The whispers didn’t stop when Ava returned to her desk. If anything, they grew sharper. Claire’s knowing smirk, Daniel’s raised brow, the interns’ wide-eyed stares—it was all a constant reminder that Ethan Wolfe wasn’t just invading her life behind closed doors anymore. He was dragging her into his orbit in broad daylight.
She shoved through her work, head down, but she could feel it—the eyes, the judgment, the curiosity. By the time five o’clock hit, her nerves were frayed raw.
When her phone buzzed again, she knew who it was before looking.
My car is waiting. Don’t fight me tonight.
Her chest tightened. She wanted to ignore it. She wanted to walk home, disappear into her quiet apartment, and pretend he didn’t exist. But when she glanced out the window and saw his sleek black car park
