Chapter 3
986 Words
*Title: The Visitor*
Ava woke up to the smell of coffee and something she couldn’t name.
For a second, she forgot where she was. Then the massive chandelier above her bed reminded her.
She was Mrs. Black now.
Guest room. East wing. Prison with marble floors.
She checked the new phone Lucas gave her. 9:00 AM. A message from the driver: _I’ll be downstairs at 10 AM if you want to visit your brother._
Ava sat up fast.
Miguel.
She showered, dressed in the simplest clothes she could find in the walk-in closet, and was downstairs by 9:55.
Lucas wasn’t in the dining room. Good. She wasn’t ready to face him after last night’s conversation.
The driver, Mark, opened the door for her without a word. The ride to the halfway house where Miguel was staying took 40 minutes.
When she saw him, she almost cried again.
Miguel looked thinner, older. But he was alive. He was free.
“Ate!” He ran to her and hugged her tight. “Thank you. Thank you so much.”
Ava hugged him back, her throat tight. “Don’t thank me yet. You’re safe now.”
They sat in the small visiting room.
“How are you?” Miguel asked, studying her face. “You look… different. Where are you staying?”
Ava hesitated. How do you tell your brother you married a billionaire stranger to get him out of jail?
“I’m staying with someone,” she said carefully. “He helped me. In exchange, I work for him for six months.”
Miguel frowned. “What kind of work?”
“Just… paperwork. Nothing bad.”
It wasn’t a lie. Not exactly.
Miguel didn’t look convinced, but he didn’t push.
“Ate, be careful,” he said quietly. “People who help for free always want something back.”
Ava forced a smile. “I know. I’ll be fine.”
They talked for an hour. About Mom, about the past, about stupid childhood memories. For a moment, it felt normal again.
Until Mark got a call.
“Ms. Reyes, we need to go,” he said, standing by the door. His voice was tense.
“Why? What happened?” Ava asked.
“Mr. Black’s orders. Now.”
Ava stood up, confused. “Miguel, I’ll come back tomorrow, okay?”
Miguel nodded, but his eyes were worried.
As they walked to the car, Ava saw it.
Two men in black jackets standing across the street, watching them.
When Mark noticed her looking, he stepped in front of her. “Get in the car. Now.”
---
Back at the mansion, Lucas was waiting in the living room.
His face was dark.
“Who told you to go alone?” he asked the moment she walked in.
“I didn’t go alone,” Ava said. “Mark was with me.”
“That’s not the point.” Lucas stood up, his jaw tight. “You were followed.”
Ava froze. “What?”
“Those men across the street. They’ve been watching Miguel since he got out.”
Ava’s blood ran cold. “Who are they?”
Lucas didn’t answer. He walked to the window and stared outside.
“Did you tell him anything?” he asked without turning around.
“About what?”
“About me. About the contract.”
“No,” Ava said quickly. “I didn’t say anything.”
“Good.” Lucas turned to face her. “Because if they know about you, they know about me. And that makes you a target.”
Ava swallowed hard. “Who are ‘they’, Lucas?”
For a moment, she thought he wouldn’t answer.
“My father’s enemies,” he said finally. “They think I have something that belongs to them. Something my grandfather hid before he died.”
Ava stared at him. “And you think I can help you find it?”
“No,” Lucas said. “I think they think you can.”
The room went quiet.
Ava felt sick. She didn’t sign up for this. She signed up to save her brother, not to get caught in some mafia drama.
“Can I leave?” she asked quietly.
Lucas raised an eyebrow. “Leave?”
“End the contract. Now. I’ll give the money back. Just let me and Miguel go.”
Lucas laughed. It wasn’t a nice laugh.
“You think it’s that easy?” he said. “You signed a legally binding contract, Ava. You can’t just walk away.”
“Then what do you want from me?” she snapped, anger replacing fear.
“I want you to stay alive,” he said bluntly. “And to do that, you follow my rules. No more going out without me knowing. No more talking to anyone about us. And you stay away from Miguel for now.”
Ava shook her head. “You can’t keep me away from my brother.”
“I can,” Lucas said. “And I will, if it keeps you safe.”
Ava stared at him, hating him in that moment.
“You’re a monster,” she whispered.
Lucas didn’t flinch. “Maybe. But I’m the monster keeping you alive.”
---
That night, Ava couldn’t sleep.
She lay in bed, staring at the ceiling, replaying everything Lucas said.
Who was he really? And what did his grandfather hide?
Her phone buzzed.
A text from an unknown number.
_Stop asking questions, Mrs. Black. It’s not safe for you or your brother. - A friend_
Ava sat up, her heart pounding.
Someone was watching her. Someone knew she was asking questions.
She typed back: _Who is this?_
The reply came instantly: _Don’t reply. Meet me at the garden at 3 AM. Alone. Or Miguel gets hurt._
Ava’s hands shook.
She looked at the door. It was locked. Lucas’s rules.
But if she didn’t go,
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