Chapter 23: 22

Ruby and I have a good relationship, we take care of each other, we look out for each other. It’s that stage where everything feels like mutual understanding. We both know we’re meant for each other, but we haven’t made it official yet.

Right now, we’re in the development department, observing and assessing the developers as they present their proposed projects.

“Make sure your source codes are clean, and your systems cannot be breached,” Ruby reminded them, her voice firm but composed. “Work hard, but don’t neglect yourselves.”

“Yes, ma’am!” they all responded in unison.

“Sanae, Karla, let’s go,” she said, motioning for us to follow her as we left the department.

As we walked, Ruby turned to me saying. “I’m assigning you to assist them. Any concerns or confirmations regarding development, relay them to me. Kiefer is already setting up your desk there. You’re taking over Akio’s work and position.”

I blinked in surprise. “Wait… am I being transferred to another department? I won’t be under you anymore?”

Karla snorted. “Bro, you’re being clingy.”

“I’m just clarifying,” I defended. “And besides, I’d miss you two.”

Karla draped an arm over my shoulder. “You should request to still be on our floor so you can see her,” she whispered with a knowing smirk.

Ruby, catching the tail end of our conversation, turned to me. “Do you want to stay on my floor? Or would you prefer your own office there?”

“Can I?” I asked, eyes lighting up.

She smiled. “Sure. I’ll call my friend to design an office for you. Karla, is that okay with you?”

“Of course! At least I’ll have someone to talk to. Working alone there makes me feel like I’m in an office full of ghosts.”

I turned away, biting my lip to keep from laughing.

Ruby, unfazed, replied flatly, “If you’re trying to insult me with that joke, Karla, you failed. I don’t feel like talking when I work.”

“It’s not an insult. I’m just stating facts! You barely talk! The only time you acknowledge my existence is when you need me to email someone. Sometimes, you even take over my work. Like, seriously, what am I to you? Im your secretary—”

“Where do you guys want to eat?” Ruby interrupted.

Karla instantly perked up. “Pizza! I need pizza.”

“I’d love a Subway sandwich,” I added.

Ruby raised an eyebrow. “I feel like eating seafood. So that’s what I’m having.”

Karla groaned. “Of course, the boss lady has to be different.”

Ruby rolled her eyes. “Fine. Order whatever you want.” Then she paused and glanced at us. “Actually, inform all departments that I’m treating everyone to a meal.”

Karla and I exchanged looks before grinning.

“Copy, ma’am!” we chimed together.

We walked back to the top floor, where Ruby once again drowned herself in her work, completely focused on her tasks. Meanwhile, I helped Karla sort the files, arranging them both alphabetically and numerically.

“Thank you,” Karla suddenly said, breaking the silence.

I glanced at her, slightly confused. “For what?”

She looked at me with a small, sincere smile. “Because of you, she’s become gentler with the employees. She visits the departments more often now, and because of that, the employees appreciate her even more.” She paused for a moment before adding, “And thank you for making my friend smile, for seeing the real her.”

Hearing that made my chest feel lighter. I returned her smile. “It’s good to know that I have a positive impact on her.”

Akio, I’m sure you’d prefer this over me taking revenge on her. I know she was a good friend of yours, and if you were here, you’d probably smack some sense into me. But this isn’t about vengeance anymore. What I feel for Ruby now is real, genuine and sincere.

After sorting the files, we began ordering food for the different departments as well as for the three of us. I couldn’t help but notice Karla shaking her head slightly as she watched Ruby ordering seafood.

“Are you okay?” I asked, concerned.

She nodded but let out a small sigh before saying, “She’s so stubborn. She has a seafood allergy, so if you ever invite her out or take her on a date to a seafood restaurant, make sure she always has her allergy medication with her.” Her voice carried a tone of warning, emphasizing the importance of what she was saying.

I nodded in understanding. “Alright, I’ll make sure to remember that.”

Satisfied with my response, Karla gave a small nod before turning her attention back to the order.

As we remained busy finalizing the food choices, our focus was abruptly interrupted when we saw Freya dashing toward Ruby’s office. The urgency in her movements was undeniable. Without hesitation, we immediately followed after her, a sense of unease settling in as we hurriedly made our way to see what was going on.

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I was deeply engrossed in reviewing all the proposals and narrative reports when, all of a sudden, Freya burst into my office, breathless and in a panic.

“Miss…” she called out between gasps, struggling to catch her breath.

I immediately put my pen down and turned to her with a calm but concerned expression. “Freya, what happened?”

She looked like she was on the verge of tears. Her hands trembled as she clutched the doorframe. Seeing her like this made my stomach churn with worry.

“Hey, what’s wrong?” I asked again, this time more firmly.

Freya swallowed hard before finally managing to speak. “Miss… It’s your cousin—Lesley. She’s… she’s raging in the office. I—I tried to calm her down, but she’s completely out of control. She’s getting violent.”

My heart dropped. “What?”

Freya nodded frantically, her voice shaking as she continued. “Someone… Someone uploaded and exploited her… her gang rape incident. And not just that—every single trouble she’s ever been in, all her drug exposure because of some highschool classmates, all of her being bullied incident… they’re all being exposed. We tried to calm her down so we could help her track who did this, but she’s unstoppable. She won’t listen to anyone.”

I felt a cold wave of fury wash over me. I glanced at Sanae and Karla, who were both standing nearby, their faces mirroring my worry and disbelief.

“Assist Freya,” I ordered, before immediately rushing out of my office.

The moment I stepped into the main office area, chaos met my eyes.

Desks were overturned. Papers littered the floor like fallen leaves in a storm. One of the monitors was completely shattered, sparks flickering at its edges. Employees stood frozen in shock, some retreating to the corners, afraid of what might happen next.

And at the center of it all was Lesley.

Her chest rose and fell erratically, her breath coming in ragged gasps as she stood amidst the destruction, her hands shaking with unrestrained fury. Her eyes were wild, burning with a mix of rage and anguish.

“How dare THEY?!” she screamed, grabbing a stack of files and hurling them across the room. “HOW FUCKING DARE THEY?! I spent years burying ALL OF THESE TRAUMAS, I HAVE BEEN BURYING THESE FOR YEARS!”

No one dared to step forward.

One of the security officers cautiously approached, his hands raised in an attempt to de-escalate the situation. “Miss Lesley, please, you need to—”

“SHUT UP!” she shrieked, grabbing the nearest chair and flinging it against the glass wall, causing a loud, ear-piercing crash. “You think I need to calm down? My entire life is being put on display like some sick fucking joke, and you’re telling me to CALM DOWN?!”

Her breathing grew heavier, her shoulders shaking violently as she clenched her fists. Tears welled up in her eyes, but she refused to let them fall.

I ignored the safety officer beside me who tried to stop me from stepping forward. “Lesley,” I called out firmly.

She froze.

Slowly, she turned to face me, her eyes filled with so much pain that it physically hurt to look at her.

“I… I spent so many years building myself back up… I buried those traumatizing memories—I forced myself to move on,” she choked out, her voice trembling. “You saw me, Ruby. You saw me lose my mind, haunted by those nightmares… And now, now it’s all being dug up again. How? Why? It was already taken down before… This shouldn’t be happening.”

I swallowed the lump in my throat as she staggered toward me.

“All my troubles, all my past mistakes… It’s all out there again,” she whispered brokenly. Her hands gripped my arms tightly, as if holding onto the last bit of sanity she had left. “I don’t know what to do anymore.”

I felt my rage boil over. My gaze turned cold as I scanned the room, silently vowing, I will find whoever did this. And I will make sure they pay.

I wrapped my arms around my cousin, holding her close as she trembled against me.

But then, she suddenly pulled away, her expression shifting into something unreadable.

“There’s no point, Ruby,” she murmured. “No matter what you do, nothing will change what happened to me. No matter how much I bury it, no matter how much I try to forget… it always comes back.”

She gave me a soft, heartbreaking smile.

“I know that out of everyone, you’re the only one on my side,” she continued. “But I don’t want to be a burden to you anymore, Ruby.”

Before I could react, she pulled out a Swiss knife.

My eyes widened in horror. “Lesley—”

Without hesitation, she plunged the blade into her own abdomen.

“No! Lesley!” I screamed, lunging forward. I didn’t care where I grabbed, I just needed to get the knife away from her. Blood smeared onto my hands as I struggled to wrestle it from her grip.

“Just let me die, Ruby,” she sobbed, trying to snatch the knife back.

Before she could make another move, a gunshot rang out—not a lethal one, but enough to make her body go limp.

One of the officers had shot her with a tranquilizer, causing her to collapse into my arms.

I barely had a moment to breathe when a sharp, burning pain flared across my palm.

I blinked, my vision blurring.

That knife… Granddad gave it to us.

It had poison.

I had one just like it.

The realization hit me like a truck.

“9-1-1… Immediately,” I gasped, my voice weakening. “The knife… has poison…”

My legs gave out beneath me, and the last thing I heard before darkness swallowed me whole was Sanae’s panicked voice screaming my name.

“Ruby! RUBY!!! HEY! STAY WITH ME!”

And then—nothing.