Ava's POV"Shit! Shit!! Shit!!! He is actually going to say it!" I exclaimed, rushing towards the 1TV as if I could somehow stop Miller from disclosing the details of our contract marriage to the whole world."Christ! Where is my phone?" Tom asked, frantically searching around."It's definitely in your pocket," I replied, turning to him, and he reached into his pocket and found his phone in it.In his moment of shock and fear, he had forgotten that the natural place for his phone to be when we were just returning from outside was in his pocket.His hands shook as he swore and tried to dial Chris' number hastily.I turned back to the television, worry etched on my face."I heard you have some exciting news for us today. Could you please begin by introducing yourself?" the female host asked, wearing a warm smile, while Chris responded with a smirk.In that moment, he pulled out his phone, causing his smirk to widen even more."Excuse me, I'll have to take this since I forgot to turn off
Ava's POVTom and I had a quiet dinner, mainly because I was still mulling over the fact that I was in love with him. As soon as I had reached that conclusion, everything became crystal clear to me.The reason I had been so scared to find out about my dirty pasts or Audrey when I still thought she was a man had all been because I didn't want things to fall apart with him.Now I know why I couldn't imagine my life without Tom; it was because I had fallen in love with him. But I knew that just because he was naturally charming didn't necessarily mean he felt the same way about me.What was I supposed to do? It felt like I had fallen into a deep hole from which I couldn't climb out. I was definitely in a fix."How did he find out about the contract?" I finally asked just to break the horrible silence."He had visited when you weren't around, and we had a small conversation. Then, he mentioned needing to use the restroom, so I provided him with directions," he began to explain. "He took
Ava's POVI took a deep breath and wiped my wet eyes. It was truly unbelievable because I had thought that things were only going to get worse, but this gave me hope that maybe things would be just fine with time."Ava, are you okay?" Tom asked. I looked up and saw him leaning against his car from a distance.I hurried towards him as quickly as my legs would allow. If possible, I would have soared through the air and embraced him tightly.When he had called me, I expected to hear bad news. But he had informed me that Tyler had been found and arrested.It was indeed a relief to hear, but the best part of the news was that the pictures were actually photoshopped.I was so happy that I didn't know when I let out a scream of relief and happiness. It was such a rare occurrence for two problems to be solved at once, and what made it even better was that what I had told Christopher Miller about the photos didn't have to be a lie; my words to him were the truth.Tyler had acted horribly; the
Ava's POVThe words I had just blurted out were irreversible. They had escaped my lips, eliciting a smile from Miller.Maybe I regretted it, maybe I didn't, but at that moment, I went emotionally numb.Did I just hand over all my hard work with words?"Done," he said, standing up and handing Tom a file. "You can either resign or, if you prefer, be fired by the board. And as for you, Tom, I still have the photocopies, so don't try anything with me. This was surprisingly simple. I didn't actually need a spy in your small company," he said, with a smirk on his face.As he turned away, I immediately felt a burning sensation in my throat, accompanied by a sting in my nose.Why on earth had I spoken up?Tom, on the other hand, remained silent for a while after Chris had left."You should know when to speak and when not to," he growled, staring in the direction of the door Chris had just walked out of."You're not the only one who would be impacted if the contract were to go viral. I would a
Ava's POVHe gave me a knowing look, sensing that something was off about my sudden change of expression. I found the look in his eyes quite endearing. It would be great if he also understood what it felt like to be humiliated and empathized with me.I couldn't be the only one constantly taking the falls, especially considering all the wrongs he had committed. He played a significant role in making my life miserable during my difficult times."What do you mean by that?" He asked, getting to his feet, his brows furrowed in confusion."Or maybe I don't need to apologize after all. I haven't been as cruel to you as you have been to me. Goodbye, Ethan. I think I'll resume my work now," I remarked, gathering more files that required my attention."What the hell do you mean by that?!! Must you continue to be cunning until the very end?" He asked with disdain, placing his hands firmly on my desk.Beneath his contempt, I could discern the faint echoes of fear reverberating through his words.
Tom's POV"What the hell do you think you're doing!?" I yelled the moment Chris picked up the call."What do you think I am doing, smarty pants?" Chris laughed."I promise you, if you lay a finger on her, I will tear you apart!" Every word I spoke was filled with an intense desire to pummel him until he bled.How could he play with someone's life?"Why don't I do with her what you did with Dora?" he asked with an annoyingly calm tone."You have serious mental issues, Chris. You should be confined in a psychiatric facility, and I will ensure that happens. Now, tell me, where is she?" I demanded, and I could hear him let out a mocking laugh."I don't know what you're talking about," he said, and it felt as though my head was a train going off its rails. Was he purposely trying to irritate me until my head exploded?I felt a surge of hot blood rushing through my veins, making it difficult to breathe calmly.My grip on the steering wheel tightened."You don't know what I am talking about?
Tom's POVInitially, his words appeared absurd to me, leaving me unable to understand their true meaning.My company, and not Vance Tech?"Why did you suddenly change your mind?" I asked, trying hard to sound steady."It was exactly what I had always wanted. I had only wanted to take small steps forward, but with her, I believe it's safe to take this significant leap. Undoubtedly, a person's life surpasses that of a mere company," he scoffed, followed by a laugh."Chris. I don't know what you're playing at, but this is a dangerous game. If …""You're going to call the cops? Come on, I thought we already discussed this and agreed that no one would call the cops. But if you want to, go ahead. You have complete freedom to do so."Once again, he didn't mention the cops much. Instead, he was determined to make it clear to me that he intended to harm Ava.Ava had Indeed been correct in her assessment. Time had passed, and I no longer recognized him. He had transformed into someone even more
Ava's POVSaliva formed in my mouth, and my palms grew sweaty.They hadn't picked up any weapons yet, so there was still a glimmer of hope.I instinctively moistened my lips as my eyes darted back and forth between the weapons and the men.Surely Tom wouldn't allow them to cut my finger?I knew their request was absurd and impossible, but a part of me desperately wanted to believe that Tom wouldn't allow such harm to come to me. I wanted to believe that he would take action."Go ahead. Make him listen to her scream," Chris said abruptly, his anger evident. I let out a scream before they could even grab any of the weapons.I tried to stand, but my legs, tightly bound, forced me back down onto the floor.The men burst into laughter and pulled me back."No, no, no! You can't do this! You can't!" I screamed as they examined the weapons.I fought, even though I knew it was pointless.But they easily pinned me down, making it difficult for me to move a muscle.My finger was forcefully slam
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