Ava wakes up at 6:30 AM, feeling refreshed after a good night's sleep. She reaches over to her nightstand and changes the alarm time from 7:00 AM to 8:30 AM, giving herself an extra hour and a half to sleep in.
She gets dressed and ready for work, grabbing a quick breakfast before heading out the door at 7:30 AM.
Ruby's Morning Surprise
Back in their shared apartment, Ruby remains fast asleep, unaware of the altered alarm time.
At 8:30 AM, the alarm blares to life, jolting Ruby awake. She rubs her eyes, disoriented, and checks the time.
"8:30?! Why did Ava change the alarm?" Ruby wonders, sitting up in bed.
Ruby quickly gets out of bed and begins her morning routine, feeling a bit rushed.
As she's getting ready, Ruby notices Ava's note on the kitchen counter:
"Hey Ruby, had to leave early for work. See you tonight! - Ava"
Ruby smiles, feeling grateful for their friendship.
Meanwhile, at Hotel BelleVue...
Ava arrives at the hotel, clocking in for her shift. She exchanges pleasantries with colleagues and begins her duties.
Ruby rushed out of her apartment, eager to start her day at Hotel BelleVue. As she walked along the sidewalk, the sky transformed from a bright blue to a deep grey. Suddenly, raindrops began to fall, gently at first, then intensifying into a refreshing downpour.
Ruby couldn't resist the allure of the rain. She stopped under an awning, lifting her face to the sky, and let the raindrops wash over her. Laughing, she spun around, feeling carefree.
Unbeknownst to Ruby, a pair of piercing eyes watched her from across the street. The boy, standing beneath a nearby awning, observed Ruby's joyful abandon. His expression softened.
As the rain subsided, Ruby continued her walk to the hotel. The boy remained still, his gaze following her.
Just as Ruby turned the corner, a sleek black car pulled up beside the boy. The window rolled down, and he went in the car from there.
Hotel BelleVue
Ruby arrived at the hotel, shaking off the rain. She changed into her uniform and met Ava.
Ava teased, "Had a shower with someone, huh?"
Ruby playfully replied, "Just stop it, Ava."
After changing, they headed to their respective shifts.
Evening Shopping
After work, Ruby and Ava went shopping. As they strolled, the sky darkened, and rain poured down again.
Ava opened her umbrella, but Ruby, undeterred, twirled in the rain.
"Ruby, stop! You're getting soaked!" Ava laughed.
As the rain subsided, Ava gasped, "Ruby, your dress is transparent!"
Ruby's eyes widened, mortified.
Ava apologized, "I don't have an extra cloth."
Just then, a stranger appeared, handing Ruby his jacket.
"Here, take this," he said, his voice low and mysterious.
Before Ruby could thank him, he vanished into the crowd.
Ruby and Ava exchanged stunned glances.
"Who was that?" Ava whispered.
Ruby shook her head, "No idea."
As they walked away, Ruby wrapped the jacket around her, feeling grateful but puzzled.
The jacket's scent, a mix of leather and spice, lingered, leaving Ruby wondering about the stranger's identity.
The next morning, Ruby and Ava arrived at the hotel for work at the same time. After parting ways, Ava was summoned by her colleagues, leaving Ruby to attend to her duties.
Ruby approached a room and announced, "Room service!" When no one responded, she used her master key to enter. As she began her work, a man suddenly appeared behind her, behaving inappropriately.
Ruby shouted, struggling to break free, but the man grasped her hand. She pushed him away and sprinted out of the room.
In the hallway, she met a boy and pleaded, "Please, help me!"
"What happened?" he asked.
Before Ruby could explain, the assailant stormed out, shouting, "You girl, wait! I won't let you go!" Ruby cowered behind the boy.
The man's demeanor shifted upon seeing the boy. "Sen... I'm sorry. I didn't know she was your girlfriend. Sorry, sir," he stammered, backing away.
At night
Ava was away visiting relatives, so Ruby walked home from work alone that night. As she approached her house, she heard sounds of a scuffle. Rushing towards the noise, she saw two men attacking Sen.
Ruby shouted, "I'm calling the police!" The assailants fled, and she rushed to Sen's side.
"Are you okay?" Ruby asked, helping him up.
Sen nodded, "I'm fine," but collapsed, overwhelmed by his injuries.
Ruby struggled to carry him to his house, finally laying him on her bed. She removed his shirt, revealing bruises and cuts, and tended to his wounds, staying by his side all night.
At dawn, Sen awoke to find Ruby asleep beside him. He scribbled a grateful note: "Thank you for helping me."
Meanwhile, Ava returned home and found Ruby sleeping on the bed. Noticing Ruby's disheveled state, Ava sensed something was amiss.
Ruby woke, confused, and asked Ava, "Have you seen a boy?"
Ava's confusion deepened. "What boy?"
Ruby brushed it off. "I must have dreamed it."
Ava pressed, "Ruby, something happened, didn't it?"
Ruby diverted her attention. "Let's go shopping at 11:00 a.m. today!"
They arrived at the market at 11:00 a.m., browsing from store to store, but couldn't find what they wanted. As they walked through the open area, they noticed a boy sitting in a car surrounded by guards.
As they passed by, the boy jumped out, grasping Ruby's hand. Ava shouted, but he ordered his guards to restrain her. The boy began misbehaving with Ruby, saying, "Hello, beautiful lady. Why walk in the sun? Come with me, and I'll take you to my house or room."
Ruby spat in his face, "How shameless are you?"
The boy smirked, "Not at all. You're my type."
Just as he touched Ruby's shoulder, Sen arrived in his car, pulled Ruby close, and warned, "She's my girlfriend. Don't dare touch her."
Sen's friend, Lucas, appeared, took Ava's hand, and led her to the car. As they walked away, the boy, Tang, shouted, "Sen, I want her! I know how to get her away from you both."
Sen and Lucas responded in unison, "She's mine."
Tang's eyes narrowed, "We'll see about that."
Sen and Lucas swiftly escorted Ruby and Ava to their cars, parked nearby. As they drove away, Tang's furious shout echoed through the market.
"Let's get out of here," Sen said, his eyes locked on the rearview mirror.
"Agreed," Lucas replied, accelerating his car.
Ruby and Ava exchanged worried glances.
"Who is that guy?" Ava asked.
Sen's expression turned grim. "Tang. A troublemaker. Don't worry, I've got you."
Lucas chimed in, "We'll keep you safe."
As they sped away, Tang's anger-fueled face disappeared into the distance.
Ava's Curiosity
"Hi, Ruby! When did you meet Sen?" Ava asked, eyes sparkling with curiosity.
Ruby hesitated, "I was thinking of telling you today, but... everything happened so suddenly."
Ava's eyes widened, "Spill the beans! What happened?"
Ruby smiled, "Later, okay? Let's eat first. I'm starving!"
Ava laughed, "Okay, fine. But you owe me an explanation."
Food Break
They walked to a nearby café, ordering sandwiches and coffee.
As they ate, Ava teased, "So, Sen, huh? You're holding out on me."
Ruby blushed, "It's not like that. He just... appeared."
Ava raised an eyebrow, "Appeared?"
Ruby nodded, "Yeah. During the rain. He gave me his jacket."
Ava's eyes sparkled, "Romantic!"
Ruby chuckled, "Shh, don't jump to conclusions."
Tomorrow's Plan
As they finished their meal, Ruby suggested, "Let's go shopping tomorrow. We still need to get those things."
Ava nodded, "Sounds good. And maybe... we'll run into your mystery man."
Ruby's heart skipped a beat, "I wish."
Ava grinned mischievously, "I'll make sure to bring my umbrella."
Ruby playfully rolled her eyes. Way