CHAPTER 8: UNWELCOME DISTRACTIONS
411 Words
LATE NIGHT TENSION
Ava lay awake in the dimly lit house, her mind replaying the dance.
Rhys hand on her waist. His low voice.
“I don’t like other men touching what’s mine.”
Her fingers curled into the blanket. Why did those words affect her?
Unable to sleep, she walked toward the living area— when she heard Rhys voice.
It was low, serious, like he was arguing with someone.
Ava hesitated, peeking around the corner.
“I don’t want to hear excuses,” he said.
“Just handle it.”
Who was he talking to? Was it about their marriage? About her?
Before she could step away, Rhys turned.
His sharp gaze locked onto her instantly.
Ava stiffened.
A slow smirk touched his lips.
“You like eavesdropping now?”
Ava straightened. “I wasn’t—“
Rhys took a step closer. “Lying doesn’t suit you.”
The air thickened, his presence too close, too intense.
Ava swallowed, forcing herself to hold his gaze.
“Then maybe you should stop keeping secrets.”
Rhys smirk faded away slightly. For a moment, she thought he might actually say something real.
But then he simply walked past her, his voice cold.
“Go to bed, Ava.”
She hated how her heart pounded.
BIANCA’s ARRIVAL
The next morning, the doorbell rang.
Ava, still groggy, opened it— and froze.
A woman stood there, tall and elegant. Perfectly styled hair, deep red lips, and an air of effortless confidence.
She looked Ava over, amusement flickering in her sharp eyes.
“So, you’re the little wife.”
Ava’s spine stiffened. “Who are you?”
The woman smirked. “Bianca. Rhys ex-fiancée.”
Silence.
A cold weight settled in Ava’s chest, but she forced her face to remain unreadable.
“What do you want?” She asked.
Bianca leaned against the doorway.
“I didn’t think he’d actually go through with this farce.”
Ava’s fingers curled at her sides.
Before she could respond, Rhys voice cut through the air.
“You shouldn’t be here.”
Ava turned to see him standing behind her— his expression colder than she’d ever seen.
Bianca shrugged, unfazed. “Relax, Rhys. I just wanted to see if your little wife knows the truth.”
Ava’s breath caught. The truth?
She turned to Rhys, but his face remained unreadable.
And for the first time, Ava wondered— was there something about their marriage she didn’t know?
- Writer
