Chapter 187

Ava's POV

I didn't move. He didn't speak. We continued staring at each other. Then, I took a shaky step forward, my voice trembling but desperate. I repeated the words, hoping that if I said them enough, he would finally hear and believe me. "Grayson, please. I didn't do this. You know me. You know I would never betray you like this."

His jaw clenched so hard I thought he might shatter his teeth. But his eyes—those beautiful, piercing eyes I had memorized—were dead, hollow. That emptiness gutted me more than his words ever could.

"Do I?" he said coldly, his voice like a blade. "Do I know you, Ava? Because everything I thought I knew about you…" He let out a bitter laugh, shaking his head. "It was all a lie, wasn't it?"

"No!" I cried, my voice cracking. "It wasn't a lie! Grayson, I love you! I—"

"Stop," he said, his tone sharper now, like a whip. "Don't. Don't you dare say that word to me again. Love? You don't know the first thing about love. If you did, you wouldn't have stabbed me in the back!"

Tears streamed down my face, hot and relentless, but I didn't care. I stepped closer, desperate to reach him, to break through whatever wall he had built between us. "I didn't stab you in the back, Grayson. I swear on everything, I didn't do this. I didn't send those messages. I didn't feed anyone information. Please, just let me explain—"

"Explain what?" he roared, his voice shaking the study's walls. His fists slammed against the desk, and I flinched. "Explain how you wormed your way into my life? How you stood by my side, looked me in the eyes, and lied to me every single day?!"

"Grayson, please," I choked out, sobbing. "I didn't lie to you. You have to believe me. You have to!"

"Why?" he demanded, stepping closer, looming over me. "Why should I believe you, Ava? After everything I've seen, after everything I've found, why should I believe a single word that comes out of your mouth?"

"Because you love me," I whispered. The words echoed in the silence.

For a moment, I thought I saw something flicker in his eyes—pain, hesitation, maybe even regret. But it was gone instantly, replaced by absolute coldness.

"I did love you," he said, his voice breaking, the words seeming unbelievable even to him. For the first time, I saw cracks in his armor. His hands clenched into fists, and he turned away, as if looking at me hurt him too much. "I loved you so much it terrified me. You were the one thing that made this…this life bearable. I would have given you everything, Ava. My trust. My protection. My heart."

I stepped closer, my hand reaching out, though trembling. "Grayson, you still can. I'm here. I love you. Please, don't do this."

He spun around, his eyes burning with unshed tears. For a moment, I thought he might break. But he shook his head, his voice trembling with barely contained fury. "Do you know what it feels like, Ava? To give someone everything, only to have it thrown back in your face? To realize that the one person you thought would never hurt you was the one holding the knife the entire time?"

"Do you know how many nights I stayed awake, thinking about you? Wondering if I was enough for you? Wondering if you would stay by my side despite everything I've done, everything I am?" His voice cracked, and he laughed bitterly. "And all that time, you were just playing me, weren't you? Just another game, another pawn for you to manipulate!"

His words hit me like a physical blow, each one slicing through my heart. "That's not true," I whispered. "I never played you, Grayson. I loved you. I still love you."

"Stop saying that!" he yelled, his voice raw and broken. He ran a hand through his hair, pacing like a caged animal. "Do you know what the worst part is? Even now, after everything, a part of me still wants to believe you. A part of me still wants to pull you into my arms and pretend this never happened. But I can't. I can't because every time I look at you, all I see is betrayal!"

His voice cracked. I saw tears glistening in his eyes. My heart shattered.

"Grayson," I whispered, taking a step closer, my voice trembling. "Please, just give me a chance to prove it to you. Let me show you that I'm telling the truth. You don't have to believe me right now, but don't throw this away. Don't throw us away."

He stared at me, his face a mask of conflicting emotions—anger, pain, sorrow. For a brief second, I thought he might relent. But his expression hardened, and he shook his head.

"There is no 'us,' Ava," he said quietly, the finality cutting deeper than any blade. "Not anymore."

My knees went weak, but I forced myself to stand. "You don't mean that," I said, my voice trembling. "You're just angry. You're scared. I know you, Grayson. You don't mean it."

He looked at me, and for the first time, I saw the depth of his pain. "I wish I didn't," he said softly. "But I do. Leave, Ava. Just go."

He turned away, his shoulders hunched, and walked out of the study. I stood there, frozen, my heart breaking. My wolf growled, the words clear in my mind: "Go, Ava."

My chest tightened. This place, the beginning of us, was now the end. I knew I would never see it again.

I wiped away tears and forced myself to leave, walking past the guards who didn't follow or speak. The cold air did nothing to numb the ache in my chest. I reached the gates, found Ivan, and he rose to his feet.

"Luna—" he began.

"It's Ava," I said firmly, my voice hoarse.

He furrowed his brows, but I interrupted. "Please, just take me somewhere," I whispered.

He nodded, no questions asked, and led me to his car. The drive was a blur. I gave him a different address. My legs felt like lead as I stepped out and walked through the gates, ignoring the voices calling my name. My focus was on the door ahead—my mother's.

I knocked. The door swung open, and my eyes met my mother's. She stepped back, her arms opening wide.

"Come here, Ava," she said softly.

The tears flowed uncontrollably. I ran to her, crashing into her embrace. She held me tightly. For the first time in twenty-five years, my mother was touching me. All I could do was cling to her and cry.

People would call this a broken heart, but they would be wrong. Grayson hadn't just broken my heart; he had broken me entirely.