CHAPTER 16

Ruby's POV.

“What is this?” I managed to ask, my voice barely steady.

My heart pounded as I stared at the receipt, my name printed clearly at the top. Why was my name there? I didn’t make that payment.

I hadn’t arranged for any of this, especially since the car was supposed to crush me up first, not Julian. None of this made any sense.

I glanced over at Julian, hoping for some kind of sign, something that might explain this strange mix-up.

But he looked just as confused, his eyes narrowing as if he was trying to piece together a puzzle with missing pieces.

He might think I planned it all. And worse, he might think I had something to do with the accident.

My stomach twisted. Julian didn’t remember anything about that night, so what was he supposed to think now?

Just then, the driver’s voice broke into my thoughts, sharp and accusing.

“You’re not going to lie now, are you?” he sneered, a smug look on his face.

I felt my blood boil. I shot him a cold, hard glare that could cut through steel, my fists clenched tightly.

How dare he look at me like that, as if he already knew the truth? I was so frustrated that, for a moment, I just wanted to grab him and force him to tell me what was going on.

“I did not make those payments!” I snapped, my voice loud and sharp, echoing in the silence.

“I have no business with you, so stop making things up!” My chest felt tight with anger, every word burning.

Julian placed a calming hand on my shoulder, his voice steady and quiet.

“Ruby, calm down. Let’s just figure things out,” he said, but his eyes were clouded, his expression caught between doubt and concern.

I could see it. There was hesitation in his eyes. He was looking at me like he wasn’t sure what to believe, like he was actually weighing the driver’s words as if they might be true. Did he believe this man?

But I knew, deep down, that I had to clear my name right here, right now. If I didn’t, Julian’s trust in me would be gone forever.

I took a deep breath, staring back at the driver with every bit of determination I had.

He was smiling at me in a sly, mocking way, his eyes gleaming with a secret he wasn’t willing to share.

That smile made my skin crawl, but I could tell he was enjoying every second of this.

The officer in the room with us looked just as surprised by the driver’s words, his eyebrows raised, gaze flicking between us as if trying to understand what was going on.

“Sophie sent you, right?” I asked, my voice cutting through the tense silence.

The man’s smile froze, his amusement vanishing in an instant. For a split second, he seemed thrown off, his eyes narrowing as he processed my question.

But then, he suddenly threw his head back and burst into laughter, loud and cold, echoing off the walls like a twisted joke only he understood.

Julian stood to his feet, his eyes darting between me and the driver. He turned to me, his mouth set in a firm line, his face unreadable.

I wanted to reach out to him, to explain myself, to tell him the truth he deserved to know.

But I could barely find my voice, and when I did, it came out in a shaky whisper.

“I didn’t do it,” I said, though my words seemed to hang in the air.

Julian looked at me, his expression calm but distant.

“Let’s just go. We’ll figure things out later,” he said, his voice steady but flat, not giving anything away.

He didn’t even wait for me to respond; he just started walking toward the door.

I followed him out of the interrogation room, my mind racing. My heart felt heavy, weighed down by what had just happened. My thoughts were swirling, a storm of worry and fear.

How was I supposed to explain this to Julian? He still didn’t know that he was in that accident because of me. And if I told him now, he’d think I was lying just to clear my name.

The silence between us was thick and heavy, pressing down on me like a weight I couldn’t escape.

Each step felt stiff, unnatural, as if I had forgotten how to be myself around him. Julian walked beside me, but he felt like a stranger.

After a moment, he stopped, glancing my way. “I’ll be right back,” he said, his voice flat and distant.

He turned and headed toward the counter where the officer who had followed us earlier was waiting.

I watched him from behind, a knot tightening in my stomach as he leaned in close to speak with the officer.

I could see the serious look on his face, the way he nodded slightly, taking in every word. Then he sighed,a deep, weary sigh as he turned back toward me.

He walked over slowly, his eyes locked onto mine, holding a look that I couldn’t quite read.

When he finally spoke, his voice was quiet, but there was an edge to it, like he was searching for something beneath the surface.

“You have nothing to do with it, right?”

My heart dropped. I stared at him, my mind racing. What? The question cut deeper than I thought possible.

Why would he even ask me that? A cold, sharp pain twisted in my chest, like a knife had just been driven in.

“No... I don’t,” I whispered, barely able to get the words out.

I kept my eyes on him, hoping to see even a flicker of belief, something that would tell me he still trusted me.

But he only gave a small nod, not saying anything else. I felt the sting of tears threatening to break free, but I forced them back, swallowing down the ache in my throat.

“Let’s go,” he said, his voice clipped and emotionless.

I didn’t respond. I simply turned and followed him to the car, each step feeling heavier than the last.

The silence between us hung like a thick fog as we got in and he pulled out onto the road.

The drive home felt unbearably long, stretching on with no end in sight. Neither of us spoke a word.

The only sounds filling the car were the low hum of the engine and our steady, tense breathing.

The quiet was so intense it was almost painful, each second adding to the awkward, stifling weight between us.

When he finally pulled up in front of my house, I forced myself to speak, trying to break through the silence.

“Thanks for the drive,” I said, my voice soft, almost hollow.

I opened the door, stepping out into the night air, feeling the cool breeze against my skin as I walked slowly toward my front door.

But then, just as I was about to step away, his voice stopped me.

“Ruby,” he called out. I turned back, catching his gaze.

His face softened just a little, and he offered me a small, reassuring smile. “We’ll get to the bottom of this,” he said.

I felt a tiny spark of relief at his words. That small show of hope, that faint smile, was enough to make the heaviness in my chest lift, even if just a little. I took a deep, calming breath as he drove away.

As I walked up to my front door, I suddenly heard voices coming from inside. One of them was Sophie’s, and it sounded sharp and angry, practically vibrating with frustration.

She was yelling, her words so loud and clear I could make out every single one.

“Why would she do such a thing to me?” Sophie’s voice rang out, bitter and filled with rage.

I paused, my hand resting on the doorknob, listening in silence. Hearing Sophie rant and complain about what Julian and I had done brought a small smile to my face.

After everything she had put us through, seeing her in such a miserable state was oddly satisfying.

The thought of her feeling embarrassed, helpless, was almost like a small victory.

But then her tone changed, growing even colder, more venomous.

“I wish that driver had done his work perfectly,” she hissed.

A chill ran down my spine as the words sank in. What did she just say?

Then another voice joined in.Logan’s.

“And I would have gotten the company,” he added smoothly, as if this whole twisted plan was nothing more than business.

My smile vanished instantly. My stomach twisted with shock and dread. I already knew that Sophie would be the one behind the accident.

She had planned it, and Logan had been a part of it, both of them scheming for their own selfish gain.

But the thing that gnawed at me most was how my name ended up on the receipt. Could Sophie have used my other account to do it?

That was the only explanation that made sense. But no one knew the password. No one. So how could she have gotten access?

“Wicked souls,” I whispered under my breath, feeling a surge of anger and disgust rise up in me.

I gripped the door handle, forcing myself to calm down, to keep my expression steady so they wouldn’t suspect that I’d heard their entire scheme.

Taking a deep breath, I smoothed my face into a mask and pushed the door open.

The moment I stepped inside, their heads snapped up, their eyes instantly locking onto me.

Sophie was standing, her face still twisted with anger, her eyes narrowed as she stared at me, but she didn’t say a word. Her silence was almost louder than any accusation she could throw at me.

Logan was sitting on the couch, and he gave me a practiced, easy smile, as if nothing in the world could faze him.

He was the first to speak, breaking the heavy silence that filled the room.

“Honey, you’re home,” he said, his voice smooth and casual, like everything was perfectly normal.

I stared at him, my gaze cold and unyielding. How can he still be acting so friendly after everything he pulled at the Hall? I thought.

It’s as if he could change colors to fit any situation,a chameleon in the worst way.

“I’m sorry for what happened at the Hall,” Logan mumbled, trying to sound genuine.

Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Sophie’s face tighten at his apology, her jaw clenched as she shot me a look of pure irritation.

But Logan didn’t seem to care,he kept that same unsettling smile as he stepped closer to me, closing the space between us.

My mind raced. What is he up to now? His friendliness was far too suspicious, his behavior too careful, too calculated.

I forced myself to keep my voice steady, playing along to see where this would go.

“It’s okay,” I replied, watching his reaction closely, waiting to see what he would say next.

“Your bath is ready,” he said smoothly, taking my hand as if this was all perfectly natural, and he led me toward the stairs, leaving Sophie glaring behind us.

My bath? He had never done anything like this before. My pulse quickened, unease creeping over me as we climbed the stairs.

Does he want to drown me in the tub? The thought made my stomach twist. His whole act was unsettling, each step we took making my nerves tighten.

When we reached the bathroom, he was about to follow me in, his hand reaching for the door handle. But I quickly stepped in first, turning just in time to shut the door in his face.

“Can we talk about something important?” Logan asked the moment I stepped out of the bathroom, his tone heavy with forced patience.

I knew it. He was waiting for something, and now here it was. I stood there, water still dripping from my hair.

Feeling the tension creep back into my muscles as he looked at me, his expression cool but determined.

He took a step closer, eyes fixed on me.

“When are you going to give me everything in the company?” he asked, his voice low and demanding.