"Can I speak with you alone, Young Master Riley?" Ruby asked after the event concluded. Midnight had already fallen, casting a quiet stillness over the surroundings.
The festivities had died down, and most guests had already retired, yet Ruby's mind was still restless. Too many questions weighed on her, and she knew she might not get another chance to ask them.
Riley turned to her, his gaze calm and unreadable. "Sure. Follow me."
His harem, however, did not share his indifference.
"Don't even think about it, girl. I'll cut off all your hair," Katherine sneered, her eyes flashing with hostility. Of all the women in Riley's entourage, she was the most outspoken and possessive.
Ruby merely smiled, unaffected.
"Fear not, Daoist Midnight Lotus. I do not deserve to stand beside Young Master Riley." Her words were humble, yet there was an unmistakable sharpness behind them, as if she was neither cowed nor particularly interested in playing their games.
