as the first thing A

the sc

her' s

eyes fl

kne

wer wa

her chest, co

m?

bed, her bare feet hi

as thick with

he far end, near h

N

ghing, her e

she s

ha

loved, the man she was sup

ing orange light, a sil

t trying

s wat

ize were dragging her father, Dr

ed, his face a mask o

doing?" Ava screame

ned his h

e growing fire, was devoid

nd filled with a ter

voice calm, chilling

go! What

father to the grou

ked him vicious

groaned,

va begged, tears str

her father, but Etha

r arm, his gr

d, his voice low and d

e consuming their home

for my

rring with terror. "Your parent

so full of love for he

on," he spat the words. "He killed them. He let the

ng her head. "That's not t

e took everything from me. So now, I t

at the burning

life. Or in this case, a prosperous

dousing furnitu

t of the master bedroom, cough

ert!

om

ugs grabbed S

rieked, struggling a

, his express

our family will lose its wealth, its home. And

as one of the men stomp

a sound of pure agony

! D

r go, and she stumbl

o late. The d

fire and violence, orchest

aping wound, more pa

Ava crumble be

ought long dead, felt a

rush

n said, his voice flat, trying t

sal to operate on my mother because her case was 'too risky', condem

ograph from his pocket. A

deserve to die like that, while your fami

soot and tears. "Ethan, there has to

. "I've spent fifteen years piecing it

something unreadable in his e

. A means to an end. Loving you

individual shards

ouder, the heat b

the distance, f

in in her chest, a

eath h

Please,

, a small, involuntary

notice, or

med by his victo

knew th

in her chest wasn'

ago. A secret her fa

reful management, medication

mily be destroyed an

ed her. Any severe

ed time, a hidd

a severe shock. Thi

han, in his quest for revenge f

two women Ava va

l climber Ava had always disli

n her brides

at her with cold,

over, a cruel sm

Chloe purred, "y

f emotion. "Chloe, make sure sh

leamed. "With p

's hair, yankin

bankrupt. And you, Ava, you belong to

nd kicked Av

pain exploding

to watch. Sarah's eyes were wide with

l in its early stages, would s

her, celebrated with her, were

up, layer upon la

the burning remnants of wh

t was i

ront of a shattere

e immediate flames but now exposed,

er' s porcela

ood ballet

– her family, her friends, h

Chloe said, her voic

ate cruelty, she b

red, its delicate tu

s were

ipped, the smiling

ear, was a fresh s

ects. They were memori

op!" Ava sobbed

ed, a harsh

and Ethan, their arms around each ot

ed at it,

Chloe said softly, her words d

w the photo i

the image of their

inside h

d from her throat, ra

ound of her

nightmare couldn't get w

, but he wasn't

that Ava hadn't seen in his eyes for what

his voice softer no

, preening u

her arm t

ook tired. Let's get o

o Ava, her eyes glit

hink we've been formally in

her voice a v

aved him from his crippling grief, who gave him a reas

d, her mi

e? Sav

betrayal – it was all a h

ct Chloe. He didn'

Chloe rewrite their history,

irony was a c

le heart, a truth that could expose Ch

nd, lost in his revenge and

s were cl

t, leaving Ava amidst the ruins of her life,

n's back, as he walked away wit

ared, consumi