The Alpha King's Reluctant Bride (Ava and Grayson) novel Chapter 44

-Ava’s POV-

Nothing has ever stunned me to silence like Grayson’s words just did. The sheer intensity left me frozen, my mind struggling to process wha

“LI.I’m………..”.

The words fumbled out in a stutter, barely audible. Grayson’s gaze hardened, and his entire presence shifted, the warm gone in an instant. staring at the empty space he’d filled just moments before

I flopped back onto the bed, a frustrated groan escaping me. His words echoed, flooding my mind: “I am prepare world burn to the ground b

A part

of me knew I should stay back and let him go, but I felt the pull-

the need to face him, to understand what he m Within seconds, I was pushing myself off the bed, my feet carrying me through the hallways

I had no idea where he’d gone, yet something drew me toward the pool, closed for the night. Just as I was about to cross boundary. I heard “There’s a clear sign that says the pool is closed, Ava

I closed my eyes, letting out a sigh. I could sense his presence behind me even without turning around. “You’re out here didn’t see a sign th I didn’t need to look to know he’d allowed himself a rare, brief smile. I took a deep breath, finally gathering the courage t face him. His cold g expression hardened again.

He pushed himself off the wall, his tone distant. “Go back inside. It’s cold. You’re already shaking.”

Wrapping my arms around myself, I felt the night’s chill more acutely, but I stayed where I was. “We need to talk about wh you said. About w Without a word, he brushed past me, heading toward the edge of the pool. The silence that followed was weighted, a tense expectation tha cold water wash over my feet. Somehow, it mirrored the mix of warmth and cold that Grayson seemed to leave in his wake.

Finally, he spoke, almost to himself. “I keep wondering why you let people push you around for so long when there’s so much fire in you.” The question took me by surprise, and I glanced at him, his profile shadowed in the moonlight. It was as if he wasn’t even speaking to me,

“Because it was all I’d ever known,” I murmured. “Since I was young, I followed my parents rules,

did what was expected of me. It kept me safe, or so I thought. I hated it at times, but the idea of stepping off that path scared ine as much a

He was silent for a long moment, staring into the dark pool. I decided to break the silence this time. “What about

your parents? Do you still talk to them?”

The question landed like a stone between us, and I felt him tense beside me. His answer was cold, almost bitter. “No.”

I glanced at him, feeling a strange ache in my chest. Whatever had happened with his family was buried deep, and I knew it

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had been part of what shaped the cold, unreachable person he had become. He continued to stare straight ahead, a silent fortress of hurt a A sigh escaped me, and

I mentally reminded myself to stop. Whatever he’d said, whatever rare emotion had broken through, it didn’t mean anything Getting involve delude myse into thinking I’d be the one to break down his walls. It wasn’t my place; I didn’t have the time.

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