Chapter 4
Ethan woke early the next morning to a phone call from his mother.
“Ethan, darling, your childhood friend, Claire, will be landing soon. I need you to pick her up from the airport. We’re swamped with work here.”
“No.” He had zero interest in playing chauffeur, especially not for Claire.
“Please, Ethan. It’s just for a couple of days. I promised I’d have someone take care of her
while she’s here,” his mother insisted.
He sighed, knowing he couldn’t win against his mother’s persistence. “Fine. Send me the
details.”
Twenty minutes later, he was at the airport, easily spotting Claire in the crowd. She rushed towards him, her eyes sparkling with excitement.
“Ethan! It’s so good to see you!”
“Let’s go,” he said curtly, turning towards the parking lot without waiting for a response.
“Your place is still the same, right? That beautiful house on the hill?” Claire chattered. excitedly, her voice filled with childhood memories.
“Yes,” he answered, his tone clipped.
“Can I stay in the same room as before?”
He stopped in his tracks, his gaze finally landing on her. “No. You’ll be staying on the first
floor.”
Disappointment flickered across her face, but she quickly masked it with a cheerful smile. “Oh, okay. Whatever you say, Ethan.”
The drive back to his house was filled with Claire’s incessant chatter, each question a test of
his already frayed patience.
“Ethan, why can’t I stay on the fourth floor?” she asked as they pulled into the driveway.
Our Wedding the Other Women Wore White
Chapter 4
“That’s none of your concern,” he replied coldly, his thoughts drifting to Ava. He had a feeling tonight wouldn’t go as planned.
Once inside the house, he led Claire to the guest room. “You’ll be staying here. I have work
to do.”
“Okay, Ethan,” she said, a little too brightly for his liking. He knew Claire well enough to recognize the calculating look in her eyes.
The moment Ethan left, Claire’s facade crumbled. “He wouldn’t let me stay on the fourth floor? He must be hiding someone up there. Well, two can play at that game.”
She crept up to the fourth floor, a mischievous glint in her eye. She spotted two guards stationed outside a room at the end of the hallway.
“Hey, guys!” she called out, approaching them with a friendly smile.
The guards, relieved to see a familiar face, relaxed their stance. “Miss Claire! It’s good to see you back.”
“Shh! Keep it down, will you?” she hissed, glancing nervously at the closed door. “Wouldn’t want to disturb Ethan while he’s working.”
“What are you doing here, Miss Claire?” one of them asked, confused.
“I was hoping to see what Ethan’s been up to,” she said, her gaze fixed on the door. “Who’s in there?”
“The boss gave strict orders that no one is allowed inside,” the other guard replied.
Claire feigned indignation. “I’m not just anyone! I’m practically family. Besides, Ethan said I could come up here anytime I want. Now open the door.”
The guards exchanged nervous glances. They knew better than to disobey Ethan’s orders, but Claire was a different story. She was practically family, and they didn’t want to get on her bad side.
Seeing their hesitation, Claire pressed her advantage. “Come on, guys. If Ethan finds out, I’ll take the blame, I promise.”
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Finally, they caved. “Alright, Miss Claire, but be careful.” They unlocked the door and stepped aside, allowing Claire to enter.
She turned back to face them, her eyes gleaming downstairs? I’ll let you know when I’m done.”
with mischief. “How about you two go wait.
The guards hesitated. “But Boss’s orders…”
“Don’t worry,” Claire said reassuringly. “I’ll tell him you were just following my orders. He wouldn’t want to upset his favorite childhood friend, now, would he?”
Unable to argue with that logic, the guards reluctantly retreated to their post at the top of
the stairs.
Claire grinned, her heart pounding with a mixture of excitement and trepidation. “Here goes nothing.” She pushed the door open, her eyes widening at the sight that greeted her.
Ava, thinking it was Ethan, didn’t bother turning around. “Ethan, when are you going to let me leave??
Claire froze, her eyes adjusting to the dimly lit room. There, on the bed, sat a woman, her back to Claire. So, it was true. Ethan was hiding someone.
“Um…hello?” she ventured, her voice a mix of curiosity and apprehension.
Ava whirled around, startled by the unfamiliar voice. Her eyes widened in surprise at the sight of the young woman standing in the doorway.
“Who are you? Where’s Ethan?” she demanded, her initial hope dissolving into suspicion.
Claire, taken aback by Ava’s sharp tone, stammered, “I… I’m Claire, his… his childhood friend. And you are…?”
“Ava. And I need you to leave and tell him to let me go, right now.”
Claire’s eyes narrowed. So this was the woman Ethan was hiding. She felt a surge of anger towards Ava, jealousy rearing its ugly head.
“I actually came here without Ethan knowing,” she admitted, her voice cold.
Chapter 4
“Then leave,” Ava snapped, her patience wearing thin.
Claire hesitated, her mind racing. An idea began to form, a plan that would get rid of Ava and put her back in Ethan’s good graces. “Do you want to escape?” she asked, her voice at conspiratorial whisper.
Ava’s head snapped up, a flicker of hope igniting in her eyes. “Can you help me?”
“I can,” Claire said, her voice laced with false sincerity. “On one condition. You leave here and never come back.”
“Done,” Ava agreed instantly, her heart pounding with renewed hope. “I promise, I’ll disappear from his life forever.”
“Good. Tomorrow morning, I’ll make sure all the staff is indisposed. I’ll get the keys to the house and set you free,” Claire said, her mind already working on the details.
“I’ll need my things,” Ava said, her voice firm. “My clothes, my phone, and some cash.”
“Consider it done,” Claire replied airily, waving her hand dismissively. She couldn’t wait to see the back of Ava.
“And the security cameras,” Ava added, her voice regaining some of its usual strength. “They’re everywhere. You’ll need to disable them.”
“Don’t worry, I’ve got it covered. Be ready tomorrow afternoon,” Claire instructed, eager to be rid of her.
“Good. And Claire,” Ava said, her voice low. “Thank you.”
Claire offered a tight smile, her true feelings masked by a veneer of concern. “Of course. Now get some rest. You’ll need it for tomorrow.”
As soon as Ava was out of sight, Claire’s smile vanished, replaced by a look of cold determination.
