CHAPTER 406: CHAPTER 406 SHE WAS THE ONE HE HAD FALLEN FOR

After dinner, Ruby carried her plate to the sink, rinsing off the last bit of sauce. When she turned around, she nearly bumped straight into Kaelan, who was standing right behind her with his own plate in hand.

"Sorry," she said quickly, stepping back a little.

"It’s fine," Kaelan replied, giving her one of those dazzling smiles that seemed to light up the small kitchen. For a brief second, Ruby felt like she had to blink away the brightness. She smiled back, a little caught off guard by how effortlessly charming he could be.

Karl, meanwhile, was already pouting when Ruby and the others began gathering their things to leave. "Karl, we’ll meet tomorrow again, but I can’t trouble you and Kaelan here," Ruby said gently. She knew the dorm was far too small, and the thought of her husband’s having to sleep on the floor again didn’t sit right with her. Karl could only nod, even though he clearly didn’t like the idea.

Once the door closed behind them, the room felt quieter. Karl flopped back onto his bed with a sigh, staring up at the ceiling.

"Are all of you in... love marriage?" Kaelan’s voice broke the silence. He was lying on his bed too, arms folded under his head.

Karl turned his head. "Why are you asking that?"

"Because most of the time," Kaelan said slowly, "I’ve seen husbands fighting for their wife’s attention, even scheming against each other."

Karl chuckled softly. "Well... we’re different." He sat up a little, leaning on his elbows. "My wife used to be an alcoholic. We lived in a slum house. We barely had anything to eat, and the four of us—me, milo, Adrian, and Julian—were all we had. Brother Adi used to steal food just so we could survive." His voice wavered, and his eyes grew wet at the memory.

Kaelan’s brows knit together, the story catching him off guard. "Oh... I’m sorry," he said, unsure what else to offer.

"Please, don’t be sorry." Karl’s smile was small but genuine. "And then, all of a sudden, my wife changed. No more drinking. She won car race, then opened her own business. At first, we didn’t believe it—didn’t believe in ourselves either but now, we’re good. We’re family."

Kaelan’s expression shifted, the words "car race" striking something in him. His mind replayed an image he thought he had dreamed up long ago—Ruby in a scarf, wind in her hair, eyes that burned with fierce focus. His eyes widened. It was her. She was the one he had fallen for.

"Hey..." Karl called when he noticed Kaelan staring off, completely lost in thought.

"I’m just sleepy," Kaelan said quickly, turning onto his side. But as he closed his eyes, his mind stayed wide awake, looping over the image of Ruby again and again.

***

The next day, Karl decided to take the day off, eager for a change of pace. With the sun high and the weather perfect for walking around, the four of them—Karl, Milo, Julian, and Adrian—made plans to go shopping. They asked Kaelan if he wanted to come along, and to their surprise, he accepted without hesitation, a small smile tugging at his lips. Ruby, on the other hand, was busy with work and couldn’t join them.

Kaelan didn’t mind. In fact, this was exactly what he wanted. Ever since he’d pieced together the truth—that Ruby was the mysterious "witch" he had once fallen for—his mind hadn’t stopped circling around her. He’d barely slept the night before, caught between the rush of recognition and the ache of knowing she was already surrounded by people who loved her. Now that he knew, there was no way he was simply going to step back and let her slip away from his life again.

If he wanted to get closer to Ruby, he first had to earn the trust of the four ghosts she held dear. That was why, as they headed out together, Kaelan found himself thinking carefully about every word, every gesture, every chance he might get to leave a good impression. He laughed when they laughed, listened attentively when they spoke, and even made sure to carry some of their shopping bags without being asked.

Still, beneath his easygoing smile, his thoughts kept returning to Ruby—the way her eyes had caught the light, the way she had spoken with warmth the night before. And as they moved from shop to shop, Kaelan made himself a quiet promise: no matter how long it took, he wasn’t going to let her go again.

***

Meanwhile, while they were busy wandering from shop to shop, Ruby sat in the small, quiet editing room, her fingers flying over the keyboard as she worked on her projects. The soft hum of the computers and the occasional click of a mouse filled the space. Her eyes lit up with a smile every time Karl’s face appeared on the screen. She was working on one of his clips alongside a few other editors, and the more she replayed each scene, the more she noticed just how much he had improved. Scene by scene, his expressions felt sharper, his delivery more natural, his presence more magnetic. Pride bloomed in her chest—Karl was so good at it now, and she couldn’t help but feel that rush of satisfaction, as if every bit of encouragement she’d given him had helped him reach this point.

But it wasn’t only Karl who caught her attention. When Kaelan’s clips played, she found herself leaning in without realizing it. His acting was almost flawless—his gaze carrying weight, his movements fluid, his emotions layered so subtly they felt real. He had that rare quality of disappearing into the role so deeply that you forgot he was acting at all. Ruby wasn’t one to hand out empty praise, but in her mind, she had to admit... Kaelan was perfect in his craft.

"Ma’am, what should we do with this effect?" one of the junior editors asked, breaking her focus. She pointed at a sequence where the background lighting seemed off. Ruby leaned forward, watching the short clip twice before answering.

"Here, adjust the color grading a little—make it warmer to match the mood of the previous scene. And slow down the transition by two frames so it flows more naturally." She explained it simply but clearly, her tone both patient and confident. The editor nodded quickly, making the adjustments.

She moved to another desk, crouching beside another team member. "See this cut? The sound is coming in a little too early. Shift it forward just a fraction—yes, like that. Now the expression and the sound match perfectly." She smiled when the clip played smoothly, giving the editor a small nod of approval.

To be continued... 🪄