Chloe’s POV

I hate Ava Miller with every part of my being.

I’ve always been the kind of woman who knows exactly what she wants and how to get it. My life is a carefully orchestrated dance, where every step, every move, is designed to lead me to what I desire. And for as long as I can remember, all I’ve wanted is him. Orion Miller. The man who was supposed to be mine.

It all started the night I laid eyes on him at Club Nine-O. The music was loud, bodies moving in sync with the pulsing bass, but none of that mattered the moment I saw him. Tall, broad-shouldered, with an air of quiet confidence that demanded attention.

He didn’t belong in a place like that, but that’s what made him irresistible—he was too good for the chaos, too good for everyone in that club. Except me.

By the end of the night, after hours of flirtation and a haze of drinks, we ended up tangled in each other’s arms. One night. That’s all it was supposed to be. But I didn’t see it that way. No, I decided right then and there—I wasn’t going to let it end. I wouldn’t be some random hookup he forgot about in the morning. I was going to be more. I was going to be everything.

For weeks after that night, I positioned myself perfectly. I appeared at events he attended, made sure I was in the right place at the right time. But no matter how hard I tried, he didn’t see me. Not the way I wanted him to. And then I heard about her. Ava. That pathetic excuse of a woman who somehow managed to capture the one thing I had been working so hard for.

I deserve him. I saw him first. He was supposed to be mine.

That was when the idea came to me. If I couldn’t win Orion’s love the easy way, I’d take it by force. I didn’t care about morality. I didn’t care about the rules. I cared about winning, and if that meant playing dirty, so be it. I reached out to some old friends—guys from the streets who owed me favors—and set up the attack that would change everything.

They beat him within an inch of his life, just as I planned. I walked in as a good samaritan just in time to save the day. The scream I let out? All part of the act. I was his savior, the one who rushed to his side, the one who convinced him he was in danger and needed to go into hiding. It was perfect. I had him right where I wanted him.

For years, I played the role flawlessly. I was his protector, his confidante, the woman who “risked everything” for him. And for a while, it worked. He trusted me. He depended on me. I finally had Orion Miller all to myself.

The sweet part? He didn’t even suspect me. He never questioned why armed men would flee because of a woman’s scream, or why I was the only one who knew that some high ranking criminals were after his life. He never realized that every step of the way, I was pulling the strings.

But then Ava ruined everything. Again.

It all started with the goddamn will his father left.

Even before he realized it, I knew he had fallen in love with her, and no matter how hard I tried to pull him back, he slipped through my fingers. I could feel him distancing himself, could see the way he looked at her, even when he tried to hide it.

When I saw how much he had fallen for Ava, I knew I had to act fast. I reached out to my old contacts once again, this time with a new mission—kill Ava. Kill Holly. Wipe them out completely.

But Ava escaped that day, and that’s when everything began to unravel. I tried to recover, to play the hero again, but it wasn’t enough. Orion didn’t want me anymore.

I tried seduction. I tried manipulation. I even took a bullet—well, more like a graze, but still. Nothing worked. He became a saint for her, and no matter what I did, I couldn’t break through. That’s when I realized something.

If I couldn’t have him, no one could.

If I couldn’t be Mrs. Miller, then there wouldn’t be a Mr. Miller to begin with. I’d rather destroy him than watch him build a life with someone else.

The plan was already in motion. All I needed was the right moment to strike. I’d spent years studying Orion, learning his habits, his weaknesses. I knew how to get close to him without raising suspicion. I knew how to hurt him in ways he wouldn’t see coming.

But it wasn’t just about killing him anymore. No, that would be too easy. I wanted him to suffer. I wanted him to know that I was the one who destroyed him. I wanted him to see that without me, he had nothing.

As I sit in the now lonely mansion, glass of wine in hand, I replay every moment in my mind. The night many years ago at Club Nine-O. The years I spent by his side. The countless times I put myself in danger for him—or at least made him believe I did. I gave him everything, and he gave me nothing in return.

But that’s about to change.

I picked up my phone and dialed the only means to escape this torture. But as I heard his voice, a plan set in motion in my head. Maybe I could still eat my cake and have it.

“Come and make me feel good,” I whispered into the phone as soon as he picked up and without waiting for a response, I hung up.

Perfect.

Tomorrow, I’ll set the final part of my plan in motion. By the time I’m done, there won’t be an Orion Miller or an Ava Miller. There will only be ashes. And maybe then, I’ll finally have what I deserve—peace.

I lift my glass in a silent toast to myself. To the woman who refused to be forgotten. To the woman who refused to lose.

“Cheers, Mrs. Miller,” I whisper, the name tasting sweet on my tongue. "Even if I have to burn it all down, that title will always be mine."