Chapter 4

The next day, Chloe Davenport herself appeared at the apartment.

Ava was surprised. Ethan hadn't mentioned she was coming.

Chloe was the picture of sweet concern, her expression carefully arranged.

"Ava, darling," she cooed, stepping inside without waiting for an invitation. "I heard about that unfortunate incident with Brittany. I am so, so sorry. Brittany can be a bit... overzealous when she' s protecting me."

It was a non-apology, condescending and insincere.

"She shouldn't have put her hands on you," Chloe continued, her eyes scanning the apartment, taking in every detail. "Ethan was very upset."

Upset that Brittany had been so blatant, Ava suspected, not that Ava had been hurt.

"I'm fine," Ava said, her voice neutral.

"Good. I just wanted to make sure there were no hard feelings," Chloe said, her smile not quite reaching her eyes. "Ethan and I... well, we just want everyone to be happy."

Ava knew this visit wasn't about apology. It was a power play, a marking of territory.

After Chloe left, leaving a faint trail of expensive perfume, Ava felt a surge of fury.

She couldn't do this anymore.

She called Liam.

Her voice broke as she recounted everything – the firing, Ethan' s indifference, Brittany' s assault, Chloe' s manipulative visit.

Liam listened patiently, his anger growing with every word she spoke.

"That bastard," Liam said, his voice tight with rage. "And those women... Ava, you don't deserve any of this. You need to get out of there."

"I know," Ava whispered. "I'm working on it. I've applied for an LLM in London."

"London? That's fantastic!" Liam's enthusiasm was a balm to her bruised spirit. "Whatever you need, Ava, I'm here. Logistical support, a place to crash if things get bad, medical advice... anything."

His unwavering support was a stark contrast to Ethan' s conditional affection.

"Thank you, Liam," Ava said, tears welling in her eyes. "It means everything to me."

"You're my best friend, Ava. Always."

Hanging up, Ava felt a renewed sense of determination.

She wasn't alone. She had Liam.

And she had a plan.

It was time to stop being a victim and start fighting back.

Ethan wanted her to "understand" and not cause trouble?

She would understand perfectly.

She would understand that she needed to be smart, meticulous, and utterly ruthless.

The game had changed. And Ava Miller was about to change the rules.