Chapter 3

Ben Carter, ever the actor, was the first to break the silence. He stepped out from behind Ava, his face a mask of concern. "Brother," he said softly, his voice trembling just enough. "Are you sure? You and Chloe... you don't always get along. Maybe you should reconsider."

Ava immediately turned on me, her eyes blazing with a mix of fury and disbelief. "He's right, Ethan. This is foolish. You're making a mistake." She was still protecting Ben, even now, trying to steer me back to her plan.

I ignored them both. My gaze fell on Ben's suit. It was a custom-tailored piece, the exact style I had been considering for myself last week. The fabric was expensive, far beyond what Ben could afford on his meager allowance. Ava' s money, no doubt. The money she stole from me.

"Nice suit, Ben," I said, my tone light and conversational. "It almost makes you look like you belong here."

Ben's face paled. Ava' s eyes narrowed.

Before she could retort, a blur of motion came from the doorway. It wasn't the young man from before. It was his father, Mr. Chen. His face was a twisted mask of desperation and rage. In his hand, he held a small, sharp letter opener he must have snatched from a desk in the hall.

"Miller!" he screamed, his eyes wild. "You ruined me! You'll pay!"

He wasn't aiming for Ben this time. He was coming straight for me.

My body tensed. A part of me, a ghost of my past self, instinctively looked to Ava. For a split second, I expected her to move, to do her job.

She didn't. Her eyes were locked on Ben, her body already shifting to shield him from a threat that wasn't even directed his way. She saw Mr. Chen rushing me, but her priority was already clear. Ben. Always Ben.

The sight broke the last, lingering chain of my past life's affection. My heart didn't ache. It turned to ice.

Mr. Chen was close now. The letter opener glinted. I braced myself.

Suddenly, a figure shot past me. Chloe.

She moved with a fluid, deadly grace I had forgotten she possessed. She didn't try to block Mr. Chen. She kicked the side of his knee, a sharp, precise blow that sent him stumbling off balance. The letter opener flew from his grasp, clattering across the marble floor.

As he fell, his flailing arm caught my shoulder, the force of it sending a sharp, familiar pain through me. It was nothing compared to what I'd felt before, but it was a chilling echo.

Ben rushed to my side. "Brother, are you okay?" His voice was laced with a phony concern that made me want to vomit. He glanced at Ava. "Ava, how could you let this happen? You were supposed to be protecting him!"

Ava, realizing her failure, looked shaken. She had a small cut on her arm, probably from deflecting the other man earlier. "I... I was distracted."

Chloe, however, had already subdued Mr. Chen, twisting his arm behind his back as security finally swarmed in and dragged him away. She stood up, breathing a little heavily. There was a thin, red line on her cheek where the letter opener must have grazed her.

"Are you hurt?" I asked, my voice coming out rougher than I intended.

She touched her cheek, her expression unconcerned. "It's nothing. Just a scratch." She looked me over, her eyes sharp and analytical. "You?"

"I'm fine," I said.

She nodded once, then turned and walked away without another word, disappearing down the hall. Her back was straight, her steps unfaltering. She didn't want thanks. She didn't want attention. She just did her job.

A cold rage settled in my gut. I looked at Ava, who was still fussing over her own minor scratch while Ben hovered around her.

"Ava Lewis," I said, my voice dangerously quiet. "You failed in your duty as my head of security. You will kneel in the courtyard until I say otherwise."