Page 55 of Sinfully Yours

He arches a brow, intrigued. "I'm listening."

I push off my desk, pacing to the window. Outside, the city moves on as if nothing is wrong—cars crawling through traffic, pedestrians lost in their own worlds, the sun casting a deceptive golden glow over everything. It's a lie. A veneer. Because beneath the surface, things are unraveling.

I glance back at Tyler. "The texts, the threats… They've been watching Ava closely. Which means they're waiting for their next opportunity."

Tyler nods, following my train of thought. "So we give them one."

I pull out my phone and scroll through my calendar. "There's a charity gala in North Hill in two days. High-profile. Exclusive."

"And let me guess—Vanessa will be there."

"Of course she will. She never misses an opportunity to play queen of the socialite circuit."

Tyler smirks. "And you just happen to have an invite?"

I give him a pointed look. "Do you even need to ask?"

He snorts. "Right. Should've known." Then his expression sobers. "So, what's the play?"

I cross my arms, laying it out. "We put out bait. A carefully curated post. Something vague, something that suggests Ava and I are onto something big, like we're working on removing all obstacles to our relationship or some such sentimental crap. If they're watching, they'll see it. And if they take the bait…"

Tyler grins. "Then we catch them."

I nod. "Exactly."

He considers it for a second, then exhales. "It's risky."

"I know."

"If it backfires, it could escalate things."

"I know that too."

Tyler watches me carefully. "And Ava?"

I hesitate. "She won't like it."

He laughs. "No shit. She'll hate it."

He's right. She will. She'll argue, she'll fight me on it, she'll call me reckless and controlling and accuse me of keeping things from her.

And she won't be wrong.

But I don't care because I will not let her become collateral damage in whatever game Vanessa is playing.

Tyler lets out a low whistle, shaking his head. "Damn. You've got it bad, don't you?"

I glare at him. "Shut up."

His grin widens. "Nah, I don't think I will." He leans back in his chair, stretching out like he's getting comfortable. "This is fun for me."

I sigh, pinching the bridge of my nose. "Do you have anything useful to add?"

"Yeah." He kicks his feet up onto my desk, grinning. "You'd better tell Ava about this plan before she finds out and kills you herself."

I check my watch. I have a meeting in two hours. It's important and I need to prepare for it.

Instead, I grab my keys.

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