Ava’s POV

The truck rattled over the uneven road, the dense forest disappearing behind us. My knees were drawn to my chest, my arms wrapped tightly around them as I tried to make sense of what had just happened. My heart was still pounding, my body trembling with exhaustion and fear.

The man who’d just pulled me out of the forest drove in silence, his gaze fixed on the road ahead. I didn’t even know his name, and yet here I was, sitting beside him, with more questions than answers.

I couldn’t take the silence anymore.

“Who were they?” I blurted out, my voice sharp in the quiet truck. “Why were they after me?”

He didn’t look at me, but I saw his jaw tighten, his grip on the steering wheel firm. After a long pause, he answered, “They were hired for one job. One job only. And they won’t stop until they’ve gotten it done.”

His words sent a shiver down my spine. “What does that have to do with me?”

He hesitated, his hands gripping the wheel so tightly his knuckles turned white. “Because you’re their target.”

I froze. “Me?” I whispered. “Why? What could they possibly want from me?”

I stared at him, my mind racing, but his focus remained on the road.

“How do you even know all of this? Who are you?” I demanded, my voice rising.

He exhaled sharply, as though the question itself was a burden. “I’ve been... out of town for a long long time,” he began, his tone cautious. “Handling personal business. When I came back, I heard whispers about a job going down in the circle. It didn’t take long to figure out it involved you.”

“Why were you there at that moment?” I asked, suspicion creeping into my voice. “How do you even know me?”

This time, he did glance at me, his eyes softening for a brief moment. “I was lurking around your estate,” he admitted. “Waiting for the courage to come and talk to you.”

I blinked, trying to process his words. “Why?”

He shook his head, avoiding the question. “I have my reasons,” he said. “But tonight... I saw you pull away in the car. When I noticed the SUV following, I decided to take another route. As soon as your driver took that detour, I knew something was wrong.”

My heart was pounding so loudly I could barely hear his voice. “So you were watching?” I asked. “You saw me run?”

He nodded, his gaze flicking briefly to me before returning to the road. “From a distance. I knew I had to step in before they caught you.”

My stomach twisted. “Joe,” I whispered, my voice breaking. “He stayed behind to give me a chance. Is he...” I couldn’t bring myself to finish the sentence.

“He’s alive,” the man said quickly. “They left him there. I saw him flee the scene before I took off to find you. He’ll live.”

Relief washed over me so fast it left me lightheaded. I let out a shaky breath, my eyes stinging with tears. “Thank God,” I murmured.

But as my relief settled, a new wave of frustration rose. I turned to him, glaring. “You still haven’t really answered me,” I said, my voice trembling with a mix of fear and anger. “Who are you?”

He didn’t respond immediately, his focus seemingly locked on the road ahead. For a moment, I thought he wasn’t going to answer at all.

Finally, he spoke. “I’m the key,” he said simply, his tone heavy. “To all your questions. About your mother, about Richard... their relationship, everything.”

I stared at him, his words hanging in the air between us. “What are you talking about?” I asked, my voice barely above a whisper.

He finally turned to look at me, his expression unreadable. “I’m your mother’s stepbrother,” he said.

I blinked, the words not fully registering. “What?” I said, my voice sharp and disbelieving. “My mother had a stepbrother?”

He nodded. “I didn’t want to approach you like this,” he said, his voice quieter now. “But with everything I’ve heard, I didn’t have a choice. I needed to protect you and your sister.”

“Protect us? And why didn’t you show up when we really needed someone!” I snapped, anger flaring in my chest. “You grabbed me in the middle of the forest! You let me think you were one of them! And now you’re telling me you’re my... uncle?”

“I know it’s a lot to take in,” he said, his voice still maddeningly calm. “But you need to hear the truth, Ava. And you need to hear it now.”

I shook my head, my thoughts spinning. “This doesn’t make any sense. Why are they after me? What does this have to do with my mother and Richard?”

He hesitated again, his eyes darting to the rearview mirror as though checking for anyone following us. “I don’t have all the answers yet,” he said finally. “But I do know who sent them to kill you.”

I hesitated, my mind flipping to Orion. I was actually scared that it could be him, that he was behind all this.

“Who?” I asked quietly, gripping my legs tighter.

“Who else? If not not the cunning bastard…Jameson,” he said through gritted teeth. “He must have figured out the secrets your grandfather, who was my father, hid carefully. And I have reasons to believe that he’s working with your father.”

My stomach turned. Secrets. My mother had always been a mystery—loving, yet distant, with a past she never talked about. And Richard... I didn’t even want to think about him. Wait, my father?

“What kind of secrets?” I asked, my voice trembling, “And why is my father involved with him?”

He didn’t answer immediately, his expression darkening. “A Secret that Jameson is willing to kill to protect. And your father wants a piece too,” he said.

I felt the blood drain from my face. Kill. That word lingered, heavier than anything else he’d said.

The truck began to slow, and I realized we were approaching a small cabin nestled in the woods. He parked and turned off the engine, plunging us into a tense silence.

He turned to face me fully, his gaze steady and unyielding. “This is as far as we go tonight,” he said. “You’re safe here. For now.”

I shook my head, my pulse racing. “Doesn’t this mean that my sister is in danger too? Listen, uncle! I’m not staying here until you tell me everything,” I said firmly, my voice stronger than I felt. “No more cryptic answers. Start talking.”

He leaned back in his seat, letting out a long sigh. “Alright,” he said, his voice low. “But once you hear it, there’s no going back.”

I swallowed hard, my heart hammering against my ribs. “Just tell me,” I said, bracing myself.