Reclaiming His Bride

Ava’s POV“What?!” I shrieked.I felt sick inside, the sudden urge to throw up clouded my vision as I staggered toward the window for fresh air. What did this old fool just say? To marry him? To hell with my father and his stupid debt. I wanted to scream at this man so badly for even coming up with such an idea but I couldn't find the words. It was like my lips were sealed shut. “You don't even have a choice,” he added lazily, “Can you even take care of yourself not to mention your sister? You do know they are going to throw both of you out of the hospital by tomorrow morning right?” he said, stating the obvious. Those words put me on a spot that I dreaded since Mr Miller walked in with his proposal. But he was right. My shoulders slumped in defeat as I went closer to my sister and squeezed her hand reassuringly. “You don't have to do this Ava,” she cried, “You've done enough already, please.”I looked at my sister's tear streaked face and resolved to do whatsoever to save her.

Ava never thought that she would be wearing black again so soon. She stood at the grave side, grief-stricken and confused, a bouquet of lilies clutched tightly in her hands.The marble stone was cold beneath her touch as she traced the engraved letters of his name. Richard Miller. It had been just a week since he'd passed, but the pain of his loss still felt as raw to her like it just happened. Their marriage was not even up to a year before he passed. She knelt, placing the lilies on the damp grass. Ava closed her eyes, trying to conjure a memory of him, a smile, a shared laugh. But all that came to her mind was the expression on his face before he passed.The memories of that day still seemed very fresh like it just happened yesterday. They were going over some papers in their shared study when he clamped his chest, screaming in pain. Ava ran to get help but he didn't make it. He breathed his last on their way to the hospital. She became a young widow again, mourning the death of

Orion’s POVI couldn't believe I was back here, trapped in this absurd arrangement. The mansion loomed ahead, its darkened windows like eyes, watching me return to a place I never wanted to step foot in again. My father's will had been a death sentence to my freedom. And for what?To marry a girl like her.Ava. The so-called heiress who seemed to have latched onto my father's fortune the moment he passed. I was right by forging my own death to escape marrying her.A shiver of disgust ran through me. She was nothing more than a good digger, probably counting her days to my father's fortune. I clenched the steering wheel tighter, the leather creaking under my grip. How has my life come to this?“Don't let her get to you, babe,” Chloe said softly from the passenger seat. Her perfectly manicured hand reached over to stroke my arm soothingly. “We'll deal with her together.”Chloe. My girlfriend, my actual choice. The woman who had been there for me since I met her. We've just flown in from

Ava’s POV I watched him freeze, unable to control the anger that creeped into his face. That made me smile more than I intended to.If there was something Richard taught me, it's to be strong and confident. I'm not about to allow Orion and his little mistress bully me in my own house. I couldn't care less about either of them. If he's not happy with the arrangement, he can get the fuck out of my life. But the pain of the rejection lingered still. Why did Richard have to put me through this? And for what? To meet the same fate that his son ran away from years ago?He cursed under his breath, feeling stupid for rushing in without thinking. He slapped my hands away from his chest like I had a fatal plague and I flinched at his reaction.Ever since I became the CEO at our company, I receive flowers endlessly and clients asking me out for dates. I've only known this sort of rejection once. And that was when he ditched me and faked his own death.He was about to turn and leave when I stop

As dawn broke, Ava made her way downstairs, her heels softly clicking against the marble floor. She ate breakfast alone, her movements deliberate and composed, even as her mind churned with tension. Her delicate hands moved gracefully over the silverware, yet she barely tasted the food. The silence of the dining hall was both a balm and a reminder of the night before, as sleep had eluded her due to the unsettling sounds from Orion and Chloe’s room, their laughter and loud moans seeping through the walls, coiling tight knots of resentment in her stomach.After a while, Ava pushed her plate aside, setting her napkin down with a calm precision that masked her fatigue. She wore a sleek, dark green dress that hugged her form with understated elegance, the color bringing out the depths of her hazel eyes. The fabric draped gracefully over her shoulders, and a thin belt emphasized her slender waist. A subtle sparkle glinted from her diamond earrings, completing the look of a woman who was no