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The days seemed to blur together in a haze of tense moments, covert glances, and half-truths. Ava had never been one for second-guessing herself, but ever since her conversation with Lily at the café, something had felt off. Lily's words echoed in her mind constantly—*Ethan doesn't love you, Ava. He's only with you because he doesn't know who you really are. You're not the woman he thinks you are.*
It was impossible to shake that unease, that creeping feeling that Lily wasn't the only one who had secrets to hide.
That evening, as the sky turned deep blue and the city lights flickered on in the distance, Ava sat at the kitchen island, lost in thought. Ethan had been distant all day, his usual attentiveness replaced by a rare quietness. He'd gone into the office early this morning and hadn't returned until well after dark, a pattern she was beginning to recognize. But she didn't want to confront him just yet. Not until she had more information.
Her phone buzzed, startling her from her thoughts. It was a text from Max.
*"I found something. You need to come to the office right now."*
Ava's heart skipped a beat. Max wasn't the kind of person to send cryptic messages unless something was seriously wrong. She grabbed her bag and left the house without a second thought, her mind racing with possibilities.
***
Max's office was in a nondescript building on the outskirts of the city. As Ava entered, she saw him pacing, his jaw tight with concern. The second he saw her, he gestured toward his desk.
"Ava, sit down. We need to talk."
Ava took a seat, her stomach twisting with anticipation. "What's going on?"
Max pulled out a file and slid it toward her. "This came across my desk today. At first, I thought it was a mistake, but now... I'm not so sure."
Ava opened the file carefully. It was a collection of documents—bank statements, text messages, and even photographs—most of them showing Ethan's activities from the last few months. But it wasn't just the content that caught her eye—it was the names that appeared throughout the documents.
Among them was a familiar name.
Lily.
Ava's blood ran cold. The images in the file showed Lily meeting with individuals Ava didn't recognize—businessmen, lawyers, people who didn't seem to have any connection to her or Ethan. But the most disturbing part was the last image: a photograph of Lily in a darkened hotel room, standing next to none other than Ethan.
Ava's breath caught in her throat. The image was taken months ago—before Ethan and Ava had even gotten married. It was a candid shot, as if they hadn't realized they were being watched. Ethan's hand was on Lily's arm, his expression unreadable, but there was a tension between them that made Ava's chest tighten.
"What the hell is this?" Ava whispered, her voice barely audible.
Max leaned forward. "I don't know, but I think you need to confront Ethan. This looks like something more than just a business arrangement. And it goes back further than you think."
Ava's mind spun. She couldn't breathe. Lily had always been manipulative, but this... this was something entirely different. She thought she understood the game Lily was playing. But now, it seemed like there were forces at play that neither she nor Ethan had anticipated.
"I don't understand," Ava said, her voice trembling. "Why would Lily be involved with Ethan like this? What's her angle?"
Max exhaled sharply. "I don't know, but I think the answer might lie in Ethan's past—before he even met you."
The words hit her like a punch. *Before he met you.*
Ava had always assumed Ethan had no connections to Lily beyond their business dealings. But the more she thought about it, the more she realized how little she truly knew about Ethan's life before they reconnected. There were gaps in his story, pieces that didn't quite fit.
"I need to talk to him," Ava said, standing up abruptly. "Now."
Max stood as well, grabbing her arm. "Ava, don't rush into this. You have to be careful. You have no idea what this could mean for both of you."
But Ava was already walking out the door, her determination unshakable. She had to know the truth. She had to confront Ethan, even if it meant losing everything.
***
By the time Ava returned home, Ethan was already there, sitting on the couch with his head in his hands. The tension in the room was palpable, the air thick with unspoken words.
Ava closed the door behind her, her gaze fixed on him. "Ethan," she said, her voice steady but filled with an underlying fury, "we need to talk."
Ethan looked up, his face a mask of weariness. "Ava, I—"
"No," she cut him off. "Don't try to explain. I know what's been going on."
Ethan stood up quickly, his eyes wide with shock. "What are you talking about?"
Ava slammed the file down on the coffee table, the contents spilling out in front of him. "Explain this."
Ethan's expression faltered as he looked down at the photos. His jaw clenched, and for a moment, Ava could see the weight of guilt on his face.
"You have no idea what you're looking at," he said quietly, his voice low and controlled.
"I know exactly what I'm looking at," Ava shot back. "I know you've been hiding something from me, Ethan. And I know Lily's involved. So tell me the truth. What is going on?"
Ethan ran a hand through his hair, his eyes closing as he let out a frustrated sigh. "I never wanted you to know about this, Ava. But now that you have..."
He paused for a long moment, collecting his thoughts. When he finally spoke again, his voice was filled with resignation. "Lily and I have a past. A long time ago, before you and I even met, she and I were... involved. But it wasn't what you think. It was a business arrangement, a partnership that went far beyond just work."
Ava's heart pounded in her chest. "A business arrangement?" she echoed, barely able to believe the words.
Ethan nodded slowly. "It wasn't supposed to get complicated, but it did. We were involved in a project together—something bigger than both of us. And Lily... she's always had her own agenda. I cut ties with her years ago, but she's never let go. And now... now she's using our past to manipulate me."
Ava's mind raced. Ethan's past with Lily wasn't just a distant memory—it was a tangled mess that now threatened to undo everything they had built together.
She had to process this. She needed to understand if what Ethan was saying was the truth, or if he was covering up something worse. But just as she opened her mouth to ask another question, the front door burst open with a loud crash.
Ava whipped around, her heart skipping a beat.
Standing in the doorway was none other than *Lily*.
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