Faux Vows, True Desires
Chapter 90

Ten years ago, Ruby tried to win Stefan's heart, but he was like, "Nah, I'm not interested in you."

Ten years later, Stefan was all loved up with someone else and couldn't give a damn about Ruby. Ruby couldn't figure out why she was so hung up on Stefan.

Owen thought Ruby was acting like a complete idiot.

But then he'd think about his deep feelings for Ruby and laugh at himself for being just as foolish.

Cecilia told him he was a laughable fool, and he had to admit, she was right.

"I... I didn't defend her."

Owen was noticeably deflated.

Whenever Ruby was mentioned, Owen felt diminished in front of Stefan.

Perhaps it's the gap between being emotional and being detached.

Owen's profound affection for Ruby, and knowing her one-sided love for Stefan, made him treat her kindly. Stefan, devoid of feelings for Ruby, often disregarded her emotions. This explained Stefan's consistent arrogance towards Owen.

Owen began to see why he always felt overshadowed by Stefan. It wasn't just Stefan's competence, but also the presence of Ruby.

"I'm willing to pay for the damages, Ms. Moore. I'll cover all the losses in your store, even double."

"Name your price."

Owen pulled out his wallet, took out all the cash, and handed it to Lucinda. "If it's not enough, I'll pay you the rest."

Lucinda looked at Stefan and refused Owen's compensation.

"The person who damaged my store was Ruby, so she should be the one to pay, not Mr. Martinez."

"I'm willing to pay for Ruby."

"There's no need. Ms. Scott insulted me once. I want her to apologize publicly and pay for all the losses in my store." Owen looked to Cecilia, hoping she would say something on his behalf.

But Cecilia pretended not to get his hint and said nothing.

Were they close?

No, not at all!

Their discord ran deep, though.

"Lucy, let's go."

Stefan took his wife's hand and, under the protection of his bodyguards, walked straight past Owen and left.

Cecilia also followed and left.

"Cecilia."

Owen called out to her.

"What do you want, bad guy?"

"I've told you, stop calling me a bad guy! I'm not a good guy, but I haven't done anything bad."

Owen growled, "If you call me a bad guy again, I'll cut your tongue out and feed it to the dogs!"

Cecilia giggled, "And you say you haven't done anything bad. You're threatening to cut my tongue out and feed it to the dogs."

Owen was speechless.

"What do you want?"

"Here, take this money."

Owen handed the cash to Cecilia, looking at her bandaged hand.

"Is this a bribe?"

Owen: "...What do you have that's worth bribing? Your hand is injured because of Ruby, indirectly. I'm willing to pay for Ruby's medical expenses." Cecilia took the money, "Well then, I'll accept it."

"I'm leaving now."

As Cecilia walked past him, she didn't forget to jab him one last time: "Idiot!"

Owen looked confused.

As he watched Cecilia and Stefan leave, Cecilia's words echoed in his ears: "You're so stupid."

He felt somewhat lost.

He looked up at the dark sky and closed his eyes.

His feelings for Ruby, from nothing to deep affection.

When they returned to Serendipity Cafe, Lucinda brought out a first-aid kit to treat Cecilia's hand, chiding her, "Why didn't you tell me immediately when something like this happened?" "We already called the police."

Without missing a beat, Cecilia responded, "It was just a minor issue. We didn't want to interrupt your date with Mr. Coleman." She wore a self-satisfied smirk.

Lucinda couldn't help but chuckle in response.

The Anderson family's bodyguards pitched in to tidy up the mess. Their assistance expedited the cleanup. Nevertheless, due to Ruby's antics, Serendipity Cafe would be out of commission for several days. To make matters worse, a video of Ruby's behavior had been posted online.

Even though Ruby's face was blurred, netizens quickly identified the owner of the cafe as Lucinda, the recently revealed wife of the CEO of Anderson Inc.

Stefan and Ruby growing up together was also well known.

Once this incident was exposed, Ruby's identity was revealed.

People who were jealous of Lucinda naturally supported Ruby smashing her store.

But most people thought Ruby's actions were too arrogant.

She grew up with Stefan, they were childhood playmates. But Stefan never made any promises to her. They were only rumored to be a couple, but they never formally dated.

Stefan met a girl he liked and was willing to end his bachelorhood for her, that was his choice.

Blinded by love and anger, Ruby recklessly vandalized the store, displaying sheer arrogance.

So, netizens criticized Ruby's actions.

Soon after, Owen became embroiled in the controversy. His intimidating remarks to Cecilia in the cafe came to light, leading to a wave of online backlash against him.

People speculated: Was Ruby's audacious behavior - damaging properties and attempting harm - emboldened by Owen's support?

Does wealth and influence grant carte blanche to mistreat others?

Public outrage surged overnight. Owen quickly leveraged his clout to quell the trending controversy and shield Ruby's public image. Stefan, on the other hand, remained unfazed by the online buzz. He simply reached out to the patriarch of the Martinez family. Trenton, who received Stefan's call, was furious and hung up the phone.

The couple who had just come downstairs were startled by the old man's anger.

"Shane Martinez, call your reckless son back now!"

Trenton fumed, "Whatever he's up to, have him back here now! I handed him the company and he's not even focusing on it. Spending all his time with Ruby, is he just gonna waste all the hard work of the Martinez family?"

"Dad, cool your jets. I'll get Owen back pronto."

Shane Martinez rushed down the stairs, hoping to calm his agitated father.

His father wasn't as hearty as the other two lively seniors.

Mr. Owen coughed repeatedly.

Quickly, Shane poured a glass of water for his dad, encouraging him to drink and settle down.

"Dad, don't blow a gasket over that clueless kid. It's not good for your health, it's his mistake."

"It's been so many years, why can't he let go? Ruby's just using him! Every time Ruby's in a pickle, he's the one bailing her out. What's in it for him? She still wants to marry Stefan!"

Owen's mom was sweet on Ruby but Trenton didn't share the sentiment.

The heir he'd painstakingly groomed, and the one that shrewd Lawrence Anderson had raised, they were neck and neck in capabilities.

But because of Ruby, his grandson was always at a disadvantage, losing to Stefan.

How could Trenton possibly have any affection for Ruby?