Chapter 2

The news ticker on the television in my study soon flashed the headline. "Local Philanthropist Ava Monroe Feared Dead in Tragic Climbing Accident." The report detailed how she was scouting a location for a charity event. Such noble lies. I felt nothing but a cold satisfaction. The official report would now trigger my lawyers' actions.

Just as I predicted, my private line rang. Caller ID: Chloe Bishop. I let it ring three times before answering. "Ethan? Oh, Ethan, thank God I reached you!" Chloe’s voice was a symphony of feigned hysteria. Zoe was wailing theatrically in the background. "Have you heard? Ava... oh, Ethan, it’s too horrible!" I leaned back in my chair. "Heard what, Chloe?" My calm tone must have thrown her. "Ava! The news... the climbing accident! She... she’s gone!" I thought of her laughing in Monaco, decades of life ahead of her, stolen from me. I thought of my own death, triggered by her face. "Yes," I said, my voice flat. "I’ve been informed." "Oh, Ethan, we’re devastated! We’re coming right over!" "Don't bother," I said. Silence. Then, "What? But Ethan, we need to be there for you! And... and discuss Ava’s arrangements... her things..." Her estate, she meant. Her shares. "There’s nothing to discuss, Chloe," I said, my voice like ice. "My legal team is handling everything pertaining to Miss Monroe." "Miss Monroe?" Zoe shrieked in the background, momentarily forgetting to sob. "Ethan, what are you saying?" "I'm saying her affairs are being settled," I replied. "There will be no 'estate' for you to pick over. Any gifts or benefits are rescinded." "But... but the shares Ethan promised Ava! The pre-nup!" Chloe stammered, her voice losing its sorrowful act, replaced by a sharp, greedy edge. "Were contingent on a marriage that will not happen," I said coolly. "And for a woman who, as far as the world is concerned, is now deceased. My lawyers have been very clear." They were stunned into silence. Good. I could almost hear their brains whirring, their carefully laid plans crumbling. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I have actual business to attend to," I said, and hung up.

Miles away, at a private airfield, Ava Monroe checked her fake passport at the customs desk. Liam Knight, her lover, stood beside her, oozing charisma. The customs officer frowned at his screen. "Ma'am, there seems to be an issue with your passport." Ava smiled sweetly. "Oh? I can't imagine what." "This passport is flagged. It belongs to a deceased individual." Ava’s smile froze. Liam’s eyes narrowed. Her phone buzzed. A frantic text from Chloe: *Ethan knows! He’s frozen everything! Ava’s legally DEAD!* Panic flared in Ava's eyes. Their escape was foiled. Their funds, mostly siphoned from me, were now inaccessible.

Later that day, my mother called, her voice trembling. "Ethan, darling, this news about Ava... it's dreadful. And Chloe and Zoe called, they were so distraught, said you were being... rather cold." "Mother," I said, my voice firm but not unkind. "Ava is gone. Chloe and Zoe were interested in her assets, not my well-being. I'm handling it." "But darling, that mentorship program... I just wanted you to be happy, to find someone... grounding." "I know, Mom," I said, a touch of weariness in my voice. "Perhaps it's time I considered someone of my own choosing. Someone like Sophia Chen." My COO. Brilliant, loyal Sophia. In my past life, I realized too late how much she cared. My mother was silent for a moment. "Sophia? Oh. Well, she is a wonderful girl, Ethan. Very capable." A small seed planted. A different future blooming. Ava and Liam, meanwhile, were stuck. Their lavish escape plan was in tatters. Their world was rapidly shrinking.