A Father's Treachery

Ava’s POV

My knees which were drawn to my chest trembled slightly, as I tried to process what I’d just heard. My uncle’s words felt like daggers slicing through the fragile image I had of my past.

"I’ve always tried to cut my father some slack, but he chose to fail me over and over again. What kind of monster has he become? He killed my mother, and now he wants to kill me too—for the same reason?"

“So you mean to say that my father would join hands with my biggest enemy for some shares?” I asked, my voice trembling with anger and disbelief.

I am his daughter for Christ sake!

“Yes,” my uncle replied, his hands gripping the wheel tighter, though the car wasn't moving. “Caleb would sell you, Holly, and every ounce of your mother’s legacy if it meant holding onto control and wealth. So when the Jamesons offered him the deal and an opportunity to get some shares… How could he refuse?”

The Jamesons

The name sent a shiver through me. I knew of them—ruthless, powerful, and unrelenting. Richard told me about how to deal with them precisely and after that last trick they pulled, I haven't heard from them again.

Until now.

“But why?” I pressed, my voice rising. I don't know why I'm still disappointed that my father would think of such a thing. The man fucking killed his wife and married his mistress. Guess who else has a mistress and could do the same?

Orion!

I can't let history repeat itself. Never.

“Why would he risk everything for them?” I found myself asking, feeling stupid immediately the words left my mouth.

“Because Caleb’s a coward,” my uncle said bitterly. “He’s desperate. Jameson Enterprises was always out of his reach. And now, he's heard of some shares that belonged to your mother, and now he wants it for himself. But he’ll use the Jamesons’ resources to strip it from you—one way or another.”

Should I just confront him? Have him arrested?" I asked.

"No. What evidence do we have? We need to set a trap for him. For them," my uncle said, his tone firm.

My heart pounded as my uncle's words sank in. The betrayal wasn't just personal; it was calculated. Ruthless. Just like my father. And I'll make him pay. For my mother. For Holly.

He sighed, his voice softening as he glanced at me. “Ava, there’s more you need to know. I told Richard to protect you and Holly—at any cost. Your father couldn’t be trusted then, and he can’t be trusted now.”

I stiffened at Richard’s name, a mix of guilt and understanding washing over me. His insistence, his calculated moves to make me a Miller, to name me heir—it wasn’t ambition. It was love. Love for my mother.

“He didn’t want you to hate him,” my uncle continued, his voice thick with emotion. “But he would’ve let you if it meant keeping you safe. He knew Caleb would come for you one day, and he wanted you to be ready.”

Tears stung my eyes, but I held them back. The weight of my family’s secrets threatened to crush me, but I couldn’t let it. Not now.

My uncle’s voice grew grim. “The Jamesons won’t stop, Ava. They’ll want to end you like how Caleb ended your mother. Caleb’s given them an opening, and they’ll use him as a pawn to take what’s yours. You have to be ready to fight back.”

My hands clenched into fists as a surge of determination rose within me. Caleb Rodriguez had stolen my mother from me, my childhood, and now he wanted my future.

I wouldn’t let him take anything else.

The dim cabin was cold, its walls lined with old wooden panels that seemed to absorb the weight of the day’s revelations. I paced the small room when we got in, my heart pounding as I turned to my uncle.

“How did they even know?” I demanded, my voice sharp. “How did my father and the Jamesons know I was leaving the house? How did they send people after me so quickly?”

My uncle sat down on the worn-out couch, his face gravely. “It could be two things,” he said slowly, rubbing his temple. “Either they’ve been spying on you, watching your every move, or someone on the inside tipped them off.”

The thought hit me like a slap. Someone I trusted could have betrayed me. My mind raced through possibilities, faces of staff, acquaintances, anyone who could have known about my plans tonight.

“Hold on,” I muttered. “I didn't plan this ahead of time. It just happened, so the only people that knew were Chloe, Priscilla and Orion. Oh my God!” I screamed when it dawned on me. But before I could dwell on it, panic clawed at my chest.

“Holly!” I shouted, my voice breaking as I lunged for my uncle's phone. My hands trembled as I dialed the number of the person I needed most.

“Rose,” I said the moment the line connected. “Rose, I need you to rush to the hospital. Check on Holly. Make sure everything’s in place for the surgery tomorrow.”

There was a pause on the other end before Rose’s calm but concerned voice answered, “I’ll go right now, Ava. Don’t worry. I’ll make sure everything’s fine.”

I swallowed hard, gripping the phone tightly. “Call me the moment you get there,” I said, my voice steady despite the storm inside me.

‘I hope Holly is ok,’ I murmured to myself.

“I will,” Rose promised before the call ended.

I exhaled shakily, my phone still clutched in my hand. The weight of the day pressed down on me, and I sank onto a chair. My mother’s murder. My father’s endless betrayals. And now Holly, my sister, lying vulnerable in a hospital bed while I'm being chased down.

What kind of father would betray his family over and over again? And for what? Money? Power? The thought churned my stomach, anger and sadness swirling inside me.

Uncle Theo stood, his face softening as he approached me. “You need to get some rest, Ava. There’s nothing more you can do tonight.”

He gestured toward a small room down the corridor. “It’s not much, but you’ll be safe here. Come on, I’ll show you.”

I nodded numbly, my legs heavy as I followed him. The tiny bedroom was plain, with a single bed and a small window that let in the faint glow of the moon. Just as I stepped inside, the phone buzzed in my hand.

I froze, my heart leaping to my throat as I saw Rose’s number flash on the screen. I picked up, my voice taut with fear. “Rose? Is Holly alright?”

Rose’s voice was trembling, shaky and uneven. “It’s Holly,” she said, her words catching. “She’s gone.”