Once was never enough

Chapter four

Ava was woken up by the sharp sound of her flat window’s sensor. Her heart beating so hard it felt like it might explode through her chest, she jumped to her feet from the bed. The set of furniture she and Lily had hurriedly shoved against the windows the previous evening was illuminated by the moonlight that slanted across the hardwood floor.

Her voice cracked as she murmured, “Lily?”

Her younger sister’s wide, frightened eyes appeared at the bedroom door. Lily Hart—an art student visiting from her shared loft in Hackney—stood stiffly in her pajamas, clutching her phone like a lifeline.

“They tried again,” Lily whispered, nodding toward the window. “I saw someone on the fire escape.”

Ava inhaled deeply and tried to relax. “All right.” Over the side of the bed, she swung her legs. “Come with me downstairs.”

In the foyer below, Ava grabbed her coat while Lily fumbled with the security panel. The alarm kept shrieking. Ava slammed her palm onto the “silence” button—once, twice—until it finally stilled.

“I’m calling Ethan,” Ava said, voice steadying. Her older brother, Ethan Hart, was a corporate lawyer on secondment in Frankfurt. He couldn’t drop everything to fly back, but he’d promised to arrange discreet security if the stalking didn’t stop.

Lily hovered by the stairs. “I’m sorry, Ava. I shouldn’t have come. I’m making this worse.”

Ava knelt beside her sister, grasping her shoulders. “You’re not making it worse. I need you here. We’ll figure this out together.”

She settled on the couch and dialed her brother’s international number. It rang twice before his deep voice answered.

“Hey, little sis. I got your text.”

“Ethan, it’s happening again,” Ava said, keeping her tone calm. “Someone’s still watching me. The window alarm went off.”

Ethan’s sigh carried down the line. “I’m sorry, Ava. I’ve contacted the private security firm in London. They’ll assign an investigator to monitor the building—not uniformed guards, but someone blending in nearby.”

“Thank you,” Ava said, relief lacing her words. “And—Lily’s here with me now.”

“Good,” Ethan replied. “Keep each other safe. I’ll stay on top of this every hour.”

They said good night, and Ava ended the call. She looked at Lily, who managed a small, grateful smile.

“I’ll go check the locks,” Lily offered.

“Thank you,” Ava said softly.

Meanwhile, three floors above Blackstone’s headquarters…

Jaxon Black stared at his reflection in the expansive office window, the London skyline reflected in his dark eyes. Rain covered the glass like tiny jewels. He had his white shirt undone at the collar and was dressed in his typical black suit. His COO showed up at the door as he was going over the day’s briefings after returning from a business trip.

Adrian “Ade” Cole stepped in tablet in hand. Ade was famously right‑handed—he drank his morning espresso, operated his touchscreen tablet, and even signed contracts with that dominant side. Today, he gripped his coffee mug in his right hand and gave Jaxon a curt nod.

“Morning, sir,” Ade said. “I have your security report.”

Jaxon turned, folding his arms. “Go ahead.”

Ade advanced, tapping the tablet. “Last night at 2:17 AM, your client Ava Hart’s apartment sensor triggered. We’ve got CCTV stills of an unidentified individual on the fire escape. No clear facial features—hooded, gloves—but posture indicates they were observing her window.”

Jaxon’s jaw tightened. “Any ID on the person?”

Ade shook his head. “Not yet. We’ve shadow teams canvassing the neighborhood. Her sister’s in the building, and her brother arranged private monitoring, which we’re coordinating with local security.”

“Good,” Jaxon said. “Keep me updated.”

Ade nodded, tucking his tablet under his right arm. “Already on it. I’ll have the full information on your desk by this afternoon.”

Jaxon turned back to the window. Protecting Ava felt unexpected—his obligation as her client had shifted into something more personal, or had always been personal.

Lily had locked the final door behind her at Ava’s apartment. The refrigerator’s sound was the only sound in the room. Ava fell back on the couch as fatigue took over her. Lily sat closer to her and gave her a tea mug.

Ava whispered, “I’m sorry you were pulled into this.”

Ava held Lily’s head against her shoulder. “Families watch out for one another.”

Ava shut her eyes. “Are you certain you can stay here?”

Lily’s dark locks covered her cheek as she c****d her head. “Not sleeping alone tonight will make me feel better.

Ava smiled warmly. “Me too.”

They sat together in the hush, a little safer for having each other.

The next afternoon, Ava found herself in a brightly lit boardroom at Blackstone Headquarters, preparing to review mockups for the rollout campaign. Lily tagged along for moral support, dragging a slim tote of paint brushes for something “to do while I wait.”

Ava took a seat at the head of the table. Jaxon entered moments later, flanked by Sienna Black—always impeccably dressed, always immaculate. Sienna gave Ava a polite nod, lips curved in a controlled smile. Ava nodded back, wondering how much Sienna already knew.

Ade, clutching his coffee in his right hand and his tablet in his left, positioned himself by the projector. He clicked through the slides of Ava’s proposed creatives. As the campaign concepts unfolded—bold headlines, vibrant imagery—a hush of approval settled over the room.

Jaxon watched intently, but every so often his gaze drifted to Ava. Not the way he had months ago—hungry, personal—but with a cautious respect. She’d grown into this leadership role effortlessly; her ideas were sharp, her visuals compelling.

When the presentation ended, Jaxon stood. “Excellent work, Ava. These concepts align perfectly with our brand ethos.”

Ava smiled politely. “Thank you.”

Ava noticed Lily sitting off to the side, sketching in her notebook, and gave her the thumbs up. Ava almost laughed.

Sienna cleared her throat. “I’ll coordinate the approval process with the advertising team.” She turned to Ava. “I’ll send you the timeline before today ends.”

Although Sienna spoke in a friendly manner, Ava could tell she was asserting her claim to Jaxon’s world.

The meeting dispersed. Ade lingered. “All set here?” he asked in a low voice, sipping from his right hand.

“Looks like it,” Ava replied.

He gave her a quick nod. “Stay safe. I’ve alerted the team to increase surveillance tonight.”

“Thank you,” she said.

Ade’s respect felt genuine and unguarded, unlike the polite distance of Sienna’s presence.

That evening, as Ava and Lily cooked a simple pasta dinner, Ava felt very happy. Between serious glances at Lily’s i********:–inspired art and shared laughter over spilled sauce, the tension eased.

Lily caught her looking thoughtful. “Do you want to call Ethan again?”

Ava shook her head. “No. Let’s give his team time to work.”

Lily nodded, then raised a spoonful of sauce to her lips. “Here’s to us, big sis. Team Hart.”

Ava clinked her fork against Lily’s. “Team Hart.”

For a moment, life felt as ordinary as shared dinner and sibling jokes could make it.

High above them, in the glass towers of Blackstone, Jaxon Black reviewed Ade’s updated surveillance notes. The stalking threat complicated everything—his professional detachment was eroding, replaced by something that looked an awful lot like concern.

He glanced at a photo Ade had sent of the silhouetted figure outside Ava’s window. Then he looked at his reflection. The choice was clear: protect her, or risk losing her entirely.

He concluded that moving her to the floor his floor of the building was the best way to protect her and for his selfish reasons too.

He picked up his phone and typed a brief message to Ade: “Arrange non-invasive security detail at her building starting tonight. No uniforms.”

He paused, thumb hovering. Then added: “And track anything unusual around her errands. Keep me posted.”

He sent it, closing his eyes for the first time that day.

Outside, the rain fell heavier, as if the city itself were pressing in on them both, narrowing the distance between their lives.

Within the Hart apartment, Ava and Lily washed dishes side by side, the gentle rhythm a rare comfort.

Somewhere between the two glass towers, priorities were shifting, and alliances forming.

And lines of defense were being drawn.

No one was backing down.

1,393 Words | 0