The early morning light spilled through the curtains, but the warmth did nothing to thaw the chill that had settled in Ava's bones.
Jace had told her everything. About the offshore accounts. Richard's betrayal. The call from the anonymous number threatening her.
She couldn't decide what was worse—the fear creeping up her spine or the overwhelming realization that her life was being pulled apart thread by thread.
Ava stood by the kitchen island, trying to pour coffee with shaky hands.
"You okay?" Jace's voice was rough with sleep but laced with concern as he stepped into the room.
She didn't turn. "No. And pretending like I am isn't helping."
He crossed the room and gently took the mug from her hand, setting it aside. "Then don't pretend."
"I'm tired, Jace." She turned to face him. "Tired of secrets, threats, people from our past trying to ruin what little peace we've built."
His hands came up to cradle her face. "Then we stop reacting and start acting."
"How?"
"We find out what Richard and Lena really want. And we make our move first."
---
Hours later, they were in Jace's private office with his lawyer and PI.
"We need a controlled leak," Jace said. "Something that draws Richard out without compromising Ava."
"Too risky," Ava countered. "He's already threatened me once. He won't hesitate."
The PI spoke. "Or he'll panic. And when people panic, they make mistakes. That's what we need."
Jace reached over, taking Ava's hand. "Only if you agree. I won't put you in more danger."
Ava hesitated. Then nodded. "Let's end this."
---
Later that night, a fake article hit an underground site known for tabloid-level gossip:
> Heiress Ava Carter to transfer control of inheritance trust to new power partner in business deal with Jace Carter's empire.
The article was planted. The bait.
It didn't take long.
Richard was on the phone within hours. Screaming.
"You think you can sideline me?! I made you!" he shouted at the dummy account set up by Jace's team.
Then he said it.
"I buried the truth to keep her safe! If she finds out what her mother did, it will destroy everything!"
---
Ava sat frozen as the recording played back.
"My mother?" she whispered. "What does she have to do with this?"
Jace wrapped his arms around her. "We're going to find out."
---
At midnight, Ava sat alone on the balcony, the city lights twinkling below. Jace joined her, wrapping a blanket over her shoulders.
"I'm scared," she admitted.
He didn't say anything. He just pulled her close and kissed the side of her head.
"You don't have to be," he whispered. "You have me."
She looked up at him. "Do I? Or are we just fooling ourselves?"
Jace kissed her then—soft, tender, and full of everything he never quite said aloud.
"You have all of me."
---
They went inside, but neither could sleep. The tension was too heavy, the secrets too close to the surface.
Ava sat cross-legged on the bed. "Tell me something honest. Something real."
Jace leaned back against the headboard. "I never wanted a wife."
Ava raised a brow. "Thanks?"
He smiled faintly. "Let me finish. I never wanted one… until you. And even then, I didn't realize it until I thought I might lose you."
She reached for him, her fingers tracing the lines of his jaw.
"I didn't want to love anyone," she whispered. "But you made me forget how to be alone."
Their kiss this time wasn't desperate or rushed. It was slow, languid—burning with quiet promises.
When he laid her down and undressed her, it wasn't just lust that moved them.
It was trust.
It was surrender.
It was healing.
Their bodies tangled, movements slow and meaningful. Every gasp, every sigh was a note in the song only they could hear. His lips moved from her collarbone to her hips, worshiping every inch of her skin. Her hands gripped his shoulders, not in passion, but in reverence.
When they finally collapsed together, breathless and spent, it wasn't about winning or dominance.
It was about being seen.
Loved.
Safe.
"I think I'm ready," Ava whispered.
"For what?"
"To stop running."
Jace kissed her softly. "Then let's face it all. Together."
Outside, the storm clouds rolled in.
But inside, for the first time in a long time, they were still