Ava’s POV
When I stepped back into that hollow, silent villa, the first thing I did was review my plan.
Thirty days.
That was all I had.
Thirty days, and I’d be able to cleanly cut ties with everything here.
Before that, I needed to get things in order.
First on the list: find a new place to stay.
Even if it was only for a month, there was no way I’d keep living under the same roof with the man who betrayed me.
But I couldn’t let Damon notice anything off, which meant I couldn’t just pack up everything at once.
Next, I had to figure out how to reclaim my research.
The minute I went back to the Crawford Pack as an Omega, people would start questioning my worth.
I needed solid proof that my abilities were real.
I pulled open my drawer and grabbed a custom-made USB drive.
Inside it was a program I’d coded with top-tier hacker-level encryption.
Once plugged into any computer, it would quietly copy every file on the machine without anyone noticing.
As a researcher, I’d always had a natural curiosity about anything tech-related.
Back then, I’d made it purely for fun.
I never thought it’d end up becoming the one tool that could help me take back what was mine.
I tucked it into my bag, waiting for the right moment.
Then I dialed Alvin.
If I needed a place to live, he was the one person I knew would definitely help.
“Alvin, it’s me.
Ava.”
“Ma’am, what can I do for you?” His respectful voice came through the line instantly.
“I need you to arrange a new place for me.
Somewhere safe.
Somewhere hidden.”
“Ma’am, before your father passed, he bought a manor in the neutral zone.
The security there is extremely tight, many powerful Alphas own property in that area.
The only thing is…” Alvin hesitated.
“It’s been empty for a long time.
There’s barely any furniture.”
“That’s fine,” I replied without missing a beat.
“I’ll handle the furniture myself.”
“Should I send someone to help you with the purchases?”
“No need.” I turned down his offer gently.
“I want to pick everything myself.” And honestly, I needed a place that could let my mind breathe for a moment.
A furniture market sounded perfect.
After hanging up, I finally felt that tight knot in my chest loosen.
A new home, a space that belonged only to me.
That was the first step toward my new life.
Designers from all over the world showcased their pieces here, and every item looked like it belonged in a museum.
I walked straight into the boldest, most cutting-edge section of the whole market.
A sleek Italian-style sofa with clean, striking lines, a crystal chandelier that looked like shattered starlight frozen midair, and a coffee table carved from a single massive slab of volcanic rock.
Everything here screamed attitude and modern flair.
Honestly, I’d always had a soft spot for this kind of style.
But back then, Damon and his mother Elizabeth were dead set on their heavy, old-school European decor.
In that house, my opinion was basically background noise.
Every piece of furniture, every detail, had to cater to their tastes.
The bright, minimalist paintings I loved?
All shoved into the storage room.
Today, I finally got to make decisions for myself.
“These. I’ll take all of them.” I picked out several pieces in one go, not even pausing for breath.
“Of course, ma’am.” The salesperson practically beamed.
“Where would you like them delivered?”
I gave him the address Alvin had arranged for me.
Just as I was about to swipe my card, a sharp, way-too-familiar voice cut through the air behind me.
“Well, well, isn’t this the Luna of our Darkmoon Pack? Tell me, after bullying my daughter, how are you still in the mood to splash money around like it’s nothing?”
I didn’t even have to turn around.
I knew exactly who it was.
Damon’s mother, Elizabeth.
She was decked out in a purple velvet suit today, a massive string of pearls around her neck, wearing the haughty air of a grand lady.
Two Beta she-wolves dressed just as flamboyantly trailed behind her, watching me like I was their afternoon entertainment.
“Oh, I almost forgot. You don’t have any money of your own,” Elizabeth said as she strutted up, jabbing a bright red nail toward the chandelier I’d picked.
“This is all my son’s hard-earned money! And you, an Omega who can’t even give him a child, what right do you have to waste it like this?”
Her voice was loud enough to echo.
People nearby paused to stare.
I felt heat rising to my cheeks, not from embarrassment, but from pure, sharp anger.
Before, I might’ve swallowed it.
But after everything, first her daughter earlier, now her trying to humiliate me on purpose?
No.
Not today.
I met her gaze head-on and gave a short, cold laugh.
“Then tell me, what value have you ever created for the pack?
Besides giving birth to Damon, do you have a single achievement worth bragging about?
Can you even understand one number on a financial report?”
“You— How dare you talk to me like that?” Elizabeth trembled with fury.
Clearly it never crossed her mind that the daughter-in-law who used to tiptoe around her would dare to talk back.
I’d always been the quiet one.
The obedient one.
“Why wouldn’t I dare?” I stepped closer, refusing to back down even an inch.
“Without me, Damon’s company wouldn’t be anywhere near where it is today. You are reading on g.com, the official source.
Every penny he makes has my work and my brains behind it.
So if I spend my own money, that’s nothing but fair.”
“That’s absolute crap.” Elizabeth let out a sharp, grating laugh.
“You’re just a clueless Omega.
Your biggest skill is making my son a cup of coffee and wiping down his office.
And now you’ve got the nerve to claim you achieved all that?”
“If you told me you were actually leaving Damon, maybe I’d believe that garbage you’re spewing.” Elizabeth’s mocking tone only grew harsher.
“Then you’re wrong. Damon’s the one who won’t let me go,” I said calmly.
He would never let me leave, and that was exactly why I’d signed the divorce papers in secret.
Damon Ashford couldn’t function without me.
“You—?” Elizabeth had just raised her hand, ready to strike, when her phone suddenly rang.
She glanced at the screen, and that smug, self-satisfied smile instantly climbed onto her face.
“It’s Damon,” she said loudly, hitting the speaker button on purpose, clearly eager for everyone around to hear how her son would “back her up.”
From the other end came Damon’s voice, tight with anger and urgency.
“Mom! Are you with Ava right now? Put her on the phone!”
Elizabeth shoved the phone toward me, pride practically dripping from her stare.
I took it, switching to speaker as well.
“Ava! Why aren’t you at the company?” Damon’s voice boomed through the phone, filled with unquestionable fury.
“Do you have any idea?
Because you didn’t show up, we lost a major client!”
“Oh my god.” My tone turned exaggeratedly guilty.
“How could that happen? You know I’m just a useless Omega secretary. I only know how to make coffee and sweep floors. Who would ever trust an Omega with anything important?”
Damon fell silent.
Elizabeth panicked at once.
She snatched the phone back and snapped at the receiver, “Son, stop wasting your breath on this Omega! What you need to do is hurry up and divorce her! I just heard during afternoon tea with the Lunas of other packs that the Crawford Pack heir is back. You should focus on her, not this nobody!”
She shot me a triumphant look, as if she’d already won.
“That’s enough, Mom!” Damon cut her off harshly before she even finished.
“You don’t know anything.
Just leave there right now and let Ava come to the company.”
“What?!” Elizabeth’s voice cracked in disbelief.
“Do you even know she humiliated Catherine?
And now she’s disrespecting your mother in public at a furniture market!
Damon, have you lost your mind?!”
“For the last time, Mother.
Don’t say another word.
If you do, I’ll cut off every cent you use to buy your precious little cakes.” Damon’s tone went cold and deadly serious.
Elizabeth froze, her expression turning stiff.
Clearly, she had never imagined her son would scold her like this over me.
“Ava,” Damon’s voice came again, calmer now, “come to the company. We need to talk.”
I knew perfectly well he wasn’t defending me out of care.
He just didn’t want his “valuable tool” to walk away and mess up his interests.
Still, I did need to go to the company.
I had to copy my research data.
“I’ll be there,” I answered evenly.