All Chapters of His To Ruin Again: Chapter 1 - Chapter 10

Lou’s POV I gripped the smooth metal of the restroom door handle, ready to step back out into the fluorescent hallway of Crestwood High. My relief at having five quiet minutes to myself was immediate and calming. I pushed the door open, but my foot never made it across the threshold. A body blocked my path. Then another. And then a third. Standing before me were Tiffany Hale, the school's unofficial queen, flanked by her two loyal, sharply dressed satellites, Maya and Chloe. Tiffany’s blue eyes were fixed on me, not with their usual cold indifference, but with a burning, vicious amusement that made my stomach tighten into a hard knot. “Lou Bennett,” Tiffany’s voice was sugary, too loud for the empty stretch of hallway. “Did you really think you could just walk away?” My hands started to sweat. I dropped my gaze to the floor, instantly feeling the familiar pressure of being watched. I did not want to look at them. I knew what this meant, or at least, I thought I did. It was just an

Lou’s POV I sat on the edge of my mattress in our small apartment, after I washed myself clean from my humiliation, my damp hair dripping onto my shoulders. My white t-shirt and jeans were in a plastic trash bag by the front door. I did not want to wash them. I wanted them out of my sight because looking at the fabric made my stomach muscles tighten with violent nausea. I was furious. My hands shook so much that I could barely tie my sneakers. I felt a hot, constant pressure behind my eyes, but I forced myself not to cry anymore. The tears I had shed in school were enough. I refused to waste any more water from my body on Jaxon Ryder or the people who couldn't stand up to talk about the wrong but were there to record my shame. Yet, despite the absolute anger filling my chest, a small, stubborn part of me kept listening to the sounds outside. Our apartment sat on the ground floor, right next to the gravel parking lot. Every time a car drove past the window, my head snapped up. Every

LOU The moment I clicked the door shut behind me, every instinct in my body screamed at me to run down the hallway, past the stairs, through the back exit, out into the cold night air, and to just keep going until New York became a blur behind me. But I didn't, because running is what the old Lou Bennett would have done, and I am no longer her. Rather, I walked, my steps slow and measured. I steadied my breath, raising my chin and shoulders, the same way I had learned to move on that stage. The hallway behind the Vip suites was dim, lined with silver-trimmed mirrors that reflected my image as I walked. An image, even I was still trying to recognize, pale skin, dark eyes, and bold makeup. I paused in front of one of the mirrors, and for a split second, I saw her. The old Lou Bennett, the girl who used to sit on the library floor, face buried in books larger than her hands, while an enormous pile sat right next to her. The girl who was too naive to believe the rich cocky bastard was

LOUFor a second, I honestly thought I misheard him.“Excuse me?” My brows furrowed even further, “That isn't possible.” I argued, but Jaxon's smile simply brightened.“It is indeed possible. You are now my personal stripper, you belong to me alone, and no one else.” He said, sounding weirdly possessive.His words didn’t just sound wrong, they felt wrong, like something sour settling at the back of my throat.“You can't do this,” I said slowly, my voice dangerously quiet.Jaxon didn’t respond immediately,Instead, he leaned back in his chair like he had all the time in the world, fingers resting beneath his chin, watching me.“You heard me, Lou,” he finally said. “Your position here has been… adjusted.”Adjusted? That's what he calls this?My hands curled into fists at my sides. “No,” I said flatly, shaking my head. “No, I don’t think I heard you properly. Because I refuse to believe you just said I would no longer be working the floor and instead…” I let out a sharp, humorless laugh.

LOULike a heavy stone landing on my foot, I winced at Jaxon's question. Speculations spammed my mind, as fear of letting my biggest secret slip out to the one person who could never know, filled my bones.I spun around quickly, lowering my gaze to my phone lying on the polished floor.“Shit!” I cursed, reaching down to grab it, but the call had already disconnected.“Who were you talking to?”My head snapped in Jaxon's direction, awestruck by his audacity to pry into my personal business.“Mind your business, I came here to dance, not fill you in on my personal matters.”Jaxon's brows raised, “I was just curious, if you have to leave for your grandma, then I won't stop you.”I scoffed, feeling irritated by the switch up. A few minutes ago, he was making me dance until my feet couldn't take it anymore, and now suddenly he cares. Classic Jaxon, what exactly do I expect from a monster like him?“My family needs me, they always do. So if you don't mind, I want to leave.” I started, “I be