Ava

I stayed on the floor, my hand pressed to my throat, each ragged breath burning in my lungs. My ears were ringing from his words, the promise of death echoing louder than the vase shattering across the room.

For a second, I couldn’t move. Not out of fear, but from the realization of just how far Orion had fallen. Or maybe, how blind I’d been all along.

He was a monster.

Slowly, I forced myself to stand, my legs shaky beneath me. I wiped at the tears streaking my face, hating how weak I must’ve looked, how much satisfaction that would’ve given him.

“The only way out of this is till death do us part.”

The words replayed in my head, each one heavier than the last. For so long, I’d tried to find the man beneath the arrogance, beneath the cold exterior. I’d searched for the broken pieces of him, thinking maybe—just maybe—I could put him back together. But there was nothing to fix. The darkness I saw tonight was the truth of who Orion Miller really was.

And now I needed to survive him.

I dragged myself to the mirror. My reflection stared back—red marks blooming on my neck like a violent confession. I leaned in closer, staring into my own eyes. “You’re not broken,” I whispered to myself. It was a promise I needed to hear aloud. “You will not let him break you.”

A plan began to take root, small and fragile, but it was there. Orion thought he had the power to control me, to trap me in this marriage like some trophy. But he underestimated me. He always had.

He didn’t know the lengths I’d go to for freedom.

I turned toward the shattered vase on the floor. A shard of porcelain gleamed under the light, sharp and jagged. I crouched, hesitating for a moment before wrapping my fingers around it. A cut bloomed across my palm, crimson dripping against the white porcelain. The pain grounded me.

This wouldn’t be my life. I refuse to let Orion win.

The sound of footsteps echoed from the hallway—he was still there, lingering on the other side of the door. Maybe waiting for me to cry. My fingers clenched tighter around the shard. I wouldn’t give him the satisfaction.

Bringing Peter back into my life was the last straw. The hellish childhood and nightmare I tried so hard to escape found me. All thanks to Orion.

I walked over to the vanity table, grabbed my phone, and dialed Mason’s number. He answered on the second ring.

“Ava?” His voice was filled with concern. “Is everything okay?”

I swallowed the lump in my throat, forcing my voice steady. “No. I need your help.”

A pause, then, “Where are you?”

“I’m at home. Meet me tomorrow. The Crème Cafe. I’ll explain everything when we meet.”

“Are you sure that you’re ok?”

No. Nothing about this was ok. But I will come out of it and I’ll come out stronger.

“I will be. I’ll see you tomorrow, Mason,” I said firmly and ended the call.

As I set the phone down, I caught my reflection once more. The bruises were already starting to darken. This time, I didn’t look away. I wanted to remember this moment—the night Orion showed me exactly who he was.

Because soon enough, he’d learn exactly who I was, too.

And when I walked away, it wouldn’t just be from this marriage. It would be from the ashes of everything he thought he owned.

I wasn’t leaving as a victim. I was leaving as the woman who destroyed him.

I walked to the old box on the bed and opened it again, the contents staring right at me. The real answers I had hoped for weren’t there.

I wanted to know how Richard was related to my mother. If he called my mother his sister, it means Orion and I have every reason to divorce. But nothing linked to that piece of information was in the box.

I dropped onto the edge of the bed, my fingers tracing the edges of the old box, hoping it would somehow spill its secrets if I touched it long enough. The papers inside felt heavier than they should’ve—like they were holding answers I wasn’t ready for.

I pulled out the first document again, my stomach twisting at the sight of the bold letters at the top. The name of Orion’s company mocked me. The empire he guarded like his life depended on it. And here it was, proof of ownership in my mother’s maiden name.

It didn’t make sense. My mother had been dead long before Orion ever dreamed of his company. So why would her name be on these shares?

And then it hit me.

Richard.

Orion’s father bought these shares. Not for himself, but under my mother’s name. And if that wasn’t confusing enough, he’d prepared another document—one that transferred the shares to me. My name, clear as day.

He’d sent this box to me years ago. I could feel it in my gut now. It was him. But why? Why would Richard, of all people, do something like this? And how did he even know my mother?

I let the documents slip from my hands, staring blankly at the floor. The pieces were there, but the picture they painted was still a blur. If Richard bought these shares in my mother’s name, it meant one thing: they had history. Real history.

Did they grow up together? Were they friends? Were they... more? The thought made my head spin. Whatever the truth was, it felt like Richard had set me up for this exact moment. He knew what kind of man his son would turn out to be. And somehow, he’d known I’d need this leverage one day.

It was almost like he saw this coming.

I scanned the box again, hoping for anything—a letter, a photo, a note. Something that would explain why he’d done this. Why me? Why my mother. But there was nothing. The silence was unbearable, and before I knew it, I’d screamed and thrown the box against the wall. It hit with a thud, papers flying everywhere.

I sat there for a second, my chest rising and falling, trying to pull myself together. I tucked the documents back into the box and hid it. No way was I letting Orion get anywhere near this.

As I straightened up, my mind flashed back to his face—cold, smug, his hands wrapped around my throat. “The only way out of this is till death do us part.”

I let out a bitter laugh, shaking my head. He had no idea what he had gotten himself into. If Orion thought he could back me into a corner and just get rid of me, he was in for a rude awakening.

He’d made a mistake. A big one.

“You want me dead, Orion?” I whispered, my voice steady and low. “You’ll have to try harder than that. I’m not the one who’s going to lose.”

I’d be the one to take him down. And when I was done, he’d wish he’d never met me.