Ava's hand trembled slightly as she gripped the edge of the kitchen island. The photo still burned in her mind, the screen now turned off, but the damage done. Her past had walked through the front door and taken a seat at the breakfast table of her new life — and not even Ares Knight, with all his wealth and power, could stop that.
He stood across from her, silent and watchful. No teasing smirk. No arrogant remarks. Just that unsettling stillness he reserved for moments when something was more than a minor inconvenience.
This wasn't just about the press anymore. It was personal.
"Who is he?" Ares asked, his voice low.
Ava lifted her chin. "No one who matters."
He stepped closer. "You're a public figure now. A scandal like this can't be brushed under the rug with sarcasm and coffee."
She gave a humorless laugh. "That's rich, coming from someone who practically dared the paparazzi to watch us dry-hump on a red carpet."
Ares's eyes narrowed. "This is different. That kiss was part of the plan. Was he?"
Ava looked away.
He caught her chin, gently, but firmly. "Was he part of the plan, Ava?"
Her throat tightened. "No. He was… before everything. Before I knew what people could become when power got involved. He wasn't part of this world."
"Looks like he wants in now."
She pulled back. "This isn't your battle, Ares."
He scoffed. "You married me. Everything about you is my business now. So start talking."
But Ava couldn't. Not yet.
Because if she did, she'd have to revisit a part of her life she'd buried under years of reinvention. A girl who once believed in love… and paid dearly for it.
---
Six Years Ago – San Diego
She was twenty-one, fresh out of a bad foster home and clinging to the first man who made her feel seen. His name was Liam Voss. A failed tech entrepreneur with a charming smile and a trail of lies.
He swept her into a whirlwind romance. Promises of partnership. Startups. A future where they'd build an empire together. But when his company collapsed under fraud allegations, Liam vanished — taking Ava's name, her savings, and her trust.
It took her years to recover. Not just financially. Emotionally. She built walls so high, not even the memory of Liam could climb over them.
Until now.
---
Present – Knight Enterprises, Boardroom
Ares slammed the door behind him, the glass walls vibrating with force. Harriet, already waiting, handed him a folder.
"Background on the man in the photo. Liam Voss. Tech con artist, went off-grid five years ago. The feds couldn't find him, but now he's back — and sniffing around your wife."
Ares's jaw clenched. "She didn't tell me anything."
"Maybe she couldn't. Or maybe she was trying to protect you."
He looked at the image again.
Liam, grinning like he already won.
"Set up a meeting," Ares ordered. "I want to look this bastard in the eye."
Harriet frowned. "He's not going to come willingly. He's smart."
"I'm smarter."
"And reckless when you're jealous."
He didn't deny it.
Because the truth gnawed at him — a feeling he couldn't name. One he refused to call jealousy. But the idea of another man having touched Ava, known her, broken her… made his blood simmer.
She was his wife. On paper. On camera.
But somewhere along the line, she'd become more.
And he hated that.
---
That Night – Knight Mansion
Ava stood on the balcony, wrapped in a silk robe, staring into the garden below. The city lights blinked in the distance, a universe away from the chaos inside her chest.
She heard the footsteps but didn't turn.
"You knew he'd show up," Ares said behind her.
"I hoped he wouldn't."
"What does he want?"
Ava turned to him finally. "To finish what he started."
"You think he wants to scam you again?"
"No." Her eyes darkened. "I think he wants revenge. I was the one who turned him in."
Ares's brows lifted. "You?"
"I found proof of what he did. His fake investors. The money laundering. I gave it to a journalist. He disappeared before they could arrest him, but he knew it was me."
"Why didn't you tell me this earlier?"
"I didn't want my past to affect your reputation."
Ares stepped closer. "You think I care about reputation? I've been in tabloids since I was old enough to drive."
"It's not just that," she whispered. "Liam is dangerous. He doesn't just come back. He returns with plans."
Ares's voice dropped. "Then let him come. He won't touch you."
The promise in his tone made her chest tighten.
"Ares—"
He reached out, his hand brushing her cheek. "You don't have to face this alone. Not anymore."
And in that moment, Ava wanted to believe him. That maybe this accidental marriage wasn't a mistake. That maybe the man who kissed her like she was oxygen… actually cared.
---
Across Town – The Nemesis Reveals Himself
Liam Voss leaned against the window of his penthouse suite, swirling whiskey in a crystal glass.
"The look on her face," he mused. "She didn't expect me to play the long game."
Beside him, the journalist he'd paid off — a woman named Natalia Crane — handed him another file.
"Knight Enterprises has a board meeting in two days. Rumors suggest Ares's position is unstable. A few whispers in the right ears could shake things up."
Liam smiled. "Then we whisper."
Natalia tilted her head. "Why Ava? You could have disappeared forever."
"Because she ruined me. She let me love her. Made me think we'd build something together — and then betrayed me. You don't come back from that unless you make them pay."
He stared at Ava's face in the gossip article.
"You thought marrying Ares Knight would save you, sweetheart," he murmured.
"But I'm going to burn both your empires down."