LOGIN— Learning the GameAVA’S POVI didn’t sleep.Not because I couldn’t.But because my mind refused to shut up.Every word Dominic had said replayed over and over again, like my brain was trying to piece together a puzzle it didn’t fully understand yet.The Consortium.The auction.My parents.Vanessa.Ethan.Me.I sat on the edge of my bed, staring at nothing, my fingers gripping the sheets tightly.They offered me.The words didn’t feel real.They didn’t fit.Because no matter how flawed my parents were… no matter how distant things had become over the years…That?That was something else entirely.A sharp knock on my door broke through my thoughts.I looked up.“Come in.”The door opened slightly, and one of the maids stepped in.“Good morning, ma’am. Sir Dominic asked that you meet him downstairs.”Of course he did.I exhaled slowly.“I’ll be down soon.”She nodded and left quietly.The moment the door closed, I stood.If this was how things were going to be now…Then I wasn’t goin
— The Names We FearThe word hung in the air.Names.Ava stood her ground, her pulse steady despite the storm building inside her. She had crossed a line she could not uncross. There was no going back to ignorance. No returning to the illusion that this was just a marriage of convenience gone wrong.Dominic watched her like he was seeing her differently for the first time.Not fragile.Not someone to shield.Something else.Something that could stand beside him.“You asked for names,” he said finally.Ava didn’t move.“I’m listening.”Dominic stepped further into the room, loosening his cuff slightly. A small gesture, but it told her something. He was preparing. Not for a fight. For truth.“That network I mentioned,” he began, “is called the Consortium.”The name settled heavily between them.Ava repeated it softly. “The Consortium…”“It operates globally,” Dominic continued. “Finance, politics, private contracts. They don’t just control money. They control outcomes.”Ava’s mind raced
Chapter 38 — The Distance Between UsThe car was quiet.Too quiet.Ava sat in the passenger seat, her hands resting in her lap, fingers still slightly trembling despite everything being over. Or at least… it should have been over.Victor drove with one hand on the wheel, the other resting lazily by his side, but his eyes were sharp, constantly checking the mirrors.Always alert.Always watching.“You’re thinking too loud,” he said after a while.Ava didn’t look at him.“I almost got him killed.”Victor exhaled softly.“No,” he said. “You walked into something that was already set up. Big difference.”She shook her head.“It was my choice to go there.”“And it was their plan to make sure you did.”That made her pause.Victor glanced at her briefly.“You’re not the center of the mistake here,” he added. “You’re the target.”Ava leaned back slightly, staring out the window.The city lights blurred past again, but this time they didn’t feel freeing.They felt distant.Unreachable.“…he kn
-What He BecomesDOMINIC'S POV The gunfire didn’t stop when Ava left.If anything, it got worse.Louder.Closer.More deliberate.Dominic didn’t move from where he stood.Not immediately.His eyes followed the direction Victor had taken Ava through.Calculating.Tracking.Making sure.Then, only then, did he turn back.And when he didThere was nothing human left in his expression.The man across from him noticed.His smile faded just slightly.“Ah,” he said quietly. “There it is.”Dominic said nothing.The warehouse lights flickered faintly above them.Dust hung in the air.The sound of footsteps shifted around him.Men closing in.Weapons raised.Confident.They thought they had him contained.They were wrong.The first man rushed him.Too fast.Too eager.Dominic stepped forward instead of back.That alone threw the man off.A mistake.A fatal one.The gun barely lifted before Dominic grabbed his wrist, twisting it sharply. The crack echoed. The weapon dropped. Dominic caught it b
CollisionDominic POVThe air inside the warehouse turned heavy the moment Dominic stepped in.Everything stilled.Even the man holding Ava seemed to pause for a fraction of a second.Dominic’s gaze locked on her first.Not the men.Not the setup.Her.His voice was low.Controlled.“Ava.”Her heart slammed against her ribs.“I didn’t know,” she said quickly, the words rushing out. “I thought it was Vanessa. I didn’t know it was a trap.”Dominic didn’t respond immediately.But something in his expression shifted.Not softer.But… relieved.Barely.Then his attention moved.To the man standing in front of her.The one who had spoken.The one who hadn’t moved.Victor stepped in behind Dominic, glancing around.“Well,” he muttered, “this is familiar.”More men stepped out of the shadows.Not rushed.Not chaotic.Calm.Organized.Prepared.Victor exhaled slowly.“Yeah. Definitely planned.”Ava’s stomach tightened.The man in front of her smiled again.This time, it was directed at Domini
Odut of the CageAVA'S POV The hallway was empty.Too empty.Ava stepped out of her room, closing the door softly behind her. Her heartbeat was loud in her ears, but her movements were controlled—careful.Deliberate.She paused for a second, listening.Nothing.No voices.No footsteps.Good.Dominic was gone.That made this easier.Or maybe… more dangerous.Either wayShe wasn’t stopping.Ava walked down the hallway, her steps light against the polished floor. The mansion that once felt overwhelming now felt like something else entirely.A fortress.One she had just learned how to escape.As she reached the staircase, voices drifted faintly from the far end of the corridor.Guards.Talking.Distracted.Perfect.Ava didn’t hesitate.She turned in the opposite direction, taking the back stairs instead the ones the staff used.She had noticed them before.Back when she was still observing.Still trying to understand this place.Now?She was using it.Each step down felt like a decision.
The Trap ClosesAVA'S POV The highway roared beneath the tires.Dominic kept the accelerator down.The van ahead swerved violently across the road, trying to shake them, but it was obvious now—They weren’t trying very hard to escape.Victor noticed it too.“They’re not panicking.”Dominic’s eyes
The GrabAVA'S POV Dominic moved before the word fully left his mouth.“Ava.”The name came out sharp.Dangerous.Victor was already on his feet.“I’ll check the cameras.”Dominic didn’t wait for another second. He stormed out of the office and down the hallway, his steps fast and controlled, but
Blood Isn’t Always LoyaltyAVA'S POV For a long moment, no one in the room spoke.The contract still lay open on the desk.Vanessa’s signature stared back at them like a wound that refused to close.Ava felt like the air had been sucked out of the room.“My sister…”Her voice barely came out.Dom
Cracks in the ArmorAVA'S POV For a long moment after the Lord disappeared into the crowd, Ava couldn’t move.The music in the ballroom continued.Elegant.Calm.As if nothing had just shattered her entire life.Dominic stood beside her, silent.Waiting.Victor lingered a few steps away, watching







