~RUBY I stilled. “What– what did you just say?” I asked, my hands limp against his chest. His eyes were mirrors of my pain, and we both stared at each other, as though we wanted to drown in the pain that threatened to consume us both. “I did it for revenge. I wanted to hurt Ethan. I wanted him to feel what I felt, I wanted him to know what it felt like when something…someone that belonged to you was not entirely yours,” he said. His words were barely a whisper, and tears rolled down his face. He didn't even bother to wipe them off, and he looked so different, so unlike the Ash, I knew. “What do you mean?” His pain suddenly seemed greater, like he was reliving a past he didn't want to be reminded of. “Have you ever wondered how Ethan became mentally ill? Did you ever wonder when and why his episodes started? Did you ever wonder how—” he choked on his words, “Xena died?” I dropped my fists and moved back. What he was implying made no sense. Why the fuck was h
~RUBY I turned back to stare at Ash slowly. He was on the floor, ashamed and undignified. A part of me wanted to feel pity for him, but I squashed that part. Ash Riverstone was a liar, a sick, twisted man. He didn't deserve my pity. He didn't deserve my attention or my sympathy. All he deserved was hell and the wracking pain he was facing right now. “I swear it with everything in me. I swear it with my soul. I love you, Ruby. I don't know why I'm telling you this but I honestly, really do,” he said and my anger glared, burning hotter than it ever had. I suddenly began to walk toward him with determination. Ash stared back at me in hope. I had no idea what he thought I was about to do but I sure as hell was not going to do anything close to whatever he was expecting. Because the moment I got close enough, I landed the hottest slap I could muster across his face. He staggered back in shock and glared at me as if he had never been slapped his entire life. “Don't yo
~RUBY My heart thudded painfully in my chest as I read articles after articles, detailing the accident that led to Mr Riverstone's death. There was articles about Xena too, but it didn't get much acclaim, and minimal attention was paid to her. The dates though. The dates was exactly the same, and it coincided with Xena's last entry. I suddenly fell into an abyss of fear. If what I read from Xena's diary was right, then we were in deep, deep trouble. Mr Richard seemed to have dangerous bones in his body. But what if I was jumping to conclusions? What if Xena has heard it all wrong? Could Mr. Richard really be the one behind the death of Ethan's father? I could not shake off the feeling of dread though, and my heart raced, temporarily blocking out the pregnancy from my mind. Ethan. I needed to call Ethan. If my suspicions turned out to be true, he needed to stay away from that man. I dialed his number several times, but it wasn't going through. Was his phone d
~RUBY My head throbbed like hell. I opened my eyes, fear simmering beneath my bones as I took in my surroundings. My jaw felt tender and hurt like hell, and I knew I would be sporting a nasty bruise that would definitely take a lot of time to heal. I didn't need to rack my brain as to why I was in a strange environment, I remembered from the moment I became conscious. Even before I opened my eyes. My hands and legs were tied to the chair I was sitting on, and my clothes clung to my body from the sweat that was rolling down my body. The room had only one small window at the highest part of the wall, and the only way in and out was a single door that was adjacent to where I was sitting. Heat rolled in the air, and I shifted uncomfortably. But that was the least of my worries. I was more worried about Ethan and how he was handling my disappearance. Has he listened to the voice mail I left him yet? He would have. The room wasn't entirely dark yet, and from the lim
~ETHAN ~SOME HOURS AGO~ Work was relatively boring and monotonous. It took a lot of willpower to stay in the office and listen to Richard drone on and on about some legal discussions. I let my mind wander, and thought about my sweet, sweet darling. My Ruby. My wife. The one that was now carrying my baby. Christ. I was so happy. I was already beginning to imagine how I would spoil the kid rotten, and shower Ruby with love, attention, and every fucking thing she wanted. I was about to be a father That one thought kept ringing in my head that I barely paid attention to what was discussed in the conference meeting I held. Richard had to nudge me whenever the discussion required my input, and I was about to damn it all to hell and leave for home when the meeting, finally ended. Richard was a darling. If he had been absent, the meeting would have been a flop. I watched as my employees trickled out one after the other, and Richard stayed behind, holding a document. I
~RUBY After waiting for several long minutes, the car finally arrived. It was driven by one of Ethan's company drivers, so I did not have to question who it was that sent him before walking into the car. Exhaustion weighed me down, and I sagged against the back seat. It took me a while to realize, but when I did, I sat straight up. “This is not the way home,” I called out to the driver. My voice was hoarse, and I had to repeat myself again before he heard me. “Yes ma'am. Mr Ethan asked us to bring you somewhere else. You're to meet him there instead,” the driver answered politely and I frowned. If I wasn't familiar with the driver, I would have been suspicious. But he worked for Ethan, so he had to be telling the truth. And besides, I had no cell phone to confirm from my husband. So I just trusted my instincts and let it go. It took me driving for a while before we finally arrived at our destination. I gasped as I sat up. It was…magnificent. As we drove throu
~RUBY The world stopped moving. The waves of the water below us, Ash's quiet breathing, the sound of the waiters pattering somewhere far from our table, the slow, sensuous music. Everything faded away. I was frozen on my seat, unable to breathe, unable to move. Ash's lips were parted midway, and Ethan seemed to be the only living thing in this environment. Dread filled me. Ash's eyes never left mine, and memories of the kiss floated through my mind. I remembered how he kissed me suddenly, how guilt flashed in his eyes when I slapped him. And I remember us being very alone. Which meant that Richard must have planted a spy on us. My breathe hitched when I remembered how smug he was, how utterly confident he spoke when he asked me to be set free. ‘Go and undo yourself, Ruby.’ Oh my God. This was what he meant. Ethan was still staring at me, lethal malice in his gaze. I knew there was no way I could get through him or convince him that it was not what it lo
~RUBY I gasped. Horror filled me as I watched my husband and his brother fall to the other side. The broken railing fell away, and I heard it land into the water. My feet refused to move for what seemed like hours, but when I heard nothing, I forced them to move. They were okay. They had to be. I refused to think about the alternatives. Thinking in that line would only horrify me further, and I was already having issues keeping my fear down. Looking around, I realized that I could not call for help. Ethan had booked the whole place, and the waiters were no where to be found. I walked to the edge of the cliff with shaky legs, and took a deep breathe. Look down, Ruby. Look down. I didn't want to look down. I didn't want to see the body of my husband and his brother impaled on some rocks in the water. I didn't want to see, but I had no choice. I had to. Swallowing my fear and horror, I looked down. There was no bodies on the water. No blood. Broken ribs