Chapter 29 Shadows among heartbeats
CHAPTER 29
Shadows among heartbeats
One afternoon, Ruby stood on the balcony, watching the tall gates from afar.
The wind brushed through her hair, and she hugged her arms gently, still remembering the image of Leo unconscious in her arms.
“Cold?” Leo’s voice came from behind.
She shook her head, but he draped a soft blanket over her shoulders anyway.
“I’m fine,” she whispered.
“I know,” he said quietly, leaning beside her on the railing. “I’m not doing this because you’re weak. I’m doing this because I feel strong knowing you’re okay.”
Her heart warmed painfully, beautifully.
Silence stretched between them.
“Leo,” she began hesitantly, “why did seeing her affect you so much? I… I thought you were over her.”
He inhaled deeply, eyes fixed on the horizon as if searching for words in the sunset.
“You don’t get over someone who you thought was your future.”
His voice was raw, honest. “But you learn to live with the pieces they left behind.”
Ruby turned toward him, her heart softening even more.
“And now?”
“Now… you make the pieces stop hurting.”
She blinked rapidly, her breath catching.
His eyes held hers, earnest, vulnerable, almost breaking.
“You’re the reason I woke up,” he whispered.
She didn’t look away.
“And you’re the reason I stayed,” she murmured back.
He exhaled shakily, lifting a hand to her cheek, his thumb brushing her skin tenderly.
“Ruby… promise me something.”
“Anything.”
“Promise me that no matter what happens, you won’t disappear from me.”
“I won’t,” she whispered.
“But Leo… you also have to promise to let me breathe.”
His hand froze slightly, then he nodded slowly.
“Okay.”
Then he lifted her hand and kissed her knuckles gently.
“I’ll try.”
Later that evening, Carl arrived.
And he was impossible to misstall...broad shoulders…Expression carved from stone……Eyes sharp enough to cut glass.
He stood before Ruby with a small respectful bow.
“Miss Ruby,” he said calmly. “I’m Carl, assigned to your protection.”
Leo watched the interaction with narrowed eyes out of jealousy, and heavy anxiety.
Carl continued, “I have your schedule. I will escort you within the mansion and outside. No one comes near you without permission.”
Ruby blinked.
“That seems… extreme.”
“You are worth extreme,” Leo muttered under his breath.
Ruby glared softly at him.
Leo glared softly back.
Carl pretended not to notice their silent argument.
Before Ruby could protest further, Leo called another man forward — a younger, cheerful looking driver with warm brown eyes.
“This is Alex,” Leo introduced.
“He will drive you anywhere you need to go. Grocery trips, mall, work, errands… everything.”
Alex smiled kindly. “Pleasure to meet you, Miss Ruby.”
She forced a smile, overwhelmed.
“Leo, this is too much.”
“It’s not enough,” he corrected.
“I just learned how fragile everything can be. I’m not losing you to anything… or anyone.”
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Clara stared at her reflection in her penthouse mirror. Her lipstick was perfect, hair flawless, icy composure unshaken.
But her eyes?
Her eyes were burning with humiliation.
“How dare he?” she whispered through clenched teeth.
“How dare he choose her?”
She had underestimated Ruby, the quiet girl with soft eyes and stubborn strength. She thought Ruby would fade away at the first confrontation. Instead, Leo clung to her harder.
She picked up her phone.
“Send me everything you have on Ruby,” she ordered her contact.
“Childhood, family, school, weaknesses, everything.”
“Yes, ma’am,” the voice replied.
“And find a way to get close to Leo again, I don’t care how.”
She ended the call, smirking at her reflection.
“Let’s see how long you last, little Ruby.”
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Across town in a dimly lit apartment Jules switched SIM cards and dialed a new number.
Vivian answered immediately.
“Is it done?”
“Yes,” Jules replied. “I’ve identified a low level maintenance worker in Leo’s mansion. Perfect for manipulation.”
Vivian smiled, swirling wine in her glass.
“Good, plant the spy in his home, I want updates on everything Ruby does inside that mansion, every movement, every conversation.”
“Yes, ma’am.”
“And if Ruby becomes a problem…”
Vivian’s voice lowered dangerously.
“Remove her.”
The line went silent.
~
That same night, Ruby walked into Leo’s study carrying a plate of fruit.
He looked exhausted papers scattered everywhere, sleeves rolled up, hair slightly messy. But he still looked breathtaking in the dim warm light.
She set the plate down.
“You’ve been working for hours. You need to eat.”
He raised an eyebrow.
“Are you taking care of me now?”
“Yes,” she said, crossing her arms. “Someone needs to.”
He smiled a tired, grateful smile that reached his eyes.
Ruby moved behind him and began massaging his shoulders gently. At first, he tensed as if unused to being touched with tenderness. Then he melted, his breath growing calmer.
“You have magic hands,” he murmured. He laughed softly, leaning back into her touch.
Her fingers slid along the tight muscles, easing the tension he carried from years of battles the world didn’t see. With every stroke, he became lighter.
When she stopped, Leo caught her wrist gently.
“Stay with me tonight,” he whispered.
Ruby’s heart skipped.
She nodded slowly.
“I’ll stay.”
Her presence, warmth beside him on the couch, head resting softly on his shoulder was intimate enough.
Leo wrapped an arm around her and held her close, breathing in the scent of her hair.
“You make my world feel less heavy,” he confessed quietly.
Ruby closed her eyes.
Outside, Carl stood guard quietly and Alex just finished checking the vehicles.
The Carter's Mansion slept.