Ruined: My best friend's father is my new obsession
Naomi has spent six long years burying a dangerous secret—she has been deeply in love with her best friend Chloe's father since she was sixteen. Now twenty-two and freshly graduated from college, she arrives at the Ashford family estate for the summer to job hunt and restart her life.
Dominic Ashford is forty-five, recently divorced, and a man of absolute control. For six years, he has forced himself to pretend Naomi is nothing more than his daughter's quiet friend. But when he catches her swimming naked in his pool at midnight, his decades of discipline completely shatter. He should send her away to protect his daughter and his life. Instead, he locks the gate.
What begins as one reckless, forbidden night quickly spirals into an obsessive addiction neither can stop. But as Chloe unknowingly plans her father's dating life and a vicious ex-wife threatens to destroy Dominic's family, Naomi finds herself walking a deadly tightrope. When their secret is finally dragged into the light, Naomi must face the ultimate choice: the man she cannot live without, or the friendship that has been her lifelong anchor.
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Chapter: The Pool HouseThe planners arrived at eight in the morning. I was already in the main kitchen making coffee when the front door opened and three women walked in carrying bags, binders, and a rolling rack of fabric samples. Chloe met them in the foyer with a bright smile and too much energy for that hour. “Naomi, come meet everyone,” she called. I dried my hands and walked out. Chloe introduced the lead planner, a tall woman named Rebecca who spoke in short, efficient sentences. The other two were assistants. They all looked at me like I was part of the staff. “Maid of honor,” Chloe said, linking her arm through mine. “She’s going to help with everything.” Rebecca nodded once. “Good. We have seven days. No time to waste.” Dominic came down the stairs halfway through the introductions. He wore a dark shirt and looked like he hadn’t slept. His eyes found mine for a second before he turned to Rebecca. “Whatever she needs,” he said, nodding toward Chloe. “Just keep the disruption to a minimum.”
Last Updated: 2026-09-22
Chapter: One WeekChloe called an emergency family meeting the next morning.I walked into the main living room and found her standing in the center of the rug, phone still in her hand, face glowing.Dominic sat in the armchair near the window. Julian leaned against the fireplace with his arms crossed. Both of them looked at her like they already knew something was coming.“I have news,” Chloe said.Dominic’s voice was calm. “What kind of news?”She took a breath and smiled so wide it almost hurt to look at. “I’m engaged.”The room went completely still.Julian was the first to speak. “To who?”“Marcus. We’ve been talking for months. He asked last night. I said yes.” She held up her hand. A simple diamond caught the light.Dominic stood slowly. “Chloe.”“I know it’s fast,” she said, still smiling. “But it feels right. And I want the wedding here. At the estate. In one week.”My stomach dropped.Dominic’s face didn’t change, but something in his eyes went cold. “One week.”“Yes. Small. Just family and c
Last Updated: 2026-09-22
Chapter: Someone is WatchingJulian showed up two days later without warning.I was in the kitchen with Chloe when the front door opened and a male voice called out, “Anyone home, or did this place finally die of boredom?”Chloe’s face lit up. “Uncle Julian!”She ran into the foyer. I followed more slowly.Julian Ashford stood in the middle of the marble floor with a leather overnight bag at his feet. He was younger than Dominic by several years, handsome in a sharper, less controlled way. Dark hair, easy smile, eyes that moved too fast.He hugged Chloe hard, then looked past her and saw me.“Well,” he said. “Naomi. Still hanging around.”“Hi, Julian.”He walked over and kissed my cheek like we were old friends. His hand stayed on my shoulder a second longer than it needed to.“You look good,” he said. “College agreed with you.”Chloe rolled her eyes. “Stop flirting with my best friend. Come say hi to Dad.”Dominic appeared in the hallway as if the sound of his brother’s voice had pulled him there. The two men lo
Last Updated: 2026-09-19
Chapter: Seven Names for a StrangerChloe showed up the next morning with a notebook and a determined smile.“Okay, operation Find Dad a Date is officially open,” she said, dropping onto my bed like she owned it. “I made a list of possibilities. You’re going to help me narrow it down.”I sat up, hair a mess, still half-asleep. “Chloe, maybe we should wait. He’s dealing with a lot.”“That’s exactly why he needs a distraction.” She flipped the notebook open. “First one—Margaret from the country club. Forty-two, divorced, owns that boutique downtown. What do you think?”I rubbed my eyes. “I don’t know her.”“Second—Sophia. She runs the foundation he donates to. Smart, elegant, never married. Dad already respects her.”My chest felt tight. “Sounds fine.”Chloe looked up. “You’re supposed to help, not just say ‘fine.’ Come on. You’re good at reading people.”I swung my legs over the side of the bed. “I just woke up.”“Coffee’s in the kitchen. Move.”We spent the next hour at the small table going through names. Every time Ch
Last Updated: 2026-09-19
Chapter: The Morning AfterI woke up with the sun already high and the memory of Dominic’s hands still burning on my skin.For a second I just lay there in the guest-house bed, staring at the ceiling, trying to decide if last night had been real. The ache between my legs said yes. The faint bruise on my collarbone said yes. The way my heart kicked every time I thought of his voice saying my name said yes.I got up, pulled on a simple tank top and shorts, and went to the small kitchen to make coffee. My hands shook a little when I poured the water.A soft knock came at the door.I froze.“Naomi? You up?” Chloe’s bright voice carried through the wood.I opened the door. She stood there in a pale pink sundress, blonde hair in a messy bun, holding two iced coffees.“Morning, sleepyhead,” she said, stepping inside without waiting. “You look wrecked. Bad night?”I took one of the coffees so I wouldn’t have to look at her straight on. “Couldn’t sleep. Heat, I guess.”She dropped onto the couch and tucked her legs unde
Last Updated: 2026-09-19
Chapter: The Forbidden NightThe water was black at midnight.I told myself it was the heat. The job rejections.The fact that I'd been sleeping three hours a night because the man down the hall was the reason I couldn't breathe.And so I needed a break from everything. So I slipped out of the guest house. No suits. Just me and the pool.The stone path was still warm under my bare feet, holding the day's heat like a secret. I didn't bother to take a towel or a robe because no one else would be awake. Chloe had gone to bed hours ago after a long call about flower arrangements, and Dominic.... well he kept to his wing of the house and so it was no problem.I stepped out of my sleep shorts and tank top at the edge of the water and left them in a careless pile.I then slid into the water without a splash. It closed over me like silk, black, and absolute. I swam the length of the pool in long, quiet strokes, letting the cold strip away the day's failure and another interview that ended with a polite smile and a "We'l
Last Updated: 2026-09-19
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