CHAPTER 4

AVA

I barely had time to process the shock before he continued.

"Not mine, exactly," he clarified, tilting his head slightly. "My sister's. But I’ll be the one responsible for you."

My breath hitched, my pulse hammering in my ears. I wasn’t sure if that made things better or worse.

His sister’s?

The air in the room felt thick, suffocating. My pulse roared in my ears, and I could hear the blood rushing through my veins. This wasn’t what I expected—hell, I didn’t even know what I expected. But it definitely wasn’t this.

I had betrayed people who were offering me money, risked my own stability to warn him, and now he was sitting here, offering me something even bigger.

A deal I never saw coming.

I forced myself to breathe. "Why me?"

His lips curled slightly at the question as if he had anticipated it. "Because you’ve already proven something most people haven’t." His gaze darkened. "Loyalty."

My stomach twisted.

I wasn’t sure whether I had just been handed an opportunity—

Or stepped into something I could never walk away from.

Mr. Colton studied me for a moment before speaking again. "So, do you want the job, or—"

"I'll do it."

The words were out before I could second-guess myself. My voice was firm, leaving no room for hesitation. I wasn’t about to play my luck. Karma was a bitch, and I had no intention of testing her patience.

A flicker of something—satisfaction, maybe—crossed his face. He picked up his glass and downed the rest of his liquor in one smooth motion, the ice clinking softly as he set it back down. Then, just as he opened his mouth to say something, I beat him to it.

"I have a brother," I blurted out as if that detail might change something.

His expression didn’t shift. "I know."

I frowned. "How—" Then it clicked. "You went through my resume."

"Of course," he said, as if it was the most obvious thing in the world. "If I’m going to trust someone with something this important, I need to know who they are."

A chill ran down my spine. I wasn’t sure if I should be impressed or unsettled. Probably both.

First and foremost, you need to quit your job." His tone left no room for negotiation. "You also need to get out of that house and transfer your brother to a better school."

I inhaled sharply. "What?”

"You heard me." He tilted his head slightly. "If you accept this, your life changes. You don’t get to keep your old one."

His words settled over me like a heavyweight.

This wasn’t just a deal.

This was a complete erasure of everything I knew.

And yet… something in me already knew I had no choice.

Mr. Colton exhaled slowly, tapping his fingers against the empty glass. "Get home and write your resignation letter. Bring it to the manager first thing in the morning."

I nodded, my throat suddenly dry.

"After that, you’ll meet my sister and sign the contract," he continued, his tone firm like this was just another business deal for him. And maybe it was.

"Okay," I said quietly, my mind already racing through the steps I needed to take.

His gaze darkened slightly. "And one more thing—don’t tell a single soul about this job. Not even your brother. This is private."

I swallowed hard. The weight of his words pressed against me, but I nodded again. "I understand."

"Do what you need to, and do it quickly," he added.

Then, after a brief pause, he leaned forward slightly. "If you need help with your brother’s school, I can get someone to handle it."

I shook my head quickly. "I’ll do it."

He held my gaze for a moment, as if deciding whether or not to push the offer, then gave a small nod. "Then be quick."

There was nothing else to say.

I stood, my legs unsteady beneath me, and turned toward the door. I could feel his eyes on me the entire way.

I had agreed.

There was no turning back now.

The ride home was silent, the weight of my decision pressing down on me like a heavy blanket.

When the car finally pulled up to my house, the driver didn’t say a word—he simply waited, watching as I stepped out. I hesitated at the door, fumbling with my keys, aware that he was still standing by the car, waiting to make sure I got inside.

The moment I pushed the door open and stepped in, he drove away.

I let out a shaky breath, gripping the doorknob as I whispered, "I can't believe I did it."

"You fucking did what?"

Nathan’s voice ripped through the darkness, sharp and filled with rage.

I jolted, my heart leaping into my throat. The living room was pitch black, but I could feel his presence before I even saw him.

Then, the lights flicked on.

Nathan stood in the middle of my living room, his jaw clenched, his eyes burning with fury.

My pulse pounded in my ears. "How did you get inside?" I demanded, my voice unsteady.

"That’s not the damn point!" he snapped.

Before I could react, he was in front of me in a blur, his presence suffocating, his anger radiating off him like a storm ready to strike.

I took a shaky step back, my instincts screaming at me to get away. "I’m calling the police, Nathan. Right now. Get out of my house."

I fumbled for my phone in my jacket pocket, my fingers barely closing around it before he lunged forward.

With a snarl, he grabbed my wrist and ripped the phone from my grasp, then, with one swift motion, he slammed it onto the floor. The screen shattered on impact, tiny shards of glass scattering across the wooden floor.

"You fucking answer me, bitch!" he roared. "What did you do?"

Fear wrapped around my throat like a noose. My entire body went rigid. "What are you talking about?" I stammered.

Nathan’s chest heaved as he grabbed my face roughly, his fingers digging into my cheeks, forcing me to look at him.

"I fucking saw you," he spat, his voice shaking with anger. "I saw you getting out of a man’s car. Did you dump me for him? What did you do with him?" His grip tightened. "Did you sleep with him?"

I struggled against his hold, my nails digging into his wrists as I tried to push him away. "You’re insane!" I gasped, my voice strained under the pressure. "Let go of me!"

His eyes darkened, filled with something terrifying. Then—

Smack!

The force of his slap sent my head snapping to the side, pain exploding across my cheek. I stumbled, my ears ringing, and my skin stinging from the impact.

"Did that scumbag fuck you?" he growled, his voice low and dangerous.

Tears burned in my eyes, but I refused to let them fall.

I needed to get out of here. *Now.*

Panic surged through me as I tried to bolt, but before I could take more than a step, a sharp yank at my hair sent me stumbling backwards. A cry ripped from my throat as Nathan’s grip tightened, dragging me back with brutal force.

"Where do you think you’re going?" he sneered, his breath hot against my skin.

"Let me go!" I screamed, twisting in his grasp, but he was stronger—too strong.

Before I could fight back, he slammed me against the wall, my spine colliding with the cold surface, knocking the air from my lungs. I gasped, but he was already pressing closer, his eyes burning with something dark and unhinged.

"All these years," he spat, voice dripping with fury. "I loved you. I waited for you. And you—you wouldn’t let me touch you, wouldn’t even let me taste you." His grip on me was bruising as he leaned in, his words venomous. "But him? That nobody? You gave him what should’ve been mine?"

I thrashed against him, my heart slamming against my ribs. "Nathan, stop!" My voice wavered, thick with terror. "I didn’t do anything!"

"Don’t lie to me!" he roared, his face twisting with rage.

I could feel his hands on me, rough, invasive. Disgust and fear coiled in my stomach like a sickness I couldn't escape. I fought, pleaded, but he wasn’t listening—wasn’t stopping.

He shoved his hand beneath my pants, his touch invasive and violating. A wave of nausea rolled through me as I struggled against him, but he didn’t stop. Then, just as suddenly, he withdrew his hand—and to my horror—brought it to his face, inhaling deeply.

"You’re fresh," he muttered darkly, tilting his head. "Did you clean up after he fucked you?"

Bile rose in my throat, horror paralyzing me. My vision blurred with tears, my breath coming in ragged, shallow bursts. I wanted to be anywhere but here, wanted to claw my way out of my own skin.

Then, fueled by desperation, I lifted my foot and stomped down on his with all the force I could muster.

Nathan let out a sharp groan, his grip loosening just enough for me to push him back.

But it lasted only a second.

With a snarl, he recovered, his palm striking across my face so hard that the world spun. Pain exploded in my skull, my vision swimming as I stumbled. My body felt disconnected, frozen in shock—too stunned to move, too terrified to react.

He shoved me back against the wall, his breath ragged, his presence suffocating. My mind screamed for me to fight, but my limbs wouldn’t respond.

A tremor ran through me as I silently thanked God that my brother wasn’t home—he didn’t have to see this, didn’t have to witness the monster Nathan had become.

He shoved his hand back into my pants, forcing his fingers inside me with brutal disregard. A sharp, searing pain shot through me, so intense it felt like my skull was being crushed from the inside out.

A strangled sound caught in my throat, but I couldn't even scream.

Just when I thought I would break, a loud knock echoed through the house.

I barely registered the frantic voice calling my name.

"Eva!"

Molly.

She was here.

Hope flickered inside me, fragile yet burning.

Nathan tensed, his head snapping toward the door.

"What the fucking hell?" Nathan sneered, yanking his hand from my pants. His eyes locked onto his blooded finger, a sick smile curling his lips. "So you were telling the truth. You were still... fresh."

The words hit me like another slap, and I crumbled to the floor, my body shaking with a mix of fear and disgust.

The door suddenly slammed open, and Molly burst into the room, her voice frantic. "Ava!"

Her eyes went straight to Nathan, and a fierce growl escaped her. "Get out. Now."

Nathan's laugh was cold and dismissive as he turned toward her, raising an eyebrow. "What, you think you can just make me leave? Don't you know who I am?" His gaze flicked back to me, his tone mocking. "We were having a good time, nothing serious."

Molly didn’t hesitate. She stepped forward, shoving a bag at him. "I said leave. Now."

Nathan gave a dismissive chuckle, his posture shifting slightly as if to leave, but he turned back one last time, his eyes lingering on me. "I’ll see you again, love," he said, his voice low and filled with menace before he turned and exited the room.

Molly slammed the door behind him, quickly locking it. She rushed to my side, kneeling down to pull me into a tight hug. "It’s okay, Ava. You’re safe now," she whispered, her voice soothing.

I could feel the tears welling up, and before I knew it, they were spilling over. The wave of emotions hit me all at once—disgust, fear, helplessness. I buried my face into Molly’s shoulder, sobbing uncontrollably.

Molly’s arms wrapped around me, grounding me in the chaos, and I could almost forget the world outside, the suffocating horror of what had just happened. But it didn’t last long. The weight of everything came crashing back, and I pulled away from her, wiping my tear-streaked face with the back of my hand.

Molly gasped, her eyes wide with alarm. "You need to go to the hospital right now," she insisted, her voice shaking with concern. "Come on, I’ll take you."

I shook my head, my throat tight as I tried to steady my breath. "I’ll be fine, Molly. Really."

Her face twisted with frustration, her voice snapping. "No, you’re not fine. You’re not fine at all! You need to report that lunatic to the police!"

I closed my eyes, the memories of my last encounter with the police flooding back. The humiliation. The way they dismissed me, laughed it off. I felt the cold grip of helplessness clutch my chest. "What will the police do, Molly?" My voice trembled with bitter disbelief. "The last time I went to the police, they just told me to apologize to him. Told me I was the one misbehaving and made him mad."

Molly’s jaw clenched as she cursed under her breath, her hand slamming into the armrest. "That’s bullshit! If I have to, I’ll put it all online. Let everyone see how a governor’s son treats women. Let the world know what kind of man he is!"

I grabbed her hand before she could get up, pulling her back down beside me. "Let it go, Molly," I whispered, my voice shaky but firm. "I’m leaving the country in no time.”