Married To The Devil In A Suit

CHAPTER ONE I was twenty-four, tired all the time, and just trying to get through each day without something going wrong. That was my life. Nothing exciting. Nothing special. Just work, bills, and making sure my brother didn’t completely ruin his life. Some days, it felt like I was barely holding things together. That night started like every other night. The diner was loud, the smell of fried food stuck to everything, and my feet already hurt before my shift was even halfway done. I had my hair tied back in a loose bun, strands falling out because I didn’t have the energy to fix it again. My uniform was slightly wrinkled, but at that point, I didn’t care. “Table four needs their order,” my boss called from the back. “I got it,” I said, grabbing my notepad. I moved quickly, forcing a small smile as I walked up to the table. A couple sat there, dressed nicely, like they didn’t belong in a place like this. “Hi, what can I get you?” I asked. They barely looked at me. I wrote down their order anyway, trying not to let it bother me. I was used to it. People like them didn’t see people like me. After a while, everything just blended together—orders, plates, voices. Time passed slowly but also too fast. By the time my shift ended, I felt drained. I stepped outside, breathing in the cooler night air like it could somehow reset me. The street was quiet, just a few cars passing by. For a second, everything felt normal. Then my phone rang. I pulled it out and saw Daniel’s name. My chest tightened a little. I answered right away. “Hey, what’s up?” I asked, already walking. There was a pause. That was the first thing that felt off. “Daniel?” “I need you to come,” he said. His voice didn’t sound right. Too low. Too tense. “Where are you?” I asked, stopping mid-step. He gave me an address I didn’t recognize. “What are you doing there?” “Just come,” he said. Then the line went dead. I stared at my phone for a second. Something wasn’t right. Daniel had always been a little reckless, but this… this felt different. I didn’t think about it too much. I just went. — The building looked exactly how I imagined it would. Old. Cracked walls. Lights flickering like they might go out any second. I didn’t like it. Not one bit. My heart was already beating faster as I walked in. “Daniel?” I called out, my voice echoing slightly. No answer. I moved up the stairs quickly, following the number he gave me. When I reached the door, it was slightly open. That made everything worse. I pushed it open slowly. “Daniel—” I stopped. He was sitting on the floor, leaning against the wall. For a second, I thought he was hurt. I rushed over. “Daniel, what happened?” I asked, kneeling in front of him. He didn’t answer right away. He just looked at me. And I didn’t like the look in his eyes. He looked… tired. Not just tired. Worn out. “I messed up,” he said finally. My stomach dropped. “What do you mean you messed up?” He let out a small, dry laugh. “I got into something I shouldn’t have.” “That’s not new,” I said, trying to keep my voice steady. “Just tell me what’s going on.” He shook his head slightly. “You shouldn’t be here.” “Well, I am,” I said. “So talk.” He reached into his pocket and pulled something out. A small flash drive. He held it out to me. “Take this.” I frowned. “What is it?” “Just take it,” he said. “Daniel—” “Take it, Ava.” The way he said my name made me pause. I slowly took it from him. “Now tell me what this is,” I said. “Insurance.” That word didn’t sit right. “Insurance for what?” Before he could answer— There was a knock at the door. Loud. My heart jumped. Daniel froze. That told me everything I needed to know. “Who is that?” I asked quietly. “Go,” he said suddenly, pushing himself up. “What?” “Go now.” “I’m not leaving you!” “You have to,” he said, his voice sharper now. “Take it and leave.” The knock came again. Harder. More aggressive. Footsteps followed. More than one person. My chest tightened. “Daniel—” “Go!” he snapped. The door suddenly burst open. I jumped back. Three men walked in like they owned the place. They didn’t look friendly. Not even a little. One of them looked at Daniel first. Then at me. And the way his eyes stayed on me… Made my stomach turn. “Well,” he said slowly. “This is interesting.” Daniel moved in front of me. “Leave her out of this.” The man smiled. But there was nothing nice about it. “I don’t think I will.” My grip tightened around the flash drive. “What do you want?” I asked, trying to keep my voice steady. The man’s eyes met mine again. And this time, I felt it. That cold feeling. Like something bad was about to happen. “You,” he said. Everything inside me went still. “What?” Before I could react— Daniel pushed me hard. “Run!” I didn’t argue. I ran. Out the door. Down the stairs. My heart pounding so fast it hurt. Behind me, I heard shouting. Something crashing. I didn’t stop. I didn’t look back. By the time I reached the street, I could barely breathe. I slowed down, trying to catch my breath. My hands were shaking. I looked down. The flash drive was still there. Small. But somehow… Important enough to cause all this. My phone rang again. Unknown number. I hesitated. Then answered. “Hello?” There was a pause. Then a man’s voice. Calm. Too calm. “Miss Carter.” My chest tightened. “Who is this?” “I can help you,” he said. “With what?” A short pause. “Your brother.” My heart skipped. “What about him?” “He’s about to be arrested.” The words hit hard. “What?” “And when that happens,” the man continued, “you’re going to need me.” I frowned. “Who are you?” Another pause. Then— “Ethan Blackwood.” The name didn’t mean anything to me. Not yet. “What do you want?” I asked. “Meet me tomorrow.” The line went dead. I stood there, staring at my phone. Everyth ing felt off. Wrong. Too fast. I looked back at the building. Then at the flash drive in my hand. And for the first time… I had a really bad feeling about what was coming next.