The tension in the air was thick. Ava stood in front of Noah, the weight of the situation pressing down on her. The letter in her hand trembled slightly as she fought to steady her breath. Her heart was pounding in her chest, the same rhythm she had heard so many times before, but this time, it felt different—heavier, more urgent.
Noah's eyes didn't leave hers, but they flickered with something—an emotion she couldn't place. He opened his mouth, but no words came out. Instead, his gaze shifted toward the door. He was waiting for something, or someone.
Ava, however, wasn't going to let this moment slip by. She had had enough of the silence, the half-truths, and the vague answers. The man she loved was hiding something—something big—and she needed to know what it was.
"Noah," she said, her voice trembling with the rawness of the emotions she had kept bottled up. "Tell me the truth. Everything."
Noah closed his eyes briefly, and when he opened them again, there was a familiar intensity there—one that she had come to associate with his protective nature. But now, it felt colder. Distant.
"You don't want to know, Ava," he whispered, his voice low but sharp. "Not yet."
Ava's heart sank. His words were a warning, but they only fueled her desire to know more. She stepped closer, her frustration boiling over. "You can't just keep avoiding it, Noah. I deserve the truth."
Noah's jaw tightened. "It's not that simple. You have no idea what you're asking for."
She took a deep breath, her mind racing with questions. The name Dorian Hale haunted her thoughts. Was he the key to everything? Why did Noah react so strongly when Elias mentioned him? And why couldn't he just tell her the truth?
Before she could press further, a sharp knock at the door interrupted the moment.
Ava's breath caught in her throat. Noah looked past her, his face hardening. Without saying a word, he moved toward the door and opened it, revealing Elias.
Elias stepped inside, his expression unreadable. He locked eyes with Ava for a moment, then shifted his gaze to Noah.
"You're still not telling her?" Elias said, his tone sharp but not unkind. "It's time, Noah."
Noah's gaze faltered, and for the first time, Ava saw a crack in his usually composed demeanor. There was fear there—fear of losing her, of revealing something that could change everything. The truth was finally within reach, but it came at a price.
Ava felt a cold shiver run down her spine. She could sense that what she was about to hear would tear apart everything she thought she knew about Noah—and about herself.
Noah's voice was strained as he spoke, his words barely audible. "Ava… there's a part of my past that you don't understand. A part that's dangerous. Dorian Hale isn't just a name. He's a shadow that's been following me for years."
Elias stepped closer, his gaze steady. "It's time to confront him. No more running. No more secrets."
Ava's breath caught in her throat as she absorbed the weight of Noah's confession. She had suspected that the truth was darker than she had imagined, but hearing it from Noah made it real—too real.
As Noah spoke, Ava couldn't help but notice something strange—an unfamiliar locket that hung from his neck, one she had never seen before. It wasn't just the locket that caught her attention, though. There was a faint symbol engraved on it—a symbol that seemed eerily familiar, yet foreign. It was a darkened triangle with a line cutting through the center, and at its peak, there was a small, sharp symbol that resembled a crescent moon. Ava had seen it once, in an old photo of her father's.
Before she could ask about it, Noah's gaze softened, and for a moment, it felt like he was finally allowing her in. But the heaviness of the situation didn't allow for any comforting words.
"I'll explain everything. But not here," Noah said, his voice low and firm. "Not yet."