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Chapter 20

ผู้เขียน: M. Ann
last update วันที่เผยแพร่: 2026-01-22 15:11:50

The next day at work

I’m staring at my screen when heels click against the floor, slow, deliberate.

I don’t have to look up to know who it is.

Olivia.

She stops at my desk like she belongs there. Like she owns the space around her.

“Elena,” she says warmly.

I look up, keeping my face neutral. “Olivia.”

She’s dressed perfectly, as always, soft cream blouse, tailored trousers, her hair sleek, it was pulled back in a low ponytail that makes her look calm and sharp at the same time.

She crank her
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  • Ruthless Desire    Chapter 35

    Elena’s POVThe message stays on my screen as I walk out of the building.Ethan:Meet me.The words feel simple, but nothing about this is simple anymore.The city is loud around me, cars moving, people talking, life continuing like nothing just shifted under my feet. But everything inside me feels sharp and alert, like I’m standing at the edge of something.I stop on the sidewalk and stare at the message again.For a second, I think about ignoring it, blocking him, walking away but that would be the old me. The one who waits, the one who reacts too late.I inhale slowly, then type.Me:Where?The reply comes almost immediately.Ethan:The café across Hawthorne Square. Thirty minutes.Of course, close enough to be convenient, far enough to be private. I lock my phone and raise my hand for a cab.The café is quiet when I walk in. Soft music plays in the background. A few people sit scattered around, heads down, focused on their own lives.Ethan is already there. Corner table, back to t

  • Ruthless Desire    Chapter 34

    Elena’s POVThe first thing I hear when I wake up is my phone vibrating, over and over again.It’s loud in the quiet of my room, sharp and persistent, like something is trying to force its way into my morning.I don’t move at first, my body feels heavy, like I didn’t really sleep, just closed my eyes and waited for the night to pass.The memory of last night comes back slowly. The lights, the stage, olivia’s smile and julian’s silence.I open my eyes. The ceiling above me looks the same, calm and still, like nothing has changed.But something has. can feel it. The phone vibrates again beside me, I reach for it slowly, my fingers brushing against the screen before I finally pick it up.Twenty-three missed calls, messages all from unknown numbers. My stomach tightens immediately, something is wrong.I unlock the phone. For a second, I just stare at the screen, not opening anything, then I tap the first message, it is a link, I opened another, the same and another tooMy heart starts bea

  • Ruthless Desire    Chapter 33

    Elena’s POVThe music is still playing when I step out of the ballroom.Soft, elegant and controlled, just like everything inside.The doors close behind me, and the sound fades into something distant. Out here, the air is cooler, quieter and real.I walk a few steps forward, my heels softer against the stone floor. My chest rises and falls slowly, like I’m trying to catch up with myself.For a moment, I just stand there. I didn’t break. I didn’t run, I stood there, in the same room, under the same lights.But it doesn’t feel like victory, it feels like the beginning of something I don’t fully understand yet.I wrap my arms lightly around myself, staring out at the city lights below.“Still doing that.”The voice comes from behind me.Familiar, too familiar. My body stiffens before I even turn.Slowly, I look over my shoulder.Liam.He stands a few feet away, hands in his pockets, dressed in a simple dark suit, no tie, no effort to impress.And yet he looks handsome, like he always ha

  • Ruthless Desire    Chapter 32

    Elena’s POVThe applause fades slowly. On the stage, Olivia steps forward first, of course she does.She doesn’t rush, she never rushes. She takes her time, letting the silence settle, letting the attention build until every eye in the room is on her.She belongs here, or at least, she believes she does.“Good evening” she begins, her voice smooth and steady through the microphone.The room quiets completely.“It’s an honor to stand here tonight” she continues, “surrounded by people who believe in growth, in partnership, in building something that lasts.”Her words are careful, perfect.I watch her from the crowd, my hands wrapped loosely around my glass.This isn’t a speech, it’s a performance.“Tonight is not just about celebration,” Olivia says. “It’s about trust, about aligning vision with purpose.”A soft murmur of approval moves through the audience.She smiles, calm and controlled.“And sometimes,” she adds gently, “the strongest partnerships are the ones that begin with both.”

  • Ruthless Desire    Chapter 31

    Elena’s POVThe evening of the gala arrives faster than I expect.All day I move through my apartment slowly, trying to keep my thoughts steady. The invitation Julian left at my door rests on the kitchen counter.I must have looked at it a hundred times, if you come tomorrow there is no going back. I already knew that.Tonight isn’t just another event. It’s a line I am about to cross.Nora arrives just after six.She knocks twice and lets herself in before I even reach the door.“Please tell me you’re dressed,” she calls.“Almost.” I answered She walks into the living room and stops when she sees me standing by the mirror.The deep blue dress fits perfectly. It’s simple but elegant, falling smoothly to the floor.Nora studies me quietly.“Wow.”“That’s not helpful,” I say, frowning “It is helpful,” she insists. “You look like someone Olivia should be nervous about.”I shake my head. “I’m not trying to compete with her.”“Good,” Nora replies. “Because that would be exhausting.”She s

  • Ruthless Desire    Chapter 30

    Elena's POVThe morning after Nora has leavesmy apartment, the city feels suddenly unusually loud, cars pass under my window, someone argues on the sidewalk,a dog barks somewhere down the street.Normal sounds, but inside me everything feels like the quiet before something breaks.I stand in front of the mirror in my bedroom, staring at my reflection.“You said you wouldn’t hide,” I murmur to myself.The woman in the mirror looks tired but steadier than she did days ago and for the first time in weeks, I feel something close to clarity.Then my phone vibrates, I look down at it, it was an unknown number.My stomach tightens.I already know who it is.Ethan.I hesitate before picking and answering.“Hello?”“Elena.”His voice is calm, too calm.“Yes.”“We should talk in person.”“I’m not sure that’s a good idea.”“It’s necessary.”I walk slowly toward the window, watching the traffic below.“About the situation?” I ask.“Yes.”Silence stretches between us, finally I sigh.“Where?”An

  • Ruthless Desire    Chapter 15

    Elena’s POVDAYS LATERI don’t go straight home after work, and instead of taking the bus I decided to walk to Nora's apartment to clear off my head.Block after block, letting the city noise swallow my thoughts, letting my heels click against the pavement until my feet ache, pain feels easier than

    last updateปรับปรุงล่าสุด : 2026-03-21
  • Ruthless Desire    Chapter 13

    Julian’s POVI shouldn’t have gone to the bar.I knew it the moment I stepped inside and felt that familiar restlessness settle in my chest, the kind that meant I was already on edge, already halfway to making a mistake.I met Dominic there, he was relaxed as always, one arm draped over the back of

    last updateปรับปรุงล่าสุด : 2026-03-20
  • Ruthless Desire    Chapter 14

    Elena’s POVI tell myself I’m moving on.I say it while brushing my teeth, while tying my running shoes every morning before running, while staring at my reflection every morning like I’m trying to convince a stranger.It sounds simple when you say it out loud but it feels like lying when your hear

    last updateปรับปรุงล่าสุด : 2026-03-20
  • Ruthless Desire    Chapter 11

    Elena’s POVDinner ends, but the damage doesn’t.I barely taste the food on my plate, my hand and my fork moves automatically, my mouth smiles when expected, but everything inside me is cracking quietly.Olivia laughs too loudly, leaning into Julian like she owns him, her hand rests on his arm, her

    last updateปรับปรุงล่าสุด : 2026-03-19
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