All Chapters of Ruthless Desires: Chapter 1 - Chapter 10

(POV Anna)The bass pounded through my body, a relentless, pulsing beat that made it impossible to think. Club Lux wasn’t just loud; it was deafening. Every thrum of music vibrated through my bones, the sound rattling in my head like it was trying to shake loose my sanity. The strobe lights—blue, gold, and sharp enough to cut—flashed across the glossy black floors, and the whole place reeked of wealth and indulgence. Polished leather booths, a mile-long bar glowing like liquid silver, and patrons draped in designer everything. This wasn’t my world, not even close.But for the right paycheck, I was willing to survive in it.“Table four, Anna! Move your ass!”I bit the inside of my cheek and adjusted the tray of drinks balanced on my arm. Callie’s shrill voice grated like nails on a chalkboard, but I kept my face neutral. No use arguing. I had bigger problems than her. Lily’s medical bills weren’t going to pay themselves.“On it,” I muttered, more to myself than to her.Weaving through

(POV Dominic)The moment Anna Rodriguez walked into Club Lux, the night changed.I felt it in my chest before I even saw her—this shift in the air, like the room itself held its breath. It was impossible to mistake her. Even after five years, she still moved with that same grace, the same fire simmering beneath the surface, though she tried to bury it under a polished smile and tired eyes.I hadn’t expected to see her tonight—or ever again, for that matter. I didn’t believe in fate, but if I did, it would look like this: Anna stumbling back into my orbit as though the last five years hadn’t existed. As though she hadn’t walked out of my life without so much as a goodbye.I leaned back in my seat, my fingers drumming lazily against the leather booth. I let my gaze follow her, cold and deliberate. She looked different. Her long black hair was pulled into a sleek ponytail, though a few stray strands framed her face. She was thinner than I remembered, her cheekbones sharper, her shoulders

I stumbled out of the private lounge, heart hammering like I’d just escaped a prison, but freedom never came. The moment the door shut behind me, the club swallowed me whole—blaring music, flashing lights, and bodies pressed too close together like a living, breathing cage.But the air wasn’t any easier to breathe out here. The scent of sweat, alcohol, and expensive perfume was nauseating. The bass reverberated through the floor, rattling my ribs with each heavy drop. Neon lights danced across glass walls and mirrored columns, giving everything an artificial shimmer. It felt like the world was spinning too fast—too loud and too much.I clutched my bag tighter, its weight suddenly unbearable, as if it knew what was inside. The envelope. My secret. Lily’s secret.Just go. Get out. Keep walking before—“Anna.”His voice hit me like a sniper’s bullet—low, commanding, and impossible to ignore.I didn’t stop. I couldn’t. I ducked my head and tried to vanish into the crowd, weaving through t

(Anna’s POV)The door to my apartment groaned in protest as I shoved it open, the hinges shrieking like they knew what kind of night I’d had. I stepped inside, every muscle aching, my heels dangling loosely from my fingers, the thin straps digging into my skin. The second the door closed behind me, a wave of silence pressed in—thick, suffocating.But it wasn’t comforting.It never was, not anymore.The apartment was small. Just a cramped two-bedroom above a pawn shop, the wallpaper peeling in the corners and the air constantly tinged with the scent of lavender cleaning spray and something faintly medicinal—hospital antiseptic that clung to my skin like guilt.I dropped my bag onto the couch, and the papers inside scattered with a muffled rustle. I didn’t have to look to know what they were. The envelope had been threatening to split open for days now. Sure enough, there it was—Lily’s name in the upper left corner, stamped with the crest of St. Bartholomew’s Pediatric Unit and a number

(Dominic’s POV)The soft click of the penthouse door echoed behind her as Anna left—sharp, final, like the last note of a symphony that had no encore.And yet it didn’t bring closure. If anything, it unsettled me more.I stood there for a long moment, leaning against the edge of my desk, eyes still on the stack of freshly signed documents. The contract between us wasn’t just legal—it was personal. It was control. It was a tether, one I’d waited five years to wrap around her again.She was mine.But not the way I wanted her. Not yet.She had signed with her hand, not her heart.Even in compliance, Anna was defiant. Every line she read, every page she signed—her jaw had been clenched, her voice brittle. Like each word carved into her was a scar.She hadn't surrendered.She’d traded herself—for survival. For something she refused to name.And that knowledge—that she hadn’t come back for me—gnawed at me like acid beneath my skin.A few hours later, I was leaning against the side of my car