Chapter five

Ava left the hotel with nothing. Sometime during the previous night, she had lost both her phone and her handbag. She didn’t even know when it had happened. All she had left was the wrinkled dress hanging loosely on her body.

Her once neatly styled hair was now disheveled, and the dress she had proudly admired that morning was stained with dirt and carried the unpleasant smell of the refuse dump. She looked no different from a homeless woman wandering the streets.

She walked without direction, her feet carrying her wherever they pleased. People glanced at her with curiosity before quickly looking away. Some frowned in disgust while others avoided her entirely. Yet Ava noticed none of it.

John’s words echoed endlessly inside her head and her chest tightened. Perhaps, he had been right all along.

Her thoughts drifted to her father. At that very moment, he was sitting inside a prison cell, probably worried sick about his only daughter. Yet there was nothing she could do to help him.

A lump formed in her throat.

“I’m sorry, Dad…” she whispered, her voice barely audible. “I couldn’t protect anything.” Fresh tears blurred her vision.

Then memories she desperately wanted to forget came flooding back. John smiled gently at her. Lillian laughed as they shopped together. The countless promises they had made. Every memory she had treasured so dearly now felt like a cruel joke.

Her chest hurt so badly that she struggled to breathe. Without realizing it, her feet carried her toward the old bridge overlooking the river.

She stopped at the railing and lowered her eyes to the water flowing quietly beneath it.

For a long time, Ava simply stood there. She thought about entire existence and she suddenly laughed.

“i existed for nothing,” she murmured.

She slowly climbed onto the edge of the bridge.

The wind blew through her tangled hair, carrying away the last of her hesitation. She closed her eyes, took one final breath…And stepped forward.

Her body plunged into the cold river below.

The icy water swallowed her whole. She didn’t struggle. She simply allowed herself to sink deeper and deeper into the darkness.

It felt strangely peaceful. As consciousness slowly slipped away, Ava closed her eyes, surrendering herself to the endless abyss.

……

After what felt like an eternity, Ava’s eyelashes fluttered before her eyes slowly opened.

She stared blankly at the white ceiling above her. The sharp scent of antiseptic filled the room, and the rhythmic beeping of a heart monitor echoed softly nearby. A hospital.

The realization hit her almost instantly. A wave of anger surged through her chest.

“Why…” she screamed, tears spilling down her cheeks. “Why couldn’t you have just let me die?” Her voice echoed through the silent room.

Just then, she sensed someone standing nearby.

A tall figure dressed in black stood beside the window with both hands tucked into his trouser pockets. Sunlight poured in behind him, outlining his broad frame. His deep blue eyes rested quietly on her, devoid of pity or sympathy.

The moment Ava saw him, she recognized him. The man from the hotel.

The memory of everything she had done the previous night flashed through her mind, and shame immediately washed over her. She lowered her head, unable to meet his gaze.

“I see you remember me,” he said calmly. His voice was deep and steady, making it impossible to tell what he was thinking.

Ava bit her lower lip before asking quietly, “What do you want?”

He walked toward the bed with slow, measured steps before stopping in front of her.

“That depends,” he replied. “What are you willing to offer me?”

Ava laughed bitterly. “Offer you?” she repeated. She slowly raised her head to look at him.

“I have nothing left to offer anyone.” Her voice trembled with exhaustion. “And I certainly never asked to be saved.”

He stared at her, and Ava stared back. His gaze was calm, yet piercing. It made her feel vulnerable, as though every secret she carried had been laid bare before him.

Unable to endure it any longer, she pulled the IV needle from the back of her hand and climbed out of the bed, intending to leave.

“Ava Richmond.”

She froze. Slowly, she turned around, half shocked, half confused. “How do you know my name?”

A faint smile tugged at the corner of his lips. “I know far more than your name.” He paused before adding,“I also know you have no reason to live.”

Ava frowned. Never in her life had she met someone so cold yet so blunt. His words struck her without the slightest trace of sympathy. She stood there speechless, unable to find a response.

“Let me ask you something,” he said.

Ava frowned but eventually nodded.

He looked directly into her eyes. “Who is responsible for your current situation?”

A sharp pain pierced Ava’s heart. She knew exactly who had destroyed her life.

Before she could answer, he asked another question. “And why did you lose everything?”

Ava’s face gradually turned pale. It was because of her own foolishness. Her own naivety. Because she trusted too easily and had fallen in love with the wrong man.

IIf only she had been smarter. Maybe her father wouldn’t have been arrested. If only…Her fingers slowly curled into tight fists.

The guilt that had consumed her moments ago gradually transformed into a deep, consuming hatred for the Lyon family.

Seeing the change in her expression, his eyes narrowed almost imperceptibly. Then he asked his final question.

“What are you willing to do to take back everything that was stolen from you?”

Ava unconsciously took a step closer. Her eyes, once filled with despair, now burned with anger.

“Anything,” she answered without hesitation.

After a brief pause, her shoulders slumped once more. “But…” she said quietly, “the Lyons are too powerful.”

She lowered her eyes. “I’m no match for them.”

The corner of his lips lifted into a faint, unreadable smile. “I can give you the wealth, power, influence, and protection you need to stand against the Lyons.”

She stared at the man before her, trying to read his expression, but his face revealed nothing.

Finally, she spoke.“What do you want in return?” Her voice was steady.

She was no longer the naïve woman who believed kindness came without a price. A man like him would never offer something so valuable for nothing.

Without saying a word, he snapped his fingers.

The hospital room door immediately opened. The young man in the black suit walked in carrying a thick file. He stopped beside the bed and respectfully handed it to Ava.

Ava looked from the file to the man in front of her before slowly reaching out to accept it.

The moment her eyes landed on the first page, her pupils contracted.

“This…” She looked up in disbelief, but his expression remained unreadable.

Ava lowered her gaze to the contract once more. Her breathing became uneven.

The words on the page seemed unreal. She would surrender her freedom. She would answer only to him.

Her loyalty and time would belong to him and she would honor his summons at all times. And one clause in particular made her grip tighten.

He would own exclusive rights over her body for the duration of the agreement.

A bitter smile formed on her lips. She had already chosen death once. If he hadn’t saved her, she would already be lying at the bottom of a river, her body carried away by the current, forgotten by the world.

Freedom?. What freedom did she still have? The Richmond family had been destroyed. She had nothing left to lose.

If surrendering her freedom meant she could make the Lyons pay for everything they had done… then perhaps it was worth it.

Taking a slow breath, Ava lowered her eyes and read the contract one final time before reaching for the pen in the subordinate’s hand.

Just as the tip of the pen touched the paper, she paused. She looked up at the man standing before her.

“And your name?”

A faint smile appeared on his face. He took one step closer. “Lucian Blackwood.”

Ava nodded slowly. Without another word, she signed her name at the bottom of the contract.

The subordinate stepped forward, accepted the signed agreement, and closed the file.

Lucian lowered his gaze to her signature, and a satisfied smile tugged at the corner of his lips.

“Welcome to my world, Ava Richmond.”