DOMINIC’S POV I stood on the balcony with the cigarette balanced between my fingers. The faint glow of the city lights stretched out beneath me, but I barely noticed. My thoughts were elsewhere. The cool night air bit at my skin, but I welcomed it. It was better than being inside, facing the woman I’d just left behind.The door to the bedroom was slightly ajar, and through it, I could see Ruby lying in bed. She wasn’t asleep yet—I could tell by the way she shifted under the covers, as if trying to get comfortable. I’d left her abruptly, and she hadn’t said a word. But I could feel her confusion from where I stood.I inhaled deeply, the smoke burning my lungs before I exhaled slowly, watching the thin wisps disappear into the night. What was I supposed to say to her? "Sorry, Ruby, I can’t handle this because it reminds me of a life I’ll never get back"?Pathetic.The truth was, I had felt something back there. Something I hadn’t felt in five years.The last time I’d held someone so cl
RUBY'S POVThe sunlight filtered through the thin curtains, waking me slowly. I turned over in bed, stretching my arms lazily before realizing that I was alone. Dominic was gone.A part of me wasn’t surprised. He didn’t strike me as the kind of man who hung around after sex. But another part of me… well, I couldn’t lie. I felt a twinge of disappointment.My phone buzzed on the nightstand, pulling me from my thoughts. I grabbed it and gasped at the sight of 23 missed calls. Thirteen from Ariana, ten from Lilac. Groaning, I unlocked my phone and opened our group chat.Ariana: Where are you, Ruby?!Lilac: If you don’t answer, we’re calling the cops.Ariana: Seriously, you better be okay.Lilac: Or we’re breaking down the door to your suite.I scrolled through 76 unread messages, all ranging from concerned to borderline threatening.“Great,” I muttered, rubbing my temples.I hit the FaceTime button and waited for the call to connect. Within seconds, both Ariana and Lilac appeared on the s
RUBY'S POV“Yes, Ambrose, I can hear you,” I yelled, juggling the phone between my shoulder and ear as I waved one of the workers over. “Be careful with that table—it’s antique!” I mouthed at the two men struggling with my new dining table. One of them nodded, while the other just grunted under the weight.Ambrose sighed dramatically on the other end of the line. “Ruby, I was only trying to help. You’re in my care. I thought you’d appreciate it if someone tried to mediate between you and Gabriel.”I rolled my eyes so hard I was sure they could have fallen out of my head. “Mediation? Is that what we’re calling betrayal these days?”“You’re being unfair,” he insisted. “Gabriel was devastated when you left. I thought—”“You thought what? That I’d forget everything he’s done and just go running back to him like some obedient little wife?” I snapped, turning my back on the workers to focus on the call. “Ambrose, I left him for good reasons. Don’t make this harder for me.”There was a pause
RUBY'S POVDominic turned and immediately locked eyes with me, and I gasped. I couldn’t look away, even though every part of me screamed to retreat into my condo and pretend I hadn’t seen him. Horror, fear, and, to my dismay, a flicker of delight rooted me to the spot. Why the fuck was I delighted to see him again?!He looked different—dressed casually, which was so unlike the silent businessman I had come to know. A white country club tee hugged his broad chest, paired with khaki pants and spotless white sneakers. His hair, usually framing his face like a curtain of dark mystery, was pulled back into a sleek bun, and a faint stubble graced his jawline like he hadn't shaved in days. And then there was that gold mask on the left side of his face.He looked so dark and handsome.I swallowed hard. He was so good looking, mesmerizing even, in a way that made my knees weak. It wasn’t fair how this man could look so devastatingly good even when he was doing absolutely nothing.Dominic was
RUBY'S POVI woke up feeling unusually content and well-rested. Stretching under the covers, I smiled to myself, remembering what I had done to my own body last night. It wasn't the first time I'd be masturbating—I used to do it a lot, after Gabriel would leave me unsatisfied in bed—but this time felt different and better. Was it because it was Dominic I was thinking about this time?No wonder I felt this way. For once, it seemed like the world had aligned perfectly.Throwing the covers aside, I padded barefoot into the living room, rubbing the sleep from my eyes. But as soon as I glanced around, my smile faded, replaced by a groan.“What on earth?” I muttered, surveying the chaos.The room was a complete mess. A large shelf was awkwardly blocking most of the sunlight from the window, making the room feel dark and cramped. A stack of books was precariously leaning against the coffee table, and the throw pillows I’d proudly arranged yesterday now looked lazily put together.“Is this th
Dominic's POVDamien and I sat in the backseat of my car as it cruised smoothly away from the estate. My driver focused on the road ahead, while Damien scrolled through his tablet, pulling up figures and architectural designs.“I have to hand it to you, Dominic,” Damien noted, gesturing to the screen. “That estate is a goldmine waiting to happen. Prime location, high-end appeal—it’s perfect for luxury buyers. You’re sitting on a jackpot.”I nodded, barely glancing at him. My mind was elsewhere. “It’s promising, but it’ll need significant renovations before it’s ready for the market. Some people have started to move in already.”“True,” Damien agreed, tapping at his screen. “But nothing too drastic. Aesthetic upgrades, smart home integrations, maybe a few more amenities to justify the high price point. I’m tempted to invest in this project myself.”I arched an eyebrow, turning my gaze to him. “You’ve got enough on your plate, Damien. Stick to your portfolio.”“Oh, come on.” He grinned.
DOMINIC'S POV“Sir?” Clyvedon’s voice was hesitant. “Is there a problem?”I didn’t answer him. My eyes stayed fixed on the note. Was Ruby okay? I had to find out. I had to make sure.I closed the file that he'd give me with a loud snap. Without another glance at Clyvedon, I stood and strode to the door. His stammering protests reached my ears; mostly excuses about hard work, promises to improve, but I didn’t bother acknowledging them.Weak men like him disgust me.The office felt stifling as I stepped out, and the forced smiles and hesitant greetings from the staff in the lobby did nothing to improve my mood. I walked past them without a word. The glass doors opened automatically, and I stepped into the waiting car.My driver glanced back from the front seat. “Where to, sir?”“One moment,” I raised a finger, then pulled out my phone from my pocket.I scrolled through my contacts and pressed the call button for my secretary. It rang twice before she picked up.“Good morning, Mr. Ruther
RUBY'S POVIf I was being honest with myself, seeing Dominic standing in my living room felt surreal, like I was stuck in some fever dream. What was he doing here? Why was he always turning up where I least expected? Deep down, a warmth bloomed—was it happiness? No, I fought against it. This man was chaos in human form, and I didn’t have time for that.But I couldn’t stop my eyes from wandering over him. He wasn’t in one of his usual tailored suits. Instead, he was wearing a pair of jeans and a brown country club tee, with matching brown sneakers. His long black hair was tied back into a sleek braid that ran down his back. Casual Dominic was new to me. He looked more approachable, less imposing. And that made him even more dangerous.He caught me staring and cleared his throat, pulling my attention back to his face—or rather, the gold mask that covered half of it.“I heard about the booby trap,” he started. His deep voice was steady as usual, yet somehow softer than I’d expected.My
RUBY'S POVI kept my focus on the woman across the room. Something about her just didn't sit right with me or my head. Even though she had her back turned to me, I could see how stiffly she sat. I could also see that her hands were fidgeting with the hem of her sweater. Twice, I caught her stealing quick glances in my direction. Both times, she looked away sharply when I noticed.It was unnerving. My instincts told me to take this seriously, but I brushed it off. What else could I do? If she wanted to speak to me, she would. Until then, I refused to waste energy puzzling over her behavior.The sound of heels sounding against the polished floor broke my train of thought. I looked up and saw Dominic’s blonde secretary entering the room. Still the same as ever, I thought to myself.She had a skin-tight pencil skirt and fitted blouse on, which accentuated her figure 8 shape. There was a full pound of makeup on her face: dark blue eyeshadow, penciled eyebrows, red lips, the works. She move
RUBY'S POV"Let's go to work." Dominic announced.He started the car as I put the sex toy back into the box and returned it back to the glove compartment. The car rolled back into motion, but I barely noticed. My thoughts were stuck on what had just happened. My lips still tingled, and the memory played on a loop in my mind. I crossed my arms and tried to forget about it but the blush refused to fade.Dominic glanced over at me and smiled. “Did a cat get your tongue?”I shook my head and kept my eyes fixed on the road ahead. “I'm just thinking.”His chuckle carried a teasing edge. “About me, I hope.”I rolled my eyes. "You really like to flatter yourself.""I know you're thinking about me." He grinned, clearly pleased with himself. I didn’t push further, and neither did he. It was still weird unlocking this playful side of Dominic; It was hard to even remember the brooding man who had walked into that club on the night after I divorced Gabriel.When we finally pulled up to the office,
RUBY'S POVWe stayed that way for minutes: Dominic in the driver's seat, me straddling his laps and resting my head against his shoulder. I couldn't see much of his face, but the slight curve of his lips told me he was amused about something.“So,” I raised my head to look at him, “you said we were going to be late, right?”He glanced at me, quirking up his eyebrows. “We are late."“Then maybe you shouldn’t have wasted time kissing and fucking me in your car like this." I teased. "Or dragging me outside."Dominic gave a low chuckle. “Dragging you? I don’t recall dragging. I seem to remember you willingly following me.”“Because you were pulling me,” I sighed.“You had plenty of time to get ready,” he said. “If anyone’s to blame for us running late, it’s you.”I rolled my eyes. “Oh, please. You were the one standing at the bottom of the stairs like some smitten schoolboy. If you hadn’t been staring, we’d already be at the office by now.”Dominic’s lips twitched into a full smile. “You
Dominic’s POVI stood at the foot of the staircase, glancing at my watch for the third time in five minutes. Ruby was taking her sweet time, and I wasn’t about to tell her to hurry. After last night, I figured it was better to let her move at her own pace.A voice carried down from the second floor: Ariel’s voice.“How did you do that with your eyeshadow? And your lipstick, wow. You look like an office siren.”Office siren? I raised an eyebrow at that. Ariel had a way of saying the strangest things.Ruby’s voice followed, calm and amused. “Ariel, it’s just makeup. Nothing magical.”I could hear Ariel’s footsteps trailing behind Ruby as the two of them descended. Ariel kept going excitedly. “What shade is that lipstick? Do you always blend your eyeshadow like that? How do you even get your bun to stay up so perfectly?”I smirked to myself and shook my head. Ariel had an endless supply of energy and apparently, Ruby was her new favorite subject.Then I saw her.Ruby appeared at the top
RUBY’S POVThe pounding in my head when I woke up was relentless, like tiny hammers striking behind my eyes. I winced as I threw the covers aside and stood from bed.I could hear voices and giggling downstairs, coming from Dominic and his daughter. Sighing, I reached into my bedside drawer and fetched a bottle of aspirin. Popping two pills into my mouth, I washed it down with the cup of water beside me.Five minutes later, I stood under the warm shower, letting the water flow down my body and wash off all the physical pain from the previous night. It helped, a little. Once I was dressed in an oversized blue sweater that reached halfway down my thighs, I shuffled downstairs, my bare feet padding softly against the wood.The first thing I noticed was the smell. It was a rich aroma of sizzling bacon, eggs and something sweet. My stomach rumbled. I followed the scent to the kitchen, where Dominic stood at the stove, flipping eggs like he’d done it a hundred times. Ariel was by his side, h
DOMINIC’S POVI came down the staircase, my laptop balanced on my arm, AirPods plugged into my ears. The screen was crowded with the faces of my management team scattered across time zones. A man in London was talking about projections, his voice echoing in my ear. I nodded occasionally, giving curt responses when necessary but my focus was all over the place.As I reached the living room, I paused. Ariel was perched on the couch at her usual spot, her legs tucked under her, completely absorbed in her phone. Her face glowed faintly from the screen’s light, and she didn’t look up as I approached.“Ariel,” I called out to her and pulled one AirPod out. She glanced up lazily.“Hmm?”“Is Ruby back yet?”“Nope,” she replied, popping the “p” as she turned back to her phone, her fingers moving rapidly across the screen.I frowned and glanced at the clock on my laptop. 9:45 p.m. That was far too late.The last time I’d spoken to Ruby was this afternoon around 1 p.m., if I remembered correctly
GABRIEL’S POVThe hot spray of the shower hit my shoulders as I thought about Ambrose. That old, smug fossil had the audacity to intercept me on my way to Wisconsin some days ago, spewing his sanctimonious bullshit about “jeopardizing the plan.”I scrubbed the soap against my chest with a ferocity that nearly tore my skin. “Jeopardizing the plan,” I sneered. If I had my way, Ambrose would be nothing but a mangled corpse rotting in a ditch. But I couldn’t kill him, not yet anyway. The key was still out of reach, and Ambrose, unfortunately, was a necessary evil for now.I tilted my head back, letting the water rinse the soap suds from my body. The steam around me thickened, clouding the bathroom mirror. My hands baller into fists, knuckles white as I imagined Ambrose’s neck in between my hands. How satisfying it would be to feel his life drain under my fingers.When the water ran clear, I turned off the shower and stepped out, grabbing a towel from the rack. It smelled faintly of mildew
RUBY'S POVDamien. The name sounded familiar, like someone I had known a long time ago.Estelle continued. “Ruby, your mother's family comes from a long line of nobility. Damien is next in line to inherit the dukedom of our hometown. But he…” She paused and sighed. “He’s refused to accept it until he finds you.”"What?”“He’s spent years searching for you,” she said. “After Eleanor passed, he became consumed with the idea of finding his sister. The last time I saw him, he was preparing to come to the U.S. to look for you.”I couldn’t speak. The idea of having a brother, an older brother nonetheless, was overwhelming enough. But knowing he’d been looking for me all this time? That he’d put his life on hold for it?Estelle reached out and touched my hand gently. “He loves you, Ruby. Even though he doesn’t know you, he loves you. Eleanor made sure of that.”Tears stung my eyes but I blinked them away. “Why didn’t anyone tell me? I have been so terribly alone for eleven years. Why did nob
RUBY'S POVEstelle Tredwell could have passed for my mother. Almost. The red hair was the same, bright and vibrant, but that was where the similarities ended for us. Estelle was tall and lanky, towering over me even when she stood by the table. I was also a tall woman, but my figure had always been more curvy, pear shaped. Estelle's gray eyes brightened up when they met my green ones, and her British accent wrapped around her words with a grace that felt foreign to me.She walked over, unbuttoning her coat and draping it over the back of a chair. Every movement was elegant and practiced. Her clothes were tailored, her jewelry was understated but expensive. It was obvious that her family, my mother’s family, had money. Maybe as much as my father's family.“You’re Ruby,” she noted. Then her red-lipped mouth dropped open. “Good heavens, you look just like Eleanor. The green eyes, the dimples… It’s so uncanny. It's like I am staring into the face of my sister again!”I smiled, feeling a