MasukAVA"What?" I managed, but Kael's eyes had already darted back toward where my parents stood, his understanding that our time was brief."I cannot explain everything to you in a minute, but I will call you. Understand?" Kael asked.He did not wait to hear my answer before turning back to face my parents. The moment shifted, clarity dissolving into deeper confusion, and I was left pondering a bigger mystery than the one I already had. Victor opened the car door for Kael, and he entered, his expression still fixed on me through the window. I had not even heard Victor greet me, too caught up wondering what Kael had meant. Kael only observed me, and I could not tell what he was trying to read in my expression, before his car finally pulled away from the building.I walked toward Mother and Father. Mother, ever observant, called out to me. "Ava, is something the matter?" she asked, noticing my blank expression.I was not dumbfounded, only overwhelmed. The unexpected weight of Kael's words
AVA"Welcome, Mr. Kael," Mother greeted.Kael nodded, his demeanor cool and unyielding. "Luna Nova. Alpha Grayson," he greeted in return."Please," Father gestured, and Kael approached the table, though no one sat, even as his grip rested on the back of the chair.Then, in that moment, all the attention in the room shifted to me, and it was like a jolt that made me move. I reached my seat as well, and all of us finally sat down."I trust everything is proceeding as planned?" Father asked once we had settled."Yes, Alpha Grayson," Kael replied."I was also made aware of the vandalism that occurred at the archive," Father said, his eyes resting on neither Kael nor me, but on the glass in front of him, as though whatever judgment he carried belonged there instead."I was as well," Kael answered. "But of course, the intelligence as to which archive would be targeted turned out to be accurate, given that it seems whoever broke in tried to use the bait," Father said. And for some reason, it
AVAThe heap of paper trails led me to the one person I had suspected all along.Vera.Ever since the realization hit me, I had not moved. I had done nothing but wait, my mind streaming with thoughts. What? Who? Why?I had the answer to the first two. I knew Father had made the transfers. I knew they had gone to Vera's family. But the question that hung thick in the air now was why.I was so consumed by the question that I almost felt myself choke on my own thoughts. I took a minute to breathe, my heart rate slowing even though my head still throbbed like I had taken a sledgehammer to the side of my skull.I did not move. I clutched the side of my face as though letting go would send my thoughts scattering apart. Gradually the throb faded until only a ghost of it remained. The pain was gone, but because I kept turning it over in my mind, it still felt present.Even then, the question was still there, hanging in the room with countless variations to follow. Yet it was a question that w
AVAThe silence between us made it feel almost as if he wanted me to believe he had turned to stone where he stood. Aside from that, I could only assume his quiet meant he was overwhelmingly disappointed that I had ignored his warning and risked everything again."Kael," I started, but he did not answer. Instead, he drew in a deep breath and exhaled calmly, his eyes still watching me. Before I could get another word out, he walked up to me and took my hand in his. I barely had time to question what he meant to do, my body yielding because I felt no danger radiating from him. Kael pulled me closer, close enough that my gaze held steady with his, and then he said, "Come with me."My eyebrows shot up in surprise. This was the last thing I expected after that quiet standoff. But somehow it felt right. I did not argue or resist. I only switched off my phone light and did as he said."Where are we going?" I asked, when he led me further into the archive, into places I had not even planned t
AVA"Miss Ava, I do not understand what caused this sudden decision of yours. Please, can you explain, so I would have something to defend you with if questioned?" Amina asked, but her concern went beyond reason. I could tell she was more worried than she let on."I have a suspicion I want to check out. After that, I will come back. It is that simple," I said.Amina did not fully believe me. Or rather, she wanted to understand more than I was willing to give her."I do not think I can explain everything to you right now, Amina. But the fact is, someone is trying to hide something, and I do not intend to let them succeed. Just tell Mother I am asleep and do not wish to be disturbed."That left Amina standing in the hallway, watching me go."Miss Ava," the security guard greeted when he saw me approach. Unlike before, he said nothing about protocol. He simply readied the car I had asked for and handed me the keys."I will be back soon," I said, and drove off. My eyes stayed on the digi
AVA"Why did you not tell me she had left?" I asked, my eyes narrowing at Kael."Why did you not go after her?" he asked back."I was thinking about what she said," I explained. "So I expected you would break me through my haze if something was going to happen.""She left, Ava. She did not disappear," Kael said. "She is already your suspect, but I will advise you not to act rashly."Kael's warning settled over me again, and my defiant expression came right back. But he did not return my energy the way he had when we were seated earlier. He only looked at nothing in particular and said, "All this was not achieved in one day."It prompted me to look around the room, which had transformed into an after party. The hall was now filled with clusters of influential figures, glasses of wine in hand, soft music playing in the background while conversations hummed in low, measured tones."So I am not saying you should dare limits," Kael said. "I am saying you should tear down the ones that woul
AVAI sat poised with my legs crossed, two minutes away from an encounter I hoped I had prepared well enough for.Two people. Two different areas of reach. If they were what I needed them to be this would be the most useful meeting I had held since all of this started."Miss Ava," Amina said from b
AVAThree hours was more than enough time for them to burn through their rage and settle into a tense silence. I was sure the flight had departed without them.For the first ten minutes, they had continued shouting through the wood, discussing my punishments and hurling warnings that I ignored. By
AVA"What do you mean?" Mother asked, confused.Father looked even more confused, but his expression morphed into frustration."Ava, speak clearly," Father said."Breathe, Ava. Don't rush it," Mother said, even though she looked more anxious than Father."Ever since I woke up, it feels like half of
AVAProgress. The perfect word to describe what one more week had given me.I felt a particular kind of sensation standing outside again, something I couldn't quite name but could feel in the way I was taking in my surroundings, as if I had just come here for the first time. Everything looked diff







