CHAPTER 8: CRACKS IN THE ARMOR
1126 Words
AVA POV
The morning light filtered through the floor-to-ceiling windows of my new apartment, pulling me from a restless sleep.
I stretched, my muscles were still tense from the whirlwind of the past few days.
The silk sheets and modern furnishings felt foreign, a constant reminder that none of this was truly mine.
It was Damien’s investment. A tool in a game I couldn’t afford to lose.
I reached for my phone on the nightstand, expecting the usual flood of work emails.
Instead, a text from Ethan lit up the screen, sent just after midnight.
*Good morning, Ava. Hope you slept well after our dinner. I have an important charity event at the city orphanage today,some hands-on time with the kids followed by a donor luncheon. Join me; it’ll be good for you to see that side of Rush Dynamics. Dress nicely,we need to look presentable. Can’t wait to see you there.*
A small smile tugged at my lips before I could stop it.
He was checking in.
Thoughtful.
Not the ruthless tycoon Damien had painted.
I typed back quickly:
*Slept fine, thanks. I’ll be ready. What time?*
His reply buzzed almost immediately:
*I’ll have a car pick you up at 9. Looking forward to it.*
I swung my legs out of bed, heart picking up pace.
This was perfect for the mission, there was more access, more opportunities to observe.
But as I showered and stood before the mirror, choosing a fitted navy blouse that accentuated my curves paired with a tailored cream skirt and modest heels, I felt a flicker of something warmer.
Genuine anticipation.
By 9 a.m., I was in the back of the town car, reviewing notes on my tablet.
The orphanage was on the city’s outskirts, a well-maintained facility surrounded by colorful playgrounds. When we arrived, Ethan was already there, his sleeves rolled up on his crisp white shirt, laughing with a group of children in the courtyard.
He looked different
“Ava,” he called, spotting me immediately.
His dark eyes warmed as he strode over, a little girl clutching his hand. “You look perfect. Come meet everyone.”
The morning unfolded like something out of a feel-good story.
Ethan didn’t just pose for photos or shake donor hands.
He got on the floor with the kids, playing a chaotic game of tag that left his trousers dusty and his laugh echoing. He listened intently as a shy boy named Tommy showed him a drawing of a race car, offering genuine praise and suggestions that made the child beam.
“You’ve got real talent, kid. Keep at it, and one day I’ll race one of your designs.”
I helped where I could, reading stories to a cluster of girls and organizing snacks.
But my eyes kept drifting to Ethan. The way he lifted a toddler onto his shoulders, patient and strong. The easy charm as he chatted with the orphanage director, promising new equipment funding without making it feel like a transaction. He was caring.
He was very attentive. The kind of man who seemed to truly see people.
For a moment, watching him high-five a group of boys after a makeshift soccer goal, I thought,
“He must be nice. This can’t all be an act.”
The warmth in his voice, the unguarded smiles,it chipped at the walls I had built. After Ryan's betrayal, I had sworn off believing in surfaces.
Yet here was Ethan, making it hard to remember why I was really standing in this sunlit courtyard.
My phone vibrated in my bag, a subtle reminder. I stepped aside briefly to check the burner. Damien:
“Update on the event. Any access?”
I slipped it away without replying. Not now.
Lunch was held under a shaded pavilion, donors mingling with staff and a few older children.
Ethan sat beside me, his knee brushing mine under the table.
“What do you think?” he asked quietly, his voice low amid the chatter.
“It’s… impressive,” I said honestly. “You seem really involved. Not just writing checks.”
He shrugged, a modest smile playing on his lips.
“These kids deserve more than pity. I was one of them once,bounced around foster homes before I clawed my way up. Giving back keeps me grounded.”
His hand covered mine briefly, thumb tracing a soft circle.
“I’m glad you’re here, Ava. You make it better.”
Heat bloomed in my chest.
He was opening up, just a little.
The man Damien called a monster was playing tag and sharing vulnerabilities.
I wanted to lean into it, to ask more about his past, but I caught myself.
“It’s just work,”
I thought fiercely, pulling my hand back under the pretense of reaching for water.
“Seduce him. Get the evidence. Don’t fall for the performance.”
Damien’s warning echoed,”He’ll eat you alive if you slip.”
The afternoon wrapped up with more activities, art projects where Ethan helped paint a mural, his forearms flexing as he guided tiny hands.
I assisted, laughing when paint smudged his cheek.
He wiped it away with a grin directed solely at me. “We make a good team.”
By the time the car dropped me back at the apartment late afternoon, my mind was a tangle.
Ethan had been nothing but kind, generous.
The kids adored him. A part of me wondered if Damien had it wrong, if there was goodness beneath the rumors of fraud and laundering.
But I shook it off as I changed into loungewear. *It’s just work. Nothing else. He’s the target. Charming is his weapon.*
I grabbed the burner and typed a fuller report to Damien:
“Charity event at the orphanage went smoothly. Ethan very hands-on with kids, seems caring on surface. Got some personal background (foster care). There's no files yet, but building rapport. He’s harder to read than expected.”
Damien’s response pinged back with a voice note this time.
I played it, his smooth, arrogant tone filling the room.
“Caring with kids? How touching. Don’t let the halo fool you, Ava. Keep digging. Next weekly report better have something solid.”
I set the phone down, staring out at the city.
Ethan’s text from this morning still glowed on my main phone
a simple
*How was your day?* that had just arrived.
I replied politely, keeping it professional yet warm.
The duality pulled at me,Damien’s shadows versus Ethan’s unexpected light.
Tomorrow, back in the office, I would push harder.
For now, I let myself remember the children’s laughter and Ethan’s easy smile.
Just for a moment.
Then I buried it deep. This was business. My sister’s future depended on it.
No distractions.
- Writer
