Page 106 of The Ruin I Chose

He huffed a breath.

“Don’t stall. What else?”

“One of Lorenzo’s men was spotted in Mumbai. No one knows why.”

My jaw tightened. Mumbai. That wasn’t random. Was it a message? My heart stopped—not out of fear for me, but for her. Always her. At least her family was here. Under my watch. Safe.

“I’m flying out,” Santino said. “I’ll be in India by tomorrow.”

“Martino, tienimi aggiornato.” (keep in touch)

He hung up, but Santino was still on call.

“Chi succedi?” Santino asked, voice low.

I rubbed the bridge of my nose.

“Na buttana ci vinni a vasarimi.” (A whore tried to kiss me.)

“Roxanne saw. She thinks I wanted it.”

“Then explain to her. Apologise. Isn’t that what you’ve gone for? To win her back?”

“I don’t know how to fix this.”

“Give her space and time. I’ll be there tomorrow. We’ll figure it out.”

When the call ended, I stared at the screen. Then typed:

Her reply came fast. Cold and precise. A mirror to the silence I once gave her—now turned against me.

Her words hit hard like a slap across my face. I stared at the message, the ache blooming in my chest.

I typed back:

She was learning to wound me the way I once wounded her.

I poured myself a drink. Whiskey. No ice. Just burn. The anxiety crept in—slow, heavy, familiar. Like an old lover I never stopped sleeping beside. I swallowed the pill dry, hoping it would calm my nerves. Tomorrow, I’d find her. Apologise. Even if I wasn’t the one who crossed the line.

I knocked on her door just after sunrise. Her mother answered, smiling politely. She spoke before I could ask:

“Roxanne isn’t here. She took Kyra for a walk. Said she’ll meet me for breakfast.”

I nodded, thanked her, and walked off.

The resort was quiet. Dew still clung to the grass. Birds chirped in the morning light. I wandered past the pool, the garden, the shaded paths lined with frangipani and hibiscus. No sign of her.

I walked down the steps to the beach, hoping to find her there. The sea usually calmed her. I hoped it still did. I reached the beach. No Roxanne. Instead, I found Vihaan walking towards me.

“Have you seen Roxanne?” I asked.

“Didn’t she return to your room last night?”

I shook my head, pressing my fingers into the headache blooming behind my eyes.

His eyes narrowed

“What did you say?”