"Your father should have given this position to me. You're incompetent." The man barely finished his sentence.
A gunshot echoed through the room and a body dropped. Ava lowered the gun slowly, her face completely blank as blood bloomed across his chest like spilled wine.
"Come on, Ava," Diana groaned from the couch, swirling her drink. "That's the sixth person today."
"They're getting on my nerves," Ava replied casually, handing the gun to one of the guards without sparing the corpse a second glance.
Diana stood, walked over, and passed her a glass. Ava gulped it down in one go.
"You wanna go out tonight?" Diana asked.
"No. I'm not in the mood."
"Girl, you better be. You need to relieve yourself. And…" She smirked. "I found someone. Pretty. Red hair. She'll be waiting for you at the bar."
Ava stared at her, emotionless. "I seriously don't know how I've survived living with you."
"Excuse me? I'm trying to help. You know… with the whole girlfriend situation."
"I'm fine."
She stood up, ready to leave, when the door opened.
"I heard you're getting a new girlfriend today," Damon said, leaning against the wall. "Where is she?"
"Whatever she told you, erase it. I'm not in the mood."
Ava walked out.
"Such disrespect," Damon muttered, shaking his head.
Later that evening, Ava returned from handling business. A guard approached her immediately. "There's someone waiting for you in the living room."
Ava tied her hair into a bun as she walked in.
The moment she saw him, her expression hardened.
"Why are you here?" she asked, crossing her arms.
The tall Russian man smiled. "Мой ребёнок… my baby."
"What do you want, Nikolai?"
Nikolai stepped closer, his presence heavy and calculated. "I'm here to take my wife."
"I don't see any bride here."
"Your father joined our families before he died."
"Exactly. When he was alive. He's dead now. So is that agreement."
He reached out and gently touched her cheek.
"Five seconds," Ava said calmly. "Five… four… three…"
He removed his hand at two and slipped it back into his pocket.
They stared at each other, two predators sizing each other up.
"You're tough," he smirked. "But I'll make you run back to me."
Ava laughed softly and stepped closer, leaning toward his ear. "I can't and I won't. Do you know why?" she whispered. "I'm not attracted to you in any way."
His jaw tightened. "Do you know how many women would line up just to get into my bed?"
"I don't care. Leave. Or I'll have you thrown out."
"Fine," he said coldly. "But you'll call me." He walked out.
"You'll need love sooner or later, Ava." Cassandra stood by the doorway.
"Yay. You're back," Ava replied dryly.
"I'll be in my room," Cassandra muttered before leaving.
That night, Ava decided to listen to Diana.
The bar was dim, just how she liked it, shadows thick enough to hide in. She took her usual seat, one away from the lights.
Then she saw her. Red hair. Soft smile. Bold and flashy.
"Hi," the girl said, sitting close. "I'm Ruby."
"Ava."
"You wanna stay here… or go somewhere else?" Her hand brushed Ava's thigh gently.
Ava didn't react. She just stared at her drink. She needed distraction. Not attachment.
After a moment, Ava stood, grabbed Ruby's hand, and led her outside. They drove in silence to one of Ava's private houses.
Inside, things moved quickly. Ava's hands were all over her Ruby turned into a breathless mess.
Ava's hands moved with experience, with control. She knew exactly how to make someone fall apart beneath her touch. But her eyes stayed empty.
Even when Ruby clung to her as she came. Ava felt nothing
The next morning, she walked into the mansion like nothing happened. The first few buttons of her shirt were undone, but she didn't care.
"How was your night?" Cassandra asked mockingly.
Ava ignored her.
"How did the date go?" Diana asked instead.
"I don't like her."
Diana blinked. "But you slept with her."
"That doesn't mean she's my type." She walked away, leaving Diana frustrated.
"This is the third girl!" Diana groaned. "What does she even want?"
Later that day, Cassandra stormed into Ava's office.
"We need to talk."
Ava didn't look up from her paperwork. "Go on."
"Nikolai kidnapped some of our new recruits. He killed three elites."
Silence.
Ava's hand tightened slightly around her pen.
"Call Damon," she said calmly. "Get everyone ready. We're blowing up their base."
Cassandra froze. "Are you insane? That means war."
"It's not your decision. Do as you're told."
"You're going to get us killed!" Cassandra slammed her hand on the desk.
"Get out." Cassandra left in fury.
Minutes later, Diana barged in without knocking.
"What the hell are you planning?"
Ava sighed.
"Ava, have you lost your mind? You'll destroy everything we've built."
"It's my decision."
"And it's a stupid one!"
"What do you expect me to do?" Ava snapped. "You want me to be a leader, fine. I made a decision."
"If we attack, Nikolai retaliates."
"Then I'll kill him."
"And his brother?"
"I'll kill him too."
"His father?"
"The same."
"Listen to yourself!" Diana shouted. "How many people will suffer because of your pride?"
That hit.
Ava went silent.
"What about the recruits?" she muttered. "We can't just leave them."
"We won't," Diana said firmly. "We'll get them back. Without blowing the place up."
A long pause.
"Fine," Ava said coldly. "Do what you want."
Diana left.
And for the first time that day, Ava leaned back in her chair and closed her eyes.
War was coming.
Whether she wanted it or not.