All Chapters of PROOF TO RUIN: 10 STEPS TO KILL A BILLIONAIRE : Chapter 1 - Chapter 10

‎The room carried a heavy musky scent, a mixture of old wood, sweat, and incense. It wrapped around me the moment I stepped inside. I saw the group already seated and quickly joined them, keeping my knees pressed together and my arms folded tight across my chest, trying to disappear inside my oversized sweater. It was Mid-July in London, and I looked ready for December. I could imagine what they were thinking who on earth dresses like that in this weather, it didn’t bother me though, by now I was too tired to care.‎When my colleague at work heard I was coming to London for work she had pushed the address into my hand. “It’ll help,” she’d said with a hopeful look I couldn’t argue with. I had wanted to say no. Needed to. But the word never made it past my tongue. Now here I was, knees locked, already regretting the decision while my mind kept drifting back to the hospital that morning.‎The nurse’s voice still echoed in my head everything that happened from this morning was making my h

‎I knew I needed sleep. My body was screaming for it after more than twenty-four hours awake, but every time I closed my eyes, Heath’s face kept flashing behind them. Around three in the morning I gave up, dragged the contract papers to the couch, and started digging through them with my laptop open.‎I went page after page. Every potential loophole I chased either required me to commit fraud or left Mum exposed the second Moore Holdings came looking. I could take the signing bonus and run, sure. Then what? They’d freeze the accounts and hunt down the money, but now I would have nowhere to hide. I laughed once, bitterly, at the image of myself trying to wheel Mum out of the ICU like some low-budget heist.‎At some point the words blurred. I must have passed out because the next time I opened them, it was daytime.‎~*~‎I woke up around 2P.M. My phone was dead, so I couldn’t tell. When I finally powered it on, two missed calls and a string of texts from Jo lit up the screen.‎Jo: Are y

"You're cheating,""I'm not cheating. There's no way to cheat at this.""You looked at the answer side.""I didn't look at anything." Heath turned the card over and held it up so I could see both sides at once."Ask me again.""That's not—" I pressed my lips together. "That defeats the whole purpose.""Ask me again, Kattie."I looked at him. He looked back. Three months and I still hadn't figured out how to win a staring contest with Heath Moore, which was irritating given that I won most things I competed."Marginal cost," I said. "Define it. Without looking."He set the card face-down on the carpet and crossed his arms. "The additional cost incurred from producing one more unit of a good or service."I checked the card. He was right."You did look""I did not look.""Then how—""Because you've tested me on that card four times since October. We need a break" He reached over and took it from my hand, dropped it onto the finished pile.We were on the floor of my bedroom — a Saturday a

My phone vibrated before I even opened my eyes.You're late. Get me a black coffee, and if you're not at your desk by nine, your signing bonus gets reviewed for clawback.My eyes snapped open.8:30."Oh, you've got to be kidding me."Move, Katherine. Move.I threw on the first clean blouse I could find, yanked my hair into the same tight bun that still ached from yesterday, and bolted out the door with one heel half on. The bus ride felt like a countdown, then after a minute or so my phone buzzed.I muttered every curse I knew under my breath as I re-read the text on my phone—ones that I’m sure would have made Mrs. Periwinkle faint. The phone buzzed again.Black coffee. Two sugars. Don’t be late.I muttered a few more unflattering things about Heath, made an abrupt stop at a café, grabbed his coffee, and dashed back out. High school was the last time I had to do a marathon race, and trust me, if someone had told me I would be doing it again for my ex, I would have laughed until I topp

“Why does he always carry a gun?” I asked, gesturing toward the bodyguard in the front.The limousine pulled away from the curb. The engine purred, swallowing the rumble of my street, the distant wail of a siren, and the drunk shouting three blocks over. I sat rigid in the soft leather, my scarlet dress gripping every curve. My thighs stuck to the seat as the city lights melted past the tinted windows in streaks of amber and white. Heath stared out his side, jaw tight enough to crack, one gloved hand motionless on his knee. Behind the blacked-out partition, the bodyguard drove in complete silence. When the partition lowered for a moment, I caught sight of the gun holstered against his ribs.The minutes stretched. The silence pressed against my ribs, growing thicker and hotter. I could hear myself breathing. He could too.“Why does he always carry a gun?” I asked again.Heath didn’t answer right away. He kept his face turned to the passing streets, the muscle in his jaw ticking. His he