His Silence

Ava’s POV

I stood frozen in the hallway, every word echoing in my mind.

Chloe’s voice, thick with emotion, and Orion’s responses, calm and measured, struck me like shards of glass.

“I’m not leaving you for Ava.”

The weight of those words felt like a dagger. It wasn’t just what he said; it was the certainty in his tone, the way he tried to comfort her while I stood here, invisible.

I had been naïve—thinking I could be more to him than a placeholder. The reality was clear now. I was nothing more than a name on paper to Orion.

This just confirmed the photo Chloe sent to me earlier. I had my doubts because he was with me all through the night.

But then I remembered.

He left after our first argument and came back drunk. What if that period of time was all it took to get straight into her bed?

I feel like such a big loser. I turned away before Orion could make up a silly excuse, my legs carrying me to my room at the west wing with a speed I didn’t think possible.