The limousine door clicked shut behind them, sealing Ava in a world of leather seats, tinted windows, and suffocating silence.
She sat stiffly, her gown pooling around her, hands clenched in her lap. Outside, the city lights streaked by in blurs of gold and red, but she couldn’t focus on anything beyond the thunder in her chest.
Ethan poured himself a drink from the crystal decanter, as calm as if the evening had been nothing more than routine business. His tuxedo jacket was unbuttoned, his tie loosened, but he was still every inch the predator who had commanded an entire ballroom.
“You did well tonight,” he said finally, his tone measured, smooth.
Her laugh cracked like glass. “Did well? I was paraded like a trophy, Ethan. Smiled on cue. Danced when told. Do you have any idea how that
