Chapter 48: Now We’re Getting Somewhere

Ruby was deep into her second day of rigorous vocal training with Annie inside the studio, pushing through scales and breath control, when the peace of the cliffside estate was shattered.

From across the living room coffee table, Ruby’s old phone—which she still used for general contacts—started vibrating violently. It buzzed once, stopped for two seconds, and then lit up again with an incoming call. Then another. And another.

It didn’t stop. It was relentless, completely disrupting the quiet evening while I was trying to watch the news in peace.

Finally, tired of the incessant buzzing, I reached over, picked up the phone, and swiped to answer.

"Oh, finally!" a sharp, highly authoritative voice barked through the speaker before I could even say a word. It was Hailey—Travis’s spoiled pop-star daughter. "Are you deaf, Ruby? I’ve been calling you ten times! Listen to me very carefully: I need those new demo tracks written, recorded, and sent to my producer’s inbox within the hour. If you don’t have them ready, I’ll have my dad deal with you just like old times, got it?"

I let out a slow, heavy exhale, leaning back against the couch.

"This isn’t Ruby," I said flatly.

There was a sudden, dead silence on the other end of the line. Then, I heard a sharp gasp as Hailey recognized my voice from our encounter at the office lobby.

"Wait..." Hailey sputtered, her tone shifting from commanding to utterly disgusted. "I know that voice. You’re the guy from yesterday. Are you... are you actually dating Ruby? Ew. Seriously? A pathetic little nobody who used to be her maid doing all the heavy lifting? What’s next, are you going to dress her up and pretend she’s a real person?"

A dark edge cut into my patience. "Ruby is a thousand times more talented, intelligent, and valuable than a spoiled trust-fund brat like you will ever be. Lose this number."

Before she could screech another word through the speaker, I tapped the red end call button, cutting her off completely, and tossed the phone back onto the table.

The call with Hailey left a bitter taste, locking my focus entirely on a single objective: build Ruby up until she completely buried Hailey and everything her father’s corrupt empire stood for. Entitled, spoiled brats like that needed a brutal reality check, and making Ruby a global superstar was the ultimate way to deliver it.

While I was sitting in the living room letting my irritation settle, May walked in holding her tablet, scrolling through a packed schedule.

"Hey," May said, dropping onto the couch beside me. "Tiana just hit me up. She needs me locked in for the next leg of the racing circuit and a couple of brand shoots overseas. Different countries, tight turnaround."

Tiana ran Zenith Global—the brand May repped and the same campaign keeping our capital rolling. A trip with May meant handling business, supporting her career, and stepping away from the estate for a couple of days while Ruby’s training kicked into high gear.

"Alright," I said, nodding. "Let’s go. We’ll knock it out fast."

Before heading out to the private airstrip, I grabbed a pen and a piece of paper, scribbling a quick note for Ruby to let her know I was stepping away briefly for work with May, leaving her fully in Annie and the trainers’ capable hands. I dropped it on the kitchen counter where she’d easily see it after her session.

A few hours later, May and I touched down abroad, stepping right into the high-octane chaos of Tiana’s scheduling. Between high-speed track events, camera crews, and endless brand fittings, the days blurred past in a flash of adrenaline. Tiana kept everything running like clockwork, making sure May hit every mark while I managed the background logistics.

Even miles away across the ocean, my mind kept drifting back to the cliffside estate—wondering how many vocal scales Ruby had crushed, how much her stamina had improved, and how sweet it was going to be when she finally stepped onto a stage and left Hailey in the dust.

The brief trip was moving fast, but I knew I’d be back at the estate soon to check on the progress of the next big phase.

---

Days blurred together in a whirlwind of international flights, flashing camera lights, and high-speed tracks.

I sat back in the VIP section overlooking the massive track, holding a cold drink as the engines roared past. May pushed her car out of the final chicane, crossing the finish line in first place with effortless precision. It was her third consecutive win on the circuit, locking down another massive victory for Zenith Global.

Yet, as I watched the telemetry data flash on my tablet, I noticed something different. The lap times showed that a rival driver had been closing the gap much faster this time around, pushing May harder than she had been pushed all season.

Tiana stepped over, leaning against the glass railing next to me with a clipboard in hand, eyeing the track with a sharp, calculating look.

"She won, but that second-place rookie is getting too close for comfort," Tiana noted, her tone strictly business. "We’re going to need to upgrade her telemetry gear and adjust the downforce before the next leg in Europe."

"Make it happen," I replied, standing up and checking my watch. "We’re done here for now. Pack it up—it’s time to head back to the estate."

We touched down at the private airstrip and drove straight back to the cliffside estate, the familiar sound of the Atlantic waves welcoming us home.

When I walked through the front doors, Ruby was standing in the kitchen, holding the note I had left her days ago. The moment she saw me walk in, her eyes went wide. Instead of the polished confidence she had been building, she looked genuinely panicked—almost traumatized—dropping the paper onto the counter and rushing over.

"You just... left?" Ruby blurted out, her voice cracking with a mixture of disbelief and deep anxiety. "Without saying goodbye? Just a note? I thought... I thought you abandoned me, or Travis found a way back in, or—"

"Relax, breathe," I interrupted, raising my hands to calm her down. "I just had to handle some business overseas with May. Annie and the trainers were right here the whole time."

May strolled in right behind me, carrying her gym bag with a smug, knowing smirk plastered across her face. She took one look at Ruby looking ready to cry over a missing two-day trip and let out an easy laugh.

"Oh, relax, kid," May teased, tossing her bag onto a chair. "He had to travel with me for my races. It’s for his actual career obligations, not that you’d understand yet."

Ruby shot May a look that could have melted steel. The instant jealousy flared up in her chest, turning her cheeks bright red as she realized May got to fly across the world with me while she was left behind sweating through vocal scales.

May clearly took pure, unfiltered joy in poking the bear, leaning against the counter with a wide grin as she watched Ruby bristle with possessive annoyance.