The Envelope
829 Words
The paper inside was heavier than she expected, smooth against her trembling fingers. Damian’s sharp inhale echoed in the room as Ava unfolded it.
One line.
Black ink, scrawled in a jagged, urgent hand.
“You were never the first choice.”
Her heart stalled. “What does this mean?” she whispered, more to herself than to him.
Damian stepped forward, but she took a step back, holding the paper like it was a shield. “Ava—”
“No. You don’t get to ‘Ava’ me. Not after this.” Her voice cracked, a mixture of fear and fury. “Who is he? What debt? And what the hell does this mean?”
His jaw was set so tightly she thought it might c***k. “It’s nothing you need to—”
“Don’t you dare,” she cut in. “Don’t you dare tell me it’s nothing. You stood there and watched him threaten you. Threaten us. And you just… let him go!”
“He wasn’t threatening you.”
“That’s supposed to make me feel better?” She laughed once—sharp, humorless. “God, Damian, I’ve defended you to everyone. Every whisper, every rumor—I shut it down because I believed you. And now you’re standing here acting like none of this matters.”
His gaze flickered, just for a second, and that was all it took for her to see it—guilt.
“You’re hiding something,” she said, the words tasting like betrayal on her tongue.
He didn’t answer.
The silence stretched until it was unbearable. Ava shoved the paper into his chest. “Fine. Don’t tell me. But I will find out.”
She turned on her heel and marched toward the bedroom, her bare feet cold against the marble floor. Damian’s voice stopped her at the doorway.
“You think you want the truth,” he said, low and dangerous, “but once you have it, you can’t give it back.”
She didn’t turn around. “Try me.”
Ava didn’t sleep that night.
Every creak in the house made her flinch. Every gust of wind outside had her imagining hands on the balcony railing again. She kept replaying the intruder’s voice—his calm, his certainty.
You were never the first choice.
First choice for what? For Damian? For marriage? Or something darker?
By morning, Damian was gone. No note, no text. Just the faint scent of his cologne lingering in the hall and the black envelope lying crumpled on his desk.
Ava sat at the kitchen island, staring into her untouched coffee. She didn’t know where he went, but she knew where she was going.
The only person who might have answers was Erin—Damian’s cousin, and the one family member who had ever warmed to her.
Erin’s townhouse was only twenty minutes away, but Ava drove there with the tension of someone navigating a warzone. When Erin opened the door, she frowned.
“You look like you haven’t slept,” Erin said, ushering her in.
“I haven’t,” Ava admitted. “I need to ask you something. And I need you to be honest.”
Erin’s brows pulled together. “Okay…?”
Ava sat down on the couch, fingers twisting in her lap. “Last night, someone broke into the penthouse. He knew Damian. He… said some things.”
“What kind of things?”
Ava hesitated. “He said I was never the first choice.”
Something flickered across Erin’s face—there and gone. “That’s… cryptic.”
“You know something.” Ava’s voice hardened. “Please, Erin. I’m not stupid. I can feel it every time Damian dodges a question. Every time he changes the subject. I don’t know what game he’s playing, but I’m not going to sit quietly in the dark.”
Erin leaned back, exhaling slowly. “Ava… Damian’s world isn’t what you think it is. He has enemies. Dangerous ones. And before you, there was… someone else.”
The room seemed to tilt. “Someone else?”
“She’s gone now,” Erin said quickly. “Dead. But it wasn’t an accident. And if this man came to your home, it means whatever Damian tried to bury is clawing its way back up.”
Ava swallowed hard. “Who was she?”
Erin shook her head. “If Damian hasn’t told you, it’s because he’s trying to protect you. The less you know, the better.”
Ava stood, her pulse spiking. “That’s not good enough. I’m done being protected. If there’s danger, I deserve to know how deep it runs.”
Erin caught her wrist. “Be careful. In Damian’s world, truth can be deadlier than lies.”
Ava pulled free, but the warning lodged itself in her chest like a thorn.
She didn’t know if Damian was protecting her… or protecting himself.
Either way, she was going to find out.
- Writer
