BY CONTRACT: His to own

Chapter26

Lily was discharged on a crisp morning, the hospital halls echoing with a rare sense of relief. Her tiny hands clung to Ava’s as they exited through the double doors, sunlight warming their faces. The doctor had given a clean bill of health, though she still needed rest and light activity. Ava, who had been haunted by every beep and whisper in the hospital room, finally let out a breath she hadn’t realized she was holding.

Damien waited outside by his sleek black car, leaning against the door with his hands tucked casually into his pockets. His expression remained unreadable, but Ava didn’t miss the subtle nod of approval when he saw Lily smiling, dressed in a pink jacket and hugging the new doll he had given her days earlier.

The drive to the apartment was quiet but not tense. Lily sat in the backseat, singing softly to herself, occasionally pointing out interesting sights through the window. The air carried a calm that Ava hadn’t felt in weeks, even if Damien sat beside her in silence like a looming shadow.

When they arrived, the building looked elegant and discreet. It was tucked away in a gated residential street, with tall hedges and polished stone paths. A doorman greeted them with a courteous nod and quickly opened the doors. Inside, the lobby smelled of lemon polish and quiet money.

The apartment was on the sixth floor, bright, modern, and child-friendly. Sunlight streamed in through wide windows, bouncing off white walls and soft beige furniture. The babysitter, a woman in her early forties named Martha stood waiting near the kitchen, a warm smile on her face and a welcoming aura that immediately drew Lily in.

“Hi!” Lily chirped, already skipping toward the array of picture books laid out on the couch.

Ava crouched beside her. “You’re going to be here for a while, okay? But I’ll visit all the time.”

Lily nodded excitedly, too distracted by the new surroundings to protest. Damien watched silently from the hallway, arms crossed, his eyes scanning the apartment like a general surveying his fortress.

“I’ll make sure she’s comfortable,” Martha assured Ava in a low voice. “She’ll be safe. I’ve raised two boys and nannied for six years. Nothing will get past me.”

Ava gave a tight nod, her heart still tugging, but the setting helped ease the tension. Lily was already flipping through a picture book, curled up with the doll Damien had given her, completely at ease.

Damien motioned for Ava to follow him to the hallway. Once the door to the apartment clicked shut behind them, he spoke in his low, controlled tone.

“We are going out tomorrow.”

Ava turned toward him, brows knitting together. “Going out? Where are we going?”

He met her gaze without flinching. “June invited me to go shopping with her and Ethan. She insisted I bring you along. Said she wanted ‘female input’ on the final wedding details.”

Ava blinked, taking a half step back. “She invited me?”

“She said it’d be fun,” Damien said dryly.

Ava’s mouth went dry. “So we’re going to… expose him there?”

Damien nodded. “Tomorrow, we will pull out the threads. We let her see the kind of man she’s marrying.”

The weight of it settled heavily between them. Ava felt something cold coil in her chest, something like anticipation. The ache of betrayal was still raw, still bitter, but the thought of Ethan being unmasked in front of June, of the truth finally dragging him into the light, yes, it gave her breath. Purpose.

“I’ll be ready,” she said.

Damien nodded once. “Good.”

The next morning, sunlight spilled across the marble floors of Damien’s penthouse. The apartment was silent except for the faint hum of the central air and the distant chirp of birds outside the massive glass windows.

Ava stood in front of the full-length mirror in the bedroom, brushing the last curl of her hair into place. She wore a pale blue sundress that fluttered around her knees and white flats, simple, clean, deliberately unthreatening. She looked so clean and unique.

She took a breath, then turned as the bedroom door creaked open. Damien stood there, dressed sharply in black slacks and a slate gray button-up shirt. His sleeves were rolled up just enough to reveal the edge of a sleek watch. He looked powerful, in control as always.

His gaze swept over her, clinical and fast. “Ready?”

Ava grabbed her purse. “Yes... I think so.”

They walked down the hall in silence. The penthouse, with its sharp edges and muted tones, felt colder today like it could sense what was coming.

Once in the elevator, Damien pulled out his phone and scrolled through messages.

“She texted again this morning. She’s excited.”

Ava looked over. “Excited?”

“She said she wanted to try on shoes and pick bridesmaids' accessories. You’ll be her shadow today.”

Ava let out a soft scoff. “Does she always pick victims as friends, or am I just special?”

“She doesn’t see you as a threat. That’s exactly why this will work.”

The elevator dinged open, and they stepped into the underground garage. Damien’s car gleamed like polished obsidian under the soft lights. He opened the door for her, ever the gentleman, even if his motives weren’t.

Once she was settled, he moved around the front and slid into the driver’s seat, adjusting the mirrors with quiet precision. Ava noticed the tension in his jaw, the set of his shoulders.

“This isn’t going to be easy,” she murmured as he started the engine.

“It’s not supposed to be.”

He turned to her briefly, eyes locking with hers.

“But it will be worth it.”

Ava didn’t respond. She looked ahead as the car rolled out of the garage and into the morning light, the city unfolding before them like a stage and they were about to begin the first act.