---- Chapter 28 That night, Liam's house was a haven of peace. The fireplace was lit, casting a warm glow over the room. Ava was curled up on the couch, her head in Liam's lap as he gently stroked her hair. She told him everything about her encounter with Scarlett, and about the final, desperate texts from Noah. "| feel... free," she said, the word tasting sweet on her tongue. "Completely and utterly free." "I'm glad," he said softly, leaning down to kiss her forehead. He paused, a thoughtful expression on his face. "Can | ask you something you don't have to answer?" "Anything." "Back when you first met him... what was it? What made you fall for him?" It was a question born not of jealousy, but of a genuine desire to understand the woman he loved. Ava was quiet for a moment, thinking back. "He saved me," she said finally. "Or, | thought he did. It was my first week in the city. | was at a cafe, and a man started harassing me, wouldn't leave me alone. Noah stepped in. He pretended to be my boyfriend, scared the guy off, and bought me a coffee. He was charming, confident... he felt like a hero." She gave a small, sad smile. "| think | spent the next three years trying to pay him back for that one act of kindness. | felt like | owed him." ---- Liam's hand stilled in her hair. He sat up straighter, a strange look on his face. "A cafe? Three years ago? A guy was harassing you?" "Yes... why?" "What did this guy look like?" Liam asked, his voice intense. "| don't know," Ava said, confused by his reaction. "Tall, kind of scruffy... | don't really remember. Why?" Liam's jaw was tight. "Ava... was it the 'Grindhouse Cafe' on Miller Street?" Ava's eyes widened. "Yes! How did you know that?" Liam stood up and started pacing in front of the fireplace, his mind clearly racing. "And Noah... he just happened to be there?" "| guess so. He said he was a regular there." Liam stopped pacing and looked at her, his expression a mixture of anger and disbelief. "He wasn't a regular, Ava. And it wasn't a coincidence." He ran a hand through his hair. "The guy who was harassing you... that was Mark. Noah's friend. The same one he made the bet with at the party." The room went silent. The only sound was the crackling of the fire. Ava stared at him, her mind refusing to process his words. "What... what are you saying?" "I'm saying he set it up," Liam said, his voice grim. "The whole ---- thing. It was a stupid, arrogant game to pick up a girl. He had his friend pretend to be a creep so he could swoop in and play the hero." He shook his head in disgust. "| only know because Mark got drunk one night a long time ago and bragged about it. | never put it together that the girl was you. Until now." The foundation of Ava's entire relationship with Noah, the single act of heroism upon which she had built three years of devotion and sacrifice, was a lie. A cheap, manipulative trick. The air left her lungs in a rush. The sense of freedom she had felt just moments before was replaced by a wave of nausea. She had been a fool. Not just a woman in love, but the willing victim of a long, elaborate con. Tears sprang to her eyes, hot and bitter. But this time, they weren't for the loss of Noah. They were for herself. For the innocent, trusting girl she had been, and for the years she had lost to a man who was not just selfish, but fundamentally fraudulent. Liam saw the devastation on her face and immediately went to her, kneeling on the floor and pulling her into his arms. "I'm so sorry, Ava," he whispered, his voice full of pain. "I'm so sorry | had to be the one to tell you." She clung to him, sobbing into his shoulder, not from a broken heart, but from a finally, brutally awakened one. "It wasn't real," she cried. "None of it was ever real." ---- "I'm real," he said, his voice a fierce promise against her ear. "This is real. I've been waiting for you for three years, Ava. And | didn't have to wait very long at all." He held her tightly, letting her cry it all out, the last vestiges of her toxic love affair washing away in a final, cleansing flood of tears. The fire crackled, the house was quiet, and in the warmth of his arms, Ava finally, truly, began to heal. Title: A Princess? No! I'm the Female General! In "A Princess? No! I'm the Female General!" by CrushReel, Adela Taylor, a noble family's daughter, disguises herself as her brother to secure their Duke title by joining the army. Despite facing obstacles, she achieves remarkable success. However, upon her triumphant return, her brother betrays her, setting off a chain of events that will test her resolve and reveal hidden truths. This captivating novel delves into themes of secrets, reincarnation, revenge, murder, and drama. Adela's journey from deception to betrayal is filled with intrigue and suspense as she navigates through a world where power dynamics and family loyalties collide. 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