THE CONTRACT THAT CHANGED EVERYTHING

AVA POV I stood at the entrance of Raymond’s office building, fingers wrapped around the cool metal of the door handle. I paced back and forth, trying to decide whether to go in. I thought of Mr. Daniel’s words and that's the only word that confused me back here.."Either way, whatever he did to you, why can't you consider this deal as payback? Deal with him, if you can."Those words stuck with me, reminding me why I was here. This wasn’t about me anymore; it was for my daughter’s future. Taking a deep breath, I pushed the door open and stepped inside.When the elevator doors opened, I walked out with purpose. I wasn’t here to dwell on the past. I had a goal, and nothing was going to stop me from reaching it. I moved swiftly through the hall, avoiding eye contact with anyone, my mind set on the task ahead.I reached his office and paused at the door. I didn’t look back. I walked in, forcing myself to remain composed.Raymond was standing by his desk. He glanced up when I entered, his

**Raymond’s POV**The drive back to Ava’s apartment was suffocatingly silent. The only sound came from the low hum of the music playing through the car speakers. She sat stiffly in the passenger seat, her hands clenched together on her lap. I could tell she was blaming herself for almost ruining the plan, but somehow, she’d managed to turn the moment around. No one suspected anything, not even my grandmother, who could see through most facades.When we finally pulled up outside her building, the tension was still thick. Ava unbuckled her seatbelt, and we both exchanged polite nods, bowing slightly to acknowledge the end of the night. Just as I turned to leave, her soft voice stopped me.“Raymond...”I turned back, my hand still on the car door. She hesitated for a second, her head bowed slightly as she said in a low, almost broken voice, “I’m sorry for almost ruining the plan tonight.”I froze, my eyes lingering on her face. There was something so vulnerable, so... innocent about her

Ava's POVNo, Ava! I screamed internally. I sat down, covering my face with both hands. My chest rose and fell quickly; my legs bounced restlessly against the floor. I was angry, upset, frustrated – so many feelings I couldn't even name. It felt like everything was closing in on me, and I couldn't breathe.I heard Raymond try to say something, but I didn't let him finish. I raised my hand, silencing him without looking his way. I couldn't deal with him right now, not with everything racing through my mind."Marriage?" I muttered, incredulous.Without a word, I grabbed my bag and stormed out of the apartment. I didn't wait for him to explain, apologize, or make excuses. I didn't care; I just wanted to get away.I reached my car, slid into the driver's seat, and drove straight to the apartment Raymond had set up for me when this fake engagement nonsense started. My hands gripped the steering wheel tightly, but I didn't stop; I just kept going.As soon as I got inside, I didn't waste a s

My heart skipped a beat as soon as our eyes met. I hadn’t expected this. Raymond, not aware of the tension, smiled and casually introduced us. “Ava, this is my cousin, Dr. Samuel. He’s a pediatrician.”I forced a smile, but it felt like a mask. “Nice to meet you,” I said, trying to keep my voice steady, though my pulse was racing.Dr. Samuel’s handshake was firm, and he looked at me for a longer than moment, that looks unnecessary. it made my stomach twist. Had he remembered? Did he know? Ofcourse, he will remember the drama I displayed at the hospital that day, no one might ever break that record…..“Ava, I’ve heard a lot about you,” he finally said something , his voice warm, but there was an undertone to it that I couldn’t quite place.I glanced at Mrs. William, who was watching the exchange closely. Her eyes darted between me and Dr. Samuel, and I couldn’t shake the feeling she could sense something was off. Grandma beamed with pride, happily watching her family reunite, the twi

RAYMOND POVI sat in the meeting, trying to focus, but my mind wasn’t here at all. I couldn’t stop thinking about Ava. She didn’t even bother to call. Well, she doesn’t normally call, and to be honest, I’m scared of calling her first.The manager was talking about some projections or something, but I wasn’t listening. I kept glancing at my phone like it would suddenly light up. Nothing.“Did I overreact?” I muttered, my thoughts flashing back to what happened yesterday.Then I noticed the room had gone quiet. I looked up and realized I had actually said that out loud. All the staff were staring at me. Great. Just great.I waved them off. “Just keep working, I’m fine,” I said.But it’s a lie, I wasn’t fine. I couldn’t sit there anymore. I stood up, grabbed my phone, and left without another word.The moment I got to my office, I started pacing up and down. Should I call her? Could I even do that? I tried to talk myself into it, but my chest felt heavy.I unlocked my phone and hovered o