Chapter 186

Ava’s POV

My world crumbled. Myngs' words echoed, sharp and unrelenting as shards of glass. Maria reached out, but I recoiled, shaking my head. "No," I whispered, my voice hoarse, trembling. "He wouldn't—he couldn't have meant that."

But her expression confirmed otherwise.

My wolf growled deep within, a sound of agonizing pain, not anger. Grayson's words, relayed by Maria, felt like a rejection that surpassed any previous wound. I stumbled backward, denial battling the nightmare unfolding.

He didn't mean that.

I didn't do this.

This is a misunderstanding.

The world froze. Conversations hushed; pitying gazes burned into me. The walls seemed to close in, suffocating me with judgment. The stares, the whispers, the words—it was overwhelming.

I sought a familiar face, finding Isabella's soft yet piercing gaze filled with the pity I despised. I swallowed, forcing words out before she could speak. "Everything will be fine. He didn't mean it. Please, go home. I'll call you tomorrow."

"Lilian."

Tears streamed down my face. "I'll call you tomorrow, Bels."

I turned, ignoring the silence, and returned to the mansion, my feet carrying me to Grayson's room on autopilot. His scent—warm and comforting—lingered everywhere. I clutched a pillow from his bed, burying my face in it. My knees buckled, but I forced myself to sit.

I just stared, paralyzed, until a knock jolted me from my trance. Slowly, I opened the door to find Brianna, her head bowed.

"I just thought you should know that His Highness just returned."

Hope surged. "Where is he?"

"His study."

I raced down the hall. But as I neared, something stopped me. The air was frigid, oppressive, as if his anger and hurt had seeped through the walls. My wolf whimpered, but I steeled myself.

It was Grayson. My Grayson.

I summoned my courage and pushed open the door. He stood by the window, his back to me. The tension in his shoulders was palpable, a fortress I wasn't sure I could breach.

"I told you to leave," he said, his voice devoid of warmth.

It wasn't the words, but his tone—void, empty, hollow—that froze me. Worse than any anger.

"Grayson," I whispered, taking a hesitant step forward.

"Ava, leave."

But I couldn't. "I didn't do this, Grayson. I swear. I didn't tell anyone, not even Isabella. You have to know I wouldn't do this."

He turned, and my breath caught. His gaze, once distant and cold, was now worse—a detachment that made me feel insignificant, a stranger.

I shook my head. "Grayson, please don't do this."

He walked to his desk, sitting with a grace that amplified the distance. A faint, empty smile touched his lips. "You didn't do this? Then who did? I trusted you. I told only you because I trusted you. I let you in. I never let anyone in, but I let you in, Ava."

Hearing my name, once a melody, now a dagger, broke something inside me.

I took another step. "You know I didn't do this. You're only trying to find a reason to ruin us."

"We have nothing, Ava."

His words hit me like a blow. I flinched, but didn't retreat. "I know everything feels like it's falling apart, but we can fix it. They have no proof you lost your wolf, so you can deny it, and everything will be fine, and we can—"

"Of course you have a way to fix it," he cut in harshly. "Just like you have a way to fix everything else. But do you know why things never stay fixed? Because they can't be fixed by the source of the problem."

The pain in his voice reverberated through me. I stood firm, even as my chest tightened.

He threw his phone at me. My trembling hands picked it up; the screen glowed with the message he wanted me to see. His tone was a knife slicing through my chest. "You still didn't do it?"

"Grayson," I breathed, trying to approach him, but he snapped, "Don't come near me."

I froze, trembling. "I told you to leave. Don't make me do something we'll both regret. Get your things—and the things I bought are not included—and get out of my life."

His words were a crushing blow. My vision blurred. "I didn't send this message, Grayson. I don't know where it came from. Someone hacked your phone. Someone could have done the same to mine. I would never do this to you. You know it."

He laughed bitterly. "Do you know what makes this worse? That I desperately wanted to believe that's what happened. So I had it checked. And do you know what I found? Every message you've sent, right up to before we met. Right to the start, before I even met you. Dylan planned this. How you two staged that scene the day I met you to work your way into my life. This is why you always defend him. Why he always finds his way back. And don't even get me started on how you've been feeding your parents information. Congratulations—it worked, and like a fool, I fell for it."

What was he talking about?

He stood abruptly. His voice dropped low and cold. "You were supposed to be different. The one good thing that happened to me." He shook his head, his smile anything but kind. "You were supposed to be…"

"Grayson—" I whispered.

"Turn around and walk out of here. Don't make me say it again."

"I didn't do anything you just said, Grayson." My voice shook. "I don't understand how you could believe I planned it when you brought me here and offered me a contract. I know you're angry, but stop making things up and taking it out on me." I wiped away tears. "I didn't do anything. And speaking of the contract, you can't kick me out. It's for a year."

He moved fast, grabbing papers and shredding them before me. The sound of ripping paper mirrored my breaking heart. He believed the lies.

My gaze lifted to his. "You said you loved me. You said—"

"Will you just shut up, Ava!" He exploded. "I trusted you. I fucking trusted you, and you've been betraying me from the moment we met!"

Tears fell freely. I prayed for his anger to subside, for him to listen, to see the truth.

His words were ice. "Ten seconds. That's all I'll give you to leave this study. Only ten seconds."