All Chapters of When Vows Break : Chapter 21 - Chapter 25

Ava’s POVThe door has barely clicked shut when Maya’s gasp slices through the silence.“What the actual hell was that?” she blurts, eyes still as wide as saucers. “Did he just… was that Damon Ashford talking about sex in our hallway?”I close my eyes, inhale, count to three. “Lower your voice.”“Oh, absolutely not.” She plants both hands on her hips. “I need context, Ava. Context and tea. Because what I heard…”“You heard wrong.” I stride past her toward the couch.“I heard ‘prove the marriage is real,’ and unless he’s talking about a blood test, I did not hear wrong!”“Maya.” I drop onto the sofa, pinch the bridge of my nose. “It’s complicated.”“Then uncomplicate it.”“There’s nothing to explain.”Her brows shoot up. “So the billionaire you’re allegedly marrying didn’t just proposition you through legal paperwork?”I reach for the remote. “You’re being dramatic.”“Me? You’re the one starring in a soap opera!” She paces, muttering. “Physical authenticity… What does that even mean? D

Ava’s POVThe voice hits like a glass of cold water down my spine.“Dami!”For a moment, I think I imagined it. But then the sound comes again — higher, brighter, coated with a kind of warmth that doesn’t belong here. My head turns before I can stop it, eyes locking on the grand staircase where a woman stands, framed by light and the faintest scent of roses and jet lag.She’s beautiful in the kind of effortless way that makes you instinctively fix your posture — long red hair spilling over her shoulder, skin like porcelain, suitcase still in hand. Her smile is wide, familiar, and her heels click against the marble like she owns it.“Dami,” she repeats, practically singing it, and it’s like watching someone throw glitter on a crime scene.Damon’s expression shifts so fast I almost miss it. Surprise, then something careful — too careful. His jaw tightens for half a breath before he smooths it away and turns toward her with that practiced composure of his.“Amelia,” he says, voice low bu

Ava’s POVThe morning light spills across the kitchen table, catching on the rim of my coffee cup. Maya’s already there, hair tied up, phone in one hand, spoon in the other, looking like she’s been waiting all night for me to wake up so she can pry.She doesn’t bother with hello.“So,” she says, voice syrupy and smug, “have we decided whether you’re marrying the billionaire or launching him into orbit?”I sink into the chair opposite her, wrapping my hands around the mug as if caffeine can make decisions for me. “Neither. I’m done giving him space in my head. I’ll do what needs to be done for Leo, sign what needs signing, and that’s it. No more getting angry, no more losing sleep, no more hoping he’ll suddenly become an actual person and grow a brain.”Maya leans forward, eyes narrowing with the kind of affection that always precedes an argument. “So, the plan is to marry the man without letting him touch your emotions? Babe, that’s not cold… that’s Olympic-level composure.”“I’