Chapter 22: The Woman Who Walked Away
The office was unusually quiet as Dominic walked in the next morning, soaked in silence and regret. His assistant looked up, wide-eyed, as if she'd seen a ghost.
"Mr. Grey… there's someone in your office."
He frowned. "Who?"
She swallowed. "Ms. Juliana Blake. She said you were expecting her."
He wasn't.
But he had a sinking feeling in his gut.
--Inside the office, Juliana stood by the window, looking down at the city like it belonged to her.
"Bold of you to show up," Dominic said, shutting the door behind him.
Juliana turned with that same smug elegance. "You've grown soft, Dominic."
"I've grown up."
She smiled. "That's not how the board sees it."
He stiffened. "What did you do?"
Juliana placed a file on his desk, slow and deliberate. "They've been asking questions. About the company funds transferred during your… marriage arrangement."
His blood ran cold.
"You said you'd never speak of that."
"I lied," she said with a shrug. "Like you did to Ava."
---
Meanwhile… Ava
She stood in front of her mother's room, holding her discharge papers. Her mother was finally well enough to go home. And for the first time in months, Ava felt like she could breathe again.
But inside, a storm was brewing.
Juliana's words haunted her.
Why did she come now? What did she gain from tearing everything apart?
Her phone rang again—an unknown number. Ava ignored it. She had bigger things to focus on.
Like the legal file she'd received that morning.
A brown envelope from her father's old lawyer, containing a copy of the marriage contract Dominic had signed.
And a handwritten letter from her father… sealed.
She hadn't opened it yet.
She wasn't ready.
But soon.
---
Back to Dominic
"You're blackmailing me," he said flatly.
Juliana arched a brow. "Call it what you want. But let's be honest, Dominic—you've lost control. Of Ava. Of this company. Of your own damn heart."
"You think you can just waltz back into my life and—"
She stepped closer, her eyes sharp. "I never left. You just chose the wrong woman."
His jaw clenched.
She leaned in, voice low. "And now you're going to lose everything for her."
Then she kissed him.
Fast. Calculated.
And in that exact moment, the office door opened.
Ava.
Dominic froze.
So did Juliana.
Ava's eyes widened—just for a second—before her expression went icy.
"Well," she said softly. "Guess I finally got my answer."
Dominic took a step toward her. "Ava, it's not what it looks like—"
She held up the envelope she'd been clutching.
"No, Dominic. This is what it looks like."
She dropped it on his desk. The letter from her father.
And walked out—witho
ut a word, without a backward glance.
Dominic stood frozen.
Juliana smiled.
And the storm truly began.