บททั้งหมดของ Against the rules : บทที่ 71 - บทที่ 80

Logan POV** It was a Thursday. The rain was endless, drumming on the rooftop of the penthouse. I stood by the window, watching the city lights flicker through the fog, waiting for my father. He came in, his tie loose, anger simmering in his eyes. “The Italians pulled out,” he snapped. “Said they don’t want to deal with someone who can’t protect his own house.” I stayed quiet; I just waited to see where this conversation was going. He poured himself a drink, his hand shaking. “Something’s wrong, Logan. Someone’s coming for me.” “ Or…someone already has.” He paused the glass halfway to his lips. He turned slowly, his eyes narrowing. “What did you say?” I stepped forward. “I said... someone already has.” The silence between us was sickening. “What the fuck are you talking about?” I took out the burner phone, the one with all the pictures. All the proof. I tossed it on the table. It slid across the polished wood and stopped inches from his hand. He picked it up, clicked it ope

♣Ava’s POV♣ I woke up with that same tight feeling in my chest, the one that never really went away. By the time I reached the bakery, the shelves were already filled with pastries neatly arranged, warm, and familiar. I kept my hands busy, moving trays and wiping counters, hoping the routine would quiet the thoughts in my mind that refused to let go. I wiped down the counter again, trying to focus on the task rather than the gnawing silence inside me. So much time had passed, but it still felt like I was waiting for something or someone that might never come. I pushed the thought away and forced a smile when a customer approached the counter. “Good morning! What can I get for you today?” After serving the few regulars who drifted in, the shop settled into a silence. I took a deep breath and glanced out the window at the sleepy street beyond. The city was still waking up, but for me, every day felt like a slow journey to the unknown. Just then, the familiar jingle of the doorbell

Logan's POV The elevator dinged as I stepped out into the sleek, glass-walled office that had become my battlefield these past few weeks. I wasn’t expecting to see Nate here, of all people, leaning casually against Ava’s desk, flashing that same stupid grin I remembered from two years ago. Fork Boy. What the fuck was he doing here?! He hadn’t changed much. Still smug, still thinking he's too familiar with Ava. And she was smiling. That same reserved smile she used to give me before I’d pull her into my arms and kiss it away. Now it was his to earn, apparently. Something dark twisted in my chest. I walked forward slowly, each step measured. Nate noticed me first, his eyes narrowing with recognition. “Logan,” he said, casually, like we were friends. Like he didn’t know how badly I wanted to deck him. I ignored the greeting and looked straight at Ava. Her smile dropped. She stood straighter, defensive already. Good. Maybe she could feel what was coming. “You’re a client now?” I

Ava’s POV The morning after our fight, my chest still ached. I kept replaying everything I said to Logan. My anger had been sharp, my words laced with venom, and though I told myself he deserved it, a part of me knew I hadn’t just cut him, I’d shattered something that was barely holding on. He looked… broken when he stormed away. But I was hurting too, wasn’t I? The bakery buzzed around me, and I refused to go to the office. Flour streaked my apron, and the smell of cinnamon and caramel clung to my skin. None of it reached me. He left me. But now I knew he was trying to come back. Was I just too angry to let him? A bell rang overhead. My heart leapt automatically, expecting it to be him again. But it was Levi, his younger brother. He offered me a small smile, hands in his jeans pockets. “Got a second?” I nodded and wiped my hands before pulling off my apron. “Sure. What’s up?” “Lunch?” he offered. I hesitated, but something about his eyes, which were calmer than Logan’s, but

Ava’s POV I stood in front of my apartment mirror, adjusting the strap of my dress for the fifth time. It was navy blue, off-shoulder, and clung just right, elegant but not too much. I wanted to look beautiful, not overdone. Comfortable, not careless. I didn’t want to look like I was trying too hard. But tonight wasn’t just any dinner. It was a new beginning. A chance to reclaim something precious. A second first date. When the doorbell rang, my heart fluttered. I took a deep breath before opening it, and there he was. Logan. He stood there in a navy blazer over a crisp white shirt, holding a small bouquet of red roses. Not something grand…just perfect. “You look…” His voice trailed off, and he let out a soft laugh, rubbing the back of his neck. “I forgot how to talk for a second.” I smiled, my stomach flipping in the best way. “You clean up pretty well yourself.” “These are for you,” he said, extending the bouquet toward me. I accepted them, bringing the roses close and inhal