Share

One Hell Of A Night

Author: Manuel Kyle
last update Last Updated: 2025-03-21 22:42:39

Ruby’s POV

Lilac, Ariana and I split. I could hear the conversation of different people as I walked past them, the clinking of glasses and the hum of a jazz band playing in the background. None of it mattered. All I could think about was what was coming next.

I slipped into an empty table near the corner of the room, took out my phone and texted Estelle.

ME: I’m here. Left corner, near the bar.

ESTELLE: On my way.

I exhaled sharply and leaned back. My fingers drummed against the table as I looked around for any sign of red hair. I grabbed a flute of champagne from a passing waiter and threw it back in one go. The burn did nothing to calm me.

Then I saw her.

Estelle approached my table wearing a white dress, her red hair pulled into a ballroom bun. She looked really elegant.

I stood up and reached out for a handshake.

She arched a brow, then pulled me into a hug instead. As she hugged me, she whispered into my ear. “Don’t ever try that with me again.”

I let out a breathy
Continue to read this book for free
Scan code to download App
Locked Chapter

Related chapters

  • The Billionaire's Daring Kitten    Poor Willow

    Gabriel’s POV"Well, that was a waste of a night."I took a drag from my cigarette and blew a puff. Smoke curled toward the ceiling. That was the only thing in this room that moved without fear. The taste of nicotine was no longer calming my nerves. Six of my men stood in front of me, beaten, battered and broken. One had a black eye that was so swollen he could barely see. Another one cradled his wrist, bent at an ugly angle. A third one was pressing an ice pack to a jaw that was so swollen he couldn't talk. The other men were no better. Julia had fed them lies and walked them straight into a beating. I took another drag and exhaled slowly. My chest burned, but not from the smoke. I was angry. I was so angry that I knew I would not be able to control her if I saw her. I should have known better than to trust Julia. She came home from work a few nights ago, all breathless and eager, and told me everything. She told me how Ruby had the key, how she and Dominic were going to some

    Last Updated : 2025-03-22
  • The Billionaire's Daring Kitten    Rough Night, Yeah?

    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

    Last Updated : 2025-03-23
  • The Billionaire's Daring Kitten    “Not So Gentlemanly, I Presume”

    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

    Last Updated : 2025-03-24
  • The Billionaire's Daring Kitten    Devastating News

    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

    Last Updated : 2025-03-25
  • The Billionaire's Daring Kitten    Table Turning

    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

    Last Updated : 2025-03-26
  • The Billionaire's Daring Kitten    Alone And Heartbroken

    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

    Last Updated : 2025-03-27
  • The Billionaire's Daring Kitten    Secrets And Blames

    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

    Last Updated : 2025-04-01
  • The Billionaire's Daring Kitten    Finding A Place For The Night

    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

    Last Updated : 2025-04-01

Latest chapter

  • The Billionaire's Daring Kitten    Breaking It Off

    Ruby’s POVDominic stood there, a bouquet of red roses in one hand and a box of Swiss chocolates in the other. His expression was hesitant, like he wasn’t sure if he was welcome.He definitely wasn't.“I brought your favorite,” he said quietly. “Swiss chocolate. And red roses to match your hair.”His eyes flicked upward to my head and his face shifted. “Or.... what used to be your hair.”I didn’t respond. I just stared at him and tried to recognize what I was currently feeling. I wanted to be angry; hell, I was angry, but I couldn’t ignore the warmth I felt at seeing him again.Has it really been almost a week since I saw him last?Dominic looked awful. He’d lost weight. His shirt hung looser than before, and his face was sharper, the lines more pronounced. The familiar scar on his face was whiter than the rest of his face. Only his ponytail remained pristine, as if it was the one thing he still had control over. It was hard to look at this man who instilled fear in everybody in the

  • The Billionaire's Daring Kitten    Back Home

    Ruby’s POVDamien never left my side. For the rest of my stay in the hospital, he was always there telling the worst jokes to make me laugh, forcing me to eat when I didn’t want to, keeping me company through the long, dull hours. I had spent so many years thinking I had no family and now here he was, slipping into my life like he had always been there.The ten-year gap between us didn’t even matter. He was so easy to talk to and so warm. If he had been part of my childhood, I knew it would have been brighter and happier.Three days after I was admitted, the same blond nurse walked in, holding a clipboard. “Good news,” she said with a smile. “It’s time for you to be discharged.”Finally.She placed the discharge papers in my hands, along with a pen. “Just sign these, and you’re free to go.”I didn’t hesitate. I scrawled my name quickly, then turned to Damien. “I don’t want to go back to my big, empty condo alone.”He smiled like he had been expecting me to say that. “Then you won’t,”

  • The Billionaire's Daring Kitten    Don't Know Who To Trust Again

    Ruby’s POVThe man claiming to be my brother walked closer. I stayed still as I warily watched him approach me. I didn't know how to feel.Ariana leaned toward Lilac, but her whisper was loud enough for all of us to hear. “Oh my God, Jonas really wasn’t lying. Look at them. They’re the spitting image of each other.”I didn’t react. I just watched him.Damien turned to Ariana. “You can call me Damien,” he said. “Jonas is my middle name. I had to tell you it was my first name to hide my true identity. I didn’t want anyone outside of Ruby and Dominic knowing I was in the U.S.”Ariana frowned. “Why so secretive?”Damien frowned and looked away. “Apparently, my father still has enemies here. If they knew I existed, they’d kill me.”Ariana blinked. “Kill you?”He nodded. “Because they'd think I am a beneficiary of the DanCliffe estate.”Silence settled over the room. Then Damien turned back to Ariana and smiled. “But I have to thank you.”She tilted her head. “For what?”“For leading me to

  • The Billionaire's Daring Kitten    Reunion

    Ruby’s POVIt felt like I was floating. Or maybe I was being dragged, I was not sure.My body felt weightless, but something pressed against my ribs, jolting me with every step. My head lolled and it felt heavy and useless. My limbs wouldn’t move no matter how hard I tried.A low and calm voice murmured something close to my ear. “You’re going to be fine, Ruby. The ambulance is almost here.”Then I heard sirens. Loud, piercing, disturbing. They cleared through the fog in my head. My stomach lurched as I was lifted, carried and placed onto something firm. Cold air rushed past my face.Then I saw a blinding light. My eyes fluttered, but everything blurred together. I saw faces, felt movement, heard the soft hum of voices. Someone was talking. I tried to focus, but the words drifted away. Then, I saw and felt and heard nothing again.It was all silence.When I blinked awake again, the world was still and quiet. There were no more sirens and no more voices. But I was no longer in Gabriel'

  • The Billionaire's Daring Kitten    Help Came

    Ruby's POVThe moment the hot knife touched my thigh, a scream escaped my throat. My back arched against the chair and every muscle seized with agony. The ropes cut deeper into my wrists as I thrashed, trying to jerk away, but there was nowhere to go. The plastic chair rattled against the floor, scraping loudly.Ambrose didn’t even flinch. He kept on pressing the blade against my skin as the scent of burning flesh filled the air. His face was blank, detached. Like he was watching a fire burn instead of causing the pain himself.“Where is the key, Ruby?” His voice was patient.I sobbed through clenched teeth, my body jerking violently. “Go to hell!”He sighed. “Wrong answer again.”The knife stayed on my skin for another second before he finally pulled it away. My thigh pulsed, the searing pain digging into my bones. Sweat dripped down my temples. I was panting unevenly.Then with every bit of fury left in me, I spat in his face.Ambrose went still. A bead of my spit dripped from his c

  • The Billionaire's Daring Kitten    The Villain In Her Story 2

    Ruby’s POVGabriel howled.His blood sprayed across the couch, spattered on the floor and soaked through my shirt. He staggered back, gripping the knife lodged deep in his shoulder, his face twisting in rage and pain."You bitch!" he roared. His knees buckled, but he caught himself, panting through clenched teeth. "I’m going to kill you, I swear to God!"I didn’t wait to see if he meant what he said. I ran for the door, yanked on the handle. It was still locked.“No, no, no,” I whispered, jerking the knob with both hands. My heart slammed against my ribs. I banged my fists against the door. “Help! Somebody help me, fuck!'But nothing happened.I screamed again, but my voice felt small, swallowed by the silence outside. No one came. No one was coming.Still, I kept pounding the door until my palms stung and my fingers felt like raw meat. My panting turned into ragged sobs. I leaned against the door and my body slid to the floor, shoulders shaking as tears streaked my face.How had my l

  • The Billionaire's Daring Kitten    The Villain In Her Story

    Ruby’s POV I couldn’t believe what I was seeing. Ambrose? Here? What the hell was he doing here? Gabriel strolled inside and tossed some paper bags onto the table. The greasy scent of fried chicken filled the air. He dusted off his hands and turned to me with a grin. “If you’re hungry, dig in.” He said. "There's enough to go round, courtesy of Ambrose." I ignored him. My eyes were still locked on Ambrose. He stood near the door with his hands in his pockets, watching Gabriel calmly as he laid the food on the table, like this was just another casual meeting, like he hadn’t just walked into the room and shocked me to my wits. He looked so at home here. I knew this wasn't his first time of visiting Gabriel in the trailer. I narrowed my eyes at him. “What are you doing here?” Ambrose caught my stare and smiled wider. “Relax, Ruby. I’m only here to get one thing from you. You don’t have to worry about me hurting you unless you do something very stupid.” His voice was smooth and cal

  • The Billionaire's Daring Kitten    Shocking Revelations

    Ruby’s POVThe moment Gabriel mentioned the key, my hand shot up to my throat, but my fingers met bare skin.The pendant was gone.A cold wave of alarm rushed through me, but I forced myself to keep calm. If Gabriel had taken it, then maybe he didn’t realize what was inside.Gabriel’s sharp eyes didn’t miss a thing. He snorted and slipped a hand into his pocket. “Looking for this?”He pulled out my pendant and dangled it between two fingers, letting it sway back and forth like it was nothing more than a cheap trinket.“This little thing,” he mused, tilting his head as he looked at the pendant. “Did you know it’s a DanCliffe heirloom?”What?“I did some digging,” he continued. “It turns out that something like this could go for at least thirty grand. Not bad for a necklace, don't you think?”I barely heard him. It was an heirloom?I had no idea. I knew it had been in my family for generations, but I never thought about it beyond the fact that it was mine. Just a simple pendant my fathe

  • The Billionaire's Daring Kitten    Gabriel At It Again

    Ruby’s POVI was alive... barely.Pain pulsed behind my eyes as I forced them open. The world around me was very blurry, shapes shifting in and out of focus. My body felt heavy, my limbs sluggish, my head thick like it had been lathered with honey. I tried to sit up, but the second I moved, nausea curled around my stomach.I retched and spat on the ground. A groan slipped past my lips as I fell back down. Then I inhaled slowly, willing my senses to return.The air smelled like old cigarettes and male sweat.... or was that my body? There was no way to tell. The couch under me was lumpy and the fabric rough against the bare skin of my thighs. I pushed myself upright, blinking hard. That’s when I really saw where I was.The living room I was in was nothing short of disgusting. The single lamp in the corner barely brightened the room. The couches were peeling, their stuffing poking out in jagged clumps. Cigarette butts and ash filled a glass tray on the coffee table. The ceiling was water

Explore and read good novels for free
Free access to a vast number of good novels on GoodNovel app. Download the books you like and read anywhere & anytime.
Read books for free on the app
SCAN CODE TO READ ON APP
DMCA.com Protection Status