RUBY'S POVDominic Rutherford's growl shocked me just as much as it shocked Julia. I sprang back, pressing myself against the corner of the bathroom. The water from the sink still burned against my throat, and I coughed and spluttered to get it all out.Julia froze, her hands trembling as she backed away from me. Her confidence seemed to crumble under his sharp glare, and for the first time since this nightmare began, I saw fear in her eyes.Dominic Rutherford stepped further inside, his presence consuming the room. “I asked you a question, woman, and for your own good, you'd better answer me."“I—I wasn’t—” Julia stammered, but Dominic Rutherford cut her off with a single, biting word.“Enough.”He turned to me then, his eyes locking into mine just enough to make my knees wobble. Before I could speak or even breathe properly, his strong hand wrapped around my arm, pulling me up with ease.The heat of his touch startled me, but it was his scent that undid me. A heady mix of dark ambe
RUBY'S POV "You are such a stubborn woman!" He growled, his breath heating my face. "I like my women subservient—" "Then maybe you should leave me alone!" I spat. "—but there is something about you," he continued, as if he didn't hear me. His lips moved, trailing a heated line from my ear, down my neck and back. His hand was still around my neck, holding me in place. Excited goosebumps were spiralling down my body at this point. "You need to be punished." He said suddenly, letting go of my neck. The force of his words left me speechless for a second. "Punished?" I whispered. "Yes." He replied. "For being so feisty." And with one sweep of his arm, he lifted me in the air and placed me to sit on the sink. Kiss me! I screamed in my head with a strange, unfamiliar need, completely captivated by him. I was staring openly at Dominic Rutherford's Cupid's bow mouth now, utterly mesmerized, and he was looking down at me, his gaze hooded, his eyes darkening. I knew I shouldn't be doin
RUBY'S POVTaste. Those lips. That tongue. I didn’t need any more encouragement. My hands began to travel, over my neck, back over my breasts, pressing them together, my nipples peeking through my fingers. Dominic Rutherford leaned forward and ran his tongue over them, one peak and then the next. Lick, swirl, lick.My hands went to his hair. His name whispered from my lips.More licking, a delicate scrape of teeth, and then he leaned back. “Show me more. Where do you need me?"Oh, I needed him all right. The fingers of one hand slid seductively down my stomach, through my underwear and the triangle of curls above my clit. I touched myself, stroked my clit, slid my fingers into the wet heat dripping from my core. "Here," I said. “I need you here.”He pressed my legs wider and pushed my panties until they slid down my legs. Then his strong fingers brushed up and down my thighs, slow and seductive. His lashes lowered, head tilted as he watched me caress my sensitive flesh, until he cov
RUBY'S POV What the hell did I just do?I leaned against the cold sink in the bathroom, my hands trembling as I tried to steady myself. My reflection in the mirror looked just as lost as I felt. My red lipstick was smeared, my hair was a mess, and my dress clung to me in all the wrong ways. How had I let myself get carried away like that?Dominic Rutherford. His name echoed in my head like a curse. A stranger. A man I had barely known for all of five minutes, and yet I’d let him pull me into something reckless and stupid.Unprotected sex!This wasn’t me. I wasn’t the type to lose control, to throw caution to the wind. I was sharp, calculated, and independent. But somehow, around him, I became a version of myself I didn’t recognize—soft, pliant, and completely at his mercy. What had he done to me?I quickly adjusted my dress and reached for my mask, pulling it over my face. The voices outside the bathroom grew louder, and panic bubbled in my chest. I had to get out of here. I had to p
RUBY'S POV "Ugh! You stink like you drank the entire bar!"I jolted awake with a gasp. The first thing I felt was an intense pain in my temple. My head pounded as if someone were using my skull as a drum. I squinted against the sunlight pouring in through the curtains and groaned, pressing a hand to my temples. My mouth tasted like I’d chewed on a sock soaked in cheap whiskey.Turning my head slightly, I realized I wasn’t on the couch where I’d passed out last night. No, this was a bed—a soft, inviting bed that smelled faintly of lavender. Ariana’s bed.“How…?” I croaked.“You were a mess last night,” Ariana’s voice came from across the room. She was perched on a stool before her vanity, her face smeared with some white, creamy substance that made her look like a ghost. “Drinking yourself stupid at the bar. Your driver had to half-carry you here. Do you remember?”Ah, yes. I remembered that much now. Vaguely. The bar, the drink I demanded, the suffocating noise… and then nothing.I s
DOMINIC'S POV "We're here, boss." I didn’t bother answering my driver. Instead, I motioned for him to leave. “Get out and take a smoke. I need a moment.” “Yes, sir.” He nodded, turned off the ignition, and stepped out into the drizzle. I watched him walk a few feet away, his silhouette barely visible through the rain-splattered windshield as he moved under a shade and lit a cigarette. Once I was sure he was out of earshot, I pulled my phone from the pocket of my jacket. My thumb hovered over a secure app before I tapped it, initiating the call. The line clicked after two rings. “Don Dominic,” came the familiar rasp of Rocco’s voice. Always too casual, too comfortable. “What’s taking so long?” I snapped. "Tuesday was what you promised. Today Is Friday." “Ah, buona sera, boss,” Rocco replied smoothly, as though we were old friends chatting over wine. “I see you’re in one of your moods again.” “This isn’t about moods,” I said sharply. “Five years, Rocco. Five years I’ve ke
DOMINIC'S POVThe rain hadn’t let up. It kept hammering against the roof of the car like an impatient messenger. I stared at the image of Ruby on my laptop screen, trying to arrange my tangled, messy thoughts.I should tell Damien.The logical part of me knew that keeping this information from him would be a betrayal. We’d been friends for well over a decade, and finding Ruby had been Damien’s obsession for years. He deserved to know that his sister was alive, safe, and living her life in plain sight.But then there was the other side of me—the selfish side. The side that wanted Ruby close, where I could see her, where I could have her. And that thought made my stomach churn, because I wasn’t sure I could control myself around her.My phone buzzed on the seat beside me, jolting me from my thoughts. I glanced at the screen.Damien.“Of course,” I muttered under my breath. As if the universe had decided to test me at the worst possible moment.I stared at the screen, debating. Answering
RUBY'S POVI woke up feeling strangely energized, though my body ached in a way that only reminded me of the tiring night of the masquerade ball.Stretching lazily, I glanced around Ariana's bedroom. It was a little chaotic, clothes spilling out of her closet and shoes scattered on the floor, but it was so her. Ariana was just that: familiar, warm and safe. I got up and rifled through her closet until I found an oversized sweatshirt. I pulled it on, comforted by its soft fabric and the faint scent of Ariana’s floral perfume.Padding downstairs, I caught the sound of voices coming from the kitchen. I didn’t even need to hear the words to know who it was—Ariana and Lilac. My two best friends. They were probably dissecting some random gossip or laughing about their latest antics.As I reached the doorway, I paused, leaning against the frame.“Oh, come on, Lilac! You should’ve seen her talk about it,” Ariana’s voice rang out, excited and slightly dramatic, as usual. “Ruby and Dominic Ruth
Dominic’s POVThe past week had been hell for me.I barely left my study, barely ate meals, barely spoke to anyone. My days blurred together. I'd stopped going to the office and moved my work to the house. It was endless hours of staring at my laptop, pretending to work when all I could think about was Ruby. The house was too quiet without her. Too empty.I didn’t even know where Ariel was half the time. Not that she’d come looking for me, after our last conversation.Tonight was no different. I sat at my desk, peering at the screen, but the words meant nothing. My coffee had gone cold beside me. My body ached from sitting too long, but I didn’t move.The door creaked open."I said I don’t want to be disturbed!" I snapped. "I told the house manager that I don't want to be disturbed!""Nice to see you too, Dad."I exhaled slowly and brushed a tired hand against my face. "Ariel, I'm sorry. I thought you were someone else."She stepped inside, balancing a tray in her hands. "I brought yo
Ruby's POVI had one peaceful sleep after some days, and I could say that I slept like a baby, or maybe, like a log of wood. Who knows?It did not matter how I slept, as long as I was able to forget everything that had happened these past few days.Now I was awake, but I felt too lazy to get out of bed. I just wished it was not morning already. I closed my eyes again hoping I could fall asleep again but then came some noise outside my room.Sliding into my slippers, I walked towards the door and pinned my ear against it."Do you think she's okay?" Someone asked. I immediately recognized the voice as Lilac's.A heavy sigh, then Ariana replied. "I don't know, Lilac. She appeared at my front steps yesterday, looking like a bat out of hell. She's sleeping in there right now.""This is why I don't like powerful men like Dominic." Lilac grumbled. "They think they can do anything they like to anyone."I shook my head slowly as I listened to my friends. I knew they were only looking out for m
Ruby's POVThe darkness seemed like it would swallow me whole, as I could not see anything in front of me or behind me. I was terrified, perhaps because I had not stepped out of my cage for a while.I sighed and glanced around; the road was dark. Mid drive to my condo, I'd told the Uber driver to stop. I wasn't sure I could afford to stay in that silent house, all by myself. I just might run mad. I'd paid the Uber driver and now I stood by the roadside, with four bags and no car in sight.I needed my friends tonight.I'd tried to call Lilac and Ariana, but neither of them were picking up. I couldn't blame them; it was eleven at night. Lilac was an early sleeper, and Ariana would most likely be binge watching New Housewives of New York or some such show on Netflix.The wind blew West, sweeping my hair off my back. I felt like someone would come out of nowhere, and pull me by the hair, so I threw the cap of my hoodie over my head and wrapped my arms around myself.Dominic would surely
Dominic’s POVThe drive home that evening felt longer than usual. Streetlights flashed past in a blur, but my mind was stuck in one place.I kept thinking about Rosalie. In my mind, I saw her smirk and heard her threats. The way she had moved close to me, whispering filth in my ear like she actually thought I wanted it. The way she had suggested sex to me.I had agreed. I had said yes to her, because I wanted to protect Ruby from the truth. But the moment we stepped into that hotel room, I knew I couldn't do it. Not with her or with anyone else. Not when Ruby existed and she was a part of my life now. I had never been attracted to any woman since Ruby came into my life.Rosalie had been livid, as I'd expected. She spat out her threats, said she’d tell Ruby the truth, that I had been lying to her from the start. But I didn’t care. Let her tell Ruby. Let the whole damn world know.Because nothing, no secret or lie, was worse than betraying Ruby like that.I gripped the steering wheel ti
Ruby’s POVThe office felt off that day. I couldn’t quite put my finger on it, but something wasn’t right.It started when Dominic walked out of his office and called for Rosalie.I barely looked up from my computer when he did it at first, but then Rosalie’s response made my head snap up."Coming, Dominic!" She purred.Dominic?!I turned to him, expecting him to correct her, to tell her to keep it professional. But he didn’t. He didn’t even look at me. He just stood there, staring straight ahead, then turned and walked back into his office. The door closed behind him.I turned to her in surprise. Rosalie smirked, flipping her hair over one shoulder. She stood from her desk, adjusting her blouse like she wanted to make sure she looked perfect before going in.My stomach twisted."What the hell is going on?" I demanded, marching over to her side of the office.Rosalie just chuckled. "Things are changing in this office, Ruby," she said sweetly, grabbing a folder from her desk. "You migh
Dominic’s POVI turned off the ignition and glanced at Ruby. She hadn’t moved or even spoken a word to me. She just sat there, staring out the window like she wasn’t really seeing anything."Talk to me, Ruby."She said nothing."You can’t keep this bottled up," I tried again. "I know you’re hurting."She scoffed, but it was barely audible. I could tell she was hurting. She had been hurting for three days since Julia died. I didn't understand why she still felt so much emotion for a person who ha stabbed her in the back, but I tried to reason with her anyway."I see it," I continued. "You pretend when you’re around others, but I know you. You’re not okay."She shifted slightly but still didn’t meet my eyes."You’ve barely slept," I said. "You don’t eat properly. You look like a ghost of yourself."Her fingers dug into her lap. "Drop it, Dominic.""I’m not dropping it.""Well, I’m not talking."I exhaled sharply. "Julia’s death...."Her head snapped toward me. "Don’t.""You need to let
Ruby’s POVThe smell of coffee pulled me from sleep. I blinked against the morning light and turned to the side to see Dominic sitting beside me. He was eating breakfast in bed. He lifted a forkful of scrambled eggs and grinned."I figured the smell would wake you up," he said. "Thought it’d be a nice way to start your day."I groaned and smacked his arm. "You are a villain in my life!"He chuckled and waved another fork heaped with some bacon close to my mouth. "You want some?"I rolled my eyes and sat up. "I don't like you, Mr Rutherford."Dominic smirked and bit off the bacon. "Are you coming to work today? You know I’d understand if you needed some time off, after everything that happened last night."I didn’t even need to think about it. "No. I'm not staying away from work."He raised an eyebrow. "Are you sure about that, Ruby?""Staying away will give nasty people like Rosalie the chance to talk all kinds of trash about me," I muttered. "And I can't have that."Dominic sighed an
Dominic’s POVRuby pulled back. Her lips were parted, her eyes searching mine."Why did you do that?" she asked."Don't blame me, Nurse Ruby." I let out a faint smile. "Dizziness from the injury."Her brows pulled together like she didn’t believe me. Before she could say anything, footsteps sounded from the hall. We both turned.Ariel stood in the doorway with her arms crossed. She lifted a hand and waved it lazily. "Oh, don’t stop on my account."Ruby let out a breath and ran a hand through her hair. I turned back to my daughter. "What are you doing awake by this hour?"Being disorganized, I didn't realize she left before.She leaned against the doorframe. "Your lousy car woke me up.""It's lousy because six men were tearing It apart." I frowned. "And you never wake up for that."She shrugged. "I had a restless sleep anyway."I studied her. There were faint shadows under her eyes. She wasn’t lying.Ariel’s gaze dropped to my arm. "Are you okay, dad?""Yeah." I nodded. "Ruby handled t
Ruby’s POVThe car ride was too quiet. Ariel sat beside me, but she wasn't saying anything, which was unlike her. Her arms were crossed and her lips were pressed together. The streetlights outside flashed over her face, and I saw the worry on it.“Are you okay?” I asked.She shrugged. “I guess.”I waited, but she stayed silent. That wasn’t like her. “What’s on your mind?”She exhaled sharply and stared at the roof of the car. “What’s happening? Why did we have to leave the dinner so fast?”I gave her a small smile. “Nothing you need to worry about, Ruby. Your father just didn't want us to stay too long at that place.”"Oh, give me a break!" Her eyes rolled. “I am not a child, Ruby. I know my dad is always dealing with dangerous people. It's in his line of work.”I shifted in my seat. "Well...."“That’s why my mom died." She continued. “Because of the kind of people he worked with. They wanted to get at my dad, so they killed my mum."I hesitated. She looked at me like she already knew