“How do we go about it? What’s the plan?” Ruby asked with great interest in the idea. Naomi thought for a moment before suggesting a plan to Ruby. "How about we try to make Stephan a little jealous? Sometimes, you need to see the one you love with someone else to realise how you feel about them," she said, her voice filled with excitement. Ruby's brows knitted as she process and analyse what Naomi just said. "What can we do to get him jealous?" she queried, her mind working hard.Naomi grinned mischievously. "We'll need to stage a scenario where Stephan sees you with another guy, someone who he knows but maybe doesn't particularly like," she explained, her tone conspiratorial.Ruby's eyes got wide with understanding when she finally knew the consequences of Naomi's attempt. "You mean, if Stephan sees me with another guy then it can help him to see that he has some feelings for me?" she asked in a faint optimism.Naomi sounding enthusiastic. "Exactly! It's worth a shot, right?" she
Ruby noticed the tension in the air and decided to address it directly. "Stephan, are you... jealous?" she asked, her voice soft with mock concern.Stephan laughed awkwardly, attempting to brush off her question. "Jealous? Me? No, of course not," he replied, his tone unconvincing.Ruby raised an eyebrow, her intuition telling her otherwise. "Are you sure? You seem a bit... off," she pressed, her expression curious.Stephan paused a short while before saying "no" with a small shake of his head. "Oh, it's ok," he replied, his voice lacking any confidence, "nothing to fret about."Sensing that Stephan wasn't ready to speak up, Ruby opted to change the topic. "All right. If you settle for that. Anyway, are you willing to discuss something else?" she asked in a whisper.Stephan shook his head again. "Nope, I'm fine", he replied curtly his irritation being manifested in his voice.Ruby paused and sighed inwardly, she felt discouraged at their inability to communicate. "Oh, let me enjoy my d
When Ruby entered the house, she was surprised to see Stephan was still wide awake with Ethan on his arms. "Hi, what's up? Is everything fine?" she asked, concern apparent in her voice.Stephan was silent, looking at Ethan in his arms, as he slept peacefully. However, the housekeeper stepped in to explain the situation to Ruby. "Ethan was crying, and Stephan had to calm him down. He wouldn't settle for anyone else," she clarified.Turning to Ruby, Stephan finally spoke up, his tone tinged with frustration. "How was your date?" he inquired with a straightforward voice.Ruby's face was exploding with joy as she remembered her evening. "It was so, much better than I'd hoped for," she answered enthusiastically.Stephan's expression darkened as he listened to Ruby's response. "Is that why you forgot you're a mother and came back so late?" he snapped, his irritation palpable.Caught off guard by Stephan's harsh tone, Ruby quickly apologized. "Please forgive me, Stephan. I didn't plan to com
The following morning, Stephan banged on Ruby’s door with the intention of waking her up, a smile appeared on his face as she finally opened it. "Good morning, Ruby! Are you ready for our fun date?" he asked eagerly.Ruby was so surprised at Stephan's excitement. "Wow, Stephan! What are your plans?" she exclaimed, unable to hide her curiosity. Stephan grinned, his excitement contagious. "I rented out the whole park for just the three of us today!" he announced proudly. Ruby’s face broke into a delighted smile. "That's amazing, Stephan! Thank you!" she exclaimed, feeling a surge of gratitude towards him. After a hearty breakfast, Stephan, Ruby, and Ethan made their way to the park. As they entered, Ruby couldn't help but marvel at the sight of the empty park, reserved just for them. Stephan chuckled at Ruby's amazed expression. "I wanted to do something spectacular for us, especially Ethan so that we can have great family time," he added, a twinkle in his eyes and warmth all over.
Stephan's sleep was violently broken by his phone which was ringing with no rest at all. Semi-comatose, he grasped his phone and answered the call, his speech still dulled by sleep.“Hello?" Stephan mumbled, his brow furrowing in confusion. Mr Rodriguez, it's me, your assistant," came the urgent voice on the other end of the line. "You need to see this. You're trending on multiple blogs.Stephan’s eyes opened wide, his heart running in a fast rhythm at cross-currents of curiosity and fear. He did not take much time to sit up on his bed, his thoughts racing and wondering as he reached for his iPad and began scrolling through the blogs. With every click he took, his heartbeat quickened, until he could barely grasp his breath. He stared at the pictures that met him on the screen his eyes widening in horror.There, shot in pieces, were photos of him, Ruby, and Ethan, that were taken during the day they had spent at the park. The headlines labelled them as his "secret family," speculating
Stephan sits down in his home office and dials his PR team's number "Hey, it's Stephan. We have a situation that needs addressing.”"Okay Stephan, what's going on?”Stephan briefly explains the situation with the blog posts and Ethan's paternity "I need your advice on how to handle this. And how it will affect us all?” The Team Leader listens attentively "I understand. It's crucial to address this head-on. Revealing Ethan's paternity could bring transparency and strengthen public trust. However, it might also attract media scrutiny.” Stephan nods in agreement "That's what I thought. What do you suggest?” The team leader offers a suggestion "I think it's a good idea for you, Ruby, and the rest of the Rodriguez family to hold a press conference together. It'll show a united front and demonstrate your responsibility.” Stephan considers the suggestion "That makes sense. I'll discuss it with Ruby and the family, so just set up everything and send me the details.”Stephan ends the call
On the television screen, Amelia's anger boiled as the press conference unfolded. This was so beyond her understanding that it made her scream and cuss at Stephan with such a fury."What's going on there, Amelia?" Amelia's mother's voice was heard from the garden, her concern was in her voice.Amelia's voice shook with rage with every word she uttered. "Do you not see what they are up to? Stephan is parading his secret family in front of the whole world!"Her mother rushed into the room, her brow furrowed with concern as she took in Amelia's distressed state. "Calm down, Amelia. What are you talking about?" she urged, her voice gentle but firm.Amelia pointed angrily at the television screen, her eyes flashing with indignation. "Look! Stephan is claiming Ethan as his son, and Ruby is there too, like some kind of happy family! "How the hell could he do this to me?!" she exploded, tears streaming down her cheeks, as hurt and betrayal filled her voice.Her mother viewed the screen withou
Amidst the haze of her grief and trauma, Mr. O'Neil slowly drew back from the warm hold and stared at Amelia with eyes full of love and resolve. "Look darling, I know things are hard, but we will get past this," he said, as if he had made a decision, his voice full of defiance. "I won't rest unless I make sure you are content."Amelia secretly smiled, swallowing her own tears while she felt dad’s unconditional love. "Thank you, Dad," she whispered, her voice shaky with emotion.Mr. O'Neil rubbed her hand while he smiled encouragingly. "Any time, sweetheart. For now, let's go downstairs and have dinner together as a family." He said trying to cheer her up.Amelia and her father were seated side by side while Mrs O'Neil served the dishes that she had prepared earlier, smiling affectionately as she placed a steaming plate in front of Amelia. "Come on dear, eat up. Let's enjoy this delicious dinner." she declared sweetly. Her eyes glowing with kindness.Amelia smiled, a sign of gratitude