The Final Spark

Ava's POV

Ava Lawson checked her reflection in the tinted glass of the luxury high-rise. The city skyline glittered behind her like a million tiny promises, but all she felt was the weight of nerves tightening in her chest. Tonight wasn't just any event-it was the event. The one that could catapult her fledgling event-planning business out of obscurity and into the stratosphere.

And the client? None other than Jaxon Cross.

The name alone was enough to make most people shiver or swoon, depending on their taste. Billionaire tycoon, ruthless in business, rumored to be just as dominant behind closed doors. Ava wasn't here to swoon. She was here to work. To prove she belonged in this world of luxury and power-even if it meant stepping straight into Jaxon's lair.

The elevator dinged softly behind her. Heart pounding, she turned to see him: tall, impeccably dressed, his dark eyes scanning her with a mix of appraisal and something deeper-something like a challenge.

"Ms. Lawson," he said, his voice low and controlled. "I was beginning to think you wouldn't show."

Ava straightened her shoulders, meeting his gaze head-on. "Traffic was a nightmare." She smiled, but the tension in his jaw told her he didn't buy it.

Jaxon's presence was overwhelming. Everything about him radiated control-the way he moved, the way his eyes seemed to size up every detail. Yet when he looked at her, Ava felt like a wildfire beneath the ice: unpredictable, dangerous, and impossible to ignore.

"Good," he said, stepping closer until the scent of his cologne-a sharp, intoxicating mix of cedar and something darker-wrapped around her. "I don't tolerate excuses."

She bit back a smile. "Neither do I."

His lips twitched, amused or maybe intrigued. "Let's get to work."

They moved through the sprawling penthouse suite, the cityscape stretching endlessly beyond the floor-to-ceiling windows. Ava's eyes drank it in, imagining the gala she was about to orchestrate-luxurious details, flawless execution, perfection demanded at every turn.

Jaxon watched her with a measured gaze as if trying to unravel the layers she kept so carefully hidden. "You're ambitious," he observed.

"I have to be." She met his eyes steadily. "This is my shot."

"And what if it's more than that?" His voice dropped, almost a growl. "What if this job becomes... personal?"

Ava's breath caught. She'd heard the rumors-Jaxon Cross was a man who never did anything halfway. His deals came with strings. His favors always had costs. But she wasn't afraid. Not yet.

"I don't do personal," she said firmly.

Jaxon's eyes darkened. "Maybe you haven't met the right person."

Before she could respond, the sharp ping of her phone broke the charged silence. She glanced down-a message from her assistant. The gala guest list just doubled. You need to adjust the plan.

Ava's mind raced, adrenaline flooding her veins. "Looks like tonight just got more interesting."

Jaxon's smile was slow, dangerous. "I like that."

The hours that followed were a whirlwind of coordination, and negotiation, and barely contained tension. Ava was in her element-commanding vendors, directing staff, and fine-tuning every detail. But all the while, Jaxon was there-a silent force beside her, watching, assessing, occasionally stepping in with a sharp comment or a surprising concession.

By the time the first guests arrived, Ava's nerves had transformed into focused energy. The gala was her masterpiece, and every glittering attendee was a brushstroke painting of her success.

Jaxon stood near the bar, a glass of whiskey in hand, eyes never leaving her. When he finally approached, Ava felt the heat of his gaze like a physical touch.

"Impressive," he said, voice low enough for only her to hear. "You handle pressure well."

She raised an eyebrow. "I've had practice."

He stepped closer, and the space between them charged. "Maybe I underestimated you."

Ava's pulse quickened. "Maybe you should reconsider."

The night pulsed with electric moments-the spark of their gazes across crowded rooms, the accidental touches that lingered too long, the unspoken challenge simmering between them.

But beneath the glamour and glitter, Ava sensed something else-darkness lurking in Jaxon's world, shadows cast by secrets he refused to share.

Later, when the gala began to wind down, Jaxon found her alone on the balcony, the cool night air a sharp contrast to the heat radiating between them.

"You're playing a dangerous game," he said, stepping beside her, voice low and serious.

Ava met his eyes, unflinching. "So are you."

He smiled, a slow, predatory curve of his lips. "That's what makes it exciting."

The city lights twinkled below them, but all Ava could see was the storm in his eyes-the promise of power, passion, and peril.

"Why me?" she asked quietly. "Why choose me for this?"

Jaxon's gaze darkened. "Because you're the only one who won't back down."

Ava's heart thundered as he closed the distance, his hand brushing hers. The world seemed to hold its breath.

But just as the moment stretched into something electric and unbreakable, a sharp buzz cut through the night.

Jaxon's phone vibrated against his chest. He glanced at the screen, his expression hardening.

"Trouble," he muttered.

Ava's pulse quickened. "What kind?"

Jaxon didn't answer. Instead, he grabbed her wrist firmly. "Stay close."

Before she could protest, the penthouse door burst open.

A man stepped inside-a silhouette Ava recognized instantly.

Her breath caught.

The last time she saw him, he left her with a secret she thought was buried forever.

And now, he was back.

Jaxon's jaw tightened, and the tension in the room thickened like a storm ready to break.

The man's eyes locked onto Ava's, dark and unreadable.

"Thought you could hide from me, Ava," he said, his voice low but dripping with menace.

Ava's heart hammered wildly in her chest.

Jaxon's grip on her wrist turned into a possessive hold as he stepped protectively in front of her.

"Who the hell are you?" Jaxon demanded, his voice cold as steel.

The stranger smiled, a cruel twist playing on his lips. "Someone from her past. And I'm here to remind her-some secrets never stay buried."

Ava swallowed hard, the weight of the moment crashing down.

Because this wasn't just a chance encounter.

It was the beginning of a reckoning.

A reckoning that could shatter everything she thought she'd built... and everything she was about to risk with Jaxon.