With Archie’s blunt refusal and the way he stared at the little girls like he really would break them if he was forced to hold them, any other person would have stopped bothering him.
But Ethan was not any other person and with his jaws set in determination, anyone could tell he was not relenting soon.
"Sapphire then?" he asked, pointing to one of the twin girls, the one nad Sapphire.
"Another no," Archie said, his tone firm and unwavering. "That one looks even softer. She’ll be crushed instead of broken," he deadpanned.
There was a long, taut silence between the two n as they held each other gazes, each one trying to compell the other into listening to him.
Ethan finally broke the silence after a few minutes had passed, "You won’t introduce yourself to them then? Even if you’re just a fake uncle."
"I could et them later on," Archie hesitated for a while, before adding, "When they are bigger and well, stronger. Did you set up a trust fund for them? I could put in a few million doll—"
"Nice show, Arch." Ethan interrupted him mid-sentence, the small smirk that had been on his face now fully blood into a smile. "That was a test."
"What was?"
"Inviting you up here and introducing you to my daughters. From your reaction just now, I know you will protect them." As Ethan spoke, he lifted each of the girls from their cots, carrying one in each hand. When he was done speaking, the girls spitty babbles was the only sound that could be heard in the room.
Archie jaws were set, his brows furrowing in displeasure. He hated being manipulated and used. And there were only two people who had been able to do that, one he didn’t mind, the other he fucking hated. Ava and Ethan, respectively.
Ethan began, "I will help with what you asked. In return—if the ti ever cos that you have the opportunity to—protect my daughters like the..."
"Monster that I am," Archie completed. "It’s a done deal."
"One more thing, Arch. Protecting them ans swinging by once in a while to check on them."
"If I get the ti," Archie replied blandly. He seed to reconsider his nonchalant reply, as he proceeded, "Your daughters, they are beautiful and...their mother, she has this light in her eyes."
He slipped one hand into his pocket and continued, "What will you do if she loses that light one day and the key for her to regain it lies in your hands?"
Ethan arched his brows,
"Is that even a question? Of course, I would give whatever she needs—"
"Return it?" Archie interjected, "Even if that ans you will be left all alone again, pining after her?"
"You know best what your own answer will be," Ethan said, to see Archie nod in agreent.
"I do," he agreed. "I am a selfish man, Ethan, and I won’t let her slip out of my hands ever again."
"Don’t make mistakes. It might be too late to correct them," Ethan warned.
"Thanks for the advise. I will leave you to your... Sophie and Sapphire now. Can’t bear to stay here and steal so of the precious oxygen ant for those little noses," he scrunched his face in displeasure, his expression showing how serious he was.
His actions elicited a small smile from Ethan.
"See you around, Arch."
"Sa, Ethan." He replied and walked to the door, pausing montarily when he got there. "And DeLoach? Don’t pity so much that you want to share your daughters with . When I get mine, if I ever do...I won’t let you see her within the distance of a mile, not to talk of introducing you to her."
★★★
RED CITY.
PENTHOUSE, Dove’s Luxury Building.
Avery was sitting on one of the chairs in the kitchen across the table from Orion, a cup of coffee placed before each of them, courtesy of the forr.
’Not that long ago...Just 2 years ago.’
The sentence had prompted her to invite him to stay for a few more minutes, albeit reluctantly. Presently, she had a small smile on her face as she lifted her cup to take a sip of the coffee.
"So...where did you et two years ago?" she asked. "Where was I? Where were you? And who else...saw us?"
Orion didn’t reply her imdiately, his eyes narrowing into suspicious slits.
"What do you an who else saw us? How am I to know that?" he asked back.
"You have a point. Then..." she gritted her teeth. "Answer the other questions."
"Why does this seem like an interview instead of a friendly conversation? I ca to check up on you, Ava, not talk about the day I t you."
Avery’s brows pulled up in confusion, as she tried to determine what Orion was thinking just by looking at him. If he knew she was really the Avery McCAllum she was being compared to online, then why was he not showing animosity or any other emotions like—
"How are you, Ava?" his voice broke into her thoughts, a hint of worry underlying his question.
Ava...
It took just one call of that na for realization to dawn on Avery just at that mont. She used to be Avery, but she was now Ava. What if the person Orion was talking about was the real Ava sowhere 6 feet under the ground? Still, she needed to be sure about who it really was that he had seen, so she could not let the matter go just like that.
"Fine," she forced a smile at the glint of affection in his eyes. "But I get extrely nervous when I’m curious about sothing for long, will that make you answer ?"
He nodded, "Well... I have no idea why you’re so hung up about this but if you really must know, I t you in Arch’s office two years ago. Rember? A few months after A. Corp was changed to A² Corp. You guys uhm, had a big fight on that day."
Avery tried to rember the day Orion was speaking about, and when she did, her hands balled into fists. However, she reminded herself there was a more urgent matter at hand here.
She rembered; that ant Orion really did et her as Avery McCAllum, and not as Ava Donovan. He wasn’t supposed to know that!
"You..." she whispered, dropping her coffee cup as gently as her shaky hands allowed her to,"You know who I am?"
Reviews
All reviews (0)