Ruby felt like she was swimming in dark soot without a way out. She couldn't understand how her day could change so suddenly. It seemed as though someone suddenly twisted her fate in an unexpected direction.
"A detective will come in later to explain. This… is for the lawyer." The officer who had brought her into the police station handed her a phone, and Ruby could only stare.
She had yelled for a lawyer out of reflex. Ruby didn't really know any... Alejandro! Ruby didn't feel like she knew him well, but he was the only lawyer she knew.
"Delia?!" Of course, Ruby could only call Delia. She didn’t have Alejandro’s number memorized.
"Ruby? Where are you calling from? Why..."
"Please call Alejandro. Tell him to meet me at the police station." Ruby mentioned the police station’s address, which wasn’t far from her home.
"Huh? But..."
"Sorry, do it quickly." Ruby couldn't explain further because the officer ha
Otiz hurriedly crossed the street in front of the police station, opened the door of the parked black sedan, and sat in the passenger seat. Ed was there.“What happened?” Ed asked. He didn’t know anything yet.“Child abuse.” Otiz handed over a copy of Ruby’s case file, which he had access to as her defender.“Who abused whom?” Ed, confused, read the file, and initially thought it was a joke until he saw the photographic evidence and gripped it tightly. The bruises were very real.“Who did this?!” Ed hissed. He might be ruthless, but he could never harm a child. That required more than ruthlessness—it was the work of a demon.“That’s the problem; only Senora... Sorry, but she looks a lot like Senora Rosas.” Otiz, who usually finishes reports before discussing trivial matters, couldn’t help but comment on Ruby’s resemblance.“Yes.” Ed nodded, offering no further explanation.“Very similar. Too similar.” Otiz was obviously unsatisfied.“Now you understand why I wanted that information as
"Should I... do you need a taxi?" Otiz accompanied Ruby out of the police station but was then confused. He hadn't received any further orders from Ed."No," Ruby answered weakly, her eyes never stopping glancing at the police station door behind her."AJ is no longer there. CPS has taken him to a shelter," Otiz informed her, ensuring that AJ wouldn't suddenly appear from that door.Ruby refused Otiz's offer earlier because she still hoped to see AJ from afar, at least. She would have waited in front of the police station if necessary, but AJ was no longer there."I'll..." Otiz was about to offer the taxi again, but a car slowly pulled up in front of them. Of course, Ed had been waiting in the car all along, and he approached when he saw them.Ruby still didn't react—she couldn't think about anything or weigh right and wrong at that moment. So Otiz finally opened the door and gently nudged Ruby to get into the car."RUBY!"Ruby was slightly startled and turned around. Alejandro finall
“Ruby!”Ed ran towards Ruby's motionless car. Despite the car's dent, Ed noticed the airbag deployment between Ruby and the steering wheel. Ed felt slightly relieved, as there shouldn’t have been a dangerous impact.Ed tugged on the door, but it remained locked.“RUBY! Wake up!” Ed tried to rouse Ruby by making noise—banging on the car window and shaking the door.“Ruby!” Ed’s eyes darted around, searching for something to break the car window, but stopped as Ruby finally moved.“Ruby! Unlock the door!” Ed resumed banging on the window and shaking the car door as Ruby tried to sit up.Ed wanted Ruby to get away from the car as quickly as possible because anything could happen to it. Ed's memory of half his face burning in his own accident haunted him, making him imagine the worst. He couldn’t just stand still.“Good… Unlock the door! Hurry!” Ed
“Y-yes, I considered it. If I asked first, AJ would suffer even more. The perpetrator would become more aggressive if confronted. I took the safest route.”Mrs. Rosemore, once intimidated, grew stronger as she spoke from her convictions.“Safe for whom? What if you’re wrong? You’re hurting Ruby and AJ at the same time. Did you ever consider that possibility?” Ed remained calm, but his narrowing eyes made Mrs. Rosemore step back.“Yes, that’s why it took a long time before I reported it. Enough!” Mrs. Rosemore closed the door. She didn’t want to talk anymore—or maybe she was too scared.“WAIT! I’m not finished! Open the door!” Ruby pounded on the closed door, but Ed caught her hand again.“Let go! I need to talk…”“The police will arrest you again if you cause a disturbance.” Ed stood in front of Ruby, blocking her from pounding
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