Ava's POVI stared at the message with a blank expression, and a multitude of thoughts started racing through my mind.The night before, he mentioned being with Denis at a bar, but I began to wonder if it could have been a lie.I was annoyed, but then I realized that we hadn't included in the contract that he was not allowed to have a relationship with other women.But, upon further reflection, I realized that my previous stance was indeed self-centred. How could I expect him to endure two years without being with a woman, especially when I clearly stated the prohibition of any intimate contact in private in the contract?However, I still had my doubts. The potential scandal of him being accused of cheating would undoubtedly tarnish his reputation.Or was it just because I didn't like it? Was it because of the jealousy and anger I felt towards the anonymous lady who wouldn't stop sending me weird messages?After a while, I angrily went to bed and made an effort to avoid thinking about
Ava's POV"Wah dah! This can't be," I exclaimed while checking our last conversation. The most recent message on my phone was the one where I had commented on the bodyguards looking like assassins."Perhaps you were tired. Or it was a dream that appeared very realistic," Tom stated, and I shook my head."No Tom, it wasn't a dream. I'm being serious. You sent me a message telling me not to call you because you were with someone. Or did you use a different phone?" I inquired, but he simply shook his head."I didn't," he said, and I collected his phone."I want to go through your call logs. I called repeatedly." I informed him while looking through his call logs, but to my surprise, there were no records of me calling him that night, "Are you kidding me? Where did they all go?" I asked, and he looked at Elise and Denis."She tends to get overworked sometimes," he said, but I ignored him and proceeded to check his messages."Huh? You sent me that message, I'm very sure of it, but they are
Ava's POVI fought to free myself from the grip, but I was held tightly."Let go! Let go of me!" I managed to utter, and for a brief moment, the grip loosened, allowing me to seize my opportunity.Without hesitation, I stepped hard on the foot of whoever was behind me, causing them to push me away.I quickly turned around to face the person. However, they were completely covered in a black cloak, wearing a hood and a mask."Move any closer to me, and I swear I'll scream," I threatened, but before I could finish my sentence, something sharp whizzed past me.I let out a small scream as I realized that it was a dagger.Suddenly, the figure in the cloak charged towards me, grabbing my hair and forcefully covering my mouth with a strong hand.Despite the firm grip, the flesh felt tender, and I could tell that it belonged to a female."Doing this won't help you," I managed to mumble, but my words were barely audible due to the muffled sound, and the intense pressure against my mouth made it
Tom's POVI watched Ava from where I sat as she gently brought the glass to her lips. I couldn't quite pinpoint the reason, but with each passing day, she seemed to grow more and more beautiful.I smiled at her, feeling happy with how close we had become. However, my smile quickly faded as I noticed she wasn't drinking. Instead, her gaze was fixed on Elise, who appeared to be growing increasingly uncomfortable."Is…there some..thing on my face, or is there…something you want to tell me?" Elise asked, causing Ava to drop her glass on the table."Your lip, it's busted. How did that happen?" Ava inquired, and Elise instinctively touched her injured lip. I could notice how uncomfortable she was.I saw the way Ava narrowed her eyes, and I immediately knew that she was suspecting Elise of being the person who had attacked her last night, but I felt it was a bit too much.Elise seemed like a sweet person who I felt had a crush on Denis. I couldn't imagine her being so violent as to try to ha
Tom's POVI leaned in closer to her and continued kissing her without pausing.Our lips began to make sweet sounds, which made me even more aroused.I gently laid her down on the bed and started to trail my tongue from her lips down to her neck. And with care, I slowly removed her clothes and then her bra, which made her breasts protrude.Christ! Her breasts were alluring and beautiful, so without further delay, my lips found their way to them and began to suckle them sweetly.Ava began to moan softly, and I could feel my dick getting harder at the sound of her moans.I gently explored her right nipple with my tongue while teasing her left nipple with my finger.After a while of sucking and playing with her breasts, I freed my dick from its confinement, and I could see how her eyes sparkled with an intensity I understood; she was probably excited to have me inside her.This was like a dream come true 'cause I have been dying to have sex with her.She took off her clothes without hesit
Tom's POV"Missing?? What do you mean by she's missing? How certain are you that she is actually missing?" I asked, rising from my seat."Her phone was turned off, and Elise told me that she had been trying to reach her for almost an hour now but couldn't get to her," he replied, and without hesitation, I left the cafe with Denis following closely behind me."How did you know I was here?" I asked him as I brought out my phone from my pocket.I knew I was supposed to ask more questions concerning Ava's disappearance, but I couldn't suppress the overwhelming emotions welling up inside me.I blamed myself. I should have acted immediately when she was attacked in that alley. I couldn't believe I overlooked it as a potential danger."I searched for you in the hotel but couldn't find you anywhere there, so I had no option but to search in the streets," he responded, and I motioned to the bodyguards who had been patiently waiting outside the cafe. They sensed my desperation and swiftly made
Ava's POV"Oh my goodness!" I exclaimed, approaching the edge. I couldn't believe I was out on the water, so far from the hotel.I held up my index finger, trying to process the situation that seemed surreal. However, I couldn't help but freak out as I came to the realization that the situation was just as real as my existence.Immediately, I frantically searched my pockets for my phone, only to discover that it was not on me. In hindsight, I realized how foolish I had been, as I should have known that the first thing Elise would have done was to take my phone away.I bit my lip and ran my hands through my hair."You should calm down, Madame. Is this what you are looking for?" I suddenly heard a voice behind me ask, and I turned to see Elise raising my phone in her hand.I didn't even notice when she had come to lean on the taffrail, standing at a distance."Elise?" I called, turning to face her, as I felt rage rushing through me."What do I see in your eyes? Anger? That's too bad. I
Tom's POV"What?" I asked in shock, and he scoffed."It's not my fault we are both bi," he said like it didn't matter."I don't care if you're bi or not. My wife is not to be touched," I said with a menacing tone. But to my surprise, he abruptly ended the call."Are they both bi?" George asked, his eyes widened in surprise, and I simply nodded in response.Both of them had approached me, introducing themselves as representatives from a company and quickly flashing their business cards.Upon reflection, I came to the realization that I had been overly trusting. It was obvious that they had ulterior motives for approaching me; it was either for the money or…for bi-sexual reasons.I had foolishly fallen into their facade of professionalism and hired them as our tour guides, not knowing they had dirty thoughts.I glanced at my phone and noticed that Elise had sent a message from Ava's phone. This meant there was a chance that Ava's phone was still switched on. However, I hesitated to make
Tom's POVThe idea of getting married had always been daunting to me because it represented a lifelong commitment.It was not something I could easily walk away from, but the way she asked me about it gave me a sense of excitement. It made me feel like there was a lot to expect from her. After all, ever since our relationship began, we had been able to overcome many obstacles and challenges, which had only brought us closer than contract marriage partners typically would be."Alright, that's it. Well, since you guys need to come to a better and more sincere decision, I'll be on my way," Melody announced. She gave Ava a deep hug and left the restaurant.After staring at Melody for a long while, Ava's gaze returned to meet mine."I don't know about you, but I want to spend a lifetime with you. I can't imagine being with anyone else now. I don't want us to see where this goes, I want us to take us where it goes. And Chris won't have power over us anymore, because this time, we'll go thr
Tom's POVAva and I exchanged a fearful glance as terror gripped us.Had Chris heard or seen us approaching, or was he angry because I hadn't shown any fear when he talked about detaining Melody?Ava swallowed and took the first step. After three more steps, she broke into a run and smashed through the window. It was quite impressive how forceful she was. How on earth could a woman break through a window?I followed in her footsteps and saw a trail of blood coming from the hall.My eyes widened and immediately I tried to stop Ava from running headfirst into whatever was waiting for us, but she was too fast.As soon as she reached the end of the hall, she let out a scream and instinctively placed her hand on her chest before bolting into the living room.I followed her and found Chris on the floor, blood pouring from his leg.Melody still had her gun pointed at him, but Ava hugged her tightly as if she had been raised from the dead.Tears streamed down Melody's cheeks, but her grip on
Ava's POVChris had abducted Melody, there was no other way to put it, but I still clung to Tom because he was at his most vulnerable at that moment and wasn't ready to deal with anything else.As his tears continued to fall, I felt conflicted.I was afraid for Melody's safety in the hands of the reckless Chris, and afraid that if I interrupted this moment with Tom, I might never experience anything like it again.I held him closer, and for a moment he remained still. He rested in my embrace, perhaps reflecting on the painful memories he had been made to endure.We were there for about half an hour, and the entire time was filled with a sick feeling of worry for me.Finally, he pulled away from me and stood up."Wine for us? I believe we have no secrets now," he remarked, and I nodded with a faint smile. "Is something bothering you?" He asked, sitting down again."Are you feeling better now?" I asked, gently touching his tear-streaked face."I never thought I could cry, but you seem t
Ava's POV"Are you telling the truth? Will you really tell me everything, no matter what happens?" I asked.He was silent for a while but eventually spoke. "I will tell you everything, no matter what happens. I promise you, Ava.""Is that Tommy?" Dora suddenly asked, bursting into a high cackle."Oh, um, Tom. She's here. Dora is here," I said uncomfortably as she began to approach me."What?! Dora?? Where? Where are you, Ava?""We are in the parking lot," I replied immediately. "She told me she wants coffee, cigarettes, and her brother.""Take her to the closest coffee shop and get her whatever she wants. I'll be there soon," he told me before I ended the call."You want coffee right?" I asked her, my voice a bit shaky."I thought you weren't going to give me any," she raised a brow at me."I've changed my mind. Tom said to give you whatever you want.""Oh, my sweet Tommy. I always knew he still had feelings for me.""But what exactly happened between you two?" I quipped."He tried to
Tom's POVThe nurse explained to me how they had gone to Dora's room to offer her treatment, but found out that she wasn't there.They had tried calling Chris, but he was wanted so his phone was turned off. Then they had called me, but I had also been unreachable.When I had gone to visit her some days ago, I was asked to provide all of my contact numbers, so I included my office number as well and it turned out to be the only way for them to reach me now."Are there any CCTV cameras?" I inquired, and the nurse let out a sigh."The last time she was seen, she walked into the staff toilet and never came out. When it was checked again, it was discovered that she had stolen the clothes of a nurse and left her unconscious. At the time, no one suspected her, so she was able to run out," she explained, her voice trembling slightly."So?" I asked."We think she might go to visit any of her relatives. Maybe you or her brother," she finished, and I licked my lips."It's fine. If she comes to s
Ava's POVI was about to open my room door, but then I remembered that Chris had made me lock it from the inside. I realized that I would probably have to find another room to sleep in. I quickly went into the room next to mine and slammed the door in anger. Then I flopped down on the bed, staring up at the ceiling.It was so frustrating that he didn't feel ready to tell me anything about Dora. He wasn't prepared to narrate the whole thing to me, leaving me in the dark.The fact that I had trusted and loved him blindly brought tears to my eyes.How could you tell someone you loved them and still refuse to let them know all there was to you?I hated secrets. I hated liars, and I hated deceivers!!With that thought, I found myself drifting off to sleep.The night I had had indeed been an eventful one, full of fear and anxiety.*************The next morning, I woke up at dawn, took a shower, looked through the wardrobe for clothes set aside for unexpected guests, and chose an outfit.
Ava's POVI was dumbstruck; I mean completely speechless."Wait, isn't that Tom's wife? The new girl he loves?" She started to shout. "Ha, she's not as pretty as we thought." She then paused and looked around. "Hey guys, why were we scared? Obviously, it's because we didn't expect a stranger. I can't believe he ended up saving her after all. If it weren't for us, she would have lost her fingers. Why did you even tell him the location? You should have just let her hands rot. She doesn't need them."The way she spoke to herself was unnerving. Suddenly, she began to laugh like a maniac, and I found myself breathing faster out of fear of what she might do."Does Tom think he'll lead a good life after ending mine? No!! I'll make him miserable too. I'll make him share my hospital room and laugh with me, too!" she promised as she ran her hands over her bed.I stumbled back a few steps.."He… he made you like this?" I asked in a shaky voice.In a fit of bubbling rage, she angrily demanded, "A
Ava's POVI gasped, and my phone slipped from my grasp."Raise them. Those hands," he said slowly, and my hands shot up to the ceiling immediately. "Good. Now, any little, stupid sound that I don't approve of, and I'll blast your head," he threatened softly, causing my eyes to close tightly.He was dressed entirely in black, with a black cap covering his head.He then moved closer to me; even with my eyes closed, I could feel his presence growing stronger.My limbs trembled, and it seemed like I would collapse any moment. "You need to lock the door," he whispered into my ear, his voice dangerously close, as he pressed the gun against the back of my neck.My legs sprang into action instantly, a little too fast."I'm not trying to run away. I'm not," I assured him in a wavering voice as I proceeded to lock my door.With the tip of the gun in his hands, he forcefully pushed me to the bed while he leaned against the nightstand, carefully observing me."You must think you've won. Everythi
Tom's POVMr. Roger looked nervous as he had finally confessed their greed, and as he met my expressionless eyes, it seemed he understood the gravity of what he had done."That's why they were so adamant," he explained, his eyes darting from Henry to me. "I actually wanted to pull out, but I had already used the money for my wife's surgery, and there wasn't really any way of getting it back." He moistened his lips nervously as he spoke."So are you saying that he successfully bribed the entire board too?" Henry asked.Mr. Roger shook his head. "No. A few persons rejected the money because they wanted to stick with Mrs. Lockwood. And I really wanted to, but I …""I can imagine the others saying exactly what you're saying - making excuses. But excuses don't cover up what you've done. Mrs. Lockwood will be the one to decide whether or not to expose you," I announced, noticing fear crossing his eyes."I… I know what I did was wrong…," he stuttered, avoiding my gaze.**************Ava wen