ETHAN'S POV
She was asleep now. Her breathing even, her fingers still gently curled against my chest like she didn't want to let go, not even in her dreams.
I'd never realized how heavy silence could feel until it was filled with peace.
For the first time in what felt like centuries, my body wasn't tense from calculation or paranoia. My mind wasn't spinning through possible betrayals, contracts, strategies, or enemies.
Ava had somehow managed to build stillness inside my chaos.
And that terrified me.
Not because I didn't want it.
But because I didn't think I deserved it.
---
I rose from the bed, careful not to disturb her, and stepped out into the cold hallway. I needed air, but more than that, I needed clarity.
I poured a glass of whisky and walked toward the study.
That damn folder she handed me yesterday still lay where I dropped it after confronting her, neatly closed, quiet now. But it held weight like a tombstone.
