"Curious to find out the champagne you spike went?" he leaned forward with a smirk etched on his lips. "See that old man wearing expensive tux with women on each side? He is holding the drink that should be mine." My eyes widen in shocked. Shit! Chase is my target not the old man. I can’t let him drink the champagne or it will make the situation worse. A hand grab ahold of my arm to stop me as I stood up. "Where are you going? Planning to take the drink?" yanking my arm with no avail due to his death grip, he leans closer to my ear. "If you want to see that man survive, you must talk but if you plan otherwise then he’ll die." I face him as I clenched my jaw and glared at him in anger. "There’s nothing to talk about." "Oh, trust me babe, there is." I hissed. "Do not call me that." He raised his brows amusedly. "Why getting the feeling of déjà vu?" balling my fist up, I pressed my body to him catching him off guard. "You know what? Let the old m

The air in the dimly lit hotel room hung heavy with tension, thick enough to suffocate any semblance of ease. Chase, his steely gaze fixed upon me, seemed more like a predator ready to pounce than a man engaged in conversation. And here I was, Ruby, the unintended prey ensnared within his grasp.I shifted in my seat, not out of discomfort, but out of a calculated attempt to maintain some semblance of control in this precarious situation. "So, Chase," I drawled, feigning nonchalance as I met his gaze head-on, "what's a charming fellow like you doing in a dingy place like this?"Chase's expression remained impassive; his features carved from stone. "Cut the act," he retorted, his voice devoid of any trace of warmth. "I know why you're here. What I want to know is why you decided to crash the party and disrupt my plans."Ah, yes, the party. It seemed my little escapade had ruffled more feathers than I had anticipated. But then again, when did I ever play by the rules? "Well, Chase, darli

RubyI have nowhere else to run.The darkness of the woods enveloped me like a suffocating embrace as I stumbled through the tangled underbrush, my heart pounding in my chest with the frenzied rhythm of fear. I glanced over my shoulder, my breath coming in ragged gasps as I strained to catch a glimpse of Chase's looming figure in the distance. I kept moving forward out of sheer willpower and the survival instinct, but there was no sign of him, no evidence of his persistent pursuit.I knew I was lost, the dense canopy of trees stretching out in all directions like a labyrinth of shadows. However, I refused giving up and held onto the flimsy hope that, somewhere, someway, I am able to get away from Chase.My wounded arm throbbed with a dull ache due to the fight that I had earlier at the party. I grimaced as I slowed my pace, my breath hitching in my throat as I leaned against a gnarled tree trunk to catch my breath. My limbs were gnawing with fatigue, which was eating away at my streng

As I wandered aimlessly through the grand halls of Chase's mansion for what felt like the hundredth time, a sense of futility washed over me like a tidal wave, threatening to drown me in a sea of confusion and despair. There was no getting away from the cruel reality of my imprisonment, no matter how hard I searched or how many rooms I examined.With a heavy sigh, I finally conceded defeat, the weight of my exhaustion bearing down on me like a burden too heavy to bear. I made my way back to the bedroom, the familiar scent of lavender and sandalwood enveloping me like a comforting embrace as I sank down onto the plush mattress, the softness of the pillows cradling my weary body like a mother's gentle touch.My mind was filled with memories of the past as I lay there, staring up at the ceiling with blinding eyes. It served as a bittersweet reminder of the life I had left behind. I hadn't had an actual rest in such a long time, a break from the never-ending cycle of violence and deceit t

Ruby"That son of a bitch!"The door slammed shut behind me with a resounding thud, the sound reverberating through the empty hallway like a thunderclap in the midst of a storm. Anger boiled within me like a tempest raging in the depths of my soul, threatening to consume me whole with its fiery intensity.I pace back and forth across the room, my mind swirling with a whirlwind of emotions. Anger, frustration, betrayal – they all swirl together in a tangled mess, threatening to overwhelm me like a tidal wave crashing against the shore.But amidst the chaos of my thoughts, there's something else, something I can't quite put my finger on. It's a strange sensation, like a fluttering in my chest, a quickening of my pulse that I can't quite explain. But I push it aside, dismissing it as nothing more than the remnants of the adrenaline rush from our fight in the kitchen. I take a deep breath, trying to calm the storm raging within me. I can't let Chase get to me, can't let his accusations an