All Chapters of Ruin Me Once, Twice The Regret: Chapter 1 - Chapter 10

LAURALife was supposed to be simple. I was supposed to be married to the love of my life on a Valentine's Day such as today. That had been the plan. Because with Colin, nothing else really mattered but the fact that we had each other. But life has a funny way with twists and turns. The morning you wake up with the best news ever could be the one where you receive the worst news ever!“I’m breaking up with you, Laura. I've had enough.”“You're too much of a prude,” he had explained with a straight face. Seven years together, and it was suddenly a problem? My boyfriend's words had shattered something in me, even though I pretended like I was fine when I packed my stuff and left his house in Boston. The gloomy thoughts disappeared the moment Pierce Holdings loomed into view. The tall, magnificent glass building was a sight to behold.More than Colin’s pathetic attention, I needed this job. Because the moment he broke things up with me was the moment I became homeless. “I was going

LAURAI couldn't speak for a good minute. I just stared at him. Those midnight blue eyes were even more captivating from up close. His broad shoulders and sharp jaw line were more overwhelming and intimidating than I had imagined. His hair sat very charming and distractingly sexy on his head in loose waves, falling over his forehead. My fingers itched to run through the golden strands. He was simply breathtaking. And he was staring at me with a tiny grin, eyes alight with obvious wonder as they took me in.“It's you.” His voice washed over me like warm coffee, settling between my legs. My skin tingled from his heated gaze.I swallowed a lump down my throat, silently begging for the words to come. “A-Are you…”“Yes, I am.” He cocked his head sideways. “Come with me.”I flashed the front-desk lady an appreciative smile as I turned to leave. But she was obviously intensely caught in the webs of this man’s charm, ogling without caution.“So, is everyone else here?” I asked as I stumbled

LAURA“I didn't do it.”I stared desperately from one face to another, hoping that someone in this room would believe me.But these people didn't know me, so why would they believe me?They didn't know me like Tristan did…yet he sat there, staring at me like I was a complete stranger.“I really didn't do it.” I repeated, shaking my head. “But the evidence we have here says otherwise, Ms. Hayes,” one of the mean-faced shareholders countered. He bore a striking resemblance to Madison, I wondered if they were related. “And you know as well as we do, how serious and delicate of a crime this is.”Madison had just walked in here with obviously forged evidence of a crime I knew nothing about. Just how far was she willing to take this meanness?The said evidence was a number of forged texts that showed that I leaked information to a competitor. Information concerning Pierce Holdings' latest Merger and Acquisition plans. Apparently, I'd sold the information for a million bucks. That never e

LAURAI strutted backstage trying to catch my breath as I pulled off the mask. You did well, I reminded myself.But it did not change the fact that my legs had almost given way beneath me, when I set foot on that runway and saw him. It did not change the fact that my breath had quickened terribly and heat had exploded across my skin the moment our eyes met and held.It did not change the fact that for the first time in five years, I almost lost composure on the runway where I ruled as queen. “That was phenomenal as always, my bitch. Totally rando as fuck!” I looked up to see Mara coming towards me with a big grin and arms thrown wide apart. “I know, right?” I collapsed into her arms and she held me for a moment or two. Then she pulled back and studied my face with a small frown. “What's up?” I could name a million reasons why Mara was my best friend. But the most solid of them all was the fact that she knew me like the back of her palms. Mara was the kind of friend who could te

LAURA"You look beautiful."Hooking an earring on, I turned to smile at Harlan who watched me from the doorway of my apartment's kitchen. "Thank you, handsome."He snorted, grabbing a beer from the fridge. "Save the compliments for when you agree to have dinner with me." "Oh, Harlan," I sighed, moving towards him. "You know I want to, but—""Time. I know." He flashed one of those gentle smiles that made my heart flutter on some days. "I know better than anyone else, Laura. And," he leaned forward and took my chin in his hand, "I want you to know how proud of you I am."Oh, Harlan. What did I do to deserve a man like him? Harlan was not only gentle and caring. He was golden retriever gorgeous. I would be lying if I said the thought of inviting him into my bed and fucking him have not crossed my mind more than once. The only thing stopping me was this beautiful friendship we've built over the years. It meant the world to me, and it was an unspoken fact that if we ever crossed that l