Substitute Wife For The Blind CEO
Chapter 45: Charity

Chapter 45: Charity

Ruby walked slowly through the grand doors of the mansion, the soft scent of lavender and mint still clinging to her skin from the spa oils.

The calming music from the spa echoed faintly in her mind, but the moment she stepped into the cool, quiet hallway of the Winters estate, her thoughts returned to Stefan.

Her heels clicked softly against the marble floor as she made her way upstairs. The house was quieter than usual, almost too quiet. She passed a few maids along the way, each offering a polite nod and greeting. She nodded back, trying to keep her face calm even though her heart still felt heavy after dropping Rayna off.

She’ll be okay, Ruby told herself again. Rayna’s smart and strong. She’ll fix things.

She paused outside the study door and gently knocked.

"Come in," came Stefan’s deep, steady voice.

Ruby smiled a little to herself and pushed open the door.

Stefan was sitting in the armchair by the fireplace, a book resting on the small table beside him even though he couldn’t read it—not without help. His head turned in her direction the moment she entered.

"Babe," he said with a smile that made Ruby’s stomach twist gently, "you’re back."

"Yeah," she said softly, stepping in and closing the door behind her. "I just came back from the spa."

"How was it?" he asked, tilting his head toward her. Though he hadn’t believed she was leaving him after what Martin said, a part of him felt relieved she came back.

"It was relaxing," Ruby replied as she walked over to him. "Exactly what I needed."

"Did you go with that friend you mentioned earlier?" he asked, curious. "The one you said you meet online?"

Ruby hesitated just a second before nodding. "Yes. But she left already. Had to go back to Florittle."

"Florittle?" Stefan repeated, a small chuckle escaping his lips. "Isn’t that where your sister lives?"

Ruby’s heart skipped. Crap. She thought. How could she not had thought he’d mention her? .com

She forced a casual smile. "Yes, actually. That’s part of how we became friends. She saw my profile on IG and mistook me for Ruby. That was how we started talking. When she came to Zeden for business, she decided to meet up with me and then we clicked."

Stefan laughed softly, leaning back into the chair. "So, you really are that identical, huh?"

Ruby nodded. "Apparently. She was so sure I was Ruby, she didn’t believe me at first when I said I wasn’t."

His smile grew. "Well, I guess I’m glad I wasn’t the only one who couldn’t tell."

She smiled too, but quickly changed the subject. "Anyway, I’ve been thinking... What if we got you a teacher? Someone who could help you read letters and numbers just by touching them?"

Stefan lifted his brows slightly. "You mean like Braille?"

"Yes," Ruby said, her voice brighter. "Exactly. There are people trained to teach that. You could start learning now instead of waiting to see if your vision comes back."

He was quiet for a moment, as if turning the idea around in his head. "You know... I hadn’t thought of that," he admitted. "I guess I never planned for being blind this long. I had the money and all. Never knew there would be a time my money can’t do something for me. Also, because the doctors said I could also get it back on my own, I just thought the blindness would go away."

Ruby’s gaze softened. "Well, it might. But while we wait, it wouldn’t hurt to learn something new. It could help."

Stefan smiled again, the corners of his lips tilting up slowly. "You’re right. It is a good idea. Thank you... for thinking of it."

She sat on the edge of the armrest beside him and looked down at him, her heart fluttering again like it always did when he looked up at her like that—as if she was his entire world.

"Well," she said, grinning, "it’s a good thing I’m here then, isn’t it?"

"It really is," he replied softly, his voice warm.

Just then, a soft knock came at the door. A maid poked her head in politely.

"Excuse me, sir. Ma’am. Dinner is ready."

Ruby stood and nodded. "Thank you. We’ll be right there."

The maid bowed slightly and disappeared. Ruby turned back to Stefan and reached for his hand.

"Come on. Let’s eat before the food gets cold."

He took her hand without hesitation, standing slowly. "As long as you promise not to sneak extra dessert onto my plate."

"No promises," she said with a playful laugh as she guided him toward the door.

They walked side by side through the halls, Ruby carefully matching her steps to his. Even though he couldn’t see her, Stefan always seemed to know where she was, and his presence beside her made her feel oddly safe... and seen.

As they neared the dining room, she glanced up at him, her thoughts racing again.

What if he finds out? What if someone slips and says something they shouldn’t?

But he squeezed her hand lightly then, breaking her thoughts.

"You really think I can learn Braille?" he asked, a little unsure now.

Ruby looked up at him with a reassuring smile. "I know you can."

His lips tugged into a soft smile, and together they stepped into the warm light of the dining room and took their seats.

A few minutes into their meal, the dining room was filled with the soft clinking of silverware and quiet hum of warm conversation. The golden chandelier above cast a gentle glow over the table, and the scent of roasted chicken, creamy mashed potatoes, and freshly baked rolls floated through the air.

Ruby sat beside Stefan, carefully cutting her food while occasionally glancing at him. She noticed how he instinctively reached for his cup of water with a quiet confidence that made her chest tighten just a little. He was adjusting to his blindness far better than she could’ve imagined, and that made it even harder to keep the lie going.

Across from them stood Mira, silently refilling the wine glasses. Martin stood near the wall behind Stefan, as always, composed and observant like the perfect valet. Ruby tried not to look at either of them too much.

Halfway through the meal, Stefan turned his head slightly toward her.

"Babe?" he called casually, as if picking a leaf out of a conversation already in progress. "Earlier today, Mira mentioned seeing you with a box into your car and that you took the back door."

Ruby’s hand froze for the briefest second.

Stefan didn’t sound accusing. In fact, he sounded more curious than anything else. But knowing Mira and Martin were both in the room made Ruby’s pulse race a little faster.

She had known he hadn’t called then just to check. Mira had indeed told him about seeing her. It was a good thing he had asked instead of keeping it to himself and trying to investigate her like he did before.

She kept her expression relaxed, picking up her fork again as if nothing had happened.

"Oh, that," she said, her voice light. "It was just some old stuff. I figured it was time to get rid of a few things."

Stefan chewed thoughtfully. "Get rid? Like... throwing them away?" .com

"No," Ruby said quickly, shaking her head. "I donated them. You know... clothes, bags, little things I don’t use anymore."

There was a pause before Stefan asked, "Oh? Since when did you start donating things?"

Ruby forced a smile and reached for her glass. "Just recently. I guess the idea came to me when I saw how full my closet was. Seemed like a waste to keep things I don’t even wear."

Stefan chuckled softly, clearly amused. "Well, I didn’t know you’d turned into a giver. Where did you donate it to?"

Ruby’s brain scrambled for an answer. Think, Ruby. Think! She cleared her throat lightly.

"There’s this women’s shelter on the east side of Zeden. I heard they take used clothes and household things for struggling families. I thought it’d be nice to help."

Inside, she made a mental note to find a real shelter in Zeden and visit them. Get a receipt. Just in case.

Stefan leaned back, and a smile touched his lips. "That’s really thoughtful of you. I’m proud of you, baby."

His words caught her off guard. She blinked, feeling a strange warmth in her chest, seeing how proud he really seemed. "Really?"

"Of course," he said. "It takes a good heart to give without expecting anything back."

Mira and Martin exchanged the briefest glance from their places, but neither said a word. Ruby gave herself credit for keeping her cool, though her palms were damp beneath the table.

She turned to Stefan and smiled. "Next time I go, I’ll take you with me."

"To the shelter?" he asked, surprised.

"Yeah," she said, nodding. "You might not be able to see the place, but I think you’d like meeting some of the people there. You could talk to them. Maybe even do something special for the kids."