CHAPTER 208

CHAPTER 208


Avery

I froze in the doorway, stunned.

Maeve.

Of course it was her.

The moment our eyes locked, her smile widened—sharp, poisonous. She sat there like a queen on a throne, legs elegantly crossed, red lips painted in that same shade she used the night she destroyed everything.

“I was wondering how long it would take you to show up,” she said, gesturing to the chair across from her. “Come, Avery. Let’s not pretend you didn’t expect this.”

I stepped in slowly, shutting the door behind me. The silence in the room felt electric—like we were standing at the edge of a cliff, and all it would take was one push.

“I thought you were in Milan,” I said coldly.

She laughed, tossing her hair over her shoulder. “Please. Did you really think I’d just disappear? That I’d let you keep everything while I vanished into a different time zone?”

I didn’t sit.

“I’m not here to play your games,” I said. “You have no claim to Ryan. This has nothing to do with you.”

Maeve leaned back, her expression softening slightly—like she was enjoying herself. "Oh, sweetheart. Everything has to do with me. Peris and I? We’ve had a little alliance for months now. You see, we both want the same thing—leverage."

I blinked, unable to stop the chill running down my spine.

"You want to ruin Liam."

"No," she corrected gently. "I want to hurt him. Ruining is too easy. He needs to lose what he loves most. Just like I did."

She stood up then, walking toward the window, her heels clicking ominously against the marble floor.

“I warned you,” she murmured. “Back when I caught you sneaking into his penthouse like a lovesick little intern. I told you that loving Liam Rockwell only ends in pain. You didn’t listen.”

“Because I wasn’t afraid of you then.”

“And now?” she turned, smile gone. “Are you afraid now?”

I stared at her, pulse thudding in my ears. "I’m not afraid of you, Maeve. But I am tired of people like you thinking children are weapons. Ryan is a boy. An innocent one."

“You used him first,” she shot back. “Don’t pretend you didn’t keep him a secret to manipulate Liam. Don’t rewrite history, Avery. You’re not the angel in this story.”

I stepped forward, fists clenched. “And you think aligning with Peris makes you noble? He’s a predator. He’s using you just like he used everyone else. The moment you’re no longer useful—”

“He won’t drop me,” she cut in sharply. “Because unlike you, I don’t lead with my heart. I don’t get attached. That’s your fatal flaw, Avery. You think love protects people. But love is a weakness. Liam’s love for you will destroy everything he’s built.”

I felt the fury bubble up, but I bit it down. "Why are you really doing this? Just revenge? Or is it because you still want him back?"

Her silence gave her away.

“You still love him,” I whispered.

Maeve's jaw twitched. “Love has nothing to do with this.”

But it did.

It was written all over her—this entire plan wasn’t just about power. It was about pain. She wanted Liam to suffer. And that meant coming for me and Ryan.

I exhaled slowly. “So what now? You serve me custody papers and hope I crumble?”

Maeve returned to the chair and picked up a sleek black folder from the desk. “No, dear. That was just the beginning.”

She slid the folder across the table. I hesitated, then opened it.

Inside were screenshots. Emails. Bank statements.

And photos.

Dozens of photos.

Me and Liam in Paris.

Me entering his hotel room the night before his engagement party.

Even a shot of me picking Ryan up from school—our son’s face exposed.

My heart dropped.

“This is everything we’ll release to the press if you don’t walk away,” Maeve said. “Your past, your lies, your relationship—all of it becomes the narrative. A manipulative mistress who used her child to claw her way into a billionaire’s empire.”

I clenched my jaw. “You’d hurt Ryan just to get back at Liam?”

“No,” she said, voice soft. “I’d hurt you.”

I closed the folder.

Then I stood.

“Do what you want,” I said. “Leak everything. I’m not afraid anymore.”

Her eyes narrowed. “Brave words.”

“You think I care about reputation? That I care about some press scandal? All I care about is Ryan. And you—both of you—underestimate a mother’s strength.”

I turned to the door.

Maeve called after me, “Then you’d better prepare for war, Avery. Because we’re just getting started.”

\---

The sunlight outside burned as I stepped onto the street.

My phone buzzed.

Liam: Are you okay? Where are you?

I took a deep breath and replied.

Me: On my way home. I’ll explain everything when I get there.

I didn’t let myself cry. Not yet. There wasn’t time for fear. Not when Ryan’s f
uture was on the line.

I hailed a cab, heart hammering.

Because war had begun.

But this time, I wasn’t alone.