Seduced by My Ex's Tycoon Brother

The ex

Ava's POV

My eyes had to be betraying me.

Either that, or I was losing my mind, because the man standing in front of me looked so much like Liam. Except I knew it wasn't him.

This man was slightly taller, his face more chiseled and his features far sharper than Liam's. He looked cold and unapproachable, the kind of man who carried himself with effortless authority. Everything about him screamed wealth and power. His eyes were an intense shade of green…So intense that I found myself growing uncomfortable beneath his gaze. There was something unsettling in the way he looked at me.

I quickly apologized as I took a step back and put some distance between us, my nerves tightening. My palms grew clammy, and just as he looked like he was about to say something, my ringtone shattered the silence.

I quickly pulled out my phone. My breath hitched when I saw Liam's name on the screen. Instantly forgetting the handsome stranger, I mumbled another apology and hurried out of the hallway, rushing outside the club.

Guilt churned in my stomach as I answered the call and pressed the phone to my ear. A small, irrational part of me feared he'd somehow found out I'd been at a strip club.

"Ava." Liam's raspy voice filled my ear. "You haven't been responding to my texts. Why?"

He sounded upset. A frown tugged at my lips. "I left my phone in my purse," I said, biting my lip and swallowing the truth before it could escape. "What's wrong?"

I was already making my way toward the sidewalk.

He released a heavy sigh. "Ariana called me."

My heart stopped. I froze mid-step, my legs suddenly too heavy to move. No. This couldn't be happening. Not again.

Ariana. Just hearing her name was enough to ruin my peace. His ex and first love. The woman he probably would've married if she hadn't dumped him for a wealthy heir and moved to Russia.

Despite the panic building inside me, I kept my voice steady. "What did she say?"

There was a brief silence before Liam cursed under his breath. "She's back in New York."

I sucked in a sharp breath. There was more. I knew there was. Against my better judgment, I asked anyway. "And?"

Liam cleared his throat. "She's not with Giovanni anymore."

Of course. Of course this would happen now, when our engagement was so close. I was furious. Furious at Ariana. Furious at Liam. And maybe even furious at myself.

My hands began to sweat. "And why exactly did she feel the need to tell you that?" I asked carefully.

"I don't know." He paused. "Maybe she wants us to get back together."

"And?" I cut him off immediately. "Do you want to get back together with her?"

Silence. An uncomfortable silence stretched between us before he finally spoke. "I... I don't know."

"Where are you, Liam?" The question came out sharper than I intended.

I was losing my composure. Losing my mind. I couldn't let him throw away everything we'd built so easily. I couldn't survive another heartbreak because of him. And I definitely couldn't survive watching him choose Ariana again.

"At my apartment," he replied quietly.

I squeezed my eyes shut, fighting back the tears threatening to spill. "I'm coming over."

Without waiting for a response, I ended the call and ordered a ride. As I waited, I paced anxiously along the sidewalk, my thoughts spiraled endlessly. I shouldn't be feeling this insecure. I should feel confident. We were getting engaged soon, and his mother adored me. Everything should have been fine.

No…It was going to be fine. It had to be.

When my ride finally arrived, the drive to Liam's apartment felt painfully slow. The moment I got there, I unlocked the door with my spare key and hurried inside.

I found Liam sitting at the mini bar with his head lowered. An empty bottle of wine sat beside him.

He'd been drinking. I walked over and gently tapped his shoulder. "Why did you drink so much?"

He lifted his head and looked at me. For a brief second, something lit up in his eyes. Then it vanished. His expression hardened as he looked away.

A painful thought crossed my mind. What if he'd hoped it was Ariana walking through that door?

"I'm confused, Ava." The words made my chest tighten.

"Confused?" I repeated. "About what?"

His eyes met mine again before he ran a hand through his already messy brown hair.

"What do you mean, about what?" he asked. "Ariana is back."

I pressed my lips together. "And you're thinking about getting back with her?" My voice trembled. "Seriously? After everything she did to you?"

He didn't answer immediately. Instead, he rubbed his eyes and sighed. "But she's back," he said quietly. "She regrets her decision."

I stared at him in disbelief. Yet I wasn't surprised. Deep down, I'd always known the truth. I had been his distraction. His rebound and available backup plan. But knowing it and hearing it were two completely different things.

It hurt. God, it hurt.

And what hurt most was that I still loved him anyway. "And what about me, Liam?" I asked softly.

His shoulders stiffened.

"What about us?" I swallowed hard. "You're willing to throw everything away because she says she's sorry?"

He lowered his gaze. "You don't understand, Ava."

A bitter smile tugged at my lips. "Then help me understand."

His voice was barely above a whisper. "She's my first love."

There it was. The truth he'd never let me forget. Before we got together, during our relationship, and every step of the way. Ariana had been first. And maybe she always would be. But my stupid heart refused to let go.

I sat on the stool beside him and gently rubbed his back. "You know you can't do what you're thinking about, right?"

He tensed beneath my touch. "What do you think I'm thinking about?"

"You're thinking about ending things and running back to her." I shook my head. "Don't."

His jaw tightened, but I continued anyway. "I remember what she did to you. I remember how heartbroken you were after she cheated on you and left. I remember how you begged her to come back." My throat tightened. "She never did."

He looked away. I forced myself to keep talking. "I stayed with you, Liam. I helped you through all of it." I hesitated before adding softly, "I know you loved her." I couldn't bring myself to say love in the present tense.

"But I also know she'll leave again the moment someone wealthier comes along." I shook my head and withdrew my hand. "Don't do this." My voice cracked. "I don't know how she managed to contact you after you said you'd blocked her, but don't let her back into your life." I met his gaze. "We're getting engaged soon. We've spent a year building this relationship." My chest ached. "Don't throw it away."

Silence settled between us. The only sound was Liam's uneven breathing.

Finally, he exhaled heavily and ran a hand through his hair once more. "I know." He closed his eyes. "I wasn't thinking straight, Ava." Relief flooded through me. "I'll block her everywhere."

My heart finally began beating normally again. Only then did I realize I'd been holding my breath the entire time.

We sat there in silence, neither of us speaking, neither of us moving.

And I had no idea that the silence between us was merely the calm before the storm.