Chapter6
585 Words
Ava sat in her office, her fingers gripping the edges of her desk. She needed to think. She needed to breathe.
Nicole’s unexpected appearance had rattled her.
If there was anyone who could connect the dots, it was her.
Nicole knew where Ava had been, what she had been through, and most dangerously—that Ava had two children.
Ava exhaled sharply, pushing down the panic rising in her chest. She had spent six years building a life, erasing traces of the past, and now, it felt like it was all about to come crashing down.
Her phone buzzed.
A message from Nicole.
Nicole: We need to talk. Meet me after work. This is serious, Ava.
Ava clenched her jaw. She couldn’t ignore Nicole. If she pushed too hard, she’d only make her more concerned.
She needed to control the situation before it spiraled out of her hands.
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Adrian’s Perspective
Adrian leaned back in his chair, staring at the report Ethan had placed before him. It didn’t make sense.
Ava Carter’s past was too clean. Too perfect.
Six years ago, she had simply… appeared.
He tapped his fingers against the desk, his frustration simmering. He wasn’t a man who believed in coincidences, and Ava Carter?
She was one. A walking, breathing mystery.
And Adrian Storm hated mysteries.
His gaze drifted to the glass window of his office. From here, he could see the entire floor, and his eyes instinctively sought her out.
There she was.
Sitting at her desk, her head bowed, her posture stiff. As if she was carrying a burden too heavy for her shoulders.
His jaw tightened.
Why did he feel like he knew her?
Why did she feel so damn… familiar?
The way she moved. The way she looked away whenever he was near.
It was like she was hiding.
From him.
And that made his obsession worse.
Adrian didn’t just want to figure her out anymore.
He needed to.
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After Work – The Meeting with Nicole
Ava met Nicole in a quiet café, keeping her head low as she slid into the booth.
Nicole wasn’t wasting any time. She leaned forward, her voice urgent.
“Ava, tell me you know what you’re doing.”
Ava swallowed. “I do.”
“No, you don’t.” Nicole’s expression was hard. “You’re working for him. The father of your kids. And he doesn’t even know.”
Ava flinched at the words.
Nicole exhaled sharply. “Do you have any idea what will happen if he finds out?”
Ava did.
And that was why she couldn’t let it happen.
“He won’t,” Ava whispered. “I just need time. I’ll leave before—”
Nicole shook her head. “No, Ava. You don’t get it. I did some digging. Do you know how many times he tried to find you?”
Ava froze.
Her heart pounded in her chest.
What?
Nicole’s voice dropped lower. “Six years ago, after that night, Adrian Storm searched for you. Everywhere. He didn’t stop for months.”
Ava’s throat tightened.
He… searched for her?
“I don’t know why he never found anything, but Ava, this man doesn’t let things go. If he realizes who you are—”
Ava gripped the edge of the table, her mind racing.
She had thought she was safe. That her past was buried.
But no
w?
Adrian was already looking too closely.
And soon…
He was going to see the truth staring right at him.
- Writer
