Chapter 10 - THE WOMAN IN THE HEADLINE
By noon, Ava’s life was everywhere.
Television.
Social media.
News alerts.
Old photos stolen from college accounts.
A picture of her working behind a coffee counter six years earlier.
Another of her and Damian on a cheap beach vacation.
Reporters stood outside Bellmere Events.
One website estimated her net worth at $700,000.
Ava laughed when she saw it.
“I have eighty-four dollars in checking.”
Lily looked up.
“Seventy-nine. You bought breakfast.”
“Fantastic.”
Elias didn’t laugh.
His board had suspended him temporarily while an external committee reviewed the leaked documents.
For the first time in eighteen years, he no longer had operational control of his company.
Ava found him alone in the suite’s kitchen.
“No security?”
“Outside.”
“No lawyers?”
“I escaped.”
She poured coffee.
“You okay?”
“Yes.”
“Bad liar.”
“I’m learning.”
She leaned against the counter.
“Why did you help Lily?”
Elias looked at his cup.
“She was drowning in interest on a medical bill.”
“That wasn’t your problem.”
“No.”
“Then why?”
He hesitated.
“Because you were trying to negotiate it yourself.”
“How do you know?”
“My investigator saw correspondence.”
“That still sounds creepy.”
“It is.”
“Good.”
He looked at her.
“I don’t have a good explanation.”
“Try.”
Elias exhaled slowly.
“My mother spent most of her life asking powerful men for help.”
Ava stayed quiet.
“My father controlled every dollar. Every house. Every credit card. She had wealth around her and no freedom.”
His voice remained calm.
But his eyes didn’t.
“When she got sick, she hid it because she didn’t want him controlling that too.”
“What happened?”
“She died.”
Ava’s anger softened.
“I’m sorry.”
“She spent years pretending she didn’t need anyone. I recognize the habit.”
“You think I’m like her?”
“No.”
He looked at Ava.
“I think you keep carrying people until you collapse, then apologize for being tired.”
That hit harder than she expected.
“Damian?”
“Him. Your sister. Your employer. Everyone.”
Ava looked away.
“And you thought paying one bill would fix me?”
“No.”
“Good.”
“I thought it would give you one night of sleep.”
Silence.
Ava’s throat tightened.
She hated that the answer moved her.
“You still should’ve asked.”
“Yes.”
“No billionaire loophole?”
“No.”
She smiled despite herself.
Then someone pounded on the outer door.
Security voices rose.
A woman shouted:
“Get your hands off me!”
Victoria Langford stormed into the suite.
Her emerald gown was gone.
She wore jeans, a coat, and no makeup.
She looked furious.
And frightened.
“Where’s Damian?”
Ava stood.
“Why?”
Victoria looked around.
Then threw a folder onto the table.
“My father disappeared.”
Elias opened the folder.
Inside were printed bank records.
Victoria pointed at them.
“Those transfers aren’t my family’s.”
“What are they?” Ava asked.
Victoria looked at Elias.
“Your board chairman’s.”
Elias went still.
“My board chairman is Charles Dane.”
“Exactly.”
Victoria swallowed.
“My father found out Charles Dane and Graham Sterling have been moving money through our companies for years.”
Graham, standing in the adjoining room, slowly turned.
Victoria saw him.
Her face changed.
“You.”
Security moved immediately.
Graham didn’t run.
He smiled.
And that terrified Ava more.
Victoria stepped back.
“My father told me if anything happened to him…”
Graham spoke calmly.
“You should have listened when he told you to stay out of adult business.”
Elias’s voice became deadly.
“Where is Robert Langford?”
Graham smiled at his godson.
May you like
“Now you’re finally asking the right question.”
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