The morning after, Ava woke up with an unsettling feeling that gnawed at her. It wasn't just the memories of last night that lingered, though those were enough to make her restless. It was the silence between them that had settled in like a shadow—a quiet tension that Ares Knight had a way of stirring up with his coldness, his aloofness, his veiled control. There was something in the way he acted, something she couldn't quite put her finger on. But this was far from the first time she'd felt it. His walls were towering, far too tall for her to scale.
She stretched out in bed, the morning sun softly bathing the room in golden warmth, contrasting sharply with the chill that surrounded him whenever he stepped into her life. He was there, present, but he wasn't really with her. Not emotionally. Not in the way she needed. Not in the way she craved.
She got up, walking over to the window, where the city skyline greeted her like a perfect painting. She studied it for a while. So many people below, running through their day, oblivious to the strange and luxurious bubble she was caught in. The life Ares had drawn her into, the life she couldn't escape even if she tried. But what did that mean? Was she really a part of this world, or just a temporary fixture in his grand design?
Her phone buzzed on the nightstand, and her heart skipped a beat when she saw the name.
Ares: Wear something white. You'll understand why when you arrive. Car will pick you up at 10.
Her fingers lingered on the screen for a moment before she set the phone back down. White. Why white? The cryptic message only added to the layers of mystery surrounding him. Every time she thought she could understand him, he did something that sent her spiraling in the opposite direction. One moment he was cold, calculated, business-like, and the next—he did something like this. Gave her an instruction. Made her feel like she was part of his world. Or was it just his way of controlling her?
The car ride to wherever he was taking her felt like an eternity. The sleek black SUV glided silently through the streets of the city, and Ava found herself lost in her thoughts. Was it just business, this arrangement between them? Or was there more to it? She had no answers. She only had more questions. But she couldn't deny the way her heart fluttered with anticipation each time she thought of Ares, each time she remembered the fleeting moments where he showed a side of himself that no one saw—the side that he kept hidden, like a secret he didn't want to admit even to himself.
The car pulled to a stop outside a tall, sleek building. It was an unmarked structure, with clean lines and an almost clinical, imposing presence. She could feel her pulse quicken as the doors opened. The security team greeted her by name, a sign that Ares had planned everything. But that wasn't a surprise. Ares always planned everything. But why was she here? What was he trying to do now?
She was escorted inside, through the marble-floored corridors, and into a high-rise office. The view was breathtaking, but it didn't help calm the anxiety building in her chest. The room was luxurious, with velvet sofas and large windows overlooking the city. Everything about it screamed wealth and power. And it was all so… cold. Impersonal.
She was alone for a while, and she paced, trying to make sense of her emotions, but she couldn't. The room seemed to close in around her, and her mind was a swirl of confusion and desire, frustration and longing. And then he walked in.
Ares Knight.
Dressed in his customary sharp black suit, he moved with a calculated ease. He was a man who owned every room he entered, a man who knew exactly how to make everyone around him bend to his will. But when his eyes met hers, there was something different. Something harder. Something more guarded.
"You're here," he said, his voice like a velvet rasp, laced with authority. "Good."
Ava couldn't help herself. "You always say that. What exactly do you mean by it?" She tilted her head, meeting his gaze.
He didn't respond immediately. Instead, he walked past her, heading for the cabinet that held a stack of papers. She couldn't look away from him, her heart racing despite herself. It was a mixture of dread and excitement. She didn't know what he was going to do next, but she couldn't stop herself from feeling drawn to him. She couldn't stop feeling the pull between them, the undeniable magnetism.
"I brought you here to sign some papers," he said casually, as though it was no big deal.
"Papers?" Ava raised a brow. "What kind of papers?"
"You're the new face of Knight Vision's wellness initiative. We're putting you on ads, brochures, TV campaigns. A curated image." He paused, looking at her with an inscrutable expression. "You'll also get a percentage of the revenue tied directly to your name."
Ava blinked. She hadn't expected this. She'd been so caught up in the whirlwind of everything else—the tension, the complicated emotions—that she hadn't realized the full scope of what was happening.
"Wait… you're making me the face of your company?" she asked, her voice tinged with disbelief.
Ares's lips curled into a thin, emotionless smile. "It's the next logical step. You're already entangled in my life. Might as well make use of it."
Ava felt the sting of his words, though she didn't let it show. "And how does this benefit you?" she asked, crossing her arms over her chest.
Ares glanced up from the papers. "Simple. You're a distraction. A well-placed, beautiful distraction. If I'm going to have a publicly known relationship, it might as well be profitable."
"Distraction?" Ava's voice caught in her throat. It was like a slap, and for a moment, she couldn't speak. But then she regained her composure, walking closer to him. "You think I'm just a distraction?"
Ares didn't flinch. He didn't even look at her with any real emotion. "Of course. That's all this is. Business. Money. A convenient lie."
Ava's breath hitched. Her heart seemed to beat against her ribcage, louder than anything else in the room. "You know, I'm tired of being your pawn, Ares. You treat me like a tool to be used."
He met her gaze then, his dark eyes colder than they had ever been. He took a step closer, the space between them shrinking. For a moment, there was nothing but the heat between them, thick and suffocating.
"You think this is about you?" he asked softly, almost too softly. "It's not. This is business. This is how it works."
"And what if I don't want to play anymore?" she whispered, her voice trembling with something she couldn't place. Anger? Fear? Desire? It was all so confusing.
He didn't say anything for a moment. And then, finally, he stepped back, his cold demeanor slipping back into place. "You don't get to choose, Ava," he said, his voice hard. "This isn't a game for you. You don't get to walk away from this."
He handed her the papers, his fingers grazing hers. But it wasn't affection. It wasn't care. It was control. He was handing her the contract like it was a simple formality, like she meant nothing more than the paper it was written on.
Ava stood still for a moment, staring at the papers in her hand. But the silence in the room was deafening. It felt like the weight of the world had settled on her shoulders, the weight of everything she had come to understand about Ares Knight. And the reality of it all crashed into her at once.
The walls between them? They weren't just made of brick. They were made of power, money, and control.
But still, Ava couldn't help but wonder—Was it really just that? Was there anything real under all of this?
She signed the papers, her hand trembling slightly.
And as she handed them back to him, Ares looked at her. For a split second, there was a flicker of something in his eyes. Something soft. Something… almost tender.
But it was gone before she could catch it.
He turned away, walking toward the door. "The launch is next week. Get ready."
Ava stood there, the weight of everything they had said and done hanging heavy in the air. She wasn't sure what she was feeling anymore. Anger? Confusion? Or maybe something else entirely.
But one thing was clear: Ares Knight wasn't going to make this easy.
And the game? It had only just begun.