All Chapters of ONE NIGHT TO BURN : Chapter 11 - Chapter 20

I took a step back, shaking my head. “No. Don’t do that.” “Do what?” “Turn this into some tragic love story,” I said coldly. “You can’t say you cared about me and still use me.” “I didn’t mean to use you,” he said, his voice breaking. “You were supposed to be a piece on the board, but you became the reason I couldn’t move.” My chest ached. “You destroyed everything I believed in, Nathaniel. Everything.” He closed the gap between us. “And what did you believe in, Ava? Him? The man who manipulates, rules, and hides behind his empire?” I glared at him, tears in my eyes. “At least he didn’t lie to me about who he was.” He laughed bitterly. “You really think you know him?” “I know he trusted me.” “And you betrayed him,” Nathaniel said quietly. “Just like you betrayed yourself.” I went cold. His words stung. He lowered his voice. “You’re caught between two devils, Ava. One who destroys you with lies, and another who destroys you with truth.” Tears slid down my fac

We both froze. Nathaniel grabbed the gun from the table. “Stay behind me.” My heart pounded as footsteps echoed down the hallwayslow, deliberate, confident. Then a voice. “Still playing detective, Ava?” It wasn’t Charles. But it was worse. “Silas,” Nathaniel mumbled. Charles’s right-hand man. His shadow. His tool. I saw him step into the lightfall, calm, his face unreadable. He smiled weakly. “You’ve made quite the mess, Mrs. Donovan.” Nathaniel pointed the gun at him. “One more step and I’ll put a bullet through you.” Silas raised his hands mockingly. “Easy. I’m just here for what belongs to Mr. Donovan.” I swallowed hard. “The recordings.” He nodded. “You always were the smart one.” Nathaniel moved slightly, stopping me. “You’re not leaving with anything.” Silas’s smirk deepened. “Do you really think you can stop me? You couldn’t even stop him from taking your life apart once. You think this time will be different?” Nathaniel’s voice dropped. “Try me.”

I pulled up to the house in under five minutes. No sounds, no signals. Just moving like an animal. I felt the blood in my ears. I felt Ava’s breath in my body. She climbed into the passenger seat without a word. Her eyes were bright with fear and determination. “Do you have the drive?” she asked. Her voice was thin. I nodded. “We get in. We get out. No spectacle.” She laughed, a short, broken sound. “You said that last time.” “I meant it.” I kept my hands on the wheel. “Hold on.” We moved through the gates. For a second I thought the world had slowed. Then everything sped up. A bright light. The sound of a security siren we did not expect. Red. Panic. The plan had teeth to it, and the teeth snapped. “Move!” I shouted. I gripped the wheel and the car lunged. Guards ran from the gates, screaming names. My stomach tightened. I did not think about the engines. I thought about her. We hit the side road as Isabella had directed. It was a blind turn. I took

I didn’t promise. I couldn’t. Because deep down, I already knew what I was going to do. And as I lay awake later that night, looking at the ceiling, I heard something faint a click. My body went still. Then another sound, mechanical, purposeful. Someone was inside. I reached for the knife Nathaniel had given me and moved quietly toward the door. The next sound came from the hallway soft footsteps, approaching slowly. I held my breath. The door handle turned. A voice brushed against my ear before I could even move. “Your husband wants you home.” Cold metal pressed against my neck. My blood turned to ice. And that stopped second, I realizedCharles had found us.“The world doesn’t need proof to hate a woman, it only needs a picture.” The title burned across every screen I passed. “Billionaire’s Wife Caught in Scandal: Secret Affair Exposed.” My name. My face. My life is all torn apart in a single shot. Nathaniel’s hand on my shoulder. My hair is knotted. My eyes

The quiet that followed was overwhelming. Ava’s eyes darted to the window, as though looking for air that wasn’t poisoned by old betrayals. Finally, she whispered, “What if I refuse?” “Then Nathaniel stays behind bars. Forever.” Her breath hitched. “You wouldn’t” “I don’t have to do anything,” I interrupted coldly. “Charles will make sure of it.” Ava sat down again, her shoulders shaking. “You’re cruel.” “I’m honest.” For a few minutes, neither of us spoke. I let her anger settle, watching as she fought between pride and desperation. Then she whispered, “What if he never forgives me for this?” I looked at her, and for once, I didn’t lie. “He already forgave you the day he was taken away. You just don’t know it yet.” Her eyes glistened. “You really loved him.” “I did.” “Then why didn’t you fight for him?” “I did,” I said softly. “You just didn’t see the way I lost.”She looked at me differently nowless like an enemy, more like a mirror of her own weakness. “What