he incident with the cigarette, they both got

said as she tried startin

out till I say you should", he

to live with it and hope my father is happ

s, pink with teddy bears around it. Even though it w

n't sharing the s

mo, surrounded by vineyards and silence. It was beautiful

curated by ghosts. The villa was old, sprawling, with marble

eaking unless spoken to. She wasn't allowed outside the estate's walls

ays, his work consuming

ways with a different look in his

r role was to be beautiful,

ot been raise

a tense dinner, she

se your father owed me. And because y

m. "So I'm payin

. "Your family was collapsing under pressure. I

things you want?" she q

uable ones,"

ed something. To him, this wasn't about love o

m in silence. She learned his routines, his expressi

with care, how he once took a bullet meant for his second-in-comm

wake, wondering what it would

rned in

f relief as the warm water cascaded over her body. She closed her eyes and

s shot open in alarm, "Who's there? She called out,

heart racing in her chest. "Who

third time louder. But there was no response still an

ng her to jump back in alarm. She covered her breasts with her hands, her heart

throat as she saw Mason standing outside her bathroom d

d, crossing her arms over

he was holding and used it to

Mason asked her, as he noticed her ro

r me, I am your husband and ha

ldn't-"

's mine, Ava,"

in the eye. "

acing a hand gently o

is hand away. She didn't move. He t

ep, feeling her heart

loser, his eyes still locked on hers and he re

s on her skin, She wanted to pull away to tell hi

e low and husky." Scared that you wo

d heavily," No I'm not scared, I just don'

She knew she was at the brink of giving in even

leaned in and pressed his lips to hers, cuttin

s room door wa