Chapter six

After the contract was signed, Lucian and his subordinate left to handle the discharge procedures.

Now that she was alone, Ava finally had time to think and for the first time since signing the contract, regret crept into her heart. The consequences of what she had done slowly dawned on her. She had signed away her freedom, her body, and her future to a man she didn’t even know.

Had she been too impulsive? Her fingers tightened around the blanket.

Then John’s face flashed through her mind, followed by the images of her home being confiscated. The hesitation disappeared almost instantly.

After everything she had endured in the past forty-eight hours, she knew there was no life waiting for her outside unless she made the Lyons pay for what they had done.

A knock sounded on the door.

Before Ava could respond, Lucian’s subordinate stepped into the room carrying a shopping bag. He stopped beside her bed and respectfully handed it over. “Miss Richmond, these are for you.”

Ava looked at the bag before raising her eyes to him. “For me?”

“Yes, Boss asked me to prepare them. He would like you to change into these before leaving.”

He placed the bag on the bed and turned to leave.

“Wait… excuse me…”

He stopped and turned around. “You may call me Lucas, ma’am.”

Ava nodded slowly. “I have a question I’d like you to answer.”

“Please go ahead, ma’am.”

She hesitated for a moment before asking, “Who exactly is your boss?.

A faint smile appeared on Lucas’s face. “When Boss thinks it’s time for you to know, you’ll know.”

Ava wanted to press further, but Lucas politely interrupted. “Please get changed. We’ll be leaving in ten minutes.”

With that, he quietly left the room, leaving Ava alone with even more questions than before.

She stared at the shopping bag for several seconds before finally opening it.

Inside were several sets of elegant clothes, a pair of shoes, and a silk scarf.

Everything looked brand new. Without wasting any more time, Ava changed into one of the outfits before walking out of the room.

Lucian was already waiting outside. He looked even more intimidating than he had been a while ago. His sharp features remained expressionless as his deep blue eyes swept briefly over her.

“Let’s go.” That was all he said. Ava silently followed behind him. Neither of them spoke as they walked through the hospital corridors.

The moment they stepped outside, Ava froze.

A convoy of luxury vehicles stretched across the driveway. More than a dozen identical black sedans stood in perfect formation. Beside every vehicle stood men dressed in black suits, each wearing an earpiece.

The instant Lucian appeared, every one of them straightened.

“Boss.”

Their voices echoed in perfect unison. One of the bodyguards immediately stepped forward and opened the rear door of the center vehicle.

Lucian entered without hesitation. Another bodyguard respectfully gestured toward Ava.

“Miss Richmond.”

Still stunned, Ava climbed into the car. The door closed with a soft click.

As the convoy pulled away from the hospital, Ava couldn’t stop herself from stealing another glance at the man sitting beside her.

He sat with one leg crossed over the other, calmly reading documents on a tablet. His expression never changed. He didn’t acknowledge her presence, nor did he seem interested in making conversation.

For the first time, Ava truly realized…This man wasn’t ordinary.

The convoy drove for nearly an hour before leaving the crowded city behind.

Eventually, they turned onto a quiet private road. In the distance, a pair of towering golden gates slowly came into view. The gates opened automatically as the convoy approached.

Beyond them lay an enormous private estate that stretched as far as Ava’s eyes could see.

Beautiful gardens lined both sides of the road. Trees towered overhead, while elegant stone fountains and carefully sculpted statues decorated the landscape. Everything radiated quiet luxury.

When the convoy finally came to a stop, Ava slowly stepped out of the car. Her breath caught in her throat.

Before her stood an enormous European-style villa.

The mansion rose proudly into the sky, its grand architecture was both elegant and imposing. Ava had been born into wealth and was no stranger to luxury.

But everything she had seen since passing through those golden gates was beyond wealth.

Just then her eyes drifted toward the countless men stationed throughout the estate. Some stood along the pathways, while others patrolled the grounds.

Every single one of them wore black suits.

Several openly carried firearms, while others had tactical equipment strapped to their waists.

They didn’t look like ordinary security guards. Every one of them carried themselves like trained soldiers, and for the first time, unease settled deep inside Ava.

Instinctively she turned toward Lucian. “What… exactly are you?”

Lucian looked at her, his expression as unreadable as ever. “You’re not allowed to ask questions here, Miss Richmond. That’s the first rule of surviving in my world.”

Ava sucked in a breath,trying to calm her mind. “But I don’t even know who you are.”

“You have one minute to make a choice.”Lucian cut her off.

She blinked in confusion.

“One minute to decide whether you want to step into this world.”

“If you choose not to, I’ll have the contract cancelled and send you away” He slipped both hands into his trouser pockets before adding calmly, “But if you walk through those doors…”

His piercing gaze settled on her. “…there is no going back.”

Silence fell between them. Lucian lowered his eyes to his watch and began counting the seconds.

Ava looked toward the mansion. Then at the countless armed men. Then back at the road behind her.

She had already died once on that bridge. Whatever awaited her beyond these doors could not be worse than the life she had left behind.

Slowly, her hands clenched into fists. Her hesitation disappeared.

Without saying a word, Ava stepped forward and started walking toward the entrance of the villa.

The corner of Lucian’s lips lifted almost imperceptibly. He said nothing.

He simply caught up to her before walking ahead, leading her into a world from which there would be no turning back.