Ava thought she knew heartbreak. She thought She knew betrayal. But when her world came crashing down and she was left with nothing but a stack of divorce papers on the day of their anniversary, the truth hit her harder than she could ever imagine. With nowhere to go and no one to trust, a near-fatal accident changes everything. Saved by a mysterious stranger, Ava is given a second chance at life -but not without strings attached. Billionaire Alexander Navarro offers her an escape. In exchange for her presence as his "stand-in wife," he promises her everything: security, safety, and a chance to heal. But as their worlds collide, secrets unravel and a deadly game of power, revenge, and twisted desire begins. Liam isn't done with her, and the past is far from buried. With every passing day, Ava's world becomes more complicated and her desire for vengeance burns hotter than ever. As she discovers this dangerous world, one question remains: Will Ava's revenge cost her more than she's willing to pay?
View More"I can't wait!"
I stood in the dim light of our dining room, arranging the silverware nervously with my fingers for the fourth time. With soft music playing, flickering candles and the aroma of roasted chicken filling the air the table was perfectly set.
This dinner took hours to prepare. In an effort to remind Liam of our past together, I tried to make everything right. After all, it was our anniversary . Despite being together for four years, it seemed like we were very far apart.
I took a look at the wall clock. 7. 42 p. m. By now Liam ought to be at home. He had said he would arrive early tonight. No more excuses. I couldn't deny the nagging feeling that he wasn't returning in the manner that I wanted.
My heart skipped a beat as I straightened up and the door finally opened. I called softly my voice full of hope "Liam?"
He entered without looking up, dropping his briefcase on the floor. His suit was a little rumpled and he barely acknowledged me as he passed by without taking off his shoes.
Despite my heart pounding I tried to speak calmly as I said "Hey. I have prepared supper. It was thoughtful that we could celebrate."
Liam continued. With his eyes fixed on his phone he ran a hand through his hair. "I'm sorry for being late... work-related matters."
For a moment, I stood motionless, the excitement I had been clinging to all day dissolving in my fingers like sand.
"It's our anniversary, Liam."
He muttered without raising his gaze "I know. I apologize...It's been a nightmare of a meeting. Right now, I don't have time for dinner."
As he shuffled toward the kitchen a thick silence fell between us. The warm glow of the candles and the clink of the silverware made everything seem so. No longer important.
My efforts this evening seemed inconsequential. I blinked away the tears in my eyes."Is our job truly more important than our marriage?"
Liam took a while to respond. His jaw was tense as I could see. He finally let out a sigh and put his phone down.
"Can't we do this tonight, Ava? I have a ton of other things to do."
I saw him sit at the kitchen counter and furiously rub his forehead. The burden of all the years we had spent together weighed heavily on me as I swallowed.
The falsehoods we had told ourselves and the commitments we made. I had to get his attention. I wanted him to understand.
"I'm pregnant, Liam." There. I had said it.
He looked up from the counter and for a second I thought I saw something maybe a surprise but then it vanished into that all too familiar distance.
"Pregnant?" His voice sounded flat as if he were reading a report rather than hearing a life-altering announcement. "Are you sure?"
"Yes, I'm sure." I suppressed the anger that surged through me. "I hoped that this would help us get closer. I thought—"
Liam cut in his voice now abrasive "You thought this would fix things?" When he eventually got up he turned away from me and picked up his phone once more browsing through emails. "I am not prepared to have a baby, Ava. It's not even like we have our act together."
His words cut like a blade through me. It was as if I had been struck in the face. Instead of the joy, embrace or even a kiss that I had anticipated I received that instead... like this?
This emotional gap had been a part of my life for months.No,Years
"Not ready?" I asked in a tremulous disbelieving whisper. "You've been saying that to me for years, concerning the house, the finances and everything else. For several months now you have been too busy. I've had enough of it. I'm over battling for your love and attention. Liam you don't even give a damn anymore."
With his back to me he tensed at what I said and I could tell he wouldn't turn around. "Not just yet. Ava I care. But this...This is not the appropriate moment. We need to work things out.For me, the meeting I just left was very important."
My chest grew heavier and my heart tightened. I had not anticipated this. I assumed that we would work as a team. I had the hope that this pregnancy would make him realize how much we could develop together. However it became increasingly evident that I was fighting this battle by myself as he continued to speak.
Liam went on his voice a little higher "I don't know why you're surprised. Ava, this is nothing new is it? It's the same old thing. You and your goals. At this moment I don't have time for this."
Exasperated, I took a step toward him. " Really? Liam I've been waiting a long time for you to see me in person. You're too busy to give me a glance though. I'm too busy to bother you. For us... for our baby."
For a moment I thought he might finally say something to make things better but then his shoulders tensed. However he did not.
He did not look at me, he simply shook his head." I am unable to do this at this time."
I grabbed his arm and pulled him to look at me. "You cannot continue to push me away. I'm not something you can put off. Liam, I am your wife. I want your concern!"
For a brief moment his eyes clouded over and he sighed once more, his expression softening. "I'm sorry, Ava. I truly am. But I need to go. This is exhausting—"
I stepped back, letting go of his arm as the tears threatened. " Go. Attend your meeting. In any case it's undoubtedly more important than me."
After a brief pause Liam picked up his coat from the chairs back and made his way to the door." We'll discuss this later."
"Yeah" I muttered to myself as my heart broke again. We'll discuss it further."
However I was aware that we wouldn't. We never did. And my mind went haywire as I stood there without eating my anniversary meal. I was hit hard by reality.
I was at a loss as to how to stop my husband from drifting further and further away. I tried fixing it several times but it wasn't enough because we were breaking.
Liam had decided.
His career, his work and his meetings came first. And me? I was merely another element in his universe that he could disregard. And for the first time I genuinely questioned whether our marriage could withstand this separation.
Touching my stomach I felt the tiny life there. "Hold on tight" I said. "Mummy will pull through."
Ava tried to make sense of everything that had just been revealed while sitting up on the bed with the cozy blanket wrapped around her shoulders. She had questions she wasnt yet able to answer and her mind was racing with ideas. Beside her Alex was fiddling with his hands,his movements deliberate and composed as if he hadnt just thrown a bombshell into her life.The news had arrived too quickly for her to process. With the shock still weighing heavily on her she looked down at her hands. She had possessed everything including cars mansions and opulent items that she had never given much thought to.How was it possible that she had forgotten everything? How had she not questioned the pricey suitcase the designer clothes the watches with jewels on them? Ava felt her heart racing. Before the mishap she was wealthy. It had all belonged to her. Her world had been so different—so straightforward—prior to the accident but that seemed impossible didnt it?Her life had been a fresh start a cle
With my heart racing I hastily sat up. I needed to know what Alex had said because it was significant and made the room feel heavier. In a curious yet nervous tone I asked “What is it Alex?” My gaze locked with his seeking clarification. He paused his brow furrowed as if he was still considering how best to phrase it. He sighed though and then reached for his phone which had been left on the floor next to his pants.After fumbling with it for a moment he extended it toward me. Anxiety fluttering in my stomach I took the phone from him. Whatever information he was about to show me or whatever was displayed on the screen had to be significant. As soon as I looked down my eyes locked onto the picture that occupied the screen. An expansive stunning estate was depicted in the image it was an amazing property that would have appeared in a luxury publication.Large and contemporary, the mansion was tucked away in a beautiful setting. It was amazing. I was drawn to more than just the esta
Under the sheets we lay with our bodies entangled and the warmth of his skin against mine brought me a sense of calm that I hadnt experienced in a while. My hair was softly smoothed by Alex's hand which was reassuring and gentle.For a while neither of us spoke because we were both absorbed in the moment. The gentle rhythm of his breathing and the steady rise and fall of his chest felt perfect at that moment. There was no hurry or sense of urgency. The outside world was irrelevant for once. We were connected in silence in that bed and that was all that mattered. And I allowed myself to enjoy it for the first time in a long time. I just let myself be. His arm grew tighter around me drawing me in closer as his warmth enveloped me. Both of us were silently lying there absorbed in our own thoughts. Eventually though I felt compelled to speak up. I gently moved raising my head off his chest and uttered “It feels good you know? I never realized how much I needed this.”I needed something
Ava gasped when I gave her a gentle but startled kiss. As I moved more slowly and intensified the kiss tasting her lips as though this was the only thing that mattered my heart pounded in my chest.Her hands arched into me hesitant at first then more confident as if she too was giving in to the sensation to the connection we were sharing in that delicate moment. Every inch of my body seemed to react to hers with a surge of heat building up in my chest. Feeling the warmth of her body against mine I pulled her closer as I slid my hands around her back.There was a sense of urgency and desperation but there was also tenderness and something more profound than simple desire. Her body pressing against mine and her leaning into me as though she couldnt get close enough made it seem like the distance between us had always been too great and too far away but now we were closing it and drawing each other closer in a way I hadnt anticipated.But then I pulled back a little breathing in short ga
The cool metal of the door pressed against my fingers as I stood there with my hand hovering over the knob. With deliberate slowness I knocked again. A faint sound of footsteps approached the shuffle of an indecisive uncertain person.The anticipation was palpable and my heart was racing in my chest. When the door creaked open she was standing there. Ava. I was surprised for a moment. She had changed in appearance.Her long curly hair had been chopped short and her head was lowered, her eyes averted from mine. She appeared to have done it quickly because the strands were unkempt and uneven.This stood in sharp contrast to the woman I remembered who had always exuded elegance. I kept wondering what had happened and what had prompted her to take such a drastic action.I could see it right away when she finally raised her head to face me: the redness in her eyes the faint quiver in her lip. She had shed tears. The sight caused my chest to tighten. I was unnerved by it in a surprising way
I sat looking at my reflection in the mirror. I was unable to fully comprehend the whirlpool of memories feelings and ideas in my head. Something significant that had once belonged to me seemed to be just out of reach.However just like the warmth that was once mine it slipped away each time I attempted to grasp it. I looked back at the woman in the mirror and blinked. I wasnt entirely sure who she was. It appeared as though she was carrying a burden she was unable to get rid of as her eyes were worn out and aloof.Even though I didnt really know her I knew that I couldnt keep acting in this way. I couldnt keep looking in the mirror and wondering who I was before. I had to alter my behavior. I didnt know exactly how but I had to take charge. With the exception of a slight nighttime hum the room was quiet. I reached into my drawer and took out a pair of scissors.I spent a lot of time staring at them almost mesmerized by the blades gleam. Cutting off the previous version of myself seem
As Liam and his fiancée finished their dinner I observed them standing up and gathering their belongings as their conversation came to an end. They were moving in no hurry or sense of urgency it was just another night another ostentatious show of wealth and indifference to others.Observing them as they moved toward the door I got up from my seat in the corner. I was all set to go. I had to. The cool night air hit me as the door opened and I repositioned my jacket and put the earpiece back in to continue communicating with my investigator. I had to exercise caution now. Changes were occurring in the game. I waited for the appropriate time to follow Liam and his fiancée as they went outside. They appeared to be too preoccupied with one another to notice anything wrong as they made their way to the Lamborghini's parking spot.Under the restaurants lights the svelte pricey car shone as everything else in Liams life had been meticulously planned and built to dazzle. Without a word they c
I parked in a corner of the lot and looked at the classy restaurant in front of me. The location was opulent with women wearing glittering gowns and men wearing tuxedos strolling hand in hand with their heads held high. It was the type of place where the elite went to unwind make connections and block out the outside world.However this was not a place for me to relax tonight. It served as a springboard for a more significant endeavor. For a moment I stayed in the car and looked around. The level of security was strict possibly more so than I liked but I couldnt afford to make a mistake here. I had to be exact. I observed the guards positions and movements.They were well-trained and effective but if it came to that I could manage them. I straightened my shirt until it was neat crisp and free of any distractions. After inhaling deeply I got out of the car and felt the cool night air caress my skin. It seemed as though nothing could possibly go wrong within the restaurants walls as th
I stood looking out the glass walls of my piano room at the mansion. There was a lot of tension in the dark thick night. Even though the moon below were dim they were still able to illuminate the world in subdued yellow hues which allowed me to observe it without having to take part in it. I wasnt here for the evening.The tranquility that surrounded me was not something I was here to enjoy. No I was thinking of something else tonight. It was something much more bitter than discomfort that made my chest feel constricted even though my suit felt a little too tight and the fabric tugged a little as I moved.I took another look at my wristwatch. In the last few minutes I had done this far too often but I was unable to stop. The waiting seemed to go on forever with each second seeming to drag on longer than it should. I felt like the time this evening was mocking me. The knowledge of what was ahead made every moment feel heavy as if it were weighing me down.The moment had come.The sound
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