0.1 | No Exit from Deception ✓

0.54 | A Warm Welcome For Seven Minutes

The air had the saporous combination of cinnamon and something that was not right, albeit she inched toward the foyer of the grand edifice. Joseph placed a supportive hand to possibly stop her from entering the dangerous cave again. "Ruby, you don't have─"

Ruby barely made any effort to hear him when a roar of loud voices sent a tremor of surprise through her body.

"Elizabeth is here . . ."

"Are you telling the truth?"

"Oh, yes! Elizabeth is back!"

"Yahoo!"

The horde of maids' in clean black skirts and white shirts surrounded her like bees dancing around the pollens in spring. Squealing and looking heavenward, the happiest amongst whom was Lucy who tore away the mass and hugged her tightly. Ruby had built a sorority with her since the beginning.

"Where have you been dear Elizabeth? I didn't eat anything ever since," Lucy cried out in her arms.

Ruby patted her back, forcing an assuring smile on her saddened face. "I'm perfectly fine. Please go and eat something. Didn't I tell you health comes first?"

Lucy nodded slowly.

"Please come inside." The maids' on either side held Ruby's hands like a princess and lead her way ahead. Joseph followed, heaving.

"You know what I'll tell the head chef to prepare your favorite bacon cheeseburgers right away," said a different voice.

Ruby whipped her head sideways to find her, and before Ruby could deny the lamentable exorbitance of it, the maid had vanished already.

"Where can I find Mrs Warner?"

Suddenly Mary progressed to the center and the maids' backed away. Ruby gulped, given the kind of boiling-mad personality she had nobody would love to hang around with her.

"Your mother has been on her sleeping pills and needs some rest,"
her stern voice gave no clue to carry on the conversation. Was that over and out?

Joseph's phone started ringing. He pulled the device to his ear and his expression contracted. "I'll be there," was all he said and ended the call.

Against her wish, a lump formed in her throat. Was he going to leave her? It would have been better if he had been around while she declared her identity to Mrs Warner. But she believed she had endeavored to reveal it herself, so there was no use of Joseph anyway.

Joseph placed a hand on the small of her back and whispered, "Ruby, I'll have to go to the hospital. It's an emergency."

"Oh, an urgent call. I understand," she predicted and looked at his tie, unable to fight back her tears, a minuscule drop glided down her half-cheek.

Joseph squeezed her mouth in his hand as he smashed his lips against hers. Ruby didn't hold back and wrapped her hands loosely around his neck. The unknown liberty of raising the curtain on her identity opened her wings somewhere. Joseph loved the taste of her lips, he wanted to hang there a little longer.

A round of faint cachinnating caught Mary's ears. She angled her neck at them to leave. Immediately.

Ruby kissed him hard and Joseph pulled away. Without giving a rip, he kissed her forehead and stated, "I can drop you home since she's not up. I know you don't want to trade your time in here."

She huffed. "I'll wait for you here. Go now!"

The contacts of their hands broke away as he scooted backward. Joseph! Please come back soon, she thought. Ruby's eyes glistened with fear as they met Mary's bitter glare.