Chapter 1

Eighteen months.

The number echoed in Ava's mind.

A year and a half since Leo was gone.

His laugh, his terrible jokes, the way he always knew how to fix things.

All silenced.

The official report called it an "accidental drowning."

A lie.

Ava knew it.

Izzy Sterling. Her name was a brand on Ava's soul.

The Hamptons. The spilled canapés. The custom gown.

"Deal with him."

Those words led to Leo's broken body washing ashore.

The Sterlings' money and lawyers buried the truth.

But Ava wouldn't let it stay buried.

Justice for Leo.

That was the only thing that mattered now.

Her grief was a cold, hard thing inside her, fueling a meticulous rage.

Ava spent those eighteen months learning.

Not just finishing her computer science degree at NYU, the degree Leo worked himself to the bone for.

She learned about the Sterlings.

Their empire, their connections, their dirty secrets.

And she learned about Isabelle "Izzy" Sterling.

Volatile. Cruel. And obsessively in love.

The object of her affection: Ethan Reed.

CEO of ReedTech, an AI and robotics giant.

Brilliant, emotionally reserved, and constantly in the society pages with Izzy clinging to his arm.

Their relationship was described as "passionate," but whispers said "strained."

Izzy's possessiveness was legendary.

Ethan Reed became Ava's way in.

Ava built a new identity.

A flawless resume, tailored for ReedTech.

She highlighted her NYU degree, her tech skills, her efficiency.

She scrubbed her online presence, erasing the grieving sister, replacing her with a polished, ambitious professional.

The application for Executive Assistant to Ethan Reed was a long shot.

Dozens, maybe hundreds, of applicants.

But Ava's intellect was sharp, her preparation exhaustive.

She aced the interviews.

Her feigned calm impressed them.

Her carefully constructed eagerness to serve ReedTech's visionary CEO sealed the deal.

She got the job.

Each day at ReedTech was a step closer.

She learned Ethan's routines, his preferences, his blind spots.

She was the perfect assistant: quiet, competent, almost invisible.

Waiting.

Months passed.

A major tech conference in the city.

Ethan was the keynote speaker, a triumph.

Afterward, at the celebration, he drank too much.

Far too much.

Ava was there, as always, managing his schedule, deflecting unwanted attention.

She helped him out of the noisy ballroom, into his waiting car.

"Baccarat Hotel," he slurred, his head lolling.

His penthouse suite.

Ava guided him through the opulent lobby, into the private elevator.

She unlocked his suite, a sprawling space overlooking the city lights.

She helped him to the massive bed, his expensive suit rumpled.

He was already half-unconscious.

Before she left, she saw his phone on the nightstand.

An opportunity.

Her heart hammered, but her hands were steady.

She picked it up, his fingerprint easily unlocking it – she'd observed him countless times.

She found Izzy's contact. "Izzy <3 <3".

Ava pressed call.

It rang once, twice.

Izzy answered, her voice sharp, demanding. "Ethan? Where are you?"

Ava didn't speak.

She held the phone near the bed.

She let out a soft, deliberate sigh.

She rustled the luxurious sheets, a sound of movement, of closeness.

Then, she abruptly ended the call.

She placed the phone back, exactly as it was.

Her first move. Small, but potent.

The next morning, Ava arrived at the penthouse early, as per her usual instructions when Ethan stayed in the city.

She let herself in quietly.

Ethan was still asleep, sprawled across the bed.

Ava quickly went to the small guest bathroom.

She loosened a strap on her simple dress, letting it fall slightly off her shoulder.

She pinched her cheeks to bring a flush to them.

She ruffled her hair just a little.

Ready.

She began to "tidy up" the living area, making small, noticeable noises.

Ethan groaned, stirring.

He sat up, rubbing his temples. "Ava? What time is it?"

His voice was thick with sleep and a hangover.

"Good morning, Mr. Reed. It's just past seven."

Just then, a furious pounding on the suite door.

Izzy. Predictable.

Ethan swore under his breath. "Don't answer that."

Too late. The door burst open.

Izzy Sterling, a vision of designer fury, her eyes blazing.

"Ethan! What the hell was that call last night?"

She scanned the room, her gaze landing on Ava.

Ava shrank back, her eyes wide, the picture of terrified innocence.

"Oh! Ms. Sterling! I... I didn't..."

Izzy's eyes narrowed. "Who is SHE? What is SHE doing here?"

"Izzy, calm down," Ethan said, his voice tight with annoyance. "Ava is my assistant. She was just... helping me."

"Helping you do what?" Izzy shrieked, advancing on Ava.

Ava pressed herself against a wall, looking to Ethan with a silent, desperate plea.

"I... I'm so sorry, Mr. Reed," Ava stammered, her voice trembling. "I didn't know what to do. He was so... unwell last night."

Ethan stepped between them, shielding Ava.

"Enough, Izzy. You're making a scene."

Izzy was far from convinced.

"I want to know what happened!" She started yanking open drawers, peering into closets. "Where is she? The one you were with!"

Ethan's face was a mask of irritation.

Ava, feigning panic, slipped towards the master bathroom. "I'll just... get out of your way."

Inside, she "accidentally" knocked a heavy glass bottle of cologne from a shelf.

It shattered on the marble floor with a loud crash.

"What now?" Ethan yelled, exasperated.

He stormed towards the bathroom. Izzy followed, suspicious.

Ava stood amidst the broken glass, looking horrified. "Mr. Reed, I am so, so sorry! I was just... I thought you might need a towel."

Ethan sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose. "I was about to take a shower, Izzy. Ava was getting me a towel. That's all."

He looked at Ava. "Just... be careful. Clean that up later."

Izzy still looked skeptical but Ethan's annoyance was a powerful deterrent.

Ethan eventually managed to usher a still-fuming Izzy out of the suite.

He returned to find Ava silently beginning to pick up the largest pieces of glass.

He was clearly annoyed by the whole drama.

Initially, he barely glanced at Ava, the source of the morning's chaos.

But then he paused.

He saw her slightly disheveled state, the misplaced strap, the feigned flush now looking like genuine distress.

He noticed her quiet competence, even now, carefully handling sharp shards.

And an apparent fragility he hadn't registered before.

"Leave that," he said, his voice softer than before. "Hotel staff will handle it."

He looked at her properly for a moment. "Are you alright?"

Ava nodded, not meeting his eyes. "Yes, Mr. Reed. Thank you."

"My driver will take you home," he said, a directive, not an offer.

Ava finally looked up, a flicker of something unreadable in her eyes before she masked it with gratitude. "Thank you, Mr. Reed. That's very kind."

As she left the suite, a tiny, cold smile touched Ava's lips.

The seeds were sown.

Izzy's jealousy was ignited.

Ethan had shielded her.

It was a start. Leo, this is for you, she thought. Just the beginning.