HATE ME THEN HOLD ME 🥰

EPISODE 24: NO STRINGS NO SAFETY

Ava pushed the boardroom door open and walked in like she owned the place, her heels clicking with a confidence she didn’t truly feel. Damon was already seated at the head of the table, fingers interlocked, eyes unreadable.

"You're late," he said flatly.

“I’m not one of your employees,” she shot back, sliding into the seat next to him. “And you don’t own my time.”

A corner of his mouth twitched—maybe amusement, maybe irritation. “But I do own your contract, sweetheart.”

Her stomach twisted. She hated how he said sweetheart. It made her feel small and warm at the same time.

He leaned closer, voice dropping. “We agreed on boundaries. No feelings. No drama.”

She met his gaze, defiant. “Then why do you look at me like you want to break every rule you set?”

For a second, he said nothing. Then he stood, circled behind her, and whispered, “Because I’m starting to forget why I made those rules in the first place.”

The air grew heavy. Ava turned slightly, breath caught between pride and panic. Damon’s fingers brushed her shoulder—brief, like a spark threatening to ignite something neither of them could control.

And just like that, he walked out, leaving her heart pounding in silence.

Episode 25

“When Silence Screams”

Ava stared at the empty doorway long after Damon left. Her chest felt tight—like he’d taken the air with him.

She wasn’t supposed to care. This was meant to be a game, a temporary arrangement. But every time he touched her, every time he looked at her like she was more than just a deal... it felt real. Too real.

Later that evening, she sat on the rooftop of her apartment building, the city lights flickering beneath her feet. Vicky called, her voice warm but worried.

“You okay, babe? You sound... off.”

Ava hesitated. “Do you think someone can hate you and still want to protect you?”

Vicky chuckled softly. “Only if they’re scared. Scared of how much they feel.”

Ava hung up with a sigh. Just then, her phone buzzed. A message from Damon.

“Come downstairs.”

Her heart jumped. She rushed down, only to find his car parked outside, engine running. He didn’t speak when she got in.

He just drove.

And in that thick, loaded silence, Ava realized something terrifying—she wasn’t the only one falling. Damon was too. He just didn’t know how to say it without breaking.

Episode 26

“Drive Me Away, Pull Me Closer”

The car moved through the city like a secret. Damon didn’t say where they were going, and Ava didn’t ask. She just watched him—his jaw tight, one hand on the wheel, the other flexing restlessly on his thigh.

“I didn’t agree to a midnight kidnapping,” she said finally, voice light but shaky.

His eyes flicked to her, unreadable. “You didn’t say no.”

Silence.

They pulled up to a quiet, private beach—moonlight shimmering on the waves. Damon stepped out without a word. Ava followed, arms folded, wind playing with her hair.

“This place,” he murmured, “is where I go when everything feels loud.”

“Then why bring me here?” she asked.

He turned to her, eyes raw. “Because you’re the one noise I can’t block out.”

She froze. The wind, the waves, the world—all faded behind those words. Damon reached out, brushing her cheek with the back of his fingers.

“I don’t know what this is, Ava. But I can’t ignore it anymore.”

Her heart thudded wildly. “Then stop pretending you don’t feel it.”

He leaned in, their breaths mingling. “If I kiss you right now... I’m not letting you go.”

She didn’t move.

Didn’t blink.

Didn’t run.

“Then don’t.”

Episode 27

“The Kiss That Changed Everything”

Damon didn’t wait for another word. His lips crashed onto hers with a hunger he’d been holding back for too long. It wasn’t soft. It wasn’t sweet.

It was desperate.

Ava melted into him, fingers gripping his shirt as the ocean roared behind them. Everything—the games, the rules, the push and pull—dissolved in that kiss.

When they finally pulled apart, breathless, she whispered, “What happens now?”

He rested his forehead against hers. “Now… I stop pretending you’re just part of a contract.”

She laughed quietly, eyes shining. “Took you long enough.”

But just as quickly as the moment swelled, Damon’s expression shifted. Serious. Guarded again.

“This changes things, Ava. And not everyone’s going to like it.”

She stepped back slightly, confused. “What do you mean?”

He hesitated. “My world has rules. People watch me. Expect things from me. You being in it... it’s going to start a storm.”

Her eyes narrowed. “Are you warning me? Or pushing me away again?”

“I’m telling you the truth,” he said. “So when it hits, you’ll know I tried to protect you.”

She folded her arms, voice firm. “Then don’t protect me. Fight for me.”

And with that, she turned and walked toward the car—leaving Damon staring after her, torn between fear and the fire she’d just ignited.

Episode 28

“Hearts on Display”

The morning after the kiss, Ava woke to a dozen missed calls—from Vicky, from Isaac, and one from an unknown number. Her heart sank. Whatever Damon warned her about... it had begun.

She opened her front door and nearly stumbled over the thick envelope lying on her welcome mat. Inside were photos—her and Damon at the beach, mid-kiss, too intimate to deny.

Her hands trembled. A sticky note fell out.

“This is what being close to him looks like. Hope you’re ready.”

Ava’s chest tightened. Who sent this? Why now?

Just then, her phone buzzed again. It was Vicky.

“Ava, your name’s all over social media. Someone leaked the pictures. They’re saying you’re Damon Blackwood’s new... mistress.”

Ava felt the room spin. “Mistress?”

Vicky’s voice lowered. “They’re dragging you, girl. People think you’re after his money. His ex is even posting cryptic things.”

Ava hung up, grabbed her bag, and stormed out. She didn’t even knock when she reached Damon’s office—just barged in.

He stood when he saw her, surprised. “Ava—”

“Did you know this would happen?” she snapped, tossing the photos on his desk. “You warned me. So tell me, Damon. Who’s trying to ruin me for loving you?”

His jaw clenched. “Everyone who thought they had a claim on me.”

A pause.

“But I’m done belonging to them.”

Episode 29

“More Than a Scandal”

Ava stood in Damon’s office, fists clenched, eyes blazing. The pictures. The gossip. The headlines.

And yet—his calm.

“You’re not even surprised,” she said bitterly.

“I’m not,” Damon admitted. “People have been waiting to tear me down. They just found you to do it with.”

Ava’s heart cracked a little. “So I’m just a weapon in their game?”

He moved toward her slowly. “No, Ava. You’re the only real thing I’ve had in a long time. And I won’t let them use you to punish me.”

A pause.

“I made a statement this morning,” he added. “Told the press we’re together. That I care about you. That it’s no one’s business but ours.”

Ava blinked. “You what?”

He cupped her cheek. “I chose you. Publicly. No more hiding.”

Her voice was soft. “And what happens now?”

Damon smiled gently. “Now, we stop surviving... and start living.”

Ava took a shaky breath, resting her forehead against his. The world outside was loud and cruel—but in his arms, she felt still.

She didn’t know what tomorrow held. But in that moment, she knew one thing:

She didn’t hate him anymore.

She just needed him to hold her.

Final episode coming next. ❤️

Episode 30 (Finale)

“Hate Me, Then Hold Me”

The sun dipped low over the city skyline as Damon and Ava stood hand in hand on the rooftop of his penthouse—the same one where this whole story started.

Below them, the noise of the world faded. No cameras. No headlines. Just them.

“I never thought I’d end up here,” Ava said, her voice soft. “With you.”

Damon turned to her, his gaze steady. “You hated me first.”

She smirked. “You deserved it.”

“I probably still do,” he chuckled, brushing hair from her face. “But I’ll earn every part of you from here on.”

They both laughed quietly, but the moment was deeper than words.

This wasn’t the end of a deal. It was the beginning of something raw, messy, and beautiful.

“I don’t want perfect,” Ava whispered. “I just want real.”

“You have it,” he replied. “All of me. No contracts. No rules. Just... us.”

He pulled her close, and she melted into his chest. For the first time, there were no doubts. No running. No walls.

Just hearts, finally free.

Because love wasn’t born in their perfection—it bloomed in the chaos.

And after all the push and pull...

She didn’t just want him to hold her.

She finally wanted him to stay.

– THE END – 💔➡️❤️