Ava’s POV

The phone rang, startling me out of my spiraling thoughts. Orion’s name flashed across the screen, and for a moment, I debated letting it go to voicemail. My fingers hovered over the answer button, but I couldn’t bring myself to press it. Not yet. My mind was a battlefield of emotions—anger, confusion, betrayal, and something else I didn’t want to admit. What if this was a trap? What if answering his call meant walking straight into the jaws of whatever scheme he was tangled up in? But what if it wasn’t? What if this was my chance to finally get answers? But curiosity, anger, and the faintest sliver of hope compelled me to answer. I said nothing at first when the call connected as he asked how I was doing, the whirlwind of emotions churning inside me making words feel impossible.

“What do you want, Orion?” I snapped, my voice sharp with frustration.

“Ava,” he began, his tone calm, almost clinical. “We need to talk. I’m sending a private jet for you. I want you back in New York.”

I let out a bitter laugh, the sound hollow. “Oh, you want me back? That’s rich, considering you’ve done nothing to defend me. You left me to be crucified by the press, Orion. Everyone’s dragging my name through the mud while you stay silent! You left me out here to fend for myself.”

His silence on the other end only fueled my fury.

“Ava,” he said at last, his tone colder now. “I’ve been working behind the scenes to fix this. I thought that I could fix this before you get to see it but I was wrong. I can’t clear this mess if you don’t come back. We need to face this together. I’ll explain everything when you get here.”

“Why should I trust you?” I shot back, my voice trembling with anger and uncertainty.

“You’ll understand when we talk,” he said firmly. “Be ready in an hour.”

Before I could argue further, the line went dead.

—

The room felt suffocating as I paced back and forth, wringing my hands. Mason sat on the couch, his piercing gaze following me.

“So you’re actually going,” he said, his tone skeptical.

“I need answers, Mason,” I said, my voice low but steady. “I can’t stay in limbo anymore. If Orion has something to say, I need to hear it from him.”

Mason leaned forward, his expression dark. “What if this is a trap? What if he’s setting you up to take the fall for everything? He’s already let the world believe the worst about you.”

I stopped pacing, turning to face him. “We don’t know that for sure. And if he’s setting me up,” I said, my voice firmer now, “then that’s it. I’ll cut every tie with him. But I need to know the truth first.”

He sighed, shaking his head in disapproval. “You’re giving him too much credit, Ava.”

“Maybe,” I admitted. “But I need to see this through, one way or another.”

--- The private jet hummed quietly as I sat, staring blankly at the clouds outside. My thoughts churned, replaying every moment of the past few weeks—the scandal, the accusations, the endless questions I didn’t have answers for. And then there was the memory I couldn’t shake. That night. The one wild, reckless moment when I had slept with a stranger. One of the very scandals that had turned my life upside down. Orion really has a lot of explaining to do. Did he really have his associate take advantage of me? We landed smoothly, but my nerves were anything but calm. A black SUV waited on the tarmac, surrounded by Orion’s security team. As soon as I stepped off the plane, they flanked me, their presence both comforting and stifling.

Mason was close behind, his expression tense. He eyed the guards warily before turning to me. “I’m coming with you,” he said, his tone leaving no room for argument.

Before I could respond, Orion stepped out of a second SUV. His sharp black eyes scanned the scene before landing on Mason. His jaw tightened, his posture stiffening as he approached.

“No,” Orion said firmly, his voice cold. “You’re not coming.”

Mason took a step forward, squaring his shoulders. “I’m not letting her go alone. Not after everything she’s been through because of you.”

Orion’s gaze darkened as he moved closer, the tension between them thick and heavy. “Ava is my wife. I’ll take care of her.”

Mason opened his mouth to argue, but I quickly stepped between them. “Mason, it’s fine,” I said, placing a hand on his arm. “I’ll be okay.”

His jaw tightened, but after a long moment, he nodded reluctantly and stepped back. Orion motioned to his security team, who swiftly escorted me into the SUV. As we drove away, I glanced back at Mason, feeling a pang of guilt for leaving him behind.

---

The penthouse was secluded, designed to shield us from the prying eyes of the press. As soon as we entered, Orion dismissed the security team, leaving just the two of us in the vast, silent space.

I crossed my arms, refusing to sit. “We’re here. Start talking.”

He leaned against the counter, his expression unreadable. “First, you need to know I’ve been working to fix this. Everything you’ve seen, everything you’ve been through—it wasn’t supposed to happen. Someone’s been pulling the strings from the start.”

I narrowed my eyes, suspicion blooming in my chest. “Who?”

“Chloe,” he said simply, the name hitting me like a slap.

My heart sank. Chloe. His dumb mistress.

“Why is she still after me?” I demanded. “Chloe wanted you. Why would she create this mess when I’m not holding you back?”

“Because wanting me wasn’t enough,” he said bitterly. “She wanted your place—your life and I couldn’t give her that. Not when I’ve fallen madly in love with my wife. When I ended things with her, she decided to burn everything down.”

I stared at him, disbelief mingling with fury. “So this entire mess, this scandal, is because of your affair? Because your mistress doesn’t want to let you go?”

“I ended it before it got this far,” he snapped. “I didn’t think she’d take it this far. I underestimated her.”

Tears welled in my eyes, but I quickly blinked them away. As if this wasn’t enough, the weight of my own pain and humiliation crushed me. “Orion,” I said, my voice trembling, “there’s something else I need to know. The photos—the scandal—who is Damien Cross? Did you really get him to take advantage of me?”

The confrontation tumbled out, raw and unfiltered. The silence that followed was deafening.

And then, to my shock, he chuckled—a low, quiet sound that sent a shiver down my spine.

“What’s so funny?” I asked, my voice sharp, my cheeks burning with humiliation.

He pushed off the counter and closed the space between us, his black eyes locked onto mine with a heat that made my knees weak. “Ava,” he said softly, his voice laced with amusement as he drew me in, “were you so out of it that you don’t remember how my dick feels inside you?”

My heart stuttered. “What are you talking about?”

“It was me,” he said, his tone calm but firm. “That night—it was me. I was the stranger.”

My breath caught, the room spinning around me.

“Damien is an acquaintance of mine and he did lend me a shirt because mine got ruined, Ava,” he continued, his voice softening. “You had a wild night… with your husband, not Damien.”

I stared at him, unable to process what he was saying. “Why would you—why didn’t you tell me?”

“This whole scandal happened so suddenly and I had to fly out to organize a team,” he said simply. “And now you’re here, we have to make a public announcement.”

His lips curved into a faint, confident smile as he held me tighter. “So let’s be clear—no one can criticize you for having a one night stand with your husband.”

The weight of his words settled over me, leaving me speechless as the magnitude of everything began to sink in.