章節 4: The unnoticed care
By the time the jet landed, it was already the next morning. Dylan was fast asleep, his body slouched against the leather seat, unaware of the landing.
Justin slowly tapped him on the shoulder and softly said, "Mr. Brooks, sir – we have landed."
Dylan stirred, his eyelids fluttering open in confusion. He looked around in surprise. He was supposed to be in the hotel. What was he doing in the private jet?
"Where are we?" he asked, perplexed.
Justin blinked in confusion. "Erm… sir, you ordered us to fly back home urgently. We just landed. Did you forget?"
Dylan frowned deeply, his mind racing to catch up with the situation. He tried to recall what had led him here. The last thing he remembered was that strange, haunting vision of Ava lying in a pool of blood. Now that he had calmed down and the panic subsided, he regretted his decision.
"Why would I want to come back?" Dylan snapped, his irritation flaring. "We had one last meeting with Mr. Thompson. You know how crucial that deal is!"
Dylan's sudden outburst took Justin aback. "But, sir… you insisted we fly back immediately," he explained, confused as to why Dylan had forgotten everything. "After hearing that Madam had been rushed to the hospital, you seemed deeply disturbed. You didn't want to wait."
Dylan grimaced, rubbing his forehead. His stomach churned at the memory of the nightmare he had.
It was weird.
He had never cared about her before. But something about that dream, about seeing her hurt, had triggered a panic he couldn't quite explain. His instinct to return home had been impulsive.
That was something he had never done. The thought of losing the deal irked him. He wanted to lash out his anger at Justin for not stopping him, for not reminding him of his priorities. But he couldn't bring himself to unleash it.
Something was gnawing at him, a strange unease at the thought of Ava lying in that hospital bed.
"She was hospitalized after consuming peanut butter – a lot," Justin recounted cautiously, thinking his boss had forgotten everything.
Dylan's expression remained stony. 'That woman knows how to get my attention,' he muttered under his breath, his mouth contorting.
"But she is fine now," Justin added quickly. "The latest update is that she has been discharged from the hospital."
"Okay, I get it." Dylan waved dismissively, rising from his seat with a flick of impatience. "Take me home." He walked out of the jet, his mind racing.
'Let's see what she is up to this time,' he muttered in his mind.
Dylan arrived home in no time. The middle-aged maid welcomed him with a polite bow. "You have arrived, Mr. Brooks."
Dylan barely acknowledged her, his eyes scanning the spacious hall. Normally, Ava would be there, waiting to greet him with that same meek look on her face. But today, there was no sign of her.
It was unusual.
'Is she upset?' The question flickered through his mind before he could stop it. He scowled at himself. 'Who cares?'
He tried to shrug off the nagging sense of unease that had been gnawing at him.
"Where is she, Martha?" He couldn't help but ask.
"Uh… Madam has gone to her father's place directly from the hospital," Martha explained. "She said she would be staying there for a few days."
Dylan whipped his head toward her, taken aback. In the past year, Ava rarely visited her father, let alone spending the night there.
"Let her rest there for a while," Martha suggested kindly, but Dylan's jaw tightened. He didn't like the idea of Ava being away from home—away from him.
Dylan furiously stormed into his room and slammed the door shut behind him. As he yanked off his suit jacket, he instinctively stretched his hand out, expecting someone to take it, to hang it up like always.
But Ava wasn't there to catch it. The jacket slipped from his fingers and crumpled onto the floor.
Dylan froze, staring at the fallen jacket, a rush of frustration and something else swelling inside him. He clenched his fists, realizing for the first time just how much her absence weighed on him. The house felt too quiet, too empty without her.
His face twisted in a scowl as he picked up the jacket himself and hung it on the hanger. In the meantime, he recalled claiming in his nightmare that he had started to love her. Was it true?
A sharp frustration surged through him. "What am I thinking?" he muttered under his breath, feeling a sting of annoyance at his own unusual thoughts.
Dylan reminded himself to stay focused on his plan. He could not afford to be distracted. He loosened his tie and reached for the glass of water on the side table, but it was empty.
"Martha!" Dylan bellowed.
Martha hurried into the room and stood by the doorstep with her head bowed, trembling in fear under his furious gaze.
"Why is the glass empty?" Dylan demanded, holding it out.
"I-I'm sorry," Martha stuttered. "Madam was the one who always took care of everything. I-I forgot to fill it. I'll bring water right away!" She turned and scurried off.
Dylan's grimace deepened as he tightened his grip around the glass. He could see how he had grown dependent on Ava, and he wasn't aware of it. He didn't like it.
Slamming the glass down, he went to take a shower.
After some time, he came out of the bathroom, rubbing his wet hair with a towel. His eyes moved to the bed automatically. Normally, his clothes would be laid out, perfectly ironed, waiting for him. But now, the space was empty.
Ava had always done those things for him, quietly and without him ever noticing. Now that she wasn't there, the absence of her care was glaringly obvious.
His frustration boiled over. He tossed the towel aside in a rage, realizing he had been more dependent on her than he had ever thought.
'You want my attention, don't you?' he thought angrily, gritting his teeth. He reached for his phone, dialing her number. The phone rang, but no one answered. His brow furrowed as irritation turned to disbelief.
The thought of Ava, who once practically clung to him, now refusing to answer his calls, sent a wave of indignation through him.
"What the hell is wrong with her?" he spat, looking at the phone. "Is she ignoring me now?"
章節 5: Ava’s resolve
Ava deliberately ignored the vibrating phone on her bedside table and left her room furiously. She found her father in the hall, reading the newspaper, a cup of coffee resting on the small table beside him. Pushing away her annoyance, she approached him.
"Good morning, Papa," she greeted him, her face lit up with a bright smile.
"Good morning." Thomas smiled back at her, putting the newspaper aside. "Did you sleep well?"
Ava's smile faltered. The memories of her past life, the nightmares of betrayal and loss kept haunting her, and she couldn't sleep at all. But she quickly composed herself, forcing the smile back onto her face.
"Yes—like a child. I miss being here with you." She sat down beside him, linking her arm through his and leaning gently on his shoulder.
"Stay as long as you want," Thomas said softly, stroking her hair with fatherly affection.
Ava's gaze drifted to the nearly empty coffee cup on the table. Her stomach twisted as she remembered what Dylan had said about slowly poisoning her father in her past life. But in this life, she wouldn't let anyone hurt him. She needed to take control, starting by getting rid of anyone who might be working for Dylan.
"How about I make breakfast for you?" she asked, flashing a charming smile.
Thomas chuckled, clearly pleased. "That's great. I really miss your cooking."
"Okay, I'll prepare your favorite potato pancakes right away." Ava jumped to her feet and went to the kitchen.
A young maid was already preparing toast. Ava stopped in her tracks, her eyes narrowing as she studied the girl. She didn't recognize this maid. Was she new? Or worse, was she Dylan's spy?
"You, what's your name?" Ava asked, her tone cold.
"I am Lia," the maid replied with a polite smile.
"Lia!" Ava's gaze swept over her from head to toe, scrutinizing every detail. She thought this maid could have been poisoning Thomas sneakily. "How long have you been working here?"
"A few months—six months, to be exact," Lia replied, still smiling politely.
"I see." Ava's eyes hardened. Six months. Her doubt grew even stronger. Dylan might have planted her there to keep tabs on Thomas. But she wouldn't let him succeed in his plan.
Ava lifted her chin and declared with cold authority, "We don't need you anymore. Settle your balance and leave immediately."
Lia blinked, her smile faltering in shock. "But... Miss, I—"
"No arguments," Ava cut her off. "Pack your things and leave. Now."
Lia's face paled. She wanted to protest, but she quieted down when she saw the fiery determination in Ava's eyes. She silently left the kitchen with her head bowed.
As the commotion settled, Ava moved swiftly through the kitchen, busy in preparing the pancakes. She was happy and relieved that she had finally chased Dylan's spy from the house. From now on, she would stay vigilant. Protecting her father was her top priority.
Once the pancakes were done, she set the table meticulously. Thomas joined her, taking his usual seat. A smile touched his lips as he inhaled the warm, savory aroma. "The smell is good. Let's see how it tastes."
He cut into the pancake and took a bite, humming in satisfaction as he chewed. "It's perfect. You remind me of your mother's cooking." He smiled as he continued eating.
Ava had tears in her eyes as she watched him. In her past life, she had not paid attention to him in her pursuit of winning over Dylan. In the end, she had lost him. This time, she was determined to make up for it.
Blinking away her tears, she mustered a smile and reached over to add more pancakes to his plate. "Eat more, Papa," she urged gently.
Thomas chuckled, raising a hand to protest, but Ava quickly pushed his hand away, forcing another pancake onto his plate. He laughed and continued eating.
For a few moments, both were silent. Only the soft clinking of cutlery against the plates was audible.
"Why did you fire Lia?" Thomas broke the silence. "Did she do anything wrong?"
Ava froze for a second, her mind racing. She wanted to tell him the truth, to explain Dylan's nasty plan to hurt her family, but at the same time, she didn't want to worry him. This was a burden she had to carry on her own.
"I don't like her," she said, pouting. "I'll find someone more reliable."
Thomas sighed. He didn't know what made Ava hate that poor girl. He hadn't stopped her at that moment as he didn't want to hurt her by questioning her judgment.
"I don't know what mistake she has made," Thomas began gently. "But Lia has been good to me. Her mother worked here for years before she fell ill. When she couldn't work anymore, she sent Lia, and the girl has been caring for everything, just like her mother did."
Ava listened but remained unfazed. Her mind was set—she was convinced that Dylan planted Lia to spy on her family and cause harm. It was better to get rid of such a person as soon as feasible.
"Sometimes, the people we trust the most are the ones who end up hurting us," Ava said cryptically.
Thomas shook his head, a confused look crossing his face. He didn't press further, but his confusion showed in the furrow of his brow.
"I don't understand why you said that. All I want is your happiness, Ava." He reached over and affectionately patted her head, offering a small, comforting smile.
Then, standing up, he added, "I'm running late for work. I'll see you this evening." With that, he walked out of the house.
Ava watched him go, her mind racing with thoughts she had never allowed herself to dwell on before. In her previous life, she had been so entangled in her own problems and her tumultuous marriage that she had never truly questioned the tragedy that had taken Dylan's parents' lives. She wondered why Dylan had this misunderstanding that her father had been behind the accident.
'I'll find out the truth and clear his name,' she resolved.
~~~~~~~~~~~
Ding-Dong…
The doorbell chimed, breaking the silence of the house. Dylan went to open the door and found Erica and Gianna outside.
"Good morning, Dylan!" Erica grinned. "We came to see you as soon as we heard you were back."
"How are you, Dylan?" Gianna asked with a nasal tone, flashing a sweet smile.
"All good," Dylan replied curtly as he turned around and walked back into the house.
Gianna and Erica followed him in.
"Where is Ava?" Gianna asked, pretending to be ignorant that Ava had been at her father's place. "How is she now?"
Dylan clenched his jaw at the mention of Ava. He was furious with her. That woman had ignored his calls. 'How dare she!' he muttered to himself.
"Gianna, you are too kind," Erica said. "She treated you so rudely at the hospital. Yet you are still worrying about her."
Dylan whirled to face them, his eyes narrowing. "Ava mistreated you!"
"Don't be angry, Dylan," Gianna said soothingly, holding his hand. "You were not with her on your first marriage anniversary. It's obvious she was upset."
"I was on an important business trip," Dylan hissed, "not on a vacation. She shouldn't make a big deal of it."
"You are right, Dylan," Erica chimed in. "She has gone too far this time. She tried to kill herself. When we went to see her at the hospital, she humiliated us. She even pushed me down. Have a look." She stretched her arm and showed him the bruises on her elbow. "She hurt me."
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