Chapter 10 Unfinished Business

Warm illumination of their quiet moment under stars sent Clara and Ethan back in the direction of security. Still, peace-which they rapidly learned-was short-lived when it came to their entwined lives.

The next morning, Clara woke to find her phone buzzing relentlessly on the nightstand. She groaned, reaching for it, only to see an influx of notifications: messages from friends, missed calls, and links to an article with a headline that made her stomach drop.

"The Blackwood Love Triangle: Who Is Ava Parker to Ethan?"

She sunk in her heart as she read speculative gossip. The article depicted Ethan as a guy who was being torn between his past and his present while Clara was this "new girl" being caught in the mess. To make matters worse, there was a picture of Ava's dramatic entrance at the gala with a close-up of Clara and Ethan looking so tense during their confrontation with Ava.

Fresh from his shower, his hair still wet, Ethan opened the door to the room and saw her face. He scowled. "What?"

Clara held up her phone-the headline stared back at him. His jaw set and he took it from her, scrolling down the article. "Unbelievable. They don't even know half of it."

"But the things they do know." Clara whispered, her voice laced with uncertainty. "Ethan, is this what my life is going to be like? Everything wrong I ever did or kept hidden plastered for the whole world to see?"

Ethan sat down beside her and took her hand. "No. I won't let them drag you into this. I'll handle it."

Before Clara could respond, Ethan's phone buzzed on the nightstand. The name Ava Parker appeared again. He groaned in frustration, ignoring the call.

Clara's eyes narrowed. "You should talk to her."

Ethan shook his head. "She's just trying to stir trouble. The less attention we give her, the better."

"But what if ignoring her makes things worse?" Clara asked, her voice firmer now. "Ethan, I can handle the truth, but I can't handle being kept in the dark. If she has something to say, let her say it."

Ethan hesitated but eventually nodded. "Alright. Let's deal with this together."

Ethan had agreed to meet Ava at a neutral location outside the city: a small café located miles from the city, where no one would spot her. However, Clara insisted on joining them, and Ethan didn't really have an option.

When Ava arrived, she wore her usual impeccable attire, exuding confidence with every step she took toward their table. Her eyes flicked to Clara, a knowing smirk playing on her lips. "Ah, the new muse. I was wondering if you'd be here."

Clara didn't bat an eye. "I'm here because I deserve to know what's going on."

Ethan shifted forward, his voice sharp. "Okay, Ava. Spit it out and get Clara out of this now."

Ava let out a deep breath as if she was the one victimized. "Ethan, you are still as straightforward as ever. Great. I'm here to tell you there's stuff from your past that will come back and haunt you. Stuff that will. mess with your future."

Clara furrowed her brow. "What are you talking about?"

Ava's eyes turned icy. "Let's just say Ethan wasn't always the man you see now. There were deals, mistakes, and consequences."

Ethan's fists clenched. "Whatever you're implying, it's over. I've moved on."

"Have you?" Ava asked, tilting her head. "Because some of the people involved haven't. And they're not as forgiving as I am."

The veiled threat hung in the air. Clara's hand tightened around Ethan's under the table, grounding him.

"You came here to threaten me, Ava?" Ethan said, his voice dangerously low.

Ava shrugged, rising from her seat. "Consider it a courtesy call. The past has a funny way of catching up, Ethan. Enjoy your little fairytale while it lasts."

She walked away, leaving a heavy silence between Clara and Ethan.

Ethan began pacing the room, his frustration welling over. "I should have known Ava would do something like this. She's always been so good at twisting the knife."

Clara looked at him calmly but thoughtfully. "Ethan, what did she mean by 'deals and consequences'? Is there something I should know?"

Ethan stopped, turning to her. "Clara, there's nothing that can come between us. But yes, there are things from my past business decisions, alliances I made when I was young and reckless. Ava was part of that world."

"And now it's coming back," Clara said, her voice steady. "Ethan, I'm not going anywhere. But I need you to trust me, to let me be part of this fight with you."

Ethan let go of a sigh, his rigidity relaxing marginally. "You're incredible, you know that?"

She smiled faintly. "You've mentioned it once or twice."

They held the moment in silence before Ethan pulled her close into a hard hug. "Whatever happens, we face it together."

Clara nodded, her heart strengthened against his chest. She didn't play; she waited - for Ethan; she waited until he stood again, his footprints unrelenting as always, against what shadows from the past crept out of those dark recesses.

Outside his apartment, they didn't realize that someone with a camera lens on their mobile phone watched the scene unfolding as they embraced. The past, however, still had more chapters to unfold.