Faux Vows, True Desires

Chapter 246

Ruby didn't stick around after her sneak shots; she hit the road right away.

Lucinda didn't get a whiff of her actions.

But Zoey and the Blue family's bodyguards were in the know.

Keith was always on his toes. His bodyguards came in two flavors: out in the open and on the down low.

The undercover bodyguards seldom showed their mugs; instead, they hovered like shadows, always a step behind him. Only when the heat was on would they show up.

As Zoey was ringing Stefan, the Blue family's bodyguards were dropping a line to Keith.

Stefan had just hung up with his wife, getting the news that his father-in-law wanted to chew the fat with him.

Even if Nathan didn't show, he had planned to grab a bite with Lucinda.

Lucinda's mom had just bounced back, so she'd definitely stick around with her mom for a bit longer. Stefan couldn't be there to keep the bed warm at night, so he had to squeeze in some time during the day, lest she missed him.

No, it was him missing her.

Not long after he wrapped up the call, Zoey buzzed in.

Hearing about Ruby snapping shots of Lucinda and Keith from a distance, Stefan had a clear picture of Ruby's game.

As he got up from his desk, he responded to Zoey, "Copy that. Keep an eye on Mrs. Coleman."

Edgar walked in as he was about to head out and asked, "Boss, are you clocking out early again?"

"Yeah, something urgent came up."

Edgar was curious: "What's so urgent? Can't someone else crack it?"

"Nobody can pinch-hit for me on this one."

Stefan answered as he headed out. As he passed by Edgar, he patted him on the shoulder and said with a straight face, "Especially you; you wouldn't get it."

"What's wrong with me?"

"You're a lone wolf."

Edgar: "You're off to suck up to your wife again? I thought there was something major."

"Pleasing my wife is major. Whatever you need, I'm tied up right now. If it's really urgent, go find Liam."

Edgar followed him, saying, "Okay, I'll go bug Liam then."

Liam was as capable as Stefan; he was just a bit of a slacker and not too keen on handling things.

Actually, all the men of the Anderson family's generation were slackers; none of them wanted to take the helm.

Stefan had no choice; he was raised by his grandparents, and he was the eldest.

"By the way, Edgar, I want to see the Scott Garment go under. And dig up Ruby's flings abroad for me."

Stefan turned to Edgar.

Edgar chuckled. "Her company's not getting orders; she doesn't dare to lay off workers and still has to pay them. The factory is rented so that's a daily expense. Her stores may be open every day, and people go in to look, but nobody's buying. Her company going under is just a matter of time. She's been freaking out and even came to you a few times."

As Stefan's right-hand man, the job of putting the squeeze on Ruby was all Edgar's doing. Of course, this was all according to Stefan's orders.

There used to be a rumor saying Ruby was the girl Stefan had been crushing on since he was a kid. People claimed he was nearly 30 and still single because he was waiting for Ruby to come back.

That's a load of bull.

Edgar remembered that Stefan had cleared the air, but sadly, nobody bought it. Even he didn't at the time.

Only after Mrs. Coleman showed up did Edgar believe that Stefan had no special feelings for Ruby.

Clearly, Mrs. Coleman was his true love.

"Didn't she go to Owen?"

"Not yet, but I heard all the top brass at the Ikella group got an email from Trenton, telling them to keep their hands off this. He even gave a special heads-up to Harry Martinez to keep a close eye on Owen."

"If Owen steps up like he usually does and helps Ruby, he might as well get ready to be replaced by Harry. Harry's pretty good; he’s more suited to be the CEO than Owen."

Edgar thought that if he were Trenton, he'd definitely boot the overly sentimental Owen and let Harry take over.

Harry was more level-headed and not influenced by emotions. To be honest, besides Owen and his mom, nobody in the Martinez family liked Ruby.

In everyone's eyes, Ruby was just greedy. She wanted to marry Stefan but also use Owen for her own ends. Nobody would like a woman like that. Only Owen and his mom would have a soft spot for her. What's going on in their heads?

"I've never been let down by Trenton's decisions." Content (C) Nôv/elDra/ma.Org.

"Boss, what are you planning to do once Ruby's dirt is dug up?"

"Let's just give people a good show."

What to do?

Of course, fight fire with fire.

Ruby secretly filmed Lucy and her brother being affectionate, trying to smear Lucy's reputation. If that's the case, he would definitely give Ruby a taste of her own medicine, make her reputation plummet, make Owen give up on her once and for all, leave her with nothing, and eventually skulk away.

Edgar chuckled. "I can't wait for the show."

The two of them stepped into the elevator, but Edgar quickly got off to find Liam.

Stefan headed straight for the ground floor.

About ten minutes later, his car pulled up in front of the Serendipity Cafe.

The proximity was so convenient.

He barely had to press the pedal to see his wife.

His wife came out of the shop.

"Stefan."

"Call me hubby. I want to hear you call me hubby."

Stefan got out of the car and gave her a gentle peck on the lips.

She giggled and pushed his hand away. "My dad and brother are inside."

"So, I'm off to see the old man. Baby, do you think I'm looking good? How's my vibe?"

She gave him a deliberate once-over: "You've been running around all morning; you look a bit worn out, not your best look. But you're still handsome, so it's not a total disaster."

He took her hand, and they walked back together.

"I'm not tired; I just didn't sleep well last night. When I'm with you, nights always feel too short, but last night, it felt way too long. I couldn't sleep without you."

Lucinda asked, "How did you handle nights before we got married?"

"Sweetheart, there are some things you can't understand until you've experienced them, and once you have."

Ouch!

She stepped on his foot.

Stefan chuckled softly. Lucy was too sensitive.

"Oh, by the way, darling, I've got something to ask you. Do you think I should call her out after the fact or put a stop to it beforehand?"

"You're talking about Ruby taking sneaky pics of me and my brother?"

Stefan exclaimed, "Look at you, you are the future teller! I haven’t seen you all morning, and you're already reading my mind. You're amazing! Now predict when I'm going to be a dad!"