Chapter 4

Two days later, Ethan found Ava in the library. He looked awkward, almost sheepish.

"The lab report came back," he said, not meeting her eyes. "It was... what you said. Unique biological markers. High concentrations of therapeutic cells. No poison."

He cleared his throat. "So... I apologize. For the accusation."

It was a grudging, insincere apology, but it was an apology nonetheless. A first.

Ava merely inclined her head. "Accepted."

He lingered, watching her as she shelved a book. She moved with a quiet grace, her expression serene. For the first time, Ethan felt a strange, unfamiliar flicker of... something. Not attraction, not exactly. Curiosity, perhaps. A sense that there was more to this woman than he had ever bothered to see.

He thought back over the last five years. His deliberate cruelty, his endless affairs, his assumption that she was a cold, grasping opportunist. He'd never considered her feelings, her motivations. Why had she agreed to this sham marriage? Why did she endure his behavior with such stoicism? He'd always assumed it was for the money, the status. But her quiet dignity, her lack of complaint, it didn't quite fit.

"Ava," he began, a question forming in his mind, a desire to understand.

Just then, Chloe swept into the room, radiant in a new dress. "Ethan, darling! There you are. I've been looking all over for you."

She looped her arm through his, pulling him away. "We need to finalize the caterers for your birthday party."

Ethan's brief moment of introspection vanished. He turned to Ava, his expression hardening. "Stay out of Chloe's way, Ava. She's in charge of the party. Don't interfere."

The warning was clear. The old Ethan was back.

Ava watched them leave, a faint sigh escaping her lips. So close. And yet, so far.

The preparations for Ethan's birthday party became Chloe's sole focus. She was determined to make it the event of the season, a public declaration of her return to Ethan's life and her rightful place by his side. The society pages buzzed with speculation.

Ava, thankfully, was excluded from the planning. Chloe made it clear that Ava's only role was to be invisible. It was a relief. Ava focused on her own countdown, her own plans for escape. The party was just another hurdle to overcome.

The night of the party, the Davenport mansion glittered. Ethan, with Chloe on his arm, greeted their guests. Chloe had indeed outdone herself. The guest list, however, was a curious mix. Alongside the city's elite were several individuals known for their past grievances with the Davenport family, and a few of Ethan's more scandalous former flames – women Chloe had clearly invited to create an undercurrent of tension.

Ava, dressed in a simple, elegant gown chosen by Theodore Sr.'s long-suffering social secretary, remained in the background, a ghost at her own husband's celebration. She observed the unfolding drama with detached amusement.

Soon, whispers and poorly concealed gossip began to circulate. Old scandals were rehashed, embarrassing anecdotes shared. Several of Ethan's ex-lovers, fueled by champagne and Chloe's subtle instigation, made pointed remarks.

One particularly loud woman, a socialite Ethan had briefly dated years ago, cornered a journalist. "Oh, Ethan and Chloe? So romantic they found their way back to each other. Of course, Ethan always had a type. Ambitious. And not too concerned with trivial things like, say, his actual wife." She winked, gesturing vaguely in Ava's direction.

Chloe, who had been basking in the spotlight, suddenly looked distressed. Her eyes welled with tears. She turned to Ethan, her voice trembling. "Oh, Ethan! This is a disaster! I don't know how these awful people got invited! Ava must have tampered with the guest list. She's trying to sabotage me! To humiliate us!"

Ethan, already on edge from the circulating gossip, turned crimson. He looked from Chloe's tear-streaked face to Ava, who stood watching from across the room. His eyes blazed with fury.

Chloe sobbed, clutching his arm. "Take me away from here, Ethan! I can't bear it!"

Ethan, his arm protectively around Chloe, glared at Ava before leading a weeping Chloe from the ballroom. The party, so carefully orchestrated by Chloe, had imploded in spectacular fashion. And Ava knew, with a sinking feeling, that she would be the one to pay the price.