“Miles, that new skincare your assistant bought me is terrible. Tell her to get the expensive one again.”
Something about the way she looked made me lose focus for a second.
There was a time when Ruby Dickerson lit up over a ten-dollar bouquet of roses I'd bought her.
My expression darkened. “Ask your baby's father to buy it.”
Ruby froze.
I caught the flash of panic across her face, and my chest seized with a sharp, ugly pain.
Back in that cramped studio apartment, she'd given herself to me willingly.
She told me that even if the whole world threw me away, she'd still be right beside me.
She told me the father of her children would only ever be me.
Ruby faked annoyance. “What are you even talking about? You are the father of my baby.”
She wrapped her arms around my waist, pressed herself against me, then slipped into the master bedroom.
“Can't do that during the first few months. Separate rooms tonight. Good night!”
The door shut behind her. My phone lit up.
I'd set up a home security app on her phone just minutes ago. Their messaging app chat window was mirroring to my screen in real time.
【He's still mad I won't marry him. Now he won't even claim the baby.】
【Had to hug him a few times to calm him down. Made my skin crawl.】
【Hang in there babe. We already got our courthouse marriage, remember? If he touches you, we'll sue.】
My hands were shaking.
I had never once doubted either of them. In front of me, those two always acted like they couldn't stand each other.
I saved every screenshot, then spent the rest of the night pulling up every home security camera in the house. Every room. Every corner. They'd been in nearly all of them.
I doubled over the trash can and threw up until my stomach was empty, eyes raw and stinging, tears running down my face that I couldn't stop.
I drove through the night to the woman's place and held out my hand.
“Will you marry me?”
The next morning, fans packed the entrance of the biggest hotel in Riverton for Ruby Dickerson's singlehood wedding event.
Ruby stepped out of the bridal car in a white gown.
She saw me standing at the hotel entrance, and the color drained from her face.
“Didn't I tell you not to come? If my fans see you here, everything's ruined.”
Once she went inside, I watched the message she fired off to Sebastian.
【His money will be ours eventually. The man's a lovesick idiot. He can't survive without me.】
I smiled coldly and killed the screen.
I followed the crowd inside and walked straight up to the emcee's side onstage.
Ruby frowned. “What do you think you're doing?”
I half-smiled at her, all teeth and no warmth. “This venue's booked under my name, paid with my money. You tell me what I'm doing.”
I turned to face the crowd below. ：“Welcome, everyone, to my wedding.”
The look on Ruby's face curdled. “I can't have a wedding with you. You'll destroy my career.”
She turned to the audience and laughed. “This is my friend. He's just joking around.”
Down in the front row, Sebastian Delgado sat in the most prominent seat in the house, wearing a couture suit.
That suit was worth millions. I'd barely gotten my hands on it myself, but he asked twice and I handed it over.
Because I thought he was my brother.
Ruby pointed to a seat crammed in a back corner. “Sit over there.”
I didn't move from the stage.
A faint smugness crossed her face. She turned to her fans and friends below. ：“Just a suitor of mine. The man is obsessed.”
Applause erupted. “Our Ruby is just that irresistible! But boys, hands off the queen!”
The people who actually knew what Ruby and I were to each other just sat there, faces tight, not a word between them.
They were all major players in the business world. Ruby had invited them using my name.
For years they'd tried to set me up with their daughters, and every time I'd turned them down.
I'd talked about Ruby like she hung the moon. Every word I'd ever said about her was coming back to hit me in the face now, twice as hard.
