Chapter 11: 10

It was a heavily overcast afternoon, and everyone was caught up in their tasks. Everything was running smoothly, and time seemed to be moving at an unusually fast pace. In just a few more days, this internship would finally come to an end.

Ruby remained as cold-hearted as ever—unwavering and seemingly impossible to catch off guard. Throughout the entire duration of this internship, she had been somewhat distant from me, as if she were deliberately keeping her distance. Could this be a sign that she was beginning to waver? I wasn't sure, but if that were the case, then perhaps it was a good thing.

Feeling the need for a short break, I decided to head down to the pantry for a meal. As I stepped inside, my eyes immediately caught sight of Reuben, Lesley, and Kendal. The moment Lesley saw me, she waved enthusiastically, prompting me to walk toward them.

"Busy as ever, huh, Sanae?" Lesley greeted with a playful smirk. "How’s your internship under Ruby going so far?"

I smiled, taking a seat before responding. "It’s exhausting, but at the same time, it’s really motivating. It’s fun, too, especially since we get to attend meetings in so many different places."

Kendal leaned in slightly, a curious look on her face. "Is she strict?"

I shook my head. "Not exactly. She’s just extremely serious when it comes to work. She has this very clear distinction—work is work, and break time is break time."

"Oh, you’re quite famous in the department, you know," Kendal suddenly said with a teasing grin. "People are saying you’re even more handsome than your older brother."

I let out a chuckle at her remark.

"But I disagree," Kendal continued dramatically, shaking her head. "Because Akio is just—ugh!"

We all burst into laughter at that, but before I could say anything else, a hesitant voice interrupted our conversation.

"H... Hi."

I turned my head toward the unfamiliar voice and found a girl standing there, looking a little nervous.

"Are you Sanae?" she asked, her voice soft.

I nodded slowly, watching as she extended something toward me.

"I made this for you," she said, her cheeks tinged with a faint blush. "I hope you like it."

I stood up, accepting the food with a polite smile. "Thank you so much," I said sincerely, bowing slightly to show my gratitude.

She returned my smile, her eyes bright. "I hope we get to see each other again… Maybe we can spend some time together and get to know each other?"

"We’ll see about that," I replied courteously, offering a small smile before she finally turned and walked away.

Reuben blinked a few times before dramatically rubbing his eyes. "Oh, am I dreaming, or was she really here just now?"

"Who?" I asked, confused.

"Ruby Espinosa," he answered, his voice laced with intrigue.

I instinctively glanced behind me, and sure enough, there she was—Ruby Espinosa, walking into the cafeteria. But what caught my attention even more was the fact that Karla was with her. These two were never seen anywhere in this entire empire. Why? Because Ruby had her own private pantry in her office. On the rare occasions we ate together, we never really talked.

But now, here she was, heading in our direction.

I noticed Karla flashing a smile at me, and before I knew it, Ruby had stopped at our table.

Lesley immediately stood up and gave her a warm hug. "Hello, cousin!" she greeted Ruby cheerfully.

"Hello," Ruby responded coolly before turning her gaze toward us. "How’s your stay here? Have you decided if you’ll be working here permanently?"

"Yes, Ma’am!" we all answered in unison.

Ruby nodded approvingly. "Very good. It’s been a pleasure having such talented minds working with us." Then, she suddenly turned to Lesley and handed her a black card. "Here. Buy anything you want. Just return it to me once you’ve had enough fun with it."

Lesley’s face lit up like that of an excited child. "Anything I want?" she asked in disbelief.

Ruby nodded. "Yes. Since Auntie had all your accounts frozen the moment she found out you were going to work here, I figured this might come in handy."

Lesley let out a dramatic sigh of relief. "Such a lifesaver! Thank you so much!"

"Just make sure to treat your housemates, alright?" Ruby reminded her, casting a glance in my direction.

"Yes, yes, no problem!" Lesley assured her enthusiastically.

Then, without warning, Ruby turned her full attention to me. "May I have a word with  Ms. Delen?"

"Uh… Oh, sure, Ma’am!" Reuben answered for me before suddenly pushing me forward. "No need to return her, hehe!" he added teasing.

Damn these people.

Ruby glanced at the rest of them one last time before speaking. "See you around, kids." Then, her gaze returned to me, her expression unreadable. "Shall we?"

"Where?" I asked, blinking in confusion.

She simply raised an eyebrow. "To my office."

Karla let out a playful snicker. "Uh-oh, you’re in trouble, Delen."

.

.

.

.

We were now inside Ruby’s office, and as soon as we entered, Karla proceeded to her own space, leaving the two of us alone.

Ruby locked the door with a quiet click, then turned to face me. Her gaze was ice-cold, her hooded eyes making it hard for me to decipher what she was thinking. The intensity in them sent a strange sensation through me—was I turned on, or was I scared? I honestly couldn’t tell.

"Sanae," she finally spoke, her voice calm but edged with something unreadable.

I swallowed hard. "Yes?"

"Who was that girl?" she asked bluntly.

My brows furrowed slightly. "What?"

"The one who gave you food," she clarified, stepping closer. "Are you into her?"

I blinked, caught off guard by the question. "She just… she just gave me food, Ruby. That’s all."

She narrowed her eyes at me. "Oh, really? I thought you liked me, Sanae. Are you giving up that easily?"

The accusation made me frown. "What? That’s not—"

"You want food? I can cook for you," she interrupted, closing the remaining distance between us.

I barely had time to react before she grabbed my collar, yanking me closer.

"Sanae…" she murmured, her breath warm against my lips. "If you say I’m the only one you want… then let it be only me."

Before I could respond, her lips crashed onto mine.

My entire body tensed at the sudden contact, but within seconds, I melted into it. Was my plan actually working? Or was I the one getting caught in my own trap?

I closed my eyes and instinctively wrapped an arm around her waist, pulling her against me. She was warm and intoxicating. Her soft lips moved against mine, demanding, consuming, and I found myself drowning in her.

Somehow, I felt myself moving backward until my legs hit the couch, and I sat down with her now straddling my lap. I couldn’t help it, my hands slid down, gripping her ass, and she responded by deepening the kiss.

Her fingers tangled into my hair, tugging slightly as she pulled me even closer, as if the space between us was unbearable. Our lips moved in sync, our tongues battling for dominance, the heat between us intensifying.

Damn, this was dangerous.

We kissed feverishly, neither of us willing to stop, until the need for air finally forced us apart.

Breathing heavily, I looked up at her, my heart racing.

"Sanae," she called softly, her gaze unreadable.

"Yes, Ruby?" I replied, my voice was lower than I intended.

Her fingers traced the side of my face, her expression more serious now. "Will you take responsibility for this? For everything you’re doing to my system?"

I stared at her for a moment before tightening my grip on her waist. "Yes. I told you, I’m going to make you mine. I’ll protect you. I’ll stay by your side."

Her lips parted slightly, as if my words had caught her off guard.

"Ruby," I murmured, cupping her cheek gently. "I will make you happy."

Then, I leaned in and pressed a soft kiss against her lips, sealing my promise.

_______________________

Before the make out session.....

I felt like I was losing my mind. No matter how much I tried, I couldn’t stop thinking about Sanae.

I had been avoiding her, trying to ignore her persistent presence in my life. I told myself that if I distanced myself enough, I would eventually forget the way she constantly found ways to annoy me. And yet, despite all my efforts, I found myself searching for those very things.

Everything she did—no matter how small—lingered in my mind. Simple gestures, subtle actions, the way she looked at me, the way she smiled… It was terrifying. This wasn’t supposed to happen.

It was as if I was betraying myself.

I had built these walls to protect myself, to keep people out. And yet, here I was, breaking them down from the inside, willingly allowing myself to be drawn closer to her.

I let out a slow breath, rubbing my temples as I tried to push the thoughts away.

"Ma’am?"

I glanced up to see Karla standing before me.

"Sit down," I ordered, my voice steady.

She obeyed, settling into the chair across from me. "What is it, Ma’am?"

I exhaled, leaning back in my chair. "You’ve seen everything, Karla. You were there when I lost Amanda in that ambush. You saw the way I rebuilt myself from the ground up, the way I put up these walls and refused to let anyone in."

Karla remained silent, observing me closely.

"Ruby," she finally spoke, her voice softer now. "Are you catching feelings for the intern?"

I met her gaze directly. "Is it bad?"

She studied me for a long moment, then a slow, knowing smile curved her lips. "Honestly? I never expected it. But I’ve noticed something—you keep pushing her away, and yet, you can’t seem to avoid her completely. No matter how much distance you try to put between you, you always find yourself drawn back to her."

I clenched my jaw, but I knew she was right.

She leaned forward slightly. "Ruby, I can see how determined she is. She isn’t giving up on you, no matter how hard you try to drive her away. So why are you trying so hard to fight this?"

I looked away, unable to answer.

Karla sighed. "Don’t suppress your feelings. If your heart wants to open it again, let it. But—" she narrowed her eyes at me, her tone turning serious. "Don’t let this love destroy you, Ruby. I know you too well. When you love, you love everything you have. You would be willing to turn your back on anyone… even your own company."

I let out a short, quiet laugh, shaking my head. "You know me too well."

"And that’s why I’m warning you," she said with a smirk. "Now, what do you plan to do about it?"

I was quiet for a moment before finally speaking. "Where is Sanae?"

Karla blinked, surprised by the sudden shift in topic. "The cafeteria, I think. Why?"

Without answering, I stood up, grabbing my coat.

Karla raised an eyebrow. "Oh? Are we making a surprise visit?"

"Just come with me," I muttered, already heading for the door.

She chuckled under her breath as she followed.

—

As we approached the cafeteria, the usual noise of chatter and laughter filled the air. My eyes scanned the room quickly, searching for that familiar figure.

And then, I found her.

Sanae was sitting at a table with Reuben, Lesley, and Kendal. She seemed relaxed, casually talking with them while eating.

But my eyes narrowed when I saw the girl standing beside her.

It was the same girl from before.

She was holding a small lunchbox, placing it in front of Sanae with a shy smile.

"I made this for you," the girl said, her voice barely audible over the cafeteria noise.

Sanae blinked in surprise, glancing between the food and the girl. "Again? You didn’t have to—"

"But I wanted to," the girl interrupted, blushing slightly. "I hope you like it."

Sanae hesitated before offering a small smile. "Well… thank you."

And just like that, I felt something twist inside me.

I clenched my jaw, my fingers curling into fists.

Beside me, Karla let out a low whistle. "Oh wow," she whispered, clearly amused. "You’re jealous."

I shot her a glare. "I am not."

She smirked. "Oh, please. I can practically see the storm brewing in your eyes. Should I call for an evacuation?"

I ignored her, my attention locked onto Sanae as she opened the lunchbox, inspecting the food inside.

Karla nudged me. "You know, if you keep staring like that, you might burn a hole through her head."

I exhaled sharply. "Let’s go."

"To Sanae?" Karla asked, grinning.

"Obviously," I muttered before striding forward.

Karla followed, laughing under her breath. "This is going to be fun."