'What exactly is going on with those two?'
Ruby wondered as she left the President's Office. She was so lost in her thoughts that she didn't notice the receptionist waiting by the side, a sealed file clutched in her arms.
"Miss, here's what you asked me for."
The receptionist, Annie, called out as she handed her the file.
"Ah, yes… Thank you for your hard work…"
Ruby offered an apologetic smile, though Annie didn't seem the least offended. If anything, she looked even more eager to please.
"It's alright, Miss. If there's anything that you need me for, please do ask."
Annie beamed.
After learning that Ruby was one of the top elites of the company, she now looked at her in a new light, treating her with utmost respect.
The eyes that were gazing at her were shining with infatuation and admiration even, reflecting the churning chaos hidden beneath.
'Which one of them is she? The gentle and lively Miss Orchid? The seductive temptress Miss Olivia? Old Eagle—no. His true identity is that of a middle-aged man… Or is she, perhaps, the all-mysterious thousand-face Penguin? Ahh, I'm going to die!!! Who is she?? Should I just ask? Would it be appropriate…'
Oblivious to the beaming woman's storm of thoughts, Ruby nodded with an absent mind.
"Okay, it's good to know you, Annie."
As they walked toward the elevator lobby, Annie noticed her haggard look and comforted her.
"The president hasn't been in a good mood recently. It might be best to avoid bringing up the Fourth Prince."
'The Fourth Prince, specifically?'
Ruby raised her brows. Sniffing the scent of an insider story, she couldn't help but voice out her confusion.
"No matter what, faces should be maintained and Julien Sterling is still a royalty. Why would Sir show such open hostility towards someone like the Fourth Prince?"
Her blunt question seemed to have stumped Annie as the finger hovering over the elevator button suddenly froze. After a pause, she pressed the button and waited for the elevator to arrive with a "Ding!"
It was only after they entered the elevator with only the two of them did Annie find back her voice, whispering discreetly against Ruby's ears.
"I heard that the Fourth Prince was involved in the death of the President's sister."
Surprise caught her offguard as her stomach dropped. However, as the words settled in, Ruby frowned, instinctively disagreeing.
That's… unlikely.
If it were any other prince in the family tree, there might still be a possibility. However, Ruby knew it herself how much of a shut-in Julien was. And there was also the factor of his peculiar illness, something that the public knew nothing about…
"That must be one of the degrading rumors deliberately spread to sully the royals' reputation. Annie, you shouldn't believe just anything from the internet."
Ruby said as she took out her phone, prepared to toss the outrageous rumor out of her mind when Annie protested, shaking her head stubbornly.
"That's not true. I heard it from the president's mouth himself!"
Ruby's frown deepened, the fingers around her phone tightening.
Jeremy might be fond of talking big and exaggerating things however, everything that he spoke of was never false.
Could there be some kind of a misunderstanding?
Although Julien was someone that belonged to her past, the idea of him being at odds with Jeremy somehow discomforted her.
Till the end, she just couldn't find it in herself to picture Julien as a murderer.
"When did that happen?"
Ruby asked just to make sure, not expecting Annie's answer to be this mind-blowing.
"Uhmm… 20 years ago, maybe?"
Annie hesitantly said after considering carefully, though she wasn't sure herself till the end.
The elevator landed with another crisp "Ding!"
The doors slid open to reveal a crowd of uniformed workers chattering as they waited for them to get off and yet, none of the two moved from their position.
Annie confusingly glanced at Ruby, clearly waiting for her to step out first.
"Miss?"
It was only then did Ruby show some signs of moving. Still, her face was completely blank as they walked out of the elevator.
"At that time, the prince should be around 7 or 8 at most?"
Annie continued to mumble to herself, not noticing Ruby's lack of reaction.
At the moment, Ruby's mind and soul had long drifted far away, the events of her past flipping before her eyes like the pages of a history book, reliving the moments she could never forget.
If it's around that time, there shouldn't be a mistake then.
Jeremy's deceased sister… must be the white moonlight Julien used to obsess over day and night.
The white moonlight… she had once become a substitute of.
.
.
.
That night, the stars stirred silent and the moon stood in destitute.
She had just woken up from a deep long slumber.
It was a slumber so long that it felt like eternity, until a hand pierced through the dark and pulled her back.
Her eyes shot open, wide and starry as they shone with unbridled life.
'I… Where am I?'
The dim-lit white ceiling was all that she could see. However, somehow, it was enough to tell her a relieving truth.
She was finally home.
She looked to her left, a pang of realization shot through her chest as a familiar face came to her view.
It was a sullen face she usually found herself scowling at. But, unlike the usual poker one, it was filled with bitter grimace this time.
"You're… awake."
He mouthed, face pale and lips chapped. The dark circles under those dead eyes were even more so glaring.
However, she overlooked it all and only asked.
"How long has it been?"
The sullen face replied, voice as emotionless as still water.
"6 days."
She closed her eyes, something stirring in the calm depth of her heart.
"Where is he?"
She spoke with uneven breaths. A moment of silence later, the man stood up, his tall and lean body towering over her.
"I'll bring you to him."
She nodded, taking his hand as he helped her out of her bed.
"Mario, can I have a drink first?"
Mario paused, then nodded, lifting the pitcher to pour her a glass of warm water, the vapour still lingering about.
A drink later, they walked through the dim hallways. Her footsteps halted at a narrow hallway leading to the basement.
She bit her lips, eyebrows furrowing into a frown.
"Mario, can we keep the lights on in this hallway?"
Mario nodded, motioning for the moving shadows in the dark to do as she wished.
As they walked past the secondary kitchen, her eyes brushed across the kitchen island and suddenly, she stood there unbudging, as if rooted to the ground.
"Mario," Her mouth moved before her mind did, "Once I get better, can I have Nina make me her signature sandwich? I'm starting to miss her cooking."
Mario nodded without protest, his otherwise cold tone sounding strangely indulgent even.
"Alright."
They moved from one place to another, with her voicing out each of her requests every time without failure. Mario agreed to all of it without any sign of dissatisfaction.
And before they knew it, they finally arrived before a door.
She released Mario's arm, turning towards him with a smile as radiant as the stars. Her limbs had long regained their strength, and so was her voice.
Warmth had now returned to her blood, her skin shifting back to its original rosy color.
"Mario, thank you. You can leave us now."
She then put her hand on the handle, using the stifling numbness of the cold metal to gather her resolve.
"I will meet him myself."
A silent stare later, Mario didn't say anything else and merely left without turning back.