Chapter 3
Chapter 3
The next morning, Ava woke to blessed solitude. She tentatively explored her sore muscles, praying last night had been a nightmare. But the unfamiliar room, the faint scent of Ethan lingering in the air, told a different story.
“He’s insane,” she muttered, gingerly getting out of bed.
As she stretched, trying
door opening.
to ease the ache in her lower back, she heard the distinct click of a
“Miss Ava, breakfast is ready.”
A young maid stood in the doorway, a tray of food in her hands. Hope flickered in Ava’s chest. This was her chance.
She rushed towards the maid, her voice urgent. “Where’s Ethan? I need to leave!”
The maid’s face fell. “I… I’m sorry, Miss Ava, but I can’t do that. Please, don’t make this
harder than it has to be.”
Ava’s shoulders slumped. She had to change tactics. She put on her sweetest smile, hoping it would mask the desperation she felt. “Come on, sis, just this once? Please?”
The maid hesitated, her resolve crumbling under Ava’s pleading eyes. But then she shook her head, her voice apologetic. “I… I can’t risk losing my job. Please, just eat something.”
She placed the tray on the nightstand and hurried out, leaving Ava alone with her thoughts. Ava knew she had to play her cards right. Escape would take careful planning.
Later that day, as Ava paced her gilded cage, Ethan strode into the room. He raised an eyebrow at her anxious energy. “Where do you think you’re going?”
Ava’s heart skipped a beat. “I… I just wanted some fresh air,” she stammered, her mind
racing.
He chuckled humorlessly. “Fresh air? Don’t play dumb with me. You tried to escape.”
Ava’s eyes widened. How did he know? Then she remembered the maid. “I… I just wanted to
Chapter a
stretch my legs.”
He closed the distance between them in a few long strides, backing her into a corner. “I told you to be a good girl. Looks like you need a reminder of what happens when you disobey
me.”
Terror, cold and sharp, pierced through her bravado. “No! Please! Not again!”
His hand shot out, grabbing her chin in a bruising grip. “You should be more careful about. who you call ‘sis, sweetheart,” he hissed, his voice laced with menace.
Before Ava could process his words, he barked an order to someone outside the door. “Daniel, bring the maid to the study. Now.”
Fear, raw and consuming, threatened to drown her. What was he planning? “Ethan, please,” she begged, her voice trembling. “She has nothing to do with this. Let her go!”
He ignored her pleas, the coldness in his eyes chilling her to the bone. “You want her to live? Finish your breakfast. Every last bite.” He gestured to the untouched tray of food on
the table.
Knowing this was her only chance to save the maid, Ava forced herself to eat, each bite a bitter reminder of her own helplessness.
Ass
soon as she finished, she turned pleading eyes to Ethan. “I did what you asked. Now let
her go.”
He smirked, a cruel twist of his lips. “Daniel, get rid of her.”
Relief washed over Ava as she heard the maid being dragged away, her pleas growing
– the maid fainter with every passing second. But deep down, a chilling certainty took root wouldn’t be gone for long. She would be punished, and Ava would be to blame.
