Chapter 8 - The BetrayalAva confronted him in the center of the living room, throwing the photos on the floor. "You were watching me? All this time? Was Marcus just a pawn? Did you set this up so you could 'save' me?"
Elias didn't deny it. He stood tall, his expression hardening. "I knew what kind of man he was. I knew he would eventually discard you. I waited until the moment he broke, so I could step in and make you mine legally, under the pretense of rescue. I needed a reason to destroy him, Ava. I needed you to be the catalyst for the war I’ve been building for a decade."
"I was never a person to you," she cried, clutching her daughters. "I was a strategy."
"You were the only thing that kept me human!" Elias roared, his mask finally slipping. "Do you think I lived this life for the money? I lived it so I could build a wall around you. But you're right—I used you. And now, the people I’ve been fighting are coming for us both."
