The door to the bar was just within reach when Ava’s phone rang, jolting her from her scattered thoughts. Her hand hesitated on the door handle as she stepped aside, glancing at the screen—Holly.

A sharp pang of guilt hit her… ‘I haven’t spoken to her all day. She’s in a new country, alone, and I’ve been so caught up in this mess... What kind of sister am I?’ she thought to herself.

Without a second thought, she hurriedly picked up, already apologizing before Holly could speak.

“I’m so sorry for not calling, Hols—”

But something was off. Holly didn’t greet her with her usual excited scream. Instead, there was silence, followed by faint static.

“Hello? Hols? Are you there?” Ava’s heart tightened with unease.

A few seconds later, a voice—cold, unfamiliar—cut through the silence. “Is this Mrs. Ava Miller?”

Ava’s pulse quickened. “Yes. Who is this? Where’s my sister? Why do you have her phone?”

“This is Nurse Fatima Ashville from Ashton Valley Medical Center, California.” The woman’s voice was calm but serious. “Your sister was brought in this morning. She collapsed during class.”

Ava’s breath caught in her throat, and she interrupted, her voice sharp with panic. “She’s been admitted since this morning, and I’m just hearing about this now?! Where’s her bodyguard? Why wasn’t I informed?”

The nurse hesitated before responding, sounding slightly offended. “We initially believed it was just stress. However, after running some tests, we discovered she’d been recently treated for something. Is that correct?”

Ava could only nod as though the nurse could see her, fear gripping her chest tighter with every passing second.

“There’s been a complication. We’re not sure if it’s a reaction to something she ate or simply extreme exhaustion, but we’ve admitted her for further observation. We’ll be running additional tests to determine the cause.”

Ava barely heard the last part. Her mind was racing, already piecing together a plan. Without realizing it, she was heading back to her car, her hands trembling as she tried to maintain control.

“I’m... I’m sorry for yelling earlier,” she said, her voice quivering with emotion. “Please, just take care of her. I’ll pay for whatever she needs. Just do all you can to keep her safe.”

The nurse assured her they were doing their best and provided the hospital’s address before hanging up. Ava immediately called Rose.

“Something’s wrong with Holly,” Ava said the moment the call connected.

“Wait, what?” Rose’s voice was filled with concern. “Her bodyguard didn’t report anything to me. I’ll try to reach him right away.”

Ava’s tone turned sharp. “Find out where the hell he is and why he didn’t inform us sooner. And Rose—book the next available flight to California. I’m going to see for myself.”

“On it,” Rose replied without hesitation.

Ava sped toward the hotel, adrenaline pumping through her veins. By the time she arrived, her heart was racing faster than she thought possible. She darted into the elevator, barely noticing the other passengers as her mind spiraled with worst-case scenarios.

When the elevator doors opened, she sprinted toward her suite, but froze at the sight of the slightly ajar door. Panic gripped her once more. ‘Did someone break in?’ Her father’s allies? Or worse, the kidnappers?

She reached for her phone, ready to call security, when Orion stepped out of the suite, a small luggage bag in hand.

“Hey,” he greeted casually, as though they hadn’t been fighting earlier.

Ava blinked in confusion, too agitated to process his calm demeanor. “What... What is this?”

“Let’s go,” he said, clasping her free hand with his. “We have a flight to catch.”

“We?” Ava echoed, yanking her hand back. “What do you mean ‘we’?”

“Rose told me about Holly. Look, I already made a mistake once and I want to make up for it. There’s no way I’m letting you go off alone. You need me there, and I’ll be there.” His tone was resolute, leaving no room for argument.

Ava wanted to resist, to tell him off, but she didn’t have the energy. Her thoughts were consumed by Holly. Without another word, she handed over the car keys when he asked. If it got her to the airport faster, she didn’t care who was driving.

The ride was tense, silence hanging heavy between them. Ava stared out the window, her mind spinning with worry. Every so often, she felt Orion’s gaze flick toward her, but she ignored it.

When they arrived, Rose had already arranged everything, including someone to take the car back. As they moved toward the departure gate, Ava caught sight of a familiar figure ahead—Mason Brown, standing calmly with one hand luggage and two plane tickets.

Ava’s breath hitched. She had forgotten about their plan to meet at the bar. How was he here now?

Orion’s hand tightened possessively around hers. Ava felt the tension in the air thicken as Mason’s gaze flicked to their clasped hands.

“Mason, what are you doing here?” she asked, dazed by his sudden appearance.

“I figured you might need someone who actually has your back,” Mason said, his tone pointed as he glanced at Orion. He smiled lightly, waving the tickets in front of her. “Let’s go and see Holly, Ava.”

Before Ava could respond, Orion stepped forward, placing himself between them. “She doesn’t need you. I’m here.”

Mason didn’t flinch. “This isn’t about us, Orion. It’s about Holly. Now’s not the time for your selfish games.”

Ava’s voice trembled as she tried to intervene. “Both of you, stop it. I don’t care who came to play the hero right now. All I care about is getting to my sister in time.” She turned to Mason. “Thank you for coming, but we already have tickets. I’ll keep you updated, I promise.”

Mason’s expression softened, though disappointment flickered in his eyes. “Just... let me know if you need anything, okay?”

Ava nodded, her heart heavy as Mason started to walk away. Orion’s grip on her hand loosened, but he didn’t let go entirely. They proceeded towards security in silence.

As they stood on the queue, Orion leaned closer, his voice low. “I know you’re angry with me, Ava, but we’ll get through this. Together.”

Ava didn’t respond. She couldn't. She had chosen Mason over Orion earlier. She already made up her mind to keep Mason by her side.

So why did she just send him away? Why is she picking Orion again?

“Wait,”