Chapter.5
920 Words
Chapter Five – His Possession
The air in Ethan’s private study was colder than the rest of the house. Dark wood paneled the walls, bookshelves lined with leather-bound volumes, and a massive desk dominated the center, polished until it gleamed. The fire in the hearth crackled, but it did nothing to warm Ava’s shaking hands.
Two men had escorted her here without a word, leaving her standing alone while Ethan sat behind his desk, perfectly composed, as if the earlier chaos had never happened. His black suit was crisp, his cufflinks in place, his every movement precise.
Only his eyes betrayed him.
They were too sharp, too bright, like storm clouds before lightning.
“Sit.” His voice was calm, but it was the kind of calm that held danger beneath it.
Ava lowered herself into the chair opposite him, her heart hammering. “Ethan—”
“Don’t,” he interrupted softly. He leaned back, studying her as though she were a puzzle he couldn’t quite solve. “I don’t want excuses. I want the truth.”
Her throat tightened. She wanted to deny it, to say Liam had forced her, that it had meant nothing. But lying would only dig her deeper.
“I never meant to hurt you,” she whispered. “I swear I didn’t.”
Ethan’s lips curved, but the smile was sharp, bitter. “You never meant. Yet you did.”
Tears burned her eyes. “I was confused. You and Liam—you’re so different. He—he makes me feel—”
“Alive?” Ethan supplied, his voice slicing through her hesitation. “Is that it? He makes you feel reckless, wanted, free?”
Ava’s silence was answer enough.
Ethan’s expression hardened. “Of course. That’s always been his trick. He tempts people into chaos and leaves them with nothing but ashes.” He leaned forward, his hands clasped on the desk. “And now he’s using you to strike at me. Again.”
She shook her head desperately. “No, that’s not true. He—”
“Don’t defend him,” Ethan snapped, the c***k of his voice making her flinch. His jaw clenched, his tone dropping lower. “I’ve seen it a hundred times. He takes what I love and destroys it. You think you’re different? You think he’ll stay when it matters?”
“I don’t know!” The words tore from her like a cry. “I don’t know what I feel. I only know I can’t pretend it didn’t happen.”
Silence fell heavy between them.
Ethan rose from his chair slowly, each movement deliberate. He circled the desk, stopping in front of her. His hand brushed her jaw, deceptively gentle, though his touch burned with possession.
“You’re mine, Ava,” he murmured, voice low and dangerous. “Do you understand? You wear my name, my ring. You live in my house. Everything you are belongs to me.”
Her breath hitched, part fear, part something she couldn’t admit.
“And if you give yourself to him,” Ethan continued, his eyes burning into hers, “I’ll take it back. All of it. Piece by piece.”
The threat hung in the air, icy and absolute.
Tears spilled over her cheeks. “Ethan, please. I didn’t want this to happen.”
His thumb brushed away her tear, though his eyes stayed hard. “But it did. And now you have a choice to make.”
He leaned closer, so close she could feel his breath against her skin. “Do you want him? Or do you want me?”
Her lips trembled. “I don’t know.”
For the first time, Ethan’s mask cracked. The pain that flashed across his face was raw, almost unbearable. But it lasted only a second before the steel returned.
“Then I’ll decide for you.”
Her eyes widened. “What—?”
He stepped back, straightening his tie with chilling composure. “Liam doesn’t belong here. I’m going to make sure he leaves. Tonight.”
“No!” Ava shot to her feet, panic surging through her. “You can’t—”
“I can.” His voice was final, absolute. “I’ll protect what’s mine, Ava. Even from him.”
Before she could argue, the heavy doors of the study burst open.
Liam stood there, chest heaving, his shirt rumpled, his lip split from the earlier fight. Two guards loomed behind him, but he had forced his way past them, fury blazing in his eyes.
“Get away from her,” he growled.
Ethan’s gaze flicked to his brother, calm as ice. “You’ve overstayed your welcome.”
Liam took a step forward, fists clenched. “If you hurt her—”
“You’ll what?” Ethan cut in smoothly. “Hit me again? Steal from me again? You’ve been trying to beat me your whole life, Liam, and you’ve never once succeeded.”
The tension between them was a live wire, sparking with every word.
Ava’s voice shook as she stood between them. “Please, stop. Both of you. This isn’t about who wins—it’s about us!”
But neither brother heard her.
“You don’t love her,” Liam snarled. “You just want to own her.”
“And you?” Ethan’s eyes narrowed. “You want to ruin her. Just like everything else.”
“Enough!” Ava’s scream cut through the room. Both men froze, their eyes snapping to her.
- Writer
