Chapter 4 Creepy Night

The elevator doors slid open, and Ava stepped onto the sleek, glass-walled office floor of Dalton Enterprises with her heart pounding against her ribs. It felt surreal being back here, in heels that clicked like a countdown on marble floors, surrounded by people who once whispered her name for reasons she'd rather forget.

She wore confidence-like armor, a sharp blazer, neatly pinned hair, and lips that curved in just the right way to keep questions at bay. But underneath it all, her nerves buzzed like a live wire.

Dominic's words from the gala echoed in her mind.

"I need you, Ava."

She had barely slept. Every time she closed her eyes, she saw the look in his raw, exposed, almost desperate. And it wasn't the appearance of a man toying with power. It was something else. Something far more dangerous.

Her office, her old corner suite, now technically hers, was already unlocked when she walked in. Flowers sat on the desk. White roses. No note.

Ava stood frozen, staring at them. She didn't need a card to know who had left them. The scent hit her like memory, elegant, cool, calculated.

Behind her, the door clicked.

"You're early," Dominic said.

She turned slowly, her expression unreadable. He stood just inside the doorway, perfectly tailored in black, dark eyes sweeping her from head to heel like he hadn't spent all night thinking about her.

"Your flowers," she said. "They're pretty." But unnecessary."

Dominic smiled faintly, stepping further inside. "I don't do anything unnecessary, Ava. You should know that by now."

She raised a brow. "And yet, here you are."

There was tension between them again, crackling like lightning against glass. But Ava refused to let him see her flinch.

"I came to remind you," he said quietly, "this isn't a game."

"It is to me," she said, voice sharp. "And I always play to win."

That earned her a flicker of amusement. "Then we're both in trouble."

Before she could respond, there was a knock at the door. Her new assistant, young, wide-eyed, peeked in with a folder clutched to her chest.

"Miss Sinclair, Mr. Dalton... They're asking for both of you in the boardroom."

Both of them.

Of course.

Ava pasted on a professional smile. "Thank you. We'll be there in a moment."

The girl left, and the tension returned like a held breath.

Ava moved toward the door, but Dominic stopped her with a question.

"Why did you come back, really?"

She turned to face him, her pulse racing.

"To prove I don't need you."

His jaw tightened. "Then why does it feel like you do?"

A beat. Just silence. Then she left, heels echoing behind her like a warning.

In the boardroom, a surprise guest is waiting for someone from Ava's past who's not supposed to be there. And this person knows something Dominic doesn't.

The boardroom was quiet when they entered, save for the rustle of papers and the low hum of conversation. Ava stepped in first, posture poised, eyes cool. She didn't falter until she saw him.

Elijah Carrington.

Of all people.

He sat at the far end of the table, looking just as sharp and smug as he had years ago. His navy suit was impeccable, and the knowing smile he sent her across the room made her blood run cold.

She hadn't seen him since London. From night everything collapsed.

Dominic greeted the board members with his usual calm confidence, but Ava's heart pounded. She could feel Elijah's gaze pinning her like a secret waiting to be told.

"Elijah," Dominic said, extending a hand. "Didn't know you'd be joining us."

"Last-minute invitation," Elijah replied smoothly, standing. "Mergers require old friends, don't they?"

Friends?

Ava kept her expression neutral, but her hands curled into fists behind the folder she held.

"Miss Sinclair," Elijah said, turning his gaze back to her, his tone smooth and layered with something darker. "It's been a while."

"Not long enough," she replied evenly.

The board chuckled softly, oblivious to the undertones sparking between them.

Dominic's eyes narrowed as he glanced between the two of them, sensing it immediately. "You two know each other?"

Elijah didn't answer. Ava didn't either.

She sat beside Dominic, refusing to look shaken, even as Elijah's presence clawed at the edges of her composure.

Throughout the meeting, Dominic leaned slightly toward her, whispering strategic notes. But Ava could barely focus. Elijah's voice kept dragging her backward, threading old memories with new tension.

By the time the meeting ended, she was the first to rise.

"Leaving so soon?" Elijah asked as she passed him.

She paused. "Some of us have actual work to do."

"Sure," he murmured. "Just don't let old truths ruin your fresh start."

She froze for a heartbeat-but didn't look back. Didn't give him the satisfaction.

Dominic followed her into the hallway a moment later, clearly agitated.

"Who is he to you?"

She didn't stop walking. "No one."

"That's not what it looked like."

She turned sharply, eyes flashing. "And what exactly did it look like?"

Dominic stepped closer, his voice low. "Like someone who knows how to hurt you."

Ava's breath hitched.

"He doesn't matter," she said firmly. "Not anymore."

"Then why are your hands shaking?"

Her eyes locked on his, something unspoken rising between them-raw, jagged, vulnerable. But before either of them could say another word, her phone buzzed in her hand.

One message.

Unknown Number: Still keeping secrets, Ava? Some things don't stay buried forever.

Who sent the message, and how do they know? Ava's past is catching up fast, and Dominic's patience is wearing thin. But the real danger? It's only just begun.

Ava stared at the message, her fingers stiff around the phone. The words were simple, but her pulse hammered like a war drum beneath her skin.

Still keeping secrets, Ava?

She locked the screen and shoved the phone deep into her coat pocket, as if burying it could make it disappear. It couldn't.

Dominic noticed.

"Are you okay?" he asked, his voice softer now, not demanding but not backing off either.

"I'm fine."

He gave a small, humorless laugh. "You're a terrible liar."

She started to walk again, faster this time, heels clicking like gunshots across the marble floor. Dominic kept up easily.

"What aren't you telling me?"

"It's none of your business," she snapped.

He grabbed her arm before she could reach the elevator. Not hard, but firm enough to stop her.

"That man, Elijah, he's more than just a bad memory, isn't he?"

Ava met his eyes. Cold. Tired. Afraid, though she'd never admit it.

"You of all people," she said, voice trembling with restraint, "don't get to lecture me about buried skeletons."

For a second, something flickered in Dominic's gaze of guilt? Regret? But he let go of her, his jaw tight.

"You're right," he said. "But that doesn't mean I'll let you face whatever this is alone."

Ava blinked, stunned. She hadn't expected that.

But she couldn't afford to believe it either.

Later that night, back in her apartment, the silence clawed at her. She paced like a hunted woman, pausing every time her phone buzzed only to find nothing. No name. No number. No answer.

She finally opened her laptop and stared at the half-written report she'd promised to submit. Her fingers hovered over the keyboard, but the only words that came to mind were his.

Some things don't stay buried forever.

A chill crawled down her spine. She closed the laptop with a frustrated snap and stood, crossing to the window. The city lights blinked below her. Cold. Impersonal. A perfect mirror of what she was trying to become.

Then her phone buzzed again.

Another unknown number.

This time, it wasn't a message.

It was a photo.

Of her.

With Dominic.

Taken tonight.

Her breath caught in her throat. Whoever it was... they were close. Watching.

Ava backed away from the window, her hand trembling as she dialed a number she never thought she would again.

"Dominic?" she said when he picked up. Her voice cracked. "Can you come over?"

He didn't ask questions.

"I'm already on my way."

Someone's watching them. The game has started. And Ava's beginning to realize whatever she ran from, it's here now. And it's not going away.