บท 18: Why now

I ran as fast as I could, my heart pounding harder with every step. The terminal was a maze of strangers, all moving in slow motion while I felt like I was trapped in a nightmare. I had to reach her. I had to make her stay.

"Ava!" I shouted, my voice cracking. Heads turned, but none of them were hers.

Finally, I saw her. She was walking away, her father by her side, heading toward the gate.

Relief surged through me, followed quickly by desperation. "Ava, wait!"

She stopped, and for the briefest moment, I thought she'd turn around. But she didn't. Her father pulled her closer, his hand gripping hers like a lifeline. I tried to catch her gaze, to call her name again, but she didn't look back.

I froze, my chest heaving as I watched them disappear through the gate. The world seemed to tilt, everything around me losing focus. She was gone.

I stayed there, rooted to the spot, until someone bumped into me, muttering an apology. Mechanically, I stepped aside, my legs moving without purpose until I found myself outside, the cold air biting against my skin.

I leaned against the wall, my head falling back as I stared at the sky. My phone buzzed in my pocket, and I yanked it out, hoping—praying—it was Ava.

It wasn't.

The name on the screen made my stomach churn: Veronica Langley.

I didn't answer.

Instead, I opened Ava's messages, rereading her words: "Liam, I'm not home. I'm heading to the airport. I'm moving… to Japan."

I couldn't make sense of it. Why Japan? Why now?

Had I done something? Had I said something?

I gritted my teeth, the ache in my chest threatening to crush me. I didn't know what was worse—the confusion or the emptiness.

All I knew was that I had to find her. I couldn't let this be the end.

The house was quiet when I stepped inside, but it felt heavier than ever. The kind of quiet that suffocates, wraps around your throat, and refuses to let go. I dropped my keys on the console and dragged myself into the living room, where the dim glow of the chandelier cast long shadows on the walls.

And there she was.

My mother sat on the pristine white sofa, a glass of wine in her hand, her expression calm—too calm.

"Is she gone?" she asked, her tone as casual as if she were asking about the weather.

I stopped in my tracks, my heart plummeting. "What?"

She took a sip of her wine, her sharp eyes meeting mine over the rim of the glass. "The girl. Ava. Did she leave?"

It felt like the ground beneath me had been ripped away. My chest tightened as realization dawned. "You... you knew?"

Her lips curved into the faintest smile, but there was no warmth in it. "Of course, I knew. I made sure of it."

Her words hit me like a punch to the gut. "What the hell are you talking about?"

She set the glass down with deliberate grace, her fingers resting lightly on the stem. "That girl doesn't belong in your world, Liam. I had to do what was best for you—for all of us."

The air in the room seemed to thicken, my breaths coming faster. "You... you're the reason she left?"

"She would have left eventually," she said dismissively, waving a hand as if Ava were nothing more than a passing inconvenience. "I simply sped up the process. Trust me, it's better this way."

I felt something snap inside me. The anger, the heartbreak—it all surged to the surface in a blinding wave.

"How could you?" I roared, my voice echoing through the room.

Her expression didn't change, but there was a flicker of something in her eyes—annoyance, maybe. "Liam, don't be dramatic. You have responsibilities, and that girl was nothing but a distraction."

I stumbled back, shaking my head. "She wasn't a distraction! She was... she was everything." My voice broke, and I hated how weak I sounded. "You had no right."

"I had every right," she said coldly, standing now, her posture as rigid as her words. "You're my son, and I will not let some nobody ruin your future. You have an obligation—to your family, to our legacy. And that includes your engagement to Veronica."

I couldn't listen anymore. The walls felt like they were closing in, her voice clawing at my ears.

Without another word, I turned and bolted up the stairs, slamming the door to my room behind me.

I let out a guttural scream, grabbing the nearest thing—a lamp—and hurling it across the room. It shattered against the wall, pieces scattering across the floor. My breath came in ragged gasps as I sank to my knees, tears streaming down my face.

"Ava..." I whispered, my voice breaking.

She was gone, and it was my fault.

My fists slammed against the floor, over and over, the pain in my knuckles barely registering. Everything hurt—my heart, my head, my entire being. I wanted to scream, to cry, to break everything in sight, but none of it would change the truth.

I'd lost her.

And now, I didn't know if I'd ever get her back.