Semua Bab Revenge From Ashes, Ruin for the Billionaire: Bab 11 - Bab 20

(Ava)He presses his thumbs gently into the tender flesh at the crease of my thighs, keeping me open beneath his gaze.My pulse races so hard I’m sure he can hear every throb of my heart. It’s almost too intense, the way he looks at me—like there’s nothing else in the world he wants more than to watch my every reaction, to absorb each breath and tremor. He’s always been this way.“Don’t hide from me,” he murmurs, his warm breath skating across my skin. “Let me have everything you have.”My lungs lock for a heartbeat. Hide?If anything, I’m too exposed. The swirl of emotions—lust, lingering hurt, hope—crashes inside my head. I want him right now in ways I don’t fully understand anymore, ways that transcend the pain of the past.In hope that somehow, the sheer intensity of how we are together can save us from parting, ever. But I know that’s not true.He lowers his mouth again, his gaze never leaving mine.There’s a soft moan in my throat as his tongue glides over the most sensitiv

(Zach)I cross the hallway, carefully balancing two steaming mugs of cocoa. The aroma is rich, laced with cinnamon—Ava’s favorite touch.I push open our bedroom door, which doubles as the nursery for now, expecting her to be pacing with Lila or humming a lullaby.Instead, I find her curled into the rocking armchair beneath the nightlight’s gentle glow—sound asleep. Lila’s tucked against her chest, equally out cold. The sight hits me in the gut, a slow bloom of warmth that reminds me why I keep choosing this life.Choosing her.They’re both wearing matching expressions of trust and contentment—tiny parted lips, eyelashes fanned along their cheeks. Ava’s hair spills over her shoulder, half covering Lila’s face in silky waves.My throat tightens at how much they resemble each other. People always say Lila is her mommy’s clone, and I see it more every day: the same determined set of the jaw, the same big, expressive eyes. Stubbornness, too—though Ava would argue that the stubborn gene c

(Ava)Champagne is being poured like water. Laughter bounces off polished marble, mingling with the flash of diamonds under floodlights.This is where I had my 21st birthday party. The night Zach and I got married on a whim, and I fell pregnant in our opulent suite.The memories of that heady night are tattooed inside my brain. The Zachary Lorne, staying at my party, paying attention to me! It was the fairytale every girl dreams about. Zach was so perfect. Everything was perfect until it wasn’t.But did it all really happen?My early teen years were not a mentally stable place for me. I know what that feels like. This doesn’t feel the same.“You okay?” Zach asks.I nod. “I’m fine.”His eyes narrow slightly. “Why don’t I believe you?”I sip my champagne and survey the crowd.Across the rooftop, Sienna is in full bloom. Hair swept up, high-glam gown clinging like a second skin. She’s schmoozing effortlessly.I can’t look away from the scenes unfolding before me. It’s the same. All of

(Ava)The moment we walk through our front doors, I wheel around to face him. “How long have you and Sienna had this secret?”Zach exhales, loosens his tie, and throws it onto the nearest chair. “Ava—”“No.” I hold up my hand, my voice shaking. “Do not start with a damn Ava like that. Just answer me.”He runs a hand through his hair, pacing toward the bar. “Since shortly after Lila was born. Sienna told me.”“And you didn’t tell me,” I snap. “So much for not having any secrets.”“I didn’t think it was that important. Why rock the boat?”“You never thought that you being drugged the night we got married was important?”“No! You are overreacting. If I thought it affected how I felt that night, we wouldn’t still be together… I loved you then, I love you now. What is the actual problem?”“For starters… the biggest night of my life—the night our daughter was conceived—was because Sienna roofied you.”“I wasn’t roofied,” he says flatly. “She gave me something to ‘loosen me up.’ It wasn’t li

(Zach)Sienna walks in wearing silk pajamas and holding two mugs of coffee like we’re just roommates on a lazy Sunday.I’m not in the mood for crap right now.“You sleep okay?” she asks, setting one mug down on the marble island.“On and off.” I take the coffee, but I don’t thank her.She sits on the edge of the counter, crossing her legs. “You want to talk about it?”“Not really. But I do have something to say to you…”She tilts her head. “Go ahead.”I narrow my eyes. “Why would you bring up the drugging? Why say anything at all?”“I thought she knew,” she says, voice light. “I thought you told her.”I stare at her for a beat, trying to read the truth under the surface. “You should have checked with me first.”“You two don’t keep secrets, remember? That’s what you told me.”I lean back against the counter, arms crossed. “Regardless. It wasn’t your story to tell. It was a dick act drugging me in the first place. Dredging it up now doesn’t help anything. So tell me again, why would you