Chapter 3 Once his wife, Now his worst nightmare

Chapter 3 – From Wealth to Nothing

Ava stood in the middle of the penthouse, staring at the bank notification on her phone.

"ACCOUNT FROZEN."

Her stomach clenched as she refreshed the screen. The result was the same.

Her credit cards-declined.

Her assets-locked.

Her financial access-completely cut off.

Ava's breath came in short, uneven bursts. She scrolled through her banking app, trying every account she had tied to Sinclair Enterprises. Nothing.

Everything was gone.

Her heart slammed against her ribs. This had to be a mistake.

She quickly dialed her bank, her fingers shaking. The call connected after three rings.

"Good evening, Mrs. Sinclair. How can I assist you?"

Relief flooded her. "Yes, I'm having trouble accessing my accounts. There must be some kind of-"

"I'm sorry, ma'am. Your accounts have been frozen under direct authorization from the primary account holder."

Ava's grip tightened around the phone. "Primary account holder?"

"Mr. Lucas Grey."

Her blood ran cold.

Of course. Of course, it was him.

She forced her voice to stay even. "This must be a mistake. Can you override it?"

"I'm afraid not, ma'am. You'll need to speak directly with Mr. Lucas."

Ava swallowed hard. "Right. Thanks."

She ended the call, her pulse hammering.

Lucas had cut her off completely.

Her hands curled into fists. He didn't just want a divorce-he wanted to ruin her.

Her gaze flicked to the closet, filled with designer gowns, handbags worth thousands, and jewelry sets gifted to her during their marriage. A collection of things that no longer belonged to her.

Because none of this was hers. Not really.

Lucas had made sure of that.

Ava clenched her jaw. No. She wasn't going to panic. Not yet.

She still had her personal savings account, the one she had kept separate from their joint finances. It wasn't much-certainly nothing compared to what she had been used to-but it was something.

She pulled up the banking app, holding her breath as she checked the balance.

$15,742.

A lump formed in her throat.

Just days ago, she had access to millions. Now, she had barely enough to survive for a few months.

Ava exhaled shakily. Okay. She could work with this.

Her phone buzzed.

Charlotte.

Ava's lip curled in disgust as she declined the call.

Not now. Not ever.

She needed to talk to Lucas.

She dialed his number, her fingers pressing harder than necessary against the screen.

Straight to voicemail.

She tried again. Nothing.

Her chest tightened as she sent a text instead.

Ava: Lucas, I need to talk to you. Please call me back.

No response.

Ava: What the hell is going on? You froze my accounts?

Minutes passed. Nothing.

She gritted her teeth. Fine. If he wouldn't answer, she would go to him.

Ava grabbed her purse and stormed out of the penthouse.

Thrown Out

She barely made it to the elevator when she spotted the building's head of security waiting by the lobby entrance.

He shifted uncomfortably when he saw her.

"Ava," he started, looking almost apologetic.

A sinking feeling settled in her stomach. "What?"

He hesitated before finally sighing. "Mr. Lucas has requested that you vacate the penthouse. Immediately."

Ava's fingers clenched around her purse. "He said what?"

The security guard avoided her gaze. "I'm sorry, but we've been instructed to escort you out."

Her pulse spiked. Lucas had planned this.

He hadn't just frozen her out financially-he was physically kicking her out of their home.

Rage bubbled inside her. "I have nowhere else to go."

The guard shifted uncomfortably. "I... I can give you a few minutes to pack a bag."

Ava forced herself to take a breath. Breaking down wouldn't help.

"Fine," she bit out.

She turned sharply and walked back inside.

Her hands shook as she yanked open her closet. She didn't have time to take everything. Just essentials.

She grabbed a suitcase, stuffing it with basic clothes, a few pairs of shoes, and the jewelry that wasn't under Sinclair Enterprises' name.

Everything else?

Left behind.

When she wheeled her suitcase back to the lobby, the guard sighed in relief. "I'm really sorry about this, Ava."

Ava locked eyes with him, her face cold as ice. "No, you're not," she said, her voice firm. Then she turned and walked away, leaving behind the life she once knew.

She checked into a hotel downtown, a small but modern room with a queen-sized bed and a desk. It wasn't much, but it was hers.

Ava sat on the edge of the bed, staring blankly at her phone. Still no response from Lucas. She felt a pang of frustration and worry.

She turned on the news, hoping to distract herself from her thoughts. But as she scrolled through the channels, she saw something that made her heart skip a beat.

It was a news report about her husband's announcement, and the separation that would change her life forever. Ava felt like she'd been punched in the gut all over again.

She sat on the edge of the bed, staring at her phone. Still no response from Lucas.

She turned on the news, needing to distract herself.

And that was when she saw it.

Her face.

Plastered across every major news station.

"AVA SINCLAIR'S SECRET AFFAIR-DID SHE CHEAT FIRST?"

Her heart stopped.

She grabbed the remote, turning up the volume.

"Sources claim Ava Hayas marriage to billionaire Lucas Hayas ended due to infidelity on her part. While Mr. Lucas has remained silent, insiders suggest he tolerated her alleged affair for years before finally ending the relationship."

The screen switched to surveillance footage of her at a restaurant-laughing over dinner with Adrian Blackwell.

Ava's stomach twisted.

Adrian was a business rival of Lucas Hayas. They had met a few times to discuss potential investments, but there had never been anything romantic between them.

But the media had spun it into a full-blown affair.

The next segment showed photos of her at a hotel weeks ago-the same hotel she had used for a business meeting.

The caption underneath? "Ava Sinclair spotted sneaking into a luxury hotel-was she meeting her mystery lover?"

Ava's hands trembled as she scrolled through her phone. Her inbox was flooded with messages.

Some from people she had thought were friends.

"Ava, I can't believe you'd do this to Lucas."

"WTF, Ava? Were you really cheating this whole time?"

"I guess the money wasn't enough for you, huh?"

Her vision blurred as she pulled up her email.

And that's when she saw the worst of it.

Job offers-retracted.

Business meetings-canceled.

Doors that were once wide open-now slammed shut.

No company would hire her.

Her reputation was in tatters.

Lucas hadn't just taken her money. He had taken her name.

Ava clenched her jaw, forcing herself to stay calm.

She refused to cry.

She refused to break.

But one thing was clear.

Lucas wanted to destroy her.

And now?

She was going to return the favor.

Ava's phone buzzed.

Unknown Number: You're not the only one Lucas has screwed over. Meet me tomorrow. I have proof that will destroy him.

Ava's pulse spiked.

This wasn't over.

This was just the beginning.