جميع فصول : الفصل -الفصل 10

AVA“One ticket. Anywhere.”The airline hostess paused mid-type and looked up at me. Her eyes darted down to the coat I had wrapped around myself, the edges stiff with dirt and the torn lace of a wedding dress peeking out beneath it.“Anywhere?” she asked cautiously, like she wasn’t sure she heard me right.I nodded, gripping the counter harder than I needed to. “As long as it gets me out of Manhattan.”She hesitated, then typed faster. “Las Vegas. Leaves in thirty minutes. No connections.”“Perfect,” I said.“ID?”My eyes widened. Shit. My ID.For a second, I just stood there, frozen.Then instinct kicked in. I checked my purse, and there it was. The ID card I’d picked up this morning in Julian’s suite. A wave of quiet relief swept over me as I handed it to her.She glanced at the name, then looked back at me. I silently hoped she wouldn’t recognize me.But I could tell she did. The news must’ve already spread like wildfire.Still, she said nothing. Just printed the boarding pass, sl

AVAI paced the hotel room like a caged animal. The curtains did little to shut out the Vegas sun, and the humming of the air conditioning was starting to feel like static in my head.I needed to think. I needed to move. I needed… something.I grabbed the phone beside the bed and hit the room service button. When they answered, I snapped, “Can someone lend me a phone? Please. I need to make a call. It’s urgent.”Fifteen minutes later, a young woman knocked and handed me a basic cell. “Ten minutes,” she said. “Management’s rule.”I dialed the only person I could trust, Noelle, my best friend.“Ava?” she answered on the second ring. Her voice cracked with disbelief. “Oh my God. Where the hell have you been? Everyone’s been losing their minds. There’s police everywhere. Your parents,”“I don’t care about them.” I cut her off. My voice was sharper than I intended. “Just… tell me what’s going on back home.”Noelle exhaled slowly. “It’s chaos. Your dad's PR team is trying to bury the weddin

AVA“Welcome to my house.” Roman’s voice carried that effortless authority as he stepped out of the car.I followed him, my heels crunching softly against the paved driveway, and before I could even take in the massive building looming ahead, he was already calling for the staff. “Come here. Help carry her things.”Two maids and a young man hurried forward, bowing their heads as if they were in some kind of parade. My bags were lifted out of the trunk before I could touch them. I just stood there, watching, confused at his sudden display of… kindness? If that’s what it was.As we walked up the marble steps, I tugged on his sleeve, forcing him to stop. “Why are you suddenly being nice to me?” My voice came out sharper than I intended. “The contract said we were supposed to act like strangers. That was the deal. So why the change?”He turned to me then, his eyes calm, unreadable, but his lips curved just a little. “Because you’re my wife,” he said. “Contract or not, I should treat you w

AVA“Where did you get that?”The words slipped out before I even realized I’d spoken. My eyes had been fixed on the pendant hanging against Roman’s chest, glinting faintly in the warm dining room light. The same pendant I’d found earlier today, tucked away like it didn’t belong to him. The one he’d snatched from me so quickly, like he didn’t want me touching it.Across the table, Roman didn’t even look up. He cut into his steak with calm, deliberate movements, as if I hadn’t asked anything at all.Our cook, Mrs. Keller, shuffled quietly between us, setting down a fresh basket of bread, her eyes lowered in that way that made me wonder if she pretended not to notice the tension in this house. She gave me a soft smile before retreating toward the kitchen, leaving only the sound of silverware against porcelain.I tried again, my voice a little sharper. “Roman. The pendant. What is it?”He lifted his head then, finally meeting my gaze, but instead of answering, his mouth curved into somet

Ava“So, Ava,” the doctor said gently, adjusting his glasses as he looked at me over the file. “You mentioned you’ve been feeling nauseous, yes? And you said your breasts feel sore?”I nodded quickly, my hands gripping the edge of the chair. “Yes. And I… I vomited last night. Twice.” My voice cracked on the last word, and I hated how small it sounded.He scribbled something down, then glanced up again. “Alright. Let’s go through a few questions before we do anything. When was your last period?”I swallowed hard, eyes darting to the floor. “Almost two months ago.”His brows lifted slightly, but he just nodded. “And your last sexual intercourse? When was that?”Heat crawled up my neck. My throat tightened. “Um… it was… a few weeks ago. With my husband.” The lie slipped out automatically. I couldn’t say Julian. I couldn’t breathe his name in this room.The doctor hummed softly, still writing. “Any unusual bleeding? Cramps?”“No,” I whispered. My stomach twisted as I sat there, fidgeting