MasukI kept quiet, knowing there was a catch."Vincent, can you explain to me why you have her photos?"I looked away, but I knew Piper wouldn't back down."For research purposes. She's my competitor. It's common sense to do a background check," I blurted out."Oh… research?" she uttered, her expression unconvinced. "Even the pictures of her with another man?""Piper, I'm not in the mood for this." I shut her down, visibly irritated. "And if you think this is the right time to throw accusations at me, go ahead."She let out a bitter laugh."Really?" she scoffed. "I'm the problem, right?""Is that why you've been so distant? You refuse to touch me…""Piper, stop!" I yelled. "Why can't you get it through your head? Ava has nothing to do with any of this. It would do you good to remove her name from your lips.""Okay…" she said, forcing a calmness she clearly didn't feel. "Fine."She stormed out, and I heaved a sigh of relief.I hadn't meant to be so harsh, but Piper had been getting on my ne
Vincent Harrington POVAva had become an exotic bird that had escaped its cage and discovered it could fly.And I couldn't stop thinking about how beautiful she would look if she were back behind bars.“Sir, I've sent the files.”A man's voice broke through my thoughts.“Print them out. I prefer the photos printed out.”“Sir... I—”“Did you hear what I said?”“Yes, sir. I'll do that right away, sir.”He bowed slightly and walked away.I want her back.The admission sat heavily on my mind. But then, I hated her for challenging me. For daring to compete with me, for moving on with another man.The image of her passionately locking lips with Adam infuriated me. Today, I was convinced it was no longer an act. I hated the way Adam looked at her. He desired her. I'm a man, so I know that look.My door suddenly swung open. I put out my cigarette in the ashtray and hurriedly tried to hide the photos on my desk before whoever was coming in could see them. Only my dad could barge into my room l
Ava POV The moment we arrived at the hospital, I rushed to the reception, my heart pounding wildly. “Please, where’s my sister?” “What’s her name?” she asked nonchalantly. “Victoria Morris!” She turned to her computer and typed something on the keyboard. “She’s been taken to the ICU—” Before she could finish, I took off down the corridor, searching desperately for the operating theatre. When I finally found it and tried to rush inside, a young man dressed in surgical scrubs and a face mask stepped in front of me, blocking my way. “You can’t go in there,” he said firmly. “No!” I protested, trying to push past him. “Please, I need to see her!” My mind was in shambles. I couldn’t think straight or even begin to process what was happening. All I knew was that I needed to see my sister. The man stepped into the operating room and locked the door behind him. I tugged at the theatre door, desperate to get inside. Adam caught me just in time, wrapping his arms around me
Ava's POV “ Relax. Take a chill pill, man. I'm just trying to have a decent conversation with my ex-wife,” he said, a smirk tugging at the corner of his mouth. He'd successfully baited me. I knew him too well to mistake his words for harmless teasing. He'd come to remind me that no matter how much I achieved, no matter how many people applauded me, there was still one part of my life where he believed he held all the cards. “But if you want to be part of Scarlet's life, you know what to do,” he continued, unusually calm. “Apply for a visitation rights. I get to decide when and where you meet her.” visitation rights? the one he made me give up. When I looked up again, he was watching me with that same infuriating calm. “Enjoy your evening,” he said, picking up his wineglass. “And think about it.” He turned to Adam. “I'll see you around.” My blood ran cold. I couldn't believe how cruel he could still be after all these years, dangling my daughter in front of me like a
Ava's POV I pulled away, trying to catch my breath. When I looked at Adam, his eyes were dark with desire, and his hands were still on my waist. Realization dawned on me. Somewhere along the way, pretending to love Adam Cole had begun to feel dangerously close to the real thing. “Are you okay?” he asked. “Yes,” I replied, smiling as my cheeks warmed. He bent down and kissed me again. This time, he deepened the kiss. I tightened my fingers around his arm as the crowd erupted into more cheers and applause. When he finally pulled away, he tucked a strand of hair behind my ear. His eyes lingered on mine, and my heart did something I couldn't explain. But it felt so good. Being held like that, being desired... I was willing to soak in the experience, if only for a moment. But this was supposed to be fake. I knew that. Adam knew that. We were playing our parts, giving people the love story they wanted to believe in. The cheers gradually died down. “That was good,” he whispe
Ava POV “Miss Ava Morris! It’s lovely to finally have you with us!” “Ava, over here! How did you two meet?” “Adam, is it true you’ve been dating in secret?” The questions came from every direction, one voice barely fading before another took its place. Cameras flashed in my face, and microphones appeared so close to my mouth that I had to fight the urge to step back. I plastered a smile on my face. This was fine. I could do this. I sighed heavily, my heart pounding wildly beneath my silky dress. All I had to do was smile, hold Adam’s hand, and pretend we were madly in love. But… What exactly was our love story? I hadn’t even thought of a convincing one. Adam and I had barely discussed anything concerning the relationship and now we were standing in front of a crowd of reporters who seemed determined to dig into every little detail of our relationship. I glanced at Adam, silently hoping he would say something before one of these reporters asked a question I couldn’t answer. “







