Shattered Ego

Orion's POV

The roar of blood in my ears was deafening as I marched out of the building, each step driven by a pulse of fury. Ava’s rejection replayed in my mind, a relentless loop of her cold, unyielding stare and the quiet venom in her words. She’d humiliated me. In front of everyone. The council, the advisors, everyone who mattered—and everyone who thrived on weakness.

I wrenched open the car door and slid in, the leather seat creaking under the pressure of my weight. Chloe was already there, her eyes bright with a mix of expectation and wariness. She reached for my hand, but I pulled away, staring out the window instead.

“So… how did it go?” she asked, her voice light but hiding the edge of something sharper.

“What do you think?” I bit out, barely containing my rage. “She made a spectacle of it. Rejected me in front of everyone!”

Chloe’s lips twisted into a sneer. “She always had a flair for drama. Did you really expect her to fall at your feet?”

I turned to her, my eyes blazing. “I expected her to respect what’s at stake. But no. Ava always has to have the upper hand.”

She placed a manicured hand on my arm, her touch meant to soothe but doing the opposite. “We’ll deal with her.”

“We?” I repeated, my voice low and dangerous. “This was supposed to be simple. She was supposed to comply. She has no choice. But instead, she humiliated me. In front of my father’s legacy. In front of everything I'm supposed to protect.”

Chloe’s expression tightened, but she kept her voice even. “You need to keep your head, Orion. Ava thrives on provoking you. If you let her get under your skin, she’s already won.”

I hated that she was right. Hated the truth in her words. But it didn’t cool the fire in my veins. I would make Ava pay for this. I would remind her who controlled this empire.

I turned my gaze on her, the weight of my anger pressing down like a storm cloud. “It doesn’t matter. She will pay for this. I’ll make sure of it.”

Chloe leaned in, her lips brushing against my ear. “You’ll make her suffer, and I’ll be right beside you.”

The words should have excited me, fueled my desire for vengeance, but instead, I felt… hollow. Was that who I’d become? A man who craved destruction simply to soothe a wounded ego?

I bit back the uncertainty and kissed Chloe, rough and possessive. She pulled me closer, fingers tangling in my hair, but the heat didn’t reach my soul. It hadn’t for a long time.

Drive,” I barked at the driver. As the car pulled away, I leaned back, trying to mask the storm in my chest. Chloe’s hand found mine again, and this time I didn’t pull away.

She’s not worth your rage,” Chloe whispered, her breath warm against my neck. “You’re above her.”

“She’s not getting away with this,” I said, my voice like stone. “Not this time.”

The drive back to the house was filled with plans—twisted, vindictive plans—spoken between harsh breaths and promises of revenge. Yet, behind every threat, a small part of me whispered truths I didn’t want to hear.

It wasn’t just about revenge.

Ava had gotten to me. The rejection stung deeper than I wanted to admit. I’d spent my life as a playboy, living for the thrill of conquest, of women throwing themselves at my feet.

Until Chloe. She had saved me once, dragged me from the edge. I owed her everything.

And yet… Ava had dared to turn me down, to humiliate me after all I’d given up. After all, she had once married my father for power, destroying my mother’s life in the process. The thought twisted the knife in my chest.

We pulled into the driveway, and I stormed inside, the weight of my rage suffocating. Chloe followed, but I waved her off. “Not now,” I snapped.

“Orion,” she called after me, but I was already climbing the stairs, peeling off my jacket. The need to wash off the day—her rejection, my own twisted desires—was too strong.

In the shower, scalding water poured over me, but it couldn’t wash away the feeling of losing control. Of being a pawn in my own game.

For the first time in months, I refused Chloe’s advances when she slipped in beside me, trying to draw me in with soft touches and sweet words. I stepped back, shaking my head.

“What is it?” she asked, eyes narrowing. “Don’t tell me she’s getting to you.”

“She’s not,” I lied, turning away. “I’m doing this my way now. No more of your advice.”

She stared at me for a long moment, expression unreadable. Finally, she left, the tension simmering between us. I stood there, letting the water pour down on me, trying to reclaim the control I’d always prided myself on.

No more games. No more manipulation. Ava would pay on my terms, not Chloe’s.

When I emerged, wrapped in nothing but a towel, the room was dark. Chloe lay sleeping, the rise and fall of her chest steady. I found myself at her side, reaching out to touch her face. She was everything I should have wanted—loyal, fierce, unbreakable.

The woman who had once saved me. But all I felt was an empty ache. I pulled away, the reality sinking in. I'm hurting her each day with Ava's presence in my life.

The clock ticked past midnight. I hadn’t heard Ava’s car. Instinct pushed me to her room, but the door was locked. Frustration flared, and I pounded on it, but there was no answer. I stalked downstairs, finding Alice, the maid, wiping down the counters.

“Ava,” I demanded. “Where is she?”

Alice hesitated, but one look from me made her speak quickly. “She won’t be home for a few days, sir.”

Anger sparked again. Ava was slipping through my fingers. She thought she could play me? Not a chance.