The hallways were entirely quiet and empty by the time Ruby reached the ground floor. Looking around, she finally spotted a fellow Dyson and borrowed his communication device.
Ruby readjusted her earpiece.
The instant the line connected, she heard a flurry of shouts and arguments with ambulance sirens running in the background.
"Bald Eagle, what's the situation?"
She raised her voice, hoping that they would hear her amid the chaotic noises. Eagle didn't answer. Instead, Orchid's heavy breath of disbelief came.
[P-Penguin? Is that you? We thought we'd lost you…]
"Oh quit the drama, Orchid. Where's Eagle?"
Ruby rolled her eyes, her voice hoarse.
[Eagle's out. Summoned back, apparently, for some purpose I don't know.]
"What about the culprit? Is he caught?"
[Nu-uh, he slipped away.]
Orchid carelessly said, her casual attitude ticking Ruby off.
"What's with you? Can't you be serious for once?"
Orchid wasn't the least offended, shrugging her shoulders without care.
[Whatever. Escaped or not, we attained our goal. That's it.]
"Goal? What goal?"
Ruby furrowed her eyebrows in confusion.
[The key item. Clever me, thinking of searching over the informant's body just to make sure and guess what? Surprise, surprise! The key is still in him.]
"..."
Learning of this so-called 'surprise', Ruby suddenly found herself lost for words.
She let out a helpless laugh. Turns out, she had been after the wrong target all along. What a waste of energy.
Whoever ordered the informant's death must've had a different purpose, therefore leaving the key behind. Still, there's something else that she needed to get to the bottom of.
"What about the assassins? A royalty was involved this time and Dyson Securities had made such a big move in this matter, wouldn't our side be dragged down as well?"
[Well, that'll be something the Boss will have to think about. Nothing of our concern.]
Annoying as she was, Orchid did have a point. It wasn't as if Ruby could do anything about this. It was especially so when she was the one who personally handed her own boss over to the mad prince.
One way or another, Jeremy Dyson would have to wreck his brains to wriggle out of this matter alive and clean.
Spacing out, a sudden tap on her shoulder jolted her out of her thoughts.
"Hey."
Ruby spun around with a gasp. Aaron stood there, safe and unharmed, without a speck of dust clinging onto his expensive suit.
"Here, your bag. I kept it safe for you."
He passed over her tiny Gucci bag, to which Ruby accepted with a wry smile.
"What's the use of this tiny plaything, couldn't even hold a phone…"
"It's the prestige that matters most…"
Aaron said with a shrug, his gaze darkening when he saw the thin wound on her neck, seeping out blood. He quickly reached for the handkerchief in his pockets.
"What happened?"
His voice was full of genuine concern as he dabbed the cloth against her wound, earning a painful hiss from Ruby.
"It's fine. It's just a shallow wound, nothing serious."
Ruby took over the cloth, assuring him with rare gentleness. However, that one movement exposed many more to him.
The red mark around her wrists, and also the faint bluish fingerprints planted on her exposed shoulders. Aaron could feel something inside him exploding.
"Who is it? Who is that bastard? I will cut his hands off and–"
"Pfft–"
Ruby couldn't help but giggle, finding his vicious words strangely familiar, and therefore amusing.
These two men and the same nonsense they spout with clear conscience… what? Should she let them meet and get to know each other?
Who knows? They might hit it off and become best buddies for life.
The sudden idea caused her stomach to gurgle as her laughter exploded even more.
"What… are you laughing at?"
Aaron was annoyed. It was as if his concern was nothing short of being ridiculous.
"Nothing."
Ruby shook her head, still grinning ear to ear as she pulled Aaron by his arm.
"Let's go, our job here is done."
Aaron nodded. As the chauffeur pulled over, the two got into their car, unaware of the pair of dark eyes watching over them from afar.
…
The next day, the birds had just begun chirping when Ruby received an urgent summon from the headquarters.
Donning her formal black agent suit and switching her disguise to the "ordinary worker no.1" skin, Ruby gave the sleepy Danny his morning kiss, not forgetting to remind the boy to behave in her absence.
"Don't worry, Mommy. Danny will be a good boy and help Grandma Freya with her cookies today. I will make a big and delicious one for Mommy and Daddy Ceo each!"
Still in his navy animal-print sleepwear, Daniel solemnly promised whilst hugging his favorite dolphin plush, his squinting eyes struggling to open wide.
Still going on with the nonsense of finding a new dad?
Ruby winced at the cringe. Somehow, after last night, the boy had deemed his Uncle Ceo the winner, changing the way he addressed Aaron into Daddy now.
"Danny, stop it! It wouldn't be good if your Uncle Ceo were to hear us."
Daniel stuck out his tongue, expressing his doubt in that. Helpless, Ruby could only let the matter be for now, waving her goodbye with reluctance.
The ride to the headquarters would at least take half an hour from her stay. That was, if she excluded the traffic and the other miscellaneous possibilities.
"Sir, can we pull over for a moment? I'll get my breakfast done in a minute."
As she passed by one of the most famous fast food chains in the city, Ruby sheepishly made a request to the driver.
15 minutes later, she entered the office building with two paper bags nestled in her arms, the bags so huge and tall that they towered over her head and obstructed her view altogether.
Noticing her approaching figure, the lady behind the receptionist table stood from her chair and professionally greeted her with a smile.
"Good Morning, Miss. Is there anything that I can help you with?"
Ruby placed her breakfast on the table and offered her a small smile.
"I'm here for a meeting with the president."
The receptionist raised an eyebrow. Her eyes darted from the two bags of fast food then to Ruby's neat attire, her expression turning odd.