Never Too Far Novel

Chapter 1141-1150

Ren felt bad when he saw her eating in such a hurry. “Slow down. No one’s going to stop you from eating,” he chided.

“But I’m so hungry! I only took a couple of bites at your house today,” Ruka exclaimed, but her words were a little muffled by how full her mouth was.

Ren gave her an affectionate smile. “You won’t be able to sleep tonight if you’re too full.”

“Then, if I can’t sleep tonight, can I sleep in tomorrow?” Ruka asked. She felt the need to seek his permission each time she wanted to sleep in at his house, or else, she would not be able to sleep well.

“You can sleep for as long as you want,” Ren promised as his smile widened.

Ruka looked at him and asked, “How should I address you now?”

“What would you prefer?” he ventured expectantly.

“Ren,” Ruka declared. By dropping the ‘mister’, it felt like they would become equals now.

“Alright. You can call me that for now, but you’ll have to use something else after the May elections,” Ren reminded. He could not wait to hear her addressing him with something else entirely.

Ruka’s mind was blank at first, but when she realized what he meant, she blushed and nodded shyly.

“Okay. When the time comes, I’ll call you hubby.”

Ren had not eaten much yet, but now, he could tell that his stomach was not the one that was hungry. Every fiber of his being yearned for the woman who sat in front of him right now. He could barely push the feeling away. It was fine when she was not around him, but now that she was here with him and smiling so brightly, he found that his patience was being tested to the limit.

All of a sudden, soft thuds could be heard from the window. When Ruka turned to look and saw what was happening, her eyes widened in surprise and she exclaimed, “It’s snowing!”

She quickly set her cutlery down and rushed out to the garden to enjoy the first snowfall of the year.

By the time Ren caught up to her, he found her whirling about in the snow like a carefree child who was trying to find the prettiest snowflake. He had been standing there for a while to watch her when all of a sudden, she turned dizzy and stumbled over to him.

Immediately, he opened his arms to catch her. She had nearly forgotten about her fainting spell earlier today. She was still a little weak from the lack of oxygen and should not be engaging in strenuous activity, which included spinning around.

Thankfully, Ren was nearby. In her dizziness, she instinctively fell into his embrace.

Ren held her steady and bent down to observe her face. She was still trying to catch her breath, but she buried her head against his chest and refused to leave.

He could not resist pinching her cheeks as he chuckled lovingly.

Ruka looked up at him and fluttered her eyelashes. “Am I beautiful, Ren?”

Ren’s eyes flickered a little as the pretty little face that belonged to the woman in his arms right now made his mind wander. She was not the most beautiful woman in the world, but she was the one he loved the most. No one could ever replace the smile on her face or the sound of her voice. She was his source of light and hope.

“You’re gorgeous,” he said.

“Now that we’re standing in the snow together, we know what it’s like to be together until our hair turns white!” Ruka announced gleefully as she hugged him.

Ren was enamored with her, including all the adorable things she said. “Yeah. We’ll be together even when our hair turns white, or more accurately, gray.”

Ruka stared at the scene in front of her. The flecks of snow that flurried around them were illuminated by the glow of the street lamps. They dotted his hair and clothes, and she fell into a daze as she took in the picturesque scene that filled her eyes. Meanwhile, he carried her back into the house.

“You’ll catch a cold if you continue standing in the snow like that. I don’t want you to actually spend all your time recuperating here,” Ren said out of concern.

Ruka smiled. “What am I here for then?”

“To accompany me,” he announced.

Ruka blushed. “To accompany you while you work, or for something else?”

Ren often thought that Ruka had an innocent mind, but her words were fraught with innuendo.

“I won’t protest to anything you wish to do with me. The only thing that matters is what you desire.” Ren’s smirk made it sound even more suggestive.

Ruka turned away shyly. At the same time, she received a notification on her phone, so she used it as an excuse to escape. “Let me check my phone.”

She sat down on the couch, but she froze when she saw the text. It was from Jethro Ortiz.

‘What are you up to, Ruka? Are you free later? I’ll take you to the movies.’

Ruka tapped out her reply. ‘Sorry, Jethro, but I’m busy.’

Just then, her phone started ringing. It echoed a little in the expansive living room and she quickly answered the call. “Hello?”

“Ruka…” Jethro sounded drunk. “I want to see you…”

Ruka could tell that he was drunk. She frowned and asked, “Have you been drinking?”

“I just went through a breakup. I’m so stupid. I shouldn’t have trusted her. I thought she loved me, but she… she broke up with me today.” Jethro’s voice choked up.

“Don’t be sad. You deserve someone better,” Ruka consoled.

“I’m so dumb, Ruka. I only realized now that you like me. Do we still have a chance? I think I like you too. We could try dating…” Jethro immediately started asking her out.

Ruka was stunned, and right at that moment, she felt someone staring at her. The piercing gaze in Ren’s eyes made her hairs stand on end.

“Uh! Jethro, I can’t talk right now. I have something to do. You shouldn’t like me either. I like someone else. Bye!” Ruka quickly ended the call under the pressuring gaze of the man in front of her.

“A friend of mine,” she explained a little evasively.

“The boy you said you liked?” Ren had not forgotten about it. She did tell him that she liked Jethro.

Ruka pressed her lips together and tried to explain, “Not someone I like, per se! I just… just felt a little bit attracted to him, and also… You didn’t tell me you liked me either then!”

She wisely pushed all the responsibility to him. It was his fault for not telling her sooner that he liked her! It was not her fault that she started liking someone else!

“If I recall correctly, you went to the movies with him, and you even got drunk because of him.” Ren continued to probe her about her past as if she had been exceptionally close with other men before this.

She quickly shook her head. “No, don’t get the wrong idea. We didn’t even hold hands!”

He narrowed his eyes dangerously. “Is that so?”

“Yes! Of course! I swear that the only man whose hand I’ve held is you,” Ruka declared.

Ren got jealous easily. She was afraid that he would be upset if she did not explain things properly.

“What about kissing?” he asked.

“You’re my first kiss! What more do you want from me?!” Ruka huffed.

He smirked. “When did I become your first kiss?”

“Well… That time when I was drunk, I kissed you in the car, didn’t I? That was my first kiss,” she replied with a pout.

Ren’s towering figure loomed over her as he approached her. She was startled and stumbled back down on the couch in fear that he was going to punish her for this.

However, her phone started ringing once more. It was Jethro again. Ruka silenced her phone before glancing at Ren nervously. “He just went through a breakup and is just seeking comfort from a friend.”

“Answer it. Put it on speaker,” Ren said.

Ruka blinked. Was he so kind-hearted that he thought she should try and console Jethro? Either way, she did as told. “Hi, Jethro.”

“Ruka, I feel so bad right now. I don’t blame anybody but myself. Someone told me that you’ve had a crush on me for a long time now. I’m such a fool for not noticing it sooner. Ruka, can you forgive me, please? I really like you a lot. You’re so kind and beautiful. I’m kicking myself for not noticing your feelings sooner…”

Ruka shrank back a little when she saw the grotesque expression on Ren’s face. She wanted to end the call at once to stop him from hearing Jethro’s confession.

Ren sat down on the couch and pulled Ruka into his arms before grabbing her phone. Then, with his voice as cold as ice, he warned, “Ruka has a boyfriend. Don’t bother her ever again.”

“W-Who are you? Where’s Ruka? I want to talk to Ruka,” Jethro cried out frantically.

“Jethro, he’s my boyfriend. Don’t call me again,” Ruka said gravely.

“I don’t believe that! Ruka, didn’t you have a crush on me for three years? Why would you start dating someone in less than a month?” Jethro refused to believe what he was hearing.

Ruka turned to the side and spotted the frown on Ren’s face, along with the dangerous glint in his eyes. At the very next second, she felt her chin being lifted and his lips crashing against hers.

“Mmph…” Ruka gasped.

Ren tossed the phone aside and cupped her tiny face with his large hands as he deepened the kiss.

“Ruka, are you listening to me?” Jethro’s anxious voice came through the speakers of her phone.

However, he did not receive an answer and had he paid closer attention, he would have been able to tell that the owner of the phone was currently occupied!

Ruka was only released from her punishment when she ran out of oxygen. She was still gasping for air when she picked her phone up and said, “Jethro, don’t call me anymore. Goodbye…”

She was not completely out of it and remembered to end the call. Just then, she heard his commanding voice right beside her ear. “From now on, you’re not allowed to meet up with any man without me knowing about it.”

Ruka looked up at him. “Are you telling me that you’ve never met up with any other women before me?”

“If you’re referring to dating and romance, no,” he declared without hesitation.

“Haven’t you ever liked someone before?” Ruka asked tentatively. She did not dare assume that she was the only one he ever liked.

“No.” His heated breath washed all over her face.

“Well, haven’t you ever—”

“I don’t want anyone else besides you,” he announced right beside her ear. His voice had a magnetism to it that made her toes curl. She trembled at the sound of it. She relished the dominance of his love.

It was almost as if she could imagine just how spoiled she would be as they spent their future together. She took the initiative to wrap her arms around his neck. “Alright. I promise that from now on, you’re the only one I love. I won’t like anyone else.”

The best way to respond to his love was to love him as deeply as he did.

Ren was finally satisfied. He had a faint smile as he kissed her on the forehead. “Good.”

Ruka gazed at the gorgeous face in front of her right now. He looked like a sculpture beneath the warm glow of the light—so perfect that he took her breath away.

“Have you seen enough yet? Feel free to continue staring once we’re back in the bedroom,” he said with a smile.

Ruka blushed when she heard him mentioning the bedroom. She let go of his neck and said, “I’ll save it for now. I have the rest of my life to enjoy it at leisure.”

A chuckle escaped him. His chest rose and fell as he laughed, and the sound was just as intoxicating as his face.

Ruka returned to the bedroom while the servants cleared the dining room. Ren went back to his study to carry on working. He was on the phone every time she went to check in on him. It was evident that Christmas was not a period of rest for him, but a time when his workload increased instead.

When Ren set his phone down at last, he checked his watch and saw that it was already half past ten. He walked out of his study and knocked on Ruka’s door.

She was reading the news on her iPad and hoping that everyone was safe during the holidays. That way, her boyfriend would have time to rest too.

“You should go to sleep first.” Ren sat down on the edge of the bed and stroked her hair.

“Do you still have a lot of work to do?”

“I’m almost done,” he assured her.

“In that case, why don’t I wait up for you?” Ruka asked.

Ren smirked. “If you’re going to wait up for me, you should go and sleep in my room. What are you doing here?”

Ruka felt bad for how hard he had to work. She shook her head and said, “No, it’s fine. I won’t share your room with you. I’ll sleep here.”

It was bad enough that he had to stay up late for work. If she slept in the same room as him, she would disturb him and he would not be able to rest properly, so she decided against it.

He did not have enough time to sleep as it was. He would be even more exhausted if she made a fuss.

Ren was chiding himself as well. He brought her home with him but ended up leaving her all by herself because he had to work.

Ren bent down and kissed her ruby-red lips. “Be a good girl and sleep first.”

Ruka wanted more, so she put her arms around his neck and kissed him. Ren’s breath caught in his throat. Whenever she made the first move, he felt like he was being tested within an inch of his life.

She felt a little shy after the kiss, but her heart swelled with fondness when she saw his loving eyes. “Don’t stay up working too late, or I’d be upset.”

“I won’t,” Ren promised.

After seeing him off, Ruka realized that she was not sleepy yet, so she continued reading the news. She had no interest in current events in the past, but now, she studied each article carefully.

As soon as Ren returned to his study, his phone started ringing. “Yes?”

“Sir, I just found out that Victoria Parfait met up with Orson Grady in private.” It was Elijah who was calling.

Ren’s brows furrowed tightly. He was angered by the way Victoria was out for vengeance after getting rejected. However, if anyone tried to hurt the woman he loved, he would never let them get away with it.

Morning came.

Ruka woke up at seven. The first thing she did was scamper off to the main bedroom, but she encountered Elijah, who was sitting on the couch outside the room. When Elijah saw her, he quickly made a shushing sound and she quietened her footsteps as well. After sitting down beside him, she asked softly, “Is he still asleep?”

“He only went to bed at three in the morning, so it’s good if he can sleep in a little longer,” Elijah muttered back. His eyes were red from lack of sleep as well.

“Is there so much that needs to be done now?”

“Well, it’s the end of the year and the elections are coming up in May too. Sir would have his hands full with just one of those things, let alone both.” Elijah sighed. He had a lot on his plate as well, but he felt a deep sense of satisfaction and found great joy in his work.

Ruka began to wonder if it was a good thing for her to stay with Ren. She was supposed to be accompanying him, but it seemed like she was taking up his time instead.

“I’ll move back home today then. I don’t want to disturb him,” Ruka decided.

Elijah smiled. “It’s better if you stayed here, Miss Singed. If you’re here, Sir won’t have to spend his time thinking about you. He can use that time on other things instead.”

Ruka’s cheeks turned a little pink as she said shyly, “It’s not as if he spends his whole day thinking about me.”

“But if you’re not by his side, wouldn’t it mean that he’ll have to spend all his free time thinking about you?” Elijah prompted with a smile.

Ruka felt her heart grow fuzzy. Is that true? Elijah’s been with Ren for so many years now so he must know him very well. Does this mean that he spends all of his free time thinking about me?

If this were the case, then it meant she owed him a lot. She had been preoccupied with another guy before returning to the country and had only started thinking about him more once he confessed to her.

I’ll spend more time thinking about him from now on! Ruka thought with a smile as the door to the main bedroom opened. Ren came out all dressed and ready for work. He looked immaculate and downright

mesmerizing in his black three-piece suit.

He spotted the two people who were chatting away on the couch beside his door. His eyes narrowed with a glint as she stared at the woman who was still in her pajamas while she engaged in conversation with his assistant.

Elijah got up right away. “You’re up, Sir.”

Ruka followed suit, but by then, he had marched straight up to her. He put his arm around her waist and led her right back to her room.

She was a little shocked and embarrassed. Elijah is right there! What’s he doing? Is it okay for him to be acting this way in broad daylight?

Though, she was the one who got the wrong idea. Ren took her back to her room and said, “Come out when you’re properly dressed.”

Ruka glanced down and gulped. Yikes! I’m still in my pajamas! No wonder he looked displeased.

She headed downstairs after she changed out of her pajamas and saw the two men waiting for her at the dining table.

Ruka sat down beside Ren with a smile. When she saw Elijah poring over a stack of documents, she suggested, “Elijah, why don’t you finish breakfast first before reading that?”

“Oh, it’s fine. I’m used to it.” Elijah looked up with a grateful smile.

Ruka turned to study the man beside her. She wanted to see if he had enough rest. Ren turned to look at her as well and she pitied him when she saw his eyes. “Look at those dark circles! What time did you sleep last night?”

Ren rubbed his eyes. “Really? Do I look terrible?”

Ruka shook her head. He did not look bad, actually. It just made his eyes seem deeper. Still, she felt bad that he had to stay up so late.

“I’ll give you a massage.” Ruka massaged his temples since the servants had not brought breakfast out yet.

Elijah glanced up and saw the two of them gazing at each other affectionately without any consideration for his poor, lonely soul.

Ren smiled as he enjoyed the relaxing massage, and his dimples appeared.

The sight of him now pleased Ruka. She loved seeing his smile, which was so refined and hypnotic.

The morning rays shone in through the window, and Ruka’s bare face was lit up so clearly that even her peach fuzz could be seen. Her fair skin seemed to glow under the light.

Her lips were slightly parted, making her look a little bewitching as she called out to him wordlessly.

Ren could not be bothered to care about anyone in the room right now. His large hands reached out to cup her chin and he bent down to kiss her on the lips.

Ruka turned red. She withdrew her hand bashfully and threw a furtive look in Elijah’s direction.

She could see the smile that Elijah was struggling to hide. It was obvious that he saw what they did just now. She bit her lip and glared at the man beside her. Shouldn’t these sorts of things be done in the privacy of the bedroom instead?

Breakfast was served just in time.

Elijah took the chance to inform Ren of the meetings and itinerary for the day. When Ruka heard how full his schedule was, she blinked and thought to herself, How can anyone handle having that much to do in one day?

If it were her, she would have been drained after just one meeting, but he had four in one day.

“It must be exhausting to have so many meetings,” Ruka could not help but comment aloud.

“Don’t worry, Miss Singed. Most of the meetings would involve other people reporting to Mr. Husson. All he has to do is sit in and listen.”

“Cancel my dinner plans. I’ll come home for dinner,” Ren instructed. He did not want to spend the entire day without at least spending a few hours with Ruka.

When Ruka heard what he said, she surmised that he wanted to have dinner with her and quickly said, “No, it’s fine. Work is more important. I’m okay with eating dinner by myself.”

“Yes, Sir. I’ll clear your schedule for dinner,” Elijah replied.

Ruka turned to Ren. “You don’t need to accompany me, really. You have a lot of work to do right now. I totally understand.”

“Miss Singed, you don’t need to try and convince him. You’re the most important person to him, so work can wait,” Elijah said with a chuckle.

Ruka turned to the side and locked gazes with a pair of mirthful eyes. Even she could spot the affection in them.

She smiled shyly. “Alright! I’ll wait for you to come home for dinner.”

After seeing Ren off, Ruka took her phone and went out to the balcony to give her parents a call.

Claire could not hide the emotion in her voice as she asked, “Ruka, is Ren treating you alright?”

“He’s very good to me, Mom. You don’t have to worry!”

“There’s nothing for me to worry about, of course. You silly girl, you should have told us from the start and we wouldn’t have scolded you.”

“I’m sorry, Mom. It’s my fault.” Ruka felt bad for scaring her mother like that.

“It’s fine. Everything’s in the past now. All we have to do now is wait until the elections are over, and then you and Ren can get married! Your father and I have been wondering what we did in our past lives that gave us the fortune of having our daughter marry such a great man.”

Ruka did not know whether to laugh or cry. She could understand why her parents were so excited as she too had felt like she had struck gold when she found out that Ren liked her. However, while it did feel like a dream back then, she had come to accept it with time. All she wanted to do now was to improve herself and become a better person who could stand shoulder to shoulder with him.

Being the one that Ren chose to spend the rest of his life with came with a lot of added pressure. Ruka dared not even consider the thought of wasting her life away. While she looked forward to being doted on by him, she was determined to give it her all too!

At Meyers Residence.

Gilbert and his wife, Daphne, had prepared a sumptuous meal for their daughter and son-in-law-to-be. Though Angela and Richard were not married yet, the wedding was taking place soon after Christmas, and all the old Meyers couple could think about was the grandchild they would soon be having.

Angela wanted to bring out her old photo albums for Richard to see, but as soon as she took them, Daphne rushed over and stopped her. “Hey! Put that down. You shouldn’t be carrying such heavy

things. I’ll do it. Give it to me.”

“Mom! Aren’t you being a little too paranoid? It’s just a photo album!” Angela shook her head helplessly. It was not like she was made of glass. She was just pregnant! She still felt the same as ever!

The only exception was the limitations imposed on the couple’s nightly activities, which was something Angela was greatly displeased with. She wanted to enjoy their honeymoon year with just the two of them.

Gilbert was enjoying a cup of tea and he laughed when he heard the exchange. “Your mother’s just too anxious. She’s been losing sleep too, you know? She didn’t sleep well at all for the past two days.”

“It’s only because I can’t wait to hold my grandchild!” Daphne fretted over her daughter. Angela was her precious baby, one she raised for so many years, and childbirth was no easy feat. How could her baby, who was scared of needles and doing blood tests, be able to withstand the pain of childbirth?

Richard took it all in and figured out the best way to shower his wife with affection. He got up and took Angela’s album from her. “From now on, leave anything that weighs over one pound to me.”

Angela snorted and leaned against his shoulder. “Why are you getting paranoid too?!”

Richard helped her to the couch before he started taking a look at the photo album. Gilbert went out to take a call, while Daphne busied herself in the kitchen.

Outside, the world was covered in a layer of clean, white snow; but inside, it was warm and cozy.

“Oh goodness me! Mom, why did you include a photo of me with my diaper soaking wet?!” Angela called out to Daphne in embarrassment.

She covered the photo with her hands and turned to the man beside her. “You’re not allowed to see this one.”

Richard smirked and did not protest. After turning the page, he saw three-year-old Angela who was a pretty little girl dressed in a princess gown. She looked adorable.

As Richard sat there flipping through the photos, he began to yearn for a daughter—one that would be as pretty and cute as Angela was.

He would spend the rest of his life loving her and protecting her.

“Let’s have a daughter! One that looks just like you,” Richard said hoarsely.

Angela smiled. “Alright.”

They continued to look at photo after photo as Angela described the event or story behind each one.

It was now afternoon.

Ruka spent the entire morning reading in the study. All of a sudden, she recalled the little kitten she saw with Ren the last time. He didn’t take it home with him. Did he leave it at a pet store for them to take care of it on his behalf?

She spotted a notebook that looked rather old. It stood out among the other books, so she reached out to grab it. She yanked on it too hard and it slipped out of her grasp.

Although she managed to catch it before it fell to the ground, a few photos still fell out and scattered on the floor.

Ruka gasped in surprise when she saw the photos. They were photos of her when she was little.

After picking them up to take a closer look, she realized they were photos taken of her when she was four or five years old. Why did she not have any recollection of it?

The toddler-sized her had a rather pompous and overbearing expression on her face. She was surprised that Ren had these photos.

“Why did he keep these ugly-looking photos of me when he could’ve kept nicer ones instead?” Ruka grumbled.

She sat down and began to look through the notebook. However, she realized that it wasn’t his notebook. Instead, the notebook was filled with squiggly lines and scrawled writing that seemed to have been done by a three-year-old.

A lightbulb went off in her head. A three-year-old? Was it me? Is this mine from when I was learning how to write back at Husson Residence?

True enough, after flipping through several pages, she found a barely readable scribble of her name, Ruka Singed.

Her heart skipped a beat. Ren must have taught her how to write when she was little. As she continued staring at the writing, her heart grew warm.

It was possible to find traces of love etched in time, after all. Ruka rested her chin on her hands and thought about how well-hidden Ren’s love for her had been. If it had not been for that, she would have at least sensed something sooner.

This was all well and good, but Ruka could still recall how fierce he was when he lectured her all the way home on that fateful day when she did poorly on her exam and got drenched in the rain.

She was vexed. He had seen her at all of her worsts, while he seemed to have been perfect all this while. It felt like the star student was pairing up with the one who scored the lowest.

Eventually, she returned the notebook to its spot with the photos as well. She was going to pretend that she never found this, but of course, she was not going to forget about it.

Ruka sent Ren a text about the cat. She wanted to know if he could bring it back for her to raise.

Ren’s reply was simple. ‘Alright.’

At half past five that evening.

When Ruka heard the sound of a car approaching the front of the house, she jogged to the door to greet him. As soon as Ren got out of the car, she flung herself into his arms without wasting a second longer.

Ren held her steady with his long arms and kissed her head.

Meanwhile, Elijah opened the trunk and took out the little kitten Ruka had been thinking of.

“Mr. Husson got someone to look after the kitten, but it’s yours to care for now, Miss Singed. We’ve brought the food and supplies as well.”

Ruka took the little cutie out of the carrier and the kitten began to meow weakly in her arms. Her heart melted at the sight.

“It’s so cute! Let’s raise it together!”

Ren nodded and agreed with an indulgent expression, “Sure. Raise it together.”

“Both you and the cat,” he added.

Ruka’s cheeks flushed red. Thankfully, Elijah and the bodyguards had cleared off. Her heart felt warm and fuzzy as she said, “I’ll raise the cat and you can raise me.”

“It’s a deal.” They walked into the house with the kitten in her arms, and she in his.

While Ruka stayed in the living room to play with the cat, Ren and Elijah headed into the study. The atmosphere started to get a little tense.

“Sir, do you mean that Orson won’t use your relationship with Miss Singed against you?”

“I know what his tendencies are. He won’t harp on this matter, and he knows that even if he exposed my relationship with Ruka, it won’t affect my chances during the elections. However, Ruka will become his target instead,” Ren stated gravely.

“Alright. I understand. From now on, we’ll need to keep Miss Singed and her family safe.” Elijah nodded.

Ren’s family was well-protected, so now, Ruka was his weakness.

“Use as many men as needed. Make sure that Ruka and her family remain safe,” Ren instructed.

“I will, Sir. Oh, by the way, Miss Parfait has been taken in for a meeting. She will be resigning next week.”

The feasting carried on today as the festive mood lingered. Elijah stayed late for work and thus joined them for dinner.

Ruka sat on the couch and played with the little kitten in her lap. It had gotten a proper shower at the pet store, so its fur was clean and smooth to the touch. She was pretty sure that it was one of the most gorgeous cats alive.

She smiled when she saw the two men coming downstairs. As soon as Ren stepped onto the landing, the cat leaped out of her arms and ran over to him. He stopped and it started climbing up his pants to

try and snuggle in his arms.

Ren had a smile on his face as he crouched down to pick the kitten up. Ruka felt like a giddy school girl again when she saw this. It was adorable in an odd way to see him hugging a cat.

He carried himself with an air of dominance, but having a cat in his arms softened his intimidating aura and added a touch of gentleness to him. Any young woman who saw him right now would wish to be the cat in his arms!

Ruka could not help but recall the way she used to fantasize about being a cat in his arms. She blushed at the thought. Dreams were worth having after all. Who knew if they might come true one day?

Ren sat down on the couch with the cat still nestled against him. He looked a lot more relaxed as his fingers combed through the cat’s fur. He turned to the young woman beside him and said, “Your parents will be moving to a new house tomorrow.”

“Huh? Did Mom and Dad buy a house?” Ruka was taken aback. Why did they not tell her?

“Miss Singed, they did not buy a house. Mr. Husson is the one who prepared the house that they’ll be moving into,” Elijah explained from the side.

Ruka’s eyes widened. We’re not married yet but he bought a house for my parents already? NôvelDrama.Org: owner of this content.

“That’s too much!” Ruka felt a little overwhelmed.

“It’s only right for me to arrange a better living situation for my in-laws,” Ren said with a smile. “I’ll send you back before Christmas so you can spend the festive season with them too.”

Ruka was touched. She was overjoyed that her parents would be staying in a better place now. As they worked abroad most of the time, they decided against getting a new house and opted to save the

money for her to use once she got married instead. Her father once declared that he was going to make sure she had a grand wedding.

Dinner was served and all three of them sat down at the dining table together. Elijah took the opportunity to pull out his iPad and amend Ren’s itinerary for tomorrow. Yet again, Ren had a full schedule and Ruka felt like she could scarcely breathe just hearing how much that had to be done!

Furthermore, this schedule had been fixed two weeks in advance. Elijah was only doing some minor adjustments the day before.

Ruka glanced sympathetically at Ren. If only she had the ability to help him. She wished she could take on some of his work on his behalf, but she could not do anything else apart from feel sorry for him, and she felt rather helpless because of this.

Elijah left after dinner, and the servants also took their leave once they were done cleaning up. Ren, Ruka, and the little cat were the only ones left in the enormous house.

Ren headed to his study. As for Ruka, she took a shower and then started playing with the cat, Callie, in the living area on the second floor. It was nearly ten at night when it curled up on the couch to sleep. Ruka kept on flitting the cat toy around until she became drowsy as well. Her head started tilting forward, and she fell asleep on the couch as well.

When Ren stepped out of his study at half past ten, he walked past the living area on the second floor and saw the young woman and the cat sleeping there. His heart softened at the sight of them.

He decided against waking her up right now. Instead, he took a blanket and draped it over her before heading back to his room for a shower. Twenty minutes later, he came out dressed in a pair of black pajamas.

After staring at Ruka for a few seconds, he bent down and kissed her on the forehead before carrying her up.

Although Ruka had not been doing much the past two days, she still felt particularly drained. The moment he pulled her into his arms, she jostled awake and spotted a handsome face looming over her. She happily wrapped her arms around his neck.

“Are you done with work?” she asked at once in fear that he needed to head back to work again.

“Yeah. I’m done. Let’s go to bed.” Ren’s deep, hoarse voice sounded a little sexy.

When Ruka heard what he said, she leaned against him shyly and reveled in his embrace as he carried her to the master bedroom.

Ruka mustered up all her courage and made a bold decision. She was going to give herself to him tonight! If that was what he wanted, she was more than happy to oblige.

With that thought in mind, she tried her best to keep herself at ease. Ren set her down on the edge of the bed and she snuggled under the covers herself. She even scooted over to make some room for him.

Ren got in bed and turned the lights off. Ruka’s heart skipped a beat as he reached out to pull her close. She was tucked securely against his broad chest.

It just so happened that she was pressed up against his heart. She could hear the steady, powerful beating of his heart, and her own began to pound a little wildly.

She reached out to wrap her arms around his waist. In the darkness, he pulled her chin up. Once her head was tilted high enough, she felt something warm pressing against her lips. His kiss came without any warning.

He was not in a rush. His kiss was slow and tender as if he were savoring the taste of her lips. The fresh scent of mint did nothing to affect the dominance he displayed. It was as if she was his gift—one that he needed to unwrap as patiently as possible, instead of doing it with force.

Ruka grew light-headed from the kiss. She could not think of anything else apart from drowning in his passion. The warmth of his kiss warmed even the crevices of her heart, and her body began to tremble…

Then, disaster struck!

Ruka felt a familiar sensation and hastened to push him away.

“Hm? What’s the matter?” His hoarse voice rang out.

“My… my period just started… just now…” Ruka’s cheeks were burning up in utter embarrassment. Oh gosh! No wonder I’ve been feeling so sleepy lately. After doing some calculations, she realized that it came a week late.

Unfortunately, it chose to come right at this moment. To avoid staining his bedsheets, Ruka quickly jumped off the bed and ran back to her room.

She checked herself once she returned to her room, and true enough, she was right. Thankfully she came prepared, or otherwise, it would be mortifying if he had to go out in the middle of the night to buy pads for her.

After dealing with the crisis, she decided to return to his room, but when she opened her door, she saw him waiting right outside her room.

His eyes had a dangerous glint in them. When she looked into his eyes, she felt like he was going to eat her alive. “I’m sorry…” she apologized at once.

Ren was feeling a little frustrated too, but what could he do?

He stroked her head and pulled her into a hug. “Sleep in my room.”

Ruka shook her head. “I can’t. I might make a mess on your bedsheets.”

“I can always change it.” He was resolute, so she could only nod and follow him back. She could feel her cramps starting up too. They tormented her each month.

Although she climbed back into his bed, she lay there stiffly without daring to move about. She nestled in his arms again, but she could not stop herself from massaging her abdomen gently and inhaling sharply.

“Does it hurt?” He sensed it right away and pressed his large, warm hand against her abdomen.

All of a sudden, Ruka realized just how warm his hand was. It was so warm that it felt like a hot water bottle, and it eased most of her pain. She held his hand and said, “Lend me your warmth!”

Ren used his hand to massage her abdomen, but this time, his hand slid under her pajama top and pressed right against her skin.

Ruka gasped a little, but she enjoyed the warmth of his hand. His chin began to rub against her forehead, and the little stubble made her feel a little ticklish.

“Do you feel better now?” he asked after a while.

“Yeah, a lot better!” Not only was she not in any pain anymore, but she was so comfortable that she was about to fall asleep.

“Go ahead and sleep,” he coaxed as his hand continued to press warmly against her abdomen.

Ruka fell asleep in next to no time, while Ren was fated to stay up a little longer. Once the bed was fully warmed up, he turned the air-conditioning to a higher temperature before sneaking out of bed and heading for the bathroom.

It was morning at last.

Ruka lazed in bed like a drowsy kitten. It was so warm under the covers that she did not feel like opening her eyes, even though she knew the sun was up. She snuggled back into his arms to carry on dreaming.

“Ruka.” His attractive voice rang out beside her ear.

She mumbled sleepily in response and felt a kiss being planted on her lips. She smiled and wrapped her arms around his neck to stop him from getting out of bed.

Ren did not try to stop her. Usually, he would have gotten out of bed and started working by now, but Ruka was a sleepyhead and she dragged him down with her, so he decided to stay with her a little while longer.

As for Elijah, who was waiting outside to start his daily report to Ren, began to feel rather anxious.

However, a thought occurred to him, and suddenly, he found it perfectly reasonable for Ren to sleep in a little late today.

Finally, at half past eight in the morning, Ren came out of the bedroom fully dressed for work. Elijah gave him an envious look. “Do your reporting downstairs!” Ren said quietly.

“Yes, I understand. Miss Singed needs her sleep,” Elijah responded at once.

By the time Ruka woke up, Ren had gone out. She became a little annoyed with herself. Why did she laze about in bed for so long that she missed out on having breakfast with him? Just as she began to

have her breakfast alone feeling all morose, one of the servants came over with a bouquet of flowers. “Miss Singed, Mr. Husson prepared this for you.”

Ruka’s eyes lit up with excitement. She took the bouquet of red roses over and saw the card stuck between them.

After fishing it out, she saw the message that read, ‘Good morning, my Ruka.’

He signed it off himself and his signature was just as commanding and authoritative as he was.

It was clear that he bought the flowers and wrote the card himself before asking someone to deliver it to the house for her.

Ruka felt all warm and fuzzy inside. The servants had also prepared warm ginger tea to help keep her body warm. He must have instructed them to do so!

Even though he was not beside her right now, she could still feel his tender care. At noon, she received a call from her mother who informed her that they were packing up now and getting ready to move into their new house.

“Ruka, Ren prepared a villa for us. It looks very grand and luxurious, and the security system is top- notch. We’ll be safe here,” Claire described gratefully.

“Mom, do you need me to come and help you with the move?”

“No. Ren has sent some people over to help us out. There’s a large truck stopped outside the house right now. I think we’ll be done with just one trip since the villa is fully furnished. We’ll just need to bring along our daily necessities.”

Ruka could deduce that Ren prepared a new house for her parents to protect them. If she married him, her parents would also become part of his closest circle, and he needed to do this to prevent them from

being attacked by those with ulterior motives.

At the Translation Department.

Victoria came out of the conference room looking as pale as a sheet. Her eyes were filled with hatred and the unwillingness to concede. She never thought that Ren would act against her so mercilessly.

She knew that she was powerless against Ren, but she believed that with Orson’s influence, he would be able to ensure that Ren lost in the upcoming elections.

She could not wait to see him disgraced.

Inara and Michelle walked past her with a stack of documents in their hands. In the past, they would have greeted Victoria courteously in an attempt to curry favor with her, but right now, neither one of them showed her any sign of respect.

“I heard that Ruka failed her assessment because Victoria used her powers to interfere. I used to look up to her and wanted to become as accomplished as her, but it looks like I’ll need to take that back now. I don’t want to be as shameless and deplorable as her!”

Victoria was furious to see that even the interns had the guts to mock her right to her face. She glowered at them, while they stood there with smug expressions as they watched her leave.

“D*mn it!” Victoria was so mad that she felt a little woozy and had to lean against the wall to support herself.

Three days later, it was Christmas Eve. Although Ren was reluctant to let Ruka leave, he did get to spend a few days with her and he did not want her to miss out on spending time with her family during the holiday season.

Ren led her to the car and personally opened the door for her. Once she had her seatbelt on, he bent down and inspected it carefully before stroking her head and kissing her forehead. “I’ll come and pick you up after Christmas.”

“Okay.” Ruka looked up at him a little wistfully too. She would have given him a hug if it had not been for all the bodyguards around them.

She sat safely in the car, while four other SUVs protected her from the front and back. No expense was spared to keep her safe.

Ruka took in the sights of the crowded streets when a thought flashed across her mind. If she married Ren and he continued to remain in his position, it meant that she would not have much of a chance to stroll about on the streets.

Even so, her smile did not fade. He was worth it, even if she had to give up everything. So what if she had to make some adjustments to her life and routine if it meant that she could be with him?

She was willing to do whatever it took to be with him, even if it meant giving up her life.

There were two gray cars tailing Ruka’s procession. The men in the two cars stared at the fleet of cars in front of them with a dangerous look in their eyes.

They were not going to act now, but from now on, she would always be under their watchful gaze.

Meanwhile, Ren was on a call in his office when Elijah came in with another man.