POV: Ruby
The Manhattan sky was a bleak, unforgiving sheet of slate gray, reflecting the exact temperature of my soul.
I stood in front of the full-length mirror in our bedroom, my hands hovering over the black fabric of my dress. It was a structured, high-necked silhouette that felt more like a suit of armor than funeral attire. I had pinned my vivid ginger hair up into a slick, flawless low bun, leaving just two perfectly straight strands to frame my pale face. I needed to look untouchable today. I needed the world to see the daughter Benedict Bells raised—unyielding, unbreakable, and standing firmly on business even when her heart was in pieces.
Alex stepped up behind me, his heavy hands settling gently on my shoulders. He was dressed in a tailored, custom matte-black suit, his p
