All Chapters of My Ex, My stepbrother, My Ruin: Chapter 1 - Chapter 10

CHAPTER ONE Ashley's POV I rolled my suitcase toward the airport entrance, the wheels clicking softly over the concrete. But before I could enter, my phone buzzed in my hand. It was a notification from the airline. “Flight delayed due to unfavorable weather conditions. Rescheduled for tomorrow at 9:30 am” I stared at the message for a second… then a laugh slipped out of me, right there on the pavement. I didn’t care who heard it. This was exactly what I needed. One more with Jake, my boyfriend. College exams were finally over and I was heading back to New York to stay with my mother. We promised we'd see whenever he had the chance to. I turned around immediately, dragging my suitcase away from the entrance, and hailed the first taxi I saw. While sitting in the backseat, I tried calling him. The phone rang once… twice… then his voicemail picked up. “Hey, you’ve reached Jake..” I pulled the phone away before the message finished and tried again, but it resulted

Ashley's POV Five years later. I stepped out of the same airport I walked into five years ago, clutching my suitcase tightly in my hand. My shoulders relaxed and a small smile formed on my lips as my eyes darted around, breathing in the crisp spring air of New York. It felt good to be back in New York… but it hurt more than I expected. I shouldn’t have thought of Jake the moment I stepped out, but I did. Just the thought of him was enough to ruin the peace I was pretending to feel. My gaze landed on the spot we had last stood in. Where I had walked out on him. But that was now in the past, and I had already moved on from it. “Excuse me, ma’am, you must be Miss Ashley,” a man dressed in a uniform said, his voice pulling me from my thoughts. I turned to him and returned his warm smile. “Yes,” I gave a slight nod. “I’m Adrian, your mother sent me here to pick you up.” He stepped forward and stretched out his hand for a handshake. I studied him for a moment. He looked too you

Ashley’s POV My body went rigid as I watched her catwalk into the living room like some over-pampered princess, heels clicking softly against the floor. She didn’t look any different from when I knew her five years ago. The same sharp, hazel eyes, and her curls, now a rich brown instead of the jet black she used to have. The color caught the light as she moved. I wondered if she’d dyed it again. She had always been obsessed with switching her hair color. Her body was still the same. Slender. And so was the fucking smile on her face. Clinging to her hand was a child. A girl, maybe five or six. I couldn’t tell exactly, but her small frame and height gave it away. She had the same almond-shaped eyes as Ava, but hers were softer and innocent, untouched by whatever darkness sat in her mother’s gaze. My eyes widened slightly as I studied the girl. One question pushed to the front of my mind. Could she be Ava and Jake’s daughter? But she had none of Jake’s features. Not even the slight

Ava's POV By the time darkness settled over the sky, everyone had fully settled in, including Ashley and William. They hadn’t come out of their room since they went in, the hallway outside theirs staying unusually still. I stepped outside to get Louisiana’s doll from the car. She had left it there earlier, too distracted to remember. The night air brushed cool against my skin as I walked over, the faint hum of crickets filling the silence. But as I reached for the door handle, I caught sight of Ashley moving toward one of the cars parked in the compound. My hand rested on the top edge of the door as I stilled, watching her without moving. The dim light from the house spilled across the driveway, casting soft shadows over her figure. After all these years, she had decided to show up in my and Jake’s lives again. She turned, like she felt my gaze, and our eyes met. Her brow lifted slightly, a silent question in it, but she didn’t say a word. No greeting. No reaction. She just reache

Ashley's POVI jerked my hand away from his instantly, the contact breaking like it burned, and turned to my mother.She stood by the door, her handbag hanging from her hand, brows drawn together, eyes sharp with unasked questions.Great. I needed a way out of this. If not, she’d start asking questions… the kind I didn’t want to answer. Jake and I’s past had to stay buried.“Mom, you’re back.” I walked toward her, forcing my steps to stay steady, the milk packet still clutched in my hand. “Jake was just helping me look for the milk. You know how I love to drink it every evening.” My voice came out light, almost casual.Her gaze slid past me to Jake, who was leaning against the refrigerator, one shoulder resting on it, hands tucked into his pockets like nothing had happened. His expression had softened.“Is that true, Jake?” she asked, a hint of suspicion in her tone. “Or is she trying to make you feel unwelcome?”Her face didn’t stay serious for long. The corner of her lips twitched s