BY CONTRACT: His to own

Chapter20

Ava was deep in sleep when a knock rattled her door.

Knock knock.

She stirred, groaning as her eyelids fluttered open. A tiny beam of early morning light peeked through the curtains, casting a soft glow over her room. The knock came again firmer this time.

She frowned and pushed herself up, her limbs sluggish. Still half-asleep, she blinked down at her phone on the nightstand. 7:00 AM.

“Seriously?” she muttered, dragging herself out of bed.

Her bare feet padded softly across the floor as she shuffled to the door, her hair a mess of loose strands and sleep still heavy in her eyes.

She unlocked the door and cracked it open.

Damien stood on the other side, dressed in a sharp charcoal-gray suit, crisp white shirt underneath, no tie, his usual calm, commanding presence in full effect. His dark eyes raked over her half-awake form, then met her gaze, unreadable as always.

Ava rubbed her eyes. “What are you doing here? It’s so early. What do you want?”

Damien’s eyes narrowed just slightly. “You sure didn’t get any sleep last night.”

The words made her heart skip. Did he hear me? No. He couldn’t have.

Before she could reply, he added, “Get ready. You’re going to see your sister.”

Ava froze.

The air seemed to still around her.

Her eyes widened. “Wait… really?”

The corner of Damien’s mouth twitched in the faintest smirk. “Are you still asking questions?”

She didn’t waste another second.

“Sorry, sorry I’m going to get ready now! I’ll be down in a minute!” she said, her voice suddenly full of energy and hope.

Without waiting for a response, she shut the door and leaned against it for a second, heart pounding. Finally…

She took a deep breath and practically ran to the bathroom, stripping off her sleep clothes along the way. She turned on the shower, letting the water heat up, and stepped under the warm spray. It felt good against her skin, washing away the exhaustion and the confusion of the night before.

The steam filled the room as she lathered her skin with a lavender-scented soap, moving quickly but thoroughly. She scrubbed her face gently, trying to chase off the remnants of her restless night. The memories of yesterday still lingered, but today was for something else.

By the time she stepped out, the mirror was fogged and her skin glowed with warmth. She wrapped herself in a towel, dried her face, and tied her hair up into a neat bun. Then she moved to her vanity to do a quick round of skincare serum, moisturizer, and lip balm. Her eyes were still a little puffy from sleep, but excitement danced in them now.

She pulled on a pair of black jeans and a cream-colored top. Clean and simple. She slipped on a pair of flats and gave herself a once-over in the mirror.

“I’m going to see her…” she whispered, barely believing it.

She grabbed her phone and hurried out of her room, her heartbeat quickening with every step.

Downstairs, the house was quiet. Damien was already waiting near the door, holding his car keys, his phone pressed to his ear. His eyes flicked up the moment he saw her, and without saying a word, he opened the door and stepped aside to let her pass.

Ava’s heart raced, not because of Damien this time, but because she was about to see her sister.

The morning sun had fully risen by the time Damien's sleek black car rolled down the quiet road. Inside, Ava sat in the passenger seat, her hands resting on her lap. Her fingers fidgeted slightly, the nervous energy creeping up the closer they got to the hospital.

She snuck glances at Damien every so often his sharp jawline clenched in focus as he drove, one hand on the wheel, the other resting on the gearshift. He hadn’t said much since they left the house, but his presence filled the space like static electricity. Calm. Unreadable. Dangerous.

Then his voice cut through the silence.

“We’ll grab something to eat first,” he said.

Ava blinked. “What?”

“You haven’t eaten,” he added without looking at her. “You’ll need to eat. I don't joke with breakfast.”

She didn’t argue. She didn’t have the energy to pretend she wasn’t starving. In truth, her stomach had been growling since she left her room, but the excitement had overshadowed it.

Ten minutes later, the car pulled into a quiet drive-thru nestled between a small diner and a gas station.

Damien lowered his window. “Two egg-and-cheese croissants. One black coffee, and one iced vanilla latte. Large.”

Ava arched a brow at him. “How do you know what I drink?”

He turned slightly, eyes meeting hers. “You drank it yesterday.”

Damn.

She looked away, lips parting slightly but no words came out. The fact that he noticed something so small about her that he remembered was both irritating and… confusing.

The drive-thru attendant passed the bag and drinks through the window. Damien handed Ava her cup and the food, his hand brushing against hers just briefly. Her skin tingled where he touched her, and she hated that her pulse skipped from something so small.

He pulled into a quiet parking spot just before the highway and shifted the gear to park. “Eat.”

Ava opened the wrapper. The buttery smell of the croissant hit her, and her stomach responded with a low grumble. She tried to hide it by taking a bite.

The silence returned, but it was less tense this time. Ava was halfway through her food when Damien spoke again, this time without looking at her.

“She’s awake today. The doctors called me early.”

Ava froze mid-bite. “What?”

Damien turned to her now, his eyes locked on hers. “She woke up at 4 a.m. They said she’s stable. Conscious. Talking.”

The croissant slipped from Ava’s hands and fell into her lap. Her lips parted as emotion surged up her throat. Her vision blurred with tears that pooled without warning.

“My sister… Is she really awake?” she whispered.

Damien gave a small nod. “She asked for you.”

Ava let out a soft, broken breath. A smile pulled at her lips as tears streamed down her face. She wiped them quickly, but more came. “I can’t believe it… I thought… I thought…”

“She’s been waiting,” Damien said softly, watching her.

Ava took a shaky sip of her drink, trying to steady herself. She leaned back against the seat and stared out the window.

Then she said it, softly almost too soft to hear.

“Thank you… for allowing me to see her.”

Damien didn’t reply right away. His hand flexed on the steering wheel.

“You don’t owe me gratitude,” he said finally, his voice low. “You owe me everything else.”

His words pulled her sharply out of her daze. She turned to look at him, but before she could respond, he put the car in drive and started to pull away from the lot.

They were minutes from the hospital now. Ava’s heart was pounding.

But it was at that moment just as they turned the corner toward the hospital gates that Damien’s phone rang. He pressed the speaker button on the dashboard.

A female voice filled the car.

“Mr. Valen, we have a situation. Ava’s sister… she’s missing.”

Ava’s body jolted. Her mouth fell open. “What… what did she just say?”

Damien’s hand clenched the wheel, his jaw locking hard. “Repeat that.”

The voice came again. Cold. Controlled.

“Her bed is empty. No signs of struggle. But she’s gone.”

Ava’s world tilted.

“No…” she breathed.

Damien slammed his hand against the steering wheel, eyes blazing. “Fuck.”