Chapter 38
The sound of my phone buzzing sharply cut through the quiet of my room and vibrated against the bed. I wrapped a towel around my waist and exited the restroom steam curling behind me. I strode over
to pick up the device dripping water from my hair onto bare
shoulders.
my
A name appeared on the screen. Cole my personal investiga
Quietly I hoped he had some good news. However I had a feeling that
whatever he was going to say would be beneficial. I responded right
away. “You have something tell me?”
Coles tone was tinged with the satisfaction of a job well done and his
voice was clear. “I have a lot more than that. I am in possession of
everything.”
My heartbeat intensified. “Proceed.”
“Liam where he goes what he does and who he hangs out with. He is
constantly being watched.”
A slow smile pulled at my lip corner. “And?”
“A penthouse is where he resides. luxurious confidential and safe.
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Chapter 38
However he is not by himself… “A pause.
I gripped the phone more tightly. “Ava?”
With an octave drop in his voice Cole said “No.. His fiancee….
The grin disappeared. The rooms air suddenly became too thin and a
chilly stillness descended upon me. I said in a calm voice *He moved
“Thats how it appears.”
I remained silent for a while. “Send me a picture”
My phone buzzed with an incoming message after a moment of
rustling on the other end of the line. To open it I swiped. Pixel by
pixel the picture loaded until Liams smug giggling face took over the
screen. He was sitting in a restaurant outside with his arm idly
wrapped around a womans shoulders.
She was smiling broadly as she leaned into him. The bastard appeared
unconcerned. unwinding, content. As if he had no remorse for
stealing half a billion dollars. My jaw muscles tightened. Cole
murmured “He looks good doesnt he?”
I made no reply.
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Too quickly and too hotly the blood in my veins was boiling. I made
myself inhale slowly and deliberately. If I lost control now nothing
would change.
Cole said “Are you still there?”
“Yes”
Although my voice was steady it was impossible to ignore the
edge underneath it. “What else do you possess?”
Cole took a breath out. “Are you certain you want to know
everything?”
Jagged
I forced myself to look away from the picture. “Dont waste time on
me.‘
“All right.” There is a wait. “Liam isnt just enjoying his penthouse
lifestyle. He has been reorganizing companies and transferring assets
while disguising funds under false identities. He is securing his
position by hiding his identity. He will be impervious to touch if Ava
ever awakens and recalls everything.”
I tightened my hold on the phone as I gazed blankly at the wall. “He
believes that he has won.“Cole mocked. “He is living as though he
has.”
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Between us there was a heavy and thick silence. The one important
question was then posed. “Is there something weak?“.
For a brief moment Cole hesitated. “Yes. .” My lips formed a slow
smirk. Cole went on to say “He’s become careless. . He believes no one
is observing. He made that error.”
I needed to hear that very much. “Good” I whispered. “Whats the
strategy?”
I took a deep breath and released it through my nose. “We hold off. We dont stop. I will be there as soon as he makes a mistake.“Cole
laughed darkly.
“I prefer to hear that.“Once more I gazed at the photo of Liam with that phony effortless smile on his face. The urge to wipe it off made my fingers twitch. forever. Rather I allowed the anger to seep into my
bones. Allow it to energize me.
I whispered “He believes he is untouchable.”
“For the time being” Cole clarified.
More to myself than to him I nodded. “Ava is going to regain
everything.. All of them. Unmarried.”
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He stopped laughing smugly and fell silent in desperation. He wouldnt anticipate it. Ava would appear before him as the ferocious unstoppable force she had once been rather than the lost woman she was now. And I-. I would be the one to make it happen. I leaned forward and placed my hands on the dressers edge.
Despite the raging storm inside of me my breathing remained steady. This was not an act of retaliation. Justice was served here. Regarding retaliation I would allow Ava to act when the time is appropriate. She
deserved to be known to Ava.
She deserved the opportunity to enter those offices the world she created and assert her ownership. Not as a woman who had been shattered but as one who had overcome it. And the truth–would come to Liam when the time came when she stood tall again.
He had never prevailed. Considering that Ava was a woman who could not be erased. This woman would come back. Liam would cover the
cost when she did. Avas 1
ife had been stolen by Liam.
I was going to retract it… regardless of the cost.
Cedella is a passionate storyteller known for her bold romantic and spicy novels that keep readers hooked from the very first chapter. With a flair for crafting emotionally intense plots and unforgettable characters, she blends love, desire, and drama into every story she writes. Cedella’s storytelling style is immersive and addictive—perfect for fans of heated romances and heart-pounding twists.

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