Chapter 15: 14

My heart pounded in my chest. It had been three years since I last came home, and I knew my family would have a lot of questions for me. There were only a few minutes left before we arrived at the mansion, and I could already picture the scene, my relatives gathered, some of my cousins there as well, all waiting to welcome me back.

Would they notice how much I had changed?

Would they sense the weight I carried?

When my mother passed away and they discovered the abuse I had endured from my father, my grandparents on my mother’s side took me in. They raised me with love, shielding me from the darkness of my past. They were my strongest supporters when I built my company, always cheering me on.

But there were things they didn’t know.

They had no idea about the world I had entered.

They had no clue about the enemies I had made, the people who wanted to take me down, or worse, eliminate me, because I held the most powerful database in the world. They didn’t know that I was not just a businesswoman but one of the leading developers within the Federation of Technology.

Beside me, Sanae gently squeezed my hand. Her warm, reassuring smile melted away a fraction of my tension.

"Everything will be fine," she murmured.

I brought Lesley, Karla, and Sanae with me because I knew they needed a break just as much as I did. These past few months have been overwhelming, physically and mentally draining for all of us. It wasn’t just me carrying burdens, we all did.

"The journey felt long," Karla sighed, stretching her arms.

"But at least we're here," Lesley added, peering out the window with excitement.

"We are here now," the driver finally announced.

The moment we stepped out of the vehicle, a warm, familiar voice greeted us.

"Ruby! Lesley! Oh my gosh!"

Before we could even react, Nana pulled us into a tight embrace. Granddad stood beside her, smiling fondly.

"I missed you both so much, my dear grandchildren," Nana said, kissing our foreheads.

"We missed you too, Nana, Granddad," Lesley responded, hugging them again.

Before I could introduce my friends, Lesley took the liberty of speaking first.

"Oh, by the way, this is Karla, my cousin's secretary" she teased, winking. "And this is Ruby’s girlfriend, Sanae Delen."

My eyes widened at her words.

Seriously? She always had a way of getting ahead of things.

A knowing smile spread across Nana’s face as she turned to Sanae.

"Oh, so that's why you came home. To introduce us to your girlfriend, hmm?" She reached out and embraced Sanae and Karla. "Hello, dear. I’m Minerva, but you can call me Nana."

"This is Gil, my husband," she continued, gesturing toward Granddad. "You can call him Grumpy, or Granddad."

I burst out laughing at Nana’s teasing.

Granddad groaned, rolling his eyes. "Come on, Minerva, stop saying such things to our visitors."

His reaction only made everyone laugh harder.

"Alright, alright, let’s all go inside," Nana said, ushering us in. "And don’t mind the old man sulking over there."

Sanae chuckled but didn’t let go of my hand as we walked into the house together.

Once we were inside, I felt her grip on my hand tighten slightly. Her nervousness was subtle, but I knew her well enough to notice.

"What if they don’t like me?" she whispered hesitantly.

I turned to her and cupped her face gently. "Hey, don’t say that," I reassured her. "They’re going to love you."

Still sensing her uncertainty, I leaned in and placed a soft peck on her lips.

Her expression softened. "You always know what to say, huh?"

I grinned. "It’s a talent."

Being with her, holding her hand, standing beside her, it gave me a sense of peace I hadn’t felt in years. Everything felt lighter when she was near. Her presence was comforting, grounding, and simply hearing her voice made the weight on my shoulders easier to bear.

I glanced at her out of the corner of my eye, remembering how she had nearly lost her patience with Siglo earlier.

She had been so close to punching him.

And honestly? It was kind of adorable.

Siglo had been relentless, flirting with me at every opportunity, and Sanae had reached her limit. But at least now, it was confirmed—she wasn’t just saying things when she told me she was serious about us.

She really meant it.

And that thought alone was enough to make me smile.

___________________

We finally arrived at the mansion.

Her grandparents were incredibly kind, warm, welcoming, and completely unaware of the bloody work their granddaughter was involved in. They had no clue about the lives she had taken, the darkness she carried, or the dangerous empire she controlled.

And I couldn’t help but wonder, what would happen if they found out?

How would they react if they knew that Ruby Espinosa wasn’t just a brilliant businesswoman but also a killer?

The thought alone intrigued me. I could barely contain my curiosity about their reactions when the truth finally came to light.

I turned my gaze toward her. She was laughing and chatting with her grandparents, her expression full of warmth and innocence.

Seriously, she looks like a completely different person.

The usual coldness in her eyes was gone, replaced by something much softer. Her aura, which was usually intimidating and sharp, now felt light and comforting. Seeing her like this, smiling so freely, made it impossible not to smile along with her.

“She’s different when she’s with them,” a voice beside me spoke.

I glanced to my right and saw Karla watching Ruby with a knowing expression.

“That’s the real her,” Karla continued. “Beneath all the danger, behind the cold-hearted reputation, there’s a soft Ruby Espinosa.”

I exhaled slowly. “Have you always known this side of her?” I asked.

Karla nodded. “Three years ago, yes. Back then, she was still somewhat like this, someone who could still smile and be gentle.” She sighed, her expression darkening. “But after what happened… everything changed. The past three years have been the hardest for all of us, especially for her.”

I turned to face Karla. “What do you mean?”

She glanced at Ruby again before lowering her voice. “There was a time when she stopped caring completely. She let go of everything. She abandoned her empire, neglected herself… It was like she was drowning in her own demons, and we couldn’t reach her.”

Karla swallowed hard, as if recalling painful memories. “This is the first time in years that I’ve seen her smile like this again.” She looked directly at me, her expression turning serious. “And whether you believe it or not, it’s because of you. Somehow, you’re the reason she’s trying to open her heart again.”

Her words hit me like a wave, but I wasn’t sure if I should feel honored or burdened.

A moment of silence passed before I spoke again. “Can you tell me what exactly happened three years ago?”

Karla shook her head almost immediately. “No. I’m not the right person to tell you that story.”

I frowned slightly, but she continued before I could press further.

“But I will say this.” She turned to me with sharp, unwavering eyes. “Betray her, and I’ll be the one to kill you myself.”

Her voice was low, firm, and deadly serious.

“For me, Ruby is more than just a friend. She’s like my sister,” Karla said. “And seeing her in that state again, where she doesn’t even recognize herself… that’s a pain I never want to go through again.”

I held her gaze, my expression unreadable.

“Betraying her isn’t even in my vocabulary,” I replied smoothly, though deep down, I wasn’t sure if that was entirely true because first of all, loving her is not my thing but killing and bringing bher down instead.

I leaned back slightly, exhaling.

“But one thing I do know for sure…” I added, my voice quieter this time.

“I want her, all of her. I want to protect her, no matter what it takes.”

Karla studied me for a moment before giving a small nod, her expression unreadable.

“Then prove it,” she said.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

We were all gathered around the dining table, the air filled with laughter as Lesley animatedly shared her experiences from Ruby’s internship program.

"Honestly, during my entire internship, I only saw Ruby once," Lesley said, shaking her head dramatically. "And that was when she showed up just to talk to Sanae about something serious."

She turned to me, curiosity shining in her eyes. "By the way, Sanae, what exactly did you two talk about?"

At her question, I glanced at Ruby, who was sitting beside me. She wasn’t saying anything, just smiling shyly, her cheeks slightly flushed.

Jesus Christ, she’s stunning.

I could barely focus for a second, but I cleared my throat and answered, “Well, she just told me that I shouldn’t accept food from anyone else because, apparently, she’s the only one allowed to cook for me.”

As soon as I said it, Ruby’s grandfather burst into laughter.

"Oh, that sounds exactly like her Nana," he chuckled, shaking his head. "Terribly possessive when it comes to the people she loves."

I grinned and reached for Ruby’s hand under the table, lacing my fingers with hers.

"It was actually really cute," I teased, looking directly at her. "She even said and I quote—‘Do you not like me anymore? I thought I was the only one you wanted. You better take responsibility for what you’re doing to me.’”

A chorus of laughter erupted around the table, and Ruby groaned, hiding her face in her free hand.

"Ruby, are you blushing?" Karla teased. "This is definitely the ‘lover girl’ era of Ruby Espinosa."

"I also remember how pissed she was when she saw you taking that food from someone else," Karla added, grinning mischievously.

"Karla, shut uppp," Ruby whined, her voice taking on a childlike tone that made her even more adorable.

I leaned in slightly, lowering my voice so that only she could hear me.

"So, you really got jealous, huh?" I whispered, my lips brushing close to her ear.

Ruby shifted uncomfortably but didn’t pull away. Instead, she started absentmindedly playing with my fingers.

“I mean,” she murmured softly, "you are mine."

My heart nearly stopped.

Gosh, I want to kiss her so bad right now.

She had no idea what she was doing to me. The way she looked at me, the way she casually claimed me as hers—it was driving me insane.

Ruby Fae, are you playing games with me?

My breathing felt uneven, and my grip on her hand tightened slightly.

What are you doing to me?

I shouldn’t feel like this.

I shouldn’t be getting caught up in this moment, in her touch, in the way she looked at me like I was the only thing that mattered.

I had a goal. A mission. A reason for being here.

And getting wrapped up in Ruby Espinosa was not part of the plan.

But right now, as she continued to play with my fingers and lean just a little closer, I wasn’t sure if I even cared anymore, maybe just this time i will forget what is my original plan why I have to make her fall for me.