Chapter 3

Later that afternoon, as Ava started packing a few essentials from the waterfront house, a sleek black car pulled up.

Chloe Miller emerged, flanked by two of Dominic' s newer, bulkier security guys, men Ava didn' t know well.

Chloe, all designer clothes and an air of entitled innocence, sauntered towards the house.

"Ava, darling," Chloe trilled, her voice dripping with false sweetness. "Dominic said you' d be here, clearing out. So thoughtful of you to make way for the new lady of the house."

Ava said nothing, just continued placing a few clothes into a duffel bag.

Chloe wandered around the living room, running a manicured finger over a bookshelf.

"It' s a bit... lived in, isn' t it? I have so many ideas for this place. Dominic says I have carte blanche. We' re thinking Italian marble, very minimalist."

She paused, then turned to Ava, a malicious glint in her eyes.

"He' s so excited about our wedding, you know. Says he' s been waiting for someone like me his whole life."

Ava gritted her teeth, focusing on her task.

Chloe, clearly not getting the reaction she wanted, moved closer.

"Oh, look what I found," Chloe said, picking up a small, leather-bound journal from a side table. Ava recognized it. It was one Dominic used to jot down notes, ideas.

"Dominic left this here. He writes the most romantic things about me," Chloe cooed, flipping it open. "Listen to this entry, from last spring, around the time of that awful ambush at the docks."

Ava' s blood ran cold. She remembered that ambush. Dom had claimed Eli Kane' s men were behind it. She' d retaliated swiftly and brutally, solidifying her reputation and, she' d thought, Dom' s safety.

Chloe read, her voice mocking, " 'The danger only makes my longing for Chloe more intense. Knowing she' s out there, waiting for me, a beacon of purity in this dark world... it' s what keeps me going. I almost told her I loved her today, after Ace handled that mess.' "

Ava stared at Chloe, the words hitting her like a physical blow. Dominic had twisted her actions, her risk, into a romantic backdrop for his supposed feelings for this woman. A woman he hadn' t even been publicly linked with at the time.

"And this one," Chloe continued, clearly enjoying herself, "from when you were in Chicago negotiating that deal for him, remember? You were gone for two weeks."

Chloe read again, " 'Two weeks without seeing Chloe' s smile feels like an eternity. Every success feels hollow without her to share it with. Ava is capable, yes, but my heart is elsewhere. Soon, I' ll be able to build a life worthy of Chloe.' "

The journal was filled with entries like that, each one a dagger twisting in Ava' s gut, rewriting her history, her sacrifices, into fuel for Dom' s fictional romance with Chloe.

Moments where Ava had saved his life, secured his deals, eliminated his enemies – all reframed as him pining for Chloe.

Chloe snapped the journal shut. "He' s quite the poet when he' s in love, isn' t he? He said he could never really talk to you about these deeper feelings. You were always so... focused on the business."

Ava felt a flicker of something beyond rage – a profound, sickening realization of the depth of his deception.

Later, when she met Eli Kane, the journal was still burning a hole in her mind.

"That ambush last spring," Ava said, her voice tight. "At the docks. Dominic said it was your men."

Eli looked at her, his expression unreadable. "The one where your people hit back twice as hard within hours?"

"Yes."

"Wasn' t us, Petrova," Eli said calmly. "We had an internal issue that week. No resources for outside ops. I heard rumors it was one of Dom' s own, trying to make a move. He pinned it on me to cover his tracks and get you to clean up his mess."

Ava' s breath caught. Dominic had lied. He' d sent her after innocent people, or at least, people who weren' t his enemies in that specific instance, all to manipulate her.

The journal entries, Eli' s confirmation – it all clicked into place.

"He' s been playing you for a fool for a long time, hasn' t he?" Eli observed, not unkindly.

Ava met his gaze, her own now hard as flint. "He has. And he' s going to pay for it."

"So, this offer," Eli said, leaning forward. "It' s genuine."

"One hundred percent," Ava confirmed. "I know every route, every safe house, every ledger. I built half of it."

Eli extended his hand. "Then we have a deal, Ace. Welcome to the winning side."

Ava shook his hand, the alliance sealed not just in strategy, but in a shared understanding of Dominic Russo' s treachery.