CHAPTER 142: SECRETS

Two weeks later.

The sky above was a brilliant shade of blue, clear and endless, dotted only by the occasional cloud drifting lazily. The private airstrip, hidden away from the bustle of Florittle, buzzed quietly with activity.

Two staff members were preparing the last of the flight logistics, checking the jet’s systems as the aircraft gleamed under the early morning. But what caught Ruby’s breath—what made her heart skip a beat—was the private jet waiting quietly at the edge of the runway.

It was sleek. Elegant. Painted a polished pearl white with gold linings that shimmered under the sunlight. The jet looked like something out of a luxury magazine—its exterior alone oozed wealth and class. The stairs were already lowered, gleaming silver with velvet steps as though rolled out just for royalty.

Ruby blinked, stunned. "Is that... yours?" she asked, turning to Stefan as they stepped out of the car.

Rayna and Ethan were already unloading their small bags from the trunk. Stefan, dressed casually in a navy polo and beige slacks, nodded with an amused grin.

"Yes," he said calmly.

"You have a jet?" she asked, eyes wide.

Ethan chuckled, handing the last bag to the steward. "We’ll leave you two now. Fly safe. And don’t forget to let me know when you land."

"You better not forget me the moment you step foot in Zeden," Rayna warned, though her tone was playful.

Ruby rolled her eyes but smiled warmly. "Please. I’ll probably call you before we even land."

Rayna pulled her into a hug. "I’m so happy for you, Rubes. Thank God he came for you... just look at you. You’re glowing."

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"Must be the pregnancy hormones," Ruby teased but Rayna wasn’t having it.

"Nah. That’s not just pregnancy hormones, Rubes. That’s the look of a woman who’s finally in love, getting loved back and not running from it," Rayna whispered, giving her a wink.

"Then I guess you’ll be the next to glow," Ruby said, looking from Rayna to Ethan and back again.

Rayna chuckled, shaking her head at Ruby’s come back. "Text me the moment you get to Zeden. I mean it," she said, deciding to change the topic so that Ruby wouldn’t ask her anything else.

"I will," Ruby smiled. "Thanks for everything, Rayna. Truly."

Rayna stepped back, her eyes soft. "Just be happy. That’s all I want."

Moments later, they were waving goodbye as Ethan’s car rolled away down the tarmac road.

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Ruby turned again to face the jet, her fingers tightening around her purse strap.

"I can’t believe you never told me you had this," she murmured.

Stefan took her hand and guided her up the steps. "That’s because you weren’t Ivy."

Ruby looked at him over her shoulder. Though he hadn’t said Ivy’s name because he wanted to, she couldn’t help feeling somehow about it.

"Ivy knew," he continued, oblivious to what was going on in Ruby’s mind. "Also, I didn’t exactly use it much while you were with me. Especially because back then I couldn’t fly without seeing. The blindness made flying in jets a little... impractical. And I also didn’t have to fly to anywhere for business. You were there helping," he finished, winking at her.

Ruby couldn’t help the smile that curled up her lips when their eyes met and before she knew it, Ivy’s thoughts were out of her mind.

"So basically," Ruby said with a teasing smirk, "you didn’t suffer much trying to get me back."

Stefan laughed, his voice deep and warm. "I did suffer. I honestly did. Do you know what it feels like to be blind and realize that the person you thought you loved, the one you were marrying, wasn’t the one your heart was truly attached to? Or that you married someone else, loving her more than the air you were breathing thinking she was your wife and would always remain by your side?"

He stopped at the top step, facing her. "Only to regain your sight and then have to find out you let that person—who truly cared—walk away without even recognizing her? Ruby, you took my heart with you when you walked out that door and didn’t even know it. I’m sure if you knew, you wouldn’t have left to let me roam round Zeden and Florittle, looking for you."

Ruby blushed, laughing softly as she stepped into the jet. "You’re just exaggerating, Stefan. I’m sure you didn’t even look that much."

"Am I?" he raised an eyebrow.

She was too distracted to reply immediately—because the interior of the jet left her utterly breathless.

It was like stepping into a five-star hotel in the sky. The floors were rich hardwood with intricate designs inlaid in gold. Plush cream-colored leather seats lined both sides of the cabin, wide and luxurious with gold-accented armrests and built-in massage functions. A soft, warm glow emanated from overhead light panels, designed to look like a gentle sunrise.

To the left, there was a small dining area, complete with a mahogany table, fine china already arranged, and champagne chilling in a bucket beside it. Farther down, she saw a private lounge section with an L-shaped couch and a built-in TV screen that folded seamlessly into the wall.

"Stefan," she breathed. "This is... incredible."

Though she knew how wealthy he was because she’d helped him handle his business, seeing how luxurious the jet looked, she couldn’t help but marvel at just how much he was worth. Perhaps, that was why her sister had to just return when she saw things were getting out of hand with her. Ruby thought.

While she was thinking that, Stefan looked at her and couldn’t help but smile at her reaction, clearly enjoying every bit of it. "There’s a bedroom too, at the back. And a mini kitchen. It’s got everything we’d need for long flights," he said proudly.

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Because Ivy had also had this reaction, he’d planned to take her in the jet on their wedding night then after spending two days in there, he’d take her to see the yacht he’d bought for her.

Well, good thing it wasn’t Ivy who he’d married then. He’d had everything changed to Ruby’s name and now, now that he could see, he would take her there. Perhaps, plan his proposal there. He thought as he watched her, his heart swelling with love.

Ruby ran her fingers over the leather armrest, marveling at the softness. "You really know how to fly in style."

"I wanted the best. For business... and now for you."

Ruby turned to look at him, her eyes softening. "So, what other secrets are you hiding, Mr. Winters?"

He grinned. "None you wouldn’t love to discover. Besides, you’d soon find out what other ’secrets’ I have soon enough."

They both sat down as the jet prepared for takeoff. The hum of the engine began to build and Ruby instinctively reached for Stefan’s hand. He held it without hesitation.

The jet glided smoothly along the runway and lifted into the sky as though weightless. Ruby watched from the window, the clouds drifting beneath them like cotton candy. She leaned back into her seat and sighed.

It felt surreal. Just weeks ago, she had been filled with so much uncertainty and so much pain, wanting to forget all about her life for the past six months.

But now, she was here. Beside Stefan. His child growing in her. A new life ahead of them.

After she got discharged from the hospital, she’d wanted to withdraw from him, wanting to see if she’d just agreed to having him back because he’d saved her but the harder she’d tried, the more she’d realized she couldn’t have done life without him.

It was during those moments that she’d realized she’d been more angry that he would probably be married to Ivy, giving Ivy all the love he’d shown her than she was about him not listening to her or her not telling him anything.

These past two weeks with Stefan caring for her instead of Rayna had shown her that she had not only missed him but would be better off with him. Now, she also didn’t have to worry about her child not getting the adequate love it would need.

She turned to him, a more serious look on her face. "I hope you won’t leave me again. I didn’t realize it before, but... being with you now—it feels like the best decision I’ve made."

Stefan squeezed her hand gently. "I’m not going anywhere, Ruby. Never again. I’ll prove it every day. To you and to our baby. I’ll be the father and husband you both deserve."

Silence filled the space between them, comfortable and meaningful.

Neither of them needed to say anything more.

They were no longer strangers pretending. No longer deceivers hiding behind roles and secrets.

They were a couple now.

With one goal: to love and care for each other.

As the jet soared above the clouds, heading home to Zeden, Ruby leaned her head on Stefan’s shoulder. And for the first time since she’d left, she felt like she was truly flying—free, loved, and ready for whatever came next.