Semua Bab Goodbye, Ex-Husband, Next Please: Bab 231 - Bab 240

AVA’S POV I woke up in the middle of the night, my throat so dry it felt like sandpaper. I turned over in bed and reached for the bottle of water I always kept on my nightstand, but it was empty. Great. With a tired sigh, I threw the blanket off and got out of bed. The house was quiet — that kind of deep, thick quiet that only comes in the middle of the night. I rubbed my eyes and padded barefoot toward the stairs, careful not to make noise. When I reached the kitchen, I didn’t bother turning on the lights. I opened the fridge, squinting at the sudden brightness, and grabbed the bottle of cold water. I poured it into a glass and drank until I felt human again. I was on my way back upstairs when I heard… something. A soft sound. Not a voice exactly. More like someone mumbling or struggling coming from the living room. I paused. I peeked around the corner, my heart picking up a little. That’s when I saw Jason lying on the couch. Sweating, twisting, his face scrunched up in pain. H

ALEX’S POV When I walked into Ava's apartment that morning, the first thing I noticed after I sat down was the phone on the couch. It wasn’t Ava’s. Hers had a pale pink case, always a little scuffed at the edges from being tossed into every purse she owned. This one was black. Sleek. Looked like the kind of phone a man would own. The type that never had a fingerprint on it, always fully charged. I stared at it for a second too long. I asked Rose who owned it but she said she had no idea why do I feel like she's lying? Then Mason peeked over my shoulder and said casually, “Maybe it’s my Dad’s.” I turned slowly, and my heart stopped. "Your dad?” “Yeah,” he said with a shrug like it wasn’t the most earth-shaking sentence in the world. The only person he calls his dad is Jason. "He’s here.” “Uh-huh,” he nodded, then bit into his waffle. Before I could even process that, Emma ran past me with syrup on her chin and added, “They were watching old sketches on the bed!” The

AVA'S POV Work should’ve been enough to keep my mind off things. I had meetings stacked back-to-back, new sketches to review, and a supplier call I’d been putting off for days. But even as I flipped through fabric swatches and nodded through presentations, I kept thinking about Alex’s face this morning. The disappointment in his eyes. The silence when he turned and left. I messed up. I didn’t mean to lie… well, maybe I did. But not to hurt him. I just didn’t want things to be complicated. Mason begged Jason to stay the night, and I couldn’t say no. Not after everything the little boy was going through. But when Alex showed up early this morning… and Jason walked down the stairs in my pajamas? God. That moment is stuck in my head like a bad song. I’ve been calling Alex since I arrived at the office. But he hasn't been answering. No texts. Just silence. My phone was sitting right next to my laptop, and I kept glancing at it every five seconds like I expected it to magical

JASON’S POV I was going through the last batch of contracts on my desk when my phone rang. Ava’s name flashed on the screen. A smile crept onto my face. I sat up straighter, ready to hear her voice – maybe she wanted to talk, maybe even apologize for this morning. I tapped the green button and held the phone to my ear. But what I heard wasn’t her voice. It was sobbing. Broken. Like her whole world had collapsed. “Ava?” My heart dropped. “Ava, what’s wrong?” More sobs and shaky breaths were what I heard before she started talking. “J-Jason… I—I can’t… I can’t find them…” “Find who?” My chest tightened. “Emma and Mason,” she choked out. “They’re gone. Jason… they were kidnapped.” I froze. For a second, I honestly thought I heard her wrong. “Wait...what?” Her crying grew louder. She could barely breathe, let alone speak. I shot up from my seat, already grabbing my jacket. “Where are you?” I asked quickly, my voice sharp. “Ava...tell me exactly where you are.” “Ice c

AVA’S POV The moment Jason left, I felt like I couldn’t breathe. The police kept moving around, talking to each other in low voices, but none of it mattered to me. I kept staring at the door, waiting for him to come back. Hoping, praying he returns with the kids. My hand was still shaking as I pulled out my phone and tried calling Alex again. Still no answer. I tried again and again. “Come on, pick up,” I whispered, my voice breaking. “Please, Alex, just pick up.” Nothing. Straight to voicemail. Alex was their uncle — he needed to know what was going on. I only called Jason because Alex wasn’t answering, and I had to tell someone. In that moment, Jason was the only person I could think of. I wiped my tears and turned to Officer Mike. “I need your phone. Please.” He looked confused. “Ava?” “I need to call Alex Grey. He is the kid’s uncle. My phone isn’t going through,” I said quickly. “Please, just let me try from yours.” He handed it over without a word. My fin