Chapter 4

Moans echoed from the bedroom, our bedroom. My feet carried me forward against my will. The door stood ajar, spilling warm lamplight into the hallway.

There they were. Aiden and Brianna, tangled in our sheets. His hands in her hair, her legs wrapped around him. They hadn't even heard me come in.

My gasp caught in my throat. The diamond ring on my finger felt like it was burning into my skin. Seven years of memories crashed down around me as I watched the man I loved kiss another woman in our bed.

I stumbled backward, knocking into the hallway table. A frame crashed to the floor,our engagement photo. The glass shattered.

They sprang apart. Aiden's eyes met mine, wide with shock.

"Ava" He scrambled to cover himself.

Brianna just smirked, pulling our sheets around her bare shoulders.

I turned and ran, my heels clicking against the hardwood floors. Aiden's voice called after me, desperate and pleading, but his words blurred into meaningless noise. My vision tunneled as I raced down the stairs, past the carefully curated photos of our life together that now felt like a museum of lies.

The cool night air hit my face as I burst through the front door. Nathan stood beside the sleek black limo, his expression shifting from professional detachment to concern as he took in my appearance.

"Ms. Blackthorn? Where are your bags?"

I lifted my chin, forcing steel into my voice. "I'm not taking anything. Everything in there... it's all tainted now. I want to leave it all behind." My fingers trembled as I twisted the diamond ring off my finger. "Please, just take me to the airport. Right now."

Nathan's green eyes flickered with understanding. He gave a single, decisive nod and opened the limo door without question.

Before sliding in, I turned back toward the house,our house. The ring felt ice-cold in my palm. With all my strength, I hurled it at the front door. It made a satisfying ping against the wood before disappearing into the darkness.

The limo door closed behind me with a soft thud, sealing me away from the life I'd thought was real. As we pulled away from the curb, I didn't look back.

…

I clutched my purse close as we walked through the bustling airport terminal. My legs felt like lead, but Nathan's steady presence beside me kept me moving forward.

The crowd parted like water around us. A sea of faces blurred past, but no one stopped us or questioned our path. Airport security nodded at Nathan as we passed, stepping aside without a word.

"Why is everyone..." I glanced around, confused by the deferential treatment.

Nathan's hand rested lightly on my lower back, guiding me through another set of doors. "Don't worry about it. Just stay close."

We emerged onto the tarmac, the night air crisp against my tear-stained cheeks. Commercial planes loomed in the darkness, their lights blinking like stars.

"Which one are we taking?" I asked, scanning the row of aircraft.

A smile tugged at the corner of Nathan's mouth. He pointed to the side, where a sleek private jet sat waiting, its polished exterior gleaming under the runway lights.

"That's our ride."

"Our? Private jet?" I stopped in my tracks, staring at the luxurious aircraft. "I don't understand."

"We have access to certain... resources." He gestured toward the jet's stairs. "It's safer this way. More private."

My head spun. First the VIP treatment through the airport, and now this? Who was this man my brother had sent to help me? What kind of resources allowed for private jets at a moment's notice?

"Nathan, what's really going on here?"

He held my gaze for a long moment, his green eyes unreadable in the darkness. "Let's get you on board first. Then we can talk."