Chapter 31 Stay with me
CHAPTER 31
STAY WITH ME
Across town, in a dim cafe, A man met with the maintenance worker he had targeted a nervous young man named David.
David’s hands trembled around his coffee cup.
“I don’t want trouble,” he whispered. “The Carter family is powerful. If they find out—”
“They won’t,” the man assured, sliding a brown envelope across the table.
“Inside is five hundred thousand naira. More will come if you stay loyal.”
David’s breath hitched.
His mother needed surgery, his rent was overdue and he knew his life would fall apart if he refused the offer.
“W….What exactly do you want?” he asked shakily.
“Information,” the man said simply.
“Every time Ruby leaves her room, you tell us, and every night she spends with Leo.”
He leaned closer.
“And if anything strange happens in the mansion, I want to know first.”
David swallowed hard.
“But why her?”
The man smiled, cold and sharp.
“Because she is the weakness of a very powerful man.”
The night air hung heavy with the scent of jasmine and chlorine, wrapping around Leo and Ruby like a secret. The poolside at the sprawling estate shimmered under strings of fairy lights, their reflections dancing on the water's surface like fragmented stars. It was well past midnight, but time had dissolved hours ago. Empty glasses of chilled rosé cluttered the low teak table, flanked by half eaten platters of artisanal cheeses, crisp prosciutto wrapped figs, and bowls of salted cashews. The world beyond the estate's high walls felt a universe away. Leo lounged on a cushioned chaise, his broad shoulders relaxed but his dark eyes sharp, always watchful. At 32, he carried the weight of his security empire like a second skin contracts with elite families, whispers of threats in the shadows. Tonight, though, he let it slip. Ruby sat cross legged beside him in the same lounge, her sundress pooling around her thighs, bare feet tucked under her. Her laughter still echoed from their earlier stories, light and unguarded, but now a quiet vulnerability shadowed her smile.She sipped her drink, the cool liquid steadying her nerves.
"Leo," she began, voice soft against the lap of pool water, "do you ever think about... after all this? The contract, I mean. It's brought us so close, hasn't it? Like fate twisted our paths together.
"He turned his head, locking eyes with her. Those eyes hazel flecked with gold held him, unblinking. The world narrowed to that gaze, electric and racing, hearts syncing in the silence. Ruby felt it pulse through her, a thrill that made her breath hitch. He reached out, brushing a stray curl from her cheek, his thumb lingering. "Closer than I ever imagined," he murmured.
"This contract was supposed to be business protecting you after your family's mess. But you... you've rewritten everything.
"Her heart swelled, joy bubbling despite the fear gnawing at its edges.
The contract had started as a lifeline; her wealthy family, fractured by scandals, hired Leo's firm to safeguard her amid anonymous threats. It had morphed into stolen glances, late night talks, and now this intimacy blooming under the stars. But happiness warred with dread.
"I'm so happy it did," she whispered, eyes still fused to his. "You make me feel safe. Seen. But my dad... God, Leo, he's falling apart. He calls every day, voice cracking, saying I'm no longer with them. Like I've abandoned the family. He doesn't get it this isn't running away, it's surviving.
"Leo's jaw tightened, but his gaze never wavered, intense and reassuring. The eye lock stretched, charged with unspoken promises, until Ruby's pulse thrummed in her ears.
"Your dad's pride is blinding him," Leo said finally, voice low and steady. "He sees loss, not your strength. But Ruby, your future? It's yours to claim. With me, if you'll have it."She leaned closer, their breaths mingling.
"I want that. A life beyond contracts and shadows, travel, laughter without looking over our shoulders." Another heartbeat of eye contact, racing now, pulling them into a vortex.
Her hand found his, fingers intertwining.They talked for hours, dreams spilling like the rose.
Leo envisioned scaling back his firm, maybe a quiet villa in Tuscany where threats couldn't reach.
Ruby dreamed of art studios and galleries, painting the chaos of her past into beauty. Snacks forgotten, drinks refilled, their words wove futures together—children's laughter by this very pool, lazy mornings tangled in sheets. Each confession deepened the tension, emotions raw and electric. Ruby's fear of her father's disapproval twisted like a knife, but Leo's presence dulled it, his eyes her anchor.
Footsteps crunched on gravel. Carl emerged from the darkness, his face etched with urgency under the pool lights.
"Boss,"
he said, voice clipped, eyes darting. "We have a problem.
Hallway cameras in the east wing—three of them offline. Motion sensors are glitchy. Could be nothing, but it's suspicious as hell. Power surge? Maybe. But patrols spotted movement near the perimeter fence.
"Leo's body went rigid, the lover vanishing, the protector surging forward. Their eye lock shattered, reality crashing in. He stood in one fluid motion, pulling Ruby up with him.
"Under attack?" she whispered, heart slamming, the joy of moments ago curdling into terror.
"Possible," Leo growled, already scanning the shadows.
"Stay with me." He grabbed his sidearm from a hidden poolside cache, motioning Carl ahead.
"Alert Alex. Lock down the grounds. Ruby, you're supervising with me—no arguments.