Morning arrived like a whisper rather than a roar. Soft light poured through the windows, warm and golden, brushing across the floorboards of the small cabin. It should have felt peaceful, but Ava's stomach twisted as she sat at the edge of the bed, staring out the window.
She hadn't slept much.
Not after everything.
Leonard had said nothing more the night before. He'd walked her back inside in silence, offered her a blanket, and then sat near the fireplace until she fell asleep. No threats. No accusations. Just that heavy quiet, loaded with something unspoken.
Now, sunlight caught the edge of his jawline as he stirred from the armchair across the room. He looked older this morning, more tired. Like the secrets were physically wearing him down.
She stood and crossed the room slowly.
"We're talking now," she said flatly.
Leonard opened his eyes, but didn't move.
"Who were those men?"
Silence.
She stepped closer. "Lucien sent them, didn't he?"
Leonard closed his eyes again and pinched the bridge of his nose. "Yes."
Ava's throat dried.
"And you knew?" she asked, more softly now. "You knew they were looking for me, and you brought me here anyway?"
"I brought you here to keep you away from them."
She laughed, bitter. "You kidnapped me, Leonard."
"I stopped you from walking straight into a trap."
"That's rich coming from the guy setting one himself."
Leonard stood abruptly, knocking over the chair. "You think I wanted this?" he snapped, voice low, but intense. "You think I planned all of it just to watch you suffer? I didn't—"
"Then what did you plan?" Her voice cracked. "The romantic dinners? The soft glances? Were those part of the act too?"
He paused, chest heaving. "Yes. At first."
Ava blinked.
Leonard took a step toward her, his expression pained. "I was supposed to make you trust me. That's what Lucien wanted. It was all about your father's estate. About control. About the trust fund."
She felt the floor tilt under her feet. "So it was about the money."
"At the beginning," he admitted. "But something changed."
She turned away. Her mind was a hurricane.
Leonard's voice softened. "You changed everything."
Her heart ached even as rage burned in her throat. "Don't."
"I didn't know you. I didn't want to know you. But then I saw how strong you were. How smart. How damn stubborn. You weren't just some heiress locked away in a cabin. You were surviving something no one should have to survive."
She turned to face him. Her voice trembled. "Then why didn't you tell me the truth?"
"Because I didn't think I deserved your trust." His eyes were wet now. "Because if you knew what I was part of, you'd never look at me the same way again."
Ava stared at him, torn between fury and something far more dangerous—hope.
A long silence passed between them.
Finally, she whispered, "You're right. I don't trust you."
He nodded, swallowing hard.
"Tell me everything and don't you dare lie to me"
They stood across from each other in the quiet hum of morning, no more lies left to shield them.
For now.
Here's the continuation of your chapter:
The morning sun filtered through the gauzy curtains, casting soft golden lines across the wooden floor. Ava sat stiffly on the edge of the sofa, her arms wrapped tightly around herself. Leonard stood across the room, silent for a long moment, then exhaled heavily and ran a hand through his tousled hair.
"I owe you the truth," he finally said, his voice rough, almost hollow. "All of it."
Ava didn't speak. Her silence was sharp and heavy, slicing through the tension.
Leonard walked to the window, then turned back toward her, jaw clenched.
"Lucien… he's my father."
Ava's brows furrowed. Her mouth parted slightly, the weight of that revelation sinking like a stone in her stomach.
"But he left me," Leonard continued. "Abandoned my mother when I was barely out of diapers. She raised me alone—barely survived. Then, out of nowhere, he came back. Not as a father. Not as a man with regrets. He came back with a deal."
Leonard's eyes flashed with shame, and his fists balled.
"He wanted me to work for him. Spy, manipulate… steal. He said I was finally worth something—to him. And when I refused… he made sure I couldn't."
Ava swallowed hard, her chest tightening.
"He took my mother," Leonard said, his voice cracking. "She's sick—something rare. She's in a private facility somewhere in Europe. I don't even know the location. He pays for her treatment and lets me speak to her three times a month. But if I step out of line, if I fail him…" His voice faded into a bitter whisper. "He's all she has. I'm all she has."
Ava's lips trembled. "So you're just… obeying him?"
"At first, yes. I was just the pawn. Charming you. Getting close. Keeping Lucien updated. He wants your father's trust fund. He wants to ruin the Anjello name entirely." He paused, looking lost. "I still don't know why. Why your family. Why he's obsessed with destroying every part of your legacy."
"And now?" she asked hoarsely. "Is this still just about the trust fund?"
Leonard looked her in the eye, and she saw pain there—deep, raw, and unguarded.
"No," he said. "Not anymore."
Ava stood slowly, feeling like the ground was slipping beneath her feet. "Lucien is the devil," she whispered. "And you… you helped him."
Leonard took a step toward her. "I didn't have a choice."
"But you had a conscience," she shot back, her eyes shining with unshed tears. "You knew I was a person, not a mission."
He didn't argue.
"I don't know if I can forgive you," she said, her voice shaking. "But I do know this… you're not like him."
Leonard dropped his gaze. "I hope not."
They stood there in silence, the truth hanging between them like a storm cloud ready to burst.
And for the first time, Ava wasn't just scared of Lucien.
She was scared of how much she wanted to believe Leonard was telling the truth.
The room had gone still after Leonard's confession, the silence thick and unforgiving. Ava stared at him, the weight of what he had said circling in her chest like smoke. Her thoughts were loud—chaotic. Leonard was Lucien's son. The boy sent to destroy her had a mother held hostage in some European hospital. He was part victim, part weapon.
And she—she had nearly fallen for him.
Or maybe she still was.
She rubbed her arms slowly, trying to ground herself in something—anything. The walls of the safehouse suddenly felt too close, like they were shrinking in on her. But despite the chaos within, Ava did something unexpected.
She walked over to him.
Leonard didn't move, as though unsure whether she was about to slap him or collapse into him. She looked at him, really looked—at the vulnerability he was trying to hide, the regret in his eyes, the boy trapped behind Lucien's orders.
"You're a liar," she said quietly.
He flinched.
"But for some reason…" She paused, her voice growing softer. "I believe you."
His eyes met hers, surprised.
"I don't forgive you," she added, raising a finger. "And I'm still very much considering bashing a chair over your head and disappearing into the woods again."
Leonard half-laughed, half-sighed, as though he'd forgotten how to breathe until just now.
"But…" She took a breath, setting her jaw with new resolve. "Lucien has to pay for everything he's done. To me. To Luca. To you. To your mother. And I won't beat him by running away."
Leonard's brows pulled together in cautious confusion. "What are you saying?"
Ava took a step back, calculating. "We do this together. But on my terms."
He nodded slowly, clearly unsure of what those terms were.
"I'll go along with what Lucien wants to see," she said, eyes sharpening. "I'll act like I'm falling for you. Like I'm all in. Trusting, stupid little Ava. We'll feed him the perfect lie."
Leonard stared. "That's dangerous."
"Good," she said, a dangerous smile tugging at the corners of her mouth. "He won't see it coming."
There was something in her now—calm, cold, and determined. She wasn't the scared girl who just wanted to escape anymore. No, she was going to infiltrate the monster's world. Charm him. Play the obedient doll. And then destroy him from the inside out.
Leonard took a step toward her, uncertain. "You're serious?"
"As a heart attack," she replied. Then, in a chillingly sweet voice, "And you'll help me. Like you were always supposed to."
"But what if Lucien catches on?"
"Then we improvise," she said, eyes flickering with steel. "We both have people we care about on the line. We don't have the luxury of hesitation."
Leonard nodded, slowly—then with more conviction. "You're not who I thought you were."
"Neither are you," she shot back. "Which is why I'm not telling you everything."
His smile faded slightly.
"Don't worry," Ava added, turning away. "You're not the only one capable of keeping secrets."
As she left the room, her heart pounded—not from fear this time, but from adrenaline.
Project Make Leonard Fall wasn't about love.
It was about power.
And this time, Ava Anjello was taking hers back.