The 365 days wife

The Uneasy Night

Ava lay in bed that night, Caroline's warning echoing in her head.

"If you don't start being more careful, you might not make it out of this marriage alive."

The words repeated over and over as Ava stared at the ceiling, her mind spinning. Was she being paranoid? Or was there really someone watching her?

The feeling of being watched didn't leave her. It gnawed at her thoughts, made her skin crawl. Was she imagining things, or was something darker lurking in the shadows of her marriage? The weight of the night pressed on her chest, suffocating her with every passing second.

She turned onto her side and stared out of the window, where the dim glow of the city lights filtered through the blinds. But despite the stillness of the night, her mind wouldn't quiet. Caroline's cryptic warning only heightened her fear.

If she was being watched, who was it? Was it someone Damien sent? Or was there something even more sinister happening?

Ava's eyes fluttered shut, exhaustion pulling her toward sleep, but her mind wouldn't rest.

Then—

A soft creak.

Ava's body tensed at the sound. The house was quiet. Too quiet. Every nerve in her body screamed that something was off.

She slowly sat up in bed, listening intently.

Another creak, this time louder.

Her heart began to race, the blood pounding in her ears. Someone was out there. Outside her door. The realization sent an icy chill creeping down her spine.

She grabbed her phone, her fingers shaking as she hovered over the screen, debating whether to call Damien.

No, she thought, swallowing hard. She couldn't show weakness. Not when he already thought she was fragile. Not when he didn't seem to care about her.

Instead, she reached for the lamp, her fingers brushing the switch—

And then—

The doorknob turned.

Ava froze, her breath caught in her throat. The door opened just a crack.

She held her breath, not daring to make a sound.

And then—nothing.

The door creaked back, slowly closing. Footsteps retreated down the hallway.

Ava's body trembled. She exhaled shakily, her hand clenching the sheets beneath her. Someone had been there. Someone had been watching.

She threw off the covers and rushed to the door, flinging it open.

The hallway was empty.

But at the far end, just before the corridor turned—

A shadow moved.

Ava's heart skipped a beat. The shadow was too fast to make out any details, but it was real. Someone had been watching her. They hadn't just been in her room—they had been waiting for the right moment.

She hesitated, fear gripping her like a vice, but then her instincts kicked in. She couldn't just wait for whoever it was to make their next move. She had to find out who was behind this.

She crept down the hallway, her breath steadying as she approached the turn. She reached the spot where she had seen the shadow, but by the time she arrived, there was no sign of anyone. Just the echo of her own footsteps on the marble floor.

Her skin prickled with unease.

Was she imagining it all? Was she being paranoid?

But deep down, she knew—someone had been in the house. Someone had been watching her.

Damien's Fury

The next morning, Ava didn't have the energy for breakfast. Her mind was still reeling from the events of the night. But as she stepped downstairs, the sharp sound of Damien's voice cut through the silence.

"Explain."

She froze in her tracks. His tone was cold, commanding. The way he stood in the middle of the dining hall, arms crossed, jaw clenched, made her stomach churn.

Ava blinked, caught off guard by his sudden presence. "What?"

Damien's gaze was hard as stone. His eyes locked onto hers with a cold intensity that made her stomach twist. "You were followed yesterday."

Ava's stomach dropped. How did he know? Her heart pounded as the weight of his words sank in.

"Who told you that?" she asked, her voice steady despite the rising panic within her.

"That's not important," Damien snapped, his voice sharp and final. "What matters is that you didn't tell me."

Ava swallowed, trying to keep her composure. "I didn't think it was—"

"Don't," Damien cut her off, stepping closer, his presence overwhelming. His voice dropped to a low, dangerous pitch. "Don't tell me it wasn't important."

Ava's chest tightened. His anger was simmering beneath the surface, controlled but deadly. She could feel the tension crackling in the air between them.

"If someone is watching you," Damien continued, his voice quieter now, but no less dangerous, "then it means someone is after you."

Ava lifted her chin, meeting his gaze. "And why do you care?"

His jaw clenched, but he didn't look away. "Because whether you like it or not, you're still my wife."

Ava let out a bitter laugh, her words dripping with sarcasm. "Oh, now you remember?"

Something flickered in Damien's eyes—something raw, something real. But before she could figure it out, he turned away.

"I'll have security increased," he said coldly. "Stay in the estate until I say otherwise."

Ava stiffened, her pride flaring. "You can't just order me around."

Damien turned back to her, his expression unreadable. "You're my responsibility, Ava."

His words cut through her defenses, and for a brief moment, she felt something—a pang of vulnerability. She swallowed hard, fighting against it.

Her breath caught. The air between them felt heavy with unspoken tension.

For a second—just a second—she thought she saw something softer in his eyes, something that hinted at a depth beneath the cold exterior.

But before she could process it, Damien was gone. His words lingered in the air.

"Stay out of it. I'll handle it."

Ava was left standing there, heart pounding, mind racing. Her thoughts swirled, and one thing became painfully clear: She wasn't just in danger. She was part of something bigger. Something Damien knew all along.

The Hidden File

That night, Ava couldn't shake the feeling that something wasn't right. She felt like she was missing something, like there was a crucial piece to this puzzle that she hadn't found yet.

She needed answers.

Damien's warning echoed in her mind: "Stay out of it."

But she couldn't. Not when her life—her future—was on the line. She had to know the truth.

Ava slipped into Damien's office in the dead of night. The house was eerily silent, and she moved with a sense of urgency, her heart pounding as she tiptoed through the darkened hallways. She knew this was dangerous—if Damien found out, he'd never forgive her. But she had to do it. She had to understand what was happening.

Her fingers brushed over the surface of the desk, the cold wood beneath her touch steadying her nerves. She skimmed through papers, files, contracts—everything felt like a blur, but she was searching for one thing: the truth.

Then she found it.

A small, unmarked folder hidden behind a stack of papers.

Ava's breath hitched. She opened it carefully, her eyes scanning the contents.

Inside were documents—some legal contracts, others with names she didn't recognize, but one page made her blood run cold. It was a list of conditions, an agreement with terms she couldn't fully understand. But one thing stood out: "Termination Clause". The words were bold, chilling.

What was this?

Before she could process it, the door behind her clicked open.

Ava spun around in shock—

Damien stood there, his presence like a storm in the room. His eyes were dark, unreadable, his expression fierce.

"I warned you about looking where you shouldn't, Ava."

His voice was low, dangerous, and the room seemed to close in around her. Her heart thudded in her chest.

Ava backed away, the folder still in her hands. "I… I didn't—"

"You should've listened," Damien interrupted, his eyes burning with fury.

The tension between them crackled, thick and suffocating.