Ava was already dressed when morning came.
She had barely slept. Her mind had refused to be silent, but kept replaying the motel, the receptionist's smug grin, the strange man whose presence had crawled under her skin and refused to leave. By the time dawn filtered through the curtains, she was wide awake, her resolve hardening into something sharp and restless.
She was going back to the motel.
She fastened her bag over her shoulder, her movements quick and purposeful. Lily's face flashed in her mind, unanswered questions piling up, time slipping away. Whatever awkwardness lingered between her and Damian, whatever sting his words had left behind, none of it mattered more than this.
'You're a distraction.'
The memory still burned, but it also fueled her. Fine. Then she'd do this without him.
She stepped out of her room and headed downstairs, already bracing herself to see Ross waiting near the door, his expression neutral, professional and distant.
