Beneath The Billionaire Vow

Avery's POV

The scent of bonfire smoke and pumpkin spice lingered in the cool October air, wrapping around the festive chaos of the annual Halloween bash. I adjusted my glittering masquerade mask and scanned the crowd, my heart was pounding for reasons that had little to do with the night's excitement.

I couldn't hold my excitement as I was looking for him, Miles Drummond, my first love, my only love."Boo," a familiar voice whispered against my ear, sending a delightful shiver down my spine. I turned around, my lips curling into a smile that could only be reserved for that one person."Miles!" i exclaimed, my laughter ringing out as he pulled off his Phantom of the Opera mask. His brown eyes sparkled with mischief, his smile boyish yet utterly charming."Missed me?" he teased, slipping an arm around my waist."Always," i admitted softly.

Miles leaned closer, his gaze dropping to my lips. "You look beautiful tonight," he murmured, his breath warm against my cheek.My heart raced as he tilted my chin up. Everything around us, the crowd, the music, the crackling bonfire faded into nothingness.

"What is he trying to do, my eyes closed, when his lips brushed mine, it was like the world stopped spinning. I felt his lips so soft yet pleasing; it was a long kiss, I could literally feel my body chemistry stirring, a perfect blend of passion and tenderness.

But the moment was cut short when a loud bang shattered our romantic moment, followed by the unmistakable scent of something burning."Fuck, What was that?" I asked, pulling back, my eyes wide with alarm.Miles frowned, looking toward the source of the noise. "Stay here," he said firmly, already moving toward the growing commotion near the entrance of the old warehouse hosting the party."No! I'm coming with you!" I called, hurrying after him despite the sinking feeling that covered me.

The crowd scattered , murmurs growing into panicked shouts. Flames were seen at the far side of the building, climbing up the walls like a living thing. Smoke billowed out, thick and black, causing party-goers to cough and stumble as they fled toward the exits."The warehouse is on fire!" someone screamed while running towards the exit.Chaos erupted. People shoved and tripped over one another in their desperate attempt to escape. I grabbed Mile's hand tightly, my fingers were trembling.

"We need to get out of here" I urged, I voice barely audible over the loud, confusing noise.Miles nodded in agreement, scanning the room. "This way" he shouted, leading the way toward a side door. But as they pushed through the crowd, another explosion rocked the building, sending debris raining down.I screamed as a piece of flaming wood fell inches from where I was. Miles pulled me closer, shielding me with his body. "It's okay I've got you" he promised, though his voice betrayed his own fear.

The heat was becoming unbearable, the air thick with smoke such that it filled my lungs. I couldn't help it but Cough violently, immediately, i clung to Miles as we stumbled through the haze."Over here" a voice called. It was one of the firefighters, directing us to head toward the emergency exits. I felt a wave of relief, but just as we began moving, another deafening explosion rocked the warehouse."Miles!" I shivered as the force of the blast threw us apart. I fell to the ground hard, my vision became blurry as i gasped for air. Flames roared around me, the heat searing my skin."Avery!" His' voice cut through the chaos.

As i turned, my heart lurching at the sight of him trapped on the other side of a wall of fire."I'm coming!" I cried, struggling to get on my feet. But before i could take a step, a firefighter grabbed my arm."You can't go back! It's too dangerous!" he yelled, dragging me toward the exit."No! Let go of me; He's still in there!" I sobbed, fighting against his grip. "Miles!"

The firefighter didn't relent, pulling me out into the cool night air where a crowd of dazed and injured party-goers had gathered. Medics rushed to tend to the wounded, their voices blending into the sirens wailing in the background.My knees buckled as i was led to an ambulance. My heart pounded wildly, tears streaming down my face.

"Please," i begged the medic tending to my bruises. "My boyfriend is still in there. You have to save him!""We're doing everything we can," the medic assured me, though his expression was grim.I watched in horror as the flames consumed the warehouse, each explosion sending sparks into the night sky. Every passing second felt like an eternity.

Where was Miles? He had to make it out. He had to.Finally, a firefighter approached me, his face solemn. I shot to my feet, my heart felt like, it was in my throat. I battled to maintain a calm breath, as I was hoping to hear something positive"Did you find him?" i asked desperately.The firefighter hesitated, his silence more damning than any words.

"I'm sorry," he said quietly. "We found a body matching his description. He didn't make it."It was as though my world tilted on its axis. My knees gave out, and immediately, I collapsed to the ground, sobbing uncontrollably. Miles was gone. The boy who had stolen my heart, the one I had imagined a future with, is dead.

As the flames roared on in the background, the sound of my weeping pierced into the night, a haunting melody of love and loss.The pain I felt caused severe pain to my body as the weight of the firefighter's words crushed me. my lungs burned not just from the smoke, but from the agony clawing at my chest.

The chaos around me blurred into a muffled hum. People screamed, sirens blared, but all i could hear was the last echo of Miles' voice in my head.No. This couldn't be happening.My fingers clenched the damp grass beneath me, nails digging into the earth as if grounding myself would make it all stop.

I wished I was dreaming a horrible, twisted nightmare that i would wake up from any second.Then i felt hands on my shoulders. Strong, firm. I jerked away, my tear-streaked face lifting as I locked eyes with my father, Raymond Highborn. His usual sharp expression was laced with some kind of unfamiliar genuine concern.

"Avery, you have to get up," he said, his voice tight.I shook my head violently. "No! He's not gone! He can't be gone!" My chest heaved as I tried to stand, but my legs wouldn't cooperate. "They're wrong! They didn't see him! I-I need to go back!"Raymond's grip tightened. "Avery, listen to me. You cannot be here. We have to leave now.

"I blinked at him, confused by the urgency in his tone. "What the fuck? Why? I-"A shadow loomed behind him before i could finish my sentence. My uncle, Malcolm Highborn, stepped forward, his gaze flickering to the blazing warehouse before settling on me with a look of impatience. "Raymond, we don't have time for this.

We need to go before the cops start asking too many questions."I stiffened. "Questions? What questions are you talking about?"Raymond hesitated just a bit too long.Something about his silence sent a chill slithering down my spine.My bloodshot eyes flickered between my father and uncle, pieces of a puzzle i hadn't known existed clicking together in my mind. The fire. The urgency. The need to leave before the police started investigating.And then it dawned on me.

The Highborn name had always carried weight, not just in their lavish business dealings but in the shadows they lurked in. My father was no saint. I had turned a blind eye to his unethical business practices in the past, but this... this felt different.My stomach lurched. "Tell me you had nothing to do with this," I whispered, My voice raw.Raymond's jaw clenched. Malcolm merely scoffed.A fresh wave of horror washed over me."You did," i choked out.

"Did you-did you start the fire? Dad"Raymond exhaled through his nose, but it was Malcolm who spoke. "Don't be dramatic, girl. This was never supposed to happen. Some people got greedy, a few moves were made, and things went out of control." He shrugged. "Casualties were inevitable."Casualties? What do you mean by that.

The word made my stomach turn.All that came to my mind was Miles.I shoved my father's hands off my shoulders. "You killed him," I whispered, my voice barely audible over the distant crackling of flames.Raymond's eyes darkened. "Lower your voice."I couldn't. A scream built in my throat, raw and animistic. "YOU KILLED HIM!""Enough," Malcolm snapped, his patience wearing thin.

"You don't know what you're talking about. But what I do know is that if we stay here, you'll be answering a hell of a lot of questions we can't afford. Do you want to go to prison, Avery?"Prison? Why would I go to prison. Can someone explain to me; what the fuck is going on here, what have you done.My breath hitched, tears filled my eyes.Oh, God.

If my family had been involved in the fire...Would the police think I was too?The weight of reality came crashing down all at once.My father grabbed my arm again, his grip bruising. "You don't have a choice."For the first time that night, I got paralyzed by a true fear.My entire world had just been torn apart, and now i am being dragged into something even darker.

Through blurred vision, i looked back at the fire one last time, silently pleading for a miracle.But none came.Miles was gone.And I had just become a prisoner of my own bloodline.

"Get on your feet, we don't have much time, Malcolm said while rushing down to the car, the cops are here already"

"What? Immediately I snapped back from my thoughts, Dad wait, you have to help me.

"You have to be fast, I can't wait any longer, Raymond said";

The sound of siren from the cops keep drawing closer; My God, what have I gotten myself into...