Chapter 13
987 Words
At noon, Owen had a business lunch. He wasn't a fan of schmoozing, but ever since moving back to the States, it had become a necessary evil.
Fortunately, these obligations were infrequent. He arrived at an exclusive private restaurant with Leo.
The moment they stepped inside, Leo stiffened. The wait staff moved around in crisp, impeccable uniforms, and an unexpected knot of anxiety formed in his stomach.
Isn't waiting tables like the default student side job? he wondered.
His gaze swept the room, scanning every server. Only when he confirmed that Ruby was nowhere to be seen did his shoulders finally loosen.
Then he snorted under his breath. Ruby was already a delivery girl and a repair woman. How could she possibly squeeze in another job?
Still, that offhand "See you at noon" comment had clearly gotten under his skin.
With his nerves settling, he followed Owen into their private dining room. After the food was served, the head chef herself came out to greet the table.
"Good afternoon, everyone. I hope you're all enjoying your meal."
The familiar female voice hit Leo like a slap.
He whipped his head around as if he'd seen a ghost, only to find Ruby standing in the doorway, a chef's hat perched on her head.
A faint smile played on her lips as she briefly introduced the day's menu. Then she walked right up to Owen and whispered,
"Mr. Knight, please just go to the city clerk's office and check."
Owen froze. His jaw tightened, and for the first time, a c***k appeared in his usually calm composure.
Leo stared at her, shocked.
"You're the head chef? As in an actual certified chef?"
"Yep."
Ruby reached into her apron pocket to pull out her chef certificate, but she fumbled, and one, two, three...
A total of five different work IDs tumbled out onto the floor.
Leo swallowed hard.
"You have five part-time jobs?"
"No, these aren't all of them," Ruby replied.
Leo's mind was blown.
Ruby smiled, her eyes landing back on Owen.
"Whatever you need, Mr. Knight, I can probably do it. I'm guessing you don't want me popping up everywhere, right?
So why not just save us both the trouble and check with the city clerk?"
Owen's face tightened.
Her bright, captivating eyes seemed to sparkle, and her voice was laced with a gentle, almost teasing warmth.
The other men at the table couldn't help but turn to look at her.
Owen's expression darkened.
Instantly ignoring Ruby, he looked straight at Leo.
"Find out who leaked my schedule."
Ruby's heart leaped. Was he finally convinced?
But then she heard him finish coldly.
Leo stepped forward, once again blocking Ruby.
"Miss Anderson, please leave now."
For the second time that day, Ruby was escorted out of a room.
Standing alone in the hallway, she let out a long sigh.
Why couldn't this guy just believe her?
Even her patients had limits, and Owen was getting on her nerves.
She took out her phone, hoping to rant to someone, anyone. But after scrolling through her contacts, she realized there was no one who'd understand the madness of her situation.
So she settled for posting on her w******p story instead.
Back inside the private room, the men were still tripping over themselves to flatter Owen.
He tuned them out, pulled out his phone, and pretended to check something urgent.
Out of boredom, he tapped open w******p and started scrolling through stories.
A new post popped up from his grandmother's mysterious savior, uploaded just two minutes ago.
"Don't lose your cool. Got to have a little patience when you're dealing with a baby."
Owen blinked.
Then, before he could second-guess himself, he typed:
"You have a baby?"
When Ruby saw the message, she frowned, then snorted.
Oh.
He'd taken her story literally.
"Oh, you meant my story? Just venting about someone who's impossible.
The guy just won't listen to reason," she replied.
Owen realized he'd made an i***t of himself.
He sent a message to cover his tracks.
"Some people are born with a brain, but it's purely for decoration."
Ruby burst out laughing.
"I'll whip up something extra special for your grandmother tonight. I think she deserves some fun.
Any dietary restrictions?"
Owen replied quickly.
"The doctor said to go easy on sweet and spicy food. But otherwise she's fine."
Talking to her felt oddly easy, like reconnecting with someone he'd known for years.
Comfortable.
Unforced.
His eyes drifted to the blank silhouette next to her name.
Her display picture was hidden.
He typed:
"Not my business, but is your display picture hidden?"
Then deleted it before sending.
Pathetic.
Too desperate.
That's when an idea sparked.
He typed:
"Can I come see my grandma tonight?"
Ruby replied almost immediately.
"Of course. You're welcome anytime."
A second later, she sent back another message, this time with a full address.
All the way down to the apartment number.
Owen memorized the address and texted back:
"Thanks. Sorry for the trouble."
He needed the family doctor to check on his grandmother tonight.
He wouldn't be able to relax otherwise.
"Mr. Knight, texting the Mrs.?" the man beside him teased.
"Can't hide that smile."
The faint curve on Owen's lips flattened.
He slid his phone into his pocket and turned his head slightly toward the speaker.
Ever since he'd taken over as CEO of the Knight Group, Mrs. Knight had never been seen publicly.
Or, if she did, she might not even exist.
So he didn't bother correcting the assumption.
The man took his silence as admission.
He leaned in, grinning.
"You're a true gentleman, Mr. Knight. So devoted to your wife. That chef earlier was a knockout, but you didn't even look twice."
Sensing blood in the water, the others jumped in.
"We're all dying to know what Mrs. Knight is like," someone added.
"What kind of woman finally captured your heart, Mr. Knight?
- Writer
