RUBY'S POVPulling out of me, Dominic lifted me in his arms and took me towards the hot tub itself. He set me down and my legs shook slightly. I stared at the hot tub in hesitation. I wasn't about to step into a large tub of water after I'd just showered, but then the thought of fucking this man while surrounded with so much warmth was inviting.“I’m not letting you out of this.” He said as if he'd read my mind, and pointed to the bubbling water that was probably as hot as the blood pumping through his veins.“Then, by all means, let’s do it.” I inhaled in courage, then stepped into the hot tub."Oh, fucking God!"Dominic laughed as he followed me into the tub. "That has to be the first time I've heard you curse."I let out a high-pitched laugh as I felt a jet of water against my belly and back. “Water is hitting me from every angle.”He smiled without teeth. "Do you like it?""I do!" I squealed again as water hit somewhere between my legs. I did like it, as long as I didn’t allow ugl
DOMINIC'S POVThe next morning, I closed Ruby’s door quietly, careful not to make a sound. She’d finally drifted off to sleep after what felt like hours of her restless tossing and turning. I stood in the hallway for a moment, letting out a slow breath. For the first time that morning, the house felt still and peaceful.But not for long.I pulled out my phone and immediately noticed a string of unread messages from Damien.DAMIEN: Where the hell are you?DAMIEN: Any updates on my sister?DAMIEN: You’ve gone radio silent. Call me.I scrolled through the messages, feeling the familiar weight of guilt in my chest. The irony wasn’t lost on me. Damien wanted me to help him find his sister, completely unaware that she was here with me. On the other side of the world in Italy, no less.I smiled bitterly at the thought. Lying to my best friend wasn’t something I ever imagined I’d do, but this situation was complicated. Still, I couldn’t keep this up forever.Not that Damien would make it easy
RUBY'S POVThe streets of Milan were alive with energy, and I was enjoying every second of it. For the first time in weeks, I felt like I could breathe. Even the thought of Gabriel was like a fading memory.Dominic and I walked side by side, and though his face was blank, I could see the amusement in his eyes every time I reacted to something.“Oh my God, look at that!” I exclaimed, pointing to a street artist sketching portraits near a cathedral. “Dom, do you think he’d draw me?”He glanced at the artist’s work, then at me. “Only if he has enough time to get all your details right.”I laughed but ignored his words, skipping down the street instead.Dominic guided me effortlessly through the streets. He didn’t need a map; he seemed to know Milan like the back of his hand. Eventually, we found ourselves in front of a small, tucked-away shop. The window display was filled with glass figurines that drew my eye.“Let’s go in,” I said, already stepping toward the door.“You’re like a magpi
DOMINIC'S POVOne week later, we were on our way back home. The drive was silent except for the occasional soft murmur of the driver updating us on how long it would take to get there. Ruby’s hand was in mine, her fingers loosely in between my own. I’d never been the type to like physical touch, but with her, it was different. It wasn’t an invasion of my space. It felt like a comfort.“It’s bittersweet, isn’t it?” she murmured.I turned my head to look at her, watching the way her eyes wandered over the Italian city fading behind us. “What is?”“Leaving.” She smiled faintly. “I mean, I know I’ll carry this one week with me, but I’ll miss it. The last time I was here was the worst one week of my life. But this one is the best. I'll miss everything about it.” She turned to me and smiled. “And, of course, annoying you.”I chuckled. “You’ve gotten very good at that.”She laughed. “You’re welcome, I guess.”We pulled into the hangar moments later, and Ruby’s face seemed to brighten up as s
DOMINIC'S POVIt was the Sunday after our trip to Milan, and we were back in my Seattle mansion. A plate of toast sat in front of me, beside my signature coffee. Beside the plate was my laptop, open to a Skype video call page.I bit into a corner of my toast as I spoke. "Go on, Matthew.""A lot of work was left unfinished before your trip, Mr Rutherford." Matthew notified me. "I was wondering when we'd be able to get down to it.""When I come to the office." I dropped my toast and took a sip of my coffee. "Which will be later this week; Wednesday, most probably."Gregory opened his mouth to speak again, but was silenced by the sound of footsteps coming down the staircase behind me."Would you like us to reschedule a meeting for you, Mr Rutherford?" Another worker named Mrs Bellick asked. "It seems you have a visitor.""I do." I replied. "I will inform my secretary to schedule a physical meeting on Wednesday and send you all the memo. Thank you."Without waiting for a reply from them,
DOMINIC'S POV“Who the hell is that?” Ruby whispered curiously. "Are you expecting visitors?"Ruby looked even more of a mess than I realised. Her hair was slightly disheveled and her lips were swollen and pinkish from my kisses. Her bathrobe even rode high on her thighs, and her eyes squinted toward the front door where the knocking had only grown more insistent.I cursed under my breath. I hadn’t even told her about Ariel. How could I have forgotten? Guilt stabbed me in the chest as I realized the day had arrived far quicker than I anticipated. Ariel was here.“That,” I said, attempting to sound composed, “would be my daughter.”Ruby’s eyes widened. “Your WHAT?!”“I’ll explain later,” I said quickly, waving her off. “Just fix yourself up.”I rushed to the front door, barely sparing her another glance. My heart pounded as I twisted the handle and pulled it open.Standing there, suitcase in hand, was Ariel. She looked just as I remembered: tall like me, her waist-length brown hair flo
RUBY'S POVThe moment I stepped out of Dominic’s house, tears began to fall from my eyes, and I didn’t bother wiping them away. Let them fall. Maybe they’d take some of the anger and hurt with them. I hated this. I hated feeling so exposed and so raw. Why was it so easy for the people I cared about to keep secrets from me? Was I the problem?The streets were busy. People were bustling past me as I walked aimlessly, clutching my phone like a lifeline. I didn’t care about the odd stares I got from strangers. My thoughts were a mess, tangled between how much I cared for Dominic and how tired I was of being the one left in the dark.First Gabriel, now him. How many times would I let someone shut me out before I learned my lesson?I kept walking until I realized I took nothing from Damien's house, no bag or clothes, not even my favorite lip balm. Just my phone. Great.I pulled it out and stared at the screen, debating my next move. Calling Dominic was out of the question. The thought of li
RUBY'S POVI sat across from Lilac at the little café on the corner. I’d just finished unloading everything on her, from Dominic's dead wife to his daughter and the money. Every little detail spilled out of me like a flood.Lilac as usual, sat calmly, listening without interrupting. It was one of the things I loved most about her. She never cut me off or tried to fix things too early. She just listened.When I finally stopped, my voice was hoarse and my throat was dry. Lilac motioned for the waitress. “One cappuccino and a bottle of water, please,” she said softly, then turned back to me.“You done?” she asked.“Yeah.” I slumped back in my chair, suddenly exhausted. “I think that’s everything.”Lilac nodded, her eyes scanning me carefully. “And you’re sure you’re not leaving anything out? Because this feels like one of those drama series where there’s always one last bombshell.”“Very funny.” I rubbed my temples. “No, Lilac. That’s it. His dead wife, his secret daughter, and the freak
RUBY'S POVWhen my consciousness returned, I felt as weak and as useless as a sack of potatoes.My eyes fluttered open to blinding light, seeping through the bag over my eyes. Wincing against the brightness, I twisted and realized I was bound, sitting on a rigid wooden chair that dug into my back and behind. Thirst clawed at my throat, my body ached, and fear made me start to pant loudly.A very unfamiliar world greeted me through a small tear in the bag. Shadows danced in the light, and all I could see were dark corners and even darker objects. Or were they people? I had no idea. I strained to gather any clues about where I was, but the limited view didn't do much for me.The creak of a door opening to my left jolted me. Quickly, I let my head fall to my chest, pretending to still be unconscious. I couldn't let them know I was awake. I was not sure of what they might do if they realized I was aware of my surroundings.Ominous footsteps approached, echoing in the large space. I tried
Ruby's POVThere was definitely more to this Willow woman than met the eye, and I was going to find out what it was.However, I left the building, brushing aside the strange encounter with Willow. I was going to worry about that later. Right now, there were bigger problems to deal with, and I needed a clear head. The cafe where I usually had my lunch break wasn’t far, and the thought of sitting down with a coffee and something warm to eat was comforting. As I walked down the street, something felt off. I glanced behind me and saw three men in black shirts and black trousers, paired with black sunglasses. I knew who they were. Ambrose’s men. Again. Only Ambrose's men dressed like that.I knew without thinking much that this was another antic of Gabriel. What was he trying to do this time? Scare me again, or order me to give up that stupid key he was always going on about?My heart was spiralling away but I forced myself to stay calm. Maybe if I walked faster, they would lose interest
Ruby's POVA week had passed since I started working for Dominic, and already I felt like I was going crazy. Officially, I was supposed to work closely with Rosalie, learning whatever I could. Dominic had warned her not to treat me badly. That didn’t stop her from finding ways to make my life miserable.I sighed and tapped at my laptop. Rosalie had told me to arrange Dominic’s meeting schedule for the week. It was my lunch break, and I should have been enjoying it. Instead, I was stuck here, doing work that clearly wasn’t mine.Rosalie had been “nice” on the surface. She smiled when she greeted me and asked if I was handling the tasks well. But it didn’t take much to see through the act. The hostility behind her forced smiles was impossible to miss. She dumped her work on me and then walked off like it was the most natural thing in the world.I glanced through the glass doors of the office that we shared together. Rosalie was with her friends from HR, laughing and chatting over their
Ruby's POVWhen we got home, Ariel dashed straight into the kitchen. I followed her, setting the coffee and pastries on the counter. Dominic came in behind me and hung his jacket on the back of a chair.“I’m going to get some work done in my study,” he said, grabbing a water bottle from the fridge.Ariel was already stuffing her face with one of the pastries. She mumbled through a mouthful, “I want to check out that arcade we passed earlier.”I raised a brow. “Didn’t you just get home?”She shrugged and grabbed another pastry. “It looked fun. I’ll be back in an hour.”Dominic shot her a sharp look. “Absolutely not. You can’t just run off like that.”Ariel snatched her bag and darted toward the door. “Love you, Dad!”“Ariel!” he boomed out so hard that I winced, but Ariel didn't stop. She was already halfway out the door.He groaned and muttered under his breath before yelling after her again, “Stay safe! If some weird man comes near you, use the taser I got for you! Do you hear me?”T
Ruby's POVThree days had crawled by since my interview at Dominic’s company. I tried not to think about it too much, but I couldn’t help waiting for an email or a call. I kept refreshing my inbox like a lunatic, hoping for good news, even though Dominic had told me that he would personally inform me if there was any news.It was not like I got interviewed like everyone's else. Thinking about it, a smile crossed my face and I couldn't help giggling out loud.This morning, none of us had the energy to cook, so we were heading out for pastries. Dominic was in the passenger seat, and Ariel sat in the back, humming some song under her breath with her headphones around her head. I was driving one of Dominic’s cars: a beautiful blue Lamborghini that drove like a dream.The silence in the car was interrupted by Ariel’s voice.“Ruby, are you sure you’re comfortable driving this? Dad looks like he’s about to explode.”I glanced at Dominic and grinned. His jaw was tight and his arms were crosse
GABRIEL'S POVI sat in my car with a cigarette balanced between my fingers, watching the slow creep of pedestrians passing by. A block ahead was the Rutherford building; the tallest building that I could see from this point. I leaned back, blowing a stream of smoke into the air. Julia was late. She was supposed to meet me here ten minutes ago. I checked my watch again and tapped the steering wheel impatiently. I had half a mind to drive up to the building and drag her out myself. What could possibly be taking her this long? Movement caught my eye. A woman shuffled down the street, clutching a bag to her chest. Her black hair, cut jaggedly at the ears, made her look like she’d let a toddler wield the scissors. Those ridiculous round Harry Potter glasses perched on her nose only added to the mess. And her clothes were hilarious. I took a look at the mismatched patterns, baggy fabric, and shoes that belonged to someone's ninety-year-old grandmother. I let out a sharp laugh, danglin
Ruby's POVHe leaned away from me, a jeering smile on his face, his lips moist with the wetness of my pussy. "Damn, Ruby." He commented. "You make the most hilarious sounds when you're about to orgasm.""You can't blame me, can you?" I grumbled. "Do you think your workers heard us?""If they did, I don't care." Dominic carefully put my leg down from his shoulder, then kissed my stomach. My fingers went to his hair as he stared up at me, his eyes tender rather than demanding. It wasn't like he hadn't given me head before, but this time was very different. It was more intimate.“Dominic, that was… I am....”"It's alright." He interrupted. "Say less."Coming to sit beside me, he planted a kiss on my lips, and then another and another. His lips began to travel downwards again, but I held him back this time."My turn now, Dominic." I whispered. "You did mine, and now I'll do yours."His eyes darkened. "Are you.... sure?""Yes." I murmured in response. Then, I remembered something. "Do you
Ruby's POVAt that moment, my mind blanked with delirium and pleasure. My nails dug into his shoulders and I slammed myself down on his dick.His hips rocked in rhythm with mine, as he grinded against my panties and the fishnet stockings. Our lips crashed against each other in a kiss that was the most violent I'd ever had. Dominic wasn't gentle this time; his fingers clawed at my skirt, as my own yanked at his shirt.Somehow, I knew that he couldn't hold it back in anymore.Finally, Dominic tore his lips away from mine. His eyes were dark and stormy, and his chest shook with each gasp of breath.Slowly, my hand snaked down his body, coming to settle on the hard bump bump of his dick. With a sharp motion, I squeezed, and Dominic flinched."You want me to fuck you like a whore, is that it?" His eyes darkened even further as they narrowed on me while I swallowed hard. I realised that while kissing, Dominic had moved me from the wall. I was now backed up against the edge of the long table
Ruby's POVAs I stepped inside, I looked around. The room was large and panelled with more brown wood, with a long table stretching across it and twelve chairs evenly spaced around it. The part of the walls that weren't covered in wood were painted gray gray, and the light from the overhead fixtures made the place feel like sone hospital theatre.Maybe It was a theatre, and I was the one being operated on.The room was empty, or at least it seemed that way at first. My eyes landed on the chair at the head of the table. It was turned away from me, its high back hiding whoever sat there.I shifted my feet in unease, then walked closer to the table. When I reached the table, I gently knocked on the polished wood, hoping to get their attention.The chair swiveled slowly, and my heart nearly jumped out of my chest. Dominic was the one sitting there.I exhaled sharply and placed a hand on my chest. “Dominic, you scared me! Why were you sitting there like some kind of movie villain?”He smil