LAURA'S POV A sharp pain throbbed at the back of my head as I slowly regained consciousness. My body felt stiff, my limbs aching as if I had been in the same position for too long. My eyelids fluttered open, but darkness surrounded me. The air was thick and musty, carrying the faint scent of damp wood and something metallic – blood? My heart pounded in my chest. Where the hell was I? My stomach growled with hunger, my throat was dry as if I hadn't had water in hours. I tried to move, but something held me in place. Panic surged through me as I realized my wrists were bound behind me, and my ankles were tied together. My mouth was sealed shut with thick tape. I fought against the ropes, breathing hard as my heart pounded fast. This wasn’t happening. I rocked the chair back and forth, trying to loosen the ropes. My fingers curled into fists, nails digging into my palms as I yanked at the ropes. My body tipped sideways, and before I could stop myself, the chair crashed o
AVA’S POV Two days had passed since I was discharged from the hospital. The sterile walls of the hospital had been replaced by the sleek, modern interior of the second level of Alex’s penthouse, but no matter where I was, the ache in my heart followed. I sat by the window, watching the city lights flicker in the distance. The view was beautiful, but I couldn’t appreciate it. My mind was drowning in thoughts I wished I could escape. Alex had insisted I stay here, refusing to take no for an answer. He had seen the state I was in, how fragile I had become, and he wasn’t going to let me be alone. He assigned a bodyguard to keep an eye on me, making it clear that I wasn’t safe anymore. Not after everything that had happened at the hospital. Sally had moved in too, refusing to leave my side. She had always been my rock, the one person I could count on no matter what. But even with her presence, the loneliness in my heart didn’t fade. I hugged my knees to my chest, exhaling a slow b
JASON'S POV The moment my phone rang and I saw Alex’s name on the screen, I knew something was wrong. He had never called me before. I hesitated for a second before answering. “What is it?” My voice came out rougher than I intended, but I didn’t care. “She wants to meet.” I gripped the phone tighter. “Ava?” Alex let out a dry chuckle. “Who else?” Hearing her name sent a wave of emotions crashing over me. It had been days since I last saw her lying unconscious after being poisoned. I had always checked in to be sure she was okay but didn't go see her because I knew she wouldn't want to see me. And now, when she finally reached out, she couldn’t even call me herself. She told Alex instead. A bitter ache settled in my chest. I had become nothing to her. “Where and when?” I asked, pushing the pain aside. Alex gave me the details of some private location he had arranged, probably making sure it was safe. I understood why. We still hadn’t figured out if the nurse who tried
AVA’S POV The cold evening air brushed against my skin as I stepped out of the restaurant, my bodyguard trailing behind me. The place had been empty except for Jason, me, and my bodyguard. Alex had booked the whole restaurant for my safety, and while I understood why, it still made me uneasy. Everything felt different now. Ever since the poisoning incident, I had to watch my back constantly. Every time I stepped outside, I wondered if Laura was planning something else, waiting for the right moment to strike again. My life didn’t feel like my own anymore. It felt like I was just surviving, not living. I took a deep breath and walked toward the black Mercedes-Maybach car parked near the entrance. The city lights reflected on the sleek surface, making it glow under the night sky. As soon as I opened the door, I saw Alex sitting in the driver’s seat, waiting. His eyes met mine immediately, scanning me carefully as if searching for any signs of distress. “You okay?” he asked as I s
JASON'S POV I drove home in silence, gripping the steering wheel so tightly my knuckles turned white. My mind was a mess. The weight of everything that had just happened sat heavy in my chest. The divorce papers were signed. Ava was gone. It was official – I had lost her. I never thought this day would come. Even after everything, some part of me believed we could fix things, that maybe she would give me one more chance. But she didn’t. The moment I stepped into my house, I knew something was off. Laura was sitting on the couch, her face red and swollen. I haven't seen her since Kevin's birthday party and the last I heard from her was when she called me complaining about being transferred to a normal ward. She turned to look at me, her lips parting as if she had been waiting for me. “Jason,” she said, her voice soft, almost hesitant. I barely spared her a glance. My mind was elsewhere – on Ava. On the divorce papers I had signed. On the fact that I had lost her forever. But
AVA'S POV (THREE YEARS LATER) The sounds of the busy Paris streets floated into the apartment through the open balcony doors. Somewhere below, people were laughing, probably enjoying their evening. The sun was setting, casting a warm, golden light over everything. It made the whole city look like something out of a painting. I stood by the window, holding a cup of tea, letting the warmth of it seep into my hands. My eyes rested on the Eiffel Tower in the distance, its lights just starting to twinkle as the sky darkened. It had been three years since I left everything behind – my past, my pain, and the life that once felt like a never-ending nightmare. Paris had given me a second chance. At first, I had worked for Alex, helping him with his investments while learning the ropes of the business world. But after a year, I stepped out on my own and built something from scratch – Avaris Luxe Holdings, a luxury brand that had quickly expanded across Europe and Asia. It was my pas
JASON'S POV The morning air was cool as I drove through the city. Three years had passed, but nothing had changed – not really. I was still here, trapped in a life I didn’t want, still waking up every morning with the same dull ache in my chest. Laura was my fiancée now. At least, that’s what everyone believed. That’s what my father Richard expected. But I knew the truth – I was never going to marry her. I had never loved her. Ava was the only woman I had ever truly loved, and she was gone. I had spent three years pretending to move on, but it was all a lie. No woman had ever come close to making me feel what she did. No one ever would. And yet, here I was, playing the role Richard had forced on me, carrying a title that meant nothing. I pulled up to Laura’s apartment, shutting off the engine with a sigh. Today, I had promised to take Mason Laura's son to school. The boy wasn’t mine, yet he carried my last name. Richard had insisted on it, saying it was ‘best for the f
LAURA’S POV The door clicked shut, and I moved to the window, watching as Jason guided Mason toward the car. He bounced excitedly, gripping his backpack straps, while Jason followed behind calm and composed as ever. I knew Mason was excited to go to school with Jason. I had to lie to Jason that he was bullied at school because of not having a father figure so that Jason would take him. I gritted my teeth. This should have been a perfect picture – Jason taking Mason to school while I, his fiancée, watched from the window, feeling loved and secure. But it wasn’t. Because no matter what I did, Jason never looked at me the way I wanted. I pulled my robe tighter around me, the silky fabric cool against my skin. I had worn it for him this morning, hoping, praying that for once, his eyes would linger. That he’d want me. But of course, he didn’t just like always for the past three damn years. He barely spared me a glance, as if I were just a man wearing silk lingerie. I turned away
AVA'S POV It had been hours since that email came in, and I still couldn’t stop smiling. Not even a little. Vogue. Freaking Vogue. Every time I thought about it, my cheeks hurt a little more from grinning like an idiot. I should’ve been tired. I should’ve curled up and napped or maybe done something productive. But I didn’t want the moment to pass without doing something with it. And then it hit me – Emma. I hadn’t picked her up from school in a while. Rose usually handled it with her usual grace and mom's energy, but today… I wanted to do it myself. I tossed on some jeans and a soft cream knit sweater – something simple but still presentable. The weather was light enough for flats, and my hair was still air-dried from the bath earlier, tucked behind my ears. I didn’t even bother with makeup. Just lip balm and a little smile I couldn’t get rid of. The school wasn’t far, and traffic wasn’t terrible for once. When I got there and stepped out of the car, I scanned the small crowd
JASON’S POVThe moment they all noticed my presence, chairs pushed back and everyone stood up fast like soldiers waiting for orders. No one said a word. The air felt heavy, like the tension had soaked into the walls and the only sound heard was the low hum of the AC above.I looked around the table every face tight with nerves. Some tried to look busy. Some looked right at me. But when my eyes landed on Laura again, she looked away fast, pretending to focus on her notepad.I walked straight to the head of the table, pulled out my chair, and sat down. Everyone else followed. Laura was the last to sit. She moved slowly like her body knew what was coming even if she hadn’t admitted it to herself yet.I opened the folder in front of me and flipped a few pages. The sound echoed in the silence. No one dared speak. I didn’t rush. I let the quiet stretch. Let it press on everyone’s shoulders a little more. A few people glanced at each other. I caught Steph glancing toward Ben. Laura’s fingers
JASON’S POVI ended the call and tossed the phone on my desk. It landed with a loud thud. Steph and Ben stood there like statues like they were too scared to even blink. The room was thick with silence, and I could feel their eyes on me, waiting for whatever was going to happen next. “Steph, you can go,” I said, not even looking at her. She hesitated. “Uh… sir, my phone?” I looked down and realized I was still holding it. I picked it up from the desk and handed it to her without a word. She grabbed it and practically sprinted out of the office. I didn’t blame her. I could be very scary when I am angry. Ben shifted a little like he wasn’t sure if it was safe to speak. “Should I still gather the design team?” he asked quietly. I leaned back in my chair, staring at the wall for a second. I let out a slow breath, trying to cool the anger in my chest before I answered. “Push it back one hour.” Ben blinked. “One hour?” “I said one hour. We wait for Laura.” I said, my voice s
JASON’S POV I slammed the tablet on my desk so hard that Ben flinched. “Have you seen this crap?” I barked. Ben shifted awkwardly, standing a little straighter. “Yes, sir. It’s all over the internet.” I dragged a hand down my face, then leaned over the tablet again, jaw clenched. The headline burned into his eyes. I stared at the screen, my fists clenched. Every word in that article made my blood boil. “Storm Management Faces Backlash After Campbell's Group Runway Disaster.” “Campbell Group’s designs labeled uninspired, rushed, and low-quality.” And then the photos. One of Storm's management top models in Milan walked down the runway while the sides of her dress split wide open. I could see the moment on her face – shock, embarrassment, trying to stay professional while the cameras flashed. It was a disaster. A very public one. And my company’s name was all over it. Everyone in the world already knew about it. Beneath that, editorials ripped the collection apart. “Un
AVA’S POV I arrived at the hotel and it was ridiculous. In a good way. Like, over-the-top, velvet-everywhere, fountain-in-the-lobby kind of ridiculous. The kind of place that didn’t just want to impress you – it wanted to slap you in the face with money and say, this is how the other half lives. I’d been in luxury spaces before, obviously, but this one was on a different level. It was the kind of place you don’t just walk into – you glide, like you’re supposed to belong. A sharply dressed concierge met me the moment I walked in, addressed me by name, and immediately led me to the elevator without asking any questions. It was like she knew me already. No waiting, no nonsense. Just pure efficiency wrapped in gold trim. I took a quiet breath as the elevator rose. I don’t know why I was nervous. I shouldn’t have been. This was my world. This was what I did. I have met a lot of important people – she wasn't the first and she wouldn't be the last. Still… I guess something about bei
AVA'S POV TWO DAYS LATER I walked into the office just after seven, coffee in hand and hair properly styled. The city outside was still waking up, but I was already halfway through my to-do list. It felt good to be early – like I had a head start on the day. The tightness in my chest wasn’t there anymore I won't say it was fully gone, but it was looser somehow. Lighter. Maybe it was because the storm had finally calmed down. The interview, the red carpet buzz, Sienna’s support – it all helped. So did the talk with Alex. We’d cleared the air. Things didn’t feel as tense between us anymore, and I could breathe without second-guessing everything I said around him. But of course, there was still one problem. One name that kept showing up on my phone like an itch I couldn’t reach. Jason. He was blowing up my phone with calls, texts, and even voice notes, though I never listened to those. He didn’t stop. Every morning, I’d tell myself, Just block him, Ava. Be done with it. And
AVA’S POV I watched Alex walk into the sitting room. He looked tired like he had a lot on his mind, but he still managed a small smile. I followed him, and we both sat down on the couch. For a few seconds, it was quiet between us. Just the soft hum of the fridge in the kitchen and the voice of a man speaking on the television. Then he turned his head to look at me. “Are you okay?” he asked gently. I blinked. “Yeah… why?” He gave a small shrug. “I don’t know. You’ve just been… different lately.” I tilted my head. “Different how?” I asked, even though I already knew what he meant. “You’re uncomfortable,” he said simply, looking me in the eyes. “With me.” I opened my mouth to deny it, but I hesitated. He looked serious. Like he’d been thinking about this for a while. “I’m not uncomfortable,” I said, even though my voice sounded unsure. “Ava,” he said, his voice soft but steady. “I know you. You can say whatever you want, but I can feel it. You’ve been pulling back ever
ALEX’S POV The second the words left my mouth "Which one?” I knew I’d set something off. But I didn’t care. I was angry. I’d been quietly sitting there, watching Jason and Ava relive their memories like they were the stars of some perfect little love story. Laughing, finishing each other’s sentences. Remembering things that didn’t include me. And it made my heart clench because, after all these years of being close to Ava, we didn’t have anything like that. Not one fun moment. Not one memory that could make a room go quiet. And now Laura – Laura had the nerve to stand there and try to paint Jason as Mason’s father. Right in front of me. The nerve she has. She stiffened. Her fingers twitched around Mason’s juice box. Her lips parted like she had something to say, but no words came out. Everyone just stared. Then, without saying anything, she stood up so fast her chair scraped the ground. “Mason,” she said quickly, forcing a smile as she gathered him up into her arms. “L
AVA’S POV The sun was already warming up the day, so we found a quiet spot near the edge of the park, shaded by tall trees. A few picnic tables were scattered beneath them, and we claimed one. The breeze made the leaves sway, casting shifting shadows across the bench. I sat first, setting Emma down beside me. She wasted no time cracking open her little lunchbox, digging through it like it was a treasure. Her curls, packed into a ponytail, bounced as she hummed a tune, entirely in her own world. I smiled and gently pushed a strand of hair out of her eyes. Jason came over with a sandwich in one hand, clearly planning to sit next to me. I didn’t say a word – I just shifted slightly and tapped the bench on the other side of Emma. “Sit here, sweetheart,” I said softly, nudging her toward me. Jason hesitated, sandwich mid-air, then gave this lazy little chuckle like nothing had happened. “Guess I would be standing,” he said. Emma giggled, not catching the subtext. “You can sit o