Orion’s POV

I stared at Ava, her words still echoing in my head like a cruel joke. A divorce? I couldn’t even wrap my mind around it. This wasn’t happening again. It couldn’t be happening. Ava was mine, and no piece of paper would change that.

The fact that she wants to leave me so badly, fueled my unreasonable determination to keep her.

She crossed her arms, her gaze steady and unforgiving. “I’ll have everything worked out by next week,” she said, her voice cold, devoid of any warmth. “The lawyers will draft the papers. All you have to do is sign them.”

A bitter laugh escaped me, sharp and cutting. “You think I’m going to let you walk away? Just like that?”

“Yes,” she said simply, her confidence like a slap to my face. “I expect you to cooperate, Orion. This is pointless. We weren’t meant to work in the first place—I just refused to see it.”

I took a step closer, my chest heaving with the weight of my emotions that surprised me. “You are my wife,” I said, my voice low and dangerous. “And it will always be that way. You’ll never leave me, Ava. Not in this lifetime.”

“Watch and see,” she snapped, her tone fierce, matching the fire in her eyes. “You don’t own me, Orion. Not anymore.”

My jaw tightened as her words pierced through me like jagged shards of glass. “Oh, I get it now,” I said, my tone dripping with venom. “You’re leaving me for him, aren’t you? Mason. That’s what this is all about.”

Her eyes narrowed, her lips curling into a mocking smirk. “Maybe I am,” she said, her voice taunting. “Maybe if I married Mason, I’d finally have some peace in my life. Something that has been missing from my life since my father fucking put me in this mess!”

I took another step forward, my hands curling into fists at my sides. “Don’t you dare say Mason’s name like that. You think he can give you what I can’t? Peace? You barely even know this man, Ava.”

“At least he can protect me,” she shot back, her voice rising. “You weren’t there, Orion! You left me to die!”

“I made a mistake!” I roared, the words ripping from my throat like a confession I’d been holding back for far too long. “I thought I was doing the right thing, Ava. I thought you’d be safe!”

“Safe?” she repeated, her voice breaking. “Do you even hear yourself? You chose Chloe, Orion. You chose her over me and it will always be that way. And now you want to stand here and act like you care?”

“I do care!” I yelled, my chest heaving. “You’re mine, Ava. You’ve always been mine.”

She let out a bitter laugh, the sound hollow and cruel. “You don’t get to claim me anymore, Mr Miller. I’m done. I’m done with your family, your drama, your illusions. I’m done with this.”

Her words were like a knife to my gut, twisting and tearing at everything I thought I knew. Why am I fighting this? I should let her go but I can’t seem to.

“You’re not leaving,” I said, my voice trembling with barely contained rage. “You can fight me, scream at me, hate me all you want, but you’re not leaving this marriage. Not now. Not ever.”

Her chin lifted defiantly, her eyes blazing with determination. “Then get ready to argue in court, Orion, because I’m leaving. With or without your permission.”

I stared at her, the weight of her words crashing down on me like a tidal wave. “You’ll regret this,” I said, my voice low and menacing.

“No, Orion,” she said, her voice calm and steady. “I’ll finally be free.”

The air between us crackled with tension, thick and suffocating. We were both breathing heavily, the room charged with the weight of our emotions.

“You want to run to Mason?” I spat, the jealousy clawing at me like a beast. “Fine. Go ahead. See how long he lasts before he can’t handle you anymore.”

She stepped closer, her eyes blazing with fury. “Maybe I will,” she said, her voice shaking. “Maybe Mason will actually treat me like a human being, instead of a possession to be disposed of. Maybe he’ll give me the peace and respect that you never could.”

My chest tightened at her words, the thought of her with Mason like a dagger to my heart. “You are nothing, Ava! You are my father’s whore. You were passed down to me like a property and I’ll be damned if I let another man have you.”

I saw the hurt in her eyes and my chest tightened the more. I didn’t mean it to come out the way it did. Fuck, I don’t know what I’m even fighting for.

“Fuck you.”

Before I could respond, the heart monitor beside her bed started beeping wildly, the sharp, erratic sound slicing through our argument like a knife. My eyes darted to the machine, panic flooding my veins.

“Ava?” I said, my voice softening as I took a step toward her.

“Stay away from me,” she said, recoiling as I reached out to her. Her reaction was like a punch to the gut, stealing the air from my lungs.

The door burst open, and Mason stormed in, his eyes locking onto Ava with concern. “What’s going on?” he demanded, rushing to her side.

I stood there, frozen, as he placed a hand on her arm, his touch gentle, his voice soothing. “Ava, it’s okay. I’m here.”

The sight of him touching her, comforting her, was enough to send my blood boiling. But I didn’t move. I couldn’t. For her sake, I stayed rooted to the spot, my fists clenched at my sides.

“Orion,” Mason said, his tone laced with accusation. “Get out. You’re making things worse.”

I glared at him, my jaw tight. “You don’t get to tell me what to do,” I growled.

“Orion,” Ava said, her voice weak but firm. “Please. Just go. We are done.”

Her words were like a dagger to my heart, but I forced myself to nod. “Fine,” I said, my voice cold. “I’ll go. But this isn’t over, Ava. You think you can leave me? Think again.”

I turned and stormed out of the room, the sound of my footsteps echoing down the hallway. As I reached the end of the corridor, I stopped, my hands trembling with the force of my anger.

She wanted a divorce? She wanted to leave me for Mason?

Over my dead body.

As I stepped into the elevator, I made a silent vow to myself.

Ava could fight me all she wanted, but she was mine. And I would make damn sure she stayed that way.

Even if it meant chaining her to my bed.