The more Ruby looked at his face—the arrogant tilt of his chin, the shape of his nose, the curve of that infuriating smirk—the more something tugged at the back of her mind. She leaned closer to the screen, narrowing her eyes.
"Where have I seen you..." she muttered.
Her body stiffened as the memory rushed in without warning.
When she was drugged in that bar. Disoriented. Scared. Trying to find somewhere to hide.
She had stumbled into a random room, trembling and flushed from the effects of whatever was in her drink.
She remembered vaguely how he had seen her... touching herself, trying to calm the fire in her body without understanding what she was doing.
Ruby slapped both palms to her face, eyes wide with horror. "F*ck, f*ck, f*ck!!"
Her heart pounded like a drum as she leaned back in her chair, utterly mortified. "No, no, no... please tell me he didn’t recognize me... please..."
Her hands slid down her face and she let out a long groan, sinking in her chair like she wanted to melt into the floor. "Why did I have to remember this now?"
She quickly clicked off his poster as if it might burn her alive. But she wasn’t done.
She searched his name next—Kaelan nightmare.
And unsurprisingly, Soulstream had him all over their homepage. she installed Soulstream application to see more information and opened it.
Front and center was a featured banner: "The Seven Deadly Sins of Human – Season 3 Now Streaming"
Ruby blinked in surprise. So that’s what he acts in... Her curiosity sparked despite herself. The title seemed intriguing. Maybe she’d watch it later.
She scrolled further.
There were more shows—action, fantasy, romance. Kaelan’s name popped up more than once. He wasn’t just famous. He was everywhere.
And now that Ruby remembered everything, the thought of his voice, his cocky lines, his sleepy eyes saying "don’t move" while laying on her stomach in her car...
"Oh my God," she groaned again.
After Ruby scrolled through the rest of the shows, her critical eyes softened. The video quality wasn’t the sharpest, nowhere close to the editing standards she was used to but the shows? They had soul. Gritty, weird, emotional. Some were hilariously chaotic, while others pulled her in with eerie suspense or beautifully tragic plotlines.
Honestly... not bad, she thought, tapping her fingers on the desk.
When it was time to leave the office, Ruby and Adrian stepped out together, the sky outside already turning a soft red.. Ruby was quiet as they walked toward the car, but the smile playing at the corners of her lips refused to leave. Her mind wandered to the letter tucked safely in her drawer—how would Karl react when he found out he had been offered a role? There wasn’t any description about what kind of character he’d be playing, but Ruby had a feeling a second letter would arrive soon with all the details. Either way... she could already picture Karl’s dramatic reaction.
She chuckled softly just thinking about it.
Adrian glanced at her as he opened the passenger door. "What?"
Ruby just shook her head. "Nothing."
Inside the house, the warm scent of something sweet drifted from the kitchen, and as the front door opened, Julian was already there to greet them. He looked a little tired but content. His mossy eyes softened when they met Ruby’s.
"Welcome home," he said gently, stepping aside.
Ruby gave him a small smile in return as she slipped off her shoes. Adrian, ever quiet, gave a small nod and walked straight to the kitchen, placing the tiffins on the counter and beginning to rinse it out without needing to be told. It had become part of their silent rhythm.
Ruby glanced toward the living room and spotted Milo sitting on the floor with his legs crossed, a big drawing book open on his lap. He was completely absorbed in what he was doing, his head tilted down, and strands of his long brown hair falling softly over his cheek. She could see a faint smudge of black paint on the tip of his nose.
She smiled warmly and walked over, kneeling beside him.
"What are you doing, Milo?" she asked softly, watching him dip his finger into a blob of dark color and gently spread it over the page.
Milo looked up at her with the sweetest, most innocent smile. His honey-brown eyes sparkled under the light, wide and soft, and his lips—plump and naturally pink—curved into something that made Ruby’s heart feel a little too warm in her chest.
"Wife..." he said in his gentle, sing-song voice, "I’m making a painting of light in darkness."
Ruby blinked, a little surprised. Her eyes fell back to the drawing in his lap. Most of the page was covered in soft black smears, blended carefully with little finger strokes. But in the center, there was a small bright spot—just a circle of untouched white paper, surrounded by shadow.
He wasn’t just scribbling. He was expressing something. And it made her pause.
She reached up and gently wiped the smudge off his nose with the side of her thumb.
"You’re getting good at this," she whispered, a small chuckle escaping her lips.
Milo shyly looked back at the page, then tucked his hair behind his ear. "Only because you gave me colors, wife. I didn’t know how fun it was before..."
Ruby felt her chest tighten in a way that wasn’t painful but deep, like something blooming under her ribs.
She shifted to sit more comfortably beside him and leaned her chin on her knees, gazing at the simple, emotional painting.
"Make something beautiful for me then," she said softly, teasing, "Mr. Artist."
Milo’s cheeks warmed. "Just for you?"
He beamed. "Then I’ll make the most beautiful light. So even if everything goes dark... you’ll still find your way."
Ruby stared at him for a moment, stunned by his words. Her lips parted, then closed again. She had no reply for that—not right now. So she just reached out, placed her hand over his head gently, and smiled.
"Thank you," she whispered.
To be continued... 🪄