Ava’s POV

The last image I saw before being dragged away was Chloe and Orion locked in a passionate embrace, like I had become nothing more than a shadow in their world. Orion even dared look at me as the men hauled me out of the house with pity in his eyes.

A flicker of hope had burned in my chest—a foolish, desperate thought that perhaps, to save face in front of the guards and servants, he would choose me. But he didn’t. He let them take me.

“I hate you!” I wanted to scream those words until my throat bled, but they never came.

The rough hands of the kidnapper flung me into the backseat of a black car like I weighed nothing. Another man—face concealed behind a hood and black mask—sat waiting in the driver’s seat. The car screeched away, tires biting the pavement. My heart pounded against my ribs as I struggled, thrashing against the duct tape binding my wrists.

“Let me go!” My voice cracked, but the man in the back with me grabbed my face roughly, pressing a cloth against my nose and mouth.

A sharp, chemical smell flooded my senses, and the world around me blurred into darkness.

---

When I woke, the first thing I felt was the cold seeping through my gown. The floor beneath me was hard and filthy, stained with oil and dust. My head throbbed like I’d been trampled by a horse, the remnants of whatever drug they’d used still lingering. Slowly, I forced my eyes open, only to slam them shut again as harsh sunlight poured through a cracked window.

It was morning or mid afternoon.

I slept here? Like this?

Disgust clawed at my throat, the realization settling in. I was still in the same dirt-streaked gown, now torn at the hem and stained with grime. I wanted to vomit, to submerge myself in water until I felt clean again. Instead, I blinked through my tears, forcing myself to sit up against the peeling walls of what looked like an abandoned warehouse.

Footsteps echoed from somewhere nearby, followed by hushed voices. The kidnappers.

I froze as the door creaked open. Two figures entered—both clad in black, their faces partially hidden behind a black mask. One of them sauntered toward me, his boots dragging across the dirt-streaked floor.

“Mmm, looks like Sleeping Beauty finally woke up,” he sneered.

I flinched at the sound of his voice—gravelly, mocking.

“Mmmph,” I tried to speak, but the duct tape sealed my mouth shut.

“Take that off,” the second man muttered. “Let’s hear what the Miller princess has to say.”

The first kidnapper ripped the tape from my mouth. Pain burned across my skin, but I swallowed the scream, choosing instead to plead.

“Please... let me go. I don’t know who you are or why you’re doing this, but I can give you whatever you want. Money, connections... please.”

The first man laughed, low and cruel. “Chill out, sweetheart. We’re not here for your money. We’re just trying to have a little fun.”

“Fun?” My voice trembled.

He crouched down, his dirty fingers trailing down my chin to the exposed skin of my collarbone. I recoiled, pressing myself further against the wall.

“Don’t be stupid,” the second man barked, yanking him back. “That’s not part of the plan.”

“Relax, I was just messing around,” the first one replied with a smirk. “No one said she’d be this hot. How am I supposed to resist?”

Their words twisted my stomach, but then they started whispering to each other, just loud enough for me to catch fragments.

“The plan is working perfectly.”

“Soon enough, we’ll get his order to dispose of her.”

Dispose of her. The words cut through me like a blade. My heart froze. “Dispose of me?” I blurted. “Whose orders? Who are you talking about?”

“None of your business, princess,” the second man snapped.

I forced a bitter laugh, masking the terror racing through me. “What does it matter if I know? You’re going to kill me anyway. I’ll die with the secret.”

The men exchanged a look, almost amused. Then the first man shrugged. “Your darling husband, Orion Miller.”

The room seemed to spin.

“No... no, you’re lying,” but even as I said it, I knew that I was the one lying. If he can poison my seventeen year old sister, who said he can’t arrange for me to be killed?

“Orion said he deserves a happy life with his girlfriend.” The man smirked. “And you? You’re in the way of everything.”

Fury surged through me, fierce and uncontrollable. Orion had arranged this? He couldn’t just divorce me; he had to kill me? Memories of his threats flooded back. “This marriage is till death do us part. If you want to leave so badly, I’ll arrange for you to die.”

Tears burned my eyes, but I refused to let them fall. I would not let these men see me break. You’ll pay for this, Orion. If I survived, I would destroy him.

The men moved away to talk in hushed voices. My hands ached from the tape, and I shifted, remembering something—my phone. It was still in the pocket of my gown. My pulse quickened.

Wiggling my bound hands, I maneuvered my body until I felt the edge of the phone against my hip. Please still work. After what felt like an eternity of fumbling, I slipped the phone into my lap. My fingers shook as I unlocked it, barely able to type.

Help. Kidnapped.

I typed Mason Brown’s name into the message and hit send, praying he’d get it. My location followed automatically. I shoved the phone beneath me just as I heard their footsteps returning.

The door creaked open.

“Still here, huh?” The first man’s voice was taunting. “Surprised your husband gave up on you so easily. Can’t blame him, though. Useless little thing like you.”

I glared at him, my body shaking with anger. “You don’t know anything about me.”

“Don’t I?” he said, stepping closer. “Seems like even your husband wants you gone.”

Then, to my horror, my phone buzzed.

The kidnappers froze. “What was that?”

No.

The first man lunged toward me. “Where is it?” He shoved me hard, searching me with rough hands until he found the phone. He held it up, his face twisted in rage.

“You stupid little bitch!” He smashed the phone against the floor, the pieces scattering.

“No!” I screamed, my voice cracking.

Before I could react, he slapped me across the face—once, twice, until my skin burned. Tears streamed down my cheeks as he grabbed my gown, tearing the fabric at the shoulder.

The second man pulled him back. “Stop it! This isn’t part of the plan.”

“I don’t care!” the first man roared. “She’s nothing but a—”

He slapped me again, harder this time, until blood trickled from my lip. Then he leaned down, his breath hot and foul against my cheek. He licked the blood off my face. I squirmed, biting back my sobs as disgust and fear consumed me.

Just then, the door burst open.

The room exploded with noise as police swarmed in, shouting commands. My vision blurred as the kidnappers cursed and scrambled to flee. The sound of boots echoed toward me, and suddenly, a figure emerged through the chaos, running toward me.

A jacket was draped around my shoulders, shielding me. My breath caught.

The last person I expected to see was the one who knelt before me, his face a mix of relief and guilt.

“Orion?”