Substitute Wife For The Blind CEO

Chapter 11: Unexpected Visitor

The drive home was quiet, but tension lingered in the air like an unspoken conversation.

Stefan sat with an air of contemplation, his fingers lightly tapping against the cane which was resting on his lap. Ruby could feel his subtle scrutiny, though he said nothing. It made her uneasy. He was suspecting something—she knew it. And now, she had to be more careful than ever.

As the car pulled up in front of the house, Ruby exhaled softly, trying to ease the tightness in her chest. This charade was exhausting. She had barely made it through the meeting, and now she had to play the perfect wife in front of Stefan for the rest of the evening.

The moment they stepped inside, a familiar voice rang through the air.

"Ivy Winters! Finally, you’re home!"

Ruby froze immediately she heard the voice. Though she wasn’t sure she could place who the voice belonged to, she knew she was in a hot seat since the person seemed to know Ivy on a personal level to be screaming her name that way.

A woman, dressed in a stylish emerald green jumpsuit, strode toward them with an air of confidence that demanded attention. Her wavy brown hair cascaded over her shoulders, and her eyes sparkled with excitement.

Stefan stopped beside Ruby, his lips curling slightly. He had expected something to go wrong tonight, and it seemed the moment had arrived.

"Oh, Eli! Been such a long time," Stefan said as he and Eliana, Ivy’s best friend exchanged pleasantries.

"Eliana." Ruby forced a smile, willing herself to stay calm.

Because she had been away from Zeden, she hadn’t exactly had any opportunity to be in the same space with Eliana though she knew about her from Ivy.

So this was her? Ruby thought with an inward sigh as she wondered why her sister would be friends with someone like this. But then again, what was she expecting? It was Ivy.

Eliana stopped short just a few steps away, her eyes narrowing slightly as they flicked over Ruby. A frown formed almost instantly.

"What in the world are you wearing?" she asked, disbelief evident in her tone.

Ruby blinked in surprise. "What?" she asked, confusion lacing her words.

Eliana gestured toward her feet. "Your heels. Since when do you wear anything but skyscraper heels?"

heels. She hadn’t even thought about it when she put them on earlier, but of

had to

let out a small chuckle, waving a hand dismissively. "Oh, you know... married life. I figured I should start

that ever stopped you from looking like you stepped out of a magazine?"

not! Just a little tired. We just got back from the company, and it was a

gaze didn’t waver. "Tired?" she repeated, like the word itself was foreign.

stayed silent, his expression unreadable, but Ruby could feel his interest in the conversation. He was listening—carefully. Why

she was going to develop a heart problem before the end of this one year with

"Then let’s go to the spa. A full

words barely left her mouth before Ruby instinctively shook her head. "No,

the words had left her mouth that she realized how fast she

she had just grown a second

Ruby quickly tried to backtrack. "I

Ivy, when has that ever stopped you? You’d kill for a spa day. I practically had to drag you out of

needed to fix

forced a smile, tilting her head playfully. "What can I say? I just got married.

Stefan as she said it, hoping to shift

she was scrambling, but instead of calling her out, he leaned into the act. "Hmm. Is

weird, Ivy. First the heels, now this sudden devotion to your husband? I know you love him but—"

a low chuckle. "I don’t think

The woman wasn’t stupid,

house to have a social life, I’ll get out of your way. I just came to drop

pulled out a beautifully wrapped box and

gift," Eliana explained. "Since I wasn’t

it with a grateful smile. "Thank

hand. "Yeah, yeah. Just don’t disappear on me completely." She gave Ruby one last suspicious look before

her, Ruby let out