That afternoon, the sound of heels clicking sharply against marble made Ava glance up from the flower arrangement she was working on.
Mrs. Maron stepped into the living room, elegance wrapped in judgment, with another woman at her side. Trailing behind them was a young woman in a pristine designer dress, hair styled in perfect waves, a faint smirk on her lips.
Mrs. Maron's eyes swept over Ava once a glance that felt like it measured and found her lacking.
"Ava," she said curtly. "This is my best friend's daughter, Sia. She's just returned from Europe. Educated, well-connected… and," her voice took on a pointed edge, "exactly the type of woman who belongs beside Devid."
Ava's hands stilled on the vase. "I…I."
Mrs. Maron stepped closer, her voice lowering but no less sharp.
"Unlike you, Sia understands the business world. She has poise, style… presence. You've been… adequate, Ava, but adequacy won't keep up with Devid's life forever."
Sia's smirk deepened. "She's… smaller than I expected," she said, her eyes sweeping Ava from head to toe. "And so… plain. Devid must get bored easily."
Mrs. Maron didn't scold her. In fact, she gave the faintest nod, as if agreeing.
"You see, Ava, this is why change is necessary. Devid deserves someone who elevates him, not… drags quietly behind."
The words landed like ice water.
Ava swallowed hard, blinking quickly to keep her tears from spilling. She bowed her head slightly, murmuring, "I… understand."
But inside, something crumbled.
The rest of the day, she moved like a ghost through the mansion.
Her hands folded laundry. Her feet carried her from room to room. But her mind replayed the scene again and again Mrs. Maron's disdain, Sia's smirk, the word plain echoing in her ears.
By the time Devid returned past midnight, she was standing in the living room, trembling, eyes swollen from holding back tears.
When the door clicked open, she looked at him like he was her last lifeline.
"Please…" her voice cracked.
He stopped in his tracks, frowning. "What's wrong?"
She took a shaky step toward him. "Please don't leave me… please don't divorce me."
"What are you talking about....?"
"I don't have anyone in the world but you," she whispered desperately. "If you want, I'll do whatever you say. I'll obey, I'll be quiet… I'll even...." her voice broke again, "I'll let you do whatever you want with my body. Just don't marry her… please…"
Her trembling fingers went to her shirt, unfastening it halfway, shoulders bare as tears rolled down her cheeks.
Devid's breath stilled.
He didn't know what had happened in his absence, but seeing her like this broken, begging, offering herself made something inside him twist painfully.
She was shattering in front of him.
And for the first time… he felt an unfamiliar urge to protect instead of possess.
Devid's eyes stayed on her trembling form for a long moment, the sound of her uneven breaths filling the heavy silence.
Her shirt hung loosely off her shoulders, her tears catching in the dim light. She looked so small… so fragile… and yet she was standing there, baring her heart and her body, just to make him stay.
Something inside him shifted a dull, unfamiliar ache spreading through his chest.
He stepped forward slowly, his gaze steady.
"I'm not going to marry anyone else," he said, his voice low but certain.
Her eyes widened, a flicker of hope breaking through the tears. "You… you mean it?"
"Yes." His tone was calm, almost detached. "You'll stay as my wife forever."
She let out a shaky breath, shoulders sagging in relief.
He didn't say anything more.
Instead, he took off his coat, stepped close enough to drape it over her bare shoulders, covering her trembling frame. His fingers lingered for just a second a second too long for a man who claimed not to care before he pulled away.
"Wear this," he murmured, without meeting her eyes.
Then he turned, walking toward the room without looking back.
Because Devid wasn't someone who comforted her.He wasn't someone who stayed to wipe her tears or hold her until she stopped shaking.
The feelings rising in his chest the urge to keep her safe, to take away the pain in her eyes he buried them deep, locking them away where they couldn't touch him.
The sound of the door clicking shut echoed in the empty room, leaving her standing there alone, wrapped in the lingering warmth of his coat… and the unspoken promise that he would never admit aloud.
The next morning,
Mrs. Maron was waiting in the dining room, sipping tea like she owned the sunlight pouring through the windows. Sia sat beside her, smiling sweetly in a way that felt rehearsed.
When Devid stepped in, both women turned toward him.
"Devid," Mrs. Maron said warmly the warmth reserved for everyone except his wife. "Sia will be joining us for lunch today. I think it's time you two spent more time together. She's perfect for you refined, educated, from a family with status that matches ours. Exactly the kind of woman you need by your side."
Sia tilted her head, her voice light. "Your mother speaks very highly of you. I think we'd get along very well… if you give me the chance."
Devid didn't sit. He didn't even glance at Sia. His gaze stayed on his mother, unreadable but sharp.
"I'm not interested."
Mrs. Maron blinked, caught off guard. "Devid.."
"I said," his voice was firmer now, leaving no room for argument, "I'm not interested in anyone else. Drop it."
Sia's smile faltered, and she looked away, cheeks burning.
Mrs. Maron's brows drew together, her voice sharpening. "You're wasting your life on someone who will never fit into this family"
"I'll decide that," he cut in coldly, his jaw tight. "And I've decided."
The room fell silent.
Without another word, he turned and walked out, leaving his mother fuming and Sia glaring into her untouched tea.
Upstairs, Ava stood quietly at the top of the staircase, having heard every word.
Her hands clutched the railing, her heart pounding not from fear this time, but from something warmer.
For the first time, Devid's words felt like a shield around her.