Pustaka
Cari
Beranda / Romance / under his control / 27

Share

27

Penulis: Sharon
last update Terakhir Diperbarui: 2025-06-18 00:52:25

Liam’s POV

The worst part wasn’t the bruises.

Or the dried blood on Ava’s lip.

Or the way her voice trembled the first time she said “I’m fine.”

It was the silence.

Not absence—but control.

Her control.

It was the way she sat wrapped in a blanket on our penthouse balcony, staring into the city like it had dared to defy her.

Like she was memorizing it.

Daring it to try her again.

“I’m okay,” she said softly, without looking at me. “You can stop hovering.”

I leaned against the doorframe. “I’m not hovering. I’m observing. There’s a difference.”

She turned, slowly.

“You made Morgan post three guards outside the door, hacked the elevator to voice recognition only, and had Chairman Woof microchipped.”

“He ran once. I don’t trust him.”

She cracked a tired smile.

“There it is,” I said. “I’ve missed that.”

“I didn’t think I’d come back at all,” she whispered.

I crossed the balcony and crouched in front of her.

“You did.”

Her fingers brushed my jaw.

“They wanted to break m
Lanjutkan membaca buku ini secara gratis
Pindai kode untuk mengunduh Aplikasi
Bab Terkunci
Bab sebelumnya Bab selanjutnya

Bab terbaru

  • under his control    28

    LIAM’S POV The storm had been brewing for days. We just didn’t realize how fast it would break. The moment we received the coordinates—an abandoned shipping yard on the far edge of the city—Morgan pulled the security footage. Edward King’s convoy had been using the facility for weeks. Three unmarked black trucks, guards rotated on 12-hour shifts, drones overhead. Classic. Too classic. “This is a trap,” I muttered, scanning the layout Morgan displayed on the war table. She nodded. “But it’s our trap now.” Ava stood beside me, silent but steel-spined. She hadn’t flinched since the threat came in—the rooftop photo of her from that hidden angle. Whoever sent it wanted fear. Instead, they went to war. “We go tonight,” Ava said. I turned to her. “You stay here.” She raised a brow. “No. I walk in with you.” “Ava—” “No. This ends tonight.” By 1:22 a.m., we arrived in silence. Four vehicles. Tactical vests. Comms. No sirens. No lights. The yard was vast, cold, and soaked in s

  • under his control    27

    Liam’s POV The worst part wasn’t the bruises. Or the dried blood on Ava’s lip. Or the way her voice trembled the first time she said “I’m fine.” It was the silence. Not absence—but control. Her control. It was the way she sat wrapped in a blanket on our penthouse balcony, staring into the city like it had dared to defy her. Like she was memorizing it. Daring it to try her again. “I’m okay,” she said softly, without looking at me. “You can stop hovering.” I leaned against the doorframe. “I’m not hovering. I’m observing. There’s a difference.” She turned, slowly. “You made Morgan post three guards outside the door, hacked the elevator to voice recognition only, and had Chairman Woof microchipped.” “He ran once. I don’t trust him.” She cracked a tired smile. “There it is,” I said. “I’ve missed that.” “I didn’t think I’d come back at all,” she whispered. I crossed the balcony and crouched in front of her. “You did.” Her fingers brushed my jaw. “They wanted to break m

  • under his control    26

    Liam’s POV I’ve faced down boardrooms of billionaires. Been in rooms where silence was sharper than a knife. I’ve been betrayed by men who once called me brother and rebuilt my empire from ash. But I have never felt fear like this. The kind that doesn’t scream—it whispers. Curls around your spine. Sinks its claws into the back of your throat. Because Ava is missing. And I don’t know where the hell she is. Twelve hours earlier, she kissed me goodbye. It was early morning, her hair in a messy bun, wearing my old T-shirt and sipping black coffee like she was preparing for war. “I’m going to confront Eliot,” she said. I’d paused mid-buttoning my shirt. “Absolutely not.” “I need answers,” she said. “Face-to-face. I want him to see that I’m not afraid of him.” “He’s not just a man, Ava. He’s a weapon. Victoria’s weapon. He manipulated you, forged documents under your name—he won’t just admit it over croissants and espresso.” “I’m not expecting a confession. I’m expecting to wat

  • under his control    25

    Ava’s POV The forged marriage certificate had been shocking. But not this. Not this. Morgan slammed the door behind her, breath ragged, a folded document crushed in her hand. Her eyes were wide—too wide. “Sit,” she ordered. I didn’t argue. My heart was already hammering. Liam turned from the window, his jaw tight. “What is it?” Morgan held out the document. Her hand was shaking. “I pulled Victoria’s travel logs,” she said. “I wanted to trace where she’d been before she showed up at your engagement dinner. Thought I’d find a bribe trail. A shell account. Something easy.” She handed it to Liam. “She was in Geneva last month,” she said. “For exactly three days.” I blinked. “Geneva?” Morgan nodded, slowly, like the words were choking her. “And she met with someone in Ava’s office.” I felt the floor tilt beneath me. “No,” I whispered. Liam’s brow furrowed. “Who?” Morgan swallowed. “Eliot Renner.” My stomach dropped. “Eliot… was my boss in Geneva,” I said slowly. “He r

  • under his control    24

    Ava’s POVLiam Carter’s idea of a small engagement dinner was, apparently, a rooftop soirée catered by a five-star chef, with fairy lights, live jazz, and place cards written in calligraphy so ornate I wasn’t sure if I’d been invited or knighted.Jenna showed up with a folder labeled “Operation Wedding Domination”, while Morgan immediately began critiquing the wine like a snob possessed.“This rosé has notes of betrayal,” she declared, swirling her glass.“It’s literally pink grape juice,” I said.“Exactly,” she replied gravely.Liam hadn’t left my side all evening, his fingers brushing mine every chance he got. He was relaxed tonight. Happy. And dare I say it—giddy. I’d never seen him like this. It was almost alarming.“This might be your final transformation,” I teased. “From corporate villain to romantic marshmallow.”“I’m still terrifying,” he said.“You’re wearing a boutonnière made of lavender.”“Which smells amazing, and I regret nothing.”I leaned up and kissed his cheek. “You

  • under his control    23

    Ava’s POVI always thought Liam Carter was incapable of nervousness.He ran boardrooms like battlegrounds, faced down billionaires without blinking, and had no qualms threatening a security camera if it dared catch him sneezing. (That happened. He called it “optical warfare.”)But this?This was different.He was pacing.In a straight line. In socks. Across the same rug.And not his usual “I’m about to drop a press bomb” pacing.This was fidgety, hesitant, human pacing.Which was mildly terrifying.“Okay, you’re making me seasick,” I said from the couch, sipping my coffee. “Sit down before you burn a hole through the carpet.”He paused. Looked at me.Then kept pacing.I blinked. “Liam?”“I need to tell you something.”“Okay.”“It’s… it’s not bad. I mean, it’s technically not a scandal.”“You’re really selling this.”He stopped in front of me, ran a hand through his hair, and exhaled.“I want you to meet someone.”My brain immediately pulled up a million terrifying possibilities.Ex-wi

Bab Lainnya

Anda juga akan menyukai

Jelajahi dan baca novel bagus secara gratis
Akses gratis ke berbagai novel bagus di aplikasi GoodNovel. Unduh buku yang kamu suka dan baca di mana saja & kapan saja.
Baca buku gratis di Aplikasi
Pindai kode untuk membaca di Aplikasi
DMCA.com Protection Status