CHAPTER ONE HUNDRED AND THIRTY-FOUR - Paparazzi Flashbulbs and Shattered Privacy

They lapsed into silence again, each lost in their own thoughts. Ava was just starting to feel the pull of sleep when a sharp crack shattered the quiet. Max was on his feet in an instant, pulling Ava with him. "What the hell was that?" Another crack, and this time Ava saw it – a spider web of cracks appearing on their bedroom window. "Is that..." she started, disbelief coloring her voice. Before she could finish her thought, a flash illuminated the room, momentarily blinding them. As her vision cleared, Ava saw a face pressed against the cracked glass, a camera held up to one eye. "Oh my God," she breathed, shock giving way to anger. "They're on our balcony. How did they even get up here?" Max was already moving, hitting the panic button that would alert their security team. "I don't know, but they're about to regret it," he growled, his voice tight with fury. More flashes lit up the room as the paparazzo, realizing he'd been spotted, began taking rapid-fire shots. Ava could hea