bank managers back then,pletely groveling at their feet.¡± Steve¡¯s fingers paused for a moment as he held his teacup, but then he smoothly lifted the cup and took a drink to cover up his pause. ¡°Steve, as you said, Gregory¡¯s Enterprises will die sooner orter. Maxwell Gregory is just struggling in his final moments. Many of his current clients are annoyed by his persistence and only work with him reluctantly, as if they¡¯re doing him a favor¡­¡± Mr. Foster said as he signed the remaining two contracts. He then opened each contract to the signature page and pushed them in front of Steve: ¡° Chapter 345: 345: Blessing in Disguise (35) Chapter 345: 345: Blessing in Disguise (35)
Trantor:549690339 ¡°Besides, Gregory Enterprises is now seen as a smallpany that isn¡¯t well-regarded in everyone¡¯s eyes. Who would be willing to continue cooperating with them?¡± Steve Burton pressed his lips together, took Mr. Foster¡¯s signing pen without a word, and casually flipped through the contents of the contract.
Mr. Foster thought Steve was just checking the contract for errors out of habit and continued to speak without any special attention, ¡°Many business events and banquets have not invited Maxwell Gregory. Maxwell went out of his way to attend, but everyone just put on a friendly fa?ade with him. He genuinely believed they respected him¡­¡± Before Mr. Foster could finish, Steve suddenly threw the signing pen on the table, and it rolled twice before stopping by Mr. Foster¡¯s hand. Mr. Foster closed his mouth, picked up the pen, nced at Steve, and before he could ask what was wrong, Steve stared into his eyes, chuckled lightly, and said with a breezy tone, ¡°Seeing how much you dislike Gregory Enterprises, I can rest assured.¡± Mr. Foster frowned, somewhat unable to figure out Steve¡¯s underlying intentions. He stared at Steve for a while before asking, ¡°Steve, what do you mean by that?¡± ¡°What do I mean? Just the literal meaning.¡± Steve¡¯s tone was rxed and casual, staring into Mr. Foster¡¯s eyes with a faint hint of a smile, ¡°Mr. Foster, do you need me to exin the literal meaning to you?¡± Not waiting for Mr. Foster to respond, Steve faintly smiled, tapped the contract on the table, and said in a slow, unhurried tone, ¡°Apologies, I just made a decision to drop the idea of cooperating with Mr. Foster. Instead, I n to switch to working with Gregory Enterprises.¡± Mr. Foster¡¯s face turned slightly unpleasant in an instant, ¡°Steve, what do you mean by this?¡± ¡°Pfft¡­¡± Steve chuckled lightly, speaking with a somewhatzy tone, ¡°Mr. Foster, I could understand when you asked this question just now because you didn¡¯t understand the meaning of my words. But now that I¡¯ve been so clear, and you¡¯re still asking me what I mean, it really makes me¡­¡± Steve shook his head, putting on an expression that seemed to say he didn¡¯t want to say this was forced upon him, continuing, ¡°Since Mr. Foster really doesn¡¯t understand, I don¡¯t mind exining it. Simply put, it¡¯s to disgust Mr. Foster!¡± Mr. Foster¡¯s face turned white, then green, ¡°Steve, this cooperation case was initiated by your aunt at Foster Enterprises.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t mention my aunt to me!¡± Steve mmed down to his feet, his previously calm and rxed expression suddenly turning cold and solemn as he stared into Mr. Foster¡¯s eyes with a chilling gaze, ¡°If it weren¡¯t for the fact that the Fosters and the Burtons are somewhat rted, Foster Enterprises would have ceased to exist in this worldst night!¡± ¡°Just now, Mr. Foster said he wanted to discipline his dear daughter properly, right?¡±
¡°Mr. Foster really should discipline his daughter.¡± As Steve spoke, his eyes fell directly on Olivia Foster¡¯s face, his gaze as sharp as a knife, ¡°US$200,000 to hire kidnappers for Ruby Gregory, this was clearly an attempt to end her life. Olivia, I think I¡¯ve told you before not to bring Ruby to me to provoke trouble. The first time was a warning, this time is a threat¡­¡± Chapter 346: 346: Blessing in Disguise (36) Chapter 346: 346: Blessing in Disguise (36)
Trantor:549690339 With that, Steve Burton reached out and grabbed the cooperation proposal on the table, quickly tearing it into pieces: ¡°If there¡¯s a next time, Olivia Foster, I will make sure to obliterate you and the entire Foster Enterprises behind you, so that you can never recover!¡± After finishing his words, Steve threw the torn contract at Olivia¡¯s face forcefully.
Pieces of paper fluttered and filled half of the room. Steve didn¡¯t even look at Mr. Foster and Olivia sitting in front of him, grabbed the car keys on the table, and headed for the door. Indeed, as Rusell Henris and Howard Coleman had thought, he couldn¡¯t take any reckless actions against Foster Enterprises, as it would only speed up the division of the Burtons. However, this didn¡¯t mean that he had to let go of this matter easily. He might not be able to take down Foster Enterprises, but he could disgust them. They hated Gregory¡¯s Enterprises, right? He was determined to give them what they wanted most to Gregory¡¯s Enterprises instead. It wasn¡¯t until Steve reached the entrance of the room that Mr. Foster suddenly snapped back to reality. He stood up without thinking and angrily pped Olivia. He originally wanted to say: I told you to keep yourposure and not to do anything reckless to Ruby, so as not to ruin things. However, he remembered that Steve hadn¡¯t left yet, and saying this would imply that they indeed had intentions to harm Ruby. As a result, he opened his mouth and had no choice but to swallow his saliva, suppressing the words that were about toe out, and only said: ¡°What were you thinking, doing something like this!¡± Olivia waspletely terrified by Steve¡¯s actions, and now she was pped by her father again. She subconsciously raised her hand to cover her face, her eyes instantly filling with tears: ¡°I wasn¡¯t going to do anything to Ruby, I didn¡¯t want to hurt her, I wanted to deal with Maya Mitchell, it was Maya¡­ How did things turn out like this?¡± At the door, when Steve heard Olivia¡¯s words, he paused for a moment and then strode away. ¨C On his way back to the hospital, Steve received a call from Howard telling him that Ruby had woken up.
Steve simply responded ¡°Mhmm,¡± but the subtle warmth in his eyes and brows showed that he was happy to have Ruby back. He couldn¡¯t help but step on the gas pedal a little harder. Since Ruby had been unconscious for so long without eating, Rusell immediately ordered the hospital to make porridge when she woke up. When Steve arrived, the nurse had just brought the porridge into the ward and was about to move the dining table to Ruby¡¯s bedside. ¡°Brother.¡± Edward Woods greeted Steve as he entered the room, then excitedly asked, ¡°Ruby¡¯s awake?¡± Steve didn¡¯t say anything, just nced at the bed, took off his coat, pulled off his tie, and unbuttoned his shirt cuffs, rolling up his sleeves as he approached Ruby¡¯s bedside. Ruby had been getting along well with Stevetely, but she still felt nervous whenever she saw him. As he came closer, her heart inexplicably tightened. Seeing the mobile dining table the nurse had brought in, Steve frowned and then sat down on the edge of the bed. Ruby¡¯s heart tensed up to its limit. Steve reached out to take the porridge from the nurse and motioned to the mobile dining table: ¡°Get this out of here.¡± Then, he stirred the porridge in the bowl with a spoon, scooped a spoonful, cooled it a little by dangling it next to his mouth, and brought it to Ruby¡¯s lips. PS: That¡¯s it for today, let¡¯s end it here for now. I will add two more chapters tomorrow~~ Lucky reader: Ah Jiu.
Chapter 347: 347: Blessing in Disguise (37) Chapter 347: 347: Blessing in Disguise (37)
Trantor:549690339 Steve Burton reached out and took the porridge from the nurse¡¯s hand, gesturing towards the mobile dining table with his chin, ¡°Remove this.¡± He then stirred the porridge in the bowl with a spoon, scooped up a spoonful, let it drip for a moment, and brought it to Ruby Gregory¡¯s lips.
In Ruby¡¯s mind, she should have been the one taking care of Steve. Seeing him personally feed her the porridge, she felt overwhelming gratitude and instinctively said, ¡°I can do it myself¡­¡± As soon as the words left Ruby¡¯s mouth, her heart skipped a beat, realizing she had said the wrong thing. She feared her refusal might upset him¡­ This was the experience she had gained in her recent interactions with him. She was puzzled since she always believed people didn¡¯t like to be bothered, but he not only seemed to have infinite patience for her troubles but even seemed to enjoy it. Ruby looked up at Steve with some unease, only to find his face still as calm as when he entered the ward, without the slightest trace of displeasure or gloom. Instead, when he heard her words, his gaze flicked to her wrist with a hint of tenderness in his tone: ¡°Your wrist is still swollen.¡± The kidnappers had bound her with rough hemp rope, which had chaffed her delicate, pampered, and fair wrists bloody as she struggled. Rarely seeing Steve so good-tempered, Ruby was taken aback, but obediently opened her mouth to swallow the porridge without a word. Although Steve was ustomed to hiding all his emotions, warmth still seeped into his eyes as he spoon-fed Ruby the porridge. The atmosphere in the entire ward, consequently, became cozy. Having just recovered from a significant injury, Ruby¡¯s appetite was poor. She barely drank half a bowl of porridge before shaking her head at Steve to signal that she didn¡¯t want any more. Steve didn¡¯t force her, setting the porridge bowl aside on the table before ncing at nearby Rusell Henris, Edward Woods, and Howard Coleman who were lingering awkwardly. Receiving his gaze, the three men finally came to their senses and made excuses to leave one after the other, leaving only Steve and Ruby in the ward. Steve ttened Ruby¡¯s bed and tucked her in.
Ruby had never seen such tender, cautious gestures from Steve and felt unustomed to it. She shrank back into the nket, peeking at him after a while. Seeing Steve still sitting by the bed, she nced at the bowl of porridge and struggled to sit up. Steve frowned, ¡°What are you trying to do?¡± Ruby pointed at the porridge on the table, ¡°Howard said you haven¡¯t eaten anything. Do you want some porridge?¡± Steve¡¯s demeanor softened, ¡°I¡¯m not hungry.¡± Ruby merely acknowledged him with an ¡°Oh,¡± and obedientlyy on the hospital bed without moving. Perhaps because of the medication, she felt drowsy but couldn¡¯t sleep, repeatedly ncing at the porridge. Noticing her frequent nces, Steve let out a soft sigh and eximed, ¡°What a nuisance!¡± Without bothering to pour a new bowl, he directly picked up the half bowl of porridge Ruby had left and drank it all in one go. Finally, Ruby closed her eyes. However, a momentter, Ruby reopened her eyes. Steve asked with a hint of helplessness in his voice, ¡°What¡¯s the matter now?¡± Chapter 348: 348: Blessing in Disguise (38) Chapter 348: 348: Blessing in Disguise (38)
Trantor:549690339 ¡°Aren¡¯t you going to rest?¡± Steve Burton covered Ruby Gregory with the nket again and said softly, ¡°You go to sleep first.¡±
After a pause, Steve added, ¡°I¡¯ll sleepter.¡± Ruby finally closed her eyes with peace of mind and fell asleep in no time. Ruby¡¯s bruises were severe, and the next day, she was even more swollen and painful than before. Combined with a fever, the doctor had to add an antipyretic to her anti-inmmatory and anti-swelling medication. Because of the fever, Ruby remained in a groggy state with little appetite. When she asionally woke up, she could only manage to drink some porridge before falling back to sleep. After two days of this, her fever finally subsided, and her injuries were much less swollen. Some of the bruises started to turn yellow, a sign of improvement. During these two days, Steve stayed at the hospital all the time. Each time Ruby woke up, she could see him sitting by her bed, either feeding her porridge or giving her medicine. One night, as her fever persisted, she kept kicking off her nket. However, the nket would quickly be ced back on her. In a daze, she opened her eyes to see Steve wiping her face with a towel, which had a strong smell of alcohol. Throughout all this, the Gregorys weren¡¯t informed of Ruby¡¯s injuries and believed she was with Steve. Steve didn¡¯t go to hispany during Ruby¡¯s injury. However, it did not mean that he didn¡¯t have to deal withpany affairs. So, whenever Howard Coleman, Rusell Henris, and Edward Woods visited Ruby at the hospital, they brought some documents for him. Steve had no intention of handling documents during the two days of Ruby¡¯s high fever. It wasn¡¯t until after her fever subsided that he started to deal with the umted paperwork. Ruby began to recover and was no longer spending most of her 24 hours a day asleep as she had in the previous days. She now had more time to stay awake.
The hospital room was shared only by her and Steve. He sat on a nearby sofa, overseeing aptop and a mountain of files, so she didn¡¯t want to disturb his work. Instead, she passed the time alone, either browsing Twitter, reading news, shopping on Amazon, or ying mobile games. Tired from ying, she would close her eyes and sleep, then, waking up, continue entertaining herself as before. After a while, Ruby found this routine quite boring. It might have been because she had gotten too much sleeptely that she became so spirited and couldn¡¯t fall asleep at night. Being cooped up in the hospital room for so long, Ruby developed a strong desire to go out for a walk. After a nurse measured her blood pressure as part of her daily routine check, she finally couldn¡¯t help but ask, ¡°When can I be discharged?¡± The nurse looked at Ruby with a smile and said, ¡°Ms. Gregory¡¯s discharge is scheduled for the 10th of this month.¡± Ruby looked at the date on her phone and realized there were still three days left. She couldn¡¯t stay here even for three more hours, ¡°I¡¯m fine now. Can I go through the discharge procedures today?¡± ¡°For that, Ms. Gregory, you¡¯ll need to discuss it with Mr. Burton.¡±

Trantor:549690339 Mr. Burton? Isn¡¯t that Steve Burton? Ruby subconsciously nced at the restroom. Through the frosted ss door, she could faintly hear the sound of running water.
The nurse, with a smile, told Ruby that her blood pressure was normal and left the room after putting away the blood pressure cuff. As Ruby sat on the hospital bed, racking her brains on how to persuade Steve to agree to her early discharge, the restroom door was pushed open, and Steve walked out wearing a light-colored casual outfit. He nced at Ruby, walked to the sofa, and leisurely sat down, turning on theptop in front of him. Ruby seized the opportunity before Steve began working, chose her words cautiously, and said casually, ¡°It seems like I¡¯ve been in the hospital for quite a while.¡± Steve raised his eyes, looked at Ruby, said nothing, and typed the password into theptop. Ruby looked around at the upscale hospital room and said, ¡°This must be the best hospital room here. I heard it costs five digits a night. I¡¯ve stayed here for so many days; it must have cost a lot.¡± Steve could tell that Ruby was beating around the bush, so he casually leaned back on the sofa and went along with it, ¡°Yes. It¡¯s a lot of money.¡± Ruby¡¯s eyes sparkled at Steve¡¯s response, ¡°The nurse just came to check my blood pressure and said everything was normal.¡± ¡°That¡¯s good.¡± Steve replied leisurely. ¡°So, I think there¡¯s no need to waste money.¡± Ruby thought to herself, now that she hade this far in the conversation, surely he would understand what she meant? So, she wanted to be discharged? Steve pretended not to understand Ruby¡¯s meaning and asked, ¡°Then what?¡±
Did he really need her to spell it out? Ruby felt slightly annoyed, ¡°Well, I think I can be discharged now.¡± ¡°The evening of the 10th.¡± Steve stated Ruby¡¯s already known discharge date. Ruby blinked and said, ¡°Actually, I think my body has no problems now, and there¡¯s no need to spend extra money staying in the hospital for a few more days.¡± Steve picked up a document from the side, flipped it open, and without blinking, stated, ¡°The evening of the 11th.¡± Ruby¡¯s eyes widened, ¡°And I haven¡¯t been home for so many days¡­¡± ¡°The evening of the 15th.¡± Steve casually flipped the document and replied calmly. Ruby quickly clenched her mouth shut, staring at him, wanting to speak but was afraid he would change her discharge date to the 20th if she did. Although Steve seemed to be focusing on the report in his hands, his peripheral vision kept ncing at the girl sitting cross-legged on the hospital bed. He looked at her, frightened to speak but seemingly unable to stop herself, with a grumpy pout on her face. He couldn¡¯t help but smile slightly at the sight. It turned out that she also had such genuine, lively, and adorable moments in front of him, away from her usual cautious demeanor and fear-induced reactions. Without even reading the report, Steve still pretended to turn a page. He looked up at Ruby and asked, ¡°Why do you want to leave hospital so badly?¡±
Hearing Steve inquire about her reason, Ruby thought there might be hope for her early discharge. Chapter 350: 350: Blessing in Disguise (40) Chapter 350: 350: Blessing in Disguise (40)
Trantor:549690339 Ruby, hearing Steve¡¯s question, thought she might have a chance to be discharged. She blurted out that her body was better, and it was natural for her to leave the hospital. However, after thinking for a bit, she was worried that this reason would not persuade Steve. So she nced at the many documents piled in front of him and softly said, ¡°You haven¡¯t been to thepany in a while, and I¡¯m worried something might happen there. Besides, every day you sleep on the sofa in the hospital, you must be ufortable and unable to rest well.¡±
Regardless of whether Ruby¡¯s words were ttery or sincere, Steve was very pleased. His expression softened a bit as he listened. Ruby saw a change in Steve¡¯s expression and felt that her chances of being discharged increased. She pushed further, saying, ¡°So, if I get discharged earlier, you can have a good rest. Also, your body is bound to wear out if you keep staying in the hospital like this.¡± A hint of a smile appeared on Steve¡¯s lips. Upon seeing Steve¡¯s smile, Ruby grew even more certain that her n to be discharged was likely: ¡°Besides, I haven¡¯t been to thepany for a long time; I can¡¯t keep taking leave like this, it¡¯s not good.¡± ¡°That seems to be the case.¡± Steve nodded, pondered for a moment, and looked at Ruby, asking, ¡°Do you really want to leave the hospital?¡± Ruby hurriedly nodded, a glint of anticipation in her eyes as she looked at Steve: ¡°Do you agree?¡± Steve nced at an excited Ruby and slowly said, ¡°You have a nice daydream.¡± The hopeful look in Ruby¡¯s eyes was instantly reced by anger. Her hand unconsciously clenched the sheet beneath her. It was clear that Steve was fooling her! Steve looked at Ruby¡¯s angry expression, chuckled, lowered his head, and immersed himself in his work. Perhaps because he had seen Ruby¡¯s true and touching appearance in front of him, Steve¡¯s mood remained good throughout the day. Even when an error was found in a submitted report, his tone was gentle as he called the employee in charge of the report to make changes. In contrast to Steve¡¯s good mood, Ruby was incredibly upset!
Since her failed attempt to get Steve¡¯s approval for early discharge and being mocked by him in the morning, she had been seething and sulking all day. The more she wanted to be discharged, the slower time seemed to pass in the hospital. When dinner time finally arrived, Ruby waspletely drained. If she didn¡¯t leave the hospital soon, she felt she would go crazy in her room! Dinner was delivered by a nurse ¨C four dishes and one soup, nutritious and well-bnced, with appealing colors, aroma, and taste. However, Ruby had no appetite, only using her chopsticks to poke at the rice incessantly. Steve, sitting across from her, noticed her absent-minded eating and put down his chopsticks: ¡°Not to your taste?¡± Ruby dared not show her grievances toward Steve and onlyined inwardly. Hearing his question, she remained silent for a moment before reluctantly shaking her head. Steve stared at Ruby, still poking at her rice with her chopsticks, and rubbed his chin. In a calm voice, he said, ¡°Finish your meal, and I¡¯ll consider letting you leave the hospital early.¡± Ruby looked up in surprise: ¡°Really?¡± Chapter 351: 351: This Man is Too Shameless (1) Chapter 351: 351: This Man is Too Shameless (1)
Trantor:549690339 Ruby Gregory looked up, somewhat surprised, ¡°Really?¡± Steve Burton nodded, ¡°Mm.¡±
In an instant, Ruby saw hope again, and her appetite improved along with it. She immediately picked up her chopsticks and began eating the rice in her bowl. Steve watched Ruby eat for a while before also picking up his chopsticks and eating. After dinner, the nurse came in and cleared the table. Steve Burton sat leisurely on the sofa, as usual, turned on the TV, and stared at the finance channel, showing no intention of changing Ruby¡¯s discharge date. Ruby sat on the bed, admiring Steve¡¯s handsome and refined side profile, and finally couldn¡¯t help but ask, ¡°Are we going to be discharged tomorrow morning?¡± Steve¡¯s eyes remained on the TV, but he tilted his head towards Ruby and gave a questioning ¡°Mm?¡± ¡°During dinner, you said that if I finished my meal, you¡¯d consider letting me leave the hospital early.¡± Steve made an ¡°Mm¡± sound, stared at the TV, paused for a moment, and said, ¡°I considered it, but still decided to leave on the evening of the 10th.¡± ¡°You¡¯re not keeping your word! You clearly said that if I finished my meal, you¡¯d let me leave early.¡± ¡°I said I¡¯d consider letting you leave early.¡± Steve slowly turned his head and stared at Ruby¡¯s angry face, and spoke unhurriedly: ¡°I didn¡¯t say I¡¯d actually let you leave early. And, I did consider it just now, but after considering, the discharge time remains unchanged.¡± For a moment, Ruby was speechless, choked by Steve¡¯s words! Shameless, this man was too shameless! He was actually ying word games with her!
Perhaps due to being cared for by Steve day and night during her time in the hospital, his attitude had already significantly improved from before, and he no longer carried a dark expression whenever they interacted. As a result, Ruby¡¯s courage gradually grew bolder. She had been tricked by Steve twice in one day, and she couldn¡¯t help but feel indignant. She sat on her bed, staring at Steve who was leisurely watching TV as if nothing was wrong. Gently turning her eyes, she picked up her phone, thought for a moment with her finger in her mouth, opened WhatsApp, and found Steve¡¯s name. Ever since adding Steve on WhatsApp at Red Park Resort & Vis, Ruby had never sent him any messages. As she hesitated for a moment, she still typed a line and sent it to Steve. Steve¡¯s phone was by his side. It suddenly made a ¡°ding¡± sound, and he nced at it briefly before picking it up. Seeing that it was from Ruby, he looked at her and opened the message, reading: [Can I ask you a question?] Couldn¡¯t she just say whatever she had on her mind instead of sending a message when they were face-to-face¡­ Steveined in his heart while replying to Ruby, a single word: [Ask.] Ruby saw Steve¡¯s reply, turned her back to him, and the corner of her lips hooked upward. She typed another line and sent it: [You need to promise me that you¡¯ll answer truthfully first.] Steve moved his fingers: [Okay.] Ruby pressed her phone for a while. Steve¡¯s phone rang again, and he picked it up to read a new message from Ruby on the screen: Chapter 352: 352: This Man is Too Shameless (2) Chapter 352: 352: This Man is Too Shameless (2)
Trantor:549690339 [We¡¯ve been neighbors since childhood, and we¡¯ve known each other for so many years, are we good friends?] What kind of question is this? Steve Burton silentlyined in his heart, threw his phone on the sofa beside him, took it up after a while, typed a single word on it, and sent it to Ruby Gregory.
Ruby Gregory checked her phone and saw the word ¡°Yes¡± on the screen. Her eyes gleamed with a mischievous light as her fingers quickly tapped on the screen. Ruby typed a long message and sent it to Steve, then she turned around, buried her face in the nket. Looking towards Steve through a small gap in the nket. Steve was holding his phone, and as soon as he felt it vibrate, he moved his gaze from the TV to the phone screen. [Everyone says that dogs are man¡¯s best friend, I have never really believed this, after all, dogs don¡¯t talk, how can people be so sure? But I just got confirmation from you.] Initially, Steve, seeing this long message from Ruby, was a bit stunned. He scrolled up the chat history, only then did he realize Ruby had set him up in a text message game, indirectly calling him a dog. This was clearly a tit-for-tat response to the text message game he had yed with her during dinner! A hint of a smile flickered in Steve¡¯s eyes as he pondered over the screen for a while before he also typed a line and sent it back. If he could use a text message game to make her fume, she could also retaliate with the same! Ruby was hiding under the nket, feeling smug. Suddenly her phone vibrated. She picked it up and saw that she had received a message from Steve. When she opened it, she saw a single line:[Don¡¯t forget, You were the one I slept with.] Ruby¡¯s face turned beet red as though it was about to drip blood. She clearly intended to mess with him, why was it that she ended up shooting herself in the foot?
He said she was the one he slept with, she called him a dog, so it was as if she was saying, she slept with a dog¡­ On thinking this, Ruby, unable to control herself, kicked the nket hard. Steve still sat on the couch, watching TV with an unruffled demeanor. Only when he heard Ruby¡¯s foot hit the bed did a hint of a smile appear in his eyes. During her stay in the hospital, every day when Ruby woke up, the first thing she saw was Steve¡¯s face. However, on the day after she texted Steve, he wasn¡¯t in the room when she woke up. Looking at the empty ward, Ruby Gregory couldn¡¯t exin why, but her heart felt a little empty. But she soon regained herposure. It was just that she had gotten used to seeing Steve first thing after waking up these past few days. When Ruby came out from the bathroom after washing up, the nurse who usually came to measure her blood pressure happened to walk in with the blood pressure monitor. ¡°Good morning, Ms. Gregory.¡± Ruby smiled at the nurse and also greeted her with a ¡°good morning,¡± then she rolled up the sleeves of her hospital gown. While strapping the cuff onto Ruby¡¯s wrist, the nurse looked around the ward and asked, ¡°Is Mr. Burton not here?¡±
Ruby nodded her head. While the nurse was looking at the numbers on the blood pressure monitor, she turned to Ruby and smiled, ¡°Mr. Burton is really nice to you, Ms. Gregory.¡± Chapter 353: 353: This Man is Too Shameless (3) Chapter 353: 353: This Man is Too Shameless (3)
Trantor:549690339 Ruby Gregory nced oddly at the nurse. ¡°Ms. Gregory, I¡¯ve been in charge of many wards in this hospital, but I¡¯ve never seen a man like Mr. Burton, who stays by your side all the time. You¡¯re so lucky, Ms. Gregory.¡± The nurse shed Ruby a sweet smile and continued, ¡°Ms. Gregory, you have no idea how dishevelled Mr. Burton was when he brought you to the hospital. He was covered in blood and didn¡¯t say a thing. When we took you to the resuscitation room, Mr. Burton still clung to you, unwilling to let go. We had no choice but to let Mr. Burton follow into the operating room, where he was trembling the whole time.¡±
Listening to the nurse, Ruby¡¯s expression slowly became more rigid. She hadn¡¯t known any of this before. When she woke up, only Edward Woods, Rusell Henris, and Howard Coleman were by her side. The three had only told her that Steve Burton had been up all night without eating or sleeping. The nurse, interpreting Ruby¡¯s silence as concentration, rattled on, ¡°When you were out of danger, Ms. Gregory, Mr. Burton stayed by your bedside all night. He didn¡¯t leave no matter who asked him to. I was on dutyst night, and when I made my rounds, I saw you sleeping soundly in bed, Ms. Gregory. Mr. Burton sat by your bed, watching over you. Your wound probably formed a scab that itched. While you might resist scratching it consciously during the day, in your sleep, you tend to scratch involuntarily. Each time your hand moved, Mr. Burton would grab it. I guess he was afraid you¡¯d scratch too hard and damage the scab. In the early morning, when I passed your room on my way to the bathroom, I saw Mr. Burton holding your hand, sleeping at the edge of the bed.¡± Ruby sat poker-faced, as if she had been struck by paralysis. She didn¡¯t move a muscle. ¡°Ms. Gregory, I¡¯ve often seen Mr. Burton sitting by your bed, watching over you during my night shifts.¡± The nurse got up and packed up her things, then gave Ruby a courteous smile, ¡°Ms. Gregory, your blood pressure is normal. Remember to take your medicer. I¡¯m off to check on the next room.¡± Ruby came back to her senses and nodded at the nurse. Only after the nurse left did her brain start to process what she had said. Steve stayed by her bedside all night, without sleep? He held her hand, fearing she¡¯d scratch her wound? These things the nurse told her seemed like tales from a bizarre saga, things that couldn¡¯t possibly be real. Steve, cold and aloof as he was, how could he possibly do these things for her? Perhaps the nurse made up the whole thing? Although she thought so, Ruby was aware that there was no reason for a mundane nurse with no connection to Steve or her to fabricate such stories. Besides, it was undeniable that Steve had indeed spent the past few days and nights beside her in the hospital. The more Ruby thought about it, the more restless she became. But she wasn¡¯t sure what exactly was causing her unease. While Ruby was lost in thought, Steve came in through the door. In his hand, a small paper bag. Walking over to Ruby, he noticed herck of reaction and, frowning, waved the paper bag in front of her, ¡°What are you thinking about?¡±
Chapter 354: 354: This Man is Too Shameless (4) Chapter 354: 354: This Man is Too Shameless (4)
Trantor:549690339 Ruby Gregory was shocked back to her senses and looked at Steve Burton, then her mind began to wander again. She had been pestering him all day yesterday to be discharged from the hospital. It seemed like he was teasing her, not allowing her to leave. Could it be that he was afraid that she would go home, sleep and scratch the scabs on her body, leaving scars?
Ruby was stunned by her own spection, staring straight at Steve without blinking. Steve saw Ruby staring at him for a long time without any reaction, so he shook the small paper bag in front of her again. Ruby abruptly snapped back to reality and realized that she had been staring nkly at Steve. Her face turned a faint shade of red and she hurriedly lowered her eyes, noticing the small paper bag in Steve¡¯s hand. To hide her embarrassment, she pointed to the paper bag and asked, ¡°What¡¯s in here?¡± Steve stuffed the paper bag into Ruby¡¯s arms: ¡°Remember to take it on time every day.¡± Ruby suspiciously opened the paper bag and saw a small white bottle inside. Upon picking it up and seeing that it was vitamins, she nced at Steve with a puzzled look. Steve calmly walked over to the sofa, sat down, and seemed to notice Ruby¡¯s confusion. As he opened hisptop, he said, ¡°It¡¯s for boosting your immune system, so you won¡¯t catch a cold or fever from the slightest breeze.¡± Ruby didn¡¯t speak, just lowered her eyes and looked at the small white bottle in her hand for a while, then clenched it tightly. The small pill bottle filled her palm and her heart was also filled with feelings. All day, Rubypletely forgot about the idea of leaving the hospital. Her mind was filled with what the nurse had told her and her own spections.? After lunch, Ruby had no desire to sleep, but in order to prove her guess, she pretended to be sound asleep in her hospital bed. After a while, she reached out and scratched at one of the wounds on her body. She had barely scratched her scab twice when she felt someone sitting beside her and her wrist being grabbed.
The grip was gentle, so gentle that she couldn¡¯t believe it was Steve, but the elegant scent from the man kept entering her nostrils, making her believe it was indeed him. It was really as she had guessed ¨C Steve wanted her to stay in the hospital until all her scabs fell off naturally. When the nurse had told her all this in the morning, she had been deeply shocked, but now, as she experienced it firsthand, she discovered that the shock was too much for her to bear. Rubyy straight on the bed, feeling her heartbeat getting faster and faster. His hand was warm, holding her wrist and never letting go. It was a strange sensation that came from her palm and drilled into the depths of her heart. After what felt like an eternity, just as Ruby was gradually falling asleep, she felt a hand gently caressing her cheek. The touch was gentle, with a hint of tenderness. Ruby¡¯s sleepiness immediately vanished and her heart, which had finally calmed down, started racing faster than before. In her heart, a thought she had never had, and never dared to have, emerged ¨C Steve actually cared about her. PS: That¡¯s it for today, see you tomorrow~ Congrattions to the winner, Chen An. Chapter 355: 355: This Man is Too Shameless (5) Chapter 355: 355: This Man is Too Shameless (5)
Trantor:549690339 The drowsiness in Ruby Gregory¡¯s mind vanished in an instant, and the heartbeat that had just calmed down became even more intense than before. In her heart, an idea emerged, one that she had never had and didn¡¯t dare to have: that Steve Burton actually cared about her.
Steve had said before that if she wanted to marry him, she should think about what he wanted and what she should give. Turns out, it wasn¡¯t that he would marry her if she gave him what he wanted but, deep down, he actually wanted to marry her all along? This bold guess made Ruby¡¯s heartbeat pause for a moment. After a long while, she heard the ¡°thump-thump-thump¡± of her own heart, one beat after another, clear and intense, along with a kind of indescribable joy. She felt joy for achieving the goal she had been saddled with since childhood of marrying Steve, and joy for finally being able to lead Gregory¡¯s Enterprises to great sess. However, behind all this joy was another kind of joy, sweet and warm, yet she didn¡¯t know where this happiness came from. When Ruby woke up from her nap, Steve was already back on the sofa, staring at hisptop with his usual focused expression, as if never having left the couch if not for her fingertips still carrying the warmth from his palm. Rubyy quietly on her hospital bed, not moving, her eyes fixated on Steve¡¯s wless face. His long, curledshes hung halfway down, under his tall, straight nose were his thin lips. Today, he wore a milky-white shirt, the cor revealing two buttons undone, exposing his delicate, beautiful corbone, elegant and sensual. At this moment, the sunlight was just right, filtering through the spotless jalousie window, casting on him and making his originally fair skin look even more immacte and unreal.
The jalousie window was left open, allowing a gentle breeze to flow in, swaying his slightly trimmed hair. His expression didn¡¯t change much, asionally furrowing his brows, then raising his hand to type on his keyboard, his slender, agile fingertips exuding a lethal attraction. Little by little, Ruby became mesmerized by Steve. Not knowing how long she had been staring at him, Steve reached for the white porcin cup beside him as if wanting to drink water, only to realize that it was empty, furrowing his brows and continuing his work after putting down the cup. Ruby took note of his small reactions, and after a while, she got off the bed, scooped up a ss of water from the water dispenser, and carefully and quietly ced it next to hisptop. Ruby did all these actions very carefully and silently, in an attempt not to disturb Steve¡¯s work. However, as she stood up and prepared to go back to her bed, Steve¡¯s light voice floated over, ¡°Awake?¡± His eyes never left hisptop, his fingers typing rapidly on the keyboard for a while before seeminglypleting his work, closing theptop with one hand and then looking up at Ruby. Ruby could only halt her retreat, then smile at Steve, asking, ¡°Done with work?¡± ¡°Mmhm,¡± Steve repliedzily, leaning back on the sofa and lifting the ss of water that Ruby brought, taking a sip. Chapter 356: This Man is Too Shameless (6) Chapter 356: This Man is Too Shameless (6) Trantor: 549690339 ¡°Yeah.¡± Steve Burtonzily leaned back on the sofa behind him, picked up the ss of water Ruby Gregory brought for him, took a sip, and then raised his eyelids to look at Ruby who was still standing in front of him. He tilted his body slightly and patted the empty seat next to him, saying, ¡°Sit down.¡± Ruby hesitated for a moment, walked over and sat down. As she leaned closer to him, his familiar subtle scent entered her nose, and she unconsciously became nervous, a different kind of nervousness than before, with a touch of shyness. Unfortunately, after she sat down, Steve¡¯s eyes remained on her, making her even more nervous, to the point that her face gradually flushed red. Ruby instinctively searched for a topic to alleviate this ambiguous and awkward atmosphere: ¡°You don¡¯t seem too busy today, finishing the paperwork so early.¡± ¡°Hmm.¡± Steve responded, realizing that his answer was brief, he added, ¡°I was dealing with some backlog files the past few days.¡± ¡°Oh.¡± Ruby silently scolded herself for choosing such a lousy topic, as these few words of conversation left her at a loss for what to say next. Ruby nced around and saw a remote control nearby: ¡°Want to watch TV?¡± Steve nodded without any objections. Ruby immediately turned on the TV with the remote control, and it happened to be ying the most popr costume pce drama in recent years. When she had been in Costa Luna, she had binge-watched the entire series from beginning to end, so she didn¡¯t change the channel and just started watching it. She actually knew the plot of the drama, and re-watching it was not as interesting as the first time, but she still pretended to watch the TV intently. Even in her heart, she secretly praised herself for suggesting to watch TV. It was a great idea, not having to find a topic to talk to Steve, and not feeling too awkward. The entire patient room was quiet, with only the sound of the TV continuously ying. After an unknown amount of time, Steve, who was sitting beside Ruby, suddenly asked, ¡°Which one is the female lead?¡± Ruby was stunned by Steve¡¯s question, then pointed to the character yed by Charlotte Madris on the TV, saying, ¡°She¡¯s the female lead.¡± Steve nodded with sudden realization, then pointed to the domineering woman who was acting with Charlotte and asked, ¡°So, this is the most important female supporting role?¡± ¡°In the first half, yes, but she dies pretty early.¡± Ruby paused, then added, ¡°However, even though she doesn¡¯t have many scenes, many people really like her.¡± ¡°Really?¡± Ayer of doubt appeared on Steve¡¯s face, as if he couldn¡¯t believe that such a domineering supporting character could be so popr. Ruby hadn¡¯t had such a calm conversation with Steve for many years. Seeing his gentle demeanor, the tension in her heart also loosened up a bit, and her words became less restrained: ¡°Of course, you know that one popr phrase that¡¯s been circting online, ¡®Bitchiness is just fake emotion¡¯, right? It¡¯s her line.¡± ¡°Oh?¡± Interest surfaced in Steve¡¯s eyes. Seeing Steve be more interested, Ruby became more natural in her speech. She nodded enthusiastically, and excitedly began to tell Steve the story of this female supporting character. Chapter 357: This Man is Too Shameless (7) Chapter 357: This Man is Too Shameless (7) Trantor: 549690339 In reality, Steve Burton could not care less about the plot of the TV series. He merely wanted to sit with Ruby Gregory like any ordinary couple, chatting casually, which prompted him to strike up a conversation. Unexpectedly, she became engrossed in her narration,pelling even Steve, a man who never watched TV series, to attentively listen to her exnation. Her story was emotionally charged. When the plot brought joy, her eyes would brim with a yful smile. When the plot turned sad, she would pout with displeasure. The ease with which she constantly switched between such vibrant expressions made him feel as if he were watching a fascinatingic strip. As Steve listened attentively, Ruby gradually lost track of time, talking nonstop until she was nearly done. Only then, she noticed Steve¡¯s unwavering gaze, his eyes harbouring a warm smile. Ruby paused, realizing she had been speaking nonstop for such a long time, her voice gradually faded away. However, Steve still gazed at Ruby. After quite a while, he blinked and asked inquisitely, ¡°Why did you stop?¡± Perhaps it was the gentleness of Steve¡¯s voice that made Ruby a bit unrestrained. She had spoken for so long under the impression that he was paying full attention. It made her slightly irritable to think that he wasn¡¯t. Now, hearing him asking why she stopped talking, Ruby couldn¡¯t help but humph, she stood up, tossed the remote control at Steve, and took a defiant tone, ¡°Watch it yourself, I¡¯m done talking!¡± As soon as Ruby finished speaking, she realized she had unexpectedly shown her temper in front of Steve. Her heart raced. She was about to nervously turn around and nce at Steve when he reached out, pulled her into his embrace, picked up the remote control she had thrown at him, and yed with it with interest. He showed no sign of irritation. Instead, he rested his head on her shoulder with an undiminished smile and whispered, ¡°The TV show isn¡¯t as fascinating as your storytelling.¡± Ruby tensed up, her face turning red. Steve tossed the remote control aside and wrapped his arm around Ruby¡¯s waist. He continued in a low whisper, ¡°Did you often narrate stories like this before?¡± Ruby shook her head, her face still blush, ¡°No, I only discussed it with Madeleine¡­¡± Thinking of Madeleine, who had been expelled from the country because of her, Ruby¡¯s expression guiltily changed. The tender expression on Steve¡¯s face turned cold when he heard this. He tightened his grip on Ruby¡¯s wrist for a moment before abruptly letting go, moved aside with a gloomy expression. The sudden change in Steve left Ruby stunned. It took her a moment to understand. When she wanted to have a child, she treated him well, used him, and he found out. Chapter 358: This Man is Too Shameless (8) Chapter 358: This Man is Too Shameless (8) Trantor: 549690339 When she wanted to have a child, she took the initiative to be nice to him, used him, and got caught. And when she wanted to help Gregory¡¯s Enterprises keep the Luo family, she was also nice to him, and got caught again. Today, she willingly brought him a ss of water and talked with him about TV dramas. Just as he was starting to enjoy the conversation, she mentioned Madeleine¡­ He must¡¯ve thought that her kindness to him just now was to pave the way for pleading on Madeleine¡¯s behalf¡­ She admitted that, on those previous asions, she had indeed approached him with a purpose, trying to please him. But not today. She really didn¡¯t have any ulterior motive this time. Although she really wanted Madeleine toe back, she had tried to plead for her before, but every time she opened her mouth, his expression would turn cold, and she wouldn¡¯t dare to say another word. This was the first time Ruby had ever been misunderstood. She felt anxious and uneasy, and stealthily lifted her eyes to look at Steve, only to see his familiar gloomy expression. Ruby became even more afraid; clutching her clothes, she hesitated for a moment before timidly saying, ¡°I didn¡¯t mean to plead for Madeleine.¡± Her voice was very faint and thin. Steve¡¯s expression, however, didn¡¯t improve in the slightest. Did he not believe her? Ruby became even more panicked. She gripped her clothes tighter, her voice trembling slightly, ¡°I was just answering your question about TV dramas. I really only talked to Madeleine about them. Although I do want her toe back, my offering you water, suggesting watching TV, and talking about the drama really have nothing to do with her¡­¡± ¡°Ruby.¡± Suddenly, Steve spoke, interrupting her.Y0u can read sh0rt, t0uching, and r0mantic st0ries ab0ut c0uples, as well as children¡¯s st0ries f0r free 0n sitest0rys(.)c0m Ruby turned her pale face towards him. Before she could say anything, his face was already close to hers, and she felt her lips being deeply covered by his. Ruby¡¯s eyes widened in shock. Did he believe her now? Just as Ruby hadn¡¯t recovered from the roller coaster of emotions, she felt Steve¡¯s kiss be more passionate, and his hand even slipped under her sick clothes. What Steve¡¯s actions meant was crystal clear to Ruby, who tensed up subconsciously as her mind sobered up. Was Steve trying to sleep with her? But¡­ she wasn¡¯t ready for this¡­ After the two passionate encounters in his vi ¨C in the pool and in the bedroom ¨C she realized that she didn¡¯t feel pain in the pool, so she wasn¡¯t as nervous, which also improved his mood somewhat. At first, she tried buying painkillers from a pharmacy to see if they would help. When she was alone with him, she took two pills and discovered that, just like in the pool, she felt no pain and was more rxed. His expression didn¡¯t look as displeased, either. She couldn¡¯t begin to describe how happy she felt at that time. Being able to ease her own pain while pleasing him was truly a win-win situation. So, from then on, every time she sensed the mood wasn¡¯t right, she would find an opportunity to sneakily take painkillers. But today¡¯s situation was so sudden that it didn¡¯t give her any time to prepare. As soon as Ruby imagined herself having to endure the heart-wrenching pain again, her body involuntarily stiffened up. Chapter 359: This Man is Too Shameless (9) Chapter 359: This Man is Too Shameless (9) Trantor: 549690339 She knew that her stiffness would displease Steve Burtonter on. And when she thought about his displeasure, she became even more nervous and scared. In such a vicious cycle, Ruby Gregory felt that if she didn¡¯t find a way to temporarily escape from Steve, the harmony between them all these days would be destroyed! Ruby felt Steve¡¯s hand beginning to pull down her pants, and she subconsciously shivered. In a state of desperation, she couldn¡¯t care less about anything and reached out to grab Steve¡¯s hand with her own. Caught off guard by Ruby¡¯s sudden resistance, Steve¡¯s intense eyes locked with hers for a brief moment. Ruby¡¯s mind raced. Her eyes darted, and she blurted out, ¡°I, I need to use the restroom¡­¡± As she said this, her face turned red with embarrassment. Steve¡¯s hand remained on her abdomen, not moving away, and his gaze was still fixed on her. Ruby grew increasingly tense and anxious. After a moment, Steve took a deep breath, doing his best to suppress his desires for Ruby, before slowly moving away from her. He didn¡¯t forget to help adjust her clothes before she left his grasp. Ruby hurriedly got up, not daring to look at Steve even once, before rushing into the bathroom. As she entered, she grabbed her bag hanging on the nearby coat rack, as if remembering something important. Ruby closed the bathroom door, took a deep breath, and quickly opened her bag. She pulled out a packet of painkillers from the deepest part of the bag, grabbed two pills, and swallowed them down dry. After waiting for a moment, Ruby stuffed the painkillers back into the inner pocket of her bag, zipped it up, took out a pack of feminine wet wipes, then washed her hands under the tap and walked back out. Ruby hung her bag on the coat rack and ced the pack of wet wipes on the side table, intending to make Steve believe that she went to the bathroom to use the wipes. She then slowly walked back to the couch area. Steve¡¯s eyes remained fixed on her, intense as ever. Ruby subconsciously avoided his gaze, cautiously sat down next to him, and quickly nced at him before looking down again. Steve couldn¡¯t help but be affected by her gaze once more. He held her in his arms again, his lips pressing against her ear, and his fingers impatiently trying to remove her clothes. It was uncertain whether the painkillers began to take effect or if Ruby felt more rxed after taking them, thus bing less nervous. Although she had experienced such intimacy many times, she was still rather inexperienced and passive. Therefore, Steve had always been in control. Today, however, his movements were especially gentle, making her body respond in mysterious and increasingly powerful ways. Fearing this sensation, the feelings of pleasure in her heart grew stronger. At the peak of the intense sensations, Ruby couldn¡¯t help but let out a soft moan. She had never made a sound during their intimate moments before, always remaining quiet and silent. Yet, her sudden outburst, albeit brief and soft, excited and delighted Steve. Chapter 360: This Man is Too Shameless (10) Chapter 360: This Man is Too Shameless (10) Trantor: 549690339 Steve Burton became increasingly gentle and caring towards her. This was a treatment that Ruby Gregory had never received before. The strange sensation inside her suddenly exploded and filled her entire body, making herpletely weak and feeble. However, she found that she didn¡¯t seem to dislike this feeling at all. Instead, she felt an indescribable and indefinable sweetness in her heart. There were still two days left until Ruby Gregory was discharged from the hospital. Being alone with her in a room, Steve Burton was doing his best to suppress his desires for her. Being a normal man, he wished he could stick to her day and night. Suddenly, the prelude was yed, and he became unreserved during these two days. Because Ruby Gregory took a painkiller, she became much more submissive. She no longer stiffened like a stone whenever he touched her and even her facial expression seemed like she was being escorted to the execution grounds. Therefore, Steve Burton treated her more tenderly upon each intimate encounter, making him feel better every time it ended. In the blink of an eye, it was already the afternoon of the 10th, the time for her to be discharged. Only Howard Coleman, Rusell Henris, and Edward Woods visited her during her stay in the hospital. Even then, every time they came, they brought her some tonics, fruits, and flower baskets. Ruby Gregory and Steve Burton could not possibly finish all of those gifts, and they upied more than half of the corner of the ward. She never told the Gregorys about the most dangerous incident she encountered. Naturally, she wouldn¡¯t tell them now that she had fully recovered. As a result, she didn¡¯t take those tonics and fruits back home, instead giving them to the nurses on her floor before leaving the hospital. The scabs from her injuries had fallen off, leaving patches of tender, pink flesh. The hospital provided her with a scar-removal ointment, and she would be as good as new after a while. Ruby Gregory and Steve Burton left the building together. As he went to pay the hospital bills, she stood nearby, waiting. There were quite a few people in line. Ruby Gregory, feeling bored, started ncing around aimlessly in the hall. Suddenly, she saw a familiar figure at the entrance of the hall, looking haggard and travel-weary, as if they had just rushed back from afar. He was still holding a suitcase and asking a nurse something with a smile on his face. Ruby Gregory¡¯s gaze froze for a moment. At this moment, Steve Burton had already paid and approached her. He followed her gaze and saw what she was looking at. He frowned at the sight, but then heard Ruby Gregory¡¯s melodious voice, ¡°Are we all set?¡± Steve Burton looked back at her and nodded, ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡± Ruby Gregory hummed in affirmation, and nonchntly walked towards the entrance with Steve Burton by her side. Just then, the familiar figure had finished speaking with the nurse, thanked her politely, turned around, and walked straight towards Ruby Gregory and Steve Burton. Upon seeing Ruby, the man¡¯s eyes shed with a hint of surprise. However, his expression returned to normal almost immediately, and his footsteps didn¡¯t falter at all. Chapter 361: It Seems Like the Time Has Come (1) Chapter 361: It Seems Like the Time Has Come (1) Trantor: 549690339 However, Ruby Gregory¡¯s gaze remained calm and clear, as if she hadn¡¯t seen that man at all. She just followed Steve Burton¡¯s side, her elegant strides brushing past the man as she left the hospital. Howard Coleman had been waiting outside in his car. Seeing Steve Burton and Ruby Gregorye out, he immediately got out of the car, opened the door for Ruby, who smoothly bent down and slid into the car without any hesitation. Steve also followed suit, bending over to get into the car. Howard closed the car door, got onto the driver¡¯s seat, and started the car. The familiar figure who had just brushed past Ruby Gregory suddenly stopped and turned around to watch the expensive car, worth more than US$1,400,000, slowly drive away from the hospital entrance. He only turned back around to drag his luggage into the elevator after the car was long gone. The time Ruby Gregory was discharged from the hospital coincided with the end of the workday, causing a slight traffic jam. There wasn¡¯t much conversation in the car. Howard was focused on the road ahead while Steve, through the rear-view mirror, was continually observing Ruby beside him. The expression on the woman¡¯s face was serene, as if the person they had just encountered in the hospital lobby was merely a stranger. As they drove onto the Third Ring, Steve suddenly asked Howard, who was focusing on driving ahead, ¡°Hey Howard, what was the name of the top student who scored the highest across the country and enrolled in our ss of 2007?¡± Howard nced at Steve in mild surprise, wondering why Steve was suddenly asking this question. Nheless, after thinking a bit, he honestly answered, ¡°Edric Reat.¡± The entire time Howard was saying this name, Steve¡¯s eyes were looking at Ruby in the rearview mirror. Ruby¡¯s expression did not change in the slightest. Steve was silent for a while before saying, as if recalling something, ¡°I just knew the person I saw in the hospital seemed familiar. It turns out, it was him.¡± ¡°Edric Reat?¡± Howard asked, smoothly turning the steering wheel. ¡°Yeah.¡± Steve answered, turned his head towards Ruby, and asked, ¡°He was in the same ss as you, wasn¡¯t he?¡± Ruby nodded at Steve, her expression as cid as ever. ¡°Why didn¡¯t you say hi?¡± Ruby paused for a while, calmly saying, ¡°I haven¡¯t seen him in so many years, I didn¡¯t realize it was him.¡± Staring at the road ahead, Howard asked astonishedly, ¡°I remember he went to study in Costa Luna after graduation. Ruby, you also stayed there for three years. Didn¡¯t you ever meet up as old ssmates?¡± Ruby shook her head naturally, ¡°No.¡± Howard looked even more surprised, ¡°Ruby, didn¡¯t you have any acquaintances when you were there in Costa Luna?¡± Upon hearing these words, Ruby¡¯s usual calm expression became a bit stiffened. Her reason for going to Costa Luna was simple, just to avoid Steve Burton¡¯s abandonment three years ago. Seeing Ruby¡¯s expression, Howard realized he had said something wrong; he immediately shut his mouth and didn¡¯t utter another word. However, Steve, as if he had heard some incredibly good news, smiled subtly. After a while, he suddenly turned to Ruby and said in an enigmatic tone, ¡°It seems like it¡¯s time.¡± Ruby was confused by Steve¡¯s words and let out a puzzled hum. Steve¡¯s lips twitched upwards, but he didn¡¯t say anything further. Instead, he turned his face to look out at the moving scenery from the car window. PS: That¡¯s all for now; it continues tomorrow. Can you guess what the exciting news is? Chapter 362: It Seems Like the Time Has Come (2) Chapter 362: It Seems Like the Time Has Come (2) Trantor: 549690339 The car stopped at the Burtons¡¯ doorstep, and Ruby Gregory, filled with confusion, said goodbye to Steve Burton, then entered the Burton¡¯s home. Ruby, with her mind full of questions, was puzzling over the mysterious phrase Steve casually tossed at her in the car. So much so that she didn¡¯t even respond when the servants in the courtyard greeted her in a hurry. A servant opened the door for Ruby and called into the house, ¡°Madam, Miss is back.¡± Before Ruby could even change shoes, Lady Gregory, overwhelmed with joy, ran out of the house. She took Ruby¡¯s hand with an ear-to-ear grin and said, ¡°Ruby, Ruby, great news, monumental news!¡± Ruby didn¡¯t even hear what Lady Gregory had said. She was rattled from her perplexity only by how forcefully her mother, in her excessive excitement, grabbed her hand and jolted her out of the conundrum Steve had left her in. Ruby blinked in confusion at her mother¡¯s beaming face, then nced at a nearby servant and asked, ¡°Did something good happen in the house?¡± The servant, equally puzzled, shook his head. Lady Gregory, who was over fifty but looked like a woman in her early forties due to good care, was now glowing with such exuberant joy that she appeared like a thrilled young girl. She held Ruby¡¯s hand and gripped it even tighter, saying, ¡°It¡¯s not just good news. It¡¯s the best news.¡± Without waiting for Ruby¡¯s response, Lady Gregory, with a surprised look on her face, asked, ¡°Ruby, guess, guess what it is?¡± Ruby could only think about the cryptic words Steve had left her. She hardly had attention to spare to guess her mother¡¯s good news, but she didn¡¯t want to dampen her mother¡¯s joy either. With a somewhat absent-mindedment she said, ¡°Did Dad sign a big client?¡± ¡°The good news I¡¯m about to tell you is way better than that. Guess again.¡± Lady Gregory said, her eyes brimming with tion as she looked at Ruby. Ruby raised an eyebrow, ¡°Did you win the lottery¡­?¡± Lady Gregory shook her head, ¡°That¡¯s not nearly as exciting as your dad closing a big deal.¡± Ruby pursed her lips, ¡°Did Dad get an investment from the bank?¡± ¡°Why are your guesses getting worse?¡± Lady Gregoryined, but her smile was even brighter. She moved closer to Ruby, and said quietly, barely concealing her excitement, ¡°Ruby, this great news is about you. I received a call from Madam Burton just now. She wants to schedule a meeting with me to discuss your marriage with Steve.¡± Ruby had never paid much attention to what her mother considered good news. She was listless throughout the conversation, only bing slightly interested when she heard the name, ¡°Madam Burton¡±. She continued to seem unengaged until her mother finished her sentence. Ruby gave her mother a brief ¡°oh¡± to indicate she knew, and then bent down to take off her shoes. But the moment her hand touched her shoces, she realized what her mother had just said. She froze, bolt upright, and lifting her head, stared at her mother with furrowed brow, asking in disbelief, ¡°Mom, what did you just say?¡± Chapter 363: It Seems Like the Time Has Come (3) Chapter 363: It Seems Like the Time Has Come (3) Trantor: 549690339 Lady Gregorypletely ignored her daughter¡¯s question and just ryed her conversation with Madam Burton: ¡°Mrs. Burton said that although you and Steve are not very old and getting married now is a bit early, since you two are meant to be together eventually, it¡¯s better to get married sooner. Even if you want to wait another two years before having a child, that¡¯s fine.¡± ¡°Mrs. Burton also said that since the New Year ising soon, if we start preparing for the wedding now, it will seem a bit rushed. Plus, she just checked and there are no auspicious dates before the New Year. So it¡¯s better to wait until next spring to choose the best date for the wedding. This way, you¡¯ll have half a year to get everything ready.¡± ¡°Oh, and Mrs. Burton also mentioned that although you and Steve cannot get married before the New Year, you should get engaged sooner. That way, the rtionship between you two will be announced to the world, and you two can settle down sooner¡­¡± Ruby Gregory was still bending her waist as she listened to her mother¡¯s long string of words. Perhaps because Lady Gregory had been waiting for this dream toe true for so many years, she was overjoyed and spoke with great excitement. Even her usual grace and gentle demeanor had disappeared. Ruby only felt a buzzing in her ears, apanied by her mother¡¯sughter. After a while, she finally understood the situation. Steve Burton was going to marry her. Steve Burton was going to marry her? Ruby waspletely thrown off by this sudden news. She didn¡¯t know when she took off her shoes or how she walked into the room. When she finally came to her senses, she was already sitting on the sofa, and Lady Gregory was happily flipping through an old calendar, saying, ¡°Ruby, Mrs. Burton told me to pick an engagement date. Let¡¯s set the date right away. As soon as you and Steve are engaged, the whole world will know. The Burtons are not the type to change their ns easily. By then, you¡¯ll officially be Ms. Burton.¡± As she spoke, Lady Gregory pushed Ruby and pointed to an auspicious date at the end of the month, saying, ¡°The 28th is a good day. What do you think?¡± Lady Gregory thought for a moment, tilted her head, and then shook her head, saying, ¡°There are only a few days left until then. Even though we don¡¯t n to have a big engagement party, we still can¡¯t rush it too much. But we can¡¯t dy it for too long either. After all, your father and I have been looking forward to you marrying Steve since the day you were born. We¡¯ve waited for so many years, and now it¡¯s finally happening. Let¡¯s get engaged sooner so your father and I can sleep peacefully¡­¡± While mumbling to herself, Lady Gregory flipped through the calendar and pointed to the 10th of the next month: ¡°Ruby, let¡¯s pick this day, the 10th of December. It¡¯s exactly one month from now, and we should be able to get everything done.¡± ¡°Alright, let¡¯s choose the 10th.¡± Lady Gregory made the decision and then turned to her daughter for her opinion: ¡°Ruby, is that alright?¡± Ruby was still immersed in the news that Steve was actually going to marry her. She didn¡¯t even know what her mother had been talking about. She just instinctively nodded her head when her mother asked for her opinion. Chapter 364: It Seems Like the Time Has Come (4) Chapter 364: It Seems Like the Time Has Come (4) Trantor: 549690339 Upon seeing Ruby Gregory nodding her head, Lady Gregory immediately picked up the European-stylendline phone next to her and dialed the Burtons¡¯ home. In less than half a minute, the call was answered by the Burtons¡¯ servant. Lady Gregory spoke amiably, ¡°I¡¯d like to speak to Mrs. Burton.¡± After a short while, Lady Gregory spoke amicably: ¡°Mrs. Burton¡­ Yes, Ruby just got home, and I¡¯ve asked for her opinion¡­ Yes, yes, the engagement date, Ruby has chosen it¡­ It¡¯ll be the 10th of next month. Do you want to ask Steve for his opinion?¡­ Steve will listen to Ruby?¡­ Alright, let¡¯s confirm it then¡­ Yes, yes, the kids are busy with work, let¡¯s organize the engagement banquet for them¡­ Alright, alright¡­ we¡¯ll see each other another day¡­ Goodbye.¡± After hanging up the phone, Lady Gregory happily held Ruby¡¯s hand: ¡°Alright, everything has been settled. You and Steve can go to work as usual, and Mrs. Burton and I will handle the engagement preparations. Later, I¡¯ll confirm a date with Mrs. Burton for you two to try on your outfits and choose engagement rings. Oh, and you and Steve need to take a set of wedding photos together¡­ these things will require you both to be personally involved.¡± And so, they had scheduled the date for her and Steve Burton¡¯s engagement? Ruby felt as if she were in a dream, she quietly stretched out her hand and pinched her thigh, feeling a sharp pain. She blinked her eyes before returning to her senses. She was really going to marry Steve. She was truly going to aplish the dream that was imposed on her from childhood. Not long ago, she thought she had no hope of marrying Steve because he hated and despised her. But now, everything had undergone such dramatic changes. While Ruby was still trying to process the events, Lady Gregory had already gone over this exciting news several times. After confirming all the arrangements, she finally rxed, before gently advising Ruby: ¡°Ruby, no matter how challenging the path was for you and Steve, the present situation is good, and you¡¯re eventually going to marry him.¡± ¡°Mom is happy, but I still want to remind you that you need to cherish your marriage. From now on, not only do you need to tend to Steve well, you have to y the role of an ideal daughter-inw in front of Mrs. Burton. And of course, not only Mrs. Burton, but you should also be friendly to everyone in the Burton family. Moreover, Ruby, even if Mrs. Burton says that you and Steve can wait a couple of years before having children, you should still try to have a child earlier. Once you have a child, your marriage with Steve will truly be stable¡­¡± It wasn¡¯t until after dinner, when Ruby returned to her bedroom, that her ears finally quieted down and she could gradually digest the series of events that had unfolded that night. First, she encountered Edric Reat at the hospital. Then, there was Steve¡¯sment in the car, ¡°It seems that it¡¯s time.¡± Finally, her engagement date with Steve had been finalized. All of these events, more exciting and miraculous than a dream, unfolded before her. Although Ruby had always wanted to marry Steve and considered it her lifelong goal and dream, Now that it was genuinelying true, her heart was filled with all sorts of doubts. Why did Steve suddenly want to marry her? Chapter 365: It Seems Like the Time Has Come (5) Chapter 365: It Seems Like the Time Has Come (5) Trantor: 549690339 Ruby Gregory was not actually a slow person. It was just that she had been indoctrinated by the Gregorys since she was a child that she must marry someone like Steve Burton. This had caused her to subconsciously treat him well, which had be an instinct over time. As time went on, however, she ignored her true feelings deep down and had never considered if her feelings for Steve were genuine or simply out of habit. Even in her thoughts, she had never understood what the proper way for men and women to interact with one another should be. After thinking about it for a long time, she still couldn¡¯t understand why Steve wanted to marry her. But she did understand what he meant when he said, ¡°It seems like it¡¯s time.¡± It meant that it was time for him and her to get married. There were some questions that Ruby couldn¡¯t figure out, so she didn¡¯t think about them anymore. After all, her dream had always been to marry Steve. Now that her dream hade true, she should be happy about it. Yes, happy¡­ She should be excited, thrilled, and ted, just like her mother¡­ However, she found that, at this moment, aside from finally being able to fulfill her mission and make the Gregorys more sessful, and allowing her parents to breathe a sigh of relief, there was no excitement in her heart. Even worse, she remembered the sweet and beautiful scenes she had once seen on TV of the male and female lead being together. Her heart was filled with an inexplicable mncholy¡­ After a while, Ruby shook her head vehemently. What was she thinking? She was actually yearning for her and Steve¡¯s marriage to be based on such sweetness and beauty. Was she crazy? How could she have such wild fantasies? It was already a great surprise for her that Steve was no longer mean, sarcastic, or disdainful toward her. Yet she still wasn¡¯t satisfied and craved more. Ruby sat up from the bed, desperately shaking her head and pping her face, trying to sober herself up. After sobering up, however, her heart was filled with an indescribable sense of loss. Ruby lowered her eyes to cover her emotions, picked up her phone next to her, and decided to read the news and browse Twitter to distract herself from these thoughts. But she didn¡¯t know what was wrong with her. As she was watching a piece of news on Twitter about a once-loving celebrity couple suddenly breaking up due to infidelity, with people cursing the cheating man, her fingers moved to WhatsApp. She stared at her recent chat history with Steve from the hospital, lost in thought. It was just a few conversations where she was yfully defiant after being teased by his word game. But she found herself enjoying reading the messages over and over again. Then she remembered how they were ying games together in the hospital at this timest night. Ruby felt the pressure in her heart getting heavier. She slowly got out of bed and saw the small bottle of vitamins Steve had given her. After fiddling with it for a while, she took two tablets and swallowed them. Only then did she feel a slight sense of relief in her heart. She was indeed strange, as she had never felt like this before. It was like she had lost a part of herself, and she couldn¡¯t express the restlessness and confusion she felt. Ruby picked up her phone again and stared at her chat history with Steve, lost in thought. After a long while, she still didn¡¯t know what was wrong with her. Chapter 366: 366: It Seems Like the Time Has Come (6) Chapter 366: 366: It Seems Like the Time Has Come (6)
Trantor:549690339 After a while, she didn¡¯t know what hade over her, but she found herself typing a single word on her phone and sending it. [Are you there?] As soon as she sent the message, Ruby realized what she had just done. She instinctively tried to retract her message, but it was toote.
This only meant that he had already seen her WhatsApp message. Ruby stomped her foot in annoyance. Had she gone mad? Why on earth was she initiating a conversation with Steve Burton? The more she thought about it, the more mortified she felt. Just as she was about to grab her hair in frustration, she saw Steve¡¯s reply on her phone screen: [Yes?] It was the exact same message she had sent, just with a different tone. But Ruby didn¡¯t know how the same word ¡°yes¡± could have such a magical effect, instantly soothing the loss, irritation, unease, and confusion in her heart. She even noticed that her heartbeat had settled down, even feeling a sense of inexplicable joy. Before Ruby could reply to the message, Steve sent another one: [Finished dinner?] [Yes.] Without even realizing it, Ruby had already sent the reply. She paused for a moment, then sent another message: [And you?] [I did.] [Oh] Ruby typed a dry ¡°oh¡± and didn¡¯t know what else to say. She didn¡¯t want her chat with Steve to end so abruptly, so after thinking for a while, she sent him another message: [Mrs. Burton called my mom and said we should get engaged. Was this your decision?] Steve was sitting in the living room on the first floor of the Burtons¡¯ Mansion, watching a mindless 8:00 p.m. drama with his mother. The show hade to its most heartbreaking moment, where the main couple goes their separate ways. His mom, who already had two daughters and a son, was crying like a sentimental young girl, wiping her tears with tissues and saying: ¡°Too sad, just too sad.¡± As Steve looked at his weepy mom, he saw Ruby¡¯s message and couldn¡¯t help but smile. He calmly typed a reply to her: [Yes.]
Actually, Ruby had known about this all along. Steve was the only one in the world who would be willing to marry her. But when she saw the word ¡°yes¡± from Steve, a warm feeling she couldn¡¯t quite exin washed over her. She bit her lower lip and sent another message: [You mentioned earlier that when the timees, it¡¯ll be our marriage, right?] [Mhm.] Ruby¡¯s heart raced as she saw Steve¡¯s affirmation. She had suspected that he wanted to marry her when she was in the hospital. Now she had hisplete certainty. Deep down, she always had a doubt that had made her lose all her dignity and suffer greatly. She had always wanted to ask him, but she never dared. But now, she typed out the question she had asked him countless times in her dreams and sent it to him. [If that¡¯s the case, why did you treat me that way after sleeping with me three years ago?] Ruby¡¯s question went unanswered, as if it had sunk into the bottom of the ocean, and a long time passed without a reply. Chapter 367: 367: It Seems Like the Time Has Come (7) Chapter 367: 367: It Seems Like the Time Has Come (7)
Trantor:549690339 At first, Ruby Gregory was a little nervous and excited, waiting for Steve Burton¡¯s reply. Could it be that the confusion hidden deep in her heart for three years, a full three years, was about to be resolved? However, as time went by, there was still no reply from Steve. She slowly started to feel a sense of unease. Had her message hit a raw nerve?
Why bring up the incident from three years ago that had made him so furious? Her mom told her that regardless of the difficulties, they¡¯d managed to get through the past. She urged her not to obsess over it¡­ But why did she impulsively ask about his past? Ruby Gregory started to panic and looked for a way to shift the topic or mend things, yet she didn¡¯t know how. Spotting a cup of milk in a thermos, she instinctively sent a message to Steve:[Do you want some milk?] Upon sending the message, Ruby felt that her attempt to change the topic and rectify the situation was overly clumsy. Steve Burton definitely wouldn¡¯t reply to her. However, to her surprise, Steve suddenly replied:[Yes.] Ruby was taken aback at first, and then she quickly replied:[I¡¯ll bring it to you now.] [Sure, meet me on the balcony.] The balcony? Ruby Gregory was taken aback for a while and then walked curiously towards the balcony. That¡¯s when she saw Steve Burton standing on the adjoining balcony, holding his mobile phone, looking at her. The houses of The Gregorys and The Burtons were less than half a meter apart. Steve lived in the easternmost part of the Burton Vi and Ruby in the westernmost part of the Gregory Vi. Their bedrooms were on the second floor and happened to be adjacent to each other, the balconies too were just half a meter apart.
Under the balcony light emanating from Steve¡¯s bedroom, his profile appeared more profound. The sky behind him was filled with stars. Ruby Gregory stood at the entrance of her balcony, staring at Steve on the opposite balcony for a while. Then, holding the thermos cup, she slowly walked over to the end of her balcony. Steve also took a few steps forward as she approached. Both of them ended up standing at the edge of their respective balconies, separated by a white jade railing. Steve casually rested his hands on the railing and looked at her without speaking. Ruby Gregory held onto her own railing with one hand and locked eyes with Steve for a moment. She then lowered her gaze, handing over the thermos cup: ¡°Here, milk.¡± A soft night breeze began to blow, causing her long hair to fly in the wind and her pure white nightgown to dance in the air. Behind her, a string of colorful lights was constantly flickering. Steve looked at the pure woman in front of him and slowly reached out his hand. Their hands met in mid-air, he took the thermos cup from Ruby¡¯s hand and held it in his own, but did not drink. Ruby Gregory held onto the railing with both hands, her body leaning forward slightly. Suddenly, she chuckled and reminisced, ¡°When we were young, it seems like you often climbed from there to here.¡±
Steve¡¯s lips curled into a smile. His eyes never left Ruby¡¯s face, ¡°That¡¯s because someone couldn¡¯t sleep because she watched ghost storieste at night and insisted on having someone apany her.¡± Chapter 368: 368: It Seems Like the Time Has Come (8) Chapter 368: 368: It Seems Like the Time Has Come (8)
Trantor:549690339 As she brought up the seemingly universal experiences everyone had in their childhood, Ruby Gregory¡¯s lips couldn¡¯t help but curl into a smile: ¡°I remember I was reading The Ghost Stories back then.¡± At this point, Ruby suddenly thought of some past events and giggled as she tilted her head, looking at Steve Burton: ¡°I used to not like eating dinner, and I would always wake up hungry in the middle of the night. I woulde here and call for you, and then you woulde out of your room looking very unhappy. You would throw me a bag of food and then just go back into your room with a straight face.¡± ¡°Was I really that unhappy back then?¡± Steveughed softly, recalling that there was indeed a long period of time when he would stay up every night, waiting for Ruby, who would wake up from her dreams hungry. She would call out to her ¡°big brother¡± Steve in her childish voice. At that time, he would happily get out of bed, grab the snacks he had prepared in advance, and hurry to the porch. But when he stepped out onto the porch, his facial expression would involuntarily droop, and he would toss her the food, then silently return to his own bedroom. Then, with his face pressed against the door, he would secretly watch her squatting on the ground, drooling over the snacks he had given her, and he couldn¡¯t help but to smile. It was such a beautiful time. Enabled by these apanying thoughts, Ruby lifted her head and became less frightened of Steve. She nodded solemnly and confirmed: ¡°Yes!¡± Then, she pouted: ¡°But one time, I woke up hungry in the middle of the night, and no matter how much I called for you, you wouldn¡¯t respond. So, I tried to climb over here by myself to get some food. I saw how easy it was for you to climb, so I tried to mimic you. But then, I identally fell from here.¡± As she spoke, Ruby even demonstrated the falling motion.
After all these years, Steve would never tell Ruby that on that particr night, he wasn¡¯t actually in deep sleep. Instead, he had grown impatient waiting for her and started chatting with Howard Coleman. Somehow, the conversation turned provocative, and his thoughts began to fill with steamy scenarios of him and her. Unable to control his urges, he went to take a cold shower, missing the sound of Ruby¡¯s cries for help. By the time he came out, he heard her loud sobbing. He didn¡¯t even have time to put on clothes. Draped in his bathrobe, he ran out and saw her lying below, blood seeping from her head. He was genuinely terrified. He quickly ran downstairs, picked her up, and took her straight to the hospital. That night was chaotic for both of their families. Steve thought about it and chuckled: ¡°Yeah, I remember that incident very clearly. When you woke up and faced your father¡¯s me, you pointed at me and said, ¡®seeing him climb so easily, I followed suit.¡¯ Just like that, with your light-hearted words, I was forced to stand against the wall and reflect on my actions for a whole day and night.¡± Although Steve¡¯s words sounded likeints, Ruby couldn¡¯t detect any resentment. Instead, she smiled cheerfully, staring at Steve, opened one hand, and yfully imitated her old self, saying, ¡°Steve, big brother, I¡¯m hungry.¡± It was just a casual conversation about the past, with Ruby acting a little cute. However, to her surprise, Steve actually picked up a bag from the side and threw it to her. When Ruby opened the bag, she found it filled with small snacks. Some things may have never touched her heart, but they had be his precious habits that he had carefully cherished and protected throughout his life. PS: That¡¯s it for today, to be continued tomorrow Chapter 369: 369: It Seems Like the Time Has Come (9) Chapter 369: 369: It Seems Like the Time Has Come (9)
Trantor:549690339 Ruby Gregory opened it, only to find that it was filled with various small snacks. Some things never entered her heart, but they were precious habits that he had carefully guarded and cherished all his life. Perhaps it was due to those years when she would call himte at night for snacks every night that formed a habit. In the more than a thousand days when she was not around, no matter how busy or howte he was, whether he was on a business trip or staying in his own apartment in the city, or even not going home at all, or knowing full well that the woman was no longer in the room next to him, he still habitually prepared a bag of snacks. Maybe he kept them in the car, maybe he threw them in his bedroom at the Mansion, maybe he threw them in his apartment in the city, or maybe he threw them directly in a hotel while on a business trip. He would always go to a convenience store at a certain moment, carefully choosing her favorite, newlyunched snacks.
This habit formed over the years, which he couldn¡¯t get rid of. Many times, he was so busy during the day and was caught up in dinner and card games in the evening, but at eleven o¡¯clock, he would always find an excuse to leave for a while. He clearly remembered one time, in a private room at The Sapphire Bistro. The host of the party was a rich second-generation kid from Ciawell, who had invited almost all the prettiest girls in the city. Actually, he didn¡¯t like such shy asions, but he couldn¡¯t help it when you¡¯re dealing with the business world. He had to put up a front since most people like to negotiate deals in such settings. That night, among the entourage of girls, there was a woman with long ck hair down to her waist. She wore a sky-blue hairpin and a long blue dress. She stood tall among the mboyant girls, looking like a lotus flower emerging from the water. His mood that evening was quite good until he saw that woman and was instantly reminded of Ruby Gregory. In fact, the woman didn¡¯t look like Ruby Gregory, but the blue dress, her height, and long hair had some resemnce. By that time, Ruby had been in Costa Luna for a whole year. His mood instantly plummeted. He eventually called for that woman but didn¡¯t touch her in the slightest, didn¡¯t even give her a word or a nce. He just held his wine ss and drank the entire time. He eventually got quite drunk, stumbled upon standing up and had difficulty walking. He threw up violently in the luxurious toilet at The Sapphire Bistro before his driver helped him out of the stall. As he propped himself against the sink sshing water on his face, he suddenly asked the worried driver beside him, ¡°What time is it now?¡± ¡°It¡¯s already 10:40.¡±
Ten forty¡­ At that time, he was really quite drunk. He turned off the faucet, swayed towards the exit of the restroom, and the driver quickly helped him. After getting down the stairs and into the car, he sat in the back seat, supporting his aching forehead with his hand, and said, ¡°Go to the nearest convenience store.¡± The car didn¡¯t drive for more than ten minutes before it stopped in front of a convenience store. As he reached out to push the door open, the driver rushed over, opened the door for him, and held him, ¡°Mr. Burton, what do you want to buy? I can buy it for you.¡± Chapter 370: 370: It Seems Like the Time Has Come (10) Chapter 370: 370: It Seems Like the Time Has Come (10)
Trantor:549690339 He nced at the driver, waved him away without saying a word, and walked into the convenience store with a slightly unsteady gait, under the driver¡¯s worried gaze. He tried to suppress the churning in his stomach, selected some snacks, paid for them, and carried them out. Halfway across the road, he stumbled and fell. From the time he was a child, he had never felt so embarrassed. In the moment hey on the ground, a strange heat welled up in his eyes. The driver rushed over, reaching out to help him up. Noticing the fallen snacks, he bent down to pick them up, but Steve had already regained hisposure. ¡°I can do it myself,¡± he said, his voice as t and tasteless as in water. ¡°Mr. Burton.¡±
¡°I said I¡¯ll handle it myself.¡± His voice turned somewhat sharp, and the driver, sensing his determination, took a small step back. Then, slowly bending down, Steve picked up the various colorful bags one by one. As long as he was doing something for Ruby, he never allowed anyone else to take over. It was difficult for him to pick them up. When he stood up, he noticed the puzzled look in the driver¡¯s eyes and realized he was wondering why Steve bought a bunch of kids¡¯ snacks in the middle of the night. Without a word, Steve carried the snacks back to the car, then turned to the driver who had also gotten back in, and said, ¡°Let¡¯s go back to The Sapphire Bistro.¡± The driver¡¯s astonishment became even more intense. Arriving at The Sapphire Bistro, he left the snacks quietly on the back seat and returned to the private room, acting like nothing happened. In those three years, he could only draw upon his past habits to imagine, in a numb and unfeeling manner, their life as it was before. He knew it was nothing more than his own obsession. And obsession often had elements of self-imposed confinement. Compared to the myriad emotions swirling within Steve, Ruby stared at the bag of snacks with a slight surprise. For a moment, deep inside her heart, she felt a surreal sense of time rewinding, as if their tumultuous parting three years ago and their subsequent friction-filled reunion never happened. She hadn¡¯t eaten these unhealthy snacks in years, but now she found herself opening her favorite potato chip bag with gusto, like thete-night snack-loving girl she once was, happily crunching them with an expression of pure satisfaction.
It seemed she had also forgotten her fear of him and the tension she felt in his presence. Instead, she felt that the person standing before her was the very same young boy who apanied her through their carefree childhood days. She shoved another potato chip into her mouth, then took one out, leaned half her body over the railing, and handed it to Steve on the other side. ¡°Here, eat.¡± Repeating a gesture she had done countless times before, she did it smoothly and naturally. He hesitated for an instant, then opened his mouth. The crisp potato chip entered his mouth, but he forgot to chew, his gaze fixed on the woman across from him as she tore open other snacks and tasted them one after another. As always, she didn¡¯t consume much, and her hands were sticky after finishing the snacks. She habitually leaned her body over the railing again and wiped her hands on his pristine white shirt. Chapter 371: 371: Really a Madman (1) Chapter 371: 371: Really a Madman (1)
Trantor:549690339 Steve Burton furrowed his brows as he stared at the woman who was using his clothes as a napkin to wipe her hands, his face full of disgust. However, deep within his eyes, there was a hint of indulgence. Even though he muttered, ¡°disgusting,¡± he never raised his hand to hit hers. Since Ruby had to work the next day, and the night was cool, she didn¡¯t stay long and returned to her bedroom. As sheid down on the bed once again, the inexplicable irritability and anxiety she felt earlier were gone. In their ce was an indescribable sense of sweetness. Ruby didn¡¯t even realize the radiant glow on her face as she thought about turning off the bedroom light. Eventually, she decided to send Steve a WhatsApp message:[Goodnight.] After sending it, Ruby added another line:[Thank you for the snacks.]
Steve was still standing on the balcony, not yet returning to his bedroom. The night was cold as there was no moon, making the stars in the sky appear even brighter. He raised his head, looking at the endless shadowy woods in the distance and the countless twinkling lights of the remote city. He felt as if he hadn¡¯t been this happy in years. Just as he was about to turn back into his bedroom, his phone beeped with a short notification sound. Picking it up, he saw it was a WhatsApp message from Ruby. Happiness filled his heart, which softened even more upon reading the message. With a hint of a smile on his lips, he slowly typed a few words:[Thank you for the milk.] [Goodnight.] After replying, he put his phone back into his pocket, casually leaned against the railing, and couldn¡¯t help but chuckle. He thought that the decision he made today was the right one. These days, Ruby seemed less rigid than before. She no longer seemed to approach him with an ulterior motive like she had in the past. Even when she encountered danger, her first thought was of him. There was also the fact she never met Edric during her three years in Costa Luna¡­
And tonight, how she loosened up in front of him. All he ever wanted was her sincerity in exchange for his. He wanted to see himself reflected in her eyes, and in her heart. He wanted her kindness and attention towards him to be because of him, and not because of the Pristine¡¯s Enterprises behind him. He wanted her to see him as just Steve Burton ¨C not the man in control of Pristine¡¯s Enterprises. Although the incident three years ago was a sharp thorn in his heart, as long as she didn¡¯t disappoint him, that thorn would soften. He thought, this time, perhaps she wouldn¡¯t let him down¡­ Ruby held her phone, waiting for a brief moment before receiving Steve¡¯s reply. He had responded to her in the same manner she spoke to him. Ruby puckered her lips, looking at the ¡°goodnight¡± on the screen from Steve. Although it was the same font as her own message, for some reason, Ruby felt a sense of reassurance from his words. Ruby turned off the bedroom light, snuggled into the soft bed, grasped her phone, and closed her eyes. She slept so soundly and sweetly.
When the light in the room across went off, even the surrounding light seemed to dim. Steve stood with his hands in his pockets, staring at Ruby¡¯s bedroom for a while. Then, with a slight upward curve of his lips, he took a step and walked into his own bedroom. He, too, had a good night¡¯s sleep. Chapter 372: Really a Madman (2) Chapter 372: Really a Madman (2) Trantor: 549690339 It was probably about half a month since Steve Burton had been in Pristine¡¯s Building. Even though he had been busy dealing with thepany¡¯s affairs every day when he was staying at the hospital with Ruby Gregory, he was still swamped when he returned to the office. From the time he arrived at work at eight in the morning until three in the afternoon, he had hardly any time to rest during these seven hours, as he was constantly in meetings. Despite being so busy, those who had contact with Steve could clearly feel his good mood. Moreover, this good mood was so overwhelming that those who worked with Steve found it a bit hard to handle. For example, when the Finance Department was settling this month¡¯s sries in the morning, they identally added an extra zero to an employee¡¯s sry on the payroll sheet. In fact, it was such a trivial matter that Steve didn¡¯t need to deal with it at all, but the error was discovered when the payroll reached Steve¡¯s hands. The finance manager hurried over to stop Steve from signing it, and only then did Steve learn about the small issue. Steve had always been strict with his employees, and even a small mistake would result in a scolding from him. The finance manager, trembling with fear, was ready to weather the storm. But, to his surprise, Steve simply asked in a calm and elegant tone, ¡°This report?¡± The finance manager raised his head, somewhat baffled, and just nodded dumbly at Steve. Steve casually flipped through the report and found the small error that the finance manager mentioned. With aid-back attitude, he closed the report and handed it back to the finance manager, ¡°Take this back for modifications and bring it back when it¡¯s done.¡± For a moment, the finance manager couldn¡¯t believe that the person in front of him was his own boss. Steve waited a while and saw that the finance manager wasn¡¯t taking the report. He frowned, but the tone of his voice still revealed a trace of his good mood, ¡°Is there a problem?¡± The finance manager shook his head quickly, taking the report with both hands. Steve gave him a smile and was about to go back to his other tasks when the finance manager, upon seeing that smile, felt his heart skip a beat and started trembling. The report in his hands fell to the floor with a ¡°pap¡± sound. It¡¯s over¡­ Rumors said that Big Boss was unpredictable and hard to read, so did this friendly attitude towards him right now mean that his eventual end would be even worse? Steve, who was walking towards his desk, heard the sound of the report falling and turned to nce at it. He promptly bent down, picked it up, and handed it back to the finance manager once more. Big Boss actually picked up the file for him¡­ The finance manager felt that it was all over for him, and his legs almost gave out, causing him to nearly copse on the ground. He subconsciously started to earnestly reflect on himself, ¡°Mr. Burton, it was my negligence this time. I promise it won¡¯t happen again. Please give me another chance and don¡¯t fire me. I will never make such a stupid mistake like this ever again¡­ ¡± ¡®What nonsense is he talking about, I never said I was going to fire him. He¡¯s a total nutcase!¡¯ Steve thought, rolling his eyes. Since he was going to call Ruby to bring some coffeeter, he decided not to waste his breath on the finance manager. He waved him off and gestured for him to leave. The more Steve acted like this, the more the finance manager felt that he was doomed this time! Chapter 373: Really a Schizophrenic (3) Chapter 373: Really a Schizophrenic (3) Trantor: 549690339 ¡°Mr. Burton¡­¡± The Finance Manager only managed to say two words before Steve Burton¡¯s eyebrows furrowed. He immediately stuffed the report into the Finance Manager¡¯s arms and pointed to the door. The Finance Manager didn¡¯t dare to breathe and left Steve¡¯s office trembling, then went back to his office with a distressed expression. There were many simr incidents, not just when someone made a mistake and wasn¡¯t scolded by Steve. Even when an employee happened to pass by Steve and immediately stood aside, respectfully greeting him, Steve would politely nod with a smile. Then, those employees would immediately freeze in their tracks. Steve would always nce a few times at these petrified employees, then look at their terrified expressions, frown to himself, and wonder what kind of bizarre employees the HR department had managed to recruit for him. They all seemed strange and neurotic! Some things, once they started, would develop smoothly and logically. From the moment Ruby Gregory was discharged from the hospital, her marriage to Steve Burton was settled, up until the night they spent together on the balcony, a tremendous change quietly urred between them. Perhaps it was because she could finally marry Steve that a lot of pressure was lifted from her heart, or perhaps it was because Steve¡¯s recent good mood meant he was also in a better temper. Though Ruby couldn¡¯t ovee her nervousness and fear around Steve overnight, she was bing more and more natural in his presence. Starting the day after their wedding was confirmed, all matters in Steve¡¯s office fell onto Ruby. For example: If Steve wanted coffee, he¡¯d call Ruby on the inte. If Steve had clients in his office and needed tea, he¡¯d call Ruby on the inte. If Steve wanted to push for a partnership with anotherpany, he¡¯d call Ruby on the inte. If Steve had approved documents to be distributed, he¡¯d call Ruby on the inte. If Steve wanted to call an emergency meeting, he¡¯d call Ruby on the inte. For instance, when someone brought urgent documents for Steve and Ms. Taylor sought his instructions, Steve would say, ¡°Let Ruby bring it in.¡± As a result, in the entirepany, besides Ruby, nobody else had any chance to enter Steve¡¯s office. At first, Ruby didn¡¯t think there was anything wrong. She¡¯d do whatever Steve asked her to, but when everything that a secretary was supposed to do was assigned to her, she¡¯d hardly sit down at her desk after just leaving Steve¡¯s office when the phone would ring again, and she¡¯d have to rush back into his office. A secretary¡¯s work was supposed to be evenly distributed, but with Steve taking up most of her time, Ruby didn¡¯t have time to do her own work and had to stay overtime. Sometimes when the workload was particrly heavy, she¡¯d stay up until the wee hours of the night to finish, then had to get up early for work the next day. Ruby was genuinely sleep-deprived. After persisting like this for about four days, on Friday, Ruby could no longer take it. Half asleep, she had the Gregorys take her to the office. Once at her desk, she started to catch up on sleep. Chapter 374: Really a Madman (4) Chapter 374: Really a Madman (4) Trantor: 549690339 As a result, just as Ruby Gregory had fallen asleep, the inte on the table rang, and it was Steve Burton calling her, asking her to make a cup of coffee for him. Ruby, struggling to keep her sleepiness at bay, climbed out of her seat and went to the pantry to make a cup of coffee, which she then brought to Steve¡¯s office. Although her marriage to Steve was already a settled matter, in thepany, Ruby still abided by thepany rules. Despite her resentment towards Steve, she still maintained a demeanor of propriety and said respectfully, ¡°Mr. Burton, here¡¯s your coffee.¡± Steve appeared to be focused on hisputer, but in reality, when Ruby entered his office, his attention was entirely on her. He tried his best to restrain his urge to look at Ruby and only raised his eyes when she spoke, he responded with a somewhat indifferent ¡°hmm¡± through his nose. Ruby held back her overwhelming sleepiness and forced herself to smile at Steve as usual, then left his office. As soon as she left Steve¡¯s office, Rubyy down on her desk again, only for the inte to ring once more before she could fall asleep. Steve called again, this time asking her to bring his daily schedule into his office. Her sleep having been disturbed twice in a row, even Ruby¡¯s usually good-tempered nature in front of Steve began to waver, and she felt unhappy. She suppressed her frustration, went to Ms. Taylor, asked for the schedule politely, and then walked into Steve¡¯s office again. Ruby had gradually be bolder in Steve¡¯s presence ever since she opened up to him one night. She no longer feared her emotions would cause him disgust and displeasure, and unlike before, she asionally showed an expression of sadness, joy, or anger when she couldn¡¯t help it. She still wore a reluctant smile on her face when talking to Ms. Taylor, but once she stepped into Steve¡¯s office and saw him looking spirited and refreshed, thinking about her recent exhausting days, her expression turned a little sour. She walked to Steve¡¯s desk, ced the report he wanted on it, and said in a somewhat depressed tone, ¡°Mr. Burton, here¡¯s the report you requested.¡± Then, with her eyes downcast and without looking at Steve, she turned and left his office. Lack of sleep can easily cause an irregr heartbeat, and Ruby felt dizzy. She returned to her seat and saw her fellow secretaries looking energetic. Some were even browsing Amazon websites on theirputers while she had done part of their work for them. She would go back home and work overtime on her own tasks, and she couldn¡¯t help but feel a strong sense of unfairness. Despite the fact that she would soon be thedy of Pristine¡¯s Enterprises, she still didn¡¯t have the courage to ask Steve to lighten her workload, fearing that she might inadvertently upset him. Ruby tried to console herself quietly, thinking that once she and Steve got engaged, she wouldn¡¯t be a secretary any longer. At that point, she would have made it through. Unable to resist the sleepiness, Ruby once againid her head on the desk. This time, she didn¡¯t even manage to find afortable position when Steve¡¯s inte rang again: ¡°Bring the materials for the uing meeting in here.¡± Chapter 375: Really a Madman (5) Chapter 375: Really a Madman (5) Trantor: 549690339 Ruby Gregory held the phone, puffed her cheeks, listlessly found the meeting materials, and entered Steve Burton¡¯s office again with them in her arms. Steve Burton was sitting leisurely at his desk, looking at theputer screen while flipping through some files beside him. Ruby walked over weakly, gently ced the materials on Steve¡¯s right, and whispered, ¡°Mr. Burton, here are the meeting materials.¡± ¡°Hmm.¡± Mr. Burton replied before looking up and ncing at Ruby, then on the empty coffee cup beside him. He pointed at the empty cup, signaling Ruby to fill it with fresh coffee. Ruby knew this was just the beginning and that she would be busierter. She thought about how her colleagues in the secretary¡¯s office were discussing where to go for fun that night before she entered Steve¡¯s office, while she would have to work overtime. Her resentment and unhappiness suddenly turned to grievance, which made her stare at the empty coffee cup by Steve¡¯s hand, not moving for quite a while. After a moment, Mr. Burton noticed that there was no movement in front of him and shifted his gaze from theputer screen to Ruby¡¯s face. He saw her staring intently at his coffee cup, obviously in a bad mood. Steve Burton¡¯s brows furrowed slightly, ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Ruby jumped at the sound of Steve¡¯s voice, then remembered the work Steve had assigned her. She immediately shook her head, grabbed the coffee cup on the table, and prepared to make coffee. ¡°Ruby¡­¡± Steve called out, and she paused to make eye contact with him. From the depths of Ruby¡¯s ck, bright eyes, Steve saw traces of grievance. He felt a wave of uneasiness in his heart, and without thinking, closed hisputer, walked around the desk, and strode quickly towards Ruby. He was much taller than her, so he leaned down slightly and looked her in the eye. His voice was gentle, ¡°Are you feeling down? Did something unhappy happen?¡± Ever since she grew up, Ruby had never confided her grievances to Steve, let alone the fact that her current underlying bitterness was caused by him. So, she pursed her lips and remained silent. Steve turned out to be more patient than she had imagined. He didn¡¯t hurry her, just kept that level gaze with a bent posture. The entire office seemed somewhat quiet. After an unknown length of time, the phone on Steve¡¯s desk rang. He nced at the caller ID and disconnected the line. Within two minutes, Steve¡¯s cell phone started ringing too. He pulled it out without hesitation and turned it off. Three minutester, there was a knock on his office door, apanied by the careful voice of Ms. Taylor, the chief secretary, ¡°Mr. Burton, it¡¯s time for the regr meeting.¡± ¡°Postpone it.¡± Mr. Burton gave the order to Ms. Taylor outside the door without hesitation and then turned back to Ruby, asking in a gentle tone, ¡°Tell me what¡¯s bothering you.¡± Ruby felt that she might be going a bit too far as Steve was putting asidepany matters just because of her. She shook her head at him. Steve raised his hand, touched her hair, and said, ¡°Don¡¯t be afraid, just tell me.¡± In Steve¡¯s words, Ruby heard a hint of indulgence. Chapter 376: 376: Really a Madman (6) Chapter 376: 376: Really a Madman (6)
Trantor:549690339 Ruby Gregory detected a whiff of indulgence in Steve Burton¡¯s tone that caused her heart to skip a beat. She looked up at him, noting his patient demeanor, bit the corner of her lip, then hesitated before speaking. ¡°I¡­I¡¯m feeling a bit unwell¡­¡± she admitted. ¡°Unwell?¡± Steve reached out to touch Ruby¡¯s forehead. Her temperature was normal but he was still worried. He reconnected the phone line, pressed the speakerphone button, and dialed Howard Coleman. ¡°Howard, can you get a doctor for me..¡± Was he calling a doctor for her? Ruby instinctively reached out, stopping Steve¡¯s hand. Steve stiffened slightly, turning to look at Ruby. Seeing her somewhat panicked expression, he said to Howard on the phone, ¡°Never mind for now.¡± Then he hung up the phone, his gaze fixed on Ruby.
Ruby ducked her head, feeling as though she couldn¡¯t meet his gaze. After a long hesitation, she said quietly, ¡°I¡¯m feeling unwell, not because I¡¯m sick, but because I¡­¡± Ruby paused again for a long while before stuttering, ¡°I didn¡¯t get enough sleep.¡± As she spoke, her face flushed. She daringly nced at Steve, ¡°There¡¯s too much work, I can¡¯tplete it all, and I have to do overtime at home¡­¡± Unbeknownst to Ruby, her voice had taken on a tone of childishint and grievance, ¡°Some of the work shouldn¡¯t be my responsibility, but I ended up doing it. I have my own work as well, and I can¡¯t finish it all¡­and¡­¡± Ruby¡¯s eyes filled with unease. She bit her lip, paused for a long while before whispering, ¡°I¡¯m so tired.¡± Her adorable demeanor reminded Steve of many years ago, when she would run to him for help with her homework, looking pitiful. His heart softened suddenly at the thought. Only then did he realise that he¡¯d been wanting her at his side so muchtely that he¡¯d made here by his office often, forgetting that she had her own work to do. Steve felt guilty and at the same time overjoyed and concerned. He was thrilled by the way she disyed such adorable vulnerability in front of him and he worried about her recent exhaustion and fatigue. Steve reached out to stroke Ruby¡¯s hair, his words carrying an affection that surprised even him. ¡°Silly girl, if you can¡¯t finish the work, don¡¯t do it. Why are you pushing yourself so hard?¡± Ruby had thought that Steve would consider her weak, but to her surprise, he said this. She looked up at him, a look of surprise in her eyes. When she saw no me in his eyes, she nervously twiddled her fingers, asking timidly, ¡°Can I¡­ can I take a nap now?¡±
Seeing her cute, nervous look, Steve could not help but smile broadly. He pointed to the bedroom in his office and said, ¡°Go ahead and sleep in the bedroom.¡± Ruby¡¯s eyes lit up with surprise. ¡°I¡¯ll go grab my bag and phone.¡± Steve said nothing, but picked up the inte. In less than half a minute, Ms. Taylor walked into the office carrying Ruby¡¯s bag. PS: The plot for sections 374-375 have been revised; those who read itst night can read it again~ If the updates are not showing up on the QQ Reader or mobile QQ Reader, go to the bookstore, search for this book, and click on those two sections again to see the revised content Chapter 377: 377: Really a Madman (7) Chapter 377: 377: Really a Madman (7)
Trantor:549690339 Steve Burton didn¡¯t speak, but directly pressed the inte. In less than half a minute, secretary Ms. Taylor walked into the office with Ruby Gregory¡¯s bag. There was still a warm atmosphere between Steve and Ruby in the office, making it clear to anyone that they had a close rtionship. However, Ms. Taylor, the long-serving secretary at Pristine¡¯s Enterprises, was not at all surprised or curious about the two. Maintaining her professional smile, she approached Steve and Ruby and handed the bag over while stating, ¡°Mr. Burton, Ms. Gregory¡¯s bag.¡± In thepany, Ruby was an underling to the secretary and obligated to follow her orders. Now she was bringing Ruby her bag personally. Ruby instinctively reached out to take it, but Steve, standing beside her, had already stretched out his hand, elegantly receiving the bag. Ms. Taylor immediately recognized the hint and said, ¡°Mr. Burton, I¡¯ll leave first.¡± After speaking, she politely nodded to Ruby, then took two steps back before turning around and walking out of the office.
As soon as Ms. Taylor closed the office door, Steve carried the bag in one hand, and holding Ruby¡¯s waist with the other, led her into the bedroom attached to his office. The style of the bedroom was the same as before, only the sheets and quilt cover had been changed to new ones. Steve casually hung Ruby¡¯s bag on the coat rack of the bedroom, then crouched down and personally took off her high heels. He picked her up and ced her on the bed. Ruby was somewhat dazed by Steve¡¯s series of actions. After carefully covering her with the quilt, Steve found the room¡¯s lighting rather bright, so he closed the curtains. Then he reached out and touched Ruby¡¯s long hair, staring at her beautiful face for a moment before his lips curved slightly and he whispered, ¡°Sleep.¡± The two words from his mouth seemed to carry a magical power, causing Ruby to instinctively close her eyes and soon fall into a deep sleep. Steve waited for Ruby to fall asleep before standing up and leaving the room. As he was about to leave the bedroom, he heard Ruby¡¯s phone make a ding sound. Steve halted his steps, worried that a call mighte in and disturb Ruby¡¯s slumber. He walked to the coat rack, opened Ruby¡¯s bag, and began to look for her phone. Ruby¡¯s phone was quite thin and stashed in apartment. Although Steve could feel it, he couldn¡¯t find it. After searching almost every pocket in Ruby¡¯s bag, he finally took out the phone, switched it to silent mode, and nced at the table where Ruby¡¯s bag contentsy ¨C lipstick, wallet, car keys, some random fuzzy balls, and a pack of medicine. As Steve put the things back into the bag, he nced at the pack of Ibuprofen, a very normal painkiller. Without giving it much thought, he tossed it into Ruby¡¯s bag. He then looked at the sleeping woman on the bed before leaving the office. When Ruby naturally woke up from her sleep, the sun outside the window was at its strongest. Perhaps due to sleeping for several hours in a row, her head felt groggy. Shey there, staring at the ceiling for a while, before gradually recovering.
Ruby lifted the quilt, slowly got out of bed, opened the door to the break room, and peered out. PS: It¡¯s thest day of the month, and there¡¯s still an updateter to celebrate New Year¡¯s Eve with everyone. I¡¯m updating one chapter in advance to let you know to save your next month¡¯s votes for me on the 6th! Chapter 378: 378: Really a Madman (8) Chapter 378: 378: Really a Madman (8)
Trantor:549690339 Steve Burton sat leisurely on the sofa in his office, his legs crossed, cradling a porcin cup in his hands, his gaze quietly fixed on the documents on hisp. His expression was focused and serious, as if he waspletely immersed in the documents. Above his head was an opulent crystal chandelier, and its dazzling light quietly poured over him, further highlighting the aura of noble elegance that emanated from his every move. Ruby Gregory, perhaps because she had slept for a long time, appeared somewhat dazed. She had never known that in this world, there could be such a breathtakingly stunning man, one who made the colorful lights mere essories to his presence. The office was very quiet, with only the asional rustling of Steve flipping through the documents.
Ruby didn¡¯t know how long she had been standing there. When she finally came to her senses, she found herself inexplicably by Steve¡¯s side. The man¡¯s eyes were half-lidded as he stared at the file on his knee, his fingers rhythmically tapping the teacup in his palm. Ruby¡¯s heartbeat suddenly quickened. She bit her bottom lip, and before she could say anything, Steve pulled his gaze away from the file and rested it upon her. At the moment their eyes met, Ruby¡¯s heart skipped a beat, while Steve¡¯s gaze noticeably stuttered before he cleared his throat and asked indifferently, ¡°Awake now?¡± As he spoke, Steve tossed the file from hisp onto the coffee table in front of him, slightly shifting his body to make space by his side for Ruby. Ruby understood Steve¡¯s intentions. She lowered her eyelids, walked around the coffee table, and sat down next to him. The unique, elegant scent of a man gently and faintly enveloped her. Ruby couldn¡¯t exin why, but her face grew slightly warm as she smelled Steve¡¯s scent. ¡°Hungry?¡± Steve¡¯s sudden question caused Ruby¡¯s heart to falter a bit. She looked up at him, shook her head, thought for a moment, and replied, ¡°Not hungry.¡± Steve didn¡¯t say anything, his eyes trailing down from Ruby¡¯s face to rest on her thigh. For herfort while she slept, Ruby had taken off her pants and wore a mid-length sweater that barely covered her hips. Now sitting by Steve¡¯s side, the sweater could hardly conceal her bottom, and her white underwear was faintly visible.
Her long, fair legs left Steve feeling somewhat parched. He slightly averted his gaze and then looked at Ruby once more. At this moment, Ruby raised her eyelids, her pair ofrge, shiny, ck eyes staring back at him. As their gazes entwined, Steve felt an uncontroble surge of desire inside him, rapidly igniting and rising in intensity. His stare gradually became burning hot as he gazed at her. Ruby felt the man¡¯s tant lust, and her breathing became somewhat difficult. She had not yet taken her painkiller¡­ Chapter 379: 379: Really a Madman (9) Chapter 379: 379: Really a Madman (9)
Trantor:549690339 Having taken the painkiller, Ruby Gregory, knowing that she wouldn¡¯t be in pain, was alwayspliant and obedient when physically intimate with Steve Burton. However, without the painkillers, faced with Steve¡¯s touch and kisses, she feels nothing but endless panic deep inside her heart. When faced with Steve¡¯s sudden advances once or twice, Ruby could find excuses to avoid it. After taking the medicine, she could return to resume with Steve. However, such interruptions, when used too often, would inevitably arouse Steve¡¯s suspicion. Ruby felt the man undressing her sweater, and her heart became a sea of panic. Even her whole body began to shiver. She tried her best to calm herself, but her body waspletely beyond her control, stiffening and tensing up.
Steve hated her being like this during their intimate moments¡­ With her eyes closed, Ruby was thinking about how to salvage the situation, but the more anxious she became, the less her brain seemed to function. Her sweater was pulled off and thrown aside by Steve¡­ His lips moved down from hers to her neck, then to her corbone¡­ She also heard him unbuckle his belt¡­ Ruby knew there would be no chance for her to take a painkiller this time, scared, she held her breath. Just when she thought the overwhelming pain was about to engulf her, a knock on Steve¡¯s office door suddenly sounded. Ruby thought the knock on the door was like heavenly music to her ears. Steve¡¯s movements paused slightly, his frown deepening. The knocking on the door sounded again. Ruby knew that this was a good opportunity. If she didn¡¯t seize it, she didn¡¯t know how much she would upset Steve during their intimate momentster. So, without waiting for Steve to speak, she raised her hand and pushed him away while he was still stunned, grabbed her clothes, and hurried into his bedroom. Then she closed the door tightly behind her. Without the slightest hesitation, Ruby rushed to the wardrobe, opened her bag, took out the painkiller, grabbed two pills without thinking, and swallowed them. Only then did Ruby, as if drained, lean against the wall behind her and let out a long sigh of relief. Steve Burton, who had been interrupted, was slightly annoyed. He sat on the sofa and looked at Ruby, who had fled like a frightened rabbit. He took a deep breath, calmly adjusted his clothes, and then said to the persistent knocking on the door, ¡°Come in.¡±
The door was pushed open, and Maya Mitchell entered, handing a document to Mr. Burton, ¡°Mr. Burton, this is an urgent document that requires your immediate review and signature.¡± Steve looked up at Maya, his expression not particrly good, but he didn¡¯t say anything. He just picked up the document, gave it a brief nce, and then picked up the pen on the table to sign it. Throughout the signing process, Maya¡¯s gaze had been fixed on Steve. As soon as he put down the pen, she retracted the emotions in her eyes, bowed respectfully, picked up the document from the table, and quietly left Steve¡¯s office. Ruby hadn¡¯t yete to her senses from the previous near crisis when she heard footsteps outside the bedroom door. Ruby quickly stuffed the painkillers into her bag, and just as she turned around, Steve pushed the door open and entered. Chapter 380: Really a Madman (10) Chapter 380: Really a Madman (10) Trantor: 549690339 Steve originally thought that when Ruby returned to the bedroom, she would put on her clothes or shyly hide under the covers. However, to his surprise, she was standing next to the clothes rack, almost fully-naked. Just now in the office, Steve had been impulsive and couldn¡¯t restrain himself, nearly crossing the line before being interrupted by Maya. After Maya disrupted them, his impulsiveness subsided. But now, seeing Ruby with her fair neck covered in his love bites and holding a sweater just barely covering her chest, her legs tightly closed together as she stood before him, her entire body blushing due to his stare, the once-dissipated impulse suddenly surged like a flood, sweeping him away once more. Steve reached out to pull Ruby into his embrace, fiercely kissing her as he pushed her towards the nearby bed. Perhaps because Maya had interrupted them midway, Steve was especially enthusiastic, entwining with Ruby for a long time before finally stopping. Rubyy weak and exhausted on the bed, her eyes closed, on the verge of falling asleep. Stevey on top of her, his breath gradually steadying. Then, he turned and embraced Ruby, putting her on top of him. Comparatively, while Ruby was barely breathing, Steve seemed rather spirited. He stared at the ceiling, absentmindedly stroking Ruby¡¯s back, when he suddenly realized that he had forgotten something. Steve thought for a while, and finally recalled that the reason he had gone to see Maya was about Ruby¡¯s kidnapping. Olivia imed that she intended to kidnap Maya, not knowing how it ended up being Ruby instead. If Olivia really wanted to kidnap Maya, a professional kidnapper would not have mistakenly abducted the wrong person. Initially, Steve had silently told himself to pay attention to this matter. However, he had been at the hospital apanying Ruby, and as he already had a vague impression of Maya, he simply forgot about it. If it weren¡¯t for Maya interrupting his intimate moment with Ruby today, he might not have thought of it. As Steve considered this, he lowered his eyes to nce at Ruby, whoy motionless in his arms: ¡°Were you with Maya before you were kidnapped?¡± It had been several days since the kidnapping. Ruby was slightly stunned at the sudden mention of it, and then raised her head from Steve¡¯s chest to look into his eyes and nodded: ¡°Yes, she invited me out that day.¡± ¡°She invited you?¡± ¡°Yeah, I didn¡¯t want to go initially, but then I remembered that she had done me a huge favor at Red Park Resort & Vis, so I thought I should return the favor and went.¡± ¡°What did you do together?¡± Why was Steve suddenly so concerned about mundane matters now? Ruby looked puzzled at Steve, thought for a moment, and said, ¡°We didn¡¯t do much, just had afternoon tea at a teahouse. After that, we went to the restroom to change clothes, and when we came out, I was kidnapped.¡± ¡°Changed clothes?¡± Ruby didn¡¯t notice the strangeness in Steve¡¯s words. Shezily moved her sore legs and replied with a tired tone, ¡°Yeah, before I arrived, Maya had been shopping and saw a beautiful outfit, so she bought me a set too.¡± Chapter 381: Exploring Step by Step (1) Chapter 381: Exploring Step by Step (1) Trantor: 549690339 Steve Burton was very good at catching the key points in people¡¯s words. For example, the word ¡°also¡± in Ruby Gregory¡¯s mouth at this moment. His eyebrows gently furrowed. So, Maya Mitchell actually bought two sets of identical clothes for Ruby? Ruby didn¡¯t look at Steve¡¯s expression and did not notice anything unusual with the man¡¯s demeanor, she continued to speak: ¡°When Maya was buying the clothes, I wasn¡¯t at the mall, right? She was worried that the size she bought might not fit me, so she asked me to try it on in the restroom. If the size wasn¡¯t right, we could easily exchange it downstairs at the store, instead ofing back againter.¡± As Ruby said this, Steve suddenly interrupted: ¡°Afterwards, did you wear the outfit Maya bought for you ande out of the restroom?¡± ¡°How did you know?¡± Ruby looked up at Steve in slight surprise. Instead of answering Ruby¡¯s question, Steve asked another one: ¡°Do you often go out to y with Maya?¡± ¡°No, just that one time.¡± Ruby shook her head and felt that the questions Steve asked tonight were mostly about Maya. She furrowed her brows and asked out loud, ¡°What¡¯s wrong with Maya? Is there something not right?¡± Steve looked at the ceiling indifferently and said nothing. Ruby saw that the man ignored her, pouted her mouth, and buried her head back in Steve¡¯s chest, closing her eyes again. The bedroom was quiet. Although Ruby had been asleep for a long time, after what had just happened, she fell soundly asleep once again. Listening to the woman¡¯s steady and gentle breathing, Steve¡¯s face gradually grew colder. He noticed the clothes that Maya bought for Ruby when he brought her back from the abandoned steel factory. It was from an international luxury brand that was quite expensive. For him, that kind of gift wouldn¡¯t seem too valuable, but when it came to Maya, people might feel that Maya was being a bit too generous towards Ruby. During the long time since Ruby returned to China, Maya had plenty of chances to meet up with Ruby. Why did she choose that day in particr? And after that, Ruby was kidnapped? He had always known about the discord between Olivia Foster and Ruby, but with Maya¡­ Steve recalled the scene when Maya, disheveled and desperate, came to find him at The Sapphire Bistro on the day Ruby was kidnapped. Her feet were injured, and she hurriedly looked worried. If she knew from the beginning that she was being targeted by the kidnappers and wanted Ruby to be taken in her ce, why would shee to find him to save Ruby after Ruby¡¯s abduction? Could it be that all of this was merely a coincidence? Maya had no idea that she was being targeted by the kidnappers. She simply wanted to invite Ruby out for fun. Then, by sheer bad luck, the kidnappers got the wrong person? Steve¡¯s eyebrows gently furrowed, feeling that no matter how he thought about it, something was off about the situation. Ruby didn¡¯t sleep for long this time, waking up in less than half an hour. When she opened her eyes, Steve was lying beside her with his eyes half-closed, seemingly asleep. Ruby habitually reached for her phone at the edge of the bed; after searching for a while, she couldn¡¯t find her phone, but woke Steve up instead. PS: Happy New Year, 2015 has arrived. To all the beautiful people out there, will you apany me this year? Chapter 382: Cautious Exploration (2) Chapter 382: Cautious Exploration (2) Trantor: 549690339 Ruby Gregory didn¡¯t sleep too long this time, waking up after only half an hour. When she opened her eyes, Steve Burton appeared to be sleeping beside her, with his eyes squinted. Ruby habitually reached for her phone at the edge of the bed, and after searching for a while, she couldn¡¯t find her phone but woke Steve up instead. Steve sounded drowsy as he spoke: ¡°What are you looking for?¡± ¡°My phone.¡± Without saying anything, Steve got out of bed, walked to the coat rack, and took Ruby¡¯s phone out of her bag. However, as he was about to hand her the phone, he caught a glimpse of some painkillers in her bag, and a slight frown crossed his brow. He remembered seeing four painkillers left in the morning, but now there were only two. What had happened? ¡°Did you find it?¡± Ruby rolled over in bed and asked Steve. Steve blinked, concealing his emotions, and let out a light ¡°Mm¡± as if nothing had happened. He then walked to the side of the bed and handed Ruby her phone. Ruby epted her phone with a radiant smile, unlocked it, and looked at some unread messages and started replying to them. Steve stood still by the bed, watching Ruby, waiting for her to finish responding to the messages. When she finally looked up and saw him, he managed a slight smile: ¡°It¡¯s almost time for me to get off work. Should we go out and grab something to eat?¡± ¡°Sure.¡± Ruby¡¯s phone seemed to receive another message, and after briefly responding to it, she set the phone aside and said, ¡°I¡¯m going to take a bath.¡± With that, she picked up her clothes nearby and went into the bathroom. Steve stared at Ruby¡¯s disappearing figure behind the bathroom door for a long time before finally shifting his gaze. It took only a second for his eyes tond on Ruby¡¯s bag hanging on the coat rack, and the missing painkillers reappeared in his mind. Ruby simply took a quick bath and came out of the bathroom soon after. Holding a towel, she wiped her hair while looking into the cheval mirror in the bedroom. Through the mirror, Steve could see her slightly red cheeks, flushed from the warm bath. As Ruby put down the towel and started using a hair dryer, she caught Steve¡¯s gaze in the mirror. She paused for a moment, then looked at him and asked, ¡°Aren¡¯t you going to take a bath?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Steve only said one word and remained silent, his eyes still locked on Ruby. About half a minuteter, he got out of bed and went into the bathroom. By the time Steve came out of the bathroom, Ruby was already dressed and doing her hair in front of the mirror. Steve grabbed a clean set of clothes from a nearby wardrobe, put them on, then picked out two ties and walked to the mirror. Ruby had just finishedbing her hair and saw Steve trying to decide which tie was appropriate. She tilted her head, looked at the choices, and pointed to a dark red tie, saying, ¡°This one.¡± Steve nced at Ruby and handed her the dark red tie. Ruby knew that Steve wanted her to help tie the tie, so she quickly tied up her long hair and stood on her toes to put the tie around Steve¡¯s neck. Steve looked down at Ruby, his eyes fixed on her as she concentrated on helping him with the tie. His long eyshes flickered gently before he asked, ¡°Has the injury from the kidnapping healed? Do you still feel difort anywhere?¡± Chapter 383: Exploring Step by Step (3) Chapter 383: Exploring Step by Step (3) Trantor: 549690339 Ruby Gregory didn¡¯t notice anything unusual in Steve Burton¡¯s words, and deftly tied a beautiful bow tie for him: ¡°It was fine before we left the hospital.¡± Then, she reached out and straightened Steve¡¯s clothes before looking up at him: ¡°Okay, let¡¯s go.¡± Steve stood still, not moving, still looking down slightly, staring at Ruby. Ruby frowned slightly: ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Steve kept staring at Ruby for a while before shaking his head absentmindedly. He raised his hand to fix Ruby¡¯s hair, his voice as calm as ever: ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡± For dinner, Steve took Ruby to a private restaurant in a Courtyard House in Ciawell, where they served authentic Poham dishes. The environment was elegant, the taste delicate. After dinner, it waste into the night, and the colorful neon lights on both sides of the street shone brightly. After Ruby and Steve¡¯s marriage was settled, Ruby would often stay outte and not return to the Gregorys¡¯ house. So, when she saw Steve¡¯s car turn from the Third Ring to the second ring road, she knew he was going to their apartment in the city. She called the Gregorys with her cell phone. Lady Gregory was used to Ruby¡¯s frequentte-night outings, so when she received Ruby¡¯s call, most of their conversation revolved around Steve. After hanging up, Steve¡¯s car happened to enter the underground parking lot of the apartment building. They got out of the car one after the other and took the elevator to Steve¡¯s apartment. Ruby knew in her heart that when she came to Steve¡¯s apartment at night, she would inevitably share a bed with him. So, as usual, she said to Steve after changing shoes in the Foyer Area: ¡°I need to go to the bathroom first.¡± Steve nodded and walked over to the water dispenser, pouring a ss of water for himself. Just as he was about to take a drink, his gaze fell on Ruby, and his hand paused. He stared at the bag in Ruby¡¯s hand with a furrowed brow. What was she doing with her bag while going to the bathroom? In the past, he wouldn¡¯t have noticed such details, but now that he found painkillers in her bag, he had be extra observant. Steve held the ss of water, pondering for a long time before downing it all. Then he put the ss aside, went straight upstairs and back to the bedroom. There were only two painkillers left. After taking them, Ruby instinctively wanted to throw the empty container into the trash, but remembering she was in Steve¡¯s house, she promptly stuffed it back into her bag instead. Lately, her intimate affairs with Steve had been happening more frequently, so she took painkillers more often. Afraid she would not have time to go to the pharmacy, she ordered medication from the bathroom using her cellphone. Since she had to work during the day and didn¡¯t want her package to be opened by Lady Gregory, Ruby entered herpany¡¯s address for shipping. When Ruby came out of the bathroom, she didn¡¯t see Steve, so she went up to the second floor. The bedroom door wasn¡¯t closed. When she walked in, she saw Steve had already changed into casual clothes and was sittingzily on the bed. There were no lights on in the room, only the faint glow from therge TV, taking up half the wall in front of Steve. Ruby put her bag and coat on the sofa, then walked over to the bedside. As she was about to bend down and turn on the light, Steve reached out, pulled her onto the bed, and then turned over, pressing himself on top of her. Chapter 384: Cautious Exploration (4) Chapter 384: Cautious Exploration (4) Trantor: 549690339 Steve Burton wrapped Ruby Gregory in a towel, wiped her body dry, carried her out of the bathroom, and used a hairdryer to dry her hair. By the time he was halfway done drying her hair, Ruby had already slumped onto his legs and fallen fast asleep. Steve turned the hairdryer down two notches and quickly dried her long hair. He then gently carried her to the bed, pulled the covers up, and tucked her in. Steve leaned against the pillows, watching TV for a while before remembering something. He lifted the covers, got out of bed, walked to the couch, and picked up Ruby¡¯s handbag. He rummaged inside for a moment and found a pain relief tablet sheet. On the sheet, there was nothing left¡ªthe two capsules that were originally there had already been taken. Steve stared at the empty sheet for a long time before turning his gaze to Ruby, who was fast asleep on the bed. Could it be that she always took two pain relief tablets before they made love? At this thought, Steve¡¯s expression instantly froze, and deep down, he faintly guessed at something. Steve¡¯s hand subconsciously clenched into a fist, his lips pressed tightly together as he stared at Ruby, who was sound asleep on the bed, aplex mix of emotions shing in his eyes. After an uncertain amount of time, Steve slowly turned his head away, gazing at the empty tablet sheet in his hand. He then quietly put the sheet back into Ruby¡¯s bag without another nce at her, and walked out onto the balcony. Since it was Saturday, Ruby hadn¡¯t set an rm on her phone. When she awoke the next day, the sky was already bright outside the window. The balcony door was half open, allowing a cool breeze to gently blow into the room and making the floor-to-ceiling curtains dance. Ruby got out of bed, went to the bathroom to freshen up, and then went downstairs. She looked around but couldn¡¯t find Steve. First, she nced out the French windows at the empty swimming pool. Finding no one there, she returned to the second floor and checked Steve¡¯s study, which was also void of any trace of the man. Confused, Ruby furrowed her brow and walked over to the bedside, about to use her phone to call Steve when she spotted a note pinned underneath it. Chapter 385: Exploring Step by Step (5) Chapter 385: Exploring Step by Step (5) Trantor: 549690339 Ruby Gregory took out the note, which was written by Steve Burton in a mboyant style: Out of town, Bolivia. Ever since Steve handed over the task of managing his office to Ruby, she had be intimately familiar with his schedule. In Ruby¡¯s memory, everything in the Bolivia branch seemed to be running smoothly, and Steve hadn¡¯t shown any intention of going on a business trip recently. Today is the weekend, why did he suddenly go to Bolivia? Ruby tilted her head and thought for a moment, assuming that there had been some kind of emergency at the Bolivia branch, causing Steve to rush over for a business trip. With Steve not in Ciawell, Ruby seemed even more rxed. They say one¡¯s spirits lift when something good happens, and for Ruby, her greatest wish in life had been fulfilled, so she really was feeling refreshed. On Sunday, she apanied Lady Gregory to the city for a spa treatment and then they went shopping together. As Ruby apanied Lady Gregory in selecting a suit for Maxwell Gregory, she happened to see a limited edition tie. The tie was exquisitely made and had a ssic color. Ruby gazed at the happy expression on her mother¡¯s face as she selected the suit for her father, and she felt a slight pang of envy. She gestured to the tie and asked the salesperson to show it to her. Lady Gregory happened to have decided on Maxwell¡¯s suit style and turned to see the tie in Ruby¡¯s hand: ¡°Buying it for Steve?¡± Ruby¡¯s face turned slightly red and asked the salesperson, ¡°How much?¡± The salesperson quoted the price. For the Ruby of the past, she would have found the price somewhat expensive, but not unaffordable. However, for the current Gregorys, Ruby seemed hesitant, and still returned the tie, ¡°Let¡¯s look around some more.¡± Lady Gregory naturally knew what Ruby was thinking. She smiled and stretched out her hand to take the tie from the salesperson, then handed it to the cashier along with the suit she had just chosen, saying, ¡°Check out both for me.¡± ¡°Mom.¡± Ruby¡¯s tone was slightly anxious. Lady Gregory smiled at her, took out her bank card, paid the bill, and said after leaving the store, ¡°Ruby, although it¡¯s natural for a man to give gifts to a woman, asionally a woman also needs to buy something for a man to make him happy. The price of this tie is a bit expensive, but with you marrying Steve, the Gregorys¡¯ business will only get better and better.¡± With that, Lady Gregory handed the gift bag containing the tie to Ruby. Ruby hesitated for a moment, then reached out and took it, ¡°Thank you, Mom.¡± Not sure if it was because she hadn¡¯t seen Steve for two days, but Ruby felt a bit anxious deep down. As a result, she couldn¡¯t sleep past six o¡¯clock on Monday morning, and an urge to hurry to work at thepany rose in her heart. Ruby tossed and turned in bed, finally making it to seven o¡¯clock before she could endure it no longer and got up. She quickly washed and dressed, changing clothes several times in the dressing room before she was barely satisfied. Before going downstairs for breakfast, Ruby eventually sat back down in front of her vanity and applied some delicate makeup to her face. She looked at her bright eyes and pearly white teeth in the mirror and finally feltpletely satisfied. Ruby hurriedly ate breakfast, then grabbed the weekend gift she had picked out for Steve and rushed to her car to drive to thepany. Chapter 386: Exploring Step by Step (6) Chapter 386: Exploring Step by Step (6) Trantor: 549690339 When Ruby Gregory arrived at thepany, it was just half past eight, and the wholepany was empty with only a few employees around. At nine o¡¯clock, thepany building gradually became lively, and by the normal starting time of nine-thirty, all the employees in the secretarial office had arrived. Steve Burton didn¡¯t arrive at thepany until ten o¡¯clock. When he stepped into the office, Ruby¡¯s attention turned to thendline phone in front of her. However, she waited for a long time, and the phone on the table didn¡¯t make a sound, until finally, Ms. Taylor¡¯s phone rang. Ruby clearly heard Ms. Taylor shout: ¡°Mr. Burton.¡± Then she hung up the phone, picked up a document simr to an itinerary from the table, and walked into Steve Burton¡¯s office. Ruby just felt as if a basin of cold water had been poured over her head, and her whole body became a bit cold. Ruby had no mood to work at all, her eyes constantly staring at the door of Steve Burton¡¯s office. She waited until Ms. Taylor came out of Steve¡¯s office, and then stared at herndline again. However, in the end, it was still the phone on Ms. Taylor¡¯s desk that rang. Ruby saw Ms. Taylor go to the pantry, make a cup of coffee, and bring it into Steve Burton¡¯s office. Ruby¡¯s mood became even more depressed. She had almost no mind to work all morning, and all her attention was on who entered and exited Steve Burton¡¯s office. Ruby felt strange herself. When Steve called her into the office constantly, sheined that she had too much work. Now that Steve didn¡¯t call her, she felt as if her heart was pressed with a big stone, heavy and extremely ufortable. At noon, Ruby went to the cafeteria for a quick lunch, and when she was about to go upstairs, she received a call from the front desk about her delivery. Ruby went directly to sign for the delivery on the first floor and then went back to her office with the package. Maya Mitchell had already finished her meal and returned to her office, sitting in her chair and discussing thetest celebrity gossip on Twitter with a colleague sitting behind her. Ruby took a small knife from the nearby stationery holder, opened the delivery, and saw that the painkillers she had ordered online had arrived. She took them all out at once, stuffed them into her drawer, and went to throw away the empty delivery box. After Ruby left, Maya nced at her drawer, saw three or four boxes with ¡°Ibuprofen¡± clearly written on them. Maya looked at Ruby¡¯s figure with some suspicion, wondering what she was buying so many painkillers for. Suddenly, as if remembering something, sheughed at the secretary behind her and said, ¡°I just remembered, I have some work to do.¡± So she sat back at her desk, turned on herputer, and quickly got busy. At half past three in the afternoon, Steve Burton finished a brief meeting, and just as he entered the office, Maya came to his office with a report in her arms. Maya raised her hand and knocked on the door. After about ten seconds, Steve¡¯s voice came from inside: ¡°Come in.¡± Maya pushed the door open and saw Steve unbuttoning his suit. She walked to Steve¡¯s desk quietly with the file in her arms, put it on the table with both hands, and said, ¡°Mr. Burton, this is the cooperation report with Sunshine Group, please sign.¡± Chapter 387: Exploring Step by Step (7) Chapter 387: Exploring Step by Step (7) Trantor: 549690339 Steve Burton nced at Maya Mitchell, elegantly removed his coat, hung it on a nearby coat rack, and then walked to his desk. He sat down leisurely before reaching out and taking the document handed to him by Maya. Maya stood straight and tall in front of Steve¡¯s desk, looking at the man engrossed in the document before him, a warm glint in her eyes. She had always tried hard to find a connection with Steve, but no matter what she did, their rtionship remained distant and strictly professional. Thest kidnapping attempt was supposed to be her chance to destroy Ruby Gregory. However, not only did she fail to eliminate Ruby, but it also managed to bring Ruby and Steve closer together. The document in her hands was prepared before the end of her shift in the afternoon. She had decided to wrap it up as soon as she saw Ruby buying painkillers. Because she longed for a conversation with Steve that wasn¡¯t work-rted, she thought of showing concern for Ruby, in hopes of extricating a hint of conversation from him. Maya blinked gently and started softly, ¡°Mr. Burton, there¡¯s something I don¡¯t know if I should mention.¡± Steve leisurely flipped through the page of the report. Without even raising his head, he only answered after a long while, ¡°Go ahead.¡± When you love someone, every action, every word can turn into a sharp de, cutting deep into your heart. Just like Maya at this moment, she could only speak to Steve with such deep affection, yet his response was cold and indifferent. Maya swallowed hard, suppressing the bitterness in her heart, and said calmly, ¡°At noon, I saw Ruby receiving a package full of painkillers¡­¡± As she spoke, Maya discreetly observed Steve¡¯s expression, noticing the hand holding the report trembled slightly and his brows furrowed. Then, she switched to a voice full of concern, adding, ¡°Is Ruby in pain somewhere? Why did she buy so many painkillers?¡± It seemed as if Steve hadn¡¯t heard Maya¡¯s words, for he continued to gaze at the report in his hand without saying a word. Maya bit her lower lip, sadness glinting in her eyes. Despite feigning concern for Ruby, Steve still refused to speak with her, didn¡¯t he? After finishing the report, Steve took a pen from the drawer, signed the document skillfully, and pushed it towards Maya. Maya reached out to take the report, her face visibly downcast. Ready to leave while hugging the file, Steve suddenly spoke like he¡¯d remembered something, his tone ensuring a hint of coldness, ¡°Oh, right¡­¡± Maya paused, delight flickering in her eyes. Steve tapped the pen gently on the desk a few times before asking, ¡°I heard from Ruby that you bought two sets of clothes: one set for her?¡± Maya¡¯s heart swelled with joy as Steve talked to her about non-work-rted matters. She smiled at him and nodded, ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Why haven¡¯t I seen you wear it?¡± Maya blushed slightly, ¡°The weather has been a bit coldtely, so I haven¡¯t been able to wear it.¡± Steve didn¡¯t say anything but instead opened a drawer, took out a check, filled in an amount, signed it, and then pushed it towards Maya. Chapter 388: 388: Exploring Step by Step (8) Chapter 388: 388: Exploring Step by Step (8)
Trantor:549690339 Maya¡¯s smile froze on her face as she stared at the check. After a while, she slowly looked up at Steve, opening her mouth to speak, but his voice interrupted her: ¡°Put it away. That dress wasn¡¯t cheap.¡± He paused, continuing with a tone that seemed slightly heartless: ¡°Besides, it¡¯s not someone else¡¯s ce to buy clothes for my woman.¡± Maya didn¡¯t know whether to feel upset because Steve had casually thrown her a check with double the amount of money she had spent for Ruby¡¯s dress or because of the possessive tone in his voice. She felt a lump in her throat, and after a long time, she managed to say with a trembling voice: ¡°The dress was just a simple token of my appreciation.¡± ¡°A token?¡± Upon hearing these words, Steve chuckled, throwing the pen in his hand onto the office desk with a ¡®snap.¡¯ He stared into Maya¡¯s eyes for a while before his expression turned somber: ¡°I¡¯m afraid your ¡®token¡¯ had ulterior motives.¡± Maya stared nkly at him: ¡°Mr. Burton, what do you mean by that?¡± Steve continued staring at Maya without speaking.
His gaze made Maya feel ufortable. After a while, Steve finally asked, ¡°Do you genuinely not know, or are you pretending not to know?¡± Maya¡¯s face turned red and then white at Steve¡¯s insinuating words. She struggled to maintain her usual gentle and elegant demeanor in front of him: ¡°Mr. Burton, I don¡¯t understand what you¡¯re talking about.¡± Steve smirked, not taking his eyes off Maya before speaking: ¡°First, at the Red Park Resort & Vis, did you really unintentionally tell Olivia about Ruby going to the observation deck?¡± ¡°Second, Ruby¡¯s been back in the country for quite some time. Why did you invite her out specifically on the twenty-fourth ofst month?¡± ¡°Third, did you genuinely want to thank Ruby by buying that dress for her? Moreover, why did you buy one that¡¯s identical to yours?¡± ¡°Fourth, do you know that the kidnapping that day was actually meant for you and not her?¡± Steve continued to ask questions, making Maya¡¯s mind explode. She had always thought that her actions were perfect, but this man still doubted her in the end. A wave of fear washed over Maya, and she tried her best to control her facial expressions. She quickly thought about it and replied in neither a humble nor arrogant tone: ¡°Mr. Burton, my actions toward Ruby were purely out of goodwill. The way you see it, it¡¯s as if I had ulterior motives. If I wanted to harm Ruby, I wouldn¡¯t have gone all the way to The Sapphire Bistro to notify you that day. My feet were even pierced by needles then. To suspect me like this is quite unjust.¡± As she spoke, ayer of red appeared in Maya¡¯s eyes.
Steve remained undisturbed, sitting leisurely in his seat, coldly responding to her misty eyes: ¡°Whether you¡¯ve been unfairly used or not is not my concern. In this entire lifetime, the only person I care about being wronged is Ruby.¡± Chapter 389: 389: Exploring Step by Step (9) Chapter 389: 389: Exploring Step by Step (9)
Trantor:549690339 ¡°So, I apologize, but regarding Ruby Gregory, I¡¯d rather make a mistake than take any chances.¡± Steve Burton¡¯s words were direct and showed no mercy. He made his intentions very clear: even if he really suspected Maya Mitchell wrongly, it would just be her misfortune! ¡°So, whether you sincerely care for Ruby or have ulterior motives like I suspect, starting today, you better stay away from her.¡± To him, Maya was just a dispensable secretary, albeit an efficient worker, which is why he employed her for three years.
However, Ruby was a different matter for him. She was an indispensable beauty in his life. The kidnapping incident was already nerve-wracking enough. If Maya really had sinister intentions like he suspected, that incident was far from being over but merely just the beginning. He could gamble on everything in this world, except for Ruby. She was a risk he couldn¡¯t take. For that young woman who may or may not have had feelings for him, he could feel anger and rage because of her using and not loving him, but he would not allow anyone, especially in front of him, to hurt her in the slightest! Maya¡¯s expression turned somewhat pale, ¡°Mr. Burton, this doesn¡¯t seem fair. You¡¯re depriving Ruby of her right to make friends.¡± ¡°I am not depriving Ruby of her right to make friends; I am only depriving you of the right to get close to her.¡± Steve paused, then continued mercilessly, ¡°Since you¡¯re so unwilling, I¡¯ll just resort to more direct means.¡± Steve withdrew a letter from the side and pushed it in front of Maya. Maya lowered her head and saw the three prominent words on the envelope: Resignation Letter. Once, she had worked so hard and fought to get close to Steve, single-handedly breaking through heavy barriers, and finally entered Pristine¡¯s Enterprises with the best interview performance. She underwent a year of harsh training, then went from never touching alcohol to bing a heavy drinker, all to be the perfect and qualified secretary by Steve¡¯s side. For three years, day after day, she tried every possible means to get closer to him. But to her surprise, all her painstaking efforts eventually led to a resignation letter from Steve.
Maya¡¯s face turned ghostly white, and the tears in her eyes finally fell uncontrobly. Unfortunately, in this world, only one woman¡¯s tears could delight Steve, make him worry or hurt to the core. For anyone else, their tears were just fluids flowing out of their tear nds in front of him. ¡°Take this resignation letter, and go to the Human Resources Department toplete the resignation procedures.¡± After saying this, Steve disyed a dismissive expression, and began working on hisputer. Maya was truly unwilling. Her more than three-years of effort and dedication copsed before her eyes. She never dreamed that Steve¡¯s first lengthy speech to her would be such a devastating blow. She looked at the noble man she had loved for so many years, feeling a little sad, thinking how she once thought of using Ruby to have a conversation with him. Now, because of Ruby, she had to leave the position closest to him forever. Pathetically, the opportunity she had dreamed of to have a conversation with him was all because of Ruby. PS: I originally nned to finish writing the plot about torturing Maya tonight, but I found that I had written an extra chapter and still hadn¡¯t finished, so I¡¯ll continue writing after getting some sleep. Chapter 390: Exploring Step by Step (10) Chapter 390: Exploring Step by Step (10) Trantor: 549690339 Maya Mitchell took a deep breath, holding back her falling tears, staring at Steve Burton, her voice full of the slightest hope, she began to exin. ¡°Mr. Burton, I genuinely never intended to harm Ruby. In my heart, I¡¯ve always seen her as my friend, my lifesaver. Mr. Burton, I truly love this job. If you¡¯re notfortable with my proximity to Ruby, I can keep my distance from her.¡± As Maya spoke, her tone was filled with a plea that she couldn¡¯t conceal. ¡°I promise what I say, I will act on. Mr. Burton, please trust me.¡± Steve Burton stared at hisputer,pletely focused, as if he hadn¡¯t heard anything Maya had just said. For quite a while, he showed no reaction at all. Even after he had stared at hisputer for a while, he picked up the desk phone and dialled a number, asking Ms. Taylor, his secretary, to bring in the morning meeting records. His tone of voice was calm and cool, emanating an air of unquestionable authority. After he hung up the phone, it was as if Maya wasn¡¯t even there ¨C his attention once again focused entirely on hisputer. Maya realized that Steve waspletely and utterly ignoring her. In the three years she had been with Steve, she had learned his temper well. Once he made up his mind, he was immovable. He would tolerate no defiance from others. But she really didn¡¯t want to leave Pristine¡¯s Enterprises like this. If she left now, she might never see him again for the rest of her life. A deep, uncontroble pain surged in Maya¡¯s heart. She looked at Steve, bit her lower lip, and unwilling to give up, began speaking again, ¡°Mr. Burton¡­¡± After hearing Maya utter the two sybles, Steve raised his hand and picked up the desk phone again, dialling a number. His tone was steady and calm: ¡°HR? Please process a resignation for Ms. Maya Mitchell of the CEO¡¯s secretarial office.¡± ¡°Yes, right now.¡± He said, and then he hung up the phone. Maya went pale, her whole body trembling slightly. Her voice was shaky as if she was frightened, ¡°Mr. Burton, please don¡¯t let me resign. Mr. Burton, I will indeed keep a distance from Ruby. Mr. Burton, please trust me, just this once¡­¡± As she spoke, Maya sobbed quietly. Even as Maya pleaded in panic, Steve¡¯s expression remained as cold as ice. He hung up the phone and turned his attention back to hisputer. But when he heard Maya¡¯sst tearful words, his eyebrows furrowed slightly. He finally looked up from hisputer at Maya, her face tear-streaked, showing not a shred of sympathy: ¡°Maya Mitchell, are you out of your mind? I¡¯m not your fianc¨¦ to choose to trust you while risking my own fianc¨¦e.¡± Why should I trust you and put my fianc¨¦e in danger? Upon hearing this sentence, Maya froze on the spot. She didn¡¯t even react to Steve calling her a lunatic earlier. The tears welling up in her eyes stopped as well. She felt her world rumble and copse into ruin¡­ Ruby Gregory is Steve¡¯s fianc¨¦e? At that moment, Maya felt like she was the butt of some gigantic joke. She bowed her head in confusion, picked up the resignation letter and check from the table, wiped away her tears, then turned and ran out of Steve¡¯s office. Chapter 391: Exploring Step by Step (11) Chapter 391: Exploring Step by Step (11) Trantor: 549690339 Steve Burton maintained a calm expression throughout, only showing a faint flicker in his eyes and a cold expression on his face the moment Maya Mitchell shut the office door forcefully. No one knew what kind of feeling was churning in his heart, fueled by alcohol, when he heard Maya Mitchell speak to him in a concerned and worried tone, telling him that Ruby Gregory had bought several boxes of painkillers. He didn¡¯t know what Maya¡¯s intentions were in telling him this, but he tried his best to disguise his emotions, not wanting to lose hisposure in front of an insignificant person. Steve Burton stared at theputer screen for a long time, feeling frustrated and annoyed. Finally, he stood up and walked to the French windows, opening them and letting the cold early-winter wind slowly blow into the room; only then did he feel slightly morefortable both physically and mentally. After standing for an unknown amount of time, thendline phone behind him rang. He nced at it and slowly walked to the desk to pick up the call. Ms. Taylor¡¯s stiff, businesslike tone came through the phone: ¡°Mr. Burton, you have an appointment with Mr. Taylor and Mr. Woods tonight at 6:30 pm at the Grand Ciawell Restaurant. The private room has been reserved for you, just like your usual spot. Do you need a car prepared now?¡± Steve Burton checked his watch, seeing that it was already 5:30 pm. It would take about half an hour to drive from Pristine¡¯s Enterprises to Grand Ciawell Restaurant, and it was now the evening rush hour; indeed, it was time to set off. Steve murmured an agreement on the phone. After hanging up, he stood in front of his desk for half a minute before walking to the coat rack to put on his coat and pick up his car keys, finally leaving the office. Ruby Gregory only realized when she saw Maya Mitchell carrying a file into Steve Burton¡¯s office. Steve Burton didn¡¯t call her to his office, but she could take a file to his office, right? Ruby quickly went through the files on her desk, then found one that needed Steve Burton¡¯s signature and began to work on it diligently. The file was somewhatplicated, and it took Ruby about three hours to finish. When she checked the time, there were still 30 minutes left before clocking off at 6 pm. She quickly went to the printing room, picked up the printed file, and headed straight to Steve Burton¡¯s office. Before she could reach his office door, Steve opened it and walked out. Ruby¡¯s steps, while holding the file, slowed down. Her heart raced uncontrobly for no apparent reason. Ruby slightly nervously clutched the file and stared at Steve before speaking up: ¡°Mr. Burton.¡± Steve nced at the file in her hand and paused: ¡°What is it?¡± ¡°The file needs your signature.¡± Steve didn¡¯t say anything but walked toward Ruby. Ruby hurriedly opened the file and handed her pen to Steve. Steve carefully scanned the file handed to him by Ruby. He was somewhat close to her, and his scent continuously wafted into Ruby¡¯s nostrils. It had only been two days since she hadst seen him, but it felt like a long time ago. Smelling his familiar scent, Ruby¡¯s inexplicably frustrated mood of the day miraculously calmed down. From time to time, she would lift her eyelids to sneak a peek at the man¡¯s countenance. PS: I¡¯m home now; time to update? There are nine chapters left Chapter 392: Exploring Step by Step (12) Chapter 392: Exploring Step by Step (12) Trantor: 549690339 As Steve Burton finished scanning the documents and took the signing pen from her hand, he identally touched her fingertips. Ruby Gregory quickly withdrew her hand, tightly gripping her clothes, and she could still clearly feel the lingering warmth from his touch on her fingertips. The warmth turned somewhat scorching, sizzling, spreading along the veins of her fingertips and reaching her heart, causing her body to shiver gently, her heart seemingly about to pound out of her throat. Mr. Burton signed his name skillfully, and Secretary Ms. Taylor spoke, ¡°Mr. Burton, the car is ready.¡± Steve Burton nodded and then handed the documents and signing pen to Ruby Gregory. As Ruby Gregory took them with both hands, Steve Burton paused for a moment before finally speaking, ¡°I have a dinner gathering tonight.¡± With just a simple six words, he informed her about his whereabouts, making Ruby¡¯s heart instantly warm and sweet. She gave him a gentle smile, nodded, then turned around with a slightly blushing face, and walked back to her chair. Ruby Gregory sat in her chair for quite some time before she recovered and realized that Steve Burton had already left thepany. She caressed the fingertips that had just been touched by Steve Burton for a long moment before turning on herputer, reached out through thepany¡¯s internal software, and sent a message to Ms. Taylor, asking about Steve Burton¡¯s schedule for tonight. Ms. Taylor quickly replied that there was a 6:30 dinner. Ruby Gregory thanked her, turned off theputer, gathered her stuff, and right on time, it was the end of the working day. First, she drove back to the Gregorys¡¯, ate dinner, and then sat in the living room with Lady Gregory for a while. Following that, she directly went upstairs. After taking a shower, Ruby Gregory looked out from her balcony onto the Burtons¡¯ yard but didn¡¯t see Steve Burton¡¯s car. She nced at the wall clock, and it was already 9 pm. Steve Burton rarely went back to the Burtons¡¯ Mansion from Monday to Friday, so it was likely that he would drink some alcohol during dinner tonight and probably stay at his apartment in the city. Ruby returned to her bedroom, climbed into bed, but couldn¡¯t fall asleep. After tossing and turning for a long time, she noticed the gift box with the necktie on the sofa, and after a moment¡¯s hesitation, she got out of bed, went to the dressing room, changed her clothes, grabbed her bag and gift box, and went downstairs. Maxwell Gregory and Lady Gregory had already gone back to their rooms to rest, and only a maid was watching TV in the living room. Seeing Ruby Gregorying down, she immediately stood up, ¡°Miss, are you going out thiste?¡± Ruby nodded. As she was changing her shoes at the Foyer, she suddenly thought of something and said to the maid, ¡°I won¡¯t be home for dinner tomorrow morning. If asked, tell my parents I¡¯m at Steve¡¯s.¡± ¡°Yes, Miss.¡± With that, Ruby left her house, got into her car, smoothly reversed, turned, then drove out of the Gregorys¡¯ gate. The roads at night were not congested, and it only took half an hour for Ruby to arrive at Steve¡¯s apartment. After their engagement was set, Steve gave her the key and password to his apartment. Ruby smoothly entered the underground garage, parked the car, took the elevator, and arrived at Steve¡¯s apartment door. After inputting the password, she opened the door, turned on the light, changed her shoes, walked into the house, then realized that Steve had not returned yet. Chapter 393: Exploring Step by Step (13) Chapter 393: Exploring Step by Step (13) Trantor: 549690339 Although Steve Burton had not returned yet, Ruby Gregory¡¯s previous unease at the Gregorys¡¯ home seemed to dissipate the moment she arrived here. Ruby ascended to the master bedroom on the second floor and nced at the time. Ten o¡¯clock in the evening, she chose a book, sat on the sofa, and began to read while waiting for Steve to return. As time tripped along, Ruby finally closed the book as her neck began to ache. She picked up her phone once more and checked the time, it was already half past eleven at night. It waste, and Steve had not returned yet? Ruby stood up, went downstairs to pour herself a ss of water. She drank it down and wandered around the empty house for a few rounds. ncing at the European-style clock hanging on the wall, it was already past midnight, and there was no sign of Steve returning. Ruby¡¯s mood began to fluctuate again. She climbed the stairs slowly back to the second floor, hesitated for a while with her phone in hand, but then upon remembering the tie she had bought for Steve, she gritted her teeth and dialed his number. The phone rang several times without an answer. Just as Ruby was about to hang up, the call was suddenly answered. However, it was not Steve¡¯s voice that came through, but a sexy woman¡¯s voice: ¡°Hello?¡± Ruby subconsciously nced at the clock on the wall. Midnight, and the person who answered the phone was not Steve, but a woman. Her mood instantly becameplex and chaotic, even to the point of slight panic. The woman on the other end of the line, perhaps because nobody was speaking, cooed andughed, ¡°Are you looking for Mr. Burton?¡± This time the woman didn¡¯t wait for Ruby to respond but continued with a flirtatious tone, ¡°However, I advise you to contact Mr. Burton tomorrow if there is anything you need. Mr. Burton is quite busy tonight¡­¡± With that, the woman unterally hung up the phone. It took Ruby a while to recover. Listening to the busy tone from the phone, she turned her eyes hesitantly, half-minded to call Steve again, hoping he¡¯d answer, and have hime home. But as her finger hovered over the call button, she remembered the lessons from her upbringing at the Gregorys¡¯ home. Among them was the fact that it was not umon for men to indulge in merriment, especially someone of Steve¡¯s stature. What she should never do was try to control or discipline him, as that would only annoy him. As Ruby remembered these things, her finger faltered. She stood in ce for a long while before slowly walking to the sofa and sitting down, neatly cing her phone on the coffee table in front of her. Then, she picked up the half-read book from before, and continued reading with aposed expression. But she couldn¡¯t understand how she¡¯de to be like this. She read sentences and paragraphs, yet immediately forgot them. Even by the end, all the dense ck typefaces printed on the pages seemed to morph into the words the woman on the phone had said to her. Her mind began to run wild. That woman said Steve was very busy tonight. Busy doing what? Was he busy with that woman? Chapter 394: Exploring Step by Step (14) Chapter 394: Exploring Step by Step (14) Trantor: 549690339 Ruby Gregory¡¯s mind was instantly covered with images of her and Steve Burton together. Her face suddenly turned pale, her hands trembled, and she threw the book in a panic onto the carpet beside her. She jumped up from the sofa and headed towards the bedroom door. By the time her hand touched the doorknob, she realized what she was doing. Ruby¡¯s body stiffened momentarily. She tightly gripped the doorknob and, after a long while, slowly lowered her arm. She turned back slowly, walked to the sofa, and curled up on it, staring nkly at the dark night sky outside the window for a long time before reluctantly lowering her eyes. Yes, what is bothering her right now? When she was little, her dad often stayed out all night. Sometimes when she went downstairs to drink water at night, she would see her mom sitting alone in the living room, watching TV. Then there was her aunt, who, in the second year of marriage, found out that her uncle had a mistress. In a crying and noisy scene, her aunt threatened divorce unless her uncle ended things with the mistress. But, in the end, things backfired, and her uncle really divorced her aunt. Besides, didn¡¯t she witness Steve Burton and Ms. Annie making out in a private room at the Grand Capital Hotel? Back then, she calmly and coolly closed the room door without disturbing them. Didn¡¯t she handle that well? So, why does she now feel the impulse to pull Steve Burton away from the woman on the phone? Ruby took a deep breath and told herself in her heart. Since Steve was willing to get engaged to her, next month on the 8th, she will be his fianc¨¦e. She has achieved the goal she has always aimed for, so what is she unhappy about? She knew that Steve, that man, was not someone she could control, and he would not belong to her alone. Therefore, she must not follow in the footsteps of others and be a jealous wife who provokes Steve¡¯s disgust. Besides, hasn¡¯t she always wanted to be Steve¡¯s wife and educate their future children properly, maintaining their marriage? So, why should she care so much about what he does outside their home? As long as their marriage is stable, whatever debauchery he engages in outside- drinking alcohol, and spending time with other women, she will pretend not to see and not care. Ruby constantly affirmed this answer in her heart. In the end, her heart gradually became numb, her eyelids drooping, and she curled up even more tightly on the sofa. Steve Burton¡¯s dinner party tonight ended at nine o¡¯clock. It was only because Mr. Kent suggested going to The Sapphire Bistro for a few drinks that he went along. Steve¡¯s mood was terrible, and there was nothing to do at home, so he didn¡¯t refuse. Mr. Kent was famous among their circle for enjoying nightlife, and every time he went to a nightclub, he would always pick out a few pretty girls. As the host of tonight¡¯s gathering, Steve wasn¡¯t fond of this kind of entertainment. However, as everyone present had one or two attractive young women sitting beside them, he did not refuse when Mr. Kent arranged for a petite woman with arge chest to sit by his side. Just like always, he didn¡¯t engage in too much conversation with the woman arranged for him. Chapter 395: Exploring Step by Step (15) Chapter 395: Exploring Step by Step (15) Trantor: 549690339 Actually, his mood had been really terrible for the past few days. Last Friday, when he saw that thest two pain-relieving pills were missing from her bag, he stood on the balcony, blowing cold wind all night, unable to suppress the turbulence in his heart. No wonder all of a sudden, she seemed to have had an epiphany. When they were intimate, she was no longer reacting as if she were facing execution but had be obedient and quiet. He thought that she must have developed feelings for him, so she wasn¡¯t resisting as much. Deep down, he had a thorn in his heart left by what happened three years ago. Her understanding, her thoughtfulness, and her clevernesstely made him think that he really had a ce in her heart. So when he discovered that her changes towards him were all because of the pain-relieving pills, he began to let his imagination run wild, beyond his control. He knew that he never had much rationality when facing Ruby Gregory. He was actually worried that when she woke up, he wouldn¡¯t be able to help but have a conflict with her. So when he received a call at five in the morning, saying there was a minor ident at the Bolivia branch, he was relieved. Actually, that ident didn¡¯t require him to fly to Bolivia, but he still notified his secretary to book an early flight and flew to Bolivia temporarily. He admitted that he was escaping. Some beauty, after experiencing and sinking into it, he couldn¡¯t bear to destroy more than anyone else. His heart was ufortable during those two days in Bolivia. He had been used to the bone-deep longing when she had left him for three years, but now, maybe because he had been with her for too long recently, he was infatuated and couldn¡¯t stand being apart for only forty-eight hours. So on Monday morning, he temporarily let the person in charge in Bolivia book a flight for him to return to Ciawell. Who would have known that in the afternoon, he learned from Maya Mitchell that Ruby Gregory had bought a lot of pain-relieving pills again. He wasn¡¯t the kind of person to drown his sorrows in alcohol, but when it came to Ruby¡¯s matters, he always used alcohol to numb himself. So in the private room of The Sapphire Bistro, he drank a bit too much. Actually, he didn¡¯t know how much he had drunk. He only vaguely heard someone say, ¡°It¡¯s already eleven thirty,¡± and suddenly remembered that he hadn¡¯t gone to the convenience store to buy snacks today. So he took out his phone, looked at the time, and realized he had half an hour left before the day was over. He hurriedly reached out his hand, groping for his wallet and keys, then left in a flustered manner. When he staggered out of The Sapphire Bistro, he realized he had left his phone in the private room. He was afraid that he wouldn¡¯t have time to buy snacks before twelve o¡¯clock, so he asked the driver to take him directly to the nearest convenience store. His driver had been with him for many years and was no stranger to his quirks. When they arrived at the convenience store, the driver opened the door, stood respectfully by the side, and watched as Steve Burton drunkenly stumbled into the store. He then waited for him toe out and took him back to The Sapphire Bistro. When Steve Burton returned to The Sapphire Bistro, his first thought was to go back to where he had been sitting and look for his phone. But after searching for a long time, he couldn¡¯t find it, so he finally asked, ¡°Who took my phone?¡± Chapter 396: Exploring Step by Step (16) Chapter 396: Exploring Step by Step (16) Trantor: 549690339 By this time, almost everyone in the private room was drunk. Hearing his question, they all appeared startled. After a while, a tipsy Mr. Kent finally stood up, pointed around the room, and demanded, ¡°Who took Mr. Burton¡¯s phone? Hand it over now¡­.¡± Mr. Taylor was so drunk he could barely stand. He tried to get up from the sofa only to slump down weakly again. He began to speak with an angry expression, but his words came out unevenly, interspersed with hups, ¡°Call¡­ call your manager here for me!¡± The woman sitting next to Mr. Taylor giggled tipsily, her words slurred, ¡°Why are you men so angry? The phone¡­ the phone is with me¡­¡± With that, she got up unsteadily, took out the phone from her low-cut neckline, staggered to Steve¡¯s side, held it up and waved it at him, ¡°Mr. Burton, are you looking for¡­ for this phone?¡± The smell of alcohol was overpowering as the woman opened her mouth, even followed by a loud hup. Steve frowned, taking a step back. Looking at the phone in the woman¡¯s hand, he frowned in disgust and extended two fingers to take it. The woman teased him, hiding the phone behind her while flirting with him, ¡°Mr. Burton, your phone was left on the sofa and I put it away for you¡­ Do I get a reward? No reward, no phone¡­¡± Steve, usually averse to dealing more than necessary with frivolous women, realised his phone was left in the private room due to his own carelessness. So, hearing her words, he took out his wallet without hesitation, pulled out a wad of banknotes without even looking at them, and threw them at the woman. Overjoyed, the woman handed Steve his phone and bent over to pick up the cash. Steve, who initially just wanted to check the time on his phone, unlocked the screen and found the first item on the call records was Ruby Gregory¡¯s. Steve¡¯s brows furrowed slightly as he checked the details of the call record, only to see that Ruby had made a call about ten minutes ago. And someone had answered it. What could Ruby want to tell him in the middle of the night? Steve¡¯s phone was set to automatically record calls, so without any hesitation he quickly got a Bluetooth earpiece, put it on, and yed the recording. The call Ruby had madested more than a minute, but only three sentences were spoken. ¡°Hello?¡± ¡°You¡¯re looking for Mr. Burton, aren¡¯t you?¡± ¡°But, I suggest you better deal with him tomorrow. Mr. Burton is very busy tonight¡­¡± The three sentences were all spoken in a woman¡¯s voice, but it was not Ruby¡¯s. In other words, a woman had answered his phone? In the middle of the night, on the rare asion when Ruby made a phone call to him, was it a woman who answered it? The first thought that shed in Steve¡¯s mind was that Ruby had misunderstood him¡­ His face instantly darkened as he swept his gaze over the tipsy, flirtatious women in the room, demanding, ¡°Who answered my phone?¡± Steve¡¯s tone was bit cold and while not loud, it was forceful enough for everyone in the room to sober up slightly. Chapter 397: Exploring Step by Step (17) Chapter 397: Exploring Step by Step (17) Trantor: 549690339 The private room became extremely quiet in an instant, with only the beautiful and sentimental songs ying from the karaoke machine. Everyone nced at each other. Just as Steve Burton¡¯s patience was wearing thin, the woman who was bending down to pick up the money seemed unable to bear the powerful pressure and raised her hand timidly, saying just one word: ¡°Me.¡± Before her words could settle, Steve suddenly reached out and fiercely pped the woman¡¯s face. His force was so strong that the woman stumbled back two steps, hitting the marble table and knocking over all the bottles of alcohol on it, the chaotic sound of ss shattering mixed with her scream. Steve remained silent, his face cold as he prepared to walk out of the room. He nced at the woman he had just hit, noticing that she was still clutching the ¡°reward¡± he had given her. He paused, turned around, and swiftly walked up to her. Without saying a word, he snatched the money from her hand and strode out of The Sapphire Bistro. When Steve came out, his face still carried the murderous air from his remaining anger. The driver, frightened, carefully opened the car door without making a sound. Steve, however, took out his phone sim card and threw the phone and the wad of cash directly at his driver, leaving a simple instruction: ¡°Dispose of it.¡± Then, he walked around the car and got into the driver¡¯s seat. ¡°Mr. Burton, you¡¯ve been drinking¡­¡± The driver tried to discourage him with some apprehension. However, before he could finish speaking, Steve floored the elerator, and the car shot out like a rocket. As Steve drove towards the West Suburb vi area, he rummaged through the car and found a spare cell phone. He inserted the sim card, turned on the phone, and entered Ruby Gregory¡¯s phone number, preparing to call her. But just as he was about to press the ¡°call¡± button, his movement suddenly halted. Hadn¡¯t he been pondering these past few days whether Ruby had taken the pain relief pills to please him or because she was afraid of pain? In truth, when he found out she had been consuming entire packs of painkillers, his heart ached for her. But even more than that, he was afraid¡ªafraid that his sympathy would turn out to be nothing more than a pathetic joke in the end¡­ He understood that woman better than anyone else. Every action she took might conceal an ulterior motive. He wasn¡¯t blind to the fact that she had suddenly be so docile with him ¨C during their intimacy, her previous expressions of being forced to the point of death vanished. However, since he could not detect any signs of deceit, and she seemed to have be very aware of his emotions during that time, he assumed that it was because she had grown attached to him that she had changed. So, when he saw the pain pills, he did vaguely understand something¡­ Steve gradually slowed down the car and, holding the phone, fell deep in thought. After a long while, he tossed the phone onto the passenger seat, made a U-turn on the road ahead, and headed for his downtown apartment. He suddenly felt there was no need to rush to exin things to her. He really wanted to see Ruby¡¯s reaction the next day when she saw him. If someone¡¯s heart truly contained another person, it would be impossible for them to be indifferent, wouldn¡¯t it? Just like him, his lingering resentment over the incident three years ago could only be attributed to his profound love for her. Chapter 398: Exploring Step by Step (18) Chapter 398: Exploring Step by Step (18) Trantor: 549690339 Steve Burton drove steadily into the underground parking garage, turned off the car, pulled out the keys, exited the car, locked the doors, and was just about to step into the elevator when he saw parked not too far away, a familiar car. Steve¡¯s step faltered slightly, questioning whether it was a hallucination induced by the amount of alcohol he had consumed that evening. He gazed in that direction for a little while longer, before walking over, his steps slightly unsteady. As he drew closer, Steve saw hanging from the front of the car, a cute little Barbie doll. He leaned on the front of the car, bent slightly, and peered closely at the license te, examining it several times over. It really was Ruby Gregory¡¯s car¡­ So, did that mean she was upstairs in his apartment now? A wave of indescribable surprise and excitement swirled within Steve¡¯s heart. She had no idea how her casual words, actions, or deeds could warm his heart. Uncontrobly excited, Steve practically leaped into the elevator, watching the ascending red numbers, yet feeling intimately that the elevator was moving far too slowly. As the elevator doors opened, Steve stepped out impatiently, then arrived in front of his own door. Just as he lifted his hand to enter the password, he once again paused. A wave of nervous anticipation gripped his heart. He was both looking forward to seeing Ruby¡¯s reaction, and yet, he was afraid. He anticipated seeing eyes filled with displeasure and sorrow, yet feared her calm and indifferent expression. Steve stood at the door, torn for quite some time. Finally, he lifted his hand, slowly input the password, pushed open the door, stood in the foyer, took off his shoes, and then climbed the stairs step by step. Ruby Gregory had remained awake all this while. She sat nestled on the couch, nkly lost in her thoughts, unaware of what was running through her own mind. The world around her was eerily quiet. She had no idea how much time had passed when suddenly, she heard the sound of the bedroom door handle turning. In an instant, Ruby Gregory was fully alert. She quickly stood up from the sofa and just as she turned to look towards the door, Steve had already entered. The moment Steve¡¯s eyes met Ruby¡¯s, he held his breath. He stared deeply into her eyes, trying to find a hint of emotion, but all he found was a depth of calm darkness. Ruby, however, was the first to break eye contact. She managed to pull a warm smile on her beautiful face, ¡°Finally home?¡± Steve blinked, remained silent. As his fiancee, after receiving a call in the wee hours from a woman of dubious background, taunting her with ambiguous words, shouldn¡¯t her reaction be one of sadness, frustration, jealousy, or anger? How could she still manage a calm smile? Ruby waited for a long while, but Steve remained silent. She nced at the clock on the wall, it was already half past one in the morning. Again, in a gentle tone, she said, ¡°You must be tired. I¡¯ll run some hot water for you. A hot bath will make you feel better.¡± Steve still remained silent, but his heart was slowly being filled with a sense of disappointment. Ruby then walked slowly towards the bathroom. Steve stood at his spot and through the open bathroom door, he could clearly see Ruby kneeling by the bathtub, carefully adjusting the water temperature. Chapter 399: Exploring Step by Step (19) Chapter 399: Exploring Step by Step (19) Trantor: 549690339 The sound of water sshing in the bathroom made its way into the bedroom. Steve Burton found it irritating, and he slightly raised his hand in agitation to loosen his tie, trying to catch his breath. Ruby Gregory had prepared hot water for a bath and thoughtfully ced a towel and bathrobe near the pool. Walking out of the bathroom, she spoke to Steve, still frozen in ce, ¡°The bath is ready.¡± Steve didn¡¯t move, his eyes locked onto Ruby, realizing he never learned his lesson about her. So, he spoke the first words aftering home, ¡°Did you call tonight?¡± He brought up the matter that she refused to mention. Ruby¡¯s expression was gentle, unbroken despite his words. Upon hearing his question, she nodded slightly before speaking, ¡°Over the weekend, when I went shopping with my mom, I saw a tie that I thought would suit you, so I bought it.¡± As she spoke, Ruby pointed to a gift box ced on a corner of the sofa. Steve looked at the box for a while, ¡°You came tonight to give me this tie?¡± Ruby nodded gently. ¡°You could have sent it tomorrow as well. Why bothering over at midnight?¡± Ruby didn¡¯t know what to say. Lowering her eyes, she admitted to using the tie as an excuse. For reasons she couldn¡¯t exin, she couldn¡¯t stay in the Gregorys¡¯ house any longer and feltpelled to drive over to his ce alone. Steve stepped forward, standing in front of Ruby. Ruby smelled a strong scent of alcohol mixed with a pungent perfume. It wasn¡¯t the pleasant, light scent unique to Steve, nor it was a perfume most women would wear. Was it from the woman who answered his phone earlier, leaving a trace of her perfume on him? Ruby felt a suffocating, indescribable heaviness in her heart. Afraid of losingposure in front of Steve, she forced a smile and said evenly, ¡°Did you drink a lot tonight? I¡¯ll go downstairs and get you some watermelon juice.¡± In the kitchen, Ruby took a watermelon from the refrigerator, cut it open, removed the seeds, and put the flesh in a juicer. Her actions were wless, but her mind was elsewhere. By the time the juicer stopped, she regained her senses, picked up the freshly-made watermelon juice, and walked upstairs to hand it to Steve, ¡°Drink this, and you will feel better.¡± Steve first stared into Ruby¡¯s eyes for a while before his gaze fell on the watermelon juice in her hand. She was calmer and moreposed than he had imagined. Ruby thoughtfully took his empty cup, and with a gentle smile, said, ¡°Go take your bath. The water will cool.¡± With the empty cup in hand, Ruby prepared to go downstairs and wash up. What he feared most was her attitude, yet that was precisely what he saw. As Steve watched Ruby walk away, he suddenly reached out, grabbed her wrist, and threw her onto the bed, pinning her down beneath him. Chapter 400: Exploring Step by Step (20) Chapter 400: Exploring Step by Step (20) Trantor: 549690339 Steve¡¯s actions made Ruby instantly sense what he was nning to do next. On nights when she was with Steve, he would want her almost every time, so she had originally nned to take a painkiller while he was showering. But, unexpectedly, the man¡¯s intentions were so sudden tonight. Ruby looked at Steve nervously, watching his kisses slowly cover her, she slightly pursed her lips and turned her head, saying, ¡°The bath water will get cold soon, after the bath, we can¡­ ¡± She was a little shy, her face turning red without finishing the sentence. Steve knew her intention ¨C to have him take a bath and then take a painkiller, right? He firmly pressed her down, not moving, his heavy gaze fixated on her face, staring for a long while, then he reached out a hand, straightened her face, lowered his head, and without warning, unresistingly blocked her lips. The rich aroma of alcohol, apanied by his masculine scent, mixed with his cologne, Intruded into Ruby¡¯s lips and nostrils. For a moment, she wondered if he had recently done this with another woman? Ruby suddenly felt nauseous, herplexion turning a bit pale. The man¡¯s kiss grew deeper, and his hands skillfully removed her and his clothes. But, his body still smelled of another woman¡¯s perfume. Suddenly, she detested the idea of him touching her with hands that had caressed someone else. Ruby¡¯s body gradually stiffened, and her nausea overwhelmed her initial fear of him without taking any painkillers. Unable to control herself, she reached out a hand, grabbed Steve¡¯s hand, and stopped him: ¡°Take a bath first.¡± The force he used to press down on her body increased because of her words. Ruby¡¯s frown tightened, her tone anxious with a hint of pleading: ¡°Is it okay to take a bath first?¡± To take advantage of the time he took to bathe, to take a painkiller? To coax him to be happy? Steve only found Ruby¡¯s words amusing and ridiculous. He suddenly pushed hard, broke free of Ruby¡¯s wrist, then pressed down on her shoulders, and went straight to the main point. The familiar pain spread throughout Ruby¡¯s body, she subconsciously clenched her hands into fists, and her already pale face lost any trace of color. Steve suppressed his intense palpitations and urges, paused for a moment and looked at Ruby, who had her eyes closed, her face ashen, and her eyshes slightly trembling, his eyebrows furrowed gently. So, without taking painkillers, she looked just like this¡­ as if he was forcing her to do such things with him¡­ her face showing such reluctance¡­ Steve unwillingly lowered his head, gently and softly kissing Ruby¡¯s lips, with a touch of affection, as if trying to draw out her desire from within. However, no matter what he did, or how he tried to provoke her, her body remained tense, like a rigid stone, and even at the end, she clenched the bedsheets with all her might, just like before. Everything felt like a one-person show that he had directed and performed. Steve¡¯s eyes shed a hint of cold smile, and then he abandoned all patience and tormented her as he pleased. PS: That¡¯s it for today. Tencent is holding a ¡°Golden Keyboard Competition,¡± please vote for me! Vote for the author¡¯s choice If tomorrow¡¯s votes surpass 8000, I will continue with ten more chapters? For those who don¡¯t know how to vote, either join the group for a link: 192412658, or follow the Yefeiye¡¯s WeChat public tform: yefeiye000, click on Yefeiye, and find the link for the Golden Keyboard Competition. Chapter 401: Never Touch Her Again (1) Chapter 401: Never Touch Her Again (1) Trantor: 549690339 Steve Burton¡¯s eyes shed with a hint of coldughter, and then he abandoned all patience and began to torment her at will. Ruby Gregory felt the pain like waves of a raging sea, sweeping over her inyers, ultimately drowning herpletely. Perhaps it was because she had been relying on painkillers for so long that she couldn¡¯t feel the pain anymore. Now, experiencing this agonizing pain again, Ruby felt somewhat unable to bear it. She even forgot how she had once gritted her teeth and endured it. She felt his movements growing faster and more forceful, she knew he was angry and just venting on her. The long-lost humiliation and insult crawled up from the depths of her heart once again. Ruby clenched her teeth hard, not stopping until her gums were numb with pain, when suddenly she felt the man on top of here to a halt. She dared not move, breathe, or open her eyes; fearing that an inadvertent movement might shatter the desperately feigned tranquility. Steve withdrew from her, picked up a nket, and wrapped it around himself. His gaze inadvertently fell on Ruby. Her face was as pale as translucent paper, her eyebrows furrowed tightly, her hands clenched into fists, her body curled up, and she was trembling slightly. Steve¡¯s actions faltered for a moment as he stared at Ruby. After a long silence, he swallowed and asked, ¡°Actually, deep down, you don¡¯t really like doing this with me, do you?¡± Hearing Steve¡¯s voice, Ruby instinctively shook her head. She did not dare to look at him, knowing that he must be angry at this moment. Steve didn¡¯t say anything, he just quickly averted his gaze, turned around, and strode out of the bedroom. Only when she heard the bedroom door m shut did Ruby dare to move slightly. She pulled up the nket, covered herself, and buried her head in the nket, curling up even tighter. Steve headed straight for the swimming pool outside on the first floor. On this early winter night, the water in the open-air pool was icy cold, but he didn¡¯t hesitate to jump in. As if an untiring robot, he swam back and forth in the pool countless times, not stopping until he waspletely exhausted. Leaning against the pool wall, he tilted his head back and looked at the still-dark night sky, his lips curling into a regretful bitter smile. How awful it was that he had used a phone call from the Bolivia branch to excuse himself for a business trip, and not allowed her to enter his office all day, just to avoid identally ruining the harmony between them. But, in the end, he had still lost control so easily when faced with her. In fact, he was not angry at her; most of all, he was angry at himself. Angry at himself for not being capable of winning her genuine heart. Angry at himself for not knowing how much sincerity was hidden in the small thoughtful gestures she made for him: warming his bathwater, squeezing fresh watermelon juice for him. Perhaps, she had no sincerity not even a bit. Otherwise, how could she have remained so indifferent when she took his callte at night in another woman¡¯s arms? At this thought, Steve¡¯s weary and slightly pale face surfaced a hint of sadness. Chapter 402: Never Touch Her Again (2) Chapter 402: Never Touch Her Again (2) Trantor: 549690339 Thinking of this, Steve felt utterly exhausted, with a slightly pale face, and a trace of sadness appeared on his face. He was not supposed to be such a man. The love, hatred, passion, and emotions were all under the control of a woman named Ruby Gregory. However, some things seemed to be predetermined in the unseen realm. She stepped into his life with shaky footsteps, and since then, for nearly twenty-three years, she has turned his world upside down. He loves her deeply, while she is as indifferent as water. Maybe in her heart, twenty-three years is merely a simple number to be casually mentioned, not worth much. But to him, it is his entire life. All along, what he wanted was for her to willingly be with him, to kiss, to make love, not to deal with him as if it were a task to bepleted. It was as if taking painkillers for her, merely forcing herself to ept him. He suddenly remembered that on the night when she was kidnapped from the hospital, she tilted her head so innocently and sweetly, reached out her hand to him, and called him, Steve, I¡¯m hungry. She never knew how that gesture touched his heart, and in that moment, he felt that he could let go of all the things he had been holding on to. That night, after she left, he stood alone in the deeper and colder night, gazing at the starry sky without the moon, still thinking in his heart, that this time, she should not disappoint him again¡­ But in the end, she still disappointed him. She didn¡¯t love him, she still didn¡¯t love him. Her good to him, her attention to him, her changes to him, it was all because of Pristine¡¯s Enterprises behind him, not because he was Steve Burton. Yet, even so, he found that he was still unwilling to give up on her. After such anger, disappointment, self-me, and sadness, he was still willing to give her another chance. After Steve left, Ruby Gregory stayed there alone for a long time before regaining her senses. In her mind, she could still hear the sentence Steve said before leaving, ¡°In fact, deep down in your heart, you don¡¯t really like doing this with me, right?¡± Did she not like it? The past her did indeed dislike it. It was painful and ufortable, if not for her wanting to marry him and have a child in the past, she would not have bitten her teeth and endured it time and time again. But now, she couldn¡¯t quite exin her attitude towards her intimate moments with Steve, but she was sure in her heart that she was no longer as resistant as before. However, without taking painkillers, she still became uncontrobly tense and fearful. Ruby barely slept the entire night, and it wasn¡¯t until the sky outside the window showed a glimpse of light that she closed her eyes drowsily. In her semi-conscious state, Ruby heard a faint shout from downstairs. It was a female voice. Ruby hurriedly sat up on the bed, grabbed a robe from the side, and wrapped herself in it. As she opened the bedroom door, she heard Mrs. Taylor¡¯s voice clearly. She let out a quiet sigh of relief, slowed her pace, and heard Mrs. Taylor¡¯s urgent words, ¡°Mr. Steve? Mr. Steve?¡± Ruby frowned and quickly ran down the stairs. Only then did she see Mrs. Taylor kneeling by the pool, trying her best to pull the unconscious Steve out of the water. Chapter 403: 403: Never Touch Her Again (3) Chapter 403: Never Touch Her Again (3) Ruby Gregory stood in front of the French ss doors for a moment, then hurriedly ran out in a flurry, ¡°Mrs. Taylor, what¡¯s wrong with Steve Burton?¡±
¡°I don¡¯t know what¡¯s wrong with Mr. Steve either. I noticed he didn¡¯t return to the mansionst night, so I came over this morning to prepare breakfast. To my surprise, I found the ss door of the living room was left open, with the house bitterly cold. That¡¯s when I saw Mr. Steve drenched in the swimming pool.¡± Ruby¡¯s face turned a bit pale. She didn¡¯t say anything, only bending over to grab Steve¡¯s other arm. Steve wasn¡¯t fat, but as a man, he was tall and slim. With Mrs. Taylor¡¯s help, Ruby managed to haul him out from the pool, but she seemed rather exhausted from the effort. Steve¡¯s face was pale, his lips colorless, his eyes tightly closed. He was nothing like the coldly elegant man he usually was. Steve¡¯s body was ice-cold and unmoving. Ruby¡¯s trembling fingers reached out to feel his faint breath. Then she called Mrs. Taylor in a shaking voice, ¡°Quick, call a doctor.¡± Mrs. Taylor nodded in a panic and ran, stumbling, back into the living room.
mping her teeth together, Ruby picked Steve up from the floor, slung his arm over her shoulder, and began to stagger towards the house, step by step. After hanging up the call, Mrs. Taylor immediately rushed back to help Ruby get Steve to the second-floor bedroom. At that moment, Ruby ignored her shyness. After sending Mrs. Taylor out, she strenuously took off Steve¡¯s wet clothes and used a towel to dry him. Then, she dressed him in pajamas and tucked him in under a nket. Touching Steve¡¯s arm, she found it was still terrifyingly cold. She picked up the remote to adjust the central air conditioning to its highest setting, then searched around and found a quilt to pile on Steve. Ruby wasn¡¯t sure what was wrong with her; she just felt utterly at a loss. She sat at the edge of the bed, constantly reaching out to touch Steve, trying to gauge his temperature. Only when the warm air from the central air conditioning had her sweating profusely, did Steve be slightly warmer to the touch. Ruby heaved a sigh of relief. However, just as she started to rx, Ruby found that Steve¡¯s temperature, which had been frighteningly cold, began to burn rmingly hot. Just as Ruby was in a state of confusion, the doctor Mrs. Taylor had called arrived. It turned out Steve had merely swum in cold water for too long, catching a chill before eventually passing out in the pool. Luckily, he had maintained his physique through regr workouts and had better resistance than average. After taking his temperature, the doctor administered an antipyretic injection to Steve, gave him some medicine, then left. With the doctor¡¯s assurance that there was no major concern, Mrs. Taylor could finally rx. She went downstairs to cook. Ruby stayed by Steve¡¯s side in the bedroom, watching the man sleeping with a fever. Recalling that there was a regr meeting at 9:30 at thepany that Steve had to attend, she picked up her phone to call Rusell Henris, exined the situation with Steve, and requested leave for herself as well.
After hanging up, Mrs. Taylor came upstairs to call Ruby down for breakfast. But Ruby had no appetite to eat and, after randomly having a bite or two, went back upstairs. Chapter 404: 404: Never Touch Her Again (4) Chapter 404: Never Touch Her Again (4) Steve didn¡¯te out of his deep sleep until past five in the afternoon, when he finally had a slight consciousness. He felt a soft hand on his forehead, pausing for a moment. Then he heard a gentle voice near his ear, ¡°The fever seems to have subsided a bit, but he¡¯s still a little warm. Mrs. Taylor, should we call the doctor toe and take another look?¡±
The voice was pleasing to the ear and very familiar, as if it wasing from the depths of his heart. He soon heard a middle-aged woman¡¯s voice, ¡°I¡¯ve already called. They said Mr. Steve¡¯s fever subsiding is a sign of improvement. It¡¯s you, Ms. Gregory, who haven¡¯t been eating much all day. I¡¯ve prepared dinner, so at least have something.¡± Then that touching voice appeared once more, ¡°I¡¯m not hungry, let¡¯s talk about itter.¡± Ms. Gregory ¡­ oh, it¡¯s no wonder he found the voice so familiar, as if it wasing from the depths of his heart. It was Ruby ¡­ she seemed to be worried about someone in her words, was it him? Steve tried desperately to open his eyes to see his surroundings but found his eyelids weighed down like lead. Eventually, he gave up and carelessly reached out with his hand, ultimately grabbing a delicate hand and holding it tightly in his palm. So she really was by his side¡­ A faint warmth emerged in Steve¡¯s heart, and he tightened his grip on the little hand in his palm before sumbing to sleep once more. Ruby originally nned to go to the bathroom after Mrs. Taylor left, but as soon as she stood up, her hand was held tight by Steve. Instinctively, she tried to pull away, only to find him holding on even tighter. Eventually, she gave in and sat back down by the bedside. Her gaze drifted around the room before settling on Steve¡¯s sleeping face, causing her whole body to shiver involuntarily.
In his sleep, Steve¡¯s eyshes hung serenely beneath his eyes, instilling a sense of peace and tranquility. With the customary aloofness and striking beauty gone, all that remained was the beautiful color of his features, enchanced with a captivating charm. Although hisplexion was still pale, it was much better than the ghastly white of the morning. His breathing also grew more stable and deeppared to the near faintness in the morning. When she was very young, Ruby only remembered that Steve was even more beautiful than the Barbie dolls she had at home. Later on, her impressions of his looks were limited to adjectives like stunning and exquisite; but more so, the coldness, indifference, and charisma that he exuded. Now, as he slept with his sickness, his usual confidence dwindled, making Ruby bold enough to study his face closely. In doing so, she realized that the positive words used to describe Steve¡¯s appearance seemed dull and lifeless. Ruby had barely slept the previous night and had been up since early morning dealing with Steve. Her exhaustion prevented her from closing her eyes, but as she stared at Steve, her head inadvertently drooped down, resting on his chest. With eyes closed, she fell into a hazy sleep. Ruby¡¯s sleep was restless, and as it felt like she was only half asleep, she sensed the hand holding hers move slightly. She immediately snapped her eyes open, instantly alert, and sat up straight. Instinctively, she reached out to touch his forehead and found that his fever had subsided again. Breathing a quiet sigh of relief, as she was about to pull back her hand, the seemingly asleep man opened his eyes slowly. Chapter 405: 405: Never Touch Her Again (5) Chapter 405: Never Touch Her Again (5) The light in Steve Burton¡¯s eyes seemed a bit scattered, and his expression appeared somewhat bewildered.
Ruby Gregory was first taken aback, but then quickly became alert. A smile involuntarily bloomed at the corner of her lips, ¡°You¡¯re awake?¡± Upon hearing Ruby¡¯s voice, Steve finally focused his eyes on hers. Staring at her for a moment, he realized that his whole body felt weak and powerless. Just as he was about to open his mouth to ask what had happened to him, Ruby suddenly stood up and shouted towards the door, ¡°Mrs. Taylor, Steve is awake.¡± Following Ruby¡¯s voice, Mrs. Taylor hurried into the bedroom. Seeing Steve with his eyes open, she immediately eximed with joy, ¡°Mr. Steve, you¡¯re finally awake. You may not know, but you scared the wits out of me and Ms. Gregory throughout the day. How could you just go into the pool in the middle of the night? It¡¯s freezing now¡­¡± Only then did Steve recall that after his conflict with Rubyst night, he felt an indescribable irritation that needed to be vented, so he went straight to the swimming pool on the terrace. ¡°Also, Mr. Steve, Ms. Gregory hasn¡¯t left your side since she saw you passed out. She barely ate breakfast and lunch. Fortunately, you woke up safe and sound. Otherwise, Ms. Gregory would have been really scared by you.¡± Mrs. Taylor, being a bit older, always rambled when speaking.
Hearing Mrs. Taylor¡¯s words, Steve suddenly remembered that, while in his semi-conscious state, he seemed to have heard her voice and held her hand. As a result, he subconsciously moved his hand and found her soft, boneless hand sped in his palm. So it wasn¡¯t a dream; it was all real¡­ As Mrs. Taylor had said, Ruby had been guarding him by his side all this time? Subconsciously, Steve looked at Ruby. Her expression was slightly embarrassed, her eyes lowered. With a tone of reproach toward Mrs. Taylor, she said, ¡°Mrs. Taylor, quickly bring in the porridge we made earlier.¡± ¡°Look at me, I got so excited and forgot about everything.¡± Mrs. Taylor smacked her head and then added, ¡°Mr. Steve, the porridge was ordered by Ms. Gregory, who said you caught a cold. When you wake up, drinking some medicine porridge will help you recover faster.¡± Ruby had asked Mrs. Taylor to bring the porridge earlier because she didn¡¯t want her to reveal everything she did while Steve was unconscious, but Mrs. Taylor still blurted out everything in front of him. Ruby felt even more embarrassed. With a red face and her head down, she didn¡¯t dare to look at Steve. In a somewhat anxious tone, she called out, ¡°Mrs. Taylor!¡± Mrs. Taylor finally closed her mouth with a smile and hurriedly went downstairs. The bedroom suddenly became quiet. With her eyes downcast, Ruby could still feel Steve staring at her. Feeling uneasy, she swallowed and raised her head to meet his gaze for a moment, before quickly lowering her eyes again. ¡°I¡¯m going to the bathroom,¡± she said. Without waiting for Steve¡¯s response, she pulled her hand away and went straight into the bathroom. Stevey in bed, feeling weak all over, as he watched Ruby¡¯s retreating figure. His eyes softened.
Chapter 406: 406: Never Touch Her Again (6) Chapter 406: Never Touch Her Again (6) When Ruby Gregory came out of the restroom, Mrs. Taylor happened to be carrying medicine porridge up the stairs. Ruby dried her hands with a tissue, naturally walked to the bedside, lifted Steve Burton¡¯s shoulders, ced a thick cushion behind him to keep him in a half-sitting position, and then sat by the bed, ncing at Mrs. Taylor.
Mrs. Taylor quickly understood and handed Ruby a ss of milk. Ruby took it, stirred the porridge with a spoon to let the heat dissipate slightly, then scooped up a spoonful and brought it to Steve¡¯s lips. On Ruby¡¯s face was a flushed hue from just now when Mrs. Taylor revealed her actions, making her look charming and alluring. Surely, every man must like such a considerate woman. But it was what Steve feared the most. Because he couldn¡¯t discern how much sincerity, and how much pretense, was hidden in her caring concern.
If she genuinely cared about him and if he refused to eat the porridge, she would consider his needs and persuade him. But if she was only putting on a show and he refused to eat the porridge, she wouldn¡¯t press him. Thinking this, Steve didn¡¯t open his mouth and just stared at the gentle-as-water Ruby. Ruby furrowed her brow, looked up at Steve¡¯s indifferent expression, and thought he had lost his appetite due to recovery from a serious illness. So she kindly said, ¡°You¡¯re still feverish. Eat something so you can recover faster.¡± A glimmer of hope rose in Steve¡¯s heart. He wasn¡¯t the type to take advantage of others, but at this moment, he leaned back with disgust and closed his eyes, as if he was being cheeky. Mrs. Taylor, who was standing to the side, saw Steve¡¯s refusal to eat and couldn¡¯t help but join in, ¡°Mr. Steve, you have to eat something. How else can you recover?¡± Who asked you to persuade me? Steve¡¯s heart grumbled in slight frustration. He then seemed to ignore them, but pricked up his ears, attentively waiting if Ruby would speak again. Ruby saw that Steve still had no reaction, her eyebrows furrowed even more. She thought of him as a patient and stifled her temper, speaking in a gentle tone again, ¡°Even if you don¡¯t feel like eating, you should at least have a little.¡± Steve only felt a faint warmth spreading in his heart, while his face still tried to maintain a calm expression, not moving an inch. Mrs. Taylor had been taking care of Steve at the Burtons¡¯ Mansion for quite some time and took him as her own son. Seeing him refuse to eat the porridge made her even more worried, ¡°Right, Mr. Steve, Ms. Gregory is right. Even if you don¡¯t feel like eating, you should at least have a little.¡± Steve heard Mrs. Taylor¡¯s voice again, and his initially ted mood dimmed. She wasn¡¯t Ruby; why was she always meddling here?
Ruby had attended to Steve before and had never seen him so difficult to look after. She and Mrs. Taylor had tried their best to persuade him, but he still looked like he had no desire to eat. She couldn¡¯t help but be irritated. She really wanted to throw down the bowl and not care about his health. But thinking that his fever hadn¡¯t subsided yet, she couldn¡¯t bear to do it. Recovering from an illness required a lot of energy, and he wasn¡¯t eating or drinking anything. How could he get better? Chapter 407: 407: Never Touch Her Again (7) Chapter 407: Never Touch Her Again (7) Ruby Gregory struggled for a while, and seeing Steve Burton still showing no interest in the porridge, she said with persistence, ¡°If you don¡¯t eat now, the porridge will get cold.¡±
Upon hearing this, Steve suppressed the urge to smile, his face exuding impatience at Ruby¡¯s insistence. Ever since Ruby understood the world, she had always been nice to Steve. However, her kindness never forced him to do anything. For example, when they were in college, there was a flu spreading across the campus. Worried that he might get infected, she prepared a cup of Isatis root tea for him. He declined it without hesitation, and fearing that forcing him to drink it might upset him, she silently poured the cup down the drain. Ruby knew full well that no one could force him to do something he didn¡¯t want to do. Now, his face showed impatience. If she continued to persuade him to drink the medicine porridge, it might worsen his mood. Moreover, they already had a disagreementst night¡­
Ruby¡¯s rational side told her that the best course of action would be to follow Steve¡¯s wishes, give the porridge to Mrs. Taylor, and let him rest with his medicine. However, his lingering fever left her feeling uneasy. She wanted him to finish the porridge to regain his health. Ruby bit her lower lip, and with eyes downcast, stared at the bowl in her hand, hesitating over her decision. Steve had been listening attentively, but now the room had gone silent, leaving him feeling increasingly uneasy. Had she given up on caring for his health upon seeing his impatience? Having experienced so many ups and downs, he now found himself feeling anxious in this situation. The room was eerily silent, and the atmosphere grew increasingly strange. Mrs. Taylor finally broke the silence, ¡°Mr. Steve, if you don¡¯t want to eat the medicine porridge because of its smell, just let me know what you¡¯d like to eat instead, and I¡¯ll prepare it for you.¡± Steve finally heard someone speak, but it wasn¡¯t Ruby¡¯s voice. He felt a slight disappointment and had no interest in teasing Mrs. Taylor for being talkative. He simply closed his eyes and pretended not to hear her. Despite being unwell, Steve still exuded a natural coldness when he was in a bad mood, which spread throughout the room. Ruby was most afraid of detecting this coldness from him, knowing it was a sign of his displeasure and that it could lead to a fit of rage at any time. Ruby nced at Mrs. Taylor, who seemed equally at a loss, shaking her head at Ruby in a gesture to stop persuading him. Ruby understood Mrs. Taylor¡¯s meaning, and she gripped the bowl in her hand. The intensity of her lip-biting grew, and she stealthily raised her eyes to gaze at the cold-faced man. Then, she gestured to Mrs. Taylor, ¡°Mrs. Taylor.¡±
Upon hearing those words, a bitter smile arose in Steve¡¯s heart. Chapter 408: 408: Never Touch Her Again (8) Chapter 408: Never Touch Her Again (8) Steve Burton heard these five words, and a bitter smile rose in his heart. Was she going to hand the bowl to Mrs. Taylor?
She finally gave up after all¡­ In fact, he has been guessing that this would be the oue in his heart. But still, he couldn¡¯t help feeling a little regretful and sad. The joy that appeared in his heart from her repeated persuasion gradually diminished. Mrs. Taylor came to Ruby Gregory¡¯s side: ¡°Ms. Gregory, what¡¯s the matter?¡± Ruby gave a nce at Steve and handed the bowl to Mrs. Taylor: ¡°Help me hold it.¡±
Then she stood up, suppressing the fear in her heart, took a deep breath, leaned slightly forward, grabbed Steve Burton¡¯s chin, straightened his face, squeezed his cheeks forcefully, pried his mouth open, and poured the medicine porridge from the spoon into his mouth. Seeing this scene, Mrs. Taylor stood by, her entire being stunned, and her face showed a touch of worry. From childhood to now, even Madam Burton had never dared to push Mr. Steve like this. Was Ms. Gregory crazy? Ruby only felt that her own heartbeat had be extraordinarily fast, terrified and frightened, and even her legs were weak at this moment. She was really afraid that her bold move would provoke Steve tosh out and p her across the face. She didn¡¯t even know where she got the courage to make such a shocking decision just now. Ruby held her breath, took the spoon away from her mouth, and quickly scooped another spoonful of porridge, pouring it into Steve¡¯s mouth again. Ruby fed Steve twice in a row, and when she saw that the man had no reaction, she forced down her trembling hands and quickly fed him the third spoonful, the fourth, the fifth¡­ Finally, she fed him the entire bowl of medicine porridge and handed the spoon to Mrs. Taylor. Then she quickly loosened her numbed hands from gripping Steve¡¯s cheeks and moved back two steps, sitting down at the farthest edge of the bed. Mrs. Taylor was still holding an empty bowl, standing in ce, her face showing an expression that could be described as horrified. Ms. Gregory had just forcefully fed Mr. Steve a ss of milk by holding his face? What was even more incredible was that Mr. Steve had drunk a ss of milk without showing any signs of anger and was still lying on the bed, stupefied? My god, was she dreaming? How should one describe Steve¡¯s feelings at this moment?
He felt as if he had fallen from the mortal world into hell and was suddenly pulled up into heaven. It should be noted that, at that time, he was feeling down and not holding any hope, when suddenly a familiar little hand forcefully pinched his face. Before he knew what Ruby was doing, he felt the hot porridge with a strong medicine taste pouring into his mouth. He swallowed it instinctively, and then his whole mouth and throat were filled with a bitter taste. Before he could digest it, the second spoonful, the third, the fourth¡­ followed one after another and poured into his mouth, rolling into his stomach, making his whole body bitter. And then, finally realizing what was happening, that Ruby was forcing him to drink the medicine porridge. Chapter 409: 409: Never Touch Her Again (9) Chapter 409: Never Touch Her Again (9) Holy shit! He¡¯s definitely not into anything like SM, but how could he find himself so ted being forced by Ruby Gregory!
Oh, not only ted but even slightly enjoying¡­um, his mood hadpletely lifted and became delightful. It took him a while toe back to reality after having a ss of milk. Inside his body, mouth, and throat, the disgustingly bitter taste lingered. However, he didn¡¯t hate it; he even felt somewhat joyful. Steve Burton opened his eyes and stared at the crystal chandelier on the ceiling for quite a while. Only then did he blink and feel that everything seemed surreal like a dream. He quietly raised his hand, pinching his thigh underneath the nket, feeling the bone-piercing pain, and only then did he believe that all of it was real.
Uncontrobly, a smile spread across his lips, and then he slowly sat up straight. Had Mr. Steve gone crazy? There was even a smile on his face? Was he feverish and delirious? Mrs. Taylor was dumbstruck, standing there, unable to say a word. Ruby, watching Steve sit up, grew increasingly nervous. She had been afraid when she forcibly fed him medicine porridge earlier, but she mustered the courage to persist. Now that she sat down, the fear began to multiply. From a young age, she swore that this was the first time she¡¯d taken such a strong attitude towards Steve. Moreover, knowing Steve for so many years, she had never seen anyone dare to treat him with such a strong attitude. Even if there were, they would end up in a terrible state. Ruby¡¯s heart skipped a beat, fearing that Steve woulde to settle the score with her. Scared, Ruby closed her eyes and clutched the nket tightly, wondering whether she should run away! Steve fixed his gaze on Ruby¡¯s face, observing her frightened expression and couldn¡¯t help chuckling. Afraid now? What was she up to earlier? Although he thought of it disdainfully, there was a smile on his face, and he relished the scene of being forced to drink medicine porridge by Ruby. He then calmly turned to Mrs. Taylor, who was standing there, and ordered, ¡°You can leave.¡±
¡°Yes, Mr. Steve.¡± Mrs. Taylor snapped back to reality and quickly left. There were only Steve and Ruby left in the room. Ruby was so terrified that she didn¡¯t even dare to breathe. Was he nning to shut the door and have his revenge? Ruby kept her eyes closed and let her mind run wild for a while, only to find that there was no reaction from Steve at all. She frowned gently, opened her eyelids, and took a sneaky peek at Steve. Steve was leaning against the pillow, staring straight at her, without a trace of anger, displeasure, or coldness on his face. In fact, he seemed to be in a very good mood, with rxed eyebrows and a hint of a smile on his lips. Steve wasn¡¯t angry? Ruby was slightly taken aback, and for a moment, she didn¡¯t notice that her sneaky nce collided with Steve¡¯s gaze. Chapter 410: 410: Never Touch Her Again (10) Chapter 410: Never Touch Her Again (10) Steve Burton stared leisurely at Ruby Gregory for a moment before speaking, ¡°You¡¯re quite bold.¡±
Although Steve¡¯s words seemed to be said through clenched teeth, Ruby could clearly see a hint of a smile on his face. Ruby didn¡¯t understand why Steve not only wasn¡¯t angry, but actually seemed to be in a better mood. However, she was certain that Steve wouldn¡¯t me her. The worries and fears in her heart gradually dissipated. Immediately, an indescribable joy began to surge within her heart. Upon careful thought, Ruby didn¡¯t know what she was so happy about, but she did feel slightly embarrassed for having forcefully fed Steve the medicine porridge. She lowered her head, smiled, then picked up the thermometer and handed it over to him, ¡°Measure your temperature.¡±
Steve didn¡¯t take it, instead, he raised his arm to Ruby. Ruby understood Steve¡¯s gesture and stood up, walked over, opened his cor, and put the thermometer under his arm. About five minutester, Ruby took the thermometer out from under Steve¡¯s armpit, checked the temperature, and found that he still had a slight fever. She turned around, took out the medicine the doctor had prescribed from the table, and set it aside, preparing to let Steve take itter. After running a high fever all day, Steve was covered in cold sweat by the afternoon, feeling sticky and ufortable. Struggling, he tried to get up and take a bath. Since he had caught a cold, taking a bath might worsen his condition. Ruby stopped him, thought for a moment, went to the bathroom, took arge towel, soaked it in hot water, wrung it out, and began wiping his body. At first, Steve quite enjoyed Ruby wiping his body, but her fingers brushing against his skin now and then made his rxed body grow tense gradually andpletely out of control. When Ruby used the towel to wipe Steve¡¯s abdomen and waist, the man¡¯s entire body tensed up. Although Ruby and Steve had been intimate many times already, this was the first time she personally wiped his body for him. Her face blushed slightly due to shyness. She wiped his abdomen quickly and attentively, but then suddenly felt his hand pressing on hers. Her hand trembled, she turned her head and saw Steve¡¯s eyes looking at her with great heat. Despite the distance, she could hear his gradually heavy breathing. Steve grabbed her hand, pulled her into his arms, and kissed her lips unsteadily. His hand slipped inside her clothes. Ruby naturally knew what Steve¡¯s actions meant.
In her heart, she knew that her resistance would upset him, but somehow, without having taken the painkiller, she couldn¡¯t help but feel nervous. Her hands clenched into fists, and she shook slightly. Steve¡¯s kisses deepened gradually, but for some unknown reason, he suddenly released her lips, pulled his hand out of her clothes, looked away, and said in a hoarse voice, ¡°Leave.¡± Chapter 411: Never Touch Her Again (11) Chapter 411: Never Touch Her Again (11) Steve Burton¡¯s kisses gradually deepened, but for some reason, he suddenly released Ruby¡¯s lips and withdrew his hand from her clothes. He didn¡¯t look at her and said hoarsely, ¡°Leave.¡± Ruby was stunned by Steve¡¯s abrupt stop. She nestled in his arms, raised her head in confusion, and looked at his exquisitely handsome profile, softly uttering, ¡°Hmm?¡± Her voice was gentle and weak, and her breath, like a feather, gently swept across his neck. Steve¡¯s body shuddered violently, his breathing became even more unsteady, and his already warm body temperature rose slightly. Even his pale, sickly face flushed a dark red. Ruby noticed that something was off with Steve. It seemed like he wanted to do those things, but also not to. She hesitated for a moment, then reached out and touched his forehead, noticing it was hotter than before. She immediately thought his condition had worsened, and frantically got up from him. ¡°Why did it suddenly get so hot again? Was it because we were just wiping your body?¡± As she spoke, Ruby extended her hand and straightened Steve¡¯s pajamas. Her small hand, through his pajamas, kept rubbing against his skin, fueling the burning desire within him even more. Steve¡¯s rapid breathing was somewhat frightening, and he forcefully gripped the bedding beneath him, suppressing the urge to pin her down. Ruby became more restless as she listened to Steve¡¯s intermittent breathing. ¡°Are you feeling very ufortable right now? Lie down and rest, I¡¯ll get you some water and give you medicine¡­¡± Ruby¡¯s hand held onto Steve¡¯s arm. Her mere presence in front of him was enough to make him lose control, let alone her repeated touches. As soon as she grabbed his arm, Steve violently reached out and pushed her hand away. He gasped for air between eachmand, ¡°I told you to leave!¡± Steve¡¯s effort to suppress his desires made him use more force than he intended, causing Ruby¡¯s fairplexion to turn white. Ayer of red appeared on her delicate arm. Ruby furrowed her brows and tilted her head in surprise, looking at Steve¡¯s stoic expression and tightly pursed lips. It was as if he was struggling to suppress something. Ruby was puzzled by Steve¡¯s sudden inexplicable demand for her to leave. She stood there, unmoving, and asked softly, ¡°What¡¯s wrong¡­?¡± Before Ruby could finish speaking, Steve interrupted her once more. This time, his words were more sinct, as he simply said, ¡°Leave!¡± As these words were spoken, Ruby clearly saw a dark, cold aura slowly enveloping Steve¡¯s otherwise expressionless face. Startled, she hesitated for a moment, trembling lips, but dared not say anything. She turned around and quickly ran out of the room. Now alone in the bedroom, Steve could still clearly smell the lingering scent of Ruby. With his eyes closed, Steve leaned against the pillow, taking deep breaths as his chest heaved. After a while, he finally opened his eyes, feeling somewhat exhausted. He reached out a hand and picked up the inte to say, ¡°Tell Mrs. Taylor toe up.¡± Chapter 412: Never Touch Her Again (12) Chapter 412: Never Touch Her Again (12) The phone was answered by Ruby Gregory. Upon hearing that, her heart suddenly felt heavy. She slowly hung up and somewhat reluctantly said to Mrs. Taylor, who was busy in the kitchen, ¡°Mrs. Taylor, Steve Burton wants you to go upstairs.¡± Upon hearing this, Mrs. Taylor immediately stopped what she was doing, washed her hands, and went upstairs. After a while, Mrs. Taylor came out of the master bedroom on the second floor and went to the guest bedroom on the top floor. After bustling about for a while, she finally came out and said to Ruby, who was sitting in a daze on the sofa in the living room, ¡°Ms. Gregory, I¡¯ve tidied up the guest room for you.¡± Ruby was momentarily surprised by this and nced unconsciously at the master bedroom where Steve was. ¡°Steve tonight¡­¡± ¡°Mr. Steve said that you¡¯ve been busy all day, so you should rest early.¡± ¡°But¡­¡± ¡°Ms. Gregory, don¡¯t worry. I¡¯ve already called the Mansion and told them I¡¯ll be staying here tonight. I¡¯ll take care of Mr. Steve, so you should get some rest.¡± Hearing Mrs. Taylor¡¯s words, Ruby didn¡¯t know what to say. She moved her lips and finally lowered her eyes. ¡°Oh,¡± she sighed, then stood up and slowly made her way upstairs. As she passed the master bedroom, Ruby took several nces inside before turning into the guest room. Mrs. Taylor had already prepared bathwater for Ruby, and she had even brought her underwear and nightgown from the master bedroom: ¡°Ms. Gregory, take a hot bath, and you¡¯ll sleep morefortably.¡± Ruby tried to smile and say ¡°thank you¡± to Mrs. Taylor, but her lips refused to move. In the end, she just nodded lightly. ¡°Well then, Ms. Gregory, if you¡¯re all set, I¡¯ll go check on Mr. Steve.¡± Ruby nodded stiffly again. Mrs. Taylor said ¡°good night¡± and headed for the door. Just as she was about to leave, Ruby blurted out her name. Mrs. Taylor stopped. ¡°Ms. Gregory, is there anything else you need?¡± ¡°No,¡± Ruby shook her head, biting her lower lip. ¡°Has Steve taken his medication?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll go give it to Mr. Steve right away.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Ruby paused before saying, ¡°There are three types of medicine. He should take four capsules, six yellow pills, and one white antipyretic pill since he has a fever now.¡± ¡°Ms. Gregory, rest assured, I know all of this.¡± ¡°As long as you know, that¡¯s good, that¡¯s good.¡± Ruby repeated the words twice, then turned to Mrs. Taylor and added, ¡°Also, after six hours, remember to wake him up and give him his medicine again.¡± ¡°Alright, Ms. Gregory.¡± Mrs. Taylor smiled and said, ¡°I¡¯ll go now, okay?¡± Ruby nodded and spoke again, ¡°Yes, Mrs. Taylor, if his fever goes down, he can take half of an antipyretic pill the second time. And, Mrs. Taylor, remember to prepare some hot water ¨C he needs to drink more water when he has a cold. Also, I¡¯ve turned up the central air conditioning in the room, so it¡¯s a bit dry. The humidifier might not have any water left, so remember to refill it. Otherwise, it¡¯ll be too dry and ufortable to sleep in the room¡­¡± Ruby said everything she could think of until she couldn¡¯t find any more instructions to give. Finally, she said in a low voice, ¡°You can go now.¡± Chapter 413: 413: Never Touch Her Again (13) Chapter 413: Never Touch Her Again (13) Mrs. Taylor nodded with a smile and walked out of the guest bedroom. As she reached out to close the bedroom door, Ruby Gregory opened her mouth, wanting to say something. But before she could utter a sound, the door was gently closed by Mrs. Taylor, leaving Ruby alone, standing still, staring nkly at the tightly shut door.
The guest bedroom was eerily quiet. Through the window, Ruby could faintly hear the strong winds blowing in the capital city in early winter. When her legs were about to go numb from standing, she finally took her gaze away from the door. With her eyebrows tightly furrowed, she pouted her lips and walked towards the bathroom. Why did Steve Burton suddenly kick her out of his bedroom? Why did he ask Mrs. Taylor to take care of her instead of letting her go to him? The more Ruby thought about it, the more restless she felt. She carelessly pulled off her clothes and jumped into the bathtub. The hot waterfortably enveloped her body, making it impossible not to rxpletely. However, Ruby felt her heart clutch even tighter. Ruby soaked in the bathtub until the water turned cool. Only then did she btedly climb out, wrap herself in a bathrobe, and walk out of the bathroom in a daze. Just as she was about to put on her underwear and sleepwear, her mind drifted back to Steve in the master bedroom next door. Grasping her clothes, she sat on the edge of the bed lost in thought. After a long while, she failed to realize that she hadn¡¯t changed her clothes and crawled into bed in a confused state.
In these two days and one night, she had only slept for more than three intermittent hours. Although her body waspletely exhausted, her mind was clear and wouldn¡¯t allow her to fall asleep. Ruby tossed and turned in bed for a while before suddenly sitting up. She paced around the bedroom for a long time and eventually ended up at the door, pulling it open and stepping out. Ruby arrived at the door of Steve¡¯s master bedroom and lifted her hand, wanting to push it open. Thinking of the man¡¯s chilly demeanor when he drove her away, she finally lowered her hand, hesitating and giving up on barging in. Instead, she just paced back and forth at the entrance of the master bedroom. After an unknown amount of time, Ruby faintly heard footsteps approaching. She suddenly became alert, her eyes darting about. Then, with bare feet, she ran into the guest bedroom. Soon after, she heard the sound of the door to Steve¡¯s bedroom being opened. Ruby raised her hand and patted her chest, heaving a sigh of relief. She then quietly peeked out and saw Mrs. Taylor going downstairs. Biting her finger, Ruby thought for a moment before quickly messing up her hair, pretending to be groggy from sleep. She staggered out of the bedroom, all the way downstairs, and headed straight for the water dispenser. ¡°Ms. Gregory? Why haven¡¯t you slept yet?¡± Only upon hearing Mrs. Taylor¡¯s voice did Ruby slowly turn her head, deliberately yawning, ¡°I¡¯m a bit thirsty.¡± As Ruby spoke, she took the water and gulped it down. Then, ncing at Mrs. Taylor, she casually asked, ¡°Has Steve taken his medicine yet?¡± ¡°Mr. Steve took his medicine and is already asleep.¡± Ruby nodded, seemingly indifferent as she picked up the cup and drank two more sips of water before going back upstairs. Chapter 414: 414: Never Touch Her Again (14) Chapter 414: Never Touch Her Again (14) The next morning, when Ruby Gregory woke up and went downstairs after washing up, she nced at Steve Burton¡¯s bedroom. Then, through the railing, she saw Mrs. Taylor bustling in the kitchen. After some thought, Ruby decided to head downstairs. As she passed by the kitchen, she greeted Mrs. Taylor, ¡°Morning.¡±
¡°Miss Gregory, you¡¯re awake. What would you like to eat?¡± Ruby moved closer and pretended to check out the breakfast Mrs. Taylor had prepared. Then, pointing at a covered porcin pot from which a medicinal smell wafted, she asked, ¡°Is this the medicine porridge for Steve?¡± ¡°Yes, Miss Gregory, I was just about to take it up.¡± Ruby rolled her eyes and said, ¡°I¡¯ll do it.¡± Mrs. Taylor assumed Mr. Steve had been worried about Ms. Gregory¡¯s rest the night before and had let her go to bed early, so she agreed without hesitation when Ruby offered to bring the porridge up. Ruby carried the porridge to the master bedroom door, knocked, and then went in.
Steve was awake, and hisplexion was noticeably better than the day before. Half-leaning against a pillow, he was reading the newspaper. Ruby put the porridge aside and picked up the bowl. As she scooped some porridge, she told Steve, ¡°Time for breakfast.¡± Steve lifted his eyelids and looked at Ruby. Ruby noticed that there was no irritation on the man¡¯s face, which eased her anxiety. However, as she brought the porridge and sat down next to Steve, she still felt the need to exin, ¡°Mrs. Taylor is a bit busy.¡± Steve stared at the newspaper, nodded lightly, and after a moment, closed it and tossed it aside, ncing at the porridge in Ruby¡¯s hand. Ruby immediately picked up the spoon, scooped some porridge and fed it to Steve¡¯s mouth. Steve didn¡¯t show much emotion and just opened his mouth and swallowed it down. Ruby couldn¡¯t describe why, but she felt a sudden surge of happiness. In the past, taking care of Steve was like a job for her, something she had to do but didn¡¯t particrly like or dislike. Now, however, she found that she really enjoyed taking care of Steve. She reluctantly finished feeding Steve a bowl of medicine porridge and couldn¡¯t help but ask softly, ¡°Would you like some more?¡± Steve waved his hand in refusal. Ruby put the bowl down on a nearby table with a bit of disappointment. Steve couldn¡¯t take his medicine until half an hour after eating. There was nothing much she could do to help him right now. Ruby¡¯s big, dark eyes rolled around for a while and found a grain of rice on the corner of Steve¡¯s mouth. As if she had found something exciting, she immediately reached out, grabbed a tissue, leaned over and wiped Steve¡¯s mouth
Steve was staring at the newspaper, suddenly sensing Ruby¡¯s closeness. He hesitated for a moment, then felt Ruby¡¯s finger touch his lips. His body shuddered slightly, and his gaze shifted downward. Ruby was wearing a low-cut, spaghetti strap nightgown Mrs. Woods had given her the night before. When she bent over to wipe Steve¡¯s mouth, she identally exposed her cleavage to Steve¡¯s entire view. The man stared at the sight before him, frowning slightly. Feeling his blood surging, he shut his eyes, looked cold, and said to Ruby, ¡°I¡¯m tired and I want to rest by myself.¡± Chapter 415: 415: Never Touch Her Again (15) Chapter 415: Never Touch Her Again (15) After being suddenly kicked out of Steve Burton¡¯s room with a change of his facial expression, Ruby Gregory became cautious. She noticed that Steve didn¡¯t actually hate her, as every time she was kicked out and found an excuse to return after a couple of hours, everything would be fine between them.
However, this peaceful state would sometimesst for a longer period of time, while other times it would be much shorter. In any case, it was always when Ruby was confused and uncertain, Steve would suddenly turn his back on her and start pushing her away. Steve had a good physique, and after the fever subsided, he recovered quickly. Eventually, he could walk on his own. Instead of kicking Ruby out, he would suddenly be inexplicably cold-faced or angry-faced, stand up, and leave. Sometimes he would lock himself in the study for a long time, and when it was time for dinner, he would eat at the same table with Ruby as if nothing had happened. Other times, he would go directly to the second bedroom. Once or twice, Ruby, curious, secretly eavesdropped at the door of the second bedroom. Other than the faint sound of water, she didn¡¯t hear anything unusualing from the room. There was even an instance when Steve had just taken a bath not long ago, emerged from the second bedroom half an hourter, wet from head to toe, as his phone suddenly rang. It was a call from thepany, and Ruby brought the phone to him, puzzled. Steve asionally still had bouts of fever, so he didn¡¯t go to thepany, but that didn¡¯t mean he wasn¡¯t working. Just like when Ruby was hospitalized, and Steve apanied her, every morning, either Ms. Taylor, Rusell Henris, Howard Coleman, or Edward Woods would bring arge stack of documents to work on. Ruby was worried about Steve¡¯s health, so she would always find ways to help him rx when he had been working for a while. Sometimes the two of them would y cards, sometimes they would watch movies together.
In fact, most of the time, they watched movies. Some films were ssic DVDs that Steve¡¯s family already owned, while others were directly connected to the inte for online viewing by Ruby. Ruby actually thought that apart from Steve¡¯s asional strange departures, her time spent with him during this period was quite enjoyable and even closer than at any other time. However, she always felt that something was missing between her and Steve. Despite giving it much thought, she couldn¡¯t figure it out and felt that the distance between them was like a vast ocean and mountains that couldn¡¯t be crossed. One evening, after dinner, Ruby found a newly released movie and invited Steve to watch it in the bedroom. The two of them leaned against the bed, sitting on the floor with some snacks prepared by Mrs. Taylor in front of them. The movie was aedy, starring popr celebrities with excellent acting skills and unforgettable lines. It made Ruby giggle non-stop. Steve, on the other hand, didn¡¯t find this kind of film as appealing as Hollywood blockbusters. However, seeing Ruby happy, he decided he could put up with it. In the middle of the movie, Mrs. Taylor also brought a pot of fruit tea. Seeing the harmonious scene between Steve and Ruby, she couldn¡¯t help but smile happily. Chapter 416: 416: Never Touch Her Again (16) Chapter 416: Never Touch Her Again (16) However, the originally hrious movie took an unexpected turn in the second half, featuring a steamy love scene.
In the scene, a man and a woman, disheveled and passionately embracing, share a deep and fiery kiss. Then they waste no time in engaging in a heated entanglement in the narrow restroom. The scene is filmed in a very sensual way, with great camera angles, so that the high-definition TV clearly shows the details of the man and woman¡¯s exposed skin. The excellent sound system fills the room with blush-inducing, heart-pounding sounds. What was once a warm and cozy atmosphere in the room suddenly bes awkward. Ruby Gregory nervously grips a potato chip, lowering her eyes, while Steve Burton intently stares at the screen for a while, only to feel his mouth go dry. All the urges flooding his mind involve him and Ruby. He doesn¡¯t know if it¡¯s because he¡¯s been too restrainedtely, but the more he suppresses his desires, the more he feels like he¡¯s about to explode.
His hand instinctively reaches out on the carpet and grasps Ruby¡¯s hand. Swallowing his saliva, with only the sounds of the woman¡¯s moans from the television filling the room, Steve can¡¯t hold back any longer and pushes Ruby onto the plush carpet, pressing his body atop hers. He covers her lips, kissing her fiercely, and impatiently tugs at her clothes. Steve¡¯s breathing bes rapid and hot as he kisses her deeply. Suddenly, as if remembering something, he pulls away from Ruby slightly and, gasping for breath, whispers in her ear, ¡°Ruby, is it okay?¡± Ruby blushes uncontrobly, her body tense. Steve struggles with his heavy breaths as he holds her face and kisses her passionately again. He can clearly feel the woman beneath him bing stiff and rigid. He kisses her harder and harder until he nearly undresses her, but realizing her body has be like stone, Steve swallows hard and forcibly separates his lips from Ruby¡¯s. Staring into her eyes, he stammers, ¡°Ruby-¡°, about to say something but ends up burying his head in her neck, inhaling her scent, his grip on the carpet tightening. Suddenly, he gets up from her body, not even ncing at her, straightening his clothes and striding away. As Steve opens the bedroom door to leave, he runs into Mrs. Taylor, who is carrying a te of sliced fruit. ¡°Mr. Steve, have some¡­¡± Mrs. Taylor utters five words before noticing the cold expression on Steve¡¯s face, immediately falling silent and making room for him to pass. Without a word, Steve leaves.
Meanwhile, the television switches back to a funny scene. Ruby lies dazed on the carpet, staring at the crystal chandelier on the ceiling, bewildered. Where did she go wrong with Steve? Why does he always suddenly leave in a huff like this? Mrs. Taylor waits until Steve enters his study before she walks into the room, carrying the fruit. Setting the te aside, she nces at the disheveled Ruby and, frowning, asks, ¡°Ms. Gregory, what¡¯s wrong with Mr. Steve? He seemed fine just a moment ago but suddenly got angry.¡± PS: That¡¯s it for today, updates will happen between 11-12 pm tomorrow~~ Don¡¯t forget to vote in the Golden Keyboardpetition Announcing the group number: 192412658 PPS: Rmendation for this book: Author: Biyu Xiao, Title: ¡°The CEO¡¯s Forced Marriage: Divorce 365 Times¡± Chapter 417: Never Touch Her Again (17) Chapter 417: Never Touch Her Again (17) Mrs. Taylor waited until Steve Burton had entered the study before walking in carrying a tray of fruit. She set the fruit tray aside and eyed the disheveled Ruby Gregory, frowning as she asked, ¡°Ms. Gregory, what happened with Mr. Steve? He was fine just a moment ago, so why is he suddenly angry?¡± Upon hearing Mrs. Taylor¡¯s voice, Ruby, in a daze, rose from where she was sitting on the carpet. She nced at Mrs. Taylor and gave a slight nod, but then shook her head. Her voice a touch gloomy, she admitted, ¡°I don¡¯t know what¡¯se over him either.¡± Mrs. Taylor knitted her brows as she took in Ruby¡¯s appearance. Her clothing was a mess, and there were bite marks of varying depths on her neck and chest, her lips red and swollen with a faint wet shine to them. It took one look to understand what had transpired between the two of them just moments before. Hesitating a little, Mrs. Taylor queried, ¡°Ms. Gregory, have you offended Mr. Steve, you know, in ¡®that¡¯ aspect of things?¡± Besides this, Mrs. Taylor couldn¡¯t figure out any other reason. Just a short while ago before she entered the room, the couple were enjoying a movie andughing joyously. Ruby blinked once, before understanding that Mrs. Taylor was referring to her intimate moments with Steve. A blush immediately rode up her cheeks and she shook her head hastily, denying Mrs. Taylor¡¯s theory with indignation, ¡°Mrs. Taylor, that¡¯s absurd! I didn¡¯t do anything¡­ ¡± Ruby spoke with such conviction that she stopped herself from finishing the sentence with, ¡°¡­that could have upset him.¡± She suddenly froze as if she¡¯d just recalled something. No wonder she¡¯d been feeling as though something had been missing between her and Stevetely, yet she couldn¡¯t figure out why. Only now, with Mrs. Taylor¡¯s suggestion, did she realize that ever since the night when Steve insisted on having his way with her regardless of her not taking her painkillers, he had not touched her in days. Initially, Steve¡¯s cold and physical difort were usible excuses, but he had been getting better and better every day. Still, he had not touched her. What¡¯s more, there were times when she had fallen asleep in the main bedroom after ying too long, only to awakenter in the night to find him gone. She¡¯d sought him out once and found him working in the study room. She remembered a time when all she wanted was for him to seize her at any ce or time, be it the bedroom, living room, bathroom, outside, or even in the car, whenever the mood struck him. Recently, Steve had so much free time and he had spent so much of it alone with her. How could he possibly not touch her? Before, she had desired nothing more than to live peacefully with Steve, for them to show each other respect without needing to engage in any intimate acts. But now that her wish had seeminglye true, she realized she felt somewhat anxious. Swallowing hard, Ruby turned to look at Mrs. Taylor who was sitting next to her, ¡°Mrs. Taylor, may I ask you a question?¡± ¡°Ms. Gregory, ask away.¡± Ruby fiddled with her skirt, slightly embarrassed. Despite them being the only people in the room, she edged closer to Mrs. Taylor¡¯s ear and, in a voice that only they could hear, whispered her question, ¡°What does it mean when a man doesn¡¯t touch a woman?¡± Mrs. Taylor answered without hesitation, ¡°The only reason would be that the man doesn¡¯t like the woman.¡± PS: We¡¯ve gone live today, offering monthly subscriptions! I wonder if any of you have a monthly pass for me I just woke up and I¡¯m feeling bit foggy-headed. Let me update a chapter first, have lunch, and then continue to update at two o¡¯clock. There¡¯ll be 10-12 updates today Chapter 418: Never Touch Her Again (18) Chapter 418: Never Touch Her Again (18) Mrs. Taylor didn¡¯t hesitate at all and said: ¡°What else could it be? The man must not like the woman.¡± Ruby didn¡¯t know why, but when she heard these words, she felt a tingling pain at the bottom of her heart. Mrs. Taylor didn¡¯t notice anything unusual and continued to say: ¡°Ms. Gregory, you should know that men are creatures ruled by their lower half. Even when they encounter a beautiful stranger, they can be moved. If they meet someone they like, they would wish to be with her every single moment.¡± ¡°Ms. Gregory, think about it. Men will do those things with a woman they don¡¯t even like, or with someone they just find visually appealing, without having any deeper feelings for her. If, as you said, a man would never touch another woman, it¡¯s not just a matter of not liking her.¡± Ruby found Mrs. Taylor¡¯s words more and more rming. Silently, she tightened her grip on her dress, trying hard to maintain a calm expression on her face. Lowering her eyes, she thought for a moment and then softly asked: ¡°What else could it be?¡± ¡°The reason may vary from person to person¡­¡± Mrs. Taylor paused for a moment, picked up a fruit with a toothpick, and handed it to Ruby. She casually listed a few examples: ¡°It could be that the man finds the woman repulsive, so he doesn¡¯t feel anything and naturally wouldn¡¯t touch her. Or, the most straightforward reason could be that the woman is too ugly, making the man feel disgusted just by looking at her, let alone getting close. Or, maybe the man has grown tired of the woman¡¯s body after being together for a long time, gradually losing interest in her and not wanting to touch her any more. Or, the man may have someone else he likes, upying his thoughts, so he loses interest in other women¡­¡± Ruby listened to Mrs. Taylor¡¯s analysis and quietlypared it to her own situation. Steve shouldn¡¯t find her repulsive, otherwise, why would he marry her? She was also considered attractive¡­ That leaves the possibilities that Steve grew tired of her body or had another woman on his mind¡­ At this thought, Ruby¡¯s hand trembled, causing the toothpick to fall, and the watermelon on it hit her bare leg, leaving a cold, red mark. Mrs. Taylor quickly fetched some tissue to wipe Ruby¡¯s leg clean, picked up the toothpick and watermelon from the carpet, and threw them in a nearby trash can. Then she raised her head and noticed Ruby¡¯s face looking rather ufortable. Her expression also turned more solemn: ¡°Ms. Gregory, why are you suddenly asking me about this? Could it be that the person you¡¯re talking about is¡­¡± Although the situation was indeed about herself, Ruby still didn¡¯t want anyone to know. She shook her head and softly smiled, interrupting Mrs. Taylor¡¯s words: ¡°No, it¡¯s not about me. I was just bored in the day and read about this in a book. I couldn¡¯t understand it, so I thought I¡¯d ask you.¡± Mrs. Taylor suddenly realized and said ¡°Oh.¡± She thenughed and said: ¡°I knew it couldn¡¯t be you and Mr. Steve. You are so beautiful that Mr. Steve probably can¡¯t bear not to be with you all the time, even in bed!¡± If it were any other time, Mrs. Taylor¡¯s words would have been apliment that would make Ruby blush and her heart race. However, at this moment, Ruby found these words extremely ironic. It felt like two ps across her face, harsh and merciless. PS: Updating starts now Chapter 419: 419: Never Touch Her Again (19) Chapter 419: Never Touch Her Again (19) ¡°But, Ms. Gregory, let me tell you secretly that sometimes, a woman shouldn¡¯t let a man prevail all the time. asionally keeping him on the hook will make him like you more¡­and also¡­¡± Mrs. Taylor leaned in and whispered in Ruby¡¯s ear, ¡°Men also like it when women take the initiative once in a while. There is no other trick to winning a man¡¯s heart other than captivating him in bed¡­¡±
Mrs. Taylor¡¯s words became more and more explicit, while Ruby¡¯s face grew increasingly mncholic. ¡°Do you really think those men genuinely curse those vixens? They just curse them superficially, but deep down, they¡¯re all thinking about those vixens¡­¡± Mrs. Taylor continued, and then noticed that Ruby was staring nkly at something, her lips slightly pale. Worriedly, she reached out and nudged Ruby, ¡°Ms. Gregory, what¡¯s wrong?¡± Ruby suddenly snapped back to reality and realized that she had lost herposure. She took a deep breath, steadied her mind, shook her head at Mrs. Taylor, and hastily lied, ¡°It¡¯s nothing, I¡¯m just a bit sleepy.¡± Mrs. Taylor finally breathed a sigh of relief, ¡°It¡¯s gettingte, Ms. Gregory, you should rest.¡± Ruby nodded without speaking, her gaze still somewhat scattered as she stared at the empty space. Mrs. Taylor got up, tidied up the room, and left quietly.
Ruby heard the door close, and her long eyshes trembled. She then realized that her heart was filled with panic. She was so afraid of doing that kind of thing with Steve, and at one point, she had even wished that he could impregnate her once, so he would never touch her again. Yet even now, when she thought about doing that with Steve, she still felt a shiver down her spine. But now, hearing that Steve might no longer be interested in her or that he¡¯s interested in someone else, and that a few days ago when she had called in the middle of the night, the one who picked up was a woman¡­ Ruby felt as if something in her heart had been knocked over, sour and astringent, making her inexplicably want to cry. Even more so, she came up with an unbelievable expectation ¨C she would rather endure that pain and do that with him, than have him do it with another woman¡­ Steve¡¯s health had returned to normal, and before going back to work, he attended thepany¡¯s monthly dinner party. This was the first dinner party held by thepany since Ruby and Steve¡¯s engagement had been set. Ruby had been living with Steve recently, and since their engagement date was on the tenth of the next month, it was only natural that Ruby would attend the dinner with Steve. Since Ruby had been frequently staying at Steve¡¯s apartment, he had already furnished half of a dressing room with clothes tailored to her measurements. Ruby chose a nude, low-cut gown, her long hair pinned up, revealing her smooth forehead and slender neck. She also wore a tinum diamond ne, along with a pair of high heels, standing there gracefully, as if she had walked right out of a painting. When Ruby was ready and came downstairs, Steve was already waiting for her in the living room.
Wearing high heels, Ruby gracefully walked to Steve. Steve stared at her for a long time, then retracted his gaze, apanying her out the door and downstairs. Chapter 420: 420: Never Touch Her Again (20) Chapter 420: Never Touch Her Again (20) The driver had already been waiting downstairs of the apartment. When he saw Steve Burton and Ruby Gregorying out of the building, he hurriedly got out of the car and opened the rear door.
Ruby and Steve were sitting side by side in the back seat. Through the rearview mirror, Steve could see the delicate makeup on Ruby¡¯s face, which highlighted her originally exquisite and beautiful features. Her skin was as white as snow, and below her slender neck was a sparkling diamond ne. Further down, her partially exposed chest¡­ It was already slightly cold in Ciawell in early winter, but Steve rolled down the back window as the car drove for a while. As usual, the banquet venue was the same old ce ¨C the Grand Capital Hotel. By the time Steve and Ruby arrived, the banquet had already started. Just like before, a lot of people gathered around Steve as soon as he appeared. Although it was apany event, there were still many partners who often coborated closely with Pristine¡¯s Enterprises.
Steve had taken Ruby to many dinners before, so everyone remembered her. Thus, while greeting Steve, they bumped their sses with Ruby¡¯s. As a result, Ruby stayed close to Steve the entire time without leaving his side. Despite not drinking much each time, Steve had already had seven or eight sses unconsciously due to therge number of people. Ruby was afraid of Steve¡¯s recent recovery from a serious illness and worried about him drinking too much. So, the next time he handed an empty wine ss to a waiter and was about to pick up a new one, Ruby couldn¡¯t help but reach out her hand and hold Steve¡¯s: ¡°There are still two doses of medicine left to take, don¡¯t drink so much.¡± Steve¡¯s body trembled slightly, his gaze falling on the snow-white hand that was ced on the back of his hand. He followed Ruby¡¯s arm, moving his gaze upwards and then stopping on her face. Whether it was due to the alcohol or the dim lighting of the banquet hall, Steve felt that the woman standing in front of him was intoxicatingly beautiful. Unable to help himself, he released his wine ss and grasped Ruby¡¯s hand instead. He gently led her towards him and hesitated for a moment before saying, ¡°Dance with me.¡± Only when Steve and Ruby started dancing gracefully on the dance floor to the melodious and smooth music did he realize how terrible his suggestion had been. Underneath his palm was her soft, slender waist. He could imagine the smoothness of her skin even through their clothes. With each dance step, she moved closer and farther away from him, carrying her unique fragrance that intensified and faded in his breath. Every moment was a torment. Steve¡¯s breath gradually became hot. He raised his head and nced around the dance floor, spotting Howard Coleman dancing elegantly with a woman not far away. He gently swayed towards Howard with Ruby, and they exchanged partners. Steve, together with the woman who had just been dancing with Howard, made a beautiful spin, increasing the distance between him and Ruby.
As Ruby danced with Howard, she subconsciously turned her head and searched for Steve¡¯s figure on the dance floor. Steve seemed to know the woman he was dancing with, and they were quite close. He danced beautifully and elegantly with her in perfect harmony, asionallyughing and chatting with each other while making eye contact. Chapter 421: 421: The Promised Indifference (1) Chapter 421: The Promised Indifference (1) Steve Burton seemed to know that woman, and they were quite familiar with each other. They were dancing a beautiful and elegant dance in perfect harmony, and chatting from time to time.
asionally, when they found something amusing, Steve and the woman would look at each other andugh. Steve¡¯sugh was not particrly strong, just a faint curve of his lips. However, Ruby Gregory found hisughter ring, causing her to focus all her attention on Steve and the woman. Shepletely forgot that she was dancing with Howard Coleman, and identally stepped on Howard¡¯s foot. Ruby came back to her senses, apologized to Howard, and said ¡°Sorry.¡± Then, after barely two steps of dancing with Howard, her gaze drifted back to Steve and the woman. Within less than half a minute, Howard let out another painful grunt. This time, Ruby didn¡¯t take her eyes off Steve and the woman, and absentmindedly repeated, ¡°Sorry.¡± As a result, not even two seconds after Ruby¡¯s words, Steve and the woman stopped dancing. She didn¡¯t know what they were talking about, but they walked out of the dance floor together. Ruby instinctively stopped and suddenly let go of Howard¡¯s hand.
¡°Ruby¡­¡± Howard frowned, but before he could finish speaking, Ruby picked up her skirt, stepped in her high heels, and hurriedly followed Steve and the woman out of the dance floor. Ruby saw Steve and the woman sitting down on a sofa in the corner. The woman smiled charmingly, called the waiter, ordered two drinks, and handed one to Steve. After clinking sses, they drained their cups and continued their face-to-face conversation. Ruby¡¯s pace did not slow down until she was almost in front of Steve and the woman. She stopped awkwardly, staring straight at the two people on the sofa. Steve was holding a mobile phone, pointing at the screen while talking to the woman, gesticting for a while. The woman gave a smile and tapped on his phone as well. Although Ruby didn¡¯t know what they were talking about, the scene seemed warm and affectionate to her. Ruby felt a fire burning in her heart, making her want to rush over and chase the woman away from Steve¡¯s side immediately. Ruby thought that if she continued watching like this, she would go crazy, so she clenched her fists, turned around, and walked out of the banquet hall. The banquet hall was on the sixteenth floor of the Grand Capital Hotel, and Ruby leaned on the balcony railing, feeling the cold breeze cool her emotions slightly. However, an indescribable sense of difort continued to churn inside her. After an unknown period of time, Ruby finally pulled her gaze back from the distant city lights, took a deep breath, and turned around to return to the banquet hall. But she found someone standing behind her. She was startled at first, and when she saw the person¡¯s face, her expression became somewhat stiff. She pursed her lips, lowered her eyelids, and didn¡¯t speak. Edric Reat wore a ck, elegant suit, standing tall and straight at the exit of the balcony, staring straight at Ruby. Chapter 422: 422: The Agreed Upon Indifference (2) Chapter 422: The Agreed Upon Indifference (2) The whole world, at that moment, seemed to freeze, bing eerily silent as even the noise within the banquet hall disappeared.
Don¡¯t know how much time had passed, a gust of cold wind blew. Ruby Gregory shivered and finally came to her senses. She nced up at Edric Reat, and then calmly stepped towards the banquet hall. The balcony was still very quiet, the sound of Ruby Gregory¡¯s high heels echoing crisply. Ruby Gregory stared straight ahead, never took a look at Edric Reat. Until she was about to pass him, he suddenly spoke, calling her name: ¡°Ruby.¡± Ruby Gregory¡¯s body stiffened slightly, subconsciously nced into the banquet hall, found no one noticed her and Edric Reat, and then quickened her pace. But the moment she stepped off the balcony, he suddenly raised his hand, blocking her way. Ruby Gregory looked at the arm Edric Reat stretched out in front of her, took a deep breath, then turned her head, looked at him: ¡°Mr. Reat, do not forget, after that one thing, we agreed to act as strangers.¡±
As Ruby mentioned ¡°that one thing¡±, herplexion paled slightly, as if she was referring to something that made her feel extremely guilty. She looked at him, still appearing indifferent, feeling a bit anxious deep within: ¡°Steve Burton is also at the party, I can¡¯t let him find out about that incident three years ago.¡± At the end of her statement, Ruby¡¯s voice trembled slightly, resembling fear, and sounded as if pleading. She looked into Edric Reat¡¯s eyes, which began to exhibit a hint of confusion. Edric Reat didn¡¯t say a word, just looked at her in silence for a moment, ran his fingers tightly over his lips, but in the end, he didn¡¯t say anything, he slowly lowered his arm. Ruby Gregory quickly walked past him without any hesitation. Despite the pace of walking, her speed was more like a jog. Just a blink of an eye, Ruby Gregory disappeared into the crowd of the banquet hall. Edric Reat, however, maintained the same posture from when Ruby departed, standing at the entrance of the balcony, dazed. After a long while, he came back to his senses, stepped to the spot where Ruby had just stood, and stared in the direction she had been looking at. It was a crowd, prettily lit. Edric Reat looked on for a long time, then reached into his pocket, pulled out a cigarette, lit it, and slowly smoked it. Ruby Gregory virtually ran into the crowd, she clenched her fists tightly, took several deep breaths, until she calmed herself slightly. Then she walked up to a waiter and grabbed a juice from his tray, took a big gulp, and only then did her heart rate settle down.
Just as Ruby Gregory was about to ce the ss back onto the tray, she heard a familiar voice behind her: ¡°Ruby.¡± Ruby Gregory turned around to see Maya Mitchell in a beautiful red dress, smiling warmly at her. ¡°Maya.¡± Ruby Gregory called Maya Mitchell¡¯s name, then picked up a ss of alcohol and clinked sses with Maya Mitchell. They both took a sip, then Ruby asked, ¡°Maya, I heard from Ms. Taylor that you resigned from Pristine¡¯s Enterprises. Why?¡± Chapter 423: 423: The Agreed Upon Indifference (3) Chapter 423: The Agreed Upon Indifference (3) Upon hearing these words, Maya Mitchell immediately thought of that day in Steve Burton¡¯s office, when that man treated her with absolute coldness and cruelty. The smile on her lips receded slightly and a hint of coldness shed in her eyes.
However, it onlysted for a moment before she quickly subdued all her emotions, and her face maintained its usual gentle and tender expression: ¡°I found a better opportunity, so I resigned and changed jobs.¡± Ruby Gregory was unaware of the truth, and simply thought that what Maya said was true, and gave a light smile: ¡°Your sry must be much higher now.¡± ¡°Hmm, it¡¯s not bad.¡± Maya curved her lips and pointed to the buffet area not far away, ¡°Shall we go and choose something to eat?¡± Ruby thought it would be boring to stay alone, so she nodded in agreement. Going to the buffet area required passing through the sofa area. As they passed by, Maya pointed to an empty seat and decisively said, ¡°Ruby, you save us a spot, and I¡¯ll go get the food.¡±
Ruby wasn¡¯t particrly interested in the food at the banquet, so she didn¡¯t object to Maya¡¯s decision. She simply responded with, ¡°Okay,¡± and went to the sofa Maya had pointed out. After waiting for Ruby to sit down, Maya asked her, ¡°What would you like to eat? I¡¯ll get it for you.¡± ¡°Anything is fine.¡± Ruby hesitated for a moment and then added, ¡°Please get me a cup of mocha coffee.¡± Maya nodded and proceeded to the buffet area. Ruby only looked away when Maya walked some distance from her, and then she happened to see Steve sitting diagonally across from her. The woman was still sitting with him, and they had a few more tes of buffet dishes in front of them, filled with exquisite dishes and pastries. Each of them held a fork in their hands, chatting animatedly, and only asionally, as a symbolic gesture, would they touch the food on their tes. The emotions that had been suddenly disrupted by Edric Reat earlier immediately swarmed over Ruby¡¯s heart once again. She stared intently at the scene, and the familiar bitterness began to ferment and churn in her heart. As she was lost in her gaze, Maya came over with a tray. She ced a hot cup of coffee in front of Ruby and then sat down beside her. She pushed the food she had brought over toward Ruby and smiled, ¡°I got a little bit of everything. See what you like.¡± Ruby shifted her gaze from Steve and spoke with slight heaviness, ¡°Thank you.¡± Then she picked up a fork, faced a te filled with delicacies, but had no appetite whatsoever.
Ruby randomly picked up a french fry, and as she put it into her mouth, she habitually nced over at Steve. She saw him hand a cup of water to the woman seated next to him, and her facial expression stiffened, her fork-wielding movement pausing momentarily. As Maya sat next to Ruby, she ate her food while making non-stop conversation. Meanwhile, Ruby didn¡¯t hear a single word, her gaze fixated in Steve¡¯s direction. Maya talked for a while without getting any response from Ruby, so she gently called out, ¡°Ruby?¡± Ruby still had a wooden expression on her face. Maya called her name again, and when she still got no response, she turned her head and made eye contact with a waiter standing not far away. Chapter 424: 424: The Agreed Upon Indifference (4) Chapter 424: The Agreed Upon Indifference (4) The waiter caught Maya Mitchell¡¯s gaze, nodded slightly, and then walked towards her and Ruby Gregory.
¡°Misses, would you like something to drink?¡± Ruby¡¯s thoughts were all on Steve Burton and the woman,pletely unaware of her surroundings. Only Maya smiled politely and said, ¡°Two sses of orange juice, thank you.¡± Behind each sofa in the lounge area, there was a floor stand with heavy ceramics on it. As Maya finished speaking, the waiter respectfully said ¡°okay¡±, and when he turned to leave to get the orange juice, took advantage of everyone¡¯s inattention and quickly kicked the floor stand behind Ruby. The floor stand, made of solid wood, merely swayed slightly from the waiter¡¯s kick. The ceramic piece on it, however, suddenly slipped off and fell straight for Ruby¡¯s head. The moment the waiter turned, Maya¡¯s eyes were fixed on the shelf behind Ruby¡¯s head.
The ceramic on the stand had been tampered with by Maya, who had ced a round ss bead under it. It seemed to be static, but as long as someone gently bumped the stand, the ceramic would roll off and fall. The Grand Capital Hotel was a first-ss hotel in the entire Ciawell and had all its furnishings of great value. This ceramic was made of jade, which had a weight to it. With the floor stand being two meters high, the force of the falling ceramic was extraordinary. Maya clenched her fist secretly, and the moment she saw the ceramics on the stand begin to wobble, she immediately turned her head and shouted, ¡°Ruby, watch out!¡± Ruby had no idea what was happening, but when she heard Maya¡¯s cry, she turned her head in a daze. However, before she could see what was going on, she was heavily pressed down by Maya. Then, Ruby heard a muffled moan from Maya, followed by the sound of the object hitting the ground and smashing. Ruby had no idea what had happened, and when she struggled to reach out to push Maya away, she touched something wet and sticky, apanied by a pungent smell. Ruby¡¯s body stiffened, and shepletely came to her senses. She grabbed Maya¡¯s shoulder in panic, sat up, and saw Maya with her eyes closed, unconscious. Viscous blood was flowing down from her head. The pale face was covered in bright red blood, looking shockingly horrifying. The originally bustling but harmonious banquet became somewhat chaotic for a moment, and many people quickly gathered around Maya and Ruby¡¯s direction. ¡°What on earth happened?¡± ¡°There¡¯s so much blood, call an ambnce quickly.¡±
¡°Oh my god, it seems like the ceramic from the stand fell.¡± With the whispers of the surrounding people, Maya was carried out of the banquet hall in a hurry. Immediately afterward, the pale-faced Ruby fell into a warm embrace, not having recovered her senses, she heard Steve Burton¡¯s slightly trembling voice in her ear, ¡°Ruby, are you hurt anywhere?¡± Chapter 425: 425: The Agreed Upon Indifference (5) Chapter 425: The Agreed Upon Indifference (5) Ruby shook her head, her voice carrying a hint of lingering fear: ¡°No.¡±
However, Steve still insisted on personally examining Ruby¡¯s body just to be sure, only letting out a silent sigh of relief when he confirmed that the blood stains on her were from Maya. Steve¡¯s original seat was not far from where Maya and Ruby were. When he heard Maya shouting ¡°Ruby!¡± he instinctively turned his head and witnessed Maya pulling Ruby into her arms just as the heavy porcin vase struck her head. In that instant, he felt his entire heart seemed to stop beating. Ruby calmed herself down and hastily asked: ¡°How¡¯s Maya? Is she okay?¡± ¡°Howard has already taken her to the hospital.¡± Ruby nodded without speaking, her breathing still a bit unsteady.
With such an incident urring, the banquet naturally came to an end. Maya was injured while saving Ruby, so after leaving the Grand Capital Hotel, Steve called Howard to ask which hospital they were at and drove there directly. When Steve and Ruby arrived, Maya had already been examined, her head wound stopped bleeding and bandaged, and she was receiving an IV drip. From Howard¡¯s mouth, Ruby learned that Maya was not in any serious danger, only having momentarily passed out due to the impact, and she finally breathed a long sigh of relief. About half an hour after Steve, Maya, and Howard arrived at the hospital, Maya slowly woke up. Ruby hurriedly walked to the bedside, grabbed Maya¡¯s hand, and spoke somewhat excitedly: ¡°Maya, are you awake now?¡± Maya¡¯splexion seemed a bit pale, possibly due to blood loss. She stared at Ruby for a while before nodding gently and asking: ¡°Are you alright?¡± Ruby shook her head, reached out her hand and tidied the hair strands on Maya¡¯s face, then said, ¡°Thank you.¡± Maya smiled and shook her head, then closed her eyes, looking slightly tired. ¡°Brother, I¡¯ve arranged for a caretaker to look after Ms. Mitchell here. You should take Ruby back first. There are too many people here, and it¡¯s affecting Ms. Mitchell¡¯s rest.¡± Howard suggested after seeing Maya wake up. Hearing this, Maya opened her eyes again, looked at Ruby, and nodded in agreement: ¡°Yes, Ruby, you should go back first. I¡¯m fine.¡±
Ruby hesitated for a moment: ¡°I¡¯lle to see you again tomorrow.¡± ¡°Mhm.¡± Maya smiled at Ruby. Ruby tucked the nket around Maya before standing up from the bedside. Steve picked up the car keys from the side, instructed Howard, ¡°I¡¯ll leave this to you,¡± then stepped to Ruby¡¯s side, nced at Maya lying on the bed, and after a moment of silence, said, ¡°Thank you for today.¡± Maya felt that the effort she had put and the pain and blood she had experienced were worth it just to hear Steve say those words. He had driven her away from Pristine¡¯s Enterprises and refused to give her any opportunities, all for the sake of Ruby¡¯s safety. She wasn¡¯t willing to ept that. So, she wanted him to see with his own eyes how far she could go in sacrificing herself for Ruby. Chapter 426: 426: The Agreed Upon Indifference (6) Chapter 426: The Agreed Upon Indifference (6) She couldn¡¯t ept it. She had put in so much effort for nothing. In her dreams, she longed to close the gap between her and Steve. She felt like she was going insane, not giving up until she saw the end. But this time, she seeded, didn¡¯t she?
Steve thanked her. Although she had a close brush with death, she felt that it was all worth it. She knew that from now on, Ruby would regard her as a life-saving benefactor. She also knew that Steve, who deeply loved Ruby, would be grateful to her for this incident. She finally got her wish and got closer to them. As long as she was close, there was hope, right? When they left the hospital, it was already 11 pm. The streets of the capital city in early winter were very quiet. As soon as they got into the car, Ruby rxed, leaning her head and falling into a deep sleep.
The traffic light ahead turned red, and Steve stopped the car smoothly. He turned his head and looked at the sleeping woman in the passenger seat. His eyes softened. How many times had he imagined her sitting in the passenger seat where he could reach out and touch her cheek? Yet, how many times had the passenger seat been empty when he drove alone? Steve couldn¡¯t help but reach out and gently touch her head. Then he saw the red light turned green. He turned up the car¡¯s heater slightly and stepped on the gas. As soon as the car parked in their apartment¡¯s underground garage, Ruby woke up. Her clothes were stained with Maya¡¯s blood, so she hurriedly ran upstairs to take a shower. Steve stood at the bedroom door, waiting for the sound of running water from the bathroom before slowly walking to the study. He took out his phone and called Rusell Henris. The phone was quickly answered, and Rusell¡¯s calm voice came through: ¡°Steve.¡± Steve went straight to the point: ¡°How did your investigation go?¡± ¡°After the incident, I followed your instructions and immediately cleared everyone from the banquet hall. Then I found a round steel ball in the sofa area with the help of some reliable people. I asked the staff of the Grand Capital Hotel, and they said that they had cleaned the banquet hall carefully before our event and wouldn¡¯t have left anything like that.¡± Rusell paused and continued: ¡°Moreover, those shelves held invaluable antiques that had been ced there for over twenty years without any incidents. More importantly, the hotel staff regrly check to make sure the items are securely ced. Based on all this, we can be almost certain that this was not an ident, but an act of sabotage¡­¡± After exining everything, Rusell curiously asked: ¡°But Steve, usually incidents like this would be treated as idents. How did you figure out it was a conspiracy?¡±
¡°I didn¡¯t really figure it out¡­¡± Steve repliedzily, speaking slowly: ¡°I just saw someone being so nice to Ruby, and it made me ufortable. So I desperately tried to pick some faults, just to bnce my feelings.¡± PS: Thank you for your support! Steve, you¡¯re being willful again, even getting jealous of a woman. Steve doesn¡¯t touch Ruby not because he wants to torture her or is angry with her, but because she doesn¡¯t like it, so he holds back and endures it. Chapter 427: The Agreed Upon Indifference (7) Chapter 427: The Agreed Upon Indifference (7) ¡°I didn¡¯t really notice¡­¡± Steve Burton spokezily, his voice slow and mellow. ¡°I just saw someone treating Ruby Gregory so well, and it didn¡¯t sit well with me. So I desperately wanted to find some ws just to assuage my own feelings.¡± Upon hearing Steve¡¯s reply, Rusell Henris was left speechless and made a light jibe, ¡°Maya Mitchell is a woman, Steve, you¡¯re really perverse.¡± Steve, however, acted as if he had received apliment. He immediately smiled thinly and gave a serious ¡®hmm¡¯ before yawningzily. He then calmly stated, ¡°Now I am confident that apart from me, no one else in this world treats Ruby Gregory as well. I can finally have a good night¡¯s sleep.¡± Rusell was utterly speechless. After a long silence, he chuckled lightly and asked with a noticeably serious tone, ¡°Steve, how are you going to handle this?¡± Steve naturally knew that the ¡®this¡¯ Rusell was referring to was the intentional ¡°ident¡± that happened at tonight¡¯s banquet. A cold glint gradually surfaced in his rxed eyes. He held his phone without uttering a word. ¡°Steve, I guess you¡¯ve figured out some things too. The porcin was tampered with by Maya. She didn¡¯t mean to harm Ruby, she is just using herself as a bait for a contingency n.¡± Rusell on the other end of the call, after a long wait, spoke first, ¡°To be honest, Maya has been with Pristine¡¯s Enterprises for more than three years, and I have always thought of her as a quiet and gentle woman who never stirs up trouble. I never thought that she could be so ruthless and decisive, even towards herself¡­ tsk tsk tsk¡­¡± Rusell tutted three times in amazement before stating straightforwardly, ¡°Steve, this woman is too scheming, she cannot stay. You need to find a way to deal with her as soon as possible.¡± ¡°She indeed needs to be dealt with¡­¡± Steve finally spoke, ¡°But not now.¡± Previously, he wasn¡¯t sure if Maya¡¯s kindness towards Ruby was sincere or not. Just for his peace of mind, he decided to make Maya resign. Unexpectedly, his move unveiled Maya¡¯s hidden agenda. Indeed, only when forced into a corner do people reveal their true colors. Thest time Ruby was kidnapped was an extremely dangerous situation. Fortunately, Maya used a self-harming scheme this time, leaving Ruby unscathed. What if Maya found out that her n failed again? What would she resort to next time? More importantly, Ruby now probably values Maya a lot. If they try to deal with Maya now, it would only bring about conflict between him and Ruby. Upon thinking of this, Steve finally spoke to Rusell slowly over the phone, ¡°Let¡¯s pretend we believe her for now and keep a low profile. Meanwhile, have someone keep an eye on her secretly. Starting now, it seems I have to join her in her games, and give her a good lesson in¡­ conspiracy.¡± ¡°Alright¡­ Steve, I didn¡¯t know when you developed such a willingness to engage in mind games with a woman.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not that I¡¯m willing to.¡± After saying this, Steve lowered his eyes, his tone a bit in but filled with surging emotions. ¡°I just don¡¯t want any rift to arise between Ruby and me because of her.¡± Chapter 428: The Agreed Upon Indifference (8) Chapter 428: The Agreed Upon Indifference (8) ¡°Rusell, you know that in this world, the only person who can cause a rift between me and Ruby is Ruby herself.¡± ¡°Maya Mitchell¡­ haha¡­¡± Steve Burtonughed lightly, showing some disdain: ¡°She¡¯s really not worthy!¡± When he finished speaking, a sh of ruthlessness appeared in the depths of his eyes. How does the saying go? Drawing water with a bamboo basket, to end up with nothing¡­ How can one inflict the most pain on someone? Nothing is more painful than thinking you¡¯re about to achieve your goal, only to suddenly realize that it was all a lie. After hanging up the phone, Steve Burton walked back to the master bedroom. Ruby Gregory had already taken a shower, put on a white bathrobe, sitting on the couch with her head bowed, not knowing what she was looking at. Steve Burton walked slowly towards Ruby Gregory, and just as he was about to ask her why she wasn¡¯t in bed yet, he saw her wiping her leg with a tissue, bright red blood oozing out continuously. Steve Burton¡¯s eyebrows furrowed, and he quickly walked towards Ruby Gregory. Squatting down, he grabbed her wrist and looked at the cut on her leg, ¡°What happened?¡± Ruby Gregory had no idea that Steve Burton had entered the room. She was suddenly grabbed by the man, and her whole body jumped in fright. Subconsciously, she lifted her head and saw the worry and tension on Steve¡¯s face, and her entire being froze momentarily. Before Ruby Gregory could even speak, Steve Burton quickly turned around, brought a first aid kit from a nearby cab, and then kneeled in front of Ruby Gregory. He took a cotton swab and alcohol to disinfect Ruby Gregory¡¯s wound. Actually, her injury wasn¡¯t serious ¨C it was more like a scratch from being careless. At first, she was worried about Maya, so she didn¡¯t feel it until she took a shower, applied shower gel, and noticed the pain. It was most likely caused by a shard of porcin that had shattered and identally cut her leg. Ruby Gregory didn¡¯t care about it, merely intending to wipe it with a tissue and stop the bleeding. But now, Steve Burton was treating it as though it was a horrifyingly serious matter. Even though it was just a superficial scratch, the pain of alcohol touching the wound still caused her leg to uncontrobly tremble. The hand with which Steve Burton was holding the cotton swab also nervously shook slightly. Ruby Gregory looked at this scene, couldn¡¯t help lowering her eyelids, and her lips hooked into a smile. A warm feeling spread in her heart, so much so that the heaviness she felt earlier at the dinner party when seeing himughing and chatting with other womenpletely disappeared. After disinfecting the wound, Steve Burton applied two Band-Aids for Ruby Gregory and pointed to the bed, asking her to go to sleep. He then looked at the Band-Aid on her leg and asked gently, ¡°Does it hurt?¡± That injury had only been momentarily painful during disinfection, and by now, it had lost sensation. In Ruby Gregory¡¯s heart, she had always thought that a good wife should try her best not to trouble her husband. However, at this moment, as she listened to Steve Burton¡¯s warm words, she didn¡¯t know what came over her. What should have been an inconsequential injury somehow became a severe wound in her heart. She looked at Steve Burton and nodded, whimpering softly, ¡°It hurts.¡± Steve Burton frowned, his eyebrows hinting at a slight annoyance. However, the moment her words fell, he quickly scooped her up without any hesitation and carried her to the bed. Chapter 429: 429: The Agreed Upon Indifference (9) Chapter 429: The Agreed Upon Indifference (9) Ruby Gregory leaned against Steve Burton¡¯s chest, admiring the flowing contours of his jawline. She felt as if she were floating on a cloud, feeling light and soft. Irresistibly, she leaned further into his embrace.
His steady footsteps made her feel secure, and she could clearly hear his powerful heartbeat. It gently pounded against her chest like a hammer, making her feel flustered, yet eagerly anticipating that they could linger in the liminal path from couch to bed, as if it stretched on forever. Eventually, Steve gently ced Ruby on the bed. Separated from his embrace, Ruby felt an emptiness in her heart. She instinctively looked up at him. Not revealing any emotion, Steve used his slender fingers to pull the nket up over her. He turned off themp beside her before saying softly, ¡°Sleep.¡± Ruby looked at Steve standing beside the bed and asked, ¡°Aren¡¯t you going to sleep?¡± Steve replied indifferently, ¡°I still have some work to deal with.¡±
So it was like that again¡ªhe would leave her alone at night and go to the study. A faint sense of disappointment surfaced in Ruby¡¯s heart. She quietly acknowledged it and then lowered her eyes. Steve stared at Ruby in silence, letting out a quiet breath. He whispered ¡°goodnight¡± and prepared to leave. Ruby didn¡¯t know what hade over her, but the moment Steve turned away, she instinctively called out his name, ¡°Steve.¡± He stopped in his tracks and looked towards her, his head tilting slightly. Ruby realized she had no idea what to say to him now that she had called out his name. She became nervous, her eyes darting around for a moment before blurting out an excuse, ¡°I¡­ I want to drink some water.¡± Steve went to the side table and poured Ruby a ss. She sat up, carefully drank the water, taking small sips while her eyes steadily watched him. No matter how slowly she drank, she would eventually finish the ss. She knew that when Steve took it from her to ce it on the nearby table, he would certainly head for the study. So she looked at him and quietly said, ¡°I want more.¡± Steve poured another ss for Ruby, and after she finished it, when she asked for a third time, Steve furrowed his brow. He took the ss from her hands, ced it on the table, and said, ¡°Drinking too much water isn¡¯t good for you at night. Sleep early.¡± With that, he turned the dim bedroom light down a little darker. Ruby¡¯s heart became slightly anxious as she impulsively reached out and grabbed a fistful of Steve¡¯s shirt.
Steve looked down at Ruby¡¯s small hand grasping his shirt, then looked back up at her. Feeling self-conscious under his gaze, Ruby wanted to let go of the high-quality fabric in her hand but could not bring herself to. Instead, she tightened her grip once again. From a young age, The Gregorys had taught Ruby to be dignified, reserved, and polite. But now, she just wanted Steve to stay. Without thinking, she blurted out, ¡°I don¡¯t want to sleep alone.¡± PS: It¡¯s not my problem; it¡¯s Tencent¡¯s fault. I¡¯m innocent here. The technical issue has been fixed now. Just go to your bookshelf and delete this book (or add it if you haven¡¯t already), remove the local file, and then collect this book again. The content will be back to normal Darn Tencent Subscribed readers don¡¯t need to spend extra money Chapter 430: 430: The Agreed Upon Indifference (10) Chapter 430: The Agreed Upon Indifference (10) Ruby Gregory¡¯s words were quite resounding, the bedroom was very quiet, and these seven characters clearly and brightly passed by Steve Burton¡¯s ears, like seven huge thunders exploding fiercely beside him.
Steve Burton¡¯s body shuddered violently, and he turned his head to look at Ruby Gregory, his eyes full of shock and incredulity. Ruby stared at Steve with her clear and beautiful eyes for a long time before realizing what she had just said. Her face suddenly turned bright red. She actually told Steve that she didn¡¯t want to sleep alone¡­ In the apartment, there were only the two of them. Wasn¡¯t this explicitly telling him¡­ she wanted him to sleep with her? Anxiously, she sat up from the bed, staring at Steve and said: ¡°Steve, I didn¡¯t mean that, don¡¯t think nonsense. What I meant just now is that I¡¯m scared to sleep alone, not that I want you to sleep with me¡­ ¡± What does ¡°I don¡¯t want you to sleep with me¡± mean? Oh god, why was she making things worse?
Ruby almost bit her tongue off, the temperature on her face was rmingly hot, and she shook her head violently, her whole being seemed to be on the verge of crying: ¡°I really didn¡¯t want to sleep with you, I swear, I really didn¡¯t mean that¡­ ¡± As Ruby spoke, she subconsciously raised her hand to swear, but just as she raised it halfway, her eyes widened abruptly. Her whole body seemed to be acupunctured, and every part of her body came to a standstill, even her eyshes didn¡¯t blink. It took quite a long time for Steve Burton toe back to his senses. Upon seeing Ruby Gregory¡¯s cute and confused little appearance as she frantically tried to exin herself, his heart instantly softened, and the corner of his lips unknowingly curved into a smile. As he watched her flustered and seemingly trying to swear at him, he couldn¡¯t help but chuckle softly. However, in just a moment, he saw her entire body seemingly petrified, frozen in ce. Steve was baffled by Ruby¡¯s series of actions. He couldn¡¯t help but frown slightly and whispered, ¡°Ruby?¡± Ruby didn¡¯t respond at all. ¡°Ruby?¡± Steve extended his hand and touched Ruby¡¯s head. Ruby¡¯s whole body shuddered violently, and her mind snapped back in an instant. I really didn¡¯t want to sleep with you¡­ Oh god, how could she have such a thought? Rubypletely forgot about blushing and being shy, her eyes stiffly moved andnded on Steve¡¯s face, only then did she read from the depths of her heart, a faint trace of expectation, which was, she actually really expected, expected that she could sleep on the same bed with Steve¡­ She was clearly so scared and resistant to sleeping together with Steve. Although she would rather endure the difort and sleep with him than let him touch other women, it didn¡¯t mean she expected¡­
But now, she was actually expecting it. Ruby waspletely frightened by her own cognition. She couldn¡¯t believe that she actually desired this deep down. Ruby frowned slightly and in the next second, shey back on the bed, pulled the nket up, and covered her head. PS: It¡¯s not my problem, it¡¯s Tencent¡¯s. I¡¯m innocent. The technology is now fixed, and if you¡¯re still seeing repeat content in the first three chapters, remove this book from your bookshelf (if you haven¡¯t added it to your bookshelf, add it), delete the local files, and then re-collect this book. The content will be normal Cursed Tencent Readers who have subscribed don¡¯t need to spend money again If this update has no problem, I¡¯ll continue writing and updating If there are still problems, I¡¯ll continue to find a technical solution Chapter 431: 431: Don’t Force It If You Don’t Want To (1) Chapter 431: Don¡¯t Force It If You Don¡¯t Want To (1) Ruby Gregory couldn¡¯t tell if she was feeling shy from her expectations deep inside, or if she was simply frightened, but she clung to her nket, too nervous to even breathe.
The entire bedroom was eerily quiet. Ruby had no idea if Steve Burton had left, but she didn¡¯t dare lift the covers to see. As time slowly passed, and Ruby could no longer resist secretly lifting the cover slightly, she saw that the spot where Steve had been standing was empty, with no trace of him. In an instant, she felt an indescribable coldness rise from the soles of her feet, quickly consuming her entire body. Steve had actually left¡­ Feeling slightly hurt, she lowered her eyelids, hugged her nket, and curled her body up as she turned onto her side.
After an unknowable amount of time, Ruby felt the covers behind her being lifted, and she froze. The soft bed beside her dipped, and Steve¡¯s signature mild scent filled her nostrils. Before Ruby could turn to look, the man reached out his hand and pulled her into his embrace. A warmth and sense of security instantly filled Ruby¡¯s heart, sweeping away the darkness lingering there. Though her heart was overflowing with joy, her body tensed up instinctively, as it was so close to Steve. Her hand clenched tightly into a fist and hung at her waist, not daring to move. She held her breath for a long time, only to realize that he was merely holding her, with no other actions. After an unknown amount of time, Ruby stealthily opened her eyes and nced at Steve. He had his eyes closed, his expression calm, as if he had already fallen asleep. In her heart, she was secretly relieved that Steve hadn¡¯t touched her but also felt a twinge of disappointment. Ruby felt that she had never experienced such contradictory emotions and struggles in her life. It was as if her mind was in a fight, making her agitated and restless. In the end, she too fell into a deep sleep. When Ruby¡¯s breathing became long and even, Steve, who had seemed to be asleep, slowly opened his eyes and stared at the woman who had fallen asleep in his arms. Even though she was fast asleep, her body was still somewhat tense. When she said she didn¡¯t want to sleep alone, only he knew how much effort it took for him to suppress his desires at that moment and not throw himself onto her.
In some choices, between him and her, he would always unhesitatingly give up his own feelings to fulfill her desires. Since she resisted doing those things with him, he didn¡¯t like her to force herself and take painkillers. Therefore, in the end, he could only choose to wrong himself by not touching her. She didn¡¯t know, these past days, how difficult it was for him to endure. So much so that when he couldn¡¯t bear it, he had no choice but to leave, avoiding her by distancing himself. Just like now, her breath continuously drilled into his nose, her soft body slightly stiff as it nestled in his arms, his own blood boiling and rolling inside him. But he could only endure. He could easily return to his old ways, pinning her down and satisfying his own desires. However, having experienced tender moments with her, even though he knew they might be illusory, he stubbornly wished to maintain them. PS: Tencent messed up, I¡¯m innocent. The technical issue is now fixed. If you still see repeated content in the first four chapters, go to the bookshelf and delete this book (if you haven¡¯t added it to your bookshelf, do so), remove the local file and then re-add the book to your collection. The content should be normal now Chapter 432: 432: Don’t Force It If You Don’t Want To (2) Chapter 432: Don¡¯t Force It If You Don¡¯t Want To (2) The next day, when Ruby Gregory woke up, Steve Burton was still sleeping deeply.
The sunshine outside the window was peaceful, and as soon as she opened her eyes, she saw Steve¡¯s stunningly beautiful face, which naturally put her in a good mood. She didn¡¯t hurry to get up but snuggled in Steve¡¯s arms, tilted her head, and stared at his face. As Ruby kept watching him, her smile gradually faded away. They had shared a bed all night, and he hadn¡¯t touched her¡­ In an instant, Ruby recalled what Mrs. Taylor had once told her. Could it be that Steve was truly tired of her body? Ruby tried to keep herself calm and thought about how Mrs. Taylor also mentioned that a man could keep a woman by satisfying her in bed.
Ruby subconsciously clenched her fist, thought for a while, then secretly gritted her teeth. She gently lifted the quilt, left the bed, and went to the dressing room. There she chose a highly provocative nightgown to wear before tiptoeing back to the bedroom. Before getting back into bed, Ruby suddenly remembered something and went to the couch. She took her bag and found some painkillers inside. She took two pills, swallowed them, threw the painkiller box back into the bag, and then climbed back into bed. When Ruby returned to Steve¡¯s arms, she deliberately made more noise to wake him up. Steve looked somewhat confused; he hadn¡¯tpletely woken up yet. Ruby leaned against him and lightly moved her body. Steve¡¯s senses suddenly sharpened, and he looked at her with rapid, shallow breaths. She was wearing an extremely seductive dress with a thin fabric that hinted at the white skin underneath. She appeared like an alluring fruit with poisonous charm, making him unable to look away. Ruby felt the changes in Steve¡¯s body. She bravely clenched her fist, continued to move within his arms, and his breathing became more urgent. His body temperature rose. Ruby ced her slightly trembling finger on Steve¡¯s waist. As soon as she touched his skin, Steve¡¯s lips suddenly descended upon her. Due to the painkillers, Ruby knew it wouldn¡¯t hurt, and she stayed rxed. Shey submissively in Steve¡¯s arms, allowing him to take what he wanted. Steve ripped both of their clothes off with urgency.
Innumerable kisses, both rapid and rough, covered her entirely. The atmosphere in the room quickly ignited. However, just as Steve eagerly moved towards the main event, he seemed to notice something was wrong. Suppressing his inner desires, he opened his eyes and looked at Ruby. Her face was gentle, her body soft, and there was no trace of her usual tension and unease in her eyes and brows. Steve¡¯s brows suddenly furrowed. Ruby sensed his hesitation and opened her eyes in confusion. She whispered softly, ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Steve didn¡¯t answer. He just stared into her eyes for a while, then suddenly turned his head. His gaze swept around the room before getting out of bed and walking towards the couch where Ruby¡¯s bag was. Chapter 433: 433: Don’t Force It If You Don’t Want To (3) Chapter 433: Don¡¯t Force It If You Don¡¯t Want To (3) Steve didn¡¯t say anything, but simply stared at her eyes for a moment, then suddenly turned his head, nced around the room, got up from the bed, and walked towards the sofa where Ruby¡¯s things were.
Ruby quickly sat up from the bed. Before she could ask what Steve was about to do, he had already grabbed her bag and dumped its contents onto the sofa. Steve circled around the items before stopping at a certain spot, swallowing hard. He reached out his hand and picked up a sheet of medication, seeing that only two pills had been taken. Considering thest time she had finished a sheet of pills until now, they had only slept together once. And that night, he hadn¡¯t given her a chance to take a pill out of anger. At all other times, he hadn¡¯t touched her at all. So these two pills could only have been taken this morning. No wonder she had changed into such sexy sleepwear this morning and was so submissive and gentle under him. It turned out to be because she had taken a pill. Whether it was due to sexual frustration leading to irritability or Ruby¡¯s continuous behavior of trying to please him against her wishes, Steve felt an uncontroble surge of anger inside him. He gripped the sheet of medication and shook it angrily towards Ruby, ¡°Ruby, does it feel good to take these pills?¡±
All this time, Ruby had thought that she had hidden her use of painkillers very well, but she never expected that Steve already knew about it. Her face turned pale, she opened her mouth but could not say a word, just slightly shook her head. ¡°Ruby, every time I touch you, you resist so strongly. If you really don¡¯t want to, why force yourself to take medication just to sleep with me? I¡¯m about to marry you; I thought you¡¯d be content with it. Little did I know that early this morning, you¡¯d find trouble for no reason!¡± ¡°The reason I¡¯ve been holding myself back from touching you is that I don¡¯t want you to take painkillers anymore. But here you are, taking them for no reason! ¡®Every medicine is poison in the right dose,¡¯ Ruby. Did you get kicked in the head by a donkey? Why would you keep taking pills at every turn, howe it hasn¡¯t killed you yet?¡± Steve¡¯s anger built with every word, and he eventually let out a curse, ¡°Ruby, do you know what the fuck I hate the most? People like you, with one face outside and another face inside! Are you tired? Can¡¯t you just act normal? You¡¯re not an actress; what the hell are you pretending for all day? Why didn¡¯t you apply for Ciawell Film Academy before? Do you want me to find a crew for you tomorrow, arrange a role for you to y? Maybe you can win the best actress award!¡± Ruby had done many things to cross Steve¡¯s line. He had been angry with her for not loving him and also for taking advantage of him. In the past, every time he was angry, he would either ridicule her or torment her cruelly. He had nevershed out at her like he was doing now. That¡¯s why he finally spoke out, letting out all the things that had been bothering him deeply these days. Upon hearing Steve¡¯s angry words, Ruby¡¯s initially scared expression suddenly froze. So, all this time, Steve hadn¡¯t touched her not because he was bored with her body, but because he knew she had been taking painkillers? PS: That¡¯s it for today. Tencent¡¯s inspiration hasn¡¯t been that great Steve finally spoke out about what was in his heart
Chapter 434: 434: Don’t Force It If You Don’t Want To (4) Chapter 434: Don¡¯t Force It If You Don¡¯t Want To (4) Ruby Gregory, who originally looked a little frightened, suddenly froze when she heard Steve Burton¡¯s string of frustrated words.
So the reason Steve had not touched her for so many days was not because he had grown tired of her body, but because he had long known that she had taken painkillers? Steve didn¡¯t know what he had just blurted out in his anger. He wanted even more desperately to vent, so he fiercely threw the medicine te toward the bed, sniffed, and said, ¡°Don¡¯t think I don¡¯t know what you¡¯re up to. You don¡¯t want me to touch you, but you can¡¯t help but consider your family¡¯s interests, so you¡¯re using these pills to fend me off!¡± ¡°Ruby Gregory, let me tell you! If you don¡¯t want to do that sort of thing, I won¡¯t force you. Do you fucking think I¡¯m keen to touch you? If you ever let me catch you ying those twisted games again for the sake of the Gregorys, I swear I¡¯ll immediately bring down Gregory¡¯s Enterprises!¡± After finishing his rant, Steve angrily paced around the room. He was utterly furious! From initially trying to get close to him for the sake of Gregory¡¯s Enterprises, pleasing him, wanting to marry him, and now with their wedding settled, she still hadn¡¯t changed her nasty habits.
She was still using all her cunning and exhausting her mind for the sake of the Gregorys! As the thoughts raced through his mind, Steve suddenly stopped in his tracks, turned around, raised his hand, and pointed at Ruby, gritting his teeth as he warned, ¡°I¡¯m telling you, Ruby Gregory. If I ever find out you¡¯re taking painkillers again, believe it or not, I¡¯ll make you eat more than enough of them!¡± ¡°You weren¡¯t such a mess when you were younger! Howe the older you get, the more irritating you be!¡± Although Steve¡¯s words sounded sharp and merciless, clearly scolding Ruby like she had been drenched in dog¡¯s blood, she was able to pick up on the key points. She understood that Steve was scolding her because he disapproved of her taking painkillers. He was right; medicines were always somewhat toxic. When she first started taking painkillers, she was deeply saddened in her heart, but she had no other choice. She had to swallow the injustice and bitterness silently. She had even thought that perhaps these painkillers would apany her for the rest of her life. Ruby looked at the man in front of her, who seemed to be about to jump out of his skin in anger. Yet, she couldn¡¯t help but feel a surge of warmth and happiness in her heart, and her lips curled into a restrained smile. After Steve had vented for a while, he finally calmed down, turned his head to look at Ruby, and found her hugging the nket, gazing at him with clear eyes. Not only was there no fear between her brows, but there was even a hint of a smile. He was fucking pissed, and she could still find it in herself tough? What the fuck was sheughing at?! Steve¡¯s anger surged even more as he opened his mouth to curse at Ruby, but then he suddenly remembered the words he had just said. The words he was about to say were swallowed back down, and only then did he realize what he had said to Ruby in his rage.
Steve hesitated for a moment, hesitated again, then turned around without any further dy and quickly walked out of the bedroom door. His pace was quick, but he seemed somewhatposed. Ruby sat on the bed, hugging the nket, staring at Steve¡¯s departing figure, her brow furrowed slightly. She didn¡¯t know if it was just her imagination, but she felt that at this moment, Steve seemed more like¡­ he was fleeing in defeat. Chapter 435: Don’t Force It If You Don’t Want To (5) Chapter 435: Don¡¯t Force It If You Don¡¯t Want To (5) When Steve Burton¡¯s health was almost back to normal, Mrs. Taylor returned to the mansion. Today was Monday, and Mrs. Taylor knew that Steve had to go back to work, so she came early in the morning to prepare breakfast. As soon as Mrs. Taylor had set the cooked porridge on the table, she heard a loud bang from the bedroom door on the second floor. Startled, her hand trembled, and she looked up to see Steve storming towards the neighboring room in anger. In that instant, Mrs. Taylor¡¯s heart skipped a beat. Had Mr. Steve and Ms. Gregory been arguing again? After Mrs. Taylor had ced the breakfast on the dining table, Steve came out of the room again, changed into a new suit, looking smart and energetic. He fiddled with his cufflinks while keeping an eye on the master bedroom and then went straight downstairs without a nce. Mrs. Taylor cautiously approached Steve: ¡°Mr. Steve, breakfast is ready.¡± Steve halted, nced at the dining table. Seeing that Steve¡¯s expression wasn¡¯t terrifyingly cold, Mrs. Taylor, hoping to improve the rtionship between Steve and Ruby, said, ¡°Mr. Steve, please sit down. I¡¯ll go upstairs and call Ms. Gregory.¡± The moment the words ¡°Ms. Gregory¡± were mentioned, Steve¡¯s expression stiffened, and then with a cold hum through his nose, he suddenly strode off to the foyer area, changed his shoes, and left without a pause. After Ruby Gregory finished washing up, she came downstairs to find Mrs. Taylor dejectedly sitting on the sofa. In contrast to Steve¡¯s irritability, Ruby seemed to be in a great mood and even greeted Mrs. Taylor proactively: ¡°Good morning, Mrs. Taylor.¡± With a worried look on her face, Mrs. Taylor raised her head to greet Ruby with a ¡°good morning¡±, then followed it up listlessly: ¡°Breakfast is on the table.¡± Ruby hummed in acknowledgment, walked to the dining table, looked at the breakfast, and then sat down and began eating with chopsticks. Mrs. Taylor watched Ruby eating alone at the dining table and sighed. She then walked over and served Ruby a ss of milk: ¡°Ms. Gregory, did you and Mr. Steve have another argument?¡± As soon as the words ¡°Mr. Steve¡± were mentioned, Ruby immediately thought of Steve¡¯s scolding just now. A warmth filled her heart, and she nodded to Mrs. Taylor, then reached out to take the ss of milk from her, saying, ¡°Thank you.¡± Ruby paused before taking a sip of the milk, then looked up at Mrs. Taylor, smiling: ¡°It wasn¡¯t really an argument, Steve just scolded me by himself.¡± Ruby nced at the time; she had about an hour left before work. She quickly finished the milk, stood up, and before leaving, added to Mrs. Taylor: ¡°He scolded me for a whole ten minutes.¡± After saying that, Ruby smiled, grabbed her car keys, and hurriedly went out. Mrs. Taylor was left standing dumbfounded in the dining room, puzzled and unclear about what had just happened. Mr. Steve had scolded Ms. Gregory, leaving him in such a bad mood he didn¡¯t even eat breakfast, while the one who was scolded, Ms. Gregory, was in such a good mood she had two sses of milk. Heavens, what on earth was going on? Were all young people¡¯s rtionships this twisted nowadays? Although Ruby left twenty minutester than Steve, she arrived at thepany at around the same time as him. Chapter 436: Don’t Force It If You Don’t Want To (6) Chapter 436: Don¡¯t Force It If You Don¡¯t Want To (6) Steve Burton left for work during the morning rush hour, and the road was congested. When Ruby Gregory left home, the traffic had improved a lot. So even though Ruby left twenty minutester than Steve, they arrived at thepany parking lot around the same time. Steve¡¯s car was ahead of Ruby¡¯s. He parked in his exclusive parking spot, and Ruby, after thinking for a moment, parked in his other exclusive spot behind him. After locking his car, Steve got out just as Ruby was climbing out of her vehicle. She beamed at him and greeted, ¡°Mr. Burton, good morning.¡± Steve instantly thought of the angry words he had said to Ruby in the morning and his face immediately darkened. He turned his head, pretending that Ruby didn¡¯t exist, and strode towards the elevator. He didn¡¯t wait for Ruby and went straight up to the office. Ruby, who was ignored and left behind, pouted at the rising elevator, then grabbed her bag and entered another elevator. Throughout the entire morning at Pristine¡¯s Corporation, Steve remained in a state of ignoring Ruby. Whenever Ruby appeared somewhere, Steve would immediately turn his face cold and leave. Sometimes when Ruby reported her work to Steve, he listened with a stern face, not bothering to say a single word. He would either sign the document directly or just nod and walk away. Despite Steve¡¯s disregard and cold treatment, Ruby did not feel as upset as before. On the contrary, she felt smug. Ruby didn¡¯t eat lunch at the Pristine¡¯s Corporation that day. Instead, she went to the hospital to visit Maya Mitchell and ate with her. After eating, Ruby instinctively opened her bag and pulled out a pill bottle. It was a bottle of vitamins provided by Steve, and this was the second bottle she had received. Maya, sitting on her hospital bed, noticed the two white pills Ruby took from the bottle and feigned concern, ¡°Ruby, are you feeling unwell? Why are you taking medicine?¡± ¡°It¡¯s not medicine, it¡¯s vitamins.¡± When Ruby said this, a brilliance she couldn¡¯t suppress appeared in her eyes. Even her tone carried a hint of boasting and pride that she didn¡¯t notice herself, ¡°Steve told me to take them, saying they can boost immunity.¡± Annoyed and envious that Steve was also involved, Maya forced out a smile: ¡°Really? Mr. Burton is so good to you.¡± Upon hearing this, Ruby thought of Steve¡¯s scolding in the morning and pouted: ¡°Not really, he scolded me a lot this morning.¡± Even though the words were supposed to beints, Ruby uttered them in a coy tone, making it clear to anyone that she was feeling happy at heart. Maya¡¯s smile became a bit stiff: ¡°A hit shows affection, a scolding shows love. If Mr. Burton really likes you, he would scold you.¡± Ruby¡¯s smile brightened even more at Maya¡¯s words: ¡°Maya, what nonsense are you talking about?¡± Lowering her eyes, Ruby continued, ¡°Maya, Steve and I will get engaged on the 10th of next month. You muste.¡± Chapter 437: 437: Don’t Force It If You Don’t Want To (7) Chapter 437: Don¡¯t Force It If You Don¡¯t Want To (7) Although she had already known about their engagement, hearing it again from Ruby Gregory made Maya Mitchell feel an inexplicable chill in her heart. She lowered her gaze, concealing the coldness in her eyes, and gently said, ¡°I¡¯ll definitely be there.¡±
¡°Then it¡¯s settled. I¡¯ll have someone send you the invitationter,¡± Ruby replied. Maya gave a stiff nod, feigning a good-natured expression as she asked, ¡°Is the engagement ceremony ready? Do you need any help with the preparations?¡± ¡°Mom and Steve Burton¡¯s mother are preparing the ceremony together; I don¡¯t need to worry about it,¡± Ruby said. She had always dreamed of marrying Steve, so she was genuinely excited about the engagement banquet. Even so, she couldn¡¯t help but tell Maya about the details of her wedding. ¡°The engagement banquet is taking ce at Red Park Resort & Vis. There¡¯s argewn by theke; Mom sent me a photo the other day. I saw the beautiful arrangements¡­¡± Ruby took out her phone from her pocket as she spoke, found the picture, and showed it to Maya. Even just for the engagement ceremony, the arrangements were so dreamy and romantic. What would their wedding be like ¨C even more magnificent and grand? Looking at the picture that resembled a scene from a fairy tale, Maya held in her heartache and nodded in agreement. ¡°It seems they¡¯ve put a lot of effort into it,¡± she said.
¡°Yes,¡± Ruby replied, not realizing how heartbroken Maya felt. She continued, ¡°The engagement dresses for me and Steve were custom-made by a French designer. And the ring, Aunt Burton has a pink diamond in her collection that we gave to the jewelers to design. We haven¡¯t decided on the final design yet, so when they finish, you can help me choose the most beautiful one¡­ Oh, and the food at the engagement dinner is from a famous chef¡­¡± As Maya looked at Ruby, whose eyes danced with happiness, she was suddenly unable to listen to her words any longer. Their happiness and beauty together were deep thorns in her heart. Maya took a deep breath, pretending to suddenly remember something, and said, ¡°By the way, Ruby, did you know? Our university ssmates from Ciawell are organizing a reunion soon.¡± ¡°I received the group email.¡± ¡°That¡¯s good,¡± Maya said those three words, wanting to bring up another topic, but her mind was too upied with all that Ruby had just mentioned. She grew weary and closed her eyes lightly. ¡°Ruby, it¡¯s gettingte, and you have to work this afternoon. I¡¯m tired too.¡± ¡°Then I¡¯ll head back to the office first. You should rest well.¡± ¡°Yes, goodbye,¡± Maya smiled. ¡°Goodbye,¡± Ruby returned the smile and walked out of the hospital room. As soon as the door closed, the smile vanished from Maya¡¯s face. Feeling suffocated and unable to vent, she looked at the fruits and supplements that Ruby had brought with her. Irritated, she threw everything on the floor. After venting her anger on the items, Maya turned her head to the side, breathing heavily. Only then did her heart feel slightly relieved.
Chapter 438: 438: Don’t Force It If You Don’t Want To (8) Chapter 438: Don¡¯t Force It If You Don¡¯t Want To (8) In the afternoon when she returned to thepany, Steve Burton was the same as he had been in the morning,pletely ignoring Ruby Gregory¡¯s presence.
After work, Ruby waits for Steve toe out of his office before she packs up her things and leaves with him. Steve treats Ruby as if she¡¯s invisible, entering the elevator, exiting the elevator, then walking to his car, opening the door, sitting down, starting the engine, and driving away in a puff of smoke. Ruby quickly climbs into her own car, starts it, and follows him. Both cars, one after the other, leave thepany and head back to the apartment. Steve arrives at the elevator two minutes before Ruby, and by the time she parks, he¡¯s already waiting for it. Ruby quickly parks her car, unbuckles her seatbelt, grabs her bag, gets out, and runs towards the elevator, but as soon as she gets halfway there, the elevator doors open and Steve steps inside without pause, ignoring her as he goes straight up.
When Ruby arrives back at the apartment using another elevator, Steve is already gone from the living room, and only his shoes in the foyer area prove that he¡¯s home. Mrs. Taylor has already returned to the Burtons¡¯ Mansion, but she¡¯s prepared dinner and left it in the warmer. Ruby takes out all the dishes one by one, sets them on the table, and then runs upstairs. Steve has just finished taking a shower and steps out of the bathroom, ignoring Ruby calling him for dinner, and continues drying his hair, then goes to the changing room to change into casual clothes, only then does he go downstairs and head to the dining room. Steve silently and quickly finishes his dinner, not caring that Ruby is only halfway through her meal, then immediately pushes away his chair and heads to the study on the second floor. Ruby pouts, continues to eat her dinner at a leisurely pace, cleans up the table, then walks severalps in the living room to help digest her food, before finally sitting down to watch TV. It¡¯s quickly eleven o¡¯clock at night, and Steve still hasn¡¯te out of the study. Is he really going to ignore herpletely? Ruby tilts her head, thinks for a while, and then goes to make a cup of coffee, then carries it upstairs. Ruby arrives at the study door, knocks on it, gets no response, tries turning the handle to find it locked from the inside, then, puffing out her cheeks, reconsiders, goes back to the bedroom, rummages through the bedside table for the key, returns to the study door, unlocks it, and walks in with the coffee. Steve acts like he doesn¡¯t hear themotion Ruby makes, remaining still in his seat at the desk, staring intently at theputer screen. Ruby walks up to the desk and puts the coffee next to Steve¡¯s hand, ¡°Have some coffee.¡±
Steve doesn¡¯t even look up, just stares at theputer screen. Ruby scowls at Steve for a while and then speaks, ¡°The coffee won¡¯t be good once it¡¯s cold.¡± Steve raises his hand and types a few lines on the keyboard. ¡°If you don¡¯t want coffee, should I make you some tea?¡± Feeling that Ruby is a bit noisy, Steve takes a pair of headphones from nearby and plugs them into his ears. Ruby¡¯s eyes open wide as she says, ¡°Hey,¡± but the man remains unmoved. Ruby frowns and then raises her hand, closing theptop forcefully. Chapter 439: 439: Don’t Force It If You Don’t Want To (9) Chapter 439: Don¡¯t Force It If You Don¡¯t Want To (9) Steve Burton, who had been interrupted from his work, finally lifted his head and looked at Ruby Gregory.
¡°Steve, why have you been ignoring me?¡± Ruby asked. She suddenly realized that Steve was wearing headphones and probably couldn¡¯t hear her. So she reached out and pulled off his headphones. ¡°This morning, you were the one who scolded me¡­¡± Ruby hadn¡¯t mentioned this morning, and the moment she did, Steve felt a surge of heat creeping up the sides of his ears, causing his entire face to be hot. He sprang up from his chair like a frightened animal, not even looking at Ruby, and rushed towards the door of the study. Ruby instinctively stopped Steve. Steve frowned and tried to go around Ruby. Without thinking, Ruby reached out and grabbed Steve¡¯s clothes. ¡°You¡¯ve scolded me for so long, isn¡¯t that enough¡­¡±
Bringing up the morning again¡­ A deep blush climbed up Steve¡¯s face as he interrupted Ruby: ¡°You deserved it!¡± The five words from Steve came out instinctively and harshly, even with a bit of viciousness. His entire body seemed to emit an intimidating aura, which scared Ruby. Her fingers trembled, and she instinctively let go of his clothes, taking a step back. Steve had already stopped being angry at Ruby after scolding her earlier. However, he was embarrassed to have unintentionally spoken what he truly thought about her. Now that she kept bringing up the morning incident, he couldn¡¯t help but get annoyed. Seeing her look scared, he realized he hadn¡¯t controlled his emotions well. He opened his mouth to say sorry but couldn¡¯t bring himself to do it. Instead, he walked over to her, picked her up, and carried her back to their bedroom. After cing her on the bed and covering her with a nket, he finally said, ¡°Go to sleep early.¡± His tone was much gentler than when he scolded her, but it still carried a hint of coldness. Unaware of Steve¡¯s embarrassment about his candidments, Ruby assumed that he was still angry and hadn¡¯t let go of his resentment. So when Steve turned around to leave, she reached out again and grabbed his hand. Steve turned his head and looked at Ruby. Making eye contact with him, her grip on Steve¡¯s hand tightened, her fingertips trembling slightly as if she were nervous. She bit the corner of her lip, struggled for a long time with her eyes downcast, and finally said hesitantly, ¡°I don¡¯t want to take the painkillers either.¡± Steve never expected that Ruby would hold his hand and say something like this. For a moment, he felt as if he¡¯d been struck, frozen in ce like his acupoints were hit. Ruby had never exined herself to Steve. Opening up now, she felt extremely anxious, her heart racing, as if it would burst out of her chest. She took a deep, silent breath, stared at Steve with wide eyes, and continued softly, ¡°But I¡¯m afraid of the pain. Whenever you touch me, I feel pain, and my whole body can¡¯t help but tense up¡­ Then you get unhappy, and the pain gets worse¡­¡±
At this point, Ruby bit her lip hard. ¡°That¡¯s why I took the medicine.¡± Chapter 440: 440: Don’t Force It If You Don’t Want To (10) Chapter 440: Don¡¯t Force It If You Don¡¯t Want To (10) ¡°After I take the painkiller, I don¡¯t feel nervous or in pain anymore, and then I notice that your mood gets better, so, so¡­¡± Ruby Gregory¡¯s voice gradually became quieter: ¡°After that, I took painkillers every time.¡±
When Ruby finished speaking, she tightly closed her eyes, not daring to look at Steve Burton. Her nervous back was covered in ayer of fine sweat, and her other hand tightly gripped the quilt. It took a while for Steve to snap out of his daze. His chest was filled withplex and surging emotions: surprise, excitement, and touched. He didn¡¯t know how to react, so he firmly held her small hand in return. Ruby felt the man hold her hand but still didn¡¯t dare to look up at Steve. She couldn¡¯t figure out if this meant he had forgiven her. After hesitating for a moment, she spoke in a weak voice, ¡°I¡­ I won¡¯t take painkillers anymore¡­ Can you¡­ Can you not be angry anymore?¡± When Ruby said thest sentence, her voice had a touch of a little girl¡¯s coquetry. It was like those times when Ruby had done something wrong and came to him to clean up the mess, looking so delicate and needy. Steve felt something soft in the depths of his heart. He applied a bit of force with his arm, yanked Ruby up from the bed, and pulled her directly into his embrace, hugging her tightly.
He hugged her so hard, it was as if he wanted to embed her into his body. Ruby¡¯s small head was pressed against Steve¡¯s shoulder. After a long time, she spoke again, asking hesitantly, ¡°Does this mean you¡¯re not angry anymore?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Steve replied without any hesitation, holding Ruby¡¯s hand with even more force. Only after hearing Steve¡¯s affirmative response did Ruby feel at ease. Steve held her for a long time before gentlyying her back on the bed. It was already midnight, and they had to get up early for work in the morning. Steve cuddled Ruby and coaxed her to sleep, but he didn¡¯t feel the slightest bit drowsy. His eyes brightened as he stared at her closed eyes. Rubyy with her eyes closed, trying to fall asleep, but what came to her mind was the scene of Steve angrily pointing at her, saying she wouldn¡¯t let him touch her. She admitted that her past advances towards him were indeed purposeful, but this morning, she had no ulterior motives. She was just afraid that he would tire of her body, as Mrs. Taylor had suggested. Although he wasn¡¯t angry now, didn¡¯t he still think poorly of her deep down? The more Ruby thought about it, the more uneasy she felt. She closed her eyes and pondered for a while, then gently called out Steve¡¯s name, ¡°Steve.¡± ¡°Hmm?¡± Hearing Steve¡¯s reply, Ruby didn¡¯t continue speaking yet, but her face turned red. After swallowing down saliva several times, she uttered in a mosquito-like hum, ¡°I¡¯m not opposed to you, I was just nervous because I was scared of the pain¡­¡± Her words were not clear, so Steve just hummed in response with a ¡°?¡± sound.
It had taken her a lot of courage to say that once, and for the second time¡­ Ruby clenched her fingers tightly, waited for a long while, and then whispered softly, ¡°I mean, I¡¯m not against you touching me¡­¡± PS: That¡¯s it for today I have something to doter I¡¯ll continue updating tomorrow I rmend you vote with your tickets and golden keyboard If not, I¡¯ll wrap up this warm plot tomorrow and return to being a viin, torturing Steve and Ruby Chapter 441: 441: The Golden Boy and the Jade Girl, A Naturally Perfect Pair (1) Ruby¡¯s voice was still pitifully small, but her words were much clearer, allowing Steve to hear them distinctly. When Ruby said this again, her dark eyes were constantly looking at Steve. However, as she finished speaking, she shyly lowered her eyelids, no longer daring to look at him. Ruby continued to tightly clench her fingers, holding her breath. What she said was not ¡®I love you¡¯, ¡®I want to be with you¡¯, ¡®I miss you¡¯¡­ Not any warm or touching words of affection. All she said was a simple sentence, ¡°I don¡¯t dislike you touching me¡­¡± But for Steve, he felt that this sentence was the most beautiful one he had ever heard in his life. Happiness hade so quickly that he could hardly digest it; his entire body seemed frozen, unable to react at all. The room was very quiet, with only the faint, dim light lingering softly. Ruby waited for a long time without hearing Steve¡¯s voice. Her shyness gradually began to be overshadowed by uneasy feelings. Did Steve not believe what she said? Anxiety welled up in Ruby¡¯s heart. She bit the corner of her lip, struggling for a while before speaking again, ¡°Steve, everything I said is true.¡±
There was still no response from the man, as if she was the only one in the bedroom, talking to the air. ¡°Steve, what do you need for you to believe that everything I said is true?¡± Ruby felt increasingly anxious and even a little angry, her words became chaotic, disordered. ¡°Steve, you liar!¡± Steve¡¯s mind had been muddled, feeling that everything was so unreal. Suddenly, he was used of being a liar by an indignant Ruby. He froze for a moment, his eyebrows furrowing together. ¡°You used to say you¡¯d believe whatever I said¡­ You believed me when I was ndered back in high school. You said you would believe me even if the whole world didn¡¯t¡­¡± Upon hearing this, a hint of surprise shed across Steve¡¯s eyes. He didn¡¯t wait for Ruby to finish speaking; he rolled over, pressed against Ruby, and fiercely sealed her lips with a kiss. His kiss was intense, with trembling lips, even his hand, which held her head, was shaking. So, she actually remembered some things, didn¡¯t she? She still remembered the promise he had once made to her. Maybe others didn¡¯t know what her words meant, but he knew what she was talking about. As soon as Ruby entered high school, her poprity spread throughout the entire campus. She was beautiful, came from a good family, and although her academic performance was not the best, it was considered above average. She could perform an amazing, stunning dance, and paint lively, dreamlike oil paintings. In any case, she was a perfect person. When someone is too outstanding, it¡¯s inevitable that others be jealous. Some people hid their jealousy deep in their hearts, while others couldn¡¯t bear it and took action. Thus, during Christmas that year, when the ss organized a group activity, Ruby encountered trouble. Chapter 442: 442: The Golden Boy and Jade Girl, a Natural Pair (2) For ss collective activities like this, it was natural for Ruby, the female ss leader, to be in charge of nning and directing. At that time, there was an organizingmittee member in their ss, who was also a girl. Aside from being slightly taller than Ruby, she didn¡¯t seem to have any other advantages, but she could still be considered a bright beauty among the crowd. It was said that this organizingmittee member had once been elected as the Homing Queen in middle school, and she was doted upon by many. However, after entering high school and encountering Ruby, she lost much of her previous glory. Even more, it was rumored that a senior whom the organizingmittee member had a crush on actually sent Ruby flowers and a box of choctes on the night of Chinese Valentine¡¯s Day. The items required for the Christmas event were ordered by all the ssmates in Ruby¡¯s ss, but Ruby and the organizingmittee member, along with several male ssmates, went to a supermarket to buy them. After buying the items, they began to arrange the ssroom, and after going back and forth several times, it was already past seven o¡¯clock in the evening. The boys, eager to go home and y games, left one after another and left Ruby and the organizingmittee member in charge of finishing the small details. Nearing the end of their work, the organizingmittee member also found an excuse to leave, leaving Ruby alone in the end. The next day, in the afternoon, it was time for the Christmas party in Ruby¡¯s ss. This party had a raffle draw, the grand prize was an MP3 yer. For students at the time, it was definitely a luxury item. Ruby, the organizingmittee member, and several boys had bought the Sony MP3 yer together at the mall. Ruby was thest person to leave the ssroom the day before. All the gifts and food were piled up in a corner at the back of the ssroom, and she didn¡¯t think they would get lost. So, she just locked the ssroom and went home.
However, when Ruby arrived at the ssroom after lunch, she found the ss teacher, the organizingmittee member, and several ss officers with particrly solemn expressions. Ruby looked at everyone with a puzzled expression, but after a while, the ss teacher told her the MP3 yer was missing and pointed out that she was thest person who left the ssroom the night before. Ruby immediately understood what the ss teacher was implying, so she tried making clear her innocence, but the ss teacher remained skeptical, and even told Ruby it was good to correct her mistakes in the end. Ruby, who had been busy preparing for the event for such a long time, was utterly wronged when used of being a thief. The previous night, she was proud of the party venue she had personally set up, but now, she felt extremely upset. The atmosphere at the time was tense. Ruby obviously hadn¡¯t taken the MP3 and naturally didn¡¯t want to admit it, but all the students were standing around, waiting for her, thest person to leave the ssroom, to hand over the MP3. Madeleine naturally supported Ruby without any reason, but due to her young age andck of experience, she got scared seeing Ruby being doubted by so many people. So, with tears in her eyes, she called Howard Coleman for help with her phone. Chapter 443: 443 Golden Boy and Jade Girl, A Born Pair (3) At that time, Howard Coleman, Rusell Henris, and Edward Woods all affectionately called Ruby Gregory ¡°Ruby¡±. Even though every time they uttered these two words, Steve Burton would glower at them a bit, the three were still oblivious to the matter. So, the first thing Howard said when he went to find Steve was: ¡°Bro, Ruby is being bullied.¡± At that time, Steve was busy organizing their Christmas g party for their ss. Hearing this, he immediately headed out of the ssroom without any further discussion. Howard quickly followed behind him, repeating to Steve exactly what Madeleine had told him. After listening, Steve immediately turned around and went to Rusell Henris¡¯ ssroom, unzipped his backpack, and rummaged around for a bit. He took out a still-sealed MP3 box and headed toward Ruby Gregory¡¯s ssroom. The MP3 yer was a Sony brand, bought by Rusell to gift his new girlfriend that evening. When Steve entered Ruby¡¯s ssroom, he noticed at once that Ruby was surrounded by a group of people. She was pursing her lips, clutching her fist, and looked wronged. Although he was livid, he still maintained his good upbringing. He knocked on the door, entered politely, then, actingpletely oblivious to the situation, handed the MP3 yer to Ruby: ¡°Ruby, when I picked you upst night, you said that this was your grand prize, too valuable to risk leaving here. So, you asked me to take it home for you. I forgot to give it back to you. Just found it when I was searching through my bag. So, here it is.¡± Ruby looked at Steve with slight surprise. She had not given him an MP3 yer at all. Although Ruby wasn¡¯t the best student academically, she was still seen as a good student in her teacher¡¯s eyes. Moreover, with Steve Burton, the universally known top student of the school, stepping in to help Ruby, the teacher was the first to be all smiles: ¡°So the MP3 yer was taken home by Ruby. Why didn¡¯t you say so earlier? We thought it was lost and have been searching for a long while.¡± Steve of course knew they were not searching, but rather trying to force Ruby to confess. He still kept his polite smile, passed the MP3 yer directly to Ruby¡¯s teacher, then lifted his hand to tousle Ruby¡¯s hair, his tone both indulgent and tolerant: ¡°You¡¯re so grown up, yet still so absent-minded. How can you forget so quickly what you¡¯ve said and done?¡±
Having said that, Steve patted Ruby¡¯s head: ¡°Let¡¯s go, I¡¯ll give you your Christmas gift early.¡± Then, with his arm around Ruby¡¯s shoulder, Steve started walking out of the ssroom, all the while saying, ¡°Ruby, didn¡¯t you drop your Nokia color screen phone, and a small piece of paint chipped off that you felt ufortable looking at? So, for a Christmas gift, I¡¯ve prepared a brand-new one for you. The old one, since we don¡¯t like looking at it, we can just throw it away.¡± Although Steve was speaking to Ruby, his voice was loud enough for everyone in the ssroom to hear clearly. At that time, owing a Nokia color screen phone was merely a dream for students. Yet, Ruby discarded hers just because of a tiny chip in the paint, and reced it with a brand-new one. Chapter 444: 444: The Golden Boy and the Jade Girl, A Naturally Perfect Pair (4) Such a wasteful act! However, it was precisely this waste that made all the girls even more envious and resentful of Ruby Gregory, and also made them all clearly see the gap between them and Ruby. At the same time, it also made everyone feel in an instant that Ruby, who could throw a mobile phone worth many times more expensive than a PM3 as if it was a toy, would not possibly steal an MP3. Although Steve Burton cleared Ruby¡¯s name with a few short words, she still seemed to be unhappy. Steve, seeing the grievances flowing from the lines around her eyes, felt a deep pain in his heart. He then silently led her to the small garden on the school campus. As they sat on the wooden bench, Ruby didn¡¯t speak for a long time, and Steve didn¡¯t disturb her either. After an unknown amount of time,ughter and cheer from the G Party began to echo from the ssrooms. Ruby blinked her eyes, then hesitantly turned to Steve, asking, ¡°Steve, don¡¯t you want to go back to the G Party?¡± ¡°What about you?¡± Steve saw that she finally spoke and his lips curved into a faint smile. Ruby shook her head, lowered her eyes, and muttered, ¡°I don¡¯t want to go back to the ssroom to join the G Party.¡± Steve said softly, ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll stay here with you.¡± Then, Ruby remained silent for a long time, as the sound of singing,ughter, and piano music continued to flow from the school building. Possibly because of Steve¡¯s longpanionship, Ruby¡¯s mood gradually calmed down, and she began to pour out her grievances to him. Her voice was small, as if she had suffered a great injustice. Sheined that despite all her efforts, she was not only disliked by everyone but also suspected. She said she didn¡¯t want to be the ss president anymore, as it had no meaning, she didn¡¯t want to stay in that ssroom, and she disliked her homeroom teacher.
At the end of the day, she was still a young girl. Even though she wasining, she still mentioned what bothered her the most, ¡°Steve, they don¡¯t trust me.¡± Steve didn¡¯t say a word, listening quietly to Ruby¡¯s words. It wasn¡¯t until he heard her say that, he lifted his hand, stroked her head, and said, ¡°I trust you.¡± Ruby looked up at him as if she had heard heavenly music, her eyes filled with a hint of surprise, ¡°Really?¡± Steve stared at her now joyful expression, secretly letting out a sigh of relief. He then realized that his palms were covered in ayer of sweat. He nodded at her, and said with certainty, ¡°Really, Ruby. Even if the whole world doesn¡¯t trust you, I will always trust you.¡± As Steve recalled this, the intensity of his kiss with Ruby deepened. Ruby¡¯s body tensed instinctively as Steve began to undress her. His movements paused for a moment, and he subconsciously wanted to roll away from her. However, Ruby grabbed his shoulder, her eyshes trembling fiercely. After a while, she wrapped her arms around his neck, lifted her head gently, stared into his eyes, and said with a trembling voice, ¡°Can we give it a try, please?¡± As she finished these words, her entire body blushed pink with shyness. She held Steve¡¯s neck tightly and then took the initiative to kiss his lips. Steve¡¯s heart surged, feeling a wave of dizziness, as he fiercely kissed her back. The night outside the window grew darker, but the room inside was filled with a bright and charming spring atmosphere. Chapter 445: 445: The Golden Boy and the Jade Girl, A Naturally Perfect Pair (5) Although Ruby Gregory didn¡¯t object to being intimate with Steve Burton in her heart, it didn¡¯t mean her body wouldn¡¯t resist. The instinctive stiffness still uncontrobly showed up because of her nervousness. No matter how much Steve tried to make her rx, she still felt pain. However, the pain now was different from the unbearable pain she had experienced before ¨C she even felt a hint of pleasure. In the following days, Ruby went back to Steve¡¯s apartment with him every night. Inevitably, they continued to do what only couples would do. Sometimes, once a night, sometimes twice, or even three times. As the frequency increased, Ruby gradually grew ustomed to it. The instinctive stiffness eased with each passing time. Eventually, she discovered that not only was there no stiffness in her body, but she also felt weak when Steve touched her. In the end, she even forgot her inherent reserve and clung to Steve, making unimaginable sounds. In fact, Steve¡¯s force was just as heavy and fierce as before, but since Ruby was no longer nervous, she no longer felt any pain. Every time after they finished, Ruby felt ashamed of her responsive and cooperative behavior during their passionate moments, yet when it happened again, she found herself bing even more proactive and sensitive. Days gradually passed, and it was the first of the following month, coincidentally a Saturday. That day was the Beijing alumni reunion of Steve and Ruby¡¯s university. The reunion venue was nothing surprising ¨C The Sapphire Bistro. The gathering was scheduled for 8 pm. Before leaving, although Ruby was already beautiful, like most women, she still wanted to make herself even more charming. So she intentionally did some touch-ups in front of the mirror. Ruby and Steve were about to get engaged, and there was no need to hide certain things. So, she naturally went to The Sapphire Bistro in Steve¡¯s car. Steve spent half of his annual business hours at The Sapphire Bistro, so the ce was like a familiar route for him. When Steve led Ruby into the designated private room, it was already packed with many people. Howard Coleman, Edward Woods, Rusell Henris, as well as Madeleine, whom Steve had driven out of China for a one-month vacation, had all arrived.
After Ruby and Steve sat down, they nced around the room, realizing that this wasn¡¯t just any alumni reunion but a gathering of prominent ssmates. They had invited almost every famous and influential graduate from their university in Beijing in recent years. Of course, that included Olivia Foster and Maya Mitchell. Maya¡¯s injury was mostly healed, but since it was on her head, a small patch of hair had been cut off during the treatment. So, today she wore a hat. It had been a long time since Ruby had seen Olivia. She was still as elegant as before, her gaze drifting towards Steve from time to time. The organizer of this reunion was Hiry, who had married into a rich family as a Ma¡¯am the previous year. At 8 o¡¯clock, she cleared her throat while holding a microphone and waited for everyone to quiet down before speaking: ¡° Chapter 446: 446: The Golden Boy and the Jade Girl, A Naturally Perfect Pair (6) ¡°I¡¯m very d that everyone could take the time toe to this reunion. Before our gathering officially begins, I must apologize. We might have to wait for an old ssmate¡­¡± Hiry paused: ¡°Everyone here should know this old ssmate, and many may be very familiar with him. He was the top student who entered the ss of 2007 with the highest score in the country, Edric Reat. He originally went to study in Costa Luna but returned to Ciawell recently and might possibly stay in Ciawell for future development.¡± At this point in her speech, Hiry¡¯s cellphone rang suddenly in her pocket. She apologized with a smile and answered the call right in front of all their ssmates: ¡°Edric, have you arrived? Alright, I¡¯lle out to meet you¡­¡± With that, Hiry left the private room. The room became somewhat quiet because of her departure, until someone whispered softly: ¡°Edric Reat, he¡¯s actually back in the country.¡± Immediately, someone continued the conversation, and they began to discuss Edric one after another. ¡°Back then, he was the one who was rmended by our school to study abroad. I always thought he would stay in Costa Luna.¡± ¡°It¡¯s been quite a few years since we¡¯ve seen him. He used to be the shining star of our ss¡­¡± Ruby Gregory and Madeleine sat together. Madeleine was in a slightly bad mood. Ruby was asking her what was wrong when she suddenly heard the name ¡°Edric Reat.¡± The fingers holding her ze cup paused slightly before she fell silent. Steve Burton sat beside her, looking indifferent amid the endless chatter about Edric. However, the corner of his eyes seemed to gently rest on Ruby¡¯s figure. As they talked, the room became slightly chaotic, discussing Edric¡¯s appearance, whether he was still as clean and elegant as before. ¡±
Before anyone could finish speaking, Hiry pushed open the door to the private room: ¡°Alright, everyone is finally here. Edric has arrived.¡± Along with Hiry¡¯s words, Ruby saw Edric enter the room. This was the third time she had seen him. He was still dressed in traditional attire, wearing a ck suit with a simple white shirt, looking clean and handsome, and the calm air around him was undeniable. Because he waste, Edric appeared very polite, bowing to everyone and sincerely saying: ¡°I¡¯m sorry for beingte. Ciawell has changed a lot these years, and I am unfamiliar with the roads.¡± Many of the people in the room were once very close to him, and some remained in contact online throughout the years. So they said half-jokingly: ¡°It¡¯s fine if you¡¯rete, you just have to drink three cups of alcohol as an apology.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t mind.¡± As the words were spoken, someone really poured three sses of alcohol and ced them on the table. With a faint smile on his face, Edric didn¡¯t hesitate, walked up to the sses, and downed all three drinks without any dy, then proceeded to apologize once more to everyone. They were all old ssmates, and they weren¡¯t genuinely trying to make things difficult for each other. It was just a joke. But the fact that he actually drank the alcohol made the atmosphere even more vibrant. The private room was crowded, and there were limited seats, with only an empty space left beside Steve Burton. Chapter 447: 447: The Golden Boy and the Jade Girl, A Naturally Perfect Pair (7) Edric Reat walked leisurely to that seat, and as he passed some old ssmates, he was able to call out their names, shake hands or give a hug to greet them. When Edric Reat arrived in front of Madeleine, she was holding a ss of alcohol, staring fixedly at Howard Coleman and the woman beside him. Facing Edric¡¯s greeting, she seemed somewhat absent-minded, not even waiting for Edric to finish speaking before drinking the alcohol in her ss. Edric Reat could only swallow back the words he was about to say, force a smile, and drink his alcohol. He then looked at Ruby Gregory sitting next to Madeleine. Ruby¡¯s expression was very calm, and when Edric looked at her, she lowered her eyelids in a polite manner and stood up. Edric Reat held the ss in his palm, stared at Ruby for about three seconds, and then said with the same unchanging smile, ¡°Ruby Gregory, long time no see.¡± His tone was very gentle and calm, no different from the greetings he gave to his old ssmates just before. It was as if they were old friends who had not seen each other for many years, simply reunited. Ruby held her ss, trying her best to maintain herposure. The look in her eyes conveyed a distant and polite demeanor, as she said warmly, ¡°Edric Reat, long time no see.¡± Following that, the two of them gently clinked their sses together. Ruby took a sip of her alcohol and calmly returned to her seat. Edric Reat, without reluctance, turned around and reached out to Steve Burton, ¡°Steve.¡± Steve sat arrogantly on the sofa, with his arms casually crossed over his chest, looking down slightly. After ncing at the hand that Edric Reat stretched out, he then raised his head, stared at Edric¡¯s face for a moment, showing no intention of standing up. Lazily reaching out his hand without saying a word, their handshake appeared rather perfunctory. Shortly after, he quickly released the grip.
Edric Reat didn¡¯t seem bothered by Steve¡¯s coldness and instead sat down beside him just as if nothing had happened. At the beginning of any ss reunion, it is customary to greet everyone first. Since Edric Reat had already greeted half of the people when he returned to his seat, Hiry directly asked Edric to continue greeting the remaining people and toast them before moving on to the others. Facing so many people¡¯s greetings, Steve always maintained a lukewarm attitude and sat motionless on the sofa. Some people knew Steve better than others, but everyone was already used to his aloof and cold demeanor, so they didn¡¯t take it to heart. When it was Steve¡¯s turn, he didn¡¯t actually go up to each person and clink sses with them like the others did. Instead, he simply and decisively stood up, poured himself a full ss of alcohol, raised it to everyone in the room, and didn¡¯t say anything before drinking it all in one go, as if he was greeting them all at once. After going around the room and greeting everyone, each person had drunk at least three or four sses of alcohol. With the help of the alcohol, everyone began to let loose a bit more. A ss reunion is all about eating and drinking, but fortunately, the organizer of this reunion was the idle and dainty madam, Hiry. She had put some thought into it and prepared some entertainment activities. The so-called entertainment activities were actually drawing lots to perform acts. If one didn¡¯t perform an act, they would be fined three cups of alcohol and be subjected to everyone¡¯s gossip questions. Chapter 448: 448: The Golden Boy and the Jade Girl, A Naturally Perfect Pair (8) Hiry had prepared quite well in advance. She prepared three boxes; one contained the names of female participants, another contained male participant names, and thest one contained the tasks they were to perform. As the organizer, Hiry was the first to draw from each of the three boxes. She opened the card and read out a rather absurd task¡ªit required a male and female participant to perform a body-to-body dance. The two participants normally didn¡¯t interact much. As soon as the female student heard the task, her face turned red and she immediately refused, saying she could not take part in such a game. The male participant was a little embarrassed as well, so he opted for the penalty of chugging three sses of alcohol and answering a question. Quite the gentleman, after drinking his three sses, he also took two for the female participant. The question was thought up and posed by everyone. There were a total of five questions. The first came from Howard, which was even more ridiculous than the task on the card: ¡°Where did each of you have your first time?¡± The room erupted intoughter. The male participant didn¡¯t mind and casually responded: ¡°In the little woods behind the school.¡± ¡°Pfft.¡± His answer sent the room full of people into fits ofughter. After theughter subsided, everyone turned to the female participant. Her face was extremely red, and she nervously stammered: ¡°In the inn across the school.¡± The first question was already awkward enough, the next four were even worse.
¡°With whom?¡± ¡°What¡¯s your longest time making love?¡± ¡°How many people of the opposite sex have you slept with?¡± Although there were no performances, the game became very interesting with these questions, creating excitement and trepidation amongst everyone. They were excited to see others embarrassed but were also anxious about potentially being embarrassed themselves. The next to draw were the first male and female participants. It was Madeleine and Howard this time, and their task was even more outrageous than thest¡ªit was to have a passionate kiss in front of everyone for five minutes. When they heard their task, Howard¡¯s good friends Rusell Henris and Edward Woods burst intoughter. Howard nced at Madeleine, his mind full of confusion. What a joke! If it were any other woman here, excluding Ruby Gregory, he would relish the game. After all, what¡¯s wrong with some harmless kissing? But the participant was Madeleine, a woman he had seen as his sister since childhood! Instinctively, Howard wanted to opt for the penalty of drinking three sses of alcohol and answering a question instead. However, Madeleine, who¡¯d been quietly drinking her sorrows away since seeing Howard and hisdyfriend getting cozy, didn¡¯t give Howard a chance to refuse. She boldly strode up to him, grabbed his tie, pulled down his head, and sealed his lips with hers. Indeed, it was a five-minute long passionate kiss. When it ended, the room fell silent for a minute and then erupted in screams. Amid the screams, Madeleine regained herposure, looking at a slightly stunned Howard, she stretched out her hand like a true sibling and patted him on the shoulder, jokingly saying, ¡°Howard, don¡¯t tell me you¡¯re not up for this?¡± Not giving Howard a chance to respond, Madeleine turned her head sideways towards the woman Howard came with, and with a raised eyebrow, coolly said, ¡°It¡¯s just a game. Don¡¯t take it to heart.¡± Then, Madeleine, as if nothing had happened, casually dragged Howard over to the boxes to draw the next card. The following activities were not as exciting, except when Maya Mitchell drew a card that required her and a male participant to recite a poem together. They each thought of a line, barely managing to recite the whole poem. PS: That¡¯s all for today. Stay tuned for more tomorrow
Chapter 449: The Golden Boy and the Jade Girl, A Naturally Perfect Pair (9) Chapter 449: The Golden Boy and the Jade Girl, A Naturally Perfect Pair (9) The following activities were nothing special, but then Maya Mitchell ended up getting picked, and she was paired with a male student to recite a poem together. The two of them tried their best to recite the poem, barely managing to pass the task. It was the male student who recited thest line of the poem. As soon as he finished, Maya quickly reached out and picked three cards without any hesitation. Then, with a slightly apologetic smile, she said to the male student, ¡°Sorry, you should have picked one too. Do you want me to put it back, and you pick again?¡± Being a gentleman, the young man said, ¡°No problem, let¡¯s just leave it like this, and see who the next male-female pair is.¡± Maya immediately opened the cards, and the male student, holding the microphone, read out loud, ¡°Ruby Gregory, Edric Reat, sing a duet of ¡®You Are the Song in My Heart¡¯.¡± Edric originally had his head turned to the side, talking quietly with the student next to him, with a faint smile on his face. When he heard the announcement, his brows slightly furrowed as he looked at Ruby. Ruby¡¯s face looked a little unnatural, and her fingers gripped her ss of alcohol tightly, showing no inclination to stand up. Edric also sat still, not getting up. After waiting for a while, seeing Ruby and Edric not getting up, someone called out, ¡°Ruby Gregory? Edric Reat? It¡¯s your turn!¡± ¡°Yeah, you guys should hurry up. It¡¯s just a song,pared to those tasks before, this is a piece of cake for you.¡± Ruby remained still, sitting beside Steve Burton, as if she had not heard everyone urging her on. Edric closed his eyes for a moment, then put down his ss of alcohol on the table and slowly stood up. Amid the cheers, he walked to the front of the marble table. ¡°Wait, we¡¯re still missing someone, where¡¯s Ruby Gregory?¡± ¡°Ruby Gregory?¡± With everyone asking, many eyes turned toward Ruby. Ruby¡¯s grip on the ss tightened even more. Two female ssmates who had been more acquainted with Ruby in the past couldn¡¯t help but run over to her, trying to pull her up forcefully from her seat. ¡°Ruby Gregory, hurry up, everyone is waiting for you.¡± ¡°Yeah, hurry up, hurry up¡­¡± Edric watched as Ruby was pulled up forcefully, his eyes slightly shifted, then he smiled and spoke softly, his voice gentle and unruffled, ¡°I¡¯m not sure about that song, the lyrics and melody are quite old, and I¡¯ve mostly forgotten them. How about I sing a different song for everyone, andter Ruby can sing one of her favorites? This way, everyone gets to listen to two songs.¡± ¡°Edric, you¡¯re obviously trying to cheat us. What¡¯s the point of dividing it into two separate songs when we wanted a duet?¡± ¡°Yeah, hurry up, stop stalling. If you don¡¯t sing, each of you has to drink three sses of alcohol as punishment. ept the challenge!¡± ¡°Come on, you guys used to sing together all the time, what¡¯s the big deal now?¡± Chapter 450: The Golden Boy and the Jade Girl, A Naturally Perfect Pair (10) Chapter 450: The Golden Boy and the Jade Girl, A Naturally Perfect Pair (10) In the private room, amid the mor of voices, someone suddenly brought up a past event, followed by someone else asking curiously, ¡°When did they ever sing a duet in the past?¡± Steve Burton seemed to not hear the surrounding chatter at all, just sitting there calmly with an indifferent expression on his face. He looked as if Ruby Gregory and Edric Reat¡¯s connection to this song had nothing to do with him. Only God knows how his heart had already turned icy at the moment when Maya Mitchell¡¯s male partner announced that Ruby Gregory and Edric Reat would be singing ¡°You are the Song in My Heart.¡± Now someone was saying that they had sung a duet in the past¡­ ha¡­Steve Burton snorted coldly in his heart again, feeling that Edric, who annoyed him anyway, was particrly bothersome now. ¡°It was when they were in college ah, Ruby Gregory and Edric Reat were ssmates. They sang a duet in a G Party organized by their department and even won the first prize in their departmentpetition,¡± exined someone in the know. ¡°You guys don¡¯t know, but the act by Edric Reat and Ruby Gregory, it really shook everyone. Both of them had great voices, absolutely at a top-notch level. A handsome man and a beautiful woman standing on the brilliantly lit stage were really such a sight. Even after so many years, I remember it as perfect.¡± Steve Burton heard all of these remarks, but his face remained impassive. Perfect, my ass! A silly departmental G Party where they even choose a first prize? Did they think it was a talent show?! ¡°Don¡¯t tell me, after Ruby Gregory and Edric Reat sang that song, many people thought they were a couple. Among our contemporaries, everyone said that Edric Reat and Ruby Gregory were a match made in heaven.¡± Match made in heaven, huh? Who the hell had such bad taste?! Steve¡¯s hand balled into a silent fist as he casually red at Edric. He felt the impulse to kick Edric out of the room. ¡°Now that you mention it, I remember now ¡ª the song that Edric Reat and Ruby Gregory sang back then was also ¡®You Are the Song in My Heart¡¯, right?¡± ¡°Really? That¡¯s a coincidence. They both sang this song today too. It¡¯s a divine arrangement.¡± ¡°This is simply predestined¡­¡± Predestiny? This is like being predestined to be a crazy person! Ha¡­ Steve Burton snorted coldly again in his heart ¡ª what a joke, he really wanted to beat up Edric so bad, he¡¯s searching for his missing teeth on the ground! As Ruby Gregory listened to the buzz of conversation surrounding her and Edric¡¯s past, her face gradually turned pale. She subconsciously turned her head and nced at Steve Burton beside her. Steve Burton was expressionless, staring straight ahead, not a ripple on his face. Yet, it was precisely Steve Burton¡¯s aloof and enigmatic demeanor that made Ruby feel even more restless. The ssmates around her became more and more insistent. ¡°Ruby Gregory, it¡¯s just a song, don¡¯t be so hesitant.¡± ¡°You and Edric Reat sang it straightforwardly back in the day.¡± ¡°Ruby Gregory, we¡¯re old ssmates. What on earth are you being modest about?¡± Listened to their urging, Steve Burton still held an indifferent expression, which was veryposed. He was simply waiting for Ruby Gregory¡¯s decision. Chapter 451: 451: Torturing Someone to Death Without Compensation (1) Chapter 451: Torturing Someone to Death Without Compensation (1) Now, Ruby Gregory¡¯s greatest fear was that Steve Burton would find out any clues about her rtionship with Edric Reat. Steve Burton was a very perceptive man, and in front of him, Ruby didn¡¯t even have time to act like a stranger to Edric. How could it be possible for her to sing a love song with Edric in front of Steve? Moreover, these people had now dug up her performance with Edric from the past, and the song was exactly the same as it was back then¡­ not to mention the gossip about the golden couple, a match made in heaven¡­ She was going to marry Steve and she had kept the matter hidden from him for three years. She would never let the cat out of the bag at this point¡­ Ruby swallowed and gripped the cup of alcohol tightly. She forced a smile at her former ssmates in the room and said softly, ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but I have a cold these days, and my throat is ufortable¡­ ¡± As she was saying this, Ruby coughed twice: ¡°I really can¡¯t sing at all, so I can only choose to drink three cups as a penalty and answer questions.¡± When Steve heard Ruby¡¯s refusal, he quietly breathed a sigh of relief, and his tense heart softened. He then casually changed to a rxed posture, as if he had never cared about anything happening in the private room. However, hiszy posture didn¡¯t evenst for half a minute before he heard Ruby¡¯s voice again: ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Edric, I¡¯m going to drag you into this.¡± Steve¡¯s spine straightened sharply. Although Ruby spoke to Edric in a tone with an obvious distance and politeness, which was a normal way of apologizing, Steve still felt a bit stifled in his heart.
Ruby waspletely unaware of the change in the man beside her. After saying those words, she quickly nced at Edric and, without waiting for any reaction from the people in the room, raised her head and drank the alcohol in her cup. No matter how much everyone wanted to see Ruby and Edric perform together, Ruby had already drunk a cup of alcohol. The penalty of drinking three cups and answering questions had inevitably be the final oue. Although everyone might feel a little bit regretful, someone still got up, took the alcohol bottle, and poured a second cup for Ruby. Like the other male and female ssmates who had been punished before, the man drank two of the three cups on behalf of the woman, so Edric was no exception. As Ruby was about to pick up her second cup of alcohol, he stepped forward and said, ¡°Let me do it.¡± Steve heard this, and his eyebrows furrowed sharply. Turning his head, he saw that Edric¡¯s hand had already stretched towards the wine ss on the table. What chivalry was he putting on? Steve sneered in his heart, then shifted his gaze and caught a glimpse of his raised leg. Then he pretended to change his posture, lowering the leg resting on top of the other. However, as he lowered his leg, he ¡°carelessly¡± ¡°bumped¡± into the marble table in front of him. It would be more urate to describe it as a ¡°kick¡±. Nheless, it really looked like an unintentional collision to those who were watching. Underneath the table was a smooth marble floor. Due to the force of Steve¡¯s secret kick, the table slid a little, causing the full ss of alcohol in Ruby¡¯s hand to ssh out more than half of its contents onto Edric¡¯s hand and sleeve. Chapter 452: 452: Torturing People to Death Without Compensation (2) Chapter 452: Torturing People to Death Without Compensation (2) Steve Burton didn¡¯t even wait for Edric Reat to react; he slowly stood up, took two tissues from the table, and handed them to Edric, apologizing, ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I just wanted to put my leg down and identally bumped into the table.¡± Rusell Henris, who was sitting not far away, took in Steve Burton¡¯s every move. Others might really think it was an ident, but he and Steve had known each other for so many years, and in an instant, he understood that this was anything but an ident; it was clearly done on purpose to create chaos! ¡°It¡¯s okay.¡± Edric Reat smiled politely, reached out, and was about to take the tissues from Steve Burton. However, just as Edric¡¯s fingers were about to touch the tissues, Steve suddenly twisted his hand and threw the two tissues onto the table, saying indifferently, ¡°I¡¯ll wipe the table.¡± Rusell Henris saw this scene and lifted his hand to cover the corners of his lips that were curling up; this was not just subtly stirring up chaos, it was a tant attempt to make a scene! Edric Reat¡¯s fingers abruptly stopped in mid-air. Even though he had good self-restraint and patience, his expression now showed a hint of embarrassment. He paused for a full minute before reaching out to get his tissues, and wiped his hands and cuffs clean. Steve Burton saw that the cocktail ss of Ruby Gregory had been touched by Edric Reat, so he pushed it aside with a hint of disgust, and asked someone to bring a new ss over, ¡°Ruby can¡¯t hold her alcohol and has a cold, so she should drink less. However, since we set the rules before ying this game, she has to drink. Otherwise, everyone will say they have a coldter, and this game would be meaningless, right?¡± As he spoke, Steve picked up a bottle of 3-proof cocktail and poured a full ss, ¡°Cocktail is also an alcohol, just with a lower alcohol content. This way, we¡¯re not breaking the rules, and it shows our consideration for the sick.¡± Steve handed the ss to Ruby Gregory and added, ¡°It¡¯s really touching that you came to the ss reunion despite being sick.¡± Ruby Gregory had only casually made up an excuse to avoid singing with Edric Reat, but now that Steve was making a big deal out of it, she felt embarrassed. The wine she was originally supposed to drink had turned into a 3-proof cocktail, making it seem like she sacrificed a lot to not spoil everyone¡¯s fun.
Ruby Gregory¡¯s face turned slightly red, and she felt too embarrassed to look at her old ssmates around her. She just reached out and took the 3-proof cocktail that Steve had poured for her. Just as Ruby Gregory was about to take a sip, Steve suddenly reached out his hand, ¡°Ruby is my fianc¨¦e, and as her future husband, it¡¯s my duty to drink this ss of wine for her.¡± Having said that, Steve took the 3-proof cocktail from Ruby¡¯s hand and chugged it down in one gulp. Then, without any embarrassment or shame, he continued to pour himself another ss of 3-proof cocktail. Steve put down the empty ss and looked at Edric Reat, who was standing in front of him, ¡°Now that Ruby has finished her drink, it¡¯s Mr. Reat¡¯s turn.¡± ¡°To make up for identally dirtying Mr. Reat¡¯s sleeve earlier, I¡¯ll pour the three sses of wine he¡¯s supposed to drink. Since Ruby just drank a 3-proof cocktail in this round and she is Mr. Reat¡¯s partner, shouldn¡¯t Mr. Reat be a gentleman and drink something with a slightly higher alcohol content?¡± Chapter 453: 453: Torturing Someone to Death Without Compensation (3) Chapter 453: Torturing Someone to Death Without Compensation (3) The gathering of ssmates was meant to be a joyful asion, involving just a few rounds of drinks. Steve Burton also mentioned that Edric Reat should choose a drink with a slightly higher alcohol content. Edric didn¡¯t hesitate and agreed with a simple word: ¡°Fine.¡± Did he want to show off his gentlemanly demeanor? Well, Steve would give him a chance to show off his gentlemanly gestures! Steve saw Edric nod, and sneered silently in his heart. Then he scanned the table filled with an assortment of liquor bottles and without any hesitation, he picked the one with the highest alcohol content. He held it in front of Edric, saying, ¡°Since Mr. Reat epted so readily, I believe he must have a good tolerance for alcohol. So, this drink must be nothing for Mr. Reat.¡± Edric didn¡¯t expect Steve to choose such strong alcohol. However, since he had just agreed so readily, if he refused now, it would hurt his pride. With a somewhat forced smile on his face, Edric nodded stiffly. Seeing Edric¡¯s nod, Steve didn¡¯t hesitate to pour him a full ss of alcohol. After watching Edric down it with a stiff expression on his face, he didn¡¯t give him any time to rest or recover and poured the second ss almost immediately. Taking a deep breath, Edric had no choice but to drink it as if it were poison, forcing it down into his stomach. After finishing the three drinks, Edric felt as though his insides were on fire. Barely able to keep his bnce, and resisting the strong urge to vomit, he looked for an excuse and left the private room. Russell Henris keenly watched the scene unfold and saw Edric run away at the end. He couldn¡¯t help but burst intoughter, almost ruining his refined appearance in front of everyone. Shameless, absolutely shameless!
Steve had taken them on such a huge detour, supposedly defending Ruby Gregory, but in reality, he was justying the groundwork for tormenting Edric step by step. If one had to me someone, it would be Edric for having the bad luck of getting picked to sing a love song with Ruby¡­ With Edric leaving the private room, Ruby was the only one left, so the question would be left for when Edric returned. The task of drawing cards was now solely up to Ruby. As she passed by Steve, he suddenly spoke, ¡°What? You say you¡¯re not feeling well and don¡¯t want to move? You want me to help you draw a card?¡± Upon hearing Steve, Ruby looked at him in puzzlement ¨C she hadn¡¯t said anything at all¡­ Stevepletely ignored her confusion and looked at the organizer of the gathering, Hiry, with slight hesitation, ¡°Ruby¡¯s not feeling well. Can I take her ce in drawing the card?¡± Back in college, wherever Steve went, he exuded the charisma of a leader. His presence alone made it difficult for others to refuse his requests, even when he asked politely. Moreover, over the years, he had been in control of Pristine¡¯s Enterprises, making his presence even more formidable. As a result, without even needing to think, Hiry gave in to his presence and nodded, saying, ¡°Of course.¡± Although it was Steve who had made up the story, he strangely appeared to be quite reluctant. With an air of reluctance, he nodded and said, ¡°Alright then.¡± He took a step forward and went to the table where three boxes of cards were ced. Chapter 454: 454: Torturing People to Death Without Compensation (4) Chapter 454: Torturing People to Death Without Compensation (4) Steve Burton first picked up the box containing the girls¡¯ names, nced inside, and then flicked his finger through them. When he saw Maya Mitchell¡¯s name, he lowered his eyelids slightly, and then quietly hid her name in the palm of his hand. He then curiously examined the boxes containing the boys¡¯ names and the tasks to be carried out, and fished around inside both of them as well before turning to Hiry and saying, ¡°You can supervise me while I draw.¡± Under Hiry¡¯s supervision, Steve Burton pretended to rummage through all three boxes, but in fact, he just handed her the cards he had hidden in his sleeve beforehand. After drawing three cards, Hiry raised the microphone, and read the names on the cards: Maya Mitchell, Dennis Brown, French kiss for ten minutes. Dennis Brown, who happened to be a second-generation rich kid, was tall and wealthy, though not handsome. In this world, it was rare to find a rich man as handsome as Dennis Brown. On the other hand, it was also rare to find a man as unattractive as him. So when Hiry announced the results of Steve Burton¡¯s drawing, Maya Mitchell¡¯s face turned a bit ugly. As for Steve Burton, he walked elegantly back to his seat as if nothing had happened, sat down, and then leisurely stared at Maya Mitchell as she slowly walked towards Dennis Brown, who was already standing in front of everyone. Others might have believed that it was a coincidence that Maya Mitchell drew Ruby Gregory, Edric Reat, and had them sing a duet of a love song from years ago. Unfortunately, there are no such coincidences in the world. Steve Burton had said that he would not startle the snake in the grass by dealing with Maya Mitchell, but it did not mean that he would not torture Maya if he had the chance!
Wasn¡¯t Maya just trying to use the past to drive a wedge between him and Ruby Gregory? Unfortunately for her, only Ruby Gregory could ever drive a wedge between them! Now, he used Maya¡¯s own tactics against her, throwing her a difficult choice to make. Of course, the man would be the one to benefit from a kiss, so Dennis Brown naturally chose to follow Maya Mitchell¡¯s advice. Maya Mitchell did not look at Dennis Brown, and though her heart wanted to scream in disgust at the idea of kissing such an ugly man, she maintained a smile on her face. She used a tactful excuse, saying, ¡°I don¡¯t know Mr. Brown very well, so I¡¯ll ept the punishment instead.¡± After saying that, Maya pretended to be sincere and apologetic to Dennis Brown with a smile. This was all because she had just manipted Ruby Gregory into experiencing this same situation. Now, she, too, had gone through it. After Maya Mitchell and Dennis Brown had their punishment drinks, Hiry said, ¡°Everyone can now ask questions.¡± The first question came from a female student: ¡°How old were you both when you started your first rtionships?¡± Dennis Brown: ¡°Fifteen.¡± Maya Mitchell nced at Steve Burton, her eyes momentarily softened, and said, ¡°Twenty-one.¡± Steve Burton remained expressionless as he caught the gaze from Maya Mitchell. Chapter 455: 455: Torturing Someone to Death Without Compensation (5) Chapter 455: Torturing Someone to Death Without Compensation (5) The second question: ¡°Have you slept with your first love?¡± Dennis Brown: ¡°Yes.¡± Ayer of sadness shed in the depths of Maya Mitchell¡¯s eyes, shaking her head and saying, ¡°No.¡± The third question: ¡°Have you broken up?¡± Dennis Brown: ¡°Yes.¡± Maya Mitchell was silent for a while and said, ¡°My first love doesn¡¯t even know I like him, so there¡¯s no question of breaking up or not.¡± The fourth question: ¡°Do you have a boyfriend (girlfriend) now?¡± Dennis Brown: ¡°Yes.¡± Maya Mitchell shook her head, ¡°No.¡± The fifth question¡­
Just when everyone was thinking about what to ask next, Steve Burton, who hadn¡¯t asked a single question since the gathering began, suddenly spoke up: ¡°What¡¯s the name of your first love?¡± Dennis Brown didn¡¯t hesitate at all, saying, ¡°Merry Taylor.¡± Maya Mitchell¡¯s face, however, became a little ufortable, pursing her lips and not speaking for a long time. Hiry looked at Maya Mitchell curiously, ¡°Maya, why don¡¯t you answer?¡± Maya Mitchell opened her mouth but still didn¡¯t say anything. Actually, Steve Burton had always been puzzled about why Ruby Gregory had once been so kind to Maya Mitchell and why Maya Mitchell hated Ruby Gregory so much? When someone asked Maya Mitchell the first question about her first love today, she nced towards him, her expression obviously bing a little shy, and it suddenly dawned on him at the bottom of his heart that Maya Mitchell hated Ruby Gregory so much because of him. He never thought that one day he would be the reason for bringing danger to Ruby Gregory. And all of this, thanks to Maya Mitchell, suddenly made Steve Burton¡¯s heart cold, staring at Maya Mitchell, leaningzily on the sofa, raising his hand and cing it behind Ruby Gregory, looking as if he was embracing Ruby Gregory, and said indifferently, ¡°Maya Mitchell, isn¡¯t your first love among us?¡± Steve Burton¡¯s words made the color drain from Maya Mitchell¡¯s face, and those who had not been curious about who Maya Mitchell¡¯s first love was suddenly became very curious. Everyone stared straight at Maya Mitchell, waiting for her answer. At this moment, Maya Mitchell was even more embarrassed and uneasy than when everyone was waiting for Ruby Gregory and Edric Reat to sing together. Yes, her first love was indeed Steve Burton. At the age of twenty-one, when she returned to her college in Ciawell for the second half of her sophomore year, Ciawell had a heavy snowfall, and when she returned to her dormitory, she saw a man wearing a ck trench coat with a Maserati sports car parked behind him, a car she had only ever seen in novels. That scene was like a painting. She immediately froze in ce, feeling as if she¡¯d met the prince of her dreams. However, her infatuationsted only half a minute before Ruby Gregory, wearing a long light blue down jacket, ran out of the dormitory and stopped in front of him. Even after so many years, she still remembered how he tenderly helped Ruby Gregory put on her mask and scarf that day, and then took her hand to the school supermarket. That day, Maya Mitchell stood in the snow for a long time before she saw him returning with a bag of snacks and Ruby Gregory, opening the door to the Maserati, waiting for Ruby Gregory to get in, and then following her into the car and driving away.
Chapter 456: 456: Torturing People to Death Without Compensation (6) Chapter 456: Torturing People to Death Without Compensation (6) Later on, she often saw him waiting for Ruby Gregory beneath the dormitory building. Then she came to know that he was Steve Burton, the dream prince of everyone on campus and the sessor to Pristine¡¯s Enterprises. People had waited for her to speak for so long, someone couldn¡¯t help but quietly ask, ¡°Maya, could it be that your first love truly is one of us who¡¯s sitting here?¡± Her first love was just an unknown crush. It was a little secret hidden in her heart; she was too scared to let Steve know. She put so much effort into making Steve believe that she was sincere towards Ruby. If he found out her first love was actually him, she thought, Steve would undoubtedly cklist her forever. Swallowing hard, Maya shook her head, ready to lie that it was not him, but before she did, the ever reticent Steve, in a buoyant mood, stood up and spoke again: ¡°We had an agreement before we started the game. Whatever question you answer, you have to be truthful. If you lie, you¡¯ll be cursed to face dire cmities, to crush bone and soul, to lose family and life.¡± Pausing for a moment, Steve spoke in a leisurely manner: ¡°In fact, having your bones crushed and soul scattered isn¡¯t much to fret about, but losing family and life¡­ Although we¡¯re only ying a game, and not everyone might believe, at least no one would curse their parents who bore and raised them or their siblings who are like limbs to themselves, right?¡± The threatening words were just a casual joke when they started the game. Moreover, when ying such games, everyone usually had the sense not to ask any especially difficult questions. Now, as Steve restated these rules, it posed a serious problem for Maya who was about to lie.
As Steve said, anyone can endure being beaten or insulted, but they could never tolerate disrespect towards their parents. Moya¡¯s hands clenched into fists. If she lied, it would be equivalent to cursing her parents to die young. That was thousand, if not ten thousand, times more agonizing and brutal than someone cursing her parents to die. The private room fell silent; everyone was looking at Maya, waiting for her to answer. The inner turmoil in Maya¡¯s heart felt like a reckless fight. Just when everyone was getting impatient, Maya chose to bite the bullet. Closing her eyes, she clenched her teeth and forced a stiff smile: ¡°My first love is not in this room.¡± After all, she chose to do this, willing to put a curse on her own parents, rather than end things with Steve. The agony in her heart was like being mercilessly stabbed with a knife, but she had to maintain a vibrant smile on her face, softly saying: ¡°He is not our college mate, his name is¡­¡± Maya hesitated, then lowered her eyes and blurted out a random name: ¡°Jiang Yang.¡± In reality, Steve was confident that Maya wouldn¡¯t dare to reveal his name. The nonsense he had been spouting was just to mess with her, to make her feel ufortable! PS: The end for today, to be continued tomorrow. Chapter 457: 457: Torturing Someone to Death Without Compensation (7) Chapter 457: Torturing Someone to Death Without Compensation (7) Actually, Steve Burton was confident that Maya Mitchell wouldn¡¯t dare to tell her real crush¡¯s name, and everything he said was just to choke her and make her ufortable. The people in the private room were all interested because they thought the object of Maya¡¯s crush was one of them sitting there. But when they heard her mention apletely irrelevant person, they all seemed a little disappointed, though they didn¡¯t say it out loud. Some straightforward people who had drunk alcohol couldn¡¯t help but snort and said, ¡°Boring.¡± Maya, who had lied, looked stiff, and when she heard those three words, her expression became even more rigid, and the smile she had been trying to maintain disappeared. Hiry noticed the atmosphere had be awkward in an instant, so she quickly stood up from the couch with a smile. Walking over to Maya in her high heels, she patted her on the back and said cheerfully, ¡°Originally, the next turn was supposed to be Maya¡¯s and Dennis Brown¡¯s, but since Edric drank three cups of alcohol and went to the bathroom, Ruby and Edric haven¡¯t answered their questions. So let¡¯s have them answer first before we continue the game. As she spoke, Hiry pointed to a male student near the door and said, ¡°Can you check on Edric in the bathroom? He¡¯s been gone for a long time, I wonder if there¡¯s a problem.¡± That male student, slightly drunk, staggered to his feet and walked out of the private room. Hiry¡¯s change of topic effectively diffused Maya¡¯s embarrassment. Maya¡¯s expression improved slightly, and she smiled at Hiry before returning to her seat and sitting down. As far as Steve Burton was concerned, he had achieved his goal of making Maya suffer in silence, and by rights, he should have let it go.
Unfortunately, in Steve¡¯s dictionary, there was no term, ¡°quit while you¡¯re ahead.¡± What he was best at was shamelessly rubbing salt into people¡¯s wounds. So, the moment Maya settled into the couch, Stevezily changed his sitting posture, looking as if he was genuinely chatting, and casually said, ¡°Some time ago, there was a strange news story, I don¡¯t know if you¡¯ve paid attention.¡± Everyone in the room was focused on developing their career in Ciawell, and Steve just happened to be the one who was doing the best among them. So, as soon as he spoke, someone couldn¡¯t wait to join in, ¡°What news?¡± ¡°It¡¯s not really an important piece of news. It¡¯s just about a guy who got drunk and bragged to his friends. When his friends doubted him, he said that if he was lying, his whole family would die¡­ ¡± Steve nced at Maya, who was sitting next to him, and saw that her rxed expression had suddenly be somewhat stagnant. He chuckled and slowly continued, ¡°Two dayster, his father died in a car ident, and his mother had a recurrence of heart disease and was hospitalized.¡± There was no such news story; it was entirely made up by Steve. But because it was Steve who said it, none of the people in the room would ever think of refuting it, they would only try to cater to him. PS: I went home for the weekend, so the update iste~ Let¡¯s start updating Chapter 458: 458: Torturing Someone to Death Without Compensation (8) Chapter 458: Torturing Someone to Death Without Compensation (8) So, when Steve Burton finished telling the news, someone immediately chimed in, saying: ¡°It¡¯s really a strange world, with all kinds of weird things. There are actually people who are so stupid that they would bet their own parents. It¡¯s just insane!¡± ¡°His parents really raised him in vain for so many years. To be able to speak of such a bet, he¡¯s simply scum!¡± ¡°Someone who can curse even their own parents probably doesn¡¯t have good character either!¡± ¡°If one can be so ruthless towards his own parents, there is probably no one in the world he can treat well. For such a person, I can only describe him with two words: scum!¡± ¡°Scum seems a bit light, more like an animal¡­¡± Everyone chatted and weighed in, with the words they said showing no mercy. Stupid, scum, insane, lowlife, animal¡­ these sharp words pierced Maya Mitchell¡¯s ears. She knew that her former ssmates were cursing and discussing the protagonist of the news that Steve had shared. But she always felt that those words were meant for her. There were so many people in the private room, all of them indignantly discussing Steve¡¯s topic. Maya just tried hard to maintain a proper posture, silently sitting on the sofa, gripping the ss tightly, hoping in her heart that this topic would end soon. Steve sat leisurely on the sofa, waiting for everyone to finish venting their anger. Then, he nced lightly at Maya and shifted his gaze to Hiry next to her. He casually opened his mouth and said, ¡°Hiry, you¡¯re really excited, huh¡­ ¡± ¡°Of course I am! If I had such scum around me, I would absolutely be the first one to p them. People who curse even their parents are just a waste of air!¡±
Steve, facing the indignant words of Hiry, just lowered his eyelids, smiled lightly, and then looked up at Maya: ¡°Ms. Mitchell, why haven¡¯t you said anything?¡± Maya¡¯s biggest hope was to be an invisible person and get this matter turned over sooner. Now that Steve suddenly called her name, everyone¡¯s attention was on her. The strength of Maya¡¯s grip on her wine ss increased. It was bad enough for others to curse, but she really couldn¡¯t curse at herself, as it would feel like she was pping her own face. But now, she had no choice. After a pause, she couldn¡¯t manage to use the scornful words like others did to vent her anger. So she just pulled her lips together and tried to make her expression somewhat disdainful: ¡°I have nothing to say about such a person.¡± ¡°Indeed, there¡¯s really nothing to say.¡± Steve appeared to agree with Maya and nodded. He then picked up the wine ss from the table and took a leisurely sip. Only then did Maya let out a quiet sigh of relief, thinking that the matter was finally settled. The grip on her wine ss loosened slightly. But before she could take a full breath, Steve put down the wine ss, leaned back casually on the sofa, and seemingly unintentionally opened his mouth again: ¡°It turns out that Ms. Mitchell is unwilling toment on such people. I thought that Ms. Mitchell¡¯s just now silence was because she felt guilty.¡± Chapter 459: 459: Torturing Someone to Death Without Compensation (9) Chapter 459: Torturing Someone to Death Without Compensation (9) Maya Mitchell¡¯s face instantly turns pale as paper, devoid of any color. The room falls silent, and even Hiry, skilled at defusing tense situations, doesn¡¯t know how to break the awkwardness. Just as the atmosphere bes almost unbearable, the door to the private booth is pushed open, and the man who went to call Edric Reat, along with Edric, returns. Seeing this, Hiry immediately stands up, jokingly saying, ¡°Edric, I thought you¡¯d pass out in the bathroom after just three drinks!¡± With that, Hiry pulls Edric to the couch, sits him down, and tells everyone present, ¡°Now that Edric and Ruby are here, let¡¯s quickly think of questions to ask them.¡± Steve Burton can tell that Hiry is trying to alleviate the tension. He nces at Maya, whose eyes are clouded with a misty haze and hooks the corner of his lips. Silently, he leans back on the couch. After a brief moment of silence, the others start asking questions to Edric Reat and Ruby Gregory. Everyone in the room is aware of Ruby and Steve¡¯s engagement, so out of respect for Steve, they refrain from teasing Ruby too much. As a result, their questions are noticeably toned-down. For instance, the first person to speak up is Edward Woods, who asks, ¡°What¡¯s the most embarrassing thing you did as a child?¡± Not until thest question does it be somewhat juicier: ¡°Will your other half be your lifelong love?¡±
Upon hearing this question, Edric¡¯s gaze drifts towards Ruby. He looks at her quickly and briefly. Still, he can¡¯t escape Steve¡¯s watchful eyes. Edric then smiles discreetly and says, ¡°I hope they will be my lifelong love.¡± For Edric, he has no ns to marry anytime soon, and the notion of an ¡°other half¡± doesn¡¯t even exist. Thus, this answer is a perfect way for him to pass the test. However, for Ruby, it¡¯s theplete opposite. On the tenth of this month, she is getting engaged to Steve. He is her other half. So, the question she faces is, ¡®Is Steve her lifelong love?¡¯ All this time, Ruby has only thought about marrying Steve, never considering the existence of love between them. Now, this question is suddenly thrown in her face, causing her to feel slightly dazed. After hesitating for half a minute, she nces at Steve beside her, lowers her eyes, and says, ¡°Yes.¡± Ruby¡¯s ¡°yes¡± is tantamount to a confession, causing an uproar in the room. Even someone, emboldened by alcohol, dares to shout, ¡°Steve, Ruby said you¡¯re her lifelong love. Don¡¯t you think you should do something? How about a kiss?¡± ¡°Kiss, kiss,¡± the others chime in, some even whistling. Steve puts down his wine ss, lookingpletely at ease. In front of everyone, he holds Ruby¡¯s head, sealing her lips with a kiss. A deep, passionate kiss. As it ends, the atmosphere in the room hits a high point. Ruby¡¯s face flushes red as she looks down, too shy to meet the gazes of the people around her. Amid the teasing, Steve sits on the couch with his arm around Ruby, appearing as calm as ever. However, there is a hint of coldness in his eyes.
Chapter 460: 460: Torturing Someone to Death Without Compensation (10) Chapter 460: Torturing Someone to Death Without Compensation (10) When Edric was looking at Ruby Gregory, he felt a bit uneasy deep inside. A long whileter, he finally received Ruby Gregory¡¯s answer. Although Ruby Gregory¡¯s response was affirmative, there was no joy or excitement in his heart. As the party neared its end, everyone in the room was thoroughly intoxicated. Some, unable to handle their alcohol, were already lying down on the couch, their energy spent. From the moment Ruby entered the room and saw Madeleine, she knew Madeleine was upset. With Steve Burton present, Ruby¡¯s drinks were mostly intercepted by him and thus she stayed sober throughout. Madeleine, however, silently drank one ss after another. Of everyone present, Madeleine had the best alcohol tolerance. Nevertheless, she could not withstand her own reckless, non-stop drinking. Eventually, she doubled over and began retching. Ruby quickly supported Madeleine, helping her out of the room to the restroom. With Madeleine hunched over the toilet, she continued to vomit until there was nothing left in her stomach. Only then, under Ruby¡¯s supportive arm, did she stumble out of the restroom. At the sparkling washstand, Madeleine turned on the faucet, sshed some cold water on her face, and suddenly feeling sick again, bent over and started retching, yet again. At this point, with her bellypletely emptied out, Madeleine¡¯s retching was dry heaving. Ruby stood by her side, gently patting her back. Seeing Madeleine in such a sorry state, she couldn¡¯t help but open her mouth to speak: ¡°Madeleine, if you¡¯re upset, don¡¯t drink like this. You¡¯re only hurting yourself.¡±
After several more dry heaves, Madeleine finally began to calm down. She hung her head, staring at the sink for a while, then she softlyughed and murmured, ¡°I was only gone for a month, just thirty days¡­ When I returned, he told me he had found his true love and is nning to get married¡­¡± Ruby and Madeleine had grown up together. They knew each other¡¯s hearts inside and out. So, when Ruby heard this, she momentarily paused her hand that was gently patting Madeleine¡¯s back. After a while, she spoke softly, ¡°Is Howard getting married?¡± At those words, Madeleine¡¯s eyes instantly reddened, but she stubbornly refused to let her tears fall. Biting her teeth hard, a faint smile appeared on her face, ¡°Yes, he¡¯s getting married. Ruby, you wouldn¡¯t believe it¡­ as soon as I booked my ticket back home, my first thought was to call him to pick me up. As before, he really dide. But, when I asked him out for dinner that night, he refused, saying he had a date. Howard has always treated women lightly. This was the first time he rejected me for a woman. So, I jokingly asked him if he was really in love this time. He seriously told me that this time he was sincere, and that he intended to marry this woman¡­¡± With that, Madeleine gentlyughed, ¡°Who could have imagined this yboy, who has been hopping around since junior high, would fall in love, and is now getting married?¡± Since they were children, Ruby had known that Madeleine had feelings for Howard. However, this affection was a secret only known to the two of them. Years fluttered by in the blink of an eye. Madeleine never had a boyfriend, while Howard had a constant parade of women at his side. Chapter 461: 461: No Need for Nobility, Only Tactics (1) Chapter 461: No Need for Nobility, Only Tactics (1) Ruby had never liked anyone, so she didn¡¯t know what it felt like to like someone. However, seeing Madeleine so upset made her feel upset as well: ¡°Madeleine, what are you going to do?¡± Madeleine didn¡¯t make a sound. Her hand gripped the sink tightly, so tight that her knuckles protruded. ¡°Madeleine, in this world, there aren¡¯t just Howard, there are many other men. Maybe someone else is more suitable for you¡­¡± As Ruby was still speaking, Madeleine¡¯s tears suddenly fell in rapid session. Ruby was startled and immediately closed her mouth, not daring to say anything else. Madeleine seemed truly miserable. She leaned against the washbasin and began sobbing, as if trying to cry out all the pain she had umted over the years. Ruby stood aside, not saying anything and letting Madeleine cry. Fortunately, the bathroom was quiet, and not many people wereing in and out. After a long while, Madeleine stopped crying. Slowly raising her head, she looked at Ruby through the mirror and spoke, ¡°Ruby, whether someone else is suitable for me, I don¡¯t know, nor do I want to know. I only know that in my heart, Howard is the right one for me.¡± ¡°But¡­¡± Ruby opened her mouth, her voice lowered, ¡°He already has someone he wants to marry.¡± ¡°So what?¡± Madeleine¡¯s tone changed to one of disdain in an instant, as if the heartbroken girl from just now had been an illusion. A hint of determination flowed in her eyes, ¡°I¡¯m not letting him marry anyone else. Ruby, just like how you wanted to marry my brother since young, I¡¯ve been thinking about marrying Howard. The difference between us is that you marry my brother for the sake of The Gregorys, while I want to marry Howard because I love him. I used to think that one day, when he grows tired and weary, I would let my father talk to his father, and then our families would unite through marriage. However, I haven¡¯t even had the chance to see this daye, and he already has a woman he wants to marry, and she¡¯s just a low-ranking employee at Pristine¡¯s Enterprises¡­ Ruby, I can¡¯t give up. Rather than that, I might as well fight for him. Moreover, if I don¡¯t fight for him, I will really lose Howard, won¡¯t I?¡±
Ruby moved her lips, as if wanting to say something, but she couldn¡¯t. Madeleine seemed to understand Ruby¡¯s thoughts, and she chuckled, ¡°Ruby, deep down you must be thinking that my actions are immoral, right? But what does that matter? For the sake of loving Howard, what does morality mean?¡± Ruby felt uneasy and said, ¡°But if you do this, won¡¯t you push Howard further away from you?¡± Madeleine¡¯s expression changed upon hearing this. She stared at the sink for a while, then slowly straightened up and turned around to face Ruby, her eyes somewhat vacant, ¡°Ruby, sometimes, loving someone doesn¡¯t require nobility, just means. I admit that I use means to obtain love; this method is despicable, but I¡¯ll bear the consequences and any pain I cause myself in the future.¡± After saying that, Madeleine smiled faintly at Ruby, looking as if nothing was wrong, ¡°I¡¯m going to use the restroom. You can go back to the private room first, don¡¯t worry about me, I¡¯ll be fine.¡± Chapter 462: 462: No Need for Nobility, Only Tactics (2) Chapter 462: No Need for Nobility, Only Tactics (2) Madeleine didn¡¯t give Ruby Gregory any chance to react before turning and walking into the restroom. However, Ruby still saw through the bright, wide mirror in front of her that when Madeleine turned her back, tears welled up in her eyes again. Under the bathroom lights, those teardrops glistened, almost blindingly so. It took Ruby a while toe back to her senses. She couldn¡¯t say why, but in that moment, her mood had turned exceptionally heavy. Madeleine said that she was different from Ruby; she had desperately wanted to marry Steve Burton for the sake of the Gregorys, whereas Ruby had done it for love. So why had Steve married her? And, had she really married Steve just for the sake of the Gregorys? These had once been very clear questions for her, but now, she found herself somewhat uncertain. Ruby stood still for a while longer before swallowing and slowly turning around to leave the restroom. The hallway leading to the private room was very quiet, with soft yellow light gently illuminating the pristine white floor, casting a warm hue. Ruby took one step at a time in her high heels towards the private room. As she got closer, she could faintly hear the noiseing from within.
As she reached the door, ready to push it open, Ruby heard a voice from the front: ¡°Ruby.¡± Ruby¡¯s finger hesitated for a moment, then she turned her head to see Edric Reat standing outside the corridor door with a cigarette in hand, its ember flickering bright and dim. Ruby¡¯s first instinct was to turn around and enter the private room, but as her hand touched the door, she hesitated, then dropped her hand, facing away from Edric, and walked towards him after a silent five seconds. The corridor door was directly opposite the private room door; fearing that her ssmates might see her with Edric, Ruby deliberately walked to the side of the flower pool and stopped. Although Ruby hadn¡¯t spoken a word to Edric, he understood that she wanted to talk to him. So, he put out his cigarette, threw it into the trash can, and walked in front of Ruby. Ruby stared at Edric¡¯s expression, which was slightly serious. After a while, she asked, ¡°Did you tell anyone about what happened between us three years ago?¡± Edric¡¯s eyebrows furrowed slightly, staring at the ink-ck depths in Ruby¡¯s eyes, ¡°No.¡± ¡°If not, then why did everyone at today¡¯s reunion party bring up my past with you for no reason?¡± Ruby was not a fool; those few who mentioned her and Edric¡¯s past were their college ssmates. She didn¡¯t know if it was because she was scared that Steve would find out about that incident, which made her so sensitive, but she felt that the topic of her and Edric tonight seemed to have been deliberately prepared. Besides her and Edric, no one else knew about their secret. Ruby, afraid that Steve woulde looking for her if she didn¡¯t return to the private room, immediately said, without waiting for Edric to speak, ¡°Edric Reat, you swore to the heavens that year that the secret would rot inside of you even if it meant death.¡± Chapter 463: 463: No Need for Nobility, Only Tactics (3) Chapter 463: No Need for Nobility, Only Tactics (3) Edric Reat did not make a sound, continuing to look at Ruby Gregory without even blinking. ¡°I told you very clearly back then that it was just a momentary impulse, a mistake I made,¡± Ruby said, voice trembling slightly. ¡°You know if Steve Burton finds out about it, he will definitely put me in a life-or-death situation. I¡¯m about to get engaged to Steve, I really don¡¯t want any problems¡­¡± Her voice trailed off. ¡°So, Edric, please consider it a favor to me¡­¡± Before Ruby could finish speaking, Edric suddenly interrupted her. ¡°Ruby, don¡¯t worry. I will do as I promised.¡± Ruby pressed her lips together, nodded at Edric, and whispered softly, ¡°Thank you.¡± Then she forced a faint smile and said, ¡°I¡¯ll go in first.¡± Edric showed no reaction and remained silent. Ruby whispered ¡°thank you¡± once again and stepped past Edric, leaving him behind. As Ruby brushed past him, Edric subconsciously raised his fingers, wanting to grab her wrist, but his arm fell back down. He waited for the sound of her high heels to disappear beforezily turning around, leaning against an ancient tree. He pulled a cigarette from his pocket, lit it, and took an urgent puff. Then, looking up at the moon in the sky, his expression became somewhat dazed. ¨C Steve Burton had been waiting in the private room for a long time, but neither Ruby nor Madeleine had returned. He took out his cell phone to call Ruby, only to find her purse by his side, vibrating from the iing call.
Steve canceled the call and dialed Madeleine¡¯s number. After a long while, she answered, her voice slightly hoarse. ¡°Brother, are you looking for Ruby? I¡¯m in the restroom, I told her to go back first.¡± Steve frowned, hung up the phone, and waited for about five minutes. When Ruby didn¡¯t return, he stood up and left the private room. Walking straight towards the restroom, he didn¡¯t see Ruby. He went back, then walked to the corridor entrance, ready to ask a waiter if they had seen Ruby. That¡¯s when he spotted Edric Reat and Ruby standing not far away. Steve¡¯s face lost all expression as his eyes locked onto the two standing beneath the lush ancient tree. Because of the distance, he couldn¡¯t hear their voices, but he could see Ruby¡¯s lips moving as she talked incessantly to Edric. And Edric, his eyes were fixed on Ruby, as if nothing else in the world existed, and his own world only contained Ruby. Steve¡¯s hand subconsciously clenched into a fist. He resisted the impulse to confront them, took a deep breath, straightened his body, and turned around to walk briskly back to the private room. By now, Edward Woods had drunk quite a bit. Seeing Steve return, he handed Steve a ss of alcohol, ¡°Bro, want a drink?¡± Steve did not respond to Edward. He walked straight to the sofa and sat down expressionlessly. ¨C Ruby quickly walked to the door of the private room, took a deep breath to steady her emotions, then raised her hand to push the door open and enter. Chapter 464: 464: No Need for Nobility, Only Tactics (4) Chapter 464: No Need for Nobility, Only Tactics (4) Steve Burton waited for Ruby Gregory to sit down before turning his head to look at her. Ruby felt puzzled by Steve¡¯s piercing gaze and couldn¡¯t help but frown slightly. Only then did Steve blink, his tone calm and revealing no trace of vulnerability, ¡°Why did it take you so long toe back?¡± Ruby, hearing Steve¡¯s familiar tone, rxed and gave him a shallow smile, ¡°Madeleine was feeling a bit down, so I talked with her for a while.¡± ¡°Hmm.¡± Steve nodded slowly as if he believed Ruby¡¯s words, picked up his ss of alcohol, and took a slow sip. However, his fingers gripping the ss appeared to be applying a bit more force than necessary. ¨C Not long after Ruby sat down, Madeleine also entered the private room. She didn¡¯t return to Ruby¡¯s side but went straight to Howard Coleman and his girlfriend. She picked up a bottle of alcohol from a nearby table and poured herself a ss. After some unknown exchange between the three of them, they took turns drinking severalrge sses of alcohol. Already having drunk quite a bit, Howard¡¯s girlfriend finally couldn¡¯t contain herself after downing a few more sses. She leaned unsteadily against Howard with her eyes closed. Madeleine sat next to Howard, and the two were like close buddies from the past, intertwining their arms and ying a drinking game. At the end, Howard waved his hand, leaned back on the sofa, closed his eyes, and rested.
Shakily, Madeleine stood up, took out her phone from her pocket, and made a call. Shortly after, Madeleine¡¯s regr driver came in with two male waiters, helping Madeleine, Howard, and Howard¡¯s girlfriend out of the private room. Steve also put down his ss of alcohol and said to Ruby, ¡°It¡¯s gettingte; let¡¯s go home.¡± As he spoke, Steve gentlemanly took Ruby¡¯s purse and stood up. Rusell Henris and Edward Woods, noticing Steve and Ruby were leaving, also stumbled to their feet. ¨C As they left The Sapphire Bistro, Ruby happened to notice Madeleine¡¯s driver shoving Howard and his girlfriend into Madeleine¡¯s car from afar. The drivers for Rusell and Edward saw the two mening out, each helping their respective bosses into their own cars. After bidding goodbye to Steve and Ruby, they drove away. At the door of The Sapphire Bistro, Steve¡¯s driver was already waiting. Seeing Steve and Ruby approaching, he opened the rear car door hesitantly. After helping Steve and Ruby get seated into the car and closing the door, the driver started the engine. Only then did he ask, ¡°Mr. Burton, Ms. Gregory, are we going back to the apartment?¡± Since Ruby had been staying at Steve¡¯s apartmenttely, she responded with a firm ¡°yes.¡± After hearing Ruby¡¯s reply, the driver stepped on the gas, heading toward an intersection where he was about to make a U-turn. That¡¯s when Steve, who had been silent up to that point, suddenly spoke up, ¡°Let¡¯s go to the West Suburb Vi instead.¡± The driver hesitated for a moment, looked at Ruby through the rearview mirror, and said ¡°Yes,¡± maintaining their current course. Ruby¡¯s eyebrows furrowed slightly as she turned to look at Steve¡¯s profile. Steve¡¯s expression was indifferent, his face reflecting the flickering neon lights outside the car window. PS: Today¡¯s chapter isplete, continuing tomorrow~~ I noticed many people are confused. Steve Burton, Rusell Henris, Edward Woods, Madeleine, and Howard Coleman are not blood-rted. They are all part of Pristine¡¯s Enterprises and share a close rtionship. Additionally, Howard is one month older than Madeleine, so their rtionship is not a sibling romance. The ranking among these five is not based on age, but on who can beat whom, and since Howard conceded to Madeleine, she didn¡¯t end up in thest ce~ Chapter 465: 465: No Need for Nobility, Only Tactics (5) Chapter 465: No Need for Nobility, Only Tactics (5) Ruby furrowed her brows, turning her head to look at Steve¡¯s profile. The man¡¯s expression was faint, as neon lights from the passing cars continuously cast shadows across his face. It was hard for Ruby to decipher his expression, so she could only rely on the man¡¯s calm voice: ¡°Mrs. Taylor has something to attend to tomorrow morning, so she won¡¯t be going to the apartment. We haven¡¯t been back to the Burton Mansion in West Suburb in a while, so we will return there tonight. Uncle and Aunt Gregory probably miss you.¡± Steve was being considerate of Ruby with his words, but she vaguely noticed that his jawline, which was flowing like a river, seemed a little tense as he spoke. Ruby knew this was a sign that Steve was in a bad mood. She couldn¡¯t help but feel that the reason behind it was the rumours brought up at the ss reunion about her and Edric, and that Steve was angry with her because of it. The car sped along the dark streets at night. Steve did not speak or even nce at Ruby, making her premonition grow increasingly intense. In the end, her fingertips began to tremble, and she found herself holding her breath as she sat next to Steve. With the excellent road conditions at night, they arrived at the Gregorys¡¯ home in less than half an hour. As the driver parked the car, got out, and opened the door for Ruby, he said respectfully, ¡°Ms. Gregory, we¡¯ve arrived.¡± Ruby unconsciously nced at Steve: ¡°I¡¯m home.¡± It was as if Steve had not heard Ruby¡¯s words at all. He just continued to face forward, maintaining the posture he had taken when he first got in the car, and showing no reaction whatsoever. In the quiet winter night of the West Suburb Vi District, even the chirping of insects and birds could not be heard. The only sound was the asional whistle of the north wind passing through.
Seeing Steve like this, Ruby hesitated, still sitting next to him and not daring to get out of the car. The driver, sensing that something was amiss, also remained silent as he stood by the car door. After a while, Steve finally shifted his gaze slightly and pushed open the car door on his side. Ruby apologetically looked at the driver, then got out of the car through the door Steve had opened. Steve smoothed out Ruby¡¯s hair and handed her bag to her. Turning his head, he softly kissed her temple and whispered gently against the night, ¡°It¡¯s cold. Go inside and get some rest.¡± Looking at Steve, everything seemed normal, a perfect gentleman, warm and attentive. Yet Ruby couldn¡¯t feel the usual sense of warmth and sweetness, instead filling her with growing anxiety. She stared at Steve for a while, then nodded slightly and whispered, ¡°Goodbye.¡± After a moment¡¯s hesitation, she turned and entered the Gregorys¡¯ home. Steve stood just outside the main entrance, staring straight ahead as Ruby entered the vi. He remained motionless. The driver whispered a reminder, ¡°Mr. Burton, shall I take you home?¡± Steve did not shift his gaze from the Gregorys¡¯ Vi, merely shaking his head in response to the driver behind him, ¡°You can go ahead.¡± ¡°Yes, sir.¡± The driver acknowledged, paused for about two seconds, closed the car door, got back in, turned around, and left. Left alone in the spacious street, Steve stood at the entrance of the Gregorys¡¯ home. After standing for a long time, he finally lowered his head, turned around, and walked towards the Burton Mansion. Chapter 466: 466: No Need for Nobility, Only Tactics (6) Chapter 466: No Need for Nobility, Only Tactics (6) When one isn¡¯t emotionally attached, be it for exploitation or deception, actions can be taken with a clear conscience and a sense of righteousness. However, the moment that person falls in love, even the thought of deception or saying harsh words bes unbearable. When faced with misfortunes, the first thought thates to mind is to sacrifice themselves in order to protect the other person. This is the true greatness of love. It¡¯s just a pity that for Ruby Gregory, who was forced since childhood to ept the idea that she must marry Steve Burton, she came to understand this truth only a little toote. ¨C Ruby had an unhappy weekend. Since parting with Steve on Saturday after the ss reunion, she felt as though he seemed annoyed with her. She couldn¡¯t even pinpoint when she had be so sensitive. Finally, at nine o¡¯clock on Sunday night, Ruby received a call from Steve. On the other end of the phone, he told her that he had a conference early the next morning and would head to thepany earlier, so he wouldn¡¯t be able to pick her up. He asked her to go to bed early. Steve¡¯s words were filled with concern, which put Ruby¡¯s restless mind at ease. That Sunday night, Ruby had a good, solid sleep ¨C and even slept through till she woke up naturally. When she opened her eyes, it was already eight o¡¯clock in the morning. As Ruby came downstairs to eat breakfast, Lady Gregory was sitting at the table with a joyful expression on her face, watching the news. Seeing Rubying down, Lady Gregory smiled and instructed the servant to prepare breakfast for her. Ruby sat next to Lady Gregory, took the porridge the servant handed her, stirred it with a spoon a couple of times, then lowered her head to take a sip. At that moment, the phone in the living room rang.
The servant immediately went to answer the call and handed the phone to Lady Gregory. As they say, good fortune makes a person spirited. With the imminent engagement of Ruby and Steve and the rising sess of the Gregorys, Lady Gregory was in an exceptionally good mood. She chuckled before even speaking on the phone. Ruby was drinking her porridge nonchntly, but then suddenly heard Lady Gregory say with a serious tone, ¡°What?¡± Ruby instinctively looked up at her to see Lady Gregory¡¯s pale face, gripping the remote control and changing the TV channel in disbelief. Ruby opened her mouth, her whole body tensing up. She looked over at the TV and saw that Lady Gregory had switched to the news channel ¨C it was reporting on a newly-built residence in the Ciawell suburbs copsing due to poor construction. The ident had injured two passersby, one of whom had died despite rescue efforts. Before the news could finish, Lady Gregory was already on her feet, asking, ¡°Which hospital?¡± as she tugged at Ruby¡¯s arm. Even though Ruby had no idea what was happening, she had a sinking feeling in her heart. Lady Gregory only said the word ¡°Okay¡± on the phone before hanging up. As she turned to Ruby, her voice trembled slightly, ¡°Ruby, your dad just fainted and has been hospitalized.¡± Ruby¡¯s face turned pale in an instant, ¡°What happened?¡± Chapter 467: 467: No Need for Nobility, Only Tactics (7) Chapter 467: No Need for Nobility, Only Tactics (7) ¡°The estate in the news just now was overseen by your father, and this big ident happened. Gregory¡¯s Enterprises must be in deep trouble now¡­ What¡¯s even more important is¡­¡± Lady Gregory hesitated for a moment before continuing, ¡°That estate was a coboration between Pristine¡¯s Enterprises and your father. Steve funded all the capital¡­ so I¡¯m afraid Pristine¡¯s Enterprises will also be implicated¡­ Your father must have fainted from the shock when he received the news just now¡­¡± ¡°Besides, that constructionpany had been working reliably with your father for many years. Who would have thought that this time they would cut corners and produce a poorly constructed building!¡± ¨C On the way to the hospital, Ruby Gregory sat silently next to her mother, her mind was a mess. She always thought her family¡¯s business was doing so well because of her close rtionship with Steve Burton. She didn¡¯t realize until now, hearing it from her mother, that Steve had actually invested such a huge sum of money in theirpany. Now that such a sudden and unexpected ident has urred, not only did Steve lose all his investment, but it also implicated Pristine¡¯s Enterprises¡­ The news was spreading rapidly on the inte all over. With Pristine¡¯s Enterprises being such a big corporation, the news was focused more on it than Gregory¡¯s Enterprises. Despite not being directly responsible for the project, Pristine¡¯s Enterprises faced quite a lot of repercussions due to the ident. Ruby, sitting in the car, looked up the news on the inte. The reporting was using Pristine¡¯s Enterprises as a selling point for this incident. As a result, the stock price of Pristine¡¯s Enterprises plunged in just a few minutes. With her phone clenched tightly in her hand, she turned toward her mother and said, ¡°Mom, I want to hold a press conference right now to rify this ident has nothing to do with Pristine¡¯s Enterprises. It¡¯s an issue with Gregory¡¯s Enterprises only.¡± ¡°But in doing so, it might be impossible to save Gregory¡¯s Enterprises¡­¡± Lady Gregory hesitated before nodding, ¡°Okay then, I¡¯ll go to the hospital to see your father; you go hold the press conference. With you stepping up to rify, Pristine¡¯s Enterprises can remain unharmed. This would show that we¡¯re not dragging them into our problems, and your marriage with Steve won¡¯t be affected. Besides, as long as Pristine¡¯s Enterprises is doing well, there might still be hope for us after you marry Steve¡­¡± Lady Gregory patted Ruby¡¯s hand and said, ¡°Ruby, you¡¯ve thought this through better than me.¡±
Ruby forced a smile without saying anything. She hadn¡¯t thought as far ahead as her mother. She didn¡¯t even consider whether her marriage with Steve would face any turmoil due to this ident. The only thing on her mind at that moment was not wanting to cause any problems for Pristine¡¯s Enterprises and Steve. ¨C On Monday morning, all shareholders attended Pristine¡¯s Enterprises¡¯ meeting, so Steve set his phone to mute. He noticed Edward Woods waiting anxiously outside the conference room, constantly checking his watch as the meeting was nearing its end. Frowning, Steve paused the meeting. Chapter 468: 468: No Need for Nobility, Only Tactics (8) Chapter 468: No Need for Nobility, Only Tactics (8) Upon seeing Steve Burtone out of the conference room, Edward Woods began speaking immediately, ¡°Bro, the project that Pristine¡¯s Enterprises invested in and handed over to Gregory¡¯s Enterprises has run into trouble. There have been casualties, and now the stock market for Pristine¡¯s Enterprises has plummeted directly¡­¡± Before Edward Woods could finish his sentences, he was interrupted by Steve Burton¡¯s indifferent voice, ¡°What¡¯s the situation with Gregory¡¯s now?¡± ¡°Bro, shouldn¡¯t you care about Pristine¡¯s first? This is the worst stock market drop in Pristine¡¯s history¡­¡± ¡°Edward, you conduct the meeting now. I will handle this matter.¡± Steve Burton, once again, not waiting for Edward Woods to finish speaking, made a calm decision. Then, without affording Edward an opportunity to react, he strode towards his own office. When he pushed open the office door, only Rusell Henris and Howard Coleman were sitting inside. Steve Burton furrowed his eyebrows, ¡°Where is Madeleine?¡± ¡°Madeleine? I don¡¯t know, her phone is switched off when I just called.¡± Rusell Henris replied. He then looked at Howard Coleman, ¡°Howard, you always got along well with Madeleine, where is she?¡± The expression on Howard Coleman¡¯s face became somewhat stiff, his eyes flickered and then he bluntly said: ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡± Steve Burton did not say more. He went to his desk, turned on hisputer, and quickly typed something on the keyboard. He then swiftly nced over at the news and the stock market conditions to understand the situation. About five minutester, when Rusell Henris noticed Steve Burton¡¯s gaze leave theputer, he started to discuss the situation in a professional tone, ¡°Pristine¡¯s Enterprises is merely an investor and coborator. The key responsibility for this project lies with Gregory¡¯s Enterprises. They hired the constructionpany as well. Just now, I contacted our Public Rtions Department and Legal Department who assured us that they were 90 per cent confident of keeping Pristine¡¯s Enterprises separate from this incident.¡± ¡°Just now I also made an analysis, if we do not take responsibility for this ident, at most we¡¯ll lose the US$6,860,000 invested in Gregory¡¯s Enterprises¡­¡±Rusell¡¯s voice faltered here, and then he continued, ¡°But if Pristine¡¯s Enterprises epts responsibility for the ident, at most the loss could be around US$466,600,000.¡± Throughout Rusell¡¯s analysis, Steve Burton remained expressionless ¨C until he heard thest part. He paused, looked at Rusell.
Rusell, as if understanding Steve¡¯s gaze, calmly continued his thought, ¡°Even if I hadn¡¯t done the analysis, you would have taken action yourself. Because I know, usually, you would have chosen the first option without hesitation. But this time, you will definitely choose the second one.¡± ¡°Because I know you too well. You cannot bring yourself to abandon Gregory¡¯s¡­¡±Rusell paused here, slightly smiled, then corrected himself, ¡°It¡¯s not that you can¡¯t abandon Gregory¡¯s, but you can¡¯t abandon her.¡± Steve Burton moved his lips, but didn¡¯t speak. Rusell turned his head and looked at Howard Coleman, ¡°Howard, what do you think? Can we bear this US$466,600,000 and support our brother?¡± Howard Coleman, dressed in a white suit and casually seated on the couch, was staring out of the window as if he hadn¡¯t heard Rusell¡¯s words at all. Chapter 469: 469: No Need for Nobility, Only Tactics (9) Chapter 469: No Need for Nobility, Only Tactics (9) Rusell furrowed his brows and called out once more, ¡°Howard?¡± Seeing no response from Howard, he lifted his foot and tapped on his calf. Howard suddenly came to his senses and let out an ¡°Uh?¡± before asking, ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± ¡°I said, for the US$466,600,000, shall we bear it together with our brother?¡± Rusell repeated what he had said earlier. ¡°Oh, sure,¡± Howard answered, his gaze bing somewhat unfocused. ¡°Howard, what¡¯s the matter with you today? You¡¯re so absent-minded.¡± Rusell noticed that something was amiss with Howard and turned to stare at his face for a while before spotting a scratch on his neck. He suddenly reached out, poked it, andughed, ¡°Yo, what happened? Which woman was so fierce as to leave such a deep mark? Could it be your so-called true love? I didn¡¯t see thating, quite intense!¡± Howard¡¯s face darkened, and he abruptly swatted Rusell¡¯s hand away, rising from the couch in one swift movement. Rusell sat on the sofa, smiling at Howard, ¡°Looks like you¡¯ve really fallen for someone this time. You used to be the one who joked the most about your rtionships with other women, but now, you turn against me¡­¡± ¡°Rusell, do you have any fucking idea how annoying you are?!¡± Howard snapped fiercely, then nced at Steve Burton with lingering anger, ¡°Bro, do whatever you want with the Gregorys¡¯ issue, I¡¯ll listen to you. I have something to do today. I¡¯ll go first.¡± Without waiting for Steve or Rusell to respond, he forcefully mmed the door shut and left. ¡°Why did Howard suddenly turn into this?¡± Rusell muttered under his breath, then turned to Steve and said, ¡°Bro, I¡¯ve already had the Public Rtions Department prepare the press conference. You can go straight to the second floor and start now.¡± Steve nodded, stood up, and straightened his clothes. He and Rusell then left the office. But just as they reached the secretary area, the secretary general, Ms. Taylor, suddenly stood up and called out, ¡°Mr. Burton.¡±
Then, she hurriedly presented him with a tablet: ¡°Mr. Burton, please have a look.¡± Steve had been preupied with the thought of how Ruby Gregory would react to the news about the Gregorys¡¯ troubles and appeared somewhat absent-minded as he nced at the tablet Ms. Taylor handed him. But on the screen, he saw the very person he was worrying about. Ruby was dressed fairly casually in simple loungewear, her hair casually pulled back. Facing the constant shing of camera lights, her pale face spoke slowly, ¡°Regarding this ident, it was caused by the faults of Gregory¡¯s Enterprises. Pristine¡¯s Enterprises is merely an investor and not responsible for the project.¡± At this point, Ruby bowed deeply: ¡°For this ident, which has caused such negative impact, I apologize. Gregory¡¯s Enterprises will bear all the consequences.¡± Another flurry of camera shes went off, and a female reporter raised her microphone and asked, ¡°Ms. Ruby Gregory, there are rumors that you and CEO Mr. Steve Burton of Pristine¡¯s Enterprises will hold an engagement ceremony on the 10th of this month, is that true?¡± Ruby paused for a moment and nodded, ¡°Yes.¡± Chapter 470: 470: No Need for Nobility, Only Tactics (10) Chapter 470: No Need for Nobility, Only Tactics (10) ¡°So, Ms. Ruby Gregory, can I ask you a personal question here? Since you are engaged to Pristine¡¯s Enterprises¡¯ CEO, why didn¡¯t they step forward and face this big crisis with you? After all, such a storm would hardly cause any fatal trouble for Pristine¡¯s Enterprises, apany of its scale, but would likely lead to bankruptcy for Gregory¡¯s Enterprises. Or is this whole thing a pre-nned PR stunt aimed at protecting Pristine¡¯s Enterprises from any involvement? After all, it would be much easier for Gregory¡¯s Enterprises to rise again with the help of Pristine¡¯s Enterprises.¡± In the tablet, Ruby was slightly stunned by the reporter¡¯s articte question and shook her head, calmly saying, ¡°This is not a PR stunt. The truth is that Pristine¡¯s Enterprises has nothing to do with this incident. It¡¯s not that they don¡¯t want to assume responsibility, but this is essentially a mistake made by Gregory¡¯s Enterprises. I don¡¯t personally want to involve Pristine¡¯s Enterprises in this.¡± ¨C The press conference called by Ruby was short and quickly concluded. Steve Burton was still holding the tablet, staring straight at the screen, even after it switched to an advertisement. Ms. Taylor and Rusell Henris, standing behind Steve, exchanged a nce, both remaining silent. About half a minuteter, Steve handed the tablet calmly to Ms. Taylor, speaking in a cold tone as if nothing had happened, ¡°Bring today¡¯s schedule to my office.¡± He then turned around and walked back into his office, mming the door shut. ¨C After the press conference, Ruby hailed a taxi and headed to the hospital. On the way, she kept refreshing the news in her browser, seeing her announcement quickly make the headlines everywhere, while Pristine¡¯s Enterprises Inc.¡¯s stock stopped its decline and began to rise slightly. This settled her internal panic a bit, but she still felt a sense of unease inside her. By the time Ruby arrived at the hospital, Maxwell Gregory had already regained consciousness. Ruby heaved a sigh of relief and walked up to Maxwell, grasping his hand, speaking with a slight whine, ¡°Dad, you scared me to death.¡±
Maxwell patted Ruby¡¯s hand with a smile, acting as if it was no big deal, ¡°It¡¯s nothing serious, just a sudden rise in blood pressure. I just needed to sleep it off for a bit.¡± Ruby knew that passing out from high blood pressure is tantamount to a stroke and that her father only said this to make her feel at ease. Her heart grew heavier, but she pretended to believe her father, letting out a long sigh of relief. Maxwell and Lady Gregory had already watched Ruby¡¯s press conference in the hospital. After chatting about family affairs, Lady Gregory finally asked a serious question, ¡°Ruby, by stepping out and making The Gregorys take all the responsibility, did Steve call you?¡± Asked by Lady Gregory, Ruby btedly realized why she felt uneasy after absolving Pristine¡¯s Enterprises of any involvement and helping them recover in the stock market. It turned out that she was bothered by the fact that Steve hadn¡¯t contacted her yet. Ruby¡¯s expression momentarily faltered, confused as to why she yearned for Steve to call her after everything happened. Chapter 471: 471: What do I mean to you? (1) Chapter 471: What do I mean to you? (1) Lady Gregory noticed Ruby¡¯s dazed expression, her eyebrows furrowed, and asked with a concerned look, ¡°Didn¡¯t Steve call you?¡± Ruby quickly snapped out of her thoughts, giving Lady Gregory a smile that seemed to reassure her, but more like deceiving herself: ¡°Steve had a meeting this morning, and he might not know about this news yet.¡± ¡°I hope Steve just doesn¡¯t know the news yet; I¡¯m worried that he might be upset about our mistake this time¡­¡± Lady Gregory sighed and continued after a moment of silence, ¡°But luckily, Ruby was quick-witted and thought about holding a press conference immediately to rify that Pristine¡¯s Enterprises had nothing to do with this incident. The crisis was averted in time; otherwise, Ruby and Steve¡¯s marriage might have been in jeopardy if there was a significant loss to Pristine¡¯s Enterprises.¡± Upon hearing her mother¡¯s words, Ruby slightly lowered her eyelids, and a sense of worry arose in her heart, fearing that Steve might be unhappy about her father¡¯s mistake this time. Although Maxwell Gregory had regained consciousness, his physical condition was still not great, so he slipped into a deep sleep after a short time awake. Ruby and Lady Gregory sat quietly in the room. From time to time, Lady Gregory checked the time and nced at the mobile phone in Ruby¡¯s hand, and Ruby knew that her mother was deeply worried. She had muted her phone while her father was resting, so when her mother looked at her phone again, Ruby took the initiative to call Steve. After waiting for the call to connect, she showed the screen to her mother. Seeing that her mother finally breathed a sigh of relief, Ruby quietly and quickly left the room. Ruby walked a little further away from her father¡¯s room before putting the phone to her ear and gently said, ¡°Hello?¡± There was no response from Steve on the other end of the phone. Through the receiver, Ruby could hear faint keyboard tapping sounds. Ruby held her phone, remaining silent for a while before softly asking, ¡°Are you busy?¡± After a long pause, Steve finally responded with a nonchnt hum.
Ruby recalled her mother¡¯s concern that Steve might be unhappy due to the Gregory¡¯s mistake and felt tense subconsciously when she heard him. She swallowed hard, trying to calm herself down, before softly humming in response. While gripping her phone tightly, she began, ¡°I¡¯m really sorry about involving Pristine¡¯s Enterprises.¡± There was a long silence on the other end after Ruby¡¯s apologetic words. After an unknown amount of time, Ruby heard the sound of aptop closing and an office chair rubbing against the floor. Then she heard Steve¡¯s indifferent voice, seemingly unconcerned, ¡°Didn¡¯t you hold a press conference right away, clearing the name of Pristine¡¯s Enterprises? How could they be implicated in anything?¡± Steve¡¯s tone was light and even had a hint of mockery, making Ruby¡¯s eyes redden for a moment, and an indescribable feeling of difort surged in her heart. She held her clothing tightly with her other hand, not making a sound. On the other end of the phone, Steve seemed to be very patient. Chapter 472: 472: What do I mean to you? (2) Chapter 472: What do I mean to you? (2) Steve Burton on the other end of the phone seemed to have great patience. He waited for Ruby Gregory for a long time before leisurely asking, ¡°Gregory¡¯s Enterprises encountered such great difficulties, do you need my help?¡± In the past, Ruby had tried countless times to approach Steve, using him to bring about prosperity for Gregory¡¯s Enterprises, driven by Pristine¡¯s Enterprises. Now, when Steve personally asked if she needed any help, Ruby just couldn¡¯t bring herself to ask. She even thought about, in the car, her mother telling her that as long as Pristine¡¯s Enterprises still existed, the Gregorys would never die. Also, at the press conference, one journalist said the same thing, that Pristine¡¯s Enterprises was still around, and marrying Steve would make it easy for the Gregorys to rise again. It seemed in everyone¡¯s eyes, her actions today were allying the groundwork for the future of Gregory¡¯s Enterprises. In the past, she might have nned and acted this way, but today, she really hadn¡¯t thought that much. Actually, the Gregorys needed Steve¡¯s help, and all along, her marrying Steve was just for times like these when they faced a deadly situation and needed to rely on him. But when this moment arrived, she realized that she didn¡¯t want his help at all. Ruby stared out the window for a long time before whispering, ¡°No.¡± Once again, silence fell on the other end of the phone. Although separated by a phone call, Ruby didn¡¯t know the expression on Steve¡¯s face, but this silence made her feel a little uneasy. She thought about her mother telling her about the US$6,860,000 Steve had provided interest-free to her father for investment, and how it had ultimately gone down the drain without earning anything in return.
US$6,860,000 was not a small amount. Ruby swallowed and whispered, ¡°Thank you for the US$6,860,000 investment for my dad, but that investment didn¡¯t earn you any return before it was lost.¡± This time, Steve didn¡¯t remain silent but spoke in a low tone, ¡°It¡¯s okay, investment always carries risks.¡± Ruby pursed her lips, ¡°I¡¯ll find a way to pay back that US$6,860,000.¡± ¡°No need,¡± Steve quickly replied, then paused and continued, ¡°Compared with the US$466,600,000 I originally nned to spend, US$6,860,000 is nothing.¡± Speaking of this, Steveughed a little on the other end of the phone, ¡°It¡¯s just a pity that the US$466,600,000 wasn¡¯t spent.¡± Ruby didn¡¯t quite understand what he meant by ¡°the US$466,600,000¡± but, even without his emphasis, she knew that US$6,860,000 meant next to nothing for Pristine¡¯s Enterprises. Yet, she couldn¡¯t shake the thought of wanting to pay back every cent of that US$6,860,000 to Steve. Ruby found her current thoughts strange. Hadn¡¯t she fought tooth and nail to marry Steve for the wealth and power he possessed? She didn¡¯t know where the idea of repaying the money came from, but she felt that, only by doing so would her heart feel at ease, and she could hold her head up high when facing Steve. Ruby clenched her hand tightly, staring at the slightly hazy sky outside the window, and blinked. Once again, she spoke to Steve on the phone, ¡°That US$6,860,000 belongs to you; repaying you is the right thing to do¡­¡± PS: I know many people have opinions about this book. Actually, I deliberately conceived a female lead who seems like a puppet at first. It¡¯s precisely because of her that the story is so interesting, isn¡¯t it? Cabbage and potatoes, different strokes for different folks. I¡¯ve written so many books always with the intention of providing entertainment for everyone, aiming only to make you smile. I hope you all ept it with augh~ Chapter 473: 473: What do I mean to you? (3) Chapter 473: What do I mean to you? (3) Ruby Gregory clenched her hands tightly, staring at the slightly white sky outside the window. Blinking her eyes, she spoke into the phone again, ¡°That US$6,860,000 is yours, and I should give it back to you¡­¡± Before thest word of Ruby¡¯s sentence was fully drawn out, Steve Burton abruptly hung up. Ruby¡¯s words stopped abruptly as well, and she listened to the busy toneing from the receiver, which sounded empty and long, echoing the emptiness in her heart. There was an indescribable panic rapidly spreading and rolling within her. Ruby held her phone, staring nkly for a while before regaining consciousness. She was afraid that Lady Gregory woulde looking for her and see her in this dispirited state, so she took a deep breath, forced a smile on her lips, and walked back to the sickroom. ¨C Steve hung up the phone and threw it without a second thought, smashing it directly onto a floor-standing vase across the room. The vase shattered with a magnificent, hollow sound. But Steve felt that the heaviness in his chest intensified, as if he would explode if he didn¡¯t vent his emotions. He violently raised his foot and kicked the desk in front of him, splitting it apart. Files,puters, deskmps, and cups were thrown in all directions, crashing on the floor, knocking against the walls, and smashing on the coffee tables, creating chaotic noises. ¨C Just outside of Steve¡¯s office, the entire secretarial department had heard the smashing soundsing from inside. They all stopped their work and exchanged nces, disbelief in their eyes. Many of them had been secretaries for Steve since he took over Pristine¡¯s Enterprises, and over the years, he had been more like a god than a boss to them.
Humans have emotions, but only gods can remain indifferent, seemingly unmoved by joys and sorrows in the world. It wasn¡¯t that they had not seen Steve angry and irritable before, but this was limited to his harsh words and ruthlessness, never out of control like he was now. The sounds of breaking items in the room continued unabated, and even through the tightly closed office door, all the secretaries could feel the murderous aura emanating from Steve. None of them dared to stand up, approach the door, and peek inside. Even Ms. Taylor, the first to recover her senses, hurriedly hung up after calling Mr. Henris, Mr. Woods, and Mr. Coleman, pretending to know nothing. The sounds of breaking items continued intermittently, followed by deafening noises, making all the secretaries outside shudder. Probably the person inside had gotten tired or vented enough; finally, there was silence. The secretaries breathed a sigh of relief, but still, no one dared to stand up from their seats. The entire CEO office area was eerily quiet as if even the sound of a needle falling to the ground could be heard. After an unknown length of time, the tightly closed door of the CEO¡¯s office finally opened. Chapter 474: 474: What do I mean to you? (4) Chapter 474: What do I mean to you? (4) All the secretaries sat upright as if they had been electrocuted. Everybody was holding their breath, afraid to look at Steve Burton who had just walked out of the president¡¯s office door. Steve Burton walked into the Secretary¡¯s Department, stopping in front of Secretary General Ms. Taylor¡¯s desk. Ms. Taylor didn¡¯t dare to make a sound, she lowered her head, stood up, her voice was a little shaky, ¡°Mr. Burton, do you have any orders?¡± ¡°I have a lunch appointment with Mr. Kent at The Vine, you will apany me.¡± ¡°Yes,¡± Ms. Taylor hurriedly agreed. Without daring to look at Steve Burton, she bowed her head, tidied up her belongings, and followed Burton. Just as Steve Burton was about to leave the Secretary¡¯s Department, as if suddenly remembering something, he paused and said to a secretary who was pretending to focus on her work, his tone as casual as ever, ¡°Have someone tidy up my office.¡± ¡°Yes, Mr. Burton,¡± the secretary stood up tremblingly in reply. Without a word, Steve Burton left, and Ms. Taylor hurriedly followed closely behind. It was only when Steve Burton and Ms. Taylor¡¯s figures disappeared into the elevator that the people in the Secretary¡¯s Department began to breathe a sigh of relief. The secretary whom Burton had ordered hurriedly walked to Burton¡¯s office, pushed open the door. Seeing the scene inside, she was a sense of dread overcame her. The office, which used to be in order, was aplete mess. There were fragments of wood, ss, porcin, and documents scattered on the floor, and even the wall painting was split into two halves as if a chair had hit it. ¨C
As soon as Ruby Gregory returned to the ward, before she could sit down, Lady Gregory immediately stood up, pulled her to her side, and asked in a whisper, ¡°What did Steve say when he called you?¡± When the call with Steve came up, Ruby couldn¡¯t hide the joy on her face. Trying to keep her smile steady, she lightly answered her mother, ¡°Steve, he asked me if I needed any help.¡± Having heard this, a smile spread across Lady Gregory¡¯s face and she sighed with relief, ¡°If Steve takes the initiative to ask you if you need help, it means Steve is not angry, thank goodness, thank goodness¡­¡± ¡°Lady Gregory repeated ¡°thank goodness¡± several times, which made Ruby feel more depressed. ¡°So, Ruby, how did you reply to Steve?¡± Thinking about her promise to Steve to return the money, and how her parents would react if they knew about the US$6,860,000 due to Steve, fearing they would face more pressure, she gave a wry smile, and said carefully, ¡°I told him that the Gregorys are in the limelight right now, and it would be better to discuss itter.¡± ¡°What did he say to you?¡± Ruby paused, lowered her eyelids, and whispered, ¡°He said, feel free to contact him whenever I need.¡± ¡°With Steve¡¯s words, I can now feel relieved.¡± As though suddenly remembering something, Lady Gregory asked again, ¡°Did Steve know your father is sick? Did he say he wasing to visit your father?¡±¡± ¡°I¡­¡± Ruby swallowed. ¡°I haven¡¯t told him yet. He¡¯s always so busy with work.¡± ¡°That¡¯s true. However, Ruby, your father is his prospective father-inw, and you are his only daughter. If hees to see your father, your father will definitely be pleased.¡± Chapter 475: 475: What do I mean to you? (5) Chapter 475: What do I mean to you? (5) Ruby nced at the still-sleeping Maxwell on the hospital bed, lightly responded with a ¡°hmm,¡± and said, ¡°I understand.¡± ¨C As it neared noon, Maxwell woke up, and the family of three had lunch in the hospital. Ruby apanied her father for a while, ying Chinese chess. Steve Burton and the US$6,860,000 were jam-packed in Ruby¡¯s mind, heavy and suffocating. However, she still worked hard to be obedient and sensible, cheering her father up. She persisted until 3 o¡¯clock when her father went to sleep. Then she made an excuse to Lady Gregory that she needed to return to thepany and left. Upon leaving the hospital, the smile on Ruby¡¯s face faded away. She took out her phone, with a peaceful screen and no iing calls or messages regarding Steve. WhatsApp was also quiet. Ruby stared at the screen in a daze for a while, then made a call to Madeleine. It took quite a while for the call to be answered. Madeleine¡¯s voice sounded a little hoarse: ¡°Ruby?¡± ¡°Hmm, Madeleine, where are you?¡± ¡°I¡¯m at home.¡± Madeleine paused for a moment: ¡°Is something wrong?¡± ¡°Something¡¯s up. I¡¯lle to you. Let¡¯s talk face to face.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± After hanging up, Ruby gged down a taxi and headed directly to Madeleine¡¯s home.
Ruby knew her friend was referring to the apartment where she usually stayed in the city. Ruby had been there many times, so upon arriving at the residential entrance, she easily found Madeleine¡¯s doorstep. After ringing the doorbell and waiting for quite some time, footsteps could be heard from inside. Then, the door was opened, revealing Madeleine in a long nightgown. She looked pale with disheveled hair, a swollen mouth, and indistinct traces of red on her cheeks concealed by her hair. Upon seeing Madeleine in this state, Ruby hurried forward, lifted her hair, and examined her swollen face. She frowned deeply: ¡°Madeleine, what happened to your face? Who hit you?¡± However, Madeleine looked calm. She turned her face away from Ruby, and walked into the room. Ruby closed the door and followed Madeleine: ¡°Who was so cruel to hit you?¡± It seemed like Madeleine didn¡¯t even hear Ruby¡¯s question. She went straight to the water bar, poured a ss of juice for Ruby, brought it to the living room sofa, sat down gracefully, and only then mentioned casually: ¡°It was Howard.¡± Astonishment shed in Ruby¡¯s eyes: ¡°Howard? He hit you?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Madeleine nodded calmly, raised her hand to brush her hair, and Ruby¡¯s keen eyes caught the purple and blue marks all over Madeleine¡¯s fair and tender neck. Ruby had experienced intimate moments with Steve many times, and naturally, she knew what the marks on Madeleine¡¯s skin represented. She was shocked: ¡°Madeleine, you, you and, Howard¡­?¡± Although Ruby didn¡¯t finish thetter part of her sentence, Madeleine understood what she meant. Without hiding anything, Madeleine nodded assertively at Ruby: ¡°Yes, you guessed it right, I slept with Howard.¡± Ruby was so surprised that she couldn¡¯t say a word. Chapter 476: 476: What do I mean to you? (6) Chapter 476: What do I mean to you? (6) However, Madeleine seemed unaffected. After saying her piece, she gently shook her head, correcting, ¡°Oh, it¡¯s not that I slept with Howard. It¡¯s that he thought I was his true love and slept with me.¡± When she said this, Madeleine evenughed lightly, as if telling someone else¡¯s story. She teasingly reiterated to Ruby Gregory, ¡°I¡¯m just a substitute.¡± Although Madeleine wasughing, Ruby thought it sounded more like crying. Even though she and Madeleine weren¡¯t biological sisters, they were close like sisters. Without any hesitation, Ruby took Madeleine¡¯s side and said, ¡°Even so, Howard cannot just hit someone.¡± ¡°Hitting me? What would be the point of Howard hitting me? He wishes he could kill me,¡± Madeleine said, her smile even more radiant than Ruby¡¯s anger. She paused for a while before murmuring, ¡°Ruby, there¡¯s no way I¡¯d let Howard sleep with me for no reason. That night, he was drunk and mistaken about who I was, but I wasn¡¯t mistaken about who he was. I deliberately had the driver take him and his little true love with me. I even had them sent to my home. However, I put his little true love in the guest bedroom and Howard in the master bedroom with me. That night, Howard and his true love both slept really well. When they woke up the next day, I gave them a big gift. Guess what?¡± At this point, Madeleine chuckled and continued, ¡°I showed the video of Howard and me sleeping together to his little true love. I also called his parents and told them that Howard had slept with me. Without any hesitation, Uncle Coleman proposed marriage to my father on Howard¡¯s behalf. I also brought up Howard¡¯s little true love to Uncle Coleman. And that very day, Howard¡¯s true love was given a sum of money and sent abroad.¡± ¡°Even if Howard truly likes his little true love, he has no choice now. It¡¯s his parents¡¯mand and arranged by the matchmaker. Besides, our families have been friends for generations, so nobody will take Howard¡¯s side. They¡¯ll only force him to marry me,¡± Madeleine said. ¡°Howard resents that I bullied his true love and set him up. So he got mad and pped me hard¡­¡± Madeleine then demonstrated a pping gesture while shaking her head regretfully, ¡°But it¡¯s such a pity. Originally, Howard and I were nning to get our marriage license this Monday, but my face hasn¡¯t healed, and it looks terrible in photos. So we have to dy it¡­¡± Madeleine¡¯s performance was so rxed and effortless, but Ruby noticed the tears filling Madeleine¡¯s eyes. Unable to hold back, Ruby interrupted, ¡°Madeleine, don¡¯t say anymore.¡± ¡°Ruby, let me talk. You don¡¯t know, Edward Woods, Rusell Henris, and my brother ¨C they¡¯re all men. Although they treat me well, they don¡¯t understand me. I can only talk about these things with you. If I don¡¯t, I¡¯ll suffocate. It¡¯s unbearable¡­¡± Madeleine¡¯s tears suddenly started to fall as she said, ¡°Ruby, I had no choice. All these years, he just couldn¡¯t fall for me. But I really like him. I have no choice but to do this. You don¡¯t know how I truly don¡¯t want to force him.¡± Chapter 477: 477: What do I mean to you? (7) Chapter 477: What do I mean to you? (7) In the end, only Madeleine¡¯s cries echoed throughout the room. Ruby Gregory didn¡¯t disturb Madeleine, she just sat quietly beside her. Madeleine cried for a long time, as if trying to exhaust all the sadness and grievances in her heart, only stopping when she lifted her head from her hands. Ruby reached out for a tissue and handed it to Madeleine. Madeleine wiped her tears and looked at Ruby. Even at this moment, her tone was still rxed and teasing, ¡°Actually, Ruby, I shouldn¡¯t be sad, right? At least I married Howard, and he¡¯ll be mine for the rest of his life. I made a fortune, didn¡¯t I?¡± Ruby didn¡¯t respond, as she didn¡¯t know what to say. She only knew that sometimes, gaining something could bring more sorrow and suffering than losing it. Madeleine curled her lips, smiled, tidied her clothes, and drank a big gulp of water from the ss on the table. Then she turned to Ruby and asked, ¡°What was the important matter you mentioned on the phone?¡± Ruby only then remembered her purpose foring, and her expression became slightly stiff. After a while, she said, ¡°Madeleine, I came to borrow money from you.¡± Madeleine didn¡¯t even ask what the money was for and simply replied, ¡°How much?¡± Ruby pressed her lips together and said, ¡°US$4,120,000.¡±
After a pause, Ruby added, ¡°Madeleine, this is a huge amount of money, and it might take me a long time to pay you back.¡± Madeleine didn¡¯t listen to what Ruby said afterward. After hearing the amount, she stood up, went into the bedroom, and returned with a check, saying, ¡°Use this. We can talk about payback when you have the funds.¡± Ruby nodded her head, said ¡°Thank you,¡± and took the check from Madeleine. ¨C Ms. Taylor was extremely cautious during the entire process of apanying Steve Burton to Mr. Kent¡¯s dinner party. She was afraid that one wrong move might touch a nerve and get her in trouble. However, to her astonishment, Steve was the same reserved, aloof person he had always been from the moment they left Pristine¡¯s Enterprises until the end of the dinner party. There was no sign of the man who had angrily destroyed his office earlier. The dinner partysted until three o¡¯clock before it ended. Steve had some alcohol, but not much. He appeared tired. On the way back to thepany, Ms. Taylor drove while Steve sat directly behind her. She kept ncing at him through the rearview mirror. Just before they arrived at thepany, Steve suddenly spoke, ¡°The office is probably not cleaned up yet, right?¡± Considering the damage, it was impossible for it to be cleaned up so quickly. Ms. Taylor thought to herself, but still respectfully nodded and replied, ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Is there anything important happening at thepany this afternoon?¡± ¡°There is a meeting with Mr. Woods, Mr. Henris, Mr. Coleman, and Ms. Madeleine, but today Mr. Coleman and Ms. Madeleine are not in thepany, so only Mr. Woods and Mr. Henris are left¡­¡± Ms. Taylor nced at Steve, suggesting, ¡°Do you want to reschedule the meeting for tomorrow?¡± Chapter 478: 478: What do I mean to you? (8) Chapter 478: What do I mean to you? (8) Steve Burton fell silent for a moment and said, ¡°No need, just send me to my apartment in the city, and notify Rusell and Edward toe over.¡± ¡°Yes, Mr. Burton.¡± Ms. Taylor took out her phone, spoke some gentle instructions, and then hung up. She nced at Steve Burton through the rearview mirror and saw him staring out the window with a serene expression, his eyes slightly unfocused, as if lost in thought. Ms. Taylor dropped Steve off at his apartment building and drove away. It hadn¡¯t been five minutes since he returned to his apartment when Edward Woods and Rusell Henris arrived one after another. At the meeting, most of the analysis was conducted by Rusell, with Edward asionally interjecting. Without the loquacious Howard Coleman and the asionally yful Madeleine, the meeting felt somewhat quiet and boring. Especially Steve Burton, who didn¡¯t usually say much during meetings, didn¡¯t say a word from the beginning until the end of today¡¯s meeting. Finally, the meeting came to an end, and Edward and Rusell got up, intending to leave. Unfortunately, before they could step out of the study, Steve suddenly called out, ¡°Edward.¡± Edward froze in his tracks and instinctively looked at Rusell for help. Rusell returned an apologetic look,pletely disregarding the bond between the brothers as he left first. Edward red at Rusell¡¯s retreating figure for a moment, then slowly turned around and called out to Steve with a grin, ¡°Bro, what¡¯s up?¡± Steve didn¡¯t say anything but stared at Edward, his thoughts drifting slightly. That woman, after such a huge incident at the Gregorys, her first thought wasn¡¯t to find him, her fianc¨¦, but to stand up on her own and take responsibility for everything while also clearing Pristine¡¯s Enterprises¡¯ name in a grand and generous manner. No one knew the extent of the loss he felt in his heart when he saw her at the press conference. What was even more tragic was that his fianc¨¦e actually told him she was returning the US$6,860,000.
It was trulyughable¡­ She would rather resort to using him but not openly depend on him. To her, all she wanted was the marriage, the status of a Mrs. Burton ¨C not Steve Burton, the man. She didn¡¯t need him. So, he constantly suppressed himself, not giving her what she needed. Yet, despite all this, he realized that he had still lost to her in the end. Edward felt increasingly uneasy under Steve¡¯s gaze, and just when he was about to break, Steve suddenly shifted his eyes. He looked at the screensaver on hisputer ¨C a smiling photo of Ruby Gregory ¨C and pressed his lips together, before asking in a slightly low voice, ¡°What¡¯s the current situation with the Gregorys?¡± Edward quietly let out a breath of relief and said, ¡°The public opinion is quite harsh, Gregory¡¯s Enterprises¡¯ stock has plummeted, and earlier this morning, Maxwell Gregory passed out after hearing the news.¡± ¨C Ruby stayed with Madeleine for a while before leaving with the US$4,120,000 check Madeleine had lent her. She went to the bank first and transferred the money that her father had saved under her name to a card without a password. She also deposited Madeleine¡¯s money into the same ount. Chapter 479: 479: What do I mean to you? (9) Chapter 479: What do I mean to you? (9) Ruby Gregory left the bank and checked the time, it was already four o¡¯clock. At this time, Steve Burton was either in a meeting or preparing to leave thepany for dinner gatherings. Ruby Gregory pondered for a while and decided to go to Steve Burton¡¯s apartment to wait for him toe home. ¨C ¡°Uncle Gregory fainted?¡± Edward Woods¡¯ remarks, although simple, implied many issues. But Steve Burton was only focused on the problem of Maxwell Gregory fainting and being hospitalized. As soon as he finished cross-questioning Edward Woods, he remembered the pitiful figure of Ruby Gregory taking care of her father in the hospital. Without a second thought, he opened the drawer of his desk, randomly picked up a car key, and went off towards the door. ¡°Bro, where are you going?¡± Edward Woods asked knowingly. Steve Burton didn¡¯t say a word as he briskly passed by Edward Woods. Feeling tedly cheeky, Edward Woods leaned on the railing of the second floor watching Steve Burton quickly descend the stairs. He teased, ¡°Bro, I thought you were always calm andposed? Howe hearing about Uncle Gregory¡¯s life being in danger makes you rushed as if it were your own father¡¯s illness?¡± Steve Burton didn¡¯t miss the sarcasm in Edward Woods¡¯ voice. He raised his hand, pointed at Edward Woods without uttering a word, and moved towards the foyer to change shoes. As Steve Burton hastily changed his shoes and opened the door, he saw Ruby Gregory exiting from the elevator opposite to him.
¨C After a while, Edward Woods walked downstairs leisurely. As he reached the first floor, he saw Steve Burton still standing at the entrance. Edward Woods frowned, ¡°Bro, why haven¡¯t you left yet?¡± Steve Burton stood with his back towards him, not reacting at all. Walking past Burton, Edward Woods saw Ruby Gregory standing outside the door. He cheerily waved at her, ¡°Hey, Ruby, you¡¯re here. Bro was just about to¡­¡± Edward Woods was interrupted by a stern re from Steve Burton. Startled, he swallowed the rest of his sentence. He then awkwardlyughed out loud, hastily excused himself, passed by Steve Burton and made a quick escape in the elevator after bidding Ruby goodbye. The elevator went down with a ding, leaving the entire corridor in silence. Steve Burton stared at Ruby Gregory for a while, then stepped aside and took off his half-worn shoes. He went back to his room. Ruby Gregory took a deep breath and entered the apartment. She first changed into slippers in the foyer, nced at Steve Burton moving upstairs, closed the door behind her and then followed him up. Ruby Gregory followed Steve Burton back to the master room. Steve Burton casually lounged on the sofa. He lifted his eyes to look at Ruby Gregory and asked, ¡°Didn¡¯t your father get admitted to the hospital? What brought you here?¡± Perhaps due to the morning call, Ruby Gregory sensed that Steve Burton was a bit upset. She became very cautious. Upon his question, she peered into his eyes and timidly reached into her bag to retrieve a bank card and handed it to him. Steve Burton nced at the bank card ced in Ruby¡¯s hands. His expression instantly turned cold as he anticipated something, ¡°What is this?¡± PS: That¡¯s all for today, continue tomorrow~Opened a WhatsApp: yefeiye1314 specially dedicated to readers (Add the group if you want to follow) PPS: To someining readers, I am speechless. If you really don¡¯t like it, then stop reading~Don¡¯t force yourself while repeatedly expressing your intention to quit~~ Novels are a roundabout process. If I say Steve Burton and Ruby Gregory grew up together, went through some love tests and then got married~Would you find it interesting? Chapter 480: 480: What do I mean to you? (10) Chapter 480: What do I mean to you? (10) Steve nced at the bank card in Ruby¡¯s palm, and as if he sensed something, his face turned cold in an instant: ¡°What is this?¡± It had been a long time since Steve had shown Ruby such a cold expression. His sudden change frightened Ruby, her fingers trembled, and she almost dropped the bank card. Ruby didn¡¯t even dare to breathe, mustering courage in a low voice, she said, ¡°This is the money you invested in my dad¡¯s business.¡± With an elegant demeanor, Steve leaned on the sofa without looking at Ruby. ¡°Haven¡¯t I said it before? Investmentes with risk, and this risk, I, Steve Burton, can still bear.¡± ¡°But my mother said that this money didn¡¯te frompany ounts, but rather your personal ounts. So, I should return the money to you¡­¡± Initially lounging calmly on the sofa, Steve¡¯s gaze suddenly fell straight upon Ruby. His lips curled into a smile in response to her words. That smile made the man¡¯s face even more exquisitely captivating. However, Ruby felt as if this beautiful smile wasced with poison, frightening her so much that her heart nearly stopped. Apart from the smile, his facial expression didn¡¯t change much. Still, the warmth in his eyes seemed as if a thousand years of frozen snow were ice-cold and terrifying, causing the temperature in the entire room to drop significantly. What Ruby feared most was Steve acting like this¡ª wearing a mysterious smile that couldn¡¯t be deciphered while looking at her intently.
Steve might appear calm and ordinary on the surface, but she knew that at any moment, he could erupt with deadly danger. Scared, she immediately stopped talking, filtering out everything she had said and done that day. She had rified things about Pristine¡¯s Enterprises for him and actively assumed the risk of his investment. She had been quite considerate of him, so why was he angry? Steve stared at Ruby for quite a while before he slowly stood up from the sofa. He took a leisurely stroll, stopping right in front of her, stretching out two fingers and taking the bank card from her hand. He examined it for a second, ¡°Is the money you¡¯re returning to me in this card?¡± Steve¡¯s tone sounded as usual. Ruby observed his expression and found him rtively calm, so she swallowed hard, chose her words carefully, and answered Steve¡¯s question: ¡°There¡¯s US$6,860,000 in the card, and there¡¯s no password.¡± Before Ruby could finish speaking, the man¡¯s face turned cold suddenly, and he violently smashed the card onto Ruby¡¯s face: ¡°Ruby Gregory, your calctions are really urate!¡± Steve¡¯s force was quite strong. The card hit Ruby¡¯s hair, causing herbed hair to be a mess along with a sharp pain. Ruby had not expected Steve to turn cold so abruptly, without any warning. She winced and lowered her head even more. She knew that Steve was angry again. Although she didn¡¯t know why he was so furious when she returned the money, Ruby knew that it was best not to speak at this point to avoid provoking him further with a wrong word. Steve stared at Ruby expressionlessly for a long time. His voice sounded somewhat weak when he finally spoke, ¡°Ruby Gregory, do you think there¡¯s any meaning to our marriage?¡± Initially, Ruby had nned to remain silent and let Steve cool off¡ª Chapter 481: 481: What Am I to You? (11) Chapter 481: What Am I to You? (11) Ruby Gregory had originally wanted to silently wait for Steve Burton to cool down, but she never expected him to say something like that. She suddenly raised her head, ayer of disbelief welling up in her eyes as she looked at him. What did he mean by their marriage being meaningful? Was Steve Burton nning to cancel their engagement? Ruby could not understand her own emotions as a heavy sense of panic filled her heart. It was as if she feared her hard-won dream would be shattered, and she felt rmed at the prospect of not being able to marry Steve. Seeing his expression, her face turned somewhat pale. Her lips trembled for a long time before she softly asked, ¡°Are you canceling our engagement?¡± Steve, however, seemed to have heard a hrious joke. Upon hearing Ruby¡¯s words, he suddenly hooked his lips in a faint smile. Yet, his heart seemed to have turned ice cold. Seeing Steve¡¯s smile, Ruby¡¯s heart grew even more terrified. Racking her brain, she tried to recall what she might have done wrong. But in the end, all she could think of was that it might be due to the sudden ident involving Gregory¡¯s Enterprises, which made him have these thoughts. ¡°Did the ident at Gregory¡¯s Enterprises upset you? I have already cut ties with Pristine¡¯s Enterprises, and I¡¯ll return the money to you¡­ ¡± ¡°Shut up!¡± Ruby not mentioning these things was fine, but bringing them up suddenly ignited the anger that Steve had suppressed all day, causing it to explode. He knew that the moment her father fell ill, his first thought was to visit her father at the hospital. And what about her? She came to his door personally to pay him back! What was the point of her hurrying to return the money? Was she afraid that the ident at Gregory¡¯s Enterprises would cause him to be biased against her, so she quickly rushed to pay him back, wanting to secure her position as Mrs. Burton?
Did Ruby truly see Steve as her fiance, her future husband, and the person she could rely on for the rest of her life? Steve grew increasingly amused as he thought about it, a hint ofughter appearing at the corner of his mouth. Yet he felt the mes of anger inside him grow stronger, consuming his entire body. His veins, cells, and even bone marrow all seemed to be burning with unbearable heat, numbing his heart with pain. Steve reached out with his right hand, using his thumb and index finger to pinch Ruby¡¯s jaw, lifting her face up, forcing her to look directly into his eyes. ¡°Ruby Gregory, it really seems deep down, what you care most about is your position as Mrs. Burton, isn¡¯t it?¡± ¡°Three years ago, I slept with you for nothing. Three yearster, you returned to the country, brazenly sticking to me, trying your best to get pregnant with my child and marry me. Is it not just for the money behind me? To you, am I not just an ATM, a tool to make Gregory¡¯s Enterprises rise to fame?¡± ¡°Since you care so much about your position as Mrs. Burton, why are you now pretending to be noble by returning money to me? Could it be you think that US$6,860,000 is too little? You want US$68,600,000, US$686,000,000, or US$6,860,000,000?¡± Steve Burton had always had a vicious tongue, and being angry at this moment, he only cared about making Ruby suffer as much as he did. The words he spoke seemed like a deadly poison, brutally stabbing into Ruby¡¯s heart. Ruby looked at Steve¡¯s perfectly contoured lips and the dark eyes that seemed to be cracking. She never thought he would say such hurtful things to her again. Chapter 482: 482: What do I mean to you? (12) Chapter 482: What do I mean to you? (12) In the past, each time she got close to him with an ulterior motive, he would angrily scold her, disgusted and annoyed by her actions. She would feel sad and humiliated, but never to the extent she felt now, like her pain was being cut with a knife. Ever since she was little, the Gregorys had told her that she was to be married to Steve Burton. Only by marrying Steve could the Gregorys continue their wealthy and honorable life. Thus, their requirement naturally became her dream. She had always fought tirelessly to make this dreame true, by any means necessary, without ever feeling that she did anything wrong. She even believed that as long as she achieved her goal, she was sessful. But now, hearing from him that she married him for his money and questioning why she has to feign loftiness by repaying him, she felt as if he had pped her hard across the face. She couldn¡¯t look him in the eye. How strange¡­ In the past, all she wanted was to win his favor, never caring about his opinion of her. Even now, she felt that her past actions and strategies, which she had once been so proud of, seemed dirty and despicable. Consequently, she also felt a sense of shame about herself¡­ She hade to repay him to ease her conscience and make him happy, but now, she felt that she couldn¡¯t face him any longer. Panic filled Ruby¡¯s eyes, and she didn¡¯t know where she found the courage to suddenly push Steve away. She bent down to pick up the bank card from the floor but didn¡¯t dare to hand it to him; instead, she left it hastily on the bedside table. Throughout the whole process, Ruby didn¡¯t dare to look at Steve. It wasn¡¯t that she couldn¡¯t look at him; rather, she couldn¡¯t face him. She was afraid to see disgust and loathing in Steve¡¯s eyes. At that moment, she realized, with some regret, that her previous attempts to get close to and please Steve had been driven by ulterior motives. After cing the bank card down, Ruby hastily said, ¡°I¡¯ve left the card here. I need to go back to the hospital to take care of Dad. I¡¯m leaving now.¡±
With that, Ruby lowered her head, turned around, and walked towards the bedroom door. However, she hadn¡¯t made it even two steps before she felt her wrist being violently grabbed, and then she was suddenly thrown onto the bed. Dizziness overcame Ruby, and before she could fully recover, she felt Steve atop her. He didn¡¯t waste any time or make any additional moves; he simply tore off their clothes and rushed at her headlong. It had been a while since Ruby had experienced this kind of pain. Subconsciously, she wanted to reach up and grab Steve¡¯s shoulders, but as soon as her fingers touched his skin, she seemed to remember something and let her hand drop, disappointment settling in. Instead, she tightly gripped the bedsheet underneath her. Steve noticed her subtle gesture, and the suppressed anger in his chest swelled even more. Consequently, his force grew stronger as well. Ruby had always thought that intimacy between two people involved insufferable pain because Steve had never treated her gently. But ever since she had told him that she took painkillers because she feared pain, he had be extremely patient when they made love, treating her like a treasured gem. He would carefully kiss and caress her for a long time, only continuing once she wasfortable and rxed. ¡ª Chapter 483: 483: What do I mean to you? (13) Chapter 483: What do I mean to you? (13) But this time, his brutality and ruthlessness were unlike ever before. There were no kisses or caresses, not even a hint of tenderness. His strength was overwhelming, every time inflicting immense pain, it was purely to vent his own feelings. There was nothing Ruby Gregory could do except tightly clutch her fist and bite her lower lip like the first time. It was strange. After all, she had experienced such unbearable pain before, but why did she feel so dreadful now? Ruby¡¯s eyes were slightly red-rimmed, and she could feel the heat of liquid trickling down her cheeks. She could only squeeze her eyes shut and let the man continue his ruthless and violent assault on her. After what felt like forever, Steve Burton finally fell back, sated. Ruby¡¯s face was pallid due to the pain, almost frighteningly so. From some sort of self-preservation instinct, she curled into a tiny ball the moment Steve withdrew from her. The bed in Steve¡¯s master bedroom was enormous; Ruby was petite to begin with, and now that she had curled up, she looked even smaller and insignificant. Her body was still shaking from the pain, resembling a frightened kitten. Regting his breath, Steve gazed at the shivering Ruby. His tightly pressed lips rxed as he reached out his hand to gently fix her flushed face buried in the sheets. Noticing the tears umting in her eyes, his expression hardened slightly, and his voice retained the coldness he was known for. ¡°Ruby, deep down, what you have always wanted was to be Mrs. Burton, isn¡¯t that right?¡± ¡°To you, offering yourself as amodity for exchange to attain your interests, and anything else between us, is irrelevant. As for sharing hardships as husband and wife, life and death, all of that is unnecessary in your book, isn¡¯t that right?¡± As he spoke these words, Steve¡¯s voice slightly ebbed. He turned, picked up his clothes from the floor, and began dressing leisurely. Only now did he fullyprehend that his love for her was a long, unrequited love story. Every little change in her made him astoundingly ted. He believed that finally, she was starting to fall for him. But each time, it turned out to be his fanciful thinking, and nothing more.
Maybe she did have feelings, they were just reserved for Edric Reat, while he had been deluding himself over and over again, holding onto hopes of her affections. He knew that once she became Mrs. Burton, she would no longer need Steve. If there was no Pristine¡¯s Enterprises behind him, if his name wasn¡¯t Steve Burton, if he was just an ordinary 9-to-5 wage-earning man on the street, she, Ruby Gregory, wouldn¡¯t spare him a nce. If she needed his help, with Gregory¡¯s Enterprises facing such massive problems, her first instinct wouldn¡¯t have been to hold a press conference clearing Pristine¡¯s Enterprises¡¯ name or giving back the US$6,860,000 to him, rather than seeking assistance. He was her husband, her future support, yet, she never had the inclination to rely on him. Because of indifference, there was no dependency. At the thought of this, a dash of disappointment crossed Steve¡¯s eyes. The smile on his face softened, radiating a stunning glow. His gaze upon her was slightly rapt, but in a split second, his usual icy indifference returned. His voice was soft, cool, devoid of any emotion. ¡°Since you want so badly to be amodity, I shall treat you as one going forward!¡± ¡°A fair exchange, no involvement, I know very well how this works!¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry, from today onward, I will surely make clear our boundaries, just as you wish, avoiding any interference in each other¡¯s matters!¡± Upon saying this, Steve paused buttoning his shirt, picked up the bank card that Ruby had returned to him from the edge of the bed, and threw it sternly in front of Ruby: ¡°You don¡¯t need to pay me back this US$6,860,000, as amodity, this is your rightful share!¡± Saying this, Steve neatly arranged his clothes, then turned around coldly and left the bedroom. ¨C Commodity¡­ he called her amodity. Ruby instinctively curled her body even tighter, her gaze bing somewhat vacant. At first, she indeed treated herself as a tool for connecting families when she married Steve, truly as a piece of merchandise. However, when he uttered those words, she found herself unbearably distraught. Ruby listened as the apartment door was mmed shut by Steve downstairs. Only then did she turn her eyes, bury her head in the quilt, and the tears fell one by one. The droplets fell harder and harder until, in the end, Ruby started sobbing quietly. Chapter 484: 484: What do I mean to you? (14) Chapter 484: What do I mean to you? (14) She just felt so wronged, her heart filled with immense sadness. Ever since she was a child, she had lived for Steve Burton, liking what he liked, disliking what he disliked, even her emotions had to follow his. In the past, he didn¡¯t like her using him, but now, when she stopped using him, she thought it would please him, make him happy. However, who would have thought that it would still end up infuriating him? It was terrible; no matter what she did, she just couldn¡¯t seem to satisfy him. Even in the end, he told her that from now on, they should have a clear boundary between them and not interfere in each other¡¯s lives! As Ruby Gregory thought about this, a sense of unspeakable panic arose from her aggrieved heart, and the tears in her eyes flowed even more violently. ¨C At one in the morning, the winter night in Ciawell was particrly silent. At 10 pm, the first snow began to fall from the sky, and in just a few short hours, the whole city was covered in white. With the neon lights shining quietly, the streets were void of life, save for The Sapphire Bistro, which was still aze with lights and bustling with people. In the open dance floor of The Sapphire Bistro, a group of men and women showed no signs of fatigue, as if they had just started partying, having the time of their lives.
Edward Woods squeezed out of the packed dance floor, scanned the surrounding sofa area, and finally fixed his gaze on Rusell Henris, who was still able to work on aptop even in such a luxurious and noisy scene. Edward struggled to get through the crowd and sat across from Rusell, poured himself a ss of wine, drank it in one gulp, then looked at Rusell typing away on hisptop with focus and seriousness, and said, ¡°Rusell, can you not work every time we go out and have fun? At least now, show some concern for our buddy?¡± Rusell didn¡¯t pay attention to Edward and continued typing for a while, then slowly sipped his own ss of wine before asking, ¡°So, how¡¯s our buddy doing?¡± ¡°What else can he do? His mood has changed drastically. It¡¯s like he¡¯s been possessed by Howard. Now he¡¯s dancing in the dance floor with a bunch of girls and having a st.¡± Edward sighed and said with a pained look, ¡°Wasn¡¯t our buddy and Ruby getting along just fine a few days ago? Howe in the blink of an eye, these two are like sworn enemies again? Oh, no, no, it¡¯s worse than before. When has our buddy ever liked this kind of ce? He¡¯s been in this dance floor for three hours tonight, nevering out, and he can y more than Howard!¡± ¡°Our buddy has always had the ability to have fun. In fact, he¡¯s had the most potential for fun among us. He just didn¡¯t want to.¡± Rusell focused on editing the data on hisputer while saying nonchntly to Edward, ¡°With Ruby doing this, our buddy must be very upset deep down. Think about it, she¡¯s his fianc¨¦e, and then something happens. Shees out, faces it alone. The engagement invitations were sent out, and so many people know that Ruby is his soon-to-be wife. Before the press conference, she steps forward, just think of how many peopleugh at our buddy, not even able to protect his own woman.¡± ¡°He wants to protect her, but Ruby has to give him a chance! The moment Gregory¡¯s Enterprises ran into trouble in the morning, our buddy immediately had me prepare five ns and US$27,450,000 in funds. It¡¯s clear he wanted to help Gregory¡¯s Enterprises make aeback!¡± Chapter 485: 485: What do I mean to you? (15) Chapter 485: What do I mean to you? (15) ¡°Rusell, Edward, what are you guys talking about?¡± As soon as Edward Woods finished speaking, Howard Coleman¡¯s drunken, slightly slurred words came through. Rusell Henris and Edward Woods turned their heads to see Howard Coleman leaning on Steve Burton¡¯s shoulder, squeezing out of the crowd. Usually high-cold and elegant Steve Burton, his suit jacket had long gone missing, two or three buttons undone at the cor of his white shirt, his body emitting various perfume scents. Edward Woods poured two drinks and pushed them in front of Steve Burton and Howard Coleman: ¡°Nothing.¡± Rusell nced at the time at the bottom of theputer screen, tapped the keyboard a couple more times, then closed hisptop, saying, ¡°It¡¯s gettingte, we should leave.¡± What do you mean leave; do you guys not know that this is the real beginning of the night?¡± Howard Coleman drank a long draught, pped Steve Burton¡¯s shoulder, and said, ¡°Bro, don¡¯t listen to them; if you¡¯re in a bad mood, you should go out and have fun. I heard that The Sapphire Bistro has several beautiful girls tonight. Let¡¯s have the manager call them over and take our pickter.¡± Rusell¡¯s expression instantly turned somewhat serious: ¡°Howard, it¡¯s okay for you to fool around, but don¡¯t drag our brother into it.¡± ¡°What do you mean, I¡¯m dragging our brother into it? Let me tell you, Rusell, stop acting all virtuous here. Sex is natural; why hang yourself up on one person for your whole life!¡± Howard!¡± Rusell hadn¡¯t even finished speaking when the leisurely standing Steve Burtonughed first: ¡°Howard is right, life is so long, why hang yourself up on one person.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right, bro, you¡¯ve finallye to your senses!¡± Howard Coleman belched and forcefully patted Steve Burton¡¯s shoulder, ¡°Let¡¯s go, bro, and check out the women tonight.¡± With that, Howard Coleman left, hooking his arm around Steve Burton¡¯s back.
Rusell called out: ¡°Bro.¡± However, Steve Burton seemed not to have heard Rusell¡¯s words and showed no sign of refusing Howard Coleman, leaving arm in arm with him. Rusell subconsciously stood up wanting to chase after them, but Edward Woods stood up and stopped him: ¡°Let our brother have his fun however he likes; you don¡¯t need to meddle.¡± You don¡¯t know what you¡¯re talking about. It¡¯s Howard who¡¯s causing a scene. Our brother is not in his right mind now. If he really messes around with a girl tonight under Howard¡¯s instigation, it will be over for him once he¡¯s sober!¡± Edward Woods understood the meaning of Rusell¡¯s words in just a second, immediately stepped aside, and chased after Steve Burton and Howard Coleman with Rusell. But when Edward Woods and Rusell Henris squeezed out from the torrent of people and found the manager of The Sapphire Bistro, the news they received was that Howard Coleman and Steve Burton had each picked a girl and gone to the Four Seasons Hotel next door. ¨C The room was booked by Howard Coleman, two presidential suites. However, the girl was chosen by Steve Burton himself, wearing a sky-blue dress, her long hair hanging softly behind her head, looking very naive. Coming out of the elevator, they arrived at Howard Coleman¡¯s room first. He handed something to Steve Burton with the words, ¡°Bro, have fun,¡± then hugged a mboyant, hot-bodied girl and went into his own room. Steve Burton lowered his head to look at the thing Howard Coleman had handed him ¨C a box of condoms. He furrowed his brow slightly, then put the condoms in his pocket without showing any emotion. He walked to the door of his room, swiped his card, and went in. Chapter 486: 486: What do I mean to you? (16) Chapter 486: What do I mean to you? (16) The woman hesitated at the entrance of the presidential suite for a moment before slowly walking in. Steve Burton sat elegantly on the sofa, staring straight at the woman. When she was about to approach him, he gently patted the spot next to him, ¡°Come here.¡± The woman nced at Steve apprehensively, then obediently sat down beside him, looking submissive. She somewhat resembled Ruby Gregory¡¯s polite and well-behaved demeanor on normal days. Steve stared at her, feeling a touch of tenderness in his heart. As the woman realized that Steve had been staring at her all this time, she raised her eyes and met his gaze. Her face flushed slightly, and she smiled brightly at him. Although this woman had nothing inmon with Ruby Gregory apart from her sky-blue attire and long silky hair, in that instant, Steve experienced an illusion as if it were Ruby smiling at him coyly. His heart was instantly filled with affection, and even his voice softened a bit: ¡°What¡¯s your name?¡± ¡°Luna,¡± the woman replied, using her pseudonym at The Sapphire Bistro. Steve frowned slightly, then shook his head at her, ¡°No, no, you¡¯re Ruby.¡± Then he looked intently at her and asked again, ¡°What¡¯s your name?¡± The woman had already received the money, which meant she had a professional obligation toply. Although she had no idea who Ruby was, she still followed Steve¡¯s wishes and smiled yfully, ¡°My name is Ruby.¡± A doting smile bloomed on Steve¡¯s face as he reached out to touch her long hair and softly called her name twice: ¡°Ruby, Ruby¡­¡±
Then he recalled a scene where a charming Ruby Gregory stubbornly pouted and coaxed him to pour water for her, even though the water bottle was right beside her. Steve continued to speak softly to the woman by his side, ¡°Act like a spoiled child to me and ask me to help you pour water.¡± It was unusual for a man to serve them in their line of work. They were used to serving men instead. More confused than ever, the woman still followed Steve¡¯smand, pouting at him with a coquettish tone, ¡°I want some water.¡± ¡°No, no¡­¡± Steve suddenly shook his head and corrected her, ¡°You must call me Steve¡­¡± Steve? How strange a name¡­ The woman thought to herself, but continued in her previous tone and repeated her request, ¡°Steve, I want some water.¡± As soon as he heard her say this, Steve¡¯s eyes were instantly filled with tenderness. Without any further dy, he stood up, went to the water dispenser, poured a ss of water, and handed it to the woman. The woman took a symbolic sip of water and ced the ss on the table. There was still more than half a ss of water left, but Steve asked her softly, ¡°Do you want more?¡± The woman shook her head even more strangely in her heart. Steve gave her a warm smile, then reached out again to y with a strand of her long hair. After a while, he suddenly asked, ¡°Is there anything you need help with?¡± Chapter 487: 487: What do I mean to you? (17) Chapter 487: What do I mean to you? (17) The woman instinctively shook her head, but in an instant, Steve Burton¡¯s brow furrowed fiercely, and his expression darkened. He pulled her hair a bit harder, causing her face to turn pale, and her body to tense up. She hurriedly changed her shaking head to a nod. Only then did Steve¡¯s expression soften, and his face returned to the gentle warmth of just moments before. His eyes stared deeply into hers, and he asked earnestly, ¡°Whatever you need, just tell me. I¡¯ll get it done for you.¡± Their rtionship was nothing more than a transaction, a fleeting encounter after which they would go their separate ways. Even if she had difficulties, there was no reason to ask for his help. So the woman hastily smiled and said, ¡°Mr. Burton, I really don¡¯t have anything¡­¡± ¡°What do you want me to do for you?¡± Steve interrupted her abruptly, his tone cold. Startled by his words, the woman shivered again. She blinked, staring at Steve for a while before giving the mostmon excuse, ¡°I need money.¡± ¡°Fine.¡± Steve, as if he had heard the most heart-stirring words in the world, let a faint smile spread through his eyes and brows. Without hesitation, he reached into his pocket, pulled out his wallet, and without looking, took two cards and stuffed them into the woman¡¯s hand, asking gently, ¡°Is that enough?¡± After Steve¡¯s question, before the woman could answer, he took another card out of his wallet and handed it to her, saying, ¡°If that¡¯s not enough, take this one as well.¡± The woman gazed at the unexpected bank cards in her hand, feeling somewhat dazed. Yet Steve seemed to think it was still not enough. After some thought, he took the ID directly out of his wallet and handed the entire wallet to the woman, ¡°Take it all.¡± The wallet was a limited edition Herm¨¨s. It was filled with a thick stack of cash. The woman took the money, her palm feeling strangely warm. But Steve stared at her hand gripping his wallet and cards, smiling slightly, his expression seemingly satisfied.
His smile was pure and sincere, like that of a child who received a reward or a candy in their youth. How wonderful it would be, Ruby. Just tell me what you want, and I¡¯ll do it without hesitation. How wonderful¡­ But why do you never need me? As Steve pondered, his smile gradually turned mncholic. The woman Steve had brought, sat next to him, not daring to speak or move, holding the wallet and cards he had given her. After a long time, the woman saw no response from Steve and couldn¡¯t help but speak up, ¡°Mr. Burton.¡± Steve¡¯s smile froze at the sound of those three words. This self-directed, self-acted dream he had created would eventuallye to an end. Gazing at the chandelier on the ceiling, Steve blinked the corner of his eye, not even looking at the woman next to him. In a cool tone, he said, ¡°You can leave now.¡± He paid a substantial amount of money to have here over just to have her say a few words like that? The woman sat in a daze on the sofa, not moving. Steve repeated impatiently, ¡°Go!¡± Frightened, the woman immediately got up, hesitated, and threw Steve¡¯s wallet and cards onto the couch. She picked up her things and hurriedly left. In the suite, the room quickly fell into silence, leaving Steve alone. He remained in his previous position, motionless, the corner of his eye fixed on the crystal light growing wet. PS: That¡¯s all for today, continue tomorrow~ Chapter 488: 488: What do I mean to you? (18) Chapter 488: What do I mean to you? (18) The suite quickly fell silent, leaving Steve Burton alone. He remained motionless in his original posture, staring at the crystal chandelier, a corner of his eye glistening with unshed tears. About a minute passed before a soft sound came from the suite¡¯s door, followed by someone entering. Steve seemedpletely oblivious, showing no reaction. Rusell Henris stood at the door and saw Steve raising his head, sitting on the sofa. He hesitated for a moment, then closed the door and walked slowly towards the sofa. The room smelled normal, with the faint fruity aroma characteristic of a hotel, without any of the lewd post-coital scents. Steve¡¯s clothes, though a bit wrinkled, were still neatly worn, proving that there had been no intimate contact between him and the woman. Rusell had witnessed the woman Steve had requested hurriedly leaving his room. Though she could not be called a national beauty, she was still very eye-catching in a crowd. It waste at night, a man and woman alone in a room, and she was beautiful. It would be hard for any normal man to resist the temptation. How much love did it take to show such restraint? Rusell silently sighed, turned around, and poured a ss of warm water. cing it in front of Steve, he said, ¡°You must be thirsty after all that drinking, have some water.¡± Steve continued to gaze unblinkingly at the chandelier for a long while, his long curled eyshes trembling ever so slightly before he finally straightened his head. Instead of reaching for the water, he rubbed his temples and asked softly, ¡°Have you sorted out the proposals Edward provided?¡± Rusell knew that those proposals referred to the rescue ns for Gregory¡¯s Enterprises. After indulging for so long and sobering up, the first thought in his mind was still about a woman named Ruby Gregory.
Rusell took out the files he carried with him and handed them to Steve, ¡°Even now, you¡¯re still thinking about her.¡± Upon hearing this, Steve¡¯s expression faltered briefly before he calmly opened the documents in front of him. After skimming through and finding no issues, he looked up and said, ¡°Let¡¯s inform the family to visit Uncle Gregory at the hospital tomorrow morning.¡± ¡°I understand.¡± Rusell nodded, but he noticed the dry tear tracks at the corner of Steve¡¯s beautiful eyes. His throat felt choked with unspoken distress. After a while, Rusell pretended not to notice, shifting his gaze away and smiling, ¡°You care so much, why don¡¯t you everpromise and avoid making a scene every time?¡± Compromise? Hadn¡¯t hepromised enough already? Steve quietly chuckled as if he had just heard a funny joke. That¡¯s right; she didn¡¯t love him. No matter how much hepromised, she still wouldn¡¯t love him. In the end, the imbnce in his heart would only grow. He remembered the night of the ss reunion when everyone recounted old stories, saying that she and Edric Reat were the perfect match made in heaven. When asked to sing together, she imed she had a cold and declined. At that moment, Steve was so overwhelmed by joy and emotion that he nearly proposed to her on the spot. PS: This chapter is specially added for the League Master [Future, So Beautiful] by Ye Zi~~~ Chapter 489: 489: What do I mean to you? (19) Chapter 489: What do I mean to you? (19) Yet, that happiness didn¡¯tst long before he saw her talking alone with Edric Reat under the ancient tree. He told himself at the time that they might just be catching up, and it was no big deal¡­ It took him great effort to convince himself not to care, but in the end, he was defeated by the bank card she handed him. In an instant, he was pushed from heaven into hell. Ruby Gregory was always so ruthless and unforgiving. Just like three years ago. Steve Burton thought about this and blinked, pulling his thoughts back, and said softly, ¡°It won¡¯t be like this again.¡± As he said these words, he looked somewhat defeated: ¡°It will never be like this again¡­ I will love her, but I won¡¯t like her anymore.¡± He would love her, but he would no longer be angry or upset because she couldn¡¯t see his emotions or feel his pain, for he no longer liked her. He would love her, but he would no longer be resentful that she had all his memories but never kept him in her heart, for he no longer liked her. He would love her, but he would never again feel his world crumbling because of her slightest rejection, because he wouldn¡¯t allow himself to like her that much again. Love is kept in the heart, while liking is shown in action.
He would never again love her and like her like he did now. ¨C Ruby cried so much that her eyes were swollen, and she didn¡¯t dare to go to the hospital. She casually called her mother to say she was staying at Steve Burton¡¯s ce for the night. Steve didn¡¯te back the whole night, and she couldn¡¯t keep her eyes open any longer, finally falling asleep at five in the morning. When Ruby woke up again, it was already noon. She dragged her exhausted body out of bed and went to the bathroom to wash up. While using the toilet, she noticed a couple of red spots on her white panties. She didn¡¯t know when the two drops of blood hade out, but by now they were starting to darken. Ruby subconsciously thought it was her period and didn¡¯t think much of it as she took a sanitary pad from the side and ced it onto her panties. By the time she rushed from Steve¡¯s apartment to the hospital, it was already 1 pm. As soon as she pushed open the door to the ward, she saw nearly half a room filled with tonics, fruits, and flower baskets. Ruby frowned, asking, ¡°Mom, who sent all these?¡± ¡°Who else could it be? Mrs. Burton, Mrs. Woods, Mrs. Coleman, Mrs. Henris, and Madeleine¡¯s mother all came this morning. They just left not long ago after chatting with me. Ah, Steve and Rusell Henris also came,¡± Lady Gregory said cheerfully, and her expression became somewhat using: ¡°Ruby, you see, Steve came early in the morning to visit your father, but you stayed home to sleep in. You really got spoiled by him.¡± Although Lady Gregory was using Ruby, there was no trace of me in her words. After she finished speaking, she immediately took Ruby¡¯s hand and whispered in her ear, ¡°Ruby, was it you who told Steve about your father¡¯s hospitalization? I told you before, if Stevees to see your father, your father will definitely be pleased. He even ate more than half a bowl of rice for lunch and was excited until he just fell asleep.¡± Steve hade to see her father? And from her mother¡¯s words, it was evident that he had covered for her as well. Chapter 490: 490: What do I mean to you? (20) Chapter 490: What do I mean to you? (20) Ruby Gregory looked at the emotional expression of her mother, only giving a wry smile, but did not utter a word. Her emotions were somewhatplicated. She hadn¡¯t told him that her father was hospitalized; how did he know? He was so angry yesterday, so furious that he seemed to want to kill her. Why would he visit her father? Could it be that he was no longer angry? Because the date of their engagement was approaching, even if Maxwell Gregory not suddenly fainted and been hospitalized, Ruby had requested leave in advance and did not need to go to work. Therefore, after the day when Steve Burton vented his anger at her, the only contact between them was the asional times he came to visit Maxwell Gregory. Each time Steve came, he would bring some tonics and fruits. He did not talk much and did not stay long. Most of the time he just talked to Maxwell Gregory about business matters. asionally, Lady Gregory would chime in. Ruby spent most of her time quietly sitting on the side, listening to them chatting. Sometimes, under Lady Gregory¡¯s instructions, she would pour a ss of water and hand it to Steve. When Steve finished visiting Maxwell Gregory and left the hospital, it was always Ruby who saw him out. Every time, Steve walked in front, Ruby followed two steps behind. The two of them did not converse much on the way. When Steve reached his car, he opened the door and got in, never leaving a word of ¡°goodbye¡± or ¡°I¡¯m leaving¡± for Ruby. He started the car and drove away, leaving Ruby alone, standing nkly at the hospital¡¯s entrance, watching his car disappear from sight. It was only at this time that Ruby realized, Steve was not done being angry, but was only maintaining a superficial fa?ade. In reality, they were clearly distancing themselves from each other, not interfering in each other¡¯s business. Lady Gregory was a meticulous person. Initially, she did not notice anything amiss between Steve and Ruby. But as Steve visited more frequently, she began to notice some irregrities. Finally, one time when Ruby was seeing Steve off, she silently followed them.
As always, Steve got into his car without a backward nce, as though Ruby was invisible. He started the car on his own, smoothly turned the steering wheel and drove away from the hospital. Ruby watched as his car grew smaller in the distance, her hand unconsciously clenching into a fist. If Steve could maintain this fa?ade, it seemed like he really meant what he said, she would still be Mrs. Burton. In theory, she hadn¡¯t lost anything. But, every time she saw him treating her like a stranger, a sense of deep loss would well up in her heart. ¡°Ruby.¡± Just as Ruby was lost in thought, she suddenly heard her name being called from behind her. She was taken aback, snapped back to reality, and turned her head to see Lady Gregory standing behind her, a serious expression on her face. Ruby stiffened for a moment, pulling a smile on her lips: ¡°Mom, why did youe down?¡± Lady Gregory did not respond to Ruby. She just looked around, then walked towards a small, deserted garden not far away. Ruby stood in ce for two seconds before following her. They walked until they reached a ce where no one else was around. Lady Gregory finally stopped, turned around and waited for Ruby toe in front of her. Then, she couldn¡¯t wait any longer and asked urgently, ¡°Did you upset Steve again?¡± Chapter 491: 491: So You Knew It All Along (1) Chapter 491: So You Knew It All Along (1) Every time, regardless of any issues that arose between her and Steve Burton, it always came down to whether or not she had upset him. Ruby Gregory frowned deeply, her lips tightly pressed, not saying a word. ¡°Ruby, you¡¯re just a few days away from getting engaged to Steve! How can you still be at odds with him? You should know that all the hopes of the Gregorys rest on you. Your father is sick now, and if there are any issues with the wedding, he¡¯ll definitely be angry to his death!¡± Lady Gregory scolded her with some urgency, then paused to see Ruby¡¯s face looking a little pale, before continuing with a somewhat softened tone, ¡°Ruby, when Mrs. Burton camest time, she mentioned that once your father is better, Steve would help our family. How could you be so ignorant and provoke Steve? Don¡¯t you know how to amodate him a bit?¡± Lady Gregory became more anxious as she spoke, pacing back and forth in front of Ruby, before finally stopping and saying, ¡°You don¡¯t have to stay at the hospital with your dad tonight. I¡¯ll take care of everything, so you go find Steve. You two need to choose your engagement ceremony outfits, take the catalog from the hospital room, ask Steve for his opinion, and take this opportunity to please him, alright?¡± Having said all that, Lady Gregory noticed Ruby still had no reaction, and her tone became stern again, ¡°Ruby, did you hear everything I just said?¡± Only then did Ruby lift her eyes, nced at her mother¡¯s anxious gaze, tightly pressed her lips, and gently nodded, softly saying, ¡°I understand.¡± Lady Gregory¡¯s expression finally easedpletely, and although it was only five in the afternoon, she went back to the hospital room, grabbed the catalog, and urged Ruby to go to Steve¡¯s apartment. ¨C When Ruby arrived at Steve¡¯s apartment, it was only six o¡¯clock. Mrs. Taylor hadn¡¯te by today, so the spacious apartment was empty. Ruby ced the catalog on the coffee table, lounged on the sofa, and looked out through the French windows to see the darkening sky. Due to the cold weather, a thinyer of ice had formed on the water in the balcony pool.
Ruby stared at it for a while before closing her eyes. She hadn¡¯t done much in the past few days, but she couldn¡¯t help feeling inexplicably tired. As soon as she rxed, she became drowsy. Ruby hadn¡¯t slept for long before her hunger woke her up. Recently, she found it strange that not only was she always sleepy, but she was also easily hungry and could eat more than usual. Ruby initially just wanted to make something simple to fill her stomach, but when she opened the fridge, her expression changed slightly. In the past, whenever she and Steve had issues, she would always take the initiative to please him without anyone having to tell her. But today, when her mother told her to appease Steve, the notion made her feel nauseous. She came here mainly to ease her mother¡¯s concerns and to ask Steve about his opinion on the outfits. She honestly had no intention to please him. However, when she saw the vegetables in the fridge, she found herself wanting to cook a meal. Actually, she didn¡¯t know how to cook in the past. But during her three years in Costa Luna, since she couldn¡¯t get used to Western food, she learned to cook by following online recipes. After doing it a number of times, although her cooking couldn¡¯t be considered spectacr, it was at least passable. Chapter 492: 492: So You Knew It All Along (2) Chapter 492: So You Knew It All Along (2) Ruby Gregory knew deep down that this meal she prepared was not to please Steve Burton on behalf of her family, but simply because she wanted to make it for him. For the first time in her life, she had the idea of cooking for a man. Even when she was washing and cutting the vegetables, the disappointment and sadness that had surfaced over the past two days due to Steve¡¯s indifference seemed to be alleviated a great deal. She didn¡¯t even know why, but a hint of happiness spread in her heart. Ruby¡¯s dishes were very simple: four dishes and one soup, a bnced mix of meat and vegetables. After cooking, instead of eating herself first, she ced the dishes on the dining table and patiently waited for Steve to return from work. Time ticked away, and the food on the table cooled down. Ruby reheated it in the microwave, only to let it cool again. This cycle repeated four times before she finally heard movement outside the door. Ruby quickly walked out of the dining room, and before reaching the door, she saw Steve crouching in the foyer area, changing his shoes. Ruby stood still, waiting for less than a minute, before Steve looked up. In that instant, he seemed visibly stunned upon seeing her, but said nothing, and just closed the door behind him. Steve threw his car keys on the foyer shelf and walked into the bathroom. When he came out after washing his hands, Ruby softly asked, ¡°Have you eaten?¡± ¡°I ate outside,¡± Steve replied indifferently, then took a paper towel from the side, wiped his wet hands, and tossed it into the trash can.
¡°Oh,¡± Ruby replied quietly, at a loss for what to say next. Seeing that she was still standing in the same ce, Steve asked again, ¡°Is there anything else?¡± It was then that Ruby nced at the ceremonial dress catalogue she had ced on the coffee table, pointing to it with a light tone, ¡°That¡¯s the catalogue for the ceremonial dresses. Take a look, which ones should we wear for our engagement?¡± Steve cast a brief, indifferent nce at the festive, gold-embossed catalogue and calmly said, ¡°You decide.¡± After saying that, he nced at Ruby and turned around to head up the stairs, entering the study room directly. It wasn¡¯t until some time after the study room door was closed that Ruby returned to the dining table, slowly taking in the dishes she had prepared. Her eyes stung, and it took her a while before she spooned herself a bowl of soup. Her fingers trembled uncontrobly, barely able to grip the bowl. In the end, she filled only half a bowl before sitting down and burying her face in her soup. It was yam pork ribs soup, a mild-tasting soup that caused an acidic taste to surge in Ruby¡¯s chest. Eventually, unable to control herself, tears began to fall into her bowl like small drops. Ruby Gregory haphazardly wiped her cheeks with a tissue and picked up the chopsticks to eat the dishes quickly. Not knowing whether she was eating too fast or if one dish was too oily, Ruby suddenly felt nauseated. She put down her chopsticks, rushed to the bathroom, and began to vomit over the toilet bowl. Everything she had eaten came back up, yet she still felt unwell. As Ruby continued to dry-heave into the toilet until nothing remained in her stomach, she realized that the most ufortable part of her was her heart. Ruby kneeled before the toilet, lifted her hand nkly, and touched her heart, as if she faintly understood something. Chapter 493: So You Knew It All Along (3) Chapter 493: So You Knew It All Along (3) Suddenly, she was frightened by the idea that she understood in the depths of her heart, her hands and feet turning cold, so she didn¡¯t dare to think any further. ¨C Ruby Gregory washed her face, trying to calm herself down a bit beforeing out of the bathroom. She walked to the dining table and saw the food that she had only partially touched. Her fingers clenched into a tight fist, and she dumped all the remaining food into the trash bin, threw the silverware into the sink, then returned to the living room sofa, hugging a pillow and staring nkly at the study door. After an unknown period of time, Ruby felt her eyes sour and withdrew her gaze, then flipped through the dress catalog on the coffee table. Every dress in it was designed by famous designers, stunningly beautiful. Ruby felt dazzled and weighed her options several times, but still couldn¡¯t decide which ones to choose. In the end, a wave of inexplicable sadness welled up in Ruby¡¯s heart. This engagement was supposed to involve her and Steve Burton, but in the end, it was just her on her own. Staring at the dazzling dresses, Ruby lowered her eyelids and then randomly picked two. After choosing the dresses, Ruby hesitated, wondering whether or not to consult Steve¡¯s opinion. She sat alone on the sofa facing the dress catalog for quite some time before carrying it slowly upstairs. She walked to the study door, raised her hand, and knocked. There was no response from inside, so she dared not enter. She raised her hand again and knocked. A cool and indifferent voice came from the study: ¡°Enter.¡± Ruby pushed the door open, took a deep breath, and walked in with the dress catalog in her arms. Steve was not working but sitting on the sofa, holding a book and reading. When he heard her enter, he didn¡¯t look up, but just asked when she came closer, ¡°What is it?¡± Ruby gently ced the dress catalog on the table in front of him, spread it open, and said, ¡°I¡¯ve picked a few dresses. Take a look. Are you satisfied with them?¡± Steve didn¡¯t even nce at the dress catalog before him. He lightly turned a page in his book and replied in an indifferent tone, ¡°As long as you like them, it¡¯s fine with me.¡± Ruby¡¯s fingers twitched, and she turned her head to steal a nce at Steve. She waited for quite a while, but when the man showed no intention of looking at the catalog, she lowered her eyelids, hiding her disappointment. Then she bent down, closed the catalog, and embraced it again. After a pause, she said softly, ¡°I¡¯ll go now.¡± Steve still remained silent, and just when Ruby turned to leave, he closed his book, stood up, and grabbed her shoulder, pressing her down on the table in front of the sofa. His sudden movement caught Ruby off guard. Fortunately, his force was not strong, and unlikest time, he wasn¡¯t violently heading straight to the point, but he also wasn¡¯t as considerate as he had been, teasing her ever so gently. However, when he entered her, Ruby only felt a slight pain, followed by a surge of throbbing emotions. From beginning to end, Steve didn¡¯t say a word or make a sound. As soon as he withdrew from her, he silently grabbed his clothes, wrapped them around himself haphazardly, and left the study. Chapter 494: So You Knew It All Along (4) Chapter 494: So You Knew It All Along (4) Leaving Steve Burton¡¯s warm embrace, Ruby Gregory felt a sudden chill engulfing her entire body. In the empty study, she was all alone, with the lingering scent of their lovemaking still lingering in the air. Yet there was infinite sadness, instantly filling Ruby¡¯s heart. Before, she had thought that once Steve married her, she would keep her distance from him. She even thought that if she could just have a child, she would want him not to touch her for the rest of his life and let him do whatever he wanted outside. But now that the day had indeede, Steve was neither hot nor cold towards her, treating her with icy politeness. Even when he touched her, it was only to fulfill their marital obligations, leaving immediately once it was over. She found herself not wanting things to be this way. Ruby was still puzzled why Steve had been so furious that day. After much contemtion, she realized that it seemed to be because she had returned his money. But didn¡¯t he dislike her for coveting his money? Why did he get so angry when she returned it? The more Ruby thought about it, the more agitated she became. She shook her head, forced herself to get up with her sore and soft body, and picked up her clothes to put them on. When Ruby came out of the study, Steve was no longer in the apartment. She was already exhausted these days and had been worn out by Steve just now, so she didn¡¯t care much about it. She returned to the bedroom, copsed on the bed, and fell into a deep sleep. When she woke up the next day, the apartment was still empty, with only Ruby left. When she went to the bathroom to take a bath and take off her clothes, she saw a small patch of red on her underwear. This was the second time that it had happened. The first time, Ruby thought it was her period, so she used a sanitary pad. When she went to the bathroom, however, she saw that the pad waspletely clean without a trace of red. That time, Steve had been very rough, and she thought he had hurt her. It had happened to her before, so she hadn¡¯t paid much attention to it. Butst night, Steve hadn¡¯t been rough, and she hadn¡¯t felt any pain. Why was there blood? Ruby couldn¡¯t care less about her bath, staring nkly at her underwear. After a long while, she realized that her period was supposed toe on the first of the month, but it hadn¡¯te this month. It had been dyed for about a week. When Ruby had been considering having a child with Steve, she had looked up some signs of pregnancy. Shepared them to herself and thought: excessive sleepiness, hunger, fatigue, dyed periods, asional nausea, and an inexplicable craving for sour food¡­ all seemed to fit. When she had wanted to use a child to marry Steve, she could never get pregnant. Now she and Steve were finally set to marry, could it be she was pregnant now? Ruby¡¯s mind was a mess with countless thoughts, and the more she thought, the more she felt she was indeed pregnant. So after taking a bath and changing into clean clothes, she swung by a pharmacy on her way back to the hospital and bought a few pregnancy test kits. Arriving at the hospital, instead of rushing to see her father, Ruby went to the bathroom, took the pregnancy test kits and tested her urine. In one go, Ruby used all five pregnancy test kits, then anxiously stared at them. After about five minutes, the results on the pregnancy test kits appeared as follows: PS: I¡¯ll tell you tomorrow whether she is pregnant or not~~~ A book won¡¯t have no major twists~~ If there are no major twists, it would be so dull. I can only ensure you this is thest major twist. After this, it should be sweet and happy storyline~~~ Ruby is indeed an emotional idiot, which is caused by the thoughts ingrained in her since childhood. Steve doesn¡¯t know Ruby is an idiot, which leads to their differences~ Chapter 495: So You Knew It All Along (5) Chapter 495: So You Knew It All Along (5) Ruby Gregory used all five pregnancy test kits at once, then stared at them anxiously. About five minutester, the results appeared: The first one, two lines; the second one, two lines; the third one, two lines; the fourth one, two lines; the fifth one, one line¡­ While Ruby was still dazed from staring at the red lines on the pregnancy test kits, thest one also turned into two red lines right before her eyes. It¡¯s said that pregnancy test kits have a certain failure rate, so she bought five at once for testing. All five results were consistent, and the unequivocal 100% test results forced Ruby to believe that the premonition she had in the morning was real. She was really pregnant. When she first suspected it, she wasn¡¯t that shocked, but when the actual results came out, it felt like a bolt from the blue. She couldn¡¯t tell if she was frightened or anxious. Holding the five test kits, she absentmindedly threw them into the trash, stood up, and walked out of the bathroom. Ruby washed her face and stood at the bathroom sink for a while, trying to calm herself down. Recalling her two consecutive menstrual cycles, a deep worry emerged in her heart. Instead of going directly to her father¡¯s ward on the upper floor, she headed to the obstetrics and gynecology department and took a number. The hospital was crowded in the morning, and it took Ruby about two hours to see an obstetrician and gynecologist. After listening to her exnation, the doctor ordered a blood test and a B-Scan Ultrasonography. Ruby hadn¡¯t eaten breakfast and was now feeling hungry. If she hadn¡¯t known she was pregnant, she might have held out untilter. Now, she seized the opportunity to visit the porridge shop outside the hospital and ordered something to eat. Ruby ordered a bowl of hawthorn tea, a small te of pickled capers, and two pickled vegetable buns. It urred to her that everything she ate was sour, and she chuckled at herself. No wonder people say pregnant women like sour food; it¡¯s really true! Ruby nced at the time. She still had 40 minutes before her blood test results would be avable, so she ordered a ss of sour plum juice andzily sat in her seat, gazing at the pedestrians outside through the bright window. Many thoughts went through her mind, such as her uing pregnancy confirmation, her blood test results, and whether Steve Burton would be happy, excited, or relieved when he found out. Would it help improve their current terrible situation? In the past, she¡¯d wanted a child to secure her status as Mrs. Burton and to stay away from Steve, living her life with her child. Now that she actually had a child on the way, what she really thought about was how she, Steve, and their child would spend their future together. As Ruby pondered this, she suddenly remembered the previous night¡¯s events in Steve¡¯s apartment. She couldn¡¯t help but shake her head and take a big sip of sour plum juice, feeling inexplicably overwhelmed by the presence of someone in her thoughts. So frustrating! Chapter 496: So You Knew It All Along (6) Chapter 496: So You Knew It All Along (6) Suddenly, Ruby Gregory¡¯s action of drinking the sour plum juice came to an abrupt halt, and her expression gradually became rigid. Last night, she seemed to have understood something, but she was afraid and didn¡¯t dare to delve deeper. Now, however, this thought had unexpectedly emerged in her mind without any warning, making it impossible for her to escape it. Before, Steve Burton had also lived in her heart. She clearly remembered his likes and dislikes and made his happiness and dislikes her own. She cared for him, but her concern was to make him happy, and even back then, when she saw him with other women, her heart was calm, thinking it was no big deal as long as he married her in the end. Yet, she didn¡¯t know when her thoughts had changed so drastically. She began to desire that Steve would care about her happiness and sadness. When she cared for him, it was no longer about whether he would like her more and find her more suitable as his wife, but a pure concern for him. Even when she heard about him being with other women, she felt restless and had an urge to pull him back. Moreover, the worst part was¡­she didn¡¯t know when the dream of marrying Steve, imposed on her by the Gregorys, had turned into her own willing dream. That was why she had unhesitatingly defended Pristine¡¯s Enterprises the day Gregory¡¯s Enterprises got into trouble and even thought about repaying the money to him¡­ Thinking about it, Ruby felt even more exasperated. She couldn¡¯t understand why the man was so angry with her when she was merely trying to do what was best for him. Ruby shook her head, discarding those messy thoughts, finished the sour plum juice, checked the time, paid the bill, and returned to the hospital. Ruby went to the obstetrics and gynecology department, waited about ten minutes, got her test results, then went back and found the doctor. The doctor took her test results, looked at them for a moment, and then said, ¡°You¡¯re pregnant, less than 40 days.¡± ¡°I¡¯ve had some spotting recently, is there anything to worry about?¡± ¡°Spotting is normal. From your test results, there is no sign of miscarriage. I suggest you start taking Folic Acid, and pay attention to rest and diet.¡± The doctor spoke while prescribing some medication for Ruby. After writing the prescription, the doctor continued to instruct Ruby, ¡°Also, the first three months of pregnancy are the most unstable, so try not to have intercourse during this time. Also, eat less cold food and try not to take medication. Some minor ailments can be endured, as medication can have a negative impact on the fetus.¡± Rubymitted the doctor¡¯s instructions to heart, one by one, then took the prescription and test results from the doctor. As she was about to leave the doctor¡¯s office, she suddenly remembered something, turned back and asked, ¡°What about vitamins? Can I take those?¡± ¡°Which vitamins?¡± Ruby hurriedly pulled out the vitamins Steve had always urged her to take from her bag and handed them to the doctor. The doctor opened the bottle, looked inside, frowned, and then poured out a small white pill. After examining it closely, the doctor stared at Ruby as if she were a lunatic and said, ¡°Miss, you must be mistaken. This isn¡¯t a vitamin. This is a long-term contraceptive.¡± Chapter 497: 497: So You Knew It All Along (7) Chapter 497: So You Knew It All Along (7) Long-term contraceptive pills? What a joke¡­ Ruby Gregory opened her eyes wide, obviously taken aback. After a while, she managed to a barely visible smile, her voice trembling as she asked, ¡°Doctor, are you sure you didn¡¯t get it wrong?¡± ¡°I prescribe this medication to countless patients every day. How could I possibly make a mistake?¡± The doctor seemed a bit upset at Ruby¡¯s question, and he pushed the bottle of pills towards her. Ruby still couldn¡¯t let it go: ¡°But, if these are contraceptive pills, how could I possibly be pregnant?¡± ¡°Contraceptives are not 100% effective. The effectiveness of contraceptive pills is much lower than that of contraceptives like condoms. Even with condom use, some people still manage to conceive, let alone by taking contraceptive pills.¡± Ruby turned pale and stammered, ¡°What about the baby? Is the baby okay?¡± ¡°The baby should be fine. Contraceptive pills only prevent pregnancy, they won¡¯t harm the fetus.¡± The doctor probably felt that Ruby was asking too many questions and called the next patient into the examination room. Ruby stood there, statue-like, for quite a while, before grabbing the bottle of supposed ¡®vitamins¡¯ off the table and leaving dispiritedly. She was at the gynecological department, surrounded by pregnant women clumsily moving around, all of them wearing happy smiles on their faces. But her? Ruby lifted her hand, gently patting her still t belly. Her other hand gripped the bottle of pills, so tightly that the bottle twisted under the pressure. These ¡®vitamins¡¯ were given to her by Steve Burton, who said her immunity was low and needed to be boosted. She had been happily swallowing them religiously every day, never missing a dose. More diligent even than when she was sick and needed medication. Now she finally realized, after all this time, they were contraceptive pills¡­
If she hadn¡¯t be pregnant, if the contraceptive had continued to be effective, would she have unwittingly continued to take them day after day? While she was waiting for the test results earlier, she had been overjoyed at the thought of being pregnant. She had even held hopes that this child could better the rtionship between her and Steve¡­ Now she realized it was just wishful thinking. Upon leaving the OB-GYN building, Ruby wandered aimlessly to a stone bench in the garden. She stared nkly at the deep blue sky, and her eyes watered up. She couldn¡¯t control herself and tears flowed freely down her cheeks. Ruby¡¯s mind was devoid of thoughts, after a considerable while just sitting there, she mechanically got up and headed towards Maxwell Gregory¡¯s hospital room. Maxwell happened to have just woken up from a nap and was in a good mood due to the beautiful weather. So, he wanted Ruby to y a game of Chinese chess with him. Ruby was unable to focus, repeatedly cing her chess pieces in the wrong ces. Maxwell didn¡¯t even need to think to win the game. Towards the end, it was Ruby¡¯s turn, but she just nkly stared at the piece, no response. Maxwell finally realized something was wrong and pushed the chessboard away, ¡°Ruby, are you feeling upset?¡± Ruby shook her head, ¡°No, I¡¯m just a bit tired.¡± Maxwell looked at her downcast face and raised his hand to smooth her hair, ¡°Rest if you¡¯re tired. It just so happens that your dad is tired too and needs a rest.¡± Ruby managed a faint smile, got up, helped Maxwell lie down on the bed, and covered him with a nket. Chapter 498: 498: So You Knew It All Along (8) Chapter 498: So You Knew It All Along (8) As soon as Maxwell Gregory drifted off, Lady Gregory came over, pulling Ruby by the arm and taking her into the bathroom. Closing the door, she lowered her voice and asked, ¡°Ruby, how is Steve? Has he forgiven you?¡± At the mention of Steve, Ruby¡¯s heart shuddered violently. Struggling to control herself, tears rolled down her cheeks again. She moved her lips but made no sound, only nodding silently at Lady Gregory. ¡°Then why do you still look dazed?¡± Lady Gregory¡¯s eyebrows knitted, ayer of inquiry in between. Ruby instinctively wanted to blurt out that she was pregnant, but immediately thought that if Lady Gregory found out, the whole world would know about her pregnancy within a short time. And it was Steve who had given her the contraceptive pills, which meant he didn¡¯t want her child. What if he forced her to abort the baby in her belly? Ruby swallowed, holding back the words she wanted to say, and forced a smile at Lady Gregory, saying, ¡°No, I just didn¡¯t get enough restst night. I¡¯m tired.¡± Lady Gregory noticed the red marks on Ruby¡¯s exposed neck, her face breaking into a smile, ¡°Then go rest for a while.¡± Ruby knew that Lady Gregory had misunderstood her, but didn¡¯t bother to exin. She just gave a soft ¡°hmm¡± and left the bathroom. Ruby curled up on the hospital room sofa, wanting to sleep but unable to. Her mind was nk and empty, yet it ached. As shey there stiffly for what felt like ages, there was a knock on the door. Lady Gregory opened the door, and before Ruby could even open her eyes, she heard her mother¡¯s warm, joyful voice: ¡°Steve¡¯s here.¡±
Ruby¡¯s fingers unconsciously clenched into a fist, and she kept her eyes closed, not opening them. Lady Gregory weed Steve in, taking the supplements and fruits from his hands while saying, ¡°It¡¯s good that you¡¯re here, but don¡¯t buy so many things every time. The hospital room is full, and even Uncle Gregory can¡¯t finish them all.¡± Lady Gregory put the things in the corner and then reached out to pat Ruby, ¡°Ruby, Steve is here. Wake up and talk to him for a while.¡± Only then did Ruby slowly open her eyes, ncing at Steve, who was standing not far away, before quickly looking away. She stood up and pointed to the spot where she had just been lying, moving her lips: ¡°Sit.¡± Steve stared at her for a while before walking over and sitting down. Ruby stood by, not moving. Lady Gregory urged Ruby verbally, ¡°Ruby, get a ss of water. What¡¯s the matter with you?¡± Ruby didn¡¯t make a noise, just silently turned around and walked towards the water dispenser. As she picked up a disposable cup and began to fill it, she heard her mother talking to Steve, ¡°Steve, Ruby has been spoiled by us from a young age and can sometimes be thoughtless. If she has offended you in any way, please be more understanding.¡± Ruby held her breath as she clearly heard Steve speaking to her mother, polite and respectful, without hesitation: ¡°Aunt, don¡¯t worry, I will take good care of Ruby.¡± ¡°I will take good care of Ruby¡­¡± Hearing these words, Ruby¡¯s fingers trembled. Hot water sshed onto the back of her hand, causing a burning pain. PS: The remaining update will be avable at 8 pm tonight~ WhatsApp was blocked by Tencent a few days ago; too many people had added me. It¡¯s now unblocked: yefeiye1314 Ye Feiye: Steve, how dare you feed our cute little Ruby contraceptives! I¡¯m going to turn you into a male supporting character! Steve: Contraceptive pills? What contraceptive pills? I distinctly fed her vitamins! Chapter 499: 499: So You Knew It All Along (9) Chapter 499: So You Knew It All Along (9) Upon hearing Steve¡¯s words, Lady Gregory behind her expressed satisfaction and said, ¡°Entrusting Ruby to you, your Uncle Gregory and I will definitely be at ease. We believe that you two will have a good future.¡± Ruby silently turned off the water dispenser and turned around, just in time to catch sight of Steve nodding in agreement with her mother¡¯s words. On his handsome face hung an air of certainty, making it seem like he truly and sincerely wished to marry her, assuring her mother. Ruby found Steve¡¯s expression irritating, and instead of being moved, she felt an intense surge of sarcasm surging in her heart. As a result, her fingertips trembled uncontrobly when she handed the water ss to Steve. Steve clearly noticed the red mark on the back of Ruby¡¯s hand. He furrowed his eyebrows and, subconsciously, wanted to reach out and grab her hand to examine it. However, just as his fingers were about to make contact, she withdrew her hand and sat down on the sofa far away from him. Steve forcibly lowered his hand and continued to chat sporadically with Lady Gregory, while his gaze asionally drifted towards Ruby¡¯s hand resting on her knee. He promised to only love her, not to like her. However, seeing her hurt made his heart uncontrobly clench. Although it was just a minor burn, it felt like the pain was searing through his own heart. He knew that she might not need his concern, yet he couldn¡¯t help but want to protect her in the palm of his hands. Maxwell Gregory awakened around twenty minutes after Steve¡¯s arrival and, upon seeing him, immediately had someone help him get out of bed. Maxwell pulled Steve aside to inquire about some business matters, with Steve answering every question candidly and without evasion. After a while, Maxwell felt that it was time and said, ¡°Steve, you¡¯ve gone out of your way to visit me at the hospital every day, and I know Pristine¡¯s Enterprises must have a lot to handle. Don¡¯t waste your time apanying me here.¡±
Lady Gregory immediately chimed in, ¡°You¡¯ve been here for over an hour today, Ruby. Go and see Steve off.¡± Always respectful to Maxwell, Steve stood up and courteously said before leaving, ¡°Uncle Gregory, please rest well. I¡¯lle to see you again tomorrow.¡± Afterward, he turned to Lady Gregory, who was seeing him off at the door, and said, ¡°Aunt, goodbye.¡± ¡°Steve, take care.¡± Lady Gregory watched Steve and Ruby leave before closing the door. From the hospital room to the stairs, and then down to Steve¡¯s car, just as before, both of them remained silent throughout the long walk. Withplicated feelings, Ruby walked behind Steve, raising her head to see his tall, straight back that was always pleasing to the eye. But it also made her heart feel waves of coldness. When they reached Steve¡¯s car, he took out the keys and unlocked the car but didn¡¯t open the door and get in as he usually would. Instead, he stood with his back to Ruby for a moment, then turned his head to look at her. His gaze soon shifted to her hand hidden in her sleeve, and his lips moved slightly. However, he ultimately didn¡¯t say anything, turned around, opened the door and got into the car. As Steve started the car, he looked at Ruby through the rearview mirror one more time. Then, after swallowing twice, he stepped on the gas and turned the steering wheel, leaving. PS: It took me until now to log in and pick up where I left off ~~~~~(%3E_%3C)~~~~ Chapter 500: 500: So You Knew It All Along (10) Chapter 500: So You Knew It All Along (10) After seeing Steve off, she did not return to her hospital room; instead, she found a coffee shop and sat alone. She still held a glimmer of hope that the doctor had mistaken the medicine. She purposefully searched it online and found that there indeed was a type of contraceptive pill and vitamin that both appeared identical as small white pills¡ª indistinguishable from one another unless examined by a professional. Ruby retrieved the pill andpared it to the website¡¯s analysis. When she observed that it was indeed a contraceptive pill, shepletely gave up hope. Rather thanaying she was shocked for a long time, realizing that the bottle of vitamins was actually birth control, she was too afraid to think about what to do next. But when she finally calmed down and thought about it, she found it to be a trulyplicated choice. When she found out that she was pregnant, she wondered if Steve would be happy or excited but now, all she could think about was whether or not he would want the child in her belly. She considered telling Steve that she was pregnant, but was afraid that Steve would not want the child, and would pressure her to have an abortion after finding out her situation. Although Ruby was undecided deep down, she was sure of one thing: no matter how things developed, she wanted the child in her belly. Women are truly strange. When not pregnant, they don¡¯t care that much about children. At one point, Ruby had even considered using the child as leverage to force Steve to marry her. But now that she was actually pregnant, she realized that nothing in the world meant more to her than the baby in her belly. Especially since this child was the product of her and Steve¡¯s love. Ruby struggled back and forth, ultimately not arriving at a decision, but instead receiving a call from Madeleine.
Madeleine invited her to have dinner, and since Ruby hadn¡¯t eaten yet, she agreed. Initially, she thought about meeting Madeleine on her own, but Madeleine drove to pick her up after asking for her location. Within twenty minutes, Ruby¡¯s phone rang again. She settled the bill, gathered her belongings, and went outside to see Madeleine¡¯s favorite yellow Porsche parked by the roadside. Ruby approached the car, opened the door, and got in. As she buckled her seatbelt, she casually said, ¡°You¡¯ve bought a lot of cars over the years, but you always seem to prefer driving this one whenever we go out.¡± As Madeleine smoothly navigated through the traffic, she replied, ¡°This car was a gift from Howard.¡± Madeleine pursed her lips and added, ¡°It was mying-of-age present. At the time, I absolutely loved this car and pestered Howard until he finally bought it for me.¡± Smiling at the memory, Madeleine continued, ¡°Oh right, I bought this car before I even got my driver¡¯s license. Howard apanied me all the way through the driving test process.¡± Madeleine expertly changed gears, her voice tinged with a hint of sadness, ¡°I¡¯m not like you; your brother would always take the initiative to teach you things. For me, I had to cling and pester Howard to get anything.¡± Chapter 501: 501: So You Knew It All Along (11) Chapter 501: So You Knew It All Along (11) Ruby Gregory didn¡¯t speak, but she couldn¡¯t help thinking about that summer break during the year she turned eighteen when Steve Burton spent two months teaching her how to start a car, how to brake, and how to hit the road¡­ Girls don¡¯t have the same innate sensitivity toward cars as boys do, so it took her a while to learn. Every time, Steve would impatiently scold her for her clumsiness but would still demonstrate the essentials to her again and again. Even during the first three months after she got her driver¡¯s license, he would always sit in the passenger seat and apany her. Ruby became silent for a while, then turned her head and looked at Madeleine, who was driving. She asked, ¡°How have you been with Howardtely?¡± Not much changed in Madeleine¡¯s expression, but she didn¡¯t answer Ruby¡¯s question either. As the red light up ahead turned on, Madeleine stopped the car. She clutched the steering wheel and, after a two-second pause, reached into her bag. She pulled out a small, red booklet and tossed it onto Ruby¡¯sp: ¡°Here.¡± It was a marriage certificate. Ruby opened it and saw a photo of Madeleine and Howard Coleman inside, stamped with the official seal of the People¡¯s Republic of China. Their names were written side by side, and the date was today. Ruby closed the marriage certificate and turned to Madeleine, asking, ¡°You two got married?¡± ¡°Yes, we did. I never imagined we¡¯d get married before you and my brother. Butpared to you guys, our wedding was embarrassingly simple: you had an engagement and a ceremony, while all Howard and I have is this certificate.¡± Madeleine finished speaking and mockingly hooked her lips into a smile. ¡°But at least I have you. You have to apany me tonight and celebrate my wedding night with me.¡± Madeleine spoke with resilient cheer, but Ruby could only hear the bitterness in her voice. Ruby didn¡¯t respond; she just put the marriage certificate back into Madeleine¡¯s bag. For the rest of the way, neither of them spoke. Madeleine did say she wanted to have dinner with Ruby, and they did, but they just found a Chinese fast-food restaurant and had a quick meal before heading to the KTV.
Ruby was pregnant and couldn¡¯t drink alcohol, so she told Madeleine she was feeling unwell and couldn¡¯t drink. Madeleine didn¡¯t push her but still ordered tworge bottles of wine and gave Ruby a bottle of mineral water. Coming to KTV meant singing, and Madeleine did just that. As soon as they entered the room, Madeleine grabbed the microphone and picked a few random songs to sing. Eventually, she walked to the karaoke machine and selected the song ¡°Standing Where You Hurt Me.¡± ¡°She doesn¡¯t want to take what others have, but her lover forces her to make mistakes. Love falls into despair, leaving more wounds¡­ ¡± There were many lines in this song, but Madeleine kept singing this verse over and over again. Finally, Ruby clearly saw tears streaming down Madeleine¡¯s cheeks. When Madeleine¡¯s voice choked, and she couldn¡¯t sing any further, she threw the microphone aside and picked up a bottle of wine from the table. She drank it down like water, and only halfway through the bottle did she turn to Ruby, tears still streaming, and say, ¡°Ruby, do you know? I finally have Howard, but I don¡¯t feel good about it at all. To this day, I still remember the look on his true love¡¯s face when she saw me and Howard lying in bed together.¡± Chapter 502: 502: So You Knew It All Along (12) Chapter 502: So You Knew It All Along (12) ¡°Also, do you know, Ruby, after his little true love left, he actually started partying even harder. He thought I didn¡¯t know, but I secretly followed him several times at night. He¡¯s almost tried every one of the women at The Sapphire Bistro¡­¡± ¡°If he were just ying with call girls, that would be one thing, but he¡¯s also hooked up with a small-time actress, and they¡¯re so hot and heavy now.¡± ¡°I know what he¡¯s thinking. He¡¯s annoyed that I make him miserable, so he¡¯s trying to make me miserable in return ¨C tenfold!¡± ¡°Fine, let him y. I don¡¯t care what he does. We¡¯re married anyway, and he¡¯s my husband now. I¡¯ll just stick with him, whether it¡¯s ten years or twenty. Once he can¡¯t y anymore, we¡¯ll see how he makes me miserable then!¡± ¡°¡­¡± Madeleine spoke a lot, then kept on drinking desperately. Ruby couldn¡¯t stand it any longer and couldn¡¯t help but raise her hand to stop Madeleine: ¡°Don¡¯t drink anymore.¡± Madeleine didn¡¯t say anything but justy on the marble table, sobbing. Once upon a time, Madeleine was such a girl who loved tough. When did she be so prone to crying in front of her? Ruby reached out, stroked Madeleine¡¯s long hair, then lowered her eyelids and quietly apanied Madeleine. After sobbing, Madeleine stumbled to her feet, went to the side, rummaged through her bag for a while, and finally found a box of medicine. She wobbled over to Ruby, waved the box, and said, ¡°Look at this. This is what Howard left me after he came home drunk and stumbled into bed with mest night.¡± Madeleine, afraid that Ruby wouldn¡¯t see clearly, pointed to the words on the box and read them out loud: ¡°Post-intercourse emergency contraceptive!¡±
Upon hearing the words ¡°contraceptive¡±, Ruby¡¯s face turned noticeably pale. But Madeleine opened the package, took out the pill, put it in her mouth, grabbed Ruby¡¯s half-empty bottle of water, and forcibly gulped it down. There was a chance she choked on it. After swallowing the pill and water, she started coughing violently. Ruby watched Madeleine¡¯s series of actions as she took the medication, tightly clenching her fists. Once Madeleine¡¯s coughing subsided, Ruby stared at the colorful lights reflected on the marble table and asked with trembling lips, ¡°Madeleine, why would a man keep giving a woman contraceptives, do you think?¡± Madeleine didn¡¯t put much thought into the implications behind Ruby¡¯s question. She assumed it was just about her situation andughed, ¡°What else could it be? He thinks that the woman isn¡¯t worthy of bearing his child.¡± Unworthy¡­ Ruby¡¯s hand trembled violently, knocking over her wine ss. The liquid slowly spread across the smooth marble table, then along the edge, dripping onto the floor. ¡°To put it simply, that man doesn¡¯t love that woman. He¡¯s just using her body as a release. Once he¡¯s done, he¡¯ll figure out a way to get her out of his life. That¡¯s why he won¡¯t want a child. Going through a breakup with a child is messy and troublesome, right?¡± Madeleine¡¯s words ended in tears: ¡°If a man truly loves a woman, he¡¯d wish she could bear many children for him. He would never let her take contraceptives!¡± PS: End for today. The story will continue tomorrow. Sneak peek: Ruby asked Steve, ¡°Steve, do you want us to have a baby?¡± Note: Contraceptives only prevent pregnancy and contain hormones but do not cause cerebral palsy or malformations in children. I have friends who¡¯ve used contraceptives and still had healthy babies. Chapter 503: 503: So You Knew It All Along (13) Chapter 503: So You Knew It All Along (13) ¡°If a man loves a woman, he would want her to have many children for him, not take contraception!¡± ¡°Howard doesn¡¯t care about me at all. If it wasn¡¯t for the deep rtionship between our families, and the pressure from our parents, there wouldn¡¯t even be a marriage certificate.¡± ¡°Howard would rather kill me than allow me to have his child. All these years, with any woman, pretty or ugly, he¡¯s always been charming. I¡¯ve never seen him be cruel to anyone else. But the first time I did, it was directed at me¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± Madeleine had too much to drink, but her words became even sharper. Every sentence revolved around Howard Coleman. Ruby Gregory sat silently by her side, listening to Madeleine¡¯s nonstopints. Her fingers gripping the crystal ss so tightly that her knuckles were protruding. Seemingly thirsty from all the talking, Madeleine picked up her ss and drank the burning alcohol as though it was in water, tilting her head back and gulping it down. Ruby stared at Madeleine¡¯s beautifully curved, snow-white neck for a moment, then opened her mouth, her voice trembling slightly, ¡°So Madeleine, if you identally got pregnant, what would Howard do if he found out?¡± Madeleine¡¯s fingers gripping the ss halted momentarily before setting down the heavy crystal ss. She stared at therge screen in front of her for a while before lowering her head and speaking in a somewhat heavy tone, ¡°Howard said that it¡¯s up to me whether I take the pill or not. If I don¡¯t take it and get pregnant, he won¡¯t want the baby. He also said that having an abortion is more harmful than taking contraception and, if I don¡¯t care, then he doesn¡¯t either. And¡­¡± Madeleine paused before continuing, ¡°I almost forgot, he grabbed me and dragged me to the stairs, and told me that even if I got pregnant, I wouldn¡¯t be able to give birth. At any moment, he could push me down the stairs, and the child inside me would turn into a pool of blood¡­¡± After she finished, Madeleine scoffed andughed, pouring herself another drink, ¡°Ruby, this is called retribution, right?¡±
Ruby didn¡¯t respond but was shaking uncontrobly. Madeleine mmed her ss on the marble table, stood up, took Ruby¡¯s hand, and said, ¡°Ruby, let¡¯s go dance in the dance floor outside, and have some fun!¡± ¡°Ruby?¡± Madeleine hupped and turned to look at Ruby, only to see her face pale as paper, devoid of any color. Madeleine sobered up a bit, realizing that Ruby¡¯s hand in hers was frighteningly cold, ¡°Ruby, what¡¯s wrong? Why is your hand so cold?¡± Ruby shook her head at Madeleine and then nodded before speaking softly, ¡°Madeleine, I¡¯m not feeling well, let¡¯s go home.¡± ¨C Madeleine had drunk too much to drive, so Ruby had to take the wheel. Ruby took Madeleine back to her usual apartment, but Madeleine, drunk and thinking Ruby was Howard, refused to let go of her hand and let her leave. Ruby didn¡¯t want to go to Steve Burton¡¯s apartment, fearing she might run into Steve. The West Suburb Vi was too far away, and she didn¡¯t want to go there either. And in the hospital, she didn¡¯t want to share a bed with Lady Gregory, who would always ask about her and Steve¡¯s situation. Chapter 504: 504: So You Knew It All Along (14) Chapter 504: So You Knew It All Along (14) Ruby Gregory thought about it and found it annoying. In the end, she decided to follow Madeleine¡¯s wishes and stay with her. Madeleine held Ruby¡¯s hand and repeatedly mumbled ¡°Howard.¡± After she had said his name countless times, she finally quieted down. Ruby sat by the bed, staring at Madeleine¡¯s sleeping face. After watching her for a while, she stood up, fetched a warm, damp towel from the bathroom, wiped Madeleine¡¯s face clean, helped her change out of her clothes, and covered her with a nket. She then tiptoed out of the bedroom, took out her phone, and called her mother, Lady Gregory. Upon hearing that she wouldn¡¯t be returning to the hospital that night, her mother¡¯s first question was, ¡°Are you at Steve¡¯s ce?¡± Ruby pressed her lips together, then replied, ¡°No, Madeleine isn¡¯t feeling well. I¡¯m taking care of her.¡± ¡°Oh, I see.¡± Even over the phone, Ruby could clearly feel the disappointment in her mother¡¯s voice. She suddenly felt a lump in her throat, so she looked up at the beautiful chandelier on the ceiling and whispered, ¡°Mom, you should get some rest. I¡¯m hanging up now.¡± ¡°Wait!¡± Lady Gregory suddenly cried out, stopping Ruby from ending the call. Ruby paused, not saying a word. Lady Gregory seemed to know that Ruby was listening. After a while, she spoke gently, ¡°Ruby, when Madam Burton visited recently, she said Steve could help Gregory¡¯s Enterprises. Steve said he¡¯s prepared a n. Your father is going to be discharged the day after tomorrow, and he wants to go back to work at thepany after you get engaged. Since he¡¯s bored in the hospital, he wants to see the n in advance. What do you think¡­?¡± Lady Gregory left her sentence unfinished, but Ruby understood what her mother meant.
Ruby held her phone, not speaking. After a moment of hesitation, Lady Gregory continued, ¡°Ruby, your father and I are too old to bring it up; it wouldn¡¯t look good. But you¡¯re about to marry Steve, so it¡¯s more normal for you to ask. So tonight, or tomorrow morning, can you talk to Steve about this?¡± Ruby leaned against the white wall, feeling weak. She stared at the lights outside the window for a while, then said, ¡°Mom, I understand.¡± ¡°Good. Nothing else, then. Just remember not to stay up toote with Madeleine. Get some sleep.¡± Lady Gregory instructed Ruby, then added, ¡°Don¡¯t forget what I just told you.¡± ¡°Hmm.¡± Ruby¡¯s voice sounded a bit dry, ¡°You should get some rest too, Mom. I¡¯m hanging up now.¡± As soon as Ruby hung up, she found herself alone in Madeleine¡¯s spacious living room, staring at the dazzling lights outside the window. After a while, she blinked and slowly walked over to the sofa. She opened her bag and took out a bottle of folic acid prescribed by her doctor. When her fingertips identally touched a bottle of vitamins, Ruby shuddered as though she had been electrocuted. She quickly took the folic acid, walked to the water dispenser, poured herself a ss of warm water, and swallowed the folic acid. When Ruby returned to the bedroom, Madeleine was already fast asleep. After a quick wash, shey down beside Madeleine. Chapter 505: So You Knew It All Along (15) Chapter 505: So You Knew It All Along (15) Ruby Gregory had insomnia for most of the night, before finally falling asleep in a daze. She didn¡¯t sleep well in her dream though, and soon she started having a nightmare. In her dream, she was carrying a pregnancy test report to the study to find Steve Burton. She told him that she was pregnant, but he didn¡¯t even look at her, just focusing on hisputer and continuing to work. When she spoke up again about her pregnancy, he coldly responded without looking up: ¡°Go get rid of the baby.¡± She stood in front of him without moving, and he continued working as if she didn¡¯t exist. When he finally finished and looked up, he saw her still standing there and took the phone on his desk, dialing out: ¡°Arrange an abortion surgery for me tomorrow.¡± Hearing these words, Ruby was momentarily panicked and asked him foolishly: ¡°Why?¡± He sat in his office chair, looking at her with cold eyes and no sympathy: ¡°No reason, I won¡¯t have a child that is a mere bargaining chip.¡± Upon hearing his words, she began to cry. Rarely did she ever resist Steve, but she resolutely told him: ¡°I want this child.¡± He seemed to have heard a funny joke and suddenly stood up, grabbing her arm and dragged her out of the study. He took her to the top of the stairs, pointing to the steps that had been cleaned by Mrs. Taylor until they were reflective, and said: ¡°You don¡¯t want to go to the hospital? I can just push you down these stairs, and your baby will be gone.¡± She felt his hand pressing on her back with more force, and she tried to stabilize her body while shaking her head in tears. But his face was so cold and unmoved, his hand gradually pressing harder, and then, her feet left the ground, and she tumbled down the stairs¡­ Ruby suddenly sat up on the bed, her movements so strong that they woke up Madeleine beside her. She wasn¡¯tpletely awake from the nightmare yet, panting heavily. Still drowsy, Madeleine opened her eyes and said in a confused voice: ¡°Ruby, what¡¯s wrong?¡± That¡¯s when Ruby looked around, and noticing that she was sitting on Madeleine¡¯s bed, she sighed in relief and said to Madeleine: ¡°Nothing, just had a bad dream.¡± Afterward, sheid back down in bed. Maybe Madeleine wasn¡¯t fully awake yet, as she turned over and fell asleep again after hearing Ruby¡¯s words. Ruby lost any sleepiness she had left, staring at the ceiling, thinking about the scenes from her dream. She realized how terrifying they were, and her back broke out in cold sweat. It was only 3 a.m., and Ruby couldn¡¯t fall asleep again. Besides Madeleine¡¯s steady breathing beside her, there were no other sounds. Shey awake until dawn. ¨C Ruby got up and prepared some breakfast. She was about to go wake Madeleine when she saw that Madeleine had changed into casual clothes and wasing downstairs. Madeleine seemed to have forgottenst night¡¯s conversation over alcohol. After eating breakfast with Ruby, she smiled at her and asked, ¡°Ruby, do you have timeter?¡± Chapter 506: So You Knew It All Along (16) Chapter 506: So You Knew It All Along (16) ¡°Yes, I have time. What¡¯s up?¡± Ruby Gregory stood up, intending to tidy up the mess on the table. Madeleine directly grabbed Ruby: ¡°Don¡¯t worry about these things. Someone wille to clean upter. Juste with me to do something.¡± Saying this, Madeleine quickly ran upstairs with her slippers and soon reappeared wearing a red down jacket and carrying arge bag. ¨C When they arrived at the location, Ruby realized that Madeleine had brought her to Howard Coleman¡¯s apartment. Madeleine didn¡¯t knock on the door but tried to enter the password herself. Halfway through entering the password though, the door was pulled open from the inside. The one opening the door wasn¡¯t Howard, but instead a beautiful and young woman. She was only wearing a men¡¯s shirt, revealing her slender, straight legs. The shirt¡¯s buttons were loosely fastened, showing half her chest and some bruises on it. At a nce, it was clear what this woman had done herest night. Ruby instinctively turned her head to look at Madeleine, who had a tense expression on her face. Staring at the woman in front of her for less than half a minute, Madeleine suddenly reached out, grabbed the woman¡¯s long hair, and pulled her out of the room: ¡°Did I ever give you permission to enter this house?¡± Madeleine had trained in martial arts since childhood, and was formidable even against men. The woman had no strength to resist Madeleine and just stared at her, asking, ¡°Are you crazy? This isn¡¯t your house¡­¡± The woman didn¡¯t even finish her sentence before Madeleine pped her hard: ¡°This is my house. I¡¯m telling you, I¡¯m Howard Coleman¡¯swful wife! You better stay away from him in the future, or I¡¯ll beat you every time I see you!¡± The woman justughed dismissively: ¡°Whether I stay away from him or not isn¡¯t up to you. It depends on Howard and whether he wants me to stay away.¡± Madeleine raised her hand again, but before she could p the woman, Howard, who had heard themotion from inside, came out and grabbed Madeleine¡¯s wrist. Howard forcefully separated Madeleine from the woman, then pushed Madeleine away, taking the woman back into the room. Howard¡¯s forceful shove sent Madeleine back several steps, and if it hadn¡¯t been for Ruby¡¯s timely move to reach out and grab her, Madeleine might have fallen down the stairs. Just as Madeleine and Ruby entered the bedroom, Howard and the woman, now fully dressed, came out of the room. Howard didn¡¯t even nce at Madeleine, just embracing the woman and striding past her. As the woman passed Madeleine, she shed her a triumphant smile. It wasn¡¯t until the door was mmed shut by Howard that the room finally became quiet. Ruby stared at Madeleine, not daring to say a word. Madeleine stood there nkly for a while before taking a deep breath, as if nothing had happened. She turned to Ruby and gave her a bright smile: ¡°Ruby, let¡¯s go.¡± Ruby thought Madeleine¡¯s smile was even more heartbreaking than her tears. She averted her gaze and followed Madeleine to the master bedroom of Howard¡¯s apartment. As soon as Madeleine pushed the door open, she shuddered slightly. Chapter 507: 507: So You Knew It All Along (17) Chapter 507: So You Knew It All Along (17) Ruby Gregory followed Madeleine¡¯s gaze into the bedroom and saw several used c-o-n-d-o-m-s scattered on the floor, along with a woman¡¯s b-r-a and a piece of s-e-x-y l-i-n-g-e-r-i-e. The bed was a mess, and the room was filled with the lingering scent of lovemaking. Ruby instinctively wanted to reach out and pull Madeleine away, but instead, Madeleine calmly entered the bedroom as if nothing was wrong. She grabbed a garbage bag from the bathroom, bent down to pick up the remaining items of the other woman, and stuffed them into the bag. Ruby stood at the doorway for a moment before entering and opening the bedroom window. The cold winter air blew in, quickly dispersing the obscene atmosphere within the room. Madeleine cleaned up the mess on the floor and then tore off all the bedsheets and quilt covers and stuffed them into the garbage bag as well. She then took a new set of sheets and quilt covers out of the bag she had brought with her. They were bright red and as she spread them out, Ruby could clearly see that they were embroidered with dragons, phoenixes and a double-happiness symbol. Ruby knew that these were bedsheets and quilt covers used by newlywed couples on their wedding night. Ruby silently stepped forward to help Madeleine put on the red duvet cover and bedsheets, and then they each took a pillowcase to cover the pillows. As Ruby put on the pillowcase, she caught sight of some small characters embroidered on the back of it£­Madeleine¡¯s name, Howard Coleman, wishing them a hundred years of happiness together. Her heart felt like it was being struck by something and ached sharply. She looked up to see Madeleine staring nkly at the eight small characters on her pillowcase, ¡°Madeleine¡¯s name, wishing them a hundred years of happiness together.¡± It took Madeleine about a minute before she casually put on the pillowcase as if nothing had happened and arranged it neatly at the head of the bed. Ruby put the pillowcase she had put on herself next to Madeleine¡¯s. Staring at the red matrimonial bed with a smile, Madeleine softly asked Ruby, ¡°Ruby, don¡¯t you think this room now feels like a nice newlywed celebration?¡±
Ruby felt even more ufortable, and after a long pause, she finally nodded softly. Madeleine¡¯s smile became more radiant: ¡°I¡¯m finally married to Howard Coleman.¡± ¡°I¡¯m finally married to Howard Coleman¡­¡± She repeated this sentence twice and then buried her head in the red quilt, murmuring to Ruby, ¡°Ruby, you take my car and go first; I want to stay here alone for a while.¡± Ruby felt a lump in her throat, and it took her a lot of effort to say ¡°Okay.¡± She looked at Madeleine for a while before turning around and leaving. The moment Ruby closed the bedroom door, she heard the faint sound of sobbinging from inside. ¨C Ruby drove Madeleine¡¯s car idly around the streets of Ciawell for a long time before finally arriving at the hospital. When she entered Maxwell Gregory¡¯s ward, Maxwell and Lady Gregory were having lunch. Seeing Ruby walk in, Lady Gregory immediately stood up and served her a bowl of rice. Although Ruby had no appetite, she obediently sat at the dining table and forced herself to eat some food for the sake of the child in her stomach. After lunch, the nurse came in to clean up. Lady Gregory poured Maxwell a ss of water and served him his medicine. Then she asked Ruby, ¡°Ruby, how did it go with the thing I told you about on the phonest night?¡± Chapter 508: 508: So You Knew It All Along (18) Chapter 508: So You Knew It All Along (18) Ruby Gregory was stunned for a long time before realizing what Lady Gregory was talking about. Lady Gregory saw that she hadn¡¯t spoken for a long time, frowned, and asked, ¡°What¡¯s the matter? Steve didn¡¯t agree to it?¡± Only then did Ruby have a reaction and shook her head at Lady Gregory. ¡°What happened, then?¡± Lady Gregory¡¯s tone was slightly anxious. Ruby pursed her lips, swallowed, and finally said, ¡°I didn¡¯t ask Steve Burton.¡± ¡°You haven¡¯t had a chance to ask yet?¡± Lady Gregory¡¯s attitude changed slightly for the better upon hearing this answer: ¡°In the afternoon, Steve should being to visit your dad. When you see him offter, you can ask him.¡± When she was very young, Lady Gregory would speak to her ears like this, teaching her how to please Steve Burton. At that time, she believed every word her mother said, listened patiently, remembered carefully, and then devoted herself to doing it all. At first, she alsoined to her mother about being treated as less important than Steve, but she was severely pped by her mother. Since then, she has never dared to say anything. Over time, she has be numb to it and epted that Steve was indeed more important than herself. She had always thought that she would continue this way, but at this moment, as she heard her mother making ns for her, her heart suddenly became extremely irritated. Without any thought, she interrupted Lady Gregory, saying, ¡°Mom, I don¡¯t want to ask Steve Burton.¡± Lady Gregory looked at Ruby incredulously, ¡°Ruby, what did you say?¡± ¡°I said I don¡¯t want to go ask Steve Burton.¡± Ruby repeated herself once more. ¡°Haven¡¯t you two reconciled yet? Are you still at odds?¡±
Ruby shook her head impatiently. ¡°Then why won¡¯t you go ask him? Do you want me to ask along with your dad?¡± ¡°No, neither of you should ask.¡± ¡°So what is it that you want?¡± Ruby didn¡¯t respond to Lady Gregory right away. After a long while, she spoke, her tone slightly calmer, ¡°Mom, none of us should ask. We shouldn¡¯t ask Steve Burton for help anymore, okay?¡± Lady Gregory¡¯s face darkened in an instant, ¡°If not Steve Burton, who else can we ask for help? Besides, you are going to marry him. If we don¡¯t ask him for help, who should we ask? Also, what should we do with this mess at Gregory¡¯s Enterprises? Are we just going to watch it go bankrupt? Ruby, what on earth are you thinking about every day?¡± Perhaps it was the dissatisfaction that had umted over the years or the constant unhappiness in her heart that when Lady Gregory finished speaking, Ruby burst out, ¡°I¡¯m not thinking about anything! I just don¡¯t want to be a bargaining chip anymore and be looked down upon!¡± ¡°You two may not feel embarrassed, but I do! I¡¯m really fed up with this life!¡± ¡°In short, I won¡¯t seek Steve Burton¡¯s help for Gregory¡¯s Enterprises, and you shouldn¡¯t either. I¡¯m marrying him, but not to let him pay for Gregory¡¯s Enterprises!¡± ¡°If you really can¡¯t save Gregory¡¯s Enterprises, just dere bankruptcy!¡± Chapter 509: 509: So You Knew It All Along (19) Chapter 509: So You Knew It All Along (19) From childhood, Ruby Gregory had always been an obedient daughter in front of Maxwell Gregory and Lady Gregory, never defying their opinions, let alone roaring with anger like she did now. Lady Gregory was so angry that she couldn¡¯t utter a single word, pointing her trembling finger at Ruby. It took her a while before she finally managed to say, ¡°Ruby Gregory, are you really a member of the Gregory family? How could you say such things! What do you mean by dering bankruptcy? Do you want all the hard work our ancestors have put in over the years to be ruined in your father¡¯s hands? Have you forgotten all the effort your father and I put into raising you? Can you face us?¡± ¡°Yes, you and my father did put a lot of effort into raising me, but did you raise a daughter? All you raised was a bargaining chip, you wanted me to trade my body for the existence of Gregory¡¯s Enterprises. What¡¯s the difference between this and selling your daughter¡­¡± p! Before Ruby could finish speaking, Lady Gregory raised her hand and pped her hard across the face. Although Lady Gregory was a woman, her anger caused her to exert considerable force, causing Ruby to fall onto the sofa. Lady Gregory stood in ce, visibly shaking, while Maxwell Gregory saw what happened and scolded his wife. Rubyy on the sofa, her long hair hanging down, covering her face, so nobody could see her expression. She could clearly feel the burning pain on her face, which prated deep into her heart. After a while, she raised her hand to touch her face, now swollen and throbbing with heat. Ruby¡¯s eyes felt sour, but she held her breath, refusing to let the tears fall. Covering her face, she slowly stood up, her face pale but her eyes calm.
She gazed at Lady Gregory and Maxwell Gregory, then curled her lips and gave a slow, bitter smile. ¡°Did my words strike a nerve? Did it anger you so much that you had to resort to violence?¡± she continued. ¡°Or, do you want to force me to find Steve Burton, present the n to Gregory¡¯s Enterprises, then invest arge sum of money to save Gregory¡¯s Enterprises and help it prosper?¡± ¡°Have you ever considered my feelings? I am your daughter, and in your hearts, Steve Burton must be much more important than me. If that¡¯s the case, why don¡¯t you be his parents and stop being mine?¡± Ruby struggled to suppress the tears in her eyes from flowing. She took a deep breath, her attitude resolute and upromising. ¡°Anyway, I¡¯ve already made my stance clear and told you everything I wanted to say. I¡¯m not going to find Steve Burton, and you better not find him either!¡± ¡°If you¡¯re not embarrassed, I am!¡± ¡°Yes, I can¡¯t control you, but let me say this: if I find out that you go looking for Steve Burton, I¡¯ll die right in front of you!¡± ¡°Without me, you don¡¯t have any other daughters to marry off to Steve Burton. By then, looking for him would be in vain!¡± Ruby vented all her pent-up emotions, not giving Maxwell Gregory and Lady Gregory another nce as she turned and stormed out of the room. Chapter 510: 510: So You Knew It All Along (20) Chapter 510: So You Knew It All Along (20) Howard and Madeleine hadn¡¯t been to thepany for several days, but today, they both showed up at the regr noon meeting as if a gust of wind brought them there. Steve, Rusell, and Edward already knew that the two had gotten their marriage certificates. Although they couldn¡¯t figure out when Howard and Madeleine secretly got together, they still gave their heartfelt blessings. Even without a wedding ceremony, everyone still gave the couple generous red envelopes. Madeleine epted the red envelopes. When Rusell and Edward asked curiously, she pouted as usual, showing no difference from before, and said coyly, ¡°I won¡¯t tell you guys when Howard and I got together.¡± Howard was sitting beside Madeleine, not showing any disdain or ridicule on his face upon hearing this; he just hooked his lips into a smile and signaled for the meeting to proceed quickly. Steve Burton was agitated all day. He kept thinking about the burn mark he saw yesterday on Ruby Gregory¡¯s hand while at Maxwell Gregory¡¯s hospital room, which caused him to frequently lose focus while working. Even when Ms. Taylor, the secretary-general, handed him a document that required his signature, it took her urging him three times before he came back to reality and absentmindedly signed his name. Now, during the meeting, he was even more distracted, constantly checking his watch. He used to visit Maxwell Gregory at three o¡¯clock in the afternoon, but as soon as it was one-thirty, Steve closed theptop in front of him and said, ¡°You guys can continue the meeting; I have something to do, so I¡¯m leaving first.¡± On his way to the hospital, Steve still couldn¡¯t resist stopping by a pharmacy and buying a tube of burn ointment. ¨C As soon as Ruby Gregory left the hospital room, she couldn¡¯t hold back her tears. Perhaps it was due to her pregnancy that her emotions fluctuated greatly. She couldn¡¯t stop her tears no matter how hard she tried. In the end, her vision was blurred by ayer of mist, so much so that she identally bumped into someone when getting out of the elevator. Ruby didn¡¯t look up to see the person¡¯s face, but simply said hurriedly, ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡±
Then she went around the person and ran quickly towards the hospital exit. Ruby breathed hard and ran a long distance before slowing down and wiping away her tears with one hand. She had rushed out in a hurry, only carrying her bag and not wearing a coat. Now outside in Ciawell, the temperature was only one degree Celsius, but it was as if she couldn¡¯t feel the cold at all. She just kept walking aimlessly along the street. The afternoon sun warmly illuminated the entire city, the honking of cars, the songs from store windows, the chatter of pedestrians ¨C all these sounds made the city lively and prosperous. Yet Ruby felt increasingly deste deep down in her heart, as if her entire body was numbed by the cold. Only when she was exhausted did Ruby regain some rity. Realizing that she was pregnant, she casually found a wooden chair by the roadside and sat down for a rest. During her walk, she hadn¡¯t felt very cold, but after sitting down, she discovered the cold rapidly spreading throughout her body. Just as she was about to find a store to buy a coat, someone suddenly came over and draped a coat around her shoulders. PS: That¡¯s it for today; we¡¯ll continue tomorrow. Be sure to join ¡®Time for Ruby¡¯ group: 192412658 (limited spots, firste first served) Reminder: It¡¯s absolutely true that in real life, you could still get pregnant and have a healthy baby even while taking birth control pills. Doctors usually suggest you not to keep a baby conceived while on birth control, but that doesn¡¯t mean the baby is guaranteed to have problems. Again, this is just a book, so let¡¯s not get too serious about it. The health of the baby depends on probabilities, and those probabilities are determined by me! So, my plot is not a bug~ Let¡¯s not get too serious, folks~ Chapter 511: 511: So You Knew It All Along (21) Chapter 511: So You Knew It All Along (21) While they were walking, they didn¡¯t feel the cold that much. It wasn¡¯t until they sat down that Ruby Gregory realized how the cold had quickly enveloped her entire body. Just as she was about to look for a mall to buy a coat, someone suddenly walked up to her and draped a jacket over her. It was a men¡¯s ck, thick suit jacket, and its warmth quickly enveloped Ruby¡¯s body. She was slightly stunned, and looked to the side to see Edric Reat standing beside her. In the cold weather, a cold breeze blew, causing Edric¡¯s thin shirt to puff out. Ruby froze, sitting on the wooden chair, not moving for a long time. Edric stared at Ruby for a long time before slowly smiling at her, ¡°I saw you running out of the hospital like a lost soul. I followed you for so long, and finally, you sat down to rest.¡± Ruby didn¡¯t say a word, moving her gaze from Edric¡¯s face before slowly standing up, reaching out to pull off the jacket from Edric¡¯s body. Edric, however, reached out and held her shoulder, stopping her action, ¡°It¡¯s cold, be careful not to catch a cold.¡± Ruby¡¯s dark eyes, as still as a pool of water, stared at Edric. But before she could say anything, Edric looked around and pointed to a nearby caf¨¦, saying, ¡°Do you want to have something to drink?¡± Ruby moved her lips, but still didn¡¯t say anything. Edric hooked his lips in a smile again, maybe because of the cold, he stomped his legs back and forth on the spot, and continued, ¡°Since we returned home, I haven¡¯t had a chance to talk with you properly. Luckily we met today, Ruby, let¡¯s have a good talk.¡± Ruby stood still, and Edric showed no impatience. He smiled lightly once more and said, ¡°Ruby, you don¡¯t want to talk to me here, do you?¡± Ruby looked around, then lowered her gaze, turned around, and walked towards the caf¨¦ Edric had pointed to. Edric followed her.
¨C As soon as they opened the door to the caf¨¦, a warm atmosphere greeted them. The friendly waiter approached, led Ruby and Edric to a secluded seat, and handed them the menu. Edric took it, nced at it briefly, and then ordered a cup of ¡°Jamaica Blue Mountain¡±. He then looked up at Ruby, ¡°How about you? Orange juice or milk tea?¡± ¡°No need to bother, just a cup of warm water.¡± Although Ruby knew that the child inside her might not be wanted by Steve Burton, since confirming her pregnancy, she was always mindful of precautions. ¡°Alright, please wait a moment,¡± the waiter said softly with a smile before leaving. There weren¡¯t many people in the caf¨¦, and the seats that Ruby and Edric chose were quite secluded. They were surrounded by empty seats. After the waiter left, the two didn¡¯t have much conversation, just the soft instrumental music yed inside the caf¨¦, surrounding their ears. Edric picked up the creamer on the table, tore it open, and poured it into his coffee cup. He stirred it a couple of times with a stirrer, then took a sip. He looked up at Ruby, who had been sitting quietly opposite him. After a while, he finally spoke, ¡°Did something happen that upset you?¡± Ruby¡¯s eyelids twitched slightly, and she held the cup of warm water, still with no intention of speaking. Chapter 512: 512: So You Knew It All Along (22) Chapter 512: So You Knew It All Along (22) Edric, on the other hand, didn¡¯t feel embarrassed from being met with Ruby¡¯s silence after trying to strike up a conversation several times. Instead, he casually continued to sip his coffee and said, ¡°You didn¡¯t use to be so quiet, you know.¡± Just like before, Edric¡¯s words didn¡¯t receive any response. With that, he fell silent again. After a while, he raised his hand and pulled a pack of cigarettes out of his pocket, took one out, and put it in his mouth. Just as he was about to light it, the silent Ruby nced at him and softly said, ¡°Don¡¯t smoke in front of me.¡± Edric paused for a moment, then took the cigarette out of his mouth without hesitation. He ced it and the lighter on the table and offered a gentle apology: ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡± ¡°It¡¯s fine.¡± Ruby picked up her ss of water and took a sip. It wasn¡¯t until Ruby put down her ss of water that Edric cracked a soundless smile, his gaze fixated on her. Then his tone turned serious, ¡°Ruby, I heard you were in Costa Luna a few years ago, too?¡± Ruby nodded slightly and gave a confirming ¡°Mm.¡± ¡°You knew I was there, but why didn¡¯t you contact me during those three years?¡± After saying that, Edric chuckled to himself: ¡°I just asked a stupid question. Why would you bother to contact me? It must have been just my wishful thinking.¡± At this point, Edric¡¯s expression seems somewhat ufortable. After a moment, he let out a soft sigh and said in a gentle voice, ¡°We¡¯ve bumped into each other quite a few times, but never managed to have a proper conversation. I didn¡¯t mean to bother you either; I only followed you out of the hospital after seeing your red-rimmed eyes as you ran off. Since we¡¯ve run into each other, I only wanted to tell you that you don¡¯t need to worry, all the things from the past will die with me.¡± After saying that, Edric looked at Ruby and smiled, his tone half-serious and half-joking: ¡°You know, Ruby, I¡¯ve always wanted to do something for you.¡± Upon hearing this, Ruby felt a little awkward. She lowered her eyes and forced a small smile before saying, ¡°Thank you.¡± ¡°You¡¯re always so formal with me.¡± There was a hint of sadness in Edric¡¯s voice, but Ruby didn¡¯t know how to respond to him.
Once again, a long silence fell between the two. The sunlight outside the window began to fade, and the warm glow of the setting sun entered the caf¨¦ through therge ss window, gently illuminating Ruby and Edric. After an unknown amount of time had passed and the coffee on the table had turned cold, Edric finally raised his hand to signal a waiter and ordered another cup of coffee. This time, he didn¡¯t add any sugar or creamer, and in one breath, he drank most of the bitter coffee straight. The bitterness spread from his mouth all the way into his heart, even imbuing his voice with a hint of bitterness: ¡°Ruby, your engagement with Steve Burton is in two days, right?¡± Ruby nodded slightly in affirmation: ¡°Yes.¡± Edric still had a friendly smile on his face, but his eyes no longer lingered on the woman in front of him. Instead, he stared at the remaining half cup of pitch-ck bitter coffee in front of him andmented with a lighthearted tone, ¡°After all these years, you¡¯ve finally got what you wanted.¡± Chapter 513: So You Knew It All Along (23) Chapter 513: So You Knew It All Along (23) ¡°So many years have passed, and I still remember the words you said to me back then¡­¡± No matter how calm Edric tried to make himself appear, as he spoke those words, his voice couldn¡¯t help but tremble uncontrobly: ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I¡¯m going to marry Steve Burton.¡± Ruby Gregory knew exactly what he was talking about¡ªthe words she had said to him three years ago when that incident happened. Unconsciously, her hand tightened around the water ss in her palm. Edric¡¯s gaze became somewhat unfocused, as if recalling events from many years ago. Speaking slowly, he said, ¡°At that time, you told me that no matter who you ended up loving, you would still have to marry Steve Burton. Not just marry him, but marry him in a grand and glorious manner.¡± ¡°You said that it had been your dream since childhood, and that you had to fulfill it. You said that the Gregorys¡¯ wealth and prestige depended on marrying Steve Burton.¡± ¡°I never thought that all these years, you would never change that idea and would always be working hard toward marrying Steve Burton. Now your dream hase true¡ªI should be happy for you, right, Ruby?¡± As Edric went on, Ruby felt as if everything was worlds away. At some point, her unyielding determination to marry Steve Burton as if it were her ultimate goal had faded away. ¡°Your engagement ceremony was held at Red Park Resort & Vis, right? Yesterday, I apanied a client there for fishing and saw that your engagement venue had already been set up. It was grand and dreamy, just like you had told me back then¡ªyour engagement banquet and wedding banquet would make all the women in the world envious. Everything would be the best, announcing to everyone in a grand and glorious way that you were getting married. The engagement banquet looked amazing, so I presume the wedding banquet will be even better.¡± Edric¡¯s voice remained steady throughout his recollection, but by the end, it seemed as if he couldn¡¯t hear himself anymore. He only felt numbness in his heart, unable to even realize he was speaking: ¡°Back then, you said you had three wishes: to marry Steve Burton, to have the most grand wedding, and to have a child.¡± ¡°Now, you¡¯ve already achieved the first two. All that¡¯s left is to have a child, and your dream will beplete. At that point, I can finally let go.¡± He knew that she did not love him, but he had still stubbornly loved her all these years. Even now, even as he knew that everything was already set in stone, and that they were getting married and children must not be far off¡ª He still wanted to buy himself time in his heart, to dy the moment when he would have to pursue happiness anew. Or perhaps, to deceive himself into believing that in the world of her love, he could survive for just a few more days. Edric managed a faint smile. His voice remained dismissive as he spoke, ¡°Once I see that you have a child and your dream ispletely fulfilled, I will truly give up and go pursue my own happiness.¡± Ruby, no matter how slow she was at picking up emotional cues, could understand everything Edric was saying so directly. However, for this kind of deep affection, she ultimately was not blessed enough to enjoy it in this lifetime: ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡± Noticing that he had made the atmosphere too sentimental, Edric changed his tone and half-jokingly said, ¡°If you really feel guilty, then have a child soon, so I can escape from the sea of suffering you¡¯ve put me through.¡± Chapter 514: So You Knew It All Along (24) Chapter 514: So You Knew It All Along (24) Child¡­ Upon hearing these two words, Ruby Gregory¡¯s face turns a shade paler. She doesn¡¯t need to have a child right away; she¡¯s actually already pregnant. But¡­ it seems Steve Burton isn¡¯t weing of this child at all. ¡°What, you don¡¯t look so good. Is it because you can¡¯t bear to see me get free from your clutches?¡± Edric Reat looks at Ruby¡¯s pale face and speaks with a hint of worry behind his half-joking words. Ruby snaps back to attention and shakes her head at Edric: ¡°No.¡± ¡°Well, it¡¯s gettingte. I originally came to the hospital to see a friend. Where are you going? Need a ride?¡± ¡°No need, I want to stay here for a bit longer.¡± In fact, she doesn¡¯t know where to go herself. She had a huge fight with her parents, Steve treats her coldly, and her only friend Madeleine is married now. ¡°Alright then.¡± Edric doesn¡¯t push, raises his hand to call the waiter for the bill, and gets ready to leave. He then notices Ruby is only wearing a thin sweater and asks, ¡°Do you want to keep the coat?¡± ¡°No need, thank you.¡± Ruby suddenly remembers Edric¡¯s coat draped over her shoulders, quickly gets up, and hands it back to him: ¡°I¡¯ll make a call and get someone to bring me some clothes.¡± Ruby¡¯s long hair hangs on either side of her face, concealing the red mark Lady Gregory left with a p. As she¡¯s handing the coat to Edric, her head turns quickly, her hair fluttering, which allows his sharp eyes to spot the swelling on her face. Edric¡¯s eyebrows furrow deeply, and he lifts Ruby¡¯s hair, asking, ¡°What happened to your face? Who hit you?¡± In Ruby¡¯s memory, Edric had always been a gentle man. She never expected him to disy such harshness. Ruby pulls her hair out of Edric¡¯s hand, smiles at him with an obvious reluctance to discuss further: ¡°It¡¯s nothing. Drive safely when you leave.¡± Edric knows that if Ruby doesn¡¯t want to talk about it, pressing her won¡¯t yield any answers. He stares at her for a moment before nodding lightly, ¡°You take care of yourself. I¡¯ll go now. Goodbye.¡± ¡°Goodbye.¡± Ruby keeps smiling as she waits for Edric to leave, then tiredly copses onto the table, staring nkly at the ss window. She¡¯s overwhelmed by anxiety because of the child growing inside her. ¨C When Steve Burton arrives at Maxwell Gregory¡¯s hospital room, Ruby is not there. Madam Gregory still greets him warmly, even pouring a ss of water for him herself. Maxwell continues discussing business matters with him, although both of their faces don¡¯t look too good. Steve sits in the room for about ten minutes without catching sight of Ruby, so he casually asks, ¡°Where¡¯s Ruby? Not at the hospital?¡± Madam Gregory stares at her hand for a moment before answering with a smile, ¡°Ruby said she had some business to take care of this afternoon, so she left.¡± In recent days, Steve¡¯s daily hospital visits appeared to be for Maxwell, but they were actually to see her. Today, he even brought a tube of ointment with him. Hearing that she isn¡¯t at the hospital, Steve feels a subtle sense of disappointment. Still, his face remains cold and aloof, nodding nonchntly to show that he understands, and then he continues discussing business affairs with Maxwell. Chapter 515: 515: So You Knew It All Along (25) Chapter 515: So You Knew It All Along (25) Steve Burton didn¡¯t chat very long before getting up to leave. On his way back to thepany, he received a call from Rusell Henris who told him he was at a club on West 2nd Ring Road entertaining clients from France and asked when he would arrive. Steve replied ¡°Right away,¡± took a turn, and got onto the second ring road. The capital city¡¯s second ring road was often congested. Steve spent forty minutes driving just a few kilometers. The club¡¯s underground parking was full, so he casually parked his car by the side of the road before entering the club. Following the directions Rusell had sent, Steve easily found their private room where a server was half-kneeling on the ground, brewing aromatic green tea. The French clients had brought a few small gifts, including a pair of binocrs made in Freedonia. It was a new product that could clearly see scenes over 100 meters away. Edward Woods, slightly intrigued, held up the binocrs and looked around through the window. Suddenly, he became motionless and focused on one spot before turning to call out, ¡°Bro.¡± Despite hearing Edward¡¯s call, Steve didn¡¯t react and continued chatting in fluent French with the French clients. Edward continued to stare through the binocrs for a moment before calling out again, ¡°Bro, guess who I saw?¡± Steve was paying full attention to the conversation with the French clients and only briefly nced at Edward. Edward waved towards Steve and said, ¡°It¡¯s Ruby.¡± Upon hearing this name, Steve frowned, apologized to the French clients, stood up, and walked over to Edward, taking the binocrs from him.
Edward stood beside him, pointing in a direction and saying, ¡°Across the street in the coffee shop, the window farthest to the east. See her? It¡¯s Ruby¡­¡± Steve had already seen Ruby Gregory through the binocrs before Edward had even finished describing her location. However, since the club and coffee shop were not directly facing each other, he couldn¡¯t see who was sitting across from her. The French clients could understand a little Chinese, so they stepped forward and curiously asked, ¡°Who is Ruby?¡± Rusell, standing by the side, responded with a smile in French, ¡°Mrs. Burton.¡± One of the French clients politely asked, ¡°Mr. Burton is married? May we have a glimpse of Mrs. Burton¡¯s beauty?¡± Steve handed the binocrs to the French client, and Edward helped them find Ruby¡¯s location while briefly describing her clothing and appearance. After finding Ruby, the French client eximed unabashedly, ¡°Mrs. Burton is indeed beautiful!¡± Steve smiled and casually responded, ¡°Thank you.¡± He then apologized to the French clients, saying, ¡°Excuse me, I¡¯ll be back shortly.¡± After saying this, he nced at Rusell and Edward, motioning for them to entertain the French clients. He then picked up his coat from a nearby rack and walked out. Crossing a skywalk, Steve approached the coffee shop and finally saw who was sitting across from Ruby Gregory. He stood not too far away and stared at the two people sitting face-to-face inside the coffee shop for a while. Then, he made his way into the coffee shop. Chapter 516: 516: So You Knew It All Along (26) Chapter 516: So You Knew It All Along (26) Pushing open the door, melodious music wafted into his ears. The waiter¡¯s eyes shone with admiration as he spotted Steve Burton, greeting him with a hint of delight, ¡°Sir, may I take your order?¡± Steve raised his hand, silencing the waiter with a gesture, then nonchntly pointed at the caf¨¦¡¯s daily special listed at the entrance and waved the waiter away. He headed straight towards where Ruby Gregory and Edric Reat were seated. The backrests of the sofas in the caf¨¦ were high, creating partitioned mini spaces like a series of little walls. Steve sat in a seat back-to-back with Edric¡¯s sofa, perfectly positioned to hear the murmur of conversation behind him. ¡°All these years have passed and I still remember what you told me¡­ ¡®I¡¯m sorry, I am engaged to Steve Burton.¡¯ Steve¡¯s leisurely resting fingers slightly trembled on the table as the waiter served his ordered coffee, ¡°Sir, here is your coffee.¡± Ignoring the waiter, Steve concentrated on the words falling from Edric¡¯s mouth. ¡°You said, it was your childhood dream to marry him. You said, the Gregorys¡¯ prosperity depended on Steve Burton.¡± Steve¡¯s face turned gloomy as he stared at his dark gray coffee. ¡°You had three wishes: to marry Steve Burton, to have a grand wedding, and to have a child.¡± Wishes¡­Ruby¡¯s wishes that he never knew of, but this man, Edric, somehow knew everything.
Steve¡¯s facial expression vanishedpletely. ¡°Once I see you have a child and fulfilling your dreams, I will give up and pursue my own happiness.¡± Quite the enduring love¡­ Steve drew in a deep breath, unable to bear listening any further. He pulled out a red banknote from his wallet, ced it under the coffee cup, and left without expression. As he left, he heard onest sentence, ¡°If you feel guilty, hurry up and have a child, so I can let you go.¡± Exiting the caf¨¦, Steve felt terrible. He pulled out his car keys, opened his car door, and slipped into the driver¡¯s seat. His car was conveniently parked to offer a clear view of Ruby, seated by the caf¨¦ window. Unaware of their continued conversation, he noticed both of them stand up. Ruby passed a men¡¯s zer to Edric, straining his eyesight even more, Edric even raised his hand as if to touch her face. Without further ado, Steve reached for the ointment he had bought for Ruby and flung it violently against the car window. The echo of the impact resounded in the car, Edric emerged from the caf¨¦. Through the rear-view mirror, Steve watched as Edric hailed a taxi and left. Meanwhile, in the caf¨¦, Ruby slowly leaned onto the table, staring nkly out the window, disying a hint of mncholy. Was she feeling mncholic about relinquishing her connection with Edric to marry him? Steve¡¯s grip around the steering wheel tightened, his lips pursed tight, feeling a surge of jealousy storming inside him. Time slowly slipped away. Chapter 517: 517: So You Knew It All Along (27) Chapter 517: So You Knew It All Along (27) The sun was setting in the west, and the sky gradually darkened as neon lights slowly lit up. It was then that Steve Burton¡¯s phone rang. The call was from Edward Woods, saying that he had arranged a dinner at Grand Ciawell Restaurant for their French clients, and asked when he would be able to join them. Steve nced at Ruby Gregory, who was still sitting in the cafe, dazed and confused. He swallowed hard, his tone somewhat rigid, saying: ¡°You guys go ahead, I¡¯ll contact youter.¡± Having said that, he hung up before Edward could respond. After an unknown amount of time, Ruby finally showed some reaction. She slowly sat up straight, raised her hand to call the waitress, then took the menu from her hands and stared at it for a while. She then whispered a few words to the waitress, who left with a smile. Less than ten minutester, the waitress brought a te of fried rice to Ruby¡¯s table. With her head bowed, Ruby ate gracefully, seemingly having a good appetite. She ate nearly half of therge te of fried rice before stopping. Then, she gently took a napkin, wiped the corners of her lips, picked up the ss of water on the table, and slowly drank in one go. Only then did she turn around, take her phone out of her bag, and make a call. She only spoke two sentences before hanging up. Then, she stared at the phone screen for quite a while, finally pursing her lips forcefully as if making up her mind. She tapped the screen again and, in less than a minute, the phone beside her rang. Steve nced at the iing call disy, which shed the two characters faintly: Ruby. ¨C It took Ruby a long time to muster the courage to make this call to Steve.
The dream she hadst night at Madeleine¡¯s house was still fresh in her memory. The p from her mother had stopped hurting, but she could still feel a residual pain. She had sat in the cafe alone, pondering for a long time before making this decision. However, making a decision didn¡¯t mean that she had the courage to act immediately. In order to procrastinate, she asked the waitress for a menu. There weren¡¯t many main courses in the cafe, and because she was pregnant, she could only choose the fried rice. Thinking about her decision made her feel too anxious to eat, but for the sake of the child in her stomach, she forced herself to eat more than half the te. After finishing her meal, she hesitated for quite some time before finally picking up her phone. The first call she made was to the Gregorys, asking the maid to bring her a heavy coat. Only then, havingpletely run out of excuses to dy, did she muster the courage to call Steve. The phone rang seven times before being answered, and there was no sound from the other end. Ruby waited for a while before asking, ¡°Steve, are you there?¡± There was a long silence on the other end before the man¡¯s usual calm, detached voice came through: ¡°Yes, what¡¯s up?¡± ¡°Um,¡± Ruby softly replied and then took a deep breath before continuing, ¡°Do you have time tonight?¡± Steve couldn¡¯t quite guess why Ruby was calling him and what it was about. He thought for a moment and said, ¡°I have a dinner party tonight.¡± Chapter 518: 518: So You Knew It All Along (28) Chapter 518: So You Knew It All Along (28) ¡°What time will it be over?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll wait for you at your apartment, then.¡± Steve Burton thought for a moment and said, ¡°Okay.¡± ¨C After hanging up the phone, Steve looked through the car window at Ruby Gregory holding her cell phone for a while, then put the phone on the passenger seat, put on a Bluetooth headset, and called Edward Woods to ask about the location of the dinner party while driving away slowly. ¨C Ruby waited for her coat to arrive, then called her driver to take her to Steve¡¯s apartment. In the over 300 square meters residence, there was no one around, and the ce was exceptionally quiet. Ruby didn¡¯t feel like watching TV, but she turned it on anyway. When she felt hungry around eleven o¡¯clock, she got up from the sofa and made herself a bowl of noodles in the kitchen. She chewed slowly and thoroughly, washed the silverware afterward, and ced them in the disinfection cab. Only then did she put on slippers and go upstairs. She picked out a pair of long-sleeved pajamas from the dressing room, took a bath, changed her clothes, and thought about the pregnancy while using a hairdryer. Concerned about radiation, she put down the hairdryer and picked up her towel, meticulously drying her hair under the warm light.
As her hair was almost dry, Ruby finally heard the sound of the door opening downstairs. She put down the towel, went out and saw Rusell Henris and Edward Woods helping Steve inside the house. Rusell noticed Ruby first, greeted her, and said, ¡°Your brother is drunk.¡± Immediately, he and Edward sent Steve upstairs with great difficulty. Ruby hurried downstairs, juiced a ss of watermelon, brought it upstairs, handed it to Rusell, and then squatted down to help Steve take off his shoes. Although Steve was very drunk, his mind was still very clear. When Rusell gave him the watermelon juice, he stared nkly for a moment, then sat up crookedly and drank it all in one go. Ruby, who was still squatting on the ground, took off Steve¡¯s shoes and was about to cover him with a nket when he suddenly opened his eyes. His eyes were very ck and bright, not at all like someone who was drunk. He watched her for a moment and then spoke, ¡°Didn¡¯t you say you had something important to talk to me about?¡± Ruby turned her head to look at Edward and Rusell. Steve got out of bed and said to Edward and Rusell, ¡°You two, get out.¡± Edward and Rusell quickly left the room. Steve then looked at Ruby and said, ¡°What¡¯s the matter, go on.¡± He then raised his hand and without any hesitation or cover, began undressing in front of Ruby. Feeling shy, Ruby lowered her gaze, ¡°You had a lot to drink. Let¡¯s rest first and talk tomorrow.¡± Steve picked up his nearby pajamas, calmly putting them on and buttoning them up. Hearing Ruby¡¯s words, he turned his head and looked at her, ¡°You¡¯ve brought it up this far; do you think I can sleep now?¡± He went to the water dispenser, took a cup, and began filling it with water. The bedroom was very quiet, with only the sound of the purified water falling into the cup. As the cup was filled, Steve looked at Ruby again. She finally pursed her lips, stared at Steve with determination, and spoke softly, ¡°Steve, do you want us to have a child now?¡± PS: That¡¯s it for today~ We¡¯ll continue tomorrow~~~Some people said it¡¯s so tragic? Is it? I don¡¯t think it¡¯s that tragic ~~~ Chapter 519: So You Knew It All Along (29) Chapter 519: So You Knew It All Along (29) As the water reached the top, Steve took another nce at Ruby. Ruby pursed her lips, staring intently at Steve, and spoke softly, ¡°Steve, do you want us to have a child now?¡± Ever since he received Ruby¡¯s call, Steve had been wondering what she wanted to talk to him about. In the past, he could usually guess some of her thoughts, but this time, he never expected that she would actually bring up the topic of having a child. Steve¡¯s hand, which was holding the ss, stiffened for a moment, and his movement seemed to freeze. In his mind, he quickly recalled what Edric Reat had said to Ruby at the cafe earlier that afternoon. ¡°When I see that you have a child, my dream will beplete, and I¡¯ll give up on you entirely, pursuing my own happiness.¡± ¡°If you really feel guilty, then have a child sooner and let me escape from the suffering you¡¯ve caused me.¡± After Edric left, Ruby had grieved alone at the table for a while before snapping out of it. At that time, he wondered what had made her so sad? As a result, his own mood plummeted along with her sadness, sinking to rock bottom. Now it seemed that her sorrow might have been due to the man called Edric Reat? She cared for Edric, liked him, so perhaps she was thinking of using Steve to make Edric give up earlier, pursue his own happiness sooner, and escape the misery she had caused him! Steve¡¯s throat moved up and down, and his eyes grew slightly cold, but there was not a hint of anger on his face. He just looked at Ruby indifferently, then lowered his eyes and raised his ss of water. As the water cup approached his beautiful, perfect lips, it hesitated for a moment. He didn¡¯t look at Ruby, waited for about half a second, and then said, ¡°No.¡± When he said those two words, they were clear and concise, without any hint of hesitation, and his voice was as beautiful and magnificent as ever, containing a hint of determination within the calm tone. After he had spoken, he elegantly raised his head and took a leisurely sip of water. When Ruby asked the question, her gaze was fixed on Steve¡¯s face, not daring to blink for fear of missing any subtle emotions. But there were no emotional fluctuations on the man¡¯s face, only a slight hesitation for about half a minute before he decisively gave her two words. No. He didn¡¯t want her child. Ruby¡¯s figure shook violently, and her hand subconsciously tightened on her clothes, feeling an indescribable chill crawling all over her body from her heart. She even forgot to move her eyes off Steve¡¯s face, only feeling a burning pain in her throat. Even her own voice sounded strange, ¡°We¡¯re getting married, it¡¯s normal to have a child¡­¡± He, of course, wanted a child from them, but he wanted her to be willing, with no other thoughts in mind when conceiving the child. So when Ruby was halfway through speaking, Steve stopped drinking water and interrupted her assertively, ¡°I said I¡¯m not interested.¡± With that, he gently put the cup of water on the table next to him. Chapter 520: So You Knew It All Along (30) Chapter 520: So You Knew It All Along (30) Steve Burton¡¯s movements were gentle, showing no signs of anger or irritation. When the ss touched the marble tabletop, it made only a faint and crisp sound. Immediately afterward, Steve didn¡¯t even look at Ruby Gregory and went straight into the bathroom. Ruby still stood dazed in ce. After just a minute, she heard the sound of water from inside, and it was then that her mind began to process the situation. Steve didn¡¯t want the child¡­ he said he had no interest in having the child¡­ so, he had been giving her contraceptive pills all this time, right? ¡°Simply put, the man doesn¡¯t love the woman at all. He¡¯s just using her body to vent his desires. Once he¡¯s done, he¡¯ll want to get rid of her. So, there¡¯s no way he¡¯d want a child. Having a child would only bring trouble when they eventually break up.¡± ¡°If a man loves a woman, he¡¯d want her to bear many children for him. He wouldn¡¯t let her take contraceptive pills!¡± These words that Madeleine had said before echoed clearly and loudly in Ruby¡¯s ears. She remembered the nightmare she had that night and how, right in this apartment, Steve dragged her out to the stairs and pushed her down with his own hands. Ruby subconsciously lifted her hand and covered her stomach. No, she couldn¡¯t let Steve find out that she was pregnant. He would definitely kill her child! What should she do to protect her child? Ruby suddenly thought of the way out she had considered earlier today at the cafe. Her expression turned somewhat stagnant in an instant. Could it be that there was really no other way apart from that choice? Ruby¡¯s hand slowly clenched into a fist. She stood stiffly in ce for a long time before finally retreating two steps, weakly sitting down on the edge of the bed, staring straight at the bathroom. When Steve finished showering and came out of the bathroom, Ruby was sitting obediently on the edge of the bed. Her expression seemed calm. Steve nced at her before grabbing the hairdryer and started drying his hair in front of the mirror. The hairdryer was quite a distance from Ruby, but she still subconsciously moved herself further away. The noise from the hairdryer went on for a long time before it finally quieted down. Steve carelessly tossed the hairdryer onto a nearby shelf, then walked over to the bed, turned off the bedroom light, and got into bed. As he did so, he nced at Ruby and finally spoke: ¡°It¡¯s gettingte. Go to bed.¡± Ruby did not make a sound nor show any significant reaction; she simply continued to sit calmly on the edge of the bed. Steve stood there and looked at her for two seconds before walking over, picking her up, and cing her on the bed. Steve leaned over Ruby, examining her face carefully for a moment before lowering his head and covering her lips with his own. Ruby was still lost in her thoughts, showing little reaction. Steve, however, took her silence as consent, kissing her deeper. As the passion grew, he reached out and unzipped her pajamas. It wasn¡¯t until Steve¡¯s lips slid from Ruby¡¯s lips down to her neck and corbone that she suddenly snapped back to reality. Chapter 521: 521: So You Knew It All Along (31) Chapter 521: So You Knew It All Along (31) Ruby Gregory, of course, knew what Steve Burton would do next following such a move. The doctor had advised her not to have sex during the most unstable period before three months. The previous two times when she didn¡¯t know she was pregnant, she had sex with him, and there was always a slight spotting afterward. Thinking of this, Ruby hesitated not a moment and said aloud, ¡°No¡­¡± Steve, however, seemed not to have heard her and continued kissing her, caressing her body. His actions were even more intense and passionate than before. Anxiously, Ruby struggled beneath him and said, ¡°I¡¯m not feeling well today, I don¡¯t want to do it¡­¡± When it came to such matters, Ruby seldom refused Steve, let alone openly and directly resisting him like she was doing now. Steve paused for a moment, then lifted his head and reached out to pinch her chin, harshly sealing his lips on hers. His hands shamelessly stripped off his own clothes, then forcibly spread her legs apart. Startled, Ruby stretched out her hands and mustered all her strength to forcefully push Steve off her body, even lifting her leg to hit him in the waist. She resisted with great force and her actions grew more and more intense; Steve frowned, lifted his head, and saw the look of desperation on her face. He pursed his lips tightly, then stared at her coldly for a few seconds, before directly rolling off her body. He quickly dressed in his loungewear and strode out of the bedroom.
¨C Only after Steve left did Ruby breathe a long sigh of relief. She sat up on the bed, wrapped herself in the nket, stared at the pitch-ck night sky outside the window for a while, then swallowed forcibly, as if making a decision. She picked up her clothes, which had been stripped off by Steve, and put them on one by one. She evenbed her hair to make it smooth before wearing slippers and slowly stepping out of the bedroom. Rusell Henris and Edward Woods had also drunk quite a lot of alcohol and were making themselves coffee in the living room downstairs to sober up before leaving. They heard the bedroom door being pulled open forcefully; both looked up to see Steve¡¯s tense face heading straight into the study, mming the door shut with a loud bang. Looking at each other, both Rusell and Edward were silent for a moment before Edward said bitterly, ¡°Are Steve and Ruby having another quarrel?¡± Before Rusell had a chance to respond, he saw Ruby walking out of the bedroom. Ignoring Edward¡¯s words, Rusell directly pointed at the study door and said to Ruby, ¡°He¡¯s in there.¡± Edward also chimed in, ¡°Ruby, remember to persuade Steve well. In another 30 hours, you two will be engaged.¡± Ruby stood at the railing, listening to Edward¡¯s words, pursing her lips tightly. After a while, she smiled slowly at Edward, without a word, simply nodding gently. Then she turned around, and walked towards the study. Usually, when they saw Ruby, she would be wearing heels. But now, her ts made her figure appear particrly petite. She walked alone along the long corridor towards the study. Chapter 522: 522: So You Knew It All Along (32) Chapter 522: So You Knew It All Along (32) The light in the hallway quietly fell on her shoulders. For some reason, Rusell Henris, in this moment, began to find Ruby Gregory somewhat pitiful. He felt something was off, yet he couldn¡¯t pinpoint what exactly it was. ¨C Ruby stood at the door of the study, remaining silent for two seconds, before lifting her hand to lightly knock on the door. After receiving no response, she turned the knob. The door was not locked and opened effortlessly. Ruby saw Steve Burton sitting elegantly at the desk, facing theputer, seemingly engrossed in his paperwork. Ruby stood at the door, watching Steve for quite a while. Steve showed no reaction, his facial expressions didn¡¯t change, let alone nce at her. Ruby clenched her fists, mentally steeling herself before stepping into the study. Thinking that Edward Woods and Rusell Henris were downstairs, she gently closed the door behind her. Ruby came to the desk, nced at Steve who was fixedly looking at theputer, paused for a moment, and said, ¡°Steve, there¡¯s one more thing I want to discuss with you. ¡± Steve didn¡¯t react. His fingers constantly clicked rapidly on the mouse, making a series of clicking noises. Ruby couldn¡¯t recall how many times she¡¯d visited him only for him to remain silent, and how stubbornly she¡¯d reiterate her point until he looked at her and responded.
But this time, she remained silent, standing upright in front of Steve. She lifted her head and looked at therge bookshelf behind Steve that reached the ceiling, filled with various books and ornaments. The walls were adorned with expensive paintings, and beneath her feet was a soft rug. Steve waited for a long time without hearing Ruby speak again. If it weren¡¯t for the faint red hemline in his peripheral vision, he would¡¯ve thought her sentence was just an illusion. Steve wasn¡¯t really focused on his paperwork, but was forcing himself to divert his attention and suppress the jealousy welling up from the depths of his heart. But she was standing in front of him, her scent drifting into his nose, making him anxious. Finally not being able to stand it any longer, he looked up at Ruby, his voice steady and calm, ¡°What is it?¡± On finishing speaking, Steve lowered his gaze, continuing to stare at hisputer screen. Ruby, hearing Steve¡¯s voice, refocused her gaze on him. She stared at him, her lips moving. Despite formting the words in her head, she couldn¡¯t bring herself to utter them. Although it was only thirty seconds, to Steve it felt like an eternity, as if his previous words were mere figments of his imagination. He lifted his head again, asking her, ¡°Did you not have something to say? What is it?¡± This time, Steve¡¯s gaze did not shift away from Ruby but quietly observed her. Ruby, meeting his gaze, felt a sour feeling in her throat. Possibly due to the bright light in the study, a tinge of pain welled up in her eyes. She moved her lips, bringing forth a pure smile. Then she gently and softly said, ¡°Steve, let¡¯s cancel our engagement.¡± Chapter 523: So You Knew It All Along (33) Chapter 523: So You Knew It All Along (33) Ruby Gregory uttered these words slowly, as if she was reading a book, pausing after each word, enunciating clearly. In the originally quiet study room, her words slowly reached Steve Burton¡¯s ears. Steve Burton maintained his previous demeanor while looking at her, his gaze and expression both as tranquil and indifferent as always. He stared straight at Ruby, not saying anything for a while. Time seemed to stand still at that moment, and the breaths of Steve and Ruby seemed to disappear. One sitting, one standing, both staring into each other¡¯s eyes. It was not known how long passed before Steve lightly blinked his eyes, his expression unchanged, and asked tly, ¡°What did you say?¡± Ruby¡¯s lips were tightly pursed, slightly pale. She stared into Steve¡¯s eyes without any hesitation. After a long pause, she blinked her eyes gently, then repeated her previous words with a soft, smiling expression: ¡°Steve, let¡¯s cancel our engagement.¡± Ultimately, she didn¡¯t want him anymore. Or perhaps, deep in her heart, she had never wanted him. He was such a proud man. In front of her, he wanted to maintain his distant and indifferent demeanor. It seemed that way; he would feel like he had never been hurt by her. But now, he obviously felt a sense of panic emerging deep in his heart. The engagement¡­canceling the engagement. Not only was he unable to win her heart, but he couldn¡¯t even have her in the end. In this moment, Steve experienced a sense of regret and fear. If only he had treated her better over the years, pretended not to know she loved someone else, and not been jealous or possessive, would she have stayed by his side? How could he not want to treat her well? But each time he saw her using him and treating him with ulterior motives, even after three years still not forgetting Edric Reat, he couldn¡¯t control himself. He, who was always calm and collected, lost hisposure and reason every time he encountered her. Perhaps it was because he loved her too much that he became so critical. Steve stared at Ruby for a long time without moving, then he blinked slightly. He nced at the time. It was already the morning of the 9th, and the engagement banquet was tomorrow. As a proud man, he had never pleaded for anything, but in this moment, he found himself involuntarily dropping his pride and saying to her, ¡°Ruby, the engagement banquet is all prepared.¡± When Steve¡¯s words fell, he realized that his voice was incredibly hoarse. Ruby finally lowered her gaze when she heard his words, ¡°I know, but I really don¡¯t want to get married.¡± Steve¡¯s hand clenched theputer mouse tightly, his lips pressed together tightly, his emotions surging uncontrobly within him. He tried to keep his voice calm, but it trembled ever so slightly, ¡°Have you thought it through?¡± Ruby was silent for a moment, and then spoke in an equally calm tone, ¡°I¡¯ve thought it through.¡± As her words fell, a ¡°crack¡± sound appeared in front of them. Because Steve used too much force, the mouse was crushed in his hand. He stared at Ruby, unable to discern whether it was the fear of losing her or jealousy towards Edric that consumed him. He looked left and right before abruptly standing up and fiercely sweeping theputer on the table to the floor, saying, ¡°Do you think eloping with Edric three years ago wasn¡¯t enough, so now you¡¯re preparing to elope with him openly and aboveboard once again?¡± Chapter 524: So You Knew It All Along (34) Chapter 524: So You Knew It All Along (34) He stared at Ruby Gregory, looking straight at her. He couldn¡¯t tell if he was afraid of losing her or jealous of Edric Reat. He looked around and suddenly stood up, sweeping theputer on the table onto the floor with force: ¡°You think your elopement with Edric three years ago wasn¡¯t enough, so now you¡¯re nning to have another elopement openly, is that it?¡± When Ruby heard these words, her body trembled violently. The next second, she raised her head sharply and looked at Steve Burton. Her eyes were filled with disbelief, and her face turned as pale as paper in an instant. Her lips trembled, and after a while, she managed to ask, ¡°What do you know?¡± ¡°What didn¡¯t you want me to know?¡± The incident from three years ago had haunted him countless sleepless nights. When he thought about it, he was disturbed and upset. At this moment, he blurted it out without hesitation, addressing Ruby directly: ¡°You didn¡¯t want me to know you went with Edric to Zhouzhuang and stayed there for three days and two nights? Or that you and Edric visited every corner of Zhouzhuang during those three days and two nights? Or that you and Edric shared the same room during those three days and two nights?¡± With each question from Steve, Ruby¡¯s face grew paler, and he would angrily grab anything on the table and smash it to the ground. By the time he finished speaking, everything on the desk had been smashed clean. Ruby clenched her fists tightly. She thought the incident three years ago was a secret known only to her and Edric. But she never expected Steve to have known it all along¡­ No wonder three years ago, after he slept with her, he mocked her and refused her¡­ She had thought that she sessfully deceived everyone. It turned out that he knew everything. Ruby looked at Steve, moving her lips, but eventually only uttered a few words: ¡°So you knew everything.¡± ¡°Yes, I know everything.¡± Her first time was with him. But it was clear that she was just using him as a tool ¨C a tool that would allow her to marry him once they had shared a bed. In her heart, she had wanted to save her first time for Edric. No one knew that when he found out she had secretly gone to Zhouzhuang with Edric, he had also gone there alone overnight, knowing how it felt when they slept in the same room. It was a torturous, agonizing time that seemed never-ending, every second stretching into an eternity. He sat outside the hotel where they were staying, staring dryly at the room they were in, and spent the whole night there. It was the darkest time of his life, one that tormented him to no end whenever he thought about it. He could bear the fact that she married him for the sake of the Gregory family, and he could even tolerate her not loving him. But he couldn¡¯t bear the fact that she could love someone else while using him. They say that the person who loves the deepest can be hurt the most. This saying was not false at all¡­ He witnessed with his own eyes how his heart was chopped into pieces by her, bit by bit. What¡¯s even more ridiculous was that her first time ¨C which he had anticipated, cherished and even hesitated to take ¨C was nothing more than a handout from her. Chapter 525: 525: So You Knew It All Along (35) Chapter 525: So You Knew It All Along (35) Steve Burton walked around the table and stood in front of Ruby Gregory, grasping her chin and lifting her face. He stared into her eyes and spoke with vicious words, ¡°Do you really regret not giving your first time to Edric Reat?¡± The incident from three years ago was like a sharp thorn, an unknown thorn, deeply embedded in his heart. For so many years, he wanted to pull it out, but he couldn¡¯t remove it! Steve looked around and then kicked a nearby floor-standing clothes rack. The rack mmed into a ss cab, shattering the ss and spilling it all over the ground. Yet, Steve felt it wasn¡¯t enough. He continued to search for things he could smash and destroy. ¡°Ruby Gregory, I tell you, you really think I care about your first time? There are so many women in this world, how many are lining up, wishing they could give me their first time? You really think I care, you really think I care!¡± As Steve spoke, he forcefully grabbed Ruby¡¯s shoulders and shook her violently, ¡°You really think I care, you really think I care!¡± ¡°I don¡¯t f***ing care!¡± Steve tightened his grip on Ruby¡¯s shoulders, gritting his teeth and dering with determination, ¡°I don¡¯t care at all!¡± After saying that, he suddenly pulled Ruby towards him, lowered his head, and forcefully covered her lips with his. His kiss was scorching and intense. He sucked the air from her mouth, giving her no chance to breathe, kissing her forcefully. No one knew how desperate he felt deep inside.
Ruby tried to push Steve away, but he held her even tighter. His tongue desperately pushed down her throat, reaching into her esophagus. As he continued to kiss her, he didn¡¯t care whether she wanted it or not ¨C he tore her clothes apart and pressed her down onto the study¡¯s sofa. He was so urgent yet so fierce, heading straight for his target. Ruby instinctively tried to retreat, but he gave her no opportunity. He relentlessly pressed forward until she had nowhere left to go. Only after burying his head in her neck for two seconds did he casually lift it. No matter how resentful or angry he was, in the end, as their bodies merged, Steve felt the throbbing in the depths of his heart. He held her tightly and loved her deeply. When it was finally over, he buried his head in the crook of her neck again, only slightly shifting it to wipe the wetness from the corner of his eye onto the sofa. The study had gone from the initial heated argument to the room filled with intimate, sensual scenes, and then to the quiet of the present moment. The atmosphere had changed so drastically it felt as if it were all a dream. Steve held Ruby, holding her tighter and tighter, as if it were hisst embrace. Steve held her for a long time before finally releasing Ruby. He slowly lifted his head, stared at Ruby¡¯s pale face, calmly looked at her for two seconds, swallowed twice, and then slowly pulled away from her. His clothes had not beenpletely removed. He quickly straightened them, moving slowly with trembling fingertips. Once everything was in order, he turned his head to nce at Ruby before walking towards the study door, step by step. Chapter 526: 526: So You Knew It All Along (36) Chapter 526: So You Knew It All Along (36) Steve Burton opened the door of his study, pausing slightly. He wanted to nce back at the woman behind him, yet he just stood there silently for a minute before stepping out. ¨C Downstairs, Edward Woods and Russel Henris were paying close attention to the movements upstairs. For quite a while, the study remained silent. Edward Woods finally eased his heart and took a big sip of his coffee, ¡°Looks like, Ruby appeased our brother.¡± Russel Henris also took a sip of his coffee: ¡°Our brother can¡¯t bear to upset Ruby. As long as Ruby says a word, I guarantee our brother will be fine.¡± Edward Woodsughed and then filled Russel Henris¡¯ cup with coffee. As he prepared to pour his own, a sudden loud noise came from upstairs. Edward Woods¡¯ hand trembled as he nced over at Russel Henris, both of them instinctively remaining silent. After a while, they heard the sound of fierce smashing, getting louder and louder, interspersed with the angry roars of Steve Burton. Because of the distance, it was unclear what was being said. Edward Woods couldn¡¯t keep calm and said, ¡°This seems like¡­ things have gotten worse!¡± Russel Henris shook his head, looking a bit sick. Then another sound of smashing came, and this time itsted longer.
¡°I¡¯ve seen our brother lose his temper, but I¡¯ve never seen him this angry,¡± Edward Woods said anxiously, ¡°Will our brother hit Ruby?¡± Russel Henris was also uncertain and after a moment, he said, ¡°I don¡¯t think he would go that far.¡± Steve Burton¡¯s angry voices continued inside the room, then after a while, it went quiet, for a very long period of silence. This silence put a knot of unease in the hearts of Edward Woods and Russel Henris. Edward Woods said, ¡°Why is there no noise? It¡¯s not like someone¡¯s been killed, right?¡± Russel Henris spected, ¡°Did our brother identally kill Ruby? And now he¡¯s grieving so much he¡¯s decided to kill himself too?¡± Edward and Russel nced at each other, their hearts thumping. Both stood up ready to run to the staircase, just as they saw the door to the study open and Steve Burton, looking suave and unflustered, emerged. His expression was very calm, not at all like someone who had just had an intense argument or smashed things. Russel Henris and Edward Woods were even more confused. After exchanging nces, they saw Steve Burton go into his bedroom. In a moment, he had changed into a fresh suit and was descending the staircase gracefully. Not until Steve entered, did Edward, gathering his courage, call out, ¡°Bro.¡± Steve looked at him and grunted, then said, ¡°Why haven¡¯t you left yet?¡± Russel Henris and Edward Woods knew Steve was trying to drive them away. They stood still, then after a while, Russel asked, ¡°Bro, are you going out?¡± ¡°Yeap.¡± Steve Burton answered nonchntly. ¡°But you and Ruby¡­¡± Steve pointed to the door, interrupting Russel with a dispassionate: ¡°Pack up and get out!¡± Russel and Edward froze, exchanging nces. They silently picked up their clothes and quickly left. Steve stood in the living room for a few seconds, looked up toward the study, and then walked out of the apartment. PS: Ruby indeed has never been in love. As for why she eloped with Edric, I will exin it tomorrow~~~ Whether the engagement will take ce~ I¡¯ll tell everyone tomorrow~ When I write, it¡¯s always torment before sweetness, because I like to leave the most beautiful and warm things for the readers who have followed me until the end~~ In life, those who apany you to the end are worth giving them the best.
Chapter 527: 527: So You Knew It All Along (37) Chapter 527: So You Knew It All Along (37) Steve Burton stood in the living room for a few seconds, raised his head, nced in the direction of the study, and then followed closely, walking out of the apartment. Rusell Henris and Edward Woods had just entered the elevator when they saw Steve Burtoning out. Edward Woods raised his hand, blocking the elevator door, and waited for Steve toe in before retracting his hand. The elevator door slowly closed, descending all the way to the underground parking lot. That night, both Steve and Edward had drunk quite a bit of alcohol, so their drivers had been sent home. After the dinner party ended, Rusell had originally intended to go to a nearby Shangri-La Hotel and stay in a presidential suite, but Steve insisted on returning to the apartment. In the end, Rusell, who had drunk the least and was rtively sober, drove Steve back. Arriving in the underground parking lot, Rusell unlocked his car, and just as he and Edward were about to get in, he nced at Steve: ¡°Brother, are youing with us?¡± Steve subconsciously shook his head, and when he reached out to touch his pocket, he realized he only had the key to the Audi A8 he had driven during the day. The keys to his other cars were still in the study of the apartment. Not wanting to go back, he waved to Rusell, who was about to start the car and leave. Rusell swiftly stopped the car. Steve casually opened the rear door, got in, and then leaned against the backrest, closing his eyes. Edward, who had been crouching, fiddling with the car¡¯s music yer, and preparing to y some songs, saw Steve resting with his eyes closed and quickly turned off the car¡¯s radio. The interior of the car was very quiet, with very little conversation among the three. When Rusell drove onto the ring road, he finally spoke up: ¡°Bro, where do you want to go?¡± Steve remained silent. Unsure of what to do, Rusell slowed the car down a bit and continued straight along the ring road. As they were almost all the way around the ring, Steve opened his eyes and said in a somewhat toneless voice, ¡°Take me to the Grand Ciawell Restaurant¡¯s underground parking lot.¡± Rusell hesitated for a moment, then said, ¡°It¡¯s sote, brother. Why don¡¯t I take you to a hotel to rest? I can have a driver pick you up tomorrow morning.¡±
Steve didn¡¯t answer. Edward cleared his throat, turned around, and followed Rusell¡¯s line of thought, echoing, ¡°Yeah, brother, it¡¯s almost three in the morning, and we drank so much tonight. We should find a ce to rest. Tomorrow is your engagement banquet with Ruby. You need to be well-rested¡­¡± Before Edward could finish his sentence, both Rusell and Edward clearly saw Steve¡¯s brow furrow slightly. Frightened, Edward quickly shut his mouth, while Rusell focused on the road ahead, driving attentively. The atmosphere in the car was even more tense than before. Rusell had just parked the car in the underground parking lot of the Grand Ciawell Restaurant when Steve opened his eyes. Without a word, he pushed open the car door, got out, and walked over to his own car. He took out his car key, opened the door, and sat down inside. Steve didn¡¯t start the car, he just sat dryly in the driver¡¯s seat. Rusell and Edward watched him, looked at each other, and then Edward lowered the car window and shouted to Steve, ¡°Brother.¡± Through the ss, Steve couldn¡¯t quite make out what Edward was saying, but he waved to them, signaling them to leave. Edward shrugged at Rusell, who, somewhat helplessly, started the car and slowly drove away. Chapter 528: 528: So You Knew It All Along (38) Chapter 528: So You Knew It All Along (38) ¡°Rusell, why do I feel that our brother is acting unusually weird today? It¡¯s so quiet, it¡¯s kind of creepy.¡± Hearing Edward Woods¡¯ words, Rusell Henris waited a while before replying, ¡°I have a very ominous feeling, like something major is about to happen.¡± ¨C Steve Burton sat alone in his car for a long time after Edward and Rusell left. Eventually, he started the engine and slowly drove out of the underground parking garage. It was four o¡¯clock in the morning in the capital city, even those partyingte into the night had scattered, making it the city¡¯s most tranquil moment. The streets were almost empty, only the neon lights on both sides casting their soft glow. Steve stared straight ahead at the road, speeding around the city twice before driving out of town. The closer he got to Red Park Resort & Vis, the heavier his heart felt. Eventually, Steve found it difficult to breathe and rolled down the window. The cold wind from outside poured into the car, providing some relief. When Steve saw the Red Park Resort & Vis in the distance, he slowed down. The security guard was dozing off in the guard room. honking the car¡¯s horn, the guard awoke with a start and, upon seeing Steve¡¯s car, immediately came running out, opened the gate, and respectfully greeted him, ¡°Mr. Burton, you¡¯re here so early? ¡± Steve nodded and slowly drove into the Red Park Resort & Vis. It was not yet five o¡¯clock in the morning, and the resort was deserted. On either side of the gently sloping road, there were speed limit signs, with fog covering everywhere.
Steve skillfully drove to the ss house behind the mountain and stopped the car. Inside the ss house was the engagement party venue for him and Ruby Gregory. The celebration should have been held outdoors, but due to the cold winter season, his mother had specifically ordered someone to construct the beautiful ss house at thest minute. The ceiling was decorated withrge crystal chandeliers, surrounded by a number of tall white pirs, each adorned with European style candlesticks. Steve stared at the engagement party scene for a long time before blinking. Then, he remembered Ruby¡¯s words: ¡°Steve, let¡¯s cancel our engagement.¡± Suddenly, a heart-wrenching pain struck him, and he impulsively ced a hand on his left chest, his eyes filled with panic. After a while, Steve finally calmed down, his gaze rigidly fixed on the fog-shrouded engagement scene. He kept that stiff posture for a long time before slowly closing his eyes. At one point, the girl who used to cling to him no longer clung to his sleeve, asking him to help her with homework, nor hung around him, asking him to walk her home. She no longer stood on the balconyte at night, shouting ¡°Steve¡± and asking for food. At one point, the mischievous, sticky, and annoying little girl became sensible, well-behaved, and submissive. At one point, he began to look forward to her making a request like she used to when she was young. At that time, he thought to himself that he would not hesitate to agree to whatever she wanted, no matter what it was. Now, she finally made a request, but her demand was to cancel their engagement. Chapter 529: 529: So You Knew It All Along (39) Chapter 529: So You Knew It All Along (39) Shouldn¡¯t he have epted without hesitation? Now, Gregory¡¯s Enterprises is in shambles and on the verge of bankruptcy. Marrying him would not only save thepany, but also fulfill her wish of many years. However, instead, he proposed to dissolve their engagement in front of her. At first, she even tried to put Edric off by suggesting they have a child together. He wasn¡¯t un-disappointed. All these years, she had beenpromising him, but he never thought that one day, she could evenpromise their child, and for another man at that. Perhaps she truly loved Edric to the bone. Otherwise, how could she have said such things, made such decisions? In an instant, Steve Burton¡¯s throat felt somewhat congested. He leaned back slowly in the car, closed his eyes, and didn¡¯t turn off the engine. ¨C Ruby Gregory curled up on the sofa in the study, looking at the mess left by Steve Burton, listening to the opening and closing doors downstairs. It was then that she felt somewhat weak and spaced out. That deep-seated secret from years ago, one that she dared not let anyone know, was the one thing she feared reaching Steve Burton¡¯s ears. But she never expected that he had actually known everything from the beginning. They say that when you¡¯re young and rebellious, you tend to be impulsive. That¡¯s why there are so many young men picking up chairs to fight for their beloved girls, and so many foolish young girls who, once smitten, would think it¡¯s a lifetimemitment and would be devastated by a single cold nce from their crushes.
She, too, had gone through a rebellious phase, but it came a bitte and didn¡¯tst as long as everyone else¡¯s¡ªonly once. Yet, that one time led to so many missed opportunities. Thinking about it, it seemed life truly liked to toy with people. It was indeed true that Ruby Gregory had been to Zhouzhuang with Edric Reat and had stayed there for three days and two nights, sharing a room at night. At that time, she was about to graduate from college, and Steve Burton had just taken over Pristine¡¯s Enterprises, and was extremely busy with work. Originally, Steve Burton had promised her that he would take her to Agrabah for her birthday. However, the day before her birthday, he was called away due to an emergency at Pristine¡¯s Enterprises. Actually, Steve Burton had called her to say that he would make up for her birthday when he returned. Although she had been looking forward to the Agrabah trip for a long time, she wasn¡¯t thrilled when it fell through. Yet, she still went against her feelings and gently told him it was okay. Since the Agrabah trip didn¡¯t happen and no birthday party had been prepared in advance, she had to make do with celebrating her birthday at the Gregorys¡¯ home. But on her birthday, Steve Burton¡¯s secretary still sent her a gift. It was a limited edition pink crystal bracelet that was all the rage at the time©¤ exquisite and beautiful, a favorite of everyone who saw it. Honestly, she liked it too. However, Lady Gregory seemed to fancy it even more, as if the bracelet was meant for her and not for Ruby. So much so that during dinner, Lady Gregory kept praising the bracelet Steve Burton had given her and even asked her to call him to express her thanks. At the time, Ruby didn¡¯t think much of it and simply did as Lady Gregory asked, making a call to Steve. Chapter 530: 530: So You Knew It All Along (40) Chapter 530: So You Knew It All Along (40) She didn¡¯t know whether Steve was in a meeting or busy at work at the time, but the bottom line was that he didn¡¯t answer her call. As a result, Lady Gregory asked her to call Steve every once in a while. Ruby was a bit stubborn, but she had been disciplined by Lady Gregory since childhood and could control her temper. Even though she was impatient with her mother¡¯s urging at the time, she still obediently followed Lady Gregory¡¯s words and called Steve three or four times in a row. Yet, all those calls went unanswered by Steve. Based on Ruby¡¯s understanding of Steve, she knew deep down that once he saw her missed call, he would definitely call her back. So, when her mother urged her again, she told her that Steve would call her backter and then sat down at the dining table to eat without any worries. After dinner, Steve still hadn¡¯t called back. Ruby didn¡¯t think it was a problem, but Lady Gregory kept asking her whether Steve had returned her call. That day, Ruby received many gifts from Howard Coleman, Rusell Henris, Edward Woods, Madeleine, and some college ssmates. She sat in her room, busy opening the gifts, and absentmindedly told her mother that Steve hadn¡¯t called back in response to her frequent inquiries. Hearing this, Lady Gregory became anxious and asked Ruby to call Steve again. Ruby thought to herself that there was no point in calling him and tried to reassure Lady Gregory not to worry too much. It¡¯s unknown whether or not it was because of Ruby¡¯s dismissive attitude at the time, but Lady Gregory started incessantly nagging her around. She asked Ruby to take Steve more seriously and to be more considerate of him. In short, it was all the usual rhetoric. Ruby nodded her head, saying she understood, yet she continued opening her gifts. Lady Gregory felt that her daughter¡¯s attitude was not serious enough and used her of not taking her words to heart. She then snatched a gift box that Ruby was opening and asked her with a heavy tone, ¡°Do you really care about what I¡¯m saying?¡±
It happened to be the first day of Ruby¡¯s period, which already made her easily irritable. Coupled with Lady Gregory¡¯s nagging for quite some time, Ruby was quite annoyed and replied impatiently, ¡°I know!¡± ¡°If you know, then call Steve again!¡± Lady Gregory said, taking Ruby¡¯s cellphone, dialing Steve¡¯s number, and cing the phone in her hand. Ruby rarely acted stubborn in front of her parents. That day was her birthday and she was already feeling disappointed that she couldn¡¯t go to Agrabah. Being constantly pushed by her mother to revolve everything around Steve, her temper red up and she hung up the call without any hesitation. Ruby¡¯s attitude had already made Lady Gregory feel anxious, and this action nowpletely ignited her anger. Without any hesitation, Lady Gregory scolded her. Ruby would feel wronged when scolded on regr days, let alone on her birthday. That feeling of grievance intensified several times over in her heart. Chapter 531: Let’s Pretend She’s Dead (1) Chapter 531: Let¡¯s Pretend She¡¯s Dead (1) So, Ruby Gregory started arguing with Lady Gregory. That was the most fierce argument she had ever had with Lady Gregory in her memory, just like yesterday afternoon in the hospital, Lady Gregory was so angry that her chest heaved, pointing at her speechlessly for a long time. Perhaps when a person is suppressed for too long, once they vent, it bes terrifying. Anyway, when she shouted at her mother, ¡°Why don¡¯t you let Steve Burton be your son instead, what do you want me as your daughter for, I don¡¯t want to be your daughter at all!¡±, Lady Gregory angrily stretched out her hand and pped her face. She had been scolded many times since she was a child, but this was the first time she had been beaten. That p really beat out all the rebellion and defiance inside her, she didn¡¯t even bring her phone, and in a fit of rage, she ran straight out of the Gregorys¡¯ house and back to school. Back in her dorm, she locked herself in the bathroom, crying her heart out. At that time, she actually had some resentment towards Steve Burton, even feeling that without him, maybe her parents would love her more. It was only when she had cried enough that she came out of the bathroom, and saw an exquisite gift box on her bed. Before she could ask who gave it to her curiously, Maya Mitchell, who slept in the bunk opposite her, told her that it was from Edric Reat. Edric Reat entered college as the top scorer in the college entrance examination. Although his family background was ordinary, he was a truly outstanding ssmate and a prominent figure in Ruby¡¯s ss. During the four years of college, Ruby and Edric were quite familiar with each other. Of course, this familiarity was limited to hosting several college gs together, singing a song on stage, and some insignificant rumors. So, when she knew that the gift was from Edric, she was somewhat surprised. She climbed onto the bed, unwrapped Edric¡¯s gift, and after so many years, she couldn¡¯t remember exactly if the gift Edric had given her was a skirt or a shawl. She only remembered the price of the item, which was a luxury for Edric, far from matching the value of the bracelet Steve had given her. Inside the gift box, there was a card written by Edric, asking her if she had time, inviting her to the visit Zhouzhuang together. She had received countless simr invitations since junior high school, and Lady Gregory had told her since she was a child that she couldn¡¯t have too much contact with any man besides Steve, so she followed this instruction carefully and casually threw the card on the bedside storage box without thinking about it. She still hadn¡¯t recovered from Lady Gregory¡¯s p and was lying on the bed feeling depressed when the two ssmates below her bunk talked about meeting and dating the men they liked. Ruby had never experienced this for the entirety of her life, and for a moment, she was genuinely curious about what dating a guy or being in love would feel like. Lady Gregory¡¯s p had a significant catalytic effect, prompting the rebellion hidden deep inside her heart. In a moment of impulsiveness, Ruby got out of her bed, picked up the dormitory phone, and called Edric, epting his invitation. Chapter 532: Let’s Pretend She’s Dead (2) Chapter 532: Let¡¯s Pretend She¡¯s Dead (2) Ruby Gregory hurried out without her wallet, so she borrowed two thousand yuan from Maya Mitchell and went to find Edric Reat. Together, they boarded a train to Ciawell. The train traveled overnight and only arrived in Ciawell the next morning. Perhaps it was because this was the first time Ruby had ever done something so bold and rebellious in her life, but she was full of energy with little rest during the day. She wandered around Ciawell with Edric for the entire day until 5 in the afternoon when she finally felt exhausted and went to find a hotel with him. At that time, Edric only had limited funds and she didn¡¯t have much money either. They could have simply looked for a cheap hotel and rented two rooms, but Ruby, having been pampered since she was a child, couldn¡¯t stay in such a ce. In the end, Edric could only find the best hotel and book a suite. It was the first time Ruby had shared a room with a man other than Steve Burton. She was not without anxiety, but Edric was even more gentlemanly than she had imagined. He let her have the bedroom without a word and asked the attendant for a nket, taking the sofa in the living room as his bed. On the first night, the two didn¡¯t talk much and just slept ¨C one on the living room sofa and the other on the bedroom¡¯srge bed. The next day, they continued to spend the whole day exploring Ciawell. In the evening, as the sun set, Ruby and Edric sat on a boat with just the two of them. As they faced the red sunset, Edric confessed his feelings to Ruby. Edric spoke a long confession, which Ruby couldn¡¯t quite remember word for word. But at the time, when she heard what Edric said, she was somewhat moved deep down. She didn¡¯t dare look into Edric¡¯s hopeful eyes, so she just stared straight at the red sunset and only spoke after a long time, saying, ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Edric, but I¡¯m going to marry Steve Burton.¡± Although Edric was the one being rejected and should have been the one feeling sad, Ruby seemed to feel even worse. In the end, it was Edric who smiled and tried tofort her. Perhaps it was Edric¡¯s understanding that made Ruby unable to control her emotions and confess some private matters to him. She told Edric many things: her wishes and the reasons why she had to marry Steve. That night, she also drank alcohol for the first time in her life. And she got so drunk that Edric had to carry her back to the hotel. Of course, she didn¡¯t know that Steve, who was originally on a business trip, had encountered a tricky problem and had been busy for nearly twenty-four hours. By the time he had some free time, Ruby¡¯s birthday had already passed. He picked up his phone and saw her missed calls, so he called back immediately but got no answer. He called several times, but the result was the same. Finally, Ruby¡¯s phone was turned off. Steve¡¯s first thought was to have his secretary book a flight back to Beijing for him. Then he packed his belongings and went straight to the airport. While waiting for his flight, he took out his phone and saw many unread messages, so he casually scanned them. As a result, when he saw the content of a message from an unknown number, his face changed. The content of the message was simple and to the point: Ruby Gregory and Edric Reat had gone to Ciawell. Chapter 533: 533: Let’s Pretend She’s Dead (3) Chapter 533: Let¡¯s Pretend She¡¯s Dead (3) After seeing that message, Steve Burton immediately changed his flight and flew to Poham. He then took a taxi to Zhouzhuang. On the night Ruby Gregory got drunk, Steve was waiting outside the hotel and saw Edric Reat carrying her inside. When Ruby woke up again, it was the next day. She was still wearing yesterday¡¯s clothes and lying in her bedroom¡¯s bed. Edric, meanwhile, had not yet woken up and was still sleeping on the living room sofa. They caught a train at 10 a.m. and arrived at Ciawell ten hourster. As they emerged from Ciawell West Station, Ruby hesitantly felt a sense of trepidation. She first apologized to Edric, then gritted her teeth and said that from now on, they would be strangers to each other, and she hoped he would forget what had happened these three days. At the bustling Ciawell West Station, Edric stared at her for a long while, then nodded his head and uttered a word: ¡°Fine.¡± Ruby moved her lips, but ultimately said nothing, and turned to leave. Perhaps because of the impulsive mistake she had made, Ruby was nervous and scared. On returning to the Gregorys¡¯ home, she did not question the p on her face from Lady Gregory. Instead, the matter wasid to rest on her birthday. Perhaps Lady Gregory also felt guilty for pping her that day, and when she asked where Ruby had been for the past few days, she lied that she had been at a friend¡¯s house. Lady Gregory did not press her further. Afterward, she and Edric becameplete strangers. She and Steve still interacted in the same way as they always had.
Steve was still very busy, barely managing, but he still took her to Red Park Resort & Vis every month on the 10th. She officially graduated in June, and on the evening of the 9th, there was a ss reunion. Steve came that night, and since the next day was the 10th, he drove her directly to Red Park Resort & Vis that night. And that night, she and Steve had their first time together. Afterward, when they woke up the next day, Steve abandoned her, as if he had be a different person. Steve¡¯s sudden change of face three years ago left Ruby wondering for more than a thousand days during her time in Costa Luna about what she had done wrong to upset him. She had wondered if it was because he had found out about her trip to Zhouzhuang with Edric. But as no one but her and Edric knew about their trip to Zhouzhuang, she quickly dismissed the idea. Even when she had called Edric in her dormitory, she hadn¡¯t dared mention his name because there were other ssmates present. She¡¯d only said that she was Ruby, asking to meet him in front of the school library. What she never imagined, however, was that no matter how well she tried to hide it, he ultimately found out about it. ¨C Ruby felt her emotions were like a rollercoaster these days: ups and downs, twists and turns. However, at this moment, she was utterly plunged into the depths. She¡¯d been fearful that Steve didn¡¯t know about the incident three years ago, and now that he knew, she realized she was even more afraid. It seemed that Steve truly didn¡¯t like her, which was why he had been giving her birth control pills and did not want her child¡­ With a stiff expression, Ruby sat on the sofa like a statue until she felt a twinge of pain in her abdomen. Chapter 534: 534: Let’s Pretend She’s Dead (4) Chapter 534: Let¡¯s Pretend She¡¯s Dead (4) Ruby Gregory finally got up from the sofa in a panic, and then caught a glimpse of a few drops of red on the spot where she had just been sitting on the sofa cushion. The sofa cushion was white, and the red color looked like red plum blossoms on it, especially eye-catching. Her abdomen, however, began to hurt more and more, making it hard for her to stand. Ruby panicked and found her cell phone, instinctively wanting to call for help, but when she opened her address book, she realized that everyone she knew was closely rted to Steve Burton. Even her most trusted friend, Madeleine, had always treated Steve like a biological brother, with reverence and adoration. If Madeleine knew that she was pregnant with Steve¡¯s child, she would definitely tell him¡­but why would Steve save her child¡­ The pain in her stomach grew stronger, leaving Ruby with little time to think or worry, so she clenched her teeth and directly dialed Edric Reat¡¯s number. The phone only rang twice before Edric answered, but it felt like an eternity to Ruby. Edric¡¯s voice was slightly hoarse, as if he had been woken from sleep: ¡°Ruby?¡± ¡°Mhmm.¡± Ruby¡¯s voice was a bit weak: ¡°I think, my current situation is not very good, I need your help, pleasee here quickly to pick me up¡­¡± Then Ruby briefly stated her address.
¡°Okay, I should be there in about 15 minutes.¡± Edric¡¯s assurance came without any hesitation, only then did Ruby calm down, hung up the phone, picked up her clothes, and quickly got dressed. Perhaps it was because she had calmed down, she felt the pain in her abdomen alleviate slightly, so she went to the master bedroom, took her bag, went downstairs, left her apartment, and headed directly for the elevator to go down to the first floor. Ruby hadn¡¯t walked very far, but her forehead was already covered in sweat. She emerged from the apartment door feeling weak and sat on the steps, clutching her abdomen tightly with her fingers. It could have been that there was no traffic in the evening or perhaps that Edric lived not far from her ce, so it wasn¡¯t even 15 minutes before his call came through. She answered the phone, gritting her teeth, and without waiting for Edric to speak, she gave her building number. In just two minutes, she saw Edric running towards her at a fast pace. Ruby slowly stood up from the steps, and before she could say anything, Edric stretched out his hand, picked her up in one swoop, and quickly left. Leaning against Edric¡¯s chest, she nced at his worried face and whispered softly: ¡°Thank you.¡± As soon as her words came out, she copsed into Edric¡¯s arms. Edric sprinted to his car, opened the door, put Ruby in, hurriedly got in himself, stepped on the gas, and drove straight to the hospital. ¨C Agreeing to annul the engagement and not agreeing to annul the engagement were just choices, but Steve had been choosing for a long time and still couldn¡¯t find an urate answer. It wasn¡¯t until 8 o¡¯clock in the morning that Steve straightened up, started the car, and slowly drove back to the city. He didn¡¯t go back to his apartment but went straight to the office. PS: Continuing tomorrow~~Whether the baby is there or not, I¡¯ll tell you tomorrow~~There won¡¯t be any plot where Rubyes back with the baby a few yearster to reunite with Steve~ At this point, the heartache is basically over~ I hope everyone will be rational while reading, don¡¯t curse the author because of impatience with the plot, pay attention to the degree ofining~~~Thank you~~~~~ Chapter 535: 535: Let’s Pretend She’s Dead (5) Chapter 535: Let¡¯s Pretend She¡¯s Dead (5) It was not until 8 a.m. that Steve Burton straightened up and started his car, slowly making his way back to the city. He didn¡¯t return to his own apartment, but instead went directly to thepany. Fortunately, Steve returned to the city a bit early. When he arrived at thepany¡¯s underground parking lot, the radio in the car was reporting the traffic conditions, announcing that the road he had just taken was jam-packed with traffic. Ordinarily, Pristine¡¯s Enterprises starts work at ten o¡¯clock, and Steve would typically arrive around nine fifty-five. As a result, the receptionist was unable to hide her surprise when she saw Steve stepping into thepany at exactly nine o five. Nheless, she quickly stood up, respectfully greeting him with, ¡°Good morning, Mr. Burton.¡± Steve offered her a slight nod before boarding the elevator. Once the elevator doors closed, one of the front desk girls whispered gossipy, ¡°Isn¡¯t tomorrow Mr. Burton¡¯s engagement day? Why is he at thepany today?¡± It wasn¡¯t just the front desk who was confused, even Ms. Taylor, the secretary-general, hesitated for a moment before standing up to greet Steve when she saw him walk into the office. Steve didn¡¯t even wait for her to finish speaking; instead, he tossed a statement¡ª¡±Send today¡¯s schedule to my office¡±¡ªand walked straight into his office. Schedule? He had an engagement party with Ruby Gregory tomorrow, what kind of schedule could he have arranged for today? Ms. Taylor anxiously stamped her foot, and after making several calls, finally managed to arrange an engagement for Steve before walking into his office. The appointment was scheduled for twelve o¡¯clock noon, a meeting with the CEO of a multinational corporation.
In the three hours before, Steve had nothing to do. He had been up all night, but showed no signs of fatigue. He stood alone in front of the French windows in his office, zoning out as he stared out for an hour and a half. During that time, Ms. Taylor entered once. Despite knocking for quite long, she received no response, so she quietly pushed open the door. Seeing Steve standing there motionlessly, not even blinking his eyes, she chose not to disturb him and left quietly. At ten forty, Steve heads to the bedroom in his office where he bathes, changes his clothes, and then leaves his office to go to his appointment with the car keys in hand. The CEO had been coborating with Steve for three to four years, and they became good friends irrespective of their age difference. The CEO initially lived in Costa Luna, but he recently moved the head office back to Ciawell after spending a lot of money. In his words, he called it ¡°returning to one¡¯s roots.¡± The CEO invited Steve to meet him at the Courtyard House he just purchased. He and his wife had personally prepared the meal. Despite having stayed abroad for many years, the meal the CEO prepared had an authentic Chinese taste, and in celebration, the CEO also opened a bottle of fine wine that he had been storing for half his lifetime. Throughout the meal, the CEO and Steve did all the talking while the CEO¡¯s wife remained mostly silent. She stayed nearby, bustling about to serve the two of them and didn¡¯t allow any servants to intervene. Finally, the CEO gently patted his wife¡¯s hand, asking her kindly to go rest. But she didn¡¯t move, instead quietly telling him to drink less alcohol. The interaction between the CEO and his wife was minimal, yet it was evident to observers the harmony and happiness in their rtionship. Watching this scene, a sense of envy unexpectedly surfaced in Steve¡¯s heart. He raised his wine ss and gave a toast to the CEO, ¡°Mr. Lawson and Mrs. Lawson¡¯s rtionship really is remarkable.¡± Chapter 536: 536: Let’s Pretend She’s Dead (6) Chapter 536: Let¡¯s Pretend She¡¯s Dead (6) The wife of the old CEOughed openly and corrected Steve Burton¡¯s words, ¡°Mr. Lawson and I don¡¯t have a romantic rtionship, but rather a friendship.¡± Steve, holding his ss of alcohol, paused but remained silent. The old CEO¡¯s wife stood up, smiled kindly at Steve, and left. The old CEO chuckled as he picked up the wine jug, filled Steve¡¯s ss, and exined what his wife had just said: ¡°My wife and I were friends for many years at work and got married. It¡¯s true that there wasn¡¯t much love, more friendship, and now it has turned into affection.¡± Perhaps as people grow older, they love to reminisce about the past. So the old CEO said to Steve: ¡°I once had a girl that I was very fond of, but it was all just my wishful thinking. I pursued her for seven years and never seeded. In the end, I saw her get married to someone else with my own eyes.¡± Steve¡¯s expression remained calm, but it subtly froze for a moment when he heard this part of the old CEO¡¯s story. The old CEO continued: ¡°In my life, I had never given so much as I did during those seven years. Back then, I worked a job that paid only a few dozen yuan per month, but I found ways to spend it all on her. She had a younger brother who could not afford a dowry for his wedding, and I also pitched in to help. I gave her everything I had, leaving myself with just one cent.¡± This bottle of alcohol that the old CEO had kept for most of his life was truly exquisite ¨C sweet and vorful. Steve couldn¡¯t help but take another sip before asking, ¡°After giving so much and not getting what you wanted in the end, did you feel content?¡± ¡°Of course, I wasn¡¯t content. When I heard she wouldn¡¯t marry me, I hated her so much that I wanted to hack her to death with a knife,¡± the old CEO candidly said to Steve. ¡°At that time, I actually grabbed an axe and hid in a sorghum field, preparing to kill the man she was marrying. But she was there too, and she knelt on the ground, telling me that love couldn¡¯t be forced. She was grateful to me, but she truly didn¡¯t love me.¡± The old CEO took a sip from his ss, ¡°Later, I gave up and went abroad. I unexpectedly made a fortune and started my ownpany, which grew more and more sessful. When mypany went public, I returned to my home country and saw her once. She was riding a bicycle in the cold wind, taking her son to school, while I was sitting in a warm BMW. However, I could see that she was very content, and by that time, my youthful discontent and impulsivity were gone. On the contrary, seeing her happiness made me feel at ease.¡± The old CEO raised his ss to Steve and drank it down at one go: ¡°When people love deeply, they often be calcting in every aspect. But it doesn¡¯t mean that your deep love will be reciprocated. In the end, if you truly love someone, you just want them to be happy. Even if that happiness is not given by you, you¡¯ll feel satisfied.¡±
Without saying anything, Steve finished the alcohol in his ss following the old CEO. After dinner, the old CEO took Steve on a tour of his newly renovated Courtyard House and showed him the antiques he had collected throughout his life. Then, he had someone brew a pot of sobering drink for Steve before sending him off. Chapter 537: 537: Let’s Pretend She’s Dead (7) Chapter 537: Let¡¯s Pretend She¡¯s Dead (7) In the afternoon, Steve Burton drove back to thepany. It was only three o¡¯clock. He entered his office, sat at his desk, turned on hisputer, but didn¡¯t handle work. Instead, he found an unsigned folder, clicked on it, selected the slideshow mode, and then high-definition photos appeared on the screen, one by one. All photos were of Ruby Gregory. From when she just learned to walk, to when she ran and jumped with two braids, going to kindergarten, then to elementary, junior high, high school, and college¡­ There were thousands of photos in total. In every photo, Ruby Gregory had a brilliant smile. Her smile was distinctive. First, her eyebrows curled up, and then a shallow dimple appeared on her cheek, revealing two rows of neat, white teeth. At first, she was so considerate to him, and he was truly happy, thinking that the little girl who used to pester him all day had finally grown up. Butter, he learned that she had only been doing it to win his favor and marry him. At that time, upon learning of her intention, he was neither heartbroken nor angry. But when he saw her sweet and beautiful face in front of him, he couldn¡¯t really be angry. Over time, he told himself that he would marry her eventually, so why bother about her purpose in marrying him? At that time, wasn¡¯t he also very tolerant of her? He was so good to her back then. If she asked for the stars and the moon in the sky, he would do everything in his power to get them for her. He was genuinely good to her, so much so that he didn¡¯t mind that she didn¡¯t really have him in her heart. If it hadn¡¯t been for her trip to Zhouzhuang with Edric Reat, Steve thought that even if he knew she was using him and had ulterior motives in her kindness, he would have continued to tolerate her and foolishly loved her without knowing anything.
It was because he loved her so much that he simply couldn¡¯t ept that the man she liked was not him, but Edric Reat. It was because he loved her so much that he could ept her marrying him with ulterior motives, but not her dating the man she truly loved while wanting to marry him. What did she think he was¡­ a mere tool? Perhaps due to wounded pride, the more kind he had been to her, the crueler he becameter on. It was strange¡­ he couldn¡¯t bear to see anyone treat her badly, but when he did, he was much worse than anyone else. And so, one mistake led to a never-ending cycle. The more she tried to please him and get close to him, the more he felt mocked and pathetic. Gradually, her smiles became less frequent, as did the happiness in his heart. What used to be innocent childhood ymates turned into two people, each with their own secrets, virtually strangers to each other. Steve stared at the photos of Ruby Gregory¡¯s smiling face on theputer screen, his heart filled with bitterness. Was it he who had strangled their happiness, or was it she who had destroyed it? Who could tell him what love was? Was love really as the old president said ¨C that seeing her happy would make him happy too, even if that happiness wasn¡¯t given by him? Steve leaned back against the chair, raised his hand, and covered his face. Chapter 538: 538: Let’s Pretend She’s Dead (8) Chapter 538: Let¡¯s Pretend She¡¯s Dead (8) He truly loved her, but no one had ever taught him how to love someone. He was not the kind of man who could love without regrets and not care about what she did. His love was so petty that he got angry when she didn¡¯t have him in her eyes, and angry when she had someone else in her heart. But he really hoped she could be happy and wished for her happiness. He dreamt of her telling him her true feelings, without pretense or concealment. Now, she finally spoke up. How could he bear to refuse the true her that he had been longing for all this time? But how could he nod and agree? ¨C When Ruby Gregory woke up, the sun was already setting outside the window. Upon opening her eyes, she saw a snowy white scene before her. She stared at it, puzzled and trying to remember what was going on, until she saw Edric Reat, who had been sitting by her side the whole time. He stood up and walked to her, asking, ¡°Awake?¡± Only then did Ruby turn her eyes slightly, and the moment she saw Edric, she blurted out, ¡°Why are you here?¡± Immediately after, everything that had happenedst night seemed to rey in her mind like a movie.
Upon hearing Ruby¡¯s question, a hint of hurt shed in Edric¡¯s eyes, but he remained silent. Instead, he pressed the call button and said, ¡°I¡¯ll have the doctore over to check on you.¡± That¡¯s when Ruby remembered the pain and bleeding she experiencedst night after being with Steve Burton. She abruptly sat up on the bed and grabbed Edric¡¯s sleeve, asking anxiously, ¡°What about my baby? Where¡¯s the baby?¡± ¡°The baby is still there,¡± Edric reassured Ruby with aforting smile. ¡°The doctor said it was probably due to your emotional fluctuationsst night and¡­¡± As Edric spoke, he recalled the doctor scolding him, ¡°You didn¡¯t know your wife was pregnant, and you still did it!¡± He cleared his throat to avoid bringing up that part and continued, ¡°In short, you had a threatened miscarriage, which caused the abdominal pain. The doctor gave you an injection to help preserve the pregnancy and prescribed medication. As long as you stay calm and rest for a few days, you¡¯ll be fine.¡± Just as Edric finished speaking, the doctor entered the ward and performed a quick checkup on Ruby, saying, ¡°There are no problems. You can go through the discharge procedures now. However, you should rest quietly at home for a few days and avoid any vigorous activities.¡± With two reassurances, Ruby finally breathed a sigh of relief. Edric politely escorted the doctor out of the room and turned around to see Ruby putting her hand on her belly, staring nkly at the white wall. Edric walked over to the bedside and stood there for a while before asking, ¡°Does he know about your pregnancy?¡± Without blinking, Ruby continued staring at the same spot, and after a moment, she shook her head gently, ¡°He doesn¡¯t want this child.¡± As soon as Ruby said this, she thought aboutst night, when Steve spoke so decisively and indifferently, telling her that he was not interested in having a child. Chapter 539: 539: Let’s Pretend She’s Dead (9) Chapter 539: Let¡¯s Pretend She¡¯s Dead (9) She could never understand why, when she was almost kidnapped and in the hospital, Steve Burton took such good care of her. She clearly felt that he cared about her deep down, even going as far as proposing marriage after she was discharged. But why did he give her long-term birth control pills and not want her child? In all the events that took ce during these days, she had never considered not wanting the child in her belly, especially afterst night when she thought she had nearly lost the baby. The panic in her heart was as if she was about to lose the entire world. She had never had such a feeling in her life, and at that time, she thought that if she lost the child, she would rather not live. She even thought that if only God would let her keep the child, she would be willing to shorten her life by ten years. Edric Reat was actually speechless at Ruby Gregory¡¯s words. After a long while, he said, ¡°Ruby, have you misunderstood something? He is nning to get engaged and marry you, how could he possibly not want your child?¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t misunderstand anything. After I got together with him, one day he gave me a bottle of vitamins. I always thought it was vitamins and I took them on time. It wasn¡¯t until I got pregnant that I found out¡­¡± Ruby¡¯s face paled as she said this, her lips trembling slightly. She gripped the bedsheet tightly and whispered, ¡°It was long-term birth control pills.¡± Edric¡¯s expression faltered, a murderous aura emerging between his brows, ¡°He made you take long-term birth control pills? If he wasn¡¯t nning on having your child, why did he want to marry you? I¡¯m going to Pristine¡¯s Corporation right now to ask him clear it up!¡± As he spoke, Edric picked up his coat and headed towards the door of the room. Ruby pursed her lips, speaking to the rarely angry Edric, ¡°Edric, he knows about the incident three years ago.¡± Edric¡¯s footsteps stopped abruptly, and after a long pause, he turned around and looked at Ruby, ¡°Is it because of the incident three years ago that he treated you this way?¡± Edric swallowed twice, ¡°Three years ago, nothing happened between us. We just went to Zhouzhuang together. I¡¯ll exin it to him.¡± ¡°Of course he knows that nothing happened between us¡­¡± Her first time was given to Steve Burton, he must have known clearly.
Edric pursed his lips, waited for a while, and then understood the meaning in Ruby¡¯s words. He was silent for a long time before saying, ¡°Back then, you went to Zhouzhuang with me just because you had a fight with your mom and acted impulsively. I can exin this to him for you.¡± Ruby stared at the white bedsheets, looking at them for a long while before saying in a somewhat downcast tone, ¡°Although what happened back then was indeed impulsive, I did do it after all. I tried my best to marry him, but I went out and yed with another man for three days and nights. Just like he said, I kept my first time as a tool to marry him. You don¡¯t know how I thought about it at the time, I didn¡¯t know how to clear up and exin for myself. In the past, no matter what I did or thought, my only goal was to marry him¡­¡± Chapter 540: 540: Let’s Pretend She’s Dead (10) Chapter 540: Let¡¯s Pretend She¡¯s Dead (10) When Ruby Gregory said this, her eyes became slightly red: ¡°But I don¡¯t want to be like this anymore.¡± No one knows how much she regrets now, regrets that she initially approached Steve Burton with a purpose in mind. If it weren¡¯t for her family¡¯s mission in the beginning, perhaps she and he would not be in such a terrible state now. She had lived for the Gregorys all these years, obeyed Maxwell Gregory and Lady Gregory for so many years; she was genuinely tired. She wanted to live a good life for herself and the child in her womb once more. She no longer wanted to be a chess piece, a puppet, the Ruby Gregory who could only survive by relying on Steve Burton. Sometimes life is full of drama. When she didn¡¯t love him, she desperately wanted to marry him; when she had him in her heart, she began to think about leaving him. Perhaps this is the destiny between her and him, seemingly deep as the ocean, but in fact, they are predestined but cannot be together. More importantly, the child in her womb; she could have asked him one more time. She now had his child in her belly, did he really want it? But in the end, she didn¡¯t have the courage to take the child in her belly as a gamble. Because she was afraid that Steve Burton would really not want the child, and then force her to take it away. She had no confidence that she could contend with him. Moreover, that bottle of long-term contraceptive pills was a solid fact.
It is said that a mother¡¯s love is the noblest love in the world, and those who are not mothers will never understand it. Perhaps the courage that suddenly rose from the bottom of her heart came from the child in her womb. She turned her head, looked at Edric Reat, and whispered, ¡°Can you do me a favor?¡± Without waiting for Edric to speak, she lowered her eyes: ¡°Besides you, I don¡¯t know who else I can turn to for help.¡± ¡°You tell me.¡± Ruby pressed her lips together, and after a long time, she quietly shared her n with Edric. After listening, Edric seemed a little calm and after a long time, he finally asked: ¡°Are you sure? Ruby?¡± Without any hesitation, Ruby said: ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Let me think about it.¡± Ruby nodded but said nothing. ¨C Although Edric said he would carefully consider Ruby¡¯s n, it took him only half an hour to nod and say to her, ¡°I promise.¡± ¨C Steve Burton had no dinner party that night, nor did he work overtime. At six o¡¯clock, he left thepany on time and drove to the apartment. On the way, he received a call from Madam Burton, reminding him of the engagement details for tomorrow and urging him to take Ruby to the Red Park Resort & Vis early tomorrow morning. Steve didn¡¯t say a word, just lightly hummed in response after Madam Burton finished speaking and then hung up the phone. When he returned to the apartment, the lights were still on inside. The suit jacket he had worn yesterday was still on the living room couch, and it hadn¡¯t been picked up, probably because Mrs. Taylor hadn¡¯te today. Steve changed his shoes at the foyer area, looked up at the second floor, and saw that the study door was still ajar, in the same state as when he had left yesterday. Steve nced at the doorway and then went into the first-floor bathroom, washed his hands, and then slowly began to climb the stairs.
Chapter 541: 541: Let’s Pretend She’s Dead (11) Chapter 541: Let¡¯s Pretend She¡¯s Dead (11) Steve Burton first entered their bedroom and looked around without finding Ruby Gregory. He then went to the dressing room, changed his home clothes, and slowly walked towards the study. The study was a mess, still in the same state as when he had smashed everything in the night before©¤with broken wood and ss all over the floor. Ruby¡¯s figure was nowhere to be found. Steve stood at the doorway of the study for a while, then turned around and checked all the rooms on the second floor before going downstairs and continuing his search in the kitchen, terrace, and gym. After all that, he was sure that he was the only person in the massive 300-square-meter apartment. ¨C After Madeleine and Howard Coleman got their marriage certificate, they lived directly in his apartment. Every night, Madeleine would hold the big red mandarin duck pillow given by Ruby and tossed around, thinking about which woman Howard was with, before falling into a daze and drifting off to sleep. On the afternoon of the ninth day, Madeleine went to the Colemans¡¯ house and had dinner with Howard¡¯s parents. Having known Madeleine since she was a child, Howard¡¯s parents were genuinely satisfied with their daughter-inw due to the good rtionship between the two families and their equal social status. During dinner, Mrs. Coleman asked Madeleine casually, ¡°Has Howard beening home these days?¡± Madeleine¡¯s hand holding the chopsticks paused, and then she raised her head, nodded at Mrs. Coleman, and smiled, ¡°Yes.¡± Though Madeleine hid it well, Mrs. Coleman still saw the strangeness in her expression. After dinner, Madeleine watched TV with Mrs. Coleman for a while and then drove home. Like the previous days, she was alone in the empty house. She would lie on the bed and watch TV for some time before curling up under the nket with her eyes closed, still feeling no sleepiness as her mind filled with all sorts of messy thoughts.
Not sure how long it had been, Madeleine was about to drift off to sleep when she heard a noise at the door. She suddenly became wide awake, threw off the nket, quickly got out of bed, and ran out of the bedroom just in time to see Howard stumbling in. Not knowing how much alcohol he had drunk, Howard¡¯s footsteps were unsteady. Hurrying over, Madeleine helped him into the bedroom. When they were near the bed, Howard sensed a strong urge to vomit. Subconsciously wanting to move to the bathroom, he ended up bending over and vomiting all over the floor at the sight of Madeleine¡¯s face. Waiting for Howard to finish vomiting, Madeleine helped him onto the bed and took off his dirty clothes. Then she wiped his body with a damp towel, cleaned up his vomit, and crouched on the floor with a cloth, wiping the floor spotless. Howardy on the bed, watching Madeleine¡¯s wife-like actions, ayer of sarcasm shing in his eyes. After cleaning up everything, Madeleine washed her hands in the bathroom and came out to stare at Howard on the bed for a while. Then, she slowly walked over and, with trembling fingers, pulled back the nket to lie down next to him. Before Madeleine could settle in, Howard turned over and pressed himself on top of her. He didn¡¯t try to kiss her lips; instead, he roughly stretched out his hand and tore her nightgown apart. Chapter 542: 542: Let’s Pretend She’s Dead (12) Chapter 542: Let¡¯s Pretend She¡¯s Dead (12) There weren¡¯t many times when he and she were intimate, and he never kissed her. It was less about them making love, but more like his punishment for her. Howard Coleman had great stamina, tossing and turning with Madeleine for quite a while. Madeleine thought she could finally get some rest, but less than five minutester, Howard pressed himself on her again. Madeleine, who was new to the world of love, could not bear it any longer and tried to refuse, but Howard sneered at her: ¡°Why are you pretending in front of me? Didn¡¯t you go to the Colemans¡¯ Mansion toin about me neglecting you after getting married? How many days have we been married? Three? Haha¡­ I¡¯ll make up for it all tonight!¡± As he spoke, Howard disregarded Madeleine¡¯sfort orck thereof and pulled her into another round of intimacy. When Madeleine finallyy out of breath, Howard released her, went to the bathroom, and took a shower. Then he went directly to the guest room. If not for the lingering scent of their love-making, Madeleine would have thought that everything was just a dream. The next day was the engagement party for Steve Burton and Ruby Gregory. Madeleine woke up early and got dressed, choosing a beautiful gown. She was about to change when Howard suddenly burst through the door and said, ¡°Come with me.¡± It was the first normal sentence he had spoken to her since their falling out over his true love affair. A smile flickered across Madeleine¡¯s eyes, but before she could ask, ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡±, Howard bluntly said, ¡°Russell just called, Ruby has gone missing.¡± ¨C Howard¡¯s car sped through red lights with Madeleine in tow, all the way to Steve Burton¡¯s apartment. Edward Woods was waiting outside the apartment. Upon seeing Howard and Madeleine arrive, he hastily asked, ¡°Madeleine, did you call Ruby? Did she answer?¡±
Madeleine shook her head, ¡°I¡¯ve been calling all the way, and nobody answered.¡± ¡°What on earth is going on? How could Ruby suddenly go missing?¡± Howard asked. ¡°I don¡¯t know. This morning, Russell and I brought the make-up artist to deliver the wedding dress for Steve and Ruby, only to find that he was alone at home, standing silently in the living room. We called Ruby and found that nobody was answering. That¡¯s when we knew something was wrong,¡± exined Edward Woods as the three of them entered the apartment together. Steve was standing with his back to the door in front of the French windows, while Russell was positioned two steps behind him. As soon as they heard the door open, Russell nced back at them before turning to Steve and cautiously saying, ¡°I just went to the property management team to check the CCTV footage. Last night, someone picked up Ruby¡­ ¡± Pausing for a moment, Russell finally added, ¡°It was Edric Reat.¡± Upon hearing that a man had taken Ruby away, everyone was terrified and dared not make a sound. Steve, however, remained motionless, standing in ce. The atmosphere in the room had reached rock bottom. After a long while, Edward Woods mustered the courage to speak, ¡°Bro, Russell and I will send our men to find Ruby and bring her back as soon as possible¡­ ¡± Steve, who had shown no reaction all along, suddenly spoke with a cold voice. Then, he turned around to face the others, ¡°Forget it, just consider her dead!¡± PS: That¡¯s all for today~~ we¡¯ll continue tomorrow~~~ The uing plot is about getting Steve and Ruby back together~~ but they will not reconcile all at once~~ And there won¡¯t be any storylines about leaving with a child for years beforeing back!!!!!! Chapter 543: 543: Let’s Pretend She’s Dead (13) Chapter 543: Let¡¯s Pretend She¡¯s Dead (13) ¡°What are you looking for!¡± Steve Burton, who had no reaction until now, suddenly spoke coldly. He turned around and swept a nce at the four of them, and then said, ¡°Just treat her as if she is dead!¡± Steve¡¯s voice wasn¡¯t heavy, but his tone was very harsh, as if he really wished Ruby Gregory would just die like that. The four people standing in front of him were so frightened that they dared not make a sound. Steve pursed his lips tightly, and with a sharp aura, he turned and walked towards the upstairs. As his foot stepped on the first stair, he paused as if he thought of something. Then, he turned around and said firmly and decisively to the four people standing in the living room, ¡°Also, the engagement ceremony today is canceled.¡± The faces of Rusell Henris and the others changed instantly, looking somewhat ufortable. They all called out in unison, ¡°Brother.¡± Steve took a deep breath, desperately suppressing the sourness rolling in his throat. For the sake of maintaining hisposure, he slowed down his tone and called out, ¡°Rusell.¡± Rusell pursed his lips and looked at Steve. Steve, as if swallowing some hard-to-swallow poison, forcefully swallowed two mouthfuls of saliva before he could barely speak. He said, ¡°No matter if it¡¯s outwardly or to the Burtons and the Gregorys, just say that I canceled this engagement.¡± Steve¡¯s trembling lips were somewhat obvious, and his quivering voice didn¡¯t sound right, ¡°As for the reason¡­¡± Only four words into the exnation, Steve had trouble continuing. He stared calmly straight ahead for a long time before continuing, ¡°As for the reason for breaking off the engagement, you can decide that. In any case, I¡¯ll take the me for breaking this engagement!¡± Rusell stood in front of him, hesitating for a long time before calling out, ¡°Brother, why don¡¯t we look for her¡­¡± ¡°I said no search is no search!¡± Steve, as if stimted, roared loudly, his chest heaving up and down. It was unclear if he was getting angry to conceal his grief or if he was venting his anger on the people in front of him because of Ruby¡¯s sudden disappearance. He raised his hand, pointed at them, and said word by word, ¡°Without my permission, none of the four of you are allowed to look for her! If I find out that anyone has disturbed her, I won¡¯t let it go easily!¡±
Although his words sounded like threats, they carried a touch of desperation to the listeners. There was silence in the room. After a long while, the hostility in Steve finally subsided. His throat moved up and down as he asked, ¡°Rusell, did you understand my order clearly?¡± Rusell nodded slightly without speaking. Steve also nodded in response, as if intending to say more, but in the end, he only moved his lips and then turned around, striding toward the second floor. His pace was quick, as if he was afraid that moving too slowly would lose hisposure in front of these people. As he passed by the master bedroom, Steve unconsciously raised his hand to push the door open, but immediately withdrew it and walked straight to the study at the end of the corridor. From the night before when he returned to the apartment to look for Ruby, he had only stopped by the study once. He had only stood at the door, and seeing that she wasn¡¯t there, he turned and left. Now, standing at the door of the study again, her words from that night, ¡°Let¡¯s cancel our engagement,¡± echoed in his ears as if it was clear and bright. Chapter 544: 544: Let’s Pretend She’s Dead (14) Chapter 544: Let¡¯s Pretend She¡¯s Dead (14) Steve Burton held tightly onto the doorknob, his silhouette paused for a long while before he pushed the door open. The originally elegantly decorated study was now unrecognizable, none of the stuff inside was intact. Steve circled the study, the scene of his desperate and crazed rage that night still vivid in his mind. He could still clearly remember how he felt as he smashed each object that was originally ced in the corner of the study. He thought, from then on, no one can make him lose his temper to such an irreparable extent. Because, that person, hadpletely left his world. Actually, about this marriage engagement, he had a clear answer deep in his heart yesterday afternoon in his office. It was to call off the engagement. It was only today, when she left with Edric, that he finally voiced the conclusion. Actually, he used to smoke, but because she had mild rhinitis and got itchy from smelling smoke, he quit smoking. He also asked Howard, Russell and Edward not to smoke in front of her. In the beginning, when his craving for nicotine kicked in and she was not around, he would take a couple of puffs. Later on, when she was studying in Costa Luna and he missed her like crazy, he pretended she was by his side and forced himself to stop smoking. Over time, he quit smokingpletely. But today, he suddenly wanted to smoke. Steve walked to the desk, opened the drawer and pulled out a pack of cigarettes. These were several years old and way past their expiration date. However, he did not care, took a lighter and lit one up, then hungrily smoked, blowing clouds of smoke. The expired cigarettes tasted a bit bitter. Perhaps, the bitterness was his heartache.
A pack of cigarettes was finished by Steve in no time. The study¡¯s window was tightly closed, and the room was filled with the pungent smell of smoke. Steve felt an unexinable tiredness all over his body. He snuffed out thest cigarette bud, walked waveringly to the sofa, and sat down rather aimlessly. Although it had been more than twenty hours, he could still vaguely smell the scent of their lovemaking on the sofa from that night. He reached out and gently brushed his hand across every inch of the sofa¡¯s trace. His gaze followed each mark until he noticed a few droplets of red at the far-left corner. Because of the passage of time, the red had darkened, yet Steve could still recognize that it was blood. Did Ruby Gregory bleed? Did he hurt her when he smashed things? Or did he hurt her that night? Steve stood up subconsciously, swaggered out of the study in a hurry. Russell and the others had not left yet. Seeing hime out, they all stood up. Steve blurted out without thinking: ¡°Go find¡­¡± He only spoke two words, then he shut his mouth. He had promised to ept her proposal to cancel the engagement, promised not to disturb her ever again, but now seeing her hurt, was he going to break his promise? Steve paused for a while, then finally said ndly, ¡°It¡¯s okay.¡± He reiterated to himself as they watched in silence, ¡°It¡¯s nothing.¡± ¡°Really, it¡¯s nothing¡­¡± Steve repeated ¡®it¡¯s okay¡¯ several times and then simmered down. After a while, he waved his hand at the four men standing downstairs, his voice somewhat weak as he said, ¡°You all may leave. I¡¯m tired, I want some rest alone.¡± Chapter 545: 545: Let’s Pretend She’s Dead (15) Chapter 545: Let¡¯s Pretend She¡¯s Dead (15) Rusell, Edward Woods, Howard Coleman, and Madeleine all had expressions of wanting to say something but hesitating. Ultimately, the four of them didn¡¯t say anything, just nodded and left one by one. Thest one out was Rusell, who looked up at the upper floor before leaving. Just a nce, Rusell didn¡¯t dare to look more and quickly closed the apartment door. The four of them stepped into the elevator and went down ten floors in silence. It wasn¡¯t until they were about to approach the underground parking lot that Edward Woods finally said: ¡°Do you think it¡¯s really over between Steve and Ruby?¡± ¡°It seems like this situation is worse than the one three years ago. Steve has always been calm andposed, but today his voice was trembling when he spoke to us.¡± ¡°Why did they have to argue on their engagement day?¡± ¡°Maybe Steve is just angry now, and in a few days, he¡¯ll start looking for Ruby.¡± Rusell, who had remained silent the entire time, suddenly spoke when he heard thest words: ¡°I think this time, Steve is truly serious. Maybe there won¡¯t be a future between him and Ruby.¡± Edward Woods disagreed: ¡°Rusell, don¡¯t talk nonsense. Steve has been in love for so many years; he must be reluctant to let go.¡± Rusell didn¡¯t respond. As the elevator door opened, and the four of them walked out one by one, Edward Woods reached for his car keys. Rusell spoke again: ¡°If Steve didn¡¯t want to give up, Ruby couldn¡¯t leave him. Think about it, what has Steve given up on all these years? Has he ever given up on Ruby?¡± After a pause, Rusell continued: ¡°I was thest one out the door earlier. Before leaving, I nced at Steve. You guys don¡¯t know, but Steve was leaning against the railing like he was crying.¡± Rusell said these words softly, and his tone was not high, but Edward Woods, Howard Coleman, and Madeleine heard it clearly. The three of them immediately fell silent.
It took a while, but Madeleine was the first one to speak: ¡°I can¡¯tpare to Steve.¡± It wasmon knowledge that Madeleine was no match for Steve, so Edward Woodsughed when he heard this: ¡°Madeleine, when could you everpare to Steve?¡± Madeleine nced at Howard standing beside her, smiled faintly, and didn¡¯t say anything. How deep is the love to let go? She always felt that she loved Howard so much that it was incurable, but deep down, she had never thought of letting him go. ¨C After telling Rusell and the others to leave, Steve¡¯s eyes were immediately filled with unspeakable sour heat. He pretended to be calm, leaning against the railing, and his eyes grew wet. He tried his best to steady his emotions, making himself look unaffected, but his shoulders trembled slightly. He waited for the apartment door to closepletely, then lost control of his emotions, weakly gripping the railing, falling to his knees, his head pressed against the railing, tears dropping one by one. From childhood until now, in his memory, he never knew what it felt like to cry. But now, he had fully experienced this feeling. He originally thought that crying would make him feel better, but instead, the more tears flowed, the more painful his heart became. Chapter 546: 546: Let’s Pretend She’s Dead (16) Chapter 546: Let¡¯s Pretend She¡¯s Dead (16) In his whole life, he had always gone after what he wanted and never thought of giving up. Yet, he broke his own rules for her again and again. Only now did he realize that not being able to have something wasn¡¯t the most heartbreaking, it was forcing himself to let go that was the cruelest. Though he was the only one in the spacious three-hundred-square-meter apartment, he still covered his face with his hands, daring to cry out loud only then. He cried for a long time before Steve Burton finally calmed down. Slowly grabbing the railing, he stood up and walked towards the master bedroom with steady steps. In the bedroom, there were two life-sized mannequins, a man and a woman, dressed in the outfits he and Ruby Gregory had chosen for their engagement banquet today. Three or four suits and dresses hung on a rolling rack nearby. These were the outfits she had picked out personally, the outfits they were supposed to wear today. Steve stared at the outfits for a long time before heading to the bathroom. He washed his face carefully, shaved off his beard, andbed his hair neatly. He even applied some hair wax, making his hairstyle look more perfect. Aftering out of the bathroom, he stood in front of the male mannequin, removed the deep purple suit it was wearing, and put it on himself one piece at a time. Then, he picked up the beautiful plush brocade box from the bedside table, opened it, revealing a pair of diamond rings. He took the woman¡¯s ring, knelt in front of the female mannequin, and whispered, ¡°Ruby, are you willing to be my fianc¨¦e in front of so many people?¡± The room was silent in response, but Steve, in his imagination, seemed to hear Ruby smiling sweetly and telling him, ¡°I do.¡± Then he slid the ring onto the female mannequin¡¯s ring finger. Still in the silence of the room, Steve raised his head with a smile, as if he heard Ruby ask him, ¡°Steve, are you willing to be my fianc¨¦ in front of so many people?¡±
His eyes and expression softened, and he nodded, saying, ¡°I do.¡± Then, he picked up the other ring and put it on his own ring finger. Steve¡¯s eyes grew moist again, and he slowly turned, walked to the bed, andy back, staring at the ceiling as tears rolled down his cheeks and into his ears. After a while, he raised his hand with the ring on it and stared at it for a long time before whispering, ¡°Ruby, now we can finally be together forever.¡± A faint smile appeared on his lips, but the expression was heart-wrenching and sad, as if it bore all the sorrow in the world. As he continued to gaze at the ring, his eyes stung and ached. He blinked gently, then pressed the ring against his lips, lightly kissed it, and murmured in a low voice, ¡°Ruby, now we can finally be together as strangers, forever.¡± He thought of the elderly CEO he had met yesterday, who had given up his true love and still married another woman. What about himself? He spected that he would never marry in his lifetime. As Steve thought about this, he gradually closed his eyes, and the entire world fell intoplete silence. The sound of the winter wind howling through the windows outside seemed, no matter how one listened, unbearably sad. Chapter 547: 547: My Gentleness is Not Disturbing You (1) Chapter 547: My Gentleness is Not Disturbing You (1) Russell said, Steve Burton is sincere this time; he may not have a future with Ruby. Initially, Edward Woods didn¡¯t take it seriously. However, the day after the wedding was called off, Steve went back to Pristine¡¯s Enterprises as usual: he worked, attended meetings, saw clients, processed documents and made decisions. He was prompt and assertive in everything he did, looking exactly like the usual Steve. This is Steve¡¯s usual method ¨C he uses work to numb himself and escape from reality. Edward thought that Steve would eventually slip up. However, as the days went by, Edward found that Steve always maintained a diligent work attitude, and worked tirelessly for thepany every day. It seemed as though just like Russell said, the story between Ruby and Steve hade to an end. Eventually, everyone seemed to ept this fact and really felt that there was no possibility for Ruby and Steve any longer. ¨C Every day in this world, countless people are breaking up, falling in love, reuniting, separating, and thus, countless people are mourning, rejoicing, experiencing sweetness, and experiencing sorrow. However, no matter how your emotions change, time does not wait for anyone. In just a blink of an eye, Ruby and Steve had been apart for nearly a month. During this month, many noteworthy news events urred. For example, Pristine¡¯s Enterprisespleted a partnership with a well-known Americanpany, a subsidiary of Pristine¡¯s Enterprises was listed as an independent entity and Maxwell Gregory, the president of Gregory¡¯s Enterprises, announced that Gregory¡¯s went bankrupt, transferring thepany. Then Pristine¡¯s Enterprises acquired Gregory¡¯s Enterprises, preserving its original name but recing senior management. Maxwell Gregory became a shareholder and owned nearly thirty percent of the shares.
No matter how many news stories emerged in this month, or how many intersections there were between Pristine¡¯s Enterprises and Gregory¡¯s Enterprises, the two protagonists, Steve and Ruby, never saw each other again. Not every story has an ending, nor is every ending in a story as beautiful as you imagine. Often, a pair of seemingly perfect people abruptly go their separate ways, not even saying goodbye. However, sometimes, the heavens do give people a special chance. With the arrival of the New Year, there¡¯s the saying ¡®new year, new beginnings¡¯ but Steve didn¡¯t feel any so-called new beginnings, every day was upied with busy work. The closer it was to the end of the year, the busier the work turned out to be. There were also more dining parties to attend. Sometimes, Steve had to attend four or five gatherings in a day. The more dining parties he attended, the more likely he was to bump into acquaintances. This year¡¯s Chinese New Year was a bitte; a week before Chinese New Year, the beginning spring was celebrated. On this day, Steve came across two acquaintances. The first acquaintance was met at a lunch party he attended. Because Steve had to deal with somepany matters at thest minute, he arrived a bitte. By the time he got there, everyone else had arrived, and he was the only one who was missing. As soon as Steve came in, someone immediately pulled out the empty seat for him. After taking off his coat, Steve elegantly took the empty seat, picked up the ss of wine in front of him, calmly apologized, and then emptied his drink with one swig. Chapter 548: 548: Not Disturbing, That’s My Tenderness (2) Chapter 548: Not Disturbing, That¡¯s My Tenderness (2) When holding his ss of alcohol, Steve Burton nced around at the people at the dining table and finally rested his eyes on Maya Mitchell, who was sitting diagonally across from him. His expression paused slightly before turning indifferent and averted his gaze. Maya Mitchell, a month ago, when she learned that Ruby Gregory and Steve Burton¡¯s engagement celebration had been canceled, she revived like a shot of adrenaline, feeling like she had traveled back to three years ago when she found out that Ruby had gone to Costa Luna. When she fell for Steve, she had always been waiting for the right opportunity, and perhaps God knew about her day and night expectations. Eventually, near the end of college, she caught Ruby¡¯s w. At that time, she hadn¡¯t done much; she just saw Ruby putting a card in a bedside organizer when she was opening a gift box from Edric Reat. Then Ruby borrowed money to go out. She simply followed Ruby out of the dorm, watched her leave with Edric, and returned to the dorm when no one was paying attention. She took that card from Ruby¡¯s organizer and then went to the footbridge opposite the school, spending US$3 to buy a random SIM card and sent the message on the card to Steve. Back then, she was not as ruthless and poisonous as she is now. Actually, she had predicted that Ruby and Steve would part ways. Steve loved Ruby so much that any hint of impurity would be intolerable in his eyes, given his pride. As for Ruby, she was too obsessed with her dreams since childhood and was a bit of ate bloomer. Once moved, she would be at a loss. She just took advantage of their weaknesses and made some adjustments to make them part ways, just like they did three years ago. She wasn¡¯t a hundred percent sure, but the situation at the time didn¡¯t allow her to think about the consequences. She couldn¡¯t just watch Ruby marry Steve, so when she found out that the vitamin bottle in Ruby¡¯s bag was a gift from Steve, she bought a long-term contraceptive pill that looked simr and found a suitable opportunity to quietly rece it. Long-term contraceptive pills prevent pregnancy. How could the Burtons allow a woman to have no offspring for such a big family business? If Ruby couldn¡¯t get pregnant, it would cause conflict. If Ruby did get pregnant, she would find out about the contraceptive pill¡¯s existence, and she would only think that Steve gave her the pill.
No matter what the final oue was, Ruby and Steve would eventually have a falling out, and she just needed to stay in the dark unnoticed and wait for her wishes toe true. In the following month, she was in high spirits whenever something happy happened. She worked as hard as she could in the hope of entering the upper management of herpany one day and meeting Steve at a dinner party. Chances for interaction would always need to be created to have further progress, right? However, she was grateful that she no longer needed to rely on Ruby to create such opportunities. Maya now looked much prettier than a month ago ¨C a sharper jawline, a higher nose, and she must have undergone some stic surgery. Even while sitting at the dining table, dining and conversing with others, her demeanor was much more elegant. Chapter 549: 549: Not Disturbing, That’s My Tenderness (3) Chapter 549: Not Disturbing, That¡¯s My Tenderness (3) Back when Maya Mitchell was at Pristine¡¯s Enterprises, she was silent and timid in front of Steve Burton. It was hard for him to notice that Maya was actually so eloquent and capable of amusing everyone at the table, dominating the conversation and bing the centerpiece of the dinner. Maya¡¯s boss seemed quite proud to have such a subordinate, constantly urging Maya to toast the surrounding executives. Maya didn¡¯t hesitate, finishing a fifty-degree liquor in one gulp, as bold as a modern-day Mn. ¡°Ms. Mitchell, you can really handle your alcohol. Let me toast to you too.¡± With an excellent memory, Maya remembered everyone after a brief introduction from her boss. Seeing the person toasting, she said with augh, ¡°Mr. Taylor, I must admit defeat. I can barely drink any more.¡± ¡°Ms. Mitchell, don¡¯t be so modest. You alone at this table can outdrink all of us. You are a true heroine.¡± Mr. Taylor stood up and poured Maya a drink. Maya raised her ss, getting up to clink sses with Mr. Taylor. She was wearing a low-cut white dress, and as she leaned forward, her attractive cleavage was exposed right in Steve Burton¡¯s view. Maya downed her drink and said with a troubled expression, ¡°I¡¯m not a heroine. My tolerance is just average. If you don¡¯t believe me, you can ask Mr. Burton. He used to be my boss.¡± Finishing her words, Maya turned her head and gave Steve Burton a deep smile, still maintaining her leaning posture. Steve Burton nonchntly nced at Maya¡¯s exposed chest, then looked away, leaning backzily in his chair without saying a word.
Maya¡¯s expression stiffened for a moment, and immediately sheughed and picked up the liquor from the table, pouring herself a ss. Raising it towards Steve Burton and maintaining her bright smile, she said, ¡°Mr. Burton, as your former secretary and someone in charge of a project with Pristine¡¯s Enterprises, I toast to you.¡± Steve Burton didn¡¯t look at Maya while lifting his eyebrows. After a moment, he picked up the ss in front of him, raised it to Maya, and took the first sip. Mayaughed, raised her head, and finished her drink. As Maya put down her ss and sat back in her seat, Steve Burton turned his head and nced at her. After a pause, he addressed her boss, sitting next to her, ¡°Mr. Leighton, you¡¯re very capable, training my former employee to be so outstanding.¡± This was the first time Maya recalled Steve Burton praising someone. She felt delighted, thinking her month of hard work and diligence had paid off. ¡°Where? Mr. Burton trained her well before.¡± After saying this politely, Mr. Leighton half-jokingly added, ¡°Mr. Burton, you wouldn¡¯t be thinking of poaching this employee back from me, would you?¡± Steve Burton didn¡¯t respond. He turned his head and looked at Maya, then half-jokingly said like Mr. Leighton, ¡°You never know, at Pristine¡¯s Enterprises, we never reject great talent.¡± Maya blinked, ¡°Mr. Burton, are you praising me as talent?¡± Steve Burtonughed and did not continue the conversation. Maya¡¯s smile became even more attractive. Steve Burton looked at her honey-coated smile, and a cold sneer shed in his eyes. Chapter 550: 550: Not Disturbing, That’s My Tenderness (4) Chapter 550: Not Disturbing, That¡¯s My Tenderness (4) The dinner ended at half-past two. Maya Mitchell was somewhat drunk, but as she stepped out of the private room, she still looked at Steve Burton and asked, ¡°Mr. Burton, I wonder if I could invite you for a cup of coffee and discuss the details of ourpanies¡¯ cooperation.¡± Steve¡¯s face was indifferent: ¡°No problem.¡± ¡°How about the clubhouse next door?¡± Maya suggested. Steve nodded without speaking. ¨C The clubhouse that Maya suggested to Steve was a high-end one. Having been Steve¡¯s secretary for so many years, some of Maya¡¯s habits hadn¡¯t changed. She still acted like Steve¡¯s secretary, walking in front of him, leading the way, pushing doors for him, pressing elevator buttons, and going to the second floor. The second floor of the clubhouse had a hall with a ss floor, beneath which was a bathtub. In the center of the room stood a piano, and every day, a professional pianist woulde here to y. As they stepped out of the elevator and before they entered the hall, melodious piano music wafted out. Recently, Maya had enrolled in a piano ss to improve herself. Hearing the piano music, she wanted to show off her versatility to Steve, so she smiled and said, ¡°The pianist¡¯s skill is very professional.¡±
Just as Maya finished speaking, one note inside the piano music was yed a tone higher than in the original sheet music. Steve¡¯s steps suddenly stopped in ce, not responding to what Maya said but just listening intently. The piano music flowed like running water and, just like before, was always one note higher in some parts. Maya, who had only learned the basics and didn¡¯t know much, looked puzzled, turning her head toward Steve. Steve¡¯s hand, however, was clenched tightly into a fist. The ying style was so much like hers. Back then, when he listened to her ying this piece, he had always been correcting her on this small mistake, but she had stubbornly argued that raising the note by one tone would make it sound better. ¡°Mr. Burton? What¡¯s wrong?¡± Maya noticed that Steve hadn¡¯t moved for a long time and spoke up to remind him. Exiting his thoughts, Steve pursed his lips and spoke with a cold tone, ¡°I¡¯m sorry; I just remembered I have something to do this afternoon. Let¡¯s reschedule another day.¡± Having said that, not waiting for Maya¡¯s reaction, he headed straight for the elevator and went downstairs, leaving Maya standing there, puzzled and disappointed, until the receptionist at the door asked her, ¡°Can I help you with anything?¡± Then she came to her senses, shook her head, and left as well. When Maya walked out of the building, Steve had disappeared. She stood by the roadside for a long time before hailing a taxi and leaving. About five minutester, Steve¡¯s car emerged from the parking lot around the corner, parked in front of the clubhouse, and remained there motionless. All afternoon, Steve¡¯s phone kept ringing non-stop. He didn¡¯t pick any calls, only feeling his heart pounding fiercely. The sun moved westward, setting, and darkness fell, neon lights illuminating the streets one by one. Traffic on the streets waxed and waned until, around nine o¡¯clock, a familiar figure emerged from the revolving door of the building. Her hair had been cut short, reaching only to her ears. Just as she stepped out of the revolving door, a gust of wind blew, messing up her hair. Still, he saw her facial features clearly, which were exactly the same as he remembered. Steve¡¯s breath was suddenly strained, and he felt dizzy. PS: Today¡¯s part is done; we¡¯ll continue tomorrow. Don¡¯t forget to vote for the Golden Keyboard Award, which ends at the end of the month. If you really like this piece, consider voting for the novel on the website. If it wins first ce, I¡¯ll add an extra ten chapters. If you don¡¯t know the link, join the group: 30046636 Chapter 551: 551: My Gentleness is Not Disturbing You (5) Chapter 551: My Gentleness is Not Disturbing You (5) Steve¡¯s breath suddenly caught, and for a moment, he felt dizzy, his whole body tensing up with tension. His eyes were firmly locked on her, no longer able to take in anything else in the world. When he heard the sound of the piano, he guessed that it might be her, but then he thought it was unlikely. Although their marriage engagement had been cancelled, he had given the Gregorys everything she had always wanted for getting close to him and pleasing him. Although Maxwell Gregory is not currently the CEO of Gregory¡¯s Enterprises, he does hold a significant portion of the shares. The Gregorys¡¯ days are much better than before, and Ruby is still the true rich youngdy. How could she y the piano in the club? Their separation had been so abrupt that they hadn¡¯t even said a proper goodbye, but he remembered clearly that one night, she wore a thin nightgown, stood before a desk in cotton slippers, her face pale and her figure fragile. It had only been a month since they¡¯dst seen each other, and she seemed much thinner. Her originally pointed chin now seemed even more so. She was taken away by Edric Reat. Hadn¡¯t he taken care of her in this one month? And let her go back to work? Steve¡¯s brow furrowed deeply as he thought about it. Although he told himself to let go, he couldn¡¯t help but feel a sharp pain in his heart when he saw that she was not as well as he had imagined. The air inside the car seemed frozen, quiet and oppressive. He couldn¡¯t hear any of the city¡¯s noises in his ears but just sat stiffly in the car, staring at her quietly. Although today was the beginning of spring, the weather was still bitterly cold, the wind making her shudder, and then she reached out a hand to smooth her hair.
In his memory, she always had long, flowing hair, but now she had short hair just past her ears, hanging perfectly down to her neck. Her bangs were even, giving her the look of a student. With her fair and delicate skin, she actually looked a few years younger. She walked steadily to the taxi queue. Today, she was wearing a pair of t shoes, which made her look much shorter. He remembered very clearly that since she was sixteen, she had begun wearing all kinds of beautiful high-heeled shoes. Once, several of them went on a pic and she even wore a pair of wedge heels. As a result, she had a hard time going up and down the mountain, and she rubbed a blister on her foot, her eyes watering with pain. She looked at him pitifully, and although he was heartbroken, he scolded her harshly, saying she deserved it. Then he squatted down and carried her on his back, her pouting mouth clung around his neck, saying she just wanted to look prettier. He sneered and told her that he wouldn¡¯t care if her feet were rubbed raw next time. She didn¡¯t take his warning to heart and continued to wear high heels. He never thought that now she would wear t shoes. Although there were many people waiting for taxis, there were not a few taxis. In just a few short minutes, Ruby bent in and entered a taxi. Even though it was only a few short minutes, Steve could still clearly see the subtle changes in Ruby. Chapter 552: 552: Not Disturbing, That’s My Tenderness (6) Chapter 552: Not Disturbing, That¡¯s My Tenderness (6) As the taxi she was riding in pulled away, he followed suit, starting his car like a ghostly messenger, and followed her. There were neither too many nor too few cars on the street, and his driving skills had always been good. Despite the asionalne changes by the taxi in front, he never lost her, maintaining a distance of approximately ten meters between them. The taxi drove about seven or eight kilometers before stopping in front of a mid-range apartmentplex. Steve mmed on the brakes and stopped at a considerable distance. After a while, he saw Ruby Gregory get out of the taxi and walk towards the entrance of theplex, carrying her bag. He nced sideways at the apartmentplex, a newly developed property in recent years, which mainly targeted economically affordable housing. Theyout and space within theplex were far less than those of the vis in West Suburb and the apartment he was used to living in downtown. Ruby didn¡¯t enter theplex but went to a beef shop next to the entrance. Steve moved his car forward slightly to get a clearer view of Ruby. She was sitting by the window in the shop, with a big bowl of noodles in front of her. She tucked her hair behind her ears and sat properly at the table, using her chopsticks and a spoon to eat her noodles slowly and leisurely. It took Ruby a full twenty minutes to finish her bowl of noodles. She picked up a napkin, wiped her mouth, and then raised her hand, calling the waiter to settle the bill. Perhaps the denomination of the money she gave was toorge, and she sat alone at the dining table, stirring the remaining soup in the noodle bowl with her chopsticks while waiting for the waiter to bring back her change. After a while, she stopped stirring and bent down to rummage through her bag. She pulled out her phone, presumably someone had called her, she swiped her finger across the screen and then put it to her ear. Although he didn¡¯t know who she was talking to or what she was talking about, he could tell that she seemed very happy. Her eyebrows curved, her eyes crinkled, and she radiated a sweet and charming smile. While she was on her call, the waiter brought her change, but she didn¡¯t get up and leave the shop immediately. Instead, she continued speaking on the phone for a few more sentences before hanging up and still sat at the table without moving.
Years:notepad>Steve¡¯s car was still running, but he sat motionless in his seat, his eyes firmly fixed on her. About five minutester, he saw her give him a brilliant smile in the direction of his car and then stand up and wave her hand. From Steve¡¯s angle, it looked like she was waving at him, and his heart skipped a beat in that instant. Had she discovered him? Steve instinctively wanted to roll down the window and wave back at her, but instead, he saw her get up, grab her bag, and walk out of the noodle shop, heading towards someone not far from his car. Steve followed her gaze and noticed that, unbeknownst to him, Edric Reat had arrived. It turned out she hadn¡¯t discovered him; she was waving at Edric. She seemed delighted to see Edric. They exchanged a few words face-to-face before walking together towards a fruit store nearby. She stood by the side, scrutinizing the various fruits for a while before pointing at a few. Edric carefully picked some of her selections and handed them to the sales clerk. Chapter 553: 553: Not Disturbing, That’s My Tenderness (7) Chapter 553: Not Disturbing, That¡¯s My Tenderness (7) When it was time to pay, Ruby Gregory took out her wallet and paid the bill. Then, with Edric Reat carrying the fruits, the two of them walked shoulder to shoulder toward the entrance of themunity. All along the way, the two were engaged in a lively conversation. Even after Ruby and Edric¡¯s figures hadpletely vanished from sight, Steve Burton remained rigid, staring directly at the entrance of themunity. It was only after an unknown amount of time that Steve realized there was a trembling pain in his chest. In the month since they had broken up, he had not stopped fantasizing about the scene of their reunion and the possibility of seeing Edric by her side when they finally met again. Though merely thinking about that moment caused unbearable pain, when it finally happened, he discovered that the real pain was even worse than he had imagined. Steve did not leave. He continued to stare at the entrance of themunity as time went by: ten o¡¯clock, eleven o¡¯clock, midnight, one in the morning¡­ not until the people on the street disappeared, and the traffic on the street gradually reduced, and the shops along the street began to close one after another ¡ª still he maintained that statue-like gaze upon the entrance. Finally, at two in the morning, Steve blinked slowly and somewhat weakly copsed onto the steering wheel. Sitting there so stubbornly, staring at the entrance of themunity, what was he really waiting for? Was he waiting to see when Edric woulde out?
Was he holding on to a fantasy that she was not with Edric, that he still had a chance, or was he waiting for the truth that they were together, so he could finally let go? Now that his wish was realized ¨C Edric and Ruby entered themunity together and never came out ¨C were they living together? Was their love finally reciprocated? Should he give up now? But why, other than heartbreak, jealousy, and sadness, was there not a single thought of giving up his love for her? After a long time, Steve raised his head, and his eyes looked a little red. The beef noodle restaurant where Ruby ate was open 24 hours. He locked the car, went in, and ordered a bowl of noodles. Sitting where Ruby had sat, he picked up the chopsticks and ate with an elegant posture. For someone ustomed to luxury like him, the taste of the noodles was quite ordinary. But still, he finished the bowlpletely. After finishing, Steve felt a slight blockage in his throat. He had investigated Edric: an ordinary background, average financial conditions, hardworking since childhood, studied abroad for four years before returning to work as a low-level manager in a foreign enterprise with a monthly sry of US$2,700. In a city like Ciawell, wherend was worth its weight in gold, even if he didn¡¯t eat or drink, it would probably take ten years to save up for a house. Although he had once scolded her, neglected her, and even hurt her in a moment of anger, what he had given her had always been the best in the world. But now, after following Edric, she had to take a taxi to and from work, eat US$2 beef noodles, and buy fruit at a roadside stall¡­ If he had known, when she was with him, there had always been a chauffeur, top chefs to make her noodles, and the finest selection of fruits¡­ Chapter 554: 554: My Gentleness is Not Disturbing You (8) Chapter 554: My Gentleness is Not Disturbing You (8) All of them are high-quality varieties meticulously selected, some even specially flown in from overseas to ensure they are fresh. Yet, despite such a huge difference in treatment, she chose to endure hardships with Edric and could smile brightly in front of him. Therefore, she really likes Edric, right? ¨C Ruby Gregory and Edric Reat do live in the sameplex, even in the same building, but on different floors. Ruby lives on the eighth floor, while Edric lives on the eleventh. The apartments were individually rented by each of them. In the elevator that Edric and Ruby were riding, they were the only two passengers. Edric, holding the fruits, nced at Ruby¡¯s still-t belly and asked, ¡°How have you been feeling recently? Any difort?¡± Ruby shook her head and said with a small smile, ¡°No, I¡¯m fine.¡± ¡°Must be tiring to work every day back and forth, right?¡± Edric asked.
¡°Not really.¡± Ruby paused and said, ¡°I just y the piano, it¡¯s quite an artistic job, it¡¯s not tiring.¡± Without saying anything, Edric looked at Ruby and said after a while, ¡°In two months, when your belly gets bigger, stop working.¡± With a yful half-smile, Ruby joked, ¡°So, you expect me to spend your money?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t mind,¡± Edric replied, his face bing serious, ¡°I really don¡¯t mind. I¡¯ve already helped with the most precious thing, money is the least of my worries.¡± Ruby¡¯s eyes curved with a smile, ¡°I know you don¡¯t mind, but I do.¡± Realizing her words might have been too straightforward, Ruby pursed her lips and gave a half-smile, then said, ¡°I am really grateful for all you¡¯ve done for me. As for the rest, you don¡¯t need to worry about me.¡± Edric didn¡¯t say anything further. When they reached the eighth floor and the elevator doors opened, Edric finally spoke, ¡°The fruits are a bit heavy. Let me carry them inside for you.¡± However, Ruby stretched out her hand to him, ¡°No need, I can manage.¡± Edric stared at Ruby, then handed the fruits to her without further argument, ¡°In that case, take it easy.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Ruby nodded, turning to leave. Just as she was about to, she seemed to remember something and added, ¡°Oh, by the way, I¡¯m considering hiring a housemaid in a month or two when my belly starts to show and movements might be inconvenient.¡± Though Ruby didn¡¯t say it explicitly, Edric understood what she implied ¨C she was telling him that once she had a housemaid, there wouldn¡¯t be any necessity for him to help her out daily anymore. After all, if it were not for her limited social circle, he wouldn¡¯t even be considered qualified to help, right? To be able to help her this much, he should be content and feel honored, shouldn¡¯t he? Edric took a deep breath quietly, threw a shallow smile at Ruby, and with a face that hinted at absolutely no issues, he said, ¡°Fine, I will help you look for a good housemaid.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Ruby gave Edric another smile, and with a ¡°thank you,¡± she waved and stepped out of the elevator. Edric pressed the elevator¡¯s ¡®open¡¯ button and waited until Ruby had opened her apartment door and entered before he let go, allowing the elevator doors to close and continue ascending. Back at her ce, Ruby washed the fruits, dried them, ced them in the refrigerator, took a hot shower, put on some loose clothes, spent some time doing prenatal yoga on the living room floor, then finally crawled into bed to sleep.
Chapter 555: 555: Not Disturbing, That’s My Tenderness (9) Chapter 555: Not Disturbing, That¡¯s My Tenderness (9) Actually, during the days when she first broke off the engagement with Steve Burton, she couldn¡¯t sleep well every night, always feeling empty at the bottom of her heart. To make matters worse, she experienced pregnancy nausea, vomiting up everything she ate, including water. However, for the sake of the child in her belly, she forced herself to eat even when she felt sick. When having pregnancy nausea, a pregnant woman¡¯s mood is most prone to fluctuations. That period was the most agonizing time for her, feeling annoyed by everything and inexplicably wanting to cry. Sometimes, when she thought about the bits and pieces of the past between her and Steve, and about Maxwell Gregory and Lady Gregory, she would cry endlessly. Although she had been taking a lot of supplements during that time, her weight had actually dropped by ten pounds. Fortunately, her morning sickness did notst long. She persisted in trying to keep her mood rxed for the sake of the child in her belly. As the days went by, her life gradually improved, as did her sleep quality. Usually at this time, she would be asleep. But today, she couldn¡¯t understand why ¨C she had no hint of sleepiness. Her mind was a mess, only thinking about recent events. A month ago, she woke up in the hospital, and after a medical examination found her body was fine, she left. She did not leave Ciawell, but checked into a hotel instead. The next day was her engagement to Steve. If Steve didn¡¯t break off the engagement, even if she fled to the ends of the earth, he would still bring her back. So, she originally nned to use Edric Reat to make Steve break the engagement. But she didn¡¯t expect that, from the morning of the next day, she began waiting anxiously. In the end, at noon, she saw a WhatsApp Status by someone who had received her and Steve¡¯s engagement invitations, saying that Steve had cancelled the wedding. That day, she received many missed calls, the most from Madeleine. She waited and waited, but never received a call from her own parents. The cancetion of the engagement happened too abruptly, leaving everyone feeling powerless. The situation was even worse for the good families of Burton and Gregory. Maxwell Gregory¡¯s health had never fully recovered, so on that day when he received the news, he was directly hospitalized.
Ruby learned about this news from a text message sent by Madeleine two dayster. From childhood until now, she had always been a good daughter who obeyed her parents without rebelling. And her only rebellion was this time. She thought that Maxwell Gregory and Lady Gregory, who had held great hopes for her since childhood, must be truly disappointed in her this time, right? Otherwise, why would her biological father be hospitalized without her knowledge? Ruby wasn¡¯t without remorse, but after feeling sorry, she secretly went to the hospital to see her father. After learning that her father was out of danger, she finally felt relieved. She had read in the newspaper that Maxwell Gregory¡¯s health had deteriorated and he had no energy to manage thepany. As a result, he had proposed selling thepany. When she saw the news, she couldn¡¯t help but feel disappointed. Once, she had wholeheartedly wanted to lead Gregory¡¯s Enterprises to sess, but in the end, it was just a fleeting dream. Later, she also learned that Pristine¡¯s Enterprises had acquired Gregory¡¯s Enterprises and given Maxwell Gregory a 30% stake, making him the secondrgest shareholder after Steve Burton. They had retained the name of Gregory¡¯s Enterprises as well. Chapter 556: 556: Not Disturbing, That’s My Tenderness (10) Chapter 556: Not Disturbing, That¡¯s My Tenderness (10) When she saw that message, she couldn¡¯t quite describe how she felt deep inside. Gregory¡¯s Enterprises was truly saved by acquiring Pristine¡¯s Enterprises, as was the wealth and glory that Maxwell Gregory desired. All of this closely resembled what the Gregorys had once hoped for. The only difference was that she hadn¡¯t married Steve Burton. She and Steve, now total strangers. ¨C Maya Mitchell had been paying close attention to Steve¡¯s movementstely. Since thest dinner party, she had heard from others that Steve had been frequenting the Gardenia Clubhouse to entertain clients over the past two or three days. Gardenia Clubhouse was the ce she had chosen to invite Steve for coffee after the dinner party that time. When they had reached the entrance, he had turned and left, puzzling her for a long time. Nowadays, she heard that he was going to the Gardenia Clubhouse almost every day, making her more confused and curious. So, Maya found some time to visit the Gardenia Clubhouse, firstly, hoping to have a chance encounter with Steve, and secondly, to find out why he went there. ¨C The reason Ruby Gregory chose to work at the Gardenia Clubhouse was that she knew that the Gregorys and those from Pristine¡¯s Enterprises rarely visited this ce.
As she wished, she had worked there for more than half a month and had nevere across a familiar face. However, today, she encountered one. Ruby¡¯s working hours were from two in the afternoon until nine at night, with a two-hour break for dinner. It was after dinner when she went to the restroom that she met Maya. At that time, Maya had just arrived at the Gardenia Clubhouse. She had had a lot of alcohol during lunch and hadn¡¯tpletely sobered up. Upon arriving at the Clubhouse, she was pressured by an old lecher from the Tax Bureau to drink threerge sses of liquor. Feeling like her insides were burning, she couldn¡¯t help but find an excuse to go to the restroom. Ruby heard vomiting soundsing from the adjacent stall when she was in the restroom. After flushing the toilet and stepping out, someone else stood next to her at the sink. Before turning on the faucet, the person bent over and vomited again. Ruby took a casual nce, furrowing her brows. The vomiting person seemed to notice she was looking at her and raised her head, and then their gazes met. If there was one person Maya didn¡¯t want to see at the Gardenia Clubhouse, it would undoubtedly be Ruby Gregory. However, the person standing in front of her now was none other than Ruby herself. In that instant, she understood the true reason why Steve had beening to this ce every daytely. Most of the time, people couldn¡¯t know what others were thinking deep inside. However, one could always perceive the warmth and coldness of human emotions. Ruby and Steve had called off their engagement, and Maya would certainly know about it. However, during this past month, besides Madeleine sending her a message, Maya had never contacted her at all. Although at one point she did consider Maya as a friend, after a month of no contact, Ruby felt only estrangement when she saw her again. Nevertheless, she greeted Maya politely: ¡°What a coincidence, Maya.¡± Chapter 557: 557: Not Disturbing, That’s My Tenderness (11) Chapter 557: Not Disturbing, That¡¯s My Tenderness (11) Maya Mitchell went to great lengths to break Ruby Gregory and Steve Burton apart, but she never expected that after merely a month, they¡¯d meet again. Emotions were stirring in her heart, and if it weren¡¯t for Ruby calling her name, she might have almost let out a coldugh. Maya tried hard to maintain herposure, giving Ruby a shallow smile and forcedly showing a hint of joy in her eyes, ¡°Ruby, what a coincidence running into you here.¡± Whenever Ruby saw Maya¡¯s expression before, she really thought Maya was happy to see her. Today, however, something about it seemed false and hypocritical. Ruby curved her lips without revealing her thoughts, ¡°Are you here for work?¡± ¡°Yes, I came with some friends.¡± Maya hesitated for a moment and asked, ¡°And you? Are you here with friends too?¡± Ruby didn¡¯t feel embarrassed at all. She candidly shook her head and replied, ¡°No, I work here.¡± Misunderstanding in Maya¡¯s eyes didn¡¯t escape Ruby¡¯s notice. Ruby continued to smile warmly and added two words, ¡°ying piano.¡± ¡°I see.¡± Maya swallowed her saliva and said, ¡°Ruby, I haven¡¯t seen you for a while. How have you been? I know you and Mr. Burton broke off the engagement, are you alright? You even cut your hair short. Is it because of Mr. Burton¡¯s issue, and you¡¯re very upset?¡± Maya asked a series of questions, seemingly concerned about Ruby, who didn¡¯t feel like answering. Ruby only replied politely, ¡°I¡¯m doing fine.¡± Without waiting for Maya to continue, Ruby added, ¡°It¡¯s gettingte, and I have to work now. Let¡¯s talk another day.¡± ¡°Another day.¡±
Ruby gave a little smile without saying anything, then turned around and left the rest room. The real reason she cut her hair short was not any kind of emotional severance; it was just that she was pregnant and wanted washing her hair to be more convenient. The shallow smile on Maya¡¯s facested until Ruby¡¯s figurepletely disappeared from sight. Then it slowly faded, and a trace of coldness appeared in her eyes. After touching up her makeup, Maya stepped out of the bathroom gracefully wearing her ten-centimeter high heels. As she walked through the clubhouse lobby, she saw Ruby wearing an elegant champagne-colored dress, sitting gracefully in front of the piano with a smile, her fingertips dancing, and the flowing melody filling the entire room. No wonder that day¡­ Steve stopped at the door and then turned to leave. It turned out¡­ he had known all along that the piano yer was Ruby! ¨C As Maya had guessed, Steve¡¯s recent frequent visits to Gardenia Clubhouse were indeed because of Ruby. Although he knew Ruby had broken up with him, and there were no more possibilities between them, he couldn¡¯t control himself froming to see her since the day he unexpectedly discovered her workce. Only, Ruby never knew that he was watching her. He knew she started work at 2 PM, so he arrived at Gardenia Clubhouse nearly every day at 1 PM. He specially chose a private room with a perfect view of the hall. Sometimes he discussed business, sometimes he sat alone inside for several hours, staring straight at the ruby outside ying the piano. Only when she finished work and left would he follow her and, just like their first encounter, follow her home all the way. Chapter 558: 558: Not Disturbing, That’s My Tenderness (12) Chapter 558: Not Disturbing, That¡¯s My Tenderness (12) Every day after work, Ruby Gregory would go home alone. Edric Reat never picked her up, and Steve Burton, who would asionally arrive early at noon, would stand by the second-floor window and watch but always saw Ruby arriving at work alone. Apart from the first night, when he had trailed her and seen her with Edric Reat, he hadn¡¯t seen her with Edric since. However, there was one asion when he was about to drive off, and he saw Edric entering the residentialplex. As usual, Ruby finished work half an hour early and went to the taxi stand to wait for a ride. Steve, after seeing her leave, rode the elevator down to the basement car park. As he was driving out of the parking lot, he saw her getting into a taxi. Steve didn¡¯t m on the brakes; he just slowed down a bit and followed the taxi once it had driven a fair distance away, keeping a safe distance. This time, the taxi didn¡¯t stop at the entrance of Ruby¡¯s residence but drove to the nearby Walton Supermarket. Ruby paid the taxi fare and went into the supermarket. Steve thought for a while, parked the car on the side of the road, and followed her in. The supermarket was vast, and there were quite a few people. He stayed far away from Ruby. His gaze, however, never left her, and so she never noticed him. Ruby bought quite a few things, some of which were vegetables. It surprised him because as far as he knew she was not someone who cooked. Had she started cooking? They say that cooking is the most romantic thing between lovers. Was she truly in love with Edric, so she willingly cooked for him? There were quite a few people in the check-out line. Steve left before Ruby, exiting through the no-purchasene, and waited for her at a distance.
After checking out, Ruby couldn¡¯t use the shopping cart any more. She struggled with arge shopping bag, which made Steve instinctively want to help. He suppressed the urge and quietly slowed his pace to follow her from behind. The supermarket wasn¡¯t far from Ruby¡¯s ce, and she walked home. It was almost ten o¡¯clock, and there weren¡¯t many people on the street. The dim streetmps stretched her shadow long. The two of them, one following the other, walked separately. There was a moment when Steve felt a desire to freeze time. However, this tranquil moment was shattered by a couple of speeding motorcycles. The motorcycle was speeding, possibly due to alcohol. Ruby was quietly walking on the pedestrian sidewalk where she should have been safe. However, the motorcycle suddenly throttled up and swerved onto the sidewalk, heading straight for her. Steve was the first to notice the motorcycle. As it was about to hit Ruby, he instinctively quickened his pace. He reached her side and tried to pull her away from the oing motorcycle. He didn¡¯t even have a chance to stretch out his hand when he saw the motorcycle charging straight at Ruby. Without a second thought, Steve pulled Ruby into his arms and shielded her, dodging to the side. PS: That¡¯s it for today. The story continues tomorrow. There¡¯s just one week left until the end of the Golden Keyboard Contest~ Let¡¯s work hard to stay in first ce~ I¡¯ll be sure to update on time~~ The group number I announced yesterday is full, the new group number is 392070740, I hope those who have joined do not join repetitively~~~ I know many of you are anxious about the storyline, but no matter how anxious you are, I can¡¯t just write about them meeting and getting along well right after they break up~ A book rmendation: ¡°Priceless Dowry: The Arrogant Young Master¡¯s Runaway Bride¡±. Chapter 559: 559: Not Disturbing, That’s My Tenderness (13) Chapter 559: Not Disturbing, That¡¯s My Tenderness (13) Despite Steve Burton¡¯s speed, it was still not fast enough to outrun the motorcycle. Seeing the motorcycle about to crash into him and Ruby Gregory, Steve held Ruby tightly in his arms without any hesitation. He turned his body around, cing himself between Ruby and the motorcycle. Thanks to Steve¡¯s quick reflexes, he managed to evade the motorcycle by a fraction, so it only smashed harshly into his left leg before falling to the side. With a sudden limp in his leg, Steve almost knelt on the ground. Thinking of Ruby, whom he held tightly, he feared she would be pulled down if he dropped, so he braced himself and endured the sharp pain that quickly spread from his leg to the bottom of his heart. Steve looked down at Ruby, enduring the pain, and subconsciously wanted to check if she had been injured. His hand had just touched her shoulder when he suddenly realized the situation they now found themselves in. His fingers hesitated slightly before quickly letting go of Ruby. Without sparing her a nce, he turned and left. Ruby¡¯s residence was in the city center, and despite thete hour¡ªaround 10 at night¡ªthere were still quite a few pedestrians passing by. When they saw the ident ur, many gathered around. Among the onlookers, a good Samaritan who saw Steve leave asked, ¡°Sir, are you injured?¡± Steve did not say a word; he simply strode quickly into the alley beside them. The sudden turn of events came without warning. When Ruby saw the motorcycle heading straight for her, she closed her eyes in fright, as if by reflex. Just when she thought her unborn child would surely be done for, she found herself embraced by a familiar-scented, warm hug which entered her nostrils. Ruby suddenly felt as if she had been affected by an acupoint spell, her mind nearly nk. It wasn¡¯t until the embrace that held her abruptly disappeared that she came to her senses. She looked around, but she couldn¡¯t see Steve¡¯s figure at all. ¡°Miss, are you injured anywhere?¡± a middle-aged woman asked Ruby with concern.
Ruby stopped searching for Steve, unconsciously touching her stomach and finding no abnormalities. She shook her head at the woman and looked at her surroundings uncontrobly again: ¡°I¡¯m fine; thank you.¡± The one who caused the ident was drunk and driving against traffic. He had already been taken away by nearby traffic police. When Steve pulled Ruby aside earlier, the things she had purchased in the supermarket had scattered on the ground. Enthusiastic people helped her pick them up. Ruby said, ¡°Thank you,¡± and took them. Seeing that she was not seriously injured, the others dispersed. Ruby held her shopping bag, standing still. After a while, she headed towards the alley not far away. The alley¡¯s lighting was dim, with two cars parked at the entrance. The alley was empty, and there was no one in sight. Ruby walked a long distance into the alley, not seeing Steve¡¯s figure. Frowning, she stood still for a moment, then turned around with her items and left the alley. Chapter 560: 560: Not Disturbing, That’s My Tenderness (14) Chapter 560: Not Disturbing, That¡¯s My Tenderness (14) She couldn¡¯t be mistaken; the person who had embraced her in that critical moment must have been Steve Burton. She had memorized his scent when they were young. Often, she didn¡¯t need to see who was approaching; she could tell it was him by that delicate fragrance alone. But how could he have appeared so coincidentally by her side at such a dangerous moment? Why did he save her, only to vanish without a word? Ruby Gregory took a few steps, paused again, and took a couple more nces down the quiet alleyway before silently walking out of it and back to her neighborhood. A while after Ruby had left, a door in the alley finally opened, and Steve Burton stepped out. His gait seemed no different from any other day, albeit a tad slower. In particr, his left leg, which had been hit, appeared to give him some trouble as he walked. Steve exited the alley, nced in the direction of Ruby¡¯s neighborhood, and turned to walk the other way. He returned to his car, took out the key, opened the door, sat down, and then rolled up his pant leg to see his left calf, bloodied and raw. Steve stared at the wound for a while before regaining hisposure. He let his pant leg back down, started the car, and drove down the street using his right foot to step on the elerator. Neon lights outside passed repeatedly over his face through the window. His expression remained calm as his eyes resolutely stared straight ahead. Pain from his left leg incessantly crept through every cell in his body. Steve did not go to the hospital; instead, he returned to his apartment, took a shower, and disinfected the wound simply with alcohol.
The gash was deep, providing a vague glimpse of the bone inside. Steve sprinkled some clotting medicine, wrapped a bandage around it, and then casuallyy down on the sofa. When he lived alone before, he never felt lonely. But since she had stayed here, the empty room seemed suffocating. Out of boredom, Steve took out his phone and saw that there were many missed calls. After a cursory nce, he absentmindedly pressed a series of numbers on the keypad. When he realized, he was surprised to find that he had keyed in Ruby¡¯s phone number. During that month since their separation, it wasn¡¯t that he didn¡¯t miss her¡ªhe just didn¡¯t let anyone see that he did. He found himself identally dialing her number every time he held his phone. Those eleven digits, just like her, were unforgettable. He felt an urge to call her, to ask if she had been frightened or hurt. But he only entertained the thought for a moment before locking his phone screen and tossing it onto the plush carpet. Knowing she was happy was enough for him. Although he longed to be a part of her life, even if it tore him apart inside, he wouldn¡¯t allow himself to disturb her new life. Because he wanted her to have the world she desired. Not disturbing her was his final form of tenderness. People often say that if someone loves you, they wille looking for you. But what they don¡¯t realize is that sometimes it¡¯s because they love you, and because they know you don¡¯t love them back, that they don¡¯t seek you out or disturb you. They don¡¯t want to trouble you; they want you to be better off, even without them. Chapter 561: 561: Wait a little longer before giving up (1) Chapter 561: Wait a little longer before giving up (1) Some people can say ¡°I love you¡± to you countless times, but turn around and be with another woman. Some may seem to not care about you at all, but you don¡¯t know how many impulsive thoughts they¡¯ve suppressed to make themselves appear less in love with you. ¨C That night when she went to the supermarket and encountered a mishap, although it was a close call for Ruby Gregory, she was genuinely afraid of simr incidents happening again, especially because she was pregnant. So unless it was absolutely necessary, she would avoid walking alone, and even bought her daily necessities online, having them delivered directly to her home. Although Steve Burton appeared unexpectedly that day and disappeared just as quickly, making Ruby feel like it had all been an illusion, she still remained cautious and attentive to her surroundings. However, after carefully observing her surroundings for two days, Ruby failed to notice anything unusual around her. But her female intuition told her that Steve might still be close by. So, the more she couldn¡¯t figure out the situation, the more attentive Ruby became. She didn¡¯t know if it was because she was so focused on this matter, but one time, after eating dinner at the Gardenia Clubhouse¡¯s cafeteria and resting alone in the lounge, being a pregnant woman who was prone to sleepiness had intensified. As soon as she had free time, she could fall asleep at any moment. However, that day, she dreamily felt Steve¡¯s presence by her side during her sleep, and then she suddenly woke up, only to find no one in the lounge. But there was a thin nket draped over her body, and a brand-new thermos ced on the table next to her. Suspiciously, Ruby picked it up, opened it, and found warm milk inside. Lost in confusion while staring at the thermos, the lounge door was pushed open, and Lte, the receptionist at the clubhouse, walked in. Seeing Ruby awake, Lte greeted her with a smile and asked, ¡°Awake now?¡± Ruby nodded. Lte continued to smile and said, ¡°When I came in earlier, I saw you asleep over there. Although the heater was on, I was afraid you might catch a cold, so I brought you a nket.¡±
Then, Lte pointed at the thermos in front of Ruby and said, ¡°That¡¯s the milk I warmed up earlier. I made too much and couldn¡¯t finish it, so I shared some with others and kept this for you.¡± So Lte did all this¡­ Ruby then smiled wryly, thinking she must have been too tense recently to have thought that it was Lte who had done all this. Ruby picked up the thermos, thanked Lte, and took a sip. Lte smiled but remained silent. Her gaze was filled with a hint of envy as she watched Ruby. Then she walked over to the lockers, opened her locker with a key, and quietly took a thick wad of money from her clothes pocket and stuffed it into her bag. Lte was indeed having a rare streak of good luck today, all thanks to Ruby. There was a handsome man who woulde to the Gardenia Clubhouse every day at exactly 1 pm and stay until 9 pm before leaving. Sometimes he would be apanied by many people and sometimes, he would be alone. Because he was good-looking, they would often gossip in private about whom this man was here for. But they had no idea that it was for Ruby Gregory. Chapter 562: 562: Wait a little longer before giving up (2) Chapter 562: Chapter 562: Wait a little longer before giving up (2) But it was strange, the man clearly took the initiative to fetch a nket for Ruby Gregory and heated some milk for her. Why did he then make her take his ce, saying it was done by himself? She couldn¡¯t figure it out¡­ Well, it doesn¡¯t matter. She got the money and will do her job without thinking too much about it. Shaking her head, Lte locked the cab and left the lounge. Ruby finished the milk, straightened her clothes, and went out to y the piano. The business in the Gardenia Clubhouse was particrly good tonight, with almost all the private rooms beingpletely full. There were possibly people ying cards, and cheers asionally erupted, almost drowning out the beautiful music yed by Ruby. At eight o¡¯clock, a potbellied middle-aged man wobbled out of the ¡°Rose¡± private room, having had some alcohol. He walked around the hall, and then made his way to the piano where Ruby was ying. He stared at her for a moment, circled the piano, and finally stood next to her. After examining her face for a moment, he gave a satisfied nod before asking, ¡°Are you Ruby Gregory?¡± As this was Ruby¡¯s first time in a service industry, she still managed to maintain herposure while ying the piano. She nodded and smiled at the man who approached her and responded with a soft ¡°Mhmm¡±. The middle-aged man let out a belch and put his hand on Ruby¡¯s shoulder. The fingers of Ruby¡¯s piano-ying hand paused, and the smooth and beautiful music stopped. ¡°Why did you stop? Continue ying, it sounded great,¡± the middle-aged man spoke. Ruby quietly moved her body to avoid the man¡¯s hand and continued ying without looking at him.
After listening to her for a while, the man reached over to press a piano key, disrupting Ruby¡¯s music. ¡°I tried copying you, but why does the sound I make not as good as yours?¡± the middle-aged man said, reaching for her hand again, ¡°Could you teach me?¡± Ruby quickly withdrew her hand, and the middle-aged man smirked, whispering into her ear: ¡°Name your price, how much for a night?¡± Ruby¡¯s face turned red from the obvious insult in the man¡¯s words. She stood up abruptly and stared at him, chiding sternly, ¡°Sir, please mind your manners.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t act high and mighty with me. I¡¯ve heard you¡¯re a high-end prostitute, charging five thousand for a night.¡± The middle-aged man looked Ruby up and down, seemingly satisfied, and continued, ¡°You do look good, with tender skin. Here¡¯s the deal,e with me tonight, and I¡¯ll double the price, US$1,400. What do you think¡­¡± Before he could finish speaking, Ruby raised her hand and pped him hard across the face. Apparently not expecting Ruby to hit him, the man was stunned before cursing, ¡°Stinking whore!¡± Ruby¡¯s face reddened even more with anger as she impulsively grabbed the sheet music from the piano and smashed it onto the man¡¯s head. Chapter 563: 563: Wait a little longer before giving up (3) Chapter 563: Chapter 563: Wait a little longer before giving up (3) In the lobby of Gardenia Clubhouse, security guards immediately gathered upon seeing the scene, separating Ruby Gregory and the middle-aged man. The middle-aged man, after being pped and hit on the head by Ruby, vented his anger by yelling and demanding the clubhouse manager be summoned. His loud voice managed to draw the attention of people in nearby private rooms, as they poked their heads out to watch themotion. With more people watching, the man became even more arrogant and pointed at Ruby without shame, cursing, ¡°Don¡¯t think I don¡¯t know what you really are; you¡¯re nothing but a discarded whore rejected by Pristine¡¯s Enterprises¡¯ boss, and you dare to pretend to be innocent here!¡± Initially, the middle-aged man¡¯s words only made Ruby feel angry, but now, using Steve Burton against her and calling her Steve¡¯s discarded whore, Ruby¡¯s face turned pale, her hands clenched tightly into fists. The manager soon arrived, recognizing the middle-aged man as a small business owner and a regr customer of the clubhouse. Unwilling to offend him, the manager apologized profusely and scolded Ruby, asking her to apologize as well. Ruby stood still and unmoving, her lips pressed tightly together, showing no intention of apologizing. The middle-aged man, like a scoundrel, continued to rant, ¡°What kind of clubhouse is this, with such low-quality employees? Give me my membership fee back¡­¡± ¡°Please calm down, sir. I¡¯ll have her apologize to you right now.¡± The manager quickly pacified the middle-aged man, turned his head, and sternly ordered Ruby, ¡°Apologize now, or consider yourself resigned from here immediately!¡± Ruby remained silent. As the middle-aged man¡¯s ranting became more outrageous, the manager red at Ruby and turned his head to order another staff member to call finance for Ruby¡¯s final wages and dismissal. Before the manager could finish speaking, a waiter approached him, whispered a few words in his ear, and the manager then said ¡°Sorry¡± to the middle-aged man before turning around and entering the Peony Room with the waiter.
No more than five minutester, the manager emerged, directly instructing the finance staff he had called earlier, ¡°Settle Mr. Yanna¡¯s membership fees, refund them all, and from now on, ban him from entering Gardenia Clubhouse.¡± The middle-aged man¡¯s expression went from incredulous to furious, cursing loudly, but the manager simply waved his hand, signaling the security to drag him out. Action at the clubhouse resumed its normal pace. The manager finally turned his head to look at Ruby. His attitude totally changed, apanied by a smile, he said, ¡°Ruby, what happened just now was an ident, don¡¯t take it to heart. If anything like this happens again in the future, just call security and have the person harassing you escorted out.¡± Then the manager turned to the gathered employees and said, ¡°Alright, everyone get back to work.¡± Then he turned back to Ruby, speaking with a warm smile, ¡°You still have half an hour before you get off work; if you¡¯re tired, you can leave early.¡± Ruby was leftpletely dumbfounded by the manager¡¯s sudden change in behavior, but she shook her head towards him and returned to the piano. Chapter 564: 564: Wait a little longer before giving up (4) Chapter 564: Chapter 564: Wait a little longer before giving up (4) Ruby Gregory unfolded the sheet music, nced at the ¡°Peony¡± room where the manager had gone, and then continued to y with suspicion in her mind. At nine o¡¯clock, when it was time for Ruby to get off work, the manager appeared again, kindly asking if she was happy with her work at the clubhouse and if there was anything that was bothering her. The manager was not a bad person, but he always liked to act like a boss, so the staff would oftenin about him behind his back. Now that he was speaking to Ruby in such a gentle tone, she was even more convinced that the change had something to do with the person in the ¡°Peony¡± room. When Ruby finished work at nine, she didn¡¯t hail a taxi home immediately as she had done before. Instead, she hid in a corner downstairs and watched the clubhouse exit and the underground parking lot exit for a long time but didn¡¯t see any familiar faces or cars. Ruby waited until eleven o¡¯clock and began to have doubts in her heart. Could it be that she was overthinking? Perhaps the person in the ¡°Peony¡± room was not Steve Burton, but just a righteous person who happened to intervene? As it gotter, the temperature dropped. Afraid of catching a cold from staying outside for too long, Ruby slowly walked to the taxi waiting area. Usually, around nine o¡¯clock, even if there was a long line, she could quickly get a taxi. But today, whether it was because it was toote or because it was close to Chinese New Year, many people were going out, so she had to wait for twenty minutes in the taxi waiting area without even a single taxi appearing. There were no buses avable at this time, and since she became pregnant, she hadn¡¯t been driving much for safety reasons. The taxi waiting area happened to be exposed to strong winds, making Ruby shiver constantly. She stomped her feet on the spot and debated whether to call Edric Reat to pick her up. ¨C Steve Burton was still in the ¡°Peony¡± room, not leaving. Standing by the window, he could clearly see Ruby in the taxi waiting area downstairs.
As the wind blew and the temperature dropped, she asionally raised her hand to breathe into it for warmth. Her feet were constantly stomping, anxiously watching the iing vehicles. Whenever a taxi appeared, her expression would brighten, but seeing that there were already passengers in it, she¡¯d drop her arms dejectedly and continue to watch the distant cars expectantly. About ten minutester, Steve took out his phone and made a call: ¡°Edward, can you get me a taxi nearby Gardenia Clubhouse?¡± ¡°Brother, are you at the Gardenia Clubhouse? I¡¯m nearby. Why don¡¯t Ie and pick you up?¡± ¡°No need, just get me a taxi, quick.¡± After saying this, Steve hung up without waiting for Edward Woods to respond. In less than two minutes, his phone beeped, and a text message from Edward came through, a phone number followed by three words ¨C Mr. Taylor. Steve dialed the number immediately. The call was quickly answered: ¡°Is this the taxi you requested? I¡¯ll be at the Gardenia Clubhouse shortly. Where are you?¡± ¡°I¡¯m at the taxi waiting area downstairs at the Gardenia Clubhouse. There¡¯s a girl with a bob haircut wearing a yellowish coat. Pick her up.¡± As Steve gave instructions, his eyes remained fixed on Ruby downstairs. Soon, he saw a taxi pull up in front of her. Chapter 565: 565: Wait a little longer before giving up (5) Chapter 565: Chapter 565: Wait a little longer before giving up (5) Steve Burton spoke again: ¡°Don¡¯t tell her that someone ordered a car for her. Just send her to where she wants to go and charge her the normal fare. As for the extra money, someone will pay youter.¡± After hanging up, Steve looked out the window and saw Ruby Gregory happily opening the door to the taxi and getting in. After a short while, the car started and drove towards where she lived. Steve immediately turned around, pressed the call bell in the private room, swiped his card to pay the bill, and went to the underground parking garage to follow in his own car. As usual, Steve followed Ruby all the way to her residentialplex. He watched her pay the taxi fare, get out of the car and enter theplex. Then, after waiting for the taxi to drive away, he gently stepped on the elerator, moving his car a short distance forward. It was almost midnight, and the streets were quiet. Steve sat in his car for a while before his phone rang. Steve nced at the caller ID, saw that it was Russell Henris, and then reached out his hand to answer the call. ¡°Steve, about the matter you asked me to check this afternoon, I¡¯ve found out. Evan Yanna is a bit lecherous and a bit of a scoundrel. Many smallpanies are afraid of him and don¡¯t like to work with him. He doesn¡¯t have many friends, but he seems to have met with the Rising Group a few days ago. They¡¯ve started a new coboration, and the person in charge of this coboration is someone you know, Maya Mitchell.¡± Steve listened to Russell¡¯s words without any emotion but did not respond. After a while, Russell asked, ¡°Is there a problem? Why are you suddenly investigating these smallpanies?¡± Steve cleared his throat: ¡°It¡¯s nothing.¡± Pausing for a moment, he recalled Evan Yanna¡¯s words in the clubhouse earlier, calling Ruby a discarded whore. Steve¡¯s eyes turned colder, and he said, ¡°In the shortest possible time, find a way to take over Evan Yanna¡¯spany.¡±
¡°Okay.¡± Russell agreed on the other end of the phone, then quickly typed a line on the keyboard before asking, ¡°Is there anything else?¡± Steve was silent for a moment and said, ¡°Find some time to arrange a meeting with Maya Mitchell for me. I want to meet her alone.¡± ¨C After the harassment incident, Ruby¡¯s status at the Gardenia Clubhouse skyrocketed, and when she was paid, she was given a full month¡¯s sry even though she only worked 20 days. She had always wanted to meet the person in the Peony Room and even took an opportunity to visit the Peony Room. However, she didn¡¯t recognize anyone inside. Only then did she truly believe that she was overthinking. A bitter smile appeared at the bottom of her heart; she really thought too much. How could she have forgotten that Steve was running such argepany, busy all day, and as his secretary, she saw his schedule packed full of appointments. He often wasn¡¯t free until one or two in the morning. So how could he possibly spend so much time and energy revolving around her? Perhaps that day when she was almost hit by a motorcycle, Steve happened to see her, helping her out. All this time, it had just been her overthinking. She had clearly separated from Steve, and there was no longer any connection between them. Chapter 566: 566: Wait a little longer before giving up (6) Chapter 566: Chapter 566: Wait a little longer before giving up (6) She had already been separated from Steve Burton, there was nothing between them anymore. However, when Ruby Gregory realized this reality, she still felt a deep sense of loss in her heart. As a result, her mood was very low this afternoon when she yed the zither. The child in her belly was not wanted by him. Perhaps that day, the middle-aged man who teased her was right when he said that she was just a discarded woman that Steve Burton didn¡¯t want. That night, after returning home, Ruby still took a bath, practiced prenatal yoga, and went to bed. But she woke up from her dream in the middle of the night. She dreamt of thest scene when she was with Steve; she had finally made up her mind to ask him if he wanted a child. He said, without hesitation, in such a cold and firm tone that he didn¡¯t want to, not interested. Ruby sat on the edge of the bed, dazed for a bit, got out of bed, poured a ss of water for herself, and crawled back into bed, but she didn¡¯t feel sleepy at all. She opened the bedside table beside her, and took out the bottle of vitamins that Steve originally gave her. Inside were the leftover pills, each one of them a long-term contraceptive that made her extremely painful. Ruby was silent for a long time before taking a deep sigh, staring at the dark night sky outside the window, and wondering how her parents were doing. It had been more than a month since theyst contacted her. Were they still angry at her? It was going to be New Year¡¯s Eve the day after tomorrow, and every family would gather together. What about her? Should she go back to the Gregorys¡¯ Manor to see them?
Ruby¡¯s vacation started on New Year¡¯s Eve andsted until the sixth day of the lunar new year. On the morning of New Year¡¯s Eve, she picked up her phone several times, wanting to call the Gregorys¡¯ Manor, but each time she picked it up, she put it back down, as she could never muster the courage. Finally, after struggling for a long time, she simply packed her things and decided to go back to the Gregorys¡¯ Manor to see Maxwell Gregory and Lady Gregory. No matter how awkward things got between them, they were, after all her parents who raised her; and being a daughter, she should be the first to bow her head and apologize. At noon on New Year¡¯s Eve, the streets of Ciawell were already pitifully empty. Taxis were hard toe by, so Ruby had no choice but to take a bus back to the West Suburb Vi District. Every kilometer, the bus would stop once. The ce where she lived was rtively far from the West Suburb Vi District, so she would have to travel about an hour and a half to reach the final stop. Ruby needed to transfer to another bus to get to the West Suburb Vi District. She stood at the bus stop, waiting for the bus alone and feeling a little bored as luxurious cars passed by from time to time. Actually, very few people going to the West Suburb Vi District took the bus. The bus she was about to take could not take her directly to the entrance of the West Suburb Vi District, and she would still need to walk a distance. She did not know what the reason was, but even though it was supposed to be a bus that came every 15 minutes, she had been waiting for nearly half an hour and had not seen any sign of it. This area belonged to the outskirts, and there were no taxis at all. Ruby¡¯s feet were getting cold from the freezing temperature. Just as Ruby was desperately hoping for the bus toe soon, she suddenly heard the sound of brakes next to her. Instinctively, she looked up and saw the window of the car in front of her slowly rolling down. PS: Today¡¯s update is finished, tomorrow we continue~ Uing plot: Madeleine says: ¡°Ruby, I don¡¯t know what happened to my brother, he hurt his leg badly, and the wound is very deep. He didn¡¯t go to the hospital for treatment, and now his condition is really terrible.¡± Chapter 567: 567: Wait a little longer before giving up (7) Chapter 567: Chapter 567: Wait a little longer before giving up (7) Just as Ruby Gregory anxiously hoped for the bus to arrive quickly, she suddenly heard a braking sound by her side. Instinctively lifting her head, she saw the car window in front of her slowly roll down, revealing Madeleine¡¯s delicate and surprised face in the driver¡¯s seat. Ever since Ruby and Steve Burton had called off their engagement, she had been avoiding people rted to Steve. Consequently, she hadn¡¯t been in touch with Madeleine for quite some time. Now, running into her unexpectedly, Ruby froze for a moment, staring at Madeleine¡¯s still beautiful face. After a while, she finally came back to her senses, curved her lips into a smile, and called out, ¡°Madeleine.¡± On the day the wedding was called off, Steve had warned their friends not to disturb Ruby. Madeleine, who had always been fearful of Steve, didn¡¯t dare to act rashly but she did send Ruby a text message or make a phone call every now and then without ever receiving a reply. Today was New Year¡¯s Eve, and Madeleine had been unable to find Howard Coleman since seeing him at Pristine¡¯s Enterprises yesterday afternoon. She felt dejected as she drove alone back to the West Garden Vi Area for the Chinese New Year. Then, from afar, she spotted a familiar person standing under the bus stop sign. Resembling Ruby but with much shorter hair, Madeleine wasn¡¯t sure at first and slowed her car down. As she got closer and saw her features clearly, she realized it was indeed Ruby, whom she hadn¡¯t been able to reach for a long time. When Madeleine heard Ruby call her name, she blinked her eyes and regained her senses. The surprise in her eyes turned into boundless joy, ¡°Ruby, it¡¯s really you.¡± With that, Madeleine unlocked the car, ¡°It¡¯s so cold, hurry up and get in. Be careful not to catch a cold.¡± Ruby opened the door and got in. Madeleine turned up the heat a little, and with a hint ofint in her voice, said, ¡°How could you not drive? Waiting for the bus here. It¡¯s the end of the year, and there are only two bus trips left. You¡¯ll have to wait at least until 5 o¡¯clock in the afternoon.¡± As Madeleine spoke, she started the car and nced at the road behind through the rearview mirror. Then, she moved the car onto the middle road. She nced at Ruby¡¯s hair again, her lips moved, and in a somewhat low voice, she said, ¡°Ruby, why did you cut your hair? Was it to cut off the past with my brother?¡± Ruby didn¡¯t really subscribe to the idea of cutting hair to sever emotional ties, as portrayed in novels or TV dramas. She had only done it because the winter weather was too cold and her hair took too long to dry, and she was afraid of catching a cold while pregnant. However, she couldn¡¯t tell Madeleine about her pregnancy, so she just hooked the corner of her lips and sat there quietly with a smile. Following suit, Madeleine fell silent too. She stared straight ahead, driving her car. When the red light appeared in front, Madeleine stepped on the brakes, and the car slowly came to a stop. In the end, she couldn¡¯t help but speak again, her tone ofint filled with care, ¡°Ruby, where have you been all these days? Did you have a good time? How worried have I been about you?¡± ¡°Madeleine, I¡¯m sorry, I just hadn¡¯t adjusted my mood back then and didn¡¯t know how to face you.¡± Ruby smiled at Madeleine, ¡°See, I¡¯m sitting right in front of you now, aren¡¯t I?¡±
Chapter 568: 568: Wait a little longer before giving up (8) Chapter 568: Chapter 568: Wait a little longer before giving up (8) Looking somewhat uneasy, Madeleine nced at Ruby for a moment. As the red traffic light turned green, her car remained stationary, ¡°But I can¡¯t help but feel sad for you.¡± ¡°Madeleine, I¡¯m really alright. The light is green, you can¡¯t keep the car here, blocking the way,¡± Ruby gently reminded Madeleine. Madeleine mumbled something under her breath and started the car. Sitting in the passenger seat, Ruby stared at the familiar streets straight ahead. After a while, she quietly started to speak, ¡°Actually, Madeleine, you also know that my rtionship with Steve Burton¡­ was purely based on business interests. For years, I considered the interests of The Gregorys and had to impress him. I¡¯ve lived in constant anxiety, always worried about making him angry. But now¡­¡± Upon saying this, Ruby turned her head to face Madeleine, her eyes forming a soft crescent, ¡°Now that I¡¯ve separated business from personal matters, I don¡¯t feel as much pressure. I¡¯m feeling at ease, living quite well.¡± Madeleine didn¡¯t respond. Ruby turned her head again and looked at Madeleine for a while, ¡°Madeleine, what about you? How have you been these days? Any improvements with Howard?¡± ¡°What could possibly improve? Still the same.¡± As soon as Howard¡¯s name was mentioned, Madeleine¡¯s demeanor became somewhat gloomy, but only for a moment. She then let out a delightfulugh, carelessly saying as if telling Ruby someone else¡¯s story, ¡°In just over a month, I had to p 40 women. You¡¯ve been gone for just 37 days, and I¡¯ve discovered another woman every day, even three extra. There are others that I don¡¯t know about. Given his extravagant lifestyle, it¡¯s surprising his kidneys haven¡¯t failed him yet!¡± Finishing her thoughts, Madeleine let out a mockugh. Though Madeleine¡¯sments seemed casual, Ruby could guess how heart-wrenching these past few weeks had been for her. Ruby held her tongue.
The car was silent. Madeleine casually turned on the car radio. The programs were broadcasting Chinese New Year celebrations. After a long while, Madeleine took a turn on the road ahead and, as if remembering something, suddenly began talking to Ruby, ¡°Ruby, did you know? Something¡¯s off with my brothertely.¡± In the past, Ruby frequently sought Steve Burton¡¯s approval and Madeleine would often share some information about him. Now that Ruby was no longer involved with Steve, Madeleine hadn¡¯t kicked the habit yet, ¡°Recently, he would show up at the office in the mornings, but would disappear around 11 a.m. Many important meetings are covered by Jack or another brother.¡± Ever since Ruby and Steve parted ways, aside from some news headlines, she didn¡¯t intentionally keep track of him. Or rather, she intentionally avoided any information about Steve. Yet, as Madeleine started talking about Steve, Ruby found herself unintentionally paying attention. PS: I have my graduation banquet tonight, the remaining six chapters will be updatedter~ Early update for two chapters just wanted to give a heads up~ Should Ruby approach Steve? Or should Steve take the initiative to speak to Ruby? Comment your opinions and I¡¯ll make a choice~ Chapter 569: 569: Wait a little longer before giving up (9) Chapter 569: Chapter 569: Wait a little longer before giving up (9) ¡°There was another time when there was an urgent document at thepany that needed my brother¡¯s signature. I called him, and he told me to wait. I ended up waiting until 11 p.m. and still didn¡¯t get a reply from him. So I went to his apartment and stood outside his door until nearly 1 a.m. before he came back. I asked him where he had been, but he didn¡¯t say anything. He signed the document and then basically kicked me out.¡± Madeleine said this while rolling her eyes, clearlyining about Steve. Ruby Gregory lowered her eyes and remained silent. Madeleine paused for a moment and then suddenly turned her head to look at Ruby and said, ¡°My brother hurt his leg a few days ago.¡± When Ruby heard this, she clenched her hands unconsciously. She remembered that day when she was almost hit by a motorcycle on her way home from the supermarket after work. Ruby frowned slightly and asked, ¡°When did this happen?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know exactly when it happened, but it¡¯s been at least four or five days. He has a deep cut on his leg.¡± Four or five days ago¡­ That was when she had almost had an ident¡­ Could it be that Steve was injured while saving her? Ruby¡¯s frown deepened. Madeleine didn¡¯t notice Ruby¡¯s unusual expression and continued, ¡°You know my brother, he¡¯s always good at hiding things. We didn¡¯t know about it at first. It was Jack who found out when he went to get him to sign some documents without knocking and saw him treating his leg wound.¡± Madeleine nced at the rearview mirror to check the traffic and moved the car to the rightne, continuing, ¡°Jack said he could see the bone in my brother¡¯s leg wound. You know Jack has seen all kinds of incidents, and he felt pain himself just seeing it. But my brother just acted like nothing was wrong, cleaned the wound with alcohol, and wrapped it up with a bandage.¡± In the past, Ruby cared about Steve only to win his favor. Now she no longer needed to please him or rely on him. However, when she heard about his severe injury, she found herself feeling a twinge of sympathy. She hesitated for a moment before asking, ¡°Didn¡¯t he go to the hospital?¡±
¡°We wanted him to go to the hospital to get the wound treated, but he said he had more important things to deal with and refused to go. Jack even arranged for a doctor to go to his apartment several times to treat the wound, but every time the doctor ended up waiting for hours without seeing him. We don¡¯t even know where he went.¡± The more Madeleine talked, the more frustrated she became, but her voice carried a clear sense of concern. ¡°Moreover, my brother has no restrictions. He¡¯s still drinking and attending social events during these days, and he still takes a bath when he gets home. The wound has be a bit more severe. Fortunately, it¡¯s winter. If it was summer and he sweated, I think his leg would probably rot. But the situation is still quite bad. I noticed that his walking posture wasn¡¯t quite right when he was attending meetings at thepany in the past few days.¡± Ruby¡¯s face turned slightly pale, and her clenched fist tightened even more, her nails digging deep into her palm. Chapter 570: 570: Wait a little longer before giving up (10) Chapter 570: Chapter 570: Wait a little longer before giving up (10) ¡°When you were with my brother before, you could persuade him, but now¡­¡± Madeleine was saying when she suddenly realized what she had been babbling about. Her face turned slightly awkward, and she nced at Ruby Gregory¡¯s slightly pale face before finally stopping herself. After a while, she stuttered, ¡°Ruby, I¡¯m sorry. I¡¯m just used to it, whenever I talk with you, I end up bringing up my brother, just now, I just¡­¡± Ruby knew what Madeleine was going to say next. She gave her a small smile and a shake of the head, ¡°It¡¯s alright.¡± Madeleine looked at her expression through the rearview mirror. After observing that Ruby was indeed alright, she finally rxed. It was quiet in the car for barely a minute before Madeleine blurted out again without thinking, ¡°And there¡¯s also this thing, Ruby, the other day I heard from my third brother that my brother Steve has been going to a club during the day instead of the officetely. The club is called¡­¡± Madeleine tilted her head in thought and then eximed, ¡°Gardenia Clubhouse.¡± ¡°It¡¯s really strange, though that club is considered high-ss, it¡¯s actually quite ordinary. I wonder what my brother is doing there every day¡­ And the other night at eleven o¡¯clock, he even had my third brother call a taxi, at a high price of US$137 too. When paying, my third brother casually asked and found out it was for a girl¡­ Tsk, tsk, tsk¡­ My brother must have a new beloved girl¡­¡± Madeleine suddenly closed her mouth again, this time not daring to look at Ruby. Instead, she stared straight ahead, holding her breath, and concentrating on driving. Ruby was in a daze listening to Madeleine¡¯s long string of words. Two days ago, eleven o¡¯clock, a taxi¡­ Itpletely coincided with the night she was harassed and couldn¡¯t get a taxi. That night, she had to wait for a long time at the taxi waiting area and caught a cold. The taxi she eventually got was called by him? So that meant the customer in the ¡°Peony Room¡± was Steve Burton all along¡­ The person the manager met that afternoon was also him, and it was because of him that the manager was so polite to her¡­ The more Ruby spected, the more certain she became. Her heartbeat quickened involuntarily.
It turns out that these few days, it wasn¡¯t just her overthinking, Steve Burton really had been around her all the time, hadn¡¯t he? Ruby¡¯s expression became frozen. Madeleine, on the other hand, thought her thoughtless words had hurt Ruby. It took her a while to gather the courage to nce at her again and softly apologised once more, ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Ruby.¡± Ruby was still lost in her thoughts and didn¡¯t respond. Anxious, Madeleine pressed on, ¡°Ruby, I¡¯m really sorry. I just couldn¡¯t keep my mouth shut. Actually, I¡¯m only so thoughtless when I¡¯m with you. Ruby, please don¡¯t take it to heart¡­¡± Coming back to her senses, Ruby didn¡¯t even catch what Madeleine was trying to say. She just gave her a perfunctory nod, suddenly feeling the urge to be alone for a while. Seeing Madeleine¡¯s car entering the West Garden Vi Area, not far from the Gregorys, she spoke softly, ¡°Madeleine, you can drop me off here.¡± Chapter 571: 571: Wait a little longer before giving up (11) Chapter 571: Chapter 571: Wait a little longer before giving up (11) However, Madeleine thought Ruby was just too heartbroken: ¡°Ruby, I was just talking nonsense. There¡¯s no way my brother would care about other women¡­¡± As Madeleine spoke up to this point, she simply changed the subject: ¡°Ruby, tonight on New Year¡¯s Eve, there will be fireworks at the West Garden Vi Area on the hilltop. Shall we go and watch it together?¡± Ruby¡¯s mind was filled with the words Madeleine just said to her. She hadn¡¯tpletely digested them yet, so she was in no mood to watch the fireworks and shook her head indifferently: ¡°Let¡¯s see, I¡¯m feeling a bit nauseous from the car ride, and we¡¯re not far from our destination anyway, so I¡¯d like to walk.¡± ¡°Alright.¡± Madeleine sheepishly said two words and stopped the car. Ruby got out of the car, waved her hand at Madeleine, then closed the door. She waited for Madeleine to slowly drive away before she began walking towards the Gregorys¡¯ residence. Her mind was a mess all the way. Madeleine had parked not far from the Gregorys¡¯ residence. It only took Ruby ten minutes to walk to the front gate. Two servants and Maxwell Gregory were standing at the vi¡¯s front door, putting up couplets and hanging rednterns. Maxwell stood in the center of the doorway, asionally raising his hand and directing the servants. The couplets werepared back and forth for a while, and finally, Maxwell nodded his head. The servants pressed the big red couplets firmly against the wall. Ruby stopped ten meters away from the gate of the Gregorys¡¯ residence. Although she hadn¡¯t seen Maxwell Gregory in just forty days, he looked much older after his serious illnesspared to thest time she saw him. His back was slightly hunched, and his hair at the temples was a bit gray. He asionally raised his hand to cover his mouth and cough twice. The first to notice Ruby was the servant standing on thedder, putting up the couplets. When the servant saw Ruby, she paused visibly, then excitedly eximed, ¡°Miss is back?¡± Following the servant¡¯s words, Maxwell turned his head, and his gaze met Ruby¡¯s.
Ruby stood still for about a minute, then slowly walked over and called out, ¡°Dad.¡± Maxwell stared at her for a while before nodding, ¡°You¡¯re back?¡± Ruby also nodded without saying a word. The excited servant then called out to Lady Gregory, who was talking to Madam Burton not far from the Burton¡¯s front door, ¡°Madam, Madam, Miss is back.¡± Quite a few people were also putting up couplets at the entrance of the Burtons¡¯ residence. They all turned their heads to look at Ruby. The Burtons didn¡¯t know why the marriage contract between Ruby and Steve had been broken, but the message they received seemed to indicate that it was Steve¡¯s idea. So when Madam Burton saw Ruby, she felt embarrassed and nodded awkwardly, ¡°Ruby, you¡¯re back.¡± Ruby and Steve were almost engaged, but now they had gone their separate ways. Facing the Burton family members suddenly, Ruby was not without embarrassment. However, she still tried to maintain a smile and called out, ¡°Aunt Burton.¡± As Ruby¡¯s voice fell, Steve, who had no idea what had happened outside, walked out of the Burton¡¯s yard carrying two big rednterns in his hands. Chapter 572: 572: Wait a little longer before giving up (12) Chapter 572: Chapter 572: Wait a little longer before giving up (12) The originally slightly awkward atmosphere becamepletely awkward in an instant. Steve realized that something was amiss, his brow furrowed slightly. Before he could open his mouth to ask ¡°what¡¯s wrong,¡±, he saw Ruby first, and the somewhatzy expression on his face instantly changed to hesitation, his lips moved but not a word was uttered. Since Ruby wasing back to the Gregorys for New Year, she had thought that she might bump into Steve, but she didn¡¯t expect to run into him unexpectedly right at the entrance of the Gregorys¡¯ house. He still looked as cold and indifferent as ever, but probably because it was New Year¡¯s Eve, he wasn¡¯t dressed in his usual formal attire. Instead, he casually wore a white sweater paired with a long ck trench coat, casual yet elegant, making him look much younger than in the office. Everyone present was adept at reading social cues, so the tense atmosphere onlysted for about half a minute. Steve¡¯s older sister, Wenny,ughed and took thentern from Steve¡¯s hand: ¡°Steve, I just remembered, I¡¯ve been stewing a dessert in the kitchen, it should be almost ready, help me find a servant to take it off the stove.¡± Steve knew full well that Wenny was trying to defuse the situation by having him leave, so he stared at Ruby for about five seconds before handing the two rednterns to Wenny and turning around to walk towards the Burtons¡¯ courtyard. Ruby¡¯s gaze remained on Steve, and perhaps Madeleine¡¯s words had some effect on her. As he turned away, she subconsciously noticed his leg and found that his usual graceful stride, as Madeleine had said, was indeed somewhat hesitant, especially his left leg which seemed very stiff as he took each step. When Steve¡¯s figure disappeared into the entrance of the Burtons¡¯ house, Lady Gregory immediately returned to the entrance of the Gregorys¡¯ house, nced at Ruby and said, ¡°Come in.¡± Then she turned around first and walked towards the courtyard of the Gregorys¡¯ house. Ruby quickly followed. Although it had only been forty days since she hadst been home, the living room had changed a lot. Many old pieces of furniture had been reced with new ones, and the butler was busy preparing New Year¡¯s Eve dishes in the kitchen.
Lady Gregory did not mention Ruby¡¯s marriage to Steve, nor did she ask Ruby why she had broken off the engagement as before, she only instructed a servant to clean up Ruby¡¯s room and then gestured for her to sit down. Maxwell Gregory, who had followed her into the room, sat down on the sofa opposite of Ruby. Like Lady Gregory, he didn¡¯t bring up the past, only briefly inquiring about Ruby¡¯s recent situation. Ruby didn¡¯t hide anything and told Maxwell about the house she had rented and her current job. When Lady Gregory heard Ruby¡¯s words, she handed her a cup of tea, her expression faltering for a moment before saying, ¡°If you don¡¯t want to live outside, juste back home. As for work, you can do whatever you like if you really enjoy it.¡± In Ruby¡¯s memory, this was one of the warmest sentences Lady Gregory had ever said to her. Her eyes suddenly became a little warm, she lowered hershes, forced a smile, and gently ¡°hmm¡± to Maxwell and Lady Gregory. ¨C The night had just fallen, and the sound of firecrackers came one after another from outside the window. Chapter 573: 573: Wait a little longer before giving up (13) Chapter 573: Chapter 573: Wait a little longer before giving up (13) Maxwell Gregory had gone to set off some fireworks, then the family gathered around a table for their New Year¡¯s Eve reunion dinner. Everyone made a conscious effort to avoid unpleasant topics, and although the family of three was initially a little awkward, they are, after all, bound by blood. The atmosphere eventually turned harmonious. After the reunion dinner, the Chinese New Year g just happened to start. The servants brewed some tea and brought out some nuts and fruits. Everyone sat on the sofa, watching TV in harmony. Just as Madeleine had described, at West Suburb Vi, when the New Year¡¯s Eve struck, fireworks were set off at the top of the hill. The New Year is all about liveliness, so when it neared 11 o¡¯clock, not only did Maxwell Gregory and Lady Gregory leave for the hilltop, but even the housekeepers and servants did so too. Ruby, carrying her own child, did not want to go outte at night in the cold. Thus, she randomly came up with ame excuse and declined to go. After all the Gregorys left, the vi seemed somewhat deste. The Chinese New Year g was something that seemed lively when watched as a family. Now she was left alone,pletely uninterested in watching TV, she decided to go upstairs. Passing by the newspaper stand on the first floor, Ruby casually pulled out a copy of the business newspaper that Maxwell Gregory had subscribed to. Back in her room, she took a bath and, as usual, did some prenatal yoga, got on the bed, picked up the business newspaper, and casually flipped through it. However, she was surprised to find the headline news about Yanna¡¯s Enterprises being taken over by Gregory¡¯s Enterprises. Nowadays, Gregory¡¯s Enterprises had already been acquired by Pristine¡¯s Enterprises, so essentially, Yanna¡¯s had been swallowed up by Pristine¡¯s. And Evan Yanna, was the man who had harassed her at the Gardenia Clubhouse that day.
Ruby¡¯s heart suddenly became a little unsettled. Why did Pristine¡¯s Enterprises suddenly decide to acquire Yanna¡¯s? Was it because of what happened that afternoon? While Ruby was lost in her thoughts, a deafening sound of fireworks exploded from outside the window. She turned her head and saw beautiful fireworks spreading across the sky right beside her window; it was a magnificent sight. Ruby ced the newspaper on the bed, wore her slippers, and ran towards the balcony. Pulling open the sliding ss door, she poked her head out briefly to find Steve Burton sitting leisurely on his balcony next door, holding a porcin cup in his hand and looking up at the sky. Ruby paused for a moment and swiftly withdrew, closing the sliding door quickly. Her heart was uncontrobly beating much faster than usual. Why was Steve Burton on the balcony? Hadn¡¯t he gone with the Burtons to the hilltop to watch fireworks? Ruby awkwardly walked back to bed and sat, holding the pillow while staring at the different beautiful fireworks bursting in the sky. Her mind was filled with what Madeleine had told her about the wound on Steve¡¯s leg. The wound was deep, exposing the white bone, but he always refused to go to the hospital¡­ The more Ruby thought about it, the more restless she felt. Shey heavily on the bed, her head hitting the newspaper about Yanna¡¯s Enterprises being taken over; her thoughts became even more jumbled. Thest image was of Steve Burton trudging awkwardly into the Burton¡¯spound in the afternoon. With a hard shake of her head, Ruby sat upright on the bed. She walked into the dressing room, about to change her clothes, when she suddenly remembered that she and Steve had called off their engagement. Would it be ok for her to go and find him so directly? Chapter 574: 574: Wait a little longer before giving up (14) Chapter 574: Chapter 574: Wait a little longer before giving up (14) Ruby hesitated for a moment, then walked sheepishly out of the dressing room. She circled her bedroom twice and suddenly seemed to have an idea. Ruby grabbed a coat to wear over her pajamas, picked up her phone, and headed to the main power switch on the first floor. First, she turned on the shlight on her phone, then stared at the row of switches. After looking for a while, she couldn¡¯t figure out which one controlled the lights, so she gritted her teeth and turned off the main switch. The bright Gregorys¡¯ Vi, from the rooms upstairs and downstairs to the courtyard and the lights outside, went dark instantly. With her phone in hand, Ruby carefully watched her steps on the illuminated path, left The Gregorys, and went to The Burtons¡¯ front entrance. The Burton¡¯s servants were probably watching the fireworks on the mountaintop, as the courtyard was well-lit, and there were rows of colorfulnterns hanging to wee the New Year, blinking on and off. Ruby took a deep breath, entered The Burtons¡¯ entrance, and headed straight for their vi. ¨C Steve Burton had wanted to join Rusell Henris, Edward Woods, and the others to watch the fireworks on the mountaintop. But when he got there, after seeing the Gregorys, he subconsciously circled the crowd but didn¡¯t see Ruby. So he made up an excuse and returned to the Burtons. Everyone at the Burtons¡¯, had either gone to the mountaintop or out to y cards, leaving Steve alone. He casually made himself a cup of coffee and went to sit on his bedroom¡¯s balcony. He said he wanted to watch the fireworks, but he was really hoping that Ruby, who was in the room next door, woulde out when the fireworks started bursting. However, the fireworks had been going off for quite a while, but she still didn¡¯t show up. In the end, he found the fireworks in the sky somewhat dull, and his entire attention was on the house next door. There were ten minutes left until the New Year countdown. He could faintly hear two TV sets downstairs at The Gregorys and The Burtons echoing the excited voices of the hosts on the Central Television.] Just as the host was passionately speaking, darkness suddenly enveloped the vi next door in a sh.
Steve had seen all the Gregorys go to the mountaintop, leaving only Ruby in the vi next door. Now, there was a sudden power outage on New Year¡¯s Eve, and the vi¡¯s property management was on vacation¡­ Unconsciously, Steve stood up, went back to his bedroom, put on his coat, and rushed downstairs. Steve got to the foyer area and had just swapped one shoe when the doorbell rang. Steve frowned, opened the door with some impatience, and without looking at the person, he bent down to put on the other shoe. He was tying his shoces when he noticed that the person knocking on the door didn¡¯te in or speak. Only then did he look up with some confusion, and saw Ruby, wearing pajamas and an overcoat, standing at the door with a somewhat awkward expression. Steve¡¯s expression froze for a moment, and after a long while, he finally stood up straight, staring at Ruby without blinking, and asked, ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡± Ruby hadn¡¯t spoken yet, but her face turned red. She quickly blinked and pointed in the direction of her house, saying, ¡°My house, power outage, do you have any candles?¡± PS: If your dream guy lives next door, just turn off your own power and borrow some candles~ Then ask him out for a meal to express your gratitude, and you¡¯ll grow closer~~ Today¡¯s update is done, will continue tomorrow~~~ Chapter 575: 575: Wait a little longer before giving up (15) Chapter 575: Chapter 575: Wait a little longer before giving up (15) Ruby hadn¡¯t even opened her mouth, and her little face turned red. She quickly blinked her eyes and then pointed in the direction of her house, saying, ¡°My house has a power outage. Do you have any candles?¡± Steve did not say a word, his eyes still staring directly at Ruby. The Burtons had a lively New Year¡¯s Eve family dinner, and he didn¡¯t know if it was because Ruby had returned to the Gregorys and was close to him, but his mood was good, and he drank a lot of alcohol. With the family gathered in warmth, a full table of delicacies steamed in front of their eyes. When Steve got up to pour wine for his father, he inadvertently glimpsed an empty seat beside him. His once-good mood then turned a little mncholic. If their engagement had not been called off, she would probably be sitting right next to him right now. The originally harmonious New Year¡¯s Eve family dinner suddenly plummeted his mood to rock bottom. Now, she was just standing in front of him like this, ungracefully dressed in her pajamas, and it made him so dazed for a moment that he forgot to speak. Ruby stood at the door, hesitated for a while before she finally gathered up all her courage and pressed the doorbell. The doorbell rang only half a ring, and the door was pulled open, scaring her, and she instinctively stepped back. Then she looked up and saw Steve, still wearing his casual clothes from the afternoon, squatting down, tying his shoces, and not looking up at the visitor. Ruby felt a bit awkward, nervously not knowing what to say. Just as she was thinking about whether she should quietly leave, Steve looked up, saw her at the door, and their eyes collided without warning. Fortunately, he spoke first, and then she finally replied. But after just two dry exchanges of words, he just stared at her without saying a word.
Ruby gathered a lot of courage to find him, but now seeing him silent, she only thought he didn¡¯t want to deal with her. Suddenly, she felt an unspeakable embarrassment and difort at the bottom of her heart, just like the time when she cared about him but was ridiculed by his furious anger. Ruby bit her lip, her fingers gripping her clothes tightly, and forced a smile, ¡°If you don¡¯t have a candle, I¡¯ll go borrow one from the neighboring house.¡± It was only then that Steve suddenly came to his senses and saw Ruby turning around to leave. Without thinking, he anxiously said, ¡°Wait a moment.¡± He didn¡¯t wait for a response from Ruby and hurriedly turned around, heading into the house. After taking two steps, Steve remembered something, stopped, and said to Ruby, who was still lingering at the door, ¡°You shoulde in and sit down.¡± Ruby hesitated at the door for a moment before nodding gently and walking in. Steve pointed to the sofa, motioning for her to sit, then brought her a ss of warm water and ced it in front of her. Ruby smiled at Steve and said, ¡°Thank you.¡± When Ruby took the ss of water, her fingers identally touched Steve¡¯s warm fingertips. The man¡¯s whole body shuddered for a moment, and he stared at Ruby for a big while before standing up hurriedly and turning around to find a candle. Chapter 576: 576: Wait a little longer before giving up (16) Chapter 576: Chapter 576: Wait a little longer before giving up (16) Steve Burton, though looking for candles, had his mindpletely focused on Ruby Gregory. He rubbed his fingertips that she had just touched, realizing it was not a dream when her warmth hadpletely vanished from his skin¡ªRuby Gregory had reallye to his house to borrow candles! He suddenly felt grateful that he hadn¡¯t stayed on the mountaintop to watch the fireworks or went to y cards early. Ruby sat on the sofa with the ss of water handed to her by Steve, watching him rummaging through his entire house, trying to find the candles. He had one shoe on and the other off, and the shoce wasn¡¯t tied, swinging with each step. Her gaze lingered on his left leg, noticing he kept it straight while walking. How could Steve know where the candles were kept in his house? The maids usually took care of these trivial matters. He searched the entire living room, which had been cleaned and tidied for New Year¡¯s only that afternoon, making it look as if it had been robbed and ransacked. Ruby reluctantly put down her ss of water and stood up. ¡°If you can¡¯t find them, don¡¯t worry about it¡­¡± ¡°I have them!¡± Steve interrupted her without waiting for her to finish speaking. The power had cut off, likely due to a circuit issue or a breaker tripping. He only needed to check the breaker, which would take less than a minute, and didn¡¯t actually need to borrow candles. He had never thought of disturbing her when she didn¡¯t take the initiative to visit him. But now that she had unexpectedly appeared before him, he desperately wanted to prolong this private time, making itst a little longer.
After finishing, Steve took out his phone and said to Ruby, ¡°Wait a moment.¡± Then, he dialed a number. ¡°Mrs. Taylor? It¡¯s Steve Burton¡­ Where did you put the candles in the house?¡± His tone was gentle when asking. Walking towards the back room, he pushed open the door at the end, not closing it behind him. Ruby could hear his voice from the living room, now angry and stern, ¡°Don¡¯t you know that candles are essential household items? What are you doing putting them at the bottom of the box in the storage room?¡± ¡°None of your business why I¡¯m looking for candles!¡± With hisst yell, Ruby saw Steveing out of the room holding two packs of candles. Steve walked up to Ruby, handing her the candles, his tone clear of any anger from his phone conversation, ¡°Is this enough?¡± One pack of candles had about six, so two packs made twelve. Ruby didn¡¯t really have a power outage, so she just took one pack and said, ¡°Thank you.¡± Upon receiving the candles, Ruby nced at Steve¡¯s left leg unconsciously. She moved her lips, not knowing how to ask about his injury. After borrowing the candles, was she going to leave? Steve¡¯s throat moved, subconsciously wanting to talk to Ruby, so he asked, ¡°Do you need a lighter?¡± Chapter 577: 577: Wait a little longer before giving up (17) Chapter 577: Chapter 577: Wait a little longer before giving up (17) After Steve Burton asked the question, he didn¡¯t wait for Ruby Gregory to answer and took a lighter used by the Burtons for smoking from under the tea table and handed it to her. Ruby epted it and said ¡°Thank you¡± again, still thinking in her mind how to broach the subject of asking Steve to go to the hospital. The living room fell silent as Steve stared at Ruby for a long time before finally turning his gaze away. If he could, he would have liked to stand here with her, forever. But he knew she had to return to the Gregorys. Wanting to spend more time with her, he cleared his throat and asked, ¡°Do you want me to take you home?¡± Ruby moved her lips but didn¡¯t respond. Steve put the wax candles he held on the tea table, then took the candles and lighter from Ruby¡¯s hands and said, ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡± With that, he walked to the foyer area first and put on the other shoe. Ruby still stood there, motionless. She saw Steve¡¯s left leg trembling visibly as he slid it into the shoe. Perhaps from the pain, his movements to tie the shoces were hasty, and even after tying, he lifted his fingers and pressed hard on his left leg before slowly standing up. Although his back was to her, she could clearly feel that he must have grimaced in pain and took a sharp breath before turning towards her, pretending to be fine, and said in a light tone, ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡± Ruby¡¯s fingers slightly curled, and then she walked towards Steve. Ruby followed at Steve¡¯s left, her lowered eyes fixed on his left leg.
They walked in silence, the firecrackers echoing non-stop in their ears, and the fireworks exploding one after another on the horizon. The trails of light fell like meteor showers, dazzlingly grand. Amid such splendor, neither of them had the heart to pay attention. One was consumed with thoughts of the other¡¯s leg, while the other wished that time could freeze. It was the first time in three years that Steve escorted Ruby home. The scene was strikingly simr to the past, but unlike before, she wasn¡¯t chattering by his side. As always, Steve stopped at the entrance of the Gregorys¡¯ house. He stood beside Ruby for a while before turning to look at her somewhat lost face, lowering his voice and saying, ¡°It¡¯s a bit cold, better go inside.¡± Ruby instinctively nced at Steve¡¯s left leg. Once upon a time, when she needed him, caring for him seemed so justified, so natural. She even wished she could find a way to care for him every day. But now, with no more opportunities to exploit or values to share between them, she realized that the concern buried deep inside her heart was so genuine, so profound, but also something she didn¡¯t know how to express with her current role. They had already parted ways, and it turned out that even the right to care was stripped away between two people separated from each other. Seeing that Ruby still hadn¡¯t moved, Steve lowered his voice and asked again, ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡± Ruby slowly shook her head at Steve, pursed her lips tightly, lowered her eyes, paused for a moment, and whispered, ¡°I¡¯ll go in, then.¡± Chapter 578: 578: Wait a little longer before giving up (18) Chapter 578: Chapter 578: Wait a little longer before giving up (18) Steve Burton gave a light nod, yet he couldn¡¯t manage to speak, to utter the word ¡°yes¡±. Ruby Gregory dipped her head lower, turned around without saying a word, and headed towards the Gregory¡¯s house. She paced quickly, and just like usual, he didn¡¯t turn away, watching her silhouette disappear into the house of the Gregorys. About five minutes after she entered, a faint light began to emerge from the house. This was the glow of a candle, far less bright and ring than the lights in the Burton¡¯s house. Steve paced two steps back and forth in front of the Gregorys¡¯ gate. After hesitating for a moment, he took a step forward and walked into the Gregory¡¯s courtyard. Maybe it was his selfishness speaking, using a candle to prolong his time with her. Now, he was thinking again of helping her solve the electricity problem, in order to spend more time with her. Though the additional time would be short, for him, it was incredibly precious. He stood at the door, using the faint light that came from his own courtyard, pressed the yellow doorbell button on the white wall. After about a minute, he heard footsteps approaching from inside. The door opened, revealing Ruby dressed in her pajamas, topped with the same old coat.
Caught by surprise, she watched him without uttering a word. Before Ruby could ask anything, Steve quickly exined himself, ¡°Today is New Year¡¯s Eve, walking around in the dark isn¡¯t considered good luck. I thought I would offer to check your circuit.¡± Ruby moved to the side. The structure of the Burtons¡¯ Mansion and the Gregory¡¯s vi were the same¡ªthe main power switch was located on the back wall. With familiarity, Steve headed over, removed the wall painting cover, opened the breakers and took out his mobile phone. He nced, noticing the main breaker was off, presumably tripped. He pretended that it was troublesome to handle and eyed those various power switches intensely for a rather long time, before he finally switched on the main breaker. The entirety of the Gregory house lit up instantly, both inside and out. Calmly, Steve hung the wall painting back, turned around and told Ruby, who was standing behind him, ¡°The circuit breaker had tripped.¡± It wasn¡¯t that the circuit breaker had tripped, she was the one who had turned off the main power¡­ Ruby thought silently, but merely nodded at Steve on the surface. Everything turned out perfectly fine now. Apparently, he had no valid reason to stay any longer. Steve cleared his throat several times, grappling to say the words ¡°I am leaving,¡± yet he couldn¡¯t articte it. The atmosphere was dead silent. Just as the silence started to be painfully awkward, Steve forced a smile, ¡°Then I¡¯d better get going.¡± Ruby stared at him without saying a word. Steve smiled again, he moved towards the front door. Ruby turned her head, watching his stiff pace. She opened her mouth to speak, but no words came out. The moment Steve opened the front door and stepped out, Ruby finally couldn¡¯t refrain from calling out, ¡°Steve Burton.¡± Ruby didn¡¯t speak, instead she moved towards Steve, face-to-face, standing at the entrance of Gregory¡¯s house. Before she could say anything, a loud noise suddenly echoed in their ears. She and Steve simultaneously turned towards it ¨Ca firework had lit up the night sky, forming the number ¡°10¡±. The subsequent noises continued nonstop, the numbers in the sky kept changing with each second. Chapter 579: 579: Wait a little longer before giving up (19) Chapter 579: Chapter 579: Wait a little longer before giving up (19) ¡°9, 8, 7, 6¡­1. At thest appearance of ¡°0¡±, thunderous cheers echoed from afar, with countless fireworks rushing into the sky in unison, stunningly beautiful. In the very center were four big characters ¨C Happy New Year. I never would¡¯ve thought that this New Year¡¯s Eve would be spent with her, counting down thest ten seconds and weing the new year together. Steve Burton gazed at the gradually disappearing words ¡°Happy New Year¡± in the sky. He turned to Ruby Gregory beside him and said, ¡°Happy New Year.¡± The fireworks at this moment were far more intense than before the countdown. Fireworks lit up the sky from all directions. Perhaps it was the breathtaking fireworks or the arrival of the New Year that painted a yful smile onto Ruby Gregory¡¯s face. When she heard Steve Burton¡¯s wishes, she turned to him and responded warmly, ¡°Happy New Year.¡± The fireworks at this moment were far more intense than before the countdown. Fireworks lit up the sky from all directions. Perhaps it was the breathtaking fireworks or the arrival of the New Year that painted a yful smile onto Ruby Gregory¡¯s face. When she heard Steve Burton¡¯s wishes, she turned to him and responded warmly, ¡°Happy New Year.¡± Steve Burton didn¡¯t utter a word as Ruby Gregory turned her gaze back towards the sky, mesmerized by the fireworks. However, his attention remained on her. Her eyes were as beautiful as ever, reflecting the colorful lights from the window, giving off a dazzling glow. The fireworks quickly fell, prompting Ruby Gregory to remember the reason for her outing with Steve Burton. She first looked into Steve Burton¡¯s eyes, then down at his left leg. After a pause, she asked, ¡°Were you¡­ nning to head out since you were putting on your shoes?¡±
He had put on his shoes because he saw the lights at The Gregorys¡¯ house go out. Worried that she would encounter some trouble in the dark, he intended to go over and check. Little did he know, she had run over to The Burtons¡¯ house to borrow a candle. Steve Burton ignored his original intent and followed Ruby Gregory¡¯s train of thoughts, nodding and responding ¡°Mmm.¡± While Ruby Gregory was previously in Ciawell, she often spent New Year¡¯s Eve with Steve Burton and his friends. She knew they tended to stay upte on New Year¡¯s Eve, often going to the city¡¯s clubs to y cards. She joined them many times, so Ruby Gregory paused to ask, ¡°Did you arrange to y cards with Rusell Henris and Edward Woods?¡± He had indeed nned to y cards. However, he had already declined the invitation since she had returned home. But he still responded with a ¡°Mmm.¡± ¡°Are you leaving now?¡± Baffled by the flurry of questions from Ruby Gregory, Steve Burton wore a puzzled expression. Then Ruby Gregory lowered her eyes before boldly asking, ¡°If you¡¯re heading out now, could you give me a ride to the city? I need to get back there too.¡± ¨C Of course, Steve Burton wouldn¡¯t decline. While Ruby Gregory went upstairs to change her clothes, he returned to The Burtons¡¯ to get his car. Just as Steve Burton parked his car at The Gregorys¡¯ doorway, he saw Ruby Gregory dressed in her new outfit and carrying her bag, striding out of The Gregorys¡¯. She pulled the car door open and sat down. Steve Burton waited for her to buckle her seatbelt before smoothly starting the car. Only after they had covered some distance did Steve Burton remember that he hadn¡¯t asked Ruby Gregory why she was headed to the city. Then it urred to her that she lived in the same residential area as Edric Reat in the city. Was she going there to see Edric?¡± Chapter 580: 580: Wait a little longer before giving up (20) Chapter 580: Chapter 580: Wait a little longer before giving up (20) Steve Burton felt a lump in his throat. He stared straight at the road ahead, swallowed hard, and nced at Ruby Gregory sitting beside him before asking, ¡°Did you¡­ make an appointment with¡­ someone?¡± Actually, he wanted to ask if she had made an appointment with Edric Reat, but just thinking of those three words made his heart ache, let alone saying them aloud. ¡°No.¡± Ruby Gregory shook her head, her gaze lowered for a moment, ncing at Steve Burton¡¯s left leg and then said, ¡°I don¡¯t feel well, like I¡¯m about to catch a cold. I¡¯ve met a lot of people during the Chinese New Year, and I want to avoid getting anyone else sick, so I thought I¡¯d get some medicine from the hospital.¡± Steve Burton¡¯s grip on the steering wheel trembled, the car skidded slightly, but it was just a brief moment before everything returned to normal. ¡°I could have just gotten some medicine from a pharmacy, but with it being New Year, they¡¯re probably all closed. I have no choice but to go to a hospital.¡± Ruby finished, then asked, ¡°Did you and Russell Henris agree to meet at The Sapphire Bistro?¡± Steve Burton nodded, his gaze scrutinizing Ruby¡¯s face. Seeing her expression calm, and not looking too sick, he felt relieved. Ruby Gregory took out her phone, checked the route map, and then said, ¡°Well, can you drop me off at the Public Hospital? It¡¯s on the way.¡± ¨C The streets of the capital city were nearly empty on New Year¡¯s Eve, with even fewer taxis than usual, let alone other vehicles. When Steve Burton drove into the Public Hospital, Ruby opened her bag, rummaging inside as if looking for something.
Steve parked the car steadily in front of the emergency building and switched off the engine without hesitation, intending to apany Ruby out of the car. But she let out a soft ¡°ah¡± and turned to look at him, her expression somewhat embarrassed, ¡°Um¡­ I left in a hurry and didn¡¯t bring my wallet¡­¡± Her wallet was actually in her bag, but she was just looking for an excuse to deceive Steve intoing into the hospital with her. Although Ruby didn¡¯t really lose her wallet and wasn¡¯t really asking him to pay for her, when it came to actually uttering the second part of her sentence, her face inevitably turned red: ¡°Um, can I trouble you to, uh¡­ help me pay?¡± Ruby¡¯sst three words were rather faint andcking confidence. Steve had every intention of apanying Ruby into the emergency building, and upon hearing her words, immediately nodded without hesitation, then removed the car keys and got out of the car first. Ruby followed, pushing the door open and getting out of the car. She waited for Steve to lock it before turning around and walking into the emergency building. Ruby had some change in her pocket, so when they entered the building, she rushed to register. There were fewer people in the hospital on New Year¡¯s Eve than usual, with only a few individuals registering for emergency care. After Ruby registered, she waved her medical record in her hand at Steve and then headed towards an office. Inside the office, there was a male doctor. Ruby handed over her registration slip and medical record without looking at Steve. Instead, she stretched out her hand, pointed at him, and said simply and clearly, ¡°He¡¯s the one who needs treatment. His left leg is injured.¡± Chapter 581: 581: Wait a moment, before giving up (21) Chapter 581: Chapter 581: Wait a moment, before giving up (21) Steve Burton seemed to be struck by an acupoint, standing rigidly in ce, unmoving, his heart even seemed to stop in that moment. He was as if turned to stone, staring nkly at Ruby Gregory¡¯s delicate fair fingers which she pointed at him, his mind a nk, bereft of all thinking ability. The male doctor nced at Steve, then pointed to the bed behind him, saying, ¡°Sit down and lift your pants. If you can¡¯t lift them, then take them off.¡± After speaking, the doctor got up and went over to the wash basin, washing his hands with disinfectant, then proceeded to take the antiseptic liquid, ointment, and bandage, and headed towards the bed. Seeing that Steve was still standing in ce, he frowned, ¡°Come over.¡± Ruby turned her head, looking at Steve, and echoed the doctor¡¯s words. ¡°Steve, the doctor is calling you over.¡± Steve did not respond. Feeling a bit embarrassed, Ruby smiled at the doctor and shouted again, ¡°Steve,e on.¡± Steve still didn¡¯t react, his gaze still locked on Ruby. Fearing the doctor would get impatient, Ruby instinctively reached out her hand, grabbed Steve¡¯s arm, and pulled him towards the bed. Steve was still not processing what was happening. When Ruby pulled him, he automatically moved forward with her momentum.
Ruby pulled Steve to the side of the bed, indicated for him to sit down, and seeing him still staring at her without moving, she twisted her brows, and pped his shoulder hard. ¡°Sit down!¡± Steve seemed toe back to himself slightly, but his gaze never left Ruby¡¯s face. Heplied obediently, sitting on the bed, then resumed his previous state, showing no further reaction. Inside, Ruby was getting anxious. The doctor was watching and he was behaving like a wooden doll! Ruby apologized to the doctor with a smile, then she patted Steve¡¯s shoulders even harder, ¡°Hey, stop daydreaming! Hurry up and roll up your pants, the doctor is waiting to examine your injury!¡± Steve came back slightly again, seemingly undeterred by her forceful ps, only responding with a grunt to Ruby. Then, he lifted up his pants like an automaton, revealing the bandages around his calf that he¡¯d haphazardly put on, from which some red was seeping through. Ruby stood on the side as the doctor, after donning disposable gloves, began to remove the bandages on Steve¡¯s leg,yer byyer. When Madeleine was describing Steve¡¯s wound, Ruby only felt a sense of unease, as she was unable to imagine the severity of the injury. Now, seeing it with her own eyes, with flesh exposed and blood seeping out, the shocking cruelty of the scene caused Ruby to close her eyes and turn away. Her body began to ache sympathetically. Although Ruby kept resisting the urge to look at the gruesome sight, she was unable to help herself from taking a sneaky peek. The doctor started Steve¡¯s disinfection by using forceps to handle arge cotton ball soaked in alcohol, wiping the injured area. Ruby felt it was painful just looking at it. But Steve was as if he had lost all sensations, his gaze still fixed on her, even a faint smile appearing at the corner of his lips. Chapter 582: 582: Wait a little longer before giving up (22) Chapter 582: Chapter 582: Wait a little longer before giving up (22) Ruby Gregory couldn¡¯t understand why Steve Burton wasughing so strangely. Was he in pain? Despite his miserable appearance, he could stillugh! The wound was quite severe. After disinfecting it, the doctor started stitching Steve¡¯s wound. Before stitching, the doctor injected him with anesthesia so Steve didn¡¯t feel any pain, except for a little difort during the disinfection. However, Ruby, who was standing by his side, watched anxiously. It was a long wound. The doctor had to stitch it with 20 sutures. After the stitching, the doctor applied ointment to the wound, then wrapped it with a new bandage. The doctor returned to his desk, made a note in the medical record, clicked a few times on theputer, and prescribed several medications. Then he exined to Ruby how to use them. Ruby paid the fees, picked up the medications, and when she returned, Steve was still sitting on the bed, maintaining his posture during the stitching. Ruby called out Steve¡¯s name. Seeing no response, Ruby walked over and patted his shoulder three times forcefully: ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡± Steve immediately stood up and walked toward the door. Ruby followed, and patted his shoulder several more times before stopping. She pointed at his rolled-up pants and said, ¡°Your pants!¡±
Steve hurriedly nodded, bent down, and pulled down his pants. With the medications in hand, Ruby walked out of the hospital ward. Steve followed without any hesitation. As they left the emergency building, cold wind hit their faces. Steve sobered up a bit, and slowly digested everything that had just happened inside. He looked at Ruby with a faint, fragmented glow in his eyes. Ruby stood in front of Steve¡¯s car, not getting in. Instead, she asked, ¡°Are you going to The Sapphire Bistroter?¡± Before Steve could respond, Ruby tilted her head, examined the prescriptions one by one, and then handed them to Steve, exining, ¡°This is an oral anti-inmmatory medication that can reduce swelling. Take it three times a day. Due to the severity of your wound, take four pills with each meal. After a week, when the swelling subsides, take two pills with each meal.¡± ¡°And this one, another anti-inmmatory medicine, should be taken twice a day, two pills each time until finished.¡± ¡°Thisst one is for external use. The doctor said he¡¯s bandaged it well, so you don¡¯t need to touch it or take a bath now. Come back in three days for a new bandage, and in seven days to have your stitches removed. When you no longer need to bandage the wound, apply this ointment.¡± Beyond the New Year¡¯s Eve, the entire city seemed quieter, with asional fireworks in the sky. Ruby¡¯s gentle voice reached Steve¡¯s ears. Steve hadn¡¯t looked at the medications in her hand. His eyes were always on her face. ¡°Also, the doctor said you mustn¡¯t eat spicy food or drink alcohol these days. During the New Year, there may be visits to rtives, where alcohol is inevitable. Still, you better give it a break to avoid making your condition worse,¡± Ruby warned. Ruby ryed everything the doctor had told her. After telling Steve, she put the medications in a bag, looked up at Steve, and their eyes met. PS: I¡¯ll continue updating tomorrow! I¡¯m a little tired today, so no cute antics. I¡¯ll just read some of thements to see if everyone likes me even when I¡¯m not being adorable. There are 400 spots left in the group: 392070740 Chapter 583: 583: Wait a little longer before giving up (23) Chapter 583: Chapter 583: Wait a little longer before giving up (23) Ruby Gregory ryed to Steve Burton everything the doctor had told her. After doing so, she put all the medicines into a bag. Then she lifted her head, looking at Steve whose gaze remained fixed on her. When Ruby was little, she would always stare at him with her big, ck, innocent eyes, without shyness or fear. However, when she grew up and started to go out of her way to please him in hope of marriage, she became afraid to meet his eyes, for fear that he might see through her intentions. But now, all her reservations were gone. As their eyes met, she hesitated slightly, then looked straight into Steve¡¯s eyes. In the depths of his unfathomable, dark eyes, there was such a bright, dazzling light that it attracted Ruby and she couldn¡¯t look away. For a moment, her mind went nk, forgetting what she was meant to say next. Steve only regained his wits when the soft, warm voice at his ear ceased. He then found Ruby¡¯s clear, beautiful eyes gazing straight at him. In the bright light outside the emergency room entrance, he could clearly see his own reflection in the depth of her eyes. Slowly, Steve¡¯s gaze became a bit profound, and a warmth spread across his body. He quickly averted his eyes from Ruby¡¯s face and stared at the barren tree branches in the distance. Swallowing hard twice, he suppressed his inner impulse, then cleared his throat and uttered a curt ¡°Hmm¡± as acknowledgment. Only then did Ruby snap back to her senses, realizing she had been staring nkly at Steve. Her face turned slightly red from embarrassment, she handed the bag of medicine to Steve and murmured with her eyes downcast, ¡°The medicine is all inside.¡± Upon hearing Ruby¡¯s words, Steve took a deep breath before turning back. He reached out and took the bag from her hand. Ruby kept her eyes downcast, not daring to meet Steve¡¯s. As he took the bag, she quickly lifted her eyelids and stole a nce at him, only to find their eyes once again meet.
Her whole body shuddered as if electrified, her face flushing red. She swiftly averted her gaze and quickly said, ¡°Then you go to the Sapphire Bistro and have fun with Rusell and the others. I should leave now.¡± From her words, Steve quickly sensed something was off, ¡°Why don¡¯t you join us?¡± Had it not been for the fact that she had to bring him to the hospital, she, now expecting, would have long been in bed. Without giving it much thought, Ruby Gregory rejected the idea outright, ¡°I can¡¯t, I have to go home.¡± ¡°I have to go home¡±¡­ as if someone was waiting for her at home. Was it Edric? Steve slightly pursed his lips. After a long pause, in a somewhat downcast tone, he said, ¡°Let me drive you home then, it¡¯s prettyte.¡± ¡°No need for that, it¡¯s a long way to the Gregorys. Going back and forth would take more than an hour. I can just catch a cab,¡± Ruby contested, shaking her head. So it turned out she wasn¡¯t going back to the home she shared with Edric, but to the Gregorys¡¯¡­ Steve felt as if his mood had been on roller-coaster, up and down, full of drama all night long. Chapter 584: 584: Wait a little longer before giving up (24) Chapter 584: Chapter 584: Wait a little longer before giving up (24) Although Ruby said she would take a taxi home, she eventually got into Steve¡¯s car without insistence, and he drove her back to the Gregorys¡¯ house. Throughout the journey, Steve seemed to be in a good mood, constantly looking at Ruby through the rearview mirror. He even deliberately turned on the car radio, allowing the gentle music to fill the vehicle. Steve wasn¡¯t driving too fast, and his mind was filled with thoughts of tonight¡¯s events with Ruby. Everything that happened tonight was so sudden, giving him no time to prepare. There were many details he hadn¡¯t fully digested. As he drove, he slowly reyed every moment, and the more he thought about it, the bigger his smile grew, evenughing softly when he thought about Ruby pointing at him and telling the doctor that he was the one seeking treatment. After his joyful thoughts, Steve suddenly remembered that Ruby had originally told him she was sick with a cold and needed to go to the hospital for some medicine, yet in the end, she only paid attention to his leg injury. Could it be¡­ A bold guess appeared in Steve¡¯s heart: Was Ruby¡¯s visit to the hospital tonight actually for the sake of his leg injury? This spection made Steve¡¯s heart race even faster. He felt that his guess was correct, but he was notpletely sure. Perhaps it was because he loved her so deeply and she didn¡¯t reciprocate fully, that in the end, he lost all his confidence. Steve nced at Ruby sitting in the passenger seat, likely feeling drowsy due to thete hour, her eyelids almost drooping shut.
After hesitating for a moment, he couldn¡¯t help but ask, ¡°Are you feeling better from your cold?¡± At the time, Ruby¡¯s excuse about having a cold was just something she randomly spoke. Pregnant people are naturally sleepy, and as she was sitting in the car with warm air blowing on her, she felt groggy. Suddenly hearing Steve¡¯s question, her mind didn¡¯t catch up immediately, and she stared nkly before responding, ¡°What cold?¡± So the cold was just an excuse she came up with¡­ Steve seemed to hear the joyful sound from the bottom of his heart, and his eyes lit up: ¡°Ruby, did you bring me to the hospital because of the wound on my leg?¡± Upon hearing these words, Ruby realized the intention behind Steve asking if her ¡°cold was better.¡± Caught off guard by his direct confrontation, her cheeks turned red. She quickly exined, ¡°When I returned today, I ran into Madeleine who told me that you hurt your leg a few days ago and hadn¡¯t gone to the hospital. She said it was serious, so I lied to get you to the hospital.¡± When Steve first guessed this, he was already overjoyed. When he asked for confirmation and saw her puzzled look, he knew his guess was right, and his heart filled with indescribable joy. But now, hearing her confirm his suspicion sent him from tion to ecstasy, leaving him speechless with excitement. After Ruby finished her exnation, she looked at Steve and suddenly recalled how every time she did something for him in the past, not only would he not appreciate it, but he would also get very angry, thinking she had ulterior motives for her actions. Chapter 585: 585: Wait a little longer before giving up (25) Chapter 585: Chapter 585: Wait a little longer before giving up (25) In the past, Ruby Gregory didn¡¯t care too much if her tricks were exposed by him, nor did she pay attention to how he viewed her deep down. Now, however, she found that she actually cared deeply about whether he might have suspicions about her, wondering if she had ulterior motives this time too. Seeing Steve Burton¡¯s silence, Ruby felt even more worried. After some hesitation, she quickly said, ¡°Don¡¯t overthink this. The reason I lied and brought you to the hospital is because I was worried your leg injury wasn¡¯t healing. I don¡¯t have any other intentions.¡± Fearing that Steve wouldn¡¯t believe her, she paused for a moment, then continued, ¡°Gregory¡¯s Enterprises has been bought out by Pristine¡¯s Enterprises, so it already belongs to them. There¡¯s no need for me to do anything for Gregory¡¯s Enterprises anymore. Plus, if I wanted to use you, if I wanted to marry you again, I wouldn¡¯t have thought of cancelling the marriage from the beginning.¡± Steve¡¯s heart was filled with joy, but when he heard Ruby¡¯sst statement, a flood of indescribable feelings suddenly overwhelmed him. He had always dreamed of the day Ruby would genuinely show her concern for him. He finally lived to see this day, but it was only after he had lost her. Had he been too harsh on her back then, out of anger and resentment? Was that why she hurriedly tried to rify? Steve stared at the road ahead, his lips pressed tightly together. After a long while, he finally broke the silence, saying to Ruby, ¡°Thank you.¡± Those with feelings tend to be more sensitive. Ruby had not used to be that thoughtful. Now, however, she found Steve¡¯s expression not entirely happy. She gently bent her fingers and quietly said, ¡°Actually, you don¡¯t have to thank me. Rather, I should be the one thanking you.¡± Ruby pursed her lips then continued, ¡°On that day, thank you for pulling me back at the crucial moment, protecting me from being hit by the motorbike.¡±
Steve¡¯s hand clung tightly on the steering wheel, recalling the suddenness of his arrival and departure on that day. He had thought she had not noticed that it was him who had saved her, but now he found out she knew? ¡°Your leg injury¡­ it was caused by the motorbike, wasn¡¯t it? When Madeleine told me, I felt very guilty,¡± she added. Steve felt a pang of disappointment. It turned out that her concern for him stemmed from her feeling guilty because he was injured while saving her. However, he quickly realized that his disappointment was unnecessary. The fact that Ruby genuinely showed her care for him was already enough to make him ecstatic. Did he also expect her to like him? Was he expecting her to havee to his aid out of heartache upon hearing of his injury? People are strange creatures. In the past, when she was by his side, he wished for her heart to be filled with him. Now that they had been separated and had lost each other, he realized that he didn¡¯t need her to love him. As long as she was willing to talk to him, he¡¯d be on cloud nine. ¡°Also, Madeleine mentioned that you often go to the Gardenia Clubhouse, you dissolved Evan Yanna¡¯s trap for me, right? Thank you¡­ If it wasn¡¯t for you, I might have been fired that day.¡± Ruby paused, recalling that Steve had also called a taxi for her to send her home. Chapter 586: 586: Wait a little longer before giving up (26) Chapter 586: Chapter 586: Wait a little longer before giving up (26) Suddenly, Ruby Gregory wanted to ask Steve Burton why he was still doing all these things for her after they had broken up? They had no rtionship anymore, so why was he still being so kind to her? But when the words got to her lips, she thought of the bottle of long-term contraceptive pills he had given her to take, and remembered the straightforward words he had said when he didn¡¯t want their child. Ruby¡¯s confidence wavered, and in the end, she merely moved her lips before swallowing down the question she wanted to ask. Silently, she turned her head to look out the window, her hand quietly resting on her belly. He could obviously treat her so well, but why, then, didn¡¯t he want their child, and why was he so heartless in making her take those long-term contraceptive pills? Didn¡¯t he fear that taking the pills for too long might result in her being unable to conceive in the future? Steve Burton did not speak out loud. Although he seemed to be driving attentively, his thoughts were on his own affairs. Ruby¡¯stest encounter with him had been because he got injured trying to save her. So after this interaction, would he and she still have to return to the state where they didn¡¯t disturb each other, as if they were strangers? Just thinking about it alone made Steve¡¯s heart feel heavy and ufortable. He couldn¡¯t help but slow down his driving, wanting to stretch out their remaining time together, just a little longer, a little further. But no matter how slow Steve drove, the journey would eventually end. When the car stopped steadily at the entrance to the Gregorys¡¯ mansion, Steve¡¯s eyes were slightly moist, and within him surged an impulse to grab Ruby, force her to leave her secret shelter, and return to his side. Only God knew how much self-control he had exerted that day to say those four words to cancel their marriage. Only God knew how determined he was to let go of her hand and let her pursue her own happiness.
Before Ruby unbuckled her seat belt and pushed open the car door, her fingers paused for a moment. Turning her head towards Steve, she said, ¡°I¡¯ll go in first.¡± Upon hearing those words, Steve tightly gripped the steering wheel, his gaze fixed straight ahead. He nodded slightly and gave a faint ¡°Mm.¡± The next moment, he heard the car door being pushed open and the sound of her getting out of the car. His grip on the steering wheel grew tighter, his knuckles turning white as he forced himself not to turn his head to look at her. For he was afraid that if he caught a glimpse of her, he wouldn¡¯t let her leave. About five secondster, he heard the soft sound of the car door being closed, and it hurt deep inside his heart. Steve continued to stare straight ahead. Only after roughly five minutes did he slowly turn his head. The view outside the car window was empty as she had already left, and only the yellow light from the streetmps scattered on the ground. Slowly raising his head, he saw that the yard of the Gregorys¡¯ house was empty, indicating she must have entered the house. Everything that transpired tonight was like fireworks at the stroke of New Year¡¯s Eve¡ªbrilliant for an instant and leaving behind endless sorrow and loneliness. Steve sat in his car for a while longer before stepping on the gas and driving into the Burtons¡¯ mansion. Exiting the car, he instinctively raised his head as he locked it with the key, and nced at Ruby¡¯s bedroom before walking into the house. Chapter 587: 587: Wait a little longer before giving up (27) Chapter 587: Chapter 587: Wait a little longer before giving up (27) After Ruby Gregory and Steve Burton met on New Year¡¯s Eve, the two of them had no interactions whatsoever. Maxwell Gregory and Lady Gregory were busy seeing friends and rtives all day, hardly ever home. In the past, when Ruby Gregory was home for the new year, she would go out with them to visit rtives. Now that she was pregnant, and coincidentally on the first day of the Chinese New Year, a cold air mass arrived with drastically low temperatures. So, Ruby Gregory stayed in the house all day. Staying in the house all day got rather boring, asionally when the midday sun was good, Ruby Gregory would take a stroll in the garden. The neighboring Burtons family was originallyrge, with everyone returning home for the New Year making it even livelier. Ruby Gregory would nce over into their yard during her walks in the sun, but she has never seen Steve Burton since. On the third day of the lunar year, Madeleine paid a visit to the Gregorys. Perhaps it was because they encountered each other on this day, when Ruby got off her car early and walked back home after hearing so much information regarding Steve Burton that Madeleine became cautious when chatting with her. She was deliberately avoiding the topic of Steve, but Ruby still knew from listening between the lines that Steve Burton had a rxed few days, very lucky with poker, and won lots of money. ¨C True to Madeleine¡¯s unintentional revtion to Ruby Gregory, Steve Burton was indeed having a pretty good time this Chinese New Year, with surprisingly good luck and winning a lot of money. In the end, people like Rusell Henris simply refused to y with him, he then just stayed at the Burtons¡¯ Mansion, doing less and less and amusing his little nephew in his free time. Steve Burton had taken the medicine Ruby Gregory had prescribed for him during their hospital visit, on the third day of the lunar year, he even ran to the hospital in the evening to refill his medication. The doctor said his wounds were healing well. During these few days, he has seen Ruby Gregory several times, mostly when she was strolling in the courtyard. From his own room, he could just see her. Once, at eight o¡¯clock in the evening, he drove home, parked the car, and habitually looked at her room, only to see her pacing back and forth on the balcony of her room, with a phone in her hand, seemingly on a call. No matter how many times Steve Burton intentionally or unintentionally saw Ruby Gregory, he never conversed with her, nor thought of disturbing her, even if he wanted to, he didn¡¯t act on it.
Before the Chinese New Year, Steve Burton had instructed Rusell Henris to find a time to arrange a meeting with Maya Mitchell. He was busy with work before the New Year, and he spent most of the afternoons at the Gardenia Clubhouse, so the meeting with Maya Mitchell was scheduled for the sixth day of the lunar year, at noon. The location was arranged by secretary Ms. Taylor, choosing a caf¨¦ in a shopping mall not far from Pristine¡¯s Enterprises. Due to the New Year, there were fewer people in the shopping mall. When Steve Burton arrived, Maya Mitchell was already waiting inside. Maya Mitchell was always alert to the movement at the caf¨¦ entrance, so the moment she saw Steve Burton appear, she immediately stood up, waved at the entrance, and called out, ¡°Mr. Burton.¡± Before Steve Burton could ask the waiter, he heard Maya Mitchell¡¯s voice. He nodded politely at the waiter, walked over to Maya Mitchell, and sat down. Chapter 588: Wait a little longer before giving up (28) Chapter 588: Chapter 588: Wait a little longer before giving up (28) Maya Mitchell painted her face with delicate makeup, making her facial features more profound and three-dimensional. It was a severe winter day, but she wore only thin stockings along with a low-cut maroon dress as a baseyer, paired with ck high boots. Her long hair had been styled into beautiful,rge waves, sensually draped behind her. A red gemstone ne hung around her pale neck, dangling into the exposed half of her cleavage. As soon as Steve Burton sat down, Maya called the waiter over and handed him the menu. She took it herself and handed it to Steve. Her body must have been sprayed with perfume; a rich scent filled Steve¡¯s nostrils with every movement she made. Steve didn¡¯t stand on ceremony, reaching out to take the menu Maya handed him. He flipped a page and saw mocha coffee listed, so he ordered one directly and pushed the menu over to Maya. Maya did not look at the menu, instead telling the waiter directly, ¡°Same as him.¡± Steve raised his eyelids to nce at Maya but did not speak. The waiter smiled, took the menus, and left. In less than five minutes, the coffee was brought to the table by the waiter. Maya added sweetener and creamer before taking a sip. Then she looked at Steve and made casual conversation, ¡°Happy New Year. Although it¡¯s six dayste, I¡¯m sure it¡¯s not thetest one.¡± Steve, with his eyes downcast, stirred the coffee in front of him. Hearing Maya¡¯s words, he reached out to take a sip of his coffee but stopped when he realized that she had ordered the same drink as him. He put the cup back on the table, paused for about five seconds, and leaned back into his chair with his long legs crossed. He replied, somewhat perfunctorily, ¡°Notte.¡± Only three words,cking the proper exchange of ¡°Happy New Year¡± pleasantries in response. Maya¡¯s expression showed a hint of disappointment. After hesitating for a moment, she forced a bright-eyed, white-toothed smile and spoke again, ¡°Mr. Burton, was there anything you wanted to discuss when you asked me out?¡± Steve gently scratched the table with his fingertip and asked Maya, ¡°How much is your current sry?¡± Maya blinked, not understanding the meaning behind Steve¡¯s question, but still honestly answered, ¡°US$3,400.¡± ¡°$3,400¡­ A bit underpaid¡­¡± Steve said and then pondered for a moment before looking up at Maya, ¡°Seems like I underestimated your work abilities.¡± Again, Maya blinked, still not understanding the meaning behind Steve¡¯s words. ¡°I didn¡¯t expect you to be sopetent after job-hopping,¡± Steve said, uncrossing his legs and leaning slightly forward to look Maya in the eyes. He went straight to the point, ¡°How about $5,500? Would you consider a position with this sry?¡± Maya blinked her eyes incredulously once more before taking a sip of her coffee. Then she smiled and asked, ¡°Mr. Burton, are you trying to get me to job-hop again?¡± Steve shrugged his shoulders, not saying anything. Maya met Steve¡¯s eyes and continued, ¡°Then, Mr. Burton, what position do you have in mind for me? It can¡¯t be that you expect to pay me $5,500 and have me go back to being your secretary, right?¡± Steve chuckled lightly, ¡°Indeed, being a secretary would be a waste of your talents.¡± After a pause, Steve said, ¡°How does Market Department¡¯s Manager at Gregory¡¯s Enterprises sound?¡± Chapter 589: Wait a little longer before giving up (29) Chapter 589: Chapter 589: Wait a little longer before giving up (29) ¡°Gregory¡¯s Enterprises¡­¡± Maya Mitchell thought of it as Ruby Gregory¡¯s familypany and hesitated for a moment. Then she remembered that Gregory¡¯s Enterprises had been acquired by Steve Burton. After that, she looked at Steve with burning eyes and asked, ¡°The position Mr. Burton offers me is really not low. However, Mr. Burton initially drove me out of Pristine¡¯s Enterprises for Ruby. Why did you think of pulling me back now?¡± Steve spread his hands, ¡°Now, she and I are no longer rted, right?¡± Maya was amused by Steve¡¯s words, and she chuckled with a slight smile. It seemed that she was in a very good mood, and her eyebrows and eyes rose: ¡°Mr. Burton, you have so much confidence in me and are sure that I can develop the business of Gregory¡¯s Enterprises well?¡± ¡°If I wasn¡¯t sure, I wouldn¡¯t waste time sitting here talking to you, right?¡± Steve said, paused for a moment, then took out a business card from his pocket and pushed it in front of Maya. ¡°You know my work style. I appreciate anyone with abilities, but it doesn¡¯t mean I will amodate someone with abilities without limits. This card has my private contact information. If you are interested in the job change, give me a call. I¡¯ll give you three days to think about it. After three days, if I don¡¯t hear from you, I¡¯ll consider it a rejection of my offer.¡± Maya had been with Steve for more than three years and had never known his private phone number. The reason she worked so hard was just to find another way to get closer to Steve. Now that he personally reached out to dig her into a subsidiarypany of Pristine¡¯s Enterprises, she had no reason to refuse, right? Maya blinked and looked up at Steve, asking, ¡°Mr. Burton, when can I start working?¡± ¡°Afterpleting the resignation procedures from your currentpany, you can start the next day.¡± ¡°Good, give me a week¡¯s time, and I¡¯ll report to Gregory¡¯s Enterprises on time.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll be waiting for the good news,¡± Steve paused for a moment, nced at Maya, and continued indifferently, ¡°I hope you can achieve better results at Gregory¡¯s Enterprises than at your currentpany.¡± Did this mean from now on, she would be Steve¡¯s capable subordinate and start fighting side by side with him? Suddenly, a touch of emotion emerged at the bottom of Maya¡¯s heart. After all these years of secret love, she finally saw a glimmer of tiny hope. ¡°Mr. Burton, rest assured, I will make Gregory¡¯s Enterprises the bestpany under the banner of Pristine¡¯s Enterprises.¡± ¨C After talking with Maya, Steve excused himself and returned to his car. He raised his hand and rubbed his forehead slightly. He was a bit disgusted at the thought of having to deal with her again after their first contact, which was just the beginning of his scheme. However, thinking of the expression on Maya¡¯s face when the final oue would be revealed, Steve suddenly felt that such a confrontation was not uneptable. With this thought, Steve looked out of the window, and a hint of coldness shed across his eyes. ¨C After seeing Maya, Steve drove straight back to West Suburb Vi District. As the car approached the entrance of The Burtons¡¯ Mansion, Steve saw Rusell Henris¡¯s car in front of him. Steve stepped on the gas to catch up and then honked the horn, rolling down the car window. Chapter 590: 590: Wait a little longer before giving up (30) Chapter 590: Chapter 590: Wait a little longer before giving up (30) Russell nced through the rearview mirror and saw Steve¡¯s car. As he lowered his car window, Steve did the same and slowed down a little: ¡°Steve.¡± Steve also slowed down, keeping his car parallel with Russell¡¯s, then asked: ¡°Where to?¡± ¡°To the Gregorys¡¯.¡± After answering the question, Russell realized he had said something he shouldn¡¯t have and closed his mouth after looking at Steve. The Gregorys¡¯¡­ Steve¡¯s eyes paused for a moment, his expression as calm as ever: ¡°What are you going to do there?¡± ¡°A couple of days ago, Uncle Gregory went fishing with my Dad and gave him a good fishing rod. My sister just returned from Oceania today and brought a few boxes of good red wine. My Dad wanted to gift a box to Uncle Gregory since he likes to drink, so he asked me to deliver it now.¡± Steve nodded but didn¡¯t say anything. The entrance to the Gregorys¡¯ vi was just ahead. Russell stepped on the brake and, after some thought, said, ¡°Are you free now? If so, help me carry this red wine. It¡¯s a bit too much for one person.¡± ¨C Ruby was about to return to work at Gardenia Clubhouse on the seventh day of the lunar year. She had been at home for seven days, but she hadn¡¯t told Lady Gregory and Maxwell about her pregnancy. She was already more than 80 days pregnant and would soon be close to three months. At that time, her belly would begin to show. As it was winter, she could wear loose clothes to hide her belly until three or four months, but when she would be four or five months pregnant, her belly would start to grow visibly. By then, the weather would turn warm and she would wear thin clothes. She wouldn¡¯t be able to conceal it.
If Lady Gregory and Maxwell knew that the child was Steve¡¯s, the Burtons would undoubtedly find out quickly. At that point, the two families would certainly push for them to marry again because of the child. Initially, it was because of the Gregorys¡¯ business, and now, it will be because of the child¡­ Must their marriage always rely on other reasons? And more importantly, it was still uncertain if Steve wanted the child in her belly. If he found out she secretly kept the child he didn¡¯t want¡­ Ruby couldn¡¯t guess what Steve would do when he found out the truth, but as the baby stayed longer in her belly, she became more afraid to take the risk. Eventually, she decided to ¡°confess¡± to Lady Gregory and Maxwell first. Ruby didn¡¯t take her afternoon nap and anxiously waited for Maxwell and Lady Gregory to wake up from their post-lunch nap. When they emerged from their bedroom, she stood up and gestured for them to sit. Ruby sat opposite them, took a deep breath, and suppressed her slight nervousness. Then, she looked at them and said, ¡°Dad, Mom, I have something to tell you.¡± Seeing Ruby¡¯s serious expression, Maxwell and Lady Gregory also became nervous. Ruby didn¡¯t wait for Maxwell and Lady Gregory to speak and took the opportunity to continue: ¡°I¡¯m pregnant.¡± ¨C Although Steve had been trying to avoid disturbing Ruby, he couldn¡¯t refuse Russell¡¯s request for help in the end. He told himself that he only wanted to see her and had no other intentions. As they entered the vi with Russell carrying a box of red wine, a servant who happened to be in the yard opened the door for them. Steve was the first to step inside. Before he could steady himself, he heard Ruby¡¯s familiar voice: ¡°I¡¯m pregnant.¡± PS: That¡¯s it for today~~ New group chat: 427882245 As per national regtions, the male protagonist can only tease the female protagonist, so he definitely won¡¯t tease Maya~ Those who haven¡¯t read the whole story shouldn¡¯t criticize me for not writing abuse. Wait for the male protagonist to finish abusing the secondary female character before youin! Furthermore, the regtions also state that online novels should not depict illegal activities and should be focused on spreading a positive image. Therefore, there will be no plots involving gang-r4pe, being shot to d3ath, etc.! Chapter 591: 591: Wait a little longer before giving up (31) Chapter 591: Chapter 591: Wait a little longer before giving up (31) Just then, a servant was in the courtyard and saw Steve Burton and Rusell Henris carrying in a box of red wine. The servant immediately stepped forward to open the door of The Gregorys¡¯ Vi for them. As Steve entered, before he even steadied his footsteps, he heard Ruby Gregory¡¯s familiar voice: ¡°I¡¯m pregnant.¡± Steve felt as if his head had been struck by a bolt of lightning, and his footsteps came to an abrupt halt at the entrance. Pregnant¡­ Ruby Gregory was pregnant. Whose child was it inside her belly? The fingers of Steve¡¯s hand holding the box of red wine curled up, gripping the wooden box tightly. Rusell Henris noticed Steve¡¯s sudden stop and quickly halted his own footsteps as well. Raising his head, he wanted to ask Steve what was wrong, but instead heard the voices of Lady Gregory and Maxwell Gregory, one after another,ing from inside the house. ¡°What? Ruby, you¡¯re pregnant?¡± ¡°Ruby, when did you get pregnant? Whose is it?¡± ¡°Is it Steve¡¯s?¡± ¡°Since you already knew you were pregnant, why did you cancel the wedding with Steve? What about the child?¡± A look of surprise appeared in Henris¡¯s eyes. He unconsciously turned his head to nce at Steve, whose expression seemed somewhatplex, like expectation mixed with fear. Perhaps it was contagious, but Rusell also began to feel an inexplicable tension.
The room inside was quiet, and so was the entrance. The entire atmosphere seemed frozen in ce. After about ten seconds, Ruby¡¯s soft, slow voice finally emerged: ¡°The child isn¡¯t Steve¡¯s¡­¡± Rusell clearly felt that when Ruby spoke those words, the box of red wine he and Steve were holding together shook violently. The surrounding air became somewhat heavy, as if a powerful oppressive force was enveloping him, making it difficult even to breathe. This time, there was no sound from Maxwell Gregory. Instead, Lady Gregory seemed particrly emotional, her voice bing sharper: ¡°If the child isn¡¯t Steve¡¯s, then whose is it? Ruby, you need to tell us clearly what happened!¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry; I¡¯ve kept this from you for so long. I¡­¡± Ruby seemed unsure of how to continue. She paused for about three seconds before saying, ¡°I n to get married.¡± ¡°Marriage? With whom? Ruby, marriage is not child¡¯s y. How could you suddenly decide to get married? Why didn¡¯t you tell us beforehand?¡± Lady Gregory¡¯s emotions became even more agitated. Rusell distinctly felt that his breathing was bing difficult, and he dared not even let out a sigh. He maintained a stiff posture, not daring to look at Steve standing in front of him. Compared to Lady Gregory¡¯s agitation, Ruby¡¯s voice sounded calm, as if she wasying her cards on the table: ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I was afraid you wouldn¡¯t agree, but now there¡¯s a child in my belly¡­¡± ¡°His name is Edric Reat, a college ssmate of mine, studied abroad in Costa Luna. He returned to Ciawell six months ago and is currently working as a manager for a foreignpany. And most importantly, he treats me very well¡­¡± Ruby briefly introduced Edric, and eventually said, ¡°We never nned on having children, but since it happened unexpectedly, we can¡¯t bring ourselves to give it up.¡± Upon saying this, Ruby paused for a moment and then told a lie: ¡°The child has been with us for fifty days.¡± Chapter 592: 592: Wait a little longer before giving up (32) Chapter 592: Chapter 592: Wait a little longer before giving up (32) Ruby Gregory finished her long exnation in one breath. Once again, the room fell into a long silence. The servant who had opened the door for Rusell Henris and Steve Burton saw that the two men were still standing at the entrance without entering. Unable to help herself, she put down the potted nts she was tending to and walked up to them, asking politely, ¡°Mr. Burton, Mr. Henris, why aren¡¯t you going in?¡± Steve Burton did not respond, but Rusell Henris came to his senses first. He let out an ¡°uh¡± but did not know what else to say. The servant had no idea what had happened. Without waiting for Rusell Henris to speak again, she smiled at the people in the room and called out, ¡°Sir, Madam, Miss, Mr. Burton and Mr. Henris are here¡­¡± The atmosphere suddenly became strange. After about half a minute, footsteps could be hearding from inside the room. Lady Gregory walked over and put on a stiff smile when she saw Rusell Henris and Steve Burton. ¡°Steve, Rusell is here. Pleasee in.¡± Rusell Henris still did not dare to look at Steve Burton¡¯s expression. He hurriedly greeted Lady Gregory, ¡°Hello, Aunt Gregory.¡± As soon as his voice fell, Steve Burton¡¯s polite and respectful voice rang out, ¡°Hello, Aunt.¡± Following his words, he lifted the box of red wine in his hand and headed into the room. Rusell Henris finally took a nce at Steve Burton. The man seemed calm, but it was this calmness that frightened Rusell to no end.
Rusell Henris held his breath and followed Steve Burton. Steve Burton and Rusell Henris ced the box of red wine on the floor. Maxwell Gregory and Ruby Gregory had already stood up from the sofa. Ruby did not say anything, but Maxwell Gregory pointed to a vacant spot on the sofa and said, ¡°Come, sit.¡± Just as Rusell Henris was considering whether to decline directly, Steve Burton strode forward and sat down. Rusell had no choice but to follow him and sit down beside Steve. Then he looked at Ruby, whom he hadn¡¯t seen for a long time, and greeted her with a smile, ¡°Ruby.¡± When Ruby heard the words ¡°Mr. Burton¡± from the servant¡¯s mouth, she was shocked. Seeing Steve sitting in front of her, her heart filled with panic. Hearing Rusell¡¯s call, she nced at Steve before looking at Rusell. She smiled and called out, ¡°Rusell.¡± The marriage between Ruby and Steve had been arranged and then canceled. The atmosphere in the room was naturally awkward. Adding to the fact that they had just heard Ruby¡¯s earlier words, the atmosphere became almost solid. To ease the tension, after greeting Ruby, Rusell immediately said, ¡°Uncle Gregory, my father thanks you for the fishing rod you sent him. Knowing you like to drink red wine, he specially asked me to bring you some.¡± Thinking of Steve Burton, who hade with him, Rusell added, ¡°Steve happened to be at my house, and the red wine is a bit heavy, so he helped me carry it over here.¡± Maxwell Gregory followed Rusell¡¯s words with a smile, ¡°That was really thoughtful of Mr. Henris, but thank you both for making the trip.¡± Rusell understood and replied, ¡°Not at all. I should have visited you earlier, Uncle Gregory.¡± Lady Gregory personally brewed a pot of tea and brought it over. Hearing these words, sheughed along and said, ¡°I was just thinking of getting your uncle to quit drinking, but now with such good wine delivered to the door, I can¡¯t control him anymore.¡± Chapter 593: 593: Wait a little longer before giving up (33) Chapter 593: Chapter 593: Wait a little longer before giving up (33) Saying this, Lady Gregory poured tea for Russell Henris and Steve Burton. Russell thanked her. Steve Burton, who had been silent since entering the room, only nodded politely at Lady Gregory and continued to remain silent. Russell helped ease the atmosphere, and both Lady Gregory and Maxwell Gregory chimed in. Nheless, the mood was still a bit awkward. Steve had not spoken a word since he arrived. His extraordinarily handsome face showed no particr expression, and his eyes looked at no one. asionally, he would stare at the teacup in front of him, seemingly lost in thought. Ruby Gregory was also silent. She politely sat with Steve and Russell in the living room for a while before finding an excuse. She said softly, ¡°I have work tomorrow, so I¡¯ll go pack my things and prepare to return to the city.¡± After receiving Lady Gregory¡¯s approval, Ruby stood up, smiled at Steve and Russell, and went upstairs. Steve waited for quite some time after Ruby had left before his gaze slowly shifted towards the staircase, appearing somewhat unfocused. After a long while, the phone in Steve¡¯s pocket rang. He stepped outside the room to answer it. It was a telemarketing call. After hanging up, Steve stood at the entrance to the Gregorys¡¯ residence for a moment before going back in and, taking advantage of the call, excused himself by saying that the Burtons had called about a matter that needed his attention. ¨C Ruby returned to her bedroom and sat on the edge of her bed, lost in thought.
Deep down, she kept wondering how much of the conversation she had with her parents was overheard by Steve. She had roped Edric Reat into this charade to deceive her parents and, by extension, Steve. To avoid arousing Steve¡¯s suspicions, she deliberately understated the duration of her pregnancy by forty days. Edric even enlisted the help of a reliable friend to alter the date of her pregnancy screening at the hospital. Thus, even if Steve were to investigate her pregnancy and question whether the child was his, ording to the altered records, the timeline would indicate that Ruby had conceived after their engagement had been annulled. He would then realize that the child in her womb had nothing to do with him. Although he had once personally administered contraceptives to her and she hadn¡¯t felt too distressed at the time, the fact that he had covertly given her contraceptives disguised as vitamins was something she could neither forgive norprehend. She had said that she would never put her child at risk. Consequently, she would never, under any circumstances, let Steve know that the child she was carrying was his. Initially, she felt forced to make such a decision. Out of necessity, she had to deceive everyone into believing that the child inside her was not Steve¡¯s. Having no other options, she pretended that the child was Edric¡¯s and that they were preparing to get married. She and Edric had, in fact, agreed on this fake marriage. Edric would find an excuse to dy the wedding, and once the child was born after the full 10-month term, the nuptials would be canceled. When she made these arrangements and decisions, she knew that Steve would find out about her marriage to Edric sooner orter. But when he did, she realized how truly heartbroken she was. The distance between her and Steve had grown even more considerable, which saddened her. Ruby didn¡¯t have much to pack. By the time she went downstairs, Steve had already left. Meanwhile, Russell was still chatting with Maxwell Gregory and Lady Gregory. Chapter 594: 594: Wait a little longer before giving up (34) Chapter 594: Chapter 594: Wait a little longer before giving up (34) Ruby Gregory and Maxwell Gregory bid their mother goodbye. She was originally nning to call their family driver to drive her back home, but instead, she found Steve Burton standing outside the Gregorys¡¯ mansion, engrossed in his phone. It was as if Steve noticed someone looking at him. He raised his head and saw Ruby. He put aside his phone, stood up straight, nced at the bag in Ruby¡¯s hand, and asked, ¡°Are you heading back to the city?¡± Ruby nodded her head. ¡°I¡¯m heading back to the city too, it¡¯s on the way, I can drop you off.¡± Without waiting for Ruby¡¯s response, Steve reached out to carry Ruby¡¯s bag himself and began to walk towards the Gregorys¡¯ main entrance. Ruby stared at Steve¡¯s retreating figure for a while. She blinked, thenposed herself, before hastening to follow him. As they exited the mansion¡¯s gate, Steve took out his car keys, and his Audi A8¡¯s lights blinked. Steve walked up and opened the rear car door, ced Ruby¡¯s belongings inside, then he opened the passenger door and nced back at Ruby. Ruby stepped up and ducked into the car. Steve leaned a bit to fasten her seat belt, then stiffened as if he wanted to say something. In the end, he just quietly withdrew, closed the door, circled around the vehicle, and took his seat behind the wheel. Seventh day of the lunar year, a day when everyone returns to work, choking the streets of the city under high volumes of traffic by 4 p.m.
Throughout the ride, Steve and Ruby did not say a word to each other. Despite concentrating on the road ahead, Steve seemed strained. When the traffic eased after a traffic jam, he remained stationary numerous times, forgetful of the need to step on the elerator, causing motorists behind to honk at him in exasperation. On the second ring road going into the city, Steve¡¯s hands turned the steering wheel to the right when he intended to steer left. A car was just speeding by from the right. Ruby cried out to remind him. Snapped out of his trance, Steve made a quick turn to the left to avoid collision with the oing vehicle. Steve hit the brake, stopping the car by the roadside. He nced towards Ruby, ¡°Are you alright?¡± Ruby, still quite shaken, managed to shake her head, ¡°I¡¯m fine.¡± Steve nodded, speechless. His gaze drifted to Ruby¡¯s belly and lingered there. After a long pause, he sat back up, took a deep breath, managed to regain hisposure, and then restarted the car. Perhaps the near ident had made him cautious. Steve drove the rest of the way very steadily. As they neared Ruby¡¯s apartmentplex, Steve nced at the time. It was already six in the evening. He looked like he wanted to say something, but ended up not saying a word. Instead, he navigated the car to a restaurant not far away, parked, and then said, ¡°It¡¯s dinnertime. Let¡¯s eat.¡± Ruby did not refuse and followed Steve into the restaurant. Steve had chosen a Cantonese restaurant. The dinner was light and the two did not converse much during the meal. After dinner, Steve paid the bill and drove Ruby home. The car stopped smoothly at the entrance of Ruby¡¯s apartmentplex. Steve stared straight ahead for a few moments, then turned his head towards Ruby and said, ¡°We¡¯re here.¡± Ruby nodded her head. Just as she was about to open the door and get out of the car, Steve suddenly called her name, ¡°Ruby.¡± Chapter 595: 595: Wait a little longer before giving up (35) Chapter 595: Chapter 595: Wait a little longer before giving up (35) Ruby Gregory retracted her outstretched hand, turned her head, and nced at Steve Burton. After a moment, she softly uttered, ¡°Hmm?¡± Steve seemed to want to ask something. His lips moved, but he couldn¡¯t bring himself to speak. Eventually, he turned and looked out the window, watching the pedestrians on the street for a while. His eyes inexplicably welled up with tears. He closed his eyes and remained silent for two seconds before turning back to Ruby, asking, ¡°Are you¡­ pregnant?¡± Ruby had a feeling that Steve had overheard what she said to Maxwell Gregory and Lady Gregory. Now that he was suddenly asking her so directly, her fingers involuntarily trembled. With a slightly pale face, she nodded gently at Steve and softly said, ¡°Yes.¡± Steve felt as if his throat was blocked by something, leaving him feeling ufortable and suffocated. He opened his mouth wide and strained to speak, ¡°Are you¡­ nning to marry him?¡± After asking this question, Steve realized how terrible it was. She was already pregnant; how could she not get married? They couldn¡¯t let the child be born without a legal status¡­ Steve lowered his head, his voice clear but slightly confused, ¡°No, I mean, when are you nning to marry him?¡± She and Edric Reat had never considered getting married. When she faced Maxwell and Lady Gregory, she could smoothly talk about her ns to marry. However, when facing Steve, she found it hard to speak. Ruby¡¯s lips moved back and forth several times, but she still couldn¡¯t make a sound. Steve raised his hand to cover part of his face for a moment, then lowered it and smiled at Ruby. He spoke in a rxed tone, ¡°It¡¯s gettingte. You should go back and rest.¡± Ruby nodded gently and got out of the car.
Steve also got out, opened the rear door, took her bag, and handed it to Ruby. Ruby didn¡¯t look at Steve, she reached out and took the bag, clenching it tightly in her hand. She pursed her lips and said, ¡°Goodbye.¡± ¡°Yeah, goodbye.¡± Steve¡¯s voice was calm and gentle. Ruby stood in front of Steve for a while, then looked up at him before turning around and walking toward the residential area. Steve stared at Ruby¡¯s disappearing figure, still maintaining his original posture, standing in front of the car. The cold wind of early spring blew gently, chilling Steve to the bone, but he still didn¡¯t react much until his cell phone in his pocket suddenly rang. Steve¡¯s fingers felt stiff as he fumbled for his phone, checked the caller ID, and saw it was from Rusell Henris. He knew the call was to inform him of something. He raised his hand to answer but hesitated for a long time before the call automatically ended. Less than a minuteter, the phone rang again. This time, Steve didn¡¯t hesitate and quickly answered. Rusell¡¯s tone on the phone sounded hesitant, ¡°Bro, I just did some investigation. Ruby is indeed pregnant, and the hospital records say she¡¯s really been pregnant for 50 days, just like she said.¡± PS: The plot has changed! The female lead pretends to marry another man to hide the truth ¨C satisfying readers that are bothered by certain aspects. As for the child, I can¡¯t possibly let the female lead directly talk to the male lead about it. After all, for her, the contraceptive pills were given to her by Steve. I think you don¡¯t need to be so sensitive, right~ Chapter 596: 596: Wait a little longer before giving up (36) Chapter 596: Chapter 596: Wait a little longer before giving up (36) Fifty days¡­ It had been about two months since he and Ruby Gregory had parted ways. By this calction, she must have gotten pregnant after they had broken off their engagement. This child¡­ Steve Burton couldn¡¯t think any further as this thought crossed his mind. He clenched his cell phone tightly. At the other end of the phone, Russell Henris had been waiting for a while, but did not hear a response from Steve. Unable to hold back, he called out, ¡°Bro.¡± Still, there was only silence in response. Though Russell couldn¡¯t see Steve now, he could feel Steve¡¯s unusual behavior through the wireless phone. He asked with some concern, ¡°Bro¡­ Are you okay?¡± As soon as Russell finished speaking, he heard a honking sound over the phone. He continued to ask, ¡°Where are you? I¡¯lle to pick you up¡­¡± Before Russell could finish, Steve hung up the phone, put it away, and with trembling fingers, opened the car door. The whole time, Steve seemed utterly lost, and as he went to start the car, his hand clutched the key, unable to muster any strength. Finally, after a long while, he reluctantly turned the ignition key and started the engine. Steve clung to the steering wheel like a controlled machine and mechanically pressed the elerator. Steve stepped on the gas pedal relentlessly, driving faster and faster as the car sped through the quiet nighttime streets. The city was silent, but in his ears, the words of Ruby Gregory and Russell Henris echoed repeatedly. -I¡¯m pregnant.
-I¡¯m getting married. -Ruby is indeed pregnant, and the pregnancy timeline shown at the hospital is exactly what she said¡ªfifty days. She¡¯s pregnant, she¡¯s pregnant, she¡¯s pregnant. What was he going to do? Yeah, what was he going to do? What to do? Steve¡¯s eyes became somewhat misty as he thought about it. He hit the brakes hard, stopping the car by the side of the road, and then leaned over the steering wheel, his shoulders shaking. Though he had thought about letting her go to pursue her own happiness and decided that not disturbing her would be his final act of tenderness, how could she suddenly be pregnant without any warning, leaving him utterly unprepared? She was the girl he loved, the girl he loved from a young age, the girl he swore to love well. How could he have lost her while loving her? It took a long while for Steve¡¯s trembling shoulders to finally quiet down, and still, hey over the steering wheel. The world was unusually quiet, and he could faintly hear the sound of his own heartbeat. He suddenly recalled a recent variety show that Wenny Burton had watched at the Burtons¡¯ Mansion. At the time, he didn¡¯t want to go upstairs because being alone would always remind him of her, so he simply apanied Wenny in watching the show. On the show, a celebrity named Adrian Swift cried his eyes out, saying, ¡°When the one you love has another half and can¡¯t be with you, there are only two oues: wait or give up.¡± At that time, Adrian could hardly speak through his tears, and after a long while, he continued, ¡°As for me, I¡¯ll wait for a while before giving up.¡± When Wenny witnessed that scene, she was wiping her tears with tissues, praising Adrian as an unparalleled good man. At that time, he scoffed at Wenny¡¯s reaction and mocked her for her cheap tears. But now, when all this was happening to him, he realized that deep down inside, he shared the same thoughts. Like Adrian, he wanted to wait a while before giving up. Chapter 597: 597: The Sweet and Warm Heating Up (1) Chapter 597: Chapter 597: The Sweet and Warm Heating Up (1) Who made you cry with red eyes, yet you still cannot forget them? If you ask Steve Burton, he would undoubtedly say: Ruby Gregory. As the saying goes, ¡°real men don¡¯t cry easily,¡± but he has shed tears for Ruby more than once. In fact, the situation has be seemingly settled, and it seems that there is no hope for Steve and Ruby. However, Steve really doesn¡¯t want to give up, even though Ruby is pregnant with Edric Reat¡¯s child. It¡¯s possible that she might marry Edric, so he keepsforting himself that maybe if he waits, an opportunity wille. Although he is determined to wait in his heart, the news of Ruby¡¯s pregnancy still took him a long time to digest. Instead of epting the heavy blow to him and the reality that she is not entirely his own, he is actually also waiting for a chance ¨C a chance to approach Ruby and get close to her. He told himself not to disturb her happiness, and he never thought about destroying her happiness. But when the opportunity was before him, he still couldn¡¯t help but seize and hold on to it. Since parting at Chinese New Year, Steve and Ruby met again in April, when flowers were blooming. The city, which was barren for an entire winter, has sprouted green leaves again. People on the streets are no longer wearing heavy down jackets.
In such a lively, flowery March, Steve found an opportunity to get close to Ruby. That morning, Steve signed arge contract at the Capital Club. When he left home in the morning, the sky was cloudy. When he left the club at noon, it was raining. The driver held an umbre over his head and apanied him as he said goodbye to his partners. After sending everyone off and preparing to get into the car, he saw Ruby standing under the eaves of a nearby coffee shop, sheltering from the rain. Steve immediately stopped getting into the car and stared at Ruby. Even though she was wearing a slightly oversized light sweater, her belly was bulging. Calcting the time, she was more than four months pregnant ¨C it should be visible by now. Seeing that Steve hadn¡¯t moved, the driver asked in confusion: ¡°Mr. Burton?¡± Without taking his eyes off Ruby, Steve reached out to the driver: ¡°You go home first, I have something to do.¡± The driver handed over the car keys and handed the umbre he was holding for Steve to Steve. Then he turned and left. Steve waited for the driver to walk away before walking around the car, folding the umbre, getting into the car, and driving it onto the street. He slowly stopped the car in front of Ruby, pretending to pass by. PS: I¡¯m not in a good mood today, so I¡¯ll update this much for now. Next is some extra talk for everyone 1: If I were Ruby, I wouldn¡¯t tell Steve that I was pregnant with his child. To me, the contraception pills he gave me were my chance to make him change his ways gently, and then move Ruby¡¯s heart withpassion. Because once upon a time, he did indeed deeply love her, but his methods were wrong. 2: The subsequent plot is indeed not going to have great misery. When I write a book, none of them have been long, and this one will be no exception. My eight or ny thousand-word count is really considered short, especiallypared to the over one million word count books out there. If I were purely dragging the story to earn your money, then I think your words are really too harsh! 3: I know many readers are dissatisfied with this book I¡¯m writing. I want to apologize to you all. I¡¯m sorry for disappointing you. Fans of my work shouldn¡¯t argue with them, as everyone has different tastes. I won¡¯t force anyone to continue reading. If you really find it increasingly dull, you can choose to give up this book. Regardless, I¡¯m still very grateful for your support over these many days. Thank you, everyone! Chapter 598: 598: Sweet and Warm Heating Up (2) Chapter 598: Chapter 598: Sweet and Warm Heating Up (2) Only after watching the driver leave did Steve Burton walk around the car, put away his umbre, get in, and drive the car onto the street. Then, acting like he just happened to be passing by, he slowly stopped the car in front of Ruby Gregory. ¨C After some calctions, Ruby realized it had been quite some time since she had seen Steve, sorry, no, it had been a long time since she had seen any news about Steve. However, there were a lot of news about the release of a new product from Pristine¡¯s Enterprises, which had signed a first-tier actress for endorsement and held a game release conference in Agrabah. Those news constantly captured the public eye, one after another. Despite her not seeing Steve, from those reports, it was clear that his business was flourishing and seemed to be thriving. In the past few months, she had returned to The Gregorys a few times. Maxwell Gregory and Lady Gregory were somewhat disappointed in her, as they had always seen her as Steve¡¯s wife. However, now that she was pregnant and a child was on the way, even though Maxwell Gregory and Lady Gregory were unwilling, they had to ept this. After all, no household like The Burtons would want a woman who had borne a child for another man as thedy of the house. At first, Maxwell Gregory and Lady Gregory did not show particr concern for the child in her belly. However, as they saw her belly gradually growing, they realized that the child carried the blood of The Gregorys. Thus, they gradually began to call and check in on Ruby, even asionally giving her some advice about what pregnant women should pay attention to. Maxwell Gregory and Lady Gregory also suggested that she should return home and rest, looking after her unborn child. Ruby had thought about going back home, but in the end, she chose to stay. It is important for pregnant women to maintain a good mood. Living in Gregory¡¯s mansion would, of course, offer afortable life, but having a small job and earning her own money in the city made her feel more contented. When a woman realizes she is pregnant out of the blue, she naturally experiences fear and tension, but afterwards, her thoughts focus on how to be a good mother. Ruby indeed put her heart into the child in her belly ¨C she even enrolled in a prenatal guidance ss. Last night, Ruby had dreamt of Steve in her sleep, reliving many memories of their past, both the sad and joyful ones. As pregnant women tend to have overly sensitive emotions, she cried andughed for a good while after waking up. Only after she had fallen back asleep and was woken up by a kick from the baby in her belly did she get up, eat something, realize that she still had one and a half hours before ss, and then hurriedly leave the house.
When she walked down the stairs and saw the gloomy weather, she didn¡¯t think much of it because Ciawell often had such a kind of weather. To save time, she headed straight to the subway station. When she exited the subway station and was nning to transfer to the bus, a soft rain began to fall from the sky. The subway station Ruby exited was not far from Grand Park, and the area was surrounded by high-ss clubs. There were no supermarkets in sight, and the bus stop was about six or seven hundred meters away from the subway exit. Ruby didn¡¯t want to brave the rain, so she sought shelter in a nearby coffee shop. While Ruby was wondering how long the rain wouldst, a ck car suddenly stopped in front of her. The car window rolled down, and through the raindrops, she saw Steve¡¯s extraordinarily handsome face. Chapter 599: 599: Sweet and Warm Heating Up (3) Chapter 599: Chapter 599: Sweet and Warm Heating Up (3) Ruby Gregory froze for a moment. They hadn¡¯t seen each other for two months in the same city, and yet, just after she dreamed of himst night, she saw him today? Steve Burton stared at Ruby for about two seconds, then turned his head, pushed open the car door, got out with a ck umbre in his hand, and walked towards Ruby. His clean, bright leather shoes asionally stepped on small puddles, sshing countless droplets of water. As Steve approached Ruby with the umbre, a beautifully poetic line from a song came to his mind: The most beautiful thing is not a rainy day, but hiding under eaves together with you. The air in Ciawell was dirty, with rain turning into mud. He had a slight aversion to uncleanliness and disliked rainy days like this. But at this moment, he found such a day somehow cute and touching. Perhaps it was due to their encounter. Standing in front of Ruby, Steve spoke up, ¡°What are you doing here?¡± It took Ruby a moment toe back to her senses, still feeling a little self-conscious. She hesitated for a moment before pointing to the sky with an embarrassed smile, ¡°It¡¯s raining, and I didn¡¯t bring an umbre.¡± Steve looked up at the incessant rain, ¡°Not sure when the rain will end; it¡¯s a bit chilly. Get in my car.¡± Ruby hesitated but didn¡¯t refuse.
Steve extended the umbre forward, shielding Ruby as she stepped out, with the majority of the umbre covering her, while his suit was quickly soaked by the rain. His car, unlocked, was parked nearby with its hazard lights shing. Steve walked to the car, opened the door, and waited for Ruby to bend down and get in. He thenheld the umbre and walked around to the driver¡¯s side, lifting his hand to brush off the raindrops before stowing the umbre and getting into the car. He took off the wet suit jacket and threw it on the backseat, turning up the car¡¯s heater slightly. He then looked at Ruby and asked, ¡°Where to?¡± Ruby gave him the address and added, ¡°I¡¯m going there for a ss.¡± ¡°A ss? What kind?¡± Steve, with a puzzled look, entered the address into the car¡¯s GPS system. ¡°A prenatal ss.¡± Steve¡¯s expression froze for a second before he smiled and confirmed the destination on the GPS. He nced at Ruby¡¯s swollen belly, paused for a moment, then reached out to adjust the passenger seat, making sure Ruby was able to sitfortably before starting the car. Following the GPS directions, Steve skillfully drove the car. While waiting at a red light, he looked at Ruby¡¯s belly again, paused for a moment, and asked, ¡°A little over four months now?¡± Ruby hesitated for a moment before realizing Steve was referring to how long she had been pregnant. In fact, she was already more than five months along, almost six. Ruby blinked and nodded. Steve mentally calcted the timeframe, then asked, ¡°The due date is in October?¡± In reality, the due date should have been in mid-August. This time, Ruby didn¡¯t answer; she just nodded in response. Steve once again examined Ruby¡¯s swelling belly, remarking, ¡°Your belly looks a bit big; it¡¯s more like five or six months of pregnancy.¡± Chapter 600: 600: Sweet and Warm Heating Up (4) Chapter 600: Chapter 600: Sweet and Warm Heating Up (4) Ruby Gregory instantly became a bit nervous, and she cautiously observed Steve Burton¡¯s expression. Then she reached out to touch her round belly and softly said, ¡°It¡¯s twins¡­ The doctor said it¡¯s normal for the belly to be big.¡± It wasn¡¯t a lie; three months in, Ruby did a screening for Down syndrome and B-scan ultrasonography, which revealed she was pregnant with twins. Twins¡­ Steve was stunned for a moment, his expression slightly stiff for an instant. When he returned to his senses, he couldn¡¯t manage to smile like he did when he heard she attended a prenatal ss. In the end, he only moved his lips a bit, turned his head, and stared at the countdown clock on the traffic light. After a long time, he said, ¡°Twins, that¡¯s a good thing.¡± Edric Reat was indeed lucky¡­ He even got a pair of twins within just a few days with Ruby. Apart from taking the morning-after pill once, he never adopted any birth control measures with her, and she never conceived. At this moment, Steve couldn¡¯t help but doubt if there was something wrong with his body. Ruby didn¡¯t respond. When the doctor told her it was twins, he congratted her on the great news with an envious expression. She also thought it was a good thing back then, as many people dream of having twins but can¡¯t. Now Steve was saying the same thing, but Ruby felt somewhat sad. If he knew the child was his, would he still say it was a good thing? Steve didn¡¯t say anything either, only staring at the traffic light changing to green. Then he slowly stepped on the elerator and continued driving. After a long time, he nced at Ruby with furrowed brows and asked, ¡°Twins, boys or girls?¡±
Ruby shook her head, ¡°I don¡¯t know, I didn¡¯t ask the doctor.¡± After a short while, Ruby said again, ¡°If I asked, there wouldn¡¯t be any anticipation.¡± ¡°That¡¯s true, there is a bit of suspense this way.¡± In Ruby¡¯s memory, she hadn¡¯t had such a calm conversation with Steve in years. His gentle tone now eased her mind considerably, and her expression grew a bit troubled. She couldn¡¯t help butin, ¡°Yeah, there¡¯s suspense and anticipation, but it¡¯s so troublesome. Every time I go to buy baby supplies, I struggle with their gender.¡± Even now, as a mother, when she was troubled, she looked just like she did when she was young, her entire face wrinkled. Seeing her expression, Steve couldn¡¯t help but chuckle lightly, ¡°Sometimes, trouble can be a kind of enjoyment, right?¡± Just like her in her younger days, she wasn¡¯t able to ease his worries for a single day. Yet, he loved the feeling of her causing him trouble. Because it made him know that she needed him. Ruby also smiled with her eyes brightening, ¡°That¡¯s right, I do enjoy this kind of trouble.¡± After saying that, Ruby raised her hand, stroked her belly, and a tender light filled her eyes, with a hint of affection. Steve looked at Ruby¡¯s expression through the rearview mirror, feeling happy that she could have such a joyful expression, but also sad that the happiness wasn¡¯t given by him. Chapter 601: 601: Sweet and Warm Heating Up (5) Chapter 601: Chapter 601: Sweet and Warm Heating Up (5) Steve Burton parked the car slowly at their destination. He got out first, holding an umbre, and opened the door for Ruby Gregory, escorting her into the building before they said goodbye. Steve watched Ruby enter the elevator and go upstairs before he returned to his car, still holding the umbre. There was a routine meeting at thepany in the afternoon, but Steve wasn¡¯t in the mood to go. The rain outside continued to patter down, drumming against the car. He hesitated for a moment, then decided to simply wait in the car for Ruby to finish her ss. He had drunk quite a bit of alcohol that morning at the Capital Club. He went to bedtest night, and now he felt a bit sleepy. Steve ttened the seat andy down, closing his eyes. He tried to fall asleep, but his mind was too alert. Just as he was about to drift off, his cellphone rang. It was a call from his secretary, Ms. Taylor. He had to go to Lilliput next week to meet with clients. Ms. Taylor was helping him book flights and asked him to choose from several time slots. As Steve held his phone, pondering whether to leave in the morning or afternoon, he saw Ruby leaving the building after her ss. He immediately spoke up, without even thinking, and told Ms. Taylor, ¡°You decide.¡± He then hung up the call, didn¡¯t bother grabbing the umbre, and directly pushed open the car door to get out. Ruby assumed Steve had left, but to her surprise, his car was still parked there when she walked out of the building. She hesitated for a moment, then saw Steve get out of the car. He walked straight towards her, took two steps, seemed to remember something, turned back and went to the car to get the umbre beforeing back over. When he approached, Ruby asked, ¡°Why didn¡¯t you leave?¡±
Steve ced the umbre above her head: ¡°I had some drinks and felt a bit tired, so I decided to rest for a while.¡± Ruby pursed her lips, chuckled, and got into Steve¡¯s car. Seeing her smile, Steve also smiled back and got into the car. As he started the car, he nced at Ruby and said, ¡°How about having dinner together tonight?¡± He paused for a moment, then added, ¡°There¡¯s a new Fire Deer Restaurant near your ce. I¡¯ve been there once, and the taste is not bad.¡± Ruby was unsure of Steve¡¯s intentions. She could tell that although he said he was resting, he was actually waiting for her ss to end. They had both moved on, but every time he saw her, he still treated her so tenderly. What exactly did he mean? Ruby could feel an indescribable sense of hope welling up in her heart. She stared at Steve for a moment and finally nodded, saying, ¡°Okay.¡± When Steve heard her response, the lingering smile in his eyes deepened. He nced at the rearview mirror and then started the car. The Fire Deer Restaurant Steve took Ruby to was indeed very close to her apartment. The atmosphere inside was elegant, and the waitresses wore beautiful cheongsams with professional smiles stered on their faces. Although the restaurant had only recently opened, it was doing very well. Steve hadn¡¯t made reservations in advance, and all the private rooms were booked, so they had to settle for a rtively quiet corner in the main hall. After the two sat down, a waitress handed them the menu. Chapter 602: 602: Sweet and Warm Heating Up (6) Chapter 602: Chapter 602: Sweet and Warm Heating Up (6) Steve Burton handed the menu straight to Ruby Gregory. After flipping it open, Ruby casually looked through it, eventually ordering only a vegetable dish, before passing the menu back to Steve. Although there were only two of them, Steve proceeded to order all the signature dishes at the Fire Deer Restaurant. Near the end of the order, he saw steamed crab and Spicy Crab listed on the menu. Ruby had loved crab since she was a child. With no hesitation, Steve ordered an additional crab for the waitress. After a moment, he changed his mind and said, ¡°Make it two.¡± ¡°One is enough.¡± Before the waitress could respond, Ruby, who was sitting across from Steve, spoke up. She then turned to Steve, ¡°You can have it ¨C crab has a cold nature, and I can¡¯t eat it.¡± The Burtons had had pregnant women in their family before, but Steve had never paid attention to what pregnant women could eat or their precautions. Hearing Ruby¡¯s words, he hesitated for a moment, then canceled the crab order. ¨C The dishes at Fire Deer Restaurant were indeed authentic in taste. Ruby had a good appetite and ate a bowl of rice, while Steve¡¯s appetite was particrly good. After finishing the meal, Steve settled the bill and escorted Ruby home. The streetlights had started to turn on, and the rain that drenched the city throughout the afternoon had finally stopped. As they passed a supermarket entrance, Ruby suddenly spoke up, ¡°You can drop me off here. I need to buy some things at the supermarket.¡± Throughout her pregnancy, she had been drinking pregnant women¡¯s milk powder. Two days earlier, she realized she had run out, but she had been too busy to buy more. Now that they were passing by a supermarket, she remembered this task.
Steve nced at Ruby, thought about it and said, ¡°That¡¯s perfect; I also need to pick up a few things.¡± After saying this, a thought crossed his mind ¨C would apanying Ruby be considered as disturbing her? Immediately, Steve reassured himself that her being pregnant meant she shouldn¡¯t wander through supermarkets alone. If something likest time¡¯s ident happened, what would they do? So, apanying Ruby wasn¡¯t disturbing her; he was just concerned for her safety. Steve pushed the shopping cart behind Ruby, watching her as she focused on selecting items from the mother-baby section. Her short hair had grown a little longer, tucked behind her ears, revealing a delicate and fair-skinned profile. Perhaps because she was a mother, even though the baby in her belly was still a few months away from birth, she would pick up baby toys and clothes,pare them, and then ask him with a curved eyebrow, ¡°Which one looks better?¡± Steve had imagined what his life with Ruby would look like if they had been together ¨C how happy they would be. He had even thought about how, if she were pregnant, he would apany her to a mother-baby store to choose baby products together. He thought the image must be beautiful. Reality proved it was indeed beautiful, but the beauty was tinged with sadness for him. He thought to himself if Ruby was carrying his child, he would have bought her all the things she had looked at and liked, without making her agonize over which one to choose. Ruby ultimately chose a brand of pregnant women¡¯s milk. Surprisingly, her usual brand was no longer carried in this supermarket. In the end, she could only choose from the remaining options, settling on a more expensive brand. Ruby put the milk powder in the shopping cart, walked with Steve to the checkout, and looked at the pregnant women¡¯s milk. Chapter 603: 603: Sweet and Warm Heating Up (7) Chapter 603: Chapter 603: Sweet and Warm Heating Up (7) Ruby Gregory put the milk powder in the shopping cart. While lining up for checkout with Steve Burton, she saw the pregnant woman¡¯s milk powder and couldn¡¯t help but feel a bit upset. ¡°This supermarket used to have foreign milk powder brands. I don¡¯t know why they were taken off the shelves.¡± After a pause, Ruby muttered, ¡°If I had known, I would have brought some milk powder back when I returned from Costa Luna. There have been too many problems with domestic milk powder, I¡¯m notfortable drinking it.¡± ¨C On the way back from the supermarket, Ruby yed with her phone in the passenger seat. She seemed to find something funny, giggling softly, which caught Steve¡¯s attention. He nced at her several times. Ruby noticed Steve looking at her. When he parked the car by the entrance of their residential area, she showed him her phone, pointing to a joke on the screen. After reading it, Steve gave a faint smile and noticed Ruby¡¯s Twitter username: Twin¡¯s Mom. Though he had known the news of her twin pregnancy for the entire afternoon, seeing her username somehow still stung his eyes. Quickly looking away, he tried to keep his voice steady and said, ¡°We¡¯re here.¡± Ruby nodded, put her phone away in her bag, and unbuckled her seatbelt to get out of the car. Steve followed her, opened the back door, took her shopping bags, and handed them to her. Ruby took the bags and said, ¡°Thank you.¡±
Then she added, ¡°Goodbye.¡± As she said those words, Ruby felt a slight sense of mncholy. She wondered when they would meet again after this sudden separation. Steve gazed at her face for a moment, warm and gentle, then nodded slightly, ¡°Goodbye.¡± Ruby didn¡¯t want to leave, but she had no choice. She stood in front of Steve for a long time before managing a slight smile. ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll go in first.¡± Steve nodded. ¡°Thank you for today,¡± Ruby found another sentence to say before finally turning around and entering theplex. Steve waited until she disappeared around the corner of a building before returning to his car, sitting for a moment, and then driving away. On his way back to his city apartment, he stopped at a red light and noticed a bookstore across the street that was still open. He remembered Ruby saying she couldn¡¯t eat crab during her pregnancy. After hesitating for a moment, he turned his car around at the next traffic light and pulled into the bookstore. He searched the shelves for a while and finally found a row of books about pregnancy tips. Not sure which one to buy, he decided to grab one of each before paying and returning to his apartment with tworge bags of books. After taking a shower and lying in bed, Steve carefully read A Handbook for Pregnant Women. Although he usually read quickly, it took him two hours to get through just a third of the book. His eyes felt tired from staring at the book for so long. Steve put the book on the bedside table, rubbed his temple, and picked up his phone to check the time. After a moment¡¯s thought, he decided to download the Twitter app. Chapter 604: 604: Sweet and Warm Heating Up (8) Chapter 604: Chapter 604: Sweet and Warm Heating Up (8) Steve Burton searched for ¡°the mother of the twins¡± on Twitter but was prompted to register an ount. Annoyed, he quickly typed in his phone number and registered. When choosing a username, Steve typed in ¡°Time,¡± but hesitated when confirming and added ¡°Ruby¡¯s Time.¡± There weren¡¯t many updates on Ruby Gregory¡¯s Twitter ount, mostly sharing food and mood. Nevertheless, Steve read through her entire ount without skipping a single character. ¨C After seeing Ruby yesterday, Steve went to work the next day and got some good news. This good news was delivered by Edward Woods. Steve didn¡¯t attend yesterday¡¯s regr meeting as he was waiting for Ruby¡¯s ss. Edward presided over the meeting on his behalf. Edward brought the meeting minutes and asked casually before leaving, ¡°By the way, did you hear about the good news?¡± Steve was flipping through the minutes, not even bothering to lift his eyelids, ¡°What news?¡± ¡°Gregory¡¯s Enterprises secured a big coboration yesterday, and it¡¯s a long-term partnership thatsts for a whole year. The coborator is Mr. Hudson from Gs Group. He¡¯s famous for being stingy in the business circle, but agreed to a profit-sharing deal with Gregory¡¯s Enterprises this time.¡± Edward finished and asked mysteriously, ¡°Do you know who secured this coboration?¡± Steve never cared for guessing games and didn¡¯t respond to Edward, continuing to stare at the documents in his hand. Edward¡¯s tone was excited, ¡°It¡¯s Maya Mitchell.¡±
Steve¡¯s fingers trembled with the documents as he started paying attention to what Edward said next, ¡°I¡¯ve heard that Mr. Hudson is not only stingy but also a big womanizer. Maya, in order to secure this business deal, went as far as sleeping with him. Rumor has it that she spent half a month in bed with him before finally securing the deal. Honestly, I think Maya is quite beautiful. She used to be a quiet and gentle secretary, just like a little bunny, pretty lovable. But why would she be so ruthless to herself? You know, Mr. Hudson looks old enough to be her dad¡­ She¡¯s really fighting tooth and nail for her performance. I¡¯m not even sure what she¡¯s after. Money? She could¡¯ve married a rich man with her looks.¡± Steve didn¡¯t pay attention to the rest of Edward¡¯s rant, only staring at the documents in his hands for a while before a smile appeared at the corner of his mouth. Yeah, Maya Mitchell was even more ruthless to herself than he had imagined. He had only asked the general manager of Gregory¡¯s Enterprises to hint to her that he was interested in Mr. Hudson¡¯s case. He didn¡¯t expect her to try so hard to secure it, even going as far as sleeping with Hudson. As Edward said, she really fought tooth and nail. But since he set the trap and she fell into it, there was no reason not to let her sink deeper. After Edward left, Steve put down the documents, picked up his phone, and called Maya. The phone was picked up after just one ring. Chapter 605: 605: Sweet and Warm Heating Up (9) Chapter 605: Chapter 605: Sweet and Warm Heating Up (9) Before Steve Burton could say anything, Maya Mitchell¡¯s soft and warm voice came from the other end of the phone: ¡°Mr. Burton?¡± Regardless of how nauseous Steve felt in his heart each time he heard Maya¡¯s incongruous tone, the words that came out of his mouth sounded unruffled: ¡°Edward just informed me, you¡¯ve secured the Gs Group project.¡± Steve continued with a seemingly genuine tone: ¡°You¡¯re even more outstanding than I thought. I¡¯m d to have employees like you.¡± He paused, then he added two words: ¡°Maya.¡± As he said those two words, a cold light shed in the depths of his eyes. The man¡¯s voice was pleasant to hear, dry but deep. The two words, ¡®Maya¡¯, rolled off his lips marked by no great affection, yet Maya somehow felt an indescribable warmth. Her mncholy spirits, from spending each day sleeping beside Mr. Hudson, brightened considerably by hearing those two words. What she wanted wasn¡¯t much, truly not much. She merely wanted to get close to Steve, to capture his attention, to show him that she was better than Ruby Gregory. Perhaps she¡¯d never been recognized before, so at this moment, just hearing him say her name, filled her with exhrating joy and satisfaction. After being deeply moved for a long while, Maya responded softly: ¡°Mr. Burton, you can count on me, I will continue working hard.¡± Compared to Maya¡¯s earnest words, Steve¡¯s response seemed somewhat perfunctory: ¡°I believe in you.¡± ¨C
Truth be told, Steve never intended to ruin Ruby Gregory¡¯s happiness, but he couldn¡¯t resist his desire to treat her kindly. Knowing that she was on Twitter and that she checked it a few times each day, in the office or during meetings, he also began to habitually pull out his phone to refresh his feed. On his Twitter, he only followed her, so his feed was full of her posts. At the 3 pm meeting, Steve refreshed his Twitter. He saw Ruby¡¯s first post of the day: her sitting in the Gardenia Clubhouse, a photo with a piano, along with a caption: ¡°Time to y the piano for my babies again.¡± Her posts weren¡¯t specifically directed at him, but when Steve saw this, he felt for a moment that she didn¡¯t seem as distant as before. Less than a minute after Ruby¡¯s first post, a second one followed. It was a retweet of a contest post, the prize a beautiful baby stroller. She tagged three people, posted three words asking to win the contest and attached three excited emojis. Seeing those three excited emojis, Steve was reminded of Ruby when she was younger, her expectant eyes when she sought his help. His lips pulled into a smile. Seeing this, Edward Woods, who had been discussing the past month¡¯s performance, paused in his speech. As soon as the meeting was dismissed and Steve had returned to his office, his secretary, Ms. Taylor, walked in with two documents. Before Ms. Taylor could ask Steve to sign the documents, he thrust his phone towards her. Pointing at the screen, he said: ¡°I was just about to find you. Get in touch with the person hosting this campaign, no matter their price, buy that baby stroller.¡± He paused, then, pointing to Ruby¡¯s Twitter post, he added: ¡°Then, have them announce the winner, and tag this mother of twins, Mrs. Gregory.¡± PS: I was supposed to update 9 chapters today, but I haven¡¯t eaten yet. I need to go eat first. The remaining chapter will be updated tomorrow afternoon~ Praying for some luck, let me win for once! Chapter 606: 606: Sweet and Warm Heating Up (10) Chapter 606: Chapter 606: Sweet and Warm Heating Up (10) Before Ms. Taylor could ask Steve Burton to sign the documents, he promptly handed her his phone, pointing at the screen and saying, ¡°I was about to find you. Contact the person who organized this event, no matter how high the price, buy that stroller.¡± After a pause, Steve pointed at Ruby Gregory¡¯s Twitter and said, ¡°Then, as the winner, ¡°@¡± her as the mother of the Gregory twins.¡± Ms. Taylor was stunned for a second before giving Steve a puzzled look and nodding in agreement. In her heart, she questioned who the mother of the Gregory twins was. Such a big deal ¨C just by simply retweeting a winning tweet, and the Big Boss secretly arranged for her to win. Seeing Ms. Taylor nod, Steve took back his phone, frowning at the screen and refreshing Ruby¡¯s Twitter page, asking casually, ¡°What¡¯s up?¡± Ms. Taylor quickly regainedposure and, with both hands, handed over the documents she was holding, ¡°These two documents need your signature.¡± Steve nodded slightly, his eyes never leaving Ruby¡¯s Twitter. He reached out and began to feel for his signing pen on the desk nearby. There were quite a few documents on the table, and, with Steve¡¯s gaze fixed on the phone screen, they became a bit messy as he searched for the pen. Ms. Taylor noticed that two books were hidden under the documents ¨C one was Precautions for Pregnant Women, the other, Good Motherhood. The book Good Motherhood was open on the table, and she clearly saw many red marks on the pages. She recognized them as Steve¡¯s handwriting. Ms. Taylor was already surprised by the mention of the ¡°Gregory twins¡¯ mother¡±, but now, seeing these two books, she was dumbfounded.
Wasn¡¯t the Big Boss supposed to be unmarried? Why was he suddenly looking at books about pregnant women? Did Mr. Burton get a new girlfriend who was pregnant? And, judging by the marks in the book, the Big Boss seemed to care a lot about this pregnant woman and the child in her belly¡­ Otherwise, he wouldn¡¯t have taken such detailed notes! When Steve found his signing pen, he looked up at Ms. Taylor. She quickly snapped out of it and skillfully flipped the pages of the documents to the signature section, handing them to Steve. Steve didn¡¯t notice Ms. Taylor¡¯s strange look. After signing, he casually threw the pen aside and returned to Ruby Gregory¡¯s Twitter. Ms. Taylor closed the documents, picked them up, and looked at Steve with a lingering odd expression, saying, ¡°Mr. Burton, I¡¯ll go out first.¡± Steve didn¡¯t even look up from his phone, just nodded slightly. When Ms. Taylor was about to open the office door with the documents, Steve reminded her again, ¡°Don¡¯t forget about the Twitter prize, the mother of the Gregory twins.¡± ¨C Ruby Gregory felt she had been quite lucky recently. She habitually browsed Twitter during her spare time, reading some gossip and funnyments, and asionally shared her own feelings and updates. From childhood to adulthood, Ruby had never won a prize, so she never held out hope for winning. But on that noon, she saw one of her friends retweeted a tweet about winning a baby stroller. Chapter 607: 607: Sweet and Warm Heating Up (11) Chapter 607: Chapter 607: Sweet and Warm Heating Up (11) The baby stroller was from an internationally renowned brand and indeed had a beautiful design. Ruby Gregory took one nce at it and immediately liked it, which led her to share a prize-winning tweet on Twitter for the first time in her life. In fact, after retweeting, Ruby hadpletely forgotten about it, until three dayster, her Twitter was suddenly filled with mentions. She opened it, puzzled, only to discover that she had actually won the prize. Many people who wanted to win had left congrattory, envious, and jealousments under the tweet. Ruby blinked in disbelief, refreshed her Twitter several times, and made sure it was her who had been tagged by the event organizer before she sent her name, address, and contact information as instructed. After sending it, she received a reply: ¡°Ok, we will arrange for shipment this afternoon, and you should receive it in approximately 2-3 days. The tracking number is¡­¡± Only then did Ruby fully confirm that she had really won the prize and was not dreaming. As for the baby stroller, Ruby truly liked it, which was why she shared the tweet. She hadn¡¯t held out much hope of winning, so when she actually did win, she was exceptionally delighted, which led her to post an excited tweet. ¨C After a twelve-hour long flight, Steve Burton arrived at Angria Airport, Lilliput. Upon exiting the VIP passage, he immediately saw the blonde-haired, blue-eyeddy sent by the American client holding up a sign with his name. Steve got into the airport pickup car and Ms. Taylor, who was apanying him on the business trip, immediately took out her iPad and began briefing him on the itinerary for the next few days in Lilliput. As Steve listened, he somewhat boredly took out his phone, only to realize he hadn¡¯t turned it on sincending.
Upon turning it on, several text messages popped up. After quickly scanning them, Steve saw that there was nothing important and habitually opened Twitter. He immediately saw Ruby¡¯s tweet: ¡°Ahhh, I won the prize! Such good luck!¡± followed by several excited emojis. Although he couldn¡¯t see the excited expression on Ruby¡¯s face, he could still sense her happiness through her tweet. Instantly, Steve¡¯s spirit brightened and the fatigue from the long flight faded. The corners of his eyes rxed with his improved mood. It was 10 a.m. local time and he had a meeting with the American client at 11. After arriving at the hotel, Steve took a bath, changed into clean clothes, then picked up his phone and nced at Twitter. He saw that Ruby had posted an update: ¡°Wuuu¡­ I just slept for less than an hour and was woken up by hunger. Having to feed three people, I¡¯m really drunk¡­¡± followed by a row of crying emojis. Steve checked the time: it was 10:50 a.m. in Lilliput and 10:50 p.m. in Ciawell, almost 11 p.m. Steve frowned, and at that moment, there was a knock at his door. ¡°Come in.¡± As Steve¡¯s words settled, Secretary Ms. Taylor pushed the door open and stood in the doorway, smiling: ¡°Mr. Burton, the meeting is about to begin.¡± Chapter 608: 608: Sweet and Warm Heating Up (12) Chapter 608: Chapter 608: Sweet and Warm Heating Up (12) Steve Burton nodded, nced at Ruby Gregory¡¯s Twitter post, and then put on his brand new suit. As he was buttoning thest button in front of his mirror, he turned to Ms. Taylor and said, ¡°Call The Sapphire Bistro and have them prepare a lightte night meal to be delivered to Winsome Gardens on West 2nd Ring Road.¡± After a pause, Steve Burton recited a string of phone numbers and said, ¡°Contact her, and it will be done.¡± Ms. Taylor immediately followed Steve¡¯s instructions, grabbed her phone and dialed the number. ¨C Ruby Gregory was indeed woken up by hunger; shey in her soft bed, touching her already round belly, thinking that she had eaten all the food she had bought. If she wanted to eat, she would have to cook, which would take at least two hours. So, Ruby got up and drank a cup of milk, then prepared to fall asleep quickly and wait until morning. When she had just drunk the milk, her hunger was indeed relieved, but milk wasn¡¯t a meal. After a while, she felt hunger pangs in her stomach again. Although it waste and she really wanted to rest, she couldn¡¯t bear to starve the two children in her belly. So, unwillingly, she got up to prepare some noodles. Just as she was putting on her robe, her phone rang. Who would call her at this hour? Ruby Gregory picked up the phone suspiciously and saw an unfamiliar number. She hesitated for a moment before answering: ¡°Hello, are you Ms. Gregory?¡± A stranger¡¯s voice¡­ Ruby Gregory paused for a moment before answering, ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Ms. Gregory, I¡¯m from The Sapphire Bistro. A Ms. Taylor just called us to order you ate-night meal. But Ms. Taylor only told us your residential address and not your exact floor, so, Ms. Gregory, could you please give me your specific address?¡±
After reporting her building and floor number, Ruby hung up the phone, holding it in her hand with a frown. Who could be sending her ate night meal? And she had onlyined about being hungry on Twitter. What a mystery! Ruby Gregory pondered for a while and took out her phone to look at her Twitter post. There were no replies¡­ not even a single like¡­ Before Ruby Gregory could figure it out, there was a knock at the door. She ran over and opened it, took the delivery, and returned to the dining table. She unpacked the meal and saw that all the dishes were prepared ording to pregnant women¡¯s taste and were very light. At a nce, she could tell that they were really from The Sapphire Bistro. The Sapphire Bistro never didte-night deliveries. Those who could mobilize The Sapphire Bistro for ate-night delivery must be tinum VIP Customers. Of all the people she knew who were tinum VIP Customers at the bistro, there were only Steve Burton, Edward Woods, Rusell Henris, Madeleine, Howard Coleman, and Olivia Foster¡­ She never remembered meeting a Ms. Taylor¡­ Besides, not many people knew her address¡­ except for Madeleine, Steve Burton, Edric Reat, Lady Gregory, and Maxwell Gregory¡­ As Ruby Gregory thought about it, her expression suddenly froze. Steve Burton¡­ Steve Burton¡¯s secretary Ms. Taylor¡­ Chapter 609: 609: Sweet and Warm Heating Up (13) Chapter 609: Chapter 609: Sweet and Warm Heating Up (13) Ruby Gregory stared at the exquisitely packaged food in front of her, feeling an indescribable warmth spreading slowly from the bottom of her heart. She quickly opened the takeout boxes, tasted each dish with her chopsticks, and found that the taste was light and nd, probably because Steve Burton had reminded them she was pregnant. However, Ruby enjoyed the meal and felt an unspeakable happiness as the food filled her stomach and her heart. She had justined about being hungry on Twitter, and immediately received food¡­ Did that mean Steve was always paying attention to her tweets? The thought filled Ruby¡¯s heart with joy. After finishing her meal, she ran back to the bedroom with excitement,y down on the bed without feeling sleepy, hugged her phone, stared at her Twitter, and looked at her tweets¡ªgrumbling,ining, happy¡ªand imagined Steve seeing them shortly after she posted them. She couldn¡¯t help but smile to herself. Ruby, still smiling, bit her finger, her eyes rolling, and then got out of bed, ran to the dining room, took a photo of her leftover food, and posted another tweet: ¡°I just tweeted that I was hungry, and immediately got a deliciouste-night snack delivered to my door¡­¡± followed by a series of happy emojis. Then Ruby returned to the bedroom, holding her phone, staring at the screen, and wondering what expression Steve would have when he saw hertest tweet. ¨C Steve Burton sat in the conference room, listening to the representative from the American coboration partner eloquently exining the improvements and highlights of their products in fluent English. He had already seen these documents beforeing to Lilliput, and his mind wandered, thinking about whether Ruby in Ciawell had received thete-night snack from The Sapphire Bistro. He knew that Ruby might not tweet after receiving the snack, but he still kept refreshing Twitter. Finally, after countless refreshes, he saw hertest update.
This time, her tweet had a picture of the leftover food after she finished eating. Steve stared at the series of happy emojis she posted and felt his mood lift. He identally liked her tweet and wanted to retract it, but then his phone chimed. A notification popped up, ¡°Mrs. Gregory, the mother of twins, has followed you.¡± Steve hesitated to unlike the tweet and ended up staring at ¡°Mrs. Gregory, mother of twins¡± in his followers list, unable to resist a small smile on his lips. Just as the American customer representative finished presenting their products, they looked politely at Steve and asked for his opinion. Distracted, Steve hadn¡¯t paid attention to the representative¡¯s words and was still staring at his phone screen. The assistant, Ms. Taylor, noticed his daydream and whispered, ¡°Mr. Burton.¡± Steve came back to reality and was about to speak when his phone vibrated in his hand. He nced down and saw a private message from Ruby: ¡°Steve Burton?¡± Chapter 610: 610: Sweet and Warm Heating Up (14) Chapter 610: Chapter 610: Sweet and Warm Heating Up (14) With a tremble of Steve Burton¡¯s hand, his cell phone fell to the ground with a ¡°p.¡± While in the middle of a meeting, he hid the cell phone under the table and refreshed Ruby Gregory¡¯s Twitter feed. The ¡°p¡± sound caught the attention of everyone in the meeting room, making it obvious that Steve was ying with his phone during the meeting. For the first time in her life, Secretary Ms. Taylor felt embarrassed for having such a leader. Steve bent down and picked up his phone. Although he did not know what the representative from the Lilliput customer had just said, he had been in business for many years, so he was the first to apologize in fluent English. Then, he proposed some simple questions to the Lilliput customer representative. Steve had five points to make. As he was speaking about the second point, the phone he picked up and ced on the table suddenly started vibrating. While describing the second point, he nced at the phone screen. When he saw the two characters ¡°Ruby,¡± his speech momentarily stopped, causing everyone in the meeting room to exchange puzzled nces. Steve moved his lips and apologized to everyone in the conference room: ¡°Sorry.¡± Then, he picked up his phone and answered it while walking out of the meeting room. ¨C Ruby Gregory kept staring at the tweet she had just posted. In less than a minute, there was a like underneath it. She quickly clicked on the user who had liked her tweet: Traveling Through Ruby¡¯s Time.
This ount only followed her and had no followers, no tweets, and even no profile picture. However, when Ruby saw the words ¡°Traveling Through Ruby¡¯s Time,¡± she had a strong, indescribable intuition telling her that this ount belonged to Steve Burton. So without hesitation, she followed ¡°Traveling Through Ruby¡¯s Time.¡± Unsure whether it was because of the takeaway food Steve sent that warmed her heart, or she had eaten too much, Ruby had no hint of sleepiness. She held her phone and, after a while, sent a straightforward private message to ¡°Traveling Through Ruby¡¯s Time¡±: ¡°Steve Burton?¡± As a result, the message sank like a stone into the ocean. No one responded. What the heck¡­he just liked her tweet and now was pretending not to be online! Ruby pouted in displeasure, then turned her eyes and dialed a phone number she had not called for nearly four months. The phone rang for a long time without anyone answering. Just when Ruby thought Steve wouldn¡¯t pick up, the ringing suddenly stopped, and Steve¡¯s deep, cello-like voice came from the other side: ¡°Ruby?¡± Ruby hadn¡¯t thought too much when she made the call, but when Steve answered and she heard his familiar and pleasant voice, she became inexplicably nervous. Clutching her phone, her face turned slightly red. What should she do? She had impulsively made the call, not knowing what to say. What if Steve asks her what she wants? The next second, Steve¡¯s clear voice came from the other side of the phone: ¡°Ruby, is there something you need?¡± Concerned about this very question, hearing Steve¡¯s inquiry caught Ruby off guard. Her hand shook, and the phone fell onto the bed. Chapter 611: 611: A Virtue Called Sharing (1) Chapter 611: Chapter 611: A Virtue Called Sharing (1) The phone fell on the bed away from Ruby Gregory, very quiet. Ruby feared Steve Burton would hang up, so she hurriedly reached out to pick up the phone. As her finger touched the phone, she heard Steve¡¯s voice from the other side: ¡°Ruby?¡± Ruby¡¯s hand trembled again, and the phone dropped back into the soft bedding. After Steve called Ruby¡¯s name, noticing theck of response on the other end of the line, he asked: ¡°Are you still there, Ruby?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Ruby subconsciously answered before falling silent again. There was still no sound from the other end, so she quickly picked up the phone and saw that the call was still connected. She let out a quiet sigh of relief, held the phone to her ear, cleared her throat, and asked, ¡°It¡¯s sote. Aren¡¯t you asleep yet?¡± ¡°No.¡± Steve stood in front of the French windows in the hallway, looking at the bright sunlight and blue sky outside, the corner of his mouth curving slightly. ¡°I¡¯m in Lilliput.¡± With Steve simply stating he was in Lilliput, Ruby found herself with a topic of conversation and felt a bit less nervous. She casually asked, ¡°What are you doing in Lilliput?¡± Steve was open about his work: ¡°We¡¯re coborating with EHR Company.¡± ¡°Oh.¡± Ruby wasn¡¯t very interested in the coboration, merely responding indifferently. Steve paused for a moment and moved on from the topic: ¡°What about you? Why haven¡¯t you gone to bed yet?¡± ¡°I just had ate-night snack, and I¡¯m a bit full.¡± Ruby answered, and then, her voice softened, ¡°Did you order thatte-night meal for me?¡±
There was a square below the hotel where Steve was staying. Right after Ruby asked her question, a flock of pigeons in the square took off and flew past the window where Steve stood. He watched them fly farther and farther away, gently responding with a single ¡°Mm-hmm.¡± Ruby had guessed that Steve was following her Twitter long ago, but when she heard the confirmation from his mouth, her eyes couldn¡¯t help but curl in happiness. A feeling of sweetness spread from the bottom of her heart, and her words carried a hint of that sweetness as well: ¡°So ¡®Ruby¡¯s Time¡¯ is your Twitter, right?¡± As before, a light and simple ¡°Mm-hmm.¡± Ruby let out a soft giggle on her end of the call. Upon hearing herughter, Steve couldn¡¯t help butugh as well. ¡°What¡¯s so funny?¡± he asked. ¡°Nothing.¡± Although Steve couldn¡¯t see Ruby, she shook her head regardless. ¡°Mm-hmm.¡± Steve hummed again. After a moment, he realized it was already approaching midnight. Ruby was living with Edric Reat, and he had sent her ate-night meal. Seeing her calling him now, might it cause trouble for her? Steve paused, then asked quietly, ¡°Is it¡­okay for you to call me now?¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± Ruby didn¡¯t understand the implication behind Steve¡¯s question. Steve was silent for a while before saying, ¡°Wouldn¡¯t he have an issue with you talking to me sote? Also, thete-night meal¡­did it cause you any trouble?¡± Ruby blinked her eyes, realizing whom Steve was referring to. She had almost forgotten¡ªshe had announced she would be marrying Edric Reat. By all ounts, Edric should be with her at thiste hour¡­ Chapter 612: Sweet and Warm Heating Up (16) Chapter 612: Chapter 612: Sweet and Warm Heating Up (16) She really wanted to rify to Steve that she hadn¡¯t been living with Edric, but she was afraid that if she told Steve, he might doubt the child in her belly. Recently, her interactions with Steve had been pleasant, making her happy, yet she was uncertain about his attitude at this moment. Hesitating for a bit, Ruby murmured, ¡°He isn¡¯t home. There¡¯s something going on at thepany, so he¡¯s working overtime.¡± At the other end of the phone, Steve fell silent for a moment. After a long while, his voice came through soft and deep, ¡°That¡¯s good to know.¡± Without lingering on the subject, Steve changed the topic, ¡°I saw on your Twitter that you won something?¡± Although she had won the prize yesterday, Ruby still felt excited when mentioning it again, ¡°Yes, I had a burst of good luck, my first ever win in my life!¡± Even though Ruby knew that Steve had already seen her prize on Twitter, she still bragged, ¡°It¡¯s a really beautiful baby stroller!¡± Even through the phone, Steve could feel Ruby¡¯s excited emotions. His heart, which had been upset and ufortable due to thinking about Edric earlier, was instantly soothed. This was quite nice. Even though he wasn¡¯t the one who could always apany her, he could still be the one to make her happy. Ruby on the phone was chirping non-stop with a childlike enthusiasm, ¡°I never thought I¡¯d win. I always felt like this kind of good fortune would never happen to me¡­¡± This Ruby reminded Steve of his younger days when he was helping her with her homework, busy writing, while she bit on various snacks, circling around his desk, and telling him about the things that happened at school. He hadn¡¯tpletely lost her after all, right? At the very least, he saw her live her own life. So, it was actually quite nice, much better than her marrying him for the sake of the Gregorys, trembling in fear before him, and never being herself for the rest of her life. That kind of Ruby¡­ she might not grieve, but he would be heartbroken. So, it was fine. Really fine. Ruby¡¯s excited words hadn¡¯t finished yet when she heard Ms. Taylor¡¯s voice on the other end of the phone, ¡°Mr. Burton, everyone is still waiting for you in the meeting.¡± Steve¡¯s pleasant thoughts were suddenly interrupted by Ms. Taylor. His brow furrowed slightly, and before he could speak, Ruby¡¯s voice came from the phone, ¡°Are you in a meeting right now?¡± Steve red at Ms. Taylor, causing Ms. Taylor to subconsciously take two steps back, bowing her head and not daring to make a sound. Ruby got a little sleepy after talking to Steve for so long. She yawnedzily and said, ¡°Well, I won¡¯t disturb you anymore. I¡¯m going to bed.¡± Steve immediately softened the ferocious gaze he had been giving Ms. Taylor, and spoke to Ruby gently through the phone, ¡°Alright, good night.¡± ¡°Mmm, goodnigh¡­,¡± Ruby realized it was noon on Steve¡¯s end, and promptly switched to, ¡°Goodbye.¡± ¡°Goodbye.¡± Ruby paused for a while before she hung up the phone. Then shey down on the bed-softly, hugging her phone with a smile on her lips. ¨C There¡¯s always someone who will make you cherish her words from the bottom of your heart and remember them firmly. Chapter 613: A Virtue Called Sharing (3) Chapter 613: Chapter 613: A Virtue Called Sharing (3) There¡¯s always that one person whose words you can¡¯t help but keep close to your heart, remembering them clearly. Steve Burton couldn¡¯t help but do one thing after another for Ruby Gregory, all the while thinking that he shouldn¡¯t disturb her. On the day he returned from Lilliput, Steve asked Ms. Taylor to buy a few cans of foreign-brand form that Ruby had been looking for during theirst supermarket visit. His flight was scheduled to leave Lilliput at 9 a.m., and after over ten hours in the air, he arrived in Ciawell at noon. Steve went back to his office to deal with the umted paperwork from his trip and received an inte call from Russell Henris in the evening, inviting him to attend a charity banquet. After considering, Steve declined and went home at 6 p.m. After taking a shower and changing into casual clothes, he noticed the form he brought back for Ruby as he tossed his dirtyundry into the hamper. Steve checked the time, and it was 8 p.m., an hour before Ruby finished her shift at the Gardenia Clubhouse. He hesitated for a moment, then grabbed his car keys and the form he bought for Ruby, and drove straight to the Gardenia Clubhouse. That night, Ruby and Steve hadmunicated via Twitter, and she was surprised and happy to see his car waiting outside the Clubhouse after her shift. Ruby got into the passenger seat and nced at the night scenery before turning to look at Steve. ¡°When did you get back?¡± she asked. ¡°I arrived in Ciawell this afternoon.¡± Steve checked the rearview mirror, turned the car around, and parked in front of Ruby¡¯s apartment. As Ruby got out of the car, Steve also got out and handed her a big paper bag from the backseat. ¡°I brought this for you.¡± ¡°What is it?¡± Ruby asked, peering into the bag and seeing the prenatal forms that she couldn¡¯t find at home. Her expression stiffened, remembering her casualint during their supermarket trip. She had never realized that he would take her words to heart. The depths of Ruby¡¯s heart felt heavy. Steve had been kind to her before, like rescuing her from a kidnapping attempt and taking care of her in the hospital, just as he was now. She was moved by his kindness. But she couldn¡¯t understand why he could be so good to her while still giving her long-term contraceptives. Besides, when he was good to her, he was really good, but when he turned his face, he was ruthless. How long could his kindness towards herst this time? Would it be like before when she herself did not know where she went wrong, and he got cruel to her again? Steve noticed Ruby¡¯s silence and frowned. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± he asked. Chapter 614: A Virtue Called Sharing (4) Chapter 614: Chapter 614: A Virtue Called Sharing (4) Ruby Gregory heard Steve Burton¡¯s voice and quickly pulled herself out of her thoughts. She raised her head, shook it at Steve, and then smiled gracefully at him: ¡°Thank you for bringing back the baby form from Lilliput.¡± ¨C The paper bag was a bit heavy, and Ruby, with her big belly, struggled to carry it. When she took it from Steve¡¯s hands, she almost fell to the ground due to the weight of the form. In the end, Steve carried the bag for her and apanied her back home. It was Steve¡¯s first time visiting the house where Ruby and Edric Reat lived. He felt a bit nervous and ufortable deep in his heart. Ruby felt conflicted in her mind as she thought about Steve¡¯s kindness towards her. So, there wasn¡¯t much conversation between the two on the way home. Upon exiting the elevator, Ruby took out her keys and unlocked the door. After receiving Ruby¡¯s invitation, Steve didn¡¯t hurry inside. Instead, he first stood at the door and nced inside. The furniture was simple, but the room was clean. There were only two pieces of Ruby¡¯s clothes hanging on the balcony, and there were no awkward scenes, like their underwear hanging together as he had feared earlier. Then, he finally stepped into Ruby¡¯s home. Following Ruby¡¯s instructions, Steve ced the maternity form on the coffee table in the living room. Ruby poured Steve a ss of boiled water, then went into the kitchen. She would always be hungry whening back from work, so before leaving for work, she would put soup, porridge, and dishes in a steam cooker set to a timer. By the time she got home, her meal would be ready. Today was no different. Ruby was starving, so after she handed Steve his ss of water, she ran into the kitchen and opened the steam cooker. Ruby¡¯s kitchen was an open-style kitchen, so the aroma of the steamed dishes quickly wafted from the kitchen into the living room. Steve held his ss of water, turned his head to look at Ruby, and saw her adding some salt to the steamed dishes and soup. Just from the smell alone, Steve¡¯s heart filled with happiness. But when he thought about how Edric could eat her dishes every day, he felt a bitter taste rising in his heart. When Ruby brought the dishes to the dining table, she noticed Steve sitting on the sofa. Feeling a bit embarrassed to eat alone, she asked, ¡°Are you hungry? Would you like some?¡± There was a strange light that flickered in Steve¡¯s eyes, and he nodded without speaking, ced down his ss, and walked over to the dining table. Ruby handed him a pair of chopsticks and a bowl, then sat down across from him. Pointing at the dishes, she said, ¡°It¡¯s a bit in. You might not be used to it.¡± Steve took a bite with his chopsticks, and indeed, the taste wasn¡¯t extraordinary. However, he chewed slowly and deliberately before finally swallowing the food. He then looked up at Ruby and asked, ¡°When did you learn to cook?¡± Ruby paused while chewing on her food, swallowed it, and then lowered her eyes, whispering, ¡°When I was in Costa Luna, I really wanted to eat Chinese food, so I had to learn how to cook it.¡± Her trip to Costa Luna was all his doing. Her words felt like a p in Steve¡¯s face. Steve¡¯s expression stiffened for a moment, and after a while, he said, ¡°This is the first time I¡¯m eating your cooking. It¡¯s really good.¡± Steve tried to lighten the mood, but Ruby, who sat across from him, paused with her chopsticks after hearing hisment. Her lips moved for a while before she finally looked up at Steve and said, ¡°Actually, I cooked a meal for you once before, but you didn¡¯t eat it.¡± PS: Nine chapters today! Continues tomorrow~~ Thest sentence, Steve must regret it so much~~~ I wrote it so sweet, but you guys didn¡¯t react? Do I have to make it more agonizing? Chapter 615: A Virtue Called Sharing (5) Chapter 615: Chapter 615: A Virtue Called Sharing (5) Steve Burton was trying to ease the atmosphere, but sitting across from him, Ruby Gregory stopped her chopstick-holding gesture when she heard his words. Her lips moved for quite a while before she finally raised her eyes and looked at Steve, saying, ¡°Actually, I¡¯ve cooked a meal for you before, but you didn¡¯t eat it.¡± Ruby¡¯s words werepletely unexpected for Steve. The soupdle in his hand struck the porcin bowl with a crisp sound, and he was dumbfounded for quite some time before he finally looked up at Ruby. After hesitating for a long time, he asked, ¡°You¡­ you¡¯ve cooked for me before?¡± Ruby clutched her chopsticks tightly and stared at Steve without speaking, just giving a slight nod. Her nod was tiny, but Steve saw it clearly. Ruby had cooked for him? When did this happen? Why didn¡¯t he know? Vaguely, Steve felt that he might have missed something very important. He knew that if he didn¡¯t ask Ruby exactly what was going on and pretended to bepletely ignorant, he might feel more relieved. However, asking would undoubtedly make him ufortable. Even so, Steve hesitated for a moment before he finally asked in a slightly warm and deep voice, ¡°When did this happen?¡± As he asked this question, Steve felt his heart stop in that instant. He stared straight at Ruby, focusing intently on what she was about to say next, as if afraid of missing something important. With Steve¡¯s question, Ruby¡¯s mind conjured the scene of that day: She had cooked a whole table of dishes singlehandedly, heating and reheating the food over and over. After waiting for him to return, all she got was a simple ¡°I¡¯ve eaten.¡± She then sat alone at the dining table, eating food that had been heated several times and tasted off,pletely without appetite, forcing herself to swallow it like a robot. Although several months had passed since that event, when Ruby recalled that day, she could still feel the profound sense of loss. Ruby lowered her gaze, paused for a while, and then spoke in a rxed tone, ¡°It was the day I went to your apartment to ask for your opinion on our engagement outfits.¡± Having said that, Ruby raised her eyelids to nce at Steve, then quickly lowered them again, her lips forming a faint smile: ¡°You came back to the apartment somewhatte. When I asked if you had eaten, you said you had.¡± Steve frowned, thought about it for a moment, and then realized it seemed vaguely familiar. It turned out to be the evening three days before their engagement ceremony. At that time, Steve¡¯s heart was heavy due to an ident that urred within Gregory¡¯s Enterprises and the US$6,860,000 she brought to help solve the problem. During that period, he was terribly down, and everything he did seemed a bit restless. He attended a dinner party that night and drank quite a bit of alcohol. When he returned and saw her in his apartment, he was somewhat surprised. He remembered that on that day, she had indeed approached him to ask if he had eaten. She also asked for his opinion on their engagement outfits. Chapter 616: 616: A Virtue Called Sharing (6) Chapter 616: Chapter 616: A Virtue Called Sharing (6) At that time, he replied to her perfunctorily and went straight upstairs to the study on the second floor. He entered the study, but had no intention of working. Halfway through, he opened the door once and saw her sitting alone at the dining table on the first floor, quietly eating her meal through the crack in the door. He thought the meal was prepared by Mrs. Taylor, so he didn¡¯t pay much attention. He just stared at her for a while, closed the door, and went back to the study. Steve took a long time to pull his thoughts back from his memories. He swallowed several times, and asked with a slightly hoarse voice, ¡°Did you cook the meal on the table that night?¡± Ruby replied with a simple ¡°Mm,¡± without saying anything else. But just one single ¡°Mm¡± was sharper than any other words, making Steve¡¯s heart ache. So¡­ she didn¡¯t just cook for Edric, she cooked for him as well¡­ He envied Edric¡¯s luck in tasting her cooking, only to realize how fortunate he had been himself, but he had let that moment slip through his fingers. The atmosphere at the dining table became a bit tense. Although Ruby just kept her head down, she could sense the awkwardness surrounding her. She paused, lifted her head, and looked at Steve, whose expression seemed slightly stiff. She felt a pang of sympathy. She didn¡¯t purposely bring up the past, but upon hearing Steve¡¯s mention of eating her cooking for the first time, she recalled this event and blurted it out, inadvertently creating an awkward atmosphere.
Trying to ease the tension, Ruby twirled her chopsticks and gave Steve a smile, ¡°Actually, it¡¯s a good thing you didn¡¯t eat the meal that time.¡± ¡°I finished cooking at seven o¡¯clock that day, but you didn¡¯te back until after nine. I reheated it several times in the meantime, but by the time I ate, the taste had changed¡­¡± As Ruby spoke, she realized that the atmosphere at the dining table had be even more awkward. Steve¡¯s lips closed tightly. Ruby¡¯s voice quieted down, ¡°It¡¯s not nearly as good as today¡¯s meal¡­¡± Before Ruby could finish her sentence, Steve, who had been silently looking at her, suddenly spoke up, ¡°Ruby.¡± Ruby stopped talking. Inwardly, she cried out in frustration ¨C her attempts to defuse the situation only made matters worse. Steve didn¡¯t speak for a moment, but his heart swelled with a warm pain. It took him a long time to muster the courage to say, ¡°Ruby¡­ I¡¯m sorry.¡± As he uttered those words, Steve felt a stinging sensation in his eyes. I¡¯m truly sorry¡­ Sorry for not knowing how to love someone earlier; sorry forcking patience even though I loved deeply; sorry for my bad temper, always wanting to spare you any grievances, but turning out to have caused you so many instead. I¡¯m truly sorry¡­ for having loved so terribly in the past. Ruby never expected Steve to apologize to her. Her initial irritation at creating an awkward atmosphere instantly turned into astonishment. Chapter 617: 617: A Virtue Called Sharing (7) Chapter 617: Chapter 617: A Virtue Called Sharing (7) Ruby Gregory looks at Steve Burton, who is sitting across from her with elegant poise, his face unusually somber as if the ¡°I¡¯m sorry¡± he had just uttered were holy words. Ruby¡¯s dark eyes are fixed on Steve for a long time before she finally blinks. After another long while, she blinks again and finally realizes that Steve is apologizing to her. In her memory, Steve has always been a very proud man since childhood. Hearing him apologize, let alone uttering sweet and gentle words, was a rarity. But now, he is actually apologizing to her. Ruby feels her heartbeat speeding up inexplicably; she senses some barriers deep in her heart slowly breaking apart. Ruby¡¯s lips tremble slightly. Though she has epted others¡¯ apologies before, it is Steve¡¯s ¡°I¡¯m sorry¡± that leaves her unsure how to respond. After a while, she manages topose herself and smiles faintly, gesturing at the dishes on the table, ¡°It¡¯s okay¡­ all that is in the past¡­ if you really like the food I cook, I can make it for you in the future.¡± As she speaks, Ruby picks up her chopsticks, takes a piece of tofu, and puts it in Steve¡¯s bowl, ¡°Let¡¯s not talk about those unpleasant things from the past. The food¡¯s getting cold; let¡¯s eat.¡± Afterward, Ruby gives Steve a bright, open-mouthed smile. Steve looks at Ruby¡¯s smile, blinks, nods gently, and starts eating with his chopsticks lowered. Ruby never knew that an apology from Steve could lift her spirits like this.
Even she doesn¡¯t understand the reason for her tion; thus, she can¡¯t help but smile at Steve from time to time while eating. Perhaps it¡¯s the influence of Steve¡¯s ¡°I¡¯m sorry¡±, but when she sees him finish a ss of milk, Ruby boldly gets up and refills his bowl with the milk left in her pot. Steve had actually eaten dinner beforeing to find Ruby, so he wasn¡¯t hungry. If the food hadn¡¯t been cooked by Ruby, he wouldn¡¯t have eaten at all. After drinking a ss of milk and having some light dishes, he¡¯s already somewhat full. However, when Ruby personally refills his bowl, he doesn¡¯t refuse. Living alone, Ruby cooks just enough food for herself to avoid leftovers. Today, she added more water out of haste when leaving the house, resulting in twice the amount of milk she normally makes. She¡¯s actually eating more now than in her previous meals, but she¡¯s still not full after finishing her ss of milk. Perhaps it¡¯s because her mood has improved that her appetite follows suit. The meal initially prepared for one has now left only a little soup between the two of them. Ruby, slightly unsatisfied, uses her spoon to scrape up the remaining rice grains in her bowl and puts them in her mouth. As she nces up, she sees Steve elegantly and unhurriedly sipping his now nearly full bowl of milk across from her. Suddenly, she feels a pang of regret at the bottom of her heart; she shouldn¡¯t have so generously poured all the milk for him earlier. She should have left half for herself. Chapter 618: 618: A Virtue Called Sharing (8) Chapter 618: Chapter 618: A Virtue Called Sharing (8) Ruby Gregory endured her unfulfilled hunger, watching Steve Burton leisurely eat his porridge. For Steve, this was a porridge personally cooked by Ruby, much more delectable and heartwarming than any of the finest delicacies he¡¯d eaten in his life. Hence, with every bite, he ate diligently and sincerely, his eyes and eyebrows conveying sheer enjoyment. Though Ruby hadn¡¯t eaten her fill, she was about eighty percent full. Nheless, seeing Steve relish the porridge as if it were a top-notch earthly delight prompted her to feel as though her stomach had suddenly hollowed out. A pregnant person¡¯s craving for a particr food can be especially intense. Ruby stared straight at the porridge in Steve¡¯s bowl, swallowing a couple of mouthfuls of saliva involuntarily. She wanted to eat it so badly; what should she do? But she was the one who gave up the porridge, so she couldn¡¯t exactly take it back from Steve¡¯s bowl now that she wanted some. Ruby immediately dismissed the idea of asking Steve outright. Instead, she fixed her dark, wide eyes on Steve¡¯s rapidly diminishing bowl of porridge and thought that if she didn¡¯te up with a n soon, Steve would eat everyst drop of it! Ruby blinked and racked her brains for a moment. Then, as if struck by lightning, she leaned on the dining table, looked at Steve, and said aloud, ¡°Steve, when we were young, our teachers taught us many virtues. Do you remember any of them?¡± Steve furrowed his brow, inwardlyining about the bizarre question, but still put down his spoon, lifted his head, and responded without thinking, ¡°Respect the old and cherish the young.¡±
Ruby eagerly nodded, ¡°What else?¡± ¡°Courtesy, modesty, honesty, perseverance,¡± Steve quickly listed three more virtues for Ruby. Yet none of these were what Ruby was looking for. As she nodded, her bright eyes urged Steve to continue, ¡°What else?¡± He wasn¡¯t a grade schooler, so why did he have to answer grade school questions? Though Steve mutely griped in his heart, he still looked at Ruby¡¯s expectant face and went on listing virtues, ¡°Self-discipline, selflessness, humility, detachment, magnanimity¡­¡± Ah, why had he listed so many virtues but not the one she wanted? Ruby couldn¡¯t help but furrow her brow. Looking at Ruby¡¯s expressive little brow, Steve¡¯s brow furrowed too. Were the virtues he mentioned not enough? So, Steve continued, ¡°Thrift, helping others, abstaining from unrighteous wealth, enduring hardship, sacrificing oneself for others, acting bravely for a just cause¡­¡± This time, Steve mentioned nearly every word regarding good character he could remember before finally stopping. Seeing that Steve was no longer speaking, Ruby¡¯s face filled with worry, ¡°Is that all?¡± ¡°Is there more?¡± As Steve questioned her, he recalled all the virtues he knew and replied, ¡°That should be everything.¡± Puffing her cheeks, Ruby couldn¡¯t hold back from making an addition for Steve, ¡°There¡¯s also a virtue called sharing.¡± After a pause, Ruby asked again, ¡°We must carry forward these virtues, right?¡± Was Ruby lecturing him? Baffled, Steve nodded along with her words. Chapter 619: 619: A Virtue Called Sharing (9) Chapter 619: Chapter 619: A Virtue Called Sharing (9) Ruby Gregory¡¯s porridge contained a little handful of red beans. Upon seeing Steve Burton nod in agreement, her eyes drifted towards her own bowl, where she spotted a particrly small leftover red bean. Blinking, she picked up her chopsticks, split the bean in half, then stuck the bigger half on the chopstick and held it up to Steve¡¯s mouth. TIlting her head to the side, she said with a beaming smile, ¡°Here, have this.¡± Ruby Gregory was actually feeding him red beans. Steve Burton¡¯s face immediately lit up and without any hesitation, he opened his mouth to swallow the half of a red bean. The red bean itself was quite small, especially when halved. Steve felt nothing upon putting it in his mouth. His tongue swirled around in his mouth for quite a while before finally capturing the pathetic half bean, but before he had the chance to chew and savor the feeling of being fed by Ruby, the bean had already slipped down his throat and into his stomach. After feeding Steve, Ruby picked up her chopsticks again and put the other half of the bean into her own mouth. After swallowing, she looked straight at Steve and expectantly said, ¡°Your turn.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± Steve had no clue what it was his turn for. Ruby tilted her head, winked at Steve and waited. When he didn¡¯t react, she urged, ¡°Hurry up!¡± Hurry what up! Steve still had no idea what Ruby was trying to hint at, and his brows furrowed with confusion. Steve¡¯s frown deepened and in an amused tone, he asked, ¡°Ruby, how have I be ungracious?¡± Ruby, a bit furious now, pointed at the half bowl of porridge in front of Steve and self-righteously said, ¡°In order to show my generosity, I shared the only small red bean I had with you, giving you the bigger half, and yet you, with that half bowl of porridge right there, haven¡¯t made the slightest offer to share. Tell me, how are you being gracious?¡± Steve was dumbfounded by Ruby¡¯s fiery words; he just sat there in silence. After mulling over her words, he finally realized what the young woman in front of him was hinting at with her roundabout way of speaking.
Steve couldn¡¯t help but chuckle. Without any hesitation, he mimicked her gesture of feeding him the red bean, using a spoon to scoop up a helping of porridge. He leaned over slightly and offered it to Ruby¡¯s mouth, ¡°Here, my graciousness.¡± ¡°Achieving her goal, Ruby¡¯s eyes curved into crescents as she opened her mouth to swallow the porridge Steve had offered.¡± Upon seeing her swallow, Steve scooped up another spoonful and held it out to her mouth. Ruby, not one to be modest, readily epted Steve¡¯s demonstration of graciousness. The bowl of porridge was inadvertently emptied as Steve spoonful by spoonful fed Ruby. They were meant to share, but she had ended up enjoying it all by herself. Looking at the empty bowl in front of Steve, Ruby¡¯s cheeks turned a slight red. She tilted her head and looking at Steve, she came up with an excuse that wasn¡¯t really about wanting to finish the porridge, ¡°Steve, your graciousness is terrific!¡± Being praised for his wonderful graciousness, Steve was in a great mood and chuckled. He then looked up to see a grain of rice stuck on Ruby¡¯s mouth and instinctively reached out. The Novel will be updated first on this website. Come back and continue reading tomorrow, everyone! Chapter 620: 620: A Virtue Called Sharing (10) Chapter 620: Chapter 620: A Virtue Called Sharing (10) Ruby Gregory gazed at Steve Burton as he suddenly reached out his hand towards her. Her expression slightly paused, her eyes drooping, and then she felt the man¡¯s fingers touch her cheek. His fingertips had the familiar scorching temperature, gently brushing against her cheek. Her whole body shivered slightly, identally tilting her head, her lips pressing against his fingertips. She felt his fingers tremble slightly on her lips, a tingling sensation instantly spread through her entire body from her lips. Steve Burton only wanted to brush off the rice grain on Ruby¡¯s lips but didn¡¯t expect her to suddenly turn her head as his fingers brushed past her cheek. Then, he clearly felt her soft lips on his fingertips. A feeling of throbbing instantly filled his body, even the eyes gazing at her turned fervent. Ruby originally intended to instinctively avoid his fingertips, but she froze in ce the moment she made eye contact with him. His eyes were beautiful, gleaming brightly, and she couldn¡¯t look away. The two of them, separated by a table, quietly stared at each other. Ruby sat in a chair while Steve stood in front of the dining table, leaning forward. The picture seemed like it was frozen in time. Steve felt the fiery desire within him grow stronger, and his entire body could not help but lean down, his head slowly approaching her cheek.
The distance between their faces grew closer, so close that he could feel her gentle breath blowing on him. Steve¡¯s blood boiled, his Adam¡¯s apple rolling continuously as he held his breath. Ruby saw the man¡¯s face magnify before her eyes, his unique fragrance prated her nostrils as her heartbeat gradually elerated. An inexplicable tension surged through her body, and her lips could not help but quiver slightly. With the movement of her lips, the fingertip pressing against them sent a shock-like sensation straight to Steve¡¯s core. Steve suddenly snapped to his senses, realizing that his face was a mere five centimeters from her. Looking at her slightly dazed expression, Steve subconsciously licked his dry lips and wanted to kiss her, but his rational mind reminded him that their rtionship was no longer like before, where they could freely touch each other¡¯s skin. Steve¡¯s breathing became heavier. His hand, which was brushing her lips, slightly bent before he firmly pursed his lips, trying to suppress the desire welling up inside him. He abruptly withdrew his hand and straightened his body, instantly putting distance between them. Following his swift movement, Ruby snapped back to reality, a blush appearing on her face as she looked at Steve, opened her mouth, and then shyly lowered her head. The atmosphere in the room became ambiguous and awkward. Other than touching her, he hadn¡¯t touched any other woman. Since she had left, it had been almost half a year since he had been close to another woman. Chapter 621: 621: Ruby Gregorys Confession (1) Chapter 621: Chapter 621: Ruby Gregory¡¯s Confession (1) So much so that the me within him could not be suppressed no matter what. The more it was like this, the more acute Steve Burton¡¯s sense of smell became. Ruby Gregory¡¯s faint scent continuously drilled into his nostrils. Steve¡¯s mouth became dry, and he clearly had a premonition that, if he stayed any longer, he would lose hisposure. Trying his best to maintain his sanity, he took out his phone from his pocket and nced at the time. Then, with a calm tone, he said, ¡°It¡¯s gettingte. I have to go.¡± Ruby¡¯s uneasy mood suddenly turned a bit reluctant when she heard Steve was leaving. She lifted her head, nced at him, moved her lips, and then gently nodded. Seeing her nod, Steve hurriedly left, saying, ¡°Goodbye.¡± He quickly walked back to the living room, picked up his car keys from the coffee table, and hurriedly left Ruby¡¯s house. Only after a while did Rubye back to her senses after the living room door closed. In the empty room, she was left alone, with the lingering scent of a man in the air. An indescribable sense of loss rose from the bottom of her heart. Ruby stood in front of the table for a long time before getting up, tidying up the bowls on the table, and cing them into the sink. She washed them carefully, then neatly put them in a sterilizer.
Returning to the living room, Ruby picked up a yoga mat, spread it on the floor, and absentmindedly practiced prenatal yoga. After that, she took a bath. When Ruby came out of the bathroom and was making milk powder, she thought of the milk powder that Steve had brought back from Lilliput. Her hand trembled slightly, and she closed the can of milk powder she had bought from the supermarket. Then, she walked to the living room, opened the paper bag, took out the milk powder, and made a cup of it. As she picked up the cup to drink, Ruby grabbed her phone, took a picture of the opened milk powder, then another picture of the brewed cup, and uploaded them to Twitter with the caption, ¡°A cup of milk powder for pregnant women before bed.¡± followed by two blushing emojis. After posting, Ruby sipped her milk while staring at her Twitter feed. She didn¡¯t know if it was because of Steve¡¯s milk powder, but she found it to be more delicious than any other milk powder she had tasted. When she was halfway through drinking the milk, Ruby noticed a like under her Twitter post. It was from Ruby¡¯s Time. Ruby¡¯s lips curved up, and she swiped on the screen to enter Steve¡¯s Twitter page and sent him a direct message: ¡°Home?¡± ¨C Steve walked out of Ruby¡¯s building and went straight to his car. He turned on the air conditioner and set it to the lowest temperature. After blowing cold air for a long time, the heat on his body finally subsided. The thoughts in his body gradually calmed down as well. He leaned against the car seat, let out a long breath, and slowly drove away. While driving, Steve received a call from Rusell Henris. After the call, he habitually refreshed Ruby¡¯s Twitter and saw she had updated her status. She posted a picture of the milk powder he had bought, opened, as if to say she had started drinking the milk powder he bought? PS: Today¡¯s story ends here. There¡¯s a little writer¡¯s block, so I will go sort out the plot for now~~~ Today is February 1st, the first day of the month. If you have any monthly votes, please give them to Yezi~~~ As I promised, I will start updating more frequently since the Golden Keyboard is the number one choice. From the 2nd onward, I will maintain ten updates per day for five days, continuing until I reach ten updates in total~ The Novel will be updated first on this website. Come back and continue reading tomorrow, everyone! Chapter 622: 622: Ruby Gregorys Confession (2) Chapter 622: Chapter 622: Ruby Gregory¡¯s Confession (2) Whenever he was with her, he never failed to give her gifts. At that time, he thought that it was only natural. She was the girl he loved, so he should treat her well. But it wasn¡¯t until he lost her to someone else that he realized how satisfying it felt just to have her using the things he gave her. People are always like this, desiring more when they have something. If he had kept his greed in check back then, would the situation between them be different now? With mixed emotions, Steve clicked the ¡®like¡¯ button, then put his phone down and prepared to focus on driving. Just at that moment, his phone dinged with an iing message. It was a direct message from Ruby Gregory: ¡°Are you home yet?¡± Steve kept one hand on the steering wheel, ncing at the road ahead while his eyes also stayed glued to the phone screen. He quickly typed out a response: ¡°Not yet, almost there.¡± Half a beatter, his phone dinged twice in session. Steve, phone in hand, unlocked the screen as he pulled over to the side of the road, the car¡¯s headlights shing continuously. Opening Twitter, Steve saw two messages from Ruby. ¡°Oh.¡±
¡°I drank the milk you bought.¡± Upon reading Ruby¡¯s second message, Steve felt an inexplicable softness in his heart: ¡°Mm, I saw.¡± After a pause, Steve added, ¡°Let me know when you finish it, there¡¯s always someone from thepany traveling abroad every month. They can bring more back for you. Also, when the baby is born in October, if you need milk powder, they can bring it too.¡± Reading Steve¡¯s long message on the other end of the phone, Ruby felt a sense of lightness and joy. She gulped down the rest of the milk in the ss, then chewed her finger for a while before sending a response: ¡°Sure, I won¡¯t be polite.¡± Before Steve could reply to the message, another one from Ruby came in: ¡°Steve.¡± Such a good answer¡­ ¡®Sure, I won¡¯t be polite. Steve¡­¡¯ It was so adorably polite. A warm glow filled Steve¡¯s eyes as the night itself seemed to soften around him. After a long while, Steve snapped out of his reverie, looking at the time. It was already 11 PM. He sent her a message: ¡°It¡¯s gettingte. Go rest.¡± ¡°Mm¡­ Goodnight.¡± After Steve sent his ¡°Goodnight¡± message and saw no immediate response, he ced his phone on the passenger seat, restarted the car, and drove off towards the apartment. ¨C Looking at Steve¡¯s ¡°Goodnight¡± message, Ruby couldn¡¯t help but smile. She stared at their chat history for a long while before reluctantly cing her phone on a table far from the bed and climbing into bed. As she closed her eyes, Ruby thought of the ¡°I¡¯m sorry¡± Steve told her during dinner. A faint stirring in her heart made her open her eyes wide. In the dim light of the nightmp, she stared at the ceiling, her thoughts in turmoil. She had resented Steve, especially when she found out he had been giving her long-term contraceptives. She had really considered cutting all ties with him, making their paths never cross again. Chapter 623: 623: Ruby Gregorys Confession (3) Chapter 623: Chapter 623: Ruby Gregory¡¯s Confession (3) Later, when she found out that he had secretly been following her, doing so many things for her, and even getting injured, she found that all her determination had vanished in that instant, reced by her concern for him. She never thought about taking the initiative to find him, but every time he happened to appear in front of her, she couldn¡¯t bring herself to coldly reject him as a stranger. Thus, the encounters between him and her grew more and more frequent, and the closer they became, the more she found herself relying on him. Upon seeing the baby form he had brought back from Lilliput just for her that evening, she wondered how long he would continue to be so good to her; however, his apology that night made her waver. Ruby Gregory turned over slightly and thought to herself, should she perhaps try to give herself some confidence and give both her, and Steve Burton, a chance? ¨C Although Ruby haven¡¯t decided whether or not to give herself and Steve a chance, their rtionship had significantly improved because of his apology. In the past, she would not contact Steve if he did not take the initiative to contact her; now, however, Ruby would actively reach out to him. The feelings between Steve and Ruby were ingrained in them since childhood. Once some tacit understanding and patterns of interaction were stirred, their restraint seemed to dissipate. At times, Steve wondered if it was appropriate for him to maintain such a close rtionship with a woman like Ruby, who was pregnant with another man¡¯s child and discussing marriage.
However, every time he received a message from Ruby asking if he was free and if he would like to share a meal with her, he would cast aside any moral considerations and ditch even important engagements or meetings. Then, he would recklessly rush to Ruby¡¯s side. When Ruby was eight months pregnant, she resigned from the Gardenia Clubhouse, hired a maid to tend to her, and began to focus on her pregnancy. At this point, Ruby¡¯s belly had grown considerably, her skin stretched and ufortable. The weight of the two little ones inside her often caused her back pain, so she spent more time at home. In mid-June, as summer began, the weather was particrly pleasant. Ruby and her maid spent their time in the apartment, sorting through the baby items they had prepared in advance, such as bottles, little clothes, small nkets, and diapers¡­ Steve rarely visited her home. On the few asions he came, his visits were short, but he always brought many things along with him. The maid then sorted through these items, telling Ruby which ones were from Steve. After sorting, Ruby realized that more than half of these baby items were from Steve. The maid neatly repacked the items in the box, then said with a grin, ¡°Ms. Gregory, actually, the baby stuff Mr. Burton has given you is far less than what he got for you.¡± ¡°Pregnancy milk powder, postpartum belly band, olive oil, and many other little things that pregnant women need, were all prepared by Mr. Burton for you¡­¡± With the two of them being the only ones at home and having grown close over time, the maid continued without restraint, ¡°This means that in fact, Mr. Burton cares more about you than he does about your unborn children.¡± The Novel will be updated first on this website. Come back and continue reading tomorrow, everyone! Chapter 624: 624: Ruby Gregorys Confession (4) Chapter 624: Chapter 624: Ruby Gregory¡¯s Confession (4) Jealousy is a woman¡¯s nature, but for a mother, she is definitelypeting with her own child for favor. However, when Ruby heard what the nanny said, a sense of joy emerged in her heart. But on the surface, she still asked insincerely, ¡°Really?¡± ¡°Of course¡­¡± As the nanny spoke, she suddenly seemed to think of something and paused for a moment. After a while, she looked up at Ruby and said, ¡°Ms. Gregory, we don¡¯t have any pacifiers¡­ and there¡¯s no baby crib¡­ We only have one stroller, and since you¡¯re having twins, we¡¯re still short of one¡­¡± The stroller the nanny mentioned was the one Ruby had won in a Twitter raffle. The nanny first observed what was missing and then began writing a list for Ruby. After being reminded by the nanny, Ruby finally remembered that she did want to buy two baby cribs and a stroller a few days ago. When the nanny finished the list, Ruby looked at it and found that there were quite a few small items missing. She was now eight months pregnant, and although she sometimes had back pains, walking was still normal. If it were another month before giving birth, she wouldn¡¯t dare to go out easily. Actually, Ruby could have simply asked the nanny to go out and buy all these things for her, but as a first-time expectant mother, she wanted to do everything for her unborn child personally. With the soup in the kitchen requiring attention, Ruby noticed the beautiful weather outside and decided to go to the mall by herself. Ruby called for a private car using her mobile phone. She went downstairs, got in the car, and headed straight for thergest mall in the city.
Today wasn¡¯t a weekend, so there weren¡¯t many people in the mall, making it easy for Ruby to stroll around. Baby supplies were on the top floor. When Ruby went up, she passed by women¡¯s clothing on the third floor, and couldn¡¯t help but take a look at the new summer clothes, even though she couldn¡¯t wear them with her current big belly. As Ruby passed by a Japanese-style clothing store, she noticed that the clothes had loose waists, so she went inside, browsed around, and finally chose a pink short-sleeved dress. She asked the salesperson for thergest waist size and then went to the fitting room. The dressing room was very quiet. The salesperson led Ruby to the door and then left. Ruby casually stepped into an open cubicle, closed the door, and changed clothes. Although the waist of this dress was already thergest, the zipper still couldn¡¯t quite go up. Ruby helplessly changed back to her maternity clothes and was about to open the door when she heard a strange voice outside, calling her familiar name, ¡°Maya, you seem to be in a good moodtely.¡± Maya? Maya Mitchell? Ever since her engagement to Steve Burton was canceled, apart from meeting in the restroom at the Gardenia Clubhouse, Ruby hadn¡¯t been in contact with Maya. At this moment, Ruby felt toozy to meet Maya face-to-face. Maya¡¯s gentleness in front of her made her feel a bit ufortable. Ruby frowned, subconsciously retreating into the cubicle and gently locking the door. Chapter 625: 625: Ruby Gregorys Confession (5) Chapter 625: Chapter 625: Ruby Gregory¡¯s Confession (5) Ruby Gregory originally thought that she would leave as soon as Maya Mitchell entered the dressing room. She would then swap their clothes with the salesperson, and they would pass by each other without meeting. But to her surprise, just as she locked the door, she heard that unfamiliar voice from earlier, with a hint of yfulness, mentioning someone she cared about, ¡°Has your rtionship with Mr. Burton from Pristine¡¯s Enterprises been growingtely? ¡± Mr. Burton from Pristine¡¯s Enterprises? Steve Burton? What kind of rtionship? When did Steve Burton and Maya Mitchell have any rtionship? Countless questions surfaced in Ruby¡¯s mind as she pressed her ear against the door, listening to others for the first time in her life. Indeed, as the stranger said, Maya Mitchell spoke with a tinge ofughter ¨C appearing to be in an excellent mood. ¡°Are you talking about Steve Burton? We¡¯re good¡­ We even had dinner togetherst night¡­¡± Steve Burton and Maya Mitchell had dinner togetherst night? Ruby¡¯s hand gripped the clothes she was holding tightly, the ones she nned to return to the salesperson. ¡°Oh, you¡¯ve already had private dinners together? After dinner, did you do anything else together? No wonder you¡¯re in such a good mood today, dragging me out for a spa and shopping. It must be because you¡¯re triumphant in love!¡± The stranger teased Maya Mitchell. Maya didn¡¯t respond to the ribbing, onlyughing softly before pushing open the door of the adjacent dressing room and walking in.
As both doors closed, the stranger¡¯s voice resounded once again, ¡°Maya, let me remind you. If you could capture Mr. Burton¡¯s heart, you would be the mistress of the Burtons. At that time, don¡¯t forget me in your pursuit of wealth and glory.¡± Maya Mitchell: ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I won¡¯t.¡± Did Maya Mitchell really want to marry Steve Burton? When did that happen? Howe Ruby never knew about it? Ruby felt as if she had just learned shocking news made her heart race faster than ever. ¡°By the way, Maya, wasn¡¯t there a rumor that Mr. Burton from Pristine¡¯s Enterprises was nearly engaged? What¡¯s her name?¡± ¡°Do you mean¡­ Ruby Gregory?¡± ¡°Yes, yes, that¡¯s Ruby Gregory, the heiress of Gregory¡¯s Enterprises. She is also your colleague. It seems like Ruby is Mr. Burton¡¯s neighbor¡¯s daughter, so they must be childhood friends. Their bond must be deep, so howe they didn¡¯t get engaged?¡± Ruby suddenly heard the conversation shift to her. She clenched her fist unconsciously, perking up her ears and focusing. After waiting about five seconds, Ruby finally heard Maya Mitchell¡¯s voice, carrying a hint of disdain, ¡°Her? Hmph¡­¡± Her? Hmph¡­ What did that mean? Ruby¡¯s lips pursed tightly. The stranger continued, ¡°What happened? Judging by your tone, you seem to be dismissive of her. Or did she offend you somehow?¡± The stranger didn¡¯t even wait for Maya to reply before giggling, ¡°Of course, love rivals are natural enemies. She almost became Mr. Burton¡¯s fianc¨¦e. You being unhappy with her is to be expected.¡± The Novel will be updated first on this website. Come back and continue reading tomorrow, everyone! Chapter 626: 626: Ruby Gregorys Confession (6) Chapter 626: Chapter 626: Ruby Gregory¡¯s Confession (6) ¡°But, fortunately, didn¡¯t she end up having her engagement called off by Mr. Burton from Pristine¡¯s Enterprises anyway? And aren¡¯t you getting closer and closer to Mr. Burton now? Many things don¡¯t need to be worried about in the beginning; what matters is the end result. Being able toughst is the real skill, so there¡¯s no need to pay attention to a worthless person.¡± With the words of the stranger, Ruby heard the door of the partition being opened and, shortly after, Maya¡¯s voice floated over: ¡°A shameless woman who goes to great lengths to throw herself at men, why would I even pay attention to her?¡± When Ruby heard this line, her mind briefly went nk. If not for the familiar voice, she wouldn¡¯t have even dared to believe that the person saying these words was actually Maya, who had always been gentle and considerate to her. Moreover, she was actually calling Ruby shameless and desperate to throw herself at men? Ruby¡¯splexion turned a little pale. ¡°Hehe¡­¡± The stranger chuckled after hearing Maya¡¯s words. ¡°Maya, your mouth is really toxic.¡± After a pause, the stranger asked, ¡°How about it? Does this dress look good on me?¡± ¡°Not bad.¡± Maya replied indifferently with a hint of praise in her voice, then continued the conversation, ¡°Honestly, I¡¯ve tolerated Ruby for many years. I started to hate her in college.¡± She started to hate her in college¡­ Ruby¡¯s mind was shocked once more. In college, she and Madeleine weren¡¯t roommates. Ruby was roommates with four other girls, including Maya. Ruby had always thought that she had the best rtionship with Maya back then. At that time, Maya was really good to her, helping her get hot water, and even bringing food back to her when she was toozy to eat downstairs. When Ruby had period cramps, Maya would make her Chinese ginger tea with red dates. Maya was really kind and considerate towards her, so Ruby didn¡¯t understand how she could hate her.
¡°So, you guys were college ssmates¡­¡± The stranger responded. ¡°Yeah, for four years, we shared the same dormitory.¡± Maya said gritting her teeth, ¡°I knew early on that she couldn¡¯tst long with Steve Burton. What else does she have except shamelessly throwing herself at men?¡± Maya repeated Ruby¡¯s shameless behavior of throwing herself at Steve. Then, she changed the subject, ¡°These clothes are all pretty nice. Let¡¯s go and check out, I¡¯ll buy yours too.¡± ¡°Maya, it seems that not only are you thriving in your love life, but your career is also on the rise¡­¡± Then, Ruby heard the sound of high heels walking away from the fitting room door. She waited until the sound of the high heels could no longer be heard before taking a deep breath. She felt as if there was a fire burning inside her, rapidly consuming her. Maya might not have been her best friend, but Ruby was the only person who stepped forward to pay for Maya¡¯s tuition fees when she was nearly expelled from school. Because of this, she was so angry at this moment. If she hadn¡¯t overheard it today, she would never have believed in her entire life that she was such a despicable person in Maya¡¯s eyes! Chapter 627: 627: Ruby Gregorys Confession (7) Chapter 627: Chapter 627: Ruby Gregory¡¯s Confession (7) ¡°All along, she had thought that Olivia Foster was the person she hated the most. Only now did she find out that those with venomous tongues often have soft hearts, while the silent ones are the most ruthless. What else did she have ording to Maya Mitchell, apart from shamelessly throwing herself at men? Her tone was so sarcastically sharp, it was as if she looked down on her very existence! Anger made Ruby Gregory¡¯s whole body shiver until a vague pain came from her abdomen. Returning to her senses, she took deep breaths, attempting to let out the fury inside her. But the more she tried to calm down, the more agitated she became. Ruby felt more wronged than ever before in her life. She helped Maya and in return, she was belittled by Maya. Where was justice? She wouldn¡¯t stand for it, she couldn¡¯t ept it, it was unfair! Ruby thought, if she weren¡¯t pregnant now, she would have lunged forward and pped Maya in the face! What right did she have to say that all Ruby could do was throw herself at men? What right did she have to belittle her? Moreover, when did she start liking Steve Burton? Why was she suddenly so close to him? She was even about to be the mistress of Pristine¡¯s Enterprises¡­
What utter nonsense was all this¡­ The more Ruby thought about it, the more anguished she felt. But in the end, she realized what bothered her the most was not Maya¡¯s insult or her biting ingratitude. What bothered her most was the nature of the rtionship between Maya and Steve! Was it because Maya fancied Steve that she insulted her? So in essence, all this was Steve Burton¡¯s doing. Ruby instantly took out her phone and sent a few angry emojis to Steve via Twitter direct messages. Less than a minuteter, she received Steve¡¯s reply: ¡°What happened, Ruby?¡± While seething with rage, Ruby hit the keyboard hard and typed: ¡°I have been bullied.¡± After sending it, Ruby felt those words weren¡¯t expressive enough of her suffering, so she added a line of crying emojis. Steve replied, ¡°Who did it?¡± Without hesitation, Ruby answered: ¡°You.¡± Steve continued: ¡°Ruby, are you telling me a cold joke?¡± ¡®Cold joke your ass!¡¯ thought Ruby. Ruby, who was growing more infuriated, couldn¡¯t help but m her phone against the partition. A secondter, her phone rang with a pleasant ringtone. ¨C When Steve received a private Twitter message from Ruby, he was in a meeting with a client from Agrabah along with Rusell Henris. The sudden vibration of his phone from his pocket prompted him to check. On seeing the Twitter notification, he didn¡¯t hesitate to open it. Being unsure if Ruby was genuinely angry or just teasing, he had semi-jokingly replied, ¡°Ruby, are you teasing me?¡± He then apologized to his client from Agrabah, signaled Rusell to attend to them, and stepped out to call Ruby. After quite a wait, his call was answered, and Steve spoke up: ¡°Ruby?¡±
Chapter 628: Ruby Gregory’s Confession (8) Chapter 628: Chapter 628: Ruby Gregory¡¯s Confession (8) The phone didn¡¯t ring with the crisp sound of Ruby Gregory¡¯s voice as usual. Steve Burton faintly sensed something was wrong. Unconsciously frowning, his tone carried a hint of worry as he continued, ¡°Ruby, what happened?¡± Ruby listened to Steve¡¯s concerned tone, and thought of the words Maya Mitchell had said to her. Her anger at the bottom of her heart instantly turned into grievances. Holding the phone, she took a while to respond in a low voice, ¡°Nothing.¡± Though she only said one word, Steve still detected a strong displeasure in her voice. Could it be that someone was indeed bullying her? Steve¡¯s heart raced, his tone taking on a fierce edge, ¡°Who bullied you?¡± The more worried Steve became for Ruby, the more her sense of grievance swelled, her eyes reddening in the process. On the other side of the phone, Steve had no idea of Ruby¡¯s current situation. Thinking about her pregnancy, he became more anxious, ¡°Ruby, are you at home or outside?¡± After asking the question, Steve realized it was pointless, and rephrased, ¡°Ruby, where are you now? I¡¯ll be right there.¡± Before Ruby had a chance to reply, she heard the sound of a door opening on the other end of the line. Then through Steve¡¯s muffled phone, she heard a faint voice, ¡°Rusell Henris, please entertain them.¡± ¡°I apologize, but something urgent hase up and I need to deal with it right away. I¡¯m really sorry. I¡¯ll treat you to dinner tomorrow.¡± As Steve finished speaking, Ruby could hear him getting dressed, grabbing his car keys, and opening and closing the door. Then Steve¡¯s voice came through again, gently coaxing, ¡°Ruby, tell me, where are you now? Huh?¡± Ruby¡¯s throat tightened with emotion, and at this moment, she couldn¡¯t tell if she was upset because of Maya or touched by Steve¡¯s concern. She heard Steve¡¯s footsteps on the phone, as if he was running, followed by the sound of a car engine starting. Finally, she lowered her eyelids, trying to keep her tone steady as she gave the name of the mall she was in. Although Ruby tried her best to keep her emotions stable, her voice still betrayed her sense of grievance. Hearing this, Steve¡¯s heart clenched. He hurriedly pressed the gas pedal and started the car, ¡°Did you have a conflict with someone in the mall? Did you get injured? Any difort? How about your stomach? Does it hurt? Which floor are you on?¡± Ruby listened to the series of questionsing from Steve and suddenly felt like she might be making a big fuss over a small issue. She had only been scolded by Maya Mitchell, so why bother wasting Steve¡¯s time on work to apany her? Ruby moved her lips and said softly, ¡°I¡¯m fine. Are you busy at work? You should focus on your work.¡± Steve nced at the road conditions, estimated the time, and told Ruby, ¡°I should be there in about twenty minutes, just wait for me.¡± He hesitated for a moment and asked again, with some concern, ¡°Are you really sure you¡¯re feeling fine now?¡± Chapter 629: Ruby Gregory’s Confession (9) Chapter 629: Chapter 629: Ruby Gregory¡¯s Confession (9) Ruby Gregory carefully felt her belly, responding to Steve Burton¡¯s question, ¡°No.¡± Fearing that Steve wouldn¡¯t believe her, Ruby said again, ¡°Really, there isn¡¯t.¡± Steve continued to give Ruby a few more reminders before hanging up. ¨C The Sapphire Bistro wasn¡¯t far from the mall where Ruby was. When Steve said he¡¯d arrive in two minutes, he actually only took fifteen to reach the mall. Steve didn¡¯t even bother to find a parking spot, randomly parking on the side of the road before quickly running into the mall and heading straight to the third floor. Steve frantically searched the third floor and then saw Ruby standing at the entrance of a Japanese clothing store diagonally across the floor. Steve hesitated for a moment, then quickly walked towards her. He was moving so fast that he almost collided with someone on the way, not even having time to stop, offering a hurried ¡°Sorry¡± as he ran towards Ruby. When Ruby saw Steve, he was only ten meters away from her. He slowed down a bit and stopped in front of her in just a few steps. Slightly breathless from running, he looked at her with worried eyes, took a quick breath and immediately asked, ¡°Ruby, are you okay?¡± Without waiting for Ruby¡¯s reply, Steve grabbed her arm and looked her up and down. By the time Ruby hung up the phone, her anger had mostly dissipated. Now, seeing Steve¡¯s hurried appearance, she felt that she overreacted and was a bit stubborn. She stared at Steve, shook her head in response to his worried look, then lowered her head, pulled a wet wipe from her bag, and wiped the sweat on his face. Steve¡¯s expression shed surprise for a moment, but his eyes were still intently observing Ruby. Steve looked at her for a while, not seeing any signs of upset. He frowned, still worried about the distressed tone she had over the phone, ¡°Are you feeling bad?¡± Ruby shook her head, softly smiled at Steve, and said, ¡°No.¡± Pausing briefly, Ruby said with a hint of coquetry, ¡°I just tried on a dress and couldn¡¯t fit into it, felt a bit sad.¡± Steve could tell Ruby was lying, but he wouldn¡¯t force her to tell the truth. Pretending to believe her, he reached out, tousled her hair, and said, ¡°It¡¯s okay. We can buy it now and keep it forter.¡± Ruby was about to shake her head in refusal when she saw Maya Mitchelling out of the store across the street, with a tall woman by her side carrying several bags. Didn¡¯t Maya like Steve? She was able to say that she and Steve were close, and that hurt her feelings! So now, she could have Steve apany her shopping, strike back, and hurt Maya¡¯s feelings too! Ruby¡¯s eyes rolled, and the refusal on her lips vanished as she swallowed it down. Instead, she gently nodded her head and obediently said, ¡°Okay.¡± PS: Eight updates today, and ten updates daily starting tomorrow~ I admit I¡¯ve been writing a bit slowly these days, please be patient~ The daily update quantity is still guaranteed~ Tomorrow¡¯s plot preview: Ruby asks, ¡°Steve, in your eyes, am I the kind of girl who clings and throws herself at men?¡± Big Brother Time will finally learn about the kind of ideology that has been instilled in Ruby since she was young~~ Oh, regret it now~ Chapter 630: 630: Ruby Gregorys Confession (10) Chapter 630: Chapter 630: Ruby Gregory¡¯s Confession (10) Ruby Gregory¡¯s eyes rolled around, and suddenly, the refusal that was about to leave her lips was swallowed back down, reced with a gentle nod and obediently saying, ¡°Okay.¡± At this moment, Steve Burton was afraid Ruby might be feeling ufortable deep down, but putting on a forced smile on the surface. So when he saw her nod and agreed to buy clothes, it was like hearing the sweet sound of music to his ears. Steve Burton immediately nodded and opened his mouth to say, ¡°Okay.¡± After speaking, Steve Burton looked around, then directed his gaze to the Japanese-style clothing store behind Ruby. His eyes were full of charm, ¡°The clothes from this store?¡± Ruby, with the corner of her eye, had never left Maya Mitchell. Only when she saw Maya enter a European-American style window store did she shake her head and say, ¡°No.¡± Then she pointed to the store where Maya had just entered and continued, ¡°That one.¡± Steve Burton followed Ruby¡¯s gaze, nced over, and without hesitation, apanied her to the store. Ruby, having a big belly, genuinely couldn¡¯t fit into any of the clothes in this store, so she could only stroll around casually with Steve Burton¡¯spany. Ruby seemed to be looking at the clothes, but in reality, her eyes were constantly searching for Maya¡¯s figure in the store. The salesdy always maintained a polite smile, following Ruby and Steve. When Ruby, for the eighth time, reached out to touch a piece of clothing she thought was not bad, and the salesdy kindly asked for the eighth time, ¡°Miss, what size do you need? Would you like me to bring it over for you to take a look?¡± Ruby saw Maya and the stranger apanying here out of the fitting room. Ruby did not run into Maya in the fitting room of the Japanese-style clothing store earlier, and the distance between them was quite far, so Ruby couldn¡¯t see Maya clearly. Now that they were closer, Ruby noticed that Maya seemed to have changed a bit. She appeared more beautiful, but Ruby couldn¡¯t figure out what exactly had changed for a while.
Maya wasn¡¯t as gentle and humble as Ruby remembered. Wearing ten-centimeter high heels, she elegantly handed the clothes she had tried on to the sales clerk waiting by the fitting room door. Her tone was crisp and efficient, saying very regally, ¡°Help me pack them all.¡± The salesdy led Maya and her friend to the checkout counter with a smile. Maya was indeed generous, buying several pieces of clothing, though Ruby didn¡¯t know if Maya bought them all for herself or also bought some for her friend. In any case, the cashierdy scanned codes for quite a while before reporting the total price. From a distance, Ruby couldn¡¯t hear the exact amount, but she knew that the total price of those clothes was around US$7,000-8,000. Yet, Maya didn¡¯t even blink as she calmly took out her bank card and handed it over. The salesdy who attended to Maya had justnded a big customer, and themission was bound to be high. She fully demonstrated that the customer is always right, folding all the clothes for Maya with a smile, putting them into a bag, and carefully instructing Maya on theundering precautions. In the end, she even helped Maya carry the paper bag all the way to the store¡¯s entrance. Chapter 631: 631: Ruby Gregorys Confession (11) Chapter 631: Chapter 631: Ruby Gregory¡¯s Confession (11) The reason Ruby Gregory took Steve Burton to the store where Maya Mitchell was shopping was to show Maya that Steve was apanying her. However, their standing position was quite remote, and Maya didn¡¯t notice their presence when she came out of the fitting room and left. If Maya left through the door, who knew where she would go next? Ruby blinked lightly, and just as Maya was taking the shopping bag from the sales assistant with a smile on her face, Ruby couldn¡¯t help but raise her voice and call out, ¡°Steve Burton!¡± The clothing store was very quiet, everyone was speaking in soft whispers, and the background music was a slow bad ying at a lower volume. Ruby¡¯s raised voice easily spread throughout the entire store. Everyone looked towards the source of the sound. Ruby pretended to look towards Steve, but the corner of her eyes continuously nced towards where Maya was standing. She clearly saw that when Maya heard the name ¡°Steve Burton,¡± her fingers paused slightly, and then her whole person reflexively looked up and around, before her gaze settled on her and Steve. Steve had been following Ruby all along, apanying her as she looked at the clothes. Suddenly hearing her loudly call his name, he couldn¡¯t help but look at her in confusion. Ruby had only thought of stopping Maya from leaving, so she had shouted Steve¡¯s name on a whim, but she had forgotten to think about what to say after calling him. Only after seeing him looking at her, she blinked and hastily came up with an excuse, ¡°I¡¯m a little tired.¡± After saying that, Ruby took another nce at Maya. At this point, the smile on Maya¡¯s face seemed somewhat stiff, her eyes still fixed on where Ruby and Steve were standing.
The sales assistant spoke to her several times with a smile before Maya finally came back to her senses, reached out with some stiffness, and took the shopping bag handed over by the sales assistant. Then her gaze went back to Ruby and Steve again, her eyes filled with a hint of disbelief, as if she couldn¡¯t believe that Ruby and Steve were shopping together. Feeling slightly unhappy with the way Maya looked at her, Ruby thought: Why can¡¯t I go shopping with Steve? Ruby was not the type of person who always had to outdo others, but at that moment, she wanted to outdo Maya. So she asked Steve in a coquettish manner, ¡°But I haven¡¯t finished shopping yet, could you help me pick out clothes?¡± Not only was she shopping with Steve, but she also wanted him to help her choose clothes! Although Steve didn¡¯t understand what calctions Ruby was making in her heart, he had never been able to refuse her honest requests, especially when her tone was soft and tinged with a hint of coquetry. He immediately went along with Ruby¡¯s wishes, apanying her to the sofa in the resting area, and asked the sales assistant to pour Ruby a cup of warm water before going to select clothes for her. Steve¡¯s aesthetic sense had always been good. Although he didn¡¯t ask the sales assistants about the new and limited edition products in the store, he casually picked a few items that won their praise, with them eitherplimenting his good taste or telling him that they were newlyunched limited editions. Chapter 632: Ruby Gregory’s Confession (12) Chapter 632: Chapter 632: Ruby Gregory¡¯s Confession (12) When Steve Burton and the saleswoman returned after picking out clothes, they saw Ruby Gregory sitting on the sofa with her pregnant belly. Worried that she might be ufortable, Steve first grabbed a cushion and ced it behind Ruby¡¯s back before gesturing to the saleswoman. As she walked in, he picked up one of the clothes and showed it to Ruby, asking, ¡°What do you think?¡± It was indeed quite beautiful. Before Ruby even had a chance toment, Steve saw the look of amazement in her eyes and immediately handed it to the saleswoman, saying, ¡°Wrap this up.¡± Then, he picked up another one and asked again, ¡°How about this one?¡± Ruby shook her head somewhat disdainfully this time, ¡°I don¡¯t really like this color.¡± Steve nodded and tossed the clothes onto a nearby sofa before picking up the next one. Throughout the entire process, Ruby did nothing but sitfortably against the cushion on the sofa, nodding or shaking her head at the clothes Steve picked up. Even when her cup of water was almost empty, Steve would instruct the waiter to refill it for her. The first batch of clothes Steve brought over had eight pieces, and Ruby chose five of them. As Steve went to pick out more clothes, Ruby nced outside the store and saw Maya Mitchell not leaving, but standing outside and chatting with her friend. However, her eyes were always on Steve and Ruby¡¯s actions inside the store, the smugness on her face now gone, reced by a tightly pursed lip and a slightly displeased expression. Seeing Maya unhappy made Ruby even happier. While waiting for Steve to pick out more clothes, she picked up a magazine next to her and casually flipped through it. Spotting a particrly beautiful dress, Ruby asked the saleswoman if the store had it. The saleswoman replied politely, ¡°The clothes featured in this magazine are for the next season¡¯s release, so we don¡¯t have them yet.¡± Ruby nodded with a hint of regret, ¡°What a pity¡­¡± Before she could finish her sentence, Steve¡¯s voice came through again, ¡°What¡¯s such a pity?¡± ¡°The dress in the magazine. It¡¯s really nice, but it¡¯s only going to be released next season.¡± Steve nced at the magazine before showing Ruby the clothes he picked out this time, and after finalizing a few more selections, he said, ¡°The clothes in this store are average. Shall we check another store?¡± Ruby nodded in agreement. Steve then told the saleswoman, ¡°Help me wrap these clothes and check out.¡± ¡°Yes, sir and ma¡¯am, please wait a moment.¡± If Maya¡¯s shopping bill earlier was considered arge order, then Steve¡¯s order now was beyond their imagination. The saleswoman¡¯s eyes squinted with joy as she hugged the clothes and happily ran to the front counter, scanning the order while excitedly chatting with her coworkers about it. About fifteen minutester, the saleswoman came back with a smile, ¡°Sir, the total is US$38,154.¡± Upon hearing the amount, Steve¡¯s face remained expressionless as he pulled out a bank card from his pocket and handed it over, ¡°No PIN required.¡± Chapter 633: Ruby Gregory’s Confession (13) Chapter 633: Chapter 633: Ruby Gregory¡¯s Confession (13) The salesgirl, with her eyes gleaming, turned around, walked to the front desk, swiped the card, and then carried the bag back to Steve Burton and Ruby Gregory. When the salesgirl was returning the bank card to Steve, he seemed to have thought of something. He suddenly reached out, pointed to the magazine Ruby had just flipped through, and asked, ¡°Can this magazine be subscribed to?¡± ¡°Yes, it can.¡± ¡°Please help me subscribe to one, then. The mailing address¡­¡± Steve said and paused briefly. He then took out a pen and a gold-embossed business card from his pocket, wrote down the address of Ruby¡¯s current residence on the back, and handed the card to the salesgirl. ¡°This is the address. Please contact her and ask if she has any clothes she likes. If so, once the new arrivals are in stock, send them directly to her, with the same size as the clothes she chose today.¡± ¡°Also, for payment, just contact me directly. My contact number is on that business card.¡± After saying that, Steve thought for a moment, then picked up the magazine Ruby had just flipped through, turned a few pages, stopped at the page with the dress Ruby liked, pointed to it, and said, ¡°Once this dress is on the market, send it to her first, two sets.¡± ¡°Two sets?¡± The salesgirl asked again, as if confirming something. ¡°Yes, two sets.¡± After saying that, Steve pointed to the bags on the floor and said, ¡°You can have these clothes sent to the address on the back of the business cardter.¡± ¨C From beginning to end, Maya Mitchell was seated on the resting chair outside the store where she had just bought her clothes and had not left. Maya had witnessed the entire process of Steve buying clothes for Ruby. In her heart, she had always felt that a woman who could have Steve apany her shopping was the luckiest woman. But Ruby was able to sit on the sofa and enjoy Steve carefully choosing clothes for her. Yes, carefully choosing. Through the ss, she saw that when Steve chose clothes for Ruby, his expression was very serious ¨C a seriousness she had not seen during all the years she had worked with Steve. Maya only got up with her friend after Steve and Ruby left the store and turned into another store. She knew very well that following Steve and Ruby and watching them shop together would hurt her own eyes, but she still couldn¡¯t help but follow them. When they passed by the store entrance where they had just shopped, two salesgirls who had sent Steve and Ruby out earlier, excitedly discussed Steve and Ruby. ¡°That man just now was so handsome! I¡¯ve never seen a man with such a generous hand apany a woman shopping. He was buying clothes and swiping the card without hesitation!¡± ¡°You have no idea. That man ordered our new magazine and said if the woman likes anything, we should deliver it straight to her door and contact him for payment!¡± ¡°That man must really like that woman, otherwise, he wouldn¡¯t be so willing to spend money. Also, that woman is pregnant. Buying so many clothes to take home, she won¡¯t be able to wear them now. By the time she can, they may be outdated and no longer look good! Even though they know it¡¯s a waste, they still buy. People say that waste is shameful, but this man looks so handsome even when acting shamefully!¡± Chapter 634: 634: Ruby Gregorys Confession (14) Chapter 634: Chapter 634: Ruby Gregory¡¯s Confession (14) ¡°Incredibly handsome! I bet, if that woman wanted this shop, the man would undoubtedly hesitate to buy it for her!¡± ¡°And even more critical, the woman looked at our new limited edition for the next season, said it was beautiful, and the outfit had a price of more than 5 million. The man actually ordered two sets for her, both in the same size.¡± ¡°Two sets, is she wearing one set and hanging the other? How extravagant¡­¡± ¡°This is some insane love¡­¡± Yes, it is indeed insane love! When Maya Mitchell took all those words into her ears, she suddenly eximed such a sentence. Whatever Ruby Gregory likes, Steve Burton would always prepare two of them. It¡¯s just a dress, they¡¯re over-exaggerating. If they knew that once Ruby Gregory liked a limited edition Cartier bracelet, there was only one in the world at the time, and Steve Burton took the trouble to smash a huge amount of money, insisting on buying another one, then buying the two and giving them to Ruby Gregory, wouldn¡¯t they go mad? They would totally go crazy!
Back in the university days, she almost screamed when she heard the news, her heart was pounding uncontrobly. When Ruby Gregory took a fancy to that bracelet and mentioned it in the dorms, she glimpsed the seven-figure price tag and thought at the time that earning that much money in a lifetime would be satisfying enough. But less than three dayster, Ruby Gregory excitedly brought back to the dormitory two boxes. When she opened them on her bed, she saw two identical bracelets, the one she said she wanted a few days ago. She naively asked back then, ¡°Aren¡¯t they limited edition, with only one model? Howe you have two?¡± Ruby Gregory didn¡¯t find anything inappropriate. While trying the bracelets on her wrist, she titled her head and said, ¡°Now there are two in the world, but both are with me.¡± She paused for a moment, and with a casual smile, she continued,¡±Steve Burton took care of it.¡± Another girl in the dorm also came over at that time, while admiring the multi-million-priced bracelets, she said, ¡°So extravagant, Ruby, one is enough to make people jealous, howe you have two?¡± What Ruby Gregory said next was what stung her heart the most. Ruby Gregory said: ¡°Is it odd? Steve Burton always gives me two of any object I like.¡± She paused for a moment, her eyes curved, and she went on to tell a story naturally, like she was discussing dinner ns for that night: ¡°When I was younger, I really loved Sailor Moon. Steve Burton managed to get me a limited edition set. Unfortunately, I identally broke one of them and I cried so hard. Since then, anything I love, he gives me two sets, one keeps for collection, one for use, like this, even if I identally broke or lost one, I still have the other one!¡± Even after so many years, she still remembered how Ruby Gregory casually talked about the almost insane goodness of Steve Burton to her. P.S.: He always gives me two sets of whatever I like. I keep one for collection, and use one, like this, even if I identally break or lose one, I still have another one! (What an insane love~ I¡¯ve updated five chapters already, and there are five more. I¡¯m going to dinner, and I will continue after~ Leave me messages to give me some motivation~ When Ie back tonight, I¡¯ll let Ruby Gregory criticize Maya Mitchell, is it okay with you all!) Chapter 635: 635: Ruby Gregorys Confession (15) Chapter 635: Chapter 635: Ruby Gregory¡¯s Confession (15) It was then she realized, deep in Steve¡¯s heart, the distance between her and Ruby was too far apart, so far that she could never catch up within her lifetime. But even so, she insisted on snatching that kind of happiness and making it her own. And then? She did seed eventually. Ruby and Steve¡¯s wedding was canceled, Ruby got expelled from Steve¡¯s world, and her own interactions with Steve multiplied. Everything seemed so perfect. Even during the nights of that period, she no longer dreamed of the beautiful scenes of Ruby and Steve together. Instead, she even dared to imagine what life would be like after she got together with Steve. But what about now? She just realized that no matter how many means she employed to block them, Steve and Ruby would still unexpectedly be together. ¨C Ruby and Steve hadn¡¯t been shopping in the next store for long when she saw Maya and her friend following in.
Ruby really didn¡¯t expect that Maya¡¯s mental capacity was so strong. Despite her face looking extremely awful, she still insisted on catching up. However, Ruby didn¡¯t mind. Since Maya wanted to watch, she would continue to show her intimacy with Steve and make her watch enough! So, Ruby became even more sweet and charming to Steve. Steve was so enchanted by Ruby¡¯s cuteness and charm that he becamepletely devoted to her. Ruby went out this time mainly to buy things for the two unborn children. So she and Steve went to the top floor after browsing two stores on the third floor. Ruby thought Maya would give up by then, but surprisingly, she still followed them. Ruby ignored Maya¡¯s existence and happily picked out essentials for the babies with Steve together. The queue for the baby section checkout was quite long. Ruby initially wanted to line up with Steve, but when she and Steve were at the end of the line, she saw Maya enter the women¡¯s restroom alone. Ruby¡¯s eyes flickered, then she turned and told Steve she needed to go to the restroom. She handed her bag to Steve and entered the restroom with her phone, following Steve¡¯s reminder to be careful. Ruby didn¡¯t actually use the bathroom. She pushed open the door and stood still for a while. Then she heard the sound of water sshing from inside a closed stall, and Maya came out a momentter¡ªher face looking rather gloomy. Maya kept her head down, adjusting the clothes in her hand without showing any intention of looking up. Ruby didn¡¯t call her name, but just blocked the only exit of the restroom. Maya took two steps forward, saw someone blocking her way, and finally raised her head. Then her expression froze momentarily. Compared to Maya¡¯s stunned expression, Ruby appeared much calmer, her dark eyes staring at Maya without blinking. Maya¡¯s expression was quite colorful, it changed from gloomy to shocked, then to a forced smile, and finally to a familiar warm smile that Ruby had always known. She then spoke with a hint of surprise, ¡°Ruby?¡± Ruby never knew that a person¡¯s expression could be so rich and varied. The Novel will be updated first on this website. Come back and continue reading tomorrow, everyone!