Orion’s POV

I watched her walk away from the window, her figure fading into the distance. Every step she took felt like a blow to my chest. Ava was leaving. And I had done nothing to stop her.

The frustration I felt wasn't just at the situation—it was at myself. I had let everything spiral out of control. My family, Chloe, and the lies that tangled us all together. But most of all, I hated how powerless I felt when it came to Ava. She deserved better than the chaos I had brought into her life, but damn it, I wanted her to stay.

When she disappeared from view, I turned away, letting out a breath I didn’t realize I had been holding. I ran a hand through my hair, trying to think. What could I even say to make her stay? Would she even listen if I tried?

I stepped out of the room, intending to clear my head, but the sight in the hallway drove a knife straight through me.

Chloe stood there, water dripping from her body, a white towel wrapped around her like some kind of costume. Her damp hair clung to her shoulders, and she smiled as if she hadn’t just wrecked everything.

“What the hell are you doing?” I snapped, my voice low but sharp.

Chloe’s smile faltered for a moment before she recovered. “I was just—”

“Save it,” I interrupted, the disgust in my tone unmistakable. What could have gone through Ava’s mind when she saw her like this? Obviously the worst!

Before she could respond, my mother appeared, her eyes red and glassy. “Ava pushed me!” she wailed. “She insulted me, Orion. Your damn paper wife disrespected me in your own home!”

I narrowed my eyes at her performance. She was acting, no doubt about it. But that didn’t mean she hadn’t gone to great lengths to sell the lie. I couldn’t help but wonder if she had injured herself just to make her point.

Chloe, seizing the moment, placed a hand on my arm. “Let me get dressed,” she said sweetly. “We should go see my father.”

The guilt I felt toward her tugged at me. God knows I didn’t want to go anywhere with her. What I wanted was to go after Ava, to beg her to come back. But I couldn’t bring myself to do it. Not yet.

“Fine,” I muttered, stepping back.

While Chloe went to change, I sat in the living room, my thoughts consumed by Ava. Where had she gone? Was she safe? I picked up my phone and called the hotel, hoping against hope that she might have gone there.

“No, sir,” the receptionist said politely. “Mrs. Miller didn’t request any arrangements for her suite.”

Panic began to creep into my chest as I hung up. I was about to call Rose when Chloe descended the stairs. My jaw clenched at the sight of her. She wore a slim, fitted dress that clung to her like a second skin. It was tight in all the wrong ways, squeezing her in a manner that was both disturbing and inappropriate.

Her breasts were pushed up unnaturally, and the way she carried herself made my stomach turn.

“You’re ready?” I asked flatly, standing as her hands reached for my shoulders.

She smiled, leaning in closer than necessary. “Don’t we look good together?” she purred into my ears.

I didn’t respond. Instead, I peeled her hands off me and marched toward the car, ignoring my mother’s voice as she called out, “You two look perfect together!”

Perfect? What a joke.

Once we were in the car, I told the driver to get down, “I’ll take it from here,” I said to him roughly.

The silence in the car was heavy, but Chloe, of course, couldn’t leave it that way. She always has to be the star of every show.

“Orion,” she said softly, breaking the quiet, “don’t you think it’s time we focus on us? Ava doesn’t belong in your world. She doesn’t understand you the way I do. Don't you think we should stick to the original plan and get rid of her as soon as possible?”

I gripped the steering wheel tighter, my knuckles turning white. She is the one that I needed to get rid of, certainly not Ava.

She continued without wasting too much time. “We could be so happy together, you know? Just like old times. We can finally destroy Ava and have our happily ever after. Remember the sunset wedding you promised me?”

My hands gripped the steering wheel tightly as I drove down the long stretch of road. The silence in the car was suffocating, broken only by the occasional hum of the engine. Chloe, seated in the passenger seat, seemed determined to fill the void, her voice lilting with upsetting cheerfulness.

“Once we deal with Ava’s nonsense,” she continued, smoothing her hands over the slim, overly tight dress she wore, “we can finally start all over. You’ll see, Orion. It’ll be just us—our perfect happily ever after story.”

I clenched my jaw, barely suppressing the frustration that simmered inside me. I said nothing, my eyes fixed on the road ahead. Every word she spoke grated against my nerves, her optimism feeling forced and out of place.

“Don’t you agree?” Chloe pressed, leaning closer, her hand grazing my arm.

I jerked my arm away subtly but firmly, my voice icy. “Let’s focus on the task at hand.”

Chloe huffed but didn’t press further, though her lips curled into a pout. My thoughts wandered, unwillingly drifting to Ava.

I had called the hotel earlier, hoping she might have checked in, but they told me she hadn’t arranged anything. Where could she have gone? To the hospital? I cursed under my breath, the weight of guilt pressing heavier with every passing second.

Before I could dwell on it further, a black van screeched to a halt in front of us, blocking our path. I slammed on the brakes immediately, the car lurching violently to a stop.

“What the hell?” Chloe shrieked, gripping the dashboard.