The courtroom victory should have felt like a triumph, but as Ava stood on the balcony of the penthouse that evening, the city lights stretching endlessly below her, the weight of the past weeks settled over her like a second skin. The legal battle was over. Richard was out. Carter Industries was finally free of his shadow. And yet, the silence between her and Liam was louder than any argument they’d ever had.
Liam stepped out behind her, his presence a warm counterpoint to the cool night air. He didn’t speak at first, his hands resting on the railing as he stared out at the skyline. The tension between them wasn’t anger or resentment—it was something quieter, more uncertain. The kind of silence that came when two people realized the fight that had bound them together was over, and now th
