Ava stared at the casket as it was slowly lowered into the ground, her heart heavy with grief. But it wasn’t just sorrow that consud her. Standing on the opposite side of the grave was Serena, and the sight of her ignited a storm of fury within Ava. Despite the tears stinging her eyes, the hatred coursing through her veins at Serena’s audacity to be here shook her to the core.
How dare she co here. This was her father’s final resting place, a sacred mont ant for those who truly loved and respected him. Yet, there Serena was, her presence like a cruel mockery of the life he had lived and the death he had suffered all because of her and her family. Ava’s fists clenched tightly at her sides, her nails biting into her palms as her rage built. She couldn’t bear to stand by any longer. She was not supposed to be here!
With fire burning in her eyes, she took a step forward, ready to confront the woman who had no right to be here. But before she could take another step, soone grabbed her arm, holding her back.
"Not now, Ava." The calm but firm voice stopped her in her tracks. Whipping around, she glared at Sidney, who stood beside her, his hand unmovable. She stared at him, feeling betrayed, her and spoke in a bitter and sharp whisper. "Even now, you’re worried about her?"
Sidney didn’t flinch under her fiery gaze. Instead, he stepped closer, his eyes soft but unwavering, as he stood between her and the gazes of the onlookers. To anyone standing behind them, it would look as if he was consoling her.
"The only person I’m worried about right now is you- Ava," he said and leaned in slightly, speaking just loud enough for her to hear. "This is your father’s funeral, Ava. If you make a scene here, it won’t bother Serena one bit. But you? You’ll carry that regret forever."
The words pierced through her anger, but Ava wasn’t ready to relent. She shook her head, her voice trembling with frustration. "So, what? I’m just supposed to stand here and let her stay? Let her ruin this mont for us? You think my father will rest in peace when she is here?"
Sidney sighed and though his grip on her arm eased slightly he answered her patiently, "No. I’ll make sure she leaves. I promise. But right now, you need to focus on what matters. Your father. Your goodbye. Don’t let her take this mont from you."
Ava looked at him, her breathing uneven as she wrestled with the storm inside her. His words made sense, but the anger still burned hot. After a mont, she nodded stiffly, her hands unclenching as she forced herself to take a deep breath. She needed to trust Sidney.
Sidney gave her a small, reassuring nod before stepping away, his attention now focused on Serena. Ava stayed rooted to her spot, her eyes dropping back to the casket as her grief surged again. If only, she had not made her father get off that plane, at least he would have remained safe.
Sidney straightened his suit jacket and stepped away from Ava. Stopping a few feet away from her, Sidney spoke in a low, controlled tone, careful not to draw the attention of the other people "You need to leave. Now."
Serena barely spared him a glance before shrugging lightly, her lips curling into a faint, dismissive smile. "I’ll leave soon," she said coolly. "I just wanted to make sure he was really dead."
The words hit Sidney like a slap, and for a mont, he could hardly believe what he’d heard. His jaw tightened, and he took a step closer, his voice sharper now, cutting through the thick tension. "When did you beco this kind of monster?" he demanded, his disbelief laced with anger. "First, you have soone killed, and now you show up at his funeral like this claiming to want to make sure that he is dead?"
Serena turned to face him fully, her expression unbothered, though a spark of irritation flickered in her eyes. She scoffed, a sound dripping with derision, and crossed her arms. "Don’t go around throwing baseless accusations, Sidney. I had nothing to do with his death," she said evenly. "And let give you a piece of advice—next ti you feel like accusing of sothing, you better have solid proof. Otherwise, I’ll have no problem filing defamation charges against you."
Sidney’s eyes narrowed, his glare unwavering as he stepped even closer, lowering his voice even further "You’ve seen it for yourself now. Matthew is gone. If you have even a shred of decency left, you’ll leave this place. You’re not welco here. Let the family have a mont of peace."
Serena gave him a thin smile then and with another indifferent shrug, she turned on her heel and without another word, walked away.
Sidney stood there for a mont, watching her retreating figure, his shoulders tense. He turned back toward Ava, who was still standing near the casket, her head bowed. Taking a deep breath, he returned to her side, his expression softening as he placed a comforting hand on her shoulder.
"She’s gone," he said gently. "You can focus on your father now."
Ava nodded but Sidney failed to notice the venom and anger in her eyes. To him, she’d been standing here with her head bowed. But he did not know that her eyes had been on him and Serena through out the interaction. And she’d seen the smile on Serena’s face.
In that mont, she vowed to have her revenge. All this while, she’d disliked the woman but never had she felt the need to kill her. But now, as she stood with her head bowed in front of her father’s grave, Ava made a promise to him," She did this to you. I will make sure that she is never happy. I won’t rest until she is buried six feet under as well!"
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