Ava’s POV

The sunlight streaming through the restaurant’s glass walls painted an almost serene picture, but the tension at our table was anything but peaceful. I sat stiffly in my chair, trying to focus on the menu, yet my mind lingered on the figure walking toward us.

Orion’s entire demeanor had shifted. Gone was the calm, teasing man who had been holding my hand a moment ago. In his place was someone cold and dangerous, his jaw tight and his eyes dark with warning.

I turned my head slightly to get a better look at the approaching figure, but Orion’s hand clamped down on mine, his grip firm but not painful. “Don’t,” he murmured, his tone low and sharp.

“Orion, who is—”

“Not here,” he interrupted, his eyes never leaving the figure.

My stomach knotted as Mason came into view, his confident stride carrying him toward us with an expression that was far too determined for my comfort.

When he reached our table, the air thickened, almost suffocating in its weight. Mason’s eyes flickered between Orion and me, but it was Orion he focused on first, his posture tense and unyielding.

“Mason,” I greeted cautiously, offering a small, awkward smile to ease the tension. “What are you doing here?”

Mason’s lips curled into a smile that didn’t quite reach his eyes. “I could ask you the same thing, Ava. You didn’t tell me that you were stepping out when we spoke earlier. But it looks like you’re enjoying yourself.”

Orion leaned back in his chair, his arm draped casually over the back of mine as though staking his claim. “What do you want?” he asked, his voice calm but laced with danger.

Mason’s eyes narrowed slightly. “I wasn’t talking to you.”

“Mason,” I interjected quickly, trying to diffuse the situation. “This isn’t the time or place.”

But Mason wasn’t backing down. “Ava, we need to talk. Alone.”

Orion’s low chuckle sent a shiver down my spine. “Whatever you have to say to my wife, you can say it with me here. There’s no need for private conversations.”

Mason’s jaw tightened, his gaze flickering toward me for support, but I gave him a subtle warning look. “Orion,” I said softly, placing a hand on his arm. “It’s fine. Mason and I will just talk for a few minutes.”

Orion’s eyes darkened, his grip on the back of my chair tightening as he leaned closer. “I don’t like this.”

“I know,” I whispered, squeezing his arm gently. “But I’ll be fine.”

Reluctantly, Orion leaned back, his posture tense and his eyes never leaving Mason. “Five minutes,” he said coldly.

Mason gestured for me to follow him, and I rose from the table, feeling Orion’s gaze burning into my back as I walked away.

We stopped near the edge of the restaurant, far enough to have some privacy but still within Orion’s line of sight. Mason turned to face me, his expression a mixture of pain and disbelief.

“Ava,” he began, his voice low but heated, “what the hell are you doing? Are you seriously in love with him now? After everything he’s done to you? You’re getting back together with him?”

His words hit me like a punch to the gut. I swallowed hard, my throat tightening as memories of the past flooded my mind. Memories of Orion’s cold indifference, his cruel words, and the nights I spent crying myself to sleep.

Mason didn’t wait for an answer. “Have you forgotten what he did to you? How he chose his mistress over you and Holly? How he treated you like nothing?”

I opened my mouth to respond, but the words caught in my throat. The pain in Mason’s eyes was unmistakable, and for a moment, I couldn’t meet his gaze.

Finally, I took a deep breath and forced myself to look at him. “Mason,” I said quietly, my voice trembling, “Orion is my husband. He apologized and explained himself. We’ve decided to work on our relationship. I know it’s not easy to understand, but I need you to trust me on this.”

“Trust you?” Mason repeated bitterly, his voice rising slightly. “You gave me your word that you were going to divorce him. How can I trust you when you’re defending him and can’t keep word? How can I trust you, when you’ve run back into the arms of the man who broke you?”

“He’s different now,” I said, though I wasn’t even sure if I believed it entirely.

But Orion has proven himself during this scandal and the way he stood up for me. “We’re trying to move forward, Mason. Please, just… try to be happy for me.”

“Happy for you? And here I am, thinking you will finally give me the chance to make you happy,” Mason’s laugh was sharp and humorless. “You’re making a mistake, Ava. And when he hurts you again or abandons you, don’t expect me to rush in and fill up the gap.”

I flinched at his words, but I refused to let them sink in. “I appreciate your concern, Mason, but this is my life. My decision. And I need you to respect that.”

For a moment, he stared at me, his jaw clenched and his eyes filled with disappointment. Then, without another word, he turned and walked away, leaving me standing there with a heavy heart.

When I returned to the table, Orion was waiting for me, his expression unreadable. He stood as I approached, pulling me into his arms the moment I was within reach. His lips found mine in a fierce, possessive kiss, and for a moment, everything else faded away.

But as we sat down and resumed our meal, a storm of doubt brewed in my mind.

Was I doing the right thing?

As I looked at Orion, his strong features softened by the sunlight, I couldn’t help but wonder if I was setting myself up for more heartache. I wanted to believe in his promises, in the warmth I saw in his eyes when he looked at me. But Mason’s words echoed in my mind, a cruel reminder of the man Orion used to be.

Could people truly change? Or was I clinging to a fantasy, desperate to rewrite our story into something beautiful?

I loved him. I knew that much. But love wasn’t always enough.

And as I sat there, smiling and pretending that everything was fine, I felt the weight of my choices pressing down on me like a suffocating blanket.

Mason was right about one thing—if Orion hurt me again, I wasn’t sure I’d survive it.