Ava sat alone in the dimly lit room, the paper with Dorian Hale's name still clenched in her hand. Her mind raced as she processed the implications of this discovery. Jasper's words echoed in her mind: "Everything." But what did that mean? Was it possible that the answers she was looking for had been right in front of her all along?
She couldn't help but feel a sense of betrayal. Noah had been hiding something, but how deep did his secrets run? Could she really trust him if this Dorian Hale was the key to unlocking the truth about everything that had been left unsaid between them?
The sound of the door creaking open broke her from her thoughts, and her heart skipped a beat when she saw Noah standing in the doorway, his expression unreadable.
"Ava," Noah said, his voice low. "We need to talk."
She stood up, facing him, her fingers still gripping the paper tightly. "About what, Noah? About Dorian Hale? About all the things you've been keeping from me?"
Noah stepped into the room, his eyes searching hers. "I never meant for you to find out this way. But we don't have much time. I need you to trust me, Ava."
Ava's pulse quickened as she felt the weight of his words. She wanted to believe him, but the doubt gnawing at her was hard to ignore. "Trust you?" she whispered. "How can I, when everything I thought I knew is falling apart?"
Noah's gaze softened, and for a moment, Ava saw the man she had fallen in love with—the man who had always been her rock. But beneath that, there was something darker, something he was still hiding. She could feel it.
"I'll explain everything," Noah said, his voice filled with urgency. "But first, you need to understand that Dorian Hale is not who you think he is."