---- Chapter 13 Danny smiled, a gentle, reassuring expression. "It's not for you, Ava, not directly. It's for Leo. My godson. You'll manage it for him until he's an adult. Think of it as his future, secured." Generosity. Strategic framing of the gift. Leo, overhearing, bounced in his chair. "Wow! Uncle Danny is the best godfather ever! Does this mean | can get that giant Lego Death Star?" Child's enthusiasm. Innocence. He played along, sensing the shift in dynamics. Ava managed a weak smile. "Sweetheart, it's not for toys. And it's Uncle Danny, not... not Daddy Danny." Mild frustration. Amusement at his quick adoption of a new title. Danny winked at Leo. "We'll discuss the Death Star later, champ." He turned back to Ava. "Don't worry about the labels, Ava. It's a gift. My right to give it. For Leo." Playful defiance. Determination. Danny was already on his phone, calling his lawyers. "Yes, | need the paperwork for the trust fund transfer expedited. And the deed transfer for the condo. For my godson, Leo Rodriguez -Thompson." ---- Determination. Efficiency. Within hours, couriers arrived with stacks of documents. Ava still felt overwhelmed. "Danny, | really can't sign these. It's not right." Frustration. Ethical discomfort. Danny picked up a pen. "Actually, for a gift into a trust, only the giver really needs to sign over the assets. Your signature as trustee is a formality to accept management, which you can do." He began signing, his signature bold and decisive. Boldness. Determination. The lawyers, who had arrived with the final documents, confirmed it. "Mr. Chen is correct. The assets are now legally in the trust for Master Leo. Ms. Rodriguez, as trustee, you have full control. We'll be in touch to set up management accounts." They handed her a portfolio of documents and their business cards. Finality. A new, startling reality. Danny leaned back, grinning. "So, boss," he said to Ava, "now that I've given you all my money, | guess I'll have to work for you at the bakery for real. A long-term worker, at your service." Playfulness. A new dynamic, a reversal of perceived power. Ava was still reeling. "How... why... Danny, this is so fast!" Shock. Revelation. ---- "I've been planning to invest in you for a long time, Ava," he said quietly. "I just didn't know how. | wanted to do this years ago, when you first talked about expanding your catering, but Mark was in the picture." Flashback to past intentions. Ava remembered. After Mark's proposal, Danny had been. distant. He'd congratulated her, then thrown himself into his work, eventually moving his main operations out of state for a few years. She'd thought he disapproved of Mark. She hadn't realized... Regret. Past blindness. His feelings for her, she'd been oblivious: Danny had left because seeing her with Mark, knowing Mark's character, was too painful. He'd hoped distance would lessen his feelings. It hadn't. His recent return to Austin, his move to this small town... it was all for her. For a chance. Context. Dedication. Ava looked at the mountain of legal documents. She would manage it for Leo. And one day, when Danny was less... intense, she'd try to give a significant portion back. Responsibility. Temporary acceptance of an overwhelming gesture. News of Danny's massive "gift" to "Ava Rodriguez's son" somehow leaked to the Austin business press. ---- Mark saw the headline: "Tech Mogul Danny Chen Establishes Multi-Million Dollar Trust for Chef Ava Rodriguez's Son." Fury. Jealousy. Panic. It felt like a physical blow. He called Ava's old, disconnected number. He drove to her last known temporary address. He was frantic. He and Chloe tracked Ava down to a local Chamber of Commerce mixer for new businesses in the Hill Country town. Ava was there, presenting her bakery concept. Disruption. Anger from Ava when she saw them enter. Chloe, never one to miss an opportunity for drama, marched up to Ava, her voice loud enough for everyone to hear. "Ava Rodriguez! Have you no shame? First, you run off, then you seduce your rich friend into giving you millions? What kind of mother are you, flaunting your affair like this?" Hypocrisy. Provocation. Public accusation. Mark stepped forward, trying to look authoritative. "Ava, that's enough. Come home. Bring Leo. |... | forgive you for running off. We can sort this out." A demand, cloaked in false magnanimity. He still thought he held all the cards. Ava stared at him, then at Chloe, then at the shocked faces of the local business owners. A cold rage, an emotion she thought she'd buried, surged through her. ---- She reached out, not to Mark, but to the small catering table displaying samples from her future bakery. She grabbed the edge of the tablecloth and yanked. Dishes, pastries, and a carafe of iced tea went flying, crashing to the floor. Rage. Disgust. Defiance. "Forgive ME?" she hissed at Mark. "You think YOU forgive ME? After everything you've done? The hypocrisy is astounding!" Chloe shrieked, jumping back, pretending a splash of tea had burned her. "Mark! She's crazy! She's attacking us again!" Manipulation. Deceit. Feigned injury. Mark rushed to Chloe's side. "Ava! Apologize to Chloe! Right now! She's pregnant! You could have hurt the baby!" Misplaced loyalty. Anger. He demanded an apology. Ava laughed, a harsh, broken sound. She picked up a small, decorative ceramic vase from a nearby shelf. "Apologize? To her?" She looked at Chloe, her eyes blazing with contempt. And she threw the vase. Not at Mark. At Chloe. Defiance. Contempt. Violence. Chloe yelped and ducked. The vase sailed past her and struck Mark squarely on the forehead as he leaned in to "protect" Chloe. He staggered back, a dark bruise already forming. ---- Accidental harm. Irony. Mark stared at Ava, his hand pressed to his head, disbelief and anger in his eyes. "You... you hit me! Ava, what's happened to you? You've become... aggressive! Violent!" Shock. Anger. Ava looked at him, her chest heaving. "Stay away from me, Mark. Stay away from my son. You disgust me." Disgust. Finality. She turned to the event organizer, a woman she'd been networking with. "| apologize for this scene. And for your vase. However, if you ever invite these two... individuals... to an event I'm attending again, consider our professional association over." Professional integrity. Anger. Mark and Chloe left, humiliated, with Mark nursing his bruised head and Chloe muttering about lawsuits. Ava spent the next few days dealing with the fallout. Mark sent a barrage of texts from a new number: "You're unstable, Ava." "Chloe is traumatized." "You owe us an apology and financial compensation for the assault." Annoyance. Persistence. Repetition of accusations. Ava, weary of his voice, his accusations, his very existence, blocked the new number. ---- Exhaustion. Finality. But Mark and Chloe didn't give up. They started leaving messages with Danny, with the local bakery supply stores Ava used, even with Leo's new preschool. Annoyance. Frustration. Continued harassment.