Chapter 3: The Edge of Truth
Ava sat by the large window in the sitting room, her fingers absently tracing the edge of her champagne flute, the glass now nearly empty. The estate was silent again, as if it had exhaled after the chaos of the gala.
She had tried to sleep after the confrontation with Dominic, but his words haunted her like a relentless echo. You'll end up like her.
The thought of the previous Mrs. Vale—the woman who had once stood in the same place, at the same window, wearing the same mask of forced elegance—sent a chill down her spine. Ava wasn't foolish enough to think her own safety was guaranteed. In this house, the walls were thick, but the secrets were thicker.
The mask. She couldn't stop thinking about it. That dark, sharp silver—its gleam so cold and distant, like a weapon she couldn't quite understand. She knew that Dominic, with his fortress of wealth and power, wore it like armor, but she couldn't figure out why. And worse, she couldn't understand why he couldn't even take it off for a single moment. What did it shield him from?
She could almost feel its weight pressing against her chest. She had always known there was more to Dominic Vale than what met the eye, but now the question wasn't just about him. It was about her.
The night had revealed one chilling truth: There was a line between them. And as long as that line existed, she was a prisoner in a gilded cage, no matter how beautiful the bars.
The next morning, she was determined to do something about it. Something that would make Dominic notice her—no longer as a passive, silent wife, but as someone who wasn't afraid to stand her ground.
Ava paced through the halls of the estate, her eyes scanning the architecture as if it could offer answers. The house was both her prison and her inheritance now, but she didn't have time to consider which part of it would eventually break her. She was far more concerned with the next step in her life.
That was when she saw him again. Dominic.
He stood at the far end of the hallway, talking to a man she didn't recognize—tall, broad-shouldered, and dressed in an immaculate suit. There was something about the way they spoke—low, deliberate, like a pair of wolves circling each other. The stranger didn't glance at her, but Dominic did. His mask caught the light, making his face look like something otherworldly.
And then, as if by instinct, she did something she hadn't planned. She walked toward him.
"Mr. Vale," she said, her voice cutting through the tension that hung in the air. "I need to speak with you."
Both men turned to look at her, and Ava noticed the flicker of surprise in Dominic's eyes—then quickly masked by the indifference he was so skilled at wearing.
He nodded to the stranger. "Excuse me, Remy," he said, his voice cold, commanding. "We'll continue this later."
The man, Remy, gave Ava a long look before nodding, retreating down the hall without another word. Ava didn't acknowledge him. She couldn't care less about the man who seemed to be part of Dominic's world.
She focused on Dominic.
"What do you want, Ava?" His voice was flat, but she could hear the underlying warning there. The one he always left unsaid.
"I want answers," she replied, her gaze unwavering. "You've been hiding behind your mask, behind your wealth, behind your secrets. But you owe me the truth."
Dominic stepped closer, his figure towering over her. "I don't owe you anything," he said with quiet menace. "We made a deal, and I'm honoring it."
Ava felt a surge of frustration, but she kept her composure. "You think I'm just some trophy wife, some pretty distraction to keep your image in tact? Well, I'm not. I'm married to you, Dominic Vale. And whether you like it or not, I deserve to know what happened to your first wife. To understand what kind of man you really are."
Dominic's gaze hardened, and for a moment, it felt like the entire estate had fallen away. He was all there was. His silence spoke louder than any of his words had before.
"She touched the mask," he finally said, his voice low. "And it cost her everything."
Ava blinked, confused. "What does that mean?"
"Some things," he said, "are not meant to be uncovered."
Before she could respond, he turned and walked toward the door. His next words cut through the air, as sharp as a blade.
"Stay out of my business, Ava. For your own sake."
She stood still for a moment, her chest tight with the realization that he wasn't just a man hiding behind a mask—he was something far more dangerous. Something that could break her if she wasn't careful.
But she wasn't done yet. Not by a long shot.
Later that night, Ava sat in the library, her fingers absently flicking through the pages of a book she wasn't really reading. Her thoughts kept drifting back to Dominic, to the words that had lingered in the air: She touched the mask.
Was it really just a mask? Or was it something more—something that held a far greater significance? Ava wasn't sure, but she had a feeling that the answers she sought were buried beneath the layers of lies he had built around himself.
The more she thought about it, the more questions arose. And in the pit of her stomach, the gnawing suspicion grew stronger. There's something more here. Something Dominic Vale isn't telling me.
A knock on the door interrupted her thoughts. She looked up, startled, but then relaxed when she saw it was Elise, the maid from the morning.
"Sorry to disturb you, ma'am," Elise said nervously, "but there's someone at the gate asking for you."
"Who?" Ava asked, standing up.
"He didn't say his name, but he's… insistent," Elise replied, wringing her hands. "He says it's urgent."
Ava's pulse quickened. Another visitor? At this hour?
"Thank you, Elise. I'll go myself."
She descended the stairs, the long corridor stretching before her. When she arrived at the door, she was greeted by the sight of a man in a dark suit, standing with his back to her. He was tall, with dark hair and an air of familiarity that made Ava's heart skip a beat.
"Can I help you?" she asked, her voice steady despite the unease that crept over her.
The man turned slowly. His eyes locked with hers, and for a brief moment, the world felt like it stopped.
"I'm here to warn you, Ava," the man said softly. "You need to leave. Now. Before it's too late."
Ava opened her mouth to respond, but before she could speak, a sharp voice echoed from behind her.
"Ava, come inside."
She turned to see Dominic, his mask gleaming in the dim light, standing at the door.
The stranger looked from Ava to Dominic, his eyes narrowing, before he muttered something under his breath. "You don't know what you're getting into," he said, before turning and disappearing into the night.
Ava's heart hammered in her chest. She looked at Dominic, her eyes filled with a storm of questions.
"Who was that?" she demanded.
But Dominic only turned away, his tone colder than ever. "You don't need to worry about him. But you need to worry about me."
And that, Ava realized, was the most dangerous part of all.
To Be Continued…