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.