CHAPTER 11: UNEXPECTED VISITOR

The drive home was quiet, but tension lingered in the air like an unspoken conversation.

Stefan sat with an air of contemplation, his fingers lightly tapping against the cane which was resting on his lap. Ruby could feel his subtle scrutiny, though he said nothing. It made her uneasy. He was suspecting something—she knew it. And now, she had to be more careful than ever.

As the car pulled up in front of the house, Ruby exhaled softly, trying to ease the tightness in her chest. This charade was exhausting. She had barely made it through the meeting, and now she had to play the perfect wife in front of Stefan for the rest of the evening.

The moment they stepped inside, a familiar voice rang through the air.

"Ivy Winters! Finally, you’re home!"

Ruby froze immediately she heard the voice. Though she wasn’t sure she could place who the voice belonged to, she knew she was in a hot seat since the person seemed to know Ivy on a personal level to be screaming her name that way.

A woman, dressed in a stylish emerald green jumpsuit, strode toward them with an air of confidence that demanded attention. Her wavy brown hair cascaded over her shoulders, and her eyes sparkled with excitement.

Stefan stopped beside Ruby, his lips curling slightly. He had expected something to go wrong tonight, and it seemed the moment had arrived.

"Oh, Eli! Been such a long time," Stefan said as he and Eliana, Ivy’s best friend exchanged pleasantries.

"Eliana." Ruby forced a smile, willing herself to stay calm.

Because she had been away from Zeden, she hadn’t exactly had any opportunity to be in the same space with Eliana though she knew about her from Ivy.

So this was her? Ruby thought with an inward sigh as she wondered why her sister would be friends with someone like this. But then again, what was she expecting? It was Ivy.

Eliana stopped short just a few steps away, her eyes narrowing slightly as they flicked over Ruby. A frown formed almost instantly.

"What in the world are you wearing?" she asked, disbelief evident in her tone.

Ruby blinked in surprise. "What?" she asked, confusion lacing her words.

Eliana gestured toward her feet. "Your heels. Since when do you wear anything but skyscraper heels?"

Ruby glanced down at her moderate heels. She hadn’t even thought about it when she put them on earlier, but of course, Ivy’s best friend would notice.

Why did she had to come today? Think, Ruby. Think.

She let out a small chuckle, waving a hand dismissively. "Oh, you know... married life. I figured I should start being more comfortable."

Eliana’s frown deepened, and she crossed her arms. "Married life? Since when has that ever stopped you from looking like you stepped out of a magazine?" She tilted her head, her eyes sharp with suspicion. "Are you sick or something?"

Ruby forced a laugh. "No, of course not! Just a little tired. We just got back from the company, and it was a long day. Besides, you know I have to help Steffy now."

Eliana’s sharp gaze didn’t waver. "Tired?" she repeated, like the word itself was foreign. "That doesn’t sound like the Ivy I know."

Stefan stayed silent, his expression unreadable, but Ruby could feel his interest in the conversation. He was listening—carefully. Why didn’t he go upstairs? Was he trying to confirm his suspicions?

She was sure she was going to develop a heart problem before the end of this one year with the way her heart was beating rapidly every time.

Eliana stepped closer, linking her arm through Ruby’s. "Then let’s go to the spa. A full treatment will fix that exhaustion right up."

The words barely left her mouth before Ruby instinctively shook her head. "No, thanks."

It wasn’t until the words had left her mouth that she realized how fast she had answered—too fast. That was her first mistake.

Eliana stopped short, staring at her like she had just grown a second head. "What?"

Realizing her error, Ruby quickly tried to backtrack. "I mean, not today. I’m just—"

"You’re tired, I get that," Eliana interrupted. "But Ivy, when has that ever stopped you? You’d kill for a spa day. I practically had to drag you out of one last time."

Ruby’s pulse quickened. She needed to fix this, fast.

She forced a smile, tilting her head playfully. "What can I say? I just got married. All I want to do is spend time with my sweet husband."

She glanced at Stefan as she said it, hoping to shift the focus.

A smirk ghosted over his lips. He could tell she was scrambling, but instead of calling her out, he leaned into the act. "Hmm. Is that so?" he murmured, amusement lacing his tone.

Eliana, however, was not amused. She eyed Ruby skeptically before shaking her head. "You’re acting weird, Ivy. First the heels, now this sudden devotion to your husband? I know you love him but—" She turned to Stefan. "You didn’t brainwash her, did you?"

Stefan let out a low chuckle. "I don’t think that would be possible."

Ruby forced another laugh, but she knew Eliana wasn’t convinced. The woman wasn’t stupid, and Ruby had already slipped up too many times.

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Eliana sighed dramatically, reaching into her handbag. "Well, since you’re suddenly too busy playing house to have a social life, I’ll get out of your way. I just came to drop this off."

She pulled out a beautifully wrapped box and handed it to Ruby.

"A wedding gift," Eliana explained. "Since I wasn’t around for the ceremony."

Ruby accepted it with a grateful smile. "Thank you, Eli. That’s really sweet."

Eliana waved a hand. "Yeah, yeah. Just don’t disappear on me completely." She gave Ruby one last suspicious look before heading toward the door. "We’ll talk later."

When the door shut behind her, Ruby let out a slow breath she hadn’t realized she was holding.

"Well," Stefan said, breaking the silence. "That was... interesting."

Ruby turned to him quickly. "What do you mean?"

Stefan tilted his head slightly. "You seemed a little... stiff. Why did you act that way? You barely spoke to her. You were different."

She forced a casual shrug. "I told you. I was tired."

Stefan’s expression remained unreadable. "Does that mean you don’t want to be friends with Eliana anymore? I mean, was that why you were barely talking to her? It has to be more than tiredness."

Ruby knew this was a trap. If she denied it outright, it would sound suspicious. But if she played it right, she could turn the conversation in her favor.

A slow smirk tugged at her lips. "Why? You don’t want me to stay friends with her?" she asked instead.

Stefan let out a soft chuckle, shaking his head. "You know I don’t exactly like Eliana. But I wouldn’t stop you from being friends with her."

"Good," Ruby said with a teasing glint in her eyes even though he couldn’t see it. "That means I won’t be friends with her anymore."

Stefan narrowed his eyes slightly. "Are you sure or you’re doing that for me? I really don’t mind and you know it."

She shook her head. "No, actually. I’ve been looking for a way to stop being friends with her for a while now."

Stefan let out a low laugh. "Well, that’s quite unexpected."

Ruby reached for his hand. "Come on, let’s go upstairs."

As she led him toward their bedroom, Stefan smirked. "So, about that ’sweet husband’ comment..."

Ruby groaned. "Oh, don’t start."

He chuckled, his amusement evident. "I’m just saying, it was nice to hear."

She rolled her eyes, but the warmth in her chest betrayed her.

What she didn’t know was that while she had managed to deflect Eliana’s suspicions, she had only made Stefan’s even stronger.