18. Chapter 18

Chapter eighteen

PAVAL

Aidan is mistaken if he believes that this will be my deathbed. Tia will be ecstatic that I am willing to make an example of a man who beats women. She might even stay with me tonight if I ask or maybe she'll let me watch her and Cairo. The thought never occurred to me but now that it has, I want that too.

I wander through the courtyard, absentmindedly making a plan for tonight. Should I rush in and end the fight as soon as possible or should I play? Draw it out? Torture him a little bit? A deviant grin splits across my face as I focus on the agony I could put him through. Yes, yes , that sounds perfect. I will make him truly feel what Tia has until someone pulls me off of him.

"You've grown up quite well, Paval."

The sultry voice instantly brings back memories I've tried to hide away over the years. I glance up at the blonde-haired version of Tia. Ada has lost a lot of weight but somehow still carries the poise she once did with the branded clothing and manicured nails. How she's made it onto campus without anyone noticing is beyond me, especially when my fathers currently have feelers out for her.

"If you're looking for help, you won't find any. As observant as you are, I've been playing this game much longer than you have." She points to where we currently are, the science building shielding us from any prying eyes. Without noticing it, I waltzed farther away from the main part of the courtyard. A quick yell would bring anyone lingering but Ada would be gone before then.

My brows furrow as I try to find any kind of security that would show Ada is currently violating a protective order but there's nothing. No one. Just us.

"And you're starting to realize just how secure your campus is. Congratulations, Paval. You truly are a gem."

I hate the way she's speaking to me, the way she seems so nonchalant—as if she'll get her way and there'll be nothing I can do about it. Which is why I raise my fist, ready to hit my woman's mother if it means we'll be safe.

"Oh, put that down. You won't hit me. There might not be security but I can still scream like a banshee. As of right now, I have done nothing wrong. That protection order says within 500 feet and as far as I'm aware, my daughter is nowhere near here. Now, tell me where she is."

Her words are contradictory. If I tell Ada, she'll take Tia from me, break the law, and then break my woman. If I don't tell Ada, I have no idea what she'll do. She's an anomaly in all of my rules and logic that has served me thus far. So, instead of answering her, I do… nothing.

"God, you're like a fucking carbon copy of Rhys. I just want what I'm owed. You're her little protector, aren't you? Just like your fathers were to my brother. It's fucking adorable." She steps forward, snarling in my face as she drags a manicured claw down my cheek. "Let me see my daughter, Paval. You have no right to keep her from me."

I rip her hand from my face and thrust her against the wall. She just smiles, not registering the pain like I need her to. "She's mine to protect. You can't have her. I won't let you."

Ada easily pries my hand from hers, brushing off her suit before addressing me. "Then I'll ruin her career so that the only arms she has to run back into are mine. And yes, I've thought about my parents but they're old and retired. They can't give Tia what she needs or the support she craves. I can do that. With my connections, she could work at any firm she desires."

"Why are you doing this?" I genuinely don't understand why it's so important for Ada not just to meet her daughter but to have her back.

"Because I've watched everything be taken from me right in front of my eyes. It's only right for me to come back to collect. Paval, give up and tell me where she is. You know I can ruin her with a little secret that would bar her from every law firm in the country." She cackles, clinking her nails together like a villain that's walked out of a movie.

I hadn't predicted this kind of harm. There's no way for me to protect Tia from this. "Why—"

"You forget who I am, who I used to be, child. I might not be working for Hawk International any longer but that doesn't mean I've lost my skills or my connections. Tia thought she was safe by ignoring my calls over the years but I've been watching her since the day she left me." She folds her arms across her chest, tilting her head to the side. "I'll make you a little bet. I'll even put a few bills down to show you that I'm serious. Win for me tonight in under five minutes and I'll stay away from Tia for another day."

"I was already planning on winning."

Ada snorts. "I know you were, Paval. Just like your fathers. So fucking confident but not everything always goes your way."

I've never thought about losing. It isn't an option. And while Ada is right—that not everything goes my way—that doesn't mean I won't still win. Getting hit in the head might render me unconscious but I'm not stupid. I know how to protect myself so that Tia is safe in the end. Ada's words don't scare me.

My hands fists at my sides as I try to keep from throwing a punch at Ada's face. She deserves it but she has the upper hand in every fucking way. Especially when she steps closer to let me know that I'm stuck playing her game.

"Don't get any ideas. I know more than you think I do. Like a certain 125 Holland Lane that could do with a visit."

My fathers' house.

"Leave them alone. You've done enough damage for a lifetime."

She laughs, patting my shoulder before heading to the parking lot. "I'm just getting started, Paval. Give me what I want and I'll leave. I'll disappear and never bother you again. Keep me from that and I'll be your worst nightmare."

The thought of Tia disappearing in her arms is my worst nightmare.