Chapter 7

In the few seconds she waited for the result, Ava lifted her eyes and caught the small, triumphant smile that Lia failed to hide. Her heart sank. She looked down. There were two glaring red lines on the test. The bathroom door slammed open with a violent crash. Rowan stormed in, snatched the test from her hand. When his gaze landed on those two red bars, fury erupted across his features. "Ava!" He hurled the test against the floor and seized her by the throat, slamming her back against the wall. "What do you have to say now?" "The result is wrong…" Ava tried to struggle free, but his grip only tightened. Facing Rowan's bloodshot eyes, she suddenly understood that nothing she said would matter. He would never believe her. The moment she returned after three lost years, she had ceased to be the pure, untouchable Ava he once placed on a pedestal. He could hold Lia in his arms, indulging and embracing her, but he would never forgive Ava for a single step he deemed a betrayal. The last of her explanations died in her throat. Her heart turned to ash. Rowan glared at her, the beast of jealousy inside him roaring uncontrollably. He couldn't think. His mind was filled with the image of Ava beneath another man, and the thought made him want to destroy everything. "Get rid of the child," he hissed through clenched teeth, the command sharp enough to cut. "Come back to me, and I'll pretend none of this happened." He added, coldly, "Don't forget Martha and Caleb are still working in the Sinclair Corporation. If you insist on being stubborn—" Ava's heart finally sank to the very bottom, shattering like ice. She looked at the man she once loved with her entire being and felt nothing but estrangement. He could tolerate anything from Lia, yet toward her he had shown only cruelty. So, this was the difference between being loved and not being loved. How laughable. However, she had never placed all her hopes in Rowan. Martha was already far out at sea. The last weight on Ava's shoulders lifted. Under Rowan's startled gaze, Ava slowly smiled. She braced one foot against the wall and twisted out of his grasp in a sudden motion. Then, she snatched Lia and pressed the fruit knife to her throat once again. Before Rowan could react, Ava dragged Lia out of the bathroom. She backed toward the stairwell before the bodyguards could surround her. "Ava!" Rowan's roar chased her down the hallway. "You can't escape!" Ava didn't look back. She dragged Lia down the stairs step by step, each movement tearing at the wound along her collarbone until her vision blurred with pain. She forced herself to burst out the hospital's back exit, but her strength quickly gave out. Within minutes, the bodyguards cornered her in an abandoned warehouse nearby. Rowan entered with his men. "Ava, stop this. Listen to me. End the pregnancy and come back to me. I can act like none of this ever happened." Ava lowered her eyes, masking the bitter contempt beneath them. "Fine. But right now, I really don't have any strength left. Give me a little time. Let me recover first." The sudden obedience stunned Rowan. A twisted sense of satisfaction washed over him. He bent down and lifted her into his arms, holding her as if she were something precious he had finally retrieved. "Alright." His voice softened. "I'll wait for you." He believed, with unwavering certainty, that Ava would realize he was the only man meant for her. So much so that she would be willing to get rid of the child for him.