Page 76 of Knot a Thief

“Already on order. They’ll turn up with the food order.”

I nod. “Do you think she’s working out if she can escape?” I ask Max as Ava glances over the edge of the cliff, looking below.

“She can’t.”

“You underestimate her.”

“She’s strong and determined, but she doesn’t have a vast amount of stamina,” Max adds.

I narrow my eyes as I stare at him.

“I’ve watched her for years. She can dive, but she never swims for endurance, only speed.”

I turn back to the camera, and she’s gone.

“Where the fuck did she go?” Max growls, rushing to the control system and flicking through the various feeds around the island until we see her standing at the edge of the wall and looking at my daughter, Lily, who is crying.

My heart pounds as I watch Ava approach Lily, kneeling down to her height.

Part of me wants to rush down there and snatch my daughter away, but something holds me back.

As Ava kneels beside Lily, talking to her, her movements are gentle and unhurried. Lily says something to her, and Ava scoops my little girl into her arms, and to my surprise, Lily’s cries subside.

The sight of Ava cradling my daughter stirs something unexpected within me. The anger I’ve harbored towards her melts away, replaced by a warmth I can’t quite name.

“Silas,” Max says, but I barely hear him. “Do you think she’ll stay for Lily?”

I move to the window, drawn by an inexplicable need to see this moment more clearly.

Ava sways with Lily in her arms, whispering words I can’t hear but desperately wish I could.

My chest tightens at the tenderness of her actions.

As if sensing my gaze, Ava turns my way.

Our eyes lock, and for a moment, the world stands still.

There’s a softness in her expression I’ve never seen before, a vulnerability that catches me off guard. But just as quickly, she turns away, shutting me out once more.

I watch as Ava carries Lily back to her room. My emotions are confusing me. A tangle of protectiveness, anger, and something dangerously close to longing.

“Ava can deny us as much as she wants, but there’s no denying she’s an omega,” Max says as we watch closely from the cameras again.

Ava sits cross-legged on the bed, Lily nestled against her side.

“Who is this?” Ava asks Lily.

“That’s Cinderella.” Lily says. “She’s pretty like you.”

Ava smiles. “Not as pretty as you are.”

Lily giggles. “And that’s Prince Charming. He’s got her shoe.”

“You’ve read this story before. Do you know how it ends?” Ava asks playfully.

Lily giggles again.

My daughter’s voice, small but clear, fills the room as Ava and she read from the colorful picture book.

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