Chapter 3

Ava remembered Chloe' s arrival ten years ago.

A scared, wide-eyed girl the Ashworths claimed was a distant relative, suddenly orphaned.

Ava, already feeling like an outsider, had tried to be kind.

Chloe had repaid that kindness by slowly, methodically, stealing everything.

Now, Chloe stood there, all innocence, while Eleanor Ashworth, Ava' s adoptive mother, appeared behind her.

"Ava, dear, is Ethan with you? He' s not answering his phone."

Eleanor' s smile didn' t reach her eyes.

Always image-conscious. Always controlling.

Ava forced a calm she didn' t feel.

"No, I haven' t seen him."

Just then, Ava' s phone, still in her hand, buzzed. Ethan.

She ignored it.

He called again. And again.

Finally, Eleanor sighed dramatically. "Honestly, that boy."

Ava let the fourth call go to voicemail.

Then, she picked up on the fifth.

"Ava? Where the hell are you? I' ve been calling! The gala is tonight!"

Ethan' s voice was sharp, annoyed.

The hypocrisy was astounding.

Ava took a breath.

"Oh, Ethan, hi. Sorry, my phone was on silent. I was just... in the guesthouse. Working."

She let the lie hang in the air.

A test.

Chloe' s eyes flickered. Eleanor' s smile tightened.

"The guesthouse?" Ethan sounded confused. "But... I thought..."

"Yes, I had some last-minute details for the new client. You know how it is."

Ava made her voice sound tired, put-upon.

"I' m just leaving now. I' ll meet you at home to get ready."

She could almost hear him relax.

"Okay, good. Don' t be late. This is a big night for us."

For us.

Ava wanted to scream.

Instead, she said sweetly, "Of course, darling. Wouldn' t miss it for the world."

She hung up, a cold satisfaction settling in her.