All Chapters of His to Ruin: Chapter 11 - Chapter 20

The restaurant was called Ombra, a small, dimly lit Italian place tucked into a cobblestone alley off the main strip. The kind of place you'd walk past a hundred times without noticing, hidden behind a heavy wooden door with no sign except a small brass plaque that caught the light of a single sconce.Leo had chosen it deliberately. I knew that now—knew that every decision he made was calculated, precise, designed to keep me off balance and under his control. The restaurant was intimate, the tables spaced far enough apart to offer privacy, the lighting low enough to cast everything in a warm, golden glow. The air smelled of garlic and basil and something richer underneath—aged parmesan, truffle oil, red wine that had been breathing for hours.I wore the dress he'd suggested. A deep burgundy wrap dress that clung to my hips and dipped low in the front, revealing the shadow of my cleavage when I moved. No bra. No panties. Just the dress and a pair of black heels that made my legs look e

The trailhead parking lot was already half-full when we arrived, a gravel expanse bordered by towering pines that cast long, jagged shadows across the hood of Leo’s rental car. The morning air was sharp and clean, carrying the scent of damp earth and pine needles—a stark contrast to the heavy, perfumed air of the house. It smelled like freedom. Or maybe just fresh air.Mia was the first one out of the car, bouncing on the balls of her feet, her energy already at a frequency that made my teeth ache. She was wearing neon pink leggings and a matching sports bra, her hair pulled up in a high ponytail that swung with every movement. She looked like a walking advertisement for a smoothie brand."Guys! They're already here!" She pointed toward the trailhead pavilion, where two figures stood in the dappled sunlight.My stomach dropped.I knew who it was before Mia even shouted their names. My college friends, technically, thought I'd always been closer to Lily than Jax. Jax was... well, Jax w

He stopped in front of me. His hand came up, his fingers wrapping around my throat. Not squeezing. Just holding. A reminder. "You know exactly what you want," he said, his voice low and rough. "You want me. You want my rules. You want to be told what to do and when to do it. You want to surrender." My breath hitched. His thumb stroked my pulse point, feeling the rapid flutter of my heartbeat beneath his touch. "Jax is offering you normal," he continued, his eyes boring into mine. "A normal boyfriend. Normal dates. A normal life." His lip curled. "Do you want normal?" "I don't know," I breathed, the words torn from somewhere deep and honest. "I don't know anymore." His grip tightened, just slightly. "That's not good enough." "What do you want me to say?" "I want you to say the truth." His face was inches from mine, his breath hot against my lips. "I want you to look me in the eye and tell me that you want him. That you want his gentle touches and his easy smiles and his boring,

Olivia: Hey. Mia says you want to get lunch tomorrow? I'm in. The response came almost immediately. Jax: Hell yes. 1pm? That taco place? Olivia: Perfect. Jax: Can't wait 😊 I set the phone down, my stomach churning. The next day arrived with agonizing slowness. Leo spent the morning in his study, the door closed, the sound of typing faintly audible through the wood. Mia went out with friends from her yoga class, leaving the house quiet and empty. I stood in front of my closet, staring at the clothes hanging there. Nothing felt right. Everything was either too casual or too formal, too revealing or too modest. I settled on a white sundress with small blue flowers, the fabric light and airy, falling just above my knees. It was pretty without being provocative. Normal without being boring. I left my hair down, adding a touch of lip gloss and mascara. Simple. Fresh. Like a girl who didn't have a secret lover hiding in the study down the hall. The drive to the restaurant was sho

The silence that followed my declaration hung in the air like a held breath. Leo’s eyes searched mine, dark and turbulent, looking for the lie, the hesitation, the crack in the foundation. When he didn't find one, the tension in his shoulders eased, just a fraction."Okay," he murmured, his voice rough. "Okay."He stepped back, breaking the contact, and ran a hand through his hair. The vulnerability vanished as quickly as it had appeared, replaced by the familiar mask of control. But I had seen it. I had seen the fear underneath."I'm going to make dinner," he said, his tone shifting to something practical, almost jarringly normal. "Mia will be back soon. We need to act normal.""Right," I said, my voice steadier than I felt. "Normal."He disappeared into the kitchen, and I heard the sounds of cabinets opening, the fridge humming to life, the sharp chop-chop-chop of a knife hitting a cutting board. I stood in the living room for a moment, my hand still tingling where I had touched his