Chapter 9: The Final Invitation

The wedding invitations arrived on a rainy Tuesday morning.

Thousands of dollars worth of embossed paper, gold foil lettering, and carefully crafted lies.

I stared at the stack of envelopes spread across the dining table.

Ava Miller and Ethan Reed request the honor of your presence.

The words felt like a cruel joke.

Three weeks.

Three weeks until the wedding.

Three weeks until I disappeared.

Ethan walked into the room and paused when he saw me holding one of the invitations.

'Beautiful, aren't they?' he asked.

I looked up slowly.

'They're expensive.'

'That's not what I asked.'

I smiled faintly.

'No. They aren't beautiful.'

For a second, something flashed across his face.

Confusion.

Maybe disappointment.

Then it vanished.

'You've changed.'

'People do that.'

His gaze lingered on me longer than usual.

As if he was trying to solve a puzzle.

As if he could feel me slipping away.

That evening, Maya came over carrying another folder.

'Good news,' she said.

'I like those words.'

'Your apartment in Portland is fully furnished.'

My heart skipped.

Portland.

Rain.

Freedom.

A life where nobody knew the name Ethan Reed.

'And the moving company?'

'Done.'

'The bank account?'

'Done.'

'The documents?'

'Done.'

Everything was ready.

The realization was both exciting and terrifying.

Because now there were no more obstacles.

No more delays.

Only the jump.

Later that night, Ethan hosted a dinner at the penthouse.

Several Captains attended.

Business partners.

Political allies.

Important people.

Powerful people.

Dangerous people.

I sat beside Ethan and played my role perfectly.

The supportive fiancée.

The future mafia queen.

The woman everyone expected me to become.

Halfway through dinner, one of the Captains raised his glass.

'To the happy couple.'

Everyone followed.

Glasses lifted.

Smiles appeared.

Congratulations filled the room.

I almost laughed.

None of them knew the bride was planning her escape.

Across the table, Ethan watched me carefully.

The attention made my skin crawl.

Because for the first time in months, he seemed interested again.

Not because he loved me.

Because he was losing control.

After dinner, the guests moved into the lounge.

Whiskey flowed.

Deals were discussed.

Power shifted hands.

And then I overheard something interesting.

'The girl is becoming a problem.'

The voice belonged to Leo.

I froze.

'Handle it after the wedding,' another man replied.

'Ethan won't like that.'

'Ethan doesn't get a vote if the family is at risk.'

A chill ran through me.

They were talking about Chloe.

Not because she mattered.

Because she was becoming inconvenient.

Disposable.

Just like everyone else in their world.

I quietly walked away before they noticed me listening.

Back in the bedroom, I sat on the edge of the bed and stared at my reflection.

For years, I had wanted this life.

The power.

The influence.

The security.

Now I saw it for what it truly was.

A gilded cage.

A beautiful prison.

A place where people stopped being human and became assets.

Useful until they weren't.

Valuable until they became inconvenient.

Then discarded.

A soft knock interrupted my thoughts.

'Come in.'

The door opened.

Ethan stepped inside.

For a moment, neither of us spoke.

The silence felt strange.

Heavy.

Unfinished.

'Do you remember our first apartment?' he asked suddenly.

My heart stopped.

Not because of the question.

Because of what it meant.

He remembered.

Maybe not everything.

Maybe not intentionally.

But pieces were slipping through the cracks.

'Yes,' I said quietly.

'It was awful.'

A small smile appeared on his face.

'The plumbing never worked.'

'The neighbors fought every night.'

'And we couldn't afford furniture.'

The smile grew.

'We used lawn chairs for six months.'

For a brief moment, it felt like old times.

Like the Ethan I once loved was standing in front of me.

Then his phone buzzed.

The screen lit up.

Chloe.

Everything shattered instantly.

His expression changed.

The softness disappeared.

The warmth vanished.

The mask returned.

'I have to take this.'

Of course you do.

I didn't say the words aloud.

I didn't need to.

Because in that moment, I finally understood something important.

Even if Ethan recovered every memory tomorrow...

Even if he begged for forgiveness...

Even if he became the man he used to be...

It wouldn't matter.

Because the real damage wasn't forgetting me.

It was choosing someone else when he remembered exactly who I was.

After he left the room, I opened my nightstand drawer.

Inside was my plane ticket.

Portland.

Departure date: five days.

I ran my fingers across the paper.

Five more days.

Five more days until Ava Miller disappeared.

Five more days until Olivia Carter was finally free.