All Chapters of Ava, My Heart: Chapter 11 - Chapter 20

Alexander hadn’t been able to stop thinking about that moment from last week.It had been a mistake to agree to that coffee.June had shown up at his office unannounced…a familiar face from his past, someone he hadn’t seen in five years, back when she was little more than the daughter of his mother’s old friend. She’d walked in like she belonged, flashing a smile too eager for someone who hadn’t spoken to him in half a decade. Said she was back in the city and wanted to catch up. Out of courtesy, and perhaps curiosity, he agreed. Just a coffee. Fifteen minutes, tops. A harmless gesture.He should’ve known better.From the moment they sat down at the café down in the company, something had felt off. So he kept the conversation surface-level. And then, without warning, she’d leaned forward and kissed him.Quick. Uninvited. A flash of movement that came out of nowhere.He’d recoiled instantly, backing away like he’d touched an open flame. His face had gone cold, flat. He had told her off

The morning was already a little off.Ava balanced her coffee cup on the roof of her car as she fished for her tote bag in the backseat, mumbling to herself about forgetting the markers for her bulletin board again. The school parking lot buzzed with the usual Monday chaos...late parents, yawning kids, teachers dragging rolling carts of weekend prep. Nothing unusual.Except when her foot hit something soft and round.She yelped...arms flailing, coffee flying out of her reach.She was going down.Or she would have… if a strong arm hadn’t caught her mid-fall.“Whoa...careful!”It happened fast. One second she was toppling, the next she was standing upright, her heart sprinting, eyes wide as she turned to see who had saved her from face-planting on the first Monday of the week.“Are you okay?” the man asked, steadying her by the elbow.He looked to be in his late twenties, maybe early thirties. Sharp jawline, neatly trimmed beard, short hair swept to the side like he actually took time w

Five days later.AVA REED sat on the stiff cushioned chair, her fingers curled around the straps of her bag like she was holding on to something invisible. The cold blast from the overhead air-conditioning made her hug herself a little tighter. Her legs were crossed, bouncing slightly with quiet nerves.The hospital wasn’t crowded, but it was alive with small sounds…nurses moving carts, footsteps echoing off the tiled floor, a soft murmur of conversations in low tones.A child giggled a few seats away. A toddler with curly hair and chubby cheeks, playing peek-a-boo behind his mother’s shoulder.Ava’s smile reached her eyes as she leaned slightly forward. “He’s adorable,” she said warmly.The mother turned, smiling. “He’s a handful. But he’s my handful.”Ava chuckled. “Worth it though, isn’t it?”“Every second,” the woman replied, brushing a crumb off her child’s shirt.Ava nodded, her smile lingering. But her eyes drifted, almost dreamily, like she was picturing something that hadn’t

Deidre Reed sat on a wide, cushioned chair in the center of her sitting room, one leg crossed over the other, swirling the red wine in her glass with the same quiet satisfaction as someone watching a well-planned scheme unfold. She didn’t look rushed. She never did. The world bent around her clock, not the other way around. The air was cool from the central air-conditioning, scented faintly with jasmine. Two young servants hovered near the entrance, standing straighter than necessary. No one in this house ever relaxed when Deidre was in the room. The chandelier above her caught the sunlight streaming in through tall windows, throwing sharp glints off her diamonds. She was dressed in pale ivory, her blouse tucked perfectly into a high-waisted skirt, lips a muted red, hair pulled into a bun that hadn’t moved since seven this morning. The heavy door creaked open and the head butler stepped in. “Madam,” he said with a small nod, “the doctor is here.” Deidre didn’t move right away.

The lights in the apartment were low, reflecting shadows across the room. A Korean drama played quietly on the screen...one of those slow, aching love stories Ava used to enjoy. Now, it barely registered. She was curled into the corner of the couch, wearing one of Alexander’s hoodies, her arms wrapped around her legs, chin resting on her knees.Alexander sat beside her, arm slung protectively around her, his hand rubbing gentle circles into her sleeve-covered arm. He didn’t say much. Neither did she. But he stayed close. Present. Warm. Solid.Still, it wasn’t enough.He could feel the sadness clinging to her like wet clothes. Heavy. Unshakable. She hadn’t smiled in hours. Not really. Not like she used to. And the worst part? He couldn’t fix it.Alexander had always known how to fix things. He built skyscrapers from nothing but lines and blueprints. He redesigned skylines, turned chaos into clarity, turned failing firms into billion-dollar goldmines. But with Ava… her sadness wasn’t so