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CHAPTER FORTY-EIGHT: CROSSING LINES

Author: Emma Stone
last update Last Updated: 2026-01-01 22:19:56

Nikolai's POV

I pulled my car into a spot just outside the campus gates, the engine coming to a quiet stop as I killed the ignition.

I couldn't find a last minute sitter so Lily was in the back seat, buckled in with my iPad, humming along to some cartoon theme song, her little legs kicking against the seat.

"Are we there yet, Nik? Can I see Aiden's school?" she'd asked about a dozen times on the drive over.

I'd promised her ice cream after if she behaved.

Unfortunately, though bribes worked
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  • RUIN MY 4.0   CHAPTER NINETY-EIGHT: DISTANCE

    Nikolai’s POVThe Maybach glides through the streets of St. Petersburg, its tires hissing softly against wet asphalt.Viktor’s hands are steady on the wheel, but I can feel the weight of his stare on me every few seconds.I keep my eyes on the tablet in my lap managing the shipment manifests, banking logs, as well as Ivanov’s latest movements.The Prime Minister has been acting very suspicious lately, but that's to be expected anyway.Viktor suddenly sighs dramatically and then I know that he wants to say something I don’t want to hear.I don’t look up when I mutter. “Spit it out, Vik.”“I don’t think you should go pick up Aiden.”My thumb freezes mid-scroll. I lift my gaze slowly, one brow arched. “Excuse me?”“You heard me.” He doesn’t even glance my way. His eyes are fixed on the road. “Your enemies are watching. Don’t tell me you’ve already forgotten that the Prime Minister has been crawling up your ass for weeks?”I set the tablet on the seat beside me. “I haven’t forgotten a da

  • RUIN MY 4.0   CHAPTER NINETY-SEVEN: HOT RUSSIANS

    Aiden's POV TWO DAYS LATER...Lily sat on the edge of the mattress, her hand wrapped around Mom’s. Mom’s eyes—red-rimmed and glassy—found mine first. She tried to smile. “Aiden,” she rasped. “You look like hell, honey.”I huffed a laugh that didn’t reach my eyes. “Yeah, well... I've been through hell.”Lily cleared her throat at the tense silence and I continued. “They’re transferring you to the inpatient rehab this afternoon. Are you… are you gonna do it?”Mom’s lower lip trembled. She looked down at the thin hospital blanket, then back up at me. “Yes,” she whispered. “Yes, Aiden. I’m going. I swear to you. I don’t—I don’t want this anymore. I don’t want to be this person.”Tears spilled over, tracking down her cheeks. She didn’t try to wipe them away; she just let them fall, like she was too tired to hide anymore. “I’m so sorry,” she choked out. “To both of you. I told myself—just one more time. Just to feel... something. And then I woke up here.” She sniffled. “I almost died. An

  • RUIN MY 4.0   CHAPTER NINETY-SIX: ANXIETY

    Aiden's POV How the hell had it come to this? Mom who'd clawed her way back from the brink of addiction was back to square one?I don't know what could have happened. She seemed fine.We were in the hospital, waiting anxiously for a doctor.I glanced at Lily who sat at the side of the waiting room, her jaw set in a stubborn line. She obviously knew what was going on. She knew that Mom had..."Lil," I started, but she didn't look up. She just tightened her arms and kept glaring at the vending machine across the room.The double doors to the ER swung open with a whoosh, and I spun around to see a doctor emerge.She scanned the room, spotting us, and then approached with a measured stride."Mr. Cross?" she said, her tone professional but kind, with a faint accent I couldn't place. "I'm Dr. Ramirez. You're here for Sasha Cross?""Yeah, that's me—Aiden. And this is my sister, Lily." I gestured vaguely, stepping closer. "How is she?"Dr. Ramirez nodded, flipping a page on her clipboard. "Y

  • RUIN MY 4.0   CHAPTER NINETY-FIVE: BOUNDARIES

    Nikolai's POV Ashley leaned against the bar, her green eyes sparkling as she launched into her story. "So, there I was in Paris last month, negotiating this deal with some sleazy art dealer who thought he could scam me because I'm a woman. Can you believe it? He pulls out this fake painting—swear to God, Niko, it looked like a kid finger-painted it—and tries to pass it off as authentic. I called him out, and the guy's face turned redder than a beet."I chuckled, the sound low and genuine, leaning on the bar beside her.It was easy with Ashley; always had been. We'd run in the same circles back in the day. She was sharp, ambitious, the kind of woman who could charm anyone instantly.And yeah, she was beautiful in an effortless way that turned heads. But she knew I was gay, I'd confided in her years ago, because of what happened with Silas. She was the first person I'd told about preferring guys, and she'd just shrugged and said, "Cool, more girls for me." "Sounds like you handled i

  • RUIN MY 4.0   CHAPTER NINETY-FOUR: SHE'S... BACK

    I peeled off my white coat in the hospital's locker room, the fluorescent lights buzzing overhead.My shift had dragged on way longer than expected—between Tyler's emergency surgery and catching up with Sean, it felt like I'd been in this damn hospital for a lifetime. I stuffed my coat into my locker, grabbed my backpack, and checked my phone. No missed calls from home, which was a relief, but there was a text from the conference organizers confirming my flight to Moscow. Shit, I still hadn't packed. Or told Luka about it. What was I supposed to say? "Hey, Luka, I'm jetting off to your boss's homeland for a neurosurgery conference. Don't worry, I'll be fine without my Bratva babysitter"?I shook my head, slinging my backpack over one shoulder. Get it together, Aiden. Just act normal.I headed down the hallway toward the exit, my sneakers squeaking on the linoleum. The hospital was quieter now, a calm that always followed the chaos of the day. I passed the nurses' station, noddin

  • RUIN MY 4.0   CHAPTER NINETY-THREE: AN OLD FRIEND (2)

    Nikolai's POV I grip the steering wheel tighter as I pull the car into the driveway of the Bravta's compound—it's what I now call home, but really, it's more like a fortress.It's not warm or as full of love as my penthouse had been with Aiden and Lily.The gates swing open automatically, and I glance over at Viktor by my side. I don't even want to know what he's doing on his phone, he's been glued to it since we left the office.The engine purrs to a stop in the garage, and I kill it, leaning back in the seat for a second before unbuckling."Aiden's coming to Russia," I say, the words tumbling out because I've been wanting to tell him for a while. I know he won't be comfortable with it, particularly because I already told him why I didn't want Aiden here, but I have to tell him. Viktor looks up slowly, his expression unchanging, but I know that look. It's the one he gives when he thinks I'm doing something stupid.“And everything you said about not wanting Aiden to be part of this

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