Chapter 3

The pre-launch press event was a glittering affair.

Ethan was in his element, hand possessively on Ava's waist.

"My brilliant fiancée," he announced to a journalist, "the genius behind 'Ephemeral Echoes'."

He spoke of their upcoming wedding, the house he'd bought for them in Napa.

A perfect picture for the flashing cameras.

Ava smiled, a carefully constructed mask.

When he tried to kiss her for a photo op, she turned her head slightly.

His lips brushed her cheek.

"Just nervous," she murmured, a plausible excuse.

He squeezed her waist tighter, a hint of annoyance in his eyes.

She felt the pressure, a physical manifestation of his control.

Then, a stir near the entrance.

Chloe Davis walked in.

Not as an intern, but as a guest.

She looked pale, distressed, clutching her arm.

Her dress was simple, but her eyes were fixed on Ethan.

Ethan saw her. His smile faltered.

"Excuse me," he said to the group, his voice tight.

He moved towards Chloe instantly, abandoning Ava mid-sentence.

He didn't even glance back.

Ava watched, a cold certainty settling in her heart.

He was back a few minutes later, his composure restored.

"Just an intern, had a small accident outside. All sorted."

He tried to take Ava's hand.

She pulled away, a small, almost imperceptible movement.

"I need some air," she said.

Ava found a quiet corner, watching.

Ethan was still talking to Chloe near the bar.

His body language was protective, concerned.

He touched Chloe's arm, his expression soft.

The same expression he once reserved for Ava.

This was it. The final, undeniable proof.

Ava's phone vibrated. Another message from Chloe.

A close-up photo of a new, delicate diamond bracelet on Chloe's wrist.

The message: "He worries about me so much. Says I'm too fragile for this world."

Ava's stomach churned.

She heard Chloe's light laugh drift across the room.

Ava clenched her fists, nails digging into her palms.

The pain was a small, sharp anchor in the storm of her emotions.

She would not break. Not here. Not yet.

Her back throbbed, a dull, persistent ache.

She breathed deeply, forcing calm.

She needed to know how deep this went.

The shared cloud server.

Ethan had given Chloe access.

Chloe, the ambitious intern.

Ava walked towards the exit, a plan solidifying.

She had to check that server again, see what else Chloe had touched.

What else Ethan had allowed.