The wind whipped by Cassian’s ears, carrying a chill that settled on his chest, leaving him feeling hollow inside.
“Ruby…”
He tightened his trembling hands, as if searching for something to say, but Ruby was already walking away, not sparing him a backward glance.
Cassian stood in front of the hospital for a long time.
The wind pulled at his coat—first tugging it tight, then letting it go—leaving him strangely alone in the world.
…
Ruby called Pamela, asking her to look after Mira, then headed to her studio by herself.
Garrison had helped her more than once; she’d promised to work on a new line for C Collective, and it was about time to get started.
Knock, knock.
Suddenly, someone rapped on the door.
Ruby frowned in surprise.
Her workspace was tucked away in a quiet part of town, and visitors were rare. Usually, only Nona or Pamela would come by. Nona was busy in the back room, and Pamela was at Southgarde Estate with little Mira—so who could it be?
She set her paintbrush down and peered through the peephole, surprised to see Garrison, whom she’d just parted with not long ago.
She opened the door, still a little taken aback. “Mr. Cloud, is everything all right?”
Garrison seemed to realize he might be overstepping and gave her a polite bow, the picture of an English gentleman.
Ruby had always assumed people from his country were this courteous, so she hurried to help. “Is C Collective in such a rush?”
Garrison hesitated, finally understanding her misconception.
He didn’t bother to correct her, just flashed a faint, apologetic smile. “Management thinks we should seize the moment, while everyone’s still talking about us.”
Ruby nodded, leading him to her sketches.
On the worktable were custom fabrics she’d sourced herself.
Garrison’s eyes lingered on the designs, quietly amazed by Ruby’s talent.
After a moment, he said sincerely, “We’re lucky to have someone like you at C Collective.”
Ruby blushed at the straightforward praise, but soon launched into an enthusiastic explanation of her ideas.
Garrison nodded along, his eyes shining with admiration.
As they talked shop, Ruby radiated a kind of magnetic energy, drawing Garrison in until he found himself watching her more intently than ever.
“Actually, I’m not just here about the new collection,” Garrison said suddenly, surprising even himself.
“Oh?”


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