CHAPTER 2

"Does he think he can threaten me? Oh! Of course, he can't," Ruby said, still annoyed by Victor's words.

Ruby was still struggling with material items. She had missed her dinner. Ruby was used to this. She was storing the big, heavy boxes one by one in the warehouse. Was anyone helping her? No, Ruby was working alone. 

"Ruby. Finish this before you go home." 

Ruby returned with two stacks of large boxes containing various types of paintbrushes. Her body was about to break after standing and sitting for hours in the warehouse, and she had to take another deep breath when she saw the two new stacks of boxes she had to finish tonight.

"Cheer up, Ruby! This isn't the job you wanted," Ruby tried to encourage herself.

The smile returned to her face. Reenergized, Ruby began to finish the remaining two boxes before she headed back to her apartment. After almost an hour wasted, Ruby was able to stretch her muscles, staring at the clock on the wall. It was almost 11 p.m., and Ruby quickly stood up and grabbed her bag. There was no way the bus would pass by at this hour, so Ruby would have to take a taxi, or else she would have to walk for 30 minutes.

"If you're not too tired, there's nothing wrong with a little exercise," Ruby said as she descended the stairs that would take her to the first floor. 

The room was deserted, and Ruby looked left and right, trying to find other employees. But it seemed like it was just her, her feet stepping quickly towards the exit. As her hand touched the door knob and she tried to turn it, Ruby couldn't open it. The door was locked; she tried again and again but to no avail. Unluckily trapped inside the material store in pitch darkness, Ruby remained calm. She tried to contact someone with the cell phone flashlight that illuminated her vision.

"Shit! Jessie isn't answering my calls either." Ruby could only curse and kick the glass door.

Her stomach continued to rumble. Ruby was hungry, her body was tired, and damn it, she was stuck in the store.

"Rubyjane__,"

The voice calling made Ruby's closed eyes open again. Ruby saw Victor's face outside the character, and at the same time, the sound of breaking glass sounded so loud. Ruby panicked! The glass door of the material store was broken, and Victor hit it with a block. 

"Are you okay?" Victor said, covering both of Ruby's cheeks. 

"Keep your hands away. What are you doing? You're ruining the shop!" muttered Ruby, who was more concerned about the damaged door of the material shop than herself.

"You're still concerned about the broken shop door?" continued Victor, shaking his head. He was annoyed but couldn't get angry.

"Of course! You're making me pay for it," Ruby added, staring into Victor's eyes.

"Wait here!" muttered Victor, moving away from Ruby, taking out his cell phone and dialling someone.

Ruby only saw Victor from a distance. I don't know who else Victor was involved in this mess; Ruby was fed up! She was only thinking about the losses she had to bear.

"I've contacted your boss," Victor told Ruby again.

"Are you kidding?" Ruby replied with a furrowed brow.

"You'll see," Victor continued.

Soon, two police cars and a black car pulled up in front of the material store that still had Ruby and Victor in it. This time, Ruby was so shocked that she could hardly breathe when she saw the arrival of Mack, the big boss of the material store where Ruby worked. In fact, during her three years at the store, Ruby had only met Mack six times.

"I'm sorry, Mr. Antony, for my employee's negligence," Mack said, bowing apologetically to Victor, who had a flat face.

"Is your apology enough to settle things, Mr. Lewis?" Victor stared at Mack from head to toe.

"Victor," Ruby said, trying to stop Victor.

"Shut up!" retorted Victor, turning to Ruby with his hawkish gaze.

"I'm warning you once again! What happened today must not happen again to another employee! You almost made someone die in your shop. Not only that! You also made one of the employees miss his meal," Victor explained with explosive anger, not caring if the police were watching their actions. To be sure, Victor's hand had a firm grip on Mack's shirt collar.

"Well, Mr. Antony, I apologize to you and Rubyjane for this oversight." Mack apologized to Victor and Ruby.

Victor didn't return Mack's apology. Instead, a tight tug was made on Ruby's wrist. Ruby winced as she could only follow the wide strides of Victor's legs, pulling her away from the scene.

"Ruby," Victor said, releasing Ruby's hand when they had stopped in front of his car.

"What!" Ruby yawned back at his wrist.

"Let's talk in my car," Victor said, opening the car door and inviting Ruby to get in.

Ruby was going to refuse at first, but eventually, she did as Victor said. Victor's hand held her head as she got into the car, a sweet thing Ruby never imagined she would get. But then again, she wouldn't be so gullible!

A smile curled Victor's lips. He quickly circled the car and got behind the wheel. Victor glanced over at Ruby, who was staring straight ahead. Victor's Adam's apple kept rising and falling, trying to wet his throat.

"Tell me. What do you have to say?" Ruby said, pulling off her hair tie and pushing up the long mane that touched her back.

Victor was stunned for a moment. Before he finally cast his eyes out the window, catching his breath.

"Are you hungry?" asked Victor, diverting Ruby's question.

"No. No need to mince words," Ruby replied, turning her body to stare at Victor.

Victor's hand, which had been gripping the steering wheel tightly and visibly raising veins, now deftly unbuttoned his shirt sleeves and rolled them up to his elbows.

"I'm asking you to agree to what I said this afternoon," Victor explained confidently, looking Ruby straight in the eye.

"Didn't I tell you I refused? Don't you understand human language?" Ruby retorted, still preventing herself from hitting Victor in the face.

"There is no rejection in my dictionary, Ruby," Victor said, pressing the back of Ruby's chair, bringing her face even closer. Ruby just smiled a little. He placed one hand on the surface of Victor's cheek, giving it a small pat.

"Wake up, Victor. Not everything you want, you can get," Ruby said, trying to stay strong even though Victor Antony was bullying her.

"Don't ask me to come to my senses! Because I realize what I'm saying," Victor retorted, swatting Ruby's hand away from his face.

"Born a rich man who is used to getting everything he wants. He thinks that he can also control the earth and its contents," Ruby said sarcastically. Turning toward the window, it felt stuffy to be in the same air as Victor.

***