He glanced between Karl and Ruby. This wasn’t how it used to be. Usually, Karl would be poking fun at everyone, trying to sit beside Ruby, fighting with Milo over who got the bigger slice of toast... But now?
There was a canyon between them. A canyon of silence. A canyon Julian didn’t know how to cross.
He swallowed and finally sat down, his smile fading.
The food was warm. The room was quiet. And even with everyone at the table... it didn’t feel full.
After breakfast, as the plates were cleared and the last bits of tea were sipped, Ruby leaned back slightly in her chair. Her eyes naturally wandered to Adrian, who was quietly wiping his mouth with a napkin, as calm and expressionlesss as ever.
But he could feel her gaze.
He slowly lifted his eyes to hers.
"What?" he mouthed, confused by the way she kept looking at him.
Ruby tilted her head and smiled a little. "Did you forget I’m taking you to my office today?"
Adrian blinked, then froze. His napkin paused midair.
"I thought... I thought you were just saying that..." he said in a low voice, as if unsure whether to be excited or nervous. The table went silent, all eyes turning toward him now.
"No," Ruby said gently, her voice firm but kind. "I don’t say things without meaning them."
Her soft smile held something deeper—a spark of trust. Adrian stared at her for a second longer, then slowly looked down, a faint pink brushing the tips of his ears.
Milo, sitting beside Ruby, clapped his hands together. "Yay! Brother Adi will go to office with wife now!!" he said happily.
Julian smiled too, his chest warming at the sight of Adrian finally getting something for himself after all his silent sacrifices. "That’s great. You’ll be amazing there," he said, gently nudging Adrian’s elbow with his own.
But at the end of the table, Karl sat in silence. His spoon swirled around the edge of his empty plate, untouched. His blue eyes didn’t sparkle like they usually did. He tried to smile, but it didn’t reach his eyes. Ruby hadn’t looked at him once. Not even in passing.
He chewed on the inside of his cheek, feeling like a leftover plate no one remembered to clean.
Meanwhile, Ruby stood up, stretching her arms lightly. "Alright, Adrian, go get ready. I’ll explain everything on the way."
Adrian nodded and quietly excused himself to go change.
And as everyone slowly began clearing the table, Ruby’s gaze flickered briefly in Karl’s direction.
But she said nothing. And walked away.
Adrian could count on his fingers how many times he had been to Ruby’s office before—maybe four, five at most and even then, he’d never stepped far past the lobby. So today, walking beside Ruby as she confidently led him inside, he felt like a guest who wasn’t sure whether to take off his shoes or bow to the furniture.
The moment the office door opened, heads turned.
Adrian stiffened, unused to so many eyes at once. But Ruby just smiled and walked forward, giving him that quiet reassurance like if she believed in him, then he could too.
Rowan and Elias smiled at him from their workstations. Adrian gave them a polite nod, lips barely twitching at the corners.
Ruby led him past the sewing section into the account and admin area, which looked more like a quiet little tech cave. Four or five people were already working on computers, their faces focused, eyes darting between screens and spreadsheets. Each desk had a neat setup with files, mugs, and personalized trinkets—one even had a tiny plush red cactus that bobbled when the wind blew from the small window.
There was one empty chair at the end, and Ruby walked him over to it.
"You okay with working in accounts?" she asked softly. "I thought it would suit you—you’re really good with numbers. Don’t worry about the computer part. They’ll help you."
The other employees were still subtly watching, trying to hide their curiosity. Everyone already knew Adrian was one of Ruby’s husbands, but seeing him now in a work and looking awkward? That was new.
"Everyone," Ruby announced gently, "this is Adrian. He’ll be working here from today."
There was a soft chorus of polite hellos and waves.
"Venu," Ruby turned to the ghost with orange hair and round cheeks, "you’ll help him with the basics, alright? I’ll check in this afternoon."
She pulled the chair out for Adrian herself. Adrian blinked, surprised, and then smiled faintly as he sat down. That simple gesture made him feel seen.
"Yes, Miss Boss!" Venu chirped, giving a little salute.
Ruby left, her shoes clicking softly against the floor. As soon as she was gone, Venu turned toward Adrian with a grin so wide it could’ve outshined the monitor light. He had the kind of face that looked like he could sell lemonade and win hearts in one breath—baby cheeks, deep dimples, and eyes like orange candy.
"Hi hi! I’m Venu," he said, wiggling his fingers in a wave. "I’ve been here for two months. I’m practically a senior now." He puffed his chest proudly like a squirrel who had just found two nuts instead of one.
"I’m Adrian," Adrian replied, his tone calm as usual, though his lips twitched.
"Miss Boss talks about you sometimes," Venu said, voice dropping to a whisper. "She said you’re quiet but secretly smart. Which means you’re probably a math ninja or something. Can you like... divide big numbers in your head?"
"...Sometimes," Adrian said, one brow lifting.
Venu gasped. "That’s so cool. When I try, my brain just says nope and gives me a headache."
Adrian almost laughed. Almost.
"Okay, okay! So this," Venu said, turning to the computer with exaggerated flair, "is your new best friend. But don’t worry, she doesn’t bite unless you forget to save."
Adrian leaned forward, listening quietly.
"So first, you open this—our accounting software. Looks boring, right?" Venu grinned. "But it’s like a treasure hunt. Every receipt, every number—it’s all pieces of a money story. Like, ’The Mystery of the Missing Invoice...’ or ’Who Took the Extra thingy from Budget?’"
To be continued... 🪄