Yvonne reached her apartment and got into the elevator, making a mental note to talk to Amber as she did. She was sure Amber would agree to help them out. Amber had no reason not to believe Yvonne and Ruby were a real couple. They had done an excellent job of convincing everyone of that over the past few months.

Was there a reason for that? Was Madison right? Was Ruby head over heels for Yvonne?

Was Yvonne head over heels for Ruby too?

She made her way to her front door. Ruby was inside waiting for her, cupcakes and all. For once, Yvonne didn’t feel like she was alone. She had Ruby. Ruby was hers.

Could Ruby be hers for good? Was that what Yvonne wanted?

Yvonne wasn’t the type to be plagued with insecurities. She rarely felt uncertain about anything. So why was she so uncertain about this? Was she simply making excuses? Was Yvonne afraid of her feelings for Ruby, afraid of getting hurt?

Yvonne took a moment to collect herself, then slid her key into the lock. But when she turned it, it didn’t make its usual click.

The door was unlocked.

Yvonne frowned. Perhaps Ruby simply had forgotten to lock the door after returning home.

She opened the door and entered her apartment. “Ruby?”

Ruby didn’t respond, but Yvonne could hear voices coming from the direction of the bedrooms. As she approached, she heard Ruby speaking in a raised, shrill tone.

“Give it back!”

Yvonne’s pulse sped up. She raced to Ruby’s room, her heart in her throat.

When she reached the doorway, she froze. Ruby was cowering by her dresser, her arms held close, hugging herself.

Standing before her was Yvonne’s brother.

“Get away from her,” Yvonne said. “Now.”

Nicholas turned toward Yvonne, his face twisting into a smile. “Yvonne. You’re home.” He stepped away from Ruby.

Ruby’s eyes widened. “Yvonne, I’m sorry!”

“What the hell are you doing here?” Yvonne snapped.

“I came to see you,” Nicholas replied. “I wanted to discuss this inheritance issue of yours, but since you weren’t home, I decided I’d come in and wait.”

“He just burst in here,” Ruby said. “I couldn’t stop him.”

Yvonne’s stomach turned to ice. “If you laid a hand on Ruby-”

“I didn’t touch her,” Nicholas said. “She let me in, so I thought I’d take the opportunity to have a look around. You’ve lived here for years, but you haven’t invited me over before. I’ve never seen the place.”

Yvonne looked at Ruby. “Are you all right? Did he hurt you?”

“No, I’m fine.” Ruby’s voice trembled. “I’m so sorry, I tried to stop him.”

Yvonne examined her. Ruby seemed unharmed, but why did she keep apologizing? “What are you talking about? What did he do?”

Ruby looked at Nicholas. Yvonne followed the path of her eyes. Nicholas was holding a document in his hands. Yvonne’s heart plummeted from her chest.

The contract.

Before Nicholas could react, Yvonne snatched it out of his hand.