Ava's POV
The whisper hung in the air like smoke. He's hiring a private investigator.
Ava lay frozen in the strange bed, the first gray light of morning painting the bare walls. Every nerve in her body was awake and screaming. Sleep was impossible now. The medicine had worn off, leaving a dull, throbbing ache in her side and a sharp, clear fear in her mind.
Mark wasn't just angry. He was spending money. He was bringing in a professional. The thought of a stranger digging through her life, following her digital footprints, talking to her neighbors, was a new kind of violation. It made her feel exposed, even here in this hidden room.
She had to move. She pushed back the covers and sat up slowly, biting her lip against the pain. She needed to see Leo. She needed to know what that phone call really meant.
