Ava’s POV

The moment I saw the figure step into view, cloaked in black with their face obscured by a mask, my blood ran cold. A scream ripped from my throat, piercing through the suffocating silence of the house. I didn’t wait to see what they would do next. My instincts screamed at me to run.

I turned and bolted back up the stairs, my heart pounding so hard I could hear it in my ears. I made it halfway to my room when I felt a rough hand wrap around my wrist, yanking me back with such force that I almost lost my balance.

“Let me go!” I screamed, twisting and struggling, my free hand clawing at the iron grip that held me. The figure said nothing, their strength overwhelming as they began dragging me toward the stairs.

“No! Let me go, you son of a gun!” I kicked and squirmed, planting my feet against the floor and grabbing the railing, anything to slow them down. My nails dug into the wood, and I screamed again, hoping against hope that someone—anyone—would hear me.

And I ask again, where are the fucking security guards?!

The figure didn’t falter, their grip tightening painfully as they pulled me toward the door. My feet scraped against the floor, and panic surged through me like a tidal wave.

This couldn’t be happening. Why did Orion have to leave today of all days? Why can no one hear me scream?

“Please! Don’t do this! Don’t hurt me,” I begged, my voice breaking as I thrashed harder.

The figure reached the door, their hand reaching for the knob. My heart sank. I was losing. Is this one of Chloe’s schemes? The Jamesons? Is this the end for me?

But just as their hand began to turn the knob, the door burst open with a thunderous crash, and there he was.

Orion stood in the doorway, his presence like a storm rolling in, dangerous and commanding. His eyes locked onto the intruder, blazing with a fury I had never seen before.

“Let. Her. Go.” His voice was low, deadly, each word dripping with venom.

The intruder immediately released me, and I stumbled back into the corner of the hallway, my chest heaving as I gasped for air.

Orion didn’t give them a chance to escape. He lunged forward, grabbing the intruder by the collar and slamming them into the wall with a force that made the whole house seem to tremble.

The fight was brutal and fast, a blur of fists and shadows. Orion was relentless, his movements precise and powerful, but the intruder was quick, dodging and countering with surprising skill.

I pressed myself against the wall, too terrified to move, my eyes locked on the chaos unfolding before me. Orion managed to land a hard punch to the intruder’s face, sending them staggering back, but they recovered quickly, swinging a knife that glinted in the dim light.

“Orion, watch out!” I screamed, my voice hoarse.

He dodged the blade with barely a second to spare, grabbing the intruder’s wrist and twisting it until the weapon clattered to the floor. But before he could gain the upper hand, the intruder landed a sharp kick to his side, causing him to stumble.

Taking advantage of the moment, the intruder made a break for the door. Orion lunged after them, managing to strike them on the neck with something I couldn’t see. The intruder faltered for a second, their movements slowing, but they recovered just enough to slip out the door and disappear into the night.

Orion stood there for a moment, his chest heaving as he stared into the darkness. Then he turned to me, his expression shifting from fury to concern as he rushed to my side.

I was shaking so badly I could barely stand, and the moment his arms wrapped around me, I collapsed into him, sobbing uncontrollably.

“You’re okay,” he murmured, his voice soothing despite the tension still radiating from his body. “You’re safe now, Ava. I’ve got you.”

I clung to him, my hands gripping his shirt as if letting go would mean losing him all over again. “You’re back?” I whispered, my voice trembling with disbelief.

“I’m back,” he confirmed, pressing a kiss to the top of my head.

“Why?” I asked, pulling back just enough to look up at him. “I thought you had to go to Chicago.”

“It was a false alarm,” he said, his jaw tightening. “It wasn’t as serious as they made it seem, and it was already taken care of before I even left. I decided to come home.”

I stared at him, my mind reeling. “Thank God you did,” I said, my voice barely above a whisper. “If you hadn’t…”

He cut me off, his hands cupping my face as he leaned his forehead against mine. “Don’t think about that. I’m here now. You’re safe.”

He pulled me back into his arms, holding me tightly as if he could shield me from the world. After a moment, he pulled out his phone and called security, his voice sharp and commanding as he demanded why they weren’t alert. After a brief moment, he ordered them to search the grounds for the intruder.

When he hung up, he turned back to me, his expression grim. “They won’t find anything,” he said, his voice low.

I frowned, my brows knitting together. “How can you be so sure?”

He hesitated, his eyes searching mine. “Because whoever that was, they were skilled. They knew what they were doing.”

His words sent a chill down my spine, and I wrapped my arms around myself, suddenly feeling cold despite the warmth of the house.

“What did the security say? Why didn’t they hear me screaming and how did they not notice when someone sneaked into the house?” I asked him quietly, still trembling from what I went through a few minutes ago.

“Apparently, they didn’t hear you scream, and the alarm didn’t go off when the intruder jumped over the gate,” he replied with a frustrated sigh.

I leaned further into him as we waited for security to finish their sweep. Orion refused to leave my side. He sat with me on the couch, his arm draped protectively around my shoulders as he whispered reassurances in my ear.

But my mind kept replaying the moment when the intruder had stepped into view, their face obscured by the mask. There was something familiar about them, something I couldn’t quite place.

“Orion,” I said softly, my voice trembling.

He looked down at me, his expression softening. “What is it?”

I hesitated, chewing on my bottom lip. “Even with their face covered…I feel like I’ve seen them before.”

His eyes narrowed, his grip on me tightening. “What do you mean?”

“I don’t know,” I admitted, frustration lacing my words. “It was just…a feeling. Like I knew who it was.”

Orion’s jaw clenched, and he stood abruptly, pacing the room as he ran a hand through his hair. “Whoever they are, they won’t get away with this,” he said, his voice cold and resolute.

I wanted to believe him, but the unease in my chest wouldn’t go away.

As the night stretched on and the house remained silent, I couldn’t shake the image of the intruder from my mind.

And the more I thought about it, the more certain I became.

I knew him.