Married To My Anonymous Enemy

Dinner

The sheer length of the mahogany dining table suddenly made sense as the rest of the Black brothers filed in. Victor took his seat at the far opposite end from his father, with Ruby right beside him.

First came Julian, the second eldest. Dressed in a tailored charcoal suit with his sleeves casually rolled up. He pulled out a chair near Arthur, flashing Ruby a brilliant, effortless smile that didn't quite reach his eyes. "Father. Victor. And you must be Ruby," Julian said smoothly, taking his seat. "Victor’s kept you well-hidden. Can’t blame him, considering the company in this room."

Right behind him were the twins, Damian and Lucian.

Damian, all sharp angles and restless energy, dropped into a chair and immediately leaned back,

Lucian, quieter and far more observant, sat across from Ruby. He didn't speak right away, but his eyes scanned her taking in her posture, her hands, the slight tension in her shoulders.

Finally, Gabriel, the youngest at twenty-one, slid into the empty seat next to Victor. Unlike his older brothers, Gabriel wore a casual leather jacket, his posture relaxed. He glanced at Victor, then offered Ruby a surprisingly genuine, lopsided grin. "Don't let them intimidate you, Ruby. They're all bark. Mostly."

"Watch it, kid," Damian drawled, pouring himself a drink without asking. "Some of us bite."

Despite the distinct personalities and the sharp banter flying across the table, Ruby felt a subtle shift in the air. They bickered like wolves, but the instinct to protect their pack was absolute.

Arthur raised his glass again, his gaze sweeping over his five sons. "Now that the family is complete," Arthur said, his voice echoing in the grand room, "we can begin, I must admit, Miss Hart," Arthur began, his voice deep and gravelly as a servant poured dark red wine into his glass, "Victor rarely brings guests to the estate much less stays through dinner. You’ve managed to capture his attention in a way few people do."

She picked up her glass, taking a deliberate sip. "I like to think it’s mutual, Mr. Black. Victor isn't exactly easy to ignore."

Victor’s mouth twitched with a subtle, half-amused smirk. He leaned in slightly toward Ruby "Careful, darling. My father might think you actually enjoy my company."

I’m an investigative journalist, Victor," Ruby replied under her breath, a spark of defiance in her eyes as she set her glass back down. "I’m just observing the local wildlife."

From the far end of the table, Julian let out a low, smooth laugh, swirling the red wine in his glass. "Careful, Miss Hart, though, I have to give you credit, most people who sit at that end of the table spend the first twenty minutes trying to figure out where the nearest exit is."

"Julian," Arthur said quietly.

Julian merely offered his father an easy, apologetic incline of his head, taking a slow sip of his drink without missing a beat.

Across from Ruby, Lucian leaned forward, his elbows resting on the white linen tablecloth. His sharp eyes hadn't left her since he sat down. "She's not looking for an exit, Julian. Her hands aren't shaking, and her eyes are scanning every corner of this room. She’s not afraid." He tilted his head slightly, a faint, cold smile touching his lips. "She's assessing threats."

"Or maybe she's just hungry," Damian interjected loudly, casually tossing a silver butter knife from hand to hand until a sharp glance from Victor made him catch it mid-air and set it down. Damian smirked at Victor. "Relax, big brother. I'm just saying, if Father is going to keep up the whole interrogation routine, can we at least get the main course served?"

Gabriel, sitting right beside Victor, leaned closer to Ruby with a conspiratorial whisper that easily carried across the quiet room. "Don't mind them. Damian's blood sugar drops if he doesn't kill something or eat every three hours."

"I heard that, kid," Damian snapped, though there was zero heat behind it.

"You were meant to," Gabriel shot back smoothly.

Ruby watched the five brothers interact, the razor-sharp banter was a seamless language they all spoke fluently, but the underlying posture was undeniable: Lucian’s eyes constantly tracked the room's sightlines, Julian's light tone kept the atmosphere balanced, Gabriel stayed close to Victor's flank, and Damian's idle fidgeting masked a readiness to move in a split second.

"My sons have varying degrees of manners, as you can see," Arthur said, his voice heavy enough to pull the table back into order. He focused entirely on Ruby, his dark eyes narrowing. "But Lucian brings up an interesting point. An investigative journalist sitting at a table full of men who value their privacy above all else. Tell me, Ruby... what exactly are you hoping to find out about the Black family?"

Arthur’s question hung over the silver and crystal like a physical weight. The four younger brothers watched in quiet, practiced silence not a single one of them reaching for their glasses, all waiting to see how Victor’s chosen company would handle the king of the castle.

Ruby didn't blink. She set her fork down "I’m not looking to find anything out, Mr. Black," Ruby said, her voice steady and clear, carrying effortlessly down the long table. "As a journalist, I’ve learned that the most dangerous stories are the ones people go out of their way to hide. But as Victor's guest... I’m simply observing."

She tilted her head, matching Arthur’s unyielding stare with a sharp, intelligent calm. "And so far, I observe a family that spends an awful lot of energy trying to convince outsiders they're just an ordinary corporate dynasty."

A sudden, sharp snort broke the tension.

Damian covered his mouth, but a grin broke through anyway. "I like her, Vic. She's got teeth."

"Quiet, Damian," Julian smoothed over effortlessly, though a genuine spark of amusement brightened his gaze as he looked at Ruby. "She isn't wrong. We do put on quite the show."

"It's not a show," Lucian muttered, his dark eyes fixed on Ruby's hands, which remained resting calmly on the table. "It's survival. And she knows the difference."

Gabriel leaned in slightly toward Victor, murmuring under his breath, "She just talked back to Father and lived. Is she single?"

Victor didn't turn his head, but his foot shifted under the table, casually nudging Gabriel's leg with enough force to make the youngest brother choke back a quiet laugh. Victor's long fingers reached out, his hand coming to rest over Ruby's on the tablecloth. His grip was warm, solid, and entirely protective.

"My father likes to test people, Ruby," Victor said, his low, gravelly baritone easily taking command of the room. He turned his head to look at Arthur, his dark eyes cold and unwavering. "He forgets that not everyone at this table is under his command."

Arthur watched his eldest son, then looked down at the hand Victor had placed over Ruby's. A slow, cryptic expression crossed the old man's face not quite a smile, but something far more dangerous: satisfaction.

"A woman who isn't easily cowed," Arthur murmured, lifting his glass to his lips. "Rare these days. Especially in our line of work." He took a slow sip before setting the glass back down. "Eat, Miss Hart. Before my sons finish everything on the table."

As the servants stepped forward to begin serving the main courses, the tight, suffocating air in the room eased just enough to breathe.

The banter among the brothers picked back up Damian reaching across Gabriel to grab a bottle, Lucian offering a quiet, surprisingly polite passing of the bread to Ruby, and Julian keeping Arthur occupied with talk of international shipping routes.

Under the cover of the ambient chatter, Victor leaned close to Ruby’s ear, his breath warm against her skin.

"You did good," he whispered, his voice dangerously soft. "Though if you keep provoking my father, I might actually have to rescue you."

Ruby shot him a sideways glance, a faint, defiant smirk touching her lips. "Who says I need rescuing?"

The main course was cleared, replaced by thin crystal glasses of espresso and a single platter of dark chocolates that no one seemed particularly interested in eating. The heavy, formal tension from the beginning of the evening had smoothed into the familiar rhythm of a family that operated like a well-oiled machine.

Arthur set his coffee cup down with a quiet clink against the saucer. The small movement was all it took for the low chatter between Damian and Gabriel to instantly cut off.

"You've proven to be far more resilient than the last company Victor brought around, Miss Hart," Arthur said, his tone measured. He stood slowly, buttoning his jacket. "Victor. A word in my study before you leave."

Victor didn't immediately stand. He waited until Arthur stepped out of the dining room before leaning back, his shoulder brushing Ruby's. "I'll be five minutes," he murmured, his gaze sweeping over his brothers. "Behave."

"Always do, boss," Julian drawled, leaning back and resting his ankle over his knee.

As soon as Victor's heavy footsteps echoed down the hallway toward the study, Damian collapsed back into his chair with a dramatic sigh. "Man, Father was really laying it on thick tonight. I thought I was going to have to fake a medical emergency just to get through ."

"You don't have the acting skills for a medical emergency, Damian," Lucian said smoothly, leaning his elbows on the table and looking over at Ruby. "Though I have to admit, Ruby... telling Arthur Black that we're putting on a show takes serious nerve. He hasn't been spoken to like that in ten years."

"Somebody had to say it," Gabriel added with a lopsided grin, leaning in toward her. "If you ever decide Victor is too brooding and moody, just know you've got four backup options at this table."

"She'd break you in half within a week, kid," Damian snorted.

"I'd like to see him try," Ruby replied dryly, taking a slow sip of her espresso.

Before Gabriel could even attempt a comeback, the heavy mahogany doors of the study swung open. The room’s subtle tension immediately realigned around Victor as he walked back into the dining hall.

"Time to go, darling," Victor murmured, his low voice cutting through the casual chatter.

Julian stood up first, buttoning his jacket, he stepped around the table, extending a hand to Ruby with a warm, charm-laden smile. "It was an absolute pleasure, Ruby. Don't be a stranger."

"I'll keep that in mind, Julian," Ruby said, taking his hand with a polite smile.

Lucian merely offered a quiet, respectful nod from across the table, his sharp eyes lingering on her for a fraction of a second longer than necessary. "Safe travels back to the city, Ruby."

Gabriel gave her a lopsided, youthful grin. "If he gets too brooding on the drive home, just threaten to tell Father."

Victor shot Gabriel a cool, warning glance though his hand slid down to the small of Ruby's back, guiding her toward the foyer. "Ignore them. All of them."

As they crossed the threshold of the grand entrance, the heavy front doors were held open by two suited guards. The cool night air hit Ruby's face, waiting at the foot of the stone steps was the sleek black sedan, its engine idling quietly. Marcus, the driver, held the rear door open. Victor stepped aside, keeping a firm, protective hand near her waist as Ruby slid into the back seat, before climbing in beside her.

The heavy door shut with a quiet, airtight thud, cutting off the estate entirely.

As the car smoothly pulled down the long, gated driveway and into the dark expanse of the road leading back to the city.