CHAPTER 4: Ruin Her

KANE’S POV:

7 years, 5 months, and 1 week. 

That’s how long I’ve lived with my heart broken into pieces, turned stone cold. All because of a girl I loved—no, a girl I was obsessed with.

What I felt for Anya wasn’t just love. It was deeper than that, darker. It was an obsession. Even as teens, I knew I’d do anything to make her happy. I wanted her to myself forever. But she crushed that dream in one clean stroke.

I remember it clearly—the night we spent together. It wasn’t just a night. It was the best night of my life. She was mine in every way, and I was convinced we had forever ahead of us. But the next morning, I woke up to nothing but a text.

“Sorry, Kane. I can’t be with you.”

No explanation. No apology. Just a cold, empty message that turned my world upside down.

Was I really that bad? Did I do something wrong? We dated for a year so did I mean so little to her that she couldn’t even look me in the eye and say it to my face? She left me with questions that haunted me for years, and not a single answer.

I told myself to move on and it was just highschool love. I tried. God knows I tried. But no matter how many girls I met in college or how many women threw themselves at me, she was always there lingering in the back of my mind. 

I never thought I’d see her again until two years ago. My friend dragged me to a charity event, and there she was—her arm around a man, smiling ear to ear as she chatted with people.

My blood ran cold. The first question that crossed my mind was, Who was that man? Then I noticed the glinting ring on her left hand, and everything became clear.

Rage. That was all I felt.

I started watching her from a distance. I didn’t plan to, but I couldn’t help it. I saw her with Liam, the man she chose. She married him, settled down, and built a life. She looked happy, as if I had never existed.

And me? I was left with my questions and my anger, brewing into something I couldn’t ignore.

Rage. I hadn’t felt it in so long, but one look at her happy face brought it all back.

I knew I wanted to ruin it. All of it.

She belonged with me, not him. She needed to pay for breaking my heart. She needed to explain why all I got was a text.

That brings us to now.

Sitting in the private room of my club, I nursed a glass of whiskey, scrolling through potential property investments on my phone. The door opened, and in walked Liam Ross, led by my bodyguard.

He wore his usual grin, looking every bit the polished businessman. But I wasn’t in the mood for smiles, in fact the smile annoyed me.

“Mr. Ross,” I said, not bothering to stand. “You didn’t have to come all the way here. A bank transfer would have done the job.”

His grin didn’t falter. “I wanted to discuss the money with you.”

I leaned back, raising an eyebrow. “I’m listening.”

“I don’t have it.”

The chuckle escaped me before I could stop it. “Is that so?” I set my glass down, my amusement growing. “And what exactly do we do about that, Mr. Ross?”

He leaned forward, his tone shifting to one of negotiation. “I’m willing to offer you something else in exchange for clearing half the debt.” he continued, waiting eagerly to see if I'd bite whatever bait he was throwing in my sea.

I tilted my head, intrigued. “Half the debt? That’s $250 million. What could you possibly have that’s worth that much?”

“If I remember correctly your company is inches close to filing for bankruptcy, no investor and no backup plan. Let's quit the chit chat Mr Ross, I want my money”

He hesitated, and for a moment, I thought he’d come to his senses. But then he spoke the words that froze me in place.

“My wife.”

The room went silent.

“Excuse me?” I asked, my voice cold as steel.

“You can have my wife,” he repeated. “One week. Do whatever you want with her, and in exchange, you clear half my debt.”

I stared at him, rage bubbling within me. Who the fuck gives off their wife like a piece of property?

“Mr. Ross,” I said, my tone dangerously low, “is your wife that good? Because from where I’m sitting, this sounds less like a negotiation and more like a goddamn insult.”

He didn’t flinch. Instead, he pulled out his phone, scrolling to a photo. “She’s beautiful, talented, and obedient. I’m sure you’ll find her… satisfactory.”

My jaw clenched. My anger mixed with something else—a twisted, vengeful satisfaction. The man who had what I’d always wanted was now offering it to me on a silver platter.

“Tell me, Mr. Ross,” I said, rising from my seat. “Does your wife know about this little arrangement of yours? Or are you planning to sell her off without her consent?”

“She’ll do what I tell her. She knows what’s at stake.” he replied sounding extremely confident

I stepped closer, towering over him. “I’ll accept your offer,” I said, the words tasting like poison. “But let me make one thing clear—this isn’t for you. It’s for me. And when this is over, you’ll wish you had paid my money instead.”

I didn't expect things would play out like this. Liam would think he’d made a deal. He would think he had control. But the reality was, I had all the control. For the next week, she was mine. To do with as I pleased.

I wanted to see how far she’d fallen. How much she’d changed. How much she’d be willing to endure. I wanted to break her, to remind her what she’d lost when she left me.

Anya thought she was safe, though she was still the queen in her little world. But what she didn’t know was that I was the one holding all the cards now. She was going to pay for leaving me. And when I was done, she would never look at Liam the same way again. She’d remember who she really belonged to.

I had been informed that she had arrived at my penthouse and settled in by Cassie. But I was going to give her tonight to digest everything. Tomorrow the fun begins

I couldn't contain my excitement. Hell, I barely slept returning to the penthouse very early in the morning so I had time to lay everything out to her and tell her what her little husband had done. Watching her as she entered the dining room, looking so damn beautiful yet so naive. She had no idea what I was about to do to her. But that would make it all the sweeter.

Her shock when she saw me—priceless. She had no clue why I was here. No clue why she was in my penthouse.

But she’d learn soon enough.