Chapter 253: Chapter 1091-1100

“I’m fine,” Ruka answered quietly. She wondered if Ren’s feelings for her were just a figment of her imagination and would disappear sooner or later. At this point, she suddenly understood why he was so crazy about her—if he had to leave her for any reason, she would never fall for someone else ever again. Besides, no other man would ever steal her heart the way he had. Immediately, she grabbed his hand tightly, scared that everything was just a dream.

Ren felt confused by this because he could sense her sadness, yet he didn’t know why she felt that way. Did he do anything wrong? In the end, he could only pull her into a hug, allowing her to lean against him and rest.

After they arrived back at his house, he got out of the car first. Then, he used one hand to protect her head when she followed behind—an instinctive reaction borne out of his love for her. Soon, Elijah approached him and whispered, “Mr. Husson, everything is ready.”

Ren nodded. “Thank you for your hard work.”

“We’ll leave everything here then, Mr. Husson,” Elijah answered before getting into the car and leaving.

After the entourage was gone, Ren and Ruka were left alone in the large garden; he held her hand and led her toward the hall.

She could feel his love for her as she followed him, her mouth unconsciously curling into a smile. As soon as they arrived in the doorway leading to the hall, she was stunned by the scene before her. They decorated it in a fresh yet romantic theme for a birthday party. Presents were laid out amongst the flowers and balloons, with a flower arrangement right by the wine, champagne, and dessert dishes on the table. Right in the center of that table was an unopened cake box.

Her love for him surged as she took in everything, and she immediately turned to give him a tight hug.

“Thank you.”

Ren wrapped his arms around her waist and smiled, enjoying her voluntary act of intimacy. As for Ruka, she felt really touched because he had done so much for her.

“Do you want to eat the cake or unwrap the presents first?” he asked her lovingly.

She shook her head as she continued hugging him. “For now, let me hug you for a bit.”

He leaned down and pressed a kiss into her hair. He had assigned Elijah to set up everything back home in the afternoon with plans of surprising her after their date, but he hadn’t expected it to be interrupted. Thank God this surprise had successfully made up for it.

Ren teasingly blew into her ear. “What? Are you planning to unwrap me like your presents?”

Ruka blushed furiously and let him go. She didn’t have the courage for that! “I wouldn’t dare!”

“I dare you to.” The man smiled at her, eyes half-closed. She couldn’t help placing her hands on his shoulders and getting on her tiptoes to press a kiss into his dimples. It had been something she had always wanted to do.

The kiss made his smile wider, dimples becoming more pronounced. She smiled in satisfaction at this and retreated. “I think we’ll have the cake first. Let’s blow the candles and make a wish.”

“Sure!” Ren nodded and walked toward the table as she opened the cake box. The cake was about six inches in diameter, just enough for the two of them. She immediately fell in love with the heart-shaped cake, pulling out her phone to take pictures before putting in the card saying ‘Happy 24th!’ and lighting the candles.

He moved beside Ruka to switch off the overhead light, leaving the wall lamps to create a romantic and intimate atmosphere. Her heart sped up as he approached her, placing her hand in his. “Let’s make a wish and blow the candles together.”

He shook his head and declined her offer. “It’s your birthday.”

She obeyed, breathing in deeply as she fluttered her eyes shut. Then, finally, she pressed her palms together and made a wish.

Ruka didn’t hesitate to make her wish because she only wanted one thing—to be with him. She blushed and looked toward Ren when she was done, and he immediately knew what she had wished for. It seemed that he didn’t need to worry about her reciprocating his feelings because it was already mutual.

She bent down to blow out the candles while he lit some scented candles and placed them off to one side. The flickering flames made the atmosphere seem more intimate as she took a knife, cut the first slice of cake, and served it to him on a plate. “Here, you can eat it first.”

He accepted the plate and sat beside her as he ate. She cut herself another slice thoughtfully, then said, “We didn’t make Elijah stay for some cake.”

Ren stopped eating and said irritatedly, “You seem to think an awful lot about him.”

Ruka hunched her shoulders. He’s so good at being jealous, huh? I talked about his assistant twice, and now he’s resentful?

“I think there’s too much cake, and it will be a waste if we don’t finish it,” she explained weakly.

“Fine, just waste it then,” he replied darkly. Only one man should be here with Ruka celebrating her birthday, and that man was him.

She blinked once, knowing she couldn’t continue angering him. Therefore, she slowly enjoyed the cake bit by bit, feeling happy as she tasted the sweet cream. However, she had gotten some of it on one corner of her mouth, and when she turned to Ren, his gaze became darker at the sight. She realized it immediately and licked it off, making his breath catch.

Didn’t she know how dangerous that act was?

He stretched out a hand and held Ruka’s head in place as he leaned toward her. He did not give her any time to react before kissing her. It was punishing, and he felt himself drown in the sweetness of her mouth, which mingled with the taste of the cream, and he only released her when he felt her smear some cream on his face.

Ruka was dazed from the kiss but then burst out laughing when she saw the cream on his face. When the man wiped cream on her face in retaliation, she widened her eyes challengingly and swept some cream off the cake. She was about to reciprocate when he caught her wrist and sucked the cream off her fingers.

She felt her heart flutter at the action. How could he—

Ren smiled and praised, “It’s so sweet!”

She thought she might become insane from this. She had been playing around, yet now she was utterly out of her depth. She withdrew her hand immediately, still feeling the fading heat of her tongue on her fingers. He realized that he must have scared her and said immediately, “Alright, that’s enough.

Go have a bath so you can open the presents.”

She handed him a tissue. “You too!”

“Okay!” He nodded. “You can go first.”

As Ruka couldn’t eat any longer, she rose to her feet and went for a bath upstairs. If she didn’t leave, her heart might leap out of her chest. Yet, despite that, she was so happy she felt like flying, unable to think of anything else except him and his overflowing affection for her.

When she had finished with her bath, she went downstairs. She wore a long white dress and a cardigan, and she looked as beautiful as a fae with her loose hair and pale skin.

Since Ren wasn’t in the living room, she settled on the couch and picked up one bouquet to smell the light fragrance. It smelt very much like love and happiness.

Ruka looked at the presents on the table, not knowing where to even begin. When she heard the sound of footsteps from the stairs, she looked up and saw Ren in casual clothing—a dark sweater and beige pants. The clothes made him look softer, yet he retained his usual steely demeanor.

She waited for him to sit beside her before sighing. “Why did you prepare so many presents? I only need one from you!”

He reached for one and handed it to her. “Open it and see.”

She couldn’t help being attracted by the pastel blue wrapping. It was her favorite color; he must have taken her preferences to heart. Then, when she finally unwrapped the gift, she found a pretty pastel blue beaded handbag. Even though there weren’t any brand logos on it, it was evident from the beautiful craftsmanship that it was handmade.

“It’s gorgeous. I love it.” She held it out to admire it under the light.

Ren took a ring box from his pocket and gave it to her. “Open this one.”

Ruka’s breath caught. Is he giving me a ring?

He placed it in her palm, and she bit her lip as she opened it. A shiny open diamond ring with a simple, elegant design lay inside, which looked vintage yet stylish. Before she could react, he took it and placed it on her right middle finger. It was a perfect fit, making her blink in surprise. How did he know the size of her finger?

Just then, he pulled out another ring from his pocket and wore it on his left middle finger. Although the rings differed in size, their similarity made it known that it was clearly a couple’s ring.

These were matching rings for couples. At that realization, she blushed harder, and she couldn’t believe they were at that stage already.

“Did you choose them?” Ruka asked shyly.

“Yes.” Ren nodded. It had been the most important gift to him, a promise to tie them together so no one could ever separate them again.

“Do not remove it without my permission,” he continued in a low voice.

She nodded obediently. “Okay.”

The other presents were some necessities she might need, but she had already received the most important gift, which was his heart.

It was soon 11.30PM, and she concealed a yawn. She had experienced a shock today, and it had worn her out.

“Let’s go to bed!” He must have seen how tired she was and led her upstairs. She bit her lip again, wondering with a racing heart if he meant to let her sleep in his bedroom or hers.

When they arrived at her bedroom door, she stopped and withdrew her hand from his. “Goodnight.”

He paused to look at her, his gaze clouded over as he sighed softly. “Goodnight.”

When she turned to open the door, he asked, “Will you be cold sleeping alone?”

She understood at once, shaking her head firmly. “Nope. I have air conditioning.”

He laughed out loud. “Is it as warm as I am?”

She thought internally, It’s much safer than him, that’s for sure.

“Uncle, if you’re that warm, you probably have a fever. For your safety, I think it’s better for you if we don’t sleep together.” She wasn’t stupid. After all, she had just turned 24, and it wasn’t as though she didn’t understand how romantic relationships work.

He blushed slightly and coughed lightly. “You are so considerate. Why don’t you think of a way to help?”

She didn’t know how to answer him, so she opened the door quickly and slid through the gap before peeking out. “Well, I can’t help you. Goodnight!”

He looked at her with a hurt expression but didn’t force the issue. “Goodnight.”

Both Ruka and Ren went back to their rooms after the conversation. Ruka had been through a lot today, so she lay down and slept, still feeling happy. However, that didn’t last since it wasn’t long before sadness crept in.

She was standing on the lawn outside the Husson Residence when she heard voices from the hall, which she couldn’t hear clearly. She moved closer in curiosity, and soon she could make them out. The elderly Mr. and Mrs. Husson was there, together with Scarlet, Walter, and her parents. Still, she could also make out a kneeling figure on the floor, back straight and head bowed.

It was Ren.

“How can you fall for your sister’s goddaughter? If you destroy your future because of her, I will disown you,” Mr. Husson scolded.

“Ren, Ruka’s your niece. You can’t be together,” said Scarlet.

“You are our family’s pride and joy. You can’t destroy our family honor,” cried Mrs. Husson.

At this sight, she was so shocked she fell onto the floor, then covered her face in pain. She could see her parents approaching, saying sternly, “Ruka, you cannot destroy his future. Leave him.”

“No, I don’t want to. I love Ren and want to be with him,” shouted Ruka. She could see Ren’s worried face as a sudden force pulled her away.

“Ren—” She woke up suddenly, calling his name. After her eyes snapped open and she found herself drenched in cold sweat, then she realized it was just a nightmare. She breathed harshly through her nose, with tears still lingering at the corners of her eyes. It had all seemed so real.

She sighed. If dreams reflect people’s inner thoughts, then her feelings for him weren’t just affection.

She was already in love with him because losing him had felt so painful. Even the thought of it made her feel suffocated in despair.

The following morning, Ruka was still sleeping when a phone call woke her up. She felt around for it and answered dazedly, eyes still closed, “Hello?”

“Ruka, your father and I are now at the airport. Can you come back in the afternoon to help us clean up the house?” The voice of her mother chimed on the other end of the line.

She opened her eyes immediately, astonished. “Mom, are you back? Why didn’t you tell me earlier?”

“We took our vacation one week earlier. Your father wants to give you a surprise, so we didn’t tell you.”

Claire laughed. “What? Aren’t you happy?”

“Of course!” Ruka replied with a smile.

“Okay, we’re heading home now. We have troubled Ren long enough, and I feel awful about it.” Claire must be calling for a cab, as she sounded frantic. “We have a lot of luggage. We’ll talk later. Your dad can’t get a cab.”

“Of course. You can head home first. I’ll be there in the afternoon,” Ruka answered quickly.

“Okay, I’ll prepare something good for dinner.” Claire hung up as soon as she finished speaking.

Ruka exhaled and looked around the room since she didn’t feel like leaving. She couldn’t help laughing at herself since she had refused to move in back then, but now she felt attached to this place.

Nevertheless, she had no choice as her parents had taken a rare vacation to come home. So, she had to spend more time with them. As her gaze laid at the ring on her finger, she raised it to her lips to kiss it.

She got up from the bed and packed her clothes into her luggage before going downstairs, wondering if Ren needed to work on weekends. The servant was already preparing breakfast when she arrived, greeting her respectfully, “Good morning, Ms. Singed.”

“Good morning,” she replied politely.

“I think Mr. Husson might be in the gym,” said the servant.

She nodded, surprised and pleased. So, he was still home! Otherwise, she wouldn’t have the chance to say goodbye to him.

Ruka headed toward the gym. It was a winter morning, yet it felt warm and sunny, greatly affecting her mood. She peered into the gym from the other side of the glass to see Ren doing pushups, hands pressed against the floor and body taut with strength. His workout shorts revealed his perfectly muscled thighs, and she could probably see the veins all over his body from how hard he was working out.

She suddenly felt breathless for no reason and looked away. Her mouth felt parched as her eyes wandered back, unable to stop herself from admiring him.

Finally, he got to his feet and turned toward the doorway with a smile. “Why are you hiding? Come in if you want to have a look.”

Ruka froze at once. How had Ren known she was there? She had been discovered anyway, so she walked determinedly into the gym. She felt tiny in her flip-flops as she stood before him. Since the top of her head only reached his chin, she had to look up at him. He probably was around 6’4.

Suddenly she felt the urge to prove her stamina, so she glanced at the dumbbells and walked toward them. She tried to lift one, but it refused to yield and stayed where it was. She felt slightly skeptical that she couldn’t even make it budge one bit. Thus, she bent over and tried to lift it again.

“Don’t force yourself if you can’t do it.” He smiled in amusement as he placed his hands on his hips.

She still wasn’t convinced. “I can do it. Just wait and see.”

“I will, but you’ll hurt your muscles if you push yourself too hard. Try jogging.” He looked at her dotingly.

Left with no choice, she moved on to the treadmill while Ren watched on the side. Soon, she was a little out of breath. It seemed that working out didn’t suit her after all. She also lost her balance in that split second as she turned off the treadmill.

“Oof!” She fell right into his arms, and he wrapped them around her waist in a tight embrace. She could smell his sweat, yet she found the scent attractive.

“My parents are back. I have to leave this afternoon,” she said as she raised her head to look at him.

He stared down at her. “Really?”

“Yes. I need to go home and help with cleaning the house. I’ll have to go after lunch,” she said with obvious reluctance.

He didn’t want to let her go either, yet he still sighed while reassuring her, “It’s okay. You can go home first.”

“Can we still see each other often?”Ruka asked anxiously, worried that his position wouldn’t give them the chance to meet up.

“I’ll contact you when I have the time,” Ren reassured. Ruka knew how lucky she had been, staying in his home and getting the chance to see him all the time.

“Okay.” She nodded. She knew she couldn’t be too demanding, after all.

He continued to hold her, rubbing his chin against her hair, then kissing her forehead. Finally, she wrapped her arms around his neck and went on her tiptoes, initiating a kiss for the first time.

Her beauty, illuminated by the sunlight, made his heart race. He placed one hand around her waist and the other on her cheek, leaning down to accept her kiss.

“Ruka,” he murmured into her lips, holding her tightly with a soft look. She raised her head to meet his gaze. She could feel her world getting brighter—being loved by this man was such a privilege.

Ren whispered in her ear, “My birthday is on Christmas Eve. Make sure you make plans for that day.”

Ruka blushed and teased him on purpose, “What if I forgot to get you a present?”

“If you forget about it, you’ll be the present for me to unwrap.” He emphasized the last word, making it sound wholly intimate.

Ruka took in the way the man’s eyes glimmered in amusement and anticipation even though he was outwardly threatening her. Is he hoping that I’d forget about it by then so that he’d have an excuse to fool around?

Images of Ren doing those intense push-ups earlier flashed through her mind. She blushed, and her heart thumped wildly in her chest. She found her head often filled with random, dirty thoughts of Ren ever since they got together officially.

After breakfast, she received another call from her mother, pressing her to come home. Probably too embarrassed that I’m holed up at Ren’s place, Ruka assumed with a coy smile. She couldn’t imagine how her parents might react if they ever found out about her relationship with Ren.

Then, she packed up the gift she received last night. When she glanced at the time, she couldn’t help lamenting over how quickly the day flew by. It was nearly 11.00AM, and she hated that she could not spend more time alone with Ren. Why can’t time just go by slower? When she saw the maid coming over with a tea cup on a tray, she quickly offered, “Here. Allow me!”

The maid smiled and passed Ruka the tray. Thereafter, Ruka turned to head into the study where Ren was.

She knocked on the door, and the man replied from the other side, “Come in.”

When she heard his gravelly voice, Ruka pushed the door open. Ren was going through documents, and when he looked up to see that she had brought him tea, a small smile tugged on his lips. “You must be thirsty! Have some tea,” she said as she set the tray down in front of him.

He put his documents aside and picked up the teacup, then took a ginger sip. Following that, he stretched out an arm and pulled Ruka onto his lap. She nuzzled into his embrace and buried her head in the crook of his shoulder, letting the comfortable silence wash over her.

“Can’t bear to leave me, huh?” Ren teased, patting her shoulder gently.

No longer shy around him, Ruka nodded glumly and hummed in response.

“Just give me a text when you miss me, and I’ll be right over,” he promised quietly.

She straightened up and decided to leave him to his work. “Work hard. Don’t let me distract you. I’ll have Elijah drop me off.”

“I can do that,” Ren insisted as he wanted to drop her home personally.

She quickly shook her head. “No, your fleet of cars draws far too much attention.”

“Fine then. I’ll have lunch with you after this.” With that, Ren signed his name on the document with a flourish.

At the sight of this, Ruka’s eyes lit up, and she quickly grabbed a piece of blank paper as she said to him, “I’d like an autograph, please.”

She looked at him like he was her favorite celebrity. Smiling, he took the pen and signed his name on the paper. She stared at his elegant autograph and laughed, saying, “I promise I’ll treasure this always.” She thought she might be the very first fan to have the vice president’s signature on a non-

work document!

Let me enjoy this moment, she thought happily as she left the study with his precious signature in hand.

When lunchtime rolled around, the maids had prepared a feast, but Ruka was not hungry. She found herself thinking about how hard it would be for them to meet again if she were to leave this time.

“Eat up. You can’t go home looking all scrawny, or your parents would file for abuse,” Ren chided good-

naturedly as he heaped food onto her plate.

Ruka sputtered and said, “Don’t worry about it. I bet they’re more concerned that I might be a nuisance to you here.”

His smile deepened. She was by no means a nuisance unless he counted the times he had to take cold showers because of her presence here. If anything, she was the reason he had caught a cold after all these years of being relatively healthy.

Elijah dropped by as soon as they had finished their meal. Ruka looked torn; she wanted to stay, but she missed her parents as well. In the end, by 1.30PM, she got into Elijah’s car.

Ren had personally seen her to the car door, but with Elijah there, he did not say much to her.

“Remember to take good care of yourself.”

“You too,” Ruka replied, her solemn gaze locking with his.

He closed the car door for her once she had settled in the backseat. Elijah then started the car, but he did not step on the gas pedal immediately, worried that there might be other things Ren would like to say to Ruka.

However, Elijah was surprised when he turned around and saw that the both of them were not speaking at all but merely watched one another with reluctance with eyes that were filled with the pain of separation.

“Drive safe,” Ren said to Elijah, then jerked his chin to indicate that he could pull out of the driveway now.

In the backseat, Ruka looked down to hide the tears glistening in her eyes. She did not want Ren to see her so vulnerable.

Elijah drove away from the house, and before long, they were cruising down the main road. Ruka sighed. She knew that she could no longer see Ren from this distance, but something compelled her to look backward anyway.

“Don’t worry, Miss Singed,” Elijah comforted. “Mr. Husson will not hesitate to see you if you asked him to.”

Ruka flashed him a grateful smile, and her heart warmed at the sight of his quiet concern for her.

Returning the favor, she asked, “I hope he wasn’t too harsh with you after what happened last night.”

“Not at all. Mr. Husson has always been a gentle person,” Elijah replied mildly.

She pursed her lips to keep her laughter from bursting out. She thought about how jealous Ren was last night; there was nothing gentle about him then.

Half an hour later, they pulled up to the neighborhood where the Singed family home was. The neighborhood was a considerably old one nestled in the center of town, and they had never moved out of it seeing as Ruka’s parents were abroad through most of the year.

It was a small house, but it was cozy. It was already straightened up by the time Ruka arrived, and her parents had put up fairy lights that ran along the edge of the roof to spice things up for the festivities.

“Mom, Dad, I’m home,” she called out as she dragged her suitcase out of the elevator.

Claire looked down and exclaimed, “Oh, that looks heavy! You should have asked your father to help you!”

“It’s fine. A friend of mine dropped me off right at the elevator,” Ruke called up.

Robert beamed at his daughter. “Ruka, we’ll be doing some last-minute New Year’s shopping later.

Some of our relatives and friends are dropping by this evening, and that includes your aunt as well.”

Ruka nodded. “Okay.”

When they went grocery shopping later, Ruka was like a child. She was more coquettish than she had ever been in a while, which made it harder for Claire and Robert to imagine how lonely things would get if she ever married. They like having her around to themselves.

That night, Ruka’s family was gathered at the Singeds’ place for dinner. In the midst of the celebration, the grown-ups were more concerned about when the young ones would settle down. Ruka’s aunt, Vanya, in particular, had four children—three daughters and a son. For a while, Vanya had quite the load on her shoulders, which was how Ruka ended up being sent away to the Hussons’ when she was a child.

The eldest of Vanya’s daughters had married last year at the age of twenty-eight, and with two other daughters catching up to their mid-twenties, Vanya was anxious to see them married off. Her efforts continued tonight at the dinner table, only this time, Ruka was roped into the discussion as well.

Never known for being tactful, Vanya said, “So, are you seeing someone at the moment, Ruka? If not, I’ll be glad to introduce you to some nice young men.”

Ruka waved her hand frantically. “Oh, no, Aunt Vanya, I don’t feel like putting myself out there right now.”

“What’s the rush?” Claire interjected. She did not like the idea of having her daughter see anyone unless it was a truly nice young man who had the makings of a wonderful husband.

Vanya smiled indulgently. “Well, Ruka’s always been pretty, and I’m sure she’ll blossom in the years to come. Men will be lining up outside your door just to ask for her hand!”

Blushing, Ruka lowered her gaze, and for some reason, Ren’s silhouette surfaced in her mind. Will I really marry him someday?

“She doesn’t need men to line up for her hand; she needs someone who can really care for her,” Claire argued.

Just then, Ruka’s phone buzzed with a new message, and she glanced at it to see that it was from Ren. ‘What are you doing now?’ he asked.

She peered at the grown-ups warily over the dinner table, then quickly replied, ‘Family dinner. My aunt’s trying to set me up with nice young men.’

‘Say you’re taken,’ came his response.

‘I can’t,’ she objected.

‘Well then, tell her you already have a nice young man in mind, but leave my name out of it,’ Ren countered, refusing to entertain the thought that his woman would go on a blind date with some random guy.

A small smile curled on her lips as she read this, and she buried this happy secret in the midst of the grown-ups’ lively chatter.

That night, she could not sleep no matter how hard she tried. It was already past 10.00PM, and as she lay restlessly in bed, she thought about all the warm and happy memories she had with Ren.

Ruka remembered how flustered and jumpy she had been when they first met. To think, she had gone from that to missing him even though they had only been apart for less than a day. Now, the idea of being together with him did not seem half as scary as not having him in her life at all.

She wanted to text him, but she didn’t want to bother him at this hour, knowing that he was probably working.

At that moment, she pulled up their photos, taken while they were strolling around while window shopping. She zoomed in on the photos and memorized his features through her screen. Gradually, a blush crept up her cheeks, and a strange heat coursed through her as her heartbeat quickened.

Unbidden, the memory of his lips on hers, fiery and demanding, flooded her mind.

She burrowed into the covers, blushing madly, and decided that it was dangerous to dwell on the thought for too long.

The next morning, she went to work earlier than usual. She was reinvigorated after a weekend’s worth of rest, but lightning struck when she walked into the office and realized that the results of their last assessment were released.

She hurriedly searched for her name on the list, and her heart plunged to her stomach when she saw that she had failed. She wasn’t sure if Victoria’s outward dislike toward her was the sole cause of this, or if the results were based on actual discrepancies in the materials she submitted.

“Ah! I passed!” Michelle exclaimed happily, clapping her hands over her mouth in disbelief.

“Me, too! Did anyone fail to make it?” Inara looked up and swept her gaze smugly over the others in the department. She grew suspicious when she caught the uneasy look on Ruka’s face, and she called out bluntly, “Hey, Ruka. Please tell me you’ve passed! This is just the first assessment, for goodness’

sake.”

At once, everyone turned to look at her. Caspian was the only one who showed her any sympathy while the rest eyed her condescendingly. They were all thinking that this was what she deserved for pulling strings to get into the department. In any case, the assessment only proved that she had no right to be here save for her connections, otherwise she would not have failed.

Ruka took the onslaught of judgment in stride and nodded. “Yeah, I guess I just need to work harder.”

“And if you fail that one, you might as well forget about the rest of the assessment,” Inara pointed out sardonically. She was never one to hold back on her candor, though it would help if she didn’t have such a sharp tongue. “If I were you, I’d pack up and go home right now before I embarrass myself any further.”

“Can’t you just shut up for two seconds, Inara?” Caspian snapped, frowning.

“Why?! Are we all treading on eggshells around Ruka now? You know I’m right,” Inara argued, then scoffed as she dragged Michelle out the door with her.

Caspian heaved a long sigh after those girls left, and he addressed Ruka curiously, “I don’t know why you failed when you worked twice as hard as everyone else. Could something have gone wrong along the way?”

Ruka pursed her lips and forced out a smile as she said, “Just bad luck, I guess.”

In truth, she was a little bitter over this. She had done all her research and submitted all relevant materials for the assessment, confident that she would pass.

It was lunchtime at the cafeteria when Ruka turned into the hallway, only to accidentally bump into someone. She looked up to see that it was none other than Victoria, who shot her a cold glare before brushing past her.

“Miss Parfait, a word please?” Ruka spoke up boldly.

As though knowing what this would lead to, Victoria arched her brow and said, “I know what you want to talk about, but any opinions you might have will not change anything.” With this, she had as good as told Ruka that she could slave her days and nights away to make up for the failing grade and it would not change a thing, because there was no way she would ever let her pass the assessment.

She’s holding me back on purpose.

“Miss Parfait, I was only hoping that you might drop this unfair treatment toward me,” Ruka pointed out calmly.

“Don’t be so pretentious, Ruka. You want to talk about fair treatment? Fine. How about you share that sentiment with Ren? He was the one who pulled strings to get you into the Translation Department, no questions asked,” Victoria sneered.

Ruka froze. There was no hiding Victoria’s hostility now.

“I’d get out of the department now if I were you. Wouldn’t want to end up in another humiliating situation.” There was a jealous gleam in Victoria’s eyes as she gave Ruka a freezing look before storming away.

After that, Ruka made her way back to the office absentmindedly. She never thought she would run into such troubles here at the workplace, and while she would love to stay in the Translation Department, she knew that she did not stand a chance for progress if Victoria continued being petty like this.

Upon returning to her desk, Ruka watched as everyone around her got the notice for the second assessment while her inbox remained empty. There was no better proof of unfair treatment than that.

Ruka exhaled slowly. She had made up her mind, and even though she really wanted to stay in the Translation Department, she knew that she had to earn herself a place by taking the entry assessment the next time the department was hiring. Victoria would never let the matter of her getting in through connections rest otherwise.

More importantly, her decision to quit the internship was to keep anyone from accusing Ren of abusing his power.

Caspian noticed Ruka packing up her things and asked anxiously, “What are you doing, Ruka?”

She smiled and said, “I hope you’ll make your mark here, Caspian. I have to leave because of, well, personal reasons.”

“Will we see each other again?” he pressed, standing up. He had every intention to pursue her romantically, and he didn’t want to miss out on her.

“I guess that’s up to fate, huh?” Ruka flashed him a grin, then waved goodbye to everyone as she said, “Bye, everyone.”

Inara and Michele looked decidedly cheerful to see that she was leaving, and their tones were considerably warmer as they sang, “Goodbye!”

Ruka slung her bag over her shoulder and made her way over to Victoria’s office. She knocked on her door, and heard Victoria say, “Come in.”

Ruka did just that, and when Victoria saw her standing there with her bag, she immediately realized what was going on. “Leaving already?” she asked, raising a brow.

“That’s right,” Ruka answered unaffectedly, but her tone was firm. “But I’ll try my luck to get in next year if the opportunity presents itself.”

Victoria smirked. “I’m going to be frank with you, Ruka. For as long as I’m here, you’ll never get into the Translation Department.”

Instead of getting angry, Ruka merely said patiently, “You know, Miss Parfait, I’m going to leave you some sage advice before I walk out of here—stop wasting your youth by trying to force someone to love you because that will never happen.”

A dark look passed over Victoria’s face as she seethed, “What gives you the right to tell me that, Ruka?”

“As I said, it was only sage advice, and it’s up to you whether to take it or not,” Ruka answered calmly, then spun on her heels to leave.

Victoria stood up as anguish washed over her. She had found sweet revenge in picking on Ruka the way she had, but the rush was short-lived, and she still could not have Ren to herself. At the end of the day, Ruka might have left, but Victoria felt like the biggest loser.

Meanwhile, Ruka headed down the sidewalk while gripping onto her bag. She had left her job, but it was as if a huge weight had been lifted off her shoulders.

As she walked, she decided that she was going to call Ren and tell him about this. She fished her phone out of her bag and found her way to the park, then sat on a bench as she called his number.

His husky, magnetic voice filled the other line immediately after he picked up. “Hello?”

“Are you busy?” Ruka asked.

“No, I’m on my way back to the house.”

“I have something to tell you,” she said openly. “I quit my job.”

“Why did you do that?” Then, he asked icily, “Did someone make you?”

While Ruka was technically forced into quitting, she did not want him to pick on Victoria over this, so she chose to evade his question instead by saying, “I decided to quit all on my own.”

“Where are you now?”

“Walking around the park. I’ll go back to my parent’s place in a while,” she replied.

“I’ll have someone pick you up.”

“And where will I be going?”

“To see me.”

She wanted to see him badly as well, so she nodded and said, “Okay then. I’ll send you my location.”

Twenty minutes later, she slid into the backseat of the car Ren had sent for her. Soon, the car drove out of the bustling cityscape and into a well-guarded area.

Ruka saw Ren immediately when she arrived at a teahouse. He was sitting at an ornate table that looked like it dated back to the olden days, making him look like a prince or a king as he went through his documents.

Next to him, Elijah was helping him sort out the paperwork. When he registered Ruka’s arrival, he smiled and greeted politely, “Miss Singed, have a seat.”

Ruka’s heart careened from beat to beat when she saw how imposing Ren looked as he worked. She then took the seat next to him. Just as Elijah rose to leave and accord them some privacy, Ren glanced up and said, “Do as I say.”

“Yes, sir, I’m right on it,” Elijah replied while giving Ruka a meaningful look before closing the door behind him when he left the drawing room.

Ruka looked around the ornately decorated place and asked curiously, “Is this one of your workplaces as well?”

Ren gave her a sympathetic look and handed her a cup of tea. “Here, have some tea to warm yourself up.”

“But I’m not cold—” She paused mid-explanation when he grabbed her hands, which were freezing. At that moment, he had caught her lying. She flushed but did not try to pull her hands out of the warm cusp of his.

A beat or two later, Ren drawled grimly, “I’ll give Victoria a stern warning. You can go back to the Translation Department anytime you want.”

Shaking her head, Ruka said, “I don’t want to go back. I want to try out other departments. I’m thinking of Public Relations, so I can work with my parents.” It was not as if she had taken up the internship at the Translation Department without a backup, and she thought Public Relations was not too shabby of a choice.

However, Ren’s eyes darkened when he heard this. “I’m afraid I can’t let you.”

She blinked. “Why?”

“I don’t want you any further away from me than necessary,” he bit out in an almost demanding manner.

She gazed into his depthless eyes and felt her heart melt. There was something about him that made her want to give up everything, including her good sense, just for him. He only needed to ask and she would have said yes regardless of what his request might be.

That was how Ruka ended up saying, “Okay. I guess I’ll consider something else then.”

“You don’t have to work, you know,” he said hoarsely. “I make more than enough for the both of us.”

She blushed at his sentimental tone, but she stood her ground and gave a firm shake of her head as she said, “No, I can’t just have you bankroll me. I want to make something of myself; I don’t want to stay idle.”

A small smile curled on his lips as he asked teasingly, “Is it that embarrassing to be a housewife?”

“It’s not embarrassing,” Ruka countered in a flustered manner. “I just want to accomplish something and have a career of my own, you know? I don’t want to be one of those ladies of leisure.”

Ren’s brows furrowed at this and he scolded, “You’ll still be precious to me no matter what you become.”

She felt her heart somersault happily in her chest, but her mind scrambled to veer away from this topic of her becoming a lady of leisure. She cleared her throat and said evasively, “What did you ask Elijah to do? Is it something personal?”

He was tight-lipped about it as he answered, “You could say that.”

Feeling awkward, she took a sip of the tea he had given her earlier and pursed her lips, then asked, “What do you want for your birthday? Let me know so I can get it ready in time.”

Ren tapped his knuckles against her forehead and said huffily, “Where’s the meaning in that? You’ll have to figure out what I want all by yourself if you want to give me a gift.”

“But you have everything you could possibly need, and you only use the best. Come on, help a girl out!” she argued, pouting. She just wanted him to point her in the right direction so that she would not mess up his gift.

“I don’t have everything I need,” he said devilishly as he fixed his dark, hungry gaze on her. “I still need a woman.”

To think, she had just steered the conversation away from romance, only to be roped back into yet another heart-racing situation. She had to give it to him. Who would have thought that underneath the affable-but-stern vice president exterior hid a smooth talker?

Ruka pursed her lips to keep from laughing, but she flushed as she pointed out, “You can have any woman you want. Just say the word and any girl would throw herself at you.”

Ren brought his cup to his lips and drank his tea, then muttered, “And yet, you still haven’t.”

She gaped at him. I guess I should have seen that coming, she thought ruefully.

In another attempt to change the subject, she said brightly, “I wonder when Aunt Scarlet and Uncle Walter are coming back. I do miss them.”