As the movie played on, the screen lamp lit faint shadows on the wall causing Ruby to feel sleepy. She stretched her legs and lay comfortably on the cushion, as she dozed off with a happy sigh. Stephan looked over and saw her dozing off and a small smile spread over his face.As Ruby dozed off, Stephan reached for a nearby blanket and gently covered her, ensuring she stayed warm and comfortable. He looked at her beautiful face for a bit while she slept peacefully. Then, he laid down beside her, shut his eyes, and felt relaxed before drifting off to sleep himself.In the morning, Ruby opened her eyes slowly as she gradually adjusted to the rays of sunlight that passed the curtains. She glanced beside her and was surprised to find Stephan still sleeping soundly beside her. Tenderly, she stroked back a strand of hair from his brow, her lips parting slightly to form a warm smile.As if sensing her presence, Stephan stirred awake, his eyes fluttering open to meet hers. “Good morning,” he u
Caught off guard, Stephan and Ruby exchanged sheepish glances, both realizing the awkwardness of the situation."Um, it's not what it looks like, Amelia," Stephan began, attempting to explain as he brushed the flour off his clothes. Ruby nodded in agreement. "Yeah, we were just... uh, we were just playing around a few recipes," she added, her cheeks flushing with embarrassment.“Playing in the kitchen? Did you say you guys were trying out new recipes?”Stephan and Ruby exchanged nervous glances, “Well, yes I have been taking cooking lessons from Ruby,” Stephan admitted reluctantly, his voice trailing off.“Cooking lessons?” Amelia asked, her expression growing stern as she fixed her gaze on Stephan. “Stephan, can I speak with you for a minute?” asked firmly, her tone brooking no argument. Stephan glanced at Ruby, a flicker of concern crossing his features, before turning back to Amelia. “Of course, Amelia. "What do you want to talk about?' he asked still forcing a composed expression
Stephan felt a bit worried, but he decided to focus on the shopping trip with Amelia. Meanwhile, Ruby couldn’t stop thinking about what Amelia said and started doubting her feelings for Stephan.“Maybe I imagined everything between us. Was I just wishing for something that wasn’t real? Was there really something special between us, or was it all in my head?” Ruby looked out the window, feeling unsure about her connection with Stephan.On their drive to the mall, Stephan was buried deep in his thoughts and Amelia could sense it“Hey, Stephan, what’s on your mind? You seem a bit distracted.” “Oh, it’s nothing, just thinking about stuff.”Amelia sensed that Stephan’s thoughts might be lingering on Ruby, so she made an effort to divert his attention.Amelia flashed a bright smile at Stephan, her eyes sparkling with zeal. "Well, let’s focus on having a great time today! How about we check out that fancy designer store over there and you help me select a few dresses?"Stephan's brows furro
“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