It started with a whisper of thunder in the distance. Ava stood in her room, her fingers resting lightly on the windowsill. She watched the rain come down in broken sheets over the Blackwood estate. The sky was bruised, dim, and heavy, and the storm felt oddly fitting, like it had been mourning long before she knew why. The storm didn't frighten her. If anything, it felt strangely appropriate. It felt like the world outside was catching up to everything she was feeling within, like it had been summoned just for her.
She hadn't seen Damien since the conservatory encounter the night before. She hadn't even seen much of herself either, only the ghost of her reflection in the mirror. She was brushing her hair in a quiet daze when her phone rang. Walking over to the bedside table, she picked up the phone and saw Lila's name flashing on the screen. The moment she answered, she heard Lila's frantic and breathless voice.
"Ava, it's your mother."
Those words made her heart skip several beats.
"I'll be there," she said quickly and hung up. Her hands moved on instinct as she grabbed her bag and rushed downstairs, not knowing how she made it there. She didn't feel like driving, her mind was in too much chaos so she ordered a ride. She waited under the awning as the rain slowed to a drizzle. The moment the cab came, she got into the vehicle, gave the name of the hospital and told the driver to step on it.
The drive from the estate to the hospital was long, and every minute that passed felt to Ava like it was tearing her apart piece by piece. The silence in the car only made the storm inside her worse. The world outside blurred past in streaks of grey, and by the time the car pulled up in front of the hospital, the rain had lightened, but the sky remained moody, and the aftermath of the storm still lingered like a warning.
She walked briskly through the water puddles and straight into the hospital, then to the care center and finally to the ward where her mother had been. But when she got there, the ward was empty.
A spike of panic hit her as she turned and rushed to the nurses at the reception. Her words tumbled out fast.
"My mother, Teresa Sinclair. She was in Ward 2B. Where is she?"
One of the nurses, a calm looking woman in pale blue scrubs, typed into her computer before glancing up. "She was moved to a different ward."
"Moved? Why? I didn't pay for a new ward or authorize anything," Ava said, confused and increasingly alarmed.
"I'm not sure," the nurse replied. "Someone paid for her transfer. We tried to call you earlier when she woke up but couldn't reach you. Then we called the next contact listed, Lila."
That made her pause. Lila had stayed with her mom. That alone softened Ava's chest for a moment.
"Where did you move her?"
The nurse gave her the directions, and Ava walked quickly toward the new ward. As she moved through the quiet hallway, her eyes swept the walls. The air here felt different, quieter, more expensive. This was the private VIP section. She hadn't even dared consider this option before. A two month stay here would cost her more than her annual salary. Her shoes clicked softly on the polished floor as she approached the door.
She entered the ward and froze.
Her mother was sitting up, awake. Lila was beside her, feeding her slowly with a spoon.
"Ava," her mother said, her voice weak but sure.
"Mom?" Ava breathed.
She walked forward slowly, almost afraid the moment would vanish. Her mother looked at her again, really looked and Ava's heart almost gave out.
"Do you remember me?" she whispered.
Her mother nodded. "Of course I do." She looked at Ava with that knowing look in her eyes and Ava nearly cried on the spot.
It had been three long years since her mother had called her name, since she had looked at her with such clarity. No confusion, no forgetting, just presence.
They talked for a while. Not about anything too heavy, just soft words and gentle smiles. Her mother soon drifted off to sleep, and Ava tucked the blanket closer around her before stepping out of the ward with Lila.
"Thank you for staying with her," Ava said quietly.
"It's nothing you need to thank me for," Lila replied with a small smile.
They walked slowly down the corridor. Ava looked over at her friend.
"Did you pay for the ward?"
Lila chuckled. "Me? Girl, I wish. My salary can't even pay for a week here. I assumed it was you."
Ava shook her head. "It wasn't, I can't afford it either."
"You're married to a billionaire so I assumed."
"I mean… I was given a black card, but I've never used it."
With everything going on in that house, spending money has been the last thing on her mind.
"Then maybe it was Damien."
Ava blinked. "There's no way he knows about my mom. I've never told him."
Lila shrugged. "He literally runs half the city, Ava. If he wanted to find out, he would."
Ava didn't say anything at first, but her stomach turned at the thought. Damien, always watching, always knowing more than he let on, it wouldn't be surprising. Just unsettling.
Outside, the clouds still hung thick, and puddles dotted the ground. Lila pulled out her phone to order Ava a cab.
"You don't look too good," she said. "You should leave that estate more often."
Ava gave a weak smile. "You think I look pale?"
"Like a walking ghost. You need sunlight. Or a drink. Or both. Honestly, take the honeymoon trip the agency offers, it's still available. You could use a vacation."
Ava shook her head. She wasn't sure she felt comfortable in Damien's presence, the man had his own way of creeping her out. "I don't think Damien would be up for it. If he wanted to go, he would've mentioned it."
"Still," Lila said, giving her a look. "You're in that house too much. Come by the agency sometime. Wesley wants to check in. And visit your mom more now that she's back."
Ava nodded. "I will."
The cab arrived and pulled to the curb. Ava hugged her friend lightly before getting in.
The ride began quietly.
She tried to relax, scrolling through her phone. Ava didn't notice at first. She scrolled through her phone, distracted, until the gaze burning into her made her look up.
The driver was watching her through the rearview mirror. His eyes lingered in a way that immediately made her skin crawl. It wasn't casual glances, he kept staring.
"Is there a problem?" Ava asked, her voice sharp.
He smiled and she noticed the chipped tooth. There was something about it that made her stomach twist.
"You've got really beautiful eyes," he said.
She didn't respond.
"You live on the outskirts, right? That must be lonely."
Her fingers crept toward her bag where her pepper spray was tucked.
"I don't feel like talking," she said.
The man laughed. "Pepper spray? That's cute. Feisty little thing."
Ava gasped and grabbed for the car door, but it wouldn't open. It was locked. They were already on the highway. She looked out, no cars nearby.
"Who are you?" she demanded.
His eyes met hers again in the mirror. There was something off in them, flat, strange.
"An acquaintance," he said casually. "If I can say that."
"Let me out," Ava shouted, heart thudding. "Let me out right now!"
He didn't slow down. The car kept moving.
And then….
Out of nowhere, a sleek black car appeared from a side road, speeding toward them. It veered in front of their cab with no warning, tires screeching as it blocked their path.
The cab driver slammed on the brakes, jerking them both forward. Ava hit the back of the seat hard and gasped. Her hands were shaking.
They stopped inches from colliding.
The black car's door opened slowly.
Ava stared through the windshield, breath held and her blood ran cold.