chapter 9
965 Words
Breaking Point
The penthouse felt smaller every day, the glass walls closing in like a beautiful prison. Ava paced the living room that afternoon, her phone clutched in her hand like a lifeline. It was one of those rare quiet moments, Lucian out at a site visit for some new acquisition, the city humming far below. Snow dusted the terrace outside, turning Manhattan into a postcard she couldn't escape.
Her phone rang, the hospital's number flashing on the screen. Her heart skipped. Bad news? Good news? With her father, it was always a coin flip these days.
Dad? she answered, voice steady despite the knot in her stomach.
Ava, honey. His voice was weaker than last week, raspy from the tubes and treatments, but there was a sharpness to it. We need to talk.
She sank onto the couch, pulling her knees up. What's wrong? Did the doctors say something?
A long pause, then a sigh that rattled through the line. I know, Ava. About the money. About what you did five years ago.
The world tilted. She gripped the phone harder. What? How
A nurse let it slip. Something about an anonymous donor who's been covering everything. Tied it back to Blackwell. And then it clicked the timing, you disappearing. You stole from him, didn't you? For me.
Tears pricked her eyes. Dad, I…
Don't. His voice cracked. Don't apologize. I drove you to it with my stupid bets, my debts. But listen to me, baby girl. You gotta get out. Whatever hold he's got on you now, it's poison. I won't let you rot there for my mistakes.
Dad, it's not that simple. The contract.
Screw the contract! He coughed, harsh and wet, then steadied. I've got friends. Old contacts. They can get you a new ID, cash, a flight out. Mexico, maybe. Start over. I'll be fine.
No, she whispered, throat tight. You're not fine. The treatments.
Are killing me slower, but they're killing me all the same. His tone softened. Ava, I've lived my life. Made my messes. Don't let him use me to chain you. Promise me you'll think about it. Escape while you can.
The call ended with her promising nothing, just I love you and a click that echoed in her chest.
She sat there, staring at the phone, the weight of his words sinking in. Escape. The word tasted like freedom and betrayal all at once. But where would she go? And what about the pull she felt toward Lucian now, the moments when revenge blurred into something real?
By evening, the snow had thickened into a storm, wind howling against the windows. Lucian came home late, shaking flakes from his coat, his face drawn from whatever corporate battle he'd fought that day. He found her in the kitchen, nursing a glass of wine, the ledger open on the counter like an accusation.
You're drinking alone, he noted, hanging his coat. Bad day?
She set the glass down harder than intended. My dad called.
His expression didn't change, but he stilled. How is he?
He knows. The words burst out. About the theft. About you funding everything. He told me to run, Lucian. To escape you.
Lucian poured himself a scotch, slow and deliberate. And what did you say?
I didn't say anything. She stood, anger bubbling up. But maybe I should have. This whole thing, the job, the contract, the debt, it's all manipulation. You dangle my dad's life like a carrot, make me your plaything. For what? Revenge? Or because you can't admit you still want me?
He set the glass down, eyes narrowing. You think this is a game to me?
Isn't it? She stepped closer, voice rising. You tracked me, didn't you? For years. That's how you knew where I was, how to lure me back. Admit it, you've been watching me like some obsessed stalker.
Silence stretched, thick and electric. He looked away, jaw clenched, then back at her. Yes.
The admission hit like a slap. What?
I tracked you. His voice was low, raw. Private investigators. Every move you made in Costa Rica, that shitty job in Miami, the boyfriend in Seattle who lasted three months. I knew it all. Watched you rebuild a life without me, while I rebuilt mine around the hole you left.
Ava's breath caught, a mix of horror and twisted flattery. Why? If you hated me so much
Because I couldn't let go. He advanced, backing her against the counter. You stole more than money, Ava. You stole us. And I spent five years figuring out how to steal you back.
Tears burned her eyes. That's not love. That's obsession.
Maybe it's both. His hands caged her in, body inches from hers. But don't pretend you don't feel it too. The way you come apart for me every night that's not just payment. That's you, wanting this as badly as I do.
She shoved at his chest, but there was no force behind it. You're wrong. I hate you for this.
Liar. He caught her wrists, pulling her flush against him. Heat sparked, familiar and fierce. Prove it. Leave. Right now.
The challenge hung between them. She stared up at him, heart pounding, then wrenched free and bolted for the door.
Her hand twisted the knob locked. She punched the code into the keypad, denied. Tried again nothing.
Behind her, Lucian's voice was calm, deadly. You think I'd make it that easy?
She whirled, fury and fear twisting inside her. Unlock it. Now.
He stalked closer, eyes dark with something unreadable. No.
The storm raged outside, but inside, the real tempest was just beginning. Ava pressed back against the door, trapped, as he closed the distance, the air crackling with what came next surrender or shattering?
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