Chapter 45: Charity
Ruby walked slowly through the grand doors of the mansion, the soft scent of lavender and mint still clinging to her skin from the spa oils.
The calming music from the spa echoed faintly in her mind, but the moment she stepped into the cool, quiet hallway of the Winters estate, her thoughts returned to Stefan.
Her heels clicked softly against the marble floor as she made her way upstairs. The house was quieter than usual, almost too quiet. She passed a few maids along the way, each offering a polite nod and greeting. She nodded back, trying to keep her face calm even though her heart still felt heavy after dropping Rayna off.
She’ll be okay, Ruby told herself again. Rayna’s smart and strong. She’ll fix things.
She paused outside the study door and gently knocked.
"Come in," came Stefan’s deep, steady voice.
Ruby smiled a little to herself and pushed open the door.
Stefan was sitting in the armchair by the fireplace, a book resting on the small table beside him even though he couldn’t read it—not without help. His head turned in her direction the moment she entered.
"Babe," he said with a smile that made Ruby’s stomach twist gently, "you’re back."
"Yeah," she said softly, stepping in and closing the door behind her. "I just came back from the spa."
"How was it?" he asked, tilting his head toward her. Though he hadn’t believed she was leaving him after what Martin said, a part of him felt relieved she came back.
"It was relaxing," Ruby replied as she walked over to him. "Exactly what I needed."