Chapter 217

Ruby Henderson and Ethan Kim had been seeing each other for two months, met up maybe five or six times—and honestly, it just felt right. By mid-November, deep into fall, around four in the afternoon, Ruby got a call from Ethan inviting her for coffee. She was a little surprised—they’d just watched a movie together the day before. But she wasn’t one to turn things down for no reason, and since she had some time, she drove over. By 4:30, she arrived at the café. Ethan was already there, a suitcase parked by his feet. Once Ruby sat across from him, he gently slid a cup of Blue Mountain her way and gave her a soft, apologetic smile. “Last-minute heads-up—I’ve been told to go on a business trip for about a month. Thought I’d better steal a bit of your time before that.” Ruby wore a tailored designer outfit that fit her figure perfectly—elegant, sharp, everything about her screamed sophistication and capability. It wasn't hard to see why Ethan was drawn to her. She took a sip of her coffee,