The morning light spilled over Ava's bare shoulder, illuminating the soft rise and fall of her chest as she slept. Jace lay beside her, silently watching, memorizing the curves of her face and the peacefulness that clung to her features. There was something profoundly grounding about these moments—quiet, intimate, and far removed from the chaos of the outside world.
But peace, Jace knew, was a fragile illusion.
His phone buzzed softly on the nightstand. He glanced at it, hesitating, not wanting to wake her.
Another anonymous message.
> "She'll find out eventually. You better tell her before someone else does."
Jace's jaw tightened. He had kept secrets. He had told himself it was to protect Ava—but maybe it had been cowardice too.
He slipped out of bed and padded to his study, heart heavy with guilt. The past was beginning to corner him, and if he didn't face it soon, he risked losing everything.
---
When Ava woke up alone, she instinctively reached for Jace. The absence beside her brought back a chill that no sunlight could chase away.
She found him in his study, eyes fixed on the laptop screen, shoulders hunched in that familiar way that spoke of tension and trouble.
"Another message?" she asked softly.
He nodded without looking up. "They're not going to stop."
"Then we stop hiding."
He finally looked at her, eyes filled with uncertainty. "Even if the truth destroys everything?"
She crossed the room, kneeling beside him. "It's not the truth that destroys. It's the lies."
---
Later that day, they returned to her uncle Richard's estate. The mansion loomed like a castle guarding decades of secrets.
"Are you sure?" Jace asked as they stood at the gates.
"I need answers," she replied. "I deserve them."
Inside, Richard waited. His face was calm, smug even, but his eyes darted too quickly, and his hands trembled slightly.
"Why did you use me?" Ava demanded without pleasantries.
Richard's smile faltered. "It was business, Ava. Just business."
"I'm not a transaction," she said, voice hard. "You played me like a pawn. And now it's checkmate."
Richard's mask cracked. "You were never supposed to fall in love. That wasn't part of the plan."
"Well, I did. And now the game is over."
Jace stepped forward. "If you ever come near her again—"
"You'll what?" Richard sneered. "Ruin me? I've already ruined myself."
Ava's voice softened. "Then maybe it's time you live with that."
---
The days that followed were a whirlwind of lawyers, press releases, and damage control. But Ava and Jace stood firm, united. Each trial brought them closer, and each touch reminded them what they were fighting for.
In between the chaos, they found moments—brief, beautiful moments—to simply be.
One evening, Jace took her to the rooftop of their building. Candles flickered in the breeze, and a small dinner table was set beneath a canopy of stars.
"Romantic," she teased, eyes twinkling.
"You deserve romantic," he replied.
They ate, they laughed, and when the music began playing softly in the background, he pulled her into his arms.
They danced slowly, swaying to a rhythm only their hearts understood.
"I have something to tell you," she whispered into his ear.
He stilled. "What is it?"
She pulled back slightly, placing his hand gently on her stomach.
"It's early, but… I'm pregnant."
Jace froze. His breath hitched. He blinked several times before the reality sank in.
"You're… you're serious?"
Tears filled her eyes. "Yes."
He laughed—a full, genuine laugh—and lifted her off the ground, spinning her.
"I love you," he said when he finally set her down. "And I love our baby."
They kissed beneath the stars, joy washing over them like summer rain.
---
But the world wasn't done testing them.
Weeks later, while reviewing company files, Ava found discrepancies—numbers that didn't add up, deals she never authorized, signatures she never gave.
She brought them to Jace.
His eyes scanned the documents, then narrowed. "This isn't just mismanagement. This is sabotage."
"From inside?"
He nodded slowly. "Someone is still trying to destroy us."
That night, they sat in their bedroom, back to back, each lost in thought.
"I don't know how much more we can take," Ava said.
Jace reached behind and held her hand. "We take as much as we have to. Because we don't stop now."
---
A new suspect emerged: someone close to Jace. His assistant, who had worked with him for years. Betrayal, Jace realized, sometimes wore familiar faces.
When confronted, she didn't deny it.
"He doesn't deserve you," she hissed at Ava. "He never did."
Security escorted her out, and Jace stood stunned.
"I trusted her," he murmured.
Ava wrapped her arms around him. "Now you trust me."
---
As autumn approached, Ava's belly began to show. Jace's protectiveness increased tenfold. Every meeting was moved to their home. Every walk had security. Every night ended with his hand resting gently over their child.
They spoke of names.
Of futures.
Of love.
But still, shadows lingered. The lawsuit from Lena was still active. The media continued to pry.
One night, Jace woke from a nightmare, drenched in sweat.
"You okay?" Ava asked.
"I dreamed I lost you," he whispered.
She kissed him, slow and reassuring. "You won't."
Their bodies found each other again in the dark. This time slower, deeper.
Her skin felt like silk beneath his hands. Her moans, soft and breathy, made his heart race.
"I need you," she whispered, nails grazing his back.
"I'm yours," he breathed.
They moved in rhythm, breathless, weightless.
And when the world faded, they clung to each other like lifelines.
---
The following morning brought news that would change everything.
Lena had disappeared. Vanished without a trace.
But she had left behind a note.
> "Truth is poison. Let it bleed."
The final battle was still ahead.
But Ava and Jace were no longer pawns in someone else's game.
They were players now.
And they were ready to win.