A gay man and his lover plot to lure his ex-wife into a trafficking scheme, only to be outsmarted as she helps the police gather evidence, leading to their arrest.
Copyright © Priya Florence Shah
Ethan leaned against the balcony railing, staring at the glittering city below. It had been three years since he walked out on Laura, leaving behind their suburban life for the chaos that followed.
He couldn’t blame her for resenting him. He’d left abruptly, without explanation, and within weeks, he was in a world she never would’ve imagined him entering—a world of shadows and secrets, and now, trafficking.
“She’s perfect for this, you know.” Jordan’s voice pulled Ethan back to the present. His lover stood at the window, watching him intently, a cigarette dangling from his lips. “The type that looks innocent enough to be trusted. No one would ever suspect her.”
Ethan frowned, his jaw tightening. The plan they were discussing had crossed an invisible line, even in the grim world they now occupied. But Jordan’s words haunted him. Laura was the perfect mark. She had always been sharp and capable, but naive in ways that could be easily exploited.
“Are you having second thoughts?” Jordan asked, his eyes narrowing as he stepped closer.
“I never wanted her involved,” Ethan said, his voice tight. “She deserves better than this.”
“She deserved better, maybe. But you left her. She moved on, didn’t she? Has her new job, her new life. This way, she stays useful to us, and more importantly, we get what we need.”
Ethan’s heart pounded. He hadn’t seen Laura in years, not since he left her to pursue his relationship with Jordan. It wasn’t just about love, though; it was about freedom, a different kind of life. The freedom came with a price, one Ethan was still paying.
Jordan circled him slowly, his fingers brushing Ethan’s shoulders, his touch electric but heavy. “We bring her in, let her taste the rewards of this business. She won’t know what she’s really doing until it’s too late and by then…” He trailed off, smiling darkly. “She’ll be in deep.”
Ethan clenched his fists, trying to suppress the surge of guilt and disgust. He could already see it play out—luring Laura with the promise of easy money, maybe even playing on her lingering feelings for him. Jordan had always been manipulative like that, pulling strings behind the scenes. But this plan was darker than anything they’d done before.
“What if she finds out?” Ethan asked, glancing at Jordan.
“Then we make sure she has no choice but to stay,” Jordan replied menacingly as if the decision had already been made. “She’ll learn quickly enough how things work. I can’t wait to see the fear in her eyes when she realizes her fate.”
Ethan hated how convincing Jordan could be. A part of him wanted to protect Laura, to leave her untouched by the world he had fallen into. But another part—a more ruthless part, the one Jordan had nurtured—knew that she would be just another pawn in a game much larger than her.
Jordan stepped closer, his lips brushing Ethan’s ear. “You’re either with me, or you’re not. We’ve come too far to stop now.”
Ethan inhaled sharply, his mind racing. There was no turning back from this. Not anymore. The life he’d chosen had swallowed him whole, and soon it would claim Laura too.
With a heavy sigh, he nodded, barely able to meet Jordan’s gaze. “Okay. Let’s do it.”
§§§§§
A week later, Ethan sat across from Laura at a coffee shop in a quiet corner of town. She looked as radiant as ever—her dark curls framed her face, her eyes still sharp and piercing. He smiled, hoping to disguise the weight of his intentions.
“I know things ended badly between us,” he began, his voice soft. “But I’ve been thinking a lot about you lately. Maybe we could help each other out, you know, get back on track.”
Laura raised an eyebrow, sipping her coffee slowly. “What exactly do you have in mind, Ethan?”
He leaned forward, lowering his voice. “I’ve come across a business opportunity—something that could be big. I know you’ve been looking for ways to earn extra income, and this… this could change everything for you.”
She tilted her head, listening carefully. “Go on.”
As Ethan explained the details, omitting the darker truths, Laura’s expression remained neutral, but inside, alarms were going off. She had always been intuitive, and something about this sudden reappearance—Ethan’s charm, his too-slick explanations—felt off.
She’d suspected for a while that Ethan had gotten into something illegal. She didn’t know exactly what, but his sudden wealth and the odd acquaintances he kept hinted at something criminal. When he mentioned a “business opportunity,” it felt like confirmation.
“I’ll think about it,” she said finally, masking her unease. “Let me just take some time to go over the details.”
Ethan smiled, relieved. “Of course. Take your time.”
§§§§§
Later that evening, Laura sat at her desk, staring at the phone. She had already made up her mind before their meeting. Over the past few months, she had been in contact with a detective who specialized in trafficking operations. The detective had warned her that Ethan might try to drag her into something shady, and now here it was.
The police had been monitoring Ethan for months, gathering evidence, waiting for the right moment to take him down. Laura was part of that plan now, and her gut told her it was time to act.
§§§§§
Two nights later, as Ethan sat in his apartment, sipping whiskey beside Jordan, his phone buzzed. It was a message from Laura. Let’s meet again tomorrow. Same place.
Ethan grinned, showing the message to Jordan. “Told you she’d come around.”
Jordan smirked. “Good. Soon, she’ll be in deep.”
But what Ethan and Jordan didn’t know was that their every conversation had been recorded for months, their operations tracked meticulously. Laura had made sure the police were listening when she messaged him.
§§§§§
The next morning, as Ethan waited in the coffee shop, a group of men in plain clothes approached. He barely had time to process what was happening before they flashed their badges and slapped cuffs around his wrists.
Jordan, waiting in the car outside, didn’t have a chance to run. The police were already surrounding him.
As the two men were dragged into custody, Ethan glanced around, searching for Laura. She was nowhere to be found. She had played them both perfectly.
In the end, it wasn’t just intuition that saved her. She could see through the lies and use their deceit against them. Ethan had underestimated her. He always had.
§§§§§
