Ava’s POV

Later that Evening

As the day wore on, the pieces of the puzzle began to fall into place, though the picture they painted was far from clear. Mason’s contacts had confirmed that Damien Cross had been at the same hotel the night of the incident, but his exact whereabouts were still unknown.

Meanwhile, Rose is getting ready to release the statement that could shift the public’s focus. It wasn’t much, but it was enough to slow the tide of backlash.

Mason and I were still in the private residence, going over the latest updates, when his phone buzzed. He glanced at the screen and frowned.

“What is it?” I asked, anxiety twisting in my chest.

“It’s a message from Rose,” he said, his voice tight. “Someone leaked the draft statement.”

“What? How?”

“I don’t know,” he said, running a hand through his hair. “But this changes everything. Whoever’s behind this isn’t just trying to ruin you—they’re trying to destroy any chance we have of fighting back.”

The weight of his words settled over me like a lead blanket.

“What do we do now?” I asked, my voice trembling.

Mason met my gaze, his expression unreadable. “We fight back harder. If they want war, we’ll give them one.”

His determination was like a spark, reigniting the fire within me.

As I sat motionless, watching him make call after call, my thoughts spiraled out of control. ‘Why is Orion really doing this to me?’

I replayed the moment he swore he wanted to make things right—no—he begged me to trust him. He pleaded as if his life depended on it. So why does this feel like betrayal?

Unless… What if he’s a victim too? What if he’s been set up—kidnapped, framed, and desperately trying to escape, just like me? The thought flickered briefly, but it didn’t make sense.

Who would target him? Chloe? No. She wouldn’t do that to him.

My chest tightened as doubt continued to seep in. If it’s not someone else pulling the strings… does that mean he really is behind all of this?

Could he really sink that low? The thought clawed at my mind, leaving me breathless. Would Orion actually let another man touch me—all for the sake of his twisted game? Just to prove he’s still in control?

The possibility made my stomach churn, each scenario in my head more unbearable than the last. My chest tightened as my thoughts spiraled, teetering between disbelief and rage.

Then, breaking through the storm in my mind, my phone lit up. I lunged for it, hope flickering as I prayed it was Rose—or maybe my sister.

But when I saw the name on the screen, a wave of nausea crashed over me so violently I nearly dropped the phone.

Orion.

****

Orion’s POV

When I left the abandoned warehouse, I looked for a café to sit in. I didn’t want to go to the hospital and see Ava’s face when I hadn’t dealt with the threat hovering around her. At least, even if I have never done anything for her since we met, I need to do this to prove myself.

Sitting down over a cup of coffee, I started reminiscing about everything that had happened so far and how I came to fall in love with Ava—someone I used to despise. Now, it feels like I can’t live without her. Anything that affects her affects me too.

After an hour or so, my assistant called back. “There’s no lead yet on who sent the man to deliver the text to Ava,” he said, his voice tight with frustration. “But I did notice a couple of things after doing a quick check on everyone around her.”

I sat up straighter. “Go on.”

He hesitated for a moment, then continued, “Her father, Mr. Rodriguez, seems to be in a shady alliance with the Jamesons.”

My jaw tightened. “The Jamesons? They’re the rivals of our company. Why would he associate with them?”

“My source says they’ve been meeting quite frequently, and it seems they are working together on something,” he added.

The pieces started clicking in my head.

Mr Rodriguez has never been Ava’s biggest supporter. I recalled a conversation with my mother when I first plotted to ruin Ava. She had casually mentioned that Mr. Rodriguez could be an ally if I needed him, implying he had no love for his own daughter. My stomach churned at the thought.

“Do you think they have a hand in these threats?” I asked sharply.

“I’m still working on that, sir,” he replied. “But there’s something else.”

“What is it?”

“It’s Miss Chloe Roland,” he said firmly. “She’s been meeting with some… questionable people while you’ve been away. My intel got me pictures of her with a woman, a group of men we suspect to be criminals, and… your mother, sir.”

The words hit me like a punch to the gut. I clenched my jaw, my grip on the phone tightening until my knuckles turned white. Rage simmered beneath the surface, threatening to boil over.

The last conversation I had with my mother before she left the mansion came rushing back, sharp and bitter like a fresh wound.

“I’ll destroy her, or I’ll die trying,” she had hissed, her voice venomous.

I’d begged her to see reason, to look past the anger and hatred that blinded her. But every attempt was a waste of breath, every plea falling on deaf ears.

“You think you can stop me?” she had sneered, her eyes cold and unrecognizable. “If you stand in my way, then you’ll be my enemy too.”

Her words echoed now, taunting me. My chest tightened as I realized the truth. She hadn’t been bluffing. She wasn’t just driven by hatred—she was consumed by it.

So this is where we are.

A bitter smirk tugged at my lips as a thought formed in my head. Guess we’re enemies now, Mother.

“I see,” I said, keeping my tone cold as the silence stretched on. “Dig deeper. Keep a close eye on both Chloe and my mother. Alos, report every move they make as soon as possible.”

“Yes, sir.”

After a brief pause, I asked, “What about Peter?”

“He’s been doing his job and showing up as expected. No suspicious activity so far.”

“Good.”

Then he mentioned a meeting scheduled for that morning. “It’s with a very important client, sir, and they’re right there, in the same city that you’re in. The meeting is set for noon.”

I glanced at my watch. It was almost 12. “Send me the details and the location,” I ordered before ending the call.

A few moments later, a message popped up on my phone. I exited the café, standing calmly as I waited for my ride.

And that’s when I saw him—the figure I’d been looking for all this time. He stood on the opposite side of the walkway, staring directly at me.