BETWEEN LOVE AND BETRAYAL

er expression shifting from peaceful to troubled. In her dream, she stood on a tranquil beach, the waves lapping gently at her f

ed frantically, tears brimming in her eyes, but he didn't seem to hear

ief. She took a step forward, eager to close the distance, but he raised a hand to stop her.

. "Dangerous? Why, Dad? What's going on? W

middle of the sea. In it lay her mother, motionless and pale. Ava's heart clenched. "Mom!"

d black, its surface now turbulent and foreboding. The wind howled, and the once-seren

orward, desperate to reach the boat. When she was within arm's length, she slamme

g her mother with it. Ava screamed louder, tears streaming down her face as she struck the

er spine. She looked around, but there was no one. The darkness grew heavier, pressing against her unti

ing wildly. Her hands trembled as she clutched the bedsheets, trying to ground herself. T

e etched with concern. Without thinking, Ava threw her arms around him, seeking comfort in his p

icrophone in his hand. Her fear turned to irritation. "Kayde

s grin. "Practicing my stand-up routine,

now? I just had the most terrifying nightmar

amatically. "Ava, baby, your nightmare

, Ava chuckled despite he

funny," he rep

ie. Her hair was a mess, and she mumbled incoherently. Ava and Kayden exc

Ava asked, her voic

her back to her room, where Ava prepared a glass of lemon water. Jia gulped

Kayden flopped onto the couch, th

ing Kayden a look. "Remind me whose idea

y, you were the one who said, 'I can outdrink

es. "Right. And who ended u

Ava. Minor

d reprieve from the heaviness of Ava's dream

ling that it was more than just her subconscious playing tricks on her. She found he

r hand, offered quiet support, often leaving little notes of encouragement on Ava's desk. Together,

parents' past. The dream had stirred something deep within her-a mix of longing, fea

time she closed her eyes, she saw her father's face, his warning replaying in her mind

He pulled her into a spontaneous dance in the middle of the living

im away playfully, "you're th

ng his chest as if wounded. "I'll ha

errible," Ava quipped,

oking far more refreshed than earlier. She plopped down on the couch besid

l day," Jia said gent

ith anyone, not wanting to burden them. But as Jia and Kayden w

ed everything-the serene beach, her father's warning, her mother's lifeless form in the bo

and on Ava's shoulder. "Dreams can be strange," Jia said softly, "but sometimes

s telling you to take a break from all the heavy

de. "I just feel like there's something I'm missing," sh

etween the dream and what we've been uncovering about M

"it's the result of the cheap

laring at him. But the tension in the r

That E

ournal. She had read through it countless times, searching for clues about his de

n one of the pages. She held it up to the light, revealing a hid

ecifically for her. She traced the words with her fingers, her mind racing.

knock at her door. "Ava?" Jia's voice ca

y closing the journal and t

She handed one to Ava and sat on the edge of the bed. "I

The warmth of the drink spread thr

began. "About your dream. Maybe it's not just a dream.

eyebrow. "How

ling apart, you didn't give up. You fought to save your mother. That takes stren

they were tears of gratitude. She set her mug down

a replied, h

o find Kayden rummaging through the fridge. He jumped when he saw her,

va teased, leaning

ing a bite of the pizza. "Some of

the counter. They sat in comfortable s

ically serious, "you don't have to face all

ith emotion. "I know. And I'm grat

returning. "Because without me, your

ing her head. "Yo

harming," he co

the tension, but it was impossible to ignore. Kayden had his usual serious ex

he table, and he picked it up. His

Ava asked, her c

ipment. The goods we were importing from country F... they we

happened hit her like a punch to the gut. "H

s are gone, and the workers... they did

ing so hard to protect Kayden, to keep him out of this m

looking up from her plate,

ul Holdings. Stella has been threatening us ever since A

of it was unbearable. She had been trying to protect everyone, but now her fear was gro

the background, her heart heavy. She had caused so much trouble. She had lied to Kayden

was only one thing left to do: come clean. But how co

zed again. It

he text read

-

hest. Her fingers trembled as she held the phone, torn between telling Kayden everything and continuing to protect th

a's eyes flickered up at him, and her stomach churned. She felt as though everything she had built with him was unrav

d down at her phone. "Ava, what is this?" His voice wa

opened her mouth to speak, but the guilt overpowered her. She coul

voice faltering. "Ka

ke. Kayden's face went pale as he processed her confession. His

ough he couldn't believe what he was hearing. "After everything? You'

in her ears. "I never wanted it to go this far," she said quietly. "I thought I could protect you-protect

p sense of betrayal. "How could you keep this from me?" He stepped back, his hand

was protecting you. I thought I could keep you out of it. I

it, do you? Protecting us means trusting us, Ava. If you had told

d the conversation. Her eyes flicked from Ava to Kayden, her c

couldn't bear to see the hurt in Jia's eyes. She opened her mouth to speak but

"Ava has been working with Michael Black thi

as she tried to comprehend what she was hearing. "Ava..." Her voice c

in Jia's eyes. "I never wanted this," she whispered. "I never wanted to hu

check. "So all this time, you've been lying to us? You've b

know how I can look at you right now, Ava. After everything we've be

. I chose us. But I was too afraid of losing everything. I thought I could con

were sharp as he spoke. "This isn't just about contro

nd Ava flinched at the sound. She felt the void between them grow with every passing seco

hat to say to you right now," Jia said quietly, her voice trembling with emotion. "Yo

weight of her decisions pressing down on her chest. She had lost Kayd

rable. After the confrontation, Kayden had stormed out, unable to look at Ava. Jia, too, had ret

r, and no matter how hard she tried, she couldn't escape the consequences of her actions. She had chosen to

thoughts kept circling back to th

came in the mid

uzzed on the nightstand. She picked it up, the screen lighting up with Michael Black's

oice was barely

was low, almost like

time. The time to meet, the time to settle everything. Her stomach tig

e betraying no emotion. But inside,

t, cold-his heart clearly still angry, but his concern for the business and their employees hadn't

s busy checking emails, his expression unreadable. Ava stood the

," she said, her voice steady bu

up. "There's nothin

still too painful. "Kayden, please..." Her voice cracked, but she quickly regained

lazing with fury. "No. You're not go

e mistake of dragging you into it. I can't do th

"You think you're protecting me by hiding everything

much to bear. "I didn't want to hurt you. I thought

wing. "If you go to him, you're on your o

y, and the world felt far away. All she could think of was how much had changed since she met Kayden and Jia-ho

town, she felt her heartbeat quicken. Michael Black stood in

ng at his lips. "I thought you'd run aw

but her insides churned with fear. She had no idea how this confrontat

nk you can just walk away from me, Ava? After everythin

g choice," she whispered, regret floodi

ck, his expression darkening. "Fix it? The

out a folder. "You know what this is,

e contents. It was evidence-documents, photos, everything linking her to Michael's shady

r. You wanted security. But now, you're just as trapped as I am. We

k. But she also knew she couldn't continue dow

r expression hardening. "You

he saw a flicker of doubt in his eyes. "You think y

ce steady. "I'm walking aw

ard from Ava in hours, and he couldn't shake the feeling that something was wrong. When the door op

but there was a glimmer of something else

did what I had to do, Kayden

ger flaring again. "Over? You th

ld bring relief, but instead, it was just another

voice breaking. "I never wanted

don't get it, do you, Ava? It's not just about

im. And no matter what she did, she coul