Whispers in the Elevator

Ava hadn't meant to run—but her heels clicked too loudly as she fled the ballroom, heart pounding louder than the music still echoing behind her.

The gala had been a blur of crystal chandeliers and champagne smiles, but all she remembered was Claudia's voice, calm and cold:

"You think I'll let my son ruin his legacy over a woman like you?"

And Ethan—silent. Always silent when it mattered.

She jabbed the elevator button like it had personally wronged her. It dinged open, mercifully empty. She stepped in, leaned against the mirrored wall, and exhaled for the first time since the confrontation.

But just before the doors could close—

A hand shot between them.

Ethan.

Of course.

He stepped inside, his tux jacket unbuttoned, his tie loosened like he'd been pacing—like he'd been looking for her.

The doors slid shut. Silence, thick and tense.

"You shouldn't have followed me," she said, keeping her eyes forward.

"I wasn't going to let you leave like that."

She scoffed, blinking back heat behind her lashes. "What did you expect, Ethan? A toast? A thank you for staying quiet while your mother sliced me open?"

He flinched. "Ava—"

"No. Don't 'Ava' me," she said, whirling on him. "I heard everything. Every single word. And the worst part? You let her."

The elevator hummed as it descended. Floors blurred past.

"I was trying to protect you," he said tightly.

"By saying nothing?" Her voice cracked. "You stood there like I meant nothing. Like we meant nothing."

He looked at her then, really looked—like he was seeing the cracks she'd spent years hiding.

"I didn't know what to say," he admitted, voice low. "It's like you're back, but I'm still bleeding from when you left."

Her breath hitched. "You think this is easy for me? Being here, pretending we're strangers when every room I walk into feels like a memory I didn't ask to relive?"

The elevator slowed.

She turned away from him again, bracing herself for the ding.

But before it could open, he spoke softly—almost a whisper.

"I never stopped."

She froze.

"What?"

"I never stopped loving you."

The doors opened to the lobby.

She stepped out without turning back.

Let me know when you're ready for the next scene—this one ends on a soft cliffhanger to flow into what Claudia or Victoria might plan next.