All Chapters of THE RUIN HE CHOSE : Chapter 11 - Chapter 20

AURELIA I followed Jade out of the dark office, my boots silent on the polished floor. He’d only grumbled a curt “Come on” before turning on his heel, but I didn’t need more than that. The house felt different now. It even looked emptier, save from the few bodyguards I keep seeing lurking around.All the people who had filled the rooms earlier had vanished, We slid into the car without a word. Jade gripped the wheel like it had personally offended him, and I stared out the window, arms crossed tight over my chest. The city lights blurred past, but I barely registered them. Neither of us spoke. The quiet wasn’t peaceful, it was a loaded gun between us, safety off.I didn’t even notice when we stopped. One moment the road was moving, the next we were parked in front of a sleek, high-end mall that looked like it belonged in a different world from the one I usually inhabited. Attendants in crisp uniforms materialized instantly, all polite smiles and quick bows. Jade jerked his chin towa

AURELIA By the time I got back, Lorenzo had finished eating, he was wiping his mouth with a napkin when I sat down, without another word he stood up and left. Zayn was typing rapidly on his phone before he suddenly stood up.“We have to leave now,” he said. He stood up and immediately forgot everything about being a sweet and lovely boyfriend. I bowed lightly to his dad and grabbed my purse, running after him in my heels. I could barely keep up with him. He got into an elevator and didn't even bother holding the door open. I increased my speed trying to catch up with him before the doors shut.I gave him a nasty glare but he completely ignored me. We didn't say anything as we got into the car downstairs and drove out. “Where are we heading to?” I asked after a long moment of battling internally with myself. I wasn't disappointed. He flat out ignored me and rapidly kept typing away on his tablet. I swallowed and tried to fold the edge of the gown as it still made me very uncomfortabl

AURELIA There was an actual fucking pregnant woman wearing stilletos. Not the 4 inch but an actual flipping 6 Inches. I wondered what sort of dumb person would pretend to be pregnant and actually wear heels. Zayn seemed to notice I wasn't focused and he followed my gaze and immediately noticed what I noticed. He dragged me away from Ms Taylor, leaving her hanging mid sentence. He walked towards another waiter and picked a glass of wine.. turning back to watch the pregnant woman, he raised the glass to his lips and spoke.“Target in sight.”“Copied,” jade's voice broke into my eardrums. The woman looked back and noticed us staring at her. Her lips moved and she said something before hurriedly trying to make her way out, weaving her way through the crowd of people. Zayn's hands were still wrapped around mine, he followed her while trying not to draw attention to us, moving effortlessly through the crowd and pulling me after him. We finally got out and noticed the woman briskly runnin

AURELIA I was up the next morning out of habit. I ached for training but sadly I wasn't back at Vincenzo's, so I just stood up and walked around the house. I couldn't find anything to do, but I came across a treadmill. It was something. I got on it and started jogging steadily.My feet pounded a steady rhythm on the treadmill belt, the mechanical whir filling the silence. Sweat trickled down my spine, soaking the back of my tank top, but I barely noticed.I increased the speed, and my ponytail whipped around like a live wire, stinging my shoulders. I missed the locket. That familiar slap against my chest used to ground me. My parents drifted into my head again. I hadn’t seen them in months. Not properly, anyway. I didn't knock on the door anymore and waited for them to come open it because they weren't ever around to start with, except for the once in a while visit they make. I was the type of shadow that sneaked into the very house I grew up in when they were out, using the same sp

AURELIA “Have a seat,” Zayn said softly as he offered me a seat. Everywhere was crowded and Zayn managed to offer me a seat while he stood protectively beside me.The ship’s engines hummed to life beneath us, and I felt the first gentle sway as we pulled away from the dock.“Successfully on board,” Lorenzo’s voice crackled low and steady through the tiny earpiece hidden beneath my hair.Before I could even acknowledge it, Zayn leaned in close. His fingers brushed my temple as he tucked a loose strand behind my ear, his breath warm against my skin. We stared at each other for a few seconds, our gaze intense.“If you find yourself in a fix, let me know,” he whispered, voice velvet-soft. Then he tilted my chin up with two fingers, holding my gaze for a beat too long before letting go and straightening up properly.I huffed, cheeks heating despite myself. He was playing the part perfectly…any onlooker would think he was whispering sweet nothings to his girl. “Copied,” Lorenzo replied, a