The officer looked down for a second, embarrassed.
"That... does make sense."
She didn’t dare say the rest—that unless Karl had fallen in love with another woman, there was no reason for him to leave Ruby. And from everything she’d seen, that possibility was... unlikely.
So instead, she straightened her back and said gently,
"Don’t worry, Miss Ruby. Our team is working day and night. We’ll find your husband. I promise."
Ruby nodded once, slowly.
"Because if your team doesn’t find him first... I will."
Ruby stepped out of the car, her heels clicking against the stone street as she walked toward the far end of the market—the part quieter than the rest, where smaller vendors and forgotten stalls lined the dusty corners.
Julian, Adrian, and Milo followed closely behind her, their eyes scanning every face, every alley, every rooftop.
Ruby approached one of the fabric vendors, an older witch with silver strands in her bun and sharp eyes that had probably seen everything in the village twice over.
"Excuse me," Ruby said, her voice calm but urgent, "I’m looking for someone. Short black hair, babyish blue eyes, soft face—kind of cute even when he’s being annoying."
"Ah... you mean Karl?"
Ruby’s heart skipped.
The vendor nodded slowly. "Who doesn’t?"
Ruby let out a tight breath. "Did you see him yesterday?"
Another vendor from the next stall leaned in, her expression shifting slightly.
"We did..." she said, voice lowering. "He was here around noon or after. Wasn’t alone though."
Ruby’s shoulders tensed.
The witch hesitated. Then spoke gently, almost as if she didn’t want to hurt her.
"A witch. Not from here. Dressed richly. Beautiful. She... had a hand on his back as they walked. They looked close." Her eyes softened with a kind of pity, gaze resting on Ruby’s face. "I’m sorry, child. I thought he was yours."
Ruby held her breath, her expression unreadable.
"He is." Her voice was sharp but not angry. Just firm. "And he didn’t leave me. He was taken."
Julian stepped forward beside her, eyes hard. Milo clenched his fists.
Adrian looked at the vendors with a single, quiet nod.
"Did anyone see where they went?"
The older vendor pointed toward the narrow alley just beyond the market. "They walked that way. Toward the forest path behind the stalls. No one uses it anymore."
Ruby looked in the direction silently.
Her heartbeat slowed. Her eyes sharpened.
Then she turned back to her husbands.."Let’s go. That witch is done playing games."
Ruby’s car hovered just above the uneven forest path, flying low with its lights dimmed as they scanned the twisted trees and fading grass for any clue. The wind rustled quietly through the twisted branches.
Suddenly, Adrian leaned forward, eyes narrowing.
"Stop," he said quietly.
Ruby immediately hit the brakes and brought the car down gently near a bend in the overgrown road.
"What did you see?" she asked sharply, already unbuckling her seat strap.
Adrian didn’t say anything—just pointed silently toward a twisted old tree at the side of the path.
Ruby followed his gaze, her eyes locking on something shiny caught in a crooked root.
She stepped out quickly, her boots crunching against the dry ground. As she got closer, her breath hitched.
"That’s... Karl’s bracelet."
The one she bought him during their city visit.
The grey one with soft gemstone beads he loved so much.
Ruby picked it up gently. Her fingers trembled.
"Great observation, Adi," she said softly, placing a hand on Adrian’s back. He stiffened slightly at the touch but gave a short nod.
Nearby, Julian knelt beside a patch of flattened grass and pointed at the dirt.
"There’s wheel marks. They go west."
Ruby’s eyes sharpened.
"Do you know what’s in that direction?"
Julian’s voice came out tight.
"The border of our village. Beyond that is Kolzz... the next village over."
Ruby’s mouth set in a line.
But before she could finish, the low growl of another engine echoed nearby. A shiny Victorian-style car came to a halt beside theirs, its engine purring like a beast waiting to strike.
Jepsi stepped out, laughing loudly, her fine robes fluttering in the breeze. Another witch followed, sneering.
"Well, well," Jepsi said, grinning wide. "You’re smarter and more stubborn than I thought, Ruby."
Ruby’s eyes turned ice cold. "So you kidnapped my husband."
Jepsi burst out laughing, wiping a fake tear. "Kidnap? Why would I kidnap someone who walked away himself?"
Ruby’s breath caught.
Jepsi stepped closer. "Do you even know your precious little ghost? That silly husband of yours? He actually believed he could become a star—hahaha!"
Ruby’s fists clenched.
"All it took was a pretty witch and a fake story about a movie audition. And that fool followed her like a puppy. He wanted to become famous so badly... it was almost pitiful."
The witch beside her snorted. "He really thought he was the male lead! Hahaha! He’s not even background material!"
Milo’s lips parted in shock.
Julian looked like someone had ripped the ground out from under him. Even Adrian’s brows twitched, eyes narrowing.
Not even when Jepsi laughed again.
But inside her something cracked.
She had tried. She was trying. She’d even spoken to Director Sylvia about giving Karl a small role in their next film. She would’ve built a set for him herself if he asked.
He never even waited.
Ruby exhaled slowly, gripping the bracelet in her hand.
She didn’t say a word to Jepsi.
Her eyes were ready for war.
She turned toward her husbands.
"Let’s go." Her voice was low.
"We’re bringing him back."
Jepsi saw the way Ruby turned calm, quiet, controlled and it irritated her to no end.
She took a slow step forward, smirking. "Aww... poor Ruby. Still pretending to be calm? Acting like the composed wife, the proud businesswitch?"
—To be continued...🪄