Ruby's Secret

PROLOGUE

From the diaries of Daniel St. Clair

Ever since my son and daughter-in-law died in a tragic plane crash it's been the darkest moment in our family. Raising my granddaughters alone was a lot harder than managing my billion-dollar jewelry empire. They rebel in their ways trying to outrun the pain of the sudden loss of their beloved parents...and away from the prying eyes of the New York society.

My twin granddaughters, Ruby and Emerald who often told by the others as the mirror image of one another but that's the only thing they had in common because they were as opposite as day and night. Emerald is the sensible one who has never given me a sleepless night and there's her twin, Ruby, who is a whirlwind with energy on the wild side. Tabloids frequently wonder if the rebellious streak on Ruby had been because of her red hair.

Society doesn't know how vulnerable her heart is. The sudden death of their parents hit her the hardest. That's why she run-off from New York and never bothered on coming back. Six years had passed since that fateful night and I was stunned to see her finally back at her home. But secrets were hidden on the depth in her infamous St. Clair-green eyes. I intend to know what had caused the shadows on her pretty eyes. For now, all that matters to me is that my prodigal granddaughter has returned home and I decided it's time for Ruby and her sisters to settle down.

Yes, I want to see my granddaughters-the four of them be wedded by the end of the year. I know it is not going to be easy my granddaughters are a stubborn and independent lot. They are St. Clairs, after all.

Some might say it's meddling but for me, it's just a little nudge. I've decided to work my matchmaking skills on Ruby first. I know the girl had a stubborn steak mile wide but I know what kind of man would suit my girl...

Ruby St. Clair's POV

Feels good to be back. Those were probably the words a person would say when she had just come home after six long years of absence.

Not me, I told myself silently, as I stared at the scenery in JFK while waiting for a taxi. The last thing I promised myself when I run away from home was never bothered to come back. New York City just held many bitter memories for me.

But I have no choice. Once again I was on the run and the only thing I thought of as a good hiding place was the one I once called my home.

Good God, I thought helplessly, I have no choice. If I didn't come back to New York the alternative was unthinkable. I hailed the famous yellow cab waiting for passengers in the airport. Once I was safe inside the taxi with my only carrying bag in tow the driver pulled to join the hundreds of travelers on the highway. My brain finally grasped that fact I was back where I was born and raised.

"Where to, Miss?" The cab driver asked me through the rearview mirror.

I felt my lips twitched with a smile. I was not even sure if I still have a house to reside but it was worth a try. "Carnegie Hill."

The cab driver whistled. "A pricey home you got there, Miss."

I nodded but didn't bother correcting him. The penthouse wasn't mine. It belonged to my twin sister, Emerald. When I was still on the plane going to New York I read a fashion magazine with my twin as the main cover. I was still amazed that my sensible twin had become one of the highest-paid supermodels in the world. I was sure Emerald wouldn't mind sharing her lodging with her wayward twin.

I noticed that the drive kept glancing in my direction from his rearview mirror. "Um, by any chance, Miss. Are you Emerald St. Clair? The supermodel?"