All Chapters of The Billionaire's Daring Kitten : Chapter 11 - Chapter 20

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

RUBY'S POV The sound of the door opening behind me made me freeze in my seat and grip the armrests even tighter. I turned slowly, dread building in the pit of my stomach. Standing there, with that smug expression I’d grown to despise, was Gabriel. My husband—correction, ex-husband. The man who had shattered my trust and dignity in one fell swoop. “You’ve got to be kidding me!” I shrieked, glaring at Ambrose. “So, this is why you invited me here? To ambush me with him?” “Ruby,” Ambrose began, gesturing for me to calm down, “this isn’t an ambush. It’s a chance to have a civilized conversation with your husband—” "Ex-husband!" I corrected quickly. “Civilized? You expect me to sit here and chat with this snake after what he did to me?” Gabriel cleared his throat and stepped forward, hands in his pockets. “Ruby, I—” “Don’t,” I cut him off sharply. “You don’t get to speak to me, Gabriel!” Ambrose raised his hands like a mediator at a peace summit. “Hey, hey. Let’s all calm down.

DOMINIC'S POVThe glossy picture felt heavier in my hand than it should have. Ruby DanCliffe. Her name played in my mind like an endless loop, and her image burned into my brain. The way her red hair caught the light in the photo, flowing down in waves that begged to be touched. Her green eyes sparkled with a mischief I was sure she carried in spades.I sighed, dragging my fingers through my hair as I leaned back in my chair. My laptop sat open on my desk, a Skype meeting droning on. The voices of my board of directors filled the office, but I wasn’t listening.“…As you can see, the projections for the third quarter…”Blah, blah, blah. Numbers, graphs, plans—I couldn’t care less. The only thing that mattered was the picture in my hand. I didn’t even know why I printed it out, but it felt more tangible this way. Like she was closer to me.Ruby wasn’t just haunting my waking hours; she’d taken over my nights too. Every time I closed my eyes, there she was. That fiery hair, those mesmeri

RUBY'S POVThe beauty of the hotel simply took my breath away the moment I stepped out of Lilac’s car. The towering structure seemed to touch the skies. I stood there, not even realising that my black dress was catching the soft evening breeze, as I tilted my head back to take it all in.“Wow,” Ariana whispered beside me, holding her bejeweled clutch to her chest. “I’ve only seen this place in magazines. It's so beautiful!"“Same,” Lilac added, linking her arm with mine. “You sure you’ve never been here before, Ruby? I mean, your family has a reserved suite and all.”I shook my head. “Never. My father used to come here for business when I was younger, but I guess I never had a reason to visit.”Even though my father had enough money to put a small country's economy to shame, he never exposed me much to this life. I attended private boarding schools in the suburbs. And even after my father died and I finished high school, I was shipped off to Yale University, miles away from home. The

RUBY'S POV“I need to go rest,” I hastily told Ariana and Lilac, not even waiting for their response. I bolted before they could stop me, making a beeline for the first thing my eyes saw.The staircase."Excuse me," I murmured to some of the guests as I passed them by. I rushed past the dozens of people packed in the room, my heels clicking against the marble floor as I made my way to the spiraling staircase. My heart was roaring in my ears, my breathing was rapid and erratic, and my hands shook with the pressure of the presence of the man I had just seen. I had spotted Dominic Rutherford across the room, those blue eyes locking onto mine like a heat-seeking missile. Suddenly, all the confidence I’d built up for this night evaporated. Suddenly, everything I had told myself about him disappeared into thin air.Suddenly, all I wanted to do was to escape him.When I reached the bottom of the stairs, I chanced a glance behind me. I gasped in alarm when I saw him striding towards me with