Chapter 5 The game begins

Ava barely slept that night.

Even wrapped in the silk sheets of Julian's oversized bed, in a room too beautiful to feel real, her mind wouldn't quiet. Every time she closed her eyes, she saw Lena's tear-streaked face. Heard Damian's voice whispering like poison in her ear. Felt the weight of the ring on her finger.

She wasn't just pretending anymore. She was part of something bigger. Something dangerous.

And it terrified her.

Julian had left early that morning for an emergency board meeting, kissing her forehead like it was second nature. The gesture had felt too real, too gentle for the man who spent most of his time acting like his emotions were surgically removed.

Lena was still asleep in the guest suite, the door shut, the world quiet.

Ava stood in the kitchen, sipping coffee and staring at the marble countertop when a phone vibrated on the island.

Julian's phone.

He must've forgotten it in the rush.

A message blinked on the screen.

Unknown Number: She's asking questions. Do we move now or wait?

Ava's heart skipped.

She knew she shouldn't.

But she picked it up.

No passcode.

Why would the most guarded man she knew leave his phone unprotected?

Unless he wanted her to see it.

She opened the message thread.

There were only two other messages.

Unknown Number (Yesterday): She's in. Lena played it perfectly.

Unknown Number (Today): She's asking questions. Do we move now or wait?

Ava's blood turned cold.

Was it about her?

Lena?

Was she the "she"?

Her fingers hovered over the phone. Before she could scroll further, Lena's voice broke the silence.

"Morning."

Ava spun around, hiding the phone behind her back.

Lena stood in the doorway in one of Ava's robes, looking younger, more fragile in the morning light.

"Morning," Ava said slowly. "Did you sleep okay?"

Lena nodded. "I... I hope it's alright that I stayed. I didn't mean to cause tension."

Ava placed the phone face-down on the counter and forced a smile. "It's fine. I get it."

Lena walked toward the coffee pot, her eyes flicking to Julian's phone. "He left?"

"Early meeting."

Lena hesitated. "Did he seem... different last night?"

Ava tilted her head. "What do you mean?"

"Just... distant. Like he wasn't sure what to feel."

Ava sipped her coffee, watching her. "Maybe because his ex showed up in the middle of the night after three years of silence."

Lena winced. "I deserve that."

"I'm just saying," Ava said softly. "If you're here to get him back, say it now."

Lena's eyes widened. "No. God, no. That's not why I came. I wouldn't do that."

Ava didn't respond. She didn't believe her.

Not completely.

⸻

Later that afternoon, Ava stepped into Julian's office at Blackwell Holdings. She was expected now. The receptionist greeted her like a regular, and Julian's assistant, Margo, barely looked up as she walked past.

Julian was standing at the window, phone in hand, jaw locked.

"You left this," she said, holding it out.

He turned, surprised. "You came all the way here to bring me my phone?"

She crossed her arms. "Thought you'd want to know someone texted you about her asking questions. About Lena playing it perfectly."

His face went still.

"You read it?"

"You left it unlocked."

A long silence.

"Who's the number?"

Julian walked to her and took the phone gently. "A contact I've been tracking. Someone inside Damian's operation. I didn't think you'd see that."

"Because you don't trust me?"

"Because I didn't want to scare you."

Ava narrowed her eyes. "Too late."

He rubbed the back of his neck. "Damian has people everywhere. Some of them close to Lena. I needed to know if she was working with him willingly or if she's being used again."

"And what's the verdict?"

"I don't know yet."

Ava exhaled, her voice shaking slightly. "Julian, if I'm going to help you, I need the truth. All of it. No more half-answers. No more secrets."

He stepped closer, searching her face. "I'm trying."

"Try harder."

He gave a tight nod. "Okay."

She looked down at the city below, thinking. "Damian's dangerous. But he wants something. And I think I can figure out what."

Julian went rigid. "You're not getting close to him."

"You wanted me to, remember? Get him to slip."

"I've changed my mind."

"Why?"

"Because I don't want to risk you."

She looked at him. "Too late for that, too."

⸻

That night, Ava did something she never thought she'd do.

She called Damian.

He answered on the first ring.

"Well, well. I wasn't sure you'd ever call."

"I have questions."

"Of course you do."

"I want to meet."

A pause. "Alone?"

"Yes."

"You're bolder than I thought."

"You talk a lot for someone with something to hide."

His laugh was low. "I see why Julian married you. Fine. Tomorrow. Noon. Send me the place. But come alone."

She hung up.

Julian was going to kill her.

⸻

The next day, Ava arrived at a quiet, upscale café tucked away in Midtown. She chose a booth in the back, away from the windows, heart pounding like a war drum.

Damian arrived five minutes late, wearing a dark suit and the same smug grin he wore at the gala.

"You look even more stunning in daylight," he said, sliding in across from her.

"Don't flirt. Just talk."

He raised a brow. "Straight to business. I like it."

Ava leaned in. "I want to know why you hate Julian."

Damian's smile faded just a little. "You don't ease into things, do you?"

"No. Why did Lena really come back?"

"That's two questions."

"Answer both."

Damian stirred his coffee slowly, as if choosing his words with care.

"Julian took something from me. Years ago. Something important. Something I built."

"What?"

"A company. My company. I started it, he funded it, and when things got messy, he cut me out."

"Why?"

"Because I wouldn't play by his rules."

"Or because you were stealing from the accounts?"

His eyes flicked up. "So he told you that."

"He said Lena's startup is being used to launder money."

Damian leaned forward. "Then maybe you should ask Lena who helped her set that up. Spoiler alert-it wasn't me."

Ava froze.

"What are you saying?"

"I'm saying," Damian whispered, "you're sleeping next to a man who lies so beautifully, he can't tell the truth from the performance anymore. And Lena? She's not as innocent as she looks."

"You're deflecting."

"I'm warning you."

He slid a napkin across the table. "That's a number. A bank account tied to Lena's business. Check the name on the wire transfers. You'll find your husband's signature."

Ava stared at it.

"What do you want from me?"

"Just one thing."

She looked up.

"Don't trust him."

Damian stood, buttoned his jacket, and walked away.

⸻

That night, Ava confronted Julian.

She didn't wait for subtlety. She threw the napkin on the kitchen counter and stared him down.

"What is this?"

He barely glanced at it. "Where did you get that?"

"Don't you dare deflect."

Julian closed the fridge and faced her fully. "What did Damian tell you?"

"That you're the one moving money through Lena's business. That you're framing him."

He didn't flinch.

Ava's voice rose. "Tell me he's lying."

Julian took a long breath. "He's not."

The air left her lungs.

"You're admitting it?"

"I started the account under Lena's name years ago," he said, voice calm. "Before we were together. I used it to test Damian. To bait him into a mistake."

"And did he make one?"

"Yes. He accessed it. Tried to reroute funds. I have the receipts."

"But now it's under your name."

"I kept it open. Because if he ever tried again, I'd catch him."

Ava stared at him. "You used Lena."

"I protected her."

"You used me."

"No," Julian said, stepping forward. "I protected you too."

She shook her head. "I don't know who to believe anymore."

Julian looked at her, eyes burning. "Believe me. Because I'm the only one willing to destroy everything to keep you safe."

Ava's breath caught.

And then, behind them, a soft voice broke the tension.

"I wasn't supposed to hear that, was I?"

They turned.

Lena stood in the hallway, pale and silent.

Ava froze.

Julian stepped forward. "Lena-"

Her face twisted. "You lied to me. Again."

She turned and walked out the front door.

And for the first time since this began, Ava saw fear in Julian Blackwell's eyes.