Chapter.4
931 Words
Chapter Four – Brothers at War
Ethan’s shadow filled the doorway, broad shoulders blocking the light from the hall. His voice was low, steady, but sharp enough to slice through Ava’s bones.
“I knew I’d find you here.”
Liam straightened slowly, his hand still hovering near Ava’s cheek, defiance carved into every line of his jaw.
“Ethan,” Ava whispered, her throat raw. “It’s not—”
“Don’t,” Ethan snapped, his calmness cracking for the first time. His eyes were shards of ice, locked on Liam. “Get your hands off her.”
Liam didn’t move. His silence was louder than any argument.
Ethan stepped into the room, the air tightening around him. “You’ve taken everything from me, Liam. But this? Her?” His chest heaved. “Even you wouldn’t sink that low.”
Liam’s voice was rough. “This isn’t about you.”
“Everything is about me!” Ethan thundered, the mask of control shattering. “Because you’ve never wanted anything until it belonged to me.”
The accusation cut the air. Ava flinched, but Liam held Ethan’s gaze, his voice quiet but searing. “You’re wrong. For once in my life, I want something because it’s mine.”
Ethan lunged before Ava could stop him. His fist collided with Liam’s jaw, sending him stumbling against the dresser. The sound echoed in the luxurious room, brutal and raw.
“Ethan!” Ava screamed, rushing between them. “Stop it!”
Liam wiped the blood from his lip, smirking despite the bruise blooming across his face. “Still can’t win without throwing punches, can you, brother?”
Ethan’s fury simmered, but his eyes flicked to Ava, betrayal carved deep in his expression. “You kissed him.” His voice was broken glass. “I saw it. You let him touch you.”
Tears blurred her vision. “I—I didn’t mean—”
“You didn’t mean?” His laugh was hollow, chilling. “Do you have any idea what you’ve done?”
Ava’s chest cracked under the weight of his words. She wanted to explain, to confess that she didn’t understand herself either. That with Ethan she felt safe, but with Liam she felt alive. But the words tangled in her throat.
Ethan’s hand curled into fists again, but his voice was low, deadly. “You don’t know him, Ava. He ruins everything he touches. And you’re letting him ruin you.”
“Or maybe,” Liam snapped, stepping forward, “she’s finally seeing who you really are—controlling, suffocating, acting like she’s a possession instead of a person.”
The tension In the room was a wire ready to snap.
Ava’s voice trembled. “Please, stop. Both of you.”
But Ethan’s gaze never left Liam. “You’ve always envied me. Always taken what was mine just to watch me bleed. But Ava…” His chest rose and fell, ragged. “Ava was supposed to be different.”
His voice broke, softer now, like the boy he once was. “She was supposed to be the one thing you couldn’t steal.”
The pain in his eyes shattered Ava. She wanted to reach for him, to promise she hadn’t meant to hurt him. But her silence was damning.
Ethan’s jaw hardened, the softness gone. “Fine.” He turned to Ava, his voice cold as steel. “Choose.”
The word hit her like a blade.
Her lips parted, but no sound came. Her heart screamed both names. Ethan, the man who had lifted her into his glittering world. Liam, the man who set her soul on fire.
“Choose,” Ethan repeated, his eyes burning. “Now.”
Ava’s knees trembled. She looked at Liam—bloodied, reckless, but watching her with raw, desperate devotion. She looked at Ethan—powerful, proud, wounded beyond repair.
Her voice cracked. “I…I can’t.”
The silence that followed was deafening.
Ethan’s expression went blank, terrifying in its emptiness. He stepped back, slipping his cufflinks into place like armor. “Then you’ve chosen already.”
He turned, heading for the door.
“Ethan, wait—” Ava cried, reaching for him.
But he didn’t stop.
Before he disappeared into the hall, he spoke without looking back. “You’ll regret this, Ava. Both of you.”
The door slammed, the sound final, like the echo of something breaking beyond repair.
Ava collapsed onto the edge of the bed, her hands shaking violently.
Liam crouched beside her, cupping her face, forcing her to meet his eyes. His jaw was bruised, blood at the corner of his mouth, but his gaze was fierce.
“Don’t cry for him,” Liam whispered. “He’ll try to punish you. He’ll try to make you feel like nothing. But you’re not nothing, Ava. You’re everything.”
Her tears spilled over, her chest aching with guilt and longing. “Liam…what have we done?”
His thumb brushed her cheek, his voice raw. “We’ve finally told the truth.”
Before she could answer, the sound of heavy footsteps thundered down the hall. A knock—loud, urgent—shook the door.
“Miss Carter,” a voice called, sharp and unfamiliar. “Mr. Blackwell requests your presence. Immediately.”
Ava froze, her breath hitching. Ethan wasn’t finished with her. Not by a long shot.
Liam’s jaw tightened. He whispered, “Don’t go. Stay with me.”
But the knock came again, harder this time.
Ava’s heart pounded. She was trapped. Whatever waited beyond that door could destroy everything.
- Writer
