All Chapters of A HEART REBORN IN RUIN: Chapter 31 - Chapter 40

Riya's pov "Will you please," I growled, still pressing my palms against Serena's shoulders, "just listen and stop making weird assumptions about me!"She just stood there, finally silent, and that was my cue."Look... Um... Serena..." I dropped my gaze. "I'm in a bit of a situation right now. So I need to make things clear with you... I wasn't chased—""Off." The single word came out as a quiet mutter, but it was sharp enough to cut through my sentence as I stopped short, raising my gaze to hers. Her expression had shifted, and the playful glint was gone, replaced by a flat, unreadable coolness. "What did you say?""Hands off."I furrowed my brow in confusion. "Hands off? What are you—""Get your hands off me, you thieving debtor."Thieving? The accusation felt so absurd, so utterly baseless, that a dry scuff of disbelief escaped my lips. "I'm not a—"And before I could finish, she greeted me with a sharp, precise push that broke my grip and sent me stumbling back. I lost my bala

Riya's pov Serena's momma paused after I asked that question. She didn't answer right away. Instead, she just stared, seemingly looking right through to the very core of my being with her intense eyes, spreading a silent, gentle smile across her lips. It was a transformative expression, making her look so pretty, yet tired amidst it all. At least, that was how I perceived it."Because," her voice sounded barely above a whisper, "I understand how painful it is to be dragged where you never wanted to go."The simple statement carried the weight of a shared history, and in that moment, I felt it in my bones—a deep, resonant certainty that she really did understand."So, Riya..." She dragged my gaze back up to hers by a focused, practical intensity. "What do you want to do?" She immediately shook her head. "No. What do you need me to help you with, exactly?""Uhm..." I raised a finger, as my mind suddenly went blank, looking side to side, but nothing came to mind. I had been so focus

Mateo's Pov Sloane stopped the car short, crunching the tires softly on the gravel a few meters away, hidden by a dense thicket of trees that lined the perimeter of Dhaval's estate, and the imposing iron gates were just a dark silhouette in the distance. I extended my arm to the back seat, closing my fingers around the handle of a sleek, black briefcase. I pulled it forward, feeling the familiar comfort from the content of its weight, and unlocked the passenger door."Will you be okay alone?" Sloane's low voice drew my attention, and in the dim green glow of the dashboard, her eyes looked wide, gleaming with unspoken worry."I have to be," I curled my free hand into a fist, forcing the knuckles to go white. "But I can say I'll be careful... just to assure you. Remember, I also have your pre-program hack for the lockdown takeover." It was the closest I could get to a promise."I'll wait for you here," she leaned sideways, still curling her fingers tightly around the steering wheel.

Mateo's Pov Pulling the trigger caused a soft, pneumatic phfft, sending the tiny, dart-like projectile, loaded with a fast-acting neuro-inhibitor, across the room and embedding itself in the soft spot just above the closer brute's collarbone.His hand flew to his neck as a grunt of surprise escaped him. He then snapped his head around, fixing his dull eyes on the door.Without wasting a second, I jumped backwards, out of the line of sight and in one fluid motion, I activated the magnetic properties in my gloves and the soles of my boots, engaging them with a low hum. I leapt upward, slapping my palms and feet against the metal frame of the entrance and clung there, pressing flat against the ceiling just above the doorframe.The other brute stepped away from Dhaval, rolling his massive shoulders, stretching his thick neck forward, with heavy and cautious footsteps as he approached the doorway."Huh?" I heard a low, confused rumble from inside. The first brute was just now realising s

Mateo's Pov "Did you really?...." My eyes went wide, and my heart began a frantic, painful throb against my ribs, making me stomp my foot even harder on the accelerator, forcing the engine to scream as the sedan tore through the quiet suburban streets, putting more distance between us and Dhaval's ruined fortress."Well, technically... I'm getting close to where she might be," Sloane's voice became a mix of excitement and frustration. "But I almost found her. Seems I just missed her, in fact." She paused, and the next words sent a chill down my spine. "It seems she came in contact with your old man.""My dad?" I ignored a red light whooshing through the intersection, making the world around me blur into streaks of color. I couldn't afford to stop. My gaze flicked to the rearview mirror, to Silas's pale, bloodied face, watching his chest rising and falling in shallow, ragged breaths, then forcing my eyes back to the road, tightening my hands on the wheel."Apparently…, Dhaval's men