#31

Ava reached out, her fingers searching for the warmth of the man who had held her so possessively only hours before, but all she found was cool, smooth silk. Dominic was gone. A hollow ache blossomed in her chest—a sadness that felt dangerously like loss. She sat up, clutching the duvet to her skin, wondering if the intimacy of the night had been a bridge or merely a beautiful hallucination.She moved through the morning with the limbs of someone grieving. In the bathroom, she splashed cold water on her face, trying to scrub away the lingering sensation of his touch, but her reflection only showed a woman who looked more haunted than loved.The sudden, harsh vibration of her phone against the marble vanity made her jump. An unknown number flashed on the screen.Her pulse hammered against her ribs. In her world, an unknown number was never a friend; it was either Cain’s cold demands or Silas’s oily threats. She stared at the device, wanting to throw it against the wall, but she knew si

#32

Ava braced herself for the impact of Dominic’s fury. She waited for the door to fly open, for him to step out and roar the word "traitor" into the salt-heavy air until her lungs gave out. She imagined his hands, which had been so tender only hours ago, wrapping around her throat with a different kind of intensity.But the door didn't open. The silence of the docks was broken only by the lapping of the tide against the rotting wood and the distant, lonely cry of a gull.Then, the back door finally clicked open. A figure stepped out, but it wasn’t the broad, imposing silhouette of her husband. It was Silas.A sharp breath escaped Ava’s lips. It was a relief, but a shallow, bitter one. In many ways, Silas was the greater ghost to face; Dominic was a storm, but Silas was the rot beneath the floorboards. He straightened his designer suit, his movements languid and oozing a oily confidence.He didn't speak at first. He simply smirked, a slow, spreading expression that made Ava feel like she

All Chapters of The Billion Dollar Wife: Chapter 31 - Chapter 32

#31

#32