Chapter 10

Ava’s POV

I sat on the soft couch in the living room. My whole body was shaking. I was so jumpy that every small noise made me startle. I kept my back straight and squeezed my hands together in my lap.

Selene sat right across from me on another couch. She looked so pretty, and her clothes were very nice. We just sat there in the quiet room, staring at each other in total silence for a long time. The silence felt terrible. I could hear the clock ticking on the wall, and my heart was beating fast.

Finally, Selene broke the silence. She looked over at the corner of the room where Lucas was playing with a small toy on the floor.

"Your son is very cute," Selene said softly.

"Thank you," I whispered.

Selene turned her eyes back to me. Her face was calm, but her eyes were very sharp. "Who is his father?" she asked directly.

When she said those words, a wave of pure terror ran through my body. My hands started to shake even more. My head felt dizzy. This was the exact question I was afraid of. I was so scared that she would guess the truth. I opened my mouth to ask her to leave me alone, but before I could get a single word out, Selene interrupted.

"He looks nothing like Damien," Selene said, looking back at Lucas for a second before looking at me.

My heart stopped for a brief moment. Then, relief flooded through me. I saw this as my big chance. I had to agree with her right now so she would never suspect anything. If she believed Lucas was not Damien's son, then Damien would not take Lucas away from me.

"Yes, you are right!" I said quickly, nodding my head over and over. "The baby is not his. Lucas is not Damien's son at all. He belongs to another man."

Selene looked at me for a moment. Then, a small smile appeared on her face.

"That is good to know," she said.

She laughed a little, and I let out a fake laugh too. We both laughed awkwardly in the quiet room. The laugh did not feel real at all, but I did it just to keep myself safe.

Selene leaned back against the couch. She crossed her legs and looked straight into my eyes.

"I know who you are, Ava," Selene said, her voice smooth and low. "I know you are his ex-girlfriend."

My eyes went wide. I froze in my seat. I wondered how she knew that. I had not told anyone in this house who I was.

"How... how do you know that?" I asked, my voice trembling.

Selene smiled a cold smile. "Some of the workers in this house whispered about it," she explained casually. "People talk in this big place. Words spread very fast you know."

I bit my lower lip and looked down at the floor. I felt so small sitting in front of her.

"I am telling you this so you understand how things are," Selene continued, her voice sounding very gentle, but her words felt like sharp pins. "Damien is a very kind man. He is the type of man who would help anybody who is in trouble, especially a little kid. That is just how he is. But you need to know one thing, Ava. Every feeling he once had for you is completely gone."

She paused, making sure I was listening to every single word.

"Damien loves me now," Selene said, pointing a small finger to her own chest. "We are getting married soon. He loves me, and you cannot take him away from me."

When those words came out of her mouth, a sudden pain hit my chest. It hurt so much, and that surprised me. Why did it hurt? I hated Damien. I hated him for what he did to me. I did not want him back. But hearing another woman say that he loved her and that he was done with me made a sharp sting go through my heart.

I pushed the bad feeling down and looked right at Selene. I needed her to believe me so she would leave us alone.

"I am not here to steal Damien," I assured her, making my voice as firm as I could. "I do not want him. I only came here because of a problem, and I am going to leave as soon as I can. I do not want your man."

Selene looked at me for a few seconds. It seemed like she believed my words.

She stood up from the couch slowly. I stood up too because I wanted her to leave.

Selene walked over to me. Instead of just saying goodbye, she reached out her arms and pulled me into a tight hug. I went completely stiff in her arms. I did not hug her back. I just stood there like a statue, waiting for her to let me go.

Selene leaned her head close to my ear while she held me.

"Do not worry, Ava," she whispered softly right into my ear. Her voice was as cold as ice. "Obligations bounded two strong families together. Our families are very powerful, and our marriage is set. Someone like you, who's not royalty, is not a cause for alarm for me.”