Chapter 8

AVA

I froze. My robe was lying on the floor, Killian shirt barely hanging over one of my shoulders and his hand- God, his hand was still on my thigh. I gasped and Killian caught me doing it. He jerked his head up where he had been kissing the inside of my knee in a most sinner-like manner. His eyes were savage, copper-coloured in the dimness, keen with parental alarm. He gazed in my eyes, then at the door.

Another creak, I hastened up in such a fury the world reeled, lust did not get my heart pounding this time though, from fear. The type of fear that set in in your stomach and then creeps up inside you like dangerous poison.

"Did you invite anyone?" In a menacingly low voice Killian asked.

I shook my head. “No person comes here without an invitation..” He already started pulling his half-buttoned pants. I took the robe, and threw it around me, my fingers were shaking, the door creaked again then i heard a voice.

"Open up, Ava. We need to talk." Killian and i froze, since it was not Grayson or my lawyer. It was my older sister.

“Evelyn” i breathed. The one who had not talked to me since my wedding, the one which was on the side of Killian.

The person, who said that, I am foolish to walk away. Not at first i could not move. My body became paralyzed, it seemed like the voice of hers had disconnected all my nerves.

“Ava,” Killian said, heading out of the door, “ you want me to take care of it?"

"No," I whispered. "I'll do it." I opened the door halfway, and there she stood, tall, ice-blonde hair in a braid lipstick perfect, black stilettos, she is carrying her designer clutch bag as a weapon. She looked past me, straight at Killian and then she smiled, not kindly.

“Still f***ing him? She asked.”

My mouth fell open. “Why are you here?” She barged through me and entered as though she would own the place. And this was her house, not mine. ! saw her heels clicking my living room floor all the way to the wine glass I had left on the table earlier. She took it up, sniffed it and wrinkled her nose.

“Cheap” She said.

“Evelyn, leave,” i snapped. “Right now.”

“No," she turned and faced me chin up, “not until you hear what i have come to say."

Killian stepped between us. "You should go."

She smiled at him. That tight, cruel smile. "Relax, Joe. I have not come here to seduce your wife."

“She’s no longer my wife.” That stings but I did not show it.

Evelyn's eyes flicked to me. "So it's true? You are f***ing with him again? I didn't answer and that was her answer.

She sighed. "Then I'll get to the point. Grayson didn't act alone."

I blinked. "What are you talking about?" She pulled out her phone, tapped the screen and turned it to me, photos, banking transfers, signed statements, names that i was unfamiliar with and names that i knew.

“In your case, Ava, you were not supposed to win,” you had the feeling that it was only Grayson and that other woman? No, it is more than that, his old businessmen, the company, and competitors of Joe Corp, no one wanted you in the marriage, no one wanted you on the company, you were an inconvenient person," she said. The room seemed to have needles sticking in its air.

"You knew?" I whispered.

“I did not at first.” she answered. "But once i did... I chose

not to stop it." I took a step back, Killian grabbed my hand and Evelyn saw.

“I hope you are not getting fooled all this once again, Ava, you left him once, be wise enough to remain away." Without more words she walked away, the silence which followed was audible. Killian looked at me and I looked at Killian.

His jaw clenched. "I'll find out who they are. I'll make them pay."

"No," I said.

He frowned. "What?" I pulled my hand out of his.

"I'll do it myself."

***

KILLIAN

She sat cold, not mean, not angry, just cold.The manner in which ice is silent just before it breaks, i saw her walk off me into her bedroom. In the same bedroom she had kissed me because i was oxygen and she would perish without my mouth. Now she was just bouncing along, she did not need to glance behind her at all. I followed her in.

“You are not alone, Ava, you need not deal with it alone.” I said. She opened her drawer, took out a file, opened what she called her war chest.

“ Killian, I have been doing it alone for years.” she said. "And look where it got me." She turned, her eyes was not full of tears, they were full of fire.

“I built Joe corp right alongside of you, she said,” she said. “I worked to build up the company so high people wanted to ruin me then i turned myself into something that they had no control over." I stepped closer, she didn't step back and then i cupped her jaw gently.

“You did not deserve any of it.”

"I know," she said.

“You are the strongest human being that I have ever come across.

"Killian." She talked shakily, not because she was afraid, but because she was not letting it slip.

“Yeah?”

“and I will burn every one of them up,” she said. “And you…” She hesitated.

“What about me?" I asked.” She came closer, kissed me, she was barely touching me.

“You can assist me to light the match…” Her hand went down my chest, and over the spot where my heart was beating.

“Or get out of my way." She stepped back and then her phone buzzed, she glanced at it and froze.

“ What is it?”