Chapter 3

Ava’s pov.

Keeping up with my lie didn’t seem so hard so far and I was starting to get used to it that I slowly started to believe I was his wife. It has been four days with me coming from my apartment to the hospital to see Liam and with Daniel watching my every move. Most likely waiting for me to slip up.

I sat at the chair beside Liam when the door bursted open. A doctor followed by Daniel walked inside and I straightened up immediately.

“… the transfer would be possible. I also believe it would be safer for him, a private nurse will keep watch on him till he wakes.” The doctor said to Daniel as he scribbled on the note pad he carried. “I will get the paper work done immediately.”

The doctor walked out of the room leaving me more confused than I did when he initially walked in. I turned to Daniel, my eyes demanding an explanation.

“Mr. Vance will be moved back to the house where I think he will be much safer.” He finally spoke.

“I should be with him till he wakes up.” I stated clearly. He gave me a firm nod.

***

The ride to Liam’s estate was quiet. I stared through the tinted window of the private ambulance as we drove through the estate’s gate down to the front door of the building where Daniel stood waiting to usher us in. He lifted two fingers and guards stepped forward. A pair of in-house medics opened the rear doors. A night nurse with a neat tucked Liam’s blanket higher, her focus clipped and gentle.

“Mrs. Vance,” Daniel greeted with a nod as I stepped out.

“Mr. Reeve,” I replied.

“The medical suite is on the ground floor for tonight. Less attention”

We moved as a unit. The guards, medics, nurse and me were all guided through the estate. I took note of all the cameras and stared in awe at the interior of the building. This wasn’t a house. It was a mansion. Daniel eventually introduced the housekeeper to me and specifically told her I was under her care.

“Make sure her needs are taken care of.” And with that he was gone.

“We’ve prepared the master suite and a light tray. The chef can accommodate anything you prefer.” She said politely.

“I don’t prefer much,” I said. “Just quiet.”

“You will find we excel at that,” she replied. She reached into her inner pocket and produced a black card. “Your access, I was asked by Mr. Reeve to hand it over. Temporarily.”

I took the card, careful not to brush her fingers.“Temporarily,” I echoed, like a promise I intended to keep.

She stepped closer.“If you’ll allow, I’ll show you to the master rooms once. The staff has been informed of your arrival.”

“Oh.” I replied softly. They have been informed but not convinced.

“The press have staked the hospital,” she said. “And a few… opportunists.”

“I’m aware. That’s why Liam had to be moved.” I replied.

She walked at a reasonable distance while I followed behind. She eventually stopped in front of a door and ushered me in. I gushed when I walked in, taking in the beauty of the room.

“Welcome home. Mrs. Vance” She said with a smile.

“Thank you.” I said, smiling back at her. She took that as her queue to leave and let me settle in.

I closed the door behind her. The master suite was quiet, too quiet, and everything about it screamed wealth. The walk-in closet looked like a showroom. Suits lined up in perfect order, shoes polished, cufflinks and watches arranged neatly in trays.

I let my fingers run across the fabrics. Every piece of clothing, every polished object, was a reminder: the money he got from ruining my father’s business, everything he stole from me, from my family, is here.

I opened drawers carefully. Socks folded neatly. I noticed something off, a seam in the back of the closet wall. I pressed my thumb against it and then I heard a click. My heart jumped. A hidden storage.

A sound in the hallway made me freeze. Someone was walking towards my room. I quickly put everything back in place before I got caught.

“Dinner is ready, Mrs. Vance.” The housekeeper said after she knocked and I let her in.

I nodded and followed her to the dining area. I drew out a chair and took my seat. Dinner arrived on a tray, simple and warm, pushed in by a young man. He set it down, bowed slightly, and left before I could thank him properly.

It all felt strange to me because I had once been on the other side of this table, watching men like him eat and sign away someone else’s life.

After I finished, the housekeeper, who I finally got to know as Mrs. Hart returned with a tray of decaffeinated tea and a smile.

“Thank you. How long have y’all worked for my husband?” I asked, trying to get some information on Liam.

“Some stay years. Some are here for a season. Mr. Vance… expects discretion and routine.”

I nodded, giving her my best soft expression. “He must be difficult to please.”

She glanced down at her hands. “He demands excellence. But he’s fair with those who earn it.”

Little answers, big openings. I pressed on gently. “Does he have anyone here who handles his files? Someone who knows where the important things are stored?”

Mrs. Hart hesitated, then gave a small shrug. “There’s always an assistant. He handles a lot, runs messages, coordinates with the office and Mr. Reeve manages most of what the public sees.”

After Mrs. Hart left, I asked to be shown where the staff ate, where they relaxed between shifts. She gave a short tour the next morning, and the servant’s hall smelled of coffee and late-night chatter. I watched faces more than I listened. People reveal themselves when they think no one important is watching.

At breakfast, I sat at the end of a long table and asked questions carefully, without suspicion. “Does Mr. Vance have an office here?”

Mrs. Hart looked at me like a woman who had learned to measure the truth. “Yes he does. He likes quiet. And he does leave a light on in his office,” she said. “Says it helps with headaches.”

“Headaches,” I repeated. “That must make him careful with noise. And his office, do many people enter it?”

“Only those who need to,” She said. “The assistant brings things. The counsel comes when necessary. But the office is private.”

I watched the staff’s faces as they spoke. No one suspected me. They saw a woman who had married wealth and lost nothing to the rumor. That was a powerful story to live inside.

By the second day I had learned the names and small habits of the people who kept this house running.

When someone thinks you admire them, they give you pieces of themselves. So I admired. I listened. I laughed lightly at the right jokes. I told stories that made me human and generous. I let Mrs. Hart talk about herself and her family.

The staff were not obstacles, they were the house’s eyes and ears. If I wanted to break him, I would not start with his money or his public image. I would begin with the people who lived inside the estate with him. The ones who opened doors, signed for deliveries, and made sure his calls were put through. Win the staff, and you control what the house sees. Win the house, and you control what the man believes when he opens his eyes.

By the fifth day I had mastered a lot about Liam from the staff. After my dinner, I told Mrs. Hart that I would like to kiss Liam goodnight and with that the tray was cleared.

The nurse checked the monitors once. “I’ll be right outside,” she said. “Press the call button if you need anything.” She turned and left.

I moved to the bed and sat on the chair beside him.

“Goodnight,” I heard myself say.

I leaned forward until my lips were almost near his ear.

“You took everything from me,” I whispered. “My father’s business. The life my mother deserved. You took it all.”

I took a long breath.

“And now,” I added, more quietly, “I’ll take everything from you.”

His fingers twitched.

It was such a small movement I thought I had imagined it. His breathing changed. His eyelids quivered. When his eyes finally opened, they were unfocused at first, searching the room.

Then he saw me. He had a confused expression as he kept staring at me trying to figure out who I was.

“Who—” his voice unclear, then he steadied it. “Who the hell are you?”

Liam Vance was awake and he was staring straight at me.