CHAPTER FOUR
1185 Words
CHAPTER FOUR: A NAME CALLED ETHAN
Ava knew something was wrong the moment Adrian returned to the living room.
His face had changed.
The warmth Noah had somehow pulled from him was gone.
His jaw was tight.
His eyes were cold again.
“Is everything okay?” Ava asked.
He looked at her.
For a moment she thought he’d finally be honest.
Then he just said, “Fine.”
Ava stared at him.
“That’s a lie.”
His eyebrows rose slightly.
“Excuse me?”
“You’re terrible at pretending everything is fine.”
Adrian looked almost amused.
“You’ve known me for two days.”
Ava folded her arms.
“I knew you four years ago.”
The room became silent.
Noah looked between them.
“Were you friends?”
Ava’s face warmed.
“No.”
Adrian answered at the same time.
“Yes.”
They looked at each other.
Noah frowned.
“One of you is lying.”
“Eat your crackers,” Ava said.
“But—”
“Now.”
Noah sighed dramatically.
Adrian watched them.
An odd look passed over him.
Hours later,after Noah drifted off, Adrian was heading out,.
Ava walked him to the door.
“Wait.”
He stopped.
She crossed her arms.
“Who are you?”
His expression didn’t change.
“You know exactly who I am.”
“No.”
Ava shook her head.
“I know Adrian Vale.”
She stepped closer.
“But I don’t know Ethan.”
His jaw tightened.
“Ethan wasn’t real.”
The words hurt more than they should have.
Ava laughed softly.
“That’s convenient.”
“It was an identity.”
“For what?”
Adrian remained silent.
“There it is again,” Ava whispered.
“What?”
“A lie.”
“Ava—”
“Who were you investigating?”
His eyes changed.
She noticed.
Someone important.
Someone dangerous.
“Tell me.”
“I can’t.”
“Can’t or won’t?”
Adrian looked away.
That hurt more than an answer.
Ava remembered the Christmas trip.
She had been twenty-one.
Her father had already disappeared.
Her family name had become something people whispered about.
She had gone to the resort because she wanted to disappear too.
Then Ethan had appeared.
He had been kind.
Funny.
He had listened.
For one night, Ava hadn’t felt alone.
Now she questioned if any of it was real.
“Did you even know who I was?”
“Not at first.”
Ava froze.
“Not at first?”
Adrian closed his eyes briefly.
He had said too much.
“You found out.”
Silence.
“When?”
“Ava—”
“When did you find out who my father was?”
“After I left.”
She laughed bitterly.
“So you investigated me?”
“I didn’t—”
“You disappeared because of my father.”
“That isn’t why.”
“Then why?”
Adrian looked directly at her.
“Because I was afraid.”
Ava hadn’t expected that.
“Afraid of what?”
His answer came quietly.
“Of wanting something I couldn’t afford to want.”
Her breath caught.
For one second, Ethan was standing before her.
Not Adrian Vale.
Ethan.
Then Ava remembered Noah.
Four years.
No calls.
No searching.
Nothing.
Her expression hardened.
“Goodnight, Mr. Vale.”
She opened the door.
He didn’t move .
“Ava.”
“Leave.”
He looked like he had more to say.
But, he just nodded and walked away.
For the next few days , Andrian stayed away.
He only showed up for Noah.
He didn’t push Ava to talk.
He didn’t demand more access.
And strangely, that made Ava trust him slightly more.
Noah adored him.
It happened too quickly.
On Friday evening, Adrian arrived carrying a bag.
Noah ran toward him.
“Did you bring it?”
Adrian raised an eyebrow.
“Hello to you too.”
“The dinosaur.”
“Good evening, Adrian. How are you?”
Noah frowned.
“Mommy said manners are important.”
“Your mother is correct.”
“So where is it?”
Adrian handed him the bag.
Noah screamed.
Ava covered her ears.
Inside was a massive dinosaur set.
“That’s too much,” Ava said.
Adrian glanced at her.
“You haven’t even seen it.”
“I can see the box.”
Noah hugged Adrian’s leg.
“You’re my favorite rich person!”
Ava tried not to smile.
“That’s a terrible compliment.”
Adrian looked down at Noah.
“I’ll take it.”
Later that evening, Ava found them sitting on the floor.
Noah was teaching Adrian how to build the dinosaur enclosure.
“No, not there.”
Adrian frowned.
“It fits.”
“It’s wrong.”
“It physically fits.”
“But it’s wrong.”
Adrian looked at Ava.
“Your son is controlling.”
“He got it from you.”
Adrian stared.
Ava smiled sweetly.
For the first time, he actually laughed.
And Ava’s heart did something dangerous.
She quickly looked away.
In the middle of the night , Ava woke up feeling thirsty.
She walked quietly to the kitchen.
Then stopped.
Adrian was sitting alone on her small balcony.
She had forgotten he was still waiting for his driver.
The apartment was silent.
Ava stepped outside.
“You’re still here?”
Adrian looked over.
“My driver is late.”
“Your billionaire company can’t find you another car?”
“I like this driver.”
Ava sat beside him.
For a while, neither spoke.
New York glittered beneath them.
“You’re different,” Ava finally said.
Adrian glanced at her.
“From?”
“Ethan.”
“Ethan was different.”
“Was he?”
Adrian leaned back.
“Yes.”
“How?”
“Ethan didn’t have a company depending on him.”
Ava studied him.
“Neither did I.”
His eyes moved to hers.
For several seconds, the silence between them became heavy.
Then Adrian quietly began humming.
Ava froze.
The melody.
The exact melody.
The Christmas song Ethan had hummed four years ago.
Adrian noticed her expression and stopped.
“You remember it.”
Ava stood.
Her heart was racing.
“Don’t.”
“Ava.”
“Don’t make me remember you.”
His face softened.
“I never forgot you.”
The words nearly destroyed her.
Then Adrian’s phone vibrated.
He looked down.
His expression immediately changed.
A message.
A photograph.
Ava saw it before he could hide it.
Daniel Carter.
Her father.
The photograph had clearly been taken recently.
He was alive.
Ava grabbed Adrian’s phone.
“What is this?”
“Ava.”
“My father is alive?”
She stared at him.
“You knew?”
Adrian reached for the phone.
But Ava stepped back.
On the screen was another message.
ASK HIM WHY HE’S BEEN LOOKING FOR YOUR FATHER.
Ava slowly lifted her eyes.
Adrian stood before her.
And suddenly, she understood.
Ethan hadn’t entered her life randomly.
Neither had Adrian.
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