Chapter 2 2

After a moment, Brittany's voice softened, a calculated shift.

"Chad, baby, I just miss you. It's been ages."

Ava could picture her, pouting, using her feminine wiles. The kind of act that probably worked on Chad.

He likely felt guilty after their argument. Now came the making up.

The shift was predictable. Brittany's tantrums were often followed by exaggerated affection when she sensed she might be pushing him too far.

Suddenly, a loud clatter came from the small private bathroom attached to Chad's office.

Like a dropped shower head, or a shelf collapsing.

Brittany's voice sharpened again. "What was that?"

Ava tensed. Had someone else been in there?

A beat of silence.

Then Chad's voice, smooth. "Nothing, darling. Probably just the cleaning crew's supplies shifting. They were in here earlier." A quick lie. Ava made a mental note: Chad protected. But from what? Or whom?

Ava had, in fact, "accidentally" left a small, unstable stack of empty water bottles on a high shelf in that bathroom earlier, while "tidying up" before Brittany's expected arrival. A little nudge could send them tumbling.

Chad spoke again, his tone a little too casual. "Don't worry about it. Tell me about your flight."

He was clearly trying to distract Brittany. Ava smirked inwardly. He wasn't a fool, but Brittany's jealousy likely made her hyper-vigilant.

She wondered if Chad suspected anything, or if he was just generally covering his bases from Brittany's potential accusations.

Brittany, however, was not easily placated when her suspicions were aroused.

"Are you sure, Chad? It sounded like someone was in there."

Her voice was laced with accusation. She probably imagined a rival.

Ava could almost feel the heat of Brittany's suspicion from her desk.

Chad's voice was firm now, slightly annoyed. "Brittany, I'm sure. It's an old building; things creak. Now, can we talk about something else?"

He was trying to shut down her interrogation.

A few minutes later, Chad emerged from his office, escorting Brittany out.

He looked strained. Brittany, however, was clinging to his arm, her expression superficially sweet again, but her eyes were narrowed, still scanning the area.

She gave Ava a cursory, dismissive glance as they passed.

Chad said, "Ava, hold all my calls for the next hour."

"Yes, Mr. Henderson."

As they walked towards the elevator, Brittany was all smiles, leaning into Chad, whispering something that made him give a tight, forced smile.

The contrast between her public affection and the earlier tension was stark. She was performing for an invisible audience.

Just as the elevator doors were closing, Chad's personal phone, left on his desk, buzzed.

Ava glanced at it. A text from "Mr. Thompson."

Before she could decide whether to alert Chad, his office door opened again. It wasn't Chad.

It was Mr. Thompson himself. He looked at Ava, then at Chad's empty office.

"Is Chad with Brittany?" he asked, his tone neutral.

"Yes, sir. They just left for a bit."

Mr. Thompson nodded slowly. "I see." His eyes held a certain calculation that Ava was beginning to recognize.

He seemed to have his own understanding of the dynamics at play.

Ava continued her work. Later, Chad returned, alone, looking preoccupied.

He picked up his phone, saw the missed text.

"Ava, did Mr. Thompson come by?"

"Yes, sir. Just after you left with Ms. Albright."

Chad frowned. "What did he want?"

"He didn't say, sir. He just asked if you were with Ms. Albright."

Chad's frown deepened.

Ava maintained her innocent, helpful demeanor. "Shall I get him on the line for you?"

"No, that's fine." He seemed thoughtful, a new line of concern etched on his face.

Ava felt a small victory. A tiny seed of doubt, perhaps not about her, but about the general atmosphere Brittany created.

A little while later, Ava deliberately walked past Chad's open office door, carrying a stack of files.

She pretended to stumble slightly, letting a few papers scatter near his doorway.

"Oh, clumsy me," she murmured, bending to pick them up, ensuring she was visible.

Her hair, which she'd kept neatly tied back, was now slightly looser, a few strands artfully framing her face, making her look a little flustered, young, and harmless. Her simple, professional dress was a stark contrast to Brittany's ostentatious display.

She looked up, as if just noticing Chad watching her. "Sorry, sir. Just a bit overwhelmed today."

She made sure to look genuinely embarrassed, perhaps a little afrAI of having disturbed him or appeared incompetent.

"It's fine, Ava. Just be more careful," Chad said, his voice not unkind.

He probably saw her as a hardworking, slightly stressed assistant. Nothing more.

Perfect.

The image of the "frightened deer" was a useful one. It disarmed suspicion. It invited a kind of paternalistic protection.

Later that afternoon, Chad called her into his office.

"Ava, I need you to arrange a car to take Ms. Albright to her hotel. She's decided to stay a bit longer, but I have calls I can't miss."

His tone was professional, but Ava sensed the underlying stress Brittany's extended presence caused.

"Of course, Mr. Henderson. Right away."

She arranged the company's most discreet car service.

While she was on the phone, Chad was speaking to Brittany, his voice low, but audible through the thin wall. "...yes, my assistant will arrange everything... No, I can't, I have that call with Tokyo..."

Chad was, Ava realized, a man who valued control and efficiency in his professional life. Brittany was the antithesis of that.

He was deep, difficult to truly read, but his reactions to Brittany were becoming clearer.

He was accustomed to her, perhaps even fond of her in some way, but undeniably burdened by her demands and volatility.

Ava filed this away. Chad was not her primary target, merely the instrument.

But understanding the instrument was key.

Ava knew she couldn't afford to be complacent. Chad was intelligent. Mr. Thompson was observant.

Every move had to be calculated, every feigned emotion perfectly delivered.

The humiliation of Liam's death, the blatant injustice, fueled her.

She thought of her brother, his kindness, his dreams for her. This was for him.

The path ahead was dangerous, but she wouldn't falter. Not now.