Ava's POV

The tension in the room was intense, crackling like a wild fire. Mason stood at the door, his presence commanding but restrained, as though he was waiting for the right moment to act. His eyes flicked from me to Orion, taking in every detail—the way Orion’s hand gripped my waist possessively, the flush on my cheeks, and the fact that I hadn’t pulled away yet.

“I asked if everything was okay, Ava,” Mason repeated, his voice firmer now, his gaze locking on Orion.

I opened my mouth to answer, but Orion beat me to it. “Everything is fine, Mason. I was just reminding my wife where she belongs.” His words were smooth, deliberate, and laced with enough arrogance to spark the flames of a brewing confrontation.

“Your wife?” Mason’s voice dropped an octave, the barely restrained anger in it sending a chill down my spine. He took a step closer, his eyes narrowing dangerously. “Funny how you remember that now, after disappearing when she needed you most.”

Orion’s hand tightened around me, his thumb brushing against my side in a silent warning, or perhaps a reminder that he wasn’t letting go. “I’m here now. That’s what matters.”

I could feel Mason’s tension mounting, his fists clenching at his sides. He wasn’t the type to back down, especially not when it came to me. And Orion knew that—he was provoking him on purpose.

“Stop it,” I snapped, stepping back and forcing Orion to release me. I put myself between them, my heart pounding with a mixture of anger and confusion. “Both of you, stop acting like children. This isn’t about either of you. We have a crisis on our hands, and I don’t have time for whatever this is.”

Mason’s eyes softened slightly as he looked at me, but Orion remained unmoved, his expression unreadable.

“I came to tell you that we’ve isolated the breach from my end,” Mason said after a moment, his voice calmer now. “The team is tracing the source back to its origin, and they believe they’ll have answers soon. It’s a temporary fix, but it gives us some breathing room.”

“Thank you,” I said, my voice quieter now. I could always count on Mason to be level-headed when things spiraled out of control.

Orion’s eyes flicked to Mason, something dark and unreadable flashing in his gaze. “Good. But we’ll need more than a temporary fix, although my team has almost finished the job. My specialists are ready and working to reinforce security. You might have isolated the breach, but we need to make sure it doesn’t happen again.”

Mason’s jaw clenched, but he didn’t argue. He knew Orion was right, even if he hated admitting it.

“Fine,” I said, rubbing my temples. “Both of you can coordinate with Rose. I don’t care how it gets done, as long as it’s handled.” I turned to Mason. “Can you handle that?”

He nodded, though his eyes flicked toward Orion once more. “Of course.”

“Good.” I turned to Orion, who was watching me with a mixture of intensity and something else I didn’t want to name. “And you—thank you for bringing in your team. But don’t think for a second that this changes anything.”

Orion smirked, as though he expected my response. “You’ll change your mind soon enough, Ava. I can be patient.”

I didn’t react to his remark with the kind of response he expected. Instead, I turned back to Mason. “We’ll regroup in an hour. Keep me updated.”

Mason nodded once, his gaze lingering on me for a moment before he turned and left the room. The door closed behind him with a soft click, leaving me alone with Orion once again.

Silence stretched between us, heavy and charged. I could feel his eyes on me, the weight of his gaze almost too much to bear. I didn’t want to look at him, didn’t want to acknowledge the way he made my heart race despite everything.

“You don’t trust me,” he said after a moment, his voice low and quiet.

“Trust is earned, Orion. And you lost it a long time ago.”

He took a step closer, his hand reaching out to brush a stray strand of hair from my face. I froze, my breath catching at the familiar touch. “I made mistakes, Ava. But I never stopped caring about you. I never stopped wanting to be by your side.”

I stepped back, putting space between us. “Wanting isn’t enough. You don’t get to walk away and then come back expecting everything to be fine. You don’t get to ignore me when it’s convenient and then claim to care when things go wrong.”

He sighed, running a hand through his hair in frustration. “I didn’t walk away because I wanted to, Ava. I had my reasons for not being there that day.”

“Then maybe you should have told me those reasons instead of leaving me to pick up the pieces alone.” My voice cracked slightly, betraying the hurt I’d tried so hard to bury. “I needed you, Orion. And you weren’t there.”

Silence hung between us, the weight of unspoken words pressing down on me. I hated how vulnerable I felt in front of him, hated that he still had the power to hurt me.

“I’m here now,” he said softly, his voice carrying a sincerity that made my chest ache. “And I’m not going anywhere this time. No matter how much you try to push me away.”

I didn’t respond. I couldn’t. Because a part of me wanted to believe him, wanted to believe that he meant it this time. But I wasn’t ready to let my guard down—not when so much was at stake.

And then there is Mason. Could I really do this now?

“We’ll see,” I said finally, my voice steady despite the turmoil inside me. “But right now, I have a company to save. So if you’re really here to help, then help. Otherwise, stay out of my way.”

He nodded, a small smile playing at the corners of his lips. “As you wish, Mrs. Miller.”

I rolled my eyes, turning away before he could see the faint blush rising to my cheeks. He always did know how to get under my skin.

As I gathered the scattered papers from the floor, I tried to focus on the task at hand. But even as I worked, I couldn’t shake the feeling that this was only the beginning—that whatever storm Orion had brought with him was far from over.

And deep down, I wasn’t sure if I was ready to face it.

---

By the time Mason returned an hour later, I had composed myself. Orion stood by the window, looking out at the city skyline, his expression thoughtful. Mason’s arrival brought a welcome distraction, though I could feel the tension still simmering beneath the surface.

“We’ve traced the breach,” Mason said without preamble. “It leads back to one of your former subsidiaries—one that was shut down after Orion joined you to lead the company.”

I stiffened, my mind racing as I processed the information. “You think this is connected to that?”

Mason didn’t answer directly, but the implication was clear. And as I turned to Orion, I saw that same unreadable expression on his face, as though he already knew what Mason was about to say.

“Care to explain?” Mason asked, his tone hard and unyielding.

Orion met his gaze without flinching, a slow smile spreading across his face. “Oh, I have plenty to explain. But first, we need to talk about who’s really behind this breach, why they want to destroy this company and why they are making me the scapegoat.”

My heart skipped a beat, a sense of foreboding settling over me. I had a feeling that whatever came next would change everything.