Chapter 42: Losing Control Again. (Damon’s POV)Two weeks had passed, and I still felt like I was slowly losing my mind. Every day, I found myself questioning whether it had been a mistake to hire Ava. Was it really a good idea, or had I only set myself up for torture?No matter how many times I asked myself those questions, I couldn’t seem to come up with an answer I believed. What was clear, though, was that things hadn’t gone the way I thought they would. Not even close.I had envisioned something different when I made the decision to bring her back into my life. I pictured her working by my side, growing comfortable with me again, slowly softening to the idea of being mine. I thought there would be stolen glances that turned into lingering touches. I imagined the thrill of catching her alone in my office, pressing her back against the door as we shared kisses that left us breathless, the kind of kisses that made us forget who we were supposed to be to each other. I even thought—n
Chapter One: (Ava's POV )I bit back a scream as one of my hands flew to cover my open mouth, while the other clutched the phone tightly. "This has to be a dream! This can't be true!" I muttered under my breath. My heart pounded against my chest as my eyes remained glued to the picture boldly displayed on my phone screen. It was a nude video of my fiancé, Gregory, in bed with two women. He was drilling into one of them while the other fondled herself. All of them were stark naked, and they seemed too engrossed in their activities to notice the camera behind them. A thought struck me. Maybe they knew. Maybe they knew they were being recorded. I whipped my head to the side, struggling to stop myself from throwing up. I edged backward and slumped onto the couch behind me. I was just about to leave the house to pick Gregory up from the airport. He was returning from a two-week work trip, and today was supposed to be special—it was our four-year anniversary. My eyes fille
Chapter 2: (Ava's POV)Last night, I packed my bags and left Gregory's apartment. With no place to stay, I had to spend the night at a local hotel. The following morning, I cleared my account and booked a flight back to Florida to meet my elder sister, Adrianna. She was the only living family I had, and at this moment, I needed her the most. After bawling my eyes out over the only man I had ever loved with every fiber of my being, I knew I had no choice but to put as much distance between us as possible. I felt empty. So empty as I stared out of the airplane window. My flight was expected to land in less than twenty minutes, and I was nervous. The last time I saw my sister was three years ago, and we hadn’t made any effort to see each other since. Guilt choked me, making it hard to breathe. I felt ashamed. For three years, I had chosen Gregory over my sister, prioritizing him and our relationship above everything else. My phone screen lit up with a text message. It was from
CHAPTER 3: (Ava's POV)7 a.m.It had been barely 24 hours since the conversation I’d had with Damon on our way from the airport, yet I couldn’t stop thinking about him.Shit.Why was I even thinking about him? Sure, I couldn’t deny how strikingly attractive he was, but I knew he was completely off-limits.I blinked, trying to piece together how the previous day had ended. When I arrived at the apartment Damon shared with Adrianna, she wasn’t home yet. Damon had led me to a large, spacious room at the far end of a hallway.“This room is yours for as long as you want to stay with us. I can’t wait to explore with you,” he’d said with a wink before leaving.That was the last I’d seen of him. I’d locked myself in the room, taken a hot shower, and collapsed onto the bed.Still, I hadn’t been able to sleep. Instead, I lay there, replaying Damon’s words in the car over and over.I pushed myself up from the bed and wandered over to the window. My stomach rumbled as I let out a yawn. I was hun
CHAPTER 4: I NEED YOU.AVA’S POVIt had been days—maybe weeks—since that moment in the living room with Damon. Since the kiss. Since my mind had been flooded with confusing thoughts. What the hell was wrong with me? I had to tell Adriana, I reasoned. I just had to tell her what her husband had been up to behind her back. Before I could change my mind, I went upstairs and walked quietly down the hallway, making my way to Adrianna's room.The door to her room was slightly ajar, and as I stood at the threshold, I hesitated. Should I knock? Go in? My hand hovered near the doorknob, but I didn’t move.Then, I heard it. Adrianna was speaking in a low, soft voice. It was obvious she was on a call. I was about to turn around when I caught her words."Do you remember what you did to me the last time? You were so rough. I loved it." She said. I stiffened, pressing my ear closer to the door, unsure of what I had just heard. There was a softness to her tone, something I hadn’t expected. “Yeah, I
CHAPTER 5: [AVA’S POV]I stared at him in complete disbelief as my body went stiff with shock, as his words sank in. Damon had to be out of his damn mind to say such a thing to me!Mess around? Did he really just say that?The air in the room felt suddenly suffocating. My skin prickled, my stomach twisting into tight knots. I had expected Damon to say something heavy when he started speaking, but not this. Not something so... disgusting.I forced out a laugh, "You’re joking."Damon exhaled, rubbing the back of his neck like this was just some difficult conversation—not the outrageous proposal it was. "I need you, Ava. Just for a few months. No strings, no pressure. You’d be doing me a favor.""A favor?" My laugh was bitter. "You want me to sleep with you while you're married to my sister? You think I would do that?""I’m serious," he said, his voice low. "It's not even much of a big deal, Ava."My nails dug into my palms as I clenched my fists. "You want me," I repeated my words slowl
(Ava’s POV)A buzzing sound pulled me out of my sleep. Eyes still closed, I reached for my phone on the bedside table. With a small yawn, I slowly opened my eyes.Adrianna.It was only a few minutes past five. Why was she calling? Had something happened? Did she know I overheard her conversation before she left?My heart pounded as I pressed the phone to my ear."Hello?""Ava! Don’t tell me you’re still in bed," she said, her voice bright with excitement. "I’m so happy for you! You finally got called for an interview. I really hope things go well. You have all my support!"Relief washed over me. She wasn’t calling about the phone conversation. But wait—how did she know about the interview? I never told her... did I?"How did you know?" My voice came out weak, laced with confusion."Have you forgotten? You texted me last night," she said."Oh… right. Sorry about that," I chuckled awkwardly.How could I forget? I really needed to pull myself together."I’ll ask Damon to drive you there s
(Ava’s POV)My phone kept buzzing, and my hands trembled along with it. That bastard wouldn’t stop calling. I stared at the screen, resisting the urge to scream and slam the phone against the dashboard.Gregory had the audacity to call me after everything he had done? He had the nerve to dial my number with those sinful, cheating hands? He definitely needed to have his crazy head checked at a psychiatrist hospital, because this was a sure sign of mental illness. My heart pounded against my chest as I tightened my grip on my phone. Tears welled up in my eyes, but I refused to let them fall. Gregory didn’t deserve my tears.I was sure Damon had noticed the repeated calls, but he remained silent. A part of me wanted to explain why I hadn’t changed the contact name from “My Love”—just so he wouldn’t misunderstand and assume I still had feelings for Gregory.But then... I braced myself. Damon was nothing to me. He was just my sister’s husband. I didn’t owe him an explanation.Gregory didn’
Chapter 42: Losing Control Again. (Damon’s POV)Two weeks had passed, and I still felt like I was slowly losing my mind. Every day, I found myself questioning whether it had been a mistake to hire Ava. Was it really a good idea, or had I only set myself up for torture?No matter how many times I asked myself those questions, I couldn’t seem to come up with an answer I believed. What was clear, though, was that things hadn’t gone the way I thought they would. Not even close.I had envisioned something different when I made the decision to bring her back into my life. I pictured her working by my side, growing comfortable with me again, slowly softening to the idea of being mine. I thought there would be stolen glances that turned into lingering touches. I imagined the thrill of catching her alone in my office, pressing her back against the door as we shared kisses that left us breathless, the kind of kisses that made us forget who we were supposed to be to each other. I even thought—n
Chapter 41: When Guilt Tastes Like Desire (Ava’s POV)How do you convince yourself you’re doing the right thing when your heart already knows you’re not?That question kept looping through my mind as I sat at my desk, my fingers slack over the keyboard, staring blankly at the screen.Last night, I had been wrapped in warmth. I had been in Walter’s arms, the comfort of his bed, the false security of thinking things might be normal again. But today? Today felt like I was balancing on the edge of something sharp, something that could slice me open at any second.No matter how many times I tried to push it away, the memory came back. Damon’s voice, low but furious, vibrating through the room as he slammed his hands on the table. The sharp crack of ceramic as he broke the mug in his grip. His eyes—God, those eyes—wild and dangerous, like he was seconds away from snapping.I inhaled slowly, pressing my palms into my temples as if I could squeeze the memory out of my head. But it stayed. It
Chapter 40: A pang of jealousy (Damon’s POV)“So, you’ve been sleeping with him?” I asked again, my voice low but thick with barely restrained anger. The words tasted bitter in my mouth, but I had to hear them from her lips. “Tell me, Ava… you’ve been sleeping with Walter, haven’t you?” I pressed, each word cutting deeper, laced with suspicion I could no longer hide.I didn’t want to believe it. God knows I didn’t. But the thought had taken root in my mind, growing, twisting, poisoning everything I felt. I needed her to deny it, to tell me I was wrong. That I was paranoid. That my jealousy had made me delusional. But instead, she stood there, silent, staring at me as if I’d just spoken a foreign language.Her silence was deafening. It wasn’t just silence—it was confirmation, at least in my mind. She didn’t need to say a word. I saw it in her eyes. She had slept with him. And now, standing there, she was too ashamed to admit it… or maybe she wasn’t ashamed at all. Maybe she just didn’
Chapter 39: You don't own me!!~Ava’s POVDamon picked up his mug of coffee and flung it at the wall. The sharp sound of glass shattering against the floor made me jump, as my eyes widened in shock. I froze, staring at the jagged pieces scattered at my feet, my heart pounding in my chest. I didn't understand why Damon was suddenly being so violent. I looked at the shattered pieces of glass on the ground, and I felt fear creeping beneath my skin.I took another look at Damon, and I found it so hard to understand what he had become. He was so desperate to have me, and I knew it, but never did I expect that he would throw a tantrum and act this way.“Damon….” I mouthed."You're pushing me, Ava!" Damon sneered.He walked towards me and closed the distance between us. My body was pressed against the table, and he looked directly into my eyes.My heart raced… I didn't know what Damon was up to or why he acted like that.I thought he didn't want to talk. I thought he wanted to keep treating
Chapter 38: The line we shouldn't crossAva PovWalter drove me to work this morning, and if I didn’t know better, I’d think his life depended on it. The way his hands gripped the steering wheel, how he slowed at every bump in the road, even the way he stole glances at me from time to time—it was like he was guarding something precious. Or someone.And the worst part? I couldn’t stop smiling.It was embarrassing, honestly. I’d spent most of last night acting like I didn’t care, keeping him at arm’s length with that cold, distant attitude I’d gotten so good at. But now… now I was sitting beside him like some schoolgirl with a crush, smiling at him like he’d hung the stars just for me.I didn’t recognize myself.And I wasn’t sure if that was a good thing or not.By the time we pulled up in front of the office building, my cheeks already hurt from smiling too much. Walter shifted the car into park but didn’t move to open his door. Instead, he leaned back in his seat like he wasn’t ready
Chapter 37: Wrapped in his armsAva’s POVThe feeling of Walter's lips on mine was tender. Gentle. His hands cupped my face so carefully, it almost made me want to cry. There was no rush. No hunger. Just… warmth. Pure affection. I hadn’t felt that in so long, it almost scared me.For the first time in forever, kissing a man didn't make me feel like I was drowning. There wasn’t that desperate need to fill an empty space, or the reckless pull toward something I knew I’d regret. No guilt clawed at my chest. There was no bitter taste of wrongness on my tongue.It wasn’t a kiss that would lead to another mistake. It wasn’t something I’d hate myself for tomorrow.It was just a kiss. Simple. Honest.And God, it felt good.Our lips moved slowly, and when his fingers brushed my cheek, I sighed into his mouth. The world around us seemed to fade out, like a movie with the volume turned low. Nothing existed at that moment but him. His warmth. His scent. The faint taste of mint on his lips.I didn
Chapter 36: Lost and found. (Ava’s POV)I sat there, staring at nothing, my mind drowning in memories I didn’t want to relive. I thought about everything—how much I had loved Gregory, how deeply he had broken me, and how I had stupidly believed we were meant to get married. I had actually pictured us growing old together, waiting for the day he’d walk me down the aisle with tears in his eyes. But what did I get instead? Betrayal. Humiliation. Heartbreak. Gregory had shattered me, not just by revealing he was a porn star, but by telling me he never really wanted to propose in the first place. That he had only done it because I was "pressuring him." I still remembered the way he said it—flat, emotionless like it was just another casual confession. No regret. No shame. Just the truth, dropped in front of me like a pile of garbage. At that moment, it was like my entire world collapsed. My love for him disappeared in an instant, and maybe, just maybe, I lost a little bit of myse
Chapter 35 - In the arms of another(Ava's POV)Walter drove us through the quiet streets, his hand loose on the wheel, humming under his breath. Meanwhile, I sat stiffly in the passenger seat, my head turned completely away from him, resting against the cool glass of the window.The silence between us wasn't exactly comfortable, but it was better than the alternative-me glaring at him for bringing me out tonight, when I didn't even want to be here in the first place.I wasn't angry with him, not really. He hadn't done anything wrong. He was sweet, considerate even, and that was the problem. I wasn't sure if I could handle sweet. Not after Damon. Not with Damon still carved into every broken piece of me.The weight of Damon's cold gaze earlier today still burned like a bruise on my skin. And now here I was, pretending to be okay on a date with someone else. It all felt wrong.But Walter, on the other hand, looked like he was about to explode with happiness. His face glowed like a man
Chapter 34: (Damon's POV)I was driving through the empty streets with nothing on my mind but Ava. Her face was all I could see. Her laugh echoed in my ears, sweet and soft—meant for him. Every muscle in my body was tense, my hands gripping the steering wheel so tightly that my knuckles were bone-white.I hated it.God, I hated everything about this.I hated the way he touched her.The way he looked at her—like she was the only thing that mattered.The way he smiled at her, with that smug confidence he wore like a second skin.The way he spoke to her, like he’d known her forever.And the way she smiled back at him, like he deserved it.I hated how fond he was getting of her.But what made me sick was how she was letting him.I clenched my jaw, grinding my teeth as the memory of Walter kissing the back of Ava’s hand played on repeat in my mind like a bad film I couldn’t stop watching. I had warned him. I’d made it perfectly clear Ava was off-limits, but that bastard didn’t care. He ac