Ruin Me Slowly

Chapter 5

Carter’s POV

I couldn’t stop thinking about her.

The girl from last night—wild eyes, soft skin, that damn smile that made my heart beat louder than the club’s speakers. She left before I even had a chance to ask her name. Left me with cold sheets and a scent I couldn’t scrub off my skin.

I never cared about one-night stands. They came, they went, and I barely remembered their faces. But her? She had me up before sunrise.

“Cody,” I said into my phone, pacing the edge of my living room, “pull up the security footage from Empire and bring it to me. All of it. I want to know who she is. The girl I left with last night.”

Cody yawned on the other end. “Seriously, man? You’ve never once asked me to do this.”

“Just do it.”

“Alright, alright. I’ll be there as soon as I find something.”

I hung up and tossed my phone on the couch, running a hand through my hair. What the hell was happening to me?

Normally, after a night like that, I’d text Emma. Or she’d already be here.

And right on cue, there was a knock on my door. I groaned and went to answer the door. There she was—Emma Zidane.

Tall, sleek, and every part of her polished. Long blonde hair that curled slightly at the ends, green eyes lined in perfect black, lips shiny and red. She wore a black crop top and tight designer jeans, her heels clicking softly against my marble floor as she stepped inside without waiting for permission.

“Hi, Carter,” she said with a smirk. “Didn’t hear from you last night.”

I cocked an eyebrow. “What are you doing here so early?”

She rolled her eyes. “I missed you. Don’t you miss me? Or did you have someone else warming your bed?”

I sighed, let her in, and shut the door behind her.

Emma had always been here in my place—every night I didn’t feel like going home alone. After every one-night stand that left me cold and unsatisfied, I’d call her. She knew the drill. No labels. No questions. She didn’t mind. She was… predictable.

But this morning, looking at her now?

I felt nothing. Not even the usual pull. Because last night was different. That girl—whoever she was—she didn’t just touch my body. She got under my skin.

And now, Emma just felt… small. Dull. A shadow compared to the storm I met last night.

“I was busy,” I said simply, walking past her. “Fell asleep.”

Emma folded her arms. “That’s new. You never just fall asleep.”

I didn’t reply. She stepped closer, eyes narrowing. “There was someone else here, wasn’t there?”

I rubbed the back of my neck and looked away. “Emma—”

“It’s fine,” she snapped, even though her tone said it wasn’t. She coughed lightly, grabbing her purse. “I just thought we had a rhythm. But it’s okay, no strings attached, right?”

Before I could answer, there was another knock at the door. When I opened it, Cody was standing there, holding up a USB drive with a smug grin and a flick of his wrist, like he was presenting a trophy. He was all worn leather jacket, dark jeans, and that permanent five o’clock shadow—every bit the reliable right-hand man. Quiet when he needed to be, lethal when it counted. The kind of guy who always had your back, and at least two knives on him at all times.

“Yo, Carter,” Cody said, stepping into the penthouse. “I found her.”

Emma turned, surprised. “Oh. You’re busy.”

Cody glanced at her, then at me.

“Emma, I need a minute,” I said, already knowing this wasn’t a conversation for her.

She raised an eyebrow but gave me a tight, practiced smile. “Of course you do.” Then she flipped her hair over her shoulder and headed for the door. “Call me when you need me. Just don’t make me wait too long.”

She didn’t look back.

The door clicked shut behind her.

I let out a breath I didn’t realize I was holding.

Cody walked in and handed me the USB. I took it without a word, opened my laptop, and plugged it in. A video file popped up on the screen, paused on a frame from last night at Empire.

The camera showed me standing at the bar, talking to her.

The girl.

She was mid-turn, caught in motion, just about to smile.

And when she did—when that smile landed—I felt it in my gut. Recognition hit me like a punch I wasn’t ready for.

She was right there, clear as day.

That spark in her eyes. That curve of her lips. I swallowed hard. “Okay,” I said quietly. “Tell me who she is.”

Cody smirked. “Her name is Jane. Jane Ellis.”

froze at the name.

“Ellis?” I repeated slowly, the word sitting wrong in my mouth. “Why does that sound so familiar?”

Cody’s smirk vanished. His expression shifted, all trace of amusement gone.

“Yeah,” he said, voice flat. “That Ellis. She’s the daughter of Richard Ellis.”

The name landed hard. My chest tightened as it clicked into place.

Richard Ellis. My father’s worst enemy.