TAKE ME, RUIN ME: CHAPTER 8

TAKE ME, RUIN ME: CHAPTER 8

CHAPTER 8: CRACKS IN THE ARMOR

ADRIAN'S POV

My mind is a buzzing mess of static as I sit at my desk. I rest my hand against the polished wood, trying to focus, but the documents in front of me might as well be written in a foreign language. Her image is torturing me. It’s an endless loop in my head: those beautiful, sparkling eyes that shine like icy gray crystals. She is still as stunning as she was back then, but now there is a maturity to her beauty that infuriates me.

Why am I so angry? I’m angry because she still carries that dangerous aura, the one that captured me years ago and drove me crazy. I hate that she still has this power over me. Even now, when I have all the authority and she is just an employee, I feel like I’m losing. I came back for revenge. I wanted to make her pay for how she ruined my life and destroyed my mental health in high school. And yet, she had the audacity to talk back to me today.

A sharp knock on the door jolts me out of my thoughts. I snap my head up, my jaw tight. "Come in!" I bark, my voice loud and vibrating with redirected anger. I shake my head with a scoff and trace my fingers across my forehead, trying to massage away the headache forming there.

The door clicks open. I hear soft, hesitant footsteps on the carpet before I slowly look up. The moment I see the face of the person entering, my frown deepens. It’s not Aria.

"What are you doing here?" I ask. "You are not the one I requested."

The young lady—Aria’s friend, Selena—looks absolutely terrified. Her eyes dart up and down, glancing at the file in her hands and then back at me as if she’s too scared to make eye contact. I am gradually losing the last of my patience. I slam my hand against the table, the loud thud making her jump and take a frantic step backward.

"What are you doing here and what is your request?" I demand.

She finally seems to realize that I’m not in the mood for small talk. She opens her mouth, her voice trembling. "I am so sorry, sir. I don't know how to put this to you, and I know it might sound crazy, but my friend had to leave. She... she couldn't stay."

I feel my rage climbing another notch. I glance at the desk, my pulse drumming in my ears. "So, she left? Even after the direct instruction I gave her?"

"It’s really important, sir," Selena pleads, stepping forward despite her fear. "You do not know her. You do not know her husband. If you did, you would understand why it was so important that she left. I tried to talk her out of it, I really did, but she was desperate. She is in a very tough situation right now, and you are just making things hard for her."

I look up at her sharply. Selena flinches, her eyes dropping back to the floor. She’s blinking rapidly and biting her bottom lip so hard I think it might bleed.

"So, you're trying to tell me that I am being unfair?" I ask, my voice dropping to a dangerous whisper.

She quickly shakes her head. "No, sir, that is not what I was saying."

"Then what are you saying?"

She opens her mouth to answer, but no words come out. She looks like she’s about to break down. I close my eyes and lean back. I can't deal with this right now. I am so infuriated, so bitter, that I feel like I could break something with my bare hands.

"Fine then," I snap, my decision made. "Since that is how she wants to play it, the deal is sealed. I don't care how you get the message to her, but tell her she must not return to this office tomorrow. She is fired."

Selena’s eyes go wide. She looks at me as if I’ve just committed a crime. "Sir, you can't just—"

"Do you want to join her?" I ask, leaning over the desk. "Just because she is your friend? I can make that happen."

She immediately shuts her mouth, her lip still trembling. Good. At least someone in this office knows how to follow an order. "Now get out."

She turns around and practically runs away. Once the door clicks shut, I collapse back into my chair. I prop my palm against my forehead, my mind racing. My dad used to have this kind of authority over me back then; he made me feel useless and small. I won't let a girl from my past do the same thing now. Aria made her choice. She chose her husband over her job, so she should live with the consequences.

I look at the clock. I’m done. I can’t focus, and my mind is completely unstable. I pack my things, clean up my desk, and walk out of the building.

The night is a total disaster. It’s torturous. I lay in my bed, tossing and turning as the sheets tangle around my legs. I can’t think straight. Those sharp, crystal eyes flash in my dreams, tormenting me. Every time I close my eyes, I’m back in high school, hearing her taunting jeers and seeing her surrounded by her group of classy, cruel friends.

It is infuriating that a part of me—a stupid, weak part—still wants to get to know her. I still want to be near her. I still want...

God, don't be so fucking stupid, Adrian, I scold myself in the dark. She ruined your life.

Morning arrives, and I am in a foul mood. When I step back into the office, the air feels heavy. Every employee I pass seems to dive out of my way, avoiding eye contact. Good. They should be afraid. I step into my office, slam the door behind me, and settle at my desk. I take a deep breath, trying to steady my nerves. You can do it, Adrian. Just get through the day.

But I can barely get through the first hour. A sharp knock on the door forces me to stop.

"Come in," I say, my voice like a whip.

The door swings open, and the person who walks in is the last person I expected to see. Aria.

My heart thumps.

"Didn't your friend relay the news to you yesterday?" I ask sharply, watching her as she stands by the door.

She looks different today. Totally different. Something about her appearance strikes a chord deep in my chest. She is trembling, and the confident, glowing woman from yesterday is gone. She looks terrified. Her skin looks pale, and there are dark, heavy circles around her eyes. I notice a sharp, red mark on her cheek that looks like a fresh sore.

I try to tell myself to ignore it. I am supposed to be angry. But why does the sight of her like this disturb me so much?

"I am sorry," she says, and her voice sounds broken, like shattered glass. "I just came to confirm if it is true. I'm sorry I went against your instruction." She avoids eye contact with me while saying this, keeping her focus on the ground.

Her voice doesn't sound normal. It’s thin and shaky. I find myself slowly standing up from my chair. Something is very wrong here. God, why do I fucking care? I ask myself, but I can't stop my heart from racing.

"Since it has been confirmed that it is the truth, I'm going to take my leave," she whispers. "I am so sorry for disappointing you, sir."

She turns around and begins to walk away, her head bowed. I frown at her. Is she trying to play the victim? Is she trying to make me pity her so I’ll give her the job back? It’s a classic move. But she has failed. But as she turns, the collar of her office shirt shifts.

I see it clearly then. A visible, angry red welt slashes across her neck. She’s trying to hide it with her collar, but it’s too large. It runs from her right ear, all the way across her shoulder, and disappears into her clothes toward the other side.

The sight makes me gasp. My blood turns to ice, then boils over into a different kind of heat.

What the hell happened to her?

"Wait!" I call out.

She stops in her tracks. I can feel my rage climbing higher than it has ever been, but this time, it isn't directed at her. It’s for reasons I can't even explain yet.