She was only here for a secret mission from the main branch and knowing how much of a miser her boss had always been, how could she be arranged to stay in such a lavish building?
Ruby doubted it would cost any less than the upper end of four figures to rent a flat for the week.
"Sir, are you sure we're not in the wrong place?"
At her question, the driver double-checked the information on his phone and nodded, passing the phone to her.
"The location isn't wrong. Here, Youngford Apartment, Zeus Street No 3."
The driver pointed at the screen, before taking back his phone and ushering her to stop bothering him. He had long since had enough of this pair of mother and son, more than eager to distance himself from them as soon as possible.
Helpless as she was, Ruby could only do as she was told. She brought Daniel and her luggages to the lobby, reminding the little boy to sit on the sofa and wait for her before walking to the corner to make a phone call.
The phone rang thrice, and as Ruby waited in anxiety, the call finally connected, her boss's signature sleazy tone coming through.
"What is it, Penguin? It's now out of working hours, do you not know the rules?"
Ruby, codename Penguin, instinctively glanced at the time on her phone. It's one o'clock in the afternoon and as the boss said, out of the boss's working hours since whatever the boss said was the rules.
Yeah right. Ruby rolled her eyes right there and then. Ignoring his annoyance, she straightforwardly asked him without beating around the bush.
"Sir, have you arranged me into the Youngford Apartment?"
"Youngf– Do I look crazy to you?"
She could hear the loud screech of a chair being dragged from the phone line, which instantly verified her suspicions.
Ruby practiced her patience and generously said, "It's a mistake then. Just send me the right location and I'll see…"
"Ah, right!" The boss suddenly cut her off. "The Youngs… wait for a moment, he should be there in a moment…"
Ruby's heart jumped, a bad premonition coming into her mind as she frowned, "So it wasn't a mistake? Boss.."
"Oh, Uncle Ceo!"
Just as Ruby was about to get the truth out of the matter, she heard Daniel's cry of excitement. The fingers holding the phone twitched as she looked over, her frown deepening when she recognized who he was.
The man waving at her and Daniel had a smile as bright as the sun, his skin a healthy shade of tan as he strode over in a casual white shirt and brown trousers.
"Mr Young."
Ruby muttered dryly, unable to muster even the slightest excitement to greet him properly, while little Daniel skipped around the man as if he were catching butterflies.
"Uncle Ceo, hug, hug!"
Aaron Young laughed, scooping up the over-enthusiastic Daniel with one arm while his other arm had long found its way around their baggage.
"Follow me. I'll bring you to your stay."
Aaron motioned with his chin, ignoring Ruby's attempt to take over Daniel or at least, help carry their bags.
"Mr Young, this isn't right. It'll be too much trouble for you…" Ruby helplessly pleaded as she trailed behind them.
"You're being too courteous." Aaron said with a smile. "What's the relationship between us?"
"A past client–"
"Friends." Aaron deliberately insisted. "Consider it my way of thanking you for saving my life."
"But…"
"We're here."
Ruby's hesitance was cut off as Aaron lowered little Daniel from his arms and handed her luggages over.
"Apartment number 1603." Aaron said as he passed her the necessary keys. "And if there's anything that you and little Danny need help with, I will be available right next door."
He proceeded to point at the door beside them, before nonchalantly retreating to his own apartment and leaving the pair of mother and son in the corridor.
"O-Oh!" Daniel mused, orbiting around Ruby as replacement once Aaron was gone. "Does it mean that Uncle Ceo will be living next to us from now on?"
"That's great!" The oblivious child exclaimed.
"There's nothing great about that!"
Ruby told the boy once she dragged everything into the room and slammed the door shut.
"Little Danny," Ruby held the boy's shoulders firm, her eyes staring into his, "Do you want Uncle Aaron to be your Daddy?"
Daniel broke away from their eye contact and touched his chin, sheepishly answering in a whisper, "Why not?
Ruby sighed. "Baby, what do you like about Uncle Aaron?"
She carried the boy in her arms and threw herself onto the sofa, heaving in and out tiredly as she let their weight sink into the soft plush.
Daniel squirmed in his seat as he timidly poked at Ruby's arm, "Mommy, do you not like Uncle Ceo?"
"Uncle is kind and handsome. Most importantly, he is a Ceo and has a lot of money! If Mommy were to marry Uncle Ceo, Mommy wouldn't have to work day and night for Danny anymore. Mommy can spend her days shopping around, making nail arts and dressing prettily like a princess."
Daniel could feel the arm around him tightening as her mother buried herself into the narrow dip of his shoulders, her hair tickling his exposed soft baby skin.
He lowered his eyes and played with his fingers. "Mommy, once Danny grows up, Danny will definitely earn a lot of money for Mommy to spend. But…"
The boy suddenly paused, his lashes fluttering dejectedly. "Danny doesn't know if that day will ever come…"
Daniel's gaze landed on the beeping heart monitor on his wrist, his breath gradually turning short and shallow.
"It will, Baby."
His mother's soft and gentle voice brushed over as he found himself spun around and pressed onto her chest, feeling the strong drums of her heart beating against him.
The sound was both loud and calming, giving strength to his slowly weakening heart. Daniel's eyelids gradually turned heavy.
"Mommy will make sure that day will come."
As the sound of his soft snore replaced the serenity of the room, Ruby gazed lovingly at the baby in her arms.
The boy was already 5 this year and yet, his physique was as small and thin as a three-year-old.
It was all her fault. A tear fell down her cheek.
She had only been hurting her baby since the day she had conceived him and yet, the boy had always placed her best interest in mind.
The boy even said that he wanted her to be as carefree as a princess…
"But baby, do you know?" Ruby smiled sadly as she rubbed her nose against the boy's cheek, her whisper as soft as feather.
"Mommy doesn't want to be anyone's princess. Mommy just wants to be Danny's Mother and that's all that I could ever wish for."
She wanted the boy to know that just like him, he was the only one that ever mattered to her.