CHAPTER 128: OBSTACLE

The sun was setting when Stefan parked one of Ethan’s car outside Rayna’s house.

He stared at the door for a long moment, his hands gripping the steering wheel like it was the only thing anchoring him to the ground.

"She signed them," he recalled his mother saying.

His mother had called less than an hour ago, her voice calm but edged with finality as she told him that Ivy had come by and signed the divorce papers. It was done. Official. Ivy was out of his life—at least on paper.

But even as Elizabeth recounted it like some minor business transaction, Stefan’s mind had been somewhere else entirely.

Ruby, the woman who had stood beside him when he was at his lowest, who had comforted him, kissed him, and held his heart without even realizing it and how he could get her back.

He’d decided to quickly come speak to her now that he had nothing holding him back again.

He climbed out of the car with a quiet sigh and walked up the path to Rayna’s front door. Every step felt heavier than the last. He didn’t even know what he was going to say. He only knew he had to see Ruby—to explain, to apologize, to make things right.

He knocked gently, heart thudding in his chest like a drumbeat as he waited for someone to get the door.

Footsteps approached. Then the door swung open to reveal Rayna who just stood there, arms crossed, her expression unimpressed and protective when she saw it was Stefan.

She didn’t even try to mask the irritation in her eyes.

"What do you want?" she asked flatly.

Stefan swallowed hard. "I need to speak with Ruby."

Rayna’s eyes narrowed. "And what makes you think you can just show up here and ask for that?"

"I’m not here to fight," Stefan said quickly. "I just... I need to talk to her. Please."

Rayna stepped outside and pulled the door slightly behind her, blocking his view inside. "Not under my watch," she snapped. "She doesn’t want to see you."

Stefan felt the sting in her words. "I know she’s angry. I don’t blame her. But I was deceived too, Rayna. I didn’t know—I didn’t recognize her. I didn’t know it was Ruby all along."

Rayna scoffed. "You think that makes it better?"

"I just want to explain," he said, desperation leaking into his voice. "I need her to understand that I—"

"That you love her?" Rayna cut in, her tone bitter. "You think those three words will magically fix everything?"

Stefan’s jaw clenched. "I’m not asking for magic. I’m asking for a chance. A real one. I love her. And I hate myself for not seeing her sooner. For not knowing and causing her pains."

Rayna’s expression faltered just slightly—only slightly—but she recovered just as fast.

"You’re too late," she said coldly. "She’s done with you. She made that very clear. You had your chance, Stefan. And you blew it. Just leave, please."

"I didn’t—"

But Rayna didn’t let him finish. Without another word, she slammed the door in his face.

Stefan stood there for a long moment, the sound of the door echoing in his ears, reverberating through his chest like a punch.

free\we,bnovel.c o(m)

Inside, Rayna leaned against the door, her heart racing. She wasn’t angry for nothing—she had seen what Ruby had gone through, the nights she cried, the days she couldn’t eat, the blank stares, the silence, the sadness. Stefan had broken something that might never be fixed. Even now when he showed up again, she’d seen how hard Ruby was trying not to break down, pretending to be strong when she wasn’t.

She turned just as Ruby stepped out of the hallway, her hair loose around her shoulders, her face calm but curious.

"Who was at the door? I thought I heard a knock," Ruby asked, her voice soft as she looked toward the door.

Rayna straightened instantly. "No one important. Just someone asking for directions."

Ruby nodded, accepting the answer easily. Then there was a brief silence. Ruby stepped away, turning back toward the hallway.

But Rayna’s voice stopped her. "Ruby," she called, almost too softly.

The name came out faster than she intended. Ruby turned back, eyebrows lifting.

"What is it?"

Rayna opened her mouth. The words hovered on the tip of her tongue—Stefan was here. He wanted to see you. He said he loves you.

But then she saw it. The peace on Ruby’s face. The quiet in her eyes.

It had taken days for her to look that calm again. And Rayna wasn’t going to ruin that especially after all Ruby had said about never going back.

She swallowed the words.

"Nothing," she said instead. "I was just going to ask if you needed anything, but you always tell me if you do."

Ruby smiled faintly. "Of course, I do. Thanks."

She turned and left, the door closing behind her with a soft click.

Rayna stood in the hallway, her shoulders slowly slumping as the weight of the moment settled over her.

Maybe one day Ruby would want to hear from Stefan.

But not today. Not after everything she’d been through.

She sighed and made her way back to the couch, her heart heavy with the secret she now carried.

Away from there, once he arrived back home safely, Stefan pushed open the door to Ethan’s house and stepped inside, the click of the lock behind him sounding far too loud in the silence.

The space was dim, lit only by the soft golden glow of the entryway chandelier. He dropped his keys into the ceramic bowl by the door, their clink sharp in the quiet, then shrugged off his coat and draped it over the back of a chair.

He stood there for a long moment, his thoughts racing in circles.

He had gone to Rayna’s house with hope—a desperate kind of hope that maybe, just maybe, Ruby would be willing to hear him out. But that hope had shattered the second Rayna opened the door and stared at him like he was the last person she wanted to see.

And now he was back where he started or was it even worse?