Chapter 2

Eldridge collapsed back onto the edge of the hospital bed. He buried his face in his small, manicured hands. His breathing was shallow and rapid. The panic was a physical weight crushing his chest.

Ava picked up a green apple from the fruit basket on the table. She picked up a sharp paring knife. She started peeling the apple. Her movements were clumsy in the large hands, the blade cutting too deep into the flesh of the fruit.

Eldridge snapped his head up.

"Stop that," he ordered, his voice trembling slightly. "You are going to cut my hand."

Ava paused. She looked at the knife, then at Eldridge. A slow, dark smile spread across her face.

She intentionally let the blade slip. The sharp steel sliced across the pad of her thumb. A bright bead of red blood welled up instantly.

Eldridge gasped, his stomach dropping as if he were on a rollercoaster.

Ava brought the thumb to her mouth and licked the blood away, maintaining dead eye contact with him.

"Are you insane? !" Eldridge yelled. He lunged forward, grabbing her wrist with both hands, desperately trying to pry the knife away. His chest pressed against her arm, the female breasts heaving with exertion.

A hot flush of intense humiliation burned Eldridge's cheeks. He let go and stumbled backward, disgusted by the physical sensations of the body he was in.

Ava tossed the knife onto the table. She leaned back against the wall, crossing her long legs.

"Since we are in this situation," Eldridge said, wrapping his arms around his waist to hide his chest, "we will sign the divorce papers right now."

Ava let out a harsh, barking laugh.

"You must be joking," Ava said. "If Eldridge Hall divorces his wife the day after they both fall down a flight of stairs, Hall Corp's stock will tank before the market even opens."

"I don't care about your company's stock," Eldridge spat back. "I am Ava now. It doesn't affect me."

"Oh, really?" Ava pushed off the wall and took a slow step toward him. "Did you forget the prenup you forced me to sign? The at-fault party leaves with absolutely nothing. If we divorce now, you, as Ava, will walk out of this hospital with zero dollars in your bank account. You will be begging on the streets of New York."

Eldridge's mouth opened, but no sound came out. The blood drained from his face.

"If anyone finds out about this," Eldridge whispered, his voice tight, "they will lock us both in a psychiatric ward. We will lose everything."

Ava stopped. Her jaw clenched. He was right. She needed Eldridge's identity, his power, and his money to fix the mess her life had become.

The door handle rattled. Dr. Harrison walked in, followed by two female nurses.

"Mr. Hall, Mrs. Hall," Dr. Harrison said, looking at his clipboard. "How are we feeling? Any dizziness, Mr. Hall?"

Ava stiffened her posture. "Fine," she said, keeping her voice low and steady.

One of the nurses walked over to Eldridge.

"Mrs. Hall, I need to unbutton your gown to check the bruising on your ribs," the nurse said, reaching out.

Eldridge's eyes widened in absolute horror. He slapped his hands over his chest and let out a shrill, panicked scream.

"Don't touch me!" he yelled, pressing himself flat against the headboard.

The nurse jumped back, startled. Dr. Harrison frowned, looking concerned.

Ava bit the inside of her cheek to stop herself from laughing. She stepped forward and gently placed her large hand over the nurse's wrist.

"My wife is still in shock from the fall," Ava said, her voice dripping with fake, husbandly concern. "Let me do it."

Eldridge glared at her, his eyes shooting pure venom. But with the medical staff watching, he was trapped.

Ava stepped right up to the edge of the bed. She reached out and unbuttoned the top three buttons of the gown, exposing the pale skin and the dark purple bruise blooming over the ribs.

Ava pressed her thumb directly into the center of the bruise. She pushed hard.

Eldridge let out a sharp, breathless cry of genuine pain, his hands flying up to grab her wrist.

"Looks tender, Doctor," Ava said smoothly, ignoring his grip.

Dr. Harrison made a note. "Keep her resting. We will do another scan later."

The medical team left the room. The moment the door clicked shut, Eldridge slapped Ava's hand away and scrambled to button the gown, his face burning red.

"Do not ever touch this body again," Eldridge hissed, his voice shaking with rage.

Ava walked over to the sink and washed her hands.

"It is my body," Ava said, drying her hands on a paper towel. "I will touch it whenever I want."

Silence stretched between them, thick and suffocating.

"Fine," Eldridge finally said, rubbing his temples. "We cover for each other. Until we figure out how to reverse this."

"I agree," Ava said. She turned around, her eyes locking onto his. "But on one condition. You cut all contact with Bird Blair."

Eldridge's head snapped up. "Bird has nothing to do with this. Leave her out of it."

Ava's blood boiled. Even now, trapped in a woman's body, his first instinct was to protect his precious white lotus.

Ava walked over to the bedside table on Eldridge's side. She picked up the sleek black smartphone.

Eldridge lunged off the bed. "Give me that!"

Ava simply held the phone high above her head. Eldridge jumped, but the female body was too short, too weak. He stumbled and fell back onto the mattress, panting.

Ava held the phone in front of her face. The screen lit up. The Face ID scanned her features-Eldridge's features. The padlock icon clicked open.

Eldridge watched in sheer horror as the ultimate barrier of his privacy vanished.

Ava tapped the screen. She opened the messages app. Bird Blair's name was pinned at the top.

Ava read the messages out loud. "'Are you okay, El? I heard about the fall. I'm so worried. Please tell me we are still on for Le Bernardin tonight.'"

Ava lowered the phone. She looked down at Eldridge, who was sitting on the bed, completely defeated and exposed.

Ava slipped the phone under her pillow.

"Since you refuse to cut her off," Ava said, her voice dropping to a dangerous whisper, "I will go to the dinner tonight. I will go in your place."