ANMELDEN#40.Ava's heart skipped a beat, a cold sweat breaking out across her palms. “You do?”Dominic raised his head, his dark eyes locking onto hers. For the first time since she had walked into his life, there was no affection in them. None at all. There was only a devastating mixture of profound hurt, biting anger, and absolute disappointment. And it was the disappointment that broke her.“I know more than enough,” he said softly.The room seemed to drop ten degrees. Ava froze, the air leaving her lungs. “What do you mean?”Dominic leaned back in his leather chair, his gaze boring into her, stripping away every defense she possessed. “I know about your betrayal, Ava.”The words landed like a physical blow to her sternum. Her breath caught, her lips parting as she tried to find air. “Oh.” It was the only sound she could form. A fragile, pathetic little syllable.He knew. The crushing weight of the guilt she had carried for months seemed to collapse on top of her all at once.Dominic laugh
After a few minutes, she forced herself to stand, smoothing down her coat. She was ready to leave, ready to drive back to the estate and accept whatever judgment awaited her.Then, her gaze caught on the window.A familiar figure had just stepped out from the side of the building, walking briskly across the asphalt.Ava’s breath caught in her throat. Her heart seemed to stop mid-beat. “No. That wasn't possible.”Her eyes locked onto the man in the face cap, the entire world around her instantly blurring into insignificance. The ambient chatter of the café, the clink of silverware, the passing traffic, everything fell away until there was only him.The man moved with a familiar, purposeful stride, heading directly toward a sleek black sedan idling by the curb. It was a car she recognized instantly. Cain’s car.Ava took a blind, unconscious step toward the glass, her pulse roaring like a tempest in her ears. ‘No, no, no.’ Her mind violently rejected what her eyes were screaming at her t
Ava's words struck a nerve. His eyes darkened instantly. “You know what I think?”Ava remained silent, her shoulders tense.“I think you’ve gotten comfortable,” he sneered, a bitter, cruel smile twisting his mouth. “I think you’ve completely forgotten why you went into that house in the first place.”“That isn't true.”“Really?” Cain leaned in closer, his voice rising just enough to catch the attention of a nearby table. “Then explain something to me. Why now? Huh?”“Cause I'm doing things that go against who I am and my principles with no concrete evidence.”“Principles? What principles exactly are you standing on right now?”Ava frowned, a cold knot tightening in her throat. “What?”“You keep talking about your principles, who you are…” he hissed, the venom in his voice palpable. “What principles? The ones you abandoned the moment you crawled into bed with the man who murdered your brother?”The words hit her like a physical blow. Ava froze, the color draining from her face. A few c
“He shouldn't be able to get out of bed for at least a month or two,” Dominic said, turning on his heel toward the heavy oak door.“Hey! You said you'd let me go!” Silas’s voice cracked, a desperate, raw sound that bounced uselessly off the dry stone walls.Dominic paused, his coat swirling around his ankles, though he did not grant the man the satisfaction of a backward glance. “I never said I would release you, Silas. I said I would consider it.” He adjusted his cuffs, his movements deliberate. “I did. And I have come to the conclusion that a man who flings himself about like a petulant child requires a disciplined hand to correct his course, lest he ruin himself entirely.”He stepped out into the corridor, closing the door firmly behind him. Silas’s muffled cries of agony bled through the wood, but Dominic felt entirely hollow, an icy numbness settling deep into his bones. The sound of his own breathing felt detached, distant.The words he had received earlier echoed like a cruel,
The days that followed blurred together into a whirlwind of preparations. Ava barely recognized her own life anymore.From sunrise until evening, she was shuffled from one appointment to another by an army of planners, designers, caterers, and consultants who all seemed determined to create the perfect wedding.She tasted cakes until sugar coated the back of her throat, sampled wines she couldn't remember the names of, approved floral arrangements, rejected table settings.Selected invitations.Tried on gowns.Then tried on more gowns.And then even more gowns.At some point, the entire process stopped feeling real. It felt as though her body belonged to someone else.Someone who deserved a second wedding, who wasn't living beneath the crushing weight of a lie.Everywhere she looked, the estate buzzed with activity.Workers carried decorations.Designers rushed in and out.Staff members spoke excitedly about guest lists and seating arrangements.Everyone seemed happy except her.Becau
Dominic's jaw tightened almost immediately. The irritation of being interrupted was obvious on his face.Ava looked between him and the guard."What anomalies?" she asked.The guard shifted awkwardly."Nothing to worry about, ma'am."Dominic shot the man a warning look that seemed to say he'd already said too much. Then he looked back at Ava.For a brief moment neither of them spoke. The confession sat between them like a fragile glass sculpture waiting to shatter.Ava's stomach twisted painfully.She had imagined this moment dozens of times in her head, over and over again.Sometimes she imagined herself blurting everything out at once.Other times she imagined carefully explaining every mistake she'd made, every lie she'd told, every reason she'd convinced herself to keep going.None of those rehearsals had prepared her for the reality of sitting across from Dominic and seeing how completely he trusted her.That trust made the truth infinitely harder to tell.She knew exactly what t
The tranquility of the villa was shattered by the thundering intrusion of heavy boots against marble. Security alarms, usually dormant and silent, erupted into a chorus as a phalanx of armed men poured into the foyer. Dominic’s own guards moved to intercept, their weapons drawn, but they faltered i
The drive to the warehouse was quiet. Outside the limousine window, the island was a blur of jungle and white sand, a playground for the wealthy. Ava turned to him, the silence between them becoming a distant she couldn't bear to carry any longer. "How do you justify a warehouse on an island like
Ava felt her pulse fluttering at the base of her throat, a trapped bird seeking exit."I—I should get to the garden," she stammered, her voice barely heard. She made a move to slip away, her dress rustling against the chair, but his presence was a wall she could not scale."The garden can wait," Do
"Who are you on the phone with?"The voice was a low threat that seemed to materialize from the very shades of the room. Ava stiffened, her heart leaping into her throat as she fumbled with the device. She disconnected the call with an urgent press of her thumb.She turned, forcing a nervous, britt







