All Chapters of My Ex, My Ruin: Chapter 1 - Chapter 5

Elena's POV:I stood in front of the gleaming glass building, rain soaking through my inadequate jacket, staring up at the penthouse where warm golden light spilled from every window. The sound of laughter and music drifted down from twenty floors. My hands shook as I clutched Miguel's graduation photo, wrinkled and damp from my grip.Miguel had been missing for four days, and I was standing there like a fool, about to humiliate myself in front of the one person who had every right to slam the door in my face.But he was also the only person with the connections I needed.The elevator ride to the top felt endless. My reflection in the polished steel doors showed exactly what I had expected: a woman hanging by a thread. Dark circles under my eyes, hair escaping from its messy bun, clothes that hadn't been changed in two days because I had been too busy calling hospitals and police stations and anyone who might have seen my little brother.The elevator dinged, and suddenly I was standin

Elena's POV:I had hung up from another dead-end call and stared at my phone, willing it to ring with good news. Through the study door, I could hear the muffled sounds of Adrien's party, continued laughter, clinking glasses, the kind of carefree celebration that felt like it belonged to another universe.When the door opened, I expected to see Sophia's perfectly composed face, ready to escort me out with polite firmness. Instead, it was Adrien, carrying two cups of coffee and looking like he was steeling himself for battle."Black, no sugar," he said, setting one cup in front of me. "Unless you've changed."I haven't... The fact that he remembered this small detail after three years of silence made something twist painfully in my chest. "Thank you."He settled into the chair across from his desk not behind it, I noticed He’s not putting a barrier between us. The coffee was perfect, rich and strong, exactly how I needed it right then."Tell me about Miguel," he said quietly.The sound

Elena's Pov:The warehouse district at three in the morning felt like a different planet from Adrien's penthouse world. Broken streetlights cast uneven shadows between abandoned buildings, and the air smelled of rust, decay, and something else I didn't want to identify. I pulled my jacket tighter around myself as Adrien parked his sleek BMW behind a rusted dumpster."You should have stayed at the hotel," he said, his voice tight with concern as he scanned the desolate street. "This isn't safe.""Miguel is my brother." "I'm not sitting in some hotel room while you investigate his disappearance."Adrien's contact had been surprisingly helpful for a former FBI agent who clearly owed Adrien more than one favor. Within hours, Michae; had tracked Miguel's last known location to this industrial hellscape in Queens, following the trail of his credit card and cell phone pings before both had gone dark four days ago."Building 47," Adrien murmured, pointing to a structure that looked like it ha