Flashes of his memory

Flashes of his memory
Chapter 168

Ruby’s POV

He didn’t reply. Instead, he just kept coming closer, his steps slow and deliberate. I took another step back, my eyes darting nervously around the office.It was a large office and the windows were sealed shut, and I was sure the only door was now out of reach, it was probably locked from the outside. I was getting out of options as the seconds ticked by.

Dominic kept stalking toward me, a cold smile playing at the corners of his lips, like he was enjoying every second of my fear like it was some kind of entertainment. 

“Why are you doing this?” I stuttered out, my voice trembling with fear as I continued stepping backward. My heart pounded in my chest so loudly I could almost hear it. That’s when my eyes landed on the ashtray sitting on the table just inches from me. Without hesitation, I lunged for it, grabbing the small metal plate with shaky hands and holding it out in front of me like a weapon. My whole body trembled as I stared at Dominic, wide-eyed as I tried to appear braver than I felt.

“I don't for one second believe you kept me alive because of this,” I said, my voice cracking slightly. “You have so many women who would willingly hop into your bed, so why come after me?” I asked, genuinely confused.

Instead of answering, Dominic smiled wider, and that made the fear inside me grow even more.

“Ethan’s body was not found,” he said slowly, his eyes never leaving mine. “Someone had taken him out of the burning church and then the car was crashed, I sense foul play.”

My breath caught in my throat as my heart skipped a beat. “You believe Ethan is alive?” I asked, my voice rising in disbelief, a small swell of hope blooming in my chest. The thought of Ethan being out there, somewhere, alive, made my knees weak and my heart raced even faster.

Dominic let out a low, dark chuckle, then stopped walking toward me. He stood still now, watching me with a look of amusement in his eyes.

“If he happens to be alive,” Dominic said, “the first thing he would do is come for his beloved woman and child. And then, I’d finally have a chance to finish him off properly. Besides,” he added, with a mocking tone, “you’re like a trophy. I needed to show you off. After all, I took down the almighty Ice.”

He burst into loud laughter. My chest tightened, and I felt my heart sink down to the bottom of my feet. The hope I’d just begun to feel started to turn into dread. Right then and there, I prayed Ethan wouldn’t come back for us, at least not yet. If he was alive out there somewhere, I needed him to stay far away and safe.

Just then, Dominic’s phone rang and that stopped his loud laughter. He immediately answered it, his face turning serious within seconds. Without another word or glance in my direction, he turned off the phone and stalked out of the office, leaving me alone in the silent office.

With a soft sigh, the ashtray slipped from my hand and clattered noisily to the floor. I took a shaky breath as my hands moved through my hair, trying to calm myself. My entire body was trembling now.

“Miss, this way please,” one of the guards said. He had appeared from the end of the office  near the door and now stood beside me, his voice flat as he gestured for me to follow him.

My legs felt like they were weighed down with heavy stones, but somehow, I forced myself to move as I followed the guard out of the office and into the hallway. We took the elevator, then climbed the stairs on the other side of the building, finally arriving at the room that had been given to me.

“You are back,” the maid said as soon as she saw me. She had always looked kind, though she’d never offered her name. She stood up as I entered. “I will take my leave now,” she said, quickly brushing past me and slamming the door shut behind her.

I stood in the silence of the room for a long moment before I slowly walked over to the crib. where Little Black lay peacefully asleep, his tiny chest rising and falling. He looked so calm. My heart ached as I watched him sleep..

“If Dominic waits for too long and Ethan doesn’t present himself, he’s going to get rid of both of us,” I whispered softly into the empty room. My voice cracked as I spoke. My eyes stayed fixed on Little Black and my hands clenched tightly at my sides, my nails digging into my palms.

“I need to make myself useful,” I said.

Ethan’s POV

I heard the door to the main house slam shut, followed by the sound of footsteps echoing through the hallway. Moments later, I recognized the voice of the woman who had introduced herself as Ava, along with another man I believed to be her husband. They were the couple who claimed to have saved me.They had been kind, always meeting my needs and taking care of me. But something about them always felt off.

I slowly rolled the wheelchair I was now bound to away from the balcony, where I had been gazing out into the garden. The breeze outside had been gentle as I had been trying, once again, to move my legs, and it seemed I was making progress.

I was just about to announce my presence, when I paused. I heard Ava’s voice speaking softly with irritation.

“I can't believe her!” Ava snapped. “She’s such a pick me, immediately jumping into the arms of the next powerful person that comes her way. I had to hold myself back from pulling out all her hair right then and there!”

There was the rustling sound of fabric as she flopped onto the sofa. Canon, the man she was with, walked around her with quiet steps, beginning to gently pull the pins out of her hair, one by one.

“I’d say not to jump to conclusions,” Canon said calmly, his voice calm “Perhaps it’s not what it seems. Maybe she didn’t have a choice. Who knows?”

“This just proves she never really loved him!” Ava cried out, slamming her fist hard against the cushion of the sofa. 

“From what I witnessed,” Canon said, continuing to work through her hair, “Ruby did love him. Deeply.”

That name, Ruby, sent a sudden jolt through my body. I couldn’t stay quiet any longer. My hands tightened slightly on the wheels of the chair, and I pushed myself into view from behind the wall.

“Who is Ruby?” I asked, trying to sound calm, though something inside me was already stirring.

Their heads whipped around to face me. Both of them exchanged a quick uneasy glance.

“Ruby… is…was Ava’s love rival, a while ago,” Canon answered carefully. His words were quickly followed by a loud smack as Ava slapped his arm and gave him a stern glare, clearly annoyed by his words.

I didn’t know why, but the name felt familiar, so familiar it made my chest tighten, but at the same time, it felt far away. My gaze drifted downward, landing on something metallic sticking out from the side of Canon’s waistband, it was a gun.

The moment my eyes locked onto it, a sharp blinding pain tore through my skull.

“Arrrrrhhhhh!” I cried out, grabbing my head with both hands as my vision went black. Everything around me blurred and vanished. I saw quick flashes that I couldn't grasp. Blood. Bullets. Screams. So many bodies.

“Breathe, Black… breathe,” Ava’s voice called out to me through the fog. I clung to her words, forcing myself to focus on her voice and then on the rhythm of my breath. Slowly, the pain in my head began to fade. My vision returned, it was blurry at first, but it cleared after a moment.

“Are you alright?” Ava asked once my breathing calmed.I nodded.

“Good,” she said quickly, before turning away. Her expression hardened as she grabbed Canon by the front of his jacket and yanked him out of my view.

“What did I tell you about guns?” I heard her hiss in a low voice. 

Still, my mind was already drifting away from their conversation. They were hiding something from me…

“Ruby…” I whispered.