All Chapters of His Ruin: Chapter 31 - Chapter 40

ArmaniThe warehouse fell into complete silence. Smoke drifted lazily between us. The man stared at me with bloodshot eyes, his breathing ragged."...Who sent you?" I repeated.He swallowed. "I don't know what you're talking about."I took another drag from the cigarette and nodded. My voice remained even."You've already been beaten. They couldn't make you talk." I leaned forward slightly, "I'm giving you a chance to save yourself."His jaw tightened. "I ain't saying shit."A faint smile touched my lips. "Wrong answer."I stood. None of my men moved or spoke. They simply watched. The warehouse echoed with the prisoner's strained breathing.For the next several minutes, I asked the same question in different ways. Patiently and calmly. Every lie he told only made the silence between my questions feel heavier.The confidence he'd walked in with had long since disappeared. Now there was only real fear. His eyes kept darting toward the exit as if someone might save him.A small smile tu

Drisana Warmth.That was the first thing I noticed when I opened my eyes.A porcelain cup sat on the bedside table, thin wisps of steam curling into the air. Beside it was a small note.Drink before it gets cold.Slowly, I pushed myself upright, wincing as my injured arm protested. I wrapped my fingers around the cup, lifted it beneath my nose, and inhaled slowly. The familiar scent of jasmine tea wrapped around me, warm and comforting.I took a cautious sip. My eyes widened. It tasted exactly how I made mine.Not too sweet. Just enough honey to soften the bitterness. A splash of milk. The faint hint of cinnamon I always added when I wanted to calm my nerves.It was… perfect. How strange. How did Agnes know exactly how I liked my tea?I stared into the cup for a long moment before taking another sip.A soft knock sounded on the door. Agnes stepped inside carrying a breakfast tray balanced carefully in her hands."Oh, good. You're awake."She smiled when she noticed the empty space in

ArmaniI watched Drisana from the corner of my eye.Her fingers remained tightly wrapped around the handle of her handbag. She was trying to keep herself composed, but I could see the tension creeping into her shoulders.Her lips parted, but no words came.Mr. Harris waited patiently, pen poised above the report. His gaze drifted from Drisana to me. Our eyes met. Something shifted in his expression. The confidence he’d carried throughout the meeting faltered.His posture stiffened. A flicker of uncertainty crossed his face before he quickly looked back down at the file in front of him.His fingers tightened around his pen.He cleared his throat.“I only ask because understanding the attackers’ motive may help us determine whether this was a targeted incident or—”“Mr. Harris.”My voice was calm. He swallowed, “Yes… Mr. Rossi?”I leaned back in my chair, studying him for a long moment before speaking again.“Forgive me if I’m mistaken.”His Adam’s apple bobbed.“But this is beginning

ArmaniHer eyes widened, "...What?""I said let it go."A bitter laugh escaped her. "That's your solution?""My solution is keeping you safe. My solution is making sure you never have to go through something like that again."She pushed her plate away."So I'm just supposed to pretend it never happened?""No. But you don't need to chase every answer.""Why not?""Because the last time you did..." I stopped. The memories returned before I could stop them."...you almost didn't come home."The words hung heavily between us. She lowered her eyes."I know.”"I don't think you do." I leaned forward, "If you did… you wouldn't be trying to walk back into another storm."She looked up sharply."So what am I supposed to do? Sit here? Wait? Hope whoever did this decides to leave me alone and never come back for more?"She paused and then continued, "I can't. I've spent my entire life waiting for people to save me. My father. Carter. My so-called friends. They all made choices for me. I'm done

DrisanaThe next morning, I woke to sunlight spilling through the curtains. I lay there and stared at the ceiling.My mind was quiet.No nightmares or panic or replaying the attack over and over.Then last night crept back into my mind, Armani's trembling voice."...it's driving me insane."My cheeks warmed. I buried my face in the pillow.No.Stop thinking about it. It didn't mean anything. We had cleared the misunderstanding between us.That was all.Anyone would have felt relieved after finally saying everything they'd kept bottled up.That strange feeling in my chest? Relief. Nothing more.Definitely not—"No."I shook my head at myself. I wasn't falling for Armani Rossi. That would be ridiculous. Completely ridiculous. And absurd. A year. That was all this marriage had ever been. One year. After that, we’d go our separate ways. I wasn't about to complicate everything because we'd almost kissed.Almost.Nothing had actually happened.The thought somehow made my stomach flutter an