He was dressed to the nines in a perfectly tailored suit, looking nothing like the bodyguard I once knew,
He’d blended seamlessly into the crowd of elite socialites.
“How the hell did you find me?”
“I work for Madison.” His eyes never left mine: “Naturally, I have to represent her interests.”
My hands clenched into fists.
If the Blackwood empire crashed, the trust fund would tank too, and Madison’s dividends would vanish.
She might even inherit massive debts.
No wonder Blackwood stock had been recovering lately.
This should’ve been a total wipeout, but then Ethan had to
show up
and save them!
“Why do you always have to get in my way?”
“I’m not trying to get in your way.”
He stepped closer, backing me against the wall:” It’s just that without using Madison as an excuse, I never would’ve had access to the resources I needed to track you down.”
He lifted my chin gently: “You’re even smarter and more capable than I imagined. Do you have any idea how long I’ve been searching for you?”
SMACK!
I slapped his hand away, leaving a red mark across his skin.
He didn’t even flinch–if anything, he smiled.
“It’s really you. All of this is real. You’re alive. I knew I was right to keep believing.”
“Ava,” he grabbed my hands, his voice shaking with emotion: “Come home with me.”
“Let go of me!” I struggled violently, shoving him hard.
“Just pretend I’m dead! Why can’t you leave me a
Something in my words hit him like a physical blow. His eyes actually reddened.
“God, I thought you were dead for a long time! Do you have any clue what that did to me?”
He pinned me against the wall, staring down at me with desperate Intensity.
“I never realized how empty my room would feel without you in it.”
“I swore to myself that if God gave me a second chance, I’d use my life to keep my promise. I’d never let you get hurt again.”
I tried to kill myself. Jason stopped me.”
I thought I’d just waste away until I died and could see you again. Then someone started systematically targeting the Blackwoods, but I couldn’t figure out who at first.”
His breathing became more erratic as he caressed my face.
“But that’s when it hit me–I know you’re still alive!”
“Only you could pull off something like this!
“Ava, I don’t want to be your bodyguard anymore. I want to be someone you can’t live without.”
“I don’t give a shit about the Blackwoods–I just want to take you away from all this.”
“Really?”
I leaned closer to him. “Then listen carefully.”
“The time when I loved you most is over.”
“I don’t want you anymore.”
His breath caught.
“And if you try to drag me away, I’ll kill myself. I promise you that.”
He stared at me with a complicated expression.
I let out a cold laugh and walked away.
As I stepped outside, someone handed me a handkerchief.
I looked up to see Lucas Kane’s cold, calculating eyes.
