Zachary Gonzalez gently laid Ava down on the bed and pulled the quilt over her.The entire time, he could feel the daggers Ava was shooting at him with her eyes, but he deliberately chose to ignore them. As long as she remained obedient, he would continue to do so.“Nick will be here soon with some takeout and medications. Or should we just go to the hospital?” Zac asked, concern etched deeply into his sharp features.“I’m fine,” Ava replied in a flat tone, tilting her head to one side. The motion exposed the bruises on her neck, offering Zac a clear view he hadn’t noticed before.His fists curled, his jaw tightened, but he forced himself to stay composed as he slowly lowered himself onto the bed beside her.If there were any way he could recreate Arianna’s body, Zac would do it a million times just to slay her over and over again. That was the level of rage burning inside him. He wanted to kill her again and again with his own hands.Yet, his stubborn woman didn’t see it the way he d
The moment Lee stepped into the mansion and saw how devastated his boss looked, he sighed in regret and lowered his head as he walked fully into the luxurious living room.It had been two days and two nights since Ava went missing, and during that time, he had not stopped trying to persuade Arianna to release her. But Arianna wouldn’t listen.She had made it clear she didn’t care about the consequences and would kill Ava with her own hands if it came to that.Truth be told, Lee didn’t care about Ava. Arianna could do whatever she wanted with her, and he would not have minded. But what disturbed him deeply was how much his boss was affected. Watching Zac drink alone at the bar, looking completely broken, did not sit well with him.What hurt him even more was knowing exactly who was responsible for Zac’s pain but being too afraid to say it. If Zac ever found out the truth, he would surely kill Arianna without a second thought.Sighing deeply, Lee stood to the side with his head lowered,
“Are you doing this because of Mia Dawson? Did she pay you to kidnap me or—”SMACKAva hadn’t even finished the sentence when a thunderous slap cut her short. Her ears rang from the impact, a metallic taste flooding her mouth as she felt blood from a split lip.Dazed, she slowly lifted her head, only to meet a face transformed from fierce to murderous, ferocious and brimming with a cold, bloodthirsty rage.“The next time you raise your head and look me in the eyes, I swear, I’ll behead you,” the woman spat, her teeth clenched tight.“Then what are you still waiting for?” Ava snapped. “I don’t know why you’ve decided to keep me here, but whatever the reason is, you’re clearly not planning to let me go anytime soon. You might even end up killing me, so why don’t you just save yourself the unnecessary stress?”The woman’s lips curved into a slow, mocking smirk. “I can see you’ve grown a sharp tongue.”Before Ava could react or form another thought, her hair was yanked back, forcing her h
By this time, Zac was completely strung out and could no longer keep calm. He dialed Ava’s number for what felt like the hundredth time, his frustration mounting with each unanswered call.He was in his mansion, not one of his penthouses, and a few escorts were stationed on guard, including Reid and Nick.Reid had actually come by to discuss Charlotte’s task. In his opinion, continuing with Charlotte was pointless now that Zac had already achieved his goal.But the moment Reid stepped into the villa and saw his boss’s expression, he knew something was terribly wrong and he didn’t need anyone to tell him that it was about Ava.“Let me go check her apartment, boss. Maybe she misplaced her phone,” Nick offered quietly, his eyes lowered with concern.As if agreeing with Nick’s idea, Zac halted his frantic pacing and fell silent for a moment. Then he walked over to Nick and said quietly, “Let’s go.”Zac already had a sinking feeling that something he didn’t want to imagine had happened to
Without wasting a second, Ava turned back toward her apartment. As she walked, she forced the smile back onto her face, comforting herself with one thought.No matter what, she could never get tired of watching this place come alive at night.Earlier, before Zac finally left, she had persuaded him to take a walk with her. It hadn’t been easy, but she’d succeeded. During their stroll, Zac had casually announced their weekend plans. Not quite a date, as Aurora would be joining them.Ava was thrilled. She had missed Aurora so much and couldn’t wait to see her again.She had also phoned her friends to share the good news, and they had all promised to come over for dinner the following day.Breathing out a contented sigh, Ava lay sprawled across the giant bed, her eyes fixed on the high ceiling above. Dozens of delicate chandeliers sparkled faintly, casting soft, luminous glows across the room.She felt more than content just lying there, watching them until daybreak.A small smile curved
Gaping, Ava turned toward the man beside her, confusion etched across her face. She couldn’t understand what was going on.They were supposed to be heading to a furniture store, but instead, the car had come to a stop inside a sleek, built-in garage. It only took her a moment to realize this was one of Zac’s luxurious penthouses.“Why are we here now, Zac?” she asked with a groan, her eyes narrowing in frustration. “I told you I needed furniture for my room.”He said nothing in response. Instead, he calmly stepped out, rounded the car, and opened her door with a subtle gesture for her to get out.“You can’t just—” she began, already stepping out, but Zac placed a finger gently against her lips, silencing her.“Can you not say anything and just follow me? Please?” he asked softly, his voice deep, and his eyes dark with something warm.Ava’s shoulders slumped as she rolled her eyes and gently removed his finger from her lips. “I know what you’re planning, Zac, but we could have gone to