Page 131 of The Tower

I glance around the studio at my paintings, so many cityscapes, so many wide-open spaces. Grimm had given me that. Helped me cope with my fear, got me off those damn drugs. But he hadn’t done it for me. Not really.

“I thought I was finally free,” I whisper. “That night at Alexander’s party, when Liam took me away, I thought I was truly escaping. But I was just trading one captor for another.”

“You’re not captive now,” Ruby points out. “You came back here on your own. That’s a choice you made.”

She’s right, of course. Whatever else has happened, I’m no longer under my father’s direct control. Or Liam’s. The guardianship was denied. Reed Cosmetics is mine now, not to mention the rest of Reed Industries.

I’m free.

I should be jumping for joy. Instead, I’m mourning the loss of a man I should never have let myself trust.

“What will you do?” she asks after a moment of silence.

“I don’t know,” I admit. “I can’t stay here forever. This place still feels like …” I trail off, gesturing at the walls that have contained me for so long.

“A prison,” she finishes for me.

“A cage,” I correct. “A beautiful, comfortable cage, but still a cage.”

“You could get your own place,” she suggests. “Something that’s just yours. No Reed influence, no Grimm control.”

The idea is both terrifying and exhilarating. A space that’s truly mine, designed to my specifications, controlled by no one but me.

“Maybe,” I say. Then, changing the subject, “How have things been here? Since my father … left.”

Ruby’s expression shifts, becoming more guarded. “From what I hear, the business is running fine. It’s not like your dad was day-to-day management. But I know they’re wanting you to step in officially. I guess everything feels too open-ended until you do.”

I nod. “I know. I will. I just need more time.”

“I get that.” She squeezes my hand. “It’s your mom’s legacy. You want to get it right.”

“Yes. Exactly.”

“Just be careful. Everyone thinks Victor fled the country, but I don’t know. I’m worried he’s going to pop up like some scary Jack-in-the-Box and take it all out on you.”

I meet her eyes. “Yeah. I’m kind of worried about that, too.”

Because I don’t want to think about it, I move on. “And the Tower staff?”

“Universal relief. You may be shocked to learn that your father was not well-loved.”

I feign surprise. “No!”

She nods. “Oh. Yes. Apparently, many staff members thought he was a prick, a bastard, and poor excuse for a human.” She shrugs. “Among other things.”

I snort. “It’s almost sweet how well they know him.”

We share another grin, then Ruby leans closer. “Listen, whatever you decide to do next, you know I’m with you. If you want to move out of here and get an apartment, we could move in together. Or if you just want to fly to Bali and never look back? I’ll totally help you pack. Just … don’t shut me out, okay?”

The sincerity in her voice brings fresh tears to my eyes. This is friendship—real, unguarded, without ulterior motives. Nothing like what I had with Grimm, where every interaction I’d thought so real was colored by deception.

“Thank you,” I whisper, squeezing her hand. “For everything. For being the one person in my life who’s always been straight with me.”

She pulls me in for a hug. “And I always will be.”

We sit in comfortable silence for a moment, the weight of the day settling around us like a heavy blanket. Then she gives me a hug and tells me she needs to go cover for the fifteenth floor receptionist.

She pauses at the door. “For what it’s worth, I think you’re the strongest person I know. Whatever happens next, you’ll be okay.”