Ruby pushed a strong cup of coffee toward Ed.
“Thank you... for your help.” Ruby tried to act as normal as possible, and Ed certainly deserved a thank-you.
“Yeah.” Ed responded curtly, not liking the thanks. It wasn’t wrong, but it reminded him that he had done something he shouldn’t have.
“It’s coming off.” Ed pointed to Ruby’s leg. Her shin had been injured earlier.
Ruby had tried to clean it and wrap it with a bandage, but in her haste, it wasn’t tight enough and had come loose as she paced around.
“No… need!”
Ruby stepped back when she saw Ed kneeling, but Ed’s hand quickly grabbed her ankle, almost making Ruby stumble. She didn’t fall because she managed to grab the nearest thing for support—Ed’s hair.
“OH MY!” Ruby screamed and immediately let go of Ed’s hair.
“Sorry… I’m so sor
"Where did you go all night, Don Rosas?" Otiz asked since Ed had returned to the hotel at dawn."Why do you sound more like my wife than my actual wife?" Ed raised an eyebrow. He certainly wouldn't mention that he had just taken Ruby home."Were you with Mrs. Herrera?" Otiz didn't need an explanation, though. He could guess what had suddenly kept Ed so busy. They didn't actually have any more business in New York.Ed just shrugged, not wanting to hear a lecture."The longer you stay here, the more dangerous it will be. If Russell finds out you're here, he won't sit still." Otiz hoped Ed would at least stop wandering outside the hotel."I can't leave this city until I get the report I asked for! I want to know who AJ's father is!" Ed hissed.He knew a similar face wasn't a guarantee, but he wanted to hope. All the coincidences or chances that led him to meet AJ—and Ruby—were unusual. Ed didn't know what it would be like, but it fe
"You don't have to do this."Ruby glanced at Ed, who was driving beside her. Ruby had just followed Ed's pull, and now they were driving together.Ruby was too relieved and thrilled to hear the news about AJ to care about how she would meet him. After the car started moving, Ruby realized she had done something she shouldn't have done again: being close to Ed.At the cafe earlier, Ruby had deliberately ignored him. She refused to serve him and stepped away from the counter when she saw him come in. It was pointless because now she was sitting next to Ed."Should I have let you crash into a tree again? Your car from yesterday hasn't even been fixed yet." Ed had seen it earlier, parked in front of Cassa Nueva. Despite the dent in the front bumper, Ruby could still use it and make it run."That night... I wasn't stable." Ruby mumbled softly. She hated admitting that she wasn't in her right mind. It made her look weak. "You're more stable now, but it would be better if you could meet AJ
"Are you sure? I can still help." Ruby couldn't bear to leave Delia alone again after letting her work hard for several days."Oh, Ruby! Go home and enjoy your time with AJ. You have employees. It's inconvenient if you're not here, but it doesn't mean Cassa Nueva will collapse if you're absent for a day." Delia shook her head, pushing Ruby out from behind the cashier."Go on, now." Delia shooed her away again and immediately resumed her role as cashier, as there were already people waiting in line."You're still here? I thought you had gone home and cried," Delia greeted differently, as the customer was Alejandro."Do I look that defeated?" he asked with a bitter smile."Yes, very much so." Delia pressed Alejandro's coffee order, while her eyes followed Ruby as she approached AJ. He was sitting with Ed, and he seemed to be enthusiastically sharing his day. One might think that AJ was recounting an exciting adventure involving aliens or dragons based on his gestures. His hands communic
Ed cursed under his breath as he watched the van he was chasing nimbly turn to the left. They had the advantage of knowing the area better, unexpectedly, and clearly, whereas Ed was just blindly following.“Otiz!” Ed shouted, and the dashboard screen lit up, indicating a call.“Yes? Where are you?” Otiz inquired in his usual tired tone.“Gather as many people as you can. Anyone can pay! I'll send you the location!” Ed yelled as loud as he could, hinting at the grave situation.“Huh? Don Rosas, there’s...”“Just do it!” Ed ended the call, his eyes narrowing as he saw the van make another turn onto a new road. It was quieter, making Ed consider ramming the back of the vehicle to stop it.But such a reckless move would hurt Ruby and AJ. He couldn’t do anything while they were still inside the van.Ed clicked his tongue, forced to watch and curse silently. His mind wa
"Oops! What a liar! Is this why he keeps you? You are indeed interesting. Not bad." Russel chuckled."STOP IT!" Ruby would not let AJ hear such words."Tsk; your child needs to learn to grow up. He needs to understand men's world." Russell watched as Ruby kept covering AJ's ears, protecting him.“What should we do next? Should I send a threat or maybe a finger?” The man who had kidnapped Ruby stepped forward, approaching Russell.“For now, there's no need. I want to see him confused, searching for his ‘cat’. Then, we’ll send him the ‘cat’ bit by bit. If necessary, we should start with a finger. I want him to feel despair. He broke my neck. I’ll retaliate even more cruelly.”Russell grinned, eyeing Ruby's fingers as if considering which one to send to Ed first.Ruby shuddered, unable to say anything. Even if she told them a million times that she wasn’t Ed’s mistress, Rus
"How could you..." Russell moved his wheelchair away from the muzzle of the gun in Ed's hand."Of course I could. I told you yesterday. You didn't have to deal with my sales problems here. It just so happens that the person who was willing to handle my sales issues without any conditions is also willing to assist me now."Ed had backups and could handle things without difficulty."He was happy to help me get rid of you." Ed's hand remained steady, pointing the gun at Russell while his eyes scanned the corners of the room."Where are they?" Ed asked. He hoped Ruby and AJ would be with Russell."Who? I don't know what... Mmmm!" Russell's attempt to feign ignorance failed as Ed shoved the gun's muzzle into his mouth. Russell shook his head frantically."Let's not waste time with nonsense. Just tell me where they are, and maybe I'll remember not to blow your brains out." Ed pressed the trigger while his other hand held Russell's head still.
Ed's hand moved faster than anything—faster even than his thoughts. He drew the gun from inside his jacket and pulled the trigger, aiming at the head. Ed didn't want to kill Russell, but he would no longer show mercy.Russell fell silent immediately, with a gaping wound at the back of his head.“Did you... Damn it!” Ed cursed as he turned, realizing the situation was worse than he had anticipated.“AJ!” Ruby was screaming, holding AJ’s limp body as he lay there clutching his thigh. AJ was unconscious while blood continued to flow from the wound.Without hesitation, Ed picked up AJ and carried him out through the door they had entered. Ruby stumbled along behind him.“Don Rosas... Oh...” Otiz was about to report, but upon seeing the blood and AJ’s limp form, he quickly jumped down and opened the door to Ed’s car. There was no more danger, and Ed easily exited the house.“Where&
“Get the tickets ready to go home.”Otiz was undoubtedly startled by the command. His foot, already on the gas pedal, lifted again. The car, parked at the hospital, jerked to a stop. It didn't move forward.“What?” Otiz asked, glancing at Ed through the rearview mirror.The night had grown late, and Otiz couldn't see Ed's face clearly, but judging by Ed’s slumped posture in the seat—like a coat haphazardly hung—Otiz knew something was wrong.“Get the tickets ready to go home. Immediately!” Ed almost shouted but then took a long breath, realizing Otiz didn’t deserve the anger. Otiz had worked perfectly today, doing a difficult job flawlessly.The blame lay with him. The previous incident was his fault, and Ruby had made him realize it. He had ruined Ruby and AJ's lives. It was true. They were just a normal family with a peaceful life in New York.Russell interfered because of him. Ed had gotten too close.“Aren't you waiting for a report from Mexico about Ruby Herrera? I’ve received pa
“Such chaos,” Liz lamented as she watched the crowd of rowdy children, who had become the main guests at her wedding.“Yeah, I didn’t expect it to get this wild either.” Ruby sat beside her, watching AJ hand out chocolate-covered strawberries to the other kids.He wasn’t alone—Claud, Val's second child, was helping him. They eventually grew close, even though their conversations were sometimes limited because Claud was more fluent in Italian than English. Still, they got along well enough.“How did it all start?” Ed frowned.“I don’t know.” Ruby was also unsure.“Maybe I shouldn’t have agreed when AJ asked.” Liz deeply regretted it.Somehow, AJ had convinced Liz to provide a chocolate fountain for her wedding, and it had become the source of chaos. The younger children were enjoying it, but soon chocolate stains appeared on the white tablecloths, as wel
"Do I have to? I already checked that document yesterday. Can’t you do it instead?" When Ed saw another email from Otiz, he complained.It was a financial report. Since Matteo had spread his investments in every direction—across more or less thirty companies—the financial reports Otiz received came from all directions, across different types of businesses. Ed hadn't anticipated this.Being an investor wasn’t as straightforward as it seemed. He still had to work.“You’re the one who has to check it. I’m just the middleman,” Otiz firmly refused.He could refuse because the request was made over the phone. Perhaps if they were face-to-face, Otiz would be more compliant. He was no longer blindly following Ed's orders, carefully sorting out what should and should not be done. He was only responsible for delivering financial reports, not reviewing them.Ed grumbled. He was quite used to reviewing company pa
"‘What do you want to show me?’ As she approached Ed, Ruby inquired.She left AJ's side; he was busy reading a story to his two younger siblings. Elena and Elisa sat quietly, either really listening or getting sleepy. It was already time for their afternoon nap."Read this," Ed shifted, making room for Ruby to sit beside him, and handed her a phone displaying an article in Spanish. Less than two hours had passed since the publication of this hot news story.Ruby didn’t pay attention to that, though, because she was immediately stunned by the headline.‘DEA ARRESTS MAJOR MEXICAN CARTEL AND EXPOSES BILLION-DOLLAR BUSINESS NETWORK’"What... you...?" Ruby turned pale and panicked, of course."Read it to the end," Ed said, pointing to the rest of the text that she had not yet seen.Ruby read quickly and frowned. There was no mention of Ed or Rosas anywhere. Only Reyes. Marco Reyes. He was the story's
Two black vans speed down a deserted road. It was already nighttime, and they were the only ones there. The end of the road was in sight—a black iron gate.“Ram it!”A shout rang out, and the vans didn’t slow down. The passengers inside, all dressed in black, held on tight as a deafening crash echoed.The gate fell, bent, but opened. The two vans barged through and stopped right in front of the brightly lit house.“Get in and kill everyone!”Another shout, and the people inside the vans scrambled out, storming into the beachside house. Some were carrying firearms; others were wielding clubs.However, as they entered, everyone froze. No one came to greet them. The house was supposed to be full of guards, which was why they had come in numbers—ready for a confrontation.In reality, what greeted them was silence. Not a single person appeared, even though the house was brightly lit.“
"AJ, don't make Abuela tired!" Ruby reprimanded AJ for running away with something, while Mia pursued him.But it was impossible to make AJ stop, especially since his younger siblings were laughing joyfully at his antics. Elisa and Elena had just learned to walk, and they happily followed him around.AJ couldn't stop when he had such an audience. Mia seemed to be scolding him, but everyone knew Mia could never really be upset at AJ.Ruby had to step in, followed by Ed to watch over Elisa and Elena. Although falling on the sand wouldn't hurt, the beach had sharp rocks that could scrape them."Mommy! They should chase me! Don't pick them up!" AJ didn’t want his little sisters to be carried away and stop the fun."Alright," Ruby said, intending to supervise them closely."How about we take a vacation?" Ed abruptly proposed the idea, having just finished reading a message on his phone."Hm?" Ruby was surprised. There had been no suc
"Here."Ed gave Otiz a handkerchief to wipe away his tears. If it had been just a few, he would have let Otiz cry—and wiped the tears with the sleeve of his jacket.The problem was that Otiz couldn’t stop crying. He had already been emotional when Ed stood beside him at the altar, and it got worse when he saw Lori walking down the aisle, escorted by flowers. It was all too beautiful and dazzling for his eyes.“Sorry,” Otiz stammered, wiping the remaining tears from his face.“What are you apologizing for? At a wedding, shedding tears is not considered inappropriate. You're just too happy. No one will blame you.” Ed gently patted Otiz’s shoulder and then turned his gaze forward.Of course, Lori was the focus of the event. Her choice of dress was perfect, blending seamlessly with the entire garden decor. Flowers, ribbons, music, and all the other elements were carefully and precisely chosen—now showcasi
Ed tapped his finger on the glass in his hand. His eyes were fixed on a single point—Marco Reyes.The man was speaking with Otiz. Nothing important. Marco was just making small talk, and Otiz was doing the same—being polite, answering Marco's questions about his law firm's progress. Ed actually needed to speak to both of them, but he chose to start with Marco first.Ed just needed to gesture with his chin, and Otiz understood immediately. He excused himself, making up a reason, and left Marco alone."I need to talk to you," Ed said as he approached."Oh? What is it?" Marco immediately followed Ed, moving to the quiet side yard. The other guests filled the living room."I want you to handle the shipment to Ecuador and Brazil next week."Marco looked as if he had choked. This was incredibly surprising. Ed had never let him touch the South American market before. Ed had always handled it himself. Marco had only been managing North A
"Mommy, I want to try! You be Elena, and I'll be Elisa."AJ reached out his hand, asking for the milk bottle from Ruby. He wanted to try feeding the babies—and he chose Elisa.Usually, Tita was around to help Ruby, but today Tita was busy, so Ruby had been on her own since earlier."You can, but please be careful, okay? Don’t let her choke, and don’t squeeze." Ruby guided AJ's hand to hold the bottle filled with pre-warmed breast milk, helping him apply just the right pressure so it wouldn't press too hard against Elisa's lips."Wow! Look, Mommy! She's drinking!" AJ exclaimed happily, eyes sparkling with joy. This was the first time he was directly involved—doing something for his little sister. AJ usually watched, but at first he was afraid to hold the babies. He would look in awe but wouldn’t dare touch them.“See? It’s not a big deal, right? You don’t have to be scared anymore.”&l
From their disheveled appearance, it was clear that Liz and Asher had either just rushed out of a room or possibly run over here. One thing was certain: as soon as they heard the news about Ruby, they had hurried over."Where? Ruby... You're pale. Why... It shouldn't be happening now."Just like Lori, Liz was out of breath as she approached Ruby, panicking. The news had shocked everyone. Liz had already planned to stay in Puerto Vallarta next week to be there for Ruby when she gave birth.Of course, Liz no longer lived at Ed’s house. She had managed to buy her own apartment.“I’m fine, and they’re fine too. But the nurse hasn’t brought them here yet. Calm down… breathe.”Ruby was already able to speak clearly and now had to calm Liz down. She was the one lying down, barely conscious, yet had to reassure everyone else."Are you really okay? No problems? Any complications?" Liz touched Ruby’s bo