Chapter 40 - Savor the Fear

Ava's POV

“No amount of security can keep her from me.”

My pulse roared in my ears as I stared at the message on my screen, drowning out the words Rose had been saying. Fear coiled deep in my chest, quickly replaced by the surge of fury that left my hands trembling.

I shot to my feet, the chair scraping against the floor in a grating screech. Rose’s eyes widened, her hand halfway to a stack of documents, concern etched into every line of her face.

“What is it?” she asked, but her voice felt distant—muted.

I couldn’t form the words. Couldn’t explain the terror clawing at me. My thumb hovered over the screen, barely believing what I was seeing. The words taunted me, echoing through every doubt and nightmare I’d tried to bury.

Then, as if to twist the knife deeper, another message came in. This time, a picture.