Chapter 196: Let’s Take A Shower?

I unlocked my phone and opened social media, only to be completely blasted by the storm dominating every top trending tab.

#WhereIsRuby #FindRuby #RunawayLovers

The internet was in absolute shambles. Fans were posting full breakdown videos, speculating whether she’d been kidnapped, had a secret breakdown, or—like a viral tweet with 200,000 likes put it—"Ruby vanished into thin air with a mystery guy and is definitely dropping a timeless concept album about runaway lovers." Theories were flying everywhere, news outlets were running live countdowns, and comment sections were overflowing with genuine panic mixed with wild hype.

I couldn’t help but chuckle. I leaned back against the leather seat, turning my head to look over at her.

There she was, completely oblivious to the global chaos she’d caused, sitting cross-legged in her sundress with her eyes closed. She was tapping a steady rhythm on her knee, softly humming the new vocal runs into her voice notes, completely locked in her own artistic world.

I smiled, shaking my head as I watched her. Runaway lovers, huh?

If only her millions of fans knew just how close to the truth they actually were—and what kind of absolute masterpiece she was about to hit them with.

The SUV glided smoothly through the high-security gates and rolled to a stop right in front of the main mansion. I let out a long breath, stretching my arms out as Sarah opened the passenger door.

"Finally home," I muttered with a relaxed sigh.

Before I could even step out, Ruby wrapped both arms tightly around my arm, burying her face into my shoulder and refusing to let go. She lagged her feet as I pulled her along toward the grand entrance, pouting like a spoiled kid who didn’t want summer vacation to end.

"What’s got you so clingy all of a sudden?" I laughed, trying to drag her up the front steps.

"You know what," she grumbled softly, tightening her grip around my waist until she was practically glued to my side. "Those girls are waiting inside. The second we walk through those doors, everybody’s going to be crowding around you, wanting your attention..."

She looked up at me with a playful, possessive glare, her lower lip sticking out.

"I was the only one who got to steal you away for two whole days," she muttered, squeezing me extra tight right as we reached the heavy front doors. "I’m not ready to share you yet."

I reached out, giving her head a gentle, fond pat as she clung to my side.

"Don’t worry," I whispered, leaning in close to her ear. "I’ll let you in on a little secret... you’re my favorite."

Ruby’s face completely lit up, a radiant, triumphant beam spreading across her lips. But before she could get too full of herself, I smirked and added, "Well... right after Chloe, of course."

Ruby threw her hands up, letting out a dramatic, annoyed gasp as she swatted my arm.

Before she could hit me again, I pushed the heavy oak doors open and called out into the echoing grand foyer, "I’m home!"

Instantly, three pairs of eyes snapped toward the entrance. May, Chloe, and Patricia were all sitting in the main lounge, and the sheer contrast of our rural outfits hit them like a freight train.

May took one look at Ruby’s humble sundress and my plain shirt and instantly burst into loud, hysterical laughter. "WTF are you guys wearing?! Are you cosplaying as midwest farmers?!"

"Hey, we were actual farmers," I replied, rolling my shoulders with a tired sigh. "Manual labor in the countryside isn’t easy, you know."

"Right, right," May wheezed, wiping a tear from her eye. "If you’re so tough now, come to the track later and let’s see how well those farmer legs handle real speed."

Meanwhile, Chloe stood up from the sofa. She looked immensely relieved to see me alive and whole, but her face quickly crumpled into pure annoyance as she crossed her arms tightly.

"You completely vanished!" Chloe complained, her voice tight as she stormed over. "Do you have any idea how terrified I was?! The moment news broke about Ruby missing, I dropped everything and flew back into the country as fast as I could! You could have at least sent a text!"

Standing slightly behind Chloe, Patricia was hovering timidly, wringing her hands with a worried look on her face. "Um... are you both okay? Have you eaten? I was... I was really hoping you didn’t get food poisoning out in some random small town..."

I couldn’t help but laugh at the absolute circus waiting for me. I stepped forward, raising my hands in surrender to calm the storm.

"Girls, relax," I smiled, looking across all three of them. "I’m completely fine. We both are."

Ruby immediately stepped up, wrapping her arm back around mine with a smirk. "Alright, stop stressing him out, all of you! Besides, he still has 28 days left to belong entirely to me anyway."

"Okay, sunshine, don’t press your luck," I laughed, gently shaking my head.

I walked over to the sofa, sitting down right next to Chloe. She was still trying to maintain her stern, annoyed front, but I could see the tension melting from her shoulders just having me near.

"I actually missed you," I said softly, leaning closer.

Chloe’s expression softened, a slight blush creeping onto her cheeks, though she quickly tried to brush it off.

"You know," I continued, watching her carefully, "why don’t you just take your course from home? Work remotely so you don’t have to keep rushing across the country every time there’s a scare."

Chloe let out a soft sigh, resting her hand on her knee. "If I could, that would literally be my first choice. But I’m almost done with my Master’s degree... I have to finish it out."

"Fair enough," I murmured, leaning over and pulling her into a warm, long hug.

Chloe froze for half a second before relaxing into the embrace. She didn’t pull away at all—instead, her hand came up to gently stroke the back of my hair, comforting me after the long trip back.

Then, she leaned in right next to my ear, her nose twitching slightly.

"You know..." she whispered, her voice deadpan as she patted my shoulder. "To tell you the absolute truth... you stink. Go take a shower."

Before Chloe could even finish her sentence, Ruby suddenly let out a sharp gasp that caught everyone in the living room completely off guard.

"The song!" Ruby shrieked, clutching her hair in absolute terror. "Oh my god, the song... it’s gone!"

She fell back onto the sofa cushion, her voice cracking as full-blown sob-hiccups started bubbling up. Tears immediately began brimming in her eyes.

I stared at her in disbelief. "Wait, didn’t you write down the lyrics in your voice notes like five minutes ago in the SUV?"

"I did!" she wailed, burying her face in her hands, her shoulders shaking as she sobbed. "I wrote the words, but the melody—the actual tune in my head—it just slipped away when we walked through the front door! I can’t remember how it sounds!"

The sight of a world-famous pop icon completely breaking down into blubbering tears over a lost tune left the whole room dead silent.

"Hey, hey," I said, getting up from beside Chloe and walking over to pat Ruby’s shoulder. "Take a breath, sunshine. We’ll figure it out right after I wash off this country dust. How about you shower with me? Hot water will clear your head, and then we’ll piece it back together."

Ruby instantly wiped her tear-stained cheeks, her sobs vanishing like magic as she beamed up at me. "Okay!" She scrambled off the couch without a second thought, happily hooking her arm through mine.

May’s jaw literally dropped. For the first time in her life, she was so stunned by Ruby’s shameless 180-degree turn that she couldn’t even squeeze out a single tease.

Chloe just chuckled softly, waving us off with total nonchalance—she was way too used to our antics by now. Meanwhile, Patricia’s entire face turned bright crimson, her eyes darting to the floor as she nervously tugged at her collar, completely flustered by how casually the whole thing went down.

"Come on, superstar," I smirked, pulling Ruby toward the stairs. "Let’s go save your song."