Chapter 27
734 Words
This time, however, Owen didn't need to guess where she'd gone.
His jaw tightened as he pulled up Ruby's number.
He hesitated, thumb hovering over the screen.
He had no idea what to say.
Ever since he'd realized his grandmother's caretaker was Ruby, everything felt awkward.
He scrolled through their chat history instead.
Before all this, their conversations had been effortless.
Easy banter, familiar teasing, like talking to an old friend.
His eyes paused on one exchange in particular.
The day he'd helped her trash-talk some arrogant jerk she'd run into at a restaurant.
The realization hit him.
That jerk had been him.
Owen's expression darkened.
Just then, his phone buzzed.
A message from Ruby.
With an attachment.
A divorce agreement.
His lips pressed into a thin line.
Property division.
So she really had schemed to marry him for his money.
As he opened the document, Leo walked in.
"Boss, the preliminary reports—"
Owen didn't look up.
His eyes scanned the agreement, moving straight to the Asset Division section.
Then he paused.
Leo leaned over his shoulder, squinting at the screen, and scoffed.
"Wow, this woman's something else."
"She won't even let you touch any of her assets."
He snorted.
"What could you possibly take anyway? Her Klarna debt?"
Owen didn't react.
"What did you find?"
Leo straightened.
"Turns out, Ruby only found out you two were legally married a few days ago when she went to register her own marriage with her boyfriend."
Owen's fingers stilled.
"This divorce agreement," Leo continued, "looks rushed, like it was drafted purely to get out fast."
"Like she genuinely had no clue."
He hesitated before adding,
"But there's something else. We dug into her background."
"Everything after she left the Anderson family a few years ago—education, work, and contacts—it's practically wiped off the grid."
He frowned.
"Don't you think that's strange, Boss?"
"Why would a normal person scrub their past like that?"
Owen narrowed his eyes.
"So you think she's connected to what happened two years ago?"
"Yes," Leo said immediately.
"But as for motive, we've got nothing."
"Anything else?" Owen asked.
Leo scratched his head.
"It's been two years since the incident, and we were moving around a lot back then."
"Records are scattered. Leads are cold at this point."
"We might just have to wait for Mrs. Knight to remember something."
Leo shot him a cautious glance.
Owen immediately lowered his gaze.
"We'll keep digging."
Owen printed two copies of the divorce agreement.
As he gathered the papers and moved toward the door, he paused.
"Any luck reaching Dr. N?" he asked without turning.
The news was that Dr. N was on the brink of a breakthrough, an experimental clinical d**g for Alzheimer's.
Owen needed it not for business, but for his grandmother.
Leo's shoulders slumped.
"No."
"She's a ghost."
"And with this research, every major biotech company is circling her."
"She's paranoid and careful."
Sensing Owen's icy stare, he hurried on.
"But don't worry. I will find a way to reach her."
Owen said nothing.
He walked out.
Back at Ruby's apartment, dinner had just ended.
Matilda was in high spirits, chatting happily as if nothing in the world could trouble her.
Ruby was clearing the table when her phone buzzed.
It was from Owen, telling her that he was downstairs.
Ruby's fingers tightened briefly around the phone.
She glanced at Matilda, then smiled lightly.
"I'll just take the trash out."
She grabbed the bag and headed down.
A familiar black Bentley was waiting by the curb.
Ruby opened the door and slid into the passenger seat.
Without hesitation, Owen handed her a folder.
"I agree to the terms. Sign it," he said.
His gaze fixed on her face.
He waited and waited, as if he expected her to put up a fight, to resist, or negotiate.
But Ruby just smiled.
She took the pen, flipped through the pages, and signed both copies without a second thought.
Owen was caught off guard.
He could not understand what she really wanted.
There were no arguments, no conditions.
She didn't want his money.
She hadn't asked for a single property, a single share.
So what did she want?
As Owen's thoughts churned, Ruby looked up and asked,
"So we're getting divorced tomorrow?"
Her tone was calm, almost amused.
Owen stared at her, more unsettled than he cared to admit. :::
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