"With my father, even laughter feels like a threat."
—Andre Callahan
---
Andre's Point of View
I hadn't meant to leave Ava by herself, but seeing Elena here got me worked up. She had no business being here.
"Dad made me come," she'd said innocently.
And where was Dad?
I needed to get to Ava first, but I couldn't just let this go. Holding Elena's hand tightly so I wouldn't lose her in the crowd, I made my way to the security room and demanded access to the camera feed.
Dylan could get to Ava. I needed to find out what was going on, what my father was up to now.
Just before I turned to leave, one of the screens caught my attention.
My father. Laughing.
That alone was rare. But what unsettled me was the woman standing with him. She looked so familiar, but with her back to the camera, I couldn't make out her face. My gut twisted.
I tugged Elena's arm, pulling her along with me, certain my father was up to no good.
Pushing through the crowd was exhausting for her. I noticed her cheeks turning red, sweat gathering on her forehead, so I slowed my pace to match hers. She looked up at me with quiet gratitude, and I gave her a reassuring squeeze.
By the time I reached my father, the woman was already walking away.
"Andre, you came," he said, his voice smooth as ever.
I tried to follow the stranger, but his grip tightened on my arm. "There are some very important people here who would like to meet you," he continued, his expression unreadable.
I looked ahead, but the woman was already gone.
"Mr. Callahan, it's been forever since we last saw your son," one of his associates said warmly. I gave a curt nod, forcing a polite smile while inside I was seething. I didn't want to be here, making empty small talk with people I didn't know or trust.
After a few minutes of fake smiles and meaningless greetings, I finally slipped out of the group.
"Andre," Elena called softly, following me through the crowd.
"Lena. I'm sorry I slipped away without warning," I explained. "I just… needed to escape."
She laughed softly. "I understand. You only saw me earlier because I had escaped too."
We both chuckled, but my smile faltered quickly. "Lena, you really have no idea why the old man is here? Or why he brought you?"
She shook her head, her innocence clear. Maybe that was better. She shouldn't have anything to do with his business. She'd be safer that way.
I rubbed her hair playfully. "I have to go now. Will you be alright on your own?"
She hesitated, then looked at me with pleading eyes. "Can I come with you, please?"
I studied her for a moment, then smiled. "Fine then. Let's go."
---
"I wanted him to hear me, but the devil never listens."
—Ava Carter
Ava's Point of View
On one hand, there was Darien, a friendly, familiar face. On the other, Dylan, the man who had abandoned me in front of everyone without a single glance.
For the sake of the contract, I didn't pull out of his hold. Not yet, at least.
I turned to Darien with a small smile. "Thank you so much for the ride, Darien."
He glanced from me to Dylan, then back at me, before returning my smile. "Promise you'll keep in touch."
"Yeah, sure I will."
Dylan's grip on my hand tightened, but I ignored it. With my free hand, I waved Darien off as he stepped into his car and drove away.
The moment his taillights disappeared, I pulled my hand free and turned toward my house.
But Dylan pulled me back instantly, anger flickering across his features.
"I told you to go home with Andre, so why the hell is another man dropping you off?" he spat, his voice sharp with fury.
My blood boiled. "Are you kidding me?"
He blinked.
"Are you freaking kidding me?" I yelled this time, my voice raw with anger.
He froze, as if unsure how to react to my rage.
"Contract or not, nothing gave you the right to treat me that way. You literally put me in the spotlight just to embarrass me."
His jaw clenched, but he said nothing.
"How could you introduce me as your person, then walk out the next second with another woman clinging to you? You didn't even spare me a glance, damn it!" The words poured out, my anger so sharp it hurt.
Tears stung my eyes and blurred my vision, but I couldn't stop. I hated that he saw me like this, hated that he always got to see me broken.
"I may be nothing but a name signed on paper to you, but I am human. I… I have feelings too. I get hurt too. And today, I felt less than a torn scrap of paper tossed aside when I stood alone in that ballroom. So what gives you the right to scream at me now?"
Dylan Reed stood utterly still, shaken. His emotions flashed across his face too quickly to name.
I sniffed, pulled myself together, and turned toward my door, ready to face my sisters' questions. I spared him one last glance, then walked forward.
But before I could reach the handle, his arms wrapped firmly around my waist.
"Dylan Reed! What the hell are you doing?" I shrieked as he lifted me off the ground and swung me over his shoulder like I was nothing more than a sack of flour.
"Put me down this instant!" I screamed, thrashing, my fists pounding against his back, my legs kicking wildly.
But my pleas fell on deaf ears.
The devil only did what he wanted.
And the devil never listened.