chapter fourteen
792 Words
When Walls Start to Fall
Morning came softly.
But nothing about Maya felt soft.
She woke up still remembering the warmth of Ethan’s hand in hers.
Not the moment itself…
But the feeling it left behind.
Like something inside her had quietly shifted overnight.
Beside her, the chair was empty.
Ethan was gone.
But the absence didn’t feel cold.
It felt… intentional.
Like he had stayed only long enough to make sure she was okay.
Maya sat up slowly, pressing her fingers against her palm.
As if she could still feel him there.
“This is getting worse…” she whispered to herself.
But she didn’t know if she meant the situation…
Or him.
Downstairs, Ethan stood in the dining room, speaking quietly with Ryan on a call.
“Double the security,” Ethan ordered.
Ryan hesitated.
“For Maya?”
Ethan’s voice was firm.
“For this entire house.”
A pause.
Then softer:
“But prioritize her movement.”
Ryan blinked.
“…You’re not even trying to hide it anymore.”
Ethan didn’t respond.
Because he wasn’t.
Not anymore.
Later that morning…
Maya walked into the garden.
She needed air.
Space.
Distance from thoughts she couldn’t control.
But the moment she stepped outside—
She saw Ethan.
Standing under the trees.
Waiting.
Like he already knew she would come.
“You didn’t leave for work?” she asked.
He looked at her.
“I delayed it.”
“Why?”
A pause.
Then he said simply:
“I wanted to make sure you were okay first.”
Maya frowned slightly.
“I’m not made of glass.”
Ethan stepped closer.
“I know.”
Then softer:
“But you’re still something I don’t want broken.”
That sentence made her stop completely.
She looked at him carefully.
“…Since when do you talk like this?”
A faint, almost rare hint of emotion crossed his face.
“Since I started noticing things I shouldn’t care about.”
Maya’s heart tightened slightly.
A breeze passed between them.
Not cold.
Not warm.
Just present.
Maya broke eye contact first.
“This isn’t safe,” she said quietly.
Ethan tilted his head slightly.
“What isn’t?”
“This…” she gestured between them.
“Us.”
A pause.
Then Ethan stepped even closer.
Now there was barely space left.
His voice lowered.
“Why?”
Maya swallowed.
“Because I don’t know what I am to you.”
That made him pause.
For the first time.
Ethan looked at her for a long moment.
Then said quietly:
“You want the truth?”
Maya nodded slowly.
He exhaled.
“You’re the only person in this house I don’t feel the need to guard myself around.”
Her breath caught.
“That doesn’t sound like marriage,” she whispered.
Ethan’s gaze held hers.
“It doesn’t feel like one either.”
Silence.
Heavy.
Honest.
Dangerous.
Maya took a small step back, trying to steady herself.
But Ethan didn’t let the distance grow too far.
Not physically.
Just enough to respect her hesitation.
“Ethan…” she said softly.
“Yes?”
“If this keeps going… it won’t stay simple.”
His eyes darkened slightly.
“It was never simple.”
A long silence followed.
Then suddenly—
A car horn echoed from the gate.
Both of them turned.
A black car had arrived.
Ethan’s expression changed instantly.
“That’s Ryan,” he said.
Maya frowned.
“Why is he here?”
Ethan didn’t answer immediately.
Because even he didn’t know.
Not yet.
Ryan stepped out of the car holding a file.
But his face was different this time.
Serious.
Urgent.
Troubled.
He walked straight toward Ethan.
“I found something,” Ryan said.
Ethan’s voice dropped.
“What is it?”
Ryan hesitated.
Then said the words that shifted everything again:
“It’s about Sophia.”
Maya froze instantly.
Her heart dropped.
And Ethan turned fully toward Ryan.
“Talk.”
Ryan opened the file slowly.
“There’s proof she didn’t just disappear…”
A pause.
“She was communicating with someone inside Carter Group before she vanished.”
Maya’s breath caught.
“And?”
Ryan looked up.
“…That person is still active.”
Silence.
Ethan’s expression darkened.
“Name.”
Ryan looked between them.
Then said:
“It’s someone connected to both of you.”
Maya stepped back slightly.
“What does that mean?” she whispered.
Ethan didn’t answer immediately.
Because for the first time…
He didn’t have control over the direction this was going anymore.
And somewhere far away…
A phone rang in a dark room.
A voice answered.
“They’re getting closer.”
A pause.
Then a calm reply:
“Let them.”
The line went dead.
- Writer
