Chapter 3 - Fingerprints on Silk
|
Desperate to regain control of the situation, I swallowed hard and forced my voice back into the practiced, crisp tone of a high-level executive assistant.
"The gala begins in eleven minutes, Mr. Carter," I said, smoothing the front of my black blouse with cold fingers. "Your speech is waiting at the podium. Senator Collins is already seated in row one, and Dr. Vaughn requested that the hospital's promotional video play immediately before his award acceptance."
A bitter, humorless smile touched the corner of Ethan’s jaw as he slowly turned around to face me.
I was standing there bruised, terrified, and barely keeping my breathing under control... yet I was still managing his calendar.
"Ava," he said quietly, stepping closer. The faint scent of cedar and expensive cologne filled the narrow space between us.
"Yes, Mr. Carter?"
"Who did this to you?"
I looked down at my polished black pumps, unable to meet the intense, dark grey gaze that had haunted my dreams for months. "No one you can punish."
"Try me." The authority in his voice was absolute. It was the voice of a man accustomed to tearing down rival corporations with a single phone call.
I took a deep breath and looked toward the hallway door as a sudden burst of applause echoed from the ballroom below.
"You can't punish him," I whispered, tears finally prickling the corners of my eyes.
"Why not?"
"Because the man who put these marks on my body is downstairs right now," I said, my voice cracking under the weight of the truth. "And in just a few minutes, your foundation is going to present him with an award as the greatest humanitarian in this city."
May you like
Ethan’s expression didn't shatter, but something terrifyingly cold descended over his eyes.
"Andrew?" he asked, speaking the name like a curse.
