ALEX POVಡ⁠ ͜⁠ ⁠ʖ⁠ ⁠ಡ

Where is she?” I grasped Madeline by the throat, resistingthe urge to squeeze until I wiped the smug look off her face.I’d never raised a hand to a woman outside the bedroom—and then only if they consented—but I was this close tolosing my shit.After I saw the video of Madeline pushing Ava into thepool, which I recognized from my previous visits to theHauss mansion, I broke every speed limit to get here. By thetime I arrived, the party had ended and only a few stragglersremained. I found Madeline laughing with her cronies in thekitchen, but it had only taken a glare from me for her toexcuse herself and follow me into the hall.“Why don’t you tighten your hold a little?” she purred.“You know you want to.”“I’m not here to play games.” I was holding onto mypatience by a thread. “Answer my question, or HaussIndustries is over.”“You don’t have that kind of power.”“Don’t underestimate me, sweetheart.” It wasn’t anendearment. “Just because we’ve fucked a few times doesn’tmean you know what—or who—I have in my back pocket. Sounless you want to explain to dear old Dad why regulatorsare breathing down his neck and his precious company stockis tanking, I suggest you answer me. Now.”Madeline’s lips compressed into a thin line. “Her friendpulled her out of the pool, and they left,” she said, sullen.“How was I supposed to know she can’t swim?”My grip tightened, and my lips curled into a sneer when Isaw the resulting flare of desire in her eyes. “Pray she’s allright, or the downfall of Hauss Industries will be the least ofyour worries,” I said softly. “Do not contact or come nearher or me again. Understand?”Madeline lifted her chin in defiance.“Do. You. Understand.” I pressed my thumb into the softflesh of her neck—not enough to injure, but enough to makeher flinch.“Yes,” she choked out, resentment coating her voice.“Good.” I released her and walked away, keeping mysteps calm when all I wanted was to race to Ava’s house andcheck if she was okay. She hadn’t answered any of my callsand texts, and while I understood why, it still made menervous.“Is she really worth it?” Madeline called after me.I didn’t bother answering her.Yes.When I reached my car, I floored the gas and nearlymowed over a group of drunk frat boys. My grip strangledthe steering wheel as I imagined how Ava must have feltwhen she fell into the pool—or how she must feel right now.A mixture of worry and anger coiled in my stomach. Fuckwhat I told Madeline earlier. She’d put a huge target on herfamily’s back, and I wouldn’t rest until Hauss Industries wasno more than a footnote in corporate history.I pulled up to Ava’s house in time to see Stella exiting. Icut the engine and made it to the front door in half a dozenlong strides.“How is she?” I demanded.Worry etched itself on Stella’s face. “She could be worse,given the circumstances. I was getting us drinks when shewent into the pool room…” She gnawed on her bottom lip.“Anyway, I found her when that woman pushed her into thepool. I got her out before she passed out or anything likethat, but she’s pretty shaken. Jules isn’t home yet, and Iwanted to stay with her, but she said she’s going to sleep andinsisted I leave.” Stella’s brows knit together. “You shouldcheck on her. Just in case.”That was a big ask coming from Stella, who liked me theleast out of Ava’s friends, and it said a lot about Ava’scurrent state.“I’ll take it from here.” I brushed past her into the livingroom.“How did you find out what happened so fast?” Stellacalled after me.“Online,” was all I said. I made a mental note to call mytech guy and have him scrub every trace of the video off theinternet. He was the same person I relied on to hack into mycompetitors’ computers and dig up offshore accounts. Fiveyears of working together, and there hadn’t been a singleleak or job he couldn’t complete. In return, I’d paid himenough money over the years that he could buy a privateisland off the coast of Fiji if he wanted.I took the stairs two at a time until I reached Ava’s room.The light spilling through the crack in the door told me shewas still awake, despite what she’d told Stella.I rapped my knuckle twice against the wood. “It’s Alex.”There was a short pause. “Come in.”Ava sat in bed, her hair damp and her gaze wary as shetook me in. Worry edged out my anger when I saw how paleher cheeks were and the way she shivered, even though theheat was on and she’d tucked herself beneath a thickcomforter.“I saw what happened. Some fucker filmed it live onsocial.” I sat on the edge of the bed and resisted the insaneurge to tuck her into my chest. “I’m sorry.”“It’s not your fault. Don’t blame yourself for fucked-upthings other people do.”A smile ghosted my mouth as she threw my words back atme.“You have terrible taste in women though.” Ava sniffled.“Do better.”“Madeline and I are over. We never even started.”“That’s not what she told me.”I cocked my head at her stiff tone. “Are you…jealous?”The thought pleased me more than it should’ve.“No.” With her scowl and fluffy gray top, she looked likean angry kitten. “As if. So what if she’s tall and blonde andlooks like a Victoria’s Secret model? She’s a horrible person.Next time I see her, I’m going Krav Maga on her ***.”I bit back a full smile. Ava had attended all of one lesson.It’d be a while before she went anything on anyone’s ***, buther indignation was adorable.“She won’t be bothering you again.” I grew serious. “Thepool—”“I thought I was going to die.”I flinched, horror skating through me at the thought.“I thought I was going to die because I can’t swim and Ihave this stupid phobia and I am so sick of it.” Ava fisted hercovers, her mouth tight. “I hate feeling helpless and out ofcontrol in my own life. Do you know one of my biggestdreams is to travel the world and I can’t even do that becausethe idea of flying over an ocean makes me sick?” She took adeep, shaky breath. “I want to see what’s out there. TheEiffel Tower, the pyramids of Egypt, the Great Wall of China.I want to meet new people and try new things and live life,but I can’t. I’m trapped. When I was in that pool, thinkingthose were my last moments…I realized I’ve done none ofthe things I want to do. If I died tomorrow, I’d die with alifetime of regrets, and that terrified me even more than thewater.” She looked up at me, her big brown eyes wide andvulnerable. “That’s why I need you to do something for me.”This time, I was the one who swallowed hard. “What is it,Sunshine?”“I need you to teach me to swim.”

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