Chapter 3 Gala of Lies

"Don't move," Ethan growled, slamming me backward onto the cold glass of his suite's vanity mirror.

I gasped as the impact rattled my spine, but before I could regain my footing, his thick hands clamped around my knees. He hauled my legs wide, pinning my thighs to the edge of the marble counter while bringing his heavy body between my open knees.

"Ethan, stop this!" I choked out, thrashing against his hold.

He didn't answer. Reaching for a heavy metallic harness resting on the counter, he pressed the cold leather across my exposed torso. The dark straps were lined with raw, uncut diamonds that bit directly into my bare skin as he pulled them tight. His thumbs dug into my ribs with brutal precision, fitting the central lock right between my breasts.

I squeezed my eyes shut, my breathing coming in shallow, ragged hitches. "You're out of your mind."

"I am securing what I paid for," Ethan muttered into my ear, his voice rough and low.

He didn't just strap the harness into place—he dragged his mouth up the slope of my neck, sinking his teeth into my collarbone with enough pressure to leave a deep red mark. I gasped from the sharp flare of pain, my head falling back against the mirror.

"Look at me, Ava," he demanded, his hand gripping my jaw to force my eyes open. "You obey every instruction tonight. Am I clear?"

Tears of frustration stung my eyes, but as he leaned closer to tighten the lower strap around my waist, I saw my chance. Sleeking my free hand down behind his hip, my fingers brushed the back of his tailored jacket, searching for the heavy metal passkey I’d seen him slip into his pocket earlier.

My fingertips grazed the hard edge of the card, but before I could pull it free, Ethan’s hand snapped around my wrist like a steel vice.

He bent my fingers back until a sharp gasp tore from my throat, the joint aching under the sheer force of his grip.

"Looking for a way out?" he whispered against my lips.

Instead of pulling my hand away, he shoved my wrist deep inside his internal jacket pocket, forcing my palm flat against the cold, heavy steel of a loaded pistol holstered against his ribs.

My heart hammered wildly against my ribcage as my fingers rested over the deadly weapon.

"Try it," Ethan growled softly.

I yanked my hand back from the cold iron of his gun, my chest heaving as Ethan released my wrist.

He stepped back just enough to grab the backless gala gown from the stand. With swift, practiced movements, he pulled the heavy silk over my head and zipped it shut over the diamond harness. The sharp edges of the uncut stones dug directly into my ribs under the tight fabric, a constant, biting reminder of his lock on me.

Ethan stepped up directly behind me in front of the full-length mirror, his tall frame looming over mine. His large hands came around my waist, his long fingers tracing down the front of the gown, pulling the thin material flush against my hips. His touch sent a traitorous wave of heat rippling over my skin. He leaned down, his warm breath fanning against my shoulder as he pressed his thumb deliberately into the fresh, angry red mark he had bitten into my neck.

"Look at yourself, Ava," he whispered, forcing me to stare at our reflection.

I locked eyes with him in the glass, my hands curling into tight fists. "You're just using me as a public trophy to mock my father's memory," I spat, my voice laced with venom. "You took his company, and now you want to show everyone you own his daughter, too."

Ethan didn't flinch. Instead, his hand slid around my thigh, hauling my dress up before driving his knee right between my open legs. The hard, relentless pressure of his leg pressed high against my core, sending a dizzying shockwave straight through my lower body. I gasped, my knuckles turning white as I clung to the vanity, my body betraying my mind as he pushed me to the absolute edge of a physical peak.

"Is that what you think this is?" Ethan growled against my ear, his voice dark and steady as he maintained the suffocating pressure between my thighs. "You think your father is a ghost, Ava?"

My eyes snapped open in the mirror, my heart hammering wildly in my throat.

"He isn't dead," Ethan murmured, his hand tightening over my hip. "Your father is alive. And he's attending the very gala we are walking into tonight."

The world tilted around me as his words hung in the air. My father—alive?

Before I could process the shock, a sharp chime echoed through the suite. The large smart mirror behind us flickered, its reflective glass dissolving into an auto-playing audio stream. A crackle of radio static filled the room, cutting straight through the heavy sensory tension between us.

Then, a voice spoke through the hidden speakers. It was calm, smooth, and completely devoid of emotion, a voice I had known my entire life.

My brother Leo.

"Team Alpha is in position near the main stage," Leo’s voice broadcasted clearly through the room. "Team Beta will secure the private elevator exits on the north floor. Do not engage until the opening speech begins."

I froze, my hands locking around the edge of the marble vanity as Ethan slowly stepped back, his eyes darkening.

"Understood," another voice replied through the static. "What about the targets?"

"Kill Ethan Vance before midnight," Leo instructed without a second of hesitation. "Make sure it is clean. Leave Ava intact, she's still worth millions on the market."

The audio feed cut off, leaving only the dull hum of the suite's lights. My throat went completely dry. My own brother wasn't trying to save me. He was hunting the man holding me, and treating me like merchandise.

Ethan didn't say a word. He reached onto the marble counter, picking up a heavy platinum choker studded with raw diamonds. He stepped close, wrapping the cold metal around my neck until it fit snugly over my pulse. With a sharp click, the lock engaged, and Ethan twisted a tiny key inside before snapping the metal stem clean off in the lock.

"Time for the gala, Miss Croft," he growled low against my ear.

He reached down, grabbing the side of my silk gown and ripping the high slit all the way up my thigh in one violent motion.

The wall panel slid back, and the doors of the private elevator opened directly into the sea of lights, classical music, and crowded guests in the ballroom below.