Twins of Ruin

chapter three

The following week flew by, Ariella attended luncheons with her father’s business associates,she went for fittings for gowns she didn’t care about, and endless subtle reminders of her duty.

Richard Grayson moved through the days like a general preparing for war, while Ariella smiled until her cheeks ached and counted the hours until Thursday.

Damien Visconti finally appeared on Wednesday evening.He arrived at the penthouse for a pre-dinner drink.

His dark hair was styled neatly, his hazel eyes looked warm under the chandelier light. Looking at him felt like staring at a polished mirror image of Kai, they had the same bone structure, same height, but stripped of every rough edge that made her pulse race.

“You look stunning,” Damien said, handing her a glass of champagne. His fingers brushed hers deliberately.

“I’ve been looking forward to this.”Ariella forced a smile. “It’s nice to finally spend time together outside of galas.”

They spoke about safe topics, travel, the latest charity auction, the merger her father kept praising.

Damien was smooth, articulate, and attentive. He asked about her interests and actually listened when she answered. Any other woman would have called him a catch.

All Ariella could think about was the cut on Kai’s cheek and the way his voice had gone rough when he said she belonged to him.

“You seem distracted,” Damien observed, tilting his head.

“Nervous about the family meeting on Friday?”

“Something like that.” She took a sip to hide her expression.

He stepped closer, lowering his voice. “I know this arrangement started as a business merger. But I want more than that, Ariella. I want a real partnership. A real marriage.”

Guilt twisted in her stomach like a knife. She nodded, unable to find words that wouldn’t betray her. When he leaned in to kiss her cheek at the end of the evening, she held perfectly still.

His cologne was expensive and subtle. Nothing like the raw scent of sweat and leather that still haunted her dreams.That night, she barely slept.

Thursday arrived eventually and it was raining. By nine-thirty the city glistened under streetlights as Ariella once again slipped out through the service entrance.

Her hands trembled slightly as she paid the cab driver near the warehouses. She had chosen a deep burgundy sweater tonight, more dangerous than her usual dark clothes.

The arena felt louder and hotter. When Kai’s name was announced, the roar rattled her bones. He entered the pit shirtless this time, his tattoos gleaming under the harsh lights, dragons and thorns twisting over muscle. Fresh bruises already marked his ribs from whatever warm-up bout he’d taken

.He fought like a man punishing himself.The opponent didn’t stand a chance. Kai ended it in under two minutes with a brutal knee strike followed by a choke that left the other man tapping frantically. When he stood victorious, his chest heaved and his eyes found her immediately with no hesitation this time.

He jumped over the barrier and cut straight through the crowd toward her.

“Come,” he said. No greeting. No smirk.

He caught her hand and pulled her down the same dimly lit corridor as last time. This time he didn’t stop at the battered door. He pushed through another entrance into a small locker room that smelled of disinfectant.

A single bulb swung overhead.The door clicked shut behind them.

“You’re insane for coming back,” Kai said, turning to face her.

Water and sweat dripped from his hair. Up close, the new bruises looked painful.

“So are you,” she shot back.

“You told me not to.”

“Yeah, well.” He stepped closer, backing her against the lockers with his body heat.

“I’m apparently s**t at listening to my own advice.”Ariella reached up and gently touched a darkening bruise on his side. He hissed but didn’t pull away

.“Does it hurt?” she whispered.

“Everything hurts when you’re around.” His hand came up, fingers threading through her hair, tilting her face to his.

“I watched you with him last night. Through the windows. Like a f*****g creep.”

Her eyes widened.

“You were outside my building?”

“I needed to see.” His thumb brushed her lower lip. “Needed to know if you looked at him the way you look at me. You don’t.”

“I can’t do this forever,” she said.

“My father’s announcing the engagement tomorrow night. At the family dinner. It’s happening, Kai.”

Pain flashed across his face and for a moment he looked like the fighter who had just taken a beating rather than the one who had delivered it.

“Then we stop,” he said harshly. “Right now. Walk away clean.”

“I don’t want clean.” Ariella grabbed the waistband of his shorts and pulled him against her.

“I want you even if it ruins me.”A broken sound escaped his throat. Then his mouth crashed down on hers.The kiss wasn’t gentle. It was months of stolen glances and sleepless nights exploding at once.

Kai tasted like salt and fire. His hands gripped her waist hard enough to bruise as he lifted her slightly, pressing her back into the cold metal lockers. Ariella melted into him, fingers digging into his shoulders, nails scraping skin still slick from the fight.

When they broke apart, both breathing raggedly, he pressed his forehead to hers.

“f**k, Ariella,” he muttered.

“You kiss like you’ve been starving too.”“I have.” She kissed him again, softer this time, savoring the way his body trembled against hers.

“I keep thinking about you during the day. During meetings. During dinner with him. It’s driving me crazy.”Kai pulled back just enough to look at her properly. His hazel eyes had gone almost black with want.

“You know what happens if they find out?” His voice was rough. “My father will bury me deeper. Yours will destroy you. And Damien…” He laughed bitterly.

“Damien’s never lost anything in his life. He won’t start with you.”

“I’m not a thing to be won”

“No. You’re not.” He cupped her face with both hands, surprisingly tender after the violence of the kiss.

“You’re the first real thing I’ve wanted in years. That’s why this is so f*****g dangerous.”They stayed like that for a long minute with the distant roar of the crowd filtering through the walls.

“After tomorrow,” she said quietly, “I might not be able to sneak out as easily. They’ll watch me closer once the engagement is official.”

Kai’s jaw tightened.

“Then we get smarter. I can get us burner phones and find different meeting spots. I have places no one from your world knows about.”She nodded.

“And when I have to stand next to Damien and pretend?”His eyes darkened. “You smile for the cameras. But at night, when you close your eyes, you remember whose name you wanted to scream in this room.”

The possessiveness in his tone sent heat pooling low in her stomach. She kissed him again, slower, deeper, letting her hands explore the hard planes of his chest and the ridges of old scars.A sharp knock on the door made them jump apart.

“Visconti! Next fight in five!” a voice barked from the hallway.Kai cursed under his breath. He grabbed a towel and wiped his face, then looked at her one last time.

“Go home, princess. Be careful tomorrow.” He hesitated, then added softly,

“And Ariella? Don’t fall for his act. He’s better at playing perfect than I am at playing nothing.”She touched her swollen lips as he headed for the door.

“Kai?”He paused without turning around.

“Be safe in the ring,” she whispered.A ghost of his crooked smile appeared.

“Too late for safety. For both of us.”Then he was gone, swallowed back into the noise and violence of his world.

Ariella slipped out a different exit, heart hammering, lips still tingling.

The rain had picked up, soaking her as she hurried toward the main road. Somewhere behind her, the crowd roared again as Kai stepped back into the pit.

She didn’t know it yet, but tomorrow night’s dinner would change everything faster than either of them expected.

Victor Visconti had his own plans. And Damien had already started asking questions about where his future fiancée disappeared to on Thursday nights.