Chapter 2

Ethan left the room without another word, slamming the door behind him. He was confident she would fail. Olivia had vanished without a trace, and his own extensive resources had turned up nothing for five years. What could Ava possibly do?

Ava sank back onto the bed, the exhaustion hitting her like a physical blow. She wrapped her arms around herself, a single, silent tear escaping her eye. In the aftermath, she forgot to take the birth control pill he kept on her nightstand.

The next day, Ava began her search. She started with Olivia's old friends, her last known addresses, anything that might provide a clue. But every lead was a dead end. It was like Olivia had simply ceased to exist.

A month passed. Hope was dwindling. Ava found herself in a seedy, dive bar on the outskirts of the city, following a flimsy tip. The air was thick with smoke and desperation. As she was about to leave, she heard a voice from a dark corner booth.

A voice she knew, but had never heard speak.

"He's still obsessed, Mom. He's been looking for me for five years."

It was Olivia.

Ava froze, hiding in the shadows. Olivia was sitting with her mother, Brenda Hayes. And she was speaking. Perfectly. The muteness she had feigned for twenty years was a lie.

"Of course, he is," Brenda said, a greedy glint in her eyes. "That boy has been wrapped around your little finger since you were kids. Once we get our hands on the Hayes family fortune, we can finally live the life we deserve. You just need to play the part a little longer."

"I'm tired of pretending to be a helpless little mute," Olivia complained, taking a long drag from her cigarette. "And I'm tired of hiding in this dump."

"Patience, my dear," Brenda soothed. "Soon, you'll be Mrs. Hayes, and Ava will be out on the street where she belongs."

Rage, pure and blinding, surged through Ava. She had been played for a fool her entire life. She turned and slipped out of the bar, her mind racing. She had to warn Ethan. He had to know the truth.

She drove straight to the Hayes Corporation headquarters. She didn't have an appointment, but she was still Mrs. Hayes. The receptionist tried to stop her, but Ava pushed past, her only thought to get to Ethan's office.

She burst through the doors of his top-floor office. "Ethan, you have to listen to me! It's Olivia–"

A sharp slap cut her off, the force of it sending her stumbling sideways.

Ethan stood before her, his face a mask of fury. He held his phone in his hand, the screen glowing.

"You bitch," he snarled. "You knew where she was all this time. You've been hiding her from me!"

"What are you talking about?" Ava cried, her cheek stinging.

He shoved the phone in her face. It was a text message, supposedly from Olivia. "Ethan, help me. Ava has me locked up. I'm scared."

"That's a lie!" Ava insisted, her heart sinking. "I just saw her. She's not a mute, Ethan! She's been faking it! She and her mother are trying to con you!"

But Ethan wasn't listening. His eyes were wild with a mix of rage and relief. He believed Olivia was in danger, and he was going to be her hero.

He grabbed Ava's arm in a bruising grip. "You're coming with me," he growled. "You're going to take me to her. And then you're going to pay for what you've done."