Chapter 4 4

Ethan's grip on the steering wheel was tight, his knuckles white as the car cut through the darkened streets of the coastal town. The tension in the air was thick, charged with unspoken words, and the weight of years lost to misunderstanding.

Ava sat beside him, her hands clenched in her lap. The image on her phone haunted her-the shadowy figure outside her apartment, the chilling message: You should have run when you had the chance.

She should have been terrified.

But fear had been a constant in her life for far too long.

Now, she was angry.

"Who sent that picture?" Ethan's voice was razor-sharp, his stormy blue eyes flicking toward her as he sped through the empty streets.

Ava swallowed. "I don't know."

Ethan exhaled sharply. "Try again."

She clenched her jaw. "I really don't know, Ethan. But I have a feeling it's someone from my past. Someone who doesn't want me here."

His fingers flexed around the wheel. "Then they'll have to go through me first."

Ava turned toward him, taken aback by the sheer determination in his voice. He wasn't just saying it-he meant it.

She should have pushed him away.

She should have reminded him that he wasn't part of her life anymore.

But as the car approached her apartment building, all she could think was... maybe she didn't have to face this alone.

Ethan killed the engine, scanning the darkened parking lot. "Stay here."

Ava scoffed. "Like hell I will."

His jaw tightened, but he didn't argue. Instead, he pushed open the door, stepping out first. The moment she followed, she felt the hairs on the back of her neck rise.

Something was off.

The usually quiet street was too silent.

Ava reached for her keys, her fingers trembling slightly as she unlocked the door to her apartment. Ethan was right behind her, his broad frame a protective shield.

The second she stepped inside, she froze.

Her apartment had been ransacked.

Papers were strewn across the floor. The cushions from her couch were slashed open. The scent of overturned coffee mixed with something metallic in the air.

Ava's breath hitched.

"They were looking for something," Ethan muttered, stepping past her, scanning the room with a sharp, calculating gaze.

Ava's heart pounded. "But what?"

Before he could answer, Ethan's phone buzzed. He pulled it out, his expression darkening as he read the message.

"They left a note."

Ava turned to where his gaze had landed-her small wooden table.

A single piece of paper lay there, weighted down by a broken picture frame.

The words scrawled across it made her blood run cold.

"Stay out of the past, or you won't have a future."

Ava sat on the edge of her couch, trying to steady her breathing.

Ethan paced the living room, running a hand through his dark hair. "This isn't just about the café."

Ava swallowed hard. "No. It's not."

She hesitated, then met his gaze. "I think... I think it has something to do with my father."

Ethan stilled. "What do you mean?"

Ava exhaled shakily. "Before he died, my father was working on something-something big. He never told me exactly what, but I know he was afraid. He warned me to stay away from certain people, to keep my distance from his business affairs. And then, just like that... he was gone."

Ethan's expression turned unreadable. "You think his death wasn't an accident?"

Ava hesitated, then whispered, "I know it wasn't."

A tense silence stretched between them.

Ethan finally spoke. "Then we're not just dealing with threats. We're dealing with someone who's willing to erase people to keep their secrets hidden."

Ava's stomach twisted.

If that was true...

Then whoever was after her wasn't just trying to scare her.

They were trying to silence her.

Ava's phone buzzed again.

Her hands trembled as she picked it up.

Another message.

This time, it wasn't a threat.

It was an address.

And a single line of text beneath it.

"If you want answers, come alone."

Ava's heart pounded.

Ethan saw the message over her shoulder. His expression hardened. "You're not going alone."

She lifted her gaze, meeting his eyes. "Ethan, I-"

"I lost you once," he cut her off, his voice rough with something unspoken. "I'm not losing you again."

Ava inhaled sharply.

Because for the first time in ten years...

She believed him.