A dangerous attraction
1360 Words
Chapter 4: A Dangerous Attraction
Ava barely slept.
Every time she closed her eyes, she saw Ethan standing on that balcony.
The city lights behind him.
The intensity in his gaze.
The way the air had changed between them.
It was ridiculous.
Completely ridiculous.
This was a contract marriage.
Nothing more.
Nothing less.
Yet somehow, the memory followed her into the next morning.
She groaned and buried her face in a pillow.
"Get a grip, Ava."
A knock interrupted her thoughts.
"Miss Moore?"
Margaret's voice floated through the door.
"Breakfast is ready."
Ava dragged herself out of bed and got dressed.
Twenty minutes later, she entered the dining room.
Ethan was already there.
Of course he was.
The man probably scheduled his breathing.
He sat at the far end of the enormous table, reading several business reports while drinking coffee.
Ava slid into her seat.
"Good morning."
Without looking up, Ethan replied.
"Morning."
Ava narrowed her eyes.
"That's it?"
He glanced up.
"What were you expecting?"
"I don't know. Maybe flowers. A parade. Some excitement."
"You saw me eight hours ago."
"Still."
To her surprise, a faint smile appeared.
It vanished almost immediately.
But Ava caught it.
And something about that tiny smile felt strangely rewarding.
Breakfast continued quietly.
Until Ethan's phone rang.
His expression changed the moment he answered.
The warmth disappeared.
The billionaire mask returned.
Cold.
Controlled.
Dangerous.
Ava watched silently.
Something was wrong.
Very wrong.
After a brief conversation, Ethan ended the call.
His jaw tightened.
"What happened?"
He looked at her.
For a moment, she thought he wouldn't answer.
Then—
"My board of directors."
"That sounds serious."
"It is."
Ava frowned.
"What do they want?"
"They don't believe our marriage is real."
Her fork stopped halfway to her mouth.
"What?"
"There are rumors."
"Already?"
"Welcome to my world."
Ava sighed.
Of course there were rumors.
Rich people seemed to survive entirely on gossip.
"What happens if they don't believe us?"
Ethan leaned back.
"The board could challenge my position as CEO."
Ava blinked.
"Because of me?"
"Because they believe I arranged a fake marriage."
Technically, they weren't wrong.
But Ava kept that thought to herself.
"What do we do?"
Ethan studied her carefully.
Then he delivered the answer she wasn't expecting.
"We convince them."
---
Three days later, headlines about Ethan and Ava were everywhere.
Some newspapers called their relationship a fairy tale.
Others called it suspicious.
One particularly rude article referred to Ava as "The Bookstore Gold Digger."
She nearly threw her phone across the room.
"I'm going to sue someone."
Margaret laughed.
"You'll get used to it."
"I don't want to get used to it."
The house manager handed her tea.
"People fear what they don't understand."
"Or maybe they just enjoy being awful."
"That too."
Ava sighed.
She missed her old life.
Not the debt.
Not the stress.
But the simplicity.
Nobody cared what she wore.
Nobody photographed her.
Nobody wrote articles about her online.
Now every move seemed to become public knowledge.
A notification appeared on her phone.
Another article.
Another insult.
Another assumption.
She turned the screen off.
Enough.
---
That evening, Ethan found her sitting alone in the library.
The room was enormous.
Shelves stretched from floor to ceiling.
Thousands of books filled the space.
It was Ava's favorite room in the mansion.
"You've been hiding."
She looked up from her novel.
"I've been reading."
"Same thing."
Ava smirked.
"Fair."
Ethan walked toward the shelves.
Something about seeing him surrounded by books felt strange.
Almost normal.
"You actually read?"
He raised an eyebrow.
"Is that surprising?"
"A little."
"I read every night."
Now she was genuinely shocked.
"What?"
"I enjoy history."
Ava stared.
"You enjoy something?"
His expression turned flat.
"I regret telling you that."
She laughed.
The sound echoed through the library.
For a moment, Ethan simply watched her.
The atmosphere shifted again.
Just like on the balcony.
Just like every time they were alone.
Ava quickly looked away.
Dangerous.
This was becoming dangerous.
---
A week later, Ethan announced they would be attending a private weekend retreat hosted by his board members.
Ava instantly hated the idea.
"No."
"It's necessary."
"No."
"You don't even know the details."
"I don't care."
Ethan folded his arms.
"You agreed to help."
"I agreed to business dinners."
"This is a business weekend."
"This is torture."
He looked annoyingly amused.
"Pack a bag."
Ava groaned dramatically.
"You enjoy ruining my life."
"Occasionally."
---
The retreat was held at a luxury countryside estate outside London.
The property looked beautiful.
Unfortunately, the guests ruined everything.
From the moment they arrived, Ava could feel eyes following them.
Watching.
Judging.
Evaluating.
The board members weren't interested in getting to know her.
They were investigating her.
Trying to find weaknesses.
Trying to expose the truth.
Trying to prove she didn't belong.
One woman in particular seemed determined to make Ava uncomfortable.
Rebecca Lawson.
A powerful investor.
Sharp-tongued.
And completely unimpressed.
"You were a bookstore clerk?"
Ava smiled politely.
"I managed the store."
Rebecca sipped her wine.
"And now you're married to one of the richest men in England."
The implication hung in the air.
Ava understood exactly what she meant.
Before she could respond, Ethan spoke.
"Is there a point to this conversation?"
Rebecca looked annoyed.
"I'm simply curious."
"No," Ethan said calmly.
"You're being rude."
The entire table fell silent.
Rebecca's face reddened.
Ava stared at Ethan.
He had defended her again.
Without hesitation.
Without embarrassment.
As if it were the most natural thing in the world.
Something warm settled inside her chest.
Something she didn't want to examine too closely.
---
Later that night, Ava couldn't sleep.
The estate grounds were quiet beneath the moonlight.
She wandered into the gardens.
Cool air brushed against her skin.
For the first time all day, she felt relaxed.
Until a voice spoke behind her.
"You should be asleep."
Ava turned.
Ethan stood several feet away.
His tie was gone.
The top buttons of his shirt were undone.
He looked tired.
Human.
Real.
"Couldn't sleep?"
she asked.
"No."
They began walking through the gardens together.
The silence wasn't uncomfortable.
It rarely was anymore.
Which worried Ava more than she wanted to admit.
After several minutes, Ethan spoke.
"You handled yourself well today."
"Are you always going to say that after people insult me?"
"Probably."
Ava laughed softly.
The moonlight illuminated the path ahead.
Flowers swayed gently in the breeze.
Everything felt peaceful.
Too peaceful.
Because deep down, Ava knew this couldn't last.
Eventually the contract would end.
Eventually she would leave.
Eventually Ethan would become a stranger again.
The thought hurt more than it should.
She stopped walking.
Ethan noticed immediately.
"What is it?"
Ava hesitated.
Then shook her head.
"Nothing."
He didn't believe her.
She could tell.
But he didn't push.
Instead, they continued walking.
Side by side.
Neither realizing that someone was watching them from a nearby window.
Rebecca Lawson.
And the calculating smile on her face suggested trouble was coming.
Big trouble.
---
The following morning, disaster struck.
A photograph appeared online.
A photo of Ethan and Ava walking together beneath the moonlight.
Alone.
Close.
Intimate.
The image spread instantly.
News outlets exploded with speculation.
Social media erupted.
And one headline caught Ava's attention.
BLACKWOOD MARRIAGE: REAL LOVE OR BILLION-DOLLAR LIE?
By lunchtime, reporters had surrounded the estate.
By dinner, rumors were spreading faster than anyone could control.
And by midnight, Ethan received a message that changed everything.
His board wanted an emergency meeting.
Immediately.
Ava watched him read the email.
His expression darkened.
For the first time since meeting him, she looked genuinely worried.
"Ethan?"
He lowered the phone slowly.
The tension in the room became suffocating.
"What happened?"
His eyes met hers.
"The board believes someone is trying to expose us."
A chill ran through Ava.
"Who?"
Ethan's jaw tightened.
"I don't know."
But the dangerous look in his eyes suggested he intended to find out.
No matter what it cost.
And for the first time since signing the contract, Ava realized their biggest threat might not be the contract itself.
It might be the people determined to destroy them.
End of Chapter 4
- Writer
