Chapter 19: Miss Ruby

Ian walked out of the room without saying a word. If Mina were smart enough, she would figure it out on her own. He gestured for his guards to close the door behind him, once again hiding the room behind a bookshelf.

As Ian was walking toward his study, a middle-aged woman scurried behind him. He stopped walking and looked back. His usual cold expression melted away when he looked at the woman, it was his childhood nanny, Ruby. She had basically raised him over the years and was more like a mother to him. She was getting on in age, and it was becoming hard for her to keep up with him, but she would not leave, and he could not bear to ask her to. Other than his sister, she was the only person who expected nothing from him.

"Nan, what is so important that you are chasing me?" Ruby reached out her plump hand and gently caressed Ian's face. He was now a grown man, but he had not changed the way he addressed her. It made her feel like he was her real son. As Ruby looked at Ian, she could tell he was not in good condition, she could always tell, but he would never complain. Ruby studied Ian's face and, in a tone, only a mother could possess she questioned him.

"Young man, you've brought over a guest. I need to know whether the guest is welcome or not." Ian smiled. His nan was warm and kind, but she was no fool, and could be scarier than him. She had been around long enough to know the type of danger he was always in.

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Ian was a newborn when Ruby first came to work for his family. At that time, their position at the top had not been fully established. Many people wanted to hurt the Lee family by killing Ian, but Ruby was always diligent in protecting him and eventually his sister. When he was five years old, he was told that he could not continue going to school and would instead be homeschooled.

Ian liked going to school and did not want his parents to stop him from going back, so he threw a severe tantrum and starved himself. Nothing anyone tried worked, and they were close to force feeding him. Currently, Ruby was terribly busy. She had recently given birth, and was out on maternity leave, but when she heard that Ian had not eaten in days, she swaddled her newborn and came rushing over.

When Ruby entered Ian's room, she could immediately see that he did not look well. She wondered how a child could be so stubborn, but she did not comment on it. Instead, she walked to the side of his bed and placed a small bundle on his lap.

"Ellie, say hello to your big brother Ian. He is going to watch over you and protect you and your big sister Luna." Ian looked down at Ellie and back up at his Nan. He was young, but he knew she had come back early for him, and it made him feel guilty.

"Nan, why are you here? Father told me you would be gone for another six months." Ruby pretended to be hurt.

"Ellie, I guess your brother doesn't want to see us." Ian gently reached out to stop his Nan from taking Ellie away. He was barely two years old when Luna was born, and he had never seen a real baby up close. He really liked being an older brother and he was incredibly happy that he had two little sisters he could protect. But what really made him happy was that his Nan had indirectly told him that she considered him her son.

There was a lot of help in the house, but none of them treated Ian and Luna the way Ruby did. She read them bedtime stories, she took them to the park, she cared for them when they were sick, and she did not treat them like work. Other helpers in the house were stern and strict, but Ruby was all smiles until they did something wrong. Other helpers in the house would just report the siblings to their parents and they would be spanked or forced to write lengthy apologies, but not Ruby.

When they were wrong, she would give them the cold shoulder and treat them the way they were treated by the others. They hated that punishment the most. When they could no longer take it, they would report themselves to their parents and their Nan would always welcome them back with a smile. She really loved them.

While Ian was still looking at his new baby sister, Ruby casually asked him what he would like to eat. He absentmindedly told her. She picked up Ellie and asked Ian to accompany her to the kitchen so he could help with his sister as she cooked for him. Ian had left his room for the first time in days. Luna was only four at the time, but when she heard her Nan had come for a visit she patiently waited outside Ian's door. She knew that Nan would convince her brother to eat something, and she was not wrong.

Only a few minutes passed by, and Ian was already clutching his Nan's clothes as they walked out of the room. When Ruby saw Luna standing outside the door. She dropped down to one knee and introduced Luna to her baby sister Ellie. Both Ian and Ellie took Ruby's words to heart. They loved their Nan and baby Ellie very much, and they really treated her like a sister.

Ruby came back early from maternity leave, and the Lee family had a small house built for her at the furthest part of their backyard. They did not want to overstep, but they wanted to subtly let her know that she was a part of their family, and she played a significant role. She was exceptionally good with the children, and with her around, they could focus on the Lee family's power struggles. All the other nannies were let go.