Chapter 2

Ava backed away from the door silently, her face a mask of cold fury.

The first-aid kit she always carried, the one custom-stocked for Dominic' s specific allergies and frequent injuries, felt heavy in her bag.

She' d just restocked it this morning, a small, familiar ritual of care.

She walked to the end of the pier, the dark water of Port Sterling churning below.

With a sudden, violent motion, she unzipped her bag, pulled out the kit, and hurled it into the black waves.

It landed with a small splash, then sank, taking a piece of her with it.

No more patching him up.

She pulled out her burner phone, the one reserved for contacts outside Dominic' s circle.

Her fingers flew across the keypad, dialing a number she' d memorized years ago, a contingency she never thought she' d use.

Elijah Kane. Leader of the rival faction, Dom' s biggest thorn. A man who' d witnessed her capabilities firsthand during their many clashes.

The phone rang twice.

"Kane." His voice was low, wary.

"It' s Ace," Ava said, her own voice devoid of emotion.

A pause. "Petrova. To what do I owe the pleasure? Lost your way?"

"I' m offering you a gift, Kane," she said, the wind whipping her hair. "Dominic Russo' s entire operation, on a silver platter."

Another silence, longer this time.

"And Dominic Russo himself?" she added, the words tasting like ash and iron.

"Why the sudden generosity, Ace?" Eli' s voice was laced with suspicion, but also a thread of interest.

"Let' s just say I' m looking for a career change," Ava replied flatly. "And Dominic has become... unsuitable as an employer."

"Meet me. Usual neutral ground. One hour," Eli said, the caution still there but a new decisiveness too.

"I' ll be there." She hung up.

The next morning, Dominic summoned her. He was all smiles, oblivious.

"Ace, my girl, got a big one for you," he said, draping an arm around her shoulders, a gesture that now felt like a brand.

She didn' t flinch, playing her part.

"A major shipment coming in tonight, Pier 7. Biggest one yet. I need you to oversee it, make sure it' s clean."

"Of course, Dom," she said, her voice even.

He then dropped the next bomb, casually.

"And listen, about the waterfront place... our place," he corrected himself quickly, a flicker of something unreadable in his eyes. "Chloe' s going to be moving in soon. She wants to redecorate. So, I need you to clear out your things. Today, if possible."

Her heart, already a stone, somehow sank further. Their home, the place filled with ten years of shared life, now just another asset to be handed over.

He saw the brief tightening of her jaw.

"Hey," he said, his tone softening, manipulative. "I know it' s sudden. But this whole Chloe thing... it' s partly for your protection too, you know?"

She raised an eyebrow.

"Eli Kane," Dominic said, lowering his voice. "He' s been sniffing around. If he thinks you' re my wife, my most prized possession, you become his number one target. This way, with Chloe in the picture publicly, you' re safer, more under the radar. It' s all strategy, Ace. For us."

The lie was so blatant, so insulting to her intelligence, it was almost laughable. He was gaslighting her, trying to paint his betrayal as a protective measure.

She played along, a cold calm settling over her. She needed resources, a way out.

"I understand, Dom," she said, forcing a small, compliant smile. "Whatever' s best for the business. And for us."

"That' s my girl," he said, patting her cheek. "Knew you' d see it my way. Grab whatever you need from petty cash for movers, whatever. Just get it done."

He scribbled a requisition slip, signing it with a flourish. Money for her own eviction.

The irony wasn' t lost on her.

She took the slip. "Consider it done."

She thought of the past ten years, every shared meal in that house, every whispered plan, every moment she' d believed his lies about their future.

All of it, a carefully constructed illusion he was now dismantling with such casual cruelty.

The love she' d felt, the fierce loyalty, it had all been a currency he' d spent without a second thought.