Chapter 28
1032 Words
Owen had not expected the conversation to end the way it did.
He was confused, surprised, and more confident than ever that something was important in Ruby's rush.
Strong instincts could help, even if they got into trouble sometimes.
Importantly, his ego was bruised.
Ruby's immediate signing of the agreement left him stunned, with even more questions about her intentions.
Her game was not over.
He was not about to let it go without finding out about it.
"What's the rush?" he asked.
"It's extremely urgent," Ruby replied.
She couldn't wait for her company to go public.
Owen studied her for a moment.
"Fine."
"Tomorrow morning," Ruby added, "bring your ID, passport, and the marriage certificate."
"We'll meet at the city clerk's office."
Owen nodded.
Then his expression froze.
Across the street, Matilda stood on the sidewalk.
Her face drained of color.
One hand clutched her chest as she stared at them.
"You're getting a divorce?" she asked, her voice trembling.
Then her eyes rolled back and she collapsed.
"Grandma!"
Owen shouted, sprinting toward her.
Within minutes, Matilda was rushed to Manhattan General Hospital.
Owen and Ruby waited outside the VIP suite as the doctor delivered his assessment.
"She's stable for now," he said sternly. "But she cannot handle any more stress. Whatever you do, you must not upset her again."
Ruby nodded, her heart still pounding from the frantic moments earlier.
She glanced at Owen.
The man's face was a mask of perfect calm.
But the second the doctor confirmed his grandmother was stable, he reached up, loosened his collar, and slowly sank onto a bench in the hallway.
His hands clasped his knees as his body began to tremble.
A nurse's voice suddenly called from inside the room.
"Mr. Knight, your grandmother is awake."
Owen was on his feet instantly.
When Ruby followed him in, Matilda's eyes were already open.
She looked at Ruby, her voice raspy.
"My dear, I had a terrible dream. You and this brat were getting a divorce."
She turned to Owen briefly, then back to Ruby.
"That's not true, is it?"
Ruby stayed silent.
"It's not true," Owen said flatly.
Matilda's pleading gaze returned to Ruby.
"Oh, sweetie, what he said, it's true, isn't it?"
Ruby remembered the doctor's warning.
After a brief pause, she nodded.
"It's true."
Only then did Matilda relax.
Though the episode had been brief, she was kept overnight for observation.
As dusk settled over the city, Ruby and Owen remained by her side.
Ruby sat on the sofa, scrolling through documents on her phone.
Mostly research papers tied to a new Alzheimer's d**g trial.
A technical bottleneck in the final phase had stalled everything.
She needed more biomedical references.
Just then, a new message popped up.
It was from Owen.
"We'll hold off on the divorce until my grandmother is stable."
Ruby stared at the screen for a moment.
The agreement was already signed.
Delaying the filing wouldn't affect her company's IPO, but priorities were priorities.
She typed back a simple:
"Okay."
Owen frowned at the single word and looked up at her.
She was still looking at her phone.
"Any objections?" he texted again.
Ruby sighed.
"Just get it done as soon as she's better," she replied.
Owen couldn't figure her out.
From the hospital bed, Matilda watched the two of them closely.
They barely spoke.
This simply wouldn't do.
"Owen," she announced suddenly, "I'm arranging a job for Ruby at the Knight Group."
Owen didn't hesitate.
"Okay."
Matilda's face brightened.
"That settles it."
She turned to Ruby.
"My dear, accompany him to work tomorrow," she said gently, as if issuing the most natural instruction in the world.
Ruby blinked.
And then it hit her.
The Knight Group had an extensive research library, one of the most well-funded private archives in the country.
It might have exactly the literature she needed.
She smiled and nodded.
"Sure, Grandma."
Owen still had a meeting to get to, so he left with Leo.
The moment they were alone, Leo exploded.
"No wonder she signed so easily. She must have tipped off your grandmother to make sure the divorce couldn't happen."
He shot Owen a look.
"Now she's talked her into giving her a job at the company. This has to be a setup."
"Why did you agree to it?"
"How else am I supposed to figure out her game if I don't keep her close?" Owen replied coolly.
A sharp glint flashed in his eyes.
The divorce might be off the table for now, but he was determined to uncover Ruby's real agenda.
One way or another.
Meanwhile, back in the room, Ruby rested on the sofa when Matilda's frail voice called out softly.
"My dear, let me tell you a secret."
Ruby sat up instantly, wondering what it could be.
Had Matilda finally remembered something important about her marriage to Owen?
A mischievous gleam lit up the old woman's eyes.
"Owen has a secret weakness," she whispered. "And I'm going to tell you exactly what it is."
"If he ever gives you a hard time, you use it."
Ruby stared at her.
She had a feeling she really didn't want to know, but Matilda was already plowing ahead.
"Don't let that cold, standoffish act fool you," she said knowingly. "He's terrified of cats."
Ruby froze.
A memory surfaced.
One of a boy from her childhood who'd been afraid of cats.
But that was just some kid.
Owen Knight, afraid of cats?
She almost laughed.
Matilda smiled, clearly pleased with herself.
"So tell me, are you a cat person or a dog person?"
"Dogs," Ruby replied.
She'd liked cats once, but the boy she knew hadn't.
Somehow she'd stopped liking them too.
The next day, the top floor of Knight Group headquarters echoed with the sharp, excited barks of a puppy.
A fluffy Shiba Inu wagged its tail furiously, racing in circles around Ruby's feet.
Leo stood frozen.
"Your grandmother arranged for Ruby to look after this puppy."
Owen said nothing.
Creating a job for someone whose primary responsibility was petting a dog was beyond absurd.
"Take her and the dog to Team One of the New Energy R&D Division," he ordered.
- Writer
