Orionâs POV
I stared at Ava, her words still echoing in my head like a cruel joke. A divorce? I couldnât even wrap my mind around it. This wasnât happening again. It couldnât be happening. Ava was mine, and no piece of paper would change that.
The fact that she wants to leave me so badly, fueled my unreasonable determination to keep her.
She crossed her arms, her gaze steady and unforgiving. âIâll have everything worked out by next week,â she said, her voice cold, devoid of any warmth. âThe lawyers will draft the papers. All you have to do is sign them.â
A bitter laugh escaped me, sharp and cutting. âYou think Iâm going to let you walk away? Just like that?â
âYes,â she said simply, her confidence like a slap to my face. âI expect you to cooperate, Orion. This is pointless. We werenât meant to work in the first placeâI just refused to see it.â
I took a step closer, my chest heaving with the weight of my emotions that surprised me. âYou are my wife,â I said, my voice low and dangerous. âAnd it will always be that way. Youâll never leave me, Ava. Not in this lifetime.â
âWatch and see,â she snapped, her tone fierce, matching the fire in her eyes. âYou donât own me, Orion. Not anymore.â
My jaw tightened as her words pierced through me like jagged shards of glass. âOh, I get it now,â I said, my tone dripping with venom. âYouâre leaving me for him, arenât you? Mason. Thatâs what this is all about.â
Her eyes narrowed, her lips curling into a mocking smirk. âMaybe I am,â she said, her voice taunting. âMaybe if I married Mason, Iâd finally have some peace in my life. Something that has been missing from my life since my father fucking put me in this mess!â
I took another step forward, my hands curling into fists at my sides. âDonât you dare say Masonâs name like that. You think he can give you what I canât? Peace? You barely even know this man, Ava.â
âAt least he can protect me,â she shot back, her voice rising. âYou werenât there, Orion! You left me to die!â
âI made a mistake!â I roared, the words ripping from my throat like a confession Iâd been holding back for far too long. âI thought I was doing the right thing, Ava. I thought youâd be safe!â
âSafe?â she repeated, her voice breaking. âDo you even hear yourself? You chose Chloe, Orion. You chose her over me and it will always be that way. And now you want to stand here and act like you care?â
âI do care!â I yelled, my chest heaving. âYouâre mine, Ava. Youâve always been mine.â
She let out a bitter laugh, the sound hollow and cruel. âYou donât get to claim me anymore, Mr Miller. Iâm done. Iâm done with your family, your drama, your illusions. Iâm done with this.â
Her words were like a knife to my gut, twisting and tearing at everything I thought I knew. Why am I fighting this? I should let her go but I canât seem to.
âYouâre not leaving,â I said, my voice trembling with barely contained rage. âYou can fight me, scream at me, hate me all you want, but youâre not leaving this marriage. Not now. Not ever.â
Her chin lifted defiantly, her eyes blazing with determination. âThen get ready to argue in court, Orion, because Iâm leaving. With or without your permission.â
I stared at her, the weight of her words crashing down on me like a tidal wave. âYouâll regret this,â I said, my voice low and menacing.
âNo, Orion,â she said, her voice calm and steady. âIâll finally be free.â
The air between us crackled with tension, thick and suffocating. We were both breathing heavily, the room charged with the weight of our emotions.
âYou want to run to Mason?â I spat, the jealousy clawing at me like a beast. âFine. Go ahead. See how long he lasts before he canât handle you anymore.â
She stepped closer, her eyes blazing with fury. âMaybe I will,â she said, her voice shaking. âMaybe Mason will actually treat me like a human being, instead of a possession to be disposed of. Maybe heâll give me the peace and respect that you never could.â
My chest tightened at her words, the thought of her with Mason like a dagger to my heart. âYou are nothing, Ava! You are my fatherâs whore. You were passed down to me like a property and Iâll be damned if I let another man have you.â
I saw the hurt in her eyes and my chest tightened the more. I didnât mean it to come out the way it did. Fuck, I donât know what Iâm even fighting for.
âFuck you.â
Before I could respond, the heart monitor beside her bed started beeping wildly, the sharp, erratic sound slicing through our argument like a knife. My eyes darted to the machine, panic flooding my veins.
âAva?â I said, my voice softening as I took a step toward her.
âStay away from me,â she said, recoiling as I reached out to her. Her reaction was like a punch to the gut, stealing the air from my lungs.
The door burst open, and Mason stormed in, his eyes locking onto Ava with concern. âWhatâs going on?â he demanded, rushing to her side.
I stood there, frozen, as he placed a hand on her arm, his touch gentle, his voice soothing. âAva, itâs okay. Iâm here.â
The sight of him touching her, comforting her, was enough to send my blood boiling. But I didnât move. I couldnât. For her sake, I stayed rooted to the spot, my fists clenched at my sides.
âOrion,â Mason said, his tone laced with accusation. âGet out. Youâre making things worse.â
I glared at him, my jaw tight. âYou donât get to tell me what to do,â I growled.
âOrion,â Ava said, her voice weak but firm. âPlease. Just go. We are done.â
Her words were like a dagger to my heart, but I forced myself to nod. âFine,â I said, my voice cold. âIâll go. But this isnât over, Ava. You think you can leave me? Think again.â
I turned and stormed out of the room, the sound of my footsteps echoing down the hallway. As I reached the end of the corridor, I stopped, my hands trembling with the force of my anger.
She wanted a divorce? She wanted to leave me for Mason?
Over my dead body.
As I stepped into the elevator, I made a silent vow to myself.
Ava could fight me all she wanted, but she was mine. And I would make damn sure she stayed that way.
Even if it meant chaining her to my bed.
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