Orion’s POV

“Holly?” I called out, my voice laced with shock. Ava’s head snapped toward the door, and in an instant, she was on her feet, rushing to her sister.

Pulling Holly into a tight embrace, Ava clung to her as if letting go would make her disappear. Tears streamed down her face as she sobbed uncontrollably.

“What happened? Why are you crying?” Holly asked, her voice filled with confusion.

“I just missed you,” Ava whispered, her voice soft but thick with emotion.

Rose stepped forward, her brow furrowed. “Holly, why are you here so suddenly? Your bodyguard didn’t notify me about this visit.”

Holly’s next words landed like a thunderclap. “That’s because he’s dead.”

“What?” Ava gasped, pulling back from her sister. Her posture straightened as the words sank in. “What do you mean? What happened? When did this happen?” she asked, her voice rising with urgency.

Holly’s gaze dropped, her hands trembling as she whispered, “It’s Dad.” She looked directly at Ava, fear etched across her face. “He came to my school out of nowhere last week. He was asking about me, going around and demanding to see me. Word got back to Jon—my bodyguard—that Dad was looking for me. Jon said we needed to move to a safe location immediately. But on our way there…” Her voice cracked as tears streamed down her cheeks. “We were attacked.”

Ava froze, her knuckles whitening as she gripped Holly’s shoulders. “Attacked by who?”

“Dad,” Holly said, her voice trembling. “He—he shot Jon, Ava. He killed him.”

The room went deathly silent as her words hung heavy in the air.

“No,” Ava whispered, shaking her head in disbelief. “No, that can’t be right. Why would he—”

“He did it, Ava,” Holly cut in, her voice breaking. “He shot Jon over and over again, laughing like he’d completely lost his mind. I screamed at him to stop, begged him, but he didn’t even listen to me. He just kept shooting.”

Ava swayed slightly, and I instinctively moved closer, ready to catch her if she fell. “He’s a monster,” she muttered to herself.

Holly wiped at her tears, taking a shaky breath. “But then… someone saved me. A masked figure on a motorcycle appeared out of nowhere. They fought Dad off and got me out of there.”

“Who was it?” I asked, unable to keep the curiosity from my tone.

Holly looked at me, her expression a mix of awe and confusion. “I didn’t know at first. He brought me back to L.A., but he locked me in his apartment. I wanted to call you so many times, but I couldn’t. There was no phone, no computer—nothing. I couldn’t even see his face. I didn’t know who he was… until yesterday.”

“And?” Ava pressed, her voice trembling.

Holly hesitated, then said, her face lighting up with an unexpected glow of admiration, “It was your friend, Ava—Mr. Mason.”

“What?” We all said at once, shocking Holly. The look on Ava’s face mirrored mine. Confusion. Why would Mason save Holly? To use her as bait? As a bargaining chip?

“Why do you all look so shocked?” Holly asked, her voice innocent as she wiped the tears from her cheeks. “Mason told me he had to do something... something really, really bad.” She hesitated, glancing at Ava before continuing. “He said to tell you not to forgive him—that if he could go back in time, he’d do it all over again.”

A dreamy smile softened her face as she added, almost swooning, “He’s my hero. He saved me twice.”

Rose and I stood shocked but Ava’s face softened as she went over to the couch, pulling Holly along. “Yea, Holly. He saved you twice,” she whispered, patting her sister’s head lightly.

Soon after, Rose received a call. She approached us discreetly, careful not to alarm Holly, and informed us that Mason had been taken to the police station. She added that all the charges had been filed against him—and he had confessed to everything.

I glanced at Ava and noticed her shoulders relax for the first time in what felt like days. She closed her eyes, took a deep breath, and exhaled slowly, a weight visibly lifting from her. Intrigued by her reaction, I walked over and gently pulled her aside, ensuring Holly couldn’t overhear.

“Are you alright?” I whispered, tilting her chin up to meet my gaze.

She nodded faintly and murmured, “Yes.” But then, she looked at me with an intensity that made me pause, as though she’d uncovered something the rest of us had missed. “I don’t know what deal he had with the Jameson’s or how they managed to rope him into all of this... but Mason is a good man,” she said softly, her eyes shimmering with unshed tears.

I pulled her into a comforting embrace, patting her back gently. “Yes,” I replied, though her words left me confused. “He is a good man.”

****

Ava’s POV

Back at the penthouse, a strange sense of peace washed over me. I couldn’t help but notice how Holly’s face lit up whenever she spoke of Mason as her hero. Her admiration for him was almost tangible. It was bittersweet.

Mason betrayed me. He lied to me. He entered my life under false pretenses, deceiving me in ways I never thought possible. Yet, he never hurt me. He never laid a hand on me or my sister.

His confession echoed in my mind—the moment he told me my father wanted me dead but he never got the chance to carry out the mission.

Mason had so many opportunities to do just that if he wanted to. During those days we spent alone, he could have slipped poison into my drink, strangled me in my sleep, or even worse, ended my life in a way so brutal it wouldn’t leave a trace of doubt. But he didn’t.

Instead, he saved Holly.

I couldn’t ignore that truth, no matter how conflicted I felt. He didn’t just spare me; he protected her, even when it put himself at risk. Somehow, I believed Mason had wanted to be caught, and wanted his actions to come to light.

Deep down, I was certain the Jamesons held something over him, blackmailed him in a way he couldn’t escape. But that didn’t erase the fact that he’d betrayed me. And as he’d told Holly, he would do it all over again.

“What’s on your mind?” Orion’s voice pulled me out of my thoughts as I slipped into bed next to him.

Holly had already showered and fallen fast asleep before I left her room, her soft snores a small comfort in the quiet night.

“Nothing much,” I whispered, lying through my teeth. “Just... clarity about everything.”

I snuggled closer to him, seeking the warmth and solace only he could provide. He kissed the top of my head, wrapping his arms around me like a shield from the storm brewing in my mind.

“You better get some sleep, Mrs. Miller,” he murmured, his voice low and steady. “Tomorrow, we’re ending this game once and for all.”

I nodded, holding him tightly as if letting go would unravel me. The game was coming to an end, and I would make sure it did—no matter the cost.