William's POV I was lost in thought as I looked at Ava's condition, “I remember Bella, Ava's mum, the wealthy mafia's wife. She was a chronic drug user. I wish I could tell you, Ava, about your mum's drug problem, but I don't want to burden you.” I sighed. “I’va always known you were struggling with something, Ava, but I didn't expect it to be this. I can't imagine how you're feeling being the daughter of a drug addict. But I still have to tell you. I have to.” Taking a deep breath, I approached her, my heart pounding in my chest. "Ava," I called softly. "I need to tell you something about your mum." Ava's eyes widened. “What is it?” "Ava, she's not okay. She has a drug problem. She's been using for a long time." Ava's eyes filled with hurt and disbelief. "What?" she whispered, her voice breaking. "Why didn't you tell me, why didn't you tell me my mum was alive?" I felt a pang of guilt in my heart. "I'm sorry, Ava. I didn't want to burden you with it. I didn't want you to worry

Ava's POV "I still don't understand why my dad went to such lengths,” I told Mia. "Why did he tell me my mum was dead just to keep her away from me?" Mia was quiet for a moment, and then she spoke. "I think he was just trying to protect you, Ava. He didn't want you to have to deal with the pain of what your mother is." I was taken aback by her words. "But why did he have to go to such an extreme?" I said, my voice filled with frustration. "He could have told me the truth, and I could have made my own decision." "I know it's hard to understand, but your dad was just trying to do what he thought was best," she said, her voice gentle. I knew she was right, but I couldn't help but feel betrayed. "I just feel like I've missed out on so much. I could have had a mother all these years, and I never even knew it." Mia reached out and placed a hand on my arm, her touch providing a small measure of comfort. "Don't beat yourself up, Ava. You can't change the past, but you can make the most o

Ava's POV "I heard that Bella was punished by the Mendel family leader," I said, my voice soft as I took a sip of coffee. "Apparently, her mafia members sent to kidnap me kept getting killed, and the Mendels got fed up." William looked up from his sandwich, his eyes narrowing in thought. "Really?" "I guess Bella underestimated me and now she's paying the price." William nodded, his expression serious. "I'm glad we were able to keep you safe," he said. I smiled, "I know, me too," I said. We sat there for a while, enjoying our lunch in silence, the sound of the bustling cafe around us a comforting background noise. I leaned forward, taking a sip of my coffee, and looked William straight in the eye. "I also heard something else about my mother." William looked at me, his expression curious. "What else?" "I heard that she is a low-ranking member of the Mendel family gang, apparently, her activities were costing them dearly as she is married to the fourth son of the family." Willi

William's POV Thomas appeared at my desk at the warehouse, "We need to go over the entire sap production figures," he said, his voice filled with determination. "There are some discrepancies that we need to sort out." I nodded with a sense of urgency. "We can't afford to miss anything." As we worked, Thomas explained every detail, making sure that I understood every aspect of the process. After what felt like hours, we finally finished. Thomas closed the files, a look of exhaustion on his face. "That was a lot to go over," he said with a calm voice. "Thank you for taking the time to go over everything with me, Thomas." Thomas smiled, "That's what I'm here for. We work best as a team, and I'm always here to help." "Thomas, have you been enjoying Eastern Europe?" I asked with a curious tone. "Oh, it's incredible," he said. "The food, the culture, the history...it's all so fascinating." "I'm glad to hear that," I said calmly. "I was worried it might be too much for you." Thomas

Ava's POV As William and I sat down for dinner that evening, I couldn't help but feel a weight lift off my shoulders. "I really appreciate your offer, William but I think it's time for me to deal with my mother and her greed once and for all. I've been putting it off for too long, and I can't have it hanging over my head anymore." William sighed and took my hand. "I understand, sweetheart," he said. "But you've done enough already. You've tried to reason with her, you've given her chances, and you've worked hard to protect your interests. It's not fair to put this burden on yourself when I'm here to look out for you." I nodded. "You're right, William. I shouldn't be carrying this burden alone. Thank you for being here for me and for supporting me in this." William smiled and leaned in to give me a kiss on the cheek. "Of course, my love. That's what I'm here for. Let's finish our dinner and enjoy the evening, and we can figure out a plan together to deal with your mother." "Thank