Protecting Holly

Ava

After a while, Holly’s breathing deepened, signaling that she had fallen back into a deeper sleep.

I lingered a moment longer, fingers tracing the lines of her face as if to commit every detail to memory. “I’ll fix this,” I whispered, more to myself than to her. “I swear.”

Outside the room, I motioned for the head guard. “I need three of you stationed here at all times,” I instructed, my tone leaving no room for argument. “No one enters except her doctor and Nurse Dora. No exceptions.”

“Yes, ma’am,” he replied. I met his eyes, searching for any hint of hesitation, but found only grim determination. Good. This was life and death. Nothing less.

I took one last glance at Holly before stepping into the corridor. The walls seemed to close in around me, the sterile scent of antiseptic suffocating.

As I made my way out of the hospital, I could feel the weight of too many battles pressing down. None of this was going to end easily.

---

The drive back to The Miller’s Empire passed in a blur. Rose’s voice was a constant, low hum beside me, trying to pierce through the fog of my thoughts. She was doing her best to ground me, to keep me from spiraling after that call, but I couldn’t shake the feeling of ice lodged deep in my chest.

The image of Holly, bound and broken, flashed before my eyes again and again. I clasped my hands tighter until my knuckles turned white, silently vowing I wouldn’t let this monster win.

I pulled into the parking lot, cutting the engine and taking a moment to breathe. Rose had already stepped out, her heels clicking against the pavement as she moved toward the entrance, no doubt heading straight to security to tighten every last screw.

I rubbed a trembling hand over my face, trying to steel myself for what was coming next. I needed to be sharp. Focused.

As soon as I stepped out of the car, I felt it—a shift in the air, the faint prickling at the back of my neck that told me I wasn’t alone. I straightened, forcing myself to appear unbothered. And then I saw them.

Orion was lounging against the side of a black sports car, looking like he owned the world. His smile was a cruel slash of white teeth, a predator’s smile. Chloe stood next to him, arms crossed, eyes glittering with the kind of malice that could make your blood run cold. My stomach twisted, but I refused to show even a hint of weakness.

“Well, well,” Orion drawled, his voice a velvet trap. “Back so soon? You look… tense, Ava.”

I didn’t break stride. “Move,” I said coldly, focusing on the building’s entrance. If I could just get past them—

“Not so fast.” Chloe stepped directly into my path, her heels clicking like gunshots against the pavement. She cocked her head, pretending to study me with fake concern. “You’ve been awfully high-strung lately. Wonder why that is.”

I ground my teeth together. “I don’t have time for this.”

“Of course you don’t,” Orion said, his tone all honeyed malice. He pushed away from the car, moving closer. “After all, someone has to keep this whole empire from crumbling, right? It must be exhausting.”

Every word was a taunt, each one hitting its mark. But I wouldn’t let them see me flinch. “Out of my way,” I snapped, stepping forward. But Chloe mirrored me, blocking my path again. Her smirk widened.

“Touchy, touchy,” she said. “Careful, Ava. All that tension’s bound to snap something.”

I glared at her, fury simmering just beneath the surface. “Move.”

She didn’t. And when she shoved me, I wasn’t prepared. The push wasn’t hard, but I was already off-balance.

Exhausted. My feet slipped, and the next thing I knew, the ground came up fast and hard. Pain exploded in my wrist as I landed awkwardly, and for a second, all I could do was gasp through the white-hot agony.

Above me, Orion chuckled. It was a low, cruel sound that cut right through me. He stepped closer, extending a hand—but not to help me. No, he reached for Chloe, his eyes never leaving mine. “Pathetic,” he sneered, as if I were nothing more than dirt beneath his shoes.

Chloe took his hand, and together, they turned and walked away, their laughter echoing in the parking lot. They didn’t spare me another glance. To them, I wasn’t even worth it.

“Ava!” Rose’s voice broke through the haze. She was suddenly there, her hands gentle but urgent as she helped me sit up. “Are you okay?”

I nodded stiffly, even as tears stung my eyes. I cradled my wrist, trying to breathe through the pain. I wasn’t okay. I hadn’t been for a long time. But they didn’t get to see that. No one did.

I forced myself to stand, to brush off Rose’s concerned hands. I’d deal with the pain later. Right now, I have a war to fight.

My pulse roared in my ears as I watched them disappear into the building, their laughter still ringing like a death bell.

We barely made it through the entrance before the adrenaline started to wear off, leaving my wrist throbbing in time with my heartbeat.

Rose excused herself to receive an important call. I forced myself to walk tall, ignoring the concerned glances from the staff, and made my way to my office. Behind closed doors, I could afford a moment—just a moment—to catch my breath.

The air inside felt stale, heavy with the weight of too many broken promises and unspoken threats. I crossed the room and leaned against the window, staring out at the city below.

So much of this world was built on control, on the illusion of power. I’d fought hard to keep that illusion intact, to stay one step ahead of every knife aimed at my back. Richard had taught me that.

But now? The edges were fraying faster than I could hold them together.

A soft knock at the door pulled me from my thoughts. “Come in,” I said, masking the exhaustion in my voice.

Rose stepped in, her face a mixture of worry and determination. “I just got off the call with the IT team.”

I straightened, ignoring the ache in my wrist. “Tell me. What did they find?”

She hesitated for a fraction of a second. “It’s them,” she said, closing the door behind her.

The Jamesons’?