Ava hadn't meant to open the box. It was just another cardboard piece of her past returned unceremoniously that morning by Claudia's assistant—something about "clearing old storage."
But something about it had felt…off.
Maybe it was the way Claudia hadn't looked her in the eye when she mentioned it at the office, like her words were perfectly rehearsed. Or maybe it was just Ava's gut—worn and weathered but still reliable.
She peeled the tape back slowly, revealing a scattered assortment of old journals, sketchbooks, and folded clothes she hadn't seen in years. Dusty, untouched. She reached inside, sifting through the memories until her fingers brushed against something rigid—an envelope.
Her breath hitched.
It was addressed to Ethan Cole.
In her own handwriting.
But the stamp was unbroken.
Her hands shook as she turned it over.
Return to Sender.
The postmark was dated nearly six years ago.
One month after she found out she was pregnant.
"No…" she whispered, sitting on the edge of the couch. Her vision blurred as she slid her finger under the seal and pulled out the letter.
The paper was creased, but the ink hadn't faded.
> Ethan,
If you're reading this, it means I found the courage to send it. And maybe, just maybe, you haven't forgotten me yet.
I'm pregnant. It's yours. I wish I could tell you this in person, but I don't even know if you'd want to see me after everything.
I was scared when I left. I still am. But I love you, and I never stopped.
I don't want anything from you. I just needed you to know the truth.
If there's even a small chance you feel something for me—please, find me.
Love,
Ava
A sob tore through her chest as she folded it back, cradling the paper like it was a lifeline.
She hadn't imagined it.
She had reached out.
And Claudia had made sure it never reached him.
---
Later That Night
The apartment was silent, save for the rhythmic breathing of a sleeping Liam in the next room. Ava sat on the floor by the couch, the letter trembling in her lap.
When the knock came, she knew it was him.
Ethan.
She opened the door without a word. One look at her face and his shoulders tensed.
"What happened?"
She held the letter out with both hands.
"Read it."
He did. And with every word, his expression changed—confusion melting into disbelief, then fury, and finally something deeper. Something broken.
"You sent this?" he asked, voice hollow.
"I did. A month after I left. I wanted to tell you everything."
"But I never got it." He looked up, realization crashing in like a wave. "She took it."
Ava nodded. "She never wanted me in your life. She didn't want Liam in it, either."
Ethan sank into the couch, the letter clutched tight in his fist. "She said you never tried. That you ran. That you didn't want me to know."
"She lied."
His jaw clenched. "And I believed her."
"You were grieving," Ava whispered. "You lost your father, the company was falling apart… I understood why you didn't come."
"But I would have." His voice cracked. "God, Ava, I would've moved mountains to find you."
"I know that now," she said, voice shaking.
Silence settled between them, thick with everything they hadn't said.
Then Ethan stood, hands in his hair, pacing.
"She kept my son from me."
"She did," Ava said softly. "But she doesn't get to take this from us now."
He looked at her, eyes filled with regret and something fierce—something protective.
"I'm not letting her near him again. Not until she answers for this."
Ava stood too. "We tell her tomorrow. Together."
Ethan crossed the space between them. "Thank you for writing that letter. Even if I never got it… it matters. It proves you tried. It proves I didn't walk away."
He cupped her face gently. "And I swear, I never will again."
Ava's eyes filled again, but this time with something warm.
Hope.
"We have a lot to rebuild," she whispered.
...
Ethan didn't sleep.
He sat on Ava's couch long after she'd gone to check on Liam, the letter clutched in one hand, a tumbler of untouched whiskey in the other. The apartment was dim and quiet, but his thoughts roared louder than ever.
Claudia had orchestrated the biggest lie of his life.
And he'd swallowed it.
He ran his fingers through his hair, the weight of six lost years bearing down on him.
When Ava returned, her steps were slow. She didn't say anything—just curled beside him, her head on his shoulder like it was the most natural place in the world.
"I kept wondering," she whispered, "if you ever hated me."
"I hated myself more," he said hoarsely. "For not fighting harder. For believing her."
A long silence stretched between them.
"She stole your choice," Ava said quietly. "That's what hurts the most. She made decisions that weren't hers to make."
"She won't do it again," Ethan said. "I swear to you, Ava. She won't control what happens next."
Ava looked up at him, eyes searching. "What does happen next, Ethan?"
He turned toward her fully. "Tomorrow, I go to her. I confront her. And she's going to answer for everything she's done."
"And if she denies it?"
"I'll bring the letter. Your handwriting, the postmark. She won't be able to spin her way out of this." His voice hardened. "She made me miss my son's first smile. His first steps. His first words. And she made you do it all alone."
Ava reached for his hand.
"You're here now."
His grip tightened. "And I'm not leaving."
A flicker of something new—something stronger—passed between them. This wasn't about romance or longing anymore. It was about trust. About rebuilding what had been taken.
"I should warn you," Ava said after a beat. "She's going to twist this. Try to turn it into another strategic angle."
"She won't get the chance." Ethan's jaw clenched. "Not this time."
Ava hesitated, then leaned closer. "Do you still trust her at all?"
"I don't even know who she is anymore."
---
The Next Morning – Cole Estate
The air at the Cole estate was crisp, the kind that usually whispered of luxury and peace.
Today, it felt like betrayal.
Claudia was in her sunroom, as poised as ever, reading the morning paper with a steaming espresso cup by her side.
She looked up with surprise as Ethan stormed in, Ava just behind him.
"Ethan?" Her eyes narrowed at Ava's presence. "Is there a reason she's here—"
He dropped the letter in front of her.
She glanced at it, lips parting slightly.
Recognition flickered.
"Do you remember this?" he asked, voice deceptively calm.
Claudia's expression didn't falter, but her fingers tightened around her cup.
"It appears to be an old letter."
"From Ava. To me. Postmarked six years ago. It never reached me."
A beat. Then another.
"I don't recall seeing this," Claudia said smoothly.
Ava scoffed. "Lies."
Ethan leaned closer. "You intercepted it, didn't you? You knew. You knew she was pregnant."
Claudia set her cup down slowly. "I did what I had to do to protect you."
"Protect me?" His voice rose. "You lied to me. You let me believe she left because she didn't care. You stole my son from me."
Claudia's composure cracked for the briefest second. "You were spiraling after your father's death. The company was on the verge of collapse. And she… she was a distraction you couldn't afford."
Ethan stared at her in stunned silence.
"She wasn't a distraction. She was my life."
Claudia stood now, regaining her usual cold calm. "I saved your legacy. Your future."
"No. You broke your own son to do it," Ethan said bitterly.
Ava stepped forward, her voice firm. "And you didn't just hurt him. You hurt me. You made me carry all of it alone. And now, Liam is old enough to start asking questions."
Claudia's eyes flickered.
Ethan's tone was ice. "You're going to stay away from them. From Liam. From Ava. You lost that privilege the moment you lied."
"You're making a mistake," Claudia said sharply.
"No," he said. "I'm finally making it right."
---
Later That Night
Ethan returned to Ava's apartment, his shoulders heavier, but his mind clearer.
"She admitted it," he told her. "Not directly. But enough."
Ava gave a sad smile. "That's more than I ever thought we'd get."
He sat beside her again, a quiet moment settling between them.
"I don't know what our future looks like," she said honestly. "But I do know Liam deserves the truth."
"He'll have it," Ethan promised. "And he'll have me."
Ava exhaled, tears brimming—but they didn't fall.
This time, they were strong enough to carry the truth.
Together.
Ethan nodded. "Then let's start now."
And in the quiet, beneath the wreckage of all they'd lost, something new was beginning to rise—truth, finally unburied.