Ruby stumbled, barely catching herself on the table before falling. Pain shot through her scalp.

"I’ll...I’ll come back..." She said in a shaky voice as she tried to get up, "I’ll come back tomorrow—"

"Tomorrow?" He cut in and grabbed her arm, pulling her up, "After what you did to me in front of that delegation, you think you get to decide now?" he jerked her back.

Ruby didn’t want to look at his face, which was twisted with anger. She decided to stay quiet. She was sure that downstairs, her parents were aware of what he was doing to her.

"You’ve gotten way too comfortable, Ruby," He sneered, "You’re coming with me— right now!"

Ruby clenched her teeth. She was sure there was a wound on her forehead that was throbbing with unbearable pain.

"That was— not intentional. Sia had a hand—"

"Shut up!" He roared, not caring that her parents could hear him. Without warning, his hand shot back into her hair. She gasped as he yanked her towards the stairs.

"Keep moving!" He snapped like he was her school teacher and was adamant about taking her to the principal’s office.

While getting dragged down the stairs, she didn’t protest.

She saw her mother standing there with worry written all over her face, "Ruby—"

Her father was standing behind Mariana Mason, his gaze locked on Ruby.

"Speak! And tell them what you did to me!" Tom barked, pulling her harder, "Or have you forgotten how to?"

Her lips were pressed together as she stayed quiet.

"Your daughter," He at last turned to her parents, "I took her to this VIP meeting to let her get the exposure and help me in getting the contract. Instead of working on her language, she used Spanish slang among those forty officials—" He turned to her, "Tell them what you did there, bitch."

George cleared his throat, "I had this idea that she must have done something," He eyed his daughter, "See? He took you to that meeting with him. And what did you do?"

Ruby felt something trickling down her forehead. Thinking that it was sweat, she wiped it off and found blood on the back of her hand.

She wished she could kill this man—

Or she could return him to Sienna, his faithful wife.

"She’s coming with me!" Tom said, as if it wasn’t up for discussion.

"Please— please don’t hurt her— she’s already in so much pain—" her mother pleaded to the pathetic men standing there.

Tom let out a harsh laugh, "In pain?" He scoffed, "She deserves worse. At least her teeth are still intact— Ha-ha."

Mariana closed her eyes, and Ruby didn’t flinch when Tom’s grip increased on her arm. He glanced at George, "You raised her, didn’t you? This is what she brings to my table?"

"I’m sorry, I failed you, Tom," Her father whispered, and Ruby’s jaw tightened.

Just a few days more, and her pathetic father will fake his own death. In her past life, he did exactly that to get Sienna’s property.

She would make sure that she took full advantage of it.

Her father was now screaming at the top of his lungs to school Ruby, just to make Tom happy. A sharp sound echoed in the room.

Ruby’s head snapped to the side as George’s hand struck her cheek, "You aren’t even listening, Ruby. Stop embarrassing me in front of my son-in-law."

Ruby stayed still. She didn’t cry, nor did she speak. Her cheek burned, but she kept her eyes down, not wanting to look at their faces.

"Now move!" Tom grabbed her arm and started dragging her towards the door. Her feet stumbled, but she didn’t resist.

Mariana’s tears slipped down her face as she saw her daughter being hauled to the door.

Just when Tom was about to reach there, it suddenly opened, making Tom halt along with Ruby. All of them looked up and found Sienna standing there.

"Hello!" She said with a wide smile, ignoring Ruby and Tom as she walked past them.

"See!" She lifted the box she was holding, "I brought you pineapple cake. Papa! Mama! Today I made you people proud."

She didn’t feel the awkward silence when her parents didn’t respond, "Today, I won a big contract, Papa. Congratulations!" Before anyone could speak, she raced to George Mason and hugged him tightly, "This was only possible because of you, Papa." Her shaky voice showed that she was crying.

George stood there with a stiff back and a rigid face, not knowing what to do, how to react.

***

"You’re so silly, Ruby," Sienna closed the first aid box after tending to Ruby’s forehead injury, "That’s why I asked you not to learn Spanish on the phone. You used all the wrong expressions, little sister," she said, shaking her head.

Ruby watched her sister’s face closely, which looked so innocent while scolding her like a mother hen.

She brushed her forehead as her eyes lingered on Sienna, who had already gotten to her feet to leave the room.

While walking out of the room, as Sienna stepped into the hallway, she saw Tom leaning against the wall.

"I’m waiting for my wife," He explained, straightening himself.

Sienna could feel Ruby’s jealousy behind her, but she didn’t care.

"And here she is," She stepped aside to walk past him, but his arm shot out, blocking her way. Sienna stopped, lifting her gaze to his disgusting face.

"You’ll lose this game, sweetie," His voice dropped to a whisper, making her skin crawl, "Soon— all your employees will be in my office, working for me," He finished with a chuckle and leaned in slightly, "Remember Burraq? The investor you wanted?" His lips curled, "He’s with me now."

Tell me something I don’t know. Sienna wanted to roll her eyes internally. This man was taking her for a fool.

She calmly looked into his eyes and then gave him an almost too bright smile that lacked warmth.

It only carried mockery.

Without a single word, she pushed his arm aside and walked past him like he wasn’t worth the space he was taking.

"You like hiring my people, Tom?" She thought as she kept walking to her father’s study room, "Now enjoy it!"

She dug her phone from her pants pocket and typed a text message to Finn, whom she fired last month, "You need a job. Don’t you? Come and meet me. I’ve got a perfect opportunity for you."

She slid her phone in her pocket with a faint, sarcastic smile.