Locking her up.

Later that day…

Ethan arrived at the hospital and found Ava packing up her belongings. The sight caught him off guard—he had assumed she'd be staying longer. "Are you leaving already?"

Ava nodded, her movements purposeful. "Yes, I spoke with the doctor. He said my wounds are healing well, and I can recover fully at home with a few days of rest."

"That's good news," Ethan said, offering her a smile, though the tension in his eyes betrayed his unease.

The thought had gnawed at him since he had seen the news of Dylan's press conference. He wondered if Ava had changed her decision to divorce Dylan after watching the press conference. He wanted to ask, to know if her resolve had wavered, but the words seemed hesitant to escape his lips. Although he had prepared the divorce papers, he couldn't gather the courage to hand it to her.