JoyReadChapter 13
- Ava’s POV-
That was the first and only word he had spoken since | entered the study, and it carried so much weight, so
much force, that common sense hadtaking a step back. | swallowed hard, trying to gather the courage |
thought | had when | walked into the study.
“What part is a mistake, Ava?”
The way he said my name-low, dangerous-made my pulse quicken. It wasn’t a question. It was a warning, a
threat wrapped in those simple words. All the explanations I'd rehearsed in my head vanished like smoke.
Why
y did I think this was a good idea? In less than twenty four hours since | met him, he had had to walk into a
burning building to saveand a war was already brewing between him and my father and | knew my father.
He stayed in his lane but the moment he was crossed, hell would break lose.
“I think I've had enough of Pierce nonsense today to lasta lifetime. Leave.”
| should've listened. | should've turned around, walked out, and accepted that this was it. There were no take
backs when it cto him but something insidesnapped. Maybe it was the way he spoke tolike | was
nothing, or maybe | was just tired of being afraid. | took a step forward, deeper into his space, my heart
hammering in my chest.
Can | please sit?” | asked, my voice barely a whisper, trying to sound stronger than | felt.
“No.”
The answer cswift and cold. | sat down anyway, defying him, and | heard the low growl rumble from his
chest. | closed my eyes, trying to steady myself.
“You're stronger than this, Lilian. Don't let anyone push you around.” Isabella’s voice echoed in my mind.
When | opened my eyes again, his expression had shifted, though it was no less menacing. He was watching me
closely, his eyes dark and unreadable, like he was trying to peer into my soul. It made my skin tingle, but | had
to keep going.
“My father,” | started, swallowing the lump in my throat, “He will make good on his threat and | think that the
Follow on NovᴇlEnglish.nᴇtunnecessary bloodshed can be avoided. You said so yourself, you are not one for that
He leaned back, one eyebrow arching, the smallest hint of amusement dancing in his cold gaze. “So, you want
made my blood boil.
“Stop talking tolike I'm an idiot,” | snapped before | could stop myself.
A ghost of a smirk tugged at his lips, but it didn’t reach his eyes. “Oh, | don’t think you're an idiot, Ava. Quite the
opposite. You're smart, maybe too smart. But all that cleverness disappears when your father’s involved, doesn’t
it?”
| opened my mouth to argue, but he cutoff, his voice sharp as a blade. “When Pm speaking, | don’t like to be
interrupted. Understand?”
| clenched my fists in my lap, nodding, biting back the retort burning on my tongue.
“If | agree to this. annulment,” he said, his voice now cold and calculating, “what happens next? You will do as
your father wishes and return to Dylan?”
“Of course not!” The words cout louder than | intended, desperate. “I'd never go back to him. I'd stay with
Bels, find a job-hell. I'm good at what | do. I'd be fine. And | could still help you, professionally, with the.....”
[I
Chapter 13
The words trailed off. Irion’know what it was about him that mileso uncomfortable mentioning it.
For a long moment, he didn’t speak. He just stared at me, his lip curving into a smile-a smile that made my
stomach twist in knots. “You've thought this through, haven't you?”
| didn’t answer. There was no point. He didn’t want one.
He leaned forward, his eyes narrowing, studyinglike | was a juzzle he was slowly piecing together. “Your eyes
are fascinating. Have you ever figured out why they change color?”
The question caughtoff guard. It was the last thing | expected him to say, “No.. | mean, they've always been
like that. | don’t know why.” My voice was shaky, and | hated that.
“Well, it’s a mystery | suppose we'll solve eventually.” His tone shifted, darker, colder. “But there's something
about you, Ava, that’s not a mystery.”
The way he said my nagain-it felt different. Like he owned it, like | was just another thing for him to control.
| hated that feeling-
“Considering the fact that I think people are beneath me, | find an ounce of pleasure watching them and
understanding the story behind their eyes, Shall I tell you yours!”
1 frowned not liking the direction this was going, “No.”
He smiled again ignoring me, “You've spent your whole life trying to be perfect, haven't you?” he said, his voice
son but cutting. “Molded by your father, your mother, into this little sculpture. You hide every crack, every flaw,
because you're terrified of what they'll think if they see who you really are.”
The three words. Concealers, Scarfs and Smiles echoed in my head and | forced them down. | clenched my jaw,
fighting the rising tide of emotion. He didn’t know me. He had no idea what I'd been through.
“You would've stayed in that marriage, let him destroy you, all because you didn’t want to disappoint them. You
would've let it kill you, just so they could keep their perfect image.” His voice was cold, detached, like he was
simply stating a fact. “The cheating was just the dealbreaker, wasn't it?”
My breath caught, and | felt the tears sting the back of my eyes. He was right. Every word of it was true, and it
hurt more than | could ever admit.
“Am | wrong?”
The first tear slipped down my cheek, and | wiped it away quickly, refusing to let him seebreak.
“You need to understand something, Ava,” he said, leaning forward again, his gaze locking onto mine. “I don’t
care about your father. | don’t care about his threats, his power. The moment you signed that contract, you
becmine. Your life, your choices-they’re tied tonow.”
His words sent a chill down my spine, and for the first time, | realized just how trapped | was
“So, here’s what you're going to do,” he said, his voice low and commanding. “You're going to stop letting your
father control you. You're going to stop being his puppet
| blinked, unsure of what to say, but my head nodded of its own accord. “Yes.”
“If you want to stop the war then act like you are a twenty four year old woman who is in control of her life and
go tell your father he doesn’t own you.”
Follow on Novᴇl-Onlinᴇ.cᴏm
The truth of his words cut deep. He was right. I'd spent my whole life being what others wantedto be.
Perfect. Flawless. But it wasn’t me. It had never been me.
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Chapter 13
The weight of it all cure crashing down, and | felt my chest tiglen. The truth hurt more than anything he could
have ever said, because it wasn’t just his words-it was my life.
| stared at him, unblinking, as the weight of his words settled between us. Neither of us moved, and the silence
in the room grew heavier, stretching on until it felt like titself had froze His eyes, cold and sharp just
moments before, softened slightly, but it wasn’t enough to makerelax.
“I have no intention of hurting you, Ava,” he finally spoke. “And won't spend the next year trying to control you.
You want to work, go ahead. All | want you to understand is that the contract is sealed. There is no going back
There is no going back. The words reverberated in my head, over and over like my reality was just settling in. No
going back. | was bound to him now. For a year.
One whole year.
| felt the weight of it all-this strange new life, the contract, the power he had over me-press down on my
shoulders. Nodding slowly, | forced myself to stand, legs feeling weak beneath me. There was nothing left to say.
| wiped at the tears threatening to spill, my throat tightening as I fought the urge to break down.
Turning away, | made my way toward the door, each step feeling like | was dragging myself out of quicksand. His
eyes were on me, | could feel it. The way his presence seemed to fill the room was suffocating. | needed to get
out. | needed air, something to clear the overwhelming feeling of being trapped.
“Ava
| stopped. His voice, saying my name-it did something to me. It was like each the spoke it, it carried a
different meaning, a deeper weight. It pulledin, like a string | couldn't cut.
| turned back slowly, unsure of what | was expecting to see. He was staring at me, hard and unyielding. Gone
was the momentary softness, replaced by the cold, intimidating man | had first met.
“I suggest you talk to your father soon,” he said, his words chilling in their calmness. “Because if he follows
through with his threat... | won't care that his blood runs through your veins. | will kill him.”
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