Ava's Pov
"Stop!" I yelled. "How can you possibly invest in all three of my companies?"
"Miss Ava, sit down and let's talk," Cade Hunter's voice rose, his finger pointing to the damn chair in front of him.
"I'm not buying that today, Mr. Cade," I retorted. "I'm the heiress of the company now, not my worthless, good-for-nothing brother. You have to face me."
"Miss Ava, I understand we've always been rivals, but why don't we collaborate for once and make a real difference in the company?"
"I don't care, Mr. Cade. Just sign this document—I'm terminating your investment," I said, pointing at the file in my hands.
"Alright, I will, as you say, Miss Ava. Just know that this may cost you something precious," Cade said, signing the document.
"I didn't care to know what that was. I turned to leave the office, but before I did, I shot him a look of defeat.
You don't mess with Ava Saint Claire."
"He tightened his fist, and I could see the anger burning in his eyes."
"I smiled and turned to leave the suffocating office."
"Cade Hunter and the Saint Claire company had always been rivals. He wanted to destroy our company, for reasons I didn't know—and I wasn't going to let that happen. My brother had once been the heir, always cheated and used by Cade Hunter. But I was no pushover. I'd show him what I was made of."
---
I walked out of Cade Hunter's office, the weight of the confrontation still hanging over me. The silence in the hallway was deafening, my footsteps the only sound as I made my way to the elevator. But the tension in the air felt like it was choking me.
I hadn't expected Cade to be so… relentless. The anger in his eyes was more than just business—he took things personally. It was clear he saw me as an obstacle, someone who could stand in the way of whatever plans he had for the company. And that, in turn, made me all the more determined not to let him win.
When the elevator doors finally slid open, I stepped inside, my hands trembling slightly as I pressed the button for the ground floor. I wasn't afraid, but I couldn't shake the feeling that this was only the beginning of something much bigger.
As I walked out of the building, I glanced around, the cool evening air brushing against my skin. My car was waiting in the parking lot, and I quickly made my way over to it, needing to get out of the city, away from the office, and away from Cade's insufferable presence.
But just as I reached my car, my phone buzzed in my pocket. I took it out, already feeling that familiar knot of tension in my stomach as I saw the message.
"You've made a powerful enemy, Miss Saint Claire."
I pressed the phone to my ear before the message could even finish, hearing the coldness in his voice as it came through.
It was a text from Cade.
I smiled and texted back, "Mr. Cade, I'm not scared of you, okay?"
After sending my message to Cade, I slipped my phone back into my purse, feeling a strange sense of relief. I wasn't scared. Not of Cade, not of anything. He could threaten all he wanted, but I wasn't about to let him break me.
I knew this wasn't over. Cade Hunter didn't give up easily. But neither did I.
As I pulled up to my apartment, the city lights glittered around me, but the weight of the day still clung to me like a heavy fog. I needed to clear my head. I needed a plan.
Stepping out of the car, I made my way to the building, keeping my eyes sharp. The world felt different now. Every glance, every sound felt like a warning. The feeling of being hunted hadn't left me.
I had barely made it to the elevator when my phone buzzed again.
"I will fuck you up," the text from Cade read.
I stopped for a second, staring at the screen. My heart raced, but I refused to let him see that. I wasn't afraid. I was determined.
A moment later, another buzz.
"Lol, there's nothing you can do."
I felt my lips curve into a smirk. Cade was underestimating me, and I wasn't about to let that slide.
I quickly typed out a response, "We'll see about that."
With a sense of finality, I slipped the phone into my pocket and stepped into the elevator, ready for whatever Cade was planning next. I wasn't going down without a fight neither am I giving up so easily . My father raised a woman.
As the elevator doors closed, I leaned back against the cold metal wall, my mind was racing with thoughts. Cade's words echoed in my head. "I will fuck you up." He was trying to intimidate me, to make me second-guess my decisions. But it wasn't working. I'd been in the business world long enough to know that power didn't come from fear—it came from standing your ground, no matter the odds.
When the elevator reached my floor, I stepped out, the hallway stretching before me. But just as I was about to walk to my apartment, I froze. A shadow moved in the corner of my vision. My pulse quickened. I wasn't alone.
I turned sharply,my eyes scanning the darkness. A figure emerged from the shadows.
A man. Tall. Broad-shouldered. His face hidden behind a mask.
My breath caught. For a moment, I thought I might be imagining things, but the presence of this stranger felt all too real.
He didn't speak, just stood there, his eyes cold and calculating.
"Who the hell are you?" I demanded, my voice steady despite the fear creeping up my spine.
The man didn't answer, but the message was clear to me.
Cade Hunter had made his move. And now, I was the one being hunted.