Substitute Wife For The Blind CEO

Chapter 54: Six Months Later

Six Months Later

The sun streamed gently through the soft, ivory curtains of the Winters’ bedroom, casting a golden glow on the couple curled beneath the duvet.

Ruby stirred first, her fingers brushing across the crisp linen sheets as she rolled over to face the man who had somehow become her entire world in just six months.

Stefan Winters, the man who was supposed to be her sister’s husband.

He lay on his side, breathing softly, his arm draped over her waist in a protective hold. His hair was tousled, and his lips were parted slightly, like he’d been in the middle of whispering her name in his dreams. Even now, knowing he couldn’t see her, Ruby’s heart swelled with a bittersweet ache.

For six months, she had lived this lie. Woken up next to a man who thought she was someone else. A man who deserved the truth.

Her hand rose to his cheek, gently brushing back a strand of his hair, as she looked into his calm face.

"I have to tell him," she whispered to herself.

But she had been saying that for months. And each time he held her, each time he kissed her like she was his whole world, she found herself biting back the truth.

Because telling him might mean losing all this—their quiet mornings, the shared laughter, the way he pulled her into his arms as though she was something precious.

Though she would’ve loved for him to love her for her, as Ruby not Ivy but she couldn’t bear to lose him to the truth. No matter how she put it, it was betrayal to him because she knew he loved her—not because he thought she was Ivy but her person.

Stefan stirred beside her, his eyes opening though unfocused. He smiled in her direction, his fingers tightening around her waist.

He used to be an early bird but somehow over the past months, he’d started sleeping in more and he still couldn’t figure out why.

"You’re awake," he murmured, his voice still thick with sleep. "Good morning, love," he greeted, and her heart clenched.

"Good morning," she whispered, pressing a soft kiss to his forehead.

He reached out, his fingers trailing along her jaw, memorizing her face in the way he’d gotten used to. "You feel tense," he said. "Did you sleep well?"

I think I’m coming down with

washing over his features. "Should I call Doctor

touched by his worry. "No, I’ll just stop by on my way. Maybe you can drop me off,

go together or I could go drop you after you’re done and

she replied, forcing a smile. "It’s probably nothing. I just feel a bit

rolled out of bed and padded toward the bathroom, leaving Stefan sitting there,

returned in small,

meant anything. The doctors had warned him that recovery would be unpredictable. But

her eyes and tell her everything, face to face. But would

the hospital and know what was wrong with her. He told himself as he

breakfast together as they’ve always done for the past six months. Ruby barely touched her toast, her stomach churning for

noticing her lack of appetite, reached for her hand. "Still feeling sick? It’s that

be fine. I just need to see Sylvia and figure out what’s

you’re not back at the office by

She smiled. "Bossy much?"

he said and she

air. The car ride was quiet, each of them lost in their own thoughts. When they reached the clinic, Stefan reached over, brushing

if anything feels wrong, okay?" he said, his worry evident

whispered, leaning in to kiss his cheek. "Thank

asking the driver to drive off,

the Doctor Sylvia’s office since she’d

looked up in surprise when Ruby entered the room. When she had said she was coming for check up, she hadn’t

she asked, equally worried seeing how

abdomen. "I’ve been nauseous lately. Morning and night. I can’t seem to keep any food down. And I’ve been so tired, my moods are all over the place.

reaching for her notepad.

last month. But I’ve been stressed, so I didn’t think much of it. This isn’t the first

"Oh, yeah. You don’t usually bother because of your condition. Alright. Let’s do a scan and run some blood

the exam room, lying down on the table with a growing sense of unease. She hadn’t even considered pregnancy as a possibility. They had never talked about it. And with everything going

screen as Sylvia moved the probe across her belly, silence stretching between them until she saw things she couldn’t