Contracted To You Chapter 8: Uninvited Curiosity

Ruby stood in front of the oak door, her mind racing with the magnitude of Ezra’s lavish mansion. She had received the opportunity to visit, and there was no way she would let that slip by. Just the night before, Evie had shared the news, and now, here she was, ready to engage in so much-needed discussions. It felt surreal that her friend had landed a billionaire like Ezra Thorne; it must be an incredible experience.

After waiting a bit, having already pressed the doorbell, the door creaked open. A man stepped out—glasses perched on his nose and a skeptical look on his face, likely questioning her presence.

"Oh hi. I’m Ruby, Evie’s friend. Is she here?" Ruby asserted, locking eyes with him.

The butler hesitated but replied, "Yes, she is."

"I’d like to see her," Ruby stated firmly. The butler nodded, stepping aside to let her in.

"I’ll inform her that you’re here," he said, and Ruby accepted this without hesitation, standing at the entrance as he quickly departed to fetch Evie.

Once alone, Ruby’s jaw dropped. She had never seen Ezra’s house, given his penchant for privacy, but now she was astounded by what lay before her. The opulence was overwhelming, and she couldn’t believe she was here. Her curiosity piqued; she began exploring the space, scanning the expensive vases and golden statues adorning the house. The perfectly frad pictures lood large, and the polished floor reflected the grandeur surrounding her.

"That’s an exquisite couch," she remarked to herself, eyeing the velvety masterpiece in the parlor.

"Ruby!" a voice called from behind, startling her.

She turned to find Evie standing there, dressed in black jeans and a pink halter neck top, her hair pulled back in a neat ponytail. With her arms crossed and an arched eyebrow, it was clear Evie disapproved of Ruby’s wandering.

"You startled ," Ruby exclaid, placing a hand dramatically on her chest before stepping forward to embrace Evie. "I’ve missed you, babe," she said, squeezing tightly.

Evie smiled, returning the hug. " too."

As they pulled apart, Ruby gave Evie a playful smirk. "You sll amazing. I guess the billionaire life suits you."

Evie rolled her eyes. "Have you eaten? I was just about to have lunch. Join ," she suggested, attempting to lead Ruby away. But Ruby halted her.

"Evie, you didn’t ntion how utterly magnificent this place is!" she exclaid, lowering her voice in awe as she glanced around. "Is he ho?"

Evie narrowed her eyes. "Yeah," she replied, even as uncertainty nagged at her. After all, their arrangent was rely a façade, and she didn’t want to breach any boundaries.

Ruby waved her hand dismissively. "Anyway, I’m here now. All I want is to explore—you know this is a one-ti opportunity!" Her enthusiasm was contagious, and Evie shook her head in disbelief.

Before she could protest further, Ruby was already off, inspecting every inch of the mansion with unabashed curiosity.

As Ruby approached a large glass display filled with awards, her eyes scanned the impressive accolades. "He’s truly comndable," she declared, tracing her fingers along the glass.

Evie warned her quietly, "Ruby, don’t touch that."

Ruby turned with a pout. "Why not?" She huffed but continued her exploration.

Sighing internally, Evie cursed herself for overlooking Ruby’s curious nature. This could end poorly if Ezra happened to catch them; after all, she had convinced him just yesterday, and she didn’t want to ruin any trust, if he even trusted her.

"Wow..." Ruby’s voice echoed through the long hallway just beyond the living room. The walls were adorned with sleek, modern art, accentuated by dim gold lighting that gave the space an exclusive gallery feel.

Evie rushed after her, catching up just in ti. "Ruby, stop snooping—"

"Are you kidding?" Ruby shot back, eyes wide with excitent as she turned a corner. "This place is unbelievable! Who even has a wine vault with a biotric lock in their ho?"

Evie frowned, her hesitation evident. "Wait—what?" She followed Ruby’s gaze, her eyes landing on a sleek glass wall inlaid with bottles arranged in perfect symtry. A scanner blinked faintly near the handle.

And her lips parted in surprise.

Ruby spun around, catching the surprised look on Evie’s face, and she raised her eyebrows. "You didn’t notice this before? You live here," she stated, disbelief lacing her voice.

Evie blinked, montarily thrown off. "I... I haven’t explored this far yet," she replied, her tone more defensive.

Ruby scrutinized her, a knowing look in her eyes. "You’ve been in this mansion for days, and you haven’t bothered to look around?"

Evie opened her mouth to respond but hesitated. The silence grew heavy between them.

Ruby’s expression sharpened, and she crossed her arms over her chest. "You’re acting strange, Evie. Are you sure everything’s... real about this arrangent, I still have my doubts about you and Ezra?"

Evie forced a smile, attempting to mask the rising unease. "You’re overthinking it, Ruby..." She trailed off but Ruby still gazed at her with that curious look. Evie set her lips in a thin line before saying, "Let’s just head back."

But Ruby’s gaze returned to the hallway. She wanted to keep exploring. "Please, let’s just go to my room," Evie pleaded.

Eventually Ruby agreed, and Evie took hold of Ruby’s arm, guiding her away from the area they clearly shouldn’t be in. Ruby followed, her curious eyes darting around as Evie led her along.

As they turned back to the living room, Evie insisted, "Seriously, let’s not push it. He doesn’t like people touching his things or snooping."

"Noted," Ruby mumbled, still casting glances around, curiosity barely contained. "He has serious billionaire-in-a-drama energy. Kind of scary hot, not gonna lie," she added with a teasing smirk.

Evie rolled her eyes, a nervous chuckle escaping. "Don’t say that out loud."

Just as they were about to re-enter the main hallway, a deep, calm voice sliced through the air:

"Are you enjoying the tour?"

They froze.

Ezra stood at the opposite end of the corridor, arms crossed, his piercing gaze fixed on Ruby before briefly flicking to Evie—sharp and unreadable.

Ruby quickly straightened, fully aware this was Ezra Throne. The reality of his presence sent a flush to her cheeks. "I was just... admiring the place," she said, her voice rising an octave, attempting to sound casual.

Ezra’s lips twitched, not quite forming a smile. "Admire from the front room next ti," he replied coldly, sending a chill down Ruby’s spine. She swallowed hard in embarrassnt.

Evie stepped forward, her tone urgent yet breathless. "I’m sorry. I should’ve kept her in the main areas."

Ezra’s eyes turned to her, steady and piercing. "You should have."

An awkward silence descended, thick and uncomfortable. Ruby cleared her throat. "I’ll just... wait in the living room." She rushed past them, eager to escape.

Evie lingered until Ruby was out of earshot.

"Sorry," she said quietly again.

Ezra’s gaze softened—just a fraction—as he regarded her. "Next ti she wanders off, I expect you to leash her."

Evie blinked, then let out a laugh that held an edge. "Wow. How romantic."

Ezra didn’t smile, but the faintest glimr of amusent flickered in his eyes as he turned to leave. He halted mid-stride, then turned back to Evie. "I’ll be stepping out for a while. You two should exhibit your best behavior," he stated, as though he were admonishing children to mind their manners.

Evie nodded firmly. "We will. I promise," she replied, a small smile forming on her lips.

Ezra acknowledged her with a nod, but as he prepared to exit, Evie’s gaze tracked to Ruby across the room who was observing them with lingering suspicion.

Evie narrowed her eyes—Ruby had co too close to uncovering the truth. She needed to extinguish that flicker of doubt. "Ezra," she called out boldly.

Ezra stopped and turned, but there was an unexpected flicker of surprise on his face as Evie ran forward, wrapping her arms around him in an embrace. He stiffened montarily. His gaze dropping to her red hair.

"Ruby’s suspicious," Evie whispered urgently before pulling back to et his eyes.

Then, without hesitation, she rose on her toes, wrapped her arms around his neck and pressed a kiss against his lips.

As she pulled away, their eyes locked, the air charged. "Co back quickly," she said with a warm smile, observing his expression to see that she had caught him off guard.