Page 1 of Ruin Me
Prologue
Hadley
“Whywon’tyoulistento me? I won’t do it,” I shout at my father’s back as he leaves my bedroom, slamming the door behind him. I run my fingers through my hair, the anxiety of our conversation turning my blood cold in my veins. He wants me to do my duty and marry that sack of shit. I won't do it. I refuse to.
I decide to slip out of my room and follow him to his office. I need to know what he has planned for me before I make my move. I need to understand the ins and outs of his plans.
I quietly make my way down the dimly lit hallway, my heart pounding in my chest. The wooden floorboards creak beneath my weight as I approach my father's closed office door. Peering through the keyhole, I can see him sitting behind his massive oak desk, a scowl etched on his face.
I strain to listen to their conversation, trying to make out the muffled voices. My hand clenches into a fist at my side as I hear my father's booming voice. He is discussing arrangements with the man I refuse to marry, plotting and scheming behind my back.
“She has no fucking choice, she will do as I say for the sake of our alliance. She was brought into this world for a reason and that reason is here. To solidify our arrangement,” I gasp as I see Emerson drop himself into the seat in front of my father’s desk.
I can't believe what I'm hearing. My own father, the man who is supposed to protect me, is willing to sell me off like some piece of property for the sake of an alliance. Anger and betrayal surge through me, fueling my determination to defy him at all costs.
As I watch Emerson take a seat in front of my father, a wave of revulsion washes over me. The way he smirks and nods along with my father's words makes my skin crawl. I refuse to be a pawn in their twisted game of power and control.
But as much as I want to storm in there and confront them both, I know I need a plan. I need to get out, I’ve heard enough. I take one last look through the keyhole and my heart shatters in my chest. Rhett stands behind my father, his arms crossed over his chest as he listens intently to their conversation. My heart twinges with pain as I stare at the one person I thought might have my back beside my brother. But seeing him there in that room with a mask of indifference proves just how wrong I am.
Taking a deep breath, I slowly back away from the door, my mind racing with thoughts of escape. I need to leave this place,this suffocating world of duty and deceit. I need to find a way out before it's too late.
As I turn to leave, a voice startles me from behind. "Hadley, what are you doing here?" I freeze in place, my heart pounding in my chest as I slowly turn around to face the source of the voice. Standing there in the dimly lit hallway is my brother, Austin.
"I...I was just...taking a walk," I stammer out, my mind scrambling for a believable excuse. Austin narrows his eyes at me, clearly not buying my flimsy explanation. He knows me too well, knows that I wouldn't be skulking around our father's office without a reason.
His gaze drifts to the closed door behind me, and I can see the pieces clicking into place in his mind. "You were spying on Father, weren't you?" he accuses, his voice barely above a whisper. “Hadley, you know he will kill you if you hear something you shouldn’t. Hurry up, go before he finds you here,” I nod once, racing towards my bedroom forcing away the tears that threaten to fall.
As I enter my bedroom, a sense of urgency grips me. I need to act fast before my father and that vile man, Emerson, realise what I’m up to. I quickly grab my phone and dial my best friend. It rings a couple of times before she answers. “Claudia, I need your help.” I wait a couple of seconds before she replies.
“Hadley, of course. What is happening?” concern laces her voice, I reply almost immediately.
“I need you to help me falsify some documents.”
Rhett
Standing behind Emanuel as he and Emerson discuss Hadleylike she is a piece of meat has me gritting my teeth. My hands curl into fists at my sides as I listen to their callous conversation. The way they talk about Hadley, as if she is nothing more than a pawn in their twisted game, makes my blood boil.
“She will learn her place eventually, Emanuel. I can be very convincing when I need to be,” a sick smile spreads across Emerson’s face. I want nothing more than to gut him, but as Emanuel’s best enforcer I have no choice but to stand her and listen to this low life.
“She can be difficult, but I’m sure it will just make things more interesting in the bedroom for you both,” Emanuel's tone makes my stomach turn, as I think of Emerson’s hands on Hadley’s body. I shift my weight from one foot to the other, my gaze flicking between the two men. I've known for a long time that Emanuel is ruthless, but hearing him talk about his own daughter like this is a new level of depravity. I've seen Hadley grow up, seen her spirit and fire, and the thought of it being snuffed out by this smug asshole is unbearable.
Emerson leans back in his chair, his eyes gleaming with a malice that makes my skin crawl. "I do enjoy a good... ride," he says, laughing at his own crude innuendo. Emanuel joins in, their laughter grating on my nerves like nails on a chalkboard.
I take a deep breath, trying to control the rage simmering within me. As the laughter in the room subsides, I ask Emanuel on a whim, “When is the wedding set for?” Emerson looks at me smugly as my boss responds, “In 3 months time. It will be a lavish affair with over 1000 guests in attendance.” My jaw clenches and I nod at the two men, excusing myself from the room. With every step down the hallway, my mind is racing.
I need to cut it out. Hadley isn’t mine, she never was. No matter how much I wanted to get under her skin and claim her as mine, that was never going to be an option. I’m just an enforcer, doing her father’s dirty work. She would never wantanything to do with me, and even if she did. Her father would never allow that.
In three months, Hadley would be out of my life forever. It’s time to forget her, and move on. But I’m not quite sure if I’ll survive it.
One
Hadley
Igrippedontomybag as tight as I could, fearful that my secrets would spill from it and I’d be sent directly back to where I was running from. My fingers gripped the bag in a death like vice so that I could stop fidgeting. Finding my way from Hobart airport to this hotel had been easy enough, but that only made me think that maybe I needed to venture further south so I could truly hide away in the wilderness that Tasmania afforded those who needed to get lost.
No one would ever dream of looking for me in Tasmania. It had always been the place I’d wanted to visit, famed for its beautiful forests and wildlife, and to get away from the hustle and bustle of the city.
And my family.
