Chapter 7: The Woman Who Would Not Bend

The following week passed without incident.

Elliot continued his rehabilitation every morning.

Avery kept herself busy during the day and visited her father whenever she could.

Their relationship remained complicated.

They were husband and wife by law.

But emotionally...

They were still learning how to trust each other.

One morning, Elliot returned from therapy looking exhausted.

Avery was waiting in the living room with a glass of water.

"Drink this."

He accepted it without argument.

"You sound like my doctor."

"Your doctor can't stand your attitude either."

A faint smile appeared on Elliot's face.

"You're becoming bold."

"Maybe living with you is teaching me."

"That's concerning."

Avery laughed.

For a brief moment, Elliot simply watched her.

Her smile had become strangely familiar to him.

He had begun noticing small things about her without trying.

The way she tucked her hair behind her ear when concentrating.

The way she hummed quietly while cooking.

The way she always thanked the servants.

The way she never complained about the life she had been forced into.

That afternoon, Rosalie invited several Foster relatives to the mansion.

Elliot joined them reluctantly.

Avery remained in the garden reading a book.

One of the guests was Cole.

The moment he saw Avery, his expression changed.

He hadn't expected her to still be living at the Foster estate.

"Avery," he called.

She slowly lowered her book.

"Cole."

Her voice was calm.

Almost emotionless.

"Can we talk?" he asked.

"There's nothing to talk about."

"I owe you an explanation."

"You already explained everything when I heard you with Cassandra."

Cole's face tightened.

"It wasn't what you think."

Avery nearly laughed.

"I heard everything."

"You said I was only useful because I could become your uncle's widow."

"You talked about taking Foster assets."

"How exactly did I misunderstand that?"

Cole stepped closer.

"I made a mistake."

"I still love you."

Avery shook her head.

"No."

"You loved the idea of what I could give you."

"That's not true."

"Then prove it."

"Walk away."

Cole stared at her.

"You can't mean that."

"I do."

"I'm married now."

A cold voice came from behind them.

"She's already answered you."

Elliot stood several feet away.

His expression was icy.

Cole immediately straightened.

"Uncle."

"Leave."

"I just wanted to talk to Avery."

"She said no."

"But—"

"Leave."

Cole clenched his jaw before walking away.

Avery looked at Elliot.

"You didn't have to interfere."

"I know."

"Then why did you?"

Elliot was silent for a moment.

"Because he wasn't respecting your answer."

"That's all."

Avery studied him carefully.

"Thank you."

He nodded.

That evening, another problem appeared.

Avery received a message from her father's company accountant.

Several old financial records had been changed.

"This doesn't make sense," she muttered.

She carefully compared the documents.

Money had been transferred from one of her father's business accounts to an offshore company shortly before the bankruptcy.

The transfers had been authorized using her father's signature.

But the handwriting looked wrong.

"Someone forged his signature," she whispered.

She immediately took the documents to Elliot.

"Look at this."

Elliot studied the papers.

"These transfers happened before your father's company collapsed."

"Yes."

"Which means the bankruptcy may not have been accidental."

Avery's heart tightened.

"Are you saying someone deliberately destroyed my father's company?"

"Possibly."

"We need more evidence."

Elliot looked at her.

"I'll have my people investigate."

"No."

"What?"

"I want to investigate too."

"Avery, this could be dangerous."

"It's my father's life."

"I have a right to know what happened."

Elliot stared at her determined expression.

There was no fear in her eyes.

Only resolve.

"Fine," he said finally.

"But you stay close to me."

"I can protect myself."

"I know."

"I'm still asking you to stay close."

The words softened her expression.

"Alright."

The next morning, Elliot and Avery visited the Tate family's former company office.

The building was almost empty.

Bankruptcy proceedings had already closed most departments.

Dust covered the desks.

Old files were stacked in boxes.

Avery walked through the silent office with a strange ache in her chest.

"My father built this place from nothing," she whispered.

"I remember coming here as a child."

Elliot stayed beside her.

Together, they searched the accounting archives.

After several hours...

Avery found a hidden folder inside an old cabinet.

"Elliot."

He immediately walked over.

Inside were copies of financial transfers, private contracts, and one handwritten note.

The note contained only a single sentence.

"The Foster family must never know the truth."

Elliot's expression changed instantly.

"What does the Foster family have to do with your father's company?"

Avery shook her head.

"I don't know."

Before they could investigate further...

The lights suddenly went out.

The entire building fell into darkness.

Avery instinctively reached for Elliot's arm.

A sound echoed from the hallway.

Footsteps.

Someone was inside.

Elliot immediately pulled Avery behind him.

"Stay here."

"No," she whispered.

"I'm staying with you."

The footsteps stopped outside the room.

Then the door handle slowly began to turn.

Someone was coming for them.