The CEO's Contract Bride

Chapter 7: The Trap

Ethan didn't sleep that night.

He sat in his study, a glass of whiskey untouched in his hand, staring at the mansion's floor plan on his desk. Every room. Every hallway. Every person under this roof.

Vivian. Chloe. The servants. The driver.

One of them had tried to kill his child.

A soft knock. Ava stood in the doorway in her pajamas, hugging herself.

"Can't sleep either?" she asked quietly.

Ethan held out his hand. She came to him, and he pulled her onto his lap, wrapping his arms around her. She fit perfectly against his chest.

"I'm scared," she whispered into his neck.

"I know." His voice was rough. "But listen to me, Ava. From tomorrow, everything changes. You will eat only food from my personal chef. You will drink only bottled water that I open myself. You will not be alone with anyone — not Vivian, not Chloe, not the servants. Do you understand?"

"You're treating me like a prisoner."

"I'm treating you like the most precious thing in my world." He tilted her chin up. "Because you are. You and this baby."

Ava's eyes filled with tears. "Ethan..."

He kissed her forehead. "Trust me. I have a plan."

The next morning, David arrived with a thin folder.

"The mansion's private line," David said quietly, glancing at the closed study door. "Six people have the access code, sir. Madam Vivian. Miss Chloe. The housekeeper Mrs. Zhang. Your driver. The head of security. And..." He hesitated. "Your grandfather's nurse, when he visits."

"Six suspects." Ethan's jaw tightened. "Can you monitor the line?"

"Already done. Any call to or from that line, I'll know within minutes."

Ethan nodded slowly. Then a cold smile touched his lips.

"David, I want you to spread a rumor among the staff. Tell them I'm leaving for Hong Kong tonight. Urgent business. Three days."

David frowned. "But sir, you're not—"

"No. I'm not going anywhere." Ethan's eyes were ice. "But the person who wants my child dead needs to believe I'm gone. People make mistakes when they think no one is watching."

That evening, the dining room glittered as usual. Vivian sat like a queen. Chloe picked at her food, dark circles under her eyes. Lily chattered nervously about shopping.

Ethan waited until dessert. Then he stood, raised his wine glass, and smiled.

"I have an announcement."

The table went quiet.

"My wife is pregnant." He placed his hand proudly on Ava's shoulder. "Three months. The Gu family will have an heir."

Silence.

Then Vivian laughed — a beat too late, a touch too sharp. "How... wonderful! Congratulations, Ethan. Ava." Her smile didn't reach her eyes.

Lily choked on her wine. "P-pregnant? Already?"

And Chloe — Chloe went white as paper. Her fork clattered onto her plate. She stared at Ava's belly like she'd seen a ghost.

Ethan noted every reaction. Got you.

"It's still early," Ava said softly, playing her part. "We wanted to share the good news with family first."

"Of course," Vivian said smoothly. "Family." But her fingers tightened around her wine glass until her knuckles went white.

At nine o'clock, a black car pulled out of the mansion gates. The staff whispered: Mr. Gu had left for the airport.

But Ethan never got in that car.

He slipped back through the garden gate, dressed in black, and took his position in the darkened security room with David. Six monitors showed every hallway of the mansion. In the master bedroom, Ava lay in bed, pretending to sleep — with two of Ethan's most trusted bodyguards hidden in the adjoining bathroom, and a panic button under her pillow.

"Now we wait," Ethan murmured.

Hours crawled by. Midnight. One o'clock. Two.

Then — movement on monitor four. The second-floor hallway.

A figure in dark clothes, moving silently toward the master bedroom. Small. A woman.

Ethan leaned forward. "Zoom in."

The camera caught her face in the dim light.

Chloe.

She held something in her hand. Ethan squinted — a small glass bottle. Liquid inside.

"She's going in," David whispered. "Sir, your orders?"

"Wait." Ethan's voice was steel. "Let her get inside. I want her caught in the act."

On the monitor, Chloe pressed her ear to the bedroom door. Then, slowly, she turned the handle — unlocked — and slipped inside like a shadow.

Ava's voice, sharp with fear: "Who's there?!"

A lamp clicked on. Chloe froze in the doorway, the bottle raised.

And then the bathroom door burst open. Two bodyguards rushed out. The hallway lights blazed on. And Ethan stepped through the bedroom door, his face thunderous.

"Chloe." His voice could have frozen fire. "What are you doing in my wife's room?"

Chloe dropped the bottle. It shattered on the floor, dark liquid spreading across the marble.

"I— I can explain—"

"Can you?" Ethan advanced on her. "The poisoned tea. And now this. Were you going to pour that into her water? Into her mouth while she slept?"

"No! I—" Chloe's face crumpled. Tears streamed down her cheeks. "I didn't want to! You don't understand—"

"Then make me understand!" Ethan roared. "You tried to kill my child, Chloe! My child!"

Ava sat up in bed, shaking. "Ethan, please—"

Chloe fell to her knees. Her whole body shook with sobs.

"They made me do it!" she cried. "They said if I didn't, they'd destroy my family! My father's company, my mother's life — everything! I didn't want to hurt you, Ava, I swear it!"

Ethan grabbed her shoulders and hauled her upright. His eyes burned into hers.

"Who." One word. Like a gunshot. "Who is making you do this? Give me a name, Chloe. Right now."

Chloe's lips trembled. She looked at Ethan, at Ava, at the broken bottle on the floor.

Tears fell faster. And then, in a voice barely above a whisper, she said the name.