Chapter 2 - The Shelter of the Penthouse
Carrying little Ava wrapped in his own heavy cashmere coat, Ethan gently placed her into the back of his idling town car, instructing his stunned driver to head immediately toward his lakefront penthouse. Throughout the silent drive, Ava clutched her torn backpack and the precious photograph of Grace as though letting go would cause the world to vanish. Arriving at the tower, Ethan bypassed the grand lobby, carrying the sleeping, feverish child directly up his private elevator. Within thirty minutes, a trusted private pediatrician, Dr. Marcus Vance, arrived at the penthouse, administering warm IV fluids and blankets to combat the severe early stages of hypothermia and exhaustion. Watching the doctor tend to Ava, Ethan felt a suffocating wave of guilt wash over him. He had spent the last decade conquering markets and building a tech monolith, yet he had been completely blind to the suffering of his own flesh and blood. Ava stirred around 3:00 AM, her blue eyes blinking sleepily against the blinding luxury of the penthouse living room. Seeing Ethan sitting faithfully by her bedside, she clutched her pink hat. “Where is my mom?” she asked, her voice cracking with vulnerable panic. Ethan sat on the edge of the mattress, his voice dropping into its softest, most reassuring register. “We’re going to find her, Ava. I promise you. But right now, you’re safe here with me.” He offered her a warm bowl of chicken broth prepared by his night staff, watching with a tender ache as she ate hungrily. As Ava finally drifted back into a peaceful sleep, Ethan walked over to the floor-to-ceiling glass windows overlooking the frozen skyline of Chicago, clutching the photograph of Grace in his palm. The search for the mother of his child was about to begin, and Ethan knew he would tear the city apart to find her.
