Chapter 21: The Breaking Point
The rain fell in slow, heavy drops as Ava stood outside her mother's hospital room, her arms wrapped tightly around herself. The world felt quieter now—numb, almost—as if it was giving her space to finally grieve. Not just for the truth she'd discovered, but for the girl she used to be. The girl who once believed that love—even broken love—was better than none.
Her phone buzzed for the third time.
Dominic.
She stared at the screen, then let it go silent again. He didn't get to rush in now. Not after everything.
"Ava?"
She turned, expecting a nurse.
But it wasn't.
It was her.
Tall, poised, with sharp cheekbones and red lips that curled like she knew far more than she should.
"Hi. I'm Juliana," the woman said with a soft, polished voice. "Dominic's… close friend. I thought we should talk."
Ava's stomach turned. The name. She knew that name. Dominic had mentioned her once, briefly—his family's lawyer. An old flame. "Why would I want to talk to you?"
Juliana smiled slightly, stepping closer. "Because you need to know the whole truth. And Dominic? He never tells the whole truth."
Ava didn't answer. She simply stared, her heart thumping hard against her ribs.
Juliana sighed. "I was there the night your father signed that deal. You think Dominic wanted to marry you because he had to? Ava, he begged your father for the opportunity."
Ava's world tilted.
"Lies," she whispered.
Juliana's voice dropped lower. "He loved you. Still does. But he made you a transaction before he ever made you a wife."
That was the twist of the knife. Ava didn't speak—she couldn't. Her breath came in quiet, short gasps. Juliana studied her for a moment, then tucked a stray lock of hair behind her ear like she hadn't just shattered someone's soul.
"You deserve better," she said gently. "And if you're smart, you'll walk away while you still can."
And just like that, Juliana walked off, her heels clicking against the tiled floor like gunshots.
---
Back in her apartment, Ava sank onto the couch, numb.
Her phone lit up again.
DOMINIC: Please. Just five minutes. That's all I ask.
She wanted to scream. She wanted to cry. But instead… she replied.
AVA: Meet me at the pier. Tonight. Don't be late.
---Later that Night – At the Pier
Dominic stood waiting, drenched from the rain, eyes scanning every shadow. When he saw her, his shoulders dropped. "Ava…"
She stopped in front of him. Cold. Controlled.
"Did you beg my father to let you marry me?"
He blinked. Once. Twice. "Ava, it wasn't like that—"
"Just say yes or no, Dominic."
His jaw clenched. "Yes."
There it was.
The truth.
Ava nodded slowly. Her voice was steady but laced with heartbreak. "Then I was never your wife. I was your mission."
"No," he whispered, stepping forward, "you were the only thing that was real. I made a deal, yes. But I fell for you. God, Ava, I fell—"
She held up a hand.
And for the first time, Dominic Grey went silent.
Ava's eyes glistened in the moonlight, but she didn't let a single tear fall. Not this time.
"I don't know if I can forgive you," she said quietly. "But I'll decide on my terms now. Not yours. Not my father's. Mine."
Then she turned and walked away, heels echoing against the wooden pier.
Dominic didn't stop her.
He knew…
He'd already lost her once.
And he might just lose her forever.