Chapter Three
1024 Words
Sophia stood by the grand marble island in their penthouse kitchen, absently stirring a pot of coffee she had no intention of drinking. The apartment felt too large, too quiet, the ticking clock on the wall a steady reminder that Ethan wouldn’t be home again.
She used to know this man so well. The little things: how he liked his shirts pressed, how he took his scotch, how his shoulders relaxed when she whispered to him in the dark. Now, it was like living with a stranger behind glass walls. She could see him, but she couldn’t reach him.
The memory of Ava’s smug, polished smile gnawed at her.
Not here for the job… she’s here for him.
Sophia’s phone chimed, pulling her from her thoughts. A message from Vanessa.
We need a plan, Soph. Let’s meet.
Sophia hesitated, then typed back.
Tomorrow. Noon. Black Ivy.
She wasn’t going to sit back and lose everything. Not to a girl like Ava Carter.
Blackwood Enterprises - 7:45 PM
Ava lingered by her desk long after most of the office had cleared out. The city skyline glowed through the floor-to-ceiling windows, New York never truly sleeping.
Ethan’s office light was still on.
Perfect.
She tapped lightly on the glass door before slipping inside without waiting for a response.
“Still here, Mr. Blackwood?” she asked, her voice soft, teasing.
Ethan looked up from a stack of documents, exhaustion written across his face. “Big merger. You should head home, Ava.”
“I don’t mind staying late.” She walked further in, placing a folder on his desk. “I finished updating the Dalton proposal.”
He glanced down, eyebrows rising. “You’re efficient.”
“I aim to please,” she said, her voice layered with quiet suggestion.
A moment passed. The room was thick with unspoken words, electricity crackling beneath the surface.
“I shouldn’t have let this… whatever it is… start,” Ethan finally muttered, leaning back in his chair. “It’s a bad idea.”
Ava tilted her head, a small, knowing smile playing at her lips. “What is it you think has started, Mr. Blackwood?”
“You know what I mean.”
She crossed to his desk, placing both hands on the glossy surface. “I know you’re married. I know what people might say. But I also know how lonely it is being at the top.”
Ethan’s eyes darkened. “It’s not loneliness, Ava. It’s a boundary. One I shouldn’t cross.”
“But you’re already standing on the edge,” she murmured.
For a moment, neither spoke. The tension was so heavy, Ava could feel her pulse in her throat. She leaned in just a little closer, enough to let her perfume fill the space between them.
Then, a sharp knock at the door.
They both jolted back like guilty teenagers.
Liam stepped inside without waiting for an answer, his expression unreadable. “Ethan. We’ve got a situation.”
Ava straightened instantly. “I’ll leave you two.”
As she slipped out, she gave Liam a perfectly innocent smile, but his narrowed eyes followed her out.
When the door clicked shut, Liam turned to Ethan. “What the hell are you doing, man?”
Ethan sighed heavily, pinching the bridge of his nose. “It’s nothing. I’m handling it.”
“Handling it?” Liam scoffed. “I just walked in on you about to implode your entire life.”
“It’s not what it looked like.”
Liam stepped closer. “Listen, you’ve worked your ass off for this company, for Sophia, for the empire you built together. And you’re going to risk it for what? A girl who’s playing a part so well should she win an Oscar?”
“I know she’s ambitious,” Ethan said stiffly. “I’m not blind.”
“Could’ve fooled me.”
Liam let out a long breath. “Look, you’re my best friend. And I’ll always have your back. But this? This is the kind of mistake people don’t recover from. You need to cut it off.”
“I will.”
“When?”
Ethan didn’t answer.
The Black Ivy - The Next Day, 12:00 PM
Sophia sat across from Vanessa in their usual booth, stirring her tea. She hadn’t slept well, and it showed in the faint shadows beneath her eyes.
Vanessa, poised and sharp as always, leaned in. “You were right, Soph. I made some calls.”
Sophia’s heart lurched. “And?”
“Ava Carter,” Vanessa said quietly. “Her résumé checks out on paper, but digs deeper… she’s bounced around companies, always leaving after a year or less. And the reason? Whispers of affairs. Office romances. Targeting powerful men.”
Sophia gripped her cup tighter. “She’s done this before.”
“More than once. The last CEO she worked under? Divorced six months after she left.”
Sophia exhaled shakily. “I knew it. I knew what she was from the minute I saw her.”
Vanessa reached across the table. “You need to be smart about this. Ethan’s stubborn. If you go to him now, it’ll backfire.”
“What do you suggest?”
“Gather proof. Real proof. Messages. Photos. A pattern. Make it so obvious even Ethan can’t deny it.”
Sophia nodded slowly, resolve hardening like concrete. “Okay. Let’s do it.”
Blackwood Enterprises - Same Day, 3:00 PM
Ava sat at her desk, scrolling through Ethan’s schedule. Everything was falling into place. Sophia was losing her grip, Ethan was conflicted, and Ava was right where she wanted to be.
She wasn’t here for a job. She was here for power, position and the life she deserved.
Her phone buzzed.
Unknown Number: You’re playing a dangerous game, Ava. Stay away from Ethan.
Ava’s eyes narrowed. Someone was watching.
She smiled, her fingers dancing over the screen.
New number, who’s this? Sophia?
No reply.
Ava leaned back in her chair, her lips curving. It didn’t matter. Sophia was already on the losing side of this war.
And wars weren’t won by playing fair.
- Writer
