Chapter 217

Chapter 217

-Grayson’s POV-

The air around us felt thick, charged with something I couldn’t quite put into words. My pulse quickened. The shock that came with seeing her after everything that had happened–everything that had gone wrong–flooded my system, paralyzing me for a brief moment.

Her eyes, those swirling eyes, locked onto mine, and I saw the million guards she had put up between us.

Like she knew I was coming. And had been preparing to face me

But I was the one who didn’t know how to face her.

For the longest moment, I couldn’t speak. The words wouldn’t come. My mouth was dry, my brain malfunctioning, short- circuiting under the weight of seeing her again. Awake. Staring at me.

Then, instinctively, my eyes went to her stomach.

Just like Elaine’s at three months. Even though we knew the truth now, hers was no different. But I didn’t know anything about pregnancy. Still hadn’t decided what I was going to say about it because my head wasn’t agreeing with me.

I opened my mouth to form words, but she beat me to it in a neutral tone, “I was going outside to get air. Please excuse me.”

I didn’t move.

She shimmied past me, brushing my shoulder, and I turned, watching her walk away.

I finally found my voice, “Ava…”

But she didn’t stop walking. She didn’t even hesitate.

I stood there, frozen, my body refusing to move even though every instinct in me screamed to go after her. My fingers clenched into fists at my sides as I swallowed against the tightness in my throat.

This was wrong. This silence between us. This distance.

I forced myself to snap out of it, my legs moving before I had fully processed what I was doing. I followed her outside, my eyes scanning the garden until I found her.

She was standing by Ricardo’s fountain, staring at the water. A mother duck swam in slow circles, her ducklings trailing behind her in perfect formation.

A mother and her children.

Something in my chest twisted at the sight, at the way Ava was watching them so intently, her arms wrapped around herself like she was holding herself together.

I took a step forward, and I felt it–the rift between us.

Tangible. Heavy. Unforgiving.

I spoke finally

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Chapter 917

to say because, for the first time in my

staring at the fountain, as

throat.

Nothing.

the

thought she wouldn’t say

at me, she finally

almost detached, “What do you want me to

I stiffened.

turned her head slightly, her gaze flickering to me,

were made to believe that I was capable of doing all those horrible things? Playing you from the start? Betraying you by telling the world you don’t have your

angry, I could have

she had screamed at me, cursed me, thrown something–anything–I

But this?

quiet, resigned

was worse than rage.

her giving up.

tighten,

as the ducklings swam closer to their mother. I swallowed. My voice felt foreign when I finally spoke

her head toward me so fast it startled me.

but her eyes–her

nothing you can say to fix all the horrible, horrible things

she took a steadying breath, forcing it back to

breaking. Then she exhaled, shaking her head slightly before continuing. “I told you I didn’t do it. But you wouldn’t listen to me. You would just believe me for a fraction of a second before letting doubt creep back in. If after everything, you still couldn’t trust me enough to know

pounded in my chest.

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Chapter 917

74 1973

then she whispered, more to herself han to me, “Maybe there was never anything there in the

speak, but no

a soft, humorless laugh, shaking her head

it was all lies from the start,” she murmured. “Maybe it should stay that

“Ava.”

her, desperate to close the space between us. It was instinct, driven by the need to bridge this chasm that had formed between us, to reach out and pull her back to me.

froze mid–step, the rejection hitting

head, her eyes glistening in the dim garden lights. The reflection of the water danced in her eyes, making the unshed tears shimmer, “Please. Don’t come near

and unforgiving. I had no right to feel the pain that came with them–no right to expect anything else from her after what I’d done–but that didn’t make it hurt

in her

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