AVA'S POV
The morning after our kiss felt like waking up in a different world.
I didn't dream. For the first time in weeks, I slept through the night, wrapped in the quiet safety of Ethan's arms. No screaming in my head. No flashbacks. Just breath, warmth, and stillness.
But peace, I knew, was only temporary.
By sunrise, the fire had burned low, and Ethan was already at the table, studying the files like they were pieces of a dangerous puzzle. I sat beside him, my hair still damp from the rain that had started just before dawn.
"The offshore account in Mauritius," I whispered, tapping one of the highlighted lines. "It's under Marcus's name, but the trail leads back to my mother. She's been using shell companies to launder political bribes."
Ethan whistled low. "And your father?"
