Chapter 3
The silence in the car was thick as it rolled through the heart of Manhattan. Outside the tinted windows, the city glowed with its usual hunger—cars honking, pedestrians chasing time, and towering glass buildings reflecting ambition and power. But as the vehicle turned into the Upper East Side, the energy shifted. Here, wealth didn't shout—it whispered. The street narrowed into a private road lined with historic townhouses and discreet doormen. Trees stood tall and curated, and even the streetlamps seemed to glow with a more expensive kind of light.
Ruby sat still, fingers curled tightly around the lace hem of her wedding dress. Every turn the car took felt like another step deeper into a world she didn't belong to. A world she was now tied to by name, not by choice.
They reached an ornate iron gate flanked by granite pillars. Cameras perched discreetly in the shadows, and when the gates opened without hesitation, Ruby's stomach twisted. She'd crossed a line that could never be undone.
The car continued up a long cobblestone path bordered by sculpted hedges and soft garden lighting. Another set of gates loomed ahead—smaller but no less intimidating. They parted with the same ease, revealing a wide drive in front of what could only be described as a modern-day fortress.
The penthouse mansion loomed above, all stone and glass, its sharp lines softened only by the flicker of fountains and the glow of terrace lanterns. It wasn't just grand—it was calculated. Meant to impress. Meant to remind people of who lived there.
This wasn't a home. It was a statement.
Ruby exhaled slowly. She knew what this marriage was. A merger. A deal. Christian hadn't pretended otherwise. But some part of her—maybe the part that still remembered fairytales—hoped they might at least find some kind of peace. Maybe even learn to respect each other, if not care.
The vehicle came to a halt, and the doors were opened simultaneously by the same two guards from earlier. Ruby stepped out, lifting her gown slightly so it wouldn't drag along the stone. Her heels clicked against the driveway as she took in the scene.
A line of staff—maybe thirty or more—stood at attention along the steps leading to the main entrance. All dressed in dark-gray uniforms with gold buttons, they looked like a military formation more than house staff. Their faces were neutral, unreadable. Ruby's skin prickled.
She glanced up the staircase and spotted one woman standing out from the rest. Her uniform was sleeker, darker, her stance more relaxed. She wasn't standing in line—she was waiting.
"Welcome, Signora Royal," the woman said, stepping forward with an affectionate smile that creased the edges of her eyes. "Oh mio Dio, you're even more stunning in person."
Ruby blinked, caught off guard. Before she could respond, the woman embraced her warmly.
Christian's voice cut in, sharp and low. "This is Naninna. Head of staff."
"Call me Nina," the woman corrected without missing a beat. "And I can already tell we're going to get along. I've known this boy since he was in diapers, pretending to be scary even then. Give it a few days—I've got stories."
Ruby chuckled despite herself, the knot in her chest loosening a little. Christian, on the other hand, looked like he regretted ever bringing Nina along. His expression darkened, mouth tugging down slightly.
She caught that. The flicker of emotion. Not just annoyance—something else. Maybe even discomfort. Vulnerability? It passed too quickly to be sure.
"I see you two have become fast friends," Christian said, his tone flat as he started up the stairs. "Nina, show her around. Or show her to her room if she's tired. She'll need rest before the after-party tomorrow."
Ruby paused. "We're having separate bedrooms?"
He stopped at the top of the stairs, glancing over his shoulder. "Didn't know you were so eager to sleep with me."
A few staff members stiffened. Nina's lips pressed into a firm line.
Ruby raised her chin. "I just assumed... never mind."
Christian didn't apologize. He didn't soften. "I have work to do."
"Work? On your wedding night?" Her voice sharpened with disbelief.
"I'm here, talking to you. That counts," he said coolly, then disappeared inside.
Ruby stood frozen for a second. The man was infuriating. And clearly not even trying.
Nina scoffed. "Ignore him. He acts like the world owes him solitude. Come on, darling—let's get you out of this dress."
She looped an arm around Ruby's and gently led her up the stairs. "He's grown now and thinks that gives him the right to be rude, even around people who raised him," she muttered in Italian under her breath.
They entered through tall double doors into a grand foyer bathed in warm light. The floor was polished marble veined with gold. Art hung along the walls—real art, the kind that required a vault to insure. A winding staircase curved up to a mezzanine, where glass railings overlooked the city skyline.
An elevator waited just beyond the foyer. It opened with a soft ding, revealing an interior of black glass, brass accents, and subtle under-lighting. Nina stepped in with her.
"Don't let his walls scare you," she said gently as the elevator began to rise. "He's always been like this. Closed off. But he's not heartless. He's… complicated."
Ruby stared at the descending city view behind them. "I didn't expect love. But I thought he might at least try."
Nina looked at her for a long moment. "He doesn't know how to try. No one ever taught him."
The elevator opened to a long hallway lined with modern art and dim wall sconces. Nina led her to a wide double door and opened it to reveal a bedroom that looked like it belonged in a design magazine. Soft cream tones, a king-size bed, a small sitting area, and another floor-to-ceiling view of the city.
"This will be your room for now," Nina said. "Unless he grows up and invites you into his."
Ruby smiled faintly. "Not holding my breath."
Nina helped her out of the wedding gown, carefully hanging it in the closet. "You're strong," she said quietly. "I can see it. Don't let him bury you with his silence."
Ruby turned toward the window once Nina left. The city sparkled below, buzzing with life and opportunity.
This wasn't the love story she'd imagined. But maybe it didn't have to be. Maybe it could be something else—something more powerful than illusion.
She didn't know how to change Christian Royal.
But she knew one thing for sure:
She wouldn't let him change her.