Chapter 2 - The Door to NowhereEthan reached across Ava before she could move.
His hand closed around the sliding-door handle.
The motion was fast, practiced, and completely unlike the affectionate husband he had been pretending to be moments earlier.
The side door flew open.
Wind detonated through the cabin.
Ava’s long dark-brown hair whipped across her face. Her blazer snapped violently against her body, and the loose edge of her seat belt trembled beside her hip.
She grabbed the metal safety rail.
Far below, white waves struck jagged rocks with enough force to turn the water into mist.
The helicopter tilted toward the ocean.
Ava covered her abdomen with one arm.
The pilot glanced over his shoulder.
Ethan immediately raised his thumb and gave him a reassuring smile, pretending they were merely enjoying the view.
The pilot turned forward again.
Ava stared at the empty coastline.
No boats.
No hikers.
No roads close enough for anyone to see what was happening.
Even the distant beaches had vanished behind the cliffs.
She turned toward Ethan.
“Why are we flying where no one can see us?”
His face changed.
The charming smile remained on his mouth, but warmth disappeared from his eyes.
His jaw tightened.
A vein rose near his temple.
“You worry too much,” he said.
The helicopter banked again.
Ava’s shoulder struck the leather seat.
Ethan’s gaze dropped toward her seat-belt release.
She saw it.
He saw that she saw it.
For one suspended second, neither of them moved.
Then Ava’s wrist device vibrated beneath her cuff.
It had detected the open door, sudden wind pressure, and dangerous altitude.
A tiny indicator beside Ethan’s seat blinked once.
He did not notice.
Ava did.
Ethan leaned closer, his voice almost gentle.
“You should trust your husband.”
Ava tightened her grip on the rail.
Trust was no longer part of the marriage.
May you like
Only timing was.
👉 The open door was not the trap—Ethan’s hand moving toward Ava’s seat belt was.
