Chapter 336

Ava's POV I remembered those threatening letters that had been arriving one after another. I buried my face in my hands, trying to quiet the storm in my head. Everyone around me seemed to be keeping secrets, playing some game where I didn't know the rules. A soft knock on my desk made me look up. Caroline stood there, her expression concerned. "Hey, Ava" she said gently. "You look like you're having the Monday from hell." I attempted a smile. "That obvious, huh?" She perched on the edge of my desk. "I heard Joseph was downstairs waiting for you this morning. Did you two talk?" "Briefly," I said, rubbing my temples. "I told him I couldn't deal with it right now." "And how do you feel about that?" she asked, studying me carefully. "Honestly? I don't have the emotional bandwidth for relationship drama right now." I sighed. Caroline nodded sympathetically. "Want to grab coffee and talk about it? Sometimes an outside perspective helps." I hesitated, then nodded. We walked to the small break