Substitute Wife For The Blind CEO

Chapter 184 - 184: Too Late

The cold knot in Stefan's stomach hadn't left since the blackout. Every second without Ruby felt like a clock ticking down toward something he didn't want to name.

Though he'd left Ethan and officer Dylan Walter to check the cameras so he could search ahead, he didn't know where to start.

He stood and rubbed his head, wondering if his helplessness was going to cost Ruby her life but just before he could start feeling helpless, a thought flashed through his mind and he immediately led Rayna to where it had all started.

Once they got there, Stefan's eyes scanned every corner, every shadow, as if she might just step out of one.

"We'll start here. If she disappeared right from here then they might not have taken her too far," he said, his voice clipped. "Ask those nurses where the storage rooms and abandoned wards around here are. She could be locked in one of them."

Rayna nodded and hurried toward a cluster of nurses by the wall. But before she could speak, a sharp, panicked voice rang out down the corridor.

"Fire! There's a fire!"

Stefan's chest seized. The word seemed to echo inside him, pushing out everything else. How could there be fire in an hospital? And for a fire to break out just when Ruby was missing must mean Ruby's life was in danger.

People began shouting, rushing toward one end of the building. Nurses in scrubs pushed trolleys and IV stands out of the way, guiding patients to safety.

Stefan didn't think—he just ran, Rayna right behind him. As he ran, he just hoped and prayed that Ruby wasn't in that fire or that he wasn't too late.

As he and Rayna rounded the corner toward the chaos, someone slammed into Stefan's shoulder.

"Ruby?" Rayna gasped when she saw who had ran into them.

The woman stumbled back, eyes wide. How could she had ran into Stefan? Good thing she'd thought ahead. She thought, looking at Ruby's clothes which she'd exchanged into.

Stefan looked at her and he recognized those clothes instantly. Her hair was long, wavy and the same chestnut brown as Ruby's, but something about it was… different. This one seemed straighter and too neat to be someone that'd been kidnapped. Except she wasn't kidnapped and had ran off on her own but Ruby wouldn't do that.

I was taken in that black out but I… I escaped. They had me locked in some old room, but when I saw they were going to kill me, I beat them to it. I set a fire to distract Ivy and her goons so I can escape. Oh my

arms around her, relief breaking across her face. "Oh my God, you're okay. Who

Rayna could finish, Ivy broke the embrace and quickly threw her hands around Stefan's waist,

now please," Ivy said, her voice trembling. "I'm scared of what they'd do to me if they catch me. We have to leave. I don't want you to lose me,"

didn't move. His eyes

would've thought she was his Ruby too but then this person's voice wasn't like Ruby's. Ruby always spoke softly, but this softness sounded

those pair of jeans earlier, it was tighter on her. Ruby's body had changed with the pregnancy and even though her bump was

how she brushed it.

perhaps tied Ruby up somewhere and was pretending to be Ruby to

said quietly,

for a moment, and Stefan saw it—the crack in

body tensed, and she spun, breaking free from

her, but Stefan grabbed her arm. His mind was already racing, pieces clicking into

his breath caught— "Ruby's still in the fire. We need to save her. We

horror.

was already running toward the source

another hall, Detective Walter and Ethan spotted Ivy as she was fleeing and looking around like

Ethan called out, relief and confusion mixing in his

glancing back over her shoulder

looking for Stefan, not sneaking

Suspicion hardened in

the exit—but before she could disappear, Ethan lunged, grabbing her arm. Walter was right there with him, forcing

was unyielding. Walter's jaw was set

you still show your face here after everything you've done?" Ethan asked shaking his

something when they saw firemen trooping

confused, and then