Chapter 2

Avery May's POV:

I decided to head home early. My driver, Ben, was usually waiting by the curb.

As I walked to the designated pick-up spot, a black sedan pulled up.

Before I could even react, a figure lunged out from the shadow of a nearby oak tree.

With a sudden, violent shove, I tumbled to the pavement.

"Get in the car, Avery!" Diego Torres stood over me, his face twisted in frantic anxiety.

Kiana was already halfway into the backseat of the black sedan, looking panicked.

Diego grabbed my arm, trying to haul me to my feet.

"What are you doing?" I snapped, wrenching my arm free. I stumbled backward, trying to put distance between us. My elbow throbbed from the fall.

A young male student walking nearby rushed over. "Hey! What's going on? Let her go!" He reached out, ready to intervene.

Diego scoffed, waving the student off dismissively. "Mind your own business, kid. It's a family matter."

He turned back to me, his eyes locked on the luxury sedan. "Avery, get in the car. Kiana's mom was just rushed to the hospital. It's an emergency."

From inside the car, Kiana cried out, "Avery, please! We need a ride! It's so important!"

"A ride?" I scoffed, struggling to stand. "In my car?"

Diego misinterpreted my disbelief, mistaking my scoff for compliance. He reached for me again. "Stop making a scene, Avery."

"Get your hands off me!" I yelled, my patience entirely exhausted. I snatched my arm away and took another step back.

Diego ignored me. He strode over to the driver's side and yanked the door open. My driver looked startled. "Sir, what are you doing? This is Ms. May's vehicle."

"I'm a friend of Ms. May's," Diego declared loudly. "Take us to the hospital right now. Avery can grab a cab home."

Ben maintained his composure. "Sir, I am exclusively assigned to Ms. May. My job is to take her home, and only her."

Diego's face darkened, his jaw clenching. "Listen here, you have no idea who you're dealing with. I'm Diego Torres. Soon, I'll be one of the most powerful men in Silicon Valley. If you refuse me now, I guarantee you'll never find work in this city again."

Yet, Ben remained entirely unruffled, pressing a button to lock the doors. "I am contacting the police immediately."

I couldn't help the small smile tugging at the corner of my mouth. Stripped of my resources, Diego was nothing but a pathetic, dangerous bully.

He had absolutely no idea how the real world worked without the endless financial shield I had provided. He genuinely believed his past success was purely self-made, assuming that his mere existence entitled him to prestige and absolute obedience.

Trapped inside the locked car, Kiana began to sob, and this time, the tears were real. "Diego! What did you do? We're locked in!"

"It's fine, Kiana, baby. It's just a misunderstanding. Avery is blowing this totally out of proportion." He tugged at the door handle, but it remained locked tight.

He pounded on the window. "Open up! This is ridiculous! I'm going to be a billionaire, you can't treat me like this!"

He spun around to face me. "Avery, knock it off, will you? I'll even... I'll even let you invest in my company again!"

"You'll let me invest?" I almost burst out laughing.

"That's right!" he insisted. "You have deep feelings for me, I know that. But Kiana is my soulmate. She's the one I'm destined to be with, the one who truly understands me."

"You can be my business partner, Avery. We can still conquer the world together. Just... accept my terms, and I'll let you back in."

I curled my lip in sheer disgust.

"Enough," I said quietly, shaking my head. "Diego, let's get one thing straight. There was never an 'us.' My 'affection' was for the project, not for you. And it certainly wasn't to secure a spot in your 'empire.' I already have an empire of my own, thank you very much."

No sooner had the words left my mouth than the piercing wail of sirens filled the air. Two police cruisers pulled up nearby.

"Officers, these two individuals," Ben said calmly, pointing at Diego and Kiana, "attempted to hijack my vehicle, threatened me, and assaulted Ms. May."

"Assaulted?" Diego scoffed, still rapping his knuckles against the window. "She's exaggerating! She's always been so immature. It's just a misunderstanding!"

I met the officer's gaze, my expression perfectly serene. "Officer, I believe Mr. Torres might be experiencing some... delusional symptoms. He seems thoroughly convinced he's a future tech billionaire who can commandeer people and property at will. Perhaps a mental health evaluation is in order."

Diego's eyes bulged in horror. "What? No! I'm not crazy! Avery, you witch!"

The officer approached Diego. "Sir, we have reports of assault, making threats, and attempted grand theft auto. You're coming with us."

"This is absurd!" Diego protested, struggling against the officer's grip. "You can't arrest me! I'm destined for greatness! Avery, tell them! Tell them who I am!"

I just stood there, watching him with a faint, cold smile.

"Officer," I interjected, stepping forward slightly, "I'm not sure which hospital has an open psychiatric bed for Mr. Torres, but I'd be willing to cover the cost of his initial evaluation. After that, perhaps the university's emergency aid fund can assist."

The officer nodded, a glimmer of understanding in his eyes. "We'll take him in for questioning first and ensure he gets properly evaluated. Ms. May, we'll need your statement."

Diego, now in handcuffs, thrashed wildly against the officers. "Avery, you'll regret this! You'll regret everything!" he bellowed, his voice hoarse with rage.

Over the next few hours, my phone buzzed incessantly with a barrage of messages from Diego. Hundreds of desperate texts. Dozens of frantic calls.

He started with pathetic begging, which quickly devolved into vicious threats.

He offered to sell his soul, then swore to destroy me.

He promised me eternal love, then condemned me to eternal suffering.

His final text read: "Avery, you have 24 hours to change your mind, or I swear to God, I'll make you wish you were never born."

I read it, let out a weary sigh, and powered off my phone.

Idiot.