CHAPTER 445: CHAPTER 445 DO I LOOK LIKE I’M JOKING?

Ruby wanted to roll her eyes so hard it hurt, but she kept her face calm, her voice soft. "I don’t count," she said simply, picking up her glass of water.

Louis’s eyes lit up like a greedy child handed a full jar of sweets. He leaned across the table, both hands slapping down as though he’d just won a prize. "Very, very good! Then give me half after I marry you! Hah—finally I won’t have to depend on mother’s allowance!" He laughed, his cheeks flushed with excitement, not noticing how every word made Ruby’s smile thinner.

"And maybe," he went on quickly, as if afraid she’d cut him off, "you should get a new house—yes, a bigger one! We’ll share a room, of course, and I’ll need my own personal room too. Big enough for my clothes and snacks, and maybe a couch... oh! And a balcony, yes!"

Ruby set her glass down gently, her fingers moving with such care that Louis’s voice faltered for a second. Her eyes lifted to his, calm and unreadable. "Half my earnings? A new house? A room just for you?"

Louis grinned proudly, nodding eagerly. "Yes! Exactly! See, you understand! After all, that’s what a wife should do for her husband, right? Take care of him, give him comfort, let him enjoy life—"

Ruby’s lips curved into a smile so sweet it sent a shiver crawling down his back. "Louis," she said softly, almost like a whisper, "if you ever put your dirty hands on my money... I’ll bury you in that personal room you keep asking for."

Louis froze mid-laugh, his jaw slack, his hands trembling against the table. He tried to force out a chuckle, but it came out strained and broken. "Y-you’re... joking, right?"

Ruby leaned closer, her eyes never leaving his. "Do I look like I’m joking?"

His face went pale as the waiter returned with their plates, setting down Ruby’s soup and his own plate. Louis grabbed his spoon too quickly, his hands shaking so badly the spoon clattered against the plate.

Ruby sat back in her chair, her expression calm as ever, watching him squirm with every bite.

Louis chewed loudly before blurting, "And after marriage, Ruby, you should stop working so hard. Wives shouldn’t be busy with boring things like jobs. You’ll just give all your money to me, and I’ll manage everything!" He grinned proudly, grease shining on his lips.

Ruby dabbed the corner of her mouth with a napkin, her gaze calm and unreadable. "Manage everything? You can’t even manage to hold your spoon without dropping it."

Louis’s hand froze halfway, his spoon slipping with a loud clink onto the plate. His cheeks flamed, but he forced a shaky laugh. "T-that was an accident! But really, I mean it. You’ll be happy. I’ll buy us a car, get servants, maybe even build a mansion... with your money of course."

Ruby tilted her head, her voice soft but sharp as glass. "Tell me, Louis. What exactly will you bring to this marriage besides appetite?"

Louis blinked, confused. "Me? W-well, I’ll bring... myself! My charm, my love, my... companionship!" He sat straighter, as if the words made him sound grand. "That’s more than enough, isn’t it?"

Ruby’s lips curved into the faintest smile, but her eyes cut him down without mercy. "If all you can offer me is yourself, then you’d better pray you’re worth at least half my fortune. And from what I see so far..." She let the silence linger, her gaze sweeping over his round figure and sweaty forehead. "...you’re not."

Louis’s face went crimson, his mouth opening and closing without sound. He grabbed his water glass with shaking hands, gulping it down so fast he coughed and nearly spilled it.

Ruby leaned back, her tone deceptively gentle. "Eat your food, Louis. It might be the only expensive meal you’ll ever get from me."

When Ruby finally dropped Louis off and watched him waddle back toward his home, she let out a long sigh of relief, the kind that came from escaping a nightmare. The whole ride and lunch had been filled with nothing but endless talk of marriage contracts, money, houses, and every material thing his greedy mind could dream of. It had felt like being trapped in a marketplace, where even her own name was being haggled.

As the car rolled back toward office, she leaned her head against the window, her thoughts drifting to her husbands. Karl, who could chatter endlessly about his acting, bragging about how great he was, or spilling bits of gossip from his sets—his voice always made her laugh no matter how silly he sounded. Julian, gentle and steady, who never failed to ask about others’ well-being and always checked softly, "Are you good, wife?" like her peace of mind was his entire world. Adrian, sharp and unshakable, who spoke of the company, of strategies and success—his brain so powerful it amazed her how much he carried for all of them. And Milo, sweet Milo, who could talk for hours about his paintings, his colors, and the small details of his everyday life with such innocent excitement that it warmed her heart.

With them, every word felt alive, every moment precious. But Louis... Louis made her mind feel noisy, as if every shallow word of his scraped against her patience. Ruby exhaled slowly, her lips curving faintly. She didn’t regret enduring him because now she understood more clearly than ever the treasure she already had waiting at home.

Ruby reached the office just amd a few workers greeted her warmly as she passed, their voices respectful, but her smile in return was faint, distracted.

She made her way to her office, shut the door behind her, and sank into her chair.

She pulled one folder toward her and opened it, her pen gliding across the page with steady precision, but her focus wavered. Every few lines her hand slowed, her gaze drifting off into nothing. In the back of her mind, Kaelan’s face kept appearing—his pale skin under the bandages, his quiet form lying so still in that hospital bed. Two months had passed, and though the doctors said there were signs of improvement, the thought of him trapped in that state made her chest tighten painfully.

To be continued... 🪄