His to Ruin

Silver Spoons and Loaded Glances

The midday city air swirled warmly as I stepped out of the black SUV that had stopped at the corner of a SoHo street

My heart beat a little faster.

Not out of fear, but because I was standing in the middle of New York again.

Abraham didn’t come. He had already fallen asleep on the living room couch when I left. I had kissed his forehead, then whispered to Tony who was sitting across the room, no need for a long explanation. Tony just nodded.

“I’ll be back before he wakes up.”

“I’ll make sure he has fun.”

My heart felt a little lighter because of that.

The restaurant stood quietly between luxury boutiques and a small art gallery. It was called Elio, industrial-style with a touch of modern Italian. The perfect place for a serious conversation, but not too formal. Emily had picked it, of course.

Darren was already sitting inside. His face was the same. A wide jaw, slightly messy light brown hair in that “I’m too busy to care” style, and a denim shirt neatly rolled up below the elbows.

“Dani,” he said, standing up, a wide smile painted on his face. “You actually came.”

I shook his outstretched hand and gave a brief smile. “I needed a reason to get out of the house.”

We sat down.

No long small talk. Darren was never one to talk about the weather for too long.

“You must’ve heard from Emily,” he said, turning the tablet screen toward me. “The Maine HQ agreed to open a permanent branch here. I’ve been appointed lead for infrastructure. But they need someone to handle the interior aspects. Visual style, space branding... everything you’re good at.”

I looked at the rough design on his screen. A four-story building in the Flatiron area, with an open concept and a glass mezzanine suspended over the main lobby. Modern, precise, but still raw.

“This concept needs a human touch,” I murmured, my finger tracing a vertical line that felt too cold. “Glass and metal aren’t enough.”

Darren nodded. “That’s why I want you to be a part of it. Not just as a consultant. As the creative lead.”

My eyes scanned the sketch, then shifted to Darren. “You know my situation right now.”

“I do. And so does Emily. But we still want you to lead. You can work from home, attend major meetings, even build your team later. We need a strong voice in the room. And that’s not me.”

I came to this city to protect Abraham.

But now the city was pulling me back with the promise of space for myself. Not as an escape. Not as the shadow of my family.

As Daniella Abelli.

As an architect, a designer, a woman who still knew how to build something from an empty foundation.

“All right,” I said finally, my voice a little hoarse.

Darren smiled. “Take a week to get ready and think about it. But even if you say no, I’m still sending the project references to your email.”

I raised an eyebrow. “Subtle coercion.”

He grinned. “I learned from that mafia client on the resort project. Soft on the outside, sharp underneath.”

I laughed quietly.

Darren sipped lemon from his glass, then leaned back in his chair with a more relaxed expression—no longer the architect discussing a multi-million-dollar blueprint. His tablet turned off automatically, and for the first time since I arrived, he just… looked at me.

“And how’s Abraham?” his smile softening. “You know, the office gets ten times livelier every time you bring him. Even Megan, who’s totally anti-kids, shared her donut with him that one time.”

I chuckled softly, remembering that day. Abraham had shown up in a dinosaur hoodie and instantly stole the attention of an entire department.

“He’s good,” I replied. “Growing fast. Sometimes too fast. Now he likes drawing planets and playing ‘buy and sell land’ using rocks. The other day he tried to sell our backyard to the neighbors.”

Darren chuckled, a low and honest sound. “Still the same Abraham, huh. His little world’s always one step ahead of ours.”

I nodded slowly. But before I could shift the topic, Darren tilted his head, his gaze slightly changing.

“So…” He twirled the straw with one hand. “Did you leave because… you’re getting married?”

The question dropped like a pebble into a calm lake.

My head slowly shook. “No.”

Darren frowned, but didn’t interrupt.

“There was something… urgent in New York,” I continued, not meeting his eyes. “I had no choice but to come back.”

A few seconds passed before he spoke again. “So it’s not because of a ring, huh?” he added with a light tone.

I raised an eyebrow, looking at him.

“Thank God,” he said, a smile playing at the corner of his lips. “I thought I was going to lose the only woman who could make the office feel like home… and still make me feel like a rookie every time changed the layout a day before the deadline.”

I shook my head with a smile, trying to hide the warmth suddenly creeping up my cheeks. Darren always had a way of making everything sound light, even when his words were enough to make my heart beat a little faster.

But I knew better than to read into it as something more.

Because my life now… is a minefield.

And anyone who steps too close—including someone as good as Darren—could be destroyed before even reaching the door.

The waitress came.

Our food arrived on white porcelain plates with gold rims. Bucatini pasta with truffle sauce and wild mushrooms for me, and rare steak with roasted vegetables for Darren. We ate, with bits of light conversation and short laughs about weird clients, wild ideas from young architects, and absurd experiences trying to design a hotel bathroom that “had to be Instagrammable.”

I took a bite of the pasta, the creamy truffle filling my mouth. Warm and familiar. Meanwhile, Darren kept talking about a project in New Zealand that almost got canceled because an imported chandelier couldn’t fit through the main entrance.

“Imagine twelve grand for a light fixture that had to be disassembled with pliers before we could hang it,” he laughed. “It’s like buying a painting, then cutting it up with a saw just to get it inside.”

I laughed, covering my mouth with a napkin. The food was delicious. The conversation was light.

For a moment, the world felt… normal.

Then the restaurant door opened.

And I froze.

Darren was still talking.

I didn’t hear him.

The ceiling felt like it was slowly sinking as that step crossed into the dining room. I recognized the way that man walked even before I saw his face.

Calm, heavy steps. Belonging to someone who knew he never had to rush to get what he wanted.

Alec.

He stood in the doorway like a black-and-white portrait interrupting a room full of color. A dark shirt framed his body, the cut of his suit too perfect to be a coincidence. His hair was neatly styled, those hazel eyes scanned the room quickly and stopped...right on me.

The world collapsed into silence.

My spoon was still suspended in the air.

My eyes locked onto his. My breath caught in my throat. The warmth in my stomach from the pasta was gone replaced by a cold emptiness.

Alec didn’t smile.

But he saw me.

And he saw Darren.

And that was enough to make one corner of his mouth lift slightly. It wasn’t a smile.

Darren finally noticed I wasn’t responding. “Dani? Are you okay?”

I didn’t answer. Because Alec had already started walking toward us.

Alec’s steps hit the restaurant floor like the ticking of a clock cutting through time.

Darren quickly turned around, following my gaze. His eyes narrowed slightly, eyebrows lifting as tension started creeping across his face.

“Your friend?” he whispered low.

I straightened my back. Slowly set down my fork. “Something like that.”

Alec arrived at the side of the table without asking. He didn’t introduce himself. Didn’t ask if he could join.

His eyes scanned Darren’s face like he was reading the price tag on something he hadn’t ordered.

“Had lunch yet?” he asked, voice deep and calm.

“Alec,” I exhaled sharply. “What are you doing here?”

He didn’t answer right away. Instead, he pulled out the empty chair beside me and sat down.

“There are a few properties around here I’m checking out,” he answered, twirling a silver spoon on the table.

Darren forced a smile and half stood up. “Darren Langston. We used to be on the same team for the Maine project...”

“I know who you are,” Alec cut him off. “I also know you two had plans this afternoon.”

Darren froze for half a second. Then slowly sat back down. But I could tell by the way his jaw tightened, he was uncomfortable.

Darren tried to balance the mood. “We were just talking about the company’s new branch. Dani has a big opportunity on the main project—”

“Dani?” Alec repeated slowly.

One eyebrow lifted, barely noticeable.

Darren nodded slightly. “That’s what I call her at the office.”

Alec turned to me, his gaze sharpened.

“Dani, huh?” he repeated, this time softer.

I leaned back in my chair, crossing my arms. “If you hungry, you should go.”

“I’m not hungry,” Alec replied.

Darren glanced at me, confused, then swallowed hard and grabbed his phone. “Excuse me,” he said as he stood, keeping his voice steady. “Looks like I need to head out early. A... client sent a last-minute revision for the rooftop bar concept.”

I knew it was an excuse.

I got up from my chair. “Thanks for coming,” I said, my voice warmer than I thought it could be. “Just email me all the files, and we can go over the details on Zoom. Tomorrow morning?”

Darren nodded.

I leaned in and gave him a quick hug. Brief, professional... but long enough to feel his body stiffen slightly in surprise. “Sorry,” I whispered near his ear.

“It’s okay.” He stepped back, a short smile appearing. “See you, Dani.”

Then he turned and left.

His steps were quick. Not rushed, but clear that he didn’t want to be in the same room with Alec Romano any longer than necessary.

The restaurant door closed softly behind him, leaving just me... and Alec.