Chapter 74 - When the Past Knocks

Ava's POV

No. It can’t be him.

My heart froze the moment I saw those eyes—cold, black, and all too familiar. Memories I’d buried deep began to claw their way to the surface. Peter Duncan. His name echoed through my mind like a curse.

I tried to blink it away, to pretend he was just a product of my imagination. Maybe my mind conjured him. But I knew better. The past doesn’t stay buried. It waits, lurking, ready to drag you back under at the worst possible moment.

But I never expected to see it this soon inside my house.

I could almost hear the whispers from middle school: “Gutter girl.” “Smelly.” “Trash.” And Peter? He was the conductor of that cruel nightmare, always in the center, his smile twisted with malice. Sixth grade was hell because of him. He made sure of it.

But I’m not that girl anymore. I’ve built walls, fortresses around myself. I’m Ava Miller—strong, successful, untouchable. But in an instant, those walls began to crack.