A Twist in the Game

Ava

The door slammed shut, and I froze. Orion stood there, eyes blazing with a fury that mirrored my own. The forced marriage, the distrust—it all coiled between us, a volatile storm ready to ignite.

“What did you just say?” His voice was low, dangerous. “You think I poisoned Holly?”

Rose shifted uncomfortably before reaching for the door to leave.

Why is he everywhere? Why won’t he get out of my life? Just the sight of him made my insides boil. What kind of man would stoop that low to poison a kid?

My fists clenched. “Don’t play innocent. I saw the footage. You handed her that drink.”

Something flickered in his eyes, an unreadable shadow mixed with confusion. “You don’t know what you saw.”

“I know exactly what I saw.” I stepped forward, my voice trembling with barely restrained rage. “You hurt my sister. You think I’ll forgive that? You think I’ll let it slide because of a piece of paper binding us together?”

He shook his head, jaw tight. “You’re so eager to believe the worst of me. Why? Because it’s easier than facing the truth?”

“What truth?” I snapped, my patience shredding. “That this marriage is a lie? That we’re trapped in some twisted game neither of us wanted? That you’re some messed up adult who prefers being a coward to being a man?”

His eyes darkened, I could see anger bristling at the rims. “No. The truth that you don’t know everything. You see what you want to see, Ava. And you’ve decided I’m the villain.”

I scoffed. “You’ve given me plenty of reasons.”

“Why will I want to hurt Holly for Christ sake, Ava,” he groaned, running a hand through his hair. “What would I gain from hurting your sister?”

He can’t fool me. He did hurt my sister and I’m not about to let him get away with it.

“You tell me,” I shot back.

In two strides, he closed the distance between us, his presence overwhelming. “You think I’d hurt Holly? Whatever you believe—” His voice dropped, dangerously quiet. “I wouldn’t.”

“Why should I trust you?” My voice wavered, anger battling something I refused to name. “Everything about this—us—has been built on lies. And I don’t mind really. But do you have to make it messier?”

He didn’t answer immediately, his gaze searching mine, the intensity almost unbearable. “You don’t have to trust me. But I’m telling you, I did not poison Holly.”

The words hung between us, heavy with unspoken truths. Doubt crept in like a shadow. Could I have missed something? Was there more to the story than I knew?

But trust? In Orion?

I crossed my arms, my glare meeting his with a heat that could melt steel. The tension between us was a live wire, daring one of us to sever it.

“You think I’ll believe a word that comes out of your mouth? Everything about you reeks of deception. You’ve lied, manipulated—dragged my sister into this nightmare. And now you expect me to listen?”

Orion’s jaw clenched, his eyes blazing. “You’re so determined to paint me as the enemy, Ava. But you’re blind to the truth. Yes I gave her a glass of juice but that was it. I drank from the same juice box,”

I leaned closer, voice venomous. “I don’t need your explanation. I don’t need your lies. I don’t need anything from you. What I need is for you to get out of my way.” My whisper was razor-sharp. “Or out of my life.”

He stepped closer, his presence suffocating, a dark expression crossing his features. Every muscle in my body tensed. “You think you can threaten me? You’ve barely scratched the surface of what you’re up against.”

I laughed, sharp and humorless. “Oh, I’m just getting started. You think you’re untouchable, Orion? That I won’t burn this entire empire to the ground just to watch you fall?” I pointed to the door. “You’re nothing but an obstacle. And I destroy obstacles.”

He didn’t flinch, his eyes softening for a moment. “You’re making a mistake. I did not hurt Holly.”

I bristled, my hands trembling with rage. “No. The only mistake I made was ever letting you think you had power over me.”

His voice dropped to a dangerous whisper. “You want a war? Fine. But don’t say I didn’t warn you.”

I held his gaze, unyielding. “Get out. Now.”

For a moment, he didn’t move, the silence between us taut as a bowstring. Then, he turned, each step deliberate, echoing with unspoken threats. At the threshold, he paused, looking back over his shoulder. “I may be the scum of the earth but I would never hurt Holly, or anyone and I’ll prove it.”

The door slammed shut behind Orion, the sound like a gunshot in the silence of my office. I leaned back in my chair, trying to steady my breathing, adrenaline still coursing through my veins. Every word he’d said echoed in my mind, but I refused to let it take root.

Fucking asshole. He clearly admitted to it. Handing her the juice but not poisoning it? And of course he could drink from the same box because he doesn’t obviously react to quinine.

I picked up the papers Rose had left, my eyes scanning the signatures that sealed Orion’s fate. As I flipped through, something caught my attention—something that shouldn’t have been there.

A name.

My heart stopped, my fingers freezing mid-turn. I read it again, the letters blurring together as my mind tried to process what I was seeing.

This can’t be right.

I grabbed my phone, frantically dialing Rose. She picked up on the first ring. “Ava? What—”

“Get back here. Now.” My voice was tight, barely more than a whisper. “I found something wrong with this acquisition file. I think there is a slight mistake.”

There was a pause on the other end, then a hesitant, “What did you find?”

I swallowed hard, the room spinning as I thought about the possibility of what I was seeing being correct. “It’s not just Orion. There’s someone else involved.”

The line went silent. Then Rose’s voice, barely audible: “Ava… There's something I need to tell you. About Mr Richard.”