Faux Vows, True Desires
Chapter 73

A BMW pulled up outside the Ikella Group's skyscraper.

Ruby stepped out of the car and then looked up at the towering sixty-eight-story building in front of her.

In Pinehurst, there were five major companies. Ascend Global was the largest, followed closely by the Ikella Group. The presidents of the two groups knew each other since childhood, but they were rivals. So, growing up together didn't necessarily mean you'll be friends. It could also mean you'd end up knowing your enemy like the back of your hand.

As Ruby walked into the building, the on-duty security guard stopped her to sign in.

"I'm here to see Mr. Martinez," Ruby said, trying to keep her cool.

"No matter who you're here to see, company policy is all visitors have to sign in," the guard replied.

"You're new here, aren't you?" Ruby frowned.

She had free rein in the Ikella Group building. No one dared to stop her. Only those who wanted to lose their jobs would do that. Didn't this guard know her status in Owen's heart?

The guard felt a bit uneasy at her question. He was new and the last thing he wanted was to stop someone he wasn't supposed to stop.

"Ms. Scott." The head of security, Leo, saw the scene from afar and rushed over as fast as he could.

He pushed the new guard aside and apologized to Ruby. "Ms. Scott, he's new here and doesn't know any better. Someone with your status do not need to be bothered with him. Please, come in, Ms. Scott." The head of security bowed respectfully and gestured for Ruby to proceed.

She felt a bit better and said, "Leo, long time no see. The new guy doesn't know who I am, that's on you. Let it slide for today, but the next time I come, I don't want to be stopped for sign-in."

"Yes, my mistake. Please forgive me, Ms. Scott," Leo said. He then turned to the new guard. "This is Ms. Scott, Mr. Martinez's favorite lady. You owe her an apology."

The new guard quickly apologized to Ruby.

After Ruby left, Leo breathed a sigh of relief, wiped the cold sweat off his forehead, and muttered, "Ms. Scott's temper is even worse than before."

Just because Mr. Martinez liked her? And she was into Mr. Martinez's rival, Mr. Coleman. But Mr. Coleman wasn't into her.

The relationships between these people were too complicated.

He could never understand the world of these rich folks.

After sighing, Leo said to the newbie, "Ms. Scott is our president's favorite girl. When you see her next time, show some respect. He dotes on her exceptionally. Whoever makes her unhappy, the president will punish that person. You know why the president's secretaries keep changing? Because Ms. Scott doesn't like them."

Because those secretaries were young and pretty. Now, the president had a male secretary.

Leo, a veteran employee of the Ikella Group, had seen it all. Ms. Scott wanted to marry Mr. Coleman, but she didn't want Mr. Martinez to be around other beautiful women. If Mr. Martinez was slightly nice to another woman, Ms. Scott will give her hell. As a woman, she seemed more interested in having both these men under her thumb.

She was so greedy! Didn't she fear ending up with nothing in the end?

Ruby was oblivious to Leo's behind-the-scenes gossip. She walked into the office building and anyone who saw her respectfully called her "Ms. Scott."

This made Ruby very satisfied.

Whenever she felt neglected by Stefan, she would come to the Ikella Group to see Owen and enjoy everyone's respect.

Ruby took the executive lift. Once the doors closed, she took out a small mirror from her bag and touched up her makeup. Only when she was confident that she looked her best did she feel satisfied. The lift quickly whisked her up to the top floor where the CEO's office was located.

"Ms. Scott."

Walter, Owen's executive assistant, was just about to take the lift down when he bumped into Ruby coming out of the lift. He greeted her politely. "Walter, is Owen busy?"

Knowing that Owen highly regarded Walter, Ruby was always friendly towards him. In front of Walter, she maintained her ladylike image.

"Did you let Mr. Martinez know beforehand that you were coming?" Walter asked.

"I tried calling him a few times, but he didn't pick up. I was worried, so I came to the office. Is he not here?"

Walter nodded, "Mr. Martinez isn't in the office."

"Where could Owen be? He wasn't at home either. He picked up my call in the morning, but later he stopped. I really don't know what's going on."

Ruby, who knew what was going on, certainly didn't tell Walter she had irritated Owen. Owen wasn't in the office or at home, and he wasn't picking up her calls. It seemed that he was really angry this time. Ruby felt a bit panicked. She came back to Pinehurst for Stefan, but her biggest support here was Owen. If Owen was angry and started to ignore her, not only would it be hard for her to break Stefan and Lucinda apart, but her career in Pinehurst wouldn't go smoothly either.

But on the surface, she feigned concern for Owen.

Seeing her worried face, Walter comforted, "Ms. Scott, don't worry, Mr. Martinez is fine. He just drank too much last night and has a bad headache and a cold today, so he's planning to rest at home for a couple of days."

"But he's not home."

Walter paused for a moment, then said, "Mr. Martinez has a ton of properties under his name."

Hadn't Ms. Scott thought about that?

Ruby was caught off guard. True, with so many properties under Owen's name, she ought to do some digging.

"Ms. Scott, I gotta split now."

After giving Ruby a heads-up, Walter left her with a polite phrase and then hopped into the elevator.

Ruby stood frozen for a minute before moving forward. She wanted to check if Owen's secretary had been replaced. Seeing the new male secretary, she let out a sigh of relief. After pretending to ask the secretary a few questions, she turned around and took off.

Back in his office, Walter gave Owen a ring. As soon as the call connected, he said, "Mr. Martinez, Ms. Scott came looking for you. She seemed pretty hung up about you, and kind of frantic. Did you guys have another spat? Did she get you into hot water with Mr. Coleman again?"

Owen, currently being pampered by Cecilia, felt relaxed after downing the cold medicine Cecilia had bought for him, followed by the lemon water she made. His headache was also easing. He sat on the couch with one hand holding his phone and the other clutching a napkin. After wiping his nose, he kept tossing the used napkins onto the floor.

Cecilia, broom in hand, had just swept the area in front of him. Seeing the pile of used napkins, she turned around to sweep again.

"Did she leave?" Owen asked nonchalantly.

Ruby was always like this. Every time she pissed him off and made him feel wronged, she would soften up and try to appease him. All in all, she was still trying to use him to pursue Stefan, because he could help her locate Stefan, creating an opportunity for her to "bump into" Stefan.