Chapter 145: The Vows We Never Spoke
The ballroom stood cloaked in dim light, its ornate chandeliers dulled to a flicker as if the room itself understood the tension hanging thick in the air. Ava stepped through the arched doors, her stilettos clicking against marble with a finality that echoed louder than the faint string quartet in the background. She wore a deep sapphire gown, the fabric catching the light like liquid midnight, her presence both magnetic and dangerous.
She hadn’t come to make peace. Not tonight.
Across the room, Liam Mateo stood by the bar, tall and sharp in a charcoal suit. His head turned at the shift in the room’s energy, and when his eyes landed on Ava, the glass in his hand stilled midair. He wasn’t prepared for this. He never was when it came to her.
Ava walked forward, the crowd parting without question. Eyes followed her, whispers trailing like perfume, but her gaze was locked on one person the man who’d broken her heart and signed the contract binding them together.
"Didn’t expect to see you here," Liam said, voice low, betraying nothing.
She tilted her head. "This gala belongs to the same foundation that tried to erase my father’s company from the records. I figured I’d make an appearance."
He nodded slowly, acknowledging the strike. "You’ve been busy, Ava."
"I’m just getting started."
Sophia Drake stood at the top of the stairs, watching them like a hawk. Her champagne flute trembled ever so slightly in her hand. She’d spent years manipulating the distance between Liam and Ava, pulling strings, feeding lies, burying truths.
But the past had a pulse. And tonight, it was screaming.
Liam followed Ava into the terrace garden, the sounds of the gala muffled by thick glass doors. Moonlight filtered through the leaves, bathing her face in silver. There was a time he would have kissed her in this very light.
"Why did you come, really?" he asked.