Chapter 46: Vocal Training Starts Now

"It’s incredible," I said, swallowing the bite with a genuine nod of approval. "Honestly, Ruby, you might be a better chef than you are a real estate closer."

Ruby beamed, her face lighting up with a radiant, unfiltered joy that completely chased away the lingering shadows of her past. Not wanting to dampen her high spirits, I settled in and finished the rest of the plate while she poured two cups of fresh coffee.

Once I set my fork down, I leaned back against the counter and brought up the topic that mattered most. "So, let’s talk about the transition. Your vocal coach is scheduled to arrive at the estate studio by noon. Before that starts, I want to know more about where your music comes from—and your family. You mentioned your father before, but you never really talked about what happened."

Ruby’s smile softened into something quieter and more melancholic. She wrapped her hands around her coffee mug, staring down at the dark liquid as the playful energy in the room gently shifted into something reflective.

"I’m an orphan now," Ruby murmured, her voice steady but laced with a faint, old ache. "My father was an orphan, too. He didn’t come from money, and he clawed his way up into Travis’s firm through sheer grit, which probably explains why he stayed under his thumb for so long."

She took a slow sip of her coffee, looking out the massive glass window toward the crashing ocean waves.

"When I was younger, all I ever wanted to do was write music and sing," she continued, a wistful smile touching her lips. "I used to lock myself in my room and hum melodies for hours. But my dad... he hated the idea. He saw how brutal the corporate world was, and he wanted absolute security for me. He pushed me into real estate, making me get my degree and climb the corporate ladder."

A heavy sigh slipped past her lips. "I thought, Fine, if I can’t be a singer, I’ll be the best real estate agent possible, make partner, and help him climb out from under Travis’s shadow. I wanted to save him so badly. I spent years trying to prove myself to him, trying to earn an opportunity to make his life easier. But he never let me in. He just kept moving the goalposts."

She looked back at me, her eyes glistening with unshed tears. "And then he died last year. He passed away thinking he was still buried under that massive debt, carrying that burden all by himself... and I never even got the chance to truly help him, or show him what I could actually do."

The playful bravado and teasing confidence she had flashed earlier suddenly made complete sense. Beneath the polished suits, the sudden willingness to play the devoted second wife, and the fiery independence, she was carrying years of unresolved grief, unfulfilled validation, and survivor’s guilt. She had spent her entire life trying to rescue a man who wouldn’t let her in, only to be chained to his tormentor the moment he died.

I reached across the marble counter, gently covering her trembling hand with mine.

"You carried a debt that wasn’t yours, and a burden your father should never have put on your shoulders," I said, my voice low and steady. "You don’t have to overcompensate anymore, Ruby. You don’t have to earn your place here by playing the perfect chef or the dutiful maid. You’re here because your talent is real, and your freedom is non-negotiable."

Ruby stared down at where our hands met, a fresh tear spilling over her lashes, but this time, the tension that had gripped her shoulders since yesterday finally shattered completely. She let out a long, shaky exhale, turning her hand over to squeeze mine back with quiet, fierce gratitude.

"Thank you, mister," she whispered, her voice thick with emotion.

Before the heavy silence could linger too long, the sharp chime of a notification echoed through the estate’s integrated audio system, signaling that noon had arrived—and her new life was officially about to begin.

I walked over to the front entrance as the doorbell chimed, pulling the massive oak door open to welcome Annie, the elite vocal coach I had brought in for the project. We exchanged a firm handshake, and I led her inside the grand foyer.

"Glad to be here," Annie said, her sharp, professional eyes scanning the modern architecture of the estate with immediate approval. "Where’s the talent?"

"Right this way," I replied, guiding her down the corridor toward the newly designated soundproofing studio.

The room was still coming together—the acoustic panels were up and the mixing desk was wired, but the space hadn’t been fully outfitted with all the final hardware yet. Still, the acoustics were clean, bright, and completely isolated from the rest of the house.

Ruby was already waiting inside, standing near the center of the room. When she saw Annie walk in behind me, a visible wave of tension gripped her shoulders. Her hands instinctively smoothed down her top, and she offered a polite, deeply nervous smile.

Annie dropped her leather satchel onto a chair, pulled out a small notepad, and walked straight over to Ruby with an assessing, no-nonsense gaze.

"So, you’re the new voice," Annie said briskly, crossing her arms. "Before we touch a single technical exercise or scale, I need to know what kind of instrument we’re actually working with. Step up to the mic, and sing something for me. Anything that feels natural."

Ruby froze. For all her fierce boardroom presence and playful bravado from the day before, standing in front of a professional vocal coach to bare her soul felt entirely different. She looked over at me, her eyes wide with sudden, unfiltered panic, her throat visibly tightening up as the stage fright took hold.

Ruby took a slow, hesitant breath, stepping up to the microphone stand in the center of the unfinished studio. She closed her eyes for a long moment, trying to quiet the nervous hum in her chest.

When she opened her mouth, the first few notes of an old, haunting melody slipped out into the room. Her voice was raw, unpolished, and completely natural—carrying an effortless depth and emotional resonance that instantly made Annie drop her notepad to her side. It wasn’t just a pretty sound; it had weight, texture, and a haunting vulnerability that filled every corner of the room.

But right as she hit a high register, a sudden wave of self-doubt made her throat tighten. Her voice cracked, sliding sharply off pitch on the final note.

Ruby stopped instantly, her eyes flying open as a deep crimson flush rushed up her neck and face. She pulled back from the mic, crossing her arms defensively as she looked down at the floor, mortified.

"I’m sorry," Ruby muttered, her voice trembling slightly with embarrassment. "I told you, I haven’t sung in front of anyone in years. That was terrible."

Before Annie could offer a clinical critique, I stood up from my chair and walked over to her, keeping my expression entirely calm and encouraging.

"Don’t apologize, and don’t stop," I said, offering her a reassuring smile. "That wasn’t embarrassing at all, Ruby. The tone is right there. The raw instrument is undeniable—we just need to build the stamina and control around it."

Ruby blinked, looking up at me in surprise. The heavy knot of panic in her chest seemed to loosen, replaced by a soft, grounded warmth at the genuine reassurance.

Annie cleared her throat, a small, approving smile finally breaking through her professional facade as she picked her pen back up. "He’s right, sweetheart. The pitch slip happens when you tense up from nerves, but the timbre of your voice is world-class. Take a breath, shake out your shoulders, and let’s go back to the top."