Chapter 4 - Ava’s Secret
While Ethan coordinated the manhunt from his corporate headquarters, Ava spent her morning exploring the sprawling, sunlit expanse of the lakefront penthouse under the watchful care of Mrs. Gable, Ethan’s longtime housekeeper. Despite the intimidating luxury of the high-rise, Ava remained quiet and observant, clutching her worn backpack as though she expected to be packed up at any moment. When Ethan returned from his morning briefing, he found her sitting cross-legged on the oversized living room rug, carefully arranging a set of wooden building blocks into the shape of a house. Ethan knelt beside her, a gentle smile softening his features. “How are you feeling today, Ava? Did Mrs. Gable take good care of you?” Ava nodded, looking up with her striking blue eyes. “Yes. She gave me pancakes with strawberries. But... she doesn't have my green crayons.” “We’ll buy every green crayon in Chicago today,” Ethan promised softly. He hesitated, gently touching the edge of her backpack. “Ava, can I ask you something important about your mom?” The little girl’s expression clouded over, her small hands clutching the canvas strap tighter. “Mom told me not to talk about why we had to move so much.” “I understand, sweetheart. But I’m trying to help her. Do you remember where you guys were staying before you went to the cemetery gates?” Ava stared down at her blocks, biting her lower lip. “We lived in a car. A blue car that made funny coughing noises.” “Did she talk to anyone? Did she mention a friend, or a doctor, or a place she had to go to get money?” Ava shook her head, then paused as a sudden memory surfaced. “She talked to a man. A scary man with a gold watch who came to the door and shouted at her. Mom cried after he left, and then she packed our bags real fast.” Ethan’s internal alarm bells rang instantly. A man shouting at Grace? Someone threatening her? The scope of the mystery shifted from a tragic tale of poverty to something far more sinister.
