《When His Eyes Opened》 Chapter 1 Chapter 1 It was the day of Avonsville socialite Avery Tate¡¯s wedding, but there was no groom in sight. The groom, Elliot Foster, had been in a vegetative state since a car crash half a year ago. His doctors said that he was not going to make it until the end of the year. In a grief-stricken act, Elliot¡¯s mother decided to arrange a marriage for her son before he met his untimely end. The Fosters were one of the wealthiest families in Avonsville, but no socialite in her right mind would want to marry a man who was knocking on Death¡¯s door. ¡­¡­ Avery sat at the vanity with her slender figure gracefully dressed in a white wedding gown. With her elegant makeup that brought out the exquisiteness of her paleplexion, she looked as delicate as a budding red rose. Yet, there was an uneasiness in her almond-shaped eyes. There was only another 20 minutes until the ceremony, and Avery was frantically sliding her fingers across her phone screen, anxiously awaiting a text message. She had a boyfriend before she was forced to marry Elliot, and it was a terrible coincidence that he just happened to be Elliot¡¯s nephew, Cole Foster. However, they had never made their rtionship public. Avery had texted Cole the night before in hopes that they would escape Avonsville together and elope. She had stayed up all night waiting, but she never got a reply. She could wait no longer. Avery rose from her seat, clenched her hand around her phone and made up an excuse to leave the room. She hurried down the corridor and froze in her tracks as she walked past one of the rooms. Avery heard the sound of her sister, Cassandra giggling delightedly through the slightly ajar room door. ¡°I bet my dumb sister is still waiting for you to go to her, Cole! Maybe you should go and butter her up a little more. What are we going to do if she changes her mind and decides to back out of the wedding?¡± ¡°Do you think she has a choice now that things havee this far?¡± Cole said as he held Cassandra in his arms and nuzzled his thin lips against her neck. ¡°Even if she tries to back out now, the guards will drag her down the altar by the neck!¡± Cassandra snickered wickedly, then said, ¡°Avery will lose her mind if she finds out that you¡¯ve been spending every night with me!¡± Avery felt a violent buzzing in her head. She took a step back and almost lost her bnce. She clenched her fists around her gown and held back the tears in her eyes. Her father was admitted into hospital when hispany went under. Her stepmother, Wanda Tate, turned on Avery and forced her to marry into the Foster family so she could reap the benefits. She had made it sound like the marriage was for the good of the Tate family, but Avery knew that this was Wanda¡¯s way of getting rid of her! What was least expected, was the fact that the boyfriend who said he loved her would turn around and betray her! It was no wonder Cole urged her to carry on with the wedding. He said that he would marry her once Elliot died, but it was all a huge lie! All of her hopes and dreams were crushed, and she could barely breathe. As the voices in the room intensified, Avery clenched her fists, and her eyes turned ice cold. For years, she endured her stepmother and stepsister¡¯s bullying for her father¡¯s sake. She suffered through all kinds of injustices for the sake of the family. She was too stupid and naive. Now, she would no longer allow them to take her for a fool! She would take back all that was hers! The wedding ceremony began shortly after. Dressed in her wedding gown with a bouquet of flowers in her hands, Avery walked down the aisle as soft, romantic music yed in the background. She said her own vows and put on her own wedding ring. The crowd looked puzzled, but she paid them no mind. From now on, she was Mrs. Foster, and she was untouchable. However, her new husband, who used to hold Avonsville in the palm of his hand, did not have much longer to live. ¡­¡­ That night, Avery was sent to Elliot¡¯s mansion. It was located in the heart of the city¡¯s affluent district and cost over 150 million dors. Before Avery could properly take in the mansion¡¯syout, Mrs. Cooper had dragged her to the master bedroom. Her eyes were immediately drawn to the man on therge bed. She slowly walked over and carefully watched his face. Elliot¡¯s deep-set features stood out on his chiseled face, and he exuded a majestic aura of nobility. His skin was unusually pale from spending all that time indoors, but his handsome face made one unable to take their eyes off of him. If he were not sick, Avery would have never be his wife. Before he had been bed-ridden from the car crash, Elliot was a powerful figure in the country of Aryadelle. Sterling Group, which he headed, was one of the country¡¯s top ten corporations. He was rumored to be ruthless and tyrannical and had a legal business as well as deals with the underworld. Anyone who crossed him was bound to pay a hefty price. Avery never thought that she would marry a man like Elliot. The bedroom door opened while she was lost in thought. It was Cole! ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Avery! I was too busy today and just managed toe to see you,¡± said Cole as he approached Avery with feigned sincerity on his face. ¡°I just married your uncle,¡± Avery snapped coldly. ¡°Do I need to teach you how to address me?¡± ¡°I know you¡¯re mad. I didn¡¯t elope with you because I didn¡¯t want you to suffer a difficult life. Uncle Elliot is practically a dead man, so you don¡¯t have to lift a finger while married to him. Once he¡¯s dead, I¡¯ll get a goodwyer and make sure you get his whole estate!¡± Cole eagerly grabbed Avery¡¯s hands and said, ¡°When that happens, everything he has will be ours!¡± Avery recalled the earlier scene she had witnessed between Cole and Cassandra, and she felt a surge of disgust. C0pyright ? 2024 N?v)(elDrama.Org. ¡°Let go!¡± she yelled as she violently shook his hands off. Her sudden cry took Cole by surprise. Was this the Avery he knew? Avery was always gentle and kind, and she would never raise her voice at him. Could she have found out about something? Cole felt a hint of guilt and moved closer to Avery in hopes of exining things to her. The next moment, his eyes shifted to something behind Avery. His eyes widened in disbelief as if he had just seen a ghost. ¡°He¡­ He¡­¡± Cole stammered. Elliot, who was lying still in bed, began to slowly open his eyes. Chapter 2 Chapter 2 Under the lights of the crystal chandelier, Elliot¡¯s obsidian ck eyes were deep maic, and dangerous. As always, it was a gaze that sent a chill down one¡¯s spine. The color disappeared from Cole¡¯s face as he stumbled a few steps back. ¡°Avery¡­ I mean, Aunt Avery¡­ It¡¯ste, so I won¡¯t bother you and Uncle Elliot!¡± Cole was drenched in a cold sweat as he frantically fled the room. Avery¡¯s heart tightened as she watched his panic-stricken escape, and her body began to tremble uncontrobly. Was Elliot awake? Was he not about to die? She wanted to speak to him, but she could not find her voice. She wanted to take a closer look, but her feet were glued to the ground. A wave of terror washed over her, and she could not help but back away, and she ran toward the stairs. ¡°Mrs. Cooper! Elliot¡¯s awake! He opened his eyes!¡± Avery cried. Mrs. Cooper rushed up the stairs upon hearing Avery¡¯s voice. ¡°Master Elliot opens his eyes every day, Madam, but it doesn¡¯t mean he¡¯s awake. Look, he¡¯s not responding to anything we¡¯re saying right now,¡± Mrs. Cooper said. She then sighed and added, ¡°The doctors said that there¡¯s a very low probability for someone in a vegetative state to wake up.¡± Avery still felt a lingering uneasiness and said, ¡°Can I leave the lights on at night? I¡¯m a little scared.¡± ¡°Of course,¡± Mrs. Cooper said. ¡°Go to bed soon. You have to visit the old mansion tomorrow. I¡¯ll wake you in the morning.¡± ¡°Okay,¡± Avery responded. Once Mrs. Cooper walked off, Avery changed into her pajamas and got into bed. She sat stiffly next to Elliot and watched his striking features. She stretched her hand out and waved it in front of his eyes. ¡°What¡¯s on your mind, Elliot?¡± she asked, but there was no response. Avery felt a sudden pang of sadness. Compared to what he had to go through, her own pain was nothing. ¡°I hope you wake up soon, Elliot. If that scumbag Cole gets his cold sleazy hands on all your money, you won¡¯t be able to die in peace.¡± Elliot slowly closed his eyes after that. Avery stared at him in shock as her heart began to thump violently in her chest. Some people are conscious even when in a vegetative state. Could he have heard what she just said? Shey down next to him, still feeling unsettled. After a while, she heard the sound of her own sigh. She was officially Mrs. Foster, and no one would bully her¡ª for now. How would the Foster family deal with her once Elliot was dead? Avery¡¯s heart tightened at the thought. She had to use her position as Elliot¡¯s wife to get back everything that she had lost while he was still conscious! Everyone who had wronged her before would pay the price! ¡­¡­ At eight in the morning the next day, Mrs. Cooper took Avery to the old mansion to visit Elliot¡¯s mother, Rosalie Foster. The whole Foster family was in the living room when Avery arrived, and she proceeded to greet and serve tea to each family member. Rosalie looked pleased with Avery¡¯s manners. An obedient child would be easier to control. ¡°How did you sleepst night, Avery?¡± asked Rosalie. Avery¡¯s cheeks flushed as she said, ¡°Quite well.¡± ¡°How was Elliot? He wasn¡¯t a bother, was he?¡± Avery recalled Elliot¡¯s handsome but unresponsive face and said sympathetically, ¡°He didn¡¯t move at all. It didn¡¯t bother me.¡± He might have been unmoving, but his body was warm. While she was deep in sleep, she held him like a pillow. She was startled when she woke up in the middle of the night and realized what she was doing. ¡°I have something for you, Avery,¡± Rosalie said as she opened up a purple gift box and passed it to Avery. ¡°This braceletplements your skin tone. Do you like it?¡± Avery did not dare to reject the old woman in front of the whole family and immediately epted her gift. ¡°I do. Thank you.¡± ¡°I know things are hard for you, Avery. With Elliot the way he is now, he can¡¯t treat you well. However, there¡¯s a way for you to benefit from all of this,¡± said Rosalie as she began to reveal her n. ¡°Elliot is running out of time. He was always busy with work and never had the time to date. He didn¡¯t even have the chance to have a child of his own¡­¡± Avery stiffened upon hearing Rosalie¡¯s words. A child of his own? Was Rosalie thinking of having her give birth to Elliot¡¯s child? N?velDrama.Org ? 2024. ¡°I¡¯d like you to give Elliot a child and continue his bloodline,¡± Rosalie finished. Avery was stunned, and everyone else in the room had an equally shocked expression on their faces. ¡°Mother, Elliot has been sick for a while. It¡¯s possible that he¡¯s infertile,¡± said Elliot¡¯s eldest brother, Henry Foster. Elliot was not dead yet, but everyone already had their eyes on his estate. Rosalie chuckled and said, ¡°I have a trick or two up my sleeve with the doctors, of course. With Elliot¡¯s vast estate, how could he not have an heir? I¡¯ll have Avery give Elliot a child. Even a daughter will do.¡± At that moment, everyone¡¯s eyes immediately fell on Avery. Chapter 3 Chapter 3 Chapter 3 Avery felt restless and uneasy. ¡°You¡¯re still in school, right, Avery? Your studies will be affected if you get pregnant now,¡± said Henry¡¯s wife. Henry immediately agreed and said, ¡°That¡¯s right! Avery is still young. I doubt she¡¯s willing to give up on her studies and raise a child at home!¡± Rosalie knew what her son and daughter-inw were thinking. This was also the reason why she was adamant about ensuring Elliot had an heir. ¡°Are you willing to have Elliot¡¯s child, Avery?¡± Rosalie asked Avery. She did not hold back. ¡°You should know that you and the child will inherit all of Elliot¡¯s estate in the future. It¡¯s a fortunerge enough for you and the child to live afortable life.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll do it,¡± Avery responded without hesitation. She was willing to try anything to ensure Cole did not get a dime of Elliot¡¯s money. Besides, even if she was unwilling, the Foster family was powerful enough to force her into it. Rosalie beamed from ear to ear after hearing Avery¡¯s answer. ¡°That¡¯s wonderful! I knew you were different from the other stupid women out there. They thought that they wouldn¡¯t be able to benefit if Eliot was dying! Ha!¡± Once tea was over, Avery walked out of the old mansion and prepared to return home. Cole stopped her before she could leave. The morning sun was shining, and the cicadas were chirping. Avery felt sick to her stomach at the sight of Cole¡¯s face. ¡°Please take the gifts home first, Mrs. Cooper,¡± Avery said. Mrs. Cooper nodded, then walked off with the gifts. Cole made sure no one was around, then said, ¡°You¡¯re breaking my heart, Avery! You never let me touch you the entire time we were dating, but now you¡¯ve agreed to give birth to Uncle Elliot¡¯s kid!¡± ¡°Giving him a child means getting his estate. Why wouldn¡¯t I do it?¡± Avery snickered as she deliberately chose words that would hurt him. Sure enough, Cole was agitated. ¡°It¡¯s not a bad idea, but you can have my kid instead and say it¡¯s Uncle Elliot¡¯s. It would still be a Foster. Even if my grandmother gets angry, she would never make you abort it.¡± The sneer on Avery¡¯s face instantly vanished. ¡°It¡¯s good to be ambitious, Cole, but ambition without brains can be a dangerous thing,¡± Avery warned. ¡°I heard that the people by Elliot¡¯s side are a ruthless bunch. As long as he¡¯s breathing, his minions will be waiting for him to wake up. Do you really think they¡¯ll let you go if they find out that I was pregnant with your child?¡± Avery¡¯s words were like a wave of ice-cold water, chilling Cole to his core. He knew better than anyone how heartless his uncle¡¯s people could be. They kept a low profile after Elliot¡¯s ident, but it did not mean that they were gone. ¡°I¡¯m just kidding! Whether it¡¯s his or mine, the kid will still be a Foster. When Uncle Elliot dies, I will definitely treat his child like my own,¡± Cole said as he desperately tried to defend himself. Avery sighed, then said, ¡°Your uncle¡¯s child would be your cousin.¡± Cole looked like he had just swallowed a fly. ¡°Let¡¯s not fight about this now, Avery. We¡¯ll talk after Uncle Elliot¡¯s dead.¡± ¡°What if he never dies? Will you wait for me forever?¡± Avery retorted. Her question left Cole speechless. Seeing him speechless, Avery chuckled mockingly and said, ¡°I¡¯m off. Your grandmother¡¯s sent a doctor to see me to your uncle¡¯s ce.¡± ¡­¡­ Published by N?v''elD/rama.Org. When Avery returned to Elliot¡¯s mansion, she was immediately taken to the hospital for a medical checkup by two doctors. If she was ovting, they would extract the eggs from her body. Otherwise, they would give her a shot to stimte ovtion. ¡°There¡¯s no need to worry, Mrs. Foster. This might hurt a little, but once you give birth to Mr. Foster¡¯s child, your position in the Foster family will be secured,¡± consoled one of the female doctors. Averyy on the bed as her heartbeat quickened. ¡°How long will it take to make that happen?¡± Chapter 4 Chapter 4 Chapter 4 ¡°It¡¯s hard to say. If we¡¯re lucky, it would take three to four months. Otherwise, it might take forever,¡± said the doctor. She paused, then added, ¡°You¡¯re young, so I¡¯m sure this will go smoothly.¡± Time flew by in an instant. An autumn showerter, fall had arrived in Avonsville. Avery emerged from the bathroom after a shower. She sat by the bed, took out the new face cream she had bought that day, and massaged it onto her skin. ¡°Hey, Elliot, do you want me to put some of this on you? The weather has been drytely,¡± Avery said as she walked over to Elliot¡¯s side. She sat on the edge of the bed, then spread the cream on Elliot¡¯s face with her fingers. Elliot¡¯s eyes suddenly shot open. His eyes were a deep shade of amber, and they shone like gemstones. The sparkle in his gaze shocked Avery so much that her breathing turned heavy. It was not unusual for her to see Elliot open his eyes every day, but she was still startled every time it happened. ¡°Am I rubbing too hard? I¡¯m not using that much pressure, though!¡± Avery said as she continued to gently massage his face. At the same time, she began to mumble to herself. ¡°I read online that the reason you¡¯ve never had a girlfriend before must be because of your body¡­ But I don¡¯t think you¡¯re that bad! You have strong arms¡­ and these muscr legs¡­¡± Once she was done putting the cream on him, she tapped her hands on Elliot¡¯s arms and legs. Her touch was light and was not enough to get a reaction out of anyone. However, Elliot¡¯s reaction made her eyes instantly widen. This was because¡­ She thought she heard the sound of a man¡¯s voice. ¡°Was that you, Elliot? Did you say something just now?¡± Avery eximed as she sprung off the bed. Her almond-shaped eyes fixed themselves on him in an intense stare. Elliot stared back at her. There was something different about his gaze. When he used to open his eyes before, they were lifeless and empty. This time, the eyes staring at Avery had emotion in them, even if those emotions bore a hint of anger, hatred, and suspicion. ¡°Mrs. Cooper!¡± Avery cried as she rushed downstairs like a cat whose tail had been stepped on. ¡°Mrs. Cooper, Elliot¡¯s awake! He just spoke! He¡¯s really awake!¡± Her cheeks were flushed, her heartbeat was irregr, and her chest rose and fell rapidly. Elliot was awake. Avery was sure that he was awake. Not only were his eyes open, but he had also spoken to her. Even though his voice was husky and he spoke slowly, it was threatening. N?velDrama.Org ? 2024. Elliot had asked her who she was. Avery¡¯s mind instantly went nk. Everyone around her had told her that he was going to die soon, so she had never thought about what she would do if he ever woke up. Mrs. Cooper, the doctor, and the bodyguard rushed over upon hearing Avery¡¯s cries. The mansion was filled with people half an hourter. Everyone was in shock. None of them thought that Elliot would ever wake up. ¡°I knew you would wake up, Elliot!¡± Rosalie eximed through tears of happiness. ¡°It¡¯s good that you¡¯re awake now, Elliot,¡± said Henry. ¡°You have no idea how worried all of us were, especially Mother. She was so upset that all of her hair turned gray.¡± After the doctor was done checking on Elliot¡¯s condition, he turned to Rosalie and said, ¡°This truly is a miracle! There were no signs of recovery when I checked on himst time. Now that Mr. Foster can speak, we just have to follow up with rehabilitation treatment, and he will be back to normal in no time.¡± The good news came so suddenly that Rosalie could not bear it. Her legs buckled, and she fainted from shock. Henry caught his mother and carried her out of the room. The doctor, Mrs. Cooper, and the bodyguard remained in the room while Avery stood at the door in stunned silence. She was too afraid to enter. The chilling aura that Elliot exuded upon regaining consciousness was terrifying. He was sitting up with his back against the headboard. His eyes were as sharp as a hawk¡¯s as they shot an icy re at Avery. ¡°Who is she?¡± he said in a powerful, deep voice filled with contempt. The doctor was so scared that he barely had the courage to take a breath. Mrs. Cooper bowed her head and exined, ¡°Master Elliot, she is the wife that Madam Rosalie arranged for you while you were sick. Her name is¡ª¡± Elliot¡¯s thin lips parted slightly, and his voice was dull and indifferent as he spoke, ¡°Get her out of here!¡± Chapter 5 Chapter 5 Chapter 5 Avery was so startled that she could not help but take a few steps back. Elliot was like a savage beast that had awakened from a deep slumber. There was nothing scary about him when he was asleep. Now that he was awake, however, there was a menacing air of danger around him. Mrs. Cooper walked out of the room and shut the door. She saw Avery who looked like a deer caught in headlights and said gently, ¡°Don¡¯t be afraid, Madam. Master Elliot just woke up, so he might not be able to ept the news yet. Let¡¯s get you to the guest room for tonight, and we¡¯ll talk in the morning. Madam Rosalie loves you, so she might just be on your side.¡± Avery¡¯s mind was in a frenzy. She had thought about how Elliot might die any day, but she never thought about the possibility that he might regain consciousness. ¡°Mrs. Cooper, my things are still in the room¡­¡± Avery said as she nced at the door of the master bedroom, hoping to enter and take all of her belongings. Judging by the vicious re that Elliot had aimed at her earlier, she had a strong feeling that he was not going to ept her as his wife. She needed to be ready to leave the mansion at any time. Mrs. Cooper let out a sigh and said, ¡°Let¡¯s leave it there for now if it¡¯s nothing too important. I¡¯ll get it for you tomorrow.¡± ¡°Okay,¡± Avery responded, then asked, ¡°Are you afraid of him?¡± ¡°I¡¯ve worked for him for a long time,¡± said Mrs. Cooper. ¡°He may look scary, but he has not made things difficult for me.¡± Avery grunted in response, then spoke no further. She might be his wife, but strictly speaking, this was their first meeting. It was understandable that he might act hostile toward her. Avery did not sleep well that night. Her mind was filled with a million chaotic thoughts. Elliot¡¯s recovery hadpletely disrupted the pace of her life. ¡­¡­ At eight in the morning the next day, Mrs. Cooper retrieved all of Avery¡¯s belongings from the master bedroom and sent them to the guest room she was in. ¡°It¡¯s time for breakfast, Madam,¡± said Mrs. Cooper. ¡°Master Elliot is already in the dining room. You should go there too! Talk to him and get to know each other a little.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t think he wants to get to know me,¡± Avery grimaced. ¡°You still need to have breakfast. Come on, now! He didn¡¯t even get mad when I told him that Madam Rosalie likes you! His attitude might be a little better today,¡± said Mrs. Cooper. When Avery arrived at the dining room, her eyes fell on the wheelchair-bound Elliot. He was able to move his arms thanks to routine muscle training. He sat up straight despite being in a wheelchair. He would surely be tall and strapping if he stood up. Filled with uneasiness, Avery sat herself down at the dining table as Mrs. Cooper set up a ce for her. Elliot did not say a word even as Avery picked up her fork. She could not help but sneak a peek at him, which immediately garnered Elliot¡¯s attention. His eyes were like bottomless ck holes that could swallow a person whole. Published by N?v''elD/rama.Org. ¡°Hey¡­ I¡¯m¡­ I¡¯m Avery Tate¡­¡± Avery stammered anxiously. Elliot picked up his cup of coffee and leisurely sipped at it. His voice was dull and indifferent as he said, ¡°I heard that you might be pregnant with my child.¡± Avery¡¯s heart tightened, and she immediately lost her appetite. ¡°Do you prefer a surgical or medical abortion?¡± His tone was calm as he said those cruel words. The color disappeared from Avery¡¯s face, and her mind went nk. Mrs. Cooper felt that the topic was too eerie, so she forwent etiquette and said, ¡°Master Elliot, the child was Madam Rosalie¡¯s idea. It had nothing to do with Madam Avery.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t use my mother to pressure me,¡± Elliot snapped as he shot a re at Mrs. Cooper, causing her to lower her head and shut her mouth. ¡°Elliot¡ª¡± Avery began to speak but was cut off by Elliot. ¡°Who gave you permission to say my name?¡± Avery was taken aback, then said, ¡°What should I call you otherwise? Should I call you ¡®Honey¡¯?¡± Elliot pursed his thin lips and rage seeped into his eyes. Before he could lose his temper, Avery quickly tried to calm him down. ¡°I¡¯m not pregnant. I got my period. Ask the cleaningdy, Mrs. Wilson if you don¡¯t believe me. I asked her for a tampon this morning.¡± Elliot remained silent. He picked up his cup of coffee and took a sip. Avery felt her stomach ache and began to eat her breakfast without a second thought. She finished her meal hurriedly, then got up to go get her bag from the room so she could get out of the house. Being under the same roof as Elliot made her ufortable. ¡°Get your documents ready. We¡¯ll be divorced soon,¡± Elliot said coldly. Avery stopped in her tracks, but she was not surprised. ¡°Are we going right now?¡± ¡°In a couple of days,¡± Elliot replied. Rosalie was so shocked the night before that she had to be admitted to the hospital for hypertension. Elliot wanted to wait until his mother¡¯s condition was stable before discussing the divorce. ¡°Okay, just let me know when,¡± Avery said before she rushed back to her room. She reemerged with her bag about five minutester. Unexpectedly, she saw a familiar silhouette in the living room. It was Cole. He looked like a scared dog with its tail tucked between its legs as he stood respectfully by Elliot¡¯s wheelchair. ¡°Uncle Elliot, my parents are visiting Grandma at the hospital, so Dad had mee see you,¡± Cole said as he ced a box of supplements on the coffee table. Elliot shot a look at the bodyguard next to him. The man understood his employer¡¯s signal. He picked up the goods from the table and tossed them out. ¡°Uncle Elliot!¡± Cole cried in a panic. ¡°These are the best supplements and vitamins, but I can get you something else if you don¡¯t like them¡­ Please don¡¯t be mad!¡± As Cole finished his sentence, another bodyguard kicked the back of his knees and sent him kneeling on the ground. Avery was so petrified that she held back her breath. She did not know what was going on, but Elliot was treating his own nephew with such violence. ¡°My dear nephew, you must be disappointed that I¡¯m awake now,¡± Elliot said as he held a cigarette between his fingers. The bodyguard pulled out a lighter and lit it for him. Avery was dumbfounded! He had just woken up the night before, but he was already drinking coffee and smoking cigarettes the next morning. Did he think he was invincible? Cole¡¯s knees were in intense pain. He began to sob and said, ¡°Of course, I¡¯m happy that you¡¯re awake¡­ I always hoped that you would¡ª¡± ¡°Are you contradicting me?¡± Elliot said as he raised his thick brows. His tone might seem nonchnt, but every single word was filled with murderous intent. ¡°Aren¡¯t you going to admit to bribing mywyer?¡± He deliberately flicked the ash of his cigarette onto Cole¡¯s face. He then snapped coldly, ¡°Leave! If you p*ss me off again, I¡¯ll feed you to the dogs!¡± Cole was a panic-stricken mess as he stumbled out of the house. Avery¡¯s heart could not settle down after witnessing the scene. She was scared. She was terrified of Elliot. Even a man as despicable as Cole looked like a buffoon next to him. Avery did not dare get on Elliot¡¯s bad side, and she did not want to attract his attention either. She clutched her bag and hurried out of the house. She was going to the hospital for a checkup that day. Her period had arrivedte, and it was an unusually small amount of blood. It was the first time this had happened to her. Avery arrived at the hospital and exined the situation to the doctor who then arranged an ultrasound for her. She received the results of her ultrasound about an hourter. The scan showed no signs of bleeding in her womb. It also showed that there was a gestational sac inside of her¡­ She was pregnant! Chapter 6 Chapter 6 Chapter 6 Measures had to be taken to save the baby because of the bleeding. The news hit Avery like a ton of bricks. She was in a panicked frenzy. ¡°Doctor, what if I don¡¯t want to keep the baby?¡± She was about to be divorced from Elliot, so now was not the time for her to be pregnant with his child. The doctor looked thoughtfully at Avery, then said, ¡°Why don¡¯t you want it? Do you have any idea how many people can¡¯t have babies even if they wanted to?¡± Avery lowered her gaze as she fell silent. ¡°Why didn¡¯t your husbande with you?¡± asked the doctor. ¡°Even if you don¡¯t want the baby, you should discuss it with him first.¡± Avery¡¯s brows furrowed. Seeing her reaction, the doctor picked up her medical records. The doctor looked at Avery and said, ¡°You¡¯re only 21? You¡¯re not married, then?¡± ¡°I¡­ I might as well not be!¡± Avery said. They were about to get a divorce anyway. ¡°Surgical abortion isn¡¯t a simple procedure. Even if you want to go through with it, I can¡¯t fit you in today. Go home and really think about it. Whatever your rtionship with your boyfriend is, the child is innocent.¡± The doctor passed Avery¡¯s medical records to her, then said, ¡°Now that you¡¯re showing signs of bleeding, if we don¡¯t do something about it, it¡¯s hard to say if we¡¯ll be able to keep the baby anyway.¡± Avery¡¯s heart dropped. ¡°What do we have to do to save it?¡± she asked. ¡°Didn¡¯t you want an abortion? Have you changed your mind?¡± said the doctor. ¡°You¡¯re a pretty girl, so your child is bound to be a beautiful baby. If you want to keep the baby, I¡¯ll prescribe some medication for you. You¡¯ll need bedrest for a week, thene for a follow-up after that.¡± ¡­¡­ The zing sun made it difficult for Avery to keep her eyes open as she walked out of the hospital. Her back was drenched in a cold sweat, and her legs felt heavy. She felt lost. She did not know where to go, nor did she know who to talk to. The only thing she was certain about was that Elliot could not find out about this. Otherwise, he would make his bodyguards drag her to the operating table. She had not made up her mind about keeping the baby. Her mind was a mess, and she wanted to make a decision after she calmed down. She hailed a cab and made her way to her Uncle Ron¡¯s house. Since her parents¡¯ divorce, Avery¡¯s mother, Laura Jensen, had moved into her brother¡¯s home. Ron Jensen¡¯s family was not as wealthy as the Tates, but they were still considered well-off. ¡°Avery! Did youe alone?¡± said Ron¡¯s wife, Miranda Jensen. Her expression instantly turned cold when she noticed Avery had arrived empty-handed. ¡°I heard that you brought a whole bunch of high-end gifts thest time you visited your father¡¯s home. I suppose etiquette isn¡¯t important when it¡¯s not your own home that you¡¯re visiting.¡± Miranda had nned to properly entertain Avery when she had arrived, but seeing her guest show up empty-handed made her turn frosty. Avery was taken aback. ¡°I¡¯m so sorry, Aunt Miranda. I didn¡¯t mean to. I¡¯ll make sure to prepare something the next time Ie over,¡± said Avery. ¡°Forget it! From the looks of it, you¡¯ve pretty much been kicked out of the Foster house,¡± Miranda said mockingly. ¡°I heard that Elliot Foster is awake. If he cared about you at all, you wouldn¡¯t be running over here crying for your mommy, would you?¡± Avery¡¯s cheeks flushed as she was chastised. Seeing her daughter getting bullied, Laura immediately said, ¡°Even if my daughter was kicked out of the Foster family, you should not mock her for it.¡± ¡°I was just speaking the truth! Do you really need to be so touchy, Laura?¡± Miranda snapped. ¡°Don¡¯t forget whose house you¡¯re living in. Go ahead and move out if you have what it takes!¡± Laura was livid, but she knew she could not win against Miranda. Avery¡¯s heart twisted in her chest as she watched the scene before her. She knew that Uncle Ron¡¯s home was not as ideal for her mother as living at the Tate house, but she figured it probably was not too bad. She had no idea that things were so unpleasant between Laura and Miranda. ¡°Maybe you should move out and rent a ce somewhere, Mom? I have some money on me¡­¡± Avery insisted earnestly. Laura nodded, then said, ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll go pack my things now.¡± Avery and Laura emerged from Ron¡¯s house in under half an hour and got into a cab. ¡°Don¡¯t worry about me, Avery,¡± Laura said with a bitter smile. ¡°I managed to save up some money over the years. I only stayed there because your grandmother was sick and wanted me to take care of her. If it weren¡¯t for her, I would have moved out a long time ago.¡± Avery lowered her gaze, then said after a moment¡¯s pondering, ¡°Aunt Miranda wasn¡¯t wrong, you know? I¡¯ll be getting a divorce from Elliot in a couple of days.¡± Laura was stunned, then she immediately began to console her daughter. ¡°It¡¯s okay. You haven¡¯t graduated yet. Now, you can properly prepare for graduation after the divorce.¡± ¡°Yeah,¡± Avery responded as she rested her head against Laura¡¯s shoulder. ¡°I won¡¯t go back to the Tate house after the divorce. Let¡¯s live together, Mom!¡± She had no ns to tell her mother about her pregnancy. Laura would be worried sick if she found out. Property ? N?velDrama.Org. When Avery returned to the Foster mansion that night, therge living room was engulfed in pin drop silence. Mrs. Cooper suddenly appeared out of nowhere and scared Avery into a cold sweat. ¡°Have you had dinner, Madam? I left some food for you. I also got you some tampons.¡± ¡°Thanks, Mrs. Cooper. I already ate. Why is the house so quiet? Is he not home?¡± Avery asked before walking into her room. ¡°Master Elliot hasn¡¯t returned. The doctor told him to rest at home but he wouldn¡¯t listen,¡± Mrs. Cooper sighed. ¡°He¡¯s always had a mind of his own. No one can order him around.¡± Avery nodded slightly. She had a deep impression of Elliot despite the few encounters they had shared. He was rebellious, ruthless, and insufferably arrogant. The small iota of sympathy that she felt for him when he was sick had vanishedpletely after he regained consciousness. Avery tossed and turned in bed that night. She thought of the child growing inside of her. Not only did she not feel calmer than she felt at the hospital earlier, but she was feeling even more restless. The next morning arrived in the blink of an eye. Avery did not want to bump into Elliot, so she did not leave her room for a while. Mrs. Cooper knocked on her door at 9.30 a.m. and said, ¡°Master Elliot has just left, Madam. You can come have breakfast now.¡± Avery did not expect Mrs. Cooper to know exactly what she was thinking, and her cheeks turned red. She received a phone call after breakfast. It was a ssmate from college who was offering her a job tranting manuscripts. ¡°I know you¡¯re busy with your graduation thesis right now, but this manuscript should be a piece of cake for you. The pay is really good, but they need it done before noon today.¡± Avery was short on money, so she agreed after only a moment¡¯s contemtion. She finished tranting the manuscript by 11.30 a.m. and was about to send the file to her ssmate after checking it twice and making sure there were no mistakes. Suddenly, herptop screen began to flicker. Avery stared in horror as the screen turned blue, then ck¡­ Herptoppletely crashed! It was a good thing she had saved the file on a USB drive. She sighed in relief before she pulled the USB drive out of theptop. She needed to find anotherputer to send the file on the USB drive to her ssmate. ¡°Mrs. Cooper, there¡¯s something wrong with myptop, but I¡¯m in a hurry. Is there anotherputer in the house? I just need to send a file.¡± ¡°There is, but it¡¯s Master Elliot¡¯s.¡± Avery felt her heart freeze. As if she would dare use Elliot¡¯sputer. ¡°It¡¯s just one file. That shouldn¡¯t take long, right?¡± When Mrs. Cooper saw how anxious Avery looked, she said, ¡°Master Elliot might be scary, but he¡¯s not all bad. Since you¡¯re in a rush, I doubt he¡¯ll me you.¡± Avery took a look at the time. It was already 11.50 a.m., and she had to have the file sent out before noon. Elliot¡¯s study was located on the second floor of the mansion. The whole time that he had been bed-ridden, apart from the cleaningdies, no one else entered his study. Avery was terrified of getting caught by Elliot, but at the same time, she really wanted to get that easy money. She needed the cash. If she decided to get an abortion, she needed to save up enough for the surgery. The child was not hers alone. It also belonged to Elliot. Borrowing hisputer could be counted as her contribution to the medical fees. Avery entered the study, walked straight to the desk, and turned on theputer. Just as she was wondering what to do if theputer was password protected, the screen lit up in a sh. Chapter 7 Chapter 7 Chapter 7 Theputer was not password protected, and it started up in no time. It was so quick that Avery¡¯s heart skipped a couple of beats. She took a deep breath, plugged in the USB drive, then logged into her email. Once she was logged in, she quickly sent the file to her ssmate. It was strange how smoothly everything went. She managed to sessfully send off the file before noon. Avery did not dare linger another moment in the study. While she was about to shut down the computer, her hand trembled and she identally opened up a file. The file suddenly popped up on the screen, and she stared curiously at the contents with wide eyes. ¡­¡­ Avery emerged from the study five minutester. Mrs. Cooper let out a sigh of relief and said, ¡°See? Didn¡¯t I tell you that Master Elliot wouldn¡¯t be back anytime soon?¡± Avery was a mess of emotions. It felt like she had discovered Elliot¡¯s dark secret. She should not have used hisputer in the first ce. ¡°Are there surveince cameras in the study, Mrs. Cooper?¡± Avery asked. ¡°There¡¯s one outside the study,¡± replied Mrs. Cooper. Avery¡¯s face turned pale. ¡°Then he¡¯s sure to find out that I was in his study.¡± ¡°Just tell him about it yourself when he gets backter. You took less than ten minutes. I don¡¯t think he¡¯ll be mad,¡± consoled Mrs. Cooper. Avery¡¯s phone beeped, and she pulled it out to see a notification for a wire transfer. Her ssmate banked in three hundred and twenty dors to her ount. She did not expect the pay to be that high. It only took her two hours, and she already made three hundred and twenty dors! The money instantly calmed the anxiety in her heart. She did not want to use Elliot¡¯sputer, and she did not mean to see what she saw on it. She should exin everything to him when he gets home and pray that he will not be angry. She already agreed to the divorce, anyway. Once that was over, their paths would never cross again. Whatever secrets he had would have nothing to do with her. Avery returned to her room after lunch and shut the door. She sat in front of her vanity, nced down at her t belly, and whispered softly, ¡°I don¡¯t want to get rid of you either, little one, but your life will be much more difficult than mine is right now if I keep you¡­¡± Perhaps it was due to the drowsiness that came with the pregnancy, but before long she had fallen asleep at the table. Frantic footsteps outside the room jolted Avery up from her sleep that afternoon. Before she could pull herself together, the room door burst open. ¡°Madam,¡± Mrs. Cooper said with a fearful expression on her face, ¡°Did you touch something on Master Elliot¡¯sputer?¡± Avery¡¯s heart was in her mouth. ¡°Is¡­ Is he home? Did he find out?¡± Mrs. Cooper was a nervous wreck as she said, ¡°Didn¡¯t you say you were just sending a file? Master Elliot said you touched something else. He¡¯s throwing a fit in the study right now! I really don¡¯t know how I can get you out of this, Madam!¡± Avery was so anxious that her heart thumped violently in her chest. There was only one thought on her mind at that moment: She was dead! At this rate, she might not even need the divorce because Elliot was probably going to kill her. Avery¡¯s eyes welled up with tears. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Mrs. Cooper. I didn¡¯t mean to mess with his stuff. My hands were shaking when I tried to shut it down, and I identally opened it up. I swear, I only took one look then shut it down¡­¡± Mrs. Cooper believed her, but there was nothing she could do. ¡°He blew up at me just now. I might not even be able to keep this job for much longer.¡± Avery¡¯s heart was racing. She was willing to ept her punishment, but she could not drag Mrs. Cooper down with her. She walked out of the room and decided to exin herself to Elliot. N?velDrama.Org ? 2024. At that moment, the elevator doors opened on the first floor, and a bodyguard pushed Elliot¡¯s wheelchair out. The mansion only had three floors, but they had an elevator installed. Avery cautiously watched the wheelchair-bound Elliot. His expression was dark and terrifying, and there was a raging fire in his eyes. She had guessed that he would be mad about what happened, but she had not expected him to be this furious. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Elliot,¡± Avery said through the lump in her throat. ¡°Myptop stopped working this morning, so I used yourputer without permission. This had nothing to do with Mrs. Cooper. She tried to stop me, but I didn¡¯t listen to her.¡± She put all of the me on herself. The bodyguard stopped pushing Elliot¡¯s chair when they reached the living room, and Avery raised her gaze to look at him. Elliot¡¯s eyes were slightly reddened. It looked like she really ticked him off. Avery¡¯s voice was nasally when she spoke again, ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡± ¡°You saw everything, didn¡¯t you,¡± Elliot said in a low and deep voice that chilled her to the bone. His hands were sped together, seemingly rxed, but his knuckles had turned white. If he were not stuck to the wheelchair at that moment, he might just break her neck. This stupidly reckless woman! Did she really think she was the mistress of the house? How dare she enter his study and touch his things? D*mn her! Avery nodded before violently shaking her head and saying, ¡°I barely remember any of it now. I only took one look then shut it down! I honestly didn¡¯t mean to breach your privacy. I was just so nervous at the time. I don¡¯t know how I somehow opened the file¡ª¡± ¡°Shut up!¡± Elliot scowled. Hearing her excuses disgusted him even more. ¡°Go to your room! Don¡¯t take one step out of there until the divorce!¡± Avery swallowed back the exnations she was about to give. She turned and quickly returned to her room. She could clearly feel the loathing that Elliot felt for her. Once Avery¡¯s door was shut, Elliot¡¯s adam¡¯s apple rolled in his throat. ¡°No meals for her,¡± he said to Mrs. Cooper. Was he putting her on house arrest and starving her to death while he was at it? Mrs. Cooper felt bad for Avery but did not dare disobey. At the Foster house, Elliot¡¯s word was thew of thend. ¡­¡­ Two dayster, Rosalie¡¯s blood pressure was stable, and she was allowed to be discharged from the hospital. She immediately made her way to Elliot¡¯s mansion. ¡°How¡¯s your health, Elliot? What did the doctor say? When will you be able to stand up again?¡± Rosalie chirped in high spirits as she smiled gently at her son. ¡°The doctor said I¡¯m recovering quite well,¡± Elliot replied. ¡°There¡¯s something I¡¯d like to discuss with you, Mother.¡± The smile on Rosalie¡¯s face died a bit as she said, ¡°Is this about your marriage? I was the one who arranged it. Avery is a lovely girl, and I like her quite a lot¡­ That¡¯s right, where is she? You didn¡¯t chase her out, did you?¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t,¡± Elliot said, then signaled Mrs. Cooper. Mrs. Cooper instantly headed in the direction of Avery¡¯s room. It had been two days since she had had anything to eat or drink. Mrs. Cooper wondered how she was doing. Chapter 8 Chapter 8 Chapter 8 Rosalie stood looking into the room from the open door. Avery was curled up in a ball with her arms around her knees as she leaned against the wall. Her hair was down, and it was a mess. She looked up in a daze when she heard themotion at the door. ¡°Avery! What happened to you?¡± Rosalie eximed. When she saw Avery¡¯s face, which was white as a sheet of paper, her blood pressure instantly shot up. ¡°How did you be like this? Was it¡­ Was it Elliot? Is he abusing you?¡± At this point, there was a slight tremble in Rosalie¡¯s voice. Avery had lost a lot of weight. Her face was void of any color, and there were faint cracks on her dry lips. Her chest rose and fell unsteadily. She wanted to speak, but she could not find her voice. Mrs. Cooper walked over with a ss of warm milk and passed it to Avery. ¡°Have a ss of milk first, Madam. Don¡¯t be afraid. Now that Madam Rosalie is here, you can eat.¡± Rosalie¡¯s brows furrowed furiously as she said, ¡°What¡¯s that? Elliot isn¡¯t letting Avery eat? How did she get so skinny? Is he trying to starve her to death?¡± The incident shocked Rosalie to the core. She stormed over to the living room and stood before her son. ¡°Elliot, Avery is the wife that I arranged for you. What would you have me think if you tormented her this way?¡± ¡°She should be punished for her mistakes. If it weren¡¯t for your sake, do you think I would have allowed her to stay until now?¡± Elliot said in a cold, nonchnt voice. The way he saw it, starving her for two days was a lot more merciful than breaking her arm. She touched something she was not supposed to. She crossed his line. How could he easily forgive her? ¡°Mistake? What did Avery do?¡± asked Rosalie. In her eyes, Avery was a sensible, well-behaved, and observant girl. She would never be stupid enough to deliberately anger Elliot. Elliot pursed his lips and did not answer his mother. ¡°I know¡­ I know why you never wanted to get married and have children,¡± said Rosalie. ¡°Elliot, it¡¯s because I know too well exactly what you¡¯re thinking that I can¡¯t allow you to do this. Avery is a good girl. It¡¯s fine if you don¡¯t love her. You just have to stay together, even if you¡¯re only husband and wife in name!¡± At this point, Rosalie¡¯s eyes welled up with tears of agony. She became even more worked up the more she spoke, and her eyes turned bloodshot. Elliot was about to retaliate when he noticed his mother¡¯s condition. He signaled to his bodyguard to hold on to her. Property ? N?velDrama.Org. ¡°As long as I¡¯m sure, you can¡¯t chase Avery out! Divorce isn¡¯t out of the question¡­ You just have to find a girl you like. I will not allow you to spend the rest of your life alone!¡± Rosalie said as the bodyguard helped her to the couch. Her head was spinning even more. She could feel herself running out of breath as she said thosest words. Thirty secondster, Rosalie¡¯s head tilted and she fell back onto the couch. The old Mrs. Foster, who justhad just been discharged that morning, was then rushed back to the hospital. Elliot did not expect his mother to be so stubborn. He also did not expect her to be so furious. He had thought that the matter with Avery could be settled quickly, but it seemed that there were some obstacles. He did not only hate Avery, but he also refused all women. It was impossible that he would find another woman for the sake of divorcing Avery. ¡­¡­ In the guest bedroom, Avery sipped on the ss of milk as her condition improved slightly. She heard everything that was happening outside the room. Elliot did not say much, but he still managed to provoke his mother to the point of fainting. Mrs. Cooper brought Avery a bowl of oatmeal. She then picked up a brush and beganbing through Avery¡¯s disheveled hair. ¡°Did you hear that, Madam? As long as Madam Rosalie is around, Master Elliot won¡¯t kick you out,¡± consoled Mrs. Cooper. Avery had starved for two days. She was tired and out of energy, but there was one thing she was certain about. ¡°I want a divorce,¡± she said in a husky voice, but each of her words was clear. ¡°Whether he wants to or not, I will absolutely divorce him.¡± She did not want to linger in this hell for another second! She never wanted to see that devil, Elliot Foster, ever again! ¡°Don¡¯t be upset, Madam,¡± Mrs. Cooper said awkwardly. ¡°Have some oatmeal. I¡¯ll go and take a look at what¡¯s going on.¡± When Mrs. Cooper arrived at the door, she saw the bodyguard pushing Elliot over in his wheelchair and immediately said, ¡°Madam¡¯s condition isn¡¯t stable right now, Master Elliot.¡± Elliot¡¯s expression was no different than usual, but his eyes were as cold as ice. When Mrs. Cooper moved aside, the bodyguard pushed Elliot to the room¡¯s entrance. Avery¡¯s head shot up suddenly, and her eyes met his. It was as if there was the crackling of sparks in the air. ¡°Let¡¯s get a divorce, Elliot!¡± Avery said as she put down the bowl of oatmeal. She picked up her luggage and walked over to him. She had packed her things two nights ago and was prepared to leave the ce at any moment. ¡°Go marry someone you actually like!¡± she said in a much tougher tone. Elliot¡¯s eyes narrowed as he said, ¡°You hate me that much. Do you not think you were wrong?¡± ¡°I was wrong. I shouldn¡¯t have used yourputer,¡± Avery said as she tried to control her breathing. ¡°I¡¯ve already gotten my punishment, so we should be even. Do you have the divorce papers with you? If not, I can go get them made right now¡­¡± Seeing the way she could not wait to distance herself from him, Elliot drawled, ¡°Did I say that your punishment was over?¡± Avery was stunned. It was as if she just took a blow to the head. ¡°Since it¡¯s so agonizing for you to stay by my side, you¡¯ll continue to be Mrs. Foster!¡± Elliot¡¯s tone showed that the matter was not up for discussion. It was an order. ¡°We will get divorced, just not right now,¡± he added before his bodyguard pushed him away. Avery watched his back as she gritted her teeth in distaste. Who was he to tell her whether to go through with the divorce or not? Did he think that just because he would not, she would not find a way? Avery was hit by a sudden dizziness. Her ankles went weak, and it felt like all the energy was sucked out of her. She immediately went to lie down on the bed. Once she was lying down, she slowly began to calm down. It was not like Elliot said he would not divorce her. His mother was not well, so he was just holding back for now. If that were the case, she just needed to be patient and wait. Avery recovered a weekter. She went to the hospital for a checkup after breakfast. She had a strong feeling that she had lost the baby. Elliot had starved her for two days. She did not have a bite to eat and only had tap water to drink when she was thirsty. Under those circumstances, she could only try to survive. The child in her womb was sure to have starved to death by then. When she arrived at the hospital, the doctor ordered an ultrasound scan for Avery. She was dejected during the ultrasound examination. ¡°Doctor, is my child gone?¡± ¡°What makes you say that?¡± the doctor asked. ¡°I didn¡¯t eat anything for two days¡­ The baby¡¯s condition was already not great¡­¡± ¡°Oh, not eating for two days is fine. Some pregnant mothers have such awful vomiting spells that they don¡¯t really eat for a whole month,¡± responded the doctor. Avery¡¯s heart tightened. ¡°So, my baby¡­¡± ¡°Congrattions! There are two gestational sacs in your womb. You¡¯re having twins.¡± Chapter 9 Chapter 9 Chapter 9 There was no sign of two gestational sacs during thest checkup. Avery could not believe that there were two babies inside of her a short weekter. She held the ultrasound scan in her hands as she sat in a quiet daze on one of the benches in the hospital corridor. The doctor told her that the probability of being pregnant with twins was extremely low. If she had an abortion now, she might never be able to have twins again. Avery chuckled bitterly. All of this was the work of the Fosters¡¯ private doctors. When they had imnted the fertilized eggs into her, they had not mentioned that she was going to have twins. Perhaps in their eyes, she was nothing but a birthing tool for the Fosters from the beginning. When she began to bleed the week before, she thought that her period had arrived. When the Fosters¡¯ doctors found out, they thought that the procedure had failed. When Elliot said that he would divorce her after he had woken up, the doctors had never seen her again. The decision to give birth or not was now solely on her shoulders. Avery¡¯s phone rang in her bag. She had been in the hospital for over an hour. She pulled out her phone, stood up, and walked toward the hospital¡¯s exit. ¡°Avery, your father¡¯s dying! Come home right away!¡± Her mother¡¯s hoarse voice came from the other side of the line. Avery was stunned. Dad was dying? How could this be? She knew that her father had been hospitalized after hispany got in trouble. He could not even attend her wedding. She did not know that his condition was this serious. Avery¡¯s mind was a mess. She did not have a good rtionship with her father. She could never forgive him for having an affair. However, her heart stung painfully upon suddenly hearing the news of his serious illness. ¡­¡­ The living room of the Tate house was a chaotic mess when Avery arrived. Laura took her straight to the master bedroom. Jack Tate was lying on the bed. His breathing was shallow and his eyes were barely open. When he saw Avery, he raised his arm in her direction. ¡°Dad, why didn¡¯t you go to the hospital if you¡¯re this sick?¡± Avery said as she held her father¡¯s cold hand. Tears welled up in her eyes. ¡°That¡¯s easy for you to say! Where would we get the money to take your father to the hospital?¡± Wanda snapped frostily. Avery¡¯s head shot up as she said, ¡°Didn¡¯t you get arge sum of money from the Fosters? Why didn¡¯t you use that to help Dad?¡± Wanda pouted and said, ¡°We used that money to pay off the debts! Do you know how much money your father¡¯spany owes? Don¡¯t look at me like I ate your money up, Avery! Besides, your father¡¯s illness can¡¯t be cured! He¡¯s better off dead!¡± After saying such cruel words, Wanda heartlessly stormed out of the room. Avery did not leave with her. At the end of the day, Jack was still her father. He had always loved her, and she did not want to lose her father. ¡°Don¡¯t be mad at her, Dad. It¡¯s not that she didn¡¯t want to get you treated, but the family really doesn¡¯t have much money,¡± Avery sniffled as she stood crying by the bed. ¡°Dad, I really hope you get through this¡­¡± Jack turned a deaf ear to Avery¡¯s words. Instead, he looked at her with eyes filled with tears. His lips trembled and his voice was low as he said, ¡°Avery¡­ My darling girl¡­ I¡¯ve failed you¡­ I¡¯ve failed your mother¡­ I¡¯ll make it up to both of you in the next life¡­¡± Therge hand holding hers suddenly let go. A shrill cry tore through the house. Avery¡¯s heart throbbed in pain. Overnight, her world underwent an earth-shattering change. She was married and pregnant, and her father was gone. She had thought that she was just still just a child herself, but life swept her up and pushed her into a lonely, hopeless corner. The day of the funeral was a gloomy and rainy one. Not many people attended the funeral, not since the fall of the Tates. After the service, Wanda went to a hotel with the guests. The crowd scattered like a flock of wild birds. Before long, Avery and Laura were the only ones left at the cemetery. Their moods were as dark as the gray skies. ¡°Do you hate Dad, Mom?¡± Avery asked as she stared at her father¡¯s gravestone through teary eyes. Laura lowered her gaze and said in a dull voice, ¡°I do. Even if he¡¯s dead, I will never forgive him.¡± Avery did not understand. ¡°Then, why are you crying?¡± she asked. ¡°Because I loved him,¡± Laura sighed. ¡°Rtionships areplicated, Avery. It isn¡¯t just a matter of love or hate. It could also be a love-hate rtionship.¡± That night, Avery dragged her worn out body back to Elliot¡¯s mansion. From the day of Jack¡¯s death to the end of the funeral, the process had taken three days. She did not return to the mansion at all during the three days. Nobody from the Foster family contacted her either. She did not tell anyone in the Foster house about her father¡¯s passing. The rtionship with Elliot was colder than ice and frostier than snow. When Avery stepped into the courtyard, she noticed the mansion¡¯s lights were lit, and the living room was filled with guests. Everyone was dressed to the nines and chatting away merrily with wine sses in their hands. Avery paused in her tracks. ¡°Madam!¡± Mrs. Cooper noticed her and rushed over. Perhaps it was because Avery¡¯s cold and pitiful expression stood in stark contrast to the liveliness of the living room, but the smile on Mrs. Cooper¡¯s face tensed as she hesitated. ¡°It¡¯s raining outside. Come on in!¡± Mrs. Cooper said as she held Avery¡¯s arm and pulled her into the living room. Avery was dressed in a ck trench coat with her slender, fair calves peeping out from underneath the hem. On her feet were a pair of ck, low-heeled leather shoes. Her aura was chilly, which was different from her usual demeanor. Mrs. Cooper brought her a pair of pink, plush house slippers. Avery changed into the slippers and inadvertently nced at the living room. Elliot¡¯s guests were evaluating her with meaningful eyes as if she was an animal in a zoo¡¯s enclosure. Their eyes were bold and disrespectful. Avery used the same gaze to look at Elliot, who was sitting at the center of the couch. He was holding a lit cigarette between his fingers, and he was surrounded by smoke. Behind the veil of smoke, his stone-cold face looked almost like a dream. The reason she looked at him was because of the woman sitting next to him. The woman had a beautiful head of long, ck hair. She was dressed in a body-hugging white dress with a face of exquisite makeup. She looked gorgeous without being vulgar. The upper half of her body was stuck closely to Elliot as she held a cigarette between her fingers. It was obvious that this woman¡¯s rtionship with Elliot was anything but ordinary. A few seconds after Avery¡¯s gaze fell on the woman, her brows furrowed slightly. ¡°You¡¯re Avery Tate, right?¡± the woman said as she got up from the couch and provocatively walked over to Avery. ¡°I heard that you were the wife that Madam Rosalie picked for Elliot. She has pretty good taste. You¡¯re quite pretty, just a little small¡­ Oh, I didn¡¯t mean your age. I was talking about your body¡­¡± Avery pursed her lips and said, ¡°You¡¯re beautiful, and you have curves. Everything about you is better than me¡­ So, when is Elliot marrying you?¡± Her nonchnt tone drove the woman into a furious rage. ¡°How dare you talk to me like that? Do you know how long I¡¯ve been by Elliot¡¯s side? Even if you¡¯re his wife, if I were to p you in the face right now, he wouldn¡¯t even bat an eye!¡± Just as the woman finished speaking, she raised her arm. The sound of ss smashing filled the air. Avery had picked up an expensive bottle of wine and smashed it against the coffee table! Bright red liquid sshed and trickled down the edge of the table, dripping onto the carpet underneath. N?velDrama.Org ? 2024. Avery¡¯s eyes were bloodshot as she clenched her fingers tightly around the bottle, pointing the jagged edge at the arrogant woman. ¡°You want to hit me? Come on! If you dare touch me, I¡¯ll kill you!¡± she yelled as she approached the woman with the broken bottle. Everyone in the room was dumbfounded. It was said that the eldest daughter of the Tate family was a low-profile introvert, but it turned out¡­ She was insane! Elliot¡¯s hawk-like eyes narrowed as smoke escaped his thin lips. His fiery gaze was fixed on Avery¡¯s pained but ruthless little face. Chapter 10 Chapter 10 Chapter 10 The living room instantly fell so silent that one could hear the sound of a beating heart. Avery stormed back to her room and violently mmed the door shut. The loud bang rumbled through the entire mansion. This woman dared m a door in Elliot Foster¡¯s house. She must not fear death. Everyone turned their gaze to evaluate Elliot¡¯s reaction. He looked calm andposed as if he was not angry at all. Normally, if anyone were to make a sound louder than 60 decibels in front of him, he would definitely frown. The sound of Avery¡¯s mming door was at least 90 decibels, so why was he not upset? More importantly, the bottle of wine that Avery had smashed was over thirty thousand dors. They had not even had the chance to drink it yet. She broke it without even batting an eyelid. ¡°D*mn, I heard that Miss Tate¡¯s father passed away a few days ago. Seeing as she showed up in ck, she must have just returned from the funeral!¡± Someone had mustered up the courage to break the silence. The woman in the white dress was a senior manager at Sterling Group¡¯s PR department, Chelsea Tierney. It was her birthday, so she had invited a few of Elliot¡¯s friends to the house to also celebrate his recovery. Her earlier altercation with Avery was a huge blow to her pride. Chelsea noticed Elliot¡¯s unbothered expression, but she knew him well enough to know that he could blow up at any moment. She returned to his side and apologized cautiously, ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Elliot. I didn¡¯t know her father had passed away.¡± Elliot snuffed out his cigarette in the ashtray. He smoothly picked up his wine ss with his long, slender fingers and downed its contents in one swift gulp. He ced the empty ss back on the table, then said in a low, sensual voice, ¡°Happy birthday.¡± Chelsea¡¯s ears turned red as she responded, ¡°Thank you.¡± ¡°Also, Avery Tate isn¡¯t someone you can touch,¡± Elliot said as he adjusted the cor of his shirt. His voice carried a hint of warning. ¡°Even if she were just a pet in the Foster household, I¡¯m the only one who can push her around.¡± Chelsea panicked. ¡°But you¡¯re about to divorce her, so she would be even less than a pet by then!¡± Elliot¡¯s gaze instantly turned ice cold. ¡°Even if it were something I no longer wanted, I still won¡¯t watch as someone puts her down.¡± At that moment, Mrs. Cooper walked in to clean up the shattered wine bottle and take away the dirtied carpet. Someone filled up Elliot¡¯s wine ss. ¡°Don¡¯t be mad, Elliot. Chelsea didn¡¯t mean to do that. She won¡¯t actuallyy her hand on Miss Tate,¡± the man sitting on the other side of Elliot said as he tried to lighten the mood. ¡°That¡¯s right! Chelsea, hurry up and take three shots as punishment! You may be the birthday girl, but you did go a little too far!¡± Chelsea picked up her ss and prepared to take three shots. Elliot nced to the side at his bodyguard who immediately walked over and helped him up. ¡°You guys go ahead!¡± Elliot said before he returned to his room. Chelsea watched Elliot¡¯s back as he left the room with reddened eyes. She gulped down three shots. She stomped in her stilletos. ¡°D*mn! Both the stars of the night left. Do we keep drinking?¡± ¡°Of course! It would be good for Chelsea to give up, too. Otherwise, she¡¯ll keep thinking she¡¯ll be Mrs. Foster one day!¡± ¡°I doubt what happened tonight would make her give up! Elliot is still nning to divorce Miss Tate, anyway.¡± ¡°Speaking of Avery Tate, she¡¯s quite beautiful, but she has a bad temper. How does Elliot put up with it?¡± ¡­¡­ In the guest room, Avery held her knees in her arms as tears quietly streamed down her face. The dam that had held her tears for the past three days had beenpletely destroyed. Her father¡¯s final apology before his death constantly echoed in her head. N?velDrama.Org ? 2024. All of the hatred that she had felt for him had vanished without a trace. She sobbed until she fell into a deep slumber. When she woke up the next morning, her eyes were swollen and aching. Avery changed into a clean nightgown and walked out of the room. She had not eaten well the past few days, and she was so hungry that her stomach ached. When she arrived at the entrance of the dining room, she saw Elliot¡¯s back and stopped. Mrs. Cooper saw her and immediately greeted her, ¡°Breakfast is ready, Madam! Come over and have some!¡± In the past, Avery avoided Elliot like the gue. She was scared of offending him and suffering the consequences. Now, the thought of him dying the divorce gave her a boost of courage. She chose the seat furthest from him and sat down. Mrs. Cooper ced her breakfast in front of her, and she was about to eat when Elliot spoke. ¡°That bottle of winest night costs thirty thousand dors.¡± His voice was indifferent. Avery¡¯s hand tightened around her fork as her mind went nk. Thirty thousand dors for a bottle of wine? What kind of wine was that expensive? Was he expecting her to pay for it? Did he think she looked like she could afford it? She felt a pang of pain in her stomach. Her back was drenched in a cold sweat, and she had lost her appetite. Elliot nced at Avery¡¯s tired and pale face and said, ¡°This is a warning. If you break something in my house again, you¡¯ll pay for it to the penny!¡± Avery¡¯s stomach stopped hurting upon hearing this, and her appetite returned. Many women suffer side effects during the early stages of pregnancy, ranging from vomiting to being bed-ridden. Apart from the asional bout of nausea, Avery had yet to throw up. However, when she saw the pieces of meat on her te, she suddenly felt uneasy and picked them out. ¡°Is it not good, Madam?¡± Mrs. Cooper said anxiously when she saw Avery¡¯s behavior. Avery shook her head and said, ¡°I¡¯ve been feeling like having vegetarian meals recently.¡± ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll keep that in mind,¡± responded Mrs. Cooper quickly. After breakfast, Avery returned to her room and changed her clothes. Jack¡¯swyer had made an appointment to see her today. He did not say what it was about, but she had an inkling. Once she was changed, she grabbed her purse and walked out of the room. Coincidentally, Elliot was also about to head out. He had a bodyguard to escort him and a chauffeur to drive him. Avery nced at the time. She had agreed to meet thewyer at 10 a.m., and it was already close to nine in the morning. She took long strides as she walked out. It was about a ten minute walk from the mansion to where she could hail a cab. The rain the day before caused the temperature to drop by a few degrees Perhaps it was the cold wind, but Avery felt a surge of nausea after walking a short while. A silver luxury sedan drove out of the estate and was about to speed up when the driver noticed Avery. ¡°It looks like Madam Avery,¡± said the driver as he slowed down the car. The driver had seen Avery walk out of the house, so he remembered what she was wearing. Elliot had his eyes shut but suddenly opened them up upon hearing the driver¡¯s words. ¡°It looks like Madam¡¯s throwing up, Mr. Foster,¡± said the driver who had a better view from the driver¡¯s seat. Avery was silently celebrating her light pregnancy symptoms at breakfast, but she was now uncontrobly puking her guts out. She held onto the trash can and nned to head home to wash up once she was done throwing up. She was faced with Elliot¡¯s car when she turned around. The luxury sedan sparkled under the bright sun. The driver had stopped the car next to her and rolled down the back seat window. Avery saw Elliot¡¯s deep, cold eyes staring at her. Her cheeks flushed a crimson red. Could he suspect something? She frowned, then walked to the back seat window and said, ¡°I think I ate too much at breakfast.¡± Chapter 11 Chapter 11 Chapter 11 Elliot reached his arm out through the car window. Clipped between his slender fingers was a pack of tissue. Avery was stunned. She was about to decline but ended up uncharacteristically epting it. ¡°Thanks.¡± The warmth of his palm still lingered on the tissues. Elliot quickly averted his gaze from her face and rolled up the window as the car sped off. It was ten in the morning at Tate Industries, and all of its employees were working away at their respective stations. It had been a month since thepany had paid wages. However, Tate Industries was an old yer in the industry. Even if all kinds of negative news were circting on the inte, its employees refused to give up until the veryst moment. If she had not known about thepany¡¯s many debts, Avery could not imagine that the calm atmosphere in front of her was an illusion. She entered the meeting room with thepany¡¯s vice president, Shaun Locklyn. Thewyer went straight to the point when he saw Avery and said, ¡°I¡¯m very sorry for your loss, Miss Tate. Your father entrusted me to announce his will, which I will do now.¡± Avery nodded lightly. Thewyer opened up a file and said firmly, ¡°Your father had six pieces of real estate which are respectively located in¡­ Here is the file. Please go through it.¡± Avery took the document and examined it thoroughly. ¡°Your father also had three parking lots,¡± said thewyer as he passed another document to her, ¡°as well as eight shop lots, and twelve vehicles.¡± Avery knew nothing about the family¡¯s fortune. First of all, she had no interest in it. Second of all, her father had never exined it to her. Now that thewyer was describing her father¡¯s fortune to her, she could not help but feel a sense of unease. She had no idea that her father was this wealthy. Since he had all these fixed assets, why did he not sell them and use the money to treat his illness? ¡°Apart from the aforementioned assets, there is also thepany in which we are sitting right now,¡± said thewyer. Then, after a brief pause, he added, ¡°Your father nned to leave thepany to you, but thepany is currently operating at a loss.¡± Avery nced at thewyer and said, ¡°By how much?¡± Shaun adjusted his sses and chimed in, ¡°The current deficit is a hundred and twenty-five million. If you take over your father¡¯spany, you would also inherit his debt. You may have to sell off all of the properties and cars that were mentioned just now in order to make up for the loss.¡± Avery was stunned. A hundred and twenty-five million! Even if she sold off all of her father¡¯s assets, it still would not cover a hundred and twenty-five million! ¡°You can choose not to ept this, Avery. That way, your father¡¯s debt would not fall on you,¡± Shaun said with a sullen expression. ¡°However, I hope you will seriously consider this. Thispany is your father¡¯s life¡¯s work. Do you really have the heart to watch it shut down?¡± Published by N?v''elD/rama.Org. ¡°What about Wanda and Cassandra?¡± Avery asked after taking a deep breath. ¡°Don¡¯t even mention your stepmother! It¡¯s partly her fault that thepany is in dire straits. She arranged for her brother to join our finance department a few years ago. He embezzled a lot of money from thepany through the years. We don¡¯t even know where he¡¯s run off to now,¡± sighed Shaun. Avery ced her hands on her forehead, and her voice trembled as she said, ¡°I don¡¯t want to see my father¡¯spany fall either, but where am I supposed to find all of that money¡ª¡± ¡°Borrow it!¡± said Shaun. ¡°We¡¯ve reached the end of our new product research and development. If we manage to get a loan, once weunch the new product, we¡¯ll be able to alleviate our financial troubles quite a bit.¡± ¡°Who would we ask for a loan from? Who would be able to give me that much?¡± Avery said as she raised her eyes in disbelief. ¡°The banks,¡± Shaun replied. ¡°If the banks won¡¯t give it to you, we can find another investor. We have to try. If we manage, then great. If we don¡¯t, then you can give up. What do you think?¡± ¡­¡­ At the president¡¯s office on the top floor of Sterling Group, the sun was shining through the spotless floor-to-ceiling windows. With his back facing the sun, Elliot¡¯s chiseled features looked extraordinary. He was holding a document that his assistant, Chad Rayner, brought to him. ¡°Mr. Foster, Tate industries are currently facing a debt of a hundred and twenty-five million dors. Jack Tate¡¯s wife and youngest daughter took an early flight out of the country this morning. It doesn¡¯t look like they will be returning before thepany¡¯s troubles are settled. I think Miss Tate will most likely give up on Tate Industries. A hundred and twenty-five million is an impossible amount for her,¡± Chad exined. Elliot had asked him for information on Tate Industries, so he figured that his boss was interested in the matter. ¡°Let¡¯s make a bet, Chad!¡± Sterling Group¡¯s chief financial officer, Ben Schaffer, was stirring his cup of coffee as his eyes narrowed like a sly fox. ¡°I bet Avery Tate wille to Elliot to ask for a loan. She¡¯s in a favorable position to enjoy certain benefits. If she asks Elliot for the money, I¡¯m guessing he¡¯ll at least lend some of it to her.¡± Chad shook his head and said, ¡°I doubt she has the guts to do that.¡± Ben took a sip of coffee and chuckled, ¡°You didn¡¯t see herst night. She smashed a bottle of wine from 1947 in front of our faces and went up against Chelsea. She might look gentle, but she¡¯s even more feisty than Chelsea.¡± ¡°Alright, then. I¡¯ll make a bet with you!¡± Chad responded. ¡°What should we bet on?¡± ¡°If I lose, I¡¯ll buy you coffee for a month. If you lose, you have to buy coffee for everyone in the president¡¯s department for a month. How¡¯s that?¡± ¡°Okay.¡± ¡­¡­ That afternoon, Avery called up every major bank. Things were not as simple as Shaun made it sound. She called eight banks, two of which thepany still owed money to. Of course, the other two banks did not dare give her a loan either. ¡°Avery, here¡¯s a detailed introduction to our new product. It¡¯s a very promising product. I¡¯ll think of a way to set up a meeting with the managers of the other two banks. Go and put on something nice, then have a proper meeting with them,¡± said Shaun as he handed Avery a thick file. ¡°Why do I need to dress up? Can¡¯t I just go like this?¡± Avery asked. ¡°You don¡¯t have makeup on, so you don¡¯t look your best. It cane across as disrespectful in the business world,¡± Shaun replied. ¡°Let me take a look at the product profile first,¡± Avery said. ¡°Alright. I¡¯ll contact the bank managers. I¡¯ll let you know once I set it up,¡± said Shaun. Chad received some information at six in the evening. ¡°It looks like we both lost the best, Mr. Schaffer,¡± Chad said. ¡°Surprisingly, Avery Tate didn¡¯t give up on Tate Industries. Also, she¡¯s meeting the managers of River City Bank and Silver Linings Bank for dinner tonight.¡± Ben was disappointed. ¡°Those two old geezers are infamous for being promiscuous! She¡¯s walking right into a lion¡¯s den! I suppose she doesn¡¯t know of society¡¯s dangers since she hasn¡¯t graduated college yet. I can¡¯t figure out why she wouldn¡¯t just go to Elliot? He¡¯s her husband even if only in name. Does she think he¡¯s less than those two old sleazebags?¡± Chad snuck a nce at Elliot¡¯s face. It was eerily dark. At the end of the day, Avery was still Elliot¡¯s wife in name. If she went to meet those two old men that night, it would be a blow to Elliot¡¯s pride. Chad felt suffocated at the thought of his boss being yed for a fool. With Elliot¡¯s temper, if Avery really cheated on him, she would meet an ugly end. ¡°Should I give Miss Tate a call, Mr. Foster?¡± Chad said after thinking for a moment. Elliot clenched his fists so tightly that his knuckles turned white. ¡°Don¡¯t contact her!¡± he snapped in a hoarse voice. He wanted to see if Avery would really act so recklessly behind his back. Ben coughed lightly, then said, ¡°Do you want to have a drink with us? My treat!¡± Elliot¡¯s expression turned malicious. He shut hisptop, then rolled away in his wheelchair. His bodyguard followed closely behind and escorted him out. Chapter 12 Chapter 12 Chapter 12 It was nine at night. Dry leaves rustled on the ground in the fall wind. Avery emerged from a cab and winced at the sudden chill. She clutched her purse and quickly rushed toward the front door of the Foster mansion. In the dark of night, she donned a strappy red dress which was sexy yet enchanting. When she left the house that morning, she was wearing a t-shirt and casual pants. The thought that she had deliberately dressed that way to entertain other men made Elliot clench his fists. Avery only noticed Elliot sitting in the living room couch when she was changing her shoes in the foyer. He was wearing a ck shirt, which made him appear even more gloomy and cold. The expression on his face was as indifferent as ever, so she did not look at him for long. Once she had changed her shoes, she hesitated. She did not know whether she should greet him or not. He did give her that pack of tissues that morning. Avery walked uneasily into the living room and looked at Elliot. The atmosphere was different that night. Mrs. Cooper would usuallye out to greet her when she arrived home. Was Mrs. Cooper out? She took a deep breath as her heart thumped in her chest. She decided to avoid him. ¡°Come here,¡± Elliot said icily. Since they were the only ones in the living room, she could not pretend like she did not hear him. ¡°What is it?¡± Avery said as she stopped and nced at him. ¡°I said,e here,¡± Elliot said in a terrifyingly forceful voice. Avery¡¯s heart tightened, and she involuntarily walked over to him. She did not dare disobey him even if he was in a wheelchair and did not pose as big of a threat to her. She walked to his side, looked at his handsome but stern face, and took a deep breath. ¡°What is it? Is it time for us to get divorced?¡± Elliot¡¯s brows furrowed upon hearing her words. He smelled the faint smell of alcohol emanating from her hair. She had drunk wine. Elliot suddenly looked up as he no longer tried to hide the disgust in his eyes. Hisrge hand gripped her slender wrist as he snarled, ¡°Did you drink with someone? Did you have a good time?¡± Avery felt like Elliot was about to break her wrist. She wanted to pull her hand back but could not move a muscle. N?velDrama.Org ? 2024. ¡°Let go! You¡¯re hurting me!¡± she cried as her eyes welled up with tears. The more she struggled, the harder his grip became. It was as if he was deliberately trying to hurt her and make her cry. ¡°I asked if you had a good time. Answer me!¡± Elliot snapped. Seeing her face twist in agony further angered him. ¡°What good time? I don¡¯t know what you¡¯re talking about!¡± Avery gave up struggling. By the time she registered the first question, streams of hot tears ran down her cheeks. ¡°I didn¡¯t drink, Elliot! I didn¡¯t!¡± she said with eyes filled with tears and fear. Elliot¡¯s adam¡¯s apple bobbed up and down his throat. The next second, he yanked her into his arms. She said that she had not drunk, but he clearly smelled alcohol on her. The cold tip of his nosended on the crook of her neck. Avery¡¯s soft and delicate skin carried a warm, milky scent. It was odd. He could not smell alcohol on her body. Avery stayedpletely still as she felt Elliot¡¯s nose on her skin, gently tickling her. She leaned against his wide chest. She was so nervous that she forgot to breathe, and her heart forgot to beat. It was a good thing that he stopped treating her violently. He had let go of her wrist, but the pain was still there. The thought of being abused by him angered Avery. She knew that his legs had not fully recovered, and he might not have any feeling in them yet. She ced her hand on his trousers and gave him a hard pinch. The reason she was brave enough to do this was because she was prepared to deal with the consequences. However, Elliot did not seem to realize that she had pinched him. When he lifted his head from her neck, his dark eyes looked puzzled. ¡°Your clothes smell like another man¡¯s alcohol. Are you going to take it off, or should I?¡± Elliot said in a hoarse voice that carried a seemingly unstoppable force. Avery froze in stunned silence. Did she smell like another man¡¯s alcohol? Hold on¡­ He wanted her to take her clothes off? Right now? When she snapped back to reality, she pushed her hands against his chest and tried to escape. Elliot did not give her a chance to get away and tightened his arms around her. He picked Avery up and violently tore the back of her dress in half. ¡°Ah!¡± Without the protection of her dress, Avery felt a sudden chill on her back. The blood in her body boiled as she scowled, ¡°Elliot Foster! You maniac!¡± Elliot tossed her on the couch and stared coldly at her exposed shoulders and back. ¡°Remember your ce, Mrs. Foster!¡± Avery held on to the high-end dress that Elliot had just ripped and held back her tears. Shaun was the one who had arranged the meeting that night. The dress had also been Shaun¡¯s idea. It was true that the two bank managers tried to get her drunk, and they would not let her go even when she tried toe up with excuses. She ended up turning them down and left the bar. She was pregnant, so she could not drink. There was no way that she would be out drinking with other men. ¡°I don¡¯t care about being Mrs. Foster! Don¡¯t pin your ridiculous standards on me!¡± Avery pushed her disheveled hair behind her ears and rose from the couch as she held onto her dress. ¡°I hate you!¡± she cried. Under normal circumstances, she would never tear into other people like this. It was Elliot¡¯s persistent bullying that had made her lose all control. She returned to her room and mmed the door shut. A glimmer of emotion shed by in Elliot¡¯s stone-cold face. He had lost control of his emotions earlier. He had waited all afternoon thinking that Avery would ask him for help, but she had not. Not only did she not go to him, but she also went out and drank with other men. All the anger that he had umted that day exploded at that moment. Even if she had not said out loud that she hated him, he knew that. He knew that he was more terrifying to Avery than the Devil himself. Elliot¡¯s phone screen lit up. He picked it up and read Chad¡¯s message. [Mr. Foster, did Miss Tate get home safely? I was out drinking with Ben when we bumped into her. She got into a riff with the two old geezers and left before dinner even started.] A wave of gloom washed over Elliot. Even if Avery had not drunk with the two sleazebags, to him, she had been in the wrong to attend the meeting in the first ce. She also should not have dressed so provocatively. ¡­¡­ Avery opened her door when she heard a knock from the other side. ¡°Madam, Master Elliot asked me to bring you something to eat. I didn¡¯t know what you wanted, so I made you a bowl of soup,¡± Mrs. Cooper said as she ced a tray on the desk in the room. Avery had taken a shower to force herself to forget everything that b*st*rd Elliot had done to her that night. ¡°What does he mean by this?¡± she said as she stared cautiously at the bowl of soup. She was hungry, but she did not dare eat. ¡°Master Elliot must feel bad for being so cruel to you earlier. His mood has been quite bad ever since you went to your room,¡± Mrs. Cooper said. She picked up the red dress on the bed and added, ¡°Do you need me to get this mended?¡± ¡°It¡¯s fine. I borrowed it. Take the tag to him,¡± Avery said. ¡°Oh¡­¡± responded Mrs. Cooper. Avery took a deep breath, then sat on a chair and said hoarsely, ¡°I can¡¯t afford to pay for it.¡± ¡°Alright,¡± Mrs. Cooper said. ¡°Get some rest after you¡¯re done with the soup. Madam Rosalie is being discharged tomorrow, so Master Elliot will be taking you to the old mansion with him.¡± Chapter 13 Chapter 13 Chapter 13 In the bathroom of the master bedroom, the nurse was carefully drying the water droplets off of Elliot¡¯s body with a dry towel. His legs were still weak and he was only able to stand up if someone was holding on to him, so he needed the help of the nurse. This nurse had been taking care of him ever since he met with the ident. He was a middle aged man who was meticulous and careful with his work. ¡°You have a bruise on your thigh, Mr. Foster,¡± said the nurse as he put on Elliot¡¯s bathrobe and helped him out of the bathroom. ¡°I¡¯ll go get some ointment for you.¡± Elliot sat on the edge of the bed and opened up the bathrobe to look at the bruise when the nurse walked out of the room. It was not like he had no feeling in his legs, but when Avery had pinched him, he held back and pretended like he had felt nothing. For some reason, he kept recalling Avery¡¯s crying face. Also, the unique fragrance of her body continued to linger in his heart. Elliot had never felt this way about a woman in all of his years. There was never a woman who was able to make him feel such strange emotions. Something about Avery Tate somehow managed to arouse something inside of him. Was it necessary for him to feel this way towards a woman whom he was about to divorce? It was a feeling that waspletely strange and absurd to him. If he had a chance to go through it again, however, he would still lose his temper and rip her dress apart. ¡­ At 7 a.m. the next morning, Avery deliberately woke up early to avoid Elliot and have her breakfast. She emerged from her bedroom and headed towards the dining room. ¡°Madam! You woke up early today, too! Breakfast is ready,¡± Mrs. Cooper greeted her with a smile. The word ¡°too¡± was said with a strong emphasis. Since Elliot was there, she should just return to her room. ¡°I made some vegetarian ravioli for you this morning. I made it especially for you since you mentioned not wanting to eat meat yesterday. I hope it suits your taste,¡± Mrs. Cooper said warmly as she escorted Avery to her seat at the table. Avery looked like she was sitting on pins and needles with a face of uneasiness. She might as well have the words ¡°I don¡¯t want to see you, Elliot Foster¡± written on her face. Elliot did not look straight at her, but he felt the resistance emanating from her. ¡°We¡¯re going to see my mother after breakfast. You should know yourself what to say and what not to say,¡± he said indifferently. ¡°When did you n on giving me the money for that dressst night?¡± Avery asked sternly. It was fine if he wanted her to cooperate and go see Rosalie, but he had to settle his debt first. ¡°There isn¡¯t much cash at home,¡± Elliot said as he took a sip of milk, ¡°I can wire it over to you if you¡¯re in a rush.¡± ¡°That works. Here¡¯s my ount number!¡± Avery said as she pulled out her phone, opened up her ount number and passed it over to Elliot. ¡°How much was it?¡± Elliot asked as he set down his ss of milk and pulled out his phone. ¡°Five thousand,¡± Avery responded. Elliot lifted his eyes and red at her. She felt no guilt at all. ¡°Didn¡¯t it say $4,500 on the tag?¡± ¡°Why did you bother asking me, then?¡± Avery retorted, then raised her right hand and added, ¡°The extra $500 is for medical expenses.¡± The wrist that Elliot had grabbed yesterday was deeply bruised, so she nned to stop by the drugstore when she had the time. She did not feel bad for asking for the extra $500 for that. Elliot nced at Avery¡¯s wrist and his lips pursed slightly. He wired the $4,500 over to her. A third of Avery¡¯s anger simmered down after getting the money. ¡°Don¡¯t think I¡¯ll forgive you just because you paid me the money. I wouldn¡¯t forgive you even if you gave me another $4,500,¡± Avery said. Elliot did not respond to her cruel words, but quietly rolled off in his wheelchair instead. His silence extinguished another third of her anger. ¡­ At 9 a.m. that morning, the Foster family was gathered at the old mansion to visit the newly discharged Rosalie. Rosalie was discharged from the ICU this time, which meant that her condition was a lot more serious than thest time she was admitted for hypertension. ¡°How have you been feeling, Elliot?¡± Rosalie asked. She did not have the heart to me her son once she saw him, but worried about his health instead. ¡°Pretty good,¡± Elliot replied. Seeing his mother¡¯s face which had turned old and frail, he held back some of the words he wanted to say. ¡°That¡¯s good to hear,¡± Rosalie said as she shifted her gaze to Avery, then asked, ¡°What about you, Avery? Is Elliot still giving you a hard time? You have to tell me if he is.¡± Avery shook her head and said, ¡°He¡¯s not. You, on the other hand, need to take care of yourself.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll be fine as long as you and Elliot are fine,¡± said Rosalie. ¡°Avery, Elliot has never dated or gone after a girl before. He might not be that gentle or romantic, but I hope you can forgive him. He¡¯s a man after all. His career woulde first. Don¡¯t you think so?¡± She was trying to convince Avery. Avery, however, felt extremely uneasy. Elliot never dated? Property ? N?velDrama.Org. He¡¯d never gone after a girl? How was that possible? It looked like Rosalie did not know her own son very well. ¡°Avery, I heard that your father¡¯spany is facing some problems and is about to go bankrupt,¡± Rosalie said. She had just left the hospital but was already concerning herself with all kinds of troubles. ¡°I¡¯ve asked thewyers. This has nothing to do with you, so your father¡¯s debt can¡¯t be ced on your head. All you need to do is stay by Elliot¡¯s side and be his wife.¡± Avery knew very well that Rosalie had always treated her like a pawn, but there was no way she was going to live her life ording to the old woman¡¯s ideals. ¡°My father¡¯s gone now, but he wouldn¡¯t want to see thepany fall if he were still around. So, I¡¯ll do the best I can to try to win this losing battle,¡± Avery said in a tone that was neither humble nor overbearing. ¡°Oh, Avery!¡± eximed Elliot¡¯s sister-inw, Olivia Tate. ¡°Your father didn¡¯t spend much on you even when hispany was making money, did he? Now that he¡¯s gone, you¡¯re holding on to a failing company and won¡¯t let go. What is it? Were you thinking of having Elliot cough up the money to help you out?¡± ¡°I heard that your father owed 125 million!¡± said Elliot¡¯s brother, Henry Tate, ¡°That isn¡¯t a small amount. A typical person wouldn¡¯t lend you that amount, and they wouldn¡¯t be able to cough up that much¡­ Were you thinking of getting it from our family?¡± Avery had never considered asking Elliot to help her out with the money, so she was immensely unhappy with the family¡¯s remarks. All eyes were on her as they awaited her response. ¡°All of you think too highly of me. Even if I asked to borrow the money from Elliot, he would never give it to me,¡± Avery said wryly. ¡°I know my own circumstances. I¡¯ll figure something out.¡± Her words relieved the Foster family members. She was right. Elliot had been insisting on divorcing her ever since he woke up, so why would he ever give her the money? Everyone¡¯s emotions rxed quite a bit after some morning tea. Rosalie held Avery¡¯s hand and said, ¡°It¡¯s not impossible for you to help your father¡¯spany, Avery. All you have to do is have Elliot¡¯s child, then he will definitely lend you the money.¡± Avery caressed her belly and nced at Elliot. He was sipping his tea and lookedpletely calm, as if he did not hear the words his mother said to her. Avery and Elliot left the old mansion after lunch. As they sat in the backseat of the car on the way home, he was deep in thought, and she was looking out the window. The atmosphere in the car was eerily quiet. ¡°If you were pregnant with my child,¡± Elliot said suddenly in a chilling voice, ¡°I would kill it with my own hands.¡± A chill shot through Avery¡¯s body. Her lips parted, as if wanting to speak, but not a sound came out. Chapter 14 Chapter 14 In Avery¡¯s eyes, Elliot¡¯s face had turned into that of a demon baring its sharp fangs at her. ¡°Why?¡± she asked bitterly. ¡°Even if you didn¡¯t want kids, there¡¯s no need for you to say such cruel words!¡± Elliot¡¯s deep eyes were cold as he said, ¡°What if you decided to take the chance if I didn¡¯t make myself clear?¡± Avery took a deep breath and shifted her gaze from him. She was terrified. It felt like she was about to fall into a bottomless pit. Her reaction piqued Elliot¡¯s curiosity. His lips curled up as he mocked, ¡°You¡¯re not really thinking of having my kid, are you?¡± Avery red at him. ¡°I suggest you take my warning seriously. You know the kind of person I am. My actions will be much more severe than my words. Don¡¯t test me if you want to live,¡± Elliot said, then turned to look out the window. Avery clenched her fists and huffed, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I will never give you children. You know how much I despise you. The most urgent matter right now is to quickly get a divorce!¡± The babies did not belong to him alone. If she gave birth, she would be doing it for herself. Once the kids were grown, she would tell them that their father was dead! ¡°Now isn¡¯t the time. We¡¯ll talk about it again once my mother¡¯s get better,¡± Elliot said. His tone was calmer. Perhaps her words were effective. It made him realize that he was not the man she wanted. ¡°Don¡¯t drag it out for too long, then,¡± Avery said. She furrowed her brows and was a little anxious. Her pregnancy would begin to show if they dyed things further. She would not be able to keep it from him by then, and would definitely be forced to get an abortion. ¡°You¡¯re in a hurry to divorce me. Is there some urgent matter you need to attend to?¡± Elliot asked as his cold eyes fell on her, trying to see through her. Avery¡¯s heart suddenly skipped a bit. ¡°Nope! There¡¯s nothing urgent. I just¡­ I just don¡¯t want to stay with you. Has nobody ever told you how suffocating it is to be by your side?¡± ¡°They wouldn¡¯t dare say it even if they thought it,¡± Elliot replied dryly. ¡°Oh¡­ It¡¯s no wonder you don¡¯t like me,¡± Avery said with a pout. ¡°But it¡¯s stifling to not say what I want to say.¡± Elliot pondered to himself, and thought she had misunderstood something in the end. ¡°No man could tolerate his wife dressing up like a prostitute to escort other men.¡± ¡°Wearing a slip dress makes me a prostitute? Socializing is escorting other men? What about when you men socialize?¡± Avery retorted. ¡°Even if you hold a knife to my neck right now, I would still insist that I wasn¡¯t wrongst night.¡± It was like they were both from differents. Other than the fact that they were both human, they wereplete opposites in every other aspect. ¡°Are you saying you¡¯d do it again?¡± Elliot said. His lips were slightly curled upwards in a sinister manner. Avery pursed her lips and pushed herself into the corner out of instinct. ¡°I don¡¯t even drink, how could I possibly drink with others. I wouldn¡¯t drink even if the sky falls.¡± She would never take the lives of the babies in her womb lightly. Even if her father¡¯spany goes bankrupt, she would never sell herself out for money. Avery¡¯s answer extinguished the raging fury inside of Elliot. The driver drove the car towards Elliot¡¯s mansion. Avery jumped out of the car just as it came to halt, as if trying to escape. Elliot watched her slender back, then said to the driver, ¡°To the office.¡± ¡­ Avery let out a heavy sigh of relief after the car drove off. Property ? N?velDrama.Org. After she took an afternoon nap, she arrived at Tate Industries at 2.30 p.m. She decided to sell off her father¡¯s assets to pay off some of the debt. She wanted to deal with what she could and pay off what she could before thinking about looking for an investor. The banks were out of the question. She hadpletely offended the managers of River City Bank and Silver Linings Bank the night before. Both managers made it clear that they would never give her a loan. ¡°Don¡¯t me yourself, Avery. If you drankst night, they probably would have acted out of line with you,¡± Shaun said with a frown. ¡°You¡¯re not that kind of woman, and I would never force you to do something like that.¡± Avery nodded and said, ¡°I wouldn¡¯t do it even if you forced me.¡± Shaun¡¯s cheeks flushed as he nodded. ¡°I arranged a listst night of the few affluent individuals in Avonsville. All of them have the ability to produce the funds to save ourpany. You just need to convince one of them, and we¡¯ll be saved.¡± Avery took the list and quickly looked it over. On the list were names, genders,pany names, current worth and contact information. Some of them had phone numbers, while some did not. ¡°How am I supposed to contact the ones without contact information?¡± Avery asked. ¡°The ones without contact information are the ones I couldn¡¯t get my hands on. We¡¯ll just have to meet those ones at theirpanies,¡± Shaun replied. Avery browsed the list once again. This time, she discovered a key point. The second name on the list clearly printed out ¡°Elliot Foster¡±. Elliot Foster, male, Sterling Group, worth over 15 billion. Contact information: none. Avery¡¯s face flushed as she asked sheepishly, ¡°Is Elliot Foster that rich?¡± She picked up a ss of water from the table and took a sip to hide her anxiety. ¡°That¡¯s just a safe estimate. His worth should be a lot higher than that,¡± Shaun answered assuredly. ¡°He founded Sterling Group when the inte was just starting. However popr the inte is now is how much he¡¯s worth.¡± ¡°I see¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s a shame I couldn¡¯t find his contact information. You¡¯ll just have to go to Sterling Group to meet him. I¡¯lle with you when you decide to go see him.¡± Avery shook her head violently and said, ¡°I won¡¯t meet him.¡± She picked up a pen and crossed Elliot¡¯s name out on the list. He would never lend her the money. If she went to him to ask for a loan, she would just be asking to be humiliated. Avery stopped by the drugstore on her way home that evening. She walked into the store and wanted to buy something for her bruise. After the pharmacist rmended a few products to her, she suddenly thought of a question. ¡°Is this safe to use during pregnancy?¡± ¡°It¡¯s better to avoid it. Are you pregnant?¡± asked the pharmacist. Avery nodded in silence. The pharmacist immediately took back the products she rmended before and passed her a bottle of pills. ¡°How far along are you? Your bump isn¡¯t showing yet, so now¡¯s a good time for calcium supplements. This one¡¯s great and absorbs well. Obstetricians are always rmending this one to pregnant mothers!¡± Avery arrived home with the calcium supplements half an hourter. It was past dinner time, but Mrs. Cooper left some food out for her. ¡°What did you get, Madam?¡± Mrs. Cooper asked when she saw the drugstore logo on the bag Avery was holding. Avery hid the bag behind her back and said, ¡°Just something for my bruise.¡± ¡°We have something for that at home. We have mostmon medications here. Just let me know if you need anything next time and I¡¯ll get it for you,¡± Mrs. Cooper said with a smile. ¡°Okay, I¡¯m going up now,¡± Avery said, then turned and made her way back to her room. She was caught off guard and bumped into Elliot. He arrived when she was talking to Mrs. Cooper earlier. He clearly saw the contents of the bag Avery hid behind her back. ¡°Why did you lie?¡± he asked as his dangerous eyes fell on the bag of calcium tablets. Chapter 15 Chapter 15 Chapter 15 The calcium supplements for pregnant women were the same type that the elderly and those thatck calcium take, so it clearly stated ¡°calcium tablets¡± on the bottle. ¡°Do you have to tell other people exactly what kind of medication you take?¡± Avery asked. Her cheeks were flushed, but her tone was rtively stable. She hurried off after she said that. She kept the bottle of pills in a drawer, then washed up in the bathroom. Things could not go on like this. Everything would be exposed if she did not leave soon. All of her checkup reports were in the room. Elliot would find out about everything if he decided to check her room. Of course, reason told her that Elliot might be a little extreme, but he was not actually crazy. He probably would not go as far as to check her room. Besides, if he did not mention it, she had no way of divorcing him. Her family epted the exorbitant betrothal fees from the Foster family after all. Avery sat on the edge of the bed with her mind in such a frenzy that she forgot about her hunger. There was a knock on the door shortly after. She snapped herself back to reality and walked over to open the door. ¡°Master Elliot¡¯s back in his room, Madam. Come and have something to eat!¡± Mrs. Coope said with a kind smile. Avery¡¯s anxiety subsided. At the mansion, aside from Elliot, everyone treated her quite well. Perhaps they take care of her because of her young age. When she arrived at the dining room with Mrs. Cooper, there was a hearty spread on the table. ¡°I can¡¯t eat all of this myself, Mrs. Cooper. You should sit down and join me!¡± Mrs. Cooper smiled and said, ¡°Eat however much you can, Madam. We have rules. I can¡¯t overstep.¡± ¡°I see¡­¡± Avery said, then added, ¡°Do you have children?¡± Now that Elliot was not around, Avery felt a lot more rxed. ¡°I do! They¡¯re in college now. They¡¯re about your age. Why do you ask, Madam?¡± Avery¡¯s face reddened slightly as she grinned and said, ¡°I¡¯m just making conversation¡­ I heard that your figure changes after giving birth, but you look really good!¡± ¡°I couldn¡¯t eat much when I was pregnant. My weight never went over 110 pounds, so my figure didn¡¯t change much.¡± ¡°Was your bump not obvious when you were pregnant, then?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right! I looked like I was only five to six months pregnant when I was actually seven to eight months pregnant. People wouldn¡¯t even notice that I was pregnant when I wore loose-fitting clothes.¡± Avery felt inspired upon hearing Mrs. Cooper¡¯s words. She ced her fork and knife down after only taking a few bites of her food. N?velDrama.Org ? 2024. She had to watch her figure so her baby bump would not be obvious. ¡°Why aren¡¯t you eating anymore, Madam?¡± Mrs. Cooper asked when she noticed how uncharacteristically little Avery had eaten. ¡°I¡¯m not that hungry,¡± Avery answered. ¡°You don¡¯t need to leave me this much food for dinner next time. I don¡¯t want to gain weight.¡± ¡°You¡¯re not fat at all.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t like working out, so it¡¯s better for me to just watch what I eat.¡± Avery returned to her room after walking out of the dining room and pulled out the report from hertest checkup. The doctor wrote down her next appointment datest time. She had to go to the hospital for a checkup when she was three months pregnant. She nced at the date on the file and saw that it was coincidentally the next day. Averyy back on the bed and ced her hand on her belly. She wanted to feel the presence of the babies, but she felt nothing. She did not throw up much during her pregnancy, but her appetite was different from before. She lost some weighttely. Before she ate, her belly waspletely t. ¡­¡­ Avery woke up early the next morning and headed to the hospital. There were more tests to be done that day, so it was noon in the blink of an eye. Since a few of the reports would only be ready at two in the afternoon, she decided to grab a bite to eat nearby. Someone tapped her on the shoulder when she walked out of the hospital. Avery turned her head and saw a slightly familiar face. ¡°It really is you.¡± Chelsea was wearing a white dress and a ck zer. Her makeup was exquisite and her hair was pulled back. She looked both smart and stylish. ¡°Are you sick?¡± she asked. ¡°I¡¯m just here for a routine checkup,¡± Avery responded. She did not want to have much interaction with her, but Chelsea did not n to let her go that easily. ¡°You haven¡¯t eaten, right? Let me buy you lunch. It was my badst time, I¡¯d like to apologize to you.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not mad.¡± ¡°I see¡­ Well, I just wanted to talk to you a little bit. I don¡¯t mean any harm,¡± Chelsea said with an expression of feigned innocence. As if turning down her invitation was the worst thing one could do. Avery agreed to have lunch with her in the end. The blood test this morning required her to go in on an empty stomach, so Avery did not eat anything. At this point, she was so hungry that her ankles were weak and she was seeing stars. They picked a restaurant nearby and sat down. Avery ordered a couple of simple vegetable dishes. Chelsea went even further and ordered two sds, then passed the menu back to the waiter. ¡°I don¡¯t eat mains for lunch. I have to keep my figure,¡± Chelsea said when she noticed Avery¡¯s shocked expression. ¡°Let¡¯s talk about you and Elliot! I heard that Madam Rosalie likes you a lot and won¡¯t agree to a divorce. You¡¯re in a pickle!¡± Avery took a sip of water and asked, ¡°Why didn¡¯t you nominate yourself when his mother was looking for a wife for him back then?¡± Chelsea chuckled bitterly and said, ¡°I was traveling out of the country at the time, so I had no idea what was happening. You were already married by the time I got back.¡± ¡°Oh, what a coincidence!¡± Avery said. Chelsea cocked an eyebrow. ¡°Are you suspicious of me? Nobody can question my love for Elliot. He doesn¡¯t like kids, so I got my uterus removed. Could you do that?¡± Avery was frozen in stunned silence. ¡°I¡¯m no longer aplete woman. I can never have children, but I have no regrets. I¡¯m willing to do anything for him,¡± Chelsea said proudly as she lifted her head up high. It looked like she was waiting for someone to praise her for being courageous and special. ¡°Elliot is insane, and so are you. He hurts other people when he goes crazy, and you hurt yourself. It was stupid of you to hurt yourself for him,¡± Avery said. Chelsea¡¯s expression changed in an instant and her tone was much colder when she said, ¡°What do you know? Elliot never hangs out with other women, but he¡¯s willing to be with me¡­¡± ¡°You¡¯re wrong. There¡¯s someone he likes, Chelsea. Stop acting stupid for him,¡± Avery said. Her emotions were a little messed up, so she spoke without thinking. She pursed her lips in annoyance after saying those words. How was it her business what Chelsea did? If Elliot found out that she revealed his secret, he would unleash a heavy punishment on her. Chelsea¡¯s face was frozen for a few seconds before she burst intoughter, as if she had just heard a joke. ¡°That¡¯s impossible! There¡¯s no way Elliot likes you!¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t say he liked me. I¡¯m talking about another woman,¡± Avery sighed. ¡°That¡¯s even more impossible!¡± Chelsea eximed. ¡°Elliot doesn¡¯t have any other women by his side apart from him. I¡¯ve known him for ten years, and my brother has known him for close to 20 years. I know him better than anyone!¡± Something snapped in Avery¡¯s head. For a moment, she did not know what was real and what was not. There was no reason for Chelsea to lie to her. However, if Chelsea was not lying¡­ Then, what about the thing she saw on Elliot¡¯sputer? Chapter 16 Chapter 16 Chapter 16 ¡°Who told you there was someone Elliot liked? Where did you get the information? Do you know what her name is?¡± Chelsea was beginning to feel uneasy despite being adamant that Elliot had no other woman besides her. Avery shook her head and said, ¡°What I said was just my opinion¡­ I don¡¯t know Elliot as well as you do.¡± Avery changed her stance after calming down a little. She realized that things were not as simple as they seemed, and she did not want to be dragged in. She just wanted to give birth to her babies and live an average life. ¡°You scared me! I thought you saw him with a woman!¡± Chelsea rxed after hearing Avery¡¯s exnation. ¡°Elliot isn¡¯t the kind of man you think he is. He hates women and kids.¡± ¡°Do you know why he doesn¡¯t like kids?¡± Avery asked casually. ¡°To be honest, I have no idea. I don¡¯t want to know either. If he doesn¡¯t like them, I just won¡¯t have them,¡± Chelsea said, then furrowed her brows and mumbled to herself, ¡°He¡¯s actually pretty nice to me.¡± ¡°As long as you¡¯re happy.¡± Avery gave up trying to change her mind. Everyone had the freedom of choice. What was important was being able to deal with the consequences of those choices. She thought Chelsea was foolish. However, in the eyes of others, her decision to give birth to her and Elliot¡¯s children was probably foolish as well. When the food was served, Avery was so hungry that she began to eat right away. Chelsea had a lot on her mind and had lost her appetite. ¡°Are you sure you didn¡¯t fall in love with Elliot?¡± she asked. ¡°I¡¯m sure,¡± Avery answered with a nod. Chelsea could not understand her. ¡°Why? He¡¯s capable and good-looking.¡± Avery looked up at her and said, ¡°If I had to choose between you and him, I¡¯d choose you.¡± At least that way, she would not get hurt. Chelsea was utterly taken aback by her answer. ¡°Why?! Are you¡ª¡± Avery waved her hand in the air and said, ¡°I was just using it as an example. It¡¯s fine as long as you get what I mean.¡± Chelseapletely lowered her defenses, as Avery suddenly began to look a lot more pleasant to her. She thought of how Avery was the only one in her family that worked to maintain her father¡¯spany after his passing. Chelsea could not stop sympathy from welling up within her. ¡°You¡¯re still in college, right?¡± Chelsea asked. Avery took a sip of water, then answered, ¡°I¡¯m graduating next year.¡± ¡°Hmm, I heard about your dad¡¯spany. His debt has nothing to do with you since he has passed. You should focus on graduating and living your life,¡± Chelsea advised. ¡°Where are you supposed to find the money to pay off all of your dad¡¯s debt? Don¡¯t push yourself like this.¡± Avery lowered her gaze and did not respond. Everyone around her was telling her to give up on Tate Industries. A hundred and twenty-five million dors was not a small amount. Even her own mother was asking her to give up. However, Shaun was always telling her how revolutionary thepany¡¯s new product was, and that everything would only go upwards from here as long as they got through this obstacle. Avery was constantly battling against her conflicting thoughts. Chelsea paid for lunch when they were almost done eating. As their meal mainly consisted of vegetables, they did not spend much. Therefore, Avery did not insist on paying for the meal. ¡°Give me your number,¡± Chelsea said when she walked over to Avery after paying the bill. ¡°What¡¯s the point?¡± Avery said. ¡°Elliot and I are getting divorced soon, so there¡¯ll be no reason for us to meet after that.¡± Chelsea was a little upset about being rejected, but the thought of never seeing Avery againforted her. ¡°That¡¯s true. When that happens, I¡¯ll be the only one by Elliot¡¯s side,¡± Chelsea said as she shot a re at Avery, before walking away. ¡­¡­ At 2.30 p.m., Avery met the doctor after receiving all of her reports. The doctor browsed through the reports, then adjusted her sses, and said, ¡°Everything looks good. However, it looks like you¡¯re pregnant with fraternal twins!¡± Avery sat frozen in stunned silence. ¡°Do you still want to get rid of them, now?¡± teased the doctor. ¡°The probability of being pregnant with fraternal twins is about the same as winning the lottery. You basically hit the jackpot!¡± Avery¡¯s heart was thumping wildly in her chest. Fraternal twins! She had only ever heard of fraternal twins, but she had never met a pair in real life. ¡°If you do decide to get an abortion, it¡¯s best to do it while you¡¯re still in your first trimester. The longer you wait, the bigger the risk. It¡¯s a cruel thing, both for you and the babies. Right now, your babies are already taking shape inside of you,¡± said the doctor. ¡°Doctor, I¡¯m keeping them. I want to give birth to my babies.¡± At that moment, Avery had finally made up her mind. ¡°Great. Fill up these forms for me, and I¡¯ll open up a file for you.¡± ¡­¡­ It was four in the afternoon when Avery emerged from the hospital. Perhaps it was because she had gotten up early and had not taken a nap, but she was on the verge of falling asleep. It was like she was seeing the world through a filter. People. Cars. She could see neither of them too clearly. She took a cab back home, went straight to her room, and fell into a deep slumber. It was almost dark out when Avery finally woke up. She sat in a daze on the bed. Both her mind and stomach were empty. She knew she was hungry, but she could not bring herself to move a muscle. Her phone suddenly began to ring, so she picked it up and answered. ¡°Avery, did you contact the names on the list I gave you?¡± Shaun¡¯s voice came from the other end of the line. Avery lowered her gaze, took a breath, and said, ¡°I didn¡¯t. I¡¯ll do it tomorrow.¡± ¡°It¡¯s the weekend tomorrow! You shouldn¡¯t bother them, then. Maybe you can call them now?¡± Shaun said. ¡°Sure,¡± Avery responded. ¡°Do you need me to send you a copy of the list?¡± Shaun asked. ¡°It¡¯s fine, I have it here with me,¡± Avery answered. N?velDrama.Org holds this content. ¡°Remember to try calling some of them tonight. Make sure to sound sincere and¡ª¡± ¡°I know, I know. I¡¯m going to have dinner now.¡± ¡°Oh, that¡¯s right. Where have you been staying since the repossession of your house?¡± Avery looked around the guest bedroom she was staying in and said, ¡°I rented a ce. Don¡¯t worry about me. I¡¯m fine.¡± ¡°Okay, Avery. I¡¯ll be waiting for some good news from you.¡± Avery could not taste her dinner. Returning to her room, she began to contact the people on her list. The moment they heard her name, they did not give her a chance to say her piece. They immediately rejected her and hung up. It only took her twenty minutes to make all the calls. All of them had rejected her. Nobody wanted to hear about the new product from Tate Industries. She was defeated before she even had a chance to put in the work. Did she really have to give up? If she did, then Tate Industries would be gone forever. If she did not, then what else could she do to save it? The room suddenly felt heavy and suffocating. Avery threw on a long cardigan and walked out of the room. The living room was empty, and the whole house was quiet. She wrapped the cardigan around herself and walked out of the house. The evening wind caressed her hair, making it billow around her face. The coldness of the night pierced her bones. She was strolling aimlessly down the street when a wave of memories suddenly filled her mind. Everyone had seen her as the heiress to Tate Industries who never had a worry in her life. Nobody knew how many cold meals and sick nights she had spent on her own. A ck luxury sedan rolled into the neighborhood. It slowed down until it came to a halt. Elliot slowly opened his eyes. From his car window, he saw a woman crouched on the ground underneath the warm glow of the streetlights. She had her arms tightly wrapped around her knees. Avery¡¯s shoulders were trembling from her sobs. Chapter 17 Chapter 17 Chapter 17 The car sped past Avery, leaving a trail of dust. She lifted her head and saw the blurry tail lights of the Rolls-Roice in the darkness. Was that Elliot¡¯s car? She wiped the tears off her face, calmed herself down, and walked toward the house. She saw the car parked in the courtyard when she arrived. She waited outside in hopes of going in after Elliot had gone to his room. Her eyes stung. She looked up at the stars shining brightly in the night sky. It was a beautiful spring night. Before she knew it, she had been standing outside for an hour. The driver had already moved the car into the garage. The lights in the living room were still on, but there was nobody in sight. Avery felt normal, so she walked slowly into the house. On the veranda on the second floor, Elliot, dressed in a grey robe, was sitting in his wheelchair. The last dregs of wine sat at the bottom of his wine ss. He had watched Avery the entire hour that she had stood outside in the cold. He could not figure out the thoughts that would lead her to spend an entire hour out in the cold. She was so still that she could have easily blended in with the trees that stood next to her. Elliot had met countless intelligent minds in his lifetime because they were the only people worthy enough to stand by his side. However, Avery was an exception. He did not consider her bright because she had provoked him despite knowing what kind of man he was. She was an extremely foolish woman. Seeing her miserable, however, affected his mood in a peculiar way. It was a feeling that he had never felt before. ¡­¡­ Maybe it was because of the cold wind, but Avery¡¯s head felt heavy by the time she got to her room. She took out a thick nket from the closet, wrapped herself in it, and fell into a deep slumber. She sweated all night, ridding herself of the chill from the night wind. When Avery woke up the next morning, aside from feeling a little sticky, she was in rtively good spirits. She took a shower, changed into clean clothes, and went downstairs. She followed the smell of food to the dining room, and Mrs. Cooper immediately served her breakfast. ¡°Has he had breakfast?¡± Avery asked. ¡°No, Master Elliot hasn¡¯te down yet.¡± Hearing this, Avery picked up her ss of milk and a piece of toast, then began to wolf down her breakfast. She was done eating in under five minutes. ¡°Are you that afraid of him, Madam?¡± Mrs. Cooper teased. ¡°I¡¯m not afraid¡­ I just don¡¯t want to see him,¡± Avery said, then lifted her chin slightly and added, ¡°Seeing him makes me ufortable.¡± ¡°You¡¯ll be fine after spending a little more time together,¡± said Mrs. Cooper. ¡°Will you being home for lunch?¡± ¡°I won¡¯t. I have something to do on campus today, so I won¡¯t be having dinner at home either.¡± Belonging ? N?velDram/a.Org. ¡°Alright. I¡¯ll go get the driver to take you there,¡± Mrs. Cooper said. She left, intending to inform the driver of his duty. Avery immediately stopped her and said, ¡°It¡¯s fine. I¡¯ll just take a cab. He can have the driver.¡± ¡°We have two drivers at home. One for Master Elliot and one for the odd jobs. I¡¯ll get the other one to take you,¡± said Mrs. Cooper. Avery could not win against her. Once they had arrived on campus, Avery turned to the driver and said, ¡°Thank you. You can head back now. I¡¯ll find my own way hometer.¡± After the driver drove off, a young woman ran up to Avery, tapped her on the shoulder, and said, ¡°Avery! Who was that Portia cutie?¡± Avery did not expect to bump in her best friend Tammy Lynch to be at the campus entrance. ¡°He¡¯s not a cutie. It¡¯s ¡®Mr. Portia¡¯ to you,¡± Avery said as they walked into campus together. ¡°Tammy, I don¡¯t think I can go to graduate school with you.¡± Tammy stopped in her tracks and said, ¡°Is it because of your family? I heard about your dad. I¡¯m so sorry.¡± Avery managed a smile and said, ¡°Actually, I never really wanted to go to graduate school.¡± ¡°I know, you¡¯re thinking of marrying your boyfriend after graduation, right?¡± Tammy said. ¡°When are you going to introduce me to him?¡± Avery was taken aback. She had only told her mother of what had happened with Cole. Her friends and ssmates only knew that she was dating someone but had no idea who he was. ¡°We broke up,¡± Avery said. She then took a deep breath and said, ¡°Do you know what it feels like to have someonepletely destroy your trust? I thought he was the best man in the world, but he was nothing but human sc*m.¡± Tammy ced her arm around Avery¡¯s waist when she saw her red eyes, and said, ¡°Forget about that, Avery. We¡¯re still young. Just think of it as a lesson learned. You¡¯ll definitely meet someone even better later!¡± ¡°I¡¯m better off depending on myself than a man,¡± Avery chuckled. ¡°We need to go through some heartbreak to grow,¡± Tammy sighed. ¡°You werepletely love-struck before summer break, but look at the mature youngdy you¡¯ve turned into now!¡± Avery shook her head and said, ¡°I just hope I can take care of myself after graduation.¡± ¡°Of course! You¡¯re the only double major I know who¡¯s at top of the ss in both majors. The sky¡¯s the limit for someone like you!¡± Tammy eximed. Avery¡¯s cheeks flushed at the praise. At five in the evening, Avery and Tammy left the campus together. They had nned to have dinner together. When they arrived at the campus gates, Tammy instantly pointed at the Portia parked by the street. ¡°Avery! Isn¡¯t that the Mr. Portia who dropped you off this morning? Is he here to pick you up?¡± Tammy still remembered the car. After all, luxury cars and beautiful people were pleasing to the eyes. Avery looked toward the open window of the Portia. She nced at the driver, and he nced back at her. She was taken aback. Did she not tell him not to pick her up? What was going on? She walked over to the parked car as the driver opened the door to the backseat for her. ¡°What is it?¡± Avery asked in a low voice. Since Tammy was there, the driver was cautious. ¡°Let¡¯s talk in the car.¡± Avery¡¯s heart tightened in her chest. ¡°Just go if you¡¯re busy, Avery! Let¡¯s go out some other time,¡± Tammy said. Avery nodded and said, ¡°It¡¯ll be my treat next time.¡± Tammy waved her hand and said, ¡°There¡¯s no need for that. Call me if you need anything!¡± The car sped off once Avery was seated. ¡°Did you do something to make Master Elliot mad again, Madam?¡± asked the driver. Avery raised her brows and answered, ¡°I didn¡¯t. Did he ask you to pick me up?¡± ¡°Yes,¡± he said. ¡°You better prepare yourself!¡± Avery¡¯s heart raced in her chest as she racked her brain. No way! She was on campus the whole day. She had not even seen Elliot, let alone anger him. She went through all the events of the past few days, but she did not have a clue. It was not until her head began to throb in pain that she stopped thinking about it. They arrived at the house at five forty in the evening. When the car came to a halt, Avery got down. She changed into her house slippers and noticed Elliot sitting alone in the living room. He was wearing a green shirt with the sleeves rolled up, exposing his muscr forearms. The sapphires on his cufflinks shone brightly. He was sittingfortably on the couch, exuding the charm and arrogance of a long-reigning, king. Chapter 18 Chapter 18 ¡°Sit.¡± Elliot nced coldly at Avery. ¡°Okay,¡± she said. She took the couch opposite him. There was aptop sitting on the coffee table. The screen was facing her and on it was surveince footage. There was a bed in the footage, and on it was her and Elliot. Avery¡¯s blood boiled at the sight on the screen. She shot to her feet, pointed at theptop, and yelled, ¡°Are you a pervert?! Did you install a camera in the bedroom?¡± She was livid. She wanted to forget about the three months that she shared a bed with him. He was in a vegetative state during those three months, so she had never even seen him as a man. Even those who looked sophisticated in public would have some inelegant behavior in the privacy of their bedrooms. It was the reason Avery could not ept that she had been under surveince for three months! Nobody had told her there were surveince cameras in the room when she had been staying with him. The sight of Avery¡¯s trembling body actually calmed Elliot down slightly. ¡°Why did you assume I was the one who installed the cameras?¡± He had found out that his mother had installed surveince cameras in his bedroom while he was ill. She had wanted to him from suffering any abuse at the hands of his caretakers. Even if he was a powerful man, who would be afraid of someone in a vegetative state? Elliot could not be angry at his mother because he knew she had done it with the best intentions. He had retrieved the footage from his mother and browsed through them that day. His blood pressure rose slightly after watching the videos. He had never expected Avery to be that kind of woman. ¡°Oh¡­ It was your mother?¡± Avery said, but she was still uneasy, and her rage continued to burn. ¡°How could she do that?! She could have at least told me about it! I¡­ I¡­¡± ¡°You never expected me to wake up, did you?¡± Elliot hissed as his eyes shot daggers at her. ¡°It looked like you had fun messing with my body when I was sick.¡± Avery¡¯s cheeks flushed as she fell back onto the couch. ¡°I did not! I wasn¡¯t messing around! I was giving you a massage! It was to prevent muscle atrophy!¡± After she moved into the mansion, she had watched the nurse give Elliot physical therapy many times, and she took over the job soon after. She had done it because she had felt awkward sitting in the room. A spectator in his nightly treatments, she had watched his nurse go about her job. For a moment, Avery¡¯s adamant denial made Elliot wonder if he was wrongly using her. It was a good thing that the cameras had recorded everything. ¡°Open it up and see for yourself,¡± he said. He did not want to listen to her argue. Avery¡¯s hand trembled as she reached out and hit the y button on the surveince footage. Of course, she knew what she had done. However, there was no way she would admit that she had fooled around with his body. She just¡­ touched him a little bit¡­ She would not have done any of it if she had known that he would regain consciousness. If she had known that there were cameras in the room, she would not have touched him even if someone had threatened to have her arms chopped off! Avery turned her head away. She did not want to see the contents of the footage. Even so, she could still see it all from the corner of her eye. Elliot did not disappoint her. The footage in theptop was the perfect weapon against her. It clearly documented exactly how she had ¡°yed¡± with his body. Avery took a deep breath and decided to talk her way out of the situation. ¡°I can exin. The doctors had told me that you had been close to death, so I had never expected you to wake up¡­ and I was also seriously giving you physiotherapy. You can¡¯t just focus on me touching you while ignoring all my hard work¡­ I sort of contributed to your recovery.¡± Elliot¡¯s head began to ache as he listened to her exnation. ¡°Let me find a clip of me giving you a proper massage¡­¡± Avery was not backing down, and she slid her fingers on theptop¡¯s touchpad. One minuteter, she shut theptop and shot to her feet. ¡°Sh*t!¡± she cried as her face turned a crimson red. ¡°Did you see all of that? All the footage in here¡­ You¡¯ve seen it all, haven¡¯t you?!¡± Her mind was in a frenzy. Elliot knew exactly why she was reacting that way. ¡°Of course,¡± he drawled nonchntly. ¡°Ahhh! You b*st*rd! Who told you to look? You hooligan!¡± Avery was so angry that she was gritting her teeth. She had seen a clip of herself naked! She would asionally walk out of the bathroom naked when she forgot to bring her clothes in. Elliot was unconscious, anyway, so she was not concerned. Never in her dreams did she expect there to be cameras in the bedroom! ¡°You¡¯re the one who was naked. Why are you ming me?¡± Elliot could not wrap his head around her. ¡°Aside from the fact that you¡¯re blindingly fair, there isn¡¯t much to look at,¡± he said in a hoarse voice. ¡°Why, you¡­¡± Avery¡¯s eyes darkened with rage. She was beyond furious. ¡°Who are you to judge my body?! Shut your mouth if you don¡¯t know what to say! I¡¯m deleting everything!¡± She picked up theptop and angrily stormed off to her room and mmed the door behind her. The driver was smoking outside, so he had heard Avery¡¯s hysterical shrieks from time to time. When he heard the sound of the door mming, he sighed at his ownck of imagination. In his lifetime, he finally got to see a woman get into Elliot Foster¡¯s head. N?velDrama.Org holds this content. ¡­¡­ At seven in the evening, Avery had deleted all of the surveince footage and returned theptop to the coffee table in the living room. Themotion earlier had taken a toll on her. She was starving, so she put on a brave face and walked into the dining room. Elliot was not there, but she still felt uneasy. It felt as if there were cameras all over the house, monitoring her every move. ¡°I didn¡¯t know there were surveince cameras in the master bedroom, Madam,¡± Mrs. Cooper exined. ¡°Master Elliot really had nothing to do with it. Nobody cares more about privacy than he does.¡± ¡°It¡¯s fine. I already deleted everything,¡± said Avery. She lost her appetite after eating just a bit of food. She set her spoon down and turned to Mrs. Cooper, ¡°Was he in an unusually bad mood earlier?¡± ¡°Kind of,¡± answered Mrs. Cooper. ¡°I see¡­¡± Avery said. ¡°Whatever. It¡¯s not like he can stand up and beat me up, right?¡± She made up her mind. Since her privacy meant nothing to him, she might as well face things openly. She strode out of the dining room, intending to do as she pleased, but things did not go her way. She bumped into Elliot just as she left the dining room. He said nothing and did nothing. His dark eyes just looked coldly at her. There was a peculiar charm in his eyes. They were deep and vast, and it was as if he could see through her in an instant. It drove her heart into a giddy, uneven beat. ¡°Move.¡± His voice was low and maic. Avery froze for a moment, then turned sideways. Her cheeks flushed with embarrassment as she watched Elliot enter the dining room. She thought he was there to mess with her, but he had juste down for dinner. She smacked herself in the head and let out a long sigh. He just saw her naked body. What¡¯s the big deal? When she was giving him physiotherapy before, she practically saw his naked body, too. Chapter 19 Chapter 19 Chapter 19 It was Sunday, and Avery did not get out of bed until it was ten thirty in the morning. It was the first time she had slept in at Elliot¡¯s house. When she walked out of the room, the group of men in the living room shifted their gaze toward her. Avery was dressed in a loose nightgown with her disheveled hair falling to her shoulders, framing her clean, spotless face. She did not expect Elliot to have guests that day. Elliot and his guests stared sternly at her as if they did not expect her to suddenly appear. Something snapped in Avery¡¯s head. When she realized the awkward situation she was in, she instantly turned around and made her way back to her room. At that moment, Mrs. Cooper walked over and pulled her in the direction of the dining room. ¡°You must be hungry, Madam. You were sleeping soundly when I went to your room earlier, so I didn¡¯t wake you.¡± ¡°Those people¡­ Who are they?¡± Avery stammered. ¡°They¡¯re friends of Master Elliot. They came to visit him. Don¡¯t worry. It¡¯s fine even if you don¡¯t greet them,¡± answered Mrs. Cooper. ¡°Okay,¡± Avery responded. She did not even greet Elliot when she saw him, why would she greet his friends? If she had known that he was having guests over, however, she would have woken early and spent the whole day out. Elliot¡¯s friends in the living room were very interested in Avery. ¡°Elliot, why¡¯s that young girl staying with you? Is she a caretaker? Or maybe¡­¡± ¡°We¡¯re all adults here. Elliot is a man, after all. It¡¯s normal to have a youngdy in his house! Ha ha!¡± When Elliot did not respond, everyone shut their mouths and dropped the subject. ¡°Do you guys know Avery Tate from Tate Industries? They say she¡¯s Jack Tate¡¯s daughter¡ª¡± ¡°I know. She called me Friday night asking for an investment, but I hung up before she could finish talking.¡± ¡°She really is something. What does her father¡¯s debt have to do with her? She must be insane for jumping into this mess!¡± ¡°Young people are reckless like that! I looked into their new product, but it¡¯s a total bust! A self-driving system might sound cool, but the conditions areplicated and uncontroble. Whoever invests in it would be an idiot!¡± ¡­¡­ In the dining room, Avery listened to the discussion in the living room with mixed feelings. Once she was done with breakfast, she took herptop and went to a nearby cafe to work on her thesis. At the moment, she had limited abilities. She needed to focus on her studies and life. She received a new email around four in the afternoon. She ced her cup of coffee on the table after reading its contents and then read the email once more. It was signed ¡®Mr. Z¡¯. The contents stated his interest in Tate Industries¡¯ new product. He wanted to learn more about it and would invest if the meeting went well. Avery¡¯s mind was filled with questions. She knew nothing about this person apart from the fact that he went by Mr. Z. If he was really interested in working with Tate Industries, he could have just set up a meeting at the office. After some consideration, Avery replied to the email. [Is this a new scam?] Mr. Z¡¯s reply came shortly after. [You have quite the sense of humor, Miss Tate. Here¡¯s proof of my assets.] There was an image file attached to the email. When Avery opened the file, her eyes instantly widened in shock. The image was a screenshot of a bank ount showing he had close to two hundred million dors in his checking ount. As it was a tremendous sum, Avery stared at the image and did the calctions in her head many times before she was able to confirm the amount. Her cheeks flushed and her heart raced. Her hands were trembling as she typed her reply. N?velDrama.Org holds this content. [You¡¯re pretty good at editing pictures, but isn¡¯t this going overboard? Who would have two hundred million in their checking ount?] [What would it take for you to believe me? How about you send over your bank ount number, and I¡¯ll bank in a deposit of intent of cooperation to you?] [Is this what scamming techniques have advanced into? All you need is a bank ount number to steal all of someone¡¯s money?] Mr. Z did not respond to Avery¡¯sst email. After pondering for a while, Avery sent him a screenshot of an ount number. It was an ount that could only receive funds, so it did not matter if he turned out to be a scammer. Avery pursed her lips and waited for a reply. She received a transfer notification on her phone shortly after. She opened up the notification and saw that Mr. Z had wired over eight hundred thousand dors. ¡­ Shaun arrived at the cafe that Avery was at half an hourter. ¡°What¡¯s going on, Avery? Did this Mr. Z really send you eight hundred thousand dors?¡± Avery showed her phone screen to Shaun and said, ¡°This bnce of eight hundred thousand is from him.¡± Shaun was ecstatic. ¡°Whichpany is he from? You should set an appointment with him and talk face to face!¡± Avery had an uneasy expression on her face as she said, ¡°All he gave me was an address and asked me to meet him on Friday night.¡± ¡°That¡¯s great! Send the address to me, too. I¡¯ll go with you on Friday,¡± Shaun said. ¡°Okay,¡± Avery responded. Mr. Z¡¯s appearance allowed Avery to temporarily put the issue of Tate Industries¡¯ impending doom aside. However, she could not help but wonder about the identity of Mr. Z, and where he came from. He had given her eight hundred thousand dors, and he had never even met her. Did he have too much money on his hands, or was he really that interested in Tate Industries? Whatever it was, Avery thought it was incredible. Friday arrived in the blink of an eye. At breakfast, Elliot said, ¡°Do you have time for dinner at the old mansion tonight?¡± Avery stayed silent for a few seconds, then thought of an excuse and said, ¡°I¡¯ve got something to do on campus today, so I¡¯ll be back a littleter tonight.¡± Elliot frowned slightly. He pursued his lips but said nothing. Avery let out a sigh of relief. She was meeting Mr. Z at six that evening. The fate of Tate Industries depended on that meeting that night. ¡°You¡¯re still my wife for now,¡± Elliot said as he ced his cup of coffee on the table. ¡°If I ever find out that you¡¯re lying to me, you¡¯re dead.¡± His dark eyes dug into her, but his voice was neutral. Avery¡¯s entire body went cold. They had some pleasant interactions in the past few days. She thought it was nice to continue that type of rtionship, but why would he suddenly say something like that? She was about to say something when he left the dining room. She watched his back and mumbled to herself, ¡°Weirdo.¡± ¡­¡­ Avery arrived at the Twilight Bar at five forty in the evening. She gave Shaun a call, only to hear his frantic voice on the other end of the line. ¡°I¡¯m stuck in traffic and I don¡¯t know when I¡¯ll get there. Go on in without me! I¡¯ll get there as soon as I can.¡± Anxiety suddenly washed over Avery. The meeting was set up a week ago, and Mr. Z was the one who booked the private room. An attendant escorted her to the entrance of private room V606. She took a deep breath and opened the door. Unexpectedly, Mr. Z was already there. She could vaguely make out the silhouette of a man in a wheelchair in the dark room. Her eyes suddenly widened. It¡­ It was Elliot! What was he doing here?! Could it be that he¡­ Chapter 20 Chapter 20 Chapter 20 Avery felt like someone was strangling her. She felt suffocated as the world began to spin around her. N?velDrama.Org holds this content. How could Elliot be Mr. Z?! Mr. Z sent her eight hundred thousand dors and wanted to invest in Tate Industries. How was it possible that Elliot would do that? However, if he was not Mr. Z, then what was he doing there? Her mind spun as she looked at the man before her. His wheelchair, dark shirt, and unusually fair skin told her that the man in front of her was no other than Elliot Foster. Avery let out a cold breath and subconsciously took a few steps back, but the door to the private room was closed. ¡°Leaving before saying hello?¡± Seeing her so nervous made Elliot press his lips into a thin line. ¡°What are you doing in a ce like this?¡± Avery raised her hand to push a strand of hair behind her ear. She forced herself to stay calm as she said, ¡°I¡­ I¡¯m here to have dinner with some friends.¡± ¡°This is a bar.¡± ¡°Oh¡­¡± Avery nced around the private room. It was arge room that wasvishly decorated, but she felt like she was in hell and could not settle down. ¡°I¡­ I think I came to the wrong ce. I¡¯ll go look for them now.¡± ¡°Avery Tate,¡± Elliot hissed. His voice was as cold as ice. ¡°Did you not take what I said this morning seriously?¡± ¡°I heard you,¡± Avery said, ¡°but I have no reason to live my life by your words.¡± She remembered what happenedst time like it was yesterday. She had not drunk that night, but he had insisted that she had dressed like a prostitute so that she might go out drinking with other men. Avery¡¯s reply made Elliot raise his thick brows. He knew she was different from other women. She had her own opinions, and she did not back down in the face of power. Most importantly, no matter how sternly he warned her, she would never take his threats seriously. Which also meant that she did not take him seriously at all. Elliot picked up a ss of wine and took a sip. Avery took a deep breath and asked, ¡°What are you doing here? Didn¡¯t you say you were going to the old mansion for dinner?¡± She wanted to ask what he was doing in the room that Mr. Z had booked. She wanted to ask if he was Mr. Z, but she did not dare be so straightforward. This was because she had no idea what his answer would be. If he was Mr. Z, how would they proceed to discuss business matters? If he was not, how would she deal with the tant lie she had told him that morning? ¡°Come and drink with me,¡± Elliot ordered as he red at her with bloodshot eyes. Avery raised her brows. What was he trying to do? ¡°I told you I don¡¯t drink,¡± she replied. She could not read his eyes, nor could she read his heart. All she wanted to do was leave that ce. ¡°Enjoy yourself. I¡¯m leaving!¡± She tried to open the door but noticed that it was locked from the outside. There was no way of opening that door no matter how much strength she put into it. ¡°What¡¯s going on, Elliot? Let me out!¡± she snapped as her cheeks flushed with anger. ¡°I told you to drink with me,¡± Elliot said in a threatening tone. ¡°Did you not hear me, or are you feigning ignorance?¡± Avery¡¯s cold sweat dripped down her back, and her ankles shook. If she could drink, then she would drink with him to his heart¡¯s content. However, she could not drink right now! She could not drink even if he strangled her. The door was locked, so there was no way out. She could only walk toward him and try to reason with him. ¡°I lied to you this morning,¡± Avery said as she stood next to him and lowered her gaze. ¡°I had something to do today, but it wasn¡¯t something on campus. I made an appointment to meet someone tonight. He agreed to invest in my father¡¯spany.¡± ¡°Who is he?¡± Elliot asked as he raised his gaze and stared at her flushed cheeks. ¡°I don¡¯t know his name.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t even know his name, but you came to meet him?¡± ¡°Shaun came with me.¡± ¡°Where is he, then?¡± ¡°Stuck in traffic.¡± Avery took a deep breath, looked straight at Elliot with her watery eyes, and said, ¡°I¡¯m not a child. Even if I am your wife, I have my own space and social life. You have no right to interfere in my affairs.¡± While she spoke, Elliot picked up his ss and took another sip. She could not help but be distracted by the sensual movements of his throat. Would he get drunk, drinking like this? How would he get home if he got drunk? Just as she was lost in thought, Elliot¡¯s big hand sped around her arm. By the time she noticed the pain, he had already yanked her over and thrown her onto the couch. The couch was soft, but Avery was still upset. What did he think she was? Was she a toy that he could throw around as he pleased?! Was she not allowed to have her own thoughts and opinions? She gritted her teeth and got up from the couch. Since he was unwilling to reason with her, then there was no point in holding back! Just as Avery was preparing to stand up, from the corner of her eye, she saw a tall figure looming over her and blocking the light in front of her. Elliot was standing up! He stood up from the wheelchair! She stared at him in stunned silence as her mind went nk. She forgot about her anger. She forgot about getting up. She forgot about everything that she had wanted to say or do. Her lips moved as if she wanted to say something, but she was at a loss for words. The next moment, Elliot threw himself over Avery and pressed her down onto the couch. ¡°Men take women here to drink. If you¡¯re not here for that, then why are you here?!¡± He reached out his long, slender fingers and grabbed her chin tightly. Her red lips parted from the pressure he exerted. With his other hand, Elliot picked up the wine ss on the table. The red liquid in the ss shook slightly back and forth. Fear took over Avery. Tears began to stream down her face. She tried to escape, but he was pressing down on her with such force that she could not move a muscle. ¡°Youe here when a stranger invites you¡­ You need to learn your lesson properly,¡± Elliot said coldly before he poured the wine into Avery¡¯s open mouth. Avery grabbed onto his arms and tried to push him away, but he did not budge no matter how hard she tried. He had just recovered from a long-term illness, but he was horrifyingly strong. The sight of Elliot standing up from the wheelchair suddenly popped into her head. He was taller and more terrifying than she had thought. The deep red liquid entered her mouth. She did not swallow it, but the bitterness of the alcohol choked her and made her cough violently. It felt like she was drowning. In a time of desperation, a person¡¯s body will act on instinct to save itself. Avery grabbed Elliot¡¯s shirt cor in panic and yanked it so hard that its button snapped off. The button rolled onto the ground, and he felt a wave of cold air hit his bare chest. Elliot looked at the face of the woman in front of him. It was flushed with agony. His chest tightened, and his heart suddenly softened. He let go of her chin. Avery immediately turned her head and spat the wine out of her mouth. ¡°I hate you, Elliot Foster!¡± she cried through teary eyes and clenched fists. ¡°It was just one drink. Was that so hard?¡± The pity in his eyes disappeared. His slender fingers fell onto her cor and unbuttoned her shirt, exposing her exquisite cor bone. ¡°If it weren¡¯t me, another man would be doing this to you! These are the consequences of your lies!¡± Chapter 21 Chapter 21 Chapter 21 It was a long and painful night. When it was all over, Avery was so tired that she passed out. The next morning, Elliot showed up at Sterling Group around ten in the morning as usual. Once he entered his office, Ben walked in. ¡°I went to Twilight to see youst night, but I didn¡¯t catch you. Did you and Avery Tate leave early?¡± Elliot raised his brows and said, ¡°That¡¯s what you¡¯re here to talk about?¡± Ben smiled bitterly and ced the file in his hand on Elliot¡¯s desk. ¡°This is the financial reports for Tate Industries from the past few years. I took some time to look into it. They¡¯re in pretty deep trouble.¡± Ben paused, then added, ¡°Their finance director embezzled at least three hundred million dors. I heard that he was Jack Tate¡¯s brother-inw.¡± Elliot¡¯s eyes twitched slightly. If what Ben said was true, then developing the new product was not the only reason Tate Industries was facing bankruptcy. ¡°This is the lesson. All of us should be careful about picking the correct wife,¡± Ben sighed. ¡°If Jack Tate hadn¡¯t had an affair with Wanda Tate back then, the Tates wouldn¡¯t be in this mess.¡± Elliot¡¯s expression was cold as he said, ¡°This proves that women are obstacles on the road to sess.¡± ¡°It looks like you¡¯re really determined to divorce Avery Tate!¡± Ben said. ¡°When do you n on going through with it? Should we have a party to celebrate your return to single life?¡± Elliot cocked an eyebrow and said icily, ¡°Don¡¯t you have work to do? Do you have that much free time on your hands?¡± Ben jumped up from his seat, cleared his throat, and said, ¡°I¡¯m going now¡­ Just a friendly reminder, though. Shouldn¡¯t you do something about that bruise on your neck? If I didn¡¯t know better, I¡¯d think you got scratched by a cat. It looks like you two had a steamy night!¡± ¡°Get out!¡± Elliot said hoarsely. Ben immediately hurried out of the room. Fifteen minutes after Ben had left, Chelsea knocked on Elliot¡¯s office door. ¡°Are you busy, Elliot? I have something outside of work to talk to you about,¡± she said as she walked in and closed the door behind her. Elliot nced at the emails in his inbox and said, ¡°I¡¯m busy right now. You can talk about non-work rted matters after work!¡± Chelsea froze for a moment, but she stubbornly walked over to his desk and said, ¡°I¡¯ll just tell you now! This is more important than work.¡± She handed the file she brought in to Elliot and said, ¡°Take a look at this. I¡¯m sure its contents will shock you.¡± She took a seat on the chair across from him, and her eyes immediately fell on the scratch on his neck. She didn¡¯t have to think hard to know what it was. A wave of jealousy rose inside of her. ¡°Did you sleep with Avery Tatest night?¡± she eximed with a slight tremor in her voice. ¡°Elliot, she¡¯s not worth your sincerity!¡± ¡°Shut up!¡± Elliot¡¯s furrowed brows reflected his impatience. ¡°My rtionship with her has nothing to do with you!¡± As he said those words, he opened up the file and looked at the documents within. Property ? N?velDrama.Org. Maternal Health File Name: Avery Tate Sex: Female Gestational Age: 12 Weeks The vein on Elliot¡¯s forehead throbbed as he read the file. The chill in his eyes could kill. He held back his rage and continued reading. Father: Cole Foster Elliot threw the file onto the table. Avery was pregnant, and Cole was the father! Chapter 22 Chapter 22 Chapter 22 Chelsea decided to add fuel to the fire when she saw Elliot¡¯s savage fury. ¡°Before she married you, Avery Tate was dating your nephew, Cole. It¡¯s not a big deal since everyone has a past, but she slept with your nephew after she married you! She¡¯s made a fool out of you. I bet they did this thinking you were going to die back then!¡± Elliot¡¯s fists were clenched and his face was stone-cold, His expression was a face of seething anger. His cold eyes red furiously at the maternal health file on his desk. ¡°I suspect they did this to get your inheritance. When the doctor issued a notice of critical illness, all of us thought you didn¡¯t have long to live. If she got pregnant with your kid at the time, then your estate would fall right into her hands. They nned everything to the tee! When you unexpectedly regained consciousness, it ruined their ns.¡± ¡°Get out!¡± Elliot roared. Whether or not what Chelsea said was true, the thought of this scandal being exposed to the public made him feel sick to the stomach. Chelsea was slightly upset, but shepletely understood his feelings at that moment. She got up to leave, and carefully closed the door behind her. Elliot¡¯s throat moved slightly. His breath was hot. He loosened his cor, picked up the file and carefully examined its contents once more. When his eyes fell on Cole¡¯s name, a murderous aura rose in his eyes. Elliot had always known that his brother had his eyes on his fortune, but he did not expect Avery to be a pawn that he nted by his side! He almost fell right into their trap. He recalled the chaotic night he had spent with Avery, and his rage rose uncontrobly. In the master bedroom at Elliot¡¯s mansion, Avery was in a deep slumber. The room door suddenly burst open and filled the room with a screeching noise. Before she could open her eyes, she was forcefully pulled up. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Miss Tate!¡± said the bodyguard as he yanked her out of bed. ¡°What are you doing?! Where are you taking me?!¡± Avery cried frantically. ¡°The hospital. Abortion.¡± A chill shot through her entire body upon hearing those words. Did Elliot know she was pregnant? How did he find out? Who told him? ¡°Where¡¯s Elliot?! Where is he? I want to see him!¡± Avery sobbed in terror. ¡°I¡¯m not getting an abortion ! don¡¯t want to!¡± She tried to escape the bodyguard¡¯s clutches, but Elliot had used up all of her energy the night before. She was carried to the car and thrown into the backseat like a piece of garbage. Elliot was sitting in the spacious backseat, staring coldly at her. He threw a piece of paper in her face and said, ¡°You had so many chances to get rid of the b*st*rd inside o f you, so why didn¡¯t you do it? Do you love Cole that much? Do you want me to kill him with my bare hands?!¡± His face was pale and his voice was chilling to the bone. Avery picked up the piece of paper, saw that it was the information she filled out when she registered at the hospital, and shut her eyes in agony. She wanted to fill out the father¡¯s name honestly, but Elliot had threatened to kill the baby if she ever got pregnant Which was why she filled out Cole¡¯s name instead. Belonging ? N?velDram/a.Org. She was discovered in the end! ¡°Elliot, I¡¯m begging you¡­ Please don¡¯t make me get an abortion!¡± Avery¡¯s eyes were bloodshot as she held onto his sleeve and begged through her tears. ¡°They¡¯re not b*st*rds. They¡¯re not¡­¡± Chapter 23 Chapter 23 Chapter 23 Elliot unceremoniously pped Avery¡¯s hand away and hissed coldly, ¡°Letting you live is already showing you mercy, Shut your mouth and stop p*ssing me off!¡± Avery looked at his heartless expression and swallowed all of her pain. There was nothing she could say or do to make him change his mind. She pressed herself into the seat and gazed miserably out the window. When the car came to a halt in front of the hospital, Avery was forcefully yanked out of the car and dragged to the gynecology clinic. Elliot stayed in a car and lit a cigarette. Content ? provided by N?velDrama.Org. Avery¡¯s teary eyes and the hateful expression she shot at him kept reying in his head. He refused to go easy on her! Everyone who betrayed him had to pay for the consequences. Therge doors to the operating room slowly shut after Avery was pushed into surgery. The doors reopened about half an hourter. The doctor walked out and informed the bodyguard, ¡°The surgery isplete, but we¡¯ll need to observe the patient for at least an hour.¡± The bodyguard¡¯s task was to get Avery to go through with the abortion. Now that it was done, his mission wasplete. The bodyguard left the waiting room and the doctor returned to the operating room. When Laura arrived at the hospital after getting the call, Avery was sitting on a bench with her eyes red from tears. ¡°It hurts, Mom¡­¡± Laura patted her back and cooed, ¡°Don¡¯t cry, my dear. Let¡¯s go home. He¡¯ll regret it when he finds out the truth!¡± ¡°No, he won¡¯t. He¡¯ll never regret it,¡± Avery said as she wiped the tears from the corner of her eyes. ¡°His heart is harder and colder than stone.¡± Laura held Avery as they walked out of the hospital, and they hailed a cab. Once they were gone, Elliot¡¯s car sped off from the hospital. Cole was told that Elliot had something to discuss with him and he was summoned to his house. When Cole arrived in the evening, there was no sign on Elliot anywhere. ¡°What does my uncle want to talk to me about? Didn¡¯t he say he didn¡¯t want to see me here again?¡± Cole asked Mrs. Cooper after taking a sip of tea. Mrs. Cooper¡¯s expression was anxious. She shook her head violently and said, ¡°I don¡¯t know anything. Don¡¯t ask me.¡± She had hid in a corner and watched as Avery was forcefully taken away earlier. She could not say or do anything about it. She could not believe that Avery was pregnant. What was even more unbelievable was the fact that Elliot would force her to get an abortion. They slept together the night before after all. Elliot¡¯s car drove into the courtyard shortly after. Cole shot to his feet when he heard the car approaching and walked out to greet his uncle. When Elliot emerged from the car, his dark expression was inplete contrast with the evening sun. Cole had a bad feeling, but he smiled and said, ¡°Uncle Elliot, why did you call.¡± Before he could finish his sentence, Elliot¡¯s bodyguard kicked him in the gut and sent him flying to the ground. ¡°You actually showed up, you little brat?! How dare you take your uncle for a fool?!¡± The bodyguard stepped down on Cole¡¯s neck and spat at him. ¡°Since you¡¯re Master Elliot¡¯s nephew, I¡¯ll let you choose how you want to die. How about it?!¡± Cole was racked with terror. ¡°What did I do, Uncle Elliot? Tell me what I did? I have no idea what I did!¡± Elliot looked down on his nephew from his wheelchair and said cruelly, ¡°I killed your and Avery Tate¡¯s baby.¡± Cole was mortified. 1 ¡°How is that possible? How could she have my kid? I¡¯ve never even slept with her! How could she be pregnant with my kid?!¡± Cole¡¯s face was flushed in horror. After a moment of stunned silence, he said, ¡°Uncle Elliot, you said Avery¡¯s pregnant? Wouldn¡¯t the kid be yours, then?!¡± Chapter 24 Chapter 24 Elliot frowned. If he had not seen Avery fill the list with his own eyes, he would have almost believed Cole¡¯s words. ¡°Avery said that the child is yours, then it¡¯s yours!¡± The bodyguard scolded. ¡°How dare you do such a thing! It¡¯s not enough to repay even if you have nine lives!¡± Content ? provided by N?velDrama.Org. Cole cried out, ¡°Avery lied! Uncle, the reason I broke up with her was that she wouldn¡¯t let me touch her. I dumped her, and she hated me! She deliberately said that the child in her belly was mine! She wanted revenge on me! Uncle, you must believe me! No matter who the child in her belly belongs to, it can¡¯t be mine!¡± Elliot looked at the man lying on the ground with his face filled with fear. His heart suddenly went cold. This was the man that Avery liked. This cowardly and spineless man could easily betray her when he encountered problems. ¡°Drag him out!¡± Elliot¡¯s voice had no emotion at all. ¡°But don¡¯t kill him.¡± How could he let Cole die so easily? He wanted to destroy Cole little by little in front of Avery. Laura took Avery back to her rented house. After entering the room, Laura helped her to lie down on the bed. ¡°Avery, don¡¯t cry. You can¡¯t cry now¡­ You need to rest after having an abortion¡­¡± Avery looked at the ceiling and said, ¡°Mom, my child is still here. It hasn¡¯t left me.¡± Laura was stunned, ¡°Avery, what¡¯s going on? Didn¡¯t you say that Elliot forced you to abort the child?¡± ¡°I told the doctor if she dared to touch me, I would never walk out the operating room alive. I wouldn¡¯t let her out of the operating room alive either.¡±. Avery¡¯s voice was unusually cold. Although the child was safe, her heart had already turned into ashes, as if she had died once. ¡®I got away with it this time, but what about next time? She thought to herself. As long as she stayed by Elliot¡¯s side, the child¡¯s safety would always be at stake. The phone rang, breaking the heavy air hanging in the room. She picked up the phone and saw that it was the vice president calling. After picking up the phone, the voice of the vice president could be heard. ¡°Avery, I was drunkst night and just woke up! Did Mr. Z contact you today?¡± Avery was stunned, ¡°No. Who did you drink withst night?¡± ¡°Mr. Z! His name is Jun Hertz. I haven¡¯t found any information about him on the inte. He is a very young man. His family background should be quite wealthy. He said he has been looking for suitable investment projects. I talked a lot to himst night, and I don¡¯t know what decision he will make after considering it.¡± ¡°Is he an acquaintance of Elliot?¡± Avery asked cautiously. ¡°Uhh. I don¡¯t know! But he knows Ben. He said that Ben is his senior, and Ben is the financial president of Sterling Group and the right-hand man of Elliot.¡± The vice president quickly cleared up the rtionship between those people. ¡°So, Jun should have known Elliot.¡± ¡°Avery, why did you suddenly mention Elliot? Do you know him?¡± The vice president asked curiously. ¡°No, I don¡¯t.¡± Avery¡¯s tone was icy cold. Her heart ached at the mention of his name. After talking on the phone, she put the phone down. Laura walked to the bed and sat down. ¡°Avery, I found a job,¡± Laura said. ¡°I didn¡¯t tell you before because I didn¡¯t know if I could do it well.¡± ¡°What kind of work?¡± Avery asked, suppressing her sadness. Chapter 25 Chapter 25 ¡°There¡¯s a close friend that I used to know. She needs a nanny to take care of her grandchildren, and the pay is very high. I thought about it. A job is just a job anyway, so I went to try it out. Today is the third day o f work, and everything is fine so far. I can earn a thousand and five hundred a month!¡± Belonging ? N?velDram/a.Org. ¡°Your father is already gone, and he didn¡¯t leave you with any property. I can¡¯t hold you back,¡± Laura added. Avery¡¯s tears fell uncontrobly once she heard it. ¡°A close friend of yours is quite rich, isn¡¯t she?¡± Her voice was a little hoarse, but now that she started crying, her voice became even hoarser. ¡°Being a nanny for a friend¡­ it must be tough!¡± ¡°It¡¯s not tough! Now as long as I can make money, I¡¯m satisfied. My pride isn¡¯t worth as much! Moreover, the rich will not necessarily stay rich their whole lives. Maybe I¡¯m not as rich as my friend now, but maybe my daughter will make a lot of money in the future.¡± Laura took a few tissues and wiped Avery¡¯s tears. ¡°Mom¡­ you don¡¯t have to go to work. I can do a part-time job. I can work next year¡­¡± Avert burst into tears. ¡°You¡¯re pregnant now, how are you going to work? Avery, if you really want to keep the child, we can¡¯t keep on like this.¡± Laura frowned and was very puzzled. ¡°Why does Elliot not want this child? It¡¯s his own flesh and blood!¡± ¡°He likes another woman.¡± ¡°Really? Then why didn¡¯t he marry that woman?¡±. Laura¡¯s face was ashen, and she felt sorry for her daughter. ¡°I have no idea.¡± ¡°It¡¯s alright. Don¡¯t be afraid. If it really doesn¡¯t work, let¡¯s hide and give birth to this baby. We keep it from him.¡± Laura took Avery into her arms and patted her shoulder lightly. Three dayster. Avery received a call from Cole. He asked her to meet him. 1 After thinking for a few seconds, she agreed. His purpose for a meetup, must be because of the child. Cafe. Avery stared at Cole¡¯s face several times. He had several band-aids on his face, and even with the band-aids on, therge bruises were still visible. ¡°Stop looking at me. My uncle did this. If you hadn¡¯t said that the child you were carrying was mine, my uncle wouldn¡¯t have beaten.me.¡± Cole said in a dull tone. Resigned, he continued, ¡°Just treat it as my repayment for you! But when you asked me to elope with you, I really didn¡¯t have the courage.¡± ¡°Cole Foster, your problem is not that you didn¡¯t elope with me. If I don¡¯t bring up the matter between you Cand Cassandra now, are you going to hide it from me forever?¡± Avery picked up the ss of water and took a sip. ¡°When did you find out?¡± Cole looked at her in surprise. ¡°No wonder you never replied to my messages or answered my calls.¡± Avery took a deep breath and asked, ¡°Do you know where Cassandra is now? Her uncle took the money from my dad¡¯spany. I won¡¯t let it go easily.¡± ¡°She¡¯s traveling around the world¡­ It¡¯s useless to find her for what her uncle did.¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t she traveling around the world with the money of my dad¡¯spany?!¡± ¡°That¡¯s her dad too. Avery, I know you¡¯re angry, but please calm down. Don¡¯t worry about the mess that your dad left behind.¡± Cold stretched out a big palm, trying to hold her hand, but she quickly avoided it. ¡°Avery, I¡¯m sorry. Cassandra and I are not like what you think. I have never loved her. The reason that I¡¯m with her¡­ is because she seduced me. Men can¡¯t control their lust and instinct most of the time¡­ The woman I love the most in my heart has always been you.¡± Avery got goosebumps in disgust. ¡°You may not know it, but my injuries are more serious than they seem, but I don¡¯t me you.¡± Cole said miserably. ¡°I was in the hospital for a few days, and I haven¡¯t been discharged yet. I came to you in such a hurry because I wanted to ask you, just whose child is it that you¡¯re carrying in your belly?¡± (1) ¡°The child is gone. What¡¯s the point of asking this again?¡± Avery replied. ¡°Oh¡­ Avery, let¡¯s work together!¡± Cole said his true purpose. ¡°You still have a chance to approach him now. You find a way to kill him, and when he dies, no one can bully us again.¡° Chapter 26 Chapter 26 Chapter 26 Kill him? Avery frowned. Although she hated Elliot, she never thought of killing him. Even if the child in her belly was now gone, it was impossible for her to have this thought. Besides, could she really kill him? Seeing that Avery was hesitating, Cole said, ¡°My uncle is on a business trip now. You go back and think about it. Avery, as long as you can kill Elliot, I can marry you right away. I will give you whatever you want. I have told my parents about us and they are very supportive.¡± Cole¡¯s attitude was sincere and his eyes were earnest. When she was in love with him previously, she had always wanted to be recognized by his parents. However, he had been reluctant to disclose their rtionship. Now, she no longer needed the approval of others. ¡°What if I fail?¡± Avery asked him. ¡°If he finds out that I want to kill him, do you think he will keep me alive? Cole, you were a coward before, and now you¡¯re just the same. If you want to kill him, you do it yourself. If you can¡¯t bear the consequences of the failure, then don¡¯t do such illegal things!¡± Cole¡¯s expression instantly froze. He did not expect that Avery would refuse. ¡°It won¡¯t fail. We¡¯ll poison him. You only need to poison him, and there won¡¯t be any trouble in the future. M y grandma will definitely copse, and my dad will handle the rest¡­¡± ¡°Since it¡¯s so safe, why don¡¯t you do it yourself?! He will return to the old house once a week. You can poison him while he¡¯s back in the old house.¡± Avery suggested. Cole was stunned. ¡°Cole, I don¡¯t think you¡¯ve been beaten enough.¡± Avery looked at him and said bluntly, ¡°Elliot is your uncle. How could you attack your own blood-rted kin?¡± ¡°Oh, Avery. I treat him as an uncle, but he doesn¡¯t treat me as a nephew.¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t it because you bribed hiswyer when he was sick and he found outter that he punished you?¡± Avery said, ¡°Although I hate him for being heartless, I haven¡¯t lost my mind.¡± After speaking, Avery got up and decided to leave. ¡°Avery! Don¡¯t go first! Let¡¯s have a meal together! It doesn¡¯t matter if you don¡¯t stand by my side,¡± Cole pleaded. ¡°Now our family rtionship with my uncle is irreconcble, even if I don¡¯t make a move on him, he will still definitely suppress me.¡± Avery could sense the hint of conspiracy from his words. Belonging ? N?velDram/a.Org. ¡°You really n to poison your uncle?¡± Avery sat down again. Cole continued, ¡°If you don¡¯t help me, then I won¡¯t necessarily poison him. I may think of other methods that are less likely to be discovered.¡± Avery asked, ¡°When are you going to do it?¡± Cate saw that she asked for the details, and asked her in return, ¡°Avery, you won¡¯t tell this n to my uncle, will you? Do you want me to die?¡± ¡°You¡¯re ttering me. Do you think Elliot will still care about me?¡± ¡°Oh¡­ I haven¡¯t decided when to start. After all, he hasn¡¯te back yet. We¡¯ll see about it after he comes back,¡± Cole said. After lunch, Cold was picked up by the driver. Avery went to the hospital where she had made documentation before. The hospital had an inescapable responsibility for the disclosure of her personal information. Besides, she wanted to know who went to the hospital to check her information.. ¡°Miss Tate, I didn¡¯t leak your information. No one came to me to check your information. Would you like t o ask someone else?¡± The doctor who helped to make Avery¡¯s documentation previously brushed away his responsibility immediately. Avery said, ¡°If you don¡¯t help me to find out who did it, then I¡¯ll take you and this hospital to court. Now is a society ruled byw, and I believe that thew will restore justice for me. If thew failsto do so, I¡¯ll expose everything to the media¡­¡± ¡°Hey! Don¡¯t be so impulsive!¡± Chapter 27 Chapter 27 Chapter 27 ¡°It¡¯s not your baby being aborted, of course you¡¯re not impulsive!¡± The doctor, seeing that Avery Tate was very emotional and that the matter was indeed somewhat serious, had to change his tone, ¡°Miss Tate, I am so sorry. Just now, I used the wrong words. Please have a seat and drink some water first, I¡¯ll go and have a look.¡± The doctor poured her a ss of water and then immediately went to his seniors. About half an hourter, the doctor was back. ¡°Miss Tate, do you know Chelsea Tierney? She¡¯s the one who came to check your file.¡± Getting the answer, Avery Tate left the hospital. Never thought Chelsea Tierney regarded her as a pest and a thorn in the flesh! However, there was no way she was going to be beaten passively. She would definitely find a way to make Chelsea Tierney pay the price! Tate Industries. Avery Tate entered her father¡¯s president¡¯s office. The vice president had been waiting inside for a long time. ¡°Tate, I want you toe here today because of two things,¡± Shaun Locklyn poured her a cup of warm water, ¡°Jun Hertz¡¯s side has changed his mind, originally he wanted to invest in us, but today he wants to buy ourpany for one billion directly.¡± Avery Tate saw that the vice president did not look so pleasant and guessed, ¡°Is this price too low?¡± ¡°If thepany was in its normal days, at a price of one billion, an acquisition wouldn¡¯t even be thought o f. But now thepany is not what it used to be, and the price given by Jun Hertz is just a little higher.¡± The vice president said, ¡°In fact, being acquired at a low price is not the hardest part, what is hard is that after the acquisition by Jun Hertz, the core business will change. To put it simply, he doesn¡¯t see driverless cars and won¡¯t do this¡­¡± ¡°Then why does he want to do the acquisition?¡± Avery Tate wondered. This system, in general terms, is artificial intelligence, and with it, there is no longer any need for a driver. Also, this system can be applied to other fields, such as, robots, drones and others.¡± . Avery Tate: ¡°Is this system so valuable?¡± The vice presidentughed bitterly: ¡°Do you know how much your father spent on developing it? Well over a billion. How could your father have left thepany to you because he wanted you to take on his debts? He was hoping that thepany woulde to life with you and take Tate Industries to a more glorious future.¡± Avery Tate¡¯s eyes dimmed a few moments. she feared she was not capable of doing so now. ¡°One more thing, I don¡¯t know if your father told you.¡± The vice president said, ¡°The development of the new system was in its final stages, but it was stopped when your dad fell ill. Because your dad nas the stuff in his hands. He doesn¡¯t open ess and no one else can touch the core at all.¡± The vice president walked over to the wall of bookshelves and pressed a button. In a sh, the wall of bookshelves moved away, and an entrance appeared. ¡°We have looked for many master locksmiths to open your dad¡¯s safe, but we have not been sessful. Tate, do you know the password to your dad¡¯s safe? He must have said something to you before he died, right?¡± Property ? N?velDrama.Org. Avery Tate¡¯s heart was greatly shaken. She entered the hidden door and saw arge safe. In this modest space she saw a family portrait hanging on the wall. It was Dad, Mum, and her. Her eyes reddened instantly. She thought Dad had long forgotten that the three of them were the only family. ¡°Tate, since we can¡¯t afford to keep the Tate Industries alive, then let it go bankrupt! We¡¯ll sell this system secretly and split the money. That way we¡¯re all rich.¡± The vice president pushed the sses on his nose, his ambition clear as day, ¡°If the Tate Industries doesn¡¯t go bankrupt, the money paid by Jun Hertz won¡¯t fall into our pockets.¡± Avery Tate looked at his greedy face and she was suddenly alerted inwardly. Chapter 28 Chapter 28 Chapter 28 ¡°¡­I don¡¯t know the password. My dad didn¡¯t tell me the password before he passed.¡± Avery Tate frowned and shook her head. She hadn¡¯t lied. It was true that Jack Tate hadn¡¯t told her about thepany before his death, let alone hisst words rted to the password. There were so many people in the room at that time, if Jack Tate had said it, she couldn¡¯t have been the only one who knew. ¡°Uncle Locklyn, why don¡¯t I go back and ask my mom!¡± Avery Tate discussed with the vice president,¡± When I saw my dad for thest time, he left after saying a couple of words to me. My mom might know a bit more.¡± The vice president didn¡¯t doubt it: ¡°Okay. Don¡¯t tell anyone about this. This is a top secret of our company. I¡¯m only telling you because you¡¯re the heir appointed by President Tate.¡± Avery Tate nced at the safe, a very sober voice in her mind reminding her. They had to tell her about this secret because they couldn¡¯t find someone to open the safe. 1 If they had opened this safe secretly, they would have simply taken the stuff in the safe privately and would never have let her know about it. ¡°Well, I definitely won¡¯t tell anyone about this thing. Uncle Locklyn, apart from you, who else knows about this?¡± Avery Tate chatted with the vice president as her feet headed towards the door. The vice president followed along towards the door. ¡°Two other technicians. They are both your father¡¯s particrly trusted people and have been following him for many years. When the timees to sell and get the money, we¡¯ll split it equally, what do you think?¡± The vice president said. Avery Tate nodded, ¡°Then I¡¯ll go back and get the password first.¡± ¡°Alright. Tate, it¡¯s not that I don¡¯t persist, it¡¯s that no one sees your father¡¯spany and us as a team. They only want this system we¡¯ve developed, and we¡¯ll definitely be kicked out when the timees. It¡¯s also very hard for me to make this decision.¡± ¡°Yes, I understand. Uncle Locklyn, what if I can¡¯t think of the right password?¡± Avery Tate¡¯s eyes lifted upt o look at the Vice President. N?velDrama.Org holds this content. She was really a bit worried. She had absolutely no clue now. The vice president frowned, ¡°Your father must have left you some signals when he gave you the company. You go back and think about it carefully.¡± ¡°OK¡± After leaving thepany, Avery Tate took a taxi back to her mother¡¯s home. Laura Jensen was washing vegetables. ¡°Tate, why did Cole Foster look for you? Didn¡¯t you two break up?¡± Avery Tate picked up her ss of water, took a sip and said, ¡°He was beaten up by Elliot Foster and wanted to fight back. He tried to use my hand to kill Elliot Foster.¡± Laura Jensen¡¯s face changed dramatically, ¡°Tate, you wouldn¡¯t agree to that, would you?!¡± ¡°How is that possible? Killing someone, I definitely won¡¯t do it. Mom, what kind of person am I in your mind?¡± L Laura Jensen sighed in relief: ¡°You¡¯ve grown up and don¡¯t share a lot of things with me. For example, the matter of your pregnancy¡­If Elliot Foster hadn¡¯t forced you to have an abortion, how long would you have nned to hide it from me?¡± Avery Tate walked up to her mom and hugged her: ¡°Mom, I didn¡¯t know about the pregnancy until very late, too. By the way, do you know where Dad¡¯s relics are?¡± The expression on Laura Jensen¡¯s face froze and she said awkwardly, ¡°Tate, your father and I divorced a long time ago and when he died, his relics were not mine to handle. What do you need his relics for?¡± She told her mother what had just happened. ¡°It¡¯s a six-digit code. What would Dad have set? Did he ever tell you about it?¡± She pondered hard. Laura Jensen shook her head, ¡°He didn¡¯t say anything to me about the password. He kept telling me he was sorry then and kept shedding tears¡­ Honestly, I hated him, but every time I think of the image of him o n his deathbed, I get soft¡­Sigh, what¡¯s the use of hating again when people have gone.¡± ¡°Mom, the Vice President told me that Dad didn¡¯t give me thepany to carry on the debt. He said that the system Dad developed could be sold for a lot of money.¡± Avery Tate¡¯s nose twitched, and she felt veryplicated. Chapter 29 Chapter 29 Chapter 29 Laura ced her hand on Avery¡¯s shoulder and said, ¡°You are his daughter, so he won¡¯t hurt you. I was with him when he first started hispany. When we were married, I didn¡¯t ask for anything. I also invested a lot of money for his business. If he dares hurt you, I will never forgive him, even if I¡¯m dead.¡± Monday. Avery took a cab to Sterling Group. That was the first time she went to Elliot¡¯spany. The Sterling Group building towered high and was majestic. She stepped out from the cab and headed towards the ground floor lobby. ¡°Miss, do you have an appointment?¡± asked the receptionist. Avery replied, ¡°No. Please contact Chelsea Tierney for me. Say that Avery Tate wants to meet her. She will see me when she hears my name.¡± The receptionist stared at Avery for a while. She noticed that she dressed well, so she called the PR Department for her. Soon, Chelsea came down. She came out from an elevator and walked towards Avery. She nced at her with a fierce gaze. ¡°Didn¡¯t you just have an abortion? Don¡¯t you need to lie in bed and rest?¡± mocked Chelsea. Avery had a natural makeup look that day, so she looked alright. She said, ¡°Chelsea, you go to great lengths for this, but does Elliot agree to marry you?¡±N?velDrama.Org holds this content. Chelsea was not angry, instead, she smiled like a victor. She said, ¡°He won¡¯t stay with you even if he won¡¯t marry me. Avery, he just allowed you to have an abortion. That¡¯s merciful enough for you. If I were him, I¡¯m afraid I would kill you.¡± ¡°Oh, it appears that you¡¯re familiar with illegal deeds.¡± ¡°Do you think you can ruffle my feathers with that? You¡¯re such a clown right now.¡± Chelsea smirked with her red lips, and insulted her. ¡°Freaking loser!¡± Avery was unbothered. She asked, ¡°Chelsea, have you ever worn a puffy dress in front of Elliot?¡± Chelsea arched her eyebrow and said, ¡°So immature! I never wear puffy dresses! Why do you ask?¡± ¡°I finally figured out why Elliot doesn¡¯t like you.¡± Avery smirked and got close to her ear. ¡°Elliot likes the cute type. He likes women in puffy dresses.¡± Chelseaughed like she heard the funniest joke ever. ¡°I already slept with Elliot. You haven¡¯t, right? He likes women in puffy dresses, and he also likes women i na hime haircut. Oh yeah, the dresses better be pink. If you dress that way, he¡¯s bound to like you more,¡± said Avery. Chelsea froze up. She knew Elliot for more than ten years, but Elliot was never physically affectionate with her. However, Avery knew him for less than three months. She could not believe that they slept together. Chelsea had to believe what Avery was talking about. ¡°Why are you telling me this? Why would you help me?!¡± questioned Chelsea. Recause I want a divorce with Elliot. He¡¯s dead to me. I just want my freedom back. Is that a good enough reason?¡± Avery had a cold gleam in her eyes. Pink puffy dresses and a hime haircut, those were the distinct features of that woman in Elliot¡¯sptop. If Chelsea dressed like that in front of Elliot, she knew that he would go mad. Perhaps, he would choke Chelsea to death. Chapter 30 Chapter 30 Chapter 30 Friday, afternoon. ¡°Madam, Master Elliot will be back tonight. You shoulde back too!¡± Avery had been living at her mom¡¯s ce ever since Elliot forced her to have an abortion. ¡°Alright. It¡¯s time that I end things between me and him.¡± Avery hung up and went to Elliot¡¯s mansion. It was seven in the evening. Elliot¡¯s nended at the airport. He hopped into a ck Rolls-Roice with the escort of his bodyguards. Once he was seated, he realized that Chelsea was in there. ¡°Elliot, how¡¯s my new hairstyle?¡± Chelsea wore a pink puffy dress. She tucked her hair behind her ear and seductively smiled at him. Chelsea wanted to surprise him in the car. Elliot quickly nced at Chelsea and was no longer calm. He was tensed and his face was as cold as ice. Tension arose in the car. Chelsea noticed that. She felt anxious. ¡°What¡¯s wrong, Elliot? Don¡¯t you like my hairstyle? Or is it because this dress is ugly¡­?¡± Chelsea was nervous. Her voice was slightly trembling. Elliot pped her harshly! Her body flung towards the car door. ¡°Scissors!¡± Elliot clenched his fist and spat that word out. The bodyguards outside the car received the order and immediately ran to buy scissors. Chelsea shivered in the car. She held her stinging cheek as she tasted blood from the corner of her mouth. She was confused. Utterly confused. She had been with Elliot for ten years. Elliot was never that angry with her during those ten years. Avery Tate! That was her idea! Content ? provided by N?velDrama.Org. ¡°Elliot! Let me exin! Avery told me to dress like this, and to have a hime haircut! Avery wants to piss you off. It¡¯s not my fault!¡± Chelsea cried and grabbed onto Elliot¡¯s arm. She tried to exin with tears in her eyes. The bodyguards returned with scissors. Elliot ordered, ¡°Cut off her hair! And that dress!¡± Chelsea jolted. The light in her eyes slowly faded away¡­ Why was he offended by the hairstyle and the puffy dress? She could not figure it out. However, how did Avery know that? The bodyguards dragged Chelsea out of the car. Then, they closed the door. Elliot softly ordered, ¡°Drive.¡± Avery had been waiting in the living room after she ate dinner. She already packed her things. She was waiting for Elliot toe back, so that she could discuss the divorce with him. Around eight, a Rolls-Roice slowly drove into the front yard. Mrs. Cooper quickly walked out to wee him. Avery anxiously looked outside. The autumn night was cold. The view was zed in a hazy chill. Elliot sat in a wheelchair. The bodyguard pushed him into the living room. He was still wearing a ck blouse and ck sweatpants. He had an intimidating and unfriendly look. ¡°Elliot Foster, when are we getting divorced?¡± asked Avery with the courage she mustered. Elliot looked up at her and asked, ¡°Divorce?¡± Chapter 31 Chapter 31 Chapter 31 ¡°It¡¯s the weekend tomorrow. Let¡¯s get the divorce settled on Monday!¡± Avery continued. Faced with her fervent impatience, Elliot nonchntly pulled out a cigarette and lit it. Avery furrowed her brows. She could not figure out what he was thinking. Could it be that he did not want to go through with the divorce? Otherwise, he would not be so indifferent. Avery took a deep breath and said, ¡°Can you really handle being cheated on? I wouldn¡¯t want to see me for the rest of my life if I were you. You have to divorce me! You¡¯d be an idiot not to!¡± Elliot coolly exhaled a smoke ring as he followed her with his dark eyes, watching her performance. ¡°Have you met with Chelsea? That must have p*ssed you off, right? That¡¯s good because it was all my idea! I did it just to mess with you!¡± Avery was adding fuel to the fire. Mrs. Cooper was in a corner. Her heart was pounding as she listened in. Why was Avery digging her own grave? Was she having a mental breakdown because of the abortion? If she continued aggravating him, Elliot might just send her to her death. At that thought, Mrs. Cooper could no longer stand aside. She walked over and said, ¡°Madam Avery doesn¡¯t mean any of this, Master Elliot¡­ She must still be upset, so she¡¯sshing out now¡­ She¡¯s been sitting around at home ever since the wedding, so I can guarantee that she¡¯s never done anything dishonorable with Mr. Cole.¡± ¡°Go and rest, Mrs. Cooper!¡± Avery said as her cheeks flushed from anxiety. ¡°This is between him and me, s o I¡¯ll deal with it myself. You don¡¯t have to worry about me.¡± ¡°Stop trying to provoke Master Elliot, then!¡± Mrs. Cooper eximed. ¡°Nothing good cane from it. Listen to me and apologize to him, Madam. He might just forgive you.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t need his forgiveness,¡± Avery replied. ¡°I just want a divorce.¡± Elliot¡¯s sharp, hawk-like eyes were fixed on Avery¡¯s slender back. Was she ying hard to get, or did she really want a divorce? Judging from what he had seen and heard, it seemed that thetter was more likely. Now that her n with Cole had been exposed, and the child had been aborted, they had no way of further exploiting him. So, she could not wait to divorce him, so that she might run back into Cole¡¯s arms. ¡°Forget it!¡± Elliot snapped coldly as he put out his cigarette on the ashtray on the table. ¡°Unless I¡¯m dead, you can forget about getting a divorce.¡± ¡°What? Why?¡± Avery felt like she was just hit by an invisible force. ¡°Since it¡¯s agonizing for you to remain by my side, I¡¯ll continue keeping you in this agony,¡± said Elliot out of pure spite. In an instant, Avery felt as if she had fallen into an icy abyss. What now? He was throwing her a curveball! Belonging ? N?velDram/a.Org. What did she have to do to get away from him? She stormed off to her room; her mind in a frenzy. Elliot¡¯s phone rang just as Avery arrived at her room. It was Ben. ¡°Hey, Elliot. Chelsea is aplete mess. She¡¯s wandering the streets and refusing to go home. She won¡¯t listen to me.¡± Ben was out of ideas and had no choice but to call Elliot. ¡°Call her brother.¡± ¡°Okay¡­ Did you get home alright? Is Avery there? Did you ask her if this whole thing with Chelsea was her idea?¡± Ben could not bear to see Chelsea like this. ¡°How is it anyone else¡¯s fault that Chelsea did that? Would she just do anything Avery tells her to? What if she told her to jump off a bridge? Would she do it, then?¡± Elliot sneered. ¡°Don¡¯t be an idiot, Ben.¡± Ben had nothing to say about Elliot¡¯s unwarranted rebuke, but he did have an opinion about Avery¡¯s behavior. ¡°I think you¡¯re going too easy on Avery. It¡¯s not like you at all. She cheated on you, and you¡¯re just letting her go after making her abort the baby? I was sure you would feed her to the sharks.¡± ¡°Do you think that the abortion was easy for her?¡± ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°She despises me right now. Seeing her helplessness and inability to act on that hate is a more gratifying form of revenge than letting her die.¡± ¡°I see¡­ You¡¯re not nning on getting a divorce, then? Don¡¯t you think keeping her around could be dangerous? What if she decides to get rid of you?¡± Ben asked with a hint of concern in his voice. ¡°If she manages to kill me¡­¡± Elliot said as he crushed the cigarette between his fingers into the ashtray. ¡°I¡¯ll dly admit defeat.¡± Chapter 32 Chapter 32 Chapter 32 Avery met with Shaun at Tate Industries over the weekend. Belonging ? N?velDram/a.Org. ¡°We need to open up the safe as soon as possible, Avery,¡± Shaun said. ¡°Mr. Hertz has been pestering us for a decision. I don¡¯t know if I should tell him the truth or lie to him¡­ I¡¯m stuck because I have nothing to show for it!¡± Avery nodded and said, ¡°I wrote down some numbers on a piece of paperst night. I think my father¡¯s passcode would be abination of these numbers.¡± Shaun took the piece of paper out of Avery¡¯s hand, nced at the numbers, then nodded and said, ¡°Let¡¯s give it a try now!¡± They entered the secret chamber, approached the safe, and began trying out possiblebinations. However, things did not go as smoothly as they had hoped. After countless failed attempts, Avery frowned and let out a heavy sigh. ¡°Would Wanda know what the code is?¡± she said. ¡°The code to our front door is abination of my dad and Wanda¡¯s birthdays. He was good to her before he got sick.¡± Shaun shook his head and said, ¡°If she knew how valuable this new system is, she would have taken it with her before she left.¡± ¡°Do you think someone could have already taken the things in the safe?¡± Avery asked. ¡°That¡¯s impossible!¡± Shaun eximed. ¡°I check the surveince cameras here daily. No one, apart from u s, has entered this room.¡¯ ¡°I see¡­¡± Avery said. ¡°Is there no other way to open it up if we don¡¯t have the code? I really can¡¯t think of anything else other than the numbers I wrote down.¡± Shaun looked glum, and he began to pace back and forth. ¡°There might be another way,¡± he said momentster. ¡°If we can¡¯t crack the code, the only thing we can d o is break the safe door. However, doing that may damage its contents. It¡¯s a pretty big risk.¡± Avery stayed silent. ¡°Let me think about it!¡± Shaun said. ¡°We¡¯ll just have to break into it if we can¡¯t figure something out.¡± Avery looked like she had something on her mind, but responded, ¡°Okay.¡± ¡°Avery, are you acquainted with Elliot Foster?¡± Shaun asked with a hint of suspicion. ¡°I¡¯m not,¡± Avery said as she hesitantly shook her head. ¡°I would have already asked him for help if I did.¡± ¡°Really? A friend of mine said they saw you enter the elite neighborhood where he lives yesterday.¡± Avery¡¯s cheeks flushed in an instant. ¡°Oh¡­ I have a friend who lives around there. She had something to talk to me about, so I just went there t o see her for a bit.¡± ¡°Ah¡­ I didn¡¯t know you had such.wealthy friends,¡± Sean said skeptically. ¡°They had a sessful business before, but things didn¡¯t work out.¡± ¡°I see¡­ Well, you can go now since we can¡¯t crack the code. I¡¯ll think about it a little more.¡± ¡°Okay, thank you!¡± Avery walked out of the hidden room and left the building. Once she was gone, Shaun inspected the piece of paper she had left behind. He studied it long and hard. Was it really possible for the sessor of Tate Industries not to know such an important code? Shaun¡¯s suspicions about Avery continued to increase. Momentster, he sent a text message to Wanda, who immediately called him upon receiving it. ¡°What do you mean Jack left something behind?¡± ¡°Did you really think that Jack was out to ruin his own daughter by leaving thepany to her?¡± Shaun sneered. ¡°I always thought that you were a smart woman, but it turns out you¡¯re in the dark about this, too.¡± Wanda picked up on Shaun¡¯s clue and suddenly turned cheerful. ¡°What exactly did Jack leave Avery?!¡± ¡°A safe. It¡¯s a big one, too. Its contents are priceless, but Jack apparently forgot to give Avery the passcode.¡± Shaun had decided to join forces with Wanda. ¡°If you can tell me what it is, I¡¯ll make sure to give you a cut of the profits,¡± he said. ¡°How much exactly are you willing to cut? I¡¯m not in if it¡¯s a small amount?¡± said Wanda. ¡°I¡¯ll give you twenty percent,¡± Shaun snickered. ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter if you decide to work with me or not. It never belonged to you, anyway.¡± ¡°Deal! I¡¯ll do it. How long is the code?¡± ¡°It needs six digits. I¡¯ll send you a photo of the numbers Avery said were significant to Jack, and the combinations we tried that did not work this afternoon. Let¡¯s see if you find any inspiration from that.¡± Chapter 33 Chapter 33 Chapter 33 Once Shaun sent the photo to Wanda, he decided to watch over the safe all day in hopes that she might surprise him. If Wanda could crack the safe¡¯s code, then he could kick Avery out of the picture without giving her a penny. Wanda called about half an hourter and said, ¡°I can¡¯t think of anything else other than the combinations that you¡¯ve already tried, but I noticed that the date of birth written here for Laura Jensen is the one on her ID. That¡¯s not her real birthdate. Let¡¯s try again with the real one.¡± ¡°Alright!¡± Shaun responded enthusiastically. Two hourster, they had finally managed to get the safe door open. Wanda was right. Jack had used Laura¡¯s real date of birth and not the one stated on her ID. Jack had used abination of Laura¡¯s and Avery¡¯s birthdates as his passcodes. The correct passcode and the family portrait in the hidden room matched perfectly together. It was Jack¡¯s homage to Laura and Avery. Wanda was on a video call with Shaun, and she burst into a raging fury when the safe opened. ¡°That b*st*rd! After all the years we¡¯ve been together, he went and set such an important code to Laura¡¯s and Avery¡¯s birthdates! Sh*t! He would get an earful from me if he were still alive!¡± When Shaun opened the safe, his muscles tightened in excitement, and his eyes sparkled with anticipation. He did not hear Wanda¡¯s cussing at all. There were two security levels to the safe. The first was the passcode, and the second needed either a key or facial recognition. The key was inside the room itself, and both Shaun and the other two technical staff knew of its location. Shaun turned the key in the safe¡¯s lock and carefully opened the door. He was met with apletely empty safe. There was nothing in the safe! Shaun¡¯s face was a picture of horror and fury. ¡°F*ck! Where the hell is it?!¡± N?velDrama.Org holds this content. He violentlynded his fist on top of the safe as his eyes reddened with anger. ¡°It must have been Avery!¡± Wanda cried from the other side of the phone. ¡°Who else could it be but her? She gave you that piece of paper on purpose! She must have used her mother¡¯s correct birthdate to open the safe before this!¡± 1 ¡°Did she n to take everything for herself?¡± Shaun said through gritted teeth. ¡°D*mn it! I didn¡¯t expect her to be this ambitious! You can¡¯t let her get away with this, Mr. Locklyn!¡± Wanda would love nothing more but for Shaun and Avery to go against each other. All she had to do was sit back and watch the show. Shaun ended the video call. Avery was bad news, but so was Wanda! He would not have wasted any of his time on them if it did not yield any profit. He kicked the safe door shut, then thought carefully about when the contents were taken away. Whether Jack had moved it before his death, or someone had taken it after he died, Avery Tate was still his biggest suspect. Did she want to take everything for herself? Did she think she could get away with it that easily?! Chapter 34 Chapter 34 Chapter 34 At the Foster mansion, Mrs. Cooper hurriedly sat Avery on the couch as she entered the living room. ¡°Master Elliot prepared a gift for you, Madam.¡± Mrs. Cooper opened up the white gift box on the table, revealing the exquisite white gown. ¡°Are you sure he gave this to me?¡± Avery said as she looked at the gown in disbelief. ¡°Yes, Madam. There¡¯s a dinner tonight that you need to go to with Master Elliot. There are shoes, too!¡± Mrs. Cooper exined, then opened up another box carrying a pair of fine stilettos. Avery picked up one of the heels and stared at it with apprehension. ¡°Why is he taking me? I don¡¯t know any of his friends. Isn¡¯t he worried I¡¯d embarrass him?¡± ¡°I¡¯m sure he has his reasons,¡± Mrs. Cooper replied, ¡°Move on from the past, Madam, and just spend the rest of your days happily with Master Elliot.¡± Avery looked up at Mrs. Cooper and then said, ¡°Do you think he¡¯s moved on? We still don¡¯t know what his real intentions are for taking me out tonight!¡± ¡°Madam¡­ Was the baby you were carrying before really Mr. Cole¡¯s? I didn¡¯t think you¡¯re that kind of woman,¡± Mrs. Cooper said. Avery lowered her gaze and said, ¡°That¡¯s all in the past. Let¡¯s not talk about it anymore.¡± Then, she took the gown out of the box and said, ¡°I¡¯ll go try it on.¡± ¡°Alright,¡± replied Mrs. Cooper. Avery arrived at Florrance Vi that evening. She walked into the banquet hall dressed in her new, ivory gown. Under the light of the grand crystal chandelier, she looked like a mystical fairy that had mistakenly wandered into the human world. All eyes were on her. ¡°Who is that? She¡¯s stunning! Why haven¡¯t I seen her before?¡± ¡°I think she¡¯s the Tate family¡¯s eldest daughter, Avery Tate. You know, from the soon-to-be bankrupt Tate Industries?¡± ¡°Oh! Now that you mention it, I kind of remember hearing something about that. What¡¯s she doing here? Who invited her? That dress she¡¯s wearing looks like thetest haute couture from Shanel. Is she that rich? The crowd engaged in a fevered discussion as their eyes continued to follow her. Avery nced around the hall but did not see a trace of Elliot. Her feet were beginning to feel sore from her high heels, so she found an empty seat and sat down. A few people approached her as soon as she rested herself on the chair. ¡°Miss Tate, is the gown you¡¯re wearing Shanel haute couture?¡± Avery nced down at her dress. Was it not just a typical gown? Was it actually haute couture?Content ? provided by N?velDrama.Org. ¡°Is something the matter?¡± she asked. ¡°I doubt you can afford haute couture now with your family facing bankruptcy. What I¡¯m trying to say is¡­ Wearing a knockoff to an event like this is pretty humiliating, no?¡± 11 ¨C ¡°If that¡¯s the case, I¡¯d be the one humiliated. What does that have to do with you?¡± The two women next to her burst into mockingughter upon hearing her answer. It was their first time seeing someone wear a knockoff with such arrogance! ¡°Do you have an invitation, Miss Tate? I bet you don¡¯t. How did you get in here?¡± Avery nced coldly at the women and said, ¡°With my own capability.¡± Her answer was like a hard p in the face to her audience. Very quickly, the crowd¡¯s eyes shifted to her feet which were encased in a pair of rare stilettos. They looked like limited edition Armeses. ¡°Did you get a sugar daddy, Miss Tate?¡± The authenticity of luxury items could not escape the eyes of the truly wealthy. The gown and heels that Avery was wearing were obviously the real deal. From head to toe, her outfit was worth more than three hundred thousand dors. . ¡°That¡¯s right! Otherwise, how would someone of my lowly status get into a banquet filled with rich people like you?¡± Avery said, mocking herself. Everyone immediately saw her in a different light. ¡°Who¡¯s your sugar daddy? If he¡¯s so generous with you ddy? If he¡¯s so generous with you, he must be some powerful bigshot!¡± Chapter 35 Chapter 35 Chapter 35 Avery decided to y along. ¡°It¡¯s true. He¡¯s incredibly rich. He¡¯s just old, ugly, and barely hanging on.¡± The crowd was scratching their heads trying to figure out who this old, ugly, and unfit bigshot was. A waiter walked over to Avery and said, ¡°Please proceed to the second floor, Miss Tate.¡± Avery instantly looked up. The building had an open concept, and the second-floor railing could be seen from the living room on the first floor. Elliot¡¯s bodyguard was standing by the railing and looking down at her. When the waiter escorted her away, the faces of the people in the crowd changed from one of mockery t o one of awe. Those in attendance at the banquet were the creme de creme of high society. Even the wealthy had their own form of social hierarchy. That night, the more ordinary members of the upper ss were mingling amongst themselves in the banquet hall on the first floor. Those with more power over society, on the other hand, were invited to the exclusive second floor. ¡°I can¡¯t believe Avery Tate was invited up there! Who exactly is her sponsor?!¡± ¡°I have no idea! It¡¯s not like we can go to the second floor. All I can say is that she must have a trick or two up her sleeve! Even if her sugar daddy is some old, ugly geezer, she still hit the jackpot with him!¡± ¡°As far as I know, there aren¡¯t that many old men at tonight¡¯s banquet!¡± ¡°Was she just messing with us?¡± The crowd looked at the second floor in unison, but they could see nothing. When Avery arrived at the round table, there were less than ten people in attendance, and all of them were men. She walked over and sat herself down next to Elliot. N?velDrama.Org holds this content. The dining table was covered in exquisite delicacies. Avery nced at Elliot and asked, ¡°You didn¡¯t make mee here just to eat, did you?¡± Elliot looked at her raised brows, then said in a low voice, ¡°Cole will be here, too. Didn¡¯t you secretly meet with him while I was away on business? I invited you here so that you could meet him in the open.¡± Avery did not expect this to be his intention. Did he think that she was so obsessed with Cole that they could not bear to be apart even for a little while? Ha! Avery was ravenous as she had not had her dinner yet, so she was in no mood to argue with him. She picked up her knife and fork and began to enjoy the food by herself. ¡°Mr. Foster, that nephew of yours still owes me three million dors! I wouldn¡¯t usually fuss over such a small amount of money, but I heard that your rtionship with him has gone sour. If that¡¯s the case, I¡¯ll have no choice but to go after him for it.¡± ¡°I caught him flirting with my twenty-year-old daughter once. I called him up and gave him a piece of my mind! He didn¡¯t manage to trick me into investing with him, so he thought he could try his luck with my little girl! It¡¯s disgusting!¡± ¡°Cole Foster is infamous in the financial world. Everything he invests in eventually goes bust. He¡¯s so stupid that you can¡¯t help but feel a little bad for him. He would¡¯ve been a goner a long time ago if it weren¡¯t for his father¡¯s support!¡± While the guests were ridiculing Cole, Elliot¡¯s gaze unintentionally fell on Avery. ¡°Are you checking to see if I¡¯ve lost my appetite?¡± Avery said as she met his eyes. ¡°The food¡¯s good, but the pasta is a little undercooked. I¡¯m done eating.¡± She put down her knife and fork, then said, ¡°I¡¯m not interested in what you¡¯re talking about, so I¡¯m going home!¡± When she stood up from her seat, Elliot grabbed onto her arm to stop her from leaving. Avery tried to shake his hand off but failed. She red at him and said, ¡°You must have too much time on your hands. I¡¯ve got a thesis to write! If you don¡¯t let me go, then I¡¯ll send it to you and you can finish it for me.¡± Seeing her sullen expression, Elliot released his grip. When Avery arrived on the first floor, she saw Cole with a ss of champagne in his hand. He was slightly hunched, and he was singing ttering words to a group of people. He did it with the utmost respect. She was alreadypletely over him, so she simply turned away and walked out of the vi. Elliot arrived back at the mansion at 10 p.m. that night When Mrs. Cooper saw him, she asked, ¡°Did Madam Avery note home with you, sir?¡± Elliot checked the time on his wristwatch, th¨¦n raised his brows and said, ¡°She left at eight. She¡¯s not home yet?¡± Chapter 36 Chapter 36 Chapter 36 ¡°Madam Avery hasn¡¯te home yet,¡± said Mrs. Cooper. ¡°I¡¯ve been waiting in the living room the whole time and I haven¡¯t seen her all night.¡± Elliot¡¯s eyes turned dark. If she did note home, where could she have gone? Did she lie to him abouting home to write her thesis? ¡°I¡¯ll give her a call right now,¡± Mrs. Cooper said as she rushed toward the living room. Avery had been abducted the moment she had set foot out of Forrance Vi, and now, she was on the other side of the city. She had been dragged into a car, blindfolded, and her wrists were bound. The car drove on for about an hour beforeing to a halt. She was taken into a room and thrown into a chair. When her blindfold was taken off, she heard the unfamiliar voice of a strange man. ¡°Apologies, Miss Tate. We¡¯re just doing our jobs. We won¡¯t hurt you as long as you cooperate with us.¡± Avery nced around the white room until her eyes fell on the stranger¡¯s face. He was wearing a mask, so she could not see his features, but his voice waspletely unfamiliar to her., ¡°I¡¯ll cooperate as long as you don¡¯t hurt me. However, I won¡¯t do anything illegal even if you force me to,¡± she said calmly. The man chuckled lightly, then said, ¡°I doubt a weak littledy like you would be able tomit a crime.¡± As he said that, he untied Avery¡¯s hands and connected her to a lie detector machine. ¡°This is a lie detector. You have to answer my questions truthfully. You won¡¯t get past this test, otherwise. If you lie, you¡¯re not leaving this ce tonight. Understood?¡± Avery gazed at the machine, stayed silent for a moment, then nodded her head. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I won¡¯t lie.¡± ¡°Good,¡± said the man, then began the test. ¡°What¡¯s your name?¡± ¡°Avery Tate.¡± ¡°Did your father tell you the code to the safe before he died?¡± ¡°No.¡± After she answered, the man nced at the machine¡¯s monitor. All of the indicators were within the normal parameters, proving that she was telling the truth. ¡°Why were you at Forrance Vi tonight? Who invited you?¡± Avery remained silent. ¡°Are you trying to lie to me?¡± snapped the man. ¡°Don¡¯t think too much about the questions, just give me an answer!¡± ¡°Oh¡­ I was just worried you¡¯d get shocked by my answer,¡± Avery said nonchntly. ¡°Do you know the Fosters?¡± ¡°Who?¡± ¡°Do you know Elliot Foster?¡± Avery asked. of course Idol He¡¯s loaded. Who wouldn¡¯t know who he is? Why are you bringing him up? Was he the one who invited you?¡± asked the man. Avery shook her head and said, ¡°Do you know his nephew, Cole Foster?¡± ¡°What are you going on about? And am I the one asking you the questions or are you?! Just answer my question! Stop wasting my time!¡± The man was losing his temper. ¡°Cole Foster took me there,¡± Avery said. ¡°What¡¯s your rtionship with him?¡± ¡°We have a special rtionship. We¡¯re all adults here, so you should know what I mean, right?¡± ¡°Fine, I get it! Were you the one who opened your father¡¯s safe? This is an important question, so you better not lie! My employer knows the truth! This machine is just a backup!¡±Text ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org. Avery stared at the man¡¯s furious gaze, pondered for a moment, then said, ¡°It was me, but the stuff inside isn¡¯t with me.¡± ¡°Who did you give it to?!¡± ¡°I mentioned him just now,¡± Avery said with an innocent expression on her face.. ¡°Elliot Foster?¡± Avery shook her head. ¡°Oh! Your man, Cole Foster?¡± Avery nodded. Chapter 37 Chapter 37 Chapter 37 Unfortunately, Avery had to use Cole as a scapegoat this time. Since Shaun had found out about the missing contents, she had to divert his attention elsewhere before things got more difficult for her. Suddenly, Avery¡¯s phone rang. The man opened her bag and pulled out her phone. The words ¡°Foster Mansion¡± shed on the phone screen. Text ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org. ¡°You weren¡¯t kidding! Since you¡¯re close to the Fosters, I won¡¯t keep you any longer. Go on!¡± The man did not want to get in trouble with the Foster family. Besides, he already did what he was paid to do. Once Avery was free, she immediately called Mrs. Cooper back. ¡°Why did you hang up just now, Madam? It¡¯ste and you¡¯re not home yet. Did something happen?¡± Mrs. Cooper asked. Avery nced around her surroundings. She was in the middle of nowhere. The road was dim, and it ran through a forest. At a nce, it looked like the bloody jaws of a wild beast that were ready to gobble her up. It was terrifying. ¡°Is the driver still on the clock, Mrs. Cooper?¡± Avery asked. ¡°I can¡¯t get a cab where I am now.¡± She was dressed in nothing but her gown from earlier, and she was trembling in the cold, fall air. ¡°He just arrived with Master Elliot. I¡¯ll ask him to go get you. Send me your location.¡± ¡°Alright,¡± Avery responded, then sent her location to Mrs. Cooper¡¯s phone, who then sent it to the driver. It was a remote area that people seldom visited during the day, let alone in the dark of the night. ¡°Send some people there right now and find out what happened,¡± Elliot ordered his bodyguard. Avery returned home about three hourster. The driver stopped the car in the courtyard and got out, Mrs. Cooper was confused, so she walked over to the car to check things out. ¡°She fell asleep in the car,¡± exined the driver. ¡°It¡¯s not proper for me to touch her, and I couldn¡¯t bring myself to wake her.¡± Mrs. Cooper opened the passenger side door and woke Avery up. Avery sat up and rubbed her tired eyes. ¡°You¡¯re finally safe at home, Madam! Let¡¯s get you to bed!¡± Mrs. Cooper said as she helped Avery out of the car. ¡°Master Elliot was waiting for you the whole time. He was very worried about you.¡± Elliot had been sitting in the living room all night. He did not say it, but Mrs. Cooper could tell that he had some feelings for Avery. The only reason he made her get an abortion was so that he could continue spending his life with her. ¡°He¡¯s waiting for me?¡± Avery said. The fatigue had suddenly escaped her. ¡°He¡¯s not going to blow up atm e, is he?¡± ¡°Absolutely not. He¡¯s just worried that you were in the middle of nowhere at this time of night,¡± Mrs. Cooper said. ¡°Oh, I¡¯m fine now,¡± Avery responded. As she slid into her house slippers at the front door, she noticed Elliot walking toward the elevators from the periphery of her vision. He was not in his wheelchair. Was he able to walk by himself now?! ¡°His legs¡­¡± Avery began to ask Mrs. Cooper. ¡°He can walk now, but not for long periods of time. He¡¯ll still need the wheelchair once in a while.¡± ¡°He should be fully recovered soon.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right! You¡¯re hoping he¡¯ll recover soon, right?¡± Avery¡¯s cheeks flushed as her gaze shifted to his back. Elliot¡¯s steps had slowed down slightly. ¡°Of course, I do,¡± Avery said, then changed her tone and added, ¡°That way, he can go back to work instead of being at home so much!¡± She saw the muscles on his back and shoulders tighten, then he turned around. He was furious. Chapter 38 Chapter 38 Chapter 38 ¡°What I meant was, how are you supposed to buy me designer dresses and shoes if you do not work harder and earn more money?¡± Avery had changed into her house slippers, walked over to Elliot, and added, ¡°This is my first time wearing such expensive things.¡± ¡°Poor you,¡± Elliot hissed, then walked into the elevator. Avery held her tongue as she watched the elevator doors close. She wanted to insult his excessively extravagant and wasteful lifestyle. When she entered her room, she took off her gown and walked into the shower. The warm water enveloped her entire body, numbing her senses. Avery arrived at Tate Industries first thing the next morning. At 10 a.m., there was not a seat left empty in the meeting room. ¡°Good morning, everyone. My name is Avery Tate. The reason I called for this meeting today is because I was abductedst night,¡± Avery said, then nced around at the faces in the room. ¡°Seriously?! Are you okay, Avery?¡± someone eximed in shock. ¡°I¡¯m fine. I wanted to have an open discussion with all of you today,¡± Avery said calmly. ¡°Things aren¡¯t looking great with thepany right now. Investors aren¡¯t interested in us, and those that are looking at u s, are only interested in acquiring us for a low price. With our current debt, what they are offering will hardly cover what we owe.¡± ¡°We can bring out our Super Brain program! Once we arrange a press conference and introduce it to the public, people would be lining up to invest!¡± someone suggested, setting off a frenzy of consensus in the room. Belonging ? N?velDram/a.Org. ¡°My father would never agree to sell thepany. This is something that I¡¯m sure all of you are aware of. Also, the new system isn¡¯t ready yet, so I¡¯m afraid it is not worth as much as you think it does,¡± Avery exined. ¡°What do we do, then? Are we really just going to let thepany go bust?¡± ¡°If we continue to not have stable funding, I¡¯m afraid that¡¯s exactly what¡¯s going to happen,¡± Avery answered. Shaun mmed his palm on the table and roared, ¡°You just want to keep Super Brain to yourself! Your father wasn¡¯t the only one who worked on it!¡± Avery looked coldly at Shaun and said, ¡°Mr. Shaun, since you are iming that the program isn¡¯t the work of my father alone, then you should be able to form a new team to produce a new Super Brain. When you d o reach that point, I would not object to you selling it to rebuild thepany.¡± Shaun¡¯s face flushed with anger at Avery¡¯s words. Avery¡¯s father, Jack, was the lead engineer on the project. Without him, there was no way for them to recreate the program. ¡°You say that you¡¯re doing all of this for your father, but you secretly gave his life¡¯s work to an outsider¡­¡± ¡°So, you were the one who abducted mest night, Mr. Shaun?¡± Avery asked. Shaun¡¯s eyes widened in horror. ¡°If you¡¯re staying at thepany in hopes of getting some giant profit, I suggest you give up. How would you get any kind of profit with all the debt we¡¯re still buried in?¡± Avery said, then shifted her gaze to the rest of the room and added, ¡°Anyone who¡¯s on the same page as Mr. Locklyn is wee to settle your final wages today.¡± Shaun and two core members of the research and development team stormed out of the meeting room. ¡°Avery Tate looks gentle and quiet, but she turned out to be brutal!¡± ¡°She said she gave the stuff to Cole Foster¡­ but I don¡¯t trust her! She might still have it!¡± ¡°Let¡¯s look into Cole Foster first!¡± Avery left Tate Industries at noon to meet with Tammy at a restaurant for lunch. ¡°It¡¯s so hard to meet you now, Avery! We barely see each other anymore!¡± Tammy whined. ¡°Are you still having trouble looking for investors for your dad¡¯spany?¡± Chapter 39 Chapter 39 Chapter 39 ¡°Voc it¡¯s been hard¡± Avery answered. ¡°I don¡¯t think it¡¯s usible to introduce a self-driving program to the market right now. Even the most advanced program would not be able to beat the human mind. If I¡¯m not confident in the program, why would the investors be?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t be so pessimistic about it. Many people invest in things that they find creative, not just because of practicality. There¡¯s a party tonight. Everyone there is an heir of a rich family. Do you want toe with m e? You never know, you might just bump into someone who¡¯s interested in investing!¡± ¡°Forget it!¡± Avery scoffed. ¡°I won¡¯t get anywhere with a bunch of rich brats. It¡¯s the first generation, self made bigshots that I need.¡± ¡°They¡¯ll be there, too! You might as well try your luck,¡± Tammy said as she tried to convince Avery. ¡°I don¡¯t want to go either, but my dad¡¯s making me. He set up a blind date for me. Juste and give me some moral support, okay?¡± ¡°Fine,¡± Avery said as she gave in. At 7 p.m. that evening, Tammy drove Avery to a five-star hotel in the city. . Content ? provided by N?velDrama.Org. C ¡°When we get in let¡¯s split up. That¡¯ll make it easier for you to fish for investors,¡± said Tammy. Avery nodded and said, ¡°I didn¡¯t forget that you¡¯re here for a blind date. I won¡¯t be a third wheel.¡± Tammy chuckled, then said, ¡°Keep your eyes on your phone. I¡¯ll text you when I can¡¯t take it anymore.¡± ¡°Okay,¡± Avery responded. The two women walked into the hotel and entered the ballroom from two separate doorways. Avery picked up a ss of juice, then sat herself down in a corner of the room. She wanted to take a peek at Tammy¡¯s blind date. The Lynch family was in the department store business. They were not a listedpany, but they were popr and well-known in the country. Avery was sure that the person Tammy¡¯s family set her up with would be from a simr background, but she was curious about his looks, age, and personality. Soon after, a familiar, handsome face caught Avery¡¯s eye. Why did Tammy¡¯s date look so familiar? That man¡­ Was that Jun Hertz?! She had a meeting with him at Tate Industries before. It was a short discussion that did not end too pleasantly. Avery ced her ss down and sent Tammy a text. Avery: (What¡¯s your date¡¯s name? He looks familiar.) Tammy was in the middle of a conversation with Jun when her phone screen lit up. She saw Avery¡¯s text, then sent a reply. Tammy: (Jun Hertz. Do you know him?) Avery: (I do!!!) Tammy: What¡¯s with that reaction? Did something happen between you? I can back off! Avery: INo! I don¡¯t know him that well, but I know he¡¯s got about two hundred million dors in his ount! Tammy: (Holy sh*t! Is he that rich? No way! He just graduated from college not too long ago. How could h e have that much money?) Avery: ¡­ He ns on buying out my dad¡¯spany.] Tammy: (What?! I¡¯m going to need a second to process this.] Avery: (Don¡¯t tell him we know each other! There¡¯s something fishy about this guy, but I haven¡¯t been able t o find out much about him.) Tammy: [Leave it to me! I¡¯ll figure out what¡¯s going on!) Since Tammy was focused on her phone, Jun shifted his gaze and looked around the banquet hall. That was when he noticed Avery sitting in a corner of the room. What was she doing there? That party was a singles event, but Avery had a husband. Jun grinned, then pulled out his phone and sent Elliot a text. Jun: (Hey, Elliot. Your wife¡¯s at a singles party in the Celestial Hall at Regency Hotel. There are a few guys with their eyes on her¡­ Did you let her out to y?] Chapter 40 Chapter 40 Chapter 40 Avery¡¯s phone rang ten minutester. She answered it, hung up, sent Tammy a text, then rushed toward the hotel exit. Jun watched Avery¡¯s back as she quickly made her way out. He smiled. How did she find the men to make a fool out of Elliot Foster behind his back? Could she not just stay quietly by his side? Where was she going to find a man who was better than Elliot Foster? Content ? provided by N?velDrama.Org. Jun had no idea what she was thinking. Tammy¡¯s brows furrowed as she replied: [What¡¯s the rush? Is it that urgent?] Avery: (Extremely urgent! I¡¯ll see you again soon!) The one who had called Avery was Elliot¡¯s bodyguard. He had instructed her to wait for him at the hotel entrance. If she did not listen, he was going to break her legs. Avery still suffered from the past traumatic experience with the bodyguard. He was a cruel man. Although she knew that he was acting on Elliot¡¯s orders, it was better to be safe than sorry. A ck car stopped on the street in front of her about fifteen minutester. The car window rolled down, revealing the bodyguard¡¯s ominous face. Avery got into the backseat, closed the door, and the car sped off. ¡°You know, Miss Tate,¡± said the bodyguard. ¡°If Mr. Foster had a pet dog for a few months, it would know who its owner and family are. Why are you biting the hand that feeds you?¡± ¡°Are you saying I¡¯m less than a dog?¡± Avery said with a frown. ¡°That¡¯s exactly what I¡¯m saying,¡± said the bodyguard in a tone filled with loathing. ¡°After spending all of this time freeloading off Mr. Foster, what else have you done other than p*ss him off every day?¡± ¡°You think I want to be a freeloader? If you don¡¯t like me that much, then why don¡¯t you convince him to divorce me?¡± suggested Avery. ¡°You¡¯re an idiot!¡± roared the bodyguard. ¡°I don¡¯t know what¡¯s gotten into Mr. Foster. How could he fall in love with a stupid woman like you?¡± ¡°You¡¯re the idiot here,¡± Avery said. ¡°How could you possibly think that he loves me?¡± ¡°Seriously? If he didn¡¯t love you, you¡¯d be long gone by now! Have a heart, won¡¯t you?¡± said the bodyguard a She angrily mmed his fist onto the steering wheel. Avery stiffened in the backseat. She wanted to hold back, but she could not help but retaliate. ¡°Would he have forced me to get an abortion if he loved me?¡± ¡°Did you really expect him to let you give birth to some other man¡¯s kid?!¡± ¡°What if it wasn¡¯t someone else¡¯s baby?¡± Avery asked. ¡°He still wouldn¡¯t let me keep it.¡± ¡°Just don¡¯t have a baby, then! If you were half as smart as Miss Tierney, you wouldn¡¯t end up fighting every day!¡± Avery nced out the window and said, ¡°That¡¯s your opinion. I like children, and I want to have my own. What right does he have to say he loves me if he won¡¯t allow that?¡± The bodyguard was frustrated beyond words. After a moment of silence, Avery suddenly asked, ¡°Why do you think he loves me? Why can¡¯t I tell?¡± ¡°He slept with you, didn¡¯t he?¡± said the bodyguard through gritted teeth. ¡°If that¡¯s not love, then what is?¡± ¡°That¡¯s it?¡± Avery said. ¡°He made me check on what happened with you in the outskirtsst night. Doesn¡¯t that prove that he cares about you? But how do you repay him?¡± Avery was taken aback. She did not expect that Elliot would send someone to investigate after her. ¡°How exactly did I repay him?¡± Avery said. She did not dare feel moved. Judging by the bodyguard¡¯s fury, she was prepared to hear the worst from him. ¡°You told them that you went to Forrance Vist night with Mr. Cole. You said that you had a great rtionship with him and passed on something important to him¡­ You¡¯re a lying, scheming cheater!¡± Avery let out augh and said, ¡°He¡¯s angry again?¡± ¡°How could youugh at a time like this? He¡¯ll whip you with his belt if you¡¯re not careful!¡± warned the bodyguard. ¡°I just wanted to test out the lie detector, but it turned out to be aplete waste of money,¡± Avery said, then lowered her voice and added, ¡°I didn¡¯t say those things to make him mad. I didn¡¯t know he would investigate any further.¡± ¡°I told you he loves you! Why won¡¯t you believe me?¡± the bodyguard yelled. His voice had turned hoarse. Chapter 41 Chapter 41 Chapter 41 Perhaps it was because Elliot had not shown favor to many people in his life so far that when he showed the slightest feeling for someone, everyone assumed that he was in love with that person. The kind of love that Avery dreamed of was one of mutual respect and not one where one party held all the control and power in the rtionship. When the car arrived at the Foster mansion, the bodyguard got out and walked right up to Elliot. ¡°Miss Tate told me in the car that the things she saidst night were simply to test out the lie detector,¡± exined the bodyguard, probably in fear of Elliot losing his temper. Avery was taking her time changing into her house slippers at the front door. She was alert, listening in to the conversation. ¡°She even said that she never meant to anger you,¡± added the bodyguard. ¡°Does she not have a mouth? Why are you speaking for her?¡± snapped Elliot. The bodyguard immediately dismissed himself, but not before throwing a threatening re at Avery, as ift o warn her that her days were numbered if she did not make things up to his boss. Avery slowly sauntered over to Elliot. She sat herself down on the couch across from him, then mustered up her courage and prepared to speak. ¡°Did you go to a singles party?¡± Elliot was one step ahead of her. He had asked her the question before she could say anything. ¡°Was that a singles party?¡± Avery responded. ¡°I had no idea. All I knew was that many of the guests were rich, so I went to look for investors.¡± Elliot¡¯s brows furrowed tightly as he asked, ¡°And did you find any?¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t,¡± Avery answered. ¡°I was only there for about ten minutes before your bodyguard called me.¡± ¡°Are you ming me?¡± asked Elliot. Avery was a little hungry, so she picked up an apple from the fruit bowl on a table and took a bite. ¡°If I do me you, would you give me the money?¡± she asked. ¡°In your dreams,¡± Elliot responded. Avery chuckled, then said, ¡°That¡¯s why I won¡¯t let you ruin my good mood.¡± ¡°Are you in a good mood because you fired your vice president and two main staff from the research team?¡± Avery froze mid-bite. Her almond-shaped eyesnded on him as she asked, ¡°Are you in love with me, Elliot?¡± If he were not in love with her, why would he go through the trouble of looking into every little detail about her affairs? Time seemed toe to a standstill in the room. The atmosphere between them was awkward. Avery shoved the apple back into her mouth. Elliot¡¯s eyes were fixed on her, his gaze was so deep that she felt like he might just swallow her whole Momentster, he spoke up. ¡°And you?¡± N?velDrama.Org holds this content. Was he asking her if she loved him? Avery¡¯s heart began to race wildly as her cheeks flushed. ¡°I wouldn¡¯t say I¡¯m in love with you, but I wouldn¡¯t say I¡¯m not either¡­ I don¡¯t have the courage to be in love with you¡­¡± She was rambling. Her thoughts twisted and turned around and around. She was confused at the end of it, but she hoped that Elliot had understood what she meant. She could see the rage burning in his eyes, but he sounded unusually calm as he said, ¡°I¡¯m not as bad as you think I am, Avery. You don¡¯t have to understand me, but there¡¯s no need for you to go against me.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not going against you,¡± Avery said, then cleared her throat and added, ¡°I just want to live my own life my way.¡± Her life? It was a life that definitely did not include him. Elliot picked up his cup of coffee and took a sip. ¡°What Hertz is offering isn¡¯t a small amount. If you sell at that price, you would still have some funds left over after paying off the debt,¡± Elliot said, changing the subject. Avery was stunned for a few seconds before realizing that he was talking about Tate Industries. ¡°My father wouldn¡¯t want to sell thepany.¡± ¡°Going bankrupt isn¡¯t that different from selling it off. The former would mean losing thepany at a greater loss.¡± Avery thought it over for a moment, then said, ¡°Thank you for your input, but I have my own thoughts on this.¡± Elliot burst into a light chuckle. It was the first time she had seen himugh. He was mesmerizing when heughed. Thest time Avery saw his face like that was on hisputer. His smile was tender and warm as he had his arms wrapped around that woman. Chapter 42 Chapter 42 Chapter 42 Avery wondered if she would be his mistress if that woman was still alive. If she was dead, then was she her recement? Either way, it made her heart ache and left a bad taste in her mouth. While Avery was lost in thought, Elliot¡¯s thoughts also wandered. ¡°Tell me, what exactly do you like about Cole?¡± he asked as he pulled out his cigarette box. His face was the epitome of an enigma. ¡°I don¡¯t like him anymore,¡± Avery said coldly. If they had not talked things out earlier, she might have continued to use Cole to anger him. It was childish, but Elliot was always losing his temper over the smallest things. If she did not retaliate, she would lose her mind. ¡°Is it because you realized he was nothing but a penniless loser?¡± Elliot asked as he held the unlit cigarette between his fingers. ¡°Is money all you think about?¡± Avery retorted. ¡°Back when Cole was pursuing me, he would write me love letters every day. On the weekends, he would take me to art galleries and music recitals. We would have the most wonderful conversations-¡± ¡°Sounds like a load of superficial bullsh*t to me! It¡¯s precisely because all he thinks about is getting into a woman¡¯s pants that his business is a mess,¡± said Elliot, cutting her off. ¡°What you consider wonderful was nothing but a joke!¡± ¡°Have you always been this mature and sessful? When I was fifteen, I liked guys who were cute. When I was sixteen, I liked guys with good grades. At seventeen, I was into basketball yers. I liked talented guys when I was eighteen¡­ I loved Cole. It¡¯s all in the past, and I might hate him now, but I can¡¯t pretend that all of that meant nothing.¡± : ¡°Shut up!¡± Elliot roared as he snapped his cigarette in half; his eyes were cold. ¡°Go back to your room!¡± Avery pursed her lips and stood up. She did not return to her room but walked to the dining room because she was still hungry. ¡°Is there anything to eat, Mrs. Cooper?¡± she asked. She looked calm and nonchnt as if it were someone else and not her that had just gotten into a fight with Elliot Mrs. Cooper immediately prepared dinner for her. Avery sat at the dining table, pulled out her phone, and saw a series of text messages from Tammy. Content ? provided by N?velDrama.Org. Tammy: (The party¡¯s over! I¡¯m not that into him. He¡¯s a little too soft for me. He didn¡¯t seem to be that into me either, but said that we should go out for dinner next time, probably because of pressure from his family.) Tammy: [He said his parents don¡¯t give him much spending money! How could he possibly have two hundred million? Did you misunderstand?) Tammy: [l¡¯m going to have dinner with him this weekend! I have to get to the bottom of this! Also, why did you have to leave in a rush?] Avery replied: (Long story. I¡¯ll tell you once I¡¯ve found the words.] Tammy called Avery right away after receiving her text. Avery¡¯s hand clenched her phone. She nced at the living room and noticed Elliot was still there. He would hear everything if she talked on the phone now. She declined the call and sent Tammy a text: [I can¡¯t talk right now. Let¡¯s talk on campus tomorrow!] After his shower that night, Elliot paced back and forth in his room in a gray, silk robe. His weak legs were now filled with energy. A question was floating around in his head. It caused deep furrows in his brow and made his heart tighten. Momentster, he pulled out his phone and called Chad. ¡°Chad, check and see if there are any art exhibitions or recitals tomorrow. Find something in the afternoon or evening.¡± ¡°Yes, sir,¡± Chad responded. ¡°Is there a specific kind of exhibition or recital that you¡¯re interested in?¡± EHS Chad¡¯s question left Elliot speechless. He had never gone to art galleries or concert halls. Even at that moment, he had no interest in them. ¡°Find something that women would like,¡± Elliot said. ¡°Yes, sir. However, women of different ages have different preferences¡­¡± said Chad, as he continued his line of questioning. It was the first time he had received such an odd request from Elliot. Chapter 43 Chapter 43 Chapter 43 Why was Elliot asking about art galleries and recitals? What led to this massive change in taste? ¡°Pick something that a woman in her early twenties would like,¡± Elliot said. Chad finally understood where all of this was going. ¡°Of course, sir. I¡¯ll send you the tickets once they¡¯re booked.¡± Elliot was not in his office at Sterling Group the next morning. Ben and Chad seized the opportunity to gossip about their boss. ¡°Mr. Foster might as well have told me straight up that he wanted to take Avery out,¡± Chad said with a chuckle. ¡°I wonder what happened between them. I didn¡¯t expect things to progress so quickly. I thought they were getting a divorce!¡± Ben was analyzing the situation, then said, ¡°I¡¯m guessing they slept together. Elliot is a stone-cold b*st*rd, but after getting a taste of Avery, I bet he couldn¡¯t control his urges even if he hated her to death.¡± ¡°Chelsea would lose her mind if she found out,¡± said Chad. ¡°Don¡¯t tell her. She¡¯s spent the past few nights getting drunk, hoping that Elliot would feel bad for her¡­¡± Ben sighed. ¡°Who would¡¯ve thought that she would lose to Avery Tate.¡± ¡°Fate is a mystery to us all. I wonder why Mr. Foster postponed his whole schedule today,¡± Chad mused.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t look question his personal matters,¡± Ben advised. Chad shook his head and said, ¡°I wouldn¡¯t dare.¡± Text ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org. There was a lecture by internationally renowned neurology expert, James Hough at Avonsville University that day. Avery arrived at the auditorium early that morning to get a spot. The talk went on from 10 a.m. to 11.30 a.m. that morning. Once the lecture ended, Avery rushed toward the exit. She greatly admired Professor Hough and wanted to take this rare opportunity to meet him and ask him a question. She followed the professor¡¯s entourage all the way to the administrative building, where she noticed a ck luxury sedan parked at the entrance. Luxury cars like this were a rare sight no matter the time and ce. Moreover, it was the exact same model as the one Elliot owned. It was too bad that she did not remember his number te, so there was no way of confirming whether the car was his or not. ¡°Why would hee here anyway?¡± Avery mumbled to herself, then walked into the administrative building. Avery was approaching the Dean¡¯s office when she noticed the man standing in front of the entrance to b e Elliot¡¯s bodyguard. Holy crap! Does this mean that the car she saw really was Elliot¡¯s? What was he doing here? Why would hee to the medical college? Avery was curious and walked straight toward the office entrance. ¡°Miss Tate?¡± The bodyguard recognized her and reached out to grab her. ¡°What are you doing here?¡± he asked. ¡°I should be asking you that question. This is where I go to college. Is Elliot here?¡± She shook off the bodyguard¡¯s grip and looked into the room. There were three people in there, namely Professor Hough, his assistant, and Elliot. Was Elliot here to see the professor? What for? Was he sick? Chapter 44 Chapter 44 Chapter 44 The bodyguard yanked Avery out of the way, causing everyone in the office to look toward the door. When Elliot recognized Avery¡¯s slender figure, he got up from his seat and said, ¡°What are you doing here?¡± Avery shook off the bodyguard¡¯s grip once again, smoothed her clothes, and walked into the office. ¡°I¡¯m here to see Professor Hough,¡± she said, then looked curiously at Elliot and asked, ¡°Are you here to see him, too?¡± Professor Hough examined the two, then adjusted his sses, and asked, ¡°Do you two know each other?¡± Avery was about to tell the professor that they were acquaintances, but Elliot was one step ahead of her.¡± Professor, please keep the matter we talked about private.¡± ¡°Of course,¡± answered the professor. ¡°It¡¯s doctor-patient confidentiality.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll be off, then,¡± Elliot said. The professor nodded in response. Elliot turned toward the exit. When he walked past Avery, he nced at her, but said nothing and walked out. Avery was a little stunned. Content ? provided by N?velDrama.Org. Why did he not answer her question? What mysterious conversation did he have with the professor? What secret was he trying to hide? ¡°Are you here to see me, Miss?¡± asked the professor, refocusing Avery¡¯s attention on him. ¡°I have to leave i n about ten minutes. Did you have a question to ask me?¡± Avery immediately pulled out the documents she had prepared and said, ¡°I¡¯m sorry for bothering you, professor. My name is Avery Tate, and I¡¯m a senior in the medical college here at Avonsville. This is a paper I wrote on some of your previous clinical cases. I got all of the information online, and since there weren¡¯t many details on the inte, I had toe to my own conclusion for a lot of the cases. I was hoping that you could take a look at it and let me know if there are any errors.¡± Professor Hough took the document from Avery¡¯s hands and began to sift through it. Once Elliot was in the car, he nced over at the administrative building. Was Avery a medical student? From what he knew, she was an art student. Was the report he received incorrect? He pulled out his phone and called Chad. ¡°Chad, the background check you did on Avery before stated that she was an art student, but what is she doing in medical school?¡± ¡°She is, in fact, an art student. I confirmed it with the university myself.¡± * ¡°I bumped into her at the medical department.¡± ¡°Do you mean the medical department at Avonsville University?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll look into it right away,¡± Chad said, then added after a brief pause, ¡°I¡¯ve sent you the reservations for the recital. It¡¯s going to be at 4 p.m. today.¡± ¡°Got it.¡± Momentster, Chad called Elliot back after checking out the news on Avery. ¡°Mr. Foster, Miss Tate is majoring in arts and minoring in medicine.¡± ¡°I see.¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t expect her to be that impressive.¡± Elliot hung up. That noon, Avery met Tammy at a restaurant close to campus for lunch. Once they were seated, Tammy passed the menu to Avery and said, ¡°You¡¯ve really changed, Avery. You used toe out every single time I asked you out, butst night was the first time in forever that we have gone out together, but you left faster than the speed of light. What¡¯s going on?¡± ¡°Tammy, was the partyst night a singles event?¡± Avery asked. ¡°It was! What¡¯s up?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t invite me to parties like that again in the future. I¡¯m not single at the moment.¡± ¡°What?!¡± Tammy eximed. ¡°Didn¡¯t you just break up not too long ago? How did you move on so quickly?¡± Chapter 45 Chapter 45 Chapter 45 Avery did not know whether tough or cry. ¡°Rx¡­ I was forced into it. When our family was struggling with money, my stepmother married me off for the engagement gifts and cash. I¡¯m still waiting to get a divorce!¡± ¡°What the hell was she thinking?!¡± Tammy eximed. ¡°Why didn¡¯t you tell me sooner? We should go to the police!¡± Avery reached out to calm her down, then said, ¡°It¡¯s not as bad as you think. We¡¯re from twopletely different worlds, so we should get divorced anytime now.¡± Tammy was still not convinced. ¡°Who is he? Tell me¡­ You husband¡­ Dimn it! I still think this is insane!¡± Belongs to ? n0velDrama.Org. ¡°It is pretty nuts. I¡¯ll tell you who he is after we¡¯re divorced.¡± ¡°Absolutely not! You need to tell me right now! I¡¯ll stand up for you!¡± Avery knew about Tammy¡¯s bad temper all too well. If she found out about Elliot, she would definitely go after him. Her rtionship with Elliot was already on the rocks, and Tammy¡¯s involvement would just add fuel to the fire. ¡°Just focus on looking into Jun Hertz for now! I¡¯ll definitely tell you who my husband is after that,¡± Avery said, trying to negotiate with her best friend. ¡°Ha! Look at how easily you called him your husband. I bet you call him ¡®Honey¡¯ all the time!¡± Tammy teased. Avery¡¯s cheeks flushed. She sighed, then said, ¡°As if he would respond to that. He was forced into this, too.¡± ¡°Really? Here I thought you were whisked away and forced into marriage by some sleazebag-¡± ¡°Hey! I think you¡¯ve watched too many soap operas! It¡¯s not like that at all!¡± Tammy shook her head and said sympathetically, ¡°It looks like that senior in your department lost his chance. You know he likes you, right?¡± The expression on Avery¡¯s face froze. ¡°Alright! Don¡¯t look at me like that¡­ I know you don¡¯t like him like that. I¡¯ll talk to him¡­¡± Tammy said, then changed the subject and added, ¡°Let¡¯s go to a recital after this! There¡¯s one at the Philharmonic Hall today! Avery suddenly received a text message from an unknown number, but its contents sounded oddly familiar. [The bodyguard will pick you up at 4 p.m.) The text was signed ¡°Elliot Foster¡±. Did this unfamiliar phone number belong to Elliot? Why was the bodyguard picking her up? ¡°Did you hear what I said, Avery? There¡¯s a recital this afternoon¡­¡± Tammy said as she reached out to pinch Avery¡¯s cheek. ¡°What time is the recital?¡± Avery asked as she put her phone away. She suddenly felt hot and took a big gulp of water. ¡°Four thirty,¡± Tammy answered. ¡°It¡¯s your favorite piano virtuoso, Ricardo!¡± Avery lifted her hand and massaged her aching temples, then said, ¡°I really want to go! Really! But I have something to do at four!¡± ¡°What is it? Can¡¯t you just cancel or something?¡¯ ¡°I can¡¯t.¡± Tammy rolled her eyes, then said, ¡°I get it! It¡¯s your husband, isn¡¯t it?¡± Avery covered her face with her hands. Her silence was a confirmation. ¡°Why do you care so much about him anyway? Who is he? Is he more important than I am? Can¡¯t you just ditch him ande to the recital with me?¡± Tammy huffed. ¡°Of course, you¡¯re more important, but I¡¯m a little afraid of him.¡± ¡°What¡¯s there to be afraid of? Is he going to beat you up if you don¡¯t follow his every whim?¡± Avery took another gulp of water. ¡°You¡¯re such a wimp! You won¡¯t even tell me who he is. Serves you right, getting bullied by him!¡± Tammy felt bad for Avery¡¯s situation, but she could not help but be furious at her cowardice. The bodyguard picked Avery up from campus at four in the afternoon. The car stopped at the car park of the Philharmonic Hall twenty minutester. Avery felt lightheaded as the bodyguard led her into the concert hall. ¡°Elliot wants to take me to a recital?¡± Chapter 46 Chapter 46 Chapter 46 ¡°No idea,¡± the bodyguard shrugged. Avery took a deep breath and nced at her surroundings. ¨C ¨C If her memory served her right, the recital that Tammy mentioned earlier was this exact one! Belongs to ? n0velDrama.Org. However, she had declined Tammy¡¯s invitation. In the end, she found herself here anyway! The only thing was that she was here with Elliot instead. She would be mortified if she bumped into Tammy in the concert hall. As her palms began to sweat profusely, she prayed that she would not run into Tammy. It was impossible to end up being seated close to each other in such arge concert hall, right? Chad reserved the whole front row for Elliot. Avery saw him the second she walked into the hall. He was sitting by himself. He sat ramrod straight, and he emanated arrogance. Since the concert had not yet begun, he was looking at his phone. Avery felt as if her feet were glued to the ground, and she could not move. Elliot stood out too much! What made him want to invite her to a recital? Did he forget about how he insulted her rtionship with Cole the night before? She had talked about how art was a wonderful thing, but he had called it a joke. ¡°What are you standing around for? Move!¡± snapped the bodyguard when he noticed Avery standing still. ¡°I¡¯m a little cold¡­ Could I borrow your jacket?¡± Avery asked politely as she nced at the bodyguard¡¯s ck suit jacket. The bodyguard¡¯s expression was cold as he unbutton his jacket, revealing a plethora of weapons. Avery¡¯s ankles turned weak at the sight, and she quickly rushed over to Elliot. When she reached his side, she hesitated for two seconds, then sat down two seats away from him. 1 sec Elliot stared at the empty seats between them and frowned. Was she avoiding him? ¡°It¡¯s a little warm in here¡­¡± Avery exined. The bodyguard who was sitting on the other side of Elliot snapped, ¡°What are you ying at? Didn¡¯t you just say you were cold?!¡± Avery took a deep breath, then said awkwardly, ¡°Why do you always talk so much? The bodyguards I see o n TV always keep their mouths shut. Can you just focus all of your energy on protecting your boss?¡± The bodyguard was baffled. This infuriating woman! Elliot red at the bodyguard and said, ¡°Sit further away.¡± The bodyguard instantly shot up and moved down the row from them. Avery felt her breathing even out. She took another deep breath to try to calm herself down. Suddenly, an idea popped into her head. She took off her coat, folded it neatly, and ced it on the seat between her and Elliot. She unfastened her ponytail and tried her best to cover her face with her hair. This way, as long as Tammy did not show up in front of her, she would not be able to see her face. Elliot watched her coldly. He was trying to read her. Did she take off her coat to show off her figure? Did she undo her hair to unt her femininity? It was obvious to him that she was teasing him. ¡°Avery¡­¡± Elliot began to say. ¡°Don¡¯t talk to me!¡± Avery hissed as she continued to cover her face with her hair. ¡°My friends are here, too. I don¡¯t want them to know I¡¯m here!¡± Elliot¡¯s lips pursed into a thin line, and his jaw tightened. The calmness in his eyes had vanished. Chapter 47 Chapter 47 Chapter 47 Elliot felt like a joke. Why did Avery not want to be discovered by her friends? Was it that embarrassing for her to be seen with him? The recital began soon after, and Avery calmed down. It was a good thing that Tammy did not see her! She wondered where she was seated. She wanted to turn and look around, but reason stopped her from acting rashly. Tammy was at the recital with another friend and was seated in the fifth row. ¡°Who¡¯s that on the first row? Three people taking up all those seats. What a waste!¡± Tammy wasining to her friend who was scrutinizing the row of nearly empty seats. ¡°Probably someone rich! We¡¯re on the fifth row and the tickets cost over a hundred and fifty bucks, so I bet first row tickets are expensive! It looks like they reserved the whole row. You can tell right away that that guy in the middle is super-rich. The woman next to him is either his daughter or his lover. The muscr guy on the other side is definitely his bodyguard.¡± Tammy agreed with her friend¡¯s analysis. ¨C ¡°That woman on the left looks a lot like my best friend!¡± Tammy said as she stared at the back of Avery¡¯s head. ¡°What kind of best friend would I be otherwise? Of course, I know what her back looks like!¡± The more Tammy looked at the woman, the more she thought she looked like Avery. She pulled out her phone and sneakily took a photo. ¡°You can¡¯t take pictures in the concert hall!¡± sig?ed the friend. ¡°You might as well go to the first row and check it out!¡± ¡°Forget it, the recital¡¯s about to start anyway,¡± Tammy said as she sent the photo to Avery. Avery felt her phone vibrate in her pocket. She pulled it out and saw Tammy¡¯s text message. Tammy: (Avery, doesn¡¯t this woman look a lot like you?] Avery¡¯s heart almost burst out of her chest, and she unconsciously sank further into her seat. Seeing her odd reaction, Elliot turned his head and looked behind him. ¡°D*mn, he¡¯s hot!¡± Tammy eximed when she saw Elliot¡¯s handsome face. ¡°Holy sh*t! Isn¡¯t that Elliot Foster?!¡± cried her friend. ¡°That¡¯s Elliot Foster?¡± ¡°Yeah! Did you forget that I¡¯m a business major? Of course, I¡¯d know him. That¡¯s definitely Elliot Foster!¡± Tammy let out a sigh and said, ¡°If that¡¯s the case, then that woman next to him can¡¯t be my Avery. Why would she be sitting next to him?¡± She then sent another text to Avery. Tammy: (Sigh, it can¡¯t be you, because the man next to her is Elliot Foster! Do you know who he is? He¡¯s super-rich and super hot! I couldn¡¯t breathe when he turned to look at us just now!) When Avery saw Tammy¡¯s message, she could not help but sneak a peek at Elliot. Super hot? Why did she not see it? Tammy sent another text momentster. Text ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org. Tammy: (My friend¡¯s nning on getting a photo with himter. Do you think I should ask for one, too? | wonder if he¡¯ll do it.] Avery¡¯s phone felt like fire in her hands. ¡°Elliot¡­¡± she called out to him under her breath, ¡°I¡¯m suddenly really hungry¡­ Let¡¯s go get something to eat! She would get caught red-handed if she did not leave now. The mere thought of it terrified her. Before Elliot could answer, she picked up her coat with one hand and grabbed onto his arm with the other. She hunched as she pulled him out of the hall. Avery brought their time at the recital to an abrupt end in less than ten minutes. This was the first time Elliot Foster had taken a woman to a recital. He had never cared for such things, but he overcame his emotional barriers just to make her happy. With his current status, Elliot was bound to be the center of attention everywhere he went. Not only did Avery not appreciate this opportunity to spend some alone time with him, but she was mortified at the idea that someone might see them together. Her behavior was a huge p on his proud face Once they were out of the concert hall, Elliot shook off her hand and stormed off without turning back. Avery was hit by a sudden realization as she watched his tall figure walk away from her. Was asking her to the recital his way of taking her out on a date? Even so¡­. were not both parties supposed to agree to the date? Had he wanted to surprise her? Chapter 48 Chapter 48 Chapter 48 The more Avery thought about it, the more erratic her breathing became. Was this proof that Elliot was in love with her? Otherwise, why would he go and do something that he considered a waste of time? She felt a sudden chill run down her spine. Her hand instinctively drifted to her lower abdomen. She was now more than three months pregnant. She had been watching her diet, so her baby bump was not showing at all. By the time she reached the fifth and sixth months, she could still hide her bump under loose clothing. What would happen when she was near the end of her term? No matter how skinny a pregnant mother was, she would not be able to hide her baby bump once that time came. If she was still by Elliot¡¯s side by then, she would definitely get caught. Avery wandered aimlessly around the streets. She was holding her jacket in her arms, and she was wearing nothing but a light t-shirt, but she did not feel the cold breeze. Her feelings for Elliot confused her. It was exactly like the answer she gave him the night before. She did not have the courage to love him. She despised his previous domineering and arrogant behavior. She could not say that she did not love him either, because somewhere deep down inside her heart, she did in fact have feelings for him! She was just too embarrassed and too cowardly to admit it. The babies she was carrying were standing between the two of them. Belonging ? N?velDram/a.Org. If she wanted to keep the children, then she had to leave him. At the end of the day, she was not a cold-hearted machine. Her body and actions would not necessarily follow every instruction that came from her rational mind. When exactly did she begin to fall in love with Elliot? She could not answer that question. She had hated him to death when he forced her to get an abortion. Avery arrived home that evening and ced a gift box on the coffee table in the living room. ¡°Mrs. Cooper, this is for Elliot. Please let him know when he gets backter,¡± Avery informed. Mrs. Cooper beamed as she said, ¡°Now, that¡¯s the way! Your life here would be much easier if he¡¯s happy with you. If for nobody else but yourself, you should care more about his mood.¡± Mrs. Cooper¡¯s words made sense, but Avery said indifferently, ¡°I¡¯m a little hungry.¡± ¡°Dinner¡¯s ready. How about you take a bite now, then join Master Elliot again when he gets home?¡± suggested Mrs. Cooper. Avery immediately shook her head and said, ¡°He¡¯s mad at me. It¡¯s better for the both of us if we don¡¯t have dinner together.¡± Mrs. Cooper was at a loss for words. How did Avery anger Elliot this time? Elliot might not have the best temper, but as long as things go his way, he would never lose his cool forn o good reason. It was the end of the workday at Sterling Group, but Elliot was still in his office and he had no intention of leaving anytime soon. He arrived at the office at five in the evening emanating an ominous and frightening aura. Nobody dared speak to him, and he spoke to no one either. He just continued to work from five to six in the evening. Chad phoned up Ben to ask for his help. He did not dare leave before Elliot left. Besides, Elliot¡¯s awful mood made Chad jumpy. Did he not go to a recital with Avery? Why was he back at the office before the recital was over? Did Avery ditch him, or did they fight at the recital? Ben arrived soon after answering Chad¡¯s call. Chad exined the situation to Ben outside Elliot¡¯s office door. ¡°I bet she passed him off again,¡± Chad said. ¡°I really want to meet Avery Tate. I think there¡¯s something wrong with her. Of all the people she could mess with, she decides to pick on the boss every day.¡± ¡°Maybe this is her modus operandi,¡± Ben said. ¡°Sometimes, going against the tide can lead to unexpected results. No one around Elliot would dare anger him. Don¡¯t you think it¡¯s refreshing for him to have someone around who drives him crazy?¡± ¡°Come on, nobody likes getting infuriated all the time,¡± Chad disagreed. ¡°Unless Mr. Foster is some kind o f masochist.¡± At that moment, the doors to the president¡¯s office burst open and Elliot walked out. Ben and Chad reacted quickly, and they immediately rushed to Elliot¡¯s side to help him out. Chapter 49 Chapter 49 Chapter 49 ¡°Mr. Foster, are your legs alright without the wheelchair?¡± Chad asked gently. He knew that Elliot had not used the wheelchair today as he had not wanted there to be any obstructions while he was on his date with Avery. Him having to roll the wheelchair would have definitely been a bad experience for Avery. It was a shame that she did not appreciate his boss¡¯s thoughtfulness. Elliot pushed Ben and Chad aside. His expression was cold as he curtly said, ¡°I¡¯m fine.¡± ¡°Let¡¯s go have a drink, Elliot!¡± Ben said as he grabbed onto Elliot¡¯s arm once again. ¡°Charlie Tierney¡¯s around, so let¡¯s get him to join us.¡± Elliot¡¯s ominous expression concerned Ben. Charlie was Chelsea¡¯s older brother. Ben was the one who called Charlie when Chelsea angered Elliot. The Tierney family business was based in Rosacus City.. As the heir to the Tierney empire, Chalice spent most of his time in Rosacus. After a moment of silence, Elliot said, ¡°No.¡± He made his way to the elevator. He did not walk quickly, but his strides were sure and stable. Although his love life was a mess, his legs were recovering quite well. Elliot arrived home at seven thirty that evening. Mrs. Cooper immediately brought Avery¡¯s gift to him and said, ¡°Madam Avery prepared a gift for you, Master Elliot.¡± The box was quite heavy, and Elliot wondered what it was. ¡°Is she home?¡± he asked. ¡°She is,¡± Mrs. Cooper responded, ¡°She went back to her room to write her thesis after dinner.¡± Elliot pursed his lips and examined the gift box. Had she bought him a gift after she had realized how rude she was? It was only fair that everyone got a second chance. Avery¡¯s initiative to buy him a gift made the rage in his heart dissipate slightly. Elliot slowly opened up the box, revealing the book inside of it. This book had an eye-catching title. It was called ¡°The Art of Anger Management¡±, and it had a picture of a lush ginseng nt for a cover. Elliot¡¯s brows furrowed tightly. Belongs to ? n0velDrama.Org. Was this Avery¡¯s idea of an apology?! Did she genuinely want to apologize to him, or did she think he was narrow-minded and wanted to continue to test his limits?! The smile on Mrs. Cooper¡¯s face also vanished upon seeing the book. She took back the praise she threw at Avery earlier. ¡°I¡¯ll go get Madam Avery so she can exin the meaning behind her gift. I¡¯m sure she didn¡¯t mean any harm,¡± Mrs. Cooper said as she tried toe up with an excuse for Avery. ¡°Forget it!¡± Elliot hissed through gritted teeth, then mmed the book on the table. Avery¡¯s heart tightened when she heard themotion from her room. There was a reason why she bought that book for Elliot. One of her professors had rmended it to her, and she already read the whole thing herself. She found the book¡¯s connection between mental and physical health to be enlightening and helpful. It opened her mind, and she believed that an open mind can lead to better emotional health. One might not live forever if one got angry less, but it could at least prevent some illnesses. Was that not great? What was he getting angry about again? Did he think her gift was too cheap? She did not have much money to buy him anything expensive. Avery¡¯s heart raced and uneasiness overcame her. She hesitated over whether or not to go downstairs, and talk to Elliot. At that moment, the door to her room burst open, and Elliot¡¯s tall and muscr figure appeared before her. Chapter 50 Chapter 50 Chapter 50 Cold sweat dripped down Avery¡¯s back. Instinctively, she mmed herptop shut. She would not have done that if she were working on her thesis. In her earlier frenzy of wild thoughts, she started a new file and wrote down a n. It was a n to get a divorce within the next three months. Avery hoped to get a divorce from Elliot before she was seven months pregnant. That was the only way she could sessfully go through herst trimester and peacefully give birth to the twins. If her n failed and the divorce did not go through, then the only thing she could do was disappear. That would be the worst-case scenario. Avonsville was her home, and she wanted to continue to live and work there. She also hoped that her children could be born and grow up where she did. Avery¡¯s overly cautious reaction revolted Elliot. Did she think that he would be interested in her thesis? Or perhaps she was not working on her thesis at all, and she was doing something else? Avery saw Elliot¡¯s sullen expression and immediately shot up and walked over to the door. ¡°Did you not like the book I gave you?¡± she said gently as she squeezed past him out of the room. ¡°You shouldn¡¯t look down on it. It¡¯s a really good book that highlights all kinds of ways to stay healthy. The author is my mentor¡¯s teacher. He¡¯s a really well-known professor, you know?¡± She talked as she walked into the living room and picked up the book from the coffee table. In the seriousness of her introduction, Elliot forgot to cut her off. ¡°You can take a look whenever you¡¯re bored. You can start at any chapter and it would still make sense,¡± Avery added. ¡°Is it really that great? You¡¯re making me want to get one for myself, too,¡± Mrs. Cooper chimed in. ¡°I¡¯ll go get one for you tomorrow, then,¡± Avery said with a smile. ¡°Oh, that¡¯s alright. I¡¯ll just go get it myself,¡± Mrs. Cooper responded. ¡°Don¡¯t mention it. It was not expensive at all. There was a sale at the bookstore so I got it for a dor fifty.¡± The smile on Mrs. Cooper¡¯s face froze at Avery¡¯s mention of the price of the book. Mrs. Cooper did not mind that the book was cheap, but she felt embarrassed for Avery. She angered Elliot, but ended up buying a gift for him that was barely over a dor? As if it was not already bad enough that she bought him a gift that was on sale, she was openly parading the fact that it was easy on the wallet! Avery sensed that the atmosphere had turned awkward.Belongs to ? n0velDrama.Org. She took a deep breath, then picked up the gift box on the table and said, ¡°This gift box wasn¡¯t cheap, you know? It was even more expensive than the book!¡± Even if the gift box cost more than the book, it was doubtful that it could be that much more expensive. ¡°Thank you, Madam! I¡¯m going to get dinner ready for Master Elliot now,¡± said Mrs. Cooper as she rushed t o the kitchen. Avery turned around to nce at Elliot¡¯s face. He did not look as stern as he did earlier. He was either no longer angry, or he was not in the mood to be enraged with her. It was unbelievable that she would buy him a gift that cost just over a dor. His head ached so badly that he could no longer feel any other type of pain. His calm expression lifted the rm in Avery¡¯s heart. Out of concern, she asked, ¡°Why were you meeting with Professor Hough earlier today? Are you sick?¡± Before he could shoot his mouth off, Avery picked up a banana and passed it to him. ¡°Here, have a banana. I¡¯m going back to my room.¡± When she shoved the banana in his hand, her fingers identally touched him. The skin-to-skin contact sent electric waves shooting between them. She pulled her hand back as her cheeks flushed a crimson red. Before she could escape, Elliot put the banana down, grabbed onto her arm, and yanked her back. ¡°You haven¡¯t exined what happened earlier,¡± he said in a low voice. Whether Avery had given Elliot a book worth a dor or a hundred thousand dors, she still owed him a reasonable exnation for ruining his afternoon. Chapter 51 Chapter 51 Chapter 51 Avery felt suffocated under Elliot¡¯s fiery yet solemn gaze. ¡°Are you talking about leaving the recital early today?¡± Avery began to exin after a moment¡¯s hesitation. ¡°My friend texted me saying that she wanted to take a photo with you after the show. I figured that you wouldn¡¯t like taking photos with strangers, and I didn¡¯t want to exin to them why we were there together.¡± ¡°Why not?¡± Elliot asked, his voice as cold as ice. ¡°It wouldn¡¯t exactly be a quick conversation, would it? Besides, you and I are too different from each other. Not only in status but also¡­ in age. Would you be willing to hang out with my friends? We can be pretty immature¡­ Wouldn¡¯t it be annoying if they bothered you because of our rtionship? Wouldn¡¯t you rather have one less thing to have to worry about?¡± In truth, the true reason why she did not want him to meet her friends was because they could get a divorce at any moment. There was no guarantee that they were going to spend the rest of their lives together. If Avery revealed her rtionship with Elliot to her friends, and they got divorced the next day¡­ How humiliating would that be? It would be better to wait until everything was settled. Avery¡¯s detailed and patient response calmed Elliot down quite a bit. Her concern was not unreasonable. He had no interest in any of her friends. Apart from Avery, he had no intention of getting to know anyone younger or more immature than he was. ¡°You should go back to your room,¡± Elliot said through thin lips. Avery let out a sigh of relief as if she had just received a great pardon. She peeled a banana, then stubbornly shoved it in his face. ¡°I got these Goldfinger bananas today. They¡¯re my favorite. I think they taste better than normal bananas. Try it,¡± Avery urged with a look of anticipation on her face. Seeing the bruised skin on the banana made Elliot hesitate, but he did not have the heart to turn her down. He took the banana from her hand and took a bite. It tasted a little sour at first, but sweetness slowly filled his mouth as he continued to chew on it. On the whole, it was sweet, sour, and starchy, and very different from the average banana. ¡°Don¡¯t judge it by its bruised skin. It¡¯spletely fine on the inside,¡± Avery said with a sparkle in her eyes, then added, ¡°Thank you for taking me to the recital today. We didn¡¯t get to stay until the end, but I still wanted to thank you.¡± She hurriedly finished her sentence, then rushed back to her room before she could get a response and shut the door. Elliot was puzzled. Was this her so-called gratitude? He might have felt her sincerity, but she could have at least waited until he finished eating before running It was in thete morning the next day that Mrs. Cooper noticed that Avery had note down for breakfast, and Elliot was stubbornly waiting in the living room. He did not say what he was waiting for, but Mrs. Cooper guessed that he wanted to have breakfast with Avery. When Mrs. Cooper knocked on Avery¡¯s door and did not receive a response, she opened the door and walked in. After taking in the scene in the room, she quickly entered the living room and announced, ¡°Madam Avery i s hunched over asleep on her desk. I think she stayed up all night. Maybe you should go ahead and have breakfast without her, Master Elliot.¡± Before she could finish her sentence, Elliot had already gotten up from the sofa and was making his way toward Avery¡¯s bedroom, He picked Avery up from the chair andy her down on the bed. She was in such deep sleep that she had not stirred despite the movement. It must not have been long since she had fallen asleep. Why was she going this far for her thesis? Elliot shifted his gaze to theptop on the desk. It was from a brand that had already gone out of business, and the model was at least a few years old.Content ? provided by N?velDrama.Org. It was no wonder that it had shut down before, and she was forced to use theputer in his study. He walked over to her desk and noticed that theptop¡¯s screen was a little blurry, so he hit the power button. The screen lit up momentster, revealing a home screen with only a few icons on it. There was Avery¡¯s thesis and a file named ¡°The n¡±, which Elliot opened up without hesitation. The document¡¯s title was bolded and in all caps, making it stand out greatly. The title was ¡°Three-Month Divorce n¡±! Chapter 52 Chapter 52 Chapter 52 The contents which were below the title were short and simple, for Avery could not figure out exactly how to get out of her situation no matter how much she had thought about it. There was only one sentence: (Divorce Elliot Foster by the end of the year at all costs.) Text ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org. A mixture of rage and bitterness swept across Elliot¡¯s face. He was working on himself to change for the better, but she was still hell bent on leaving him. She had created the document the night before¡­ She had yed him for a fool! While she pretentiously buttered him up with her gifts and her words, she had been nning her escape in her room! Elliot had thought that Avery was different, but the only thing that was unique about her was that she was a two-faced snake! He mmed theptop shut and stormed out of the room. The people at the executive meeting at Sterling Group noted Elliot¡¯s peculiar mood. From the moment he stepped into the conference room, his brows were furrowed and his expression was icy. His face emanated a chilling aura that made the people around him shudder. weathe All the department managers were seated in stiff, upright positions, and they barely dared to breathe. Thepany¡¯s performance in the third quarter had exceeded expectations, but why was the president enraged? Elliot did not say a word throughout the entire meeting and indifferently listened to each department¡¯s report. It was not until the end of the meeting that he said, ¡°Dismissed,¡± then left the room in a sh. Chad was about to run after him, but he was held back by one of the managers. ¡°What¡¯s wrong with the boss, Mr. Rayner? Is he not happy with our performance this quarter? If he isn¡¯t, then he can tell us what he wants, and we will do our best to achieve it!¡± ¡°Exactly! It was weird that he didn¡¯t say anything the whole time. Does he have some new ns or ideas?¡± Everyone surrounded Chad in hopes of getting first-hand news from him. Chad adjusted his sses, then said, ¡°Thepany¡¯s performance this quarter was indeed impressive, s o I¡¯m sure Mr. Foster is very satisfied. The reason for his bad mood doesn¡¯t have anything to do with work, but it is something in his personal life. Just get back to work!¡± After that, Chad hurriedly rushed to Elliot¡¯s office. He opened the office doors without knocking, but he did not expect there to be a guest inside the room. ¡°Long time no see, Mr. Tierney,¡± said Chad. ¡°Hey, Chad. I¡¯m borrowing your boss for a second,¡± said Charlie with a gentle smile on his face. Chad took the hint, so he quickly stepped out of the room and shut the door behind him. As the room returned to its original state of silence, the smile on Charlie¡¯s face also vanished. ¡°I¡¯m here on my parents¡¯ orders to take Chelsea home, but she won¡¯te with me no matter what I sayt o her,¡± Charlie said. ¡°You¡¯re the only one she¡¯ll listen to, Elliot.¡± Elliot picked up his phone and dialed Chelsea¡¯s number in front of Charlie. Chelsea answered the call almost right away and said excitedly, ¡°Elliot? Did you need something?¡± ¡°Resign and go home with your brother,¡± Elliot said bluntly. Charlie¡¯s brows furrowed at his unexpected straightforwardness. Chelsea stayed silent for a moment, then eximed, ¡°Did Charlie say something to you? Don¡¯t listen to him! I¡¯m not going with him!¡± She hung up right after she said her piece. Elliot put down his phone, then shot Charlie an icy re and snapped, ¡°How many times have I had to deal with her behavior over the years? That was thest time. Don¡¯t bother me with your family matters again!¡± Noticing his unusually bad mood, Charlie shot to his feet and said, ¡°I¡¯ll be leaving, then!¡± He bumped into Chad as he walked out of the office and said, ¡°Is yourpany in the middle of a crisis o r something? Elliot is in an exceptionally bad mood today.¡± ¡°Everything¡¯s fine. It¡¯s Mr. Foster¡¯s love life that¡¯s in a crisis,¡± Chad responded. Charlie raised his brows in curiosity, then asked, ¡°Who¡¯s he dating? Why haven¡¯t I heard anything about it?¡± ¡°His wife.¡± ¡°Avery Tate?¡± ¡°So, you have heard about it.¡± ¡°I heard it from Chelsea. She¡¯s always bringing up Elliot when I talk to her. It hurts my ears,¡± Charlie said, then grinned and added, ¡°So, the great Elliot Foster has fallen in love with a youngdy who¡¯s barely out of college. Interesting¡­¡± Chapter 53 Chapter 53 Chapter 53 ¡°Maybe it¡¯s fate,¡± said Chad. ¡°That¡¯s too bad for my baby sister,¡± responded Charlie. ¡°Forgive me for being forward, Mr. Tierney,¡± Chad said. ¡°Chelsea is an exceptional woman, but despite all the years that she¡¯s spent by Mr. Foster¡¯s side, he still hasn¡¯t fallen in love with her. Even if she spends the next twenty, thirty years next to him¡­ He will never love her.¡± A hint of malice shed in Charlie¡¯s eyes as he replied, ¡°Thanks for the reminder.¡± That evening, Elliot took thepany¡¯s managers out for dinner. After that, Ben dragged him out for drinks. Everyone knew that Elliot was in a foul mood, but nobody knew the reason behind it. Which was why they all decided to work together to get him drunk. Once drunkenness began to show in Elliot¡¯s eyes, Ben took his wine ss away from him. ¡°You haven¡¯t said much today. Isn¡¯t it stressful keeping everything inside?¡± Ben said as he switched Elliot¡¯s wine ss out for a ss of juice. Elliot raised his slender fingers to his head and began to massage his temples. Text ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org. ¡°Avery wants a divorce,¡± he said in a low voice with his eyes slightly closed. ¡°Am I that pathetic?¡± The room froze in stunned silence. How was it possible for anyone to think their boss was pathetic?! Was there something wrong with Avery Tate¡¯s head? Not only was Elliot Foster a talented man, but he was also a master of business. The number of women who love and admire him would line up from here all the way to the south pole! Who did Avery Tate think she was to hurt him this way?! ¡°What do you think of Miss Tate, Ben?¡± Chad asked. ¡°She¡¯s just an average college student,¡± Ben responded, then changed his mind and corrected himself,¡± Wait, maybe not. She¡¯s quite a looker. If Chelsea¡¯s looks could kill, then Avery gives off a sweet and friendly girl-next-door vibe.¡± ¡°I¡¯ve never met Avery Tate! Should we give her a call and ask her to join us?¡± someone suggested. Ben nced at Elliot, saw that he was still massaging his temples in pain, so reached into his pocket and pulled out his phone. ¡°I¡¯ll get Avery toe take you home, Elliot!¡± said Ben. Elliot¡¯s breathing turned heavy. He did not answer the question, so Ben took it as him agreeing to the suggestion. At the Foster mansion, Avery was sitting at her desk, quietly making revisions to her thesis. She was surprised when she picked up her ringing phone and saw that it was Elliot calling. When she answered the call, however, the voice on the other line was not Elliot¡¯s. ¡°Hello, Miss Tate. Are you busy right now?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not¡­ Who is it?¡± Avery said as she felt her heart tighten from anxiety. ¡°Elliot¡¯s had a little too much to drink. Could youe get him?¡± ¡°Me? Doesn¡¯t he have a bodyguard? I doubt the bodyguard is drunk, too?¡± Everyone in the room was taken aback by her response. ¡°The bodyguard isn¡¯t with him tonight,¡± Ben responded, ¡°So, are youing?¡± Avery stood from her seat, got her coat from the closet, then said, ¡°Send me the address. I¡¯m on my way.¡± Ben hung up the phone and sent her their location. About forty minutester, Avery and the driver arrived at the restaurant where Elliot and his entourage were gathered She got out of the car and came face to face with the group of men standing at the restaurant¡¯s entrance. All the men looked at her. Avery¡¯s cheeks flushed as she subconsciously tucked her chin deeper into the cor of her coat. Ben dragged Elliot toward her, handed him over, then said, ¡°Miss Tate, even if you don¡¯t love him, I hope you don¡¯t hurt him.¡± Avery almost lost her bnce and dropped Elliot. ¡°Hurt him?¡± she asked, bewildered. ¡°I wish I could! I just have no idea how.¡± Her voice struck a nerve inside Elliot. He shot up, turned around, and pinned her against the car. Chapter 54 Chapter 54 Chapter 54 Avery smelled the alcohol on Elliot along with the faint scent of tobo. Suddenly, she noticed that the group of men behind Ben had pulled out their phones and were aiming their cameras at her. They must have been in on it with Ben. Avery gave Elliot a hard shove, but because she was worried about him falling, she reached out and grabbed his arm. Seeing this, the driver hurried over to help, and the two ced Elliot in the backseat of the car. Once Avery strapped Elliot in, the driver passed her a bottle of water. She had worked up a sweat, so she epted the bottle and took a big gulp of water from it. ¡°That was for Mr. Foster, Madam,¡± said the driver. Avery¡¯s cheeks turned crimson. She quickly held the bottle out next to Elliot¡¯s arm and asked, ¡°Do you want some water?¡± His eyes were closed and his brows furrowed tightly as if he was in a world of difort. He did not respond to her question at all. Avery was not sure if he did not hear her, or if he did, but chose not to answer her. ¡°Maybe you can feed it to him, Madam,¡± suggested the driver. Avery frowned in frustration. She ced her hand at the back of Elliot¡¯s neck in hopes of lifting his head up. The moment her palm made contact with the skin on his nape, however, Elliot¡¯s eyes instantly shot open. Belongs to ? n0velDrama.Org. Avery quickly yanked her hand back, threw her head back, and took another big gulp of water. As Elliot watched her side profile, he recalled the divorce n he saw on herptop. He wondered how she nned to turn her scheme into reality. The car drove steadily in the night as the atmosphere inside of the vehicle turned stranger and stranger b y the minute. From the corner of her eye, Avery noticed Elliot¡¯s unwavering gaze fixed on her, and her heart began to race wildly in her chest. She finished the bottle of water in record-breaking time. Elliot snatched the empty bottle out of her hands and tossed it aside, breaking the silence with a bang. ¡°You want to divorce me because I made you abort that b*st*rd child,¡± he hissed coldly. Avery had nowhere to run or hide, so she had no choice but to answer him. ¡°It¡¯s your right to not want kids, but you can¡¯t forcefully take away my right to be a mother. I want children, and I want to be a mother. Tell me, apart from getting a divorce, how else would I be able to have my own kids?¡± This matter was a thom in their rtionship. If it was not resolved, it would continue to stab at them for the rest of their lives. ¡°Why do you insist on having kids? Do you like them that much?!¡± Elliot scoffed as a fiery rage boiled in his eyes. Avery clenched her teeth as a wave of emotions rose inside of her. If she were not already pregnant, she could live without children. However, now that she was pregnant, she had a responsibility to her babies. ¡°Why are you so against having them? You¡¯re not the one giving birth to or raising them! Why can¡¯t you just give them a chance?¡± Avery cried in a voice that was louder than Elliot¡¯s. The driver was shocked. Where did Avery Tate get the guts to raise her voice at Elliot Foster? Did she really think that his patience with her was limitless? Just as the driver thought that Elliot would raise his hand, a heavy silence fell upon the backseat. Avery calmed down slightly after a little while. Her voice broke through the piercing silence as she said through reddened eyes, ¡°Everyone has something they¡¯d rather not discuss. What¡¯s there to fight about?¡±. ¡°Don¡¯t think that you¡¯re the only one for me, Avery Tate,¡± Elliot said in a voice that was chilling to the bone, his tone heartless and indifferent. ¡°We¡¯re as different as heaven and hell. I¡¯ve never hoped to stand on equal ground next to you,¡± Avery responded. ¡°Who¡¯s heaven and who¡¯s hell?¡± Elliot asked. His question left Avery baffled. What kind of a question was that? She did not answer him. Her head was pounding. The backseat was drenched in the smell of alcohol. She felt sick to her stomach and rolled down the window. Chapter 55 Chapter 55 Chapter 55 The cold, night air burst into the car, whipping Avery¡¯s hair and calming her nerves. Elliot had said that he was not the only one for her. From that, she figured that as long as she remained adamant about the divorce, he might just agree to it one day The anxiety she felt dulled into relief with thatforting thought. When they arrived at the mansion, Mrs. Cooper and the driver helped Elliot out of the car. Avery saw that he was being looked after, so she quietly returned to her room. Exclusive ? material by N?(/v)elDrama.Org. It was not long before Mrs. Cooper showed up in her room and said, ¡°Master Elliot won¡¯t let anyone touch him, Madam. Maybe you should give it a try! You just need to wipe his face down and help him change his clothes.¡± Wipe his face and change his clothes? Avery would have no objections if Elliot were still in a vegetative state, but he was not! He might have had a little too much to drink, but he was not unconscious. She had not forgotten the fight that they had in the car on the way home. ¡°Why not just let him sleep like that?¡± Avery suggested. ¡°He can take a shower and change himself when h e gets up in the morning. Let him be.¡± ¡°How could we do that, Madam?¡± Mrs. Cooper eximed in shock. ¡°Come and try it out with me! He might protest less if you were the one helping him change.¡± The door to the master bedroom was wide open when Avery arrived, and Elliot was lying in bed in a silent slumber. Mrs. Cooper shoved Avery in the direction of the bed and said, ¡°Master Elliot¡¯s had too much to drink, so h e might wake up in the middle of the night and throw up¡­ It¡¯s better if someone stays and looks out for him.¡± At this point, Avery already knew what Mrs. Cooper was about to suggest. However, Mrs. Cooper interrupted her before she could refuse, ¡°This is a crucial period in the recovery of his legs. The doctor said that getting hurt right now would severely affect his rehab treatmentter. You should just stay with him tonight!¡± Avery¡¯s face twisted into a deep frown as she held back the words of protests she was about to cough up earlier. Mrs. Cooper had a point, and she had no reason to refuse. ¡°You can wait until Master Elliot has slept for a bit before wiping his face¡­ If you can¡¯t get him to change into his pajamas, you can just help undress him¡­ And let him sleep like that¡­¡± Mrs. Cooper said as she walked towards the room door. Avery felt like her head was about to explode. Once Mrs. Cooper was out of the room, she walked to the side of the bed. Elliot¡¯s eyes were shut and his breath was heavy. His cheeks were an unusual shade of pink, and she wondered how much he had to drink. Avery went into the bathroom, then reemerged with a bowl of warm water, She ced the bowl on the night stand at the head of the bed, then sat on the side of the bed and began t o unbutton Elliot¡¯s shirt, He sensed her touch on his shirt, and his hand sped around her arm in reflex. At the same time, his eyes shot open, revealing a look of extreme caution. ¡°Let go,¡± Avery said as she stared into his eyes. ¡°Or take it off yourself,¡± Elliot did not want to do anything himself. His head was killing him, Reason had not yet escaped him, but his body was already numb from the alcohol, He let go of her arm, and Avery proceeded to sessfully remove his shirt and unbuckle his belt. Just as she was about to take off his trousers, Elliot¡¯srge hand grabbed onto her slender wrist. This time, his grip was tighter, ¡°Who let you in my room?!¡± he roared as his chest rose and fell. ¡°Who let you take off my clothes? Have you always been such a loose woman?¡± Avery was flummoxed. Was this the power of alcohol? It was likely that he would not remember anything about what happened that night when he woke up the next morning At that thought, Avery released her inhibitions. She pushed his hand out of the way, grabbed onto the waistband of his trousers, and yanked it off after a couple of hard yanks. Elliot¡¯s brows furrowed tightly as he red viciously at her.¡± She paid him no mind and moved on to dumping the clothes in theundry basket. She then picked up the face towel from the bowl of warm water, wrung it dry, and proceeded to dab the warm towel on Elliot¡¯s furious face. Chapter 56 Chapter 56 Chapter 56 ¡°Stop acting like a baby,¡± Avery said in a low and gentle voice as she wiped down Elliot¡¯s face. ¡°Do you think I want to care for you like this? You stink of booze¡­ Aren¡¯t you a clean freak? Was that all an act? | wouldn¡¯t even bother helping you if your legs weren¡¯t still recovering.¡± The sound of her voice calmed Elliot¡¯s breathing, and he was ovee by a sudden wave of drowsiness. Her voice was like a hypnotic luby. Once Avery finished wiping Elliot down, she pulled the covers over him and tucked him in. By the time she cleaned up in the bathroom and returned to the bedroom, he was already fast asleep. She finally let out a huge sigh of relief. She sat down on the edge of the bed and nced around the room. The memory of how her every move was monitored and recorded by surveince cameras for the first three months she was there sent a shudder down her body. The cameras were probably gone by now. Elliot was erratic and bad-tempered, but he was not a pervert. Avery got up and retrieved her pillow and nket from her room. Text ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org. Elliot had woken up several times during the night. He was notpletely sober, so he did not notice that there was someone else in bed with him. Avery and Elliot ended up spending the night in peace and quiet. The next day, the warm morning sun crept in through therge windows, enveloping the room in light. Avery was sound asleep on the bed. Her arm rested on his chest, her slender leg wrapped around his thigh. Elliot¡¯s splitting headache woke him up and that was when he noticed Avery¡¯s peaceful face right next to him. A strange feeling washed over him. Less than a minute after he had opened his eyes, Avery¡¯s eyes slowly opened as well. As their eyes met, sparks of embarrassment crackled in the air around them. Elliot¡¯s eyes were still bloodshot, but they were much more focused than the night before. Avery very quickly realized the awkward positions of her arm and leg. Seeing as he did not seem bothered by it, she decided to casually dismiss the whole thing and slowly raised her leg off of his. ¡°You¡¯re looking well-rested. Did you have a good night¡¯s sleep?¡± Elliot said in a husky voice. Avery¡¯s leg froze in midair. .. ¡°I guess so,¡± she said with flushed cheeks as she immediately moved her leg away, then changed the subject and said, ¡°You didn¡¯t take a showerst night. Aren¡¯t you going to have one?¡± Her words rescued her from the embarrassing situation. Elliot got out of bed and walked into the bathroom. The moment he was out of sight, Avery picked up her pillow and nket and fled the room. That was close! It was a good thing that nothing had happened. She prayed that he would forget everything from the night before, including their fight in the car. Otherwise, the rest of her days would surely be a nightmare. Although, that disruption of the peace might just be what she needed for a divorce. That weekend, Tammy and Jun went out on a lunch date. Since it was their second time meeting, they were much more rxed around each other. Tammy was wearing a jacket with wide-legged trousers and a pair of sneakers. She had on light makeup, and her hair was gathered up in a simple ponytail. Of all the coincidences in the world, Jun had also shown up in a jacket. Although, his was paired with a pair of jeans and casual sandals. They exchanged warm smiles when they met. ¡°You were dressed pretty sexily at the party that night. Here I thought that your hotness was all there was t o you,¡± Jun said with a grin. Chapter 57 Chapter 57 Chapter 57 Tammy was holding the menu. She nced at Jun and said, ¡°Your outfit was pretty tight, so I assumed you liked men. Of course, I¡¯m not saying you can¡¯t prefer men. I respect everyone¡¯s sexual orientation.¡± Jun almost choked on his water. Belongs to ? n0velDrama.Org. ¡°You¡¯ve greatly misunderstood, Miss Lynch. I¡¯m straight. Very straight.¡± ¡°And I¡¯m not as promiscuous as you think.¡± ¡°Alright! Let¡¯s start over,¡± Jun said as he reached out his hand for a handshake. In order to find out his true intentions for Avery, Tammy shook his hand. Once they had ordered their food, the two of them talked about anything and everything. An hour and some wer, Jun¡¯s defenses crumbled and he began to ramble. ¡°I have a friend who had a shotgun marriage. He has feelings for his wife, but he¡¯s too scared to show it. When she had gotten into some trouble recently, he had me help her. The funniest thing is that his wife has no idea that I¡¯m friends with her husband. The first time she met me, he had been furious. He didn¡¯t think that she should have gone to meet a stranger¡­ Isn¡¯t that hrious?¡± Tammy was stunned, then said, ¡°A friend of mine also suddenly told me she had a husband out of nowhere! She won¡¯t even tell me who he is because she keeps wanting to get a divorce, but I don¡¯t know if she¡¯ll be able to get one.¡± ¡°I guess anything is possible nowadays,¡± Jun said. ¡°Exactly! One thing¡¯s for sure, I¡¯m never jumping into marriage,¡± said Tammy. ¡°Me, too,¡± responded Jun. At this point, Tammy had decided that it was time to find out if Jun really had two hundred million in his bank ount, and she executed her n. ¡°Do you use a digital wallet or a credit card to buy stuff nowadays?¡± Tammy asked as she tried to behave as casually as possible. ¡°I use my phone because it¡¯s more convenient,¡± Jun replied. ¡°Isn¡¯t there a limit to that?¡± ¡°I rarely splurge on things. After all, it hasn¡¯t been long since I graduated, I feel bad using too much of my parents¡¯ money.¡± Tammy nodded, then asked bluntly, ¡°How much money do you have in your savings ount?¡± Jun was taken aback by her the personal nature of her question. ¡°Are you worried that I¡¯m some penniless loser?¡± Jun asked, then answered honestly, ¡°I only have under a hundred thousand in there.¡± Tammy pursed her lips, then shook her head out of politeness. Should she trust Jun or Avery? Judging by his expression and tone, it did not seem like he was lying. On the other hand, Avery was her best friend, and she had her unconditional trust. Tammy changed her strategy and asked, ¡°Does your family delegate some important jobs to you?¡± Perhaps the two hundred million belonged to Jun¡¯s father? Could acquiring Tate Industries also be his father¡¯s idea? ¡°No way! My father hopes to pass the family business to me, but I¡¯m not interested in it at all.¡± Jun¡¯s answer threw Tammy back into a sea of confusion. She wanted to continue interrogating him, but they were still far from being close enough in their rtionship to justify that. If she asked him now, there was no way that he would answer her truthfully. It seemed like she had to be a little more ruthless. ¡°What do you think of me?¡± Tammy asked with her sweetest smile. ¡°If you like me, I¡¯d like to take things to the next step. What do you think?¡± Jun was taken aback. ¡°Don¡¯t you think that¡¯s r¨²shing things?¡± Tammy¡¯s smile faded slightly. ¡°I don¡¯t mean it like that, Miss Lynch!¡± Jun exined immediately. ¡°I just thought that we could meet a few more times and get to know each other better before we decide on moving things further¡­¡± The more he exined, the more upset Tammy looked. ¡°Alright! I¡¯m sorry, Miss Lynch. I just didn¡¯t expect you to be that interested in me. Since you¡¯re willing to take things further with me, then, of course, I¡¯d agree¡­¡± ¡°Don¡¯t call me Miss Lynch anymore, Jun. Call me Tammy,¡± said Tammy as the smile returned to her face. She had decided to unravel Jun¡¯s true intentions within the next two weeks. Her maic smile made Jun feel like he was in a dream. Things were going too fast! He did not expect to get a girlfriend this quickly! Avery¡¯s jaw dropped when she heard the news of Tammy getting a boyfriend. Was this not too big a sacrifice? Just as she was about to send Tammy a text, she received a call from an unknown number. Her fingers identally tapped the answer button on her phone, and the unfamiliar voice of a man came from the other side of the line. Chapter 58 Chapter 58 ¡°Is this Miss Avery Tate?¡± The low, deep voice on the other end was warm and polite. ¡°Yes, and you are?¡± Avery asked. ¡°Hello, I¡¯m Charlie Tierney from Trust Capital. I got your number from yourpany¡¯s HR department. I¡¯d like to propose a coboration,¡± said Charlie. ¡°Trust Capital?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. Do you have time to meet up today? I¡¯m near your office right now,¡± Charlie said in an earnest and sincere tone. After a moment¡¯s consideration, Avery epted his invitation. Once they decided on a meeting point, she called the HR manager at Tate Industries. ¡°Do you know Charlie Tierney from Trust Capital?¡± ¡°He¡¯s an impressive investor. Trust Capital is one of the country¡¯s top ten investment banks, which was why I didn¡¯t hesitate to give him your number when he asked for it earlier,¡± answered the HR manager. ¡°Got it,¡± said Avery ¡°Do you need me to apany you when you go to your meeting? I¡¯m worried that you¡¯ll get overwhelmed if you go alone,¡± asked the manager. Morale at Tate Industries took a huge dip when Shaun left thepany. It had also caused a handful of the staff to resign. If they continued to fail to get investors, it would not be long until thepany met its doom. ¡°It¡¯s fine. It¡¯s the weekend, so you should rest up,¡± replied Avery. This content ? N?v/elDr(a)m/a.Org. She looked up Charlie Tierney online on her way to the meeting. She was stunned when his photo popped up. He looked much younger than she had expected. She nced at his age and discovered that he was indeed rather young. It was strange. They were the same age, but why did she think Charlie looked younger, but Elliot looked older? She took another look at Charlie¡¯s photo and found her answer. Charlie had a dashing smile in the photo while Elliot had a constant poker face. When Avery walked into Cafe Meadow, Charlie immediately got up and waved to her. She sat down on the chair across from him and said, ¡°Nice to meet you, Mr. Tierney.¡± ¡°There¡¯s no need for formalities here. Call me Charlie.¡± said Charlie with a warm smile as he passed the menu to her. Avery awkwardly waved her hand in the air and said, ¡°I don¡¯t drink coffee,¡± then paused and came up with an excuse, ¡°I¡¯ve been having trouble sleeping, so the doctor told me to quit caffeine.¡± Charlie put the menu down and said, ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I had no idea. Let¡¯s go somewhere else!¡± ¡°It¡¯s fine, I¡¯ll just have some water,¡± Avery responded immediately. ¡°You mentioned being interested in a coboration, Mr. Tierney. Would you mind telling me why you¡¯re willing to work with us?¡± Charlie ordered a cup of coffee and a slice of cake and passed the menu to the waiter. ¡°From a business point of view, I want to work with you because I think highly of Tate Industries,¡± he said. 1 Avery stared at him and asked, ¡°Are you interested in our self-driving program?¡± Charlie¡¯s expression turned unreadable. After pondering for a moment, he said, ¡°Your father wanted to venture into the private vehicle sector with the self-driving program, but I think we can do better than that. We could bring the program into the exploration, search, and rescue, or even the military sectors¡­ Don¡¯t you think so?¡± The possibilities in Avery¡¯s mind suddenly broadened. ¡°Applying the system to the private sector is too much of a risk,¡± Charlie continued. ¡°If something goes wrong, even just one or two lethal idents wouldpletely destroy thepany¡¯s reputation.¡± Avery nodded and said, ¡°That¡¯s a very good point, Mr. Tierney. May I ask what kind of coboration you¡¯re hoping to have with us?¡± Charlie adjusted his sses, put on a light smile, and said, ¡°From what I understand, someone is interested in acquiring Tate Industries.¡± ¡°Yes,¡± Avery responded. ¡°He wants to buy us out.¡± Chapter 59 Chapter 59 Chapter 59 ¡°I heard that you¡¯re not interested in selling, which is why I won¡¯t bring that up,¡± Charlie said. He decided t o cut to the chase and said, ¡°I¡¯d like to be a shareholder.¡± Avery¡¯s eyes instantly lit up. ¡°Are you serious about this, Mr. Tierney?¡± she asked. ¡°Of course, I am. However, there are two things I need to discuss with you before we sign the contract,¡± Charlie said as he pulled out a document. ¡°This is a proposal that my team and I put together. Tate Industries won¡¯t make it for long if it continues on its current course. We¡¯re running a business, not a charity. Firstly, only profit can ensure apany¡¯s sustainability in the long run.¡± Avery pulled out the documents from the folder and roughly sifted through them, and said, ¡°Can I bring this proposal back and discuss it with my team, Mr. Tierney?¡± ¡°Of course.¡± ¡°Thank you,¡± Avery said as she picked up her ss and took a sip of water. She then stared earnestly at Charlie and asked, ¡°What was the other matter you wanted to discuss?¡± Before she arrived, she did not expect their meeting to go this smoothly. Now that the most important part of their meeting was settled, she finally felt like a weight was lifted off o f her shoulders.¡± ¡°I¡¯m Chelsea Tierney¡¯s brother,¡± Charlie said honestly. ¡°I¡¯m her half-brother, to be exact.¡± The second those words escaped his mouth, the calmness on Avery¡¯s face instantly vanished. Chelsea Tierney¡­ Charlie Tierney¡­ It was no wonder that she felt there was something familiar about Charlie. He was Chelsea¡¯s brother all along! Avery had never gotten along with Chelsea, and now, her brother wanted to invest in herpany¡­ Was this a joke?! She could not help but wonder about Charlie¡¯s true intentions for wanting to invest in Tate Industries. ¡°I don¡¯t have a typical sibling rtionship with Chelsea. We have different mothers, and my father made m e the heir to the family business¡­¡± Charlie exined. ¡°Are you telling me all of this because you know that I don¡¯t get along with your sister, Mr. Tierney? Did she tell you about it?¡± Avery asked cautiously. ¡°She¡¯s always been obsessed with Elliot Foster. Since I know about your rtionship with him, I expected that she has made things difficult for you even without her telling me about it.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. We have a terrible rtionship. Which is why I need to go back and properly think about the possibilities of working with you,¡± Avery said straightforwardly. Charlie did not expect her to react this fiercely. ¡°Miss Tate, as the sessor of Tate Industries, you should be prioritizing yourpany¡¯s well-being. You have hundreds of employees whose survival is dependent on you. Your affairs with Chelsea are none of m y business. You shouldn¡¯t fling your frustration with her at me. I¡¯m innocent.¡± Charlie¡¯s tone was soft and gentle. It was difficult to be angry with him no matter what he said. ¡°I¡¯m not a professional leader, Mr. Tierney. Things between Chelsea and I aren¡¯t as simple as you think. As her brother, it¡¯s only natural for me to have my reservations about you,¡± Avery said. Text ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org. ¡°Give it some thought, then. I¡¯ll be waiting for your answer,¡± Charlie said with a confident grin on his face. Avery nodded, then got up and left. The news of Trust Capital¡¯s preparations to invest in Tate Industries spread like wildfire in the business world. Elliot¡¯s brows furrowed tightly upon hearing about it. Charlie was a self-serving egoist. He was certain that he had ulterior motives for investing in Tate Industries. Although they had known each other for years, they were not close. If it were not for Chelsea, they would have lost touch with each other a long time ago. ¡°Elliot, I called Tate Industries earlier and was told that Avery had met up with Charlie Tierney today and agreed on a coboration¡­ If he invested a hundred and fifty million, Avery would have a hard time rejecting him, especially because he will purely be an investor and will have no involvement in the company¡¯s operations,¡± reported Jun. Elliot raised his brows, and his voice was chilling as he said, ¡°It looks to me like he wants to use that money to buy Avery, not thepany!¡± Chapter 60 Chapter 60 Chapter 60 ¡°Is Avery worth that much?¡± Jun asked, slightly shocked. ¡°She¡¯s worth that much because she¡¯s my wife,¡± Elliot said as an icy chill rose in his eyes. ¡°If she were not married to me, Charlie Tierney wouldn¡¯t bother with any of this.¡± Jun was even more confused than before. ¡°If he wants to give Avery the money, then let him! Isn¡¯t this just him throwing free money at her?¡± ¡°She¡¯s my wife!¡± Elliot snapped. ¡°Oh, okay¡­ I get it. What do you n on doing? Increase our offer? She will definitely go with Tierney¡¯s offer if we don¡¯t.¡± ¡°Not necessarily.¡± ¡°If that¡¯s the case, then why are you so upset?¡± Jun could tell from Elliot¡¯s tone that his emotions were all over the ce. Elliot wanted to acquire Tate Industries so that Avery could be free of its debt and troubles. She was still in college, and shecked the knowledge and experience when ites to running a company. It would be better for her to sell thepany, pay off the debt, and make some money while she was at i t. That way, her and her mother¡¯s lives would be much smoother moving forward. Elliot came to this decision after considering every aspect, but she did not appreciate any of his efforts. If Avery epted Charlie¡¯s investment, he would definitely hold the reins to the running of thepany in the end. ¡°I admire you, Jun. Nobody loves you, and you have nobody to love, so you don¡¯t have to get your heartbroken,¡± Elliot teased. ¡°I got a girlfriend today!¡± Jun responded enthusiastically. ¡°I met her on a blind date. Our fathers know each other, so it¡¯s pretty much a solid match.¡± ¡°That¡¯s good. Let me meet her once things are stable,¡± Elliot said. ¡°Sure!¡± Jun said, then added, ¡°Anyway, I think you can talk to Avery about this whole thing. She actually has a mind of her own.¡± ¡°Go see your girlfriend!¡± Elliot snapped. Just the sound of Avery¡¯s name gave him a headache. As if he did not know Avery was opinionated. It was because she was so opinionated that she never listened to anything he had to say. Meanwhile, Avery was sitting in another cafe andining to Tammy on the phone. ¡°Whether it¡¯s Mr. Z, Jun Hertz, or Charlie Tierney¡­ I can¡¯t help but think that there¡¯s something fishy about them,¡± she rambled. ¡°Jun Hertz came out of nowhere, told you he had no money but came across as a billionaire in front of me. Charlie Tierney, on the other hand, knows full well that I don¡¯t get along with his sister but insists on investing in my dad¡¯spany. I wouldn¡¯t be so suspicious if people were fighting to get a piece of Tate Industries, but nobody is interested in us at all!¡± Tammy took a sip of the iced tea in her hand and said, ¡°Let me deal with Jun Hertz. As for Tierney, why don¡¯t you pick up the ck with his sister?¡± Avery was taken aback. Belongs to ? n0velDrama.Org. She had spoken too quickly and let that slip. ¡°If you don¡¯t trust Jun Hertz, then don¡¯t work with him! Otherwise, you¡¯d be in a mess if he sells you out in the end. I bet he¡¯s a genius, so you won¡¯t be able to keep up with him,¡± said Tammy. It was a good thing that she did not decide to get to the bottom of her earlier question. ¡°I¡¯m sure the company¡¯s management will insist on epting Trust Capital¡¯s investment,¡± Avery said. ¡°You¡¯re the boss! Who cares what they think?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not technically the boss. I never signed the contract!¡± ¡°Now that your vice president is gone, who would go against you? Just make the decision yourself, Avery. Don¡¯t think too much about it¡­ Oh, Jun¡¯s here. I¡¯m hanging up now!¡± When Avery returned to the Foster mansion that evening, there were guests in the house. ¡°Miss Tate! It¡¯s the weekend, did you go out to hang out with your friends? Have you had dinner? If not, come join us!¡± Ben said with a grin as he got up from the couch. The sight of Ben made Avery recall Elliot¡¯s drunken shenanigans the other night. ¡°I¡¯m not hungry¡­ You go ahead! I¡¯ll eatter.¡± Avery did not want to join them for dinner at all. Just then, she caught a whiff of the fragrant scent that drifted from the kitchen. Her stomach immediately began to growl. ¡°Hahaha! Join us, Miss Tate!¡± Ben said as he led Avery into the living room. ¡°I heard that you found an investor today, but why don¡¯t you look happy about it?¡± ¡°Do you know Charlie Tierney? He¡¯s Chelsea¡¯s brother,¡± Avery asked. Since Ben seemed to know about Charlie¡¯s offer, she decided to ask questions. Chapter 61 Chapter 61 Chapter 61 ¡°Of course I know him! We used to go out for drinks together all the time! Did he tell you that he¡¯s really close to Chelsea?¡± Ben said as he deliberately mentioned the main point. A hint of shock appeared on Avery¡¯s face as she said, ¡°He said they weren¡¯t close.¡± ¡°He lied to you, then,¡± Ben said. ¡°You have to really think about this. Why does he suddenly want to invest i n Tate Industries? What¡¯s the catch?¡± ¡°Are you saying it could be a trap?¡± Avery asked. Ben shook his head and said, ¡°I¡¯m just saying that you need to look at this from every angle. There¡¯s no such thing as a free lunch, and gold doesn¡¯t just drop from the sky. You and Chelsea just had a falling out very recently, and now her brother is interested in investing in yourpany. Aren¡¯t you worried?¡± ¡°I am,¡± Avery answered. ¡°You have to think about this carefully¡­ Anyway, let¡¯s eat,¡± Ben said, then hollered, ¡°Elliot! I¡¯m done talking to your wife. You cane out now.¡± Avery almost choked at the sound of Ben calling her Elliot¡¯s wife. Once she was seated at the dining table, Elliot chose a seat further away from her. Ben brought over a decanter full of wine from the bar. ¡°Would you like some, Miss Tate?¡± he asked as he ced the decanter on the table and brought over three wine sses. Avery shook her head and said, ¡°I don¡¯t drink. I need to work on my thesister.¡± ¡°Oh, I¡¯ll drink with Elliot, then¡­¡± Ben poured a drink for himself and Elliot, then said, ¡°It was a good thing you were around to take care of him when he got drunk the other night.¡± Avery coughed, then said, ¡°I didn¡¯t take care of him. He was fine after a good night¡¯s sleep.¡± ¡°I guess Elliot isn¡¯t a bad drunk. He¡¯s quiet even when he¡¯s drunk,¡± Ben said. ¡°He¡¯s not very good at expressing his feelings¡­¡± ¡°I think he¡¯s very good at expressing himself! He loses his temper every time he¡¯s unhappy. I¡¯ve never met anyone who likes expressing themselves more than he does.¡± Ben sat in stunned silence, while Elliot¡¯s face instantly turned dark with rage. ¡°Let¡¯s eat,¡± Avery said when she noticed his change in expression. She picked up her knife and fork and gobbled up her food to shut her little mouth up. She finished her food in less than five minutes and left the table. Ben watched her leave and sighed, ¡°Does she always eat that quickly?¡± ¡°She does,¡± Elliot responded. ¡°Is she anorexic? She didn¡¯t eat much.¡± ¡°Someone who¡¯s actually anorexic wouldn¡¯t touch their food at all.¡± ¡°Oh¡­ I guess she¡¯s watching her figure to get your attention.¡± Elliot raised his brows and asked, ¡°You think she cares about what I think at all?¡± If Avery really cared about him, she would not have embarrassed him earlier. He used to constantly get enraged by her attitude, but his patience had increased significantly. ¡°It doesn¡¯t look like it¡­ But her courage to say whatever is on her mind is exactly why you like her,¡± Ben said. ¡°When did I ever say that I like her?¡± ¡°Drop the act. It¡¯s just the two of us here. Besides, there¡¯s nothing wrong with liking a woman. Avery¡¯s more outstanding than a lot of other women¡­ ¡°Outstanding, my *ss. All she thinks about is having kids.¡± Ben was left speechless. In the guest bedroom, Avery turned on herptop but could not calm her worried heart. Something was bothering her, and she could not help but feel like something bad was about to happen. Her phone suddenly rang, and her heart immediately began to race. She picked up her phone and Cassandra¡¯s name met her eyes. How dare she call her?! She was sure that it was for nothing good!Text ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org. Chapter 62 Chapter 62 Chapter 62 Could it be that they had spent all the embezzled money?! How was it possible for them to spend that huge sum of money this quickly? Avery took a deep breath and answered the phone. Before she could say a word, Cassandra screamed from the other end of the line, ¡°Avery! Is the Super Brain program my dad developed with you? Give it to me now!¡± It sounded like she was crying, and she also sounded terrified. Something snapped inside of Avery. ¡°How dare you call me, Cassandra?! Your uncle embezzled Dad¡¯s money! Did you know that¡¯s a serious crime?! The police are investigating him right now!¡± ¡°What does that have to do with me?! I wasn¡¯t the one who took the money! I just want the Super Brain program! Bring it to me right now! You have to get it to me tonight!¡± Cassandra¡¯s voice got louder and more hysterical. Avery¡¯s brows furrowed at the sound of the background noise on the phone. ¡°Where are you right now, Cassandra?!¡± Cassandra burst into tears and wailed, ¡°Help, Avery! I¡¯m at the casino with Cole¡­ He¡¯s being held right now ¡­ If you don¡¯t bring Dad¡¯s new program here, they¡¯re going to chop off his finger!¡± ¡°Casino? You¡¯re gambling?!¡± Avery¡¯s face turned pale. She had no idea that Cole was a gambler! ¡°What¡¯s the point of going into that?! Bring over the program and save him! Do you hear me? Do you want Cole to lose his finger?! Don¡¯t you love him anymore?!¡± Cassandra yelled. Avery was already walking toward the door, but she stopped in her tracks when she heard Cassandra¡¯s words. ¡°Don¡¯t embarrass yourselves! Even if he was thest man on earth, I wouldn¡¯t give Cole Foster the time of day! He¡¯s being held back because he lost money, right? If that¡¯s the case, why don¡¯t you pay it off for him? Your uncle stole hundreds of millions from Dad. I doubt Cole lost that much!¡± said Avery as she walked to the bathroom. Her head was spinning, and she needed to wash her face to freshen herself up. ¡°It¡¯s not like my uncle gave me any of that money!¡± Cassandra cried frantically. ¡°Besides, they just want the program! Didn¡¯t you tell people that you gave it to Cole? Why did you say that when you never gave him anything? You did it on purpose to mess with him, didn¡¯t you?!¡± Avery had not expected Shaun to move this quickly. Cole may be a loser, but he was still Elliot Foster¡¯s nephew at the end of the day. Shaun was more ruthless than she thought! ¡°They¡¯re keeping him because he gambled, right? Let me guess¡­ Someone approached him asking about the program, he said he had it and used it as coteral, and now he¡¯s fallen right into their trap¡­¡± Avery could see the whole thing clearly in her mind. If Cole had not said that he had the program, why would anyone have funded his gambling? If he did not gamble, how could he have gotten tricked in the first ce? Whose fault was this? It was his and no one else¡¯s! ¡°Ha! So you did do it on purpose! You¡¯re heartless, Avery Tate! He was so good to you when you were together! It looks like his love was all for nothing!¡± Cassandra chastised Avery. ¡°Yes! He was really good to me. While he was dating me, he was doing all kinds of shameless things with you¡­ They¡¯re only going to chop off his finger; they are not feeding him to the sharks. This isn¡¯t the time for you to cry over him yet!¡± Avery said coldly, then hung up the phone. Her phone rang again less than a minuteter. This time, Cole¡¯s name was shing on her phone screen. Avery clenched her jaw, then answered the phone. She did not go soft on him, but she wanted to hear him begging and howling. ¡°Avery¡­ Avery! Save me! If you don¡¯t¡­ I¡¯m going to turn into a cripple! You never gave me the program¡­ You never did!¡± Cole was being held down, and his voice was filled with panic. ¡°Why did you say you had it if I never gave it to you? You¡¯re paying for your own sins, Cole Foster! I can¡¯t save you!¡± Avery said, then prepared to hang up. ¡°Avery! It¡¯s my uncle! Uncle Elliot did this!¡± Cole screamed suddenly. ¡°Nobody else would dare touch me! Please beg him for me¡­ I¡¯m begging you!¡± Avery was stunned. Was this not Shaun¡¯s doing? She suddenly remembered how Elliot had sent his bodyguard to the outskirts of the town to investigate what had happened the night she had been abducted.This content ? N?v/elDr(a)m/a.Org. Chapter 63 Chapter 63 Chapter 63 Elliot knew everything that Avery had said while she was strapped to the lie detector! Was he truly the one behind everything? Did Elliot want to get his hands on Tate Industries¡¯ new program? Cold sweat dripped down Avery¡¯s back as she thought about all of this. She hung up on Cole and walked out of her room. Elliot and Ben were done with dinner and were smoking in the living room. Ben immediately killed his cigarette in the ashtray when he noticed Avery. ¡°Do you want to join us, Miss Tate?¡± Avery nodded and walked toward Ben. Once she was standing in front of him, she said, ¡°I¡¯d like to speak with Elliot alone.¡± Ben was taken aback. Was this her way of kicking him out? Embarrassed, he stood up and said, ¡°I¡¯ll leave now. You two have a good talk. You could take a walk outside, too. The weather¡¯s nice.¡± He hurried out of the house right after. Avery sat down where Ben was sitting. She thought of how Cole was about to get his finger chopped off and that motivated her straightforward approach. ¡°Cole just called me. He is being held at a casino, and someone wants to chop his finger off.¡± Elliot already knew this. He received word about it from his people at the casino. They said that Cole was going big on the floor that night. ¡°Are you sad?¡± The sound of Cole¡¯s name escaping Avery¡¯s lips upset him. ¡°The people who are holding him think that he has Tate Industries¡¯ new system, so they lent him money to gamble with. Now they¡¯re asking for the program aspensation,¡± said Avery slowly and clearly.Text ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org. ¡°You are amongst the people who know that he has the program¡­¡± ¡°Are you suspecting me?¡± Elliot¡¯s eyes turned cold as ash fell from the cigarette between his fingers. ¡°I¡¯m just asking. If it isn¡¯t you-¡± ¡°It¡¯s me,¡± Elliot smirked maliciously. ¡°Will you get down on your knees to beg for him?¡± Avery raised her brows and said, ¡°Over my dead body.¡± Every muscle in Elliot¡¯s body tensed. ¡°You don¡¯t think I won¡¯t ask them to chop off his finger?!¡± he roared. ¡± ¡°Go ahead and do it.¡± Elliot fell silent. ¡°He used to tell me that I was the only woman he loved, but he¡¯s out doing god knows what with my sister tonight. If you cut his finger off, I¡¯ll light you a cigarette. How¡¯s that?¡± said Avery. The dark gleam in Elliot¡¯s eyes turned ice cold. It looked like Avery no longer cared about Cole Foster! After all, he was a loser who had nothing to offer her now. Elliot¡¯s phone rang momentster. He nced at the screen, then turned his phone off. Avery¡¯s phone rang soon after. She looked at the screen, then pressed down on the power button and turned it off. The room was so quiet that they could faintly hear each other¡¯s heartbeats. After pondering for a while, Avery said, ¡°Don¡¯t mess with me, Elliot. Otherwise, I¡¯m dragging you down with me.¡± Chapter 64 Chapter 64 Chapter 64 Avery would not hand over what her father had left to her to anyone. She refused to let anybody take it from her. Her words were harsh, but not only was Elliot not scared, but he also found it hrious. ¡°What are you smiling at?¡± Avery asked when she saw his smile. ¡°You,¡± he mocked. ¡°You¡¯re self-righteous, arrogant, and you¡¯re digging your own grave.¡± Avery could force herself to ept the first two, but what did he mean by her digging her own grave? ¡°Get back to your room! Just looking at you gives me a headache.¡± Elliot¡¯s face suddenly darkened, and his voice was low and deep. ¡°I didn¡¯t do anything. You must have a headache because you¡¯re sick,¡± Avery said indifferently. ¡°Don¡¯t you have a family doctor? Should I call him?¡± ¡°F*ck off!¡± Elliot growled through gritted teeth. Content is ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org. Avery returned to her room in a terrible mood. She shut herptop, walked over to the bed, andy down. She had fallen out of love with Cole a long time ago. If it were not for Cassandra¡¯s phone call, she would have never thought about them nor would she have felt any of the emotions that she was now experiencing. The thought of Cole being a gambler and being in danger gave her a strange andplicated feeling. All of her memories with him were ruined, and she even felt a little disgusted. It was as if she was in some weird TV show where she was never truly in touch with reality, and she was living a lie. In the midst of her jumbled thoughts, she fell asleep. A car pulled up at the Foster mansion at 2 a.m. that night. Mrs. Cooper was awakened by the bodyguard who was on night duty. She rushed into the living room to see Rosalie¡¯s furious face. ¡°Get Avery Tate down here!¡± Rosalie yelled before sitting down on the couch. Mrs. Cooper immediately ran over to the guest bedroom. A groggy Avery walked into the living room five minutester. The tense atmosphere in the room instantly woke her up. ¡°I always thought that you were an innocent little girl, but you have been lying to me all this time!¡± Rosalie snapped as she trembled with rage. ¡°I never knew you dated Cole. Why didn¡¯t you tell me?! If I knew this from the beginning, I never would have made you Elliot¡¯s wife! This whole thing is preposterous!¡± ¡°None of you asked me about it, nor did you care about my feelings. You just treated me like a pawn. If you¡¯re upset that the pawn you chose was a tainted piece, then you only have your own self to me,¡± Avery said nonchntly. Rosalie shot to her feet and wobbled over to Avery. ¡°Fine, say I was wrong! But what do you have to say about framing Cole tonight?!¡± ¡®l framed him? Are you talking about how he got in trouble after gambling?¡± Avery¡¯s retort left Rosalie at a loss for words. You know very well that nobody wouldy a finger on him if he didn¡¯t go looking for trouble himself. Instead of educating him, you¡¯vee to put the me on me. This means that me being a part of the Foster family is a sin in and of itself.¡± Avery¡¯s eyes reddened as her emotions got the better of her. Rosalie could no longer hold back andnded a hard p on Avery¡¯s face. The sound of her palming in violent contact with Avery¡¯s cheek echoed through therge living room. Avery¡¯s cheek burned as hatred rose in her eyes. ¡°Yes, I framed Cole on purpose. He betrayed me and I wanted revenge,¡± Avery said in a voice that was much clearer and more stable than before. ¡®Also, as long as I¡¯m by Elliot¡¯s side, you can forget about having grandchildren.¡¯ Rosalie raised her arm once again to give Avery another p, but the energy suddenly escaped from her body and she fell to the couch.. Avery did not reach out to help her, but Mrs. Cooper rushed over. Elliot made his way over from the stairs immediately after. He was in a gray silk robe, and his face was chillingly stern. Avery did not want to see him at all. Not even for a second. Chapter 65 Chapter 65 Chapter 65 Before Elliot reached the living room, Avery quickly ran back to her room. Rosalie was having trouble breathing, and she felt like she was about to suffocate, but the sight of Elliot immediately calmed her down. ¡°Elliot¡­ My son¡­¡± Rosalie weakly reached out her arm to Elliot, who hurried over and held her. ¡°Divorce Avery Tate¡­ Go tomorrow¡­ Get a divorce¡­¡± Rosalie said with tears in her eyes. ¡°I¡¯m sorry¡­ I¡¯m sorry, my son¡­ I was blind¡­ I found you such a dirty woman¡­¡± Elliot lifted his hand to wipe the tears off of his mother¡¯s face, then said, ¡°Don¡¯t meddle in my affairs with Avery, Mom. You also don¡¯t need to bother with Cole.¡± ¡°Cole got his finger chopped off¡­ He must be in so much pain! He said you did it, but I know that isn¡¯t true ¡­ How could you do something so cruel to your own family? You¡¯re not that kind of person¡­¡± ¡°If you bring up this nonsense in front of me again, I¡¯ll get the driver to send you home right now,¡± Elliot said with a frightening expression on his face. ¡°I won¡¯t divorce Avery. Unless I decide to do so myself, no one can make me.¡± Rosalie dejectedly took in a deep breath, then said, ¡°Did you fall in love with her? For her¡­ You¡¯re willingt o turn your back on your brother¡¯s whole family¡­¡± Elliot let go of his mother, shifted his gaze to the old mansion¡¯s driver, and said, ¡°Take my mother home.¡± After that, he turned and made his way upstairs. Rosalie watched her son¡¯s back and could not hold back her tears. How could he be so heartless?! It was all Avery Tate¡¯s fault! Elliot never used to be like this! Avery¡¯s appearance had destroyed the rtionship between uncle and nephew, which was what led to this whole fiasco. Avery sat in bed with her back against the headboard and her head slightly tilted back. Her cheek stung, and her heart hurt. The bruise on her face would go away after a few days, but the pain in her heart might never disappear. Even if she thought she was over it, if something triggered her one day, traces of that night would still resurface. At 8 a.m. the next morning, Elliot sat at the dining table for breakfast. He suddenly turned to Mrs. Cooper and said, ¡°Call Avery down.¡± Mrs. Cooper made her way over to the guest bedroom but frantically returned momentster. ¡°Madam Avery isn¡¯t in her room. She might have gone out. Let me ask the front gate,¡± Mrs. Cooper reported to Elliot, then walked toward the front yard. She returned shortly after and said, ¡°Madam Avery left around six this morning. Should I give her a call?¡± Mrs. Cooper was a little worried about Avery. Rosalie¡¯s p was not a light one. Avery might look soft and gentle, but she was a proud woman. Mrs. Cooper dialed her number but was met by nothing but the cold beeping dial tone. ¡°Her phone¡¯s turned off,¡± Mrs. Cooper said in a low voice. Avery left at 6 a.m., and she had turned off her phone. She would not be upset enough to do anything stupid, right? A p was not reason enough to seek death, but some people might lose control of their actions when they were triggered. Elliot¡¯s expression was stone-cold as he put down his coffee cup and left the dining room without a word. He stopped in the living room, pulled out his phone, and called his assistant. ¡°Chad, look up Avery Tate¡¯s mother¡¯s phone number for me.¡± ¡°Yes, Sir. I¡¯ll get that for you right away,¡± answered Chad. Once he got Laura Jensen¡¯s number, he immediately dialed it. ¡°Sorry, the number you are trying to call is not reachable. Please try againter.¡± What was going on? Both Avery and her mother had their phones turned off?!Content is ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org. Chapter 66 Chapter 66 Chapter 66 Avery was in the middle of getting an ultrasound at an unknown county hospital. ¡°The babies are developing nicely¡­ Come back for an anomaly scan when you reach the five-month mark, ¡± said the doctor. ¡°Thank you, Doctor,¡± Avery said as she let out a sigh of relief. ¡°Don¡¯t mention it. I was really close to your mother back in school,¡± the doctor said as she passed a copy of her ultrasound scan to Avery. ¡°She told me that the father doesn¡¯t want kids, so you came all the way out here for your checkup¡­ Avery, raising two kids by yourself isn¡¯t going to be easy!¡± Avery took the copy of the scan, smiled, and said, ¡°It¡¯s fine. I can do it!¡± ¡°As long as you¡¯re prepared.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll get out of your hair now. I¡¯ll call you again before wee by next time,¡± Avery said, then left the examination room. Laura saw her walk out, then immediately walked up to her and asked, ¡°How are the babies? Is everything alright?¡± ¡°Everything¡¯s normal. Are you tired, Mom? I¡¯m exhausted!¡± Avery said as she yawned. She had not slept the night before. After leaving the Foster mansion at six that morning, she had met up with Laura and taken a three- hour, bumpy bus ride out here. She almost fell asleep on the bus a few times, but she held on. Now that the checkup turned out fine, a weight was lifted off of her shoulders, and she wanted nothing but to have a good sleep. ¡°Should we just get a room at a motel and rest a bit?¡± Avery¡¯s tired face made Laura¡¯s heartache. Avery shook her head and said, ¡°It¡¯s going to take us another three hours to get back! We should just leave now.¡± ¡°Let¡¯s get something to eat first. You haven¡¯t eaten anything all day. Aren¡¯t you hungry?¡± Laura said, then held Avery¡¯s hand and led her out of the building. ¡°I guess I¡¯m pretty hungry,¡± Avery said as she caressed her lower belly. ¡°It feels a little different from before. I¡¯m not showing yet, but it feels hard here.¡± She took her mother¡¯s hand and rested it on her belly. ¡°This is nothingpared to how it will feel when you start to show and reach thete stages of your pregnancy¡­¡± Laura said, then sighed. ¡°Time sure flies by. They¡¯re already four months old.¡± ¡°Right? It won¡¯t be long before they¡¯ll be born,¡± Avery said. Excitement and worry shed through her eyes as she said those words. ¡°Your divorce with Elliot¡­ How is that going?¡± Laura asked. Avery shook her head and said, ¡°He¡¯s stubborn as hell. The more I bring up the divorce, the more he won¡¯t do it. So, I¡¯ve decided never to bring it up again.¡± ¡°Now that I think about it, I don¡¯t think I¡¯ve ever officially met him!¡± Laura sighed. ¡°What¡¯s there to meet? He¡¯s cold to everyone. Meeting him would just annoy you,¡± Avery said softly. Laura disagreed and said, ¡°He¡¯s young and rich, so it¡¯s only natural for him to be spirited. He¡¯s not the same as us average folk, so you can¡¯t look at him from that point of view.¡± ¡°Why do you think we¡¯re here right now, Mom? Why are you on his side?¡± Avery pouted. Laura grinned awkwardly, then said, ¡°Let¡¯s go eat. We¡¯ll leave after that.¡± On the way back to the city, Avery fell asleep with her head on Laura¡¯s thighs. While Laura was gently stroking her daughter¡¯s hair, her fingers identally touched her left cheek. Avery took in a sharp breath and mumbled in her sleep, ¡°Ouch¡­ That hurts¡­¡± Laura shifted her gaze to her cheek. She would not have noticed anything if she did not look closely, but Avery had put on a thickyer of foundation ¡°What happened to your face, Avery?¡± Laura cried out, waking Avery up. Avery opened her eyes and said, ¡°What is it, Mom?¡± Lauren touched her cheek, and Avery flinched in pain. ¡°What happened to your face? Who hit you? Was it Elliot?¡± Content is ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org. Laura¡¯s heart tightened. ¡°No¡­ I fought with his momst night¡­ Why didn¡¯t I think of getting his mom to make him divorce me? | guess that did not work as well,¡± Avery said nonchntly. ¡°You stupid girl! Don¡¯te up with something this ridiculous just to get a divorce!¡± Laura sighed, then added, ¡°Why didn¡¯t you go get some medicine when we got to the hospital this morning?¡± Chapter 67 Chapter 67 Chapter 67 ¡°I¡¯m pregnant, so I can¡¯t just simply take medication,¡± Avery said. ¡°It¡¯ll be fine after a few days. I just need t o cover it up with makeup for now.¡± ¡°You¡­ Get some more sleep!¡± Laura patted her legs, urging Avery to lie down. Avery shook her head and said, ¡°I¡¯m not tired anymore. I¡¯ll just look through my phone.¡± When she turned on her phone, she noticed the missed call from Mrs. Cooper. She thought of calling back, but the crowded bus was noisy. After some consideration, she decided to talk to her when she got home. Suddenly, the day¡¯s headline popped up on one of the news apps on her phone. It read, ¡®Cole Foster Carried Out of Casino in the Dead of the Night! Suspected of Owing a Loan Shark Money!¡¯ Avery took a deep breath and clicked on the headline. She saw the photos of the night before. There was one of Cole being carried out of the casino, and one of him being taken to the hospital. The familiar face next to him belonged to none other than Cassandra. Avery had not seen her sister in a long time, but she noticed that she was dressed even more promiscuously than before. If Cole had not gotten in trouble with the loan sharks, she probably would have spent the night with him at some fancy hotel! Avery closed the news app and checked her messages. She noticed a text from Tammy that read: (Avery! I almost slept with Jun Hertzst night! Sh*t! We were halfway there when my period came out of nowhere! Avery was extremely shocked. Avery: (Aren¡¯t you moving too fast?!) Tammy: (We had a little bit too much to drinkst night¡­ Ugh! You should¡¯ve seen his expression when I started bleeding¡­ He was disappointed, but he still went out and got me a tampon.] Avery: (Don¡¯t they have those in the hotel room?!) Tammy: [¡­We spent the night at his apartment. I might have agreed to date him to find out what he¡¯s hiding, but I still have to make sure he knows what he¡¯s doing in bed! Avery: [I see.) Tammy: [Hehe. How¡¯s your husband in bed?] Avery¡¯s cheeks flushed, and she changed the subject. Avery: (My phone¡¯s dying. I¡¯m going to charge it now! Tammy: [I bet you already slept with him! Otherwise, you would just say you don¡¯t know! Hahahaha! Avery was so embarrassed that she shoved her phone back into her bag. When the bus arrived at Avonsville three hourster, Avery first sent her mother home. Laura was holding a big bag of groceries in one hand and a bag of fresh fruits in the other, so she passed the keys to Avery to open the front door. When she opened the door, she saw someone was sitting on the couch! Avery was so startled that she took a few steps back. Laura was also in shock. If she had not already seen photos of Elliot and knew what he looked like, she would have already called the cops. Seeing their terrified faces, the bodyguard walked over to the front door and pushed Avery into the house. He then took the bags of groceries from Laura and helped her take them into the kitchen. Laura¡¯s lips moved slightly as she hesitated about whether or not she should thank him. ¡°What are you doing here?¡± Avery said when she hadposed herself. She walked over to Elliot and demanded, ¡°This is where my mother lives. What do you think you¡¯re doing here?¡± A shiver ran down her spine. It was horrifying how easily Elliot had managed to look into her and her mother, and he even found Laura¡¯s exact home address. Her privacy meant nothing to him. Elliot noticed the fear in her eyes, then said, ¡°I¡¯m here for you.¡±Content is ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org. Chapter 68 Chapter 68 Chapter 68 A few words from Elliot were enough to make the defensive walls around Avery¡¯s heart crumble. She had left the house at six in the morning and turned off her phone. He could not reach her and came all the way here. Was he worried about her? ¡°You must be Elliot,¡± Laura said as she noticed the awkward air in the room. ¡°Avery was having a bad day, so I took her out to relieve some stress. She¡¯s fine now. Let me get you something to drink!¡± ¡°Mom!¡± ¡°No, thank you.¡± Avery and Elliot spoke at the same time, making the atmosphere even stranger. Belongs to ? n0velDrama.Org. ¡°He¡¯s leaving now, so don¡¯t mind him. You should sit down and get some rest,¡± Avery said as she led her mom to the couch. She was subtly kicking out her unwee guest. Elliot took the hint and stood up. ¡°I¡¯ll be going now. I¡¯lle by one day to visit,¡± he said. Laura wanted to send him off, but Avery pulled her back and said, ¡°I¡¯m leaving now, too. Stay at home and rest, Mom.¡± She then got up and trailed behind Elliot. Once they were out of the building, she turned to him and said, ¡°Don¡¯t evere here again.¡± Elliot¡¯s expression turned cold. He clenched his jaw as if he had reached the limit of his patience. ¡°I don¡¯t need you to pretend to care about me,¡± Avery continued. ¡°If you really care about me at all, then divorce me.¡± She then turned and walked away. Elliot¡¯s eyes shot icy daggers at her slender back. They were physically close, but their hearts could not be further apart. At the hospital, Cole was rushed into surgery after being sent to the hospital in the middle of the night. If the dismembered finger was preserved well, there was a high possibility of recovery if surgery was done within the next eight hours. He might never regain full function of it, but at least he would not be crippled. After the night¡¯s surgery, Cole did not regain consciousness until two in the afternoon the next day. The terror in his eyes made him appear as if he had been robbed of his sanity. ¡°Cole! Don¡¯t be scared! You¡¯re at the hospital now. You¡¯re safe! Nobody can hurt you now!¡± Olivia cried as she cooed at her son. ¡°Your father has paid off the money you owed.¡± Henry did not look happy. He had to cough up a huge sum of money to pay off the loan sharks after all. He always knew that his son was a good for nothing, but Cole had lost a ridiculous amount of money last night! The tens of thousands that he had lost before were still within Henry¡¯s means, but he had lost over eight million dors this time. Of course, Henry did not pay back the full sum. Since they had already cut off Cole¡¯s finger, he only had to pay off half of the money. Chapter 69 Chapter 69 Chapter 69 ¡°If you ever gamble again, I¡¯ll cut off both of your arms myself!¡± Henry snapped through gritted teeth. ¡°Why are you snapping at him? He just woke up! How could it be possible for him to lose all of that money by himself? I¡¯m sure it was that brat, Cassandra Tate!¡± Olivia cried, then walked out of the room and called Cassandra over. Cassandra walked into the room, took one look at Cole on the hospital bed, and hung her head in guilt. ¡°Mom¡­ Why are you ming Cassandra? Someone deliberately set me upst night, or I wouldn¡¯t have lost that much money!¡± Cole¡¯s voice was weak, but he was more lucid now. ¡°It was Uncle Elliot¡­ Nobody else could have done this! He found out that I used to date Avery Tate and hates me to death now!¡± ¡°I know it was your uncle! He doesn¡¯t care about you or your father!¡± Olivia cried hysterically. ¡°There¡¯s something wrong with him. He¡¯s not normal. We shouldn¡¯t provoke him!¡± Henry shoved his wife aside and yelled, ¡°What are you saying in front of an outsider?! Elliot and I don¡¯t get along because of our huge age gap! If your son had a backbone, Elliot wouldn¡¯t be able to squash him like a bug! Take a look in the mirror and figure it out for yourself! Just looking at the two of you is giving me a headache!¡± He then turned and stormed out of the room. Olivia burst into tears. Cole felt like his head was about to explode. ¡°Don¡¯t cry, Mom! It¡¯s all my fault. I¡¯m a closet! Why did you save me? You should have just let me die!¡± ¡°Elliot! Don¡¯t be like that¡­ You might not be as business-minded as your uncle, but you¡¯re way better than him in my eyes!¡± Cassandra said as she held Cole¡¯s arm. ¡°Focus on recovering, for now, then we wille up with a way to take our revenge on him! Once he¡¯s dead, your father won¡¯tpare you to him again!¡± Cole suddenly calmed down. Olivia¡¯s wailing also came to a halt. ¡°Cole, you¡¯ve seen Avery¡¯s true colors now, right? She¡¯s on your uncle¡¯s side now, so you should let her gopletely! We should get rid of both of them! Once they¡¯re dead, your uncle¡¯s fortune will be ours.¡± Cassandra was revealing her ambitious character. Olivia walked over and stared coldly at her, then said, ¡°What do you bring to the table? I heard your mother took a fortune from the Tate family. Why didn¡¯t she help out with the loan sharksst night?!¡± Cassandra pouted and said, ¡°It¡¯s true that my mom is wealthy, but she¡¯s opening a newpany outside o f the country right now. By the time the business flourishes, our worth might just surpass Elliot Foster¡¯s! The market overseas is much more promising than it is here¡­¡± ¡°Don¡¯t give me that bullsh*t! The way you two were gamblingst night, you would have gone through any amount of money!¡± Olivia snapped. ¡°We won¡¯t do it again! Really! I swear!¡± Cassandra said, raising her hands in defeat as her eyes filled with tears. ¡°We were just curious and decided to try it out. It won¡¯t happen again!¡± ¡°Cole is our family¡¯sst hope because Elliot won¡¯t have children,¡± said Olivia. ¡°Why is that? Is there something wrong with him?¡± Cassandra asked curiously. ¡°I¡¯m not telling you anything! You¡¯re not even my daughter-inw yet,¡± Olivia said coldly. ¡°I¡¯ll only forgive you if you¡¯re able to help Cole from now on.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll do whatever it takes,¡± Cassandra said confidently. ¡°Just you wait. I¡¯ll show you what I¡¯m made of.¡± That evening, Chelsea was sitting at a high-end restaurant with a ss of red wine in her hand. She had no appetite, and her brows furrowed as she said, ¡°Have you lost your mind, Charlie? Are you trying to break my heart by handing over that much money to Avery Tate? If you have too much money, then how about giving it all to me?¡± Charlie shook his head and said, ¡°I can give you however much you want, Chelsea, but you¡¯ve misunderstood me. Does money have anything to do with how Elliot Foster hurt you? He messed with your feelings, so I¡¯m just giving him a taste of his own poison.¡± ¡°Ha¡­ You want to try your luck with Avery Tate? Do you really think Elliot would let you get away with that? He loves her.¡± The more Chelsea thought about it, the more insane the whole thing sounded. ¡°Don¡¯t get yourself mixed up in all of this, Charlie. It¡¯ll be hard on me if you be enemies with Elliot.¡± ¡°I never got along with him anyway,¡± Charlie said nonchntly. ¡°I decided to invest in Tate Industries because they¡¯re not as bad as people think. Once I get my hands on it, I can turn the wholepany around.¡± Chelsea red at her brother and said, ¡°Avery Tate is my arch-nemesis. Are you trying to piss me off by making money for her?¡± ¡°Look on the bright side. Don¡¯t you think she might just fall in love with me if I help her like this?¡± ¡°What if she doesn¡¯t? Don¡¯t get me wrong. You¡¯re an outstanding man, but I still think Elliot is more attractive,¡± Chelsea said as admiration washed across her face. ¡°His assertiveness, his indifference, his self-control-.¡± ¡°Do you know how his father died?¡± Charlie scoffed. He swirled the wine in his ss, then said, ¡°Elliot killed him.¡±Exclusive ? material by N?(/v)elDrama.Org. Chapter 70 Chapter 70 Chapter 70 The admiration on Chelsea¡¯s face instantly vanished into thin air. ¡°I can¡¯t be one hundred percent sure about this, but I¡¯m at least eighty to ny percent sure of it,¡± Charlie continued. ¡°I never told you because I was on decent terms with him before. Besides, I figured that his merits could make me overlook this matter.¡± Chelsea felt a chill run through her entire body. It felt like an eternity before her trembling hand managed t o bring her ss of wine to her lips. ¡°He might be impressive, but he has a huge disadvantage. You shouldn¡¯t worship someone like him. If you were to marry him, I¡¯d be worried for your safety,¡± Charlie said indifferently as he cut into his steak. ¡°I¡¯m sure he had a reason for doing it¡­ I don¡¯t believe that he¡¯s a bad guy¡­¡± Chelsea mumbled after a moment¡¯s silence. ¡°I would know if he was a lost cause. I spent all these years by his side, so I know him like the back of my hand.¡± Charlie chuckled at his sister¡¯s gullibility. ¡°There was a serial killer who was finally caught a while ago. He managed to get away with his crimes for over ten years. The whole time, he was working hard at a normal job, and everyone around him said that h e was honest and kind¡­¡± ¡°Watch your mouth, Charlie Tierney!¡± Chelsea snapped. ¡°I have my own opinions. Mind your own business! ¡°I knew you couldn¡¯t handle me putting him down, which is exactly why I didn¡¯t say a word all these years,¡± Charlie said with an innocent expression, then shrugged and said, ¡°Keep holding on, then! When you decide to give up one day, our family will always wee you back with open arms.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t need that! I have my own properties.¡± ¡°It looks like Elliot Foster pays you well,¡± Charlie teased. Charlie was the Tierney heir, so Chelsea had never asked for a penny from the family after she left and began to fend for herself. ¡°Everything aside, he¡¯s an amazing boss. Even if he will never belong to me, I¡¯m still willing to stay by his side,¡± Chelsea said, then raised her ss and added, ¡°Good luck going after Avery Tate. I know you¡¯ve never failed in pursuing a woman. I hope it¡¯ll be the same this time!¡± ¡°I¡¯m confident it will be,¡± Charlie said smugly as they clinked sses. A weekter, Ben walked into Elliot¡¯s office at Sterling Group with thetest piece of first-hand gossip about Trust Capital to share with him. ¡°Charlie Tierney is interested in investing in Tate Industries, right? Rumor has it that Avery Tate hasn¡¯t given him a solid answer yet,¡± Ben said with the widest grin on his face. ¡°I also heard that he¡¯s been asking Avery out at every opportunity¡­ He invited her out for dinner, asked her out for a hike, and even to an art gallery¡­ It looks like he¡¯s pulling out all the stops, but it¡¯s too bad that Avery¡¯s been indifferent and ignoring all of his advances¡­¡± ¡°Mr. Tierney¡¯s finally met his match!¡± Chad chimed in. ¡°He¡¯s an expert Casanova. Every one of his girlfriends has been more outstanding than thest, and they were all crazy about him. Even after he broke up with him, he still managed to stay on friendly terms with all of them. I didn¡¯t expect Miss Tate not to fall for his charms.¡± Elliot¡¯s face was stiffened with rage. He did not find the whole thing funny at all. The fact that Charlie Tierney was asking his wife out in the name of ¡°work¡± was vile, disrespectful and a tant act of shamelessness. ¡°She hurt her face and hasn¡¯t left the house in a week,¡± Elliot said curtly. Ben and Chad were taken aback. ¡°How did she get hurt?¡± After a moment¡¯s hesitation, Elliot said quietly, ¡°My mother hit her.¡± ¡°What the hell? Was it because of that whole thing with your nephew?¡± ¡°Yes,¡± Elliot said as he shifted his gaze away from hisptop screen. He picked up his cup of coffee, took a sip and said bitterly, ¡°She hasn¡¯t spoken a word to me all week.¡± ¡°Well, did you try to make her feel better after your mother hit her?¡± Ben asked. Elliot shook his head. ¡°Did you get her a gift or something to cheer her up?¡± Chad queried. Elliot continued to shake his head. Both Ben and Chad took deep breaths. Any idiot would be able to figure out why Avery had ignored Elliot for a week! ¡°She wants a divorce. If I asked her what she wanted, she would say she wanted a divorce agreement;¡± Elliot said dejectedly. ¡°If I tried to cheer her up, she would say that I was faking it and that I should divorce her if I truly cared about her.¡± He was afraid of making a move or saying a word because all Avery wanted from him was a divorce. Ben and Chad suddenly felt sympathetic towards him. Elliot was far better than Charlier Tierney in every aspect, but why was his love life such a mess? At the end of the day, one could me it on hisck of experience. After all, most things be easier to handle the second and third time around.Belongs to ? n0velDrama.Org. Chapter 71 Chapter 71 Chapter 71 The first thing they had to do was make it past the first obstacle. Only then would the journey get smoother. ¡°In that case, don¡¯t ask her about it and just get her something,¡± Ben suggested. ¡°You should get her some jewelry. All women love jewelry.¡± ¡°She doesn¡¯t. I¡¯ve never seen her wear any,¡± Elliot said. ¡°How about beauty products? All women use that stuff, right?¡± Chad proposed. ¡°She doesn¡¯t use any. When I went into her room, I didn¡¯t find anything but a cleanser.¡± He could not just give her a measly face cleanser as a gift, could he? Ben did not expect Avery to be so different from all the other women he had met. What was even more unexpected was the fact that the great president of Sterling Group, Elliot Foster, actually snuck into a girl¡¯s room to observe things like this! ¡°Buy her that cleanser, then!¡± Ben said. ¡°It was covered in dust. It didn¡¯t look like she uses it much,¡± Elliot responded. Exclusive ? material by N?(/v)elDrama.Org. Ben and Chad were at a loss for words. ¨C ¡°Clothes, Shoes, bags! She obviously wears clothes and shoes. She must use bags, right?¡± Ben continued to throw out ideas. ¡°I bet she¡¯s devastated after your mother hit her. She won¡¯t talk to you until you take some action.¡± ¡°Actually, I think Miss Tate is different from most women,¡± Chad said. ¡°She¡¯s still in college, so she probably isn¡¯t very materialistic. Gifts might not do much for her.¡± ¡°You have a point,¡± Ben said as a thought popped into his head. ¡°Gifts might help, but what¡¯s more crucial here is the man being proactive with his body.¡± ¡°Meaning?¡± Elliot asked. ¡°Giving hugs and kisses?¡± Chad suggested. ¡°Exactly!¡± Ben eximed. Elliot¡¯s face instantly turned glum. Seeing his change in expression, Ben offered up his assistance, ¡°We can help you if you don¡¯t feel like doing it!¡± ¡°You want to give her hugs and kisses?!¡± Elliot roared. Ben choked and rified, ¡°I mean we can help get her gifts for you! The rest is up to you.¡± ¡°Forget it,¡± Elliot said coldly. He did not want to depend on others to help him in his love life. ¡°It¡¯s not like she¡¯s the only one for me,¡± he added. ¡°Why did you sneak into her room to check out her dusty face cleanser, then?¡± Ben teased. ¡°Stop it, Ben. Give the boss some face,¡± Chad said. ¡°Get out, both of you!¡± Elliot snapped. Chad grabbed Ben and yanked him towards the door. ¡°Chad,¡± Elliot said as they were walking away, ¡°Get me an appointment with Charlie Tierney.¡± ¡°Yes, Sir. When would you like to meet him?¡± ¡°Tonight.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± That evening, Avery decided to take a walk outside after dinner. She had been cooped up indoors for a week and was feeling restless. The bruise on her cheek had worsened after the day she covered it in makeup for her checkup. She also was not using any medication, so it was taking a while for the bruise to heal. Even now, even though it was not as bad as before, you could still notice traces of a purplish bruise if you looked closely. Avery put on a face mask and walked out of the neighborhood. She had barely taken a few steps before a motorcycle rode past her. It had already sped away before she realized that the phone in her hand had vanished! Chapter 72 Chapter 72 Chapter 72 Avery froze in her tracks. When she realized that her phone had just been snatched away, she began to run in the direction that the thief had sped off. However, she stopped running when she remembered that she was pregnant and made her way back toward the house. Mrs. Cooper was on the phone with Elliot about an hourter. ¡°Master Elliot, Madam Avery¡¯s phone was stolen when she was out on a walk earlier. I took her to the station to file a report, but we were told that it was nearly impossible to get the phone back. Madam Avery¡¯s eyes were so red when we got home. She said that there was a lot of important information on her phone. She¡¯s crying by herself in her room right now.¡± She could not allow things to remain as they are, and she thought that if Elliot knew about the matter, he might be able to use his connections to retrieve Elliot¡¯s phone. In truth, she had never confirmed if Avery was actually crying in her room, but she said it on purpose in hopes that Elliot might feel bad and help her. Elliot had an appointment with Charlier Tierney that night. He was already at the restaurant where they were supposed to meet in, and Charlie was expected to arrive at any moment. After receiving Mrs. Cooper¡¯s call, he came to a decision after less than a minute¡¯s consideration. When Charlie arrived at the restaurant and saw nobody but Chad, he raised his brows and asked, ¡°Where¡¯s your boss?¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Mr. Tierney, but Mr. Foster just left. Something happened at home, so he asked me to wait for you here and exin things to you,¡± Chad exined apologetically. ¡°Isn¡¯t that too much of a coincidence?¡± Charlie scoffed. ¡°Could it be that he decided not to meet with me and came up with someme excuse?¡± ¡°Even if Mr. Foster didn¡¯t want to see you, he wouldn¡¯t escape at thest minute,¡± Chad said. ¡°He¡¯s not afraid of anyone.¡± Charlie took a seat, then stared calmly at Chad and said, ¡°From what I recall, he doesn¡¯t have the best rtionship with his family. Who exactly is in trouble for him to ditch me like this?¡± ¡°His wife,¡± answered Chad. Charlie did not have anything to say to that. ¡°I¡¯m guessing Mr. Foster asked to meet you to discuss your dealings with Miss Avery Tate. I may be speaking out of turn, but I have to inform you that Mr. Foster is very fond of Miss Avery. You would be better off keeping your distance from her.¡± After considering it for a moment, Charlie responded, ¡°Have you ever thought of jumping ship, Chad? can offer a significant pay raise.¡± Chad was flustered. ¡°Thank you for the kind offer, Mr. Tierney, but I have no intention of leaving Sterling Group anytime soon. A s long as Mr. Foster doesn¡¯t fire me, I won¡¯t leave his side.¡± ¡°Why¡¯s that?¡± Charlie asked, puzzled. ¡°You can ask Chelsea her reason for not leaving thepany.¡± ¡°She won¡¯t leave because she¡¯s in love with Elliot Foster. Don¡¯t tell me you¡¯re in love with him too?!¡± Charlie chuckled. ¡°I like him, but out of respect,¡± Chad answered honestly. ¡°Everyone always talks about his temper, but there are many facets to a human being. Someone who never smiles isn¡¯t necessarily a bad person, and someone who is always friendly isn¡¯t necessarily pure of heart.¡± ¡°Are you talking about me?¡± Charlie asked. ¡°Of course not,¡± Chad replied. ¡°There is no hidden meaning. You¡¯re a formidable man, but I would never betray Mr. Foster.¡± Chad knew very well that Charlie wanted to poach him so he could use him against Elliot. As his trusty right-hand man, nobody would know Elliot as well as Chad did. ¡°If I decide to turn my back on Mr. Foster today, I could very well do the same thing to you in the future. I¡¯m sure you won¡¯t be able to trust someone like that,¡± Chad said. When Elliot arrived at the police station, the whole station fell into an anxious frenzy. The captain rushed over when he received the call. ¡°Your phone was stolen? That thief must be out of his mind! I¡¯ll get my men on it right away! You have my word that I will get your phone back within the next twenty-four hours!¡± said the captain as he ced his hand on his chest and promised Elliot. ¡°It¡¯s not my phone that was stolen,¡± Elliot said. ¡°Oh! You scared me! I thought it was yours,¡± ¡°It was my wife¡¯s,¡± Elliot said, then took a sip of water and asked, ¡°Can you get it back in twenty-four hours?¡± The captain was taken aback, then said, ¡°Yes! Absolutely! We have surveince cameras everywhere now, so we will definitely get it back! We¡¯ll start a full-fledged investigation right now!¡± Elliot nodded and said, ¡°I appreciate it.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t mention it! We¡¯re just doing our jobs!¡± The captain flipped through the report, then asked, ¡°Is your wife¡¯s name Avery Tate?¡±This content ? N?v/elDr(a)m/a.Org. Chapter 73 Chapter 73 Chapter 73 ¡°That¡¯s her,¡± answered Elliot. ¡°Got it! I¡¯ll remember her name!¡± responded the captain. Back at the Foster mansion, Avery was sitting at her desk and using herptop to sign into her social media ounts so she could post a status update about her stolen phone. She continued to sit at the desk in a daze after that. Maybe it was a good thing if the thief wiped out everything in her phone and sold it off. What she dreaded was a stranger invading her privacy and going through her phone. She ced her hand on her spinning head and sighed heavily. If she knew this was going to happen, she would never have left the neighborhood. She could have just taken her walk in the neighborhood itself! Avery got up from her desk and went into the bathroom. After her shower, she climbed into bed andy down. She had to get a new phone and number the next day. She tossed and turned in bed, unable to fall asleep. The sound of frantic footsteps came from the hallway outside, followed by a knock on her door. ¡°Are you awake, Madam?¡± Mrs. Cooper called. ¡°Master Elliot just called to say that he got your phone back. You just need to go sign some release documents at the station. If you don¡¯t want to go yourself, he can do it for you.¡± Avery leaped out of bed and opened the door. ¡°They found my phone?¡± ¡°Yes! Master Elliot made sure they did,¡± Mrs. Cooper said, making sure to emphasize the key point. ¡°I was the one who called him and told him about the whole thing. You¡¯re not mad, are you?¡± Avery shook her head. She was ecstatic that her phone had been found, how could she possibly be angry? She arrived at the police station with Mrs. Cooper half an hourter. When Avery noticed that Elliot was holding her phone in his hand, she broke into a cold sweat. ¡°Give that to me!¡± she snapped, then rushed forward and tried to snatch her phone out of his hand. Elliot raised his arm over his head before she could grab it. ¡°Are you that afraid of me looking through your phone?¡± he mocked. ¡°Did you?¡± Avery asked as her eyes reddened. ¡°Who gave you permission? Do you have no regard for other people¡¯s privacy at all?! I¡¯m not your toy! You always do this! You never respect me!¡± Everyone around them watched their altercation in stunned silence. Elliot had stayed at the station the whole time to pressure them into getting the phone back. Now that the phone was found in record timing, not only was Avery not grateful, but she was snapping at him. This was the mighty Elliot Foster that put fear in the eyes of all those around him! Where did Avery find the courage to raise her voice at him? The thief was watching them fight, and could not help but interject, ¡°It¡¯s just a bunch of photos of a belly i n there!¡± His words turned Avery¡¯s eyes red with rage and made her body tremble. It was as if she was stripped naked for all to see. When she entered her second trimester, she would take a photo of her belly after every shower to check the progress of her baby bump. Elliot did not check her phone, so hearing the thief¡¯s words made him nce at Avery with a bewildered look on his face.Belongs to ? n0velDrama.Org. Chapter 74 Chapter 74 Chapter 74 Holding back tears, Avery turned in anger and stormed out of the station. She did not sign the release paper, nor did she take her phone back from Elliot. Elliot signed the papers and left the station. On the car ride home, he passed her phone to her and said in a low voice, ¡°I didn¡¯t go through it.¡± Avery took her phone and her breathing was heavy as she said, ¡°But you already know what¡¯s inside.¡± ¡°Are they important? Those photos¡­¡± Avery gritted her teeth and warned herself not to lose her temper with Elliot. He was the one who had helped get her phone back after all. Her hand clenched around her phone as she asked, ¡°If I told you that the baby you had forced me to abort wasn¡¯t Cole¡¯s but yours¡­ Would you feel guilty at all?¡± Elliot turned his head and nced at her. Avery¡¯s expression was serious, and it did not seem like she was kidding. He gulped and responded in a hoarse voice, ¡°From the IVF treatments?¡± ¡°Yes,¡± Avery answered. She met his gaze and said, ¡°You killed your own child with your own hands. Do you feel any guilt?¡± She hoped to see even the slightest hint of remorse on his face to make herself feel better. She prayed that he was a man of flesh and blood and not a cold-blooded money-making machine. The expression on Elliot¡¯s face puzzled her. He knew that he would be breaking her heart, but he still replied indifferently, ¡°I don¡¯t. It was never meant to be born in the first ce.¡± Avery chuckled coldly and asked, ¡°Would you be so calm if your own parents said that about you?¡± ¡°I would thank them if they never gave birth to me,¡± he answered. ¡°Not everyone wishes to be born into this world, Avery.¡± Avery raised her brows. Did he not wish to be born? Howe? Elliot¡¯s mother loved him unconditionally, he had a sessful career, and there were plenty of people around him who treated him like he was the center of their universe¡­ Why was he so pessimistic? Belongs to ? n0velDrama.Org. What exactly did he have to go through? ¡°Are you depressed?¡± Avery asked as she could not help but analyze his words from a medical perspective. ¡°There are treatments for depression. If you¡¯re sick, you should go see a doctor as soon as possible.¡± The expression on Elliot¡¯s face rxed slightly. ¡°If being sick could make you dwell on me, then go ahead and treat me like a sick person!¡± It was close to midnight when they arrived at the mansion. Once Avery was in her room, she was so tired that she did not have the energy to think about anything. She got into bed and fell asleep soon after. That night, she had a dream. She dreamt of the reason behind Elliot¡¯s pessimism. In her dream, she saw a young Elliot and his father. His father was an impossibly strict man that had no patience for his yful son. Young Elliot had to endure the wrath of his father¡¯s ruthless belt until he bled¡­ His howling cries were heartbreaking. The bloody images in her nightmare made her wake up in horror. Outside the window, dawn had broken, and the sky was getting brighter. Avery got up on her arms and began to mumble to herself, trying to make herself feel better, ¡°There¡¯s no way his father would hit him like that. Even if he did, his mother would stop it¡­ Dreams are almost always the opposite of reality. There¡¯s no way he was abused.¡± However, she was strangely certain that Elliot must have gone through something dark to hate the world a s much as he did. Not only did he hate the world, but he also did not want to bring the next generation into it. Nobody was born to be bad. Her loathing for him suddenly lessened slightly. He was not at fault, and neither was she. Fate was the only one to me for entangling their lives together. Chapter 75 Chapter 75 Chapter 75 At breakfast the next morning, Avery and Elliot sat at the dining table in silence. She was having eggs and toast, while he was eating cereal. ¡°Thanks for getting my phone backst night,¡± Avery said, shattering the silence between them. ¡°I¡¯m sorry about my mother,¡± Elliot said, finally expressing the apology that had been bothering him. Avery¡¯s cheeks flushed as she said, ¡°You weren¡¯t the one who hit me. Why are you apologizing?¡± ¡°She shouldn¡¯t have pped your face,¡± Elliot said in a stiff voice. ¡°If anyone touched my face, I would,¡± Before he could finish his sentence, Avery lifted her hand and gently caressed his cheek. His skin was surprisingly smooth and felt good against her fingers. Elliot¡¯s eyes were smoldering as his Adam¡¯s apple rolled in his throat, while his hand trembled slightly around his ss of milk. ¡°Okay, we¡¯re even,¡± Avery said as she withdrew her hand and lowered her head to have a sip of her tea. Her heart was thumping wildly in her chest, and the skin on the fingers that touched his cheek felt like they were on fire. She hurriedly finished her breakfast and returned to her room. The bruise on her face was lighter than the day before, and it did not hurt as much. Avery put on a lightyer of makeup to cover up the bruise. She could no longer stay cooped up in the house. The office had called her multiple times throughout the week, and Trust Capital was sending inquiries every other day. She emerged from the room after she got dressed. Elliot had already left. ¡°Are you going to the office, Madam? Let me get the driver,¡± Mrs. Cooper said then went off to call for the driver. Avery was waiting at the front door when her phone rang. ¡°Do you have time to spare today, Miss Tate?¡± Ben¡¯s voice came through the phone speaker. ¡°I have a favor to ask.¡± ¡°What is it?¡± Avery asked sounding puzzled. ¡°Are you sure I could help?¡± ¡°I¡¯m sure,¡± Ben answered assuredly. ¡°Are you at home? I¡¯lle pick you up. We can talk more when we meet.¡± ¡°Okay,¡± Avery responded hesitantly. Ben arrived at the gates of the mansion half an hourter. Apart from the color, which was white instead of ck, he had the exact same car model as Elliot. ¡°Aren¡¯t you going to the office today, Mr. Schaffer?¡± Avery asked as she hopped into the passenger seat and fastened her seat belt. ¡°I don¡¯t need to clock in at the office,¡± Ben grinned. ¡°We need your help picking out a present.¡± ¡°What do you mean by ¡°we¡±? Who else are we talking about?¡± ¡°The other managers at the office. Elliot¡¯s birthday ising up. We need to get him something, but we¡¯re not sure what to buy. That¡¯s where youe in.¡± ¡°When¡¯s his birthday?¡± Avery asked bashfully. ¡°Do you not care about your husband at all?¡± Ben chuckled as he felt some pity for Elliot. Chelsea worshiped him like a god while Avery treated him like garbage. Even so, he willingly chose to be garbage. Avery¡¯s cheeks reddened with embarrassment. She simply came up with an excuse and said, ¡°I¡¯m pretty busy.¡± ¡°Of course, you are. Yourpany¡¯s going through a rough patch, and you¡¯re working on your thesis. I¡¯m sure you¡¯re even busier than Elliot,¡± Ben said. ¡°You¡¯re making fun of me,¡± Avery said as she noticed the teasing tone in his voice, but she was not angered by it. ¡°I don¡¯t know what he likes. I¡¯m afraid I won¡¯t be of much help.¡± ¡°Of course, you can help,¡± Ben said as he drove the car onto the freeway. ¡°Let¡¯s head to the mall.¡± It was not long before the car came to a halt in front of the city¡¯srgest shopping mall. There was not much of a crowd on a weekday morning. Avery and Ben walked into the department store and went straight to the jewelry section on the first floor. Avery raised her brows in confusion and asked, ¡°Does he like jewelry? I¡¯ve never seen him wear any¡­¡± Was jewelry not a more suitable gift for women? This content ? N?v/elDr(a)m/a.Org. Ben had no choice but to be honest with her. ¡°Elliot has never epted any gifts from us,¡± he said. ¡°But now that he has you, you can ept a gift from us on his behalf.¡± Chapter 76 Chapter 76 Chapter 76 If Ben had mentioned this when he arrived at the house, Avery never would have gotten into his car. ¡°Mr. Schaffer, I know that all of you want to get on Elliot¡¯s good side-¡°Avery began to say. ¡°What do you mean? Haven¡¯t you ever gotten presents for your friends?¡± Ben interjected with a smile. ¡°He always gets us something for our birthdays.¡± ¡°So, you don¡¯t get him a gift just because he told you not to? That just shows that you don¡¯t see him as a friend at all, but as a boss,¡± Avery said. ¡°I don¡¯t think you should drag me into this. If I ept your gift on his behalf, it would be the same as me epting a gift from him. If that¡¯s the case, I won¡¯t be able to take pleasure in reprimanding him when he makes me angry in the future.¡± Ben was bewildered. Take pleasure in reprimanding him? How exactly does Avery treat Elliot every day? Ben began to suspect that his boss had a masochistic side to him. ¡°You should think of something else! I¡¯m leaving,¡± Avery said, then turned and began to walk away. Ben immediately reached out and grabbed her arm. ¡°Miss Tate, Elliot¡¯s birthday this year is different from the ones before,¡± he said. He had already prepared the perfect script, and his professional acting instantly silenced Avery. ¡°It was after hisst birthday that he had gotten into that ident and that rendered him a vegetable. At the time, the doctors said that he didn¡¯t have much longer to live¡­ None of us expected him to pull through, but he woke up in the end. It¡¯s a good thing he did, too. Otherwise, he wouldn¡¯t be able to celebrate his birthday this year¡­¡± Avery¡¯s heart turned as soft as cotton. She put herself in his shoes and thought about how painful it would have been if she was the one who was in aa after getting into a car crash. All Ben wanted was to celebrate Elliot¡¯s birthday and get him a gift to cheer him up. Was that so wrong? ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Miss Tate. We won¡¯t give you anything too expensive. I hope you will be able to ept it with ease,¡± added Ben. Exclusive ? material by N?(/v)elDrama.Org. Avery gestured at the jewelry counter and said, ¡°Everything here is too expensive. Let¡¯s go somewhere else.¡± She finally gave in! ¡°Do you need some beauty products, Miss Tate? I see you¡¯ve got makeup on. Should we get some new makeup products? You¡¯ll need some makeup remover to go along with that, right?¡± Ben was in full swing. ¡°You have slender wrists, Miss Tate. I¡¯m sure a bracelet would look good on you! Let¡¯s get one! It¡¯s pretty cheap! ¡°What do you think of these brand¡¯s bags, Miss Tate? Let¡¯s get something ssy! A ssic style would go with everything and you can it¡¯s big enough to carry a bunch of stuff! It¡¯s both stylish and practical! ¡°Miss Tate¡­ Your shoes are looking worn out. Let¡¯s get you a new pair! I know a store that sells ts that last forever. I¡¯ll take you there!¡± Avery saw a whole new side to Ben. It was like he had never-ending spirit and energy. He also seemed to have a vast knowledge of women¡¯s products. He was able to easily list out everything from the best tampons to the stores with the mostfortable lingerie. He truly was womankind¡¯s best friend. Avery would have been less cautious with him if it were not for the fact that he was Elliot¡¯s CFO. After spending the whole morning shopping, her entire body began to ache. She spotted a cafe and immediately went in and took a seat. She refused to walk into another store. ¡°What would you like to eat, Miss Tate? Go ahead and order whatever you want,¡± Ben said as he passed a menu to her. All Avery could feel was fatigue, so she was not very hungry. ¡°Don¡¯t call me out for things like this again, Mr. Schaffer. I¡¯m only helping you out this once.¡± There were about twenty to thirty gifts in total. Avery felt restless and uneasy. She should not have given in so easily. However, when she thought of Elliot now, his face was less loathsome to her than before. Her head began to ache. Ben took a sip of water, then said casually, ¡°Sure thing. Thanks for your help today! You haven¡¯t gotten back to Charlie Tierney with an answer, have you?¡± ¡°Not yet,¡± Avery responded. ¡°He sent me an emailst night with a revised proposal. I haven¡¯t gotten a chance to look at it.¡± ¡°He¡¯s really pulling out all the stops for a chance to work with you!¡± Ben said, then Chapter 77 Chapter 77 Chapter 77 Avery was distracted until a thought suddenly popped into her head. ¡°Did Elliot have anything to do with what happened to Cole Foster?¡± she asked. Ben was dumbfounded. ¡°Why do you think he did? Didn¡¯t Cole Foster get into trouble himself with his gambling? What does that have to do with Elliot?¡± Avery took a sip of water, then said, ¡°He said he was the one who nned it. He even told me to get down on my knees and beg.¡± Ben was at a loss for words. He picked up his own ss of water and took a sip, then said, ¡°What are you two doing? What couple is always getting into fights like the two of you¡­ It turns out you both do it on purpose. Do you both find joy i n fighting with each other?!¡± Naturally, Avery refused to admit it. ¡°I don¡¯t have such a weird hobby. He¡¯s the one who¡¯s always provoking me.¡± ¡°Exactly! I¡¯m sure he feels the same!¡± ¡°Which is exactly why we don¡¯t get along,¡± Avery said, taking another sip of water. ¡°Disagreements are normal in a rtionship. Some people even fall deeper in love the more they fight.¡± ¡°Most couples break up the more they fight,¡± Avery said. ¡°Don¡¯t you think Chelsea Tierney is a better match for him? Nothing¡¯s ever gone wrong in the ten years they¡¯ve known each other¡­¡± ¡°Nothing¡¯s gone wrong because there was nothing there. Elliot feels nothing for Chelsea.¡± ¡°I see¡­ I almost forgot¡­¡± The one he loved was the woman who looked like a princess. After lunch, Avery took a cab to Tate Industries. Ben sent the day¡¯s winnings back to the Foster mansion, then drove to Sterling Group. Of course, he did not forget to unt his victory in front of Elliot. ¡°I bought her thirty-one gifts this morning,¡± Ben said. ¡°She was very happy.¡± Elliot looked up to nce atContent is ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org. Ben and said, ¡°Did you force her into it?¡± Ben cocked an eyebrow and said, ¡°Could you tell?¡± Elliot raised his brows and silently watched his performance. ¡°When I asked her to pick out a bracelet, she stared at a specific ne for more than three seconds. I went back to get it after she left.¡± Ben pulled out a jewelry box and opened it, revealing a diamond ne. The diamonds were small, so the ne was not too expensive. ¡°Give it to her when you get home tonight,¡± Ben said as he passed the box to Elliot. Elliot fiddled with the box with his fingers. His sharp eyes were fixed on Ben as he asked, ¡°How did you get her to ept the gift?¡± ¡°I told her that your first birthday after the ident wasing up-¡± Elliot frowned, then snapped, ¡°There¡¯s still a long way until my birthday!¡± ¡°I was just helping you cheer her up,¡± Ben said. ¡°She didn¡¯t look that happy on the surface, but I¡¯m sure she was happy on the inside.¡± ¡°You¡¯re no help at all,¡± Elliot said in a low voice. Ben stayed silent. ¡°Give me the receipts,¡± Elliot said. ¡°It¡¯s fine! Take it as my birthday gift to you,¡± Ben replied. ¡°Give me the receipts!¡± Elliot roared. Avery returned home in the evening. ¡°I¡¯ve sent all the gifts to your room, Madam,¡± said Mrs. Cooper. Avery¡¯s cheeks turned pink as she responded, ¡°Thanks¡­ Is Elliot home yet?¡± ¡°He got back around four in the afternoon.¡± Avery¡¯s heart suddenly began to race. ¡°I¡¯lle down after he¡¯s had dinner¡­ I¡¯m going to my room.¡± Once she was in her room, Avery began to take out the gifts from their bags. She suddenly noticed a red, square-shaped box. ¡°I don¡¯t think we bought this today,¡± she mumbled to herself, then opened the box. The ne in the box was the one that she had noticed and found to be quite lovely at the jewelry store earlier. Chapter 78 Chapter 78 Chapter 78 Avery was certain that they did not buy this ne that morning. How was it now right in front of her? She walked out of her room and bumped into Elliot who was walking down the stairs. She tried to calm the nervousness inside of her and asked, ¡°What¡¯s up with this ne?¡± On the surface, it might look like this had nothing to do with him, but her instincts told her otherwise. She was sure that Ben told him about it. Elliot¡¯s expression was slightly uneasy as he answered, ¡°Ben bought it.¡± After a pause, he added, ¡°I took a look at the price, and it was too cheap. Nobody wanted it so I brought it back to you.¡± Avery was piecing together the words in her head trying to figure out a way to return the ne to him, but his words made her mind go nk. He gave it to her because it was so cheap that nobody else wanted it. Great! If that was the case, then she will just ept it! ¡°Let¡¯s have dinner together,¡± Elliot called out. Avery wanted to refuse, but her body was more honest than her mind was. Perhaps it was because she had epted a gift from him? The two of them took their seats at the dining table. Once Mrs. Cooper was done serving their dinner, she dismissed herself and walked out of the room. Avery picked at her food and ate slowly. Elliot had taken the initiative to ask her to join him for dinner. Did that mean that he had something to say to her? On top of that, he must have given his blessing for Ben to buy all of those gifts for her, right? A frenzy of thoughts bounced around in her head as the piece of meat at the end of her fork remained suspended in midair without reaching her mouth. Elliot noticed that she was distracted and asked, ¡°What¡¯s on your mind? Did Charlie Tierney contact you?¡± Avery took a bite of her food and said, ¡°Do you know him well?¡± ¡°We were ssmates,¡± Elliot answered calmly, then said something that took Avery by surprise. ¡°Do you want to see his ex-girlfriends?¡± Avery choked on her food and coughed violently. She put down her knife and fork, then took arge gulp of water. Elliot produced a file out of nowhere and slid it across the table to her. Avery nced at the file and then turned her gaze to him. She stared deeply at him. She found his behavior to be extremely strange. Her rtionship with Charlie Tierney was purely one of business. Why did he want to show her information about Charlie¡¯s exes? He even printed out all of their details for her¡­ His actions were beyond herprehension. Elliot did not expect her to stare at him so daringly. ¡°Didn¡¯t you know that he¡¯s trying to date you?¡± he asked. Avery¡¯s jaw dropped. ¡°Does he not know that I¡¯m your wife?¡± ¡°He does, but marriages end and people cheat.¡± Judging by her astonishment, Elliot could confirm that she had no knowledge of Charlie¡¯s ulterior motives. ¡°I see¡­¡± Avery said as she picked up the file and flipped through the pages. ¡°All of his exes are so sexy! Look at those hourss figures! They all have gorgeous full lips too. Red lipstick looks especially good on lips like that¡­ You men¡¯must all love women like this, huh?¡± Elliot¡¯s lips pressed into a thin line. He had shown the file to Avery so that she would realize that she was not Charlie Tierney¡¯s cup of tea, not to discuss the matters of men and women with her. ¡°You said he wants to date me, but it doesn¡¯t look like I¡¯m his type at all. Why would he even bother?¡± As Avery asked her question, the answer popped into her head almost immediately. ¡°To take revenge for his sister?¡± ¡°You¡¯re not as dumb as I thought,¡± Elliot mocked. Avery red at him and said, ¡°Wouldn¡¯t this ruin your rtionship with him, though? With your temper, you would go after someone even if they took a grain of salt from you.¡± Elliot¡¯s face turned solemn as he said, ¡°We haven¡¯t had a rtionship for a long time.¡± ¡°I see..¡± Avery responded, then picked up her knife and fork and continued with her meal. ¡°So, do you know what you need to do now?¡± Elliot asked. He needed an answer from her. ¡°I had a meeting with the executives at the office earlier today. All of them are in favor of working with Trust Capital.¡±Exclusive content ? by N?(v)el/Dr/ama.Org. Chapter 79 Chapter 79 Chapter 79 ¡°You have the power to reject,¡± Elliot said. ¡°Just eat your food!¡± Avery snapped. ¡°Even if I decide to work with Charlie Tierney, it doesn¡¯t mean that I will fall in love with him. Why do you think that I¡¯ll give in to his advances? Do I seem that easy to you?¡± Elliot fell silent. Avery returned to her room after dinner, opened Charlie¡¯s email, and looked through its contents. A wave of uneasiness washed over her after she finished reading it. She did not know a thing about running apany, but she understood Charlie¡¯s proposal very well. ¡± If they go in the direction that he suggested, Tate Industries might just be able toe back from the dead. If it were not for the fact that Charlie was Chelsea Tierney¡¯s brother, she would have immediately agreed t o work with him. Avery shut herptop andy down on her bed. She picked up her phone and saw a text from Tammy. [I slept with Jun Hertz! Ugh! I think I¡¯m in love with him! Avery did not expect things to turn out the way they did. However, apart from being a little strange, Jun Hertz was not a bad catch at all. Avery: (Work things out with him if you¡¯re in love. This is your fate! Tammy: (He said he wants me to meet someone important tomorrow but won¡¯t tell me who it is. I¡¯m so nervous!) Avery: (Maybe he wants to surprise you.) Tammy: (A surprise is fine, but I don¡¯t need a fright. Let¡¯s talk about your husband! Do you sleep in the same room?) Avery¡¯s cheeks flushed as she replied: (I¡¯m in the guest bedroom. There¡¯s nothing much to talk about him. Stop asking.) Tammy: (Is he good looking?) Avery did not want to answer at first, but Elliot¡¯s handsome face popped into her mind and she could not help herself from texting back: [Yes.] Tammy: [Damn, Avery! You sure are lucky! How old is he?] Avery: [He¡¯s up there. He¡¯s pretty much an old man to us.) Tammy: (Older men have their advantages. They¡¯re gentle, thoughtful, and know how to treat you well.] Avery: (I think you¡¯ve been watching too many romantic dramas.) Tammy: [Didn¡¯t you say he was good looking? That¡¯s all you need! A handsome face can make up for all a man¡¯s shorings!] At breakfast the next day, Avery deliberately stared at Elliot for longer than usual. The more she nced at his thick brows, smoldering eyes, chiseled nose, and seductive lips, the more attractive he seemed. She recalled what Tammy had said the night before, and began to believe that a handsome face might just be able to make up for all of a man¡¯s faults. Elliot ignored her tant observation of him and asked, ¡°Do you have time tonight?¡± Avery¡¯s heart skipped a beat. Was he asking her out? ¡°I think so,¡± Avery said as she lowered her gaze and took a bite of toast. ¡°I¡¯ll get the driver to pick you up in the afternoon.¡± ¡°Where are we going?¡± ¡°You¡¯ll find out when we get there.¡± This was a vast improvement from the time Elliot had taken her to a recital without previously asking her about it. He was at least giving her a heads up this time. At 5p.m. that evening, Jun brought Tammy to a high-end restaurant. ¡°Do you remember that friend I mentioned before?¡± Jun asked as he held Tammy¡¯s hand like he did not want to be apart from her for a second. ¡°The one who suddenly got a wife.¡± Tammy thought about it and the memory popped back into her mind. ¡°Do you mean the one who had a shotgun marriage? The one who got you to help out his wife when she got in trouble but got mad when she actually came out to meet you?Content is ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org. Chapter 80 Chapter 80 Chapter 80 Jun nodded and said, ¡°That¡¯s him! I met him when I was abroad. He¡¯s eight years older than I am. We were neighbors when he was in college. I was always following him around back then.¡± ¡°You kept in touch with him despite the huge age gap?¡± Tammy asked. ¡°Yes! I always go to him when I¡¯m troubled,¡± Jun answered. Tammy nced at his face and teased, ¡°What kind of troubles could a young man like you possibly have?¡± ¡°I want to start my own business, but my family is against it. He has a sessful career. Even my dad admires him, so I need him to help me convince him.¡± Tammy was suddenly filled with excitement. ¡°What¡¯s his name? I¡¯m sure I¡¯ve heard of him before if he¡¯s a sessful businessman.¡± ¡°You probably have heard of him,¡± Jun said as he took a sip of water. ¡°It¡¯s Elliot Foster.¡± Tammy¡¯s eyes widened in astonishment. She let go of Jun¡¯s hand and eximed, ¡°He¡¯s married?! Oh my god! I have a friend who worships him¡­ She¡¯ll be devastated if she finds out about this!¡± ¡°Your friend isn¡¯t the only one who looks up to him. With his worth and status, plenty of women would have their eyes on him. His wife is way out of his league.¡± ¡°Huh? Who¡¯s his wife? I¡¯m so jealous!¡± Tammy pouted as she turned green with envy. Jun wanted to continue to keep her guessing on purpose. ¡°She¡¯s a nobody. You wouldn¡¯t know her even if I told you. You¡¯ll see when they arrive,¡± he said, then added, ¡°By the way, don¡¯t mention anything about how Elliot got me to help her out before, okay?¡± Tammy nodded eagerly. She was curious to see what kind of a ¡°nobody¡± managed to snag the formidable business tycoon, Elliot Foster. Avery put on a new dress for the evening. However, she felt that it looked too solemn and decided to wear an old jacket over it. When the driver arrived at Tate Industries to pick her up, he said, ¡°You look beautiful today, Madam.¡± Avery¡¯s cheeks turned crimson red. All she did was put on some foundation and lipstick. Did she really look that different from usual? Once she was in the car, Avery pulled out a small mirror from her back and observed her face. Perhaps it was due to her good mood, but her rosy cheeks made her look exceptionally lovely. Elliot and Avery arrived at the restaurant at six in the evening. When they stepped onto the second floor, Tammy instantly recognized the woman standing next to Elliot as¡­ Avery! Tammy felt her soul escape her body. The whole world stood still as everything before her eyes began to twist out of shape, then suddenly return to normal. The wife that Elliot Foster married in a sh was none other than her best friend, Avery Tate! She was close to tears from the thrill of it all. When Avery noticed Tammy and Jun, she raised her brows and asked Elliot, ¡°Do you know Jun Hertz?¡± A strong sense of foreboding began to rise inside of her. Elliot fook in her sudden change in emotion and answered, ¡°We were neighbors when I was studying abroad.¡± They walked over to their table where the waiter pulled back their chairs and helped them into their seats. Avery lowered her gaze as her chest began to rise and fall rapidly. She had no idea that Elliot and Jun knew each other. From the looks of it, their rtionship was not bad at all. Otherwise, they would not have a private meeting like this. Why exactly did Elliot bring her here to meet Jun Hertz?Content is ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org. Chapter 81 Chapter 81 Chapter 81 Tammy was frantically sending signals at Avery with her eyes, but all Avery could think about was the rtionship between Elliot and Jun. ¡°Miss Tate, the reason why I never told you that I knew Elliot was because I did not want to make you feel troubled,¡± Jun began to exin himself with a smile. ¡°You didn¡¯t exactly get along well before this. I didn¡¯t mean to hide it from you¡­ I really do want to buy your father¡¯spany.¡± Tammy moved her phone under the table and sent Avery a text. Tammy: (Don¡¯t listen to him, Avery! Elliot Foster is the one who wants to buy Tate Industries! It¡¯s Elliot Foster!) Avery nced at her phone on the table and opened up the text. She read it and gazed coldly at Jun. ¡°Did you tell Elliot about your interest in buying mypany?¡± she asked. Jun¡¯s warm smile remained on his face as he said, ¡°I did. I asked for his opinion and he told me it was worth a try. As I told you before, I¡¯ve been looking for investment opportunities ever since I graduated college.¡± Avery received yet another text from Tammy: (He¡¯s lying! He¡¯s just Elliot Foster¡¯s pawn!] Her heart tightened as she continued to interrogate Jun. ¡°Did you really get the money from your father? Does he have time to meet up tomorrow? I¡¯d like to talk to him.¡± Exclusive ? material by N?(/v)elDrama.Org. Jun turned pale as he responded, ¡°I borrowed the money! I didn¡¯t tell you because I was embarrassed¡­¡± ¡°Who lent you the money?¡± Avery pried. Elliot, who was sitting in silence throughout the entire conversation, finally spoke up. ¡°I did,¡± he said. Tammy sent Avery another text: (They¡¯re both lying! Elliot Foster is Mr.Z! Jun told me himself just now! You have to expose them right now!) Avery had one hand clenched tightly around her phone and the other gripping her ss of water. Her face was rid of color, and her lips were pale from her biting down on them. Elliot was Mr. Z. He wanted to use Jun¡¯s name to buy out Tate Industries. No matter what his objectives were, Elliot¡¯s actions left a bad taste in her mouth. Why did he not make the offer himself? Was he looking down on Tate Industries? Or was this his way of humiliating her? The night of her first meeting with Mr. Z popped into Avery¡¯s mind. Elliot was furious that she had gone out to meet aplete stranger and made her suffer through the entire night. Did he think she was an idiot? Was it exciting for him to have her wrapped around his finger? If there were no other people around them, Avery would have pped Elliot in the face. Even if she did that, however, what would that change? Avery took arge gulp of water, stood up, and stormed off. ¡°Wait for me, Avery!¡± Tammy cried as she picked up her bag and trailed after Avery. Jun¡¯s jaw dropped in mortification. What the hell? Did they know each other? ¡°Elliot¡­ I¡¯m sorry¡­ I had no idea that they were friends!¡± His mind was in a frenzy of thoughts as his cheeks turned crimson. He messed up! Elliot¡¯s expression was cold as he curled his fingers to form a fist. ¡°I thought your girlfriend looked familiar when you sent me her photo yesterday. Then, I recalled seeing her when I was at the concert hall with Avery before. She told me that she had friends there at the time.¡± ¡°I see¡­ So, you brought Avery along to meet me because you knew they were friends!¡± Jun said with a dumbfounded expression on his face. ¡°Why did you take the risk of Avery finding out about all of this and bring her here?¡± ¡°Did you tell your girlfriend anything?¡± Elliot asked. Jun scratched his head and answered truthfully, ¡°I said some things before you got here. It was just some information to make conversation easier with you¡­ Why is Avery so upset about this? Isn¡¯t she overreacting even if you were the one who wanted to acquire herpany? It¡¯s a lot of money that we¡¯re talking about here! Nobody else other than you would be willing to cough up that amount to buy out Tate Industries.¡± ¡°She can¡¯t ept the fact that I¡¯m Mr. Z,¡± Elliot replied hoarsely. Chapter 82 Chapter 82 Chapter 82 If he could turn back time, Elliot would not change a thing. He was not perfect. Avery¡¯s appearance in his life was what made him decide to try to critique, examine, and correct his own behavior. If it were not for their constant fights and misunderstandings, his feelings for her would not b e this deeply rooted in his heart. Tammy caught up to Avery outside of the restaurant and grabbed her arm. ¡°I can¡¯t believe you¡¯re married to Elliot Foster, Avery! This is massive news!¡± Tammy eximed as her head spun from the excitement of the evening¡¯s events. Avery, on the other hand, felt like there was a lump stuck in her throat. ¡°You saw it yourself. He¡¯s just messing around with me.¡± ¡°Jun said that he just wanted to help you but was too embarrassed about it,¡± Tammy said. She did not think that things were that bad to warrant such a reaction from Avery. Exclusive content ? by N?(v)el/Dr/ama.Org. ¡°Let¡¯s head back inside, Avery! We should let him exin¡­¡± Avery shook off Tammy¡¯s grip. Her tone was determined and cool as she said, ¡°You go ahead! I want to be alone.¡± She hailed a cab and left. When Tammy turned to return to the restaurant, Elliot was walking out of the building. He took quick steps as if he had decided to chase after Avery. Tammy pointed in the direction Avery left in and said, ¡°She took a cab and went that way.¡± Elliot nodded in thanks, then hurried toward the parking lot. Jun came outside right after Elliot left. He approached Tammy with eyes filled with usation and said, ¡°You¡¯re a spy!¡± Tammy¡¯s cheeks were flushed, but she lifted her chin high and said, ¡°How long have I known you? Of course, I¡¯d be on my best friend¡¯s side.¡± ¡°I suspect you dated me just to dig information!¡± Jun scoffed. ¡°Exactly!¡± Tammy said without remorse. ¡°Now that I¡¯ve gotten the information that I needed, we can keep this going if you want, or end things if you don¡¯t! We haven¡¯t known each other for long, anyway. We should go our separate ways rights now while things aren¡¯t that serious!¡± Jun took in a tortured breath. He wanted to speak, but he was afraid of saying the wrong things. He was not quite willing to let Tammy go, but he did not want her to see how desperate he was for her. ¡°Don¡¯t think about breaking up with me before Elliot and Avery work things out! You have to make sure they make up,¡± Jun proposed. ¡°You started this mess!¡± ¡°What does this have to do with me? I wasn¡¯t the one who lied to her!¡± Tammy refused. ¡°Didn¡¯t you see that she wore makeup today? She had never dressed up whenever we met. I¡¯m sure that she did all of this for Elliot,¡± theorized Jun. ¡°They¡¯d be just fine if you kept your mouth shut!¡± Tammy was close to being convinced by his ridiculous logic. ¡°Elliot treats her really well. Won¡¯t you be touched if a man is willing to cough up all of that money to help pay off your debt?¡± Jun asked. Tammy nodded and said, ¡°I guess, but Avery isn¡¯t an unreasonable person. I¡¯m sure she has her own reasons for being this angry. I¡¯m still on her side.¡± Jun raised his hand and held his head. Tammy grabbed onto his arm and said, ¡°As my boyfriend, you should be on my side! They¡¯re like a wolf and a sheep. Why should you feel bad for a big, bad wolf¡± Jun was at a loss for words. ¡°I¡¯m hungry. Let¡¯s go eat!¡± Tammy said, then pulled him back into the restaurant. Avery had taken the cab to her mother¡¯s house. She had nowhere else to go. When Laura saw her daughter¡¯s pale face and dazed expression, she immediately pulled her in and sat her down on the couch. ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Did you get into a fight with Elliot?¡± If it were not because of Elliot, Avery would still be at the Foster mansion no matter how bad a mood she was in, and not here at her home. Chapter 83 Chapter 83 Chapter 83 ¡°I really want to turn back time, Mom,¡± Avery mumbled. ¡°I don¡¯t care if we¡¯re poor.¡± ¡°No matter what happens, running away is never the solution,¡± Laura said as she sat down next to her daughter. ¡°If you can¡¯t handle your father¡¯spany, just let it go. There will always be opportunities to make money, but you can¡¯t forgo your studies.¡± Avery nced at her mother and caressed the wrinkles on her face, then said, ¡°I won¡¯t run away. I¡¯m just a little tired.¡± ¡°Take a break if you¡¯re tired. Have you had dinner?¡± Avery shook her head. ¡°Let me whip something up for you,¡± Laura said, then walked into the kitchen, At eight in the evening, Avery went into her room to rest while Laura left to take out the trash. It began to rain. It was not heavy, but it was a constant drizzle. Laura could not be bothered to walk back upstairs to grab an umbre, so she braved the rain and ran toward the dumpster. Exclusive ? material by N?(/v)elDrama.Org. She threw the trash into the dumpster and turned back toward the apartment. That was the moment she saw a silhouette standing at attention at the front entrance of the building. She did not notice it when she had rushed out earlier. Laura ran back toward the entrance and nced at the tall silhouette. She was startled when she recognized the face in the rain. The man¡¯s handsome features were drenched, and his formidable pride was washed down the drain along with the rainwater. ¡°Elliot?!¡± Laura eximed. ¡°What are you doing here? Why are you standing in the rain?¡± She grabbed Elliot¡¯s arm and pulled him toward the apartment entrance. Elliot pulled his arm back and said, ¡°I¡¯m not going in.¡± Thest time he was here, Avery had warned him never toe back here. If he went in now, she would be furious. ¡°Why not? You¡¯re here for Avery, right? She didn¡¯t tell me why she was upset, but I already knew it was because you two had a fight,¡± Laura said. Elliot lifted her hand to wipe the rain off of his face, then said inly, ¡°I want to apologize to her.¡± ¡°Come in with me, then! How are you supposed to apologize out here? She wouldn¡¯t want to see you getting drenched out here, either!¡± Laura said frantically. Elliot escorted Laura into the building, then said, ¡°I¡¯m afraid she won¡¯t want to see me in your house.¡± ¡°The two of you really need to talk things out properly! Let me go talk to Avery!¡± Since Laura could not convince him, she could only try to convince her daughter. When she entered the apartment, she rushed straight into the room. Avery leaped out of bed when she saw her mother¡¯s wet clothes. ¡°Is it raining out there? Why didn¡¯t you bring an umbre? You¡¯re going to get sick,¡± Avery said as she led her mother to the bathroom. ¡°Go and take a shower now¡­¡± ¡°Avery¡­ Elliot¡¯s outside,¡± Laura said as she held Avery¡¯s hand. ¡°He was standing in the rain. God knows how long he¡¯s been out there, but he¡¯spletely drenched¡­ Did you turn off your phone? Won¡¯t you let him up here?¡± Avery was stunned. ¡°He said he wants to apologize to you, but he won¡¯te with me, so I came up to let you know,¡± Laura sighed. ¡°Why don¡¯t you go get him so you can have a nice talk up here?¡± Avery¡¯s head began to throb in pain. ¡°I don¡¯t want to see him. If he¡¯s willing to get rained on, then let him!¡± she said with a frown, then changed the subject and said, ¡°I¡¯ll go get you a cup of tea.¡± When Laura reemerged after her shower, a piping hot cup of tea was sitting on the dining table. Avery was sitting at the table in a daze and lost in unknown thoughts. ¡°I think he needs this cup of tea more than I do ¡± Laura said. ¡°I¡¯ll throw it out if you don¡¯t want it,¡± Avery said as she picked up the cup and made her way toward the kitchen. ¡°He doesn¡¯t look as bad as you think, Avery,¡± Laura said as she caught up to Avery and grabbed hold of her arm. ¡°The rain¡¯s getting heavier. Do you really not feel bad for him at all?¡± Chapter 84 Chapter 84 Chapter 84 ¡°What about me?¡± Avery said as she ced the cup of tea on the kitchen counter, then made her way back to the room. ¡°He¡¯s never treated me with respect, not even just for a day.¡± ¡°The two of you are frompletely different worlds. It¡¯s understandable for him to be a little stand- offish toward you,¡± Laura said. ¡°Forget about his past. Focus on who he is right now and who he will be in the future¡­¡± Avery raised her brows, puzzled, and asked, ¡°Why are you speaking up for him? Do you think h e could suddenly find some kindness in his heart to let me keep the children?¡± Laura fell silent. ¡°I¡¯m sure he has his reasons for not wanting children,¡± she said after a brief pause. ¡°I think the fact that he¡¯s willing to swallow his pride ande here to apologize to you is a sign that h e does care for you.¡± Avery covered her ears with her hands and said, ¡°I¡¯m going to bed. My head hurts.¡± Seeing her adamant refusal, Laura had nothing else to say. She walked out of the room and nned to go downstairs to talk Elliot into leaving. Avery let out a long, heavy sigh when her mother left the room¡­ She had a splitting headache. It hurt so badly that she could not think. The mere thought of Elliot¡¯s name and face made it feel like there was an invisible force wrapped around her throat. Laura returned to the house about twenty minutester. She walked into the room and sighed when she saw Avery fast asleep. Elliot was still downstairs. He refused to leave no matter what Laura said. She nned on getting Avery to go and talk to him, but she could only let her rest now that she was asleep. As for Elliot¡­ They could only pray that the rain stopped soon. The rain went on all through the night. In fact, it got heavier during theter part of the night and eventually turned into a full-blown thunderstorm. Laura was startled awake by the rain in the middle of the night. She wanted to check on Elliot, but she was so afraid of getting the same result that she forced herself to stay in bed. At six the next morning, Laura threw on a jacket and ran downstairs. It was an old neighborhood, so a night¡¯s heavy rain was all it took for the area to be flooded. Seeing that Elliot was nowhere in sight, Laura let out a sigh of relief. It would be great if he finally decided to go through with the divorce after this. What she was afraid of was having things go back to the way they were. At 11 a.m. at the Sterling Group headquarters, Jun appeared in a hurry at Elliot¡¯s office on the top floor. ¡°Hey, Chad. I couldn¡¯t reach Elliot, so I came to check things out. He got into a huge fight with Avery last night. I¡¯m guessing they went at it again after they left.¡± Chad was already slowly getting used to their fights. ¡°I heard that Avery went for a tour of Trust Capital this morning,¡± he said. ¡°That¡¯s exactly why I¡¯m here,¡± Jun said. ¡°She went over there with her management team. I¡¯m almost certain that she won¡¯t sell to Elliot afterst night¡¯s fiasco.¡± Chad poured a ss of water for Jun, then said after a moment¡¯s consideration, ¡°If she really decides to work with Charlier Tierney, then there¡¯s nothing else we can do about it.¡± ¡°I just think that she¡¯s gone too far!¡± Jun said as he was determined to stay on Elliot¡¯s side.¡± What did Elliot do wrong? He just told a little white lie out of the kindness of his heart. The only reason he asked me to cover for him was because he was worried that Avery would be too proud to ept his help¡­¡± ¡°You¡¯re still young, Jun. Mr. Foster isn¡¯t just thinking of acquiring Tate Industries out of kindness. The company isn¡¯t as bad as you think it is. It does have some value to it.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± Content is ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org. ¡°Avery Tate is a woman, after all, so she would be more emotional. The reason she¡¯s upset isn¡¯t the money, but because she felt like her feelings were betrayed.¡± Chapter 85 Chapter 85 Chapter 85 The reality of it finally hit Jun. ¡°What now? Would Elliot have to go and beg for her forgiveness?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll go check on them after work,¡± Chad said. ¡°Should I get my girlfriend to go see Avery?¡± ¡°Who¡¯s your girlfriend?¡± Jun cleared his throat and said, ¡°She¡¯s Avery¡¯s best friend¡­ She was the one who revealed everything to Avery. I swear¡­ If I didn¡¯t like her that much, I would¡¯ve broken up with herst night!¡± Chad sighed and said, ¡°You sure know how to pick them!¡± ¡°She saw right through me. How was I supposed to know that they were so skillful?¡± ¡°It looks like you¡¯re going to have to keep your mouth shut in front of her from now on. You¡¯re no longer one of us.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll make sure to stand my ground!¡± Jun said bitterly. ¡°For Elliot¡¯s sake!¡± That evening, Ben and Chad arrived at the Foster mansion to see Elliot. ¡°Master Elliot came home around five in the morning¡­ His bodyguard said that he spent the night in the rain outside of Madam Avery¡¯s mother¡¯s house. They only managed to get him home after he passed out around four in the morning,¡± Mrs. Cooper reported. ¡°He¡¯s in his room right now. He had a fever in the morning that broke in the afternoon, but he¡¯s heating u p again now.¡± Ben and Chad did not know what to say. When had Elliot Foster ever been in this sort of pathetic situation? He actually spent a night out in the rain for Avery Tate! ¡°The stormst night was brutal,¡± Ben said with furrowed brows. ¡°It got worse after midnight. Theke in my neighborhood had overflowed,¡± Chad said. ¡°Nobody would be able to pull through a night in that storm no matter how healthy they are!¡± Chad turned to Mrs. Cooper, then asked, ¡°Where¡¯s Miss Avery? Is she not home?¡± Mrs. Cooper shook her head and said, ¡°She won¡¯t answer my calls. She always used to pick up when I called. It looks like this fight between them was especially bad.¡± was At that moment, the doctor walked down from the second floor. ¡°How¡¯s he doing, Doc?¡± Ben asked. ¡°His fever still hasn¡¯t broken,¡± replied the doctor. ¡°If this goes on, he¡¯s sure to get pneumonia. I¡¯m afraid his lungs might have already been infected. I suggested taking him to the hospital, but he won¡¯t listen. ¡°How could we allow that?¡± Mrs. Cooper said ftantically. ¡°I¡¯ll call Madarn Avery again. Master Elliot never listens to anyone but her.¡± Ben frowned, then made his way out of the house. Chad trailed along behind him and said, ¡°What if she doesn¡¯t pick up the phone again?¡± ¡°I¡¯m going to look for her,¡± Ben said.Exclusive ? material by N?(/v)elDrama.Org. ¡°Do you know where she is?¡± ¡°She should be with Charlie Tierney right now. He seemed especially happy in his social media posts earlier today.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll stay here while you go, then. If things go bad, I¡¯ll just have to take Mr. Foster to the hospital by force.¡± Ben nodded and left the mansion. Chateau Juliet was one of Avonsville¡¯s oldest and most expensive high-end restaurants. Avery did not want to go, but herpany¡¯s management team insisted and eventually made her give in after half an hour of pestering. It was notpletely due to their persuasion that she decided to show up. She was just tired of pretending and did not want to pass her bad mood onto her mother, so she figured it was better for her to stay out of the house for now. Charlie ced a ss of apple juice in front of her. Avery picked up the ss and took a sip. Suddenly, the doors to the private room burst open. Chelsea¡¯s exquisite face appeared in the vision of everyone in the room. She charged toward Avery with a raging fury. ¡°Are you enjoying the feeling of being pursued by two different men?¡± she said through gritted teeth. She picked up a ss of water from the table and sshed it onto Avery¡¯s face. Chapter 86 Chapter 86 Chapter 86 Avery¡¯s face was wet. Even though the water was warm, she felt chilly. ¡°Chelsea! What are you doing!¡± Charlie got up immediately, grabbed Chelsea¡¯s arm, and pulled her aside. ¡°Charlie! Don¡¯t stop me! I¡¯m going to teach her a lesson tonight!¡± Chelsea¡¯s eyes were red, and her sharp voice pierced through the entire private room. Charlie snapped, ¡°Have you lost your mind?!¡± Chelsea had never been yelled at in public by Charlie, and she boiled with rage. Then, she pushed away Charlie¡¯s hand, trying to attack Avery again. Ssh! A ss of juice was sshed on her face. Avery mmed the empty cup on the table, and she looked at the messy-faced Chelsea, and said, ¡°If you want to bully me, at least make sure you¡¯re capable of doing so.¡± The crowd instantly fell into silence, and everyone¡¯s eyes turned to Avery and Chelsea. Avery was only sshed with a ss of warm water, and her face was still clean and clear but just wet. However, Chelsea was drenched in red watermelon juice, covering her face and hair¡­ Her originally delicate facial features now appeared particrly funny. ¡°Go on with your meal! I¡¯ll leave first.¡± Avery wiped the water off her face with a tissue. After saying that, she strode out of the private room. Chelsea wanted to chase after Avery, but Charlie grabbed her. ¡°Chelsea, aren¡¯t you embarrassed enough?!¡± ¡°Hehe. You think that I¡¯m humiliating you, right? Let me go!¡± Chelsea shook off his hand, tears streaming down her face. She had just learned that Elliot had waited for Avery in the rain outside of Laura¡¯s dpidated rented residence all night. Even though his fever persisted, he refused to visit the hospital. Avery was treating the man she thought of as gold as mere dust, and Chelsea was in so much pain that she could not ignore it any longer. Hence, she had taken it out on Avery. ¡°Chelsea, calm down. Do you think the Chelsea I know would have acted that way?¡± Charlie¡¯s rhetorical question made Chelsea stop crying. Elliot did not like her, and now even Charlie looked down on her. She felt abandoned by the world. ¡°I don¡¯t think you¡¯re humiliating me, but I¡¯m just afraid you¡¯ll regret itter. I told you many times that when dealing with enemies, you have to outsmart thern. Have you forgotten?¡± Charlie held her hand tightly and took her to the bathroom. After the Tierney siblings went to the bathroom, the management of Tate Industries and Trust Capital looked at each other. ¡°Why did Chelsea and Miss Tate fight?¡± Someone from Trust Capital asked the one from Tate Industries. ¡°I don¡¯t know! We don¡¯t know anything about her private affairs!¡± A person from Tate Industries replied. ¡°Oh¡­ It feels soplicated.¡±Exclusive ? material by N?(/v)elDrama.Org. ¡°That¡¯s right! I wonder if it¡¯ll affect our cooperation.¡± ¡°Probably not. Mr. Tierney personally does the nning for this cooperation, and he really wants to facilitate it,¡± the person from Trust Capital said. Everyone from Tate Industries breathed a sigh of relief. ¡°That¡¯s good.¡± Avery froze when she walked out of the restaurant. She truly felt the piercing chill of early winter, and as her hair was wet, her scalp tingled when a gust of night wind blew. It started to rain at this timest night. Later, the rain had be heavier and heavier, and it rained all night. Avery sniffled. Chapter 87 Chapter 87 Chapter 86 Avery¡¯s face was wet. Even though the water was warm, she felt chilly. ¡°Chelsea! What are you doing!¡± Charlie got up immediately, grabbed Chelsea¡¯s arm, and pulled her aside. ¡°Charlie! Don¡¯t stop me! I¡¯m going to teach her a lesson tonight!¡± Chelsea¡¯s eyes were red, and her sharp voice pierced through the entire private room. Charlie snapped, ¡°Have you lost your mind?!¡± Chelsea had never been yelled at in public by Charlie, and she boiled with rage. Then, she pushed away Charlie¡¯s hand, trying to attack Avery again. Ssh! A ss of juice was sshed on her face. Avery mmed the empty cup on the table, and she looked at the messy-faced Chelsea, and said, ¡°If you want to bully me, at least make sure you¡¯re capable of doing so.¡± The crowd instantly fell into silence, and everyone¡¯s eyes turned to Avery and Chelsea. Avery was only sshed with a ss of warm water, and her face was still clean and clear but just wet. However, Chelsea was drenched in red watermelon juice, covering her face and hair¡­ Her originally delicate facial features now appeared particrly funny. Content is ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org. ¡°Go on with your meal! I¡¯ll leave first.¡± Avery wiped the water off her face with a tissue. After saying that, she strode out of the private room. Chelsea wanted to chase after Avery, but Charlie grabbed her. ¡°Chelsea, aren¡¯t you embarrassed enough?!¡± ¡°Hehe. You think that I¡¯m humiliating you, right? Let me go!¡± Chelsea shook off his hand, tears streaming down her face. She had just learned that Elliot had waited for Avery in the rain outside of Laura¡¯s dpidated rented residence all night. Even though his fever persisted, he refused to visit the hospital. Avery was treating the man she thought of as gold as mere dust, and Chelsea was in so much pain that she could not ignore it any longer. Hence, she had taken it out on Avery. ¡°Chelsea, calm down. Do you think the Chelsea I know would have acted that way?¡± Charlie¡¯s rhetorical question made Chelsea stop crying. Elliot did not like her, and now even Charlie looked down on her. She felt abandoned by the world. ¡°I don¡¯t think you¡¯re humiliating me, but I¡¯m just afraid you¡¯ll regret itter. I told you many times that when dealing with enemies, you have to outsmart thern. Have you forgotten?¡± Charlie held her hand tightly and took her to the bathroom. After the Tierney siblings went to the bathroom, the management of Tate Industries and Trust Capital looked at each other. ¡°Why did Chelsea and Miss Tate fight?¡± Someone from Trust Capital asked the one from Tate Industries. ¡°I don¡¯t know! We don¡¯t know anything about her private affairs!¡± A person from Tate Industries replied. ¡°Oh¡­ It feels soplicated.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right! I wonder if it¡¯ll affect our cooperation.¡± ¡°Probably not. Mr. Tierney personally does the nning for this cooperation, and he really wants to facilitate it,¡± the person from Trust Capital said. Everyone from Tate Industries breathed a sigh of relief. ¡°That¡¯s good.¡± Avery froze when she walked out of the restaurant. She truly felt the piercing chill of early winter, and as her hair was wet, her scalp tingled when a gust of night wind blew. It started to rain at this timest night. Later, the rain had be heavier and heavier, and it rained all night. Avery sniffled. Chapter 88 Chapter 88 Chapter 88 Avery did not return to Elliot¡¯s mansion, nor did she visit the sick Elliot. This time, Avery was astonishingly cruel. Besides her, another person also had also treated Elliot ruthlessly. Ben. As Avery had never returned to Elliot¡¯s mansion, nor did she show any concern for him as hey in the hospital bed, Ben woulde every day and give him daily updates on Avery¡¯s daily activities. For example, today Avery had gone to Trust Capital and had a great morning with Charlie, or today they had lunch together. It did not matter if the two of them had gone to an art exhibition or not, and it did not matter i f they really had lunch together. What truly mattered was that Elliot was pissed off, as that was the only thing guaranteeing that he cooperated. If Elliot was still sick, he could not take revenge. Ben used his understanding of Elliot to make him live in misery every day. Eventually, Elliot¡¯s condition began to improve under the control of medication. Although he still looked pale and weak, he was determined to get out. The reason for his desire to leave the hospital was that Ben had told him that Charlie was taking Avery to an AI technology event. These days, Elliot thought about many things as hey in bed. To be frank, his memory of Charlie was not that clear, but this illness made him recall the past. Charlie was a refined spector and egoist. He carefully calcted his every move, whether it was making friends or doing things, so as to maximize the benefits and reduce the harm that h e would experience. Additionally, he was good at disguise. He would be smiling even when facing an enemy, and just when they thought he was admitting defeat and lowered their guard against him, he would take the opportunity to stab them ruthlessly. He and Elliot had drifted apart not only because they were ipatible, but they had also drifted apart because of their different investment ideas. Charlie would do anything for money, and he was good at wooing the powerful and turning in illegal wealth. Even though Elliot would also do anything for profit, Elliot had his own lines, and there were some types of money that even he would not touch even if it were to be right in front of him. Avery and Charlie were getting close. Sooner orter, she would be pulled into the abyss by Charlie. ¡°Elliot, the doctor said you have to stay in bed for at least a week before going out,¡± said Ben.¡± It¡¯s cold outside today, and there¡¯s a strong wind. You¡¯ll definitely get sicker if you go out.¡± This text is property of N?/velD/rama.Org. The doctor nodded vigorously beside him. Elliot went to the closet, pulled out a gray woolen coat, and put it on. Ben shook his head at the doctor. This meant Elliot would go out regardless of what anyone said. Today¡¯s AI technology exhibition was an exhibition for the upper ss, and there were only fifty seats at the exhibition site. However, the stage was massive, and there would be a grand and eye-opening AI technology exhibition. Charlie had got two tickets and invited Avery, who agreed without much thought. She had not dabbled in this much in the past, but she was intrigued. The exhibition started at 2pm. At noon, Charlie had taken Avery to an upscale restaurant. She had agreed to all of Charlie¡¯s requests in the past few days ¨C whether it be for fun or to dine together. They had pleasant conversations every time they had met, but Charlie could feel that her attention was not entirely on him. Avery¡¯s eyes were always dull, and if she liked him, there should be a luster in them. Chapter 89 Chapter 89 Chapter 89 Nevertheless, Charlie was not discouraged, and he could give her more time. After ordering, the two chatted casually. Then, Avery picked up her phone and fiddled with it. ¡°Avery, do you have any issues with our cooperation?¡± Charlie asked casually as he took a sip o f red wine. Avery was reading the news, and she looked up at him when she heard his voice. ¡°Your n is fine, but there are still some disagreements on our side,¡± said Avery casually. Charlie laughed. ¡°What¡¯s the disagreement? Let¡¯s see if I can help.¡± Avery replied, ¡°It¡¯s fine. I can handle it myself.¡¯ The disagreement stemmed from herself. In fact, the management of Tate Industries was very eager to ept investment from Trust Capital, tut Avery was still hesitating. She had promised to meet with Charlie because she had wanted to get to know him a little better. However, no matter how well Charlie performed, he was still Chelsea¡¯s brother, and it was hard for Avery to rid herself of the prejudice she held against him. Avery wanted to earn a profit, but she also had to consider the consequences of failure. Only when she felt she could ept the worst would she nod her head in agreement. In the blink of an eye, it was already 2 p.m. Charlie and Avery entered the exhibition hall and took their seats in the first row. After a while, the host came on the stage and gave a speech, weing everyone to the event. ¡°Today, we have a mysterious guest with us, and this mysterious guest made a request to our robot, Lucy.¡± As the host spoke, Lucy made a grand debut. Lucy was very realistic. It was a female figure, about 1.5 meters tall with long brown hair, wearing a blue and white uniform. Then, the host continued, ¡°Let¡¯s see if Lucy can fulfill the mysterious guest¡¯s request!¡± Apuse sounded from below the stage. Lucy¡¯s eyes swept across the stage, and then she stepped off the stage. All eyes were on Lucy as they wondered who the mysterious guest was, and what was his request. After a moment, Lucy walked toward the first row. Avery watched it approach and thought it was impressive. She did not expect robots these days to be so realistic. The scientists were able to make them walk and talk as a human would. It was simply incredible! Just when Avery sighed at the power of modern technology, Lucy stopped in front of her. She thought something was wrong with Lucy, so she poked Lucy¡¯s arm. Lucy stretched out its robot hand and said coquettishly, ¡°Prettydy, would you like toe with me?¡± Avery was stunned. Content is ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org. There wasughter all around. Avery blushed and asked, ¡°Lucy, where are you taking me?¡± Lucy answered, ¡°There¡¯s a handsome man who wants to date you. He¡¯s so handsome! Come, see him with me!¡± Lucy¡¯s voice was childish and yful, and it was hard to say no. Avery pointed at Charlie and joked, ¡°There¡¯s a handsome guy next to me.¡± Lucy nced at Charlie, then waved at Avery. ¡°He¡¯s not as good-looking as that handsome man. That guy is really handsome! I want to marry him! If you met him, you would want to marry him too!¡± Lucy¡¯s answer caused the audience to burst intoughter. The host saw that Avery and Lucy were at a stalemate, so he chimed in, ¡°Miss, why don¡¯t you g o and meet the guy with Lucy? After the event, we¡¯ll give you some attractive gifts!¡± Avery was caught in a dilemma. Ignoring Lucy would be a minute matter, but she could not just brush off the organizer! Hence, she got up and followed Lucy backstage. After entering the backstage, she saw a familiar face¨C Chapter 90 Chapter 90 Chapter 90 Elliot had lost a lot of weight, and his originally well-defined facial features appeared more profound and elegant. What was he doing here? Was he the mysterious guest? Lucy left after finishing the task. Watching Lucy leave, Avery realized that the mysterious guest was indeed Elliot. Was he not bedridden? Was he feeling better already? Avery stood still, not saying a word or approaching him. ¡°Mr. Foster, is thisdy the person you¡¯re looking for?¡± The person in charge asked Elliot. Elliot nodded. ¡°Thank you.¡± ¡°You¡¯re wee,¡± said the person in charge. Elliot walked toward Avery, looking at her with indifferent eyes, and said, ¡°Let¡¯s talk.¡± ¡°Talk? What¡¯s there to talk about?¡± Avery lowered her gaze; her tone was cold. Elliot was not in a hurry or annoyed. Instead, he took her arm with his big hand and pulled her away. There were many people backstage, and it was uncertain how they would talk about them. Leaving backstage, Elliot led her through the lobby and into the VIP lounge. They closed the door behind them. Elliot¡¯s voice was hoarse yet powerful. ¡°Avery, stay away from Charlie. Whatever his purpose for approaching you is, he¡¯s not going to do you any good.¡± Avery met his eyes and retorted, ¡°You don¡¯t want me to cooperate with him because you want me to sell thepany to you?¡± Elliot¡¯s Adam¡¯s apple rolled. However, before he could contradict her statement, Avery continued, ¡°Don¡¯t you think you are being too miserly? No wonder you¡¯re embarrassed toe forward. If I were you, I would never admit that I offered one hundred and fifty-five million dors.¡± A faint blush appeared on Elliot¡¯s pale face when he heard her teasing. She knew how to provoke him quickly. ¡°Name your price.¡± His breathing became heavier, and his voice was hoarse. ¡°Hehe. You came here specifically to discuss business with me?¡± Avery sneered, ¡°Sure, but I¡¯m not free now. Let¡¯s do it tomorrow! How about that?¡± Elliot saw her leaving, and he grabbed her arm again. ¡°Avery, I¡¯ll say it onest time,¡± Elliot said, coughing a few times. His voice was hoarse as his breathing steadied. ¡°You¡¯re no match for Charlie ¡­ If you think one hundred and fifty-five million dors it too small an amount, name your price.¡± This text is property of N?/velD/rama.Org. Avery faced the cold door, and her disguised rudeness melted away. He was obviously still sick, and he was not here for an urgent matter. Why had hee? Could he not wait till he had fully recovered? Avery shut her eyes and quietly took a deep breath. Then, she simply mentioned a number,¡± Three hundred million. I want you to invest in thepany and not buy it!¡± It was not that she really wanted three hundred million, but she just wanted to see his reaction. It was he who forced her to make an offer. ¡°Okay,¡± Elliot agreed without hesitation, ¡°go and reject Charlie¡­¡± Avery suddenly turned around and interrupted him, her chest heaving, ¡°Are you crazy? You¡¯re ill now, so I won¡¯t talk to you! Hurry and go back!¡± ¡°I¡¯m feeling much better.¡± His voice was a little softer than before, but his eyes were redder. Avery sensed something was wrong and put her hand on his forehead. It was a little hot. IIUV She withdrew her hand and said with great difficulty, ¡°Are you going back yourself, or do I have to call your bodyguard!¡± ¡°Go and reject Charlie.¡± He did not seem to understand her and continued pushing his demand. ¡°I¡¯m not rejecting him! The more you do this, the more I insist on not rejecting him!¡± Avery¡¯s eyes were turning red, and she gritted her teeth. ¡°Elliot, I won¡¯t be at your mercy anymore!¡± Avery saw a hint of disappointment spreading across Elliot¡¯s haggard face. Then, she looked away, opened the door, and left quickly. Exiting the room, Avery felt the chill of the wind. Chapter 91 Chapter 91 Chapter 91 As if a roaring fire had been warming the room, Elliot felt the chill as soon as Avery had left the room. Later, Avery went to the bathroom to wash her face. Once she was done freshening u P, she returned to the exhibition hall. The exhibitionsted for over an hour, but it passed by in the blink of an eye. Avery saw plenty of things, but she remembered none of it. After the exhibition ended, she got up. Charlie asked Avery, ¡°Would you like to go for afternoon tea? I know a new ce, and it¡¯s quite good.¡± Avery was not interested, and she rejected his offer, ¡°I¡¯m a little sleepy and want to go back to rest.¡± Charlie realized that she looked exhausted, and he said, ¡°I¡¯ll take you back.¡± ¡°Thank you.¡± The two walked out of the first row. At the exit, Avery saw a familiar face. Seeing that he was waiting for her, Avery turned to Charlie and said, ¡°Mr. Tierney, why don¡¯t you head out first? I have something to do.¡± Charlie also noticed Shaun, the former second-inmand of Tate Industries. ¡°Sure. Just call me if you need anything. I¡¯ll wait for you outside.¡± After saying that, Charlie strode out. Shaun waited until Charlie left before approaching her. ) ¡°Are you going to ept Trust Capital¡¯s investment?¡± Shaun smiled, and he sounded polite. ¡°I heard that you¡¯re now at Golden Technologies. That¡¯s pretty good,¡± Avery said. Shaun replied, ¡°It¡¯s nothing great or horrible as I¡¯m still a vice president¡­ I¡¯m afraid I¡¯m stuck with the word ¡®vice¡¯¡­¡± Avery responded, ¡°You can always start your own business and be your own boss.¡± Shaun shook his head. ¡°It¡¯s good to be the vice president as I don¡¯t have to take such a big risk. Avery mocked. ¡°Oh. That just shows you¡¯re still ipetent.¡± The pleasantness on their faces vanished, and hostility surged forth. It was Shaun who had set the trap that caught Cole. Therefore, Avery was constantly on her guard. ¡°Avery, why are you so cruel? Are you hiding your nervousness? Hehe. Let me just tell you that I¡¯m no longer interested in the Super Brain System that you have! Instead, I¡¯ll work with my research and development team to develop a more powerful system. I¡¯m going to make sure that the system that you have will be nothing more than artificial stupidity,¡± Shaun scoffed. Avery answered indifferently, ¡°Oh. Best of luck!¡± ¡°Aren¡¯t you afraid?!¡± Shaun was secretly raging when he saw her indifference. Avery smiled and retorted, ¡°Aren¡¯t you the one who should be living in fear? No matter how useless Cole is, he¡¯s still the young master of the Foster family. You should watch out for him. He might try to take his revenge on you in the near future.¡± Shaun¡¯s face turned as red as a beetroot. Coming out of the exhibition hall, Avery strode toward Charlie. ¡°Mr. Tierney, you can leave first! I saw a flower market nearby, and I want to go over and get some.¡± Avery wanted to be alone for a while, so she found a random reason. Charlie nodded. ¡°Avery, my father¡¯s birthday is next weekend, and I want to invite you to his birthday party.¡± Avery replied, ¡°Sure!¡± Charlie added, ¡°You can bring your mother over. The birthday party will be at my house, and w. e won¡¯t have too many guests over.¡± Avery said, ¡°I¡¯ll go back and tell my mom. Thank you!¡± Charlie answered, ¡°No worries. I¡¯ll pick you up.¡± Avery said, ¡°You must be busy by then. Let¡¯s talk about it at your father¡¯s party!¡± Avery watched Charlie get into the car and leave. After he left, she breathed a sigh of relief. Exclusive content ? by N?(v)el/Dr/ama.Org. It was windy, and Elliot was back at his mansion with a fever. The doctor sighed secretly. Mrs. Cooper frowned, pulled the bodyguard over, and asked in a low voice, ¡°Did Master Elliot meet Madam?¡± The bodyguard answered, ¡°They met, and they fought again. Otherwise, why would Mr. Foster be like this?¡± Chapter 92 Chapter 92 Chapter 92 In the afternoon, Avery had bought two pots of daffodils at the flower market. Then she took them with her to her mother¡¯s house. As it was not five o¡¯clock yet, Laura should still be at work, but Avery found that she was busy in the kitchen. ¡°Mom, did you get off work early today?¡± Avery changed her slippers and put the two pots of flowers on the living room table. Laura came out of the kitchen, looking a little embarrassed. Content from N?velDr(a)ma.Org. ¡°Avery, I¡¯m not working anymore,¡± Laura exined. ¡°My friend¡¯s daughter-inw hired a more professional nanny.¡± ¡°Mom, don¡¯t be sad,¡± murmured Avery as she hugged her mother. Laura chuckled. ¡°I¡¯m fine¡­ Why did you buy two pots of flowers?¡± Avery nced at the simple rented house and replied, ¡°I happened to pass by the flower market, so I bought two pots.¡± ¡°Okay¡­ Avery, don¡¯t worry about my job. I can always look for another one.¡± ¡°Mom, you don¡¯t need to. Just rest at home!¡± Avery said. Then, she took out her bank card from her bag and handed it to her mother, adding, ¡°There¡¯s money in the card. You can spend i Laura pushed the card away and said with a serious expression, ¡°Avery, if it¡¯s one thing that I¡¯ve learned after so many years, it¡¯s that you can only rely on yourself. Even if I be a street cleaner tomorrow, it¡¯ll be better than asking for money from you.¡± Avery could not helpughing when she saw her mother¡¯s righteous look. ¡°Mom, there¡¯s no need to be a street sweeper. I heard that you have to get up at four in the morning to sweep the street. It¡¯s too cold now, so you should find an easy job!¡± Laura alsoughed. ¡°If it pays more, what¡¯s waking up at four in the morning? I¡¯m going to cook. Just sit down and get some rest.¡± Avery walked over to the sofa and sat down. Then, she took out her phone and saw Tammy¡¯s message. Tammy: (Avery, I really don¡¯t understand¡­ What the hell is going on with this guy Elliot? He hasn¡¯t recovered from his illness, so why did he look for you? Is he trying to show how head over heels he is for you? If he truly loves you, he should just give you the money! What¡¯s the point of putting on a show!] Avery looked at Tammy¡¯s yful message; she did not know how to respond to it. After a while, Tammy sent another message: [Jun just went to see Elliot. The doctor mentioned that Elliot¡¯s immune system is messed up, and it¡¯s best to go to the hospital for treatment. Is it serious?) Avery replied: (We can only know the seriousness by getting an examination at the hospital.] Tammy: (Oh¡­ Are you in love with Charlie? They all say so.) Avery: (Who are ¡®they¡¯?) Tammy: (Just the people around Elliot! They said you¡¯re ignoring Elliot because you¡¯re now in love with Charlie. I don¡¯t think Charlie¡¯s as handsome as Elliot. He looks glib and shrewd.) Avery did not feel that way with Charlie these days. Avery: (So you think Elliot looks like an honest man?] Tammy: (Honest?! Forget that. But Elliot doesn¡¯t look glib! However, he does seem a bit fierce. Haven¡¯t you noticed that many celebrities with a run-in with thew or men involved in domestic violence are like this?) Avery took a sip of water and asked: [What about Jun?] Tammy: (He¡¯s much younger than Charlie and Elliot. Besides, he¡¯s handsome and caring yet naive. Avery, if you get divorced, look for a younger boy in the future! It¡¯s easier to control them!] Avery: [Let¡¯s talk about it after I get divorced!) Tammy: (Are you really willing to divorce Elliot?] Avery: (Why not? Whether I divorce him or not, I¡¯ll not be able to get his property.] Tammy: (You¡¯re right. A rich man of his level¡­ Well, most people can¡¯t even take advantage of him even if they wanted to.] Avery did not each much for dinner. Laura asked, ¡°Why aren¡¯t you eating more? Is it not good?¡± Avery frowned slightly. ¡°Mom, my belly is showing.¡± Laura smiled and said, ¡°You¡¯re almost five months pregnant. Your stomach will definitely get bigger.¡± Avery replied, ¡°Fortunately, the weather is cold, and I¡¯m wearing moreyers, so others can¡¯t tell.¡± Laura said, ¡°Well¡­ Avery, I thought about it. Do you want to go to graduate school? Go abroad to study. Take advantage of the opportunity while studying and give birth to the children overseas.¡± Avery was stunned. ¡°Mom, it costs a lot to study abroad. Besides, I don¡¯t want to go to graduate school. Instead, I want to work and make money.¡± Laura assured, ¡°Don¡¯t worry about money. I¡¯ve saved some over the years, and it¡¯s enough for you to go abroad for graduate school.¡± Chapter 93 Chapter 93 Chapter 93 Avery was shocked. Laura and Jack got divorced when Avery was still young, and she was so busy with her own affairs that she had no time to care about how her mother¡¯s life was going Hence, Avery waspletely unaware of how Laura had saved money. ¡°It¡¯s okay if you don¡¯t want to go abroad¡­ I¡¯m thinking, why don¡¯t we buy a smaller house? It¡¯s okay for us both to suffer a little, but we can¡¯t let the children feel sad!¡± Laura continued. Content is ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org. Avery asked, ¡°Mom, do we really have that much money?¡± Laura replied, ¡°We can still afford a down payment.¡± Avery said, ¡°Oh¡­ Then there¡¯s no rush. The babies are still months away!¡± ¡°Time flies, and you better give it a careful consideration.¡± Avery nodded. ¡°Mom, I¡¯m going outter. My friend¡¯s dad is celebrating his birthday next week, and I have to buy a present.¡± Laura was worried. ¡°Can¡¯t you get it in the morning? It¡¯s getting dark, and I¡¯m uneasy about you going out alone.¡± Avery said, ¡°There are street lights outside. I¡¯ll be fine.¡± Laura uttered, ¡°Alright. Come back soon.¡± Avery got up, grabbed the bag from the sofa, and went out. She hailed a cab and gave him Elliot¡¯s address. Elliot¡¯s thin, haggard face kept appearing in Avery¡¯s mind, and she could not control the urge to go back and have a look. Moreover, she had already thought of an excuse. The car stopped at the gate of Elliot¡¯s mansion, and Avery got out of the vehicle. She noticed that several cars were parked in the yard, and it seemed that many people hade to visit him. The gatekeeper recognized Avery and immediately opened the gate. Avery went inside. Chad was the first to see her, and he quickly notified the people in the living room. Mrs. Cooper strode out to greet Avery, ¡°Madam! You¡¯re back!¡± Avery replied softly, ¡°I¡¯m back to get theptop.¡± A sh of embarrassment shed across Mrs. Cooper¡¯s eyes, and she replied, ¡°Oh¡­ Why don¡¯t you check on Master Elliot? He¡¯s sick again, and the doctor said his immune system is messed up after being in the rain the other day¡­¡± Avery was indifferent to the suggestion. She followed Mrs. Cooper into the living room. In an instant, everyone looked at her. It had only been a few days, yet Avery felt that everything here had be so unfamiliar. Perhaps because they looked at her more coldly than before, but nheless, that was not surprising. In their opinion, Elliot¡¯s illness was her fault. ¡°Madam, go to the second floor! Yourptop is in your room. No one touched it,¡± Mrs. Cooper urged. Avery hesitated, stepped forward, and walked toward the second floor. After Avery went upstairs, Chad said, ¡°Should we go up? Chelsea is on the second floor after all. I¡¯m afraid they will fight.¡± Ben folded his arms and said lightly, ¡°Don¡¯t worry about them.¡± Avery walked to the second floor and walked right to the door of Elliot¡¯s bedroom. The bedroom door was open. Elliot was lying on the bed, eyes closed, probably in a deep slumber, whereas Chelsea was scrubbing him with a wet towel. Chapter 94 Chapter 94 Chapter 94 The doctor and Rosalie were also in the room, and they were standing by the window talking about Elliot¡¯s health. However, Avery¡¯s feet were as heavy as mercury, and she could not bring herself to enter the room. When Chelsea turned around from the bed with the water in her hand, she immediately caught sight of Avery standing outside the door. ¡°Avery! What are you doing here!¡± Chelsea lowered her voice, afraid of waking Elliot. Then, she put the basin on the bedside table and strode toward Avery. Rosalie heard the noises and walked toward the door as well. Avery was afraid of waking Elliot, so she took a few steps toward the stairs, but Chelsea thought she was trying to escape and quickly approached her, blocking her way. Exclusive content ? by N?(v)el/Dr/ama.Org. ¡°Avery! Are you making a fool of Elliot?! If you don¡¯t like him, then let him go! If you do anything to hurt him again, I¡¯ll never let you go!¡± Chelsea¡¯s eyes were full of hatred. Rosalie shouted sternly, ¡°Avery, Elliot does not want to divorce you because he is enchanted b y you! I didn¡¯t expect you to be this unappreciative! I was blind, and I had thought that you were a good person! If I had known earlier, I would have picked Chelsea to be Elliot¡¯s wife! Only Chelsea truly loves Elliot!¡± Avery was not in the mood to fight back. After all, she was only there to see how Elliot was doing. Now that she saw it, that was enough. ¡°Go and take care of him! I¡¯m leaving!¡± Avery pushed Chelsea away and walked downstairs, step by step In the living room, a group of people led by Ben all pricked their ears to listen to the movement upstairs. After Avery was ¡°defeated¡¯ and came downstairs, everyone was in different moods. Some people thought she was a joke, and others sighed with embarrassment. Nevertheless, their opinions were unimportant and what mattered was Elliot¡¯s stance. Unfortunately, Elliot was sick and asleep, and he had no idea what was happening. ¡°Miss Tate, you came by taxi, right? How about I drive you back?¡± Chad offered graciously. Avery shook her head. ¡°I¡¯ll go back myself.¡± After that, she walked toward the door. Mrs. Cooper looked at Avery¡¯s dejected back, and she immediately chased after her. ¡°Madam, you haven¡¯t got yourptop yet.¡± Avery snapped back to her senses. She turned around immediately, walked across the living room, and entered her room. ¡°I really want to go up and wake Elliot,¡± Ben said. ¡°If Avery leaves tonight, I¡¯m afraid she¡¯ll nevere back.¡± Chad urged, ¡°Then go up and shout! I¡¯ll support you from here.¡± Ben red at him. ¡°Madam Rosalie is here. I dare not.¡± After a while, Avery came out, dragging her suitcase. She said she wasing back to get the computer, but it was an excuse. If Elliot was awake and the two had a good talk, maybe she would not leave. Mrs. Cooper med herself. She had asked Avery upstairs just now in good faith. What if Elliot had woken while Avery was upstairs? It was better than her not having seen Elliot, right? ¡°Madam, why don¡¯t you wait until Master Elliot wakes up and inform him that you are leaving?¡± Mrs. Cooper asked. Avery replied. ¡°There¡¯s no need.¡± Later, she dragged her suitcase and resolutely walked out into the cold winter night. Rosalie hade downstairs, incensed. ¡°Avery! Don¡¯t evere back!¡± Ben secretly sighed. She was really making things worse! Avery had always been stubborn. Additionally, she had not wholly calmed down because of Mr. Z¡¯s matter, and now, Rosalie had angered her again. How could Avery endure it? Avery turned a deaf ear to Rosalie¡¯s threats. Soon, she disappeared from everyone¡¯s sight. ¡°You all saw it! I didn¡¯t bully her! She left of her own will!¡± Rosalie roared angrily. Chapter 95 Chapter 95 Chapter 95 Rosalie still felt a little apprehensive about her position. After all, Elliot had almost ended their rtionship because of this woman. At around midnight, Elliot¡¯s fever subsided, and he finally woke up. Warm orange light lit the room. He sat up and saw Chelsea lying on the edge of the bed, fast asleep. Elliot frowned, got out of bed, and left the room. The following morning, Chelsea woke up to an empty bed and an empty heart. Then, she immediately went downstairs to look for Elliot. Mrs. Cooper was shocked, and she eximed, ¡°I¡¯ve been downstairs, but Master Elliot has note down!¡± Chelsea was stunned. ¡°He¡¯s not in the room! I only came down because he was missing.¡± Mrs. Cooper became anxious. ¡°Goodness! Master Elliot can¡¯t just disappear into thin air!¡± As she said that, Mrs. Cooper ran upstairs. She and Chelsea searched all the rooms on the second floor, but they could not find Elliot. Chelsea burst into tears. ¡°It¡¯s all my fault¡­ I slept so deeplyst night, and I didn¡¯t notice him getting out of bed at all¡­¡± Mrs. Cooper hurried downstairs and said, ¡°I¡¯ll ask the gatekeeper. If Master Elliot went out, there would be a record.¡± After a while, Mrs. Cooper got the report from the gatekeeper: Elliot had never left. Mrs. Cooper gathered the servants and began searching the vi. Content is ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org. After half an hour, everyone gathered in the living room. ¡°He¡¯s not in the front yard.¡± ¡°Neither is he in the backyard.¡± ¡°No sight of him in the warehouse or parking lot.¡± ¡°All rooms on the ground floor have been searched¡­ except for Madam¡¯s room.¡± After listening to everyone¡¯s reports, Mrs. Cooper strode toward Avery¡¯s room. She pushed the door open and immediately breathed a sigh of relief. Elliot was lying on Avery¡¯s bed, sleeping peacefully. Mrs. Cooper swiftly exited the room and said to Chelsea, ¡°Miss Tierney, you should go back! Then, if Master Elliot needs you, he¡¯ll contact you.¡± Chelsea was indignant. ¡°Why¡¯s he lying in Avery¡¯s bed? Didn¡¯t they quarrel? The situation is so bad now¡­ Why is he-¡± Mrs. Cooper interrupted, ¡°If you weren¡¯t in Master Elliot¡¯s roomst night, he wouldn¡¯te to Madam¡¯s room to rest. Master Elliot hates outsiders in his room.¡± Chelsea sobbed and choked, uttering, ¡°Am I an outsider? I¡¯ve been with him for ten years¡ª¡± Mrs. Cooper answered, ¡°Miss Tierney, i know you have a hard time, and it has not been easy for you. But you can¡¯t force your one-sided love on others.¡± Chelsea was angered. ¡°How dare you talk to me like that?!¡± Mrs. Cooper replied, ¡°Our Madam never yells at the servants because she¡¯s our boss. I¡¯m not saying that you¡¯re not as good as our Madam, but I just hope that you can discover the strengths in others and discover your own weaknesses at the same time.¡± Mrs. Cooper might as well have said Chelsea was not as good as Avery. Chelsea left Elliot¡¯s mansion full of anger. Elliot exited Avery¡¯s room at eight in the morning. After a whole night¡¯s rest, his temperature was now normal. However, he still had a headache, and his limbs were weak. When Mrs. Cooper saw hime out, she quickly brought a bowl of hot soup to him. ¡°Master Elliot, Madam came back to see youst night.¡± Mrs. Cooper kept looking at his face a s she spoke. Elliot held the bowl, but he did not drink the soup. Instead, he looked at Mrs. Cooper, telling her to continue. ¡°You were asleep when Madam came upstairs to see you. Miss Tierney was wiping the sweat off you,¡± Mrs. Cooper said, ¡°It was my fault. I asked her toe upstairs to see you, but I didn¡¯t know Miss Tierney would be so unruly.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t let her into my room in the future,¡± Elliot said hoarsely. Since no one was in the vi, Mrs. Cooper bluntly reported, ¡°Yes, Master Elliot. Last night, Madam Rosalie and Miss Tierney spoke harshly to Madam. Madam took her suitcase and left, and I¡¯m afraid she won¡¯te back and live here anymore.¡± Chapter 96 Chapter 96 Chapter 96 At ten in the morning, a Rolls-Roice stopped in front of the gate of an oldmunity house. The door of the car flung open, and a tall figure alighted the vehicle. Elliot was wearing a long navy blue quilted coat, a gray scarf, and a pair of brand new leather boots. Even though he was dressed warmly, his face was pale and haggard. His cold and noble temperament was ipatible with everything around him. The driver and bodyguard followed Elliot, carrying expensive gifts. Laura trotted from the kitchen to open the door when she heard a knock. She was shocked to see Elliot. ¡°Why are you here?¡± Laura froze, then she opened the door, urging, ¡°Come in! I heard that you are sick. Are you okay?¡± Although it was early winter, it was not cold enough to wear a jacket. Elliot nced at the clean floor and hesitated. ¡°Do we need to remove our shoes?¡± Laura immediately shook her head. ¡°No, there¡¯s no need! Come in!¡± She invited Elliot inside and saw the gift boxes the driver and bodyguard were carrying. ¡°Why did you bring so many gifts?¡± Laura asked, confused. Avery had taken all her luggage with herst night. Laura had dared not ask her anything. However, she guessed that her daughter had broken up with Elliot for good, which was why she had dragged her luggage back. Laura had never expected Elliot toe over. ¡°I¡¯m here to pay you a visit.¡± Elliot walked over to the sofa and sat down. After the driver and bodyguard ced the gifts in the living room, they left. Laura found the remote and turned on the heating. ¡°Oh¡­ You and Avery¡­st night¡­¡± Laura appeared to be in a dilemma, and she did not know how to broach the subject. Elliot looked at Laura sincerely, and he said, ¡°I didn¡¯t see herst night. There¡¯s some misunderstanding between her and me.¡± ¡°Oh¡­ She rarely tells me anything about you. So I don¡¯t know what to say.¡± Laura poured him a cup of hot water and added, ¡°You don¡¯t look that great. You should rest at home.¡± ¡°I¡¯m fine.¡± He took the ss and held it in both hands. Laura sat at the end of the sofa, and she looked at him. A sick person was not in full control of their bearings, and Elliot had looked somanding and unapproachable thest time she had seen him. Content from N?velDr(a)ma.Org. Laura hesitated, and she finally asked the question she had been harboring in her heart,¡± Elliot, what do you feel for Avery? I divorced her father when she was very young, and she did not get to experience life with him¡­ You should be able to imagine the environment she grew up in; she did not get any normal sort of love. If you don¡¯t like her, please set her free.¡± ¡°This is not the time to talk about divorce,¡± Elliot took a sip of water and said, ¡°Recently, she got closer to a man, Charlie Tierney. You may not know him, but I do.¡± Laura immediately understood what he meant. ¡°You¡¯re saying that Charlie isn¡¯t a nice guy?¡± Elliot nodded. ¡°I hope you can persuade her to stay away from Charlie Tierney.¡± Laura nodded again and again. ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll tell her when she wakes up.¡± Elliot frowned and nced at his watch. It was now half-past ten in the morning. Avery was still asleep? Laura exined, ¡°She went to bedtest night, so she hasn¡¯t woken up yet.¡± As soon as Laura said that, the bedroom door opened, and Avery came out in her pajamas. Her long hair was messy, and she was still half-asleep. However, her dull eyes suddenly lit up when she saw Elliot. ¡°Avery, Elliot is here for you. I¡¯m going to buy some food. Have a good chat with him,¡± Laura made an excuse and went out. Avery nced at the heater. Then, she looked at Elliot¡¯s quilted coat. It seemed that he was still sick. Chapter 97 Chapter 97 Chapter 97 ¡°If you¡¯re sick, just stay home and rest.¡± After Avery said that, she turned around to get a ss and poured some water. ¡°I¡¯m much better today.¡± Elliot removed his scarf. ¡°That¡¯s what you said yesterday.¡± Avery drank the water and put down the ss. Then, she went to the living room and saw the gifts on the floor. Avery asked, ¡°What are these for?¡± ¡°It¡¯s not good toe empty-handed.¡± He thought for a few seconds and changed the subject, ¡°I just found out today that you went backst night.¡± ¡°Did youe here just to say this?¡± Avery walked over to the sofa and sat down, looking at his thin face with her almond eyes. There was a distance of more than a meter between the two. ¡°Chelsea and I¨C¡± ¡°I don¡¯t want to hear it,¡± Avery interrupted him, ¡°I¡¯m not interested in knowing what type of rtionship you have with her.¡± Elliot saw her cold face, and he secretly felt powerless. ¡°Are you going to talk about Charlie and me next?¡± She looked at him and said, ¡°Elliot, even if I get deceived by him, I¡¯ll suffer the consequences myself. I won¡¯t drag you into the mess, and I won¡¯t ask for your help. So don¡¯t mention this to me again.¡± Avery was like a rebellious child. The more he cautioned her against it, the more she went and did it. Elliot pursed his lips, and he appeared tired as he quietly digested what she said. Avery was a little hungry, so she got up and went to the kitchen and saw the breakfast her mother had left in the food warmer for her. Then, she took a bun and returned to her seat on the sofa. She ate with relish, and he watched her with bright eyes. ¡°What else do you have to say?¡± After Avery was full, she looked at him again. ¡°If there¡¯s nothing else, then go back!¡± ¡°I want to stay for lunch,¡± Elliot said. Avery was stunned as she did not know how to reject him. After all, it was only a meal, and she was not that petty. ¡°You can stay and eat! I¡¯m going out!¡± Avery got up from the sofa, intending to change and leave. ¡°Avery, are you never going toe home again?¡± Elliot got up from the sofa and followed her to the bedroom door. Avery answered, ¡°This is my home.¡± ¡°Did my mom say something to youst night?¡± ¡°No.¡± She did not want to cause more trouble. Besides, he was weak now, and it was better for him to rest and recover. ¡°Our affairs have nothing to do with other people. I don¡¯t think we¡¯repatible.¡± ¡°What¡¯s considered patible¡±?¡± Elliot walked into the bedroom and shut the door. The bedroom was only a little over ten square meters, except for a bed and a wardrobe, there was very little room to move around. A sense of oppression immediately filled the room. ¡°When I¡¯mfortable with the other person, that¡¯spatible.¡± Then, Avery raised her head and looked at Elliot, adding, ¡°But you make me very ufortable.¡± Her words angered him. ¡°Did Charlie make you feelfortable?¡± Elliot gritted his teeth and repeated, ¡°Did he make you comfortable?¡± ¡°Either way, being with him is morefortable than being with you!¡± She felt him leaning toward her, and she stretched out a hand and pushed him. ¡°Don¡¯t be so shameless! Don¡¯t think that I won¡¯t dare to hit you just because you¡¯re a patient!¡± Zip! H Elliot unzipped his jacket. Immediately after, he took off his coat and hung it on the clothes rail next to him. He was wearing a gray V-neck T-shirt underneath. Above the neckline was his sexy Adam¡¯s apple, and there seemed to be beads of sweat on his neck. ¡°Why are you undressing? You might get cold again!¡± Avery took his coat off the clothes rail and wanted him to put it on. However, he directly picked her up and threw her on the bed.Content is ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org. Chapter 98 Chapter 98 Chapter 98 ¡°Avery! Have you forgotten whose wife you are?!¡± Elliot clenched her struggling little hands tightly and pinned them above her head. ¡°I told you to stay away from Charlie! Don¡¯t challenge my patience!¡± It had been a while since Avery had seen him this irritable and crazy. He looked so weak, but his strength was frightening. She did not dare resist him, as the more she fought, the crazier h e became. Avery lied down quietly for the sake of the children she carried within her. She waited for him to vent his dissatisfaction. ¡°Why aren¡¯t you saying anything?¡± Elliot¡¯s burning gaze watched Avery¡¯s face. His fingers rubbed her cheeks, finally slipping from her eyebrows to behind her ears. ¡°What do you want me to say? What do you want to hear? I¡¯ll say it for you.¡± She said. The anger in Elliot¡¯s heart was instantly extinguished. ¡°Avery, am I really unforgivable?¡± Elliot¡¯s voice was hoarse and soft, his fingers sieved through her hair to gently sp her in his palms. His body was a little hot, and Avery felt really warm. ¡°You¡¯re not unforgivable.¡± Avery¡¯s eyes moved slightly, dropping her disguise. ¡°Elliot, you are amazing. Everything about you is amazing¡­ But, I want to lead a peaceful life, so let meg 0.¡± The hope in Elliot¡¯s eyes shattered, and he did not want to listen to her anymore. Then, he covered her cherry lips with his. At noon, the bodyguard knocked on the door. Laura opened the door and let him in. ¡°Where¡¯s Mr. Foster?¡± The bodyguard immediately became vignt when he saw no one in the living room. Laura pointed to the bedroom door. ¡°In the room.¡± The bodyguard replied, ¡°Oh¡­¡± He wanted to ask when Elliot woulde out, but he soon noticed that the question was redundant as no one but Elliot himself knew that. ¡°I made lunch. Do you want to eat? Where¡¯s the other person with you? Call him in. We will dine together,¡± said Laura warmly. The bodyguard sullenly walked to the bedroom door, pressing his ear against the door. There was no sounding from within. Laura said, ¡°The house isn¡¯t soundproofed, and if they¡¯re talking inside, we can hear it from outside. Maybe he¡¯s asleep. I think he¡¯s still sick!¡± The bodyguard sighed. ¡°The doctor told him not to go out, but he insisted oning.¡± Laura nodded. ¡°Don¡¯t worry! He¡¯ll be fine with us.¡± The bodyguard asked alertly, ¡°Where¡¯s Avery?¡± ¡°She¡¯s inside too,¡± Laura answered. The bodyguard¡¯s thoughts began to run wild. ¡°How long have they been in there?¡± ¡°Maybe an hour? I went out to buy groceries before, so I don¡¯t know when the two of them got in,¡± Laura said as she walked toward the kitchen, ¡°If you¡¯re not eating, I¡¯ll eat first.¡± The bodyguard was in no mood to eat. Their rtionship had been strained recently, and Elliot was so sick and weak. Avery could easily kill him in the room! Thinking of this, the bodyguard could not care less anymore and just opened the bedroom door. However, he was greeted with a surprising scene. Elliot was lying naked on the bed with his eyes closed, motionless¡­ ¡± Content is ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org. Avery stood by the bed holding a quilt. She probably did not expect someone to push the door open, so she looked rather surprised. O lu LIE ¡°What did you do to Mr. Foster?!¡± The bodyguard growled, strode to the bed, and reached out his finger to see if Elliot was still breathing. Avery was impressed by the bodyguard¡¯s imagination. ¡°He¡¯s not dead but asleep.¡± VVU The bodyguard retracted his hand in embarrassment and nced at Elliot¡¯s body again. ¡°Why did you take off his clothes! Why are you such a sl*t!¡± ¡°Don¡¯t nder me! He took it off himself.¡± Avery red at the bodyguard, adding, ¡°If you don¡¯t believe me, you can ask him when he wakes up!¡± The bodyguard gasped ¡°Oh,¡± and nced at Avery. She was wearing a summer nightdress, and her exposed skin gave a glimpse of what had just happened. ¡°I¡¯m going out! Take good care of him!¡± He strode out after saying his piece. Avery¡¯s head was heavy with anger. She sat down on the edge of the bed and nced sideways at Elliot. Chapter 99 Chapter 99 Chapter 99 Elliot slept soundly though he sweated. His temperature was normal, and as Avery was exhausted, she lay down beside him and fell into a deep slumber. Avery woke up at three o¡¯clock in the afternoon, and she felt a pang of hunger. She got out of bed, changed her clothes, and came out of the room, just to find the bodyguard and the driver sitting on the sofa in the living room, watching TV. As for Laura, she was sitting in the kitchen, fiddling with her phone. The scene appeared calm¡­ however, she was conflicted about how they seemed to be treating her house as their own. ¡°Avery, are you hungry?¡± Laura ced down her phone and brought out the leftover food. Avery walked to the living room and said to the driver, ¡°Your boss should be waking up soon. G o back and get a set of clean clothes.¡± The driver immediately stood. ¡°Okay.¡± After the driver left, Avery turned off the TV and said to the bodyguard, ¡°My mom has a migraine, and she can¡¯t stand loud noises. If you¡¯re staying here, just keep quiet.¡± The bodyguard dared not object. After all, his boss was still in her bed, and he did not know when he would wake up. What if he slept untilte at night? The bodyguard¡¯s fear came to pass. It was six o¡¯clock and the sky was rapidly darkening, but Elliot showed no signs of waking up. Laura spoke to Avery, ¡°Avery, I¡¯ll stay at the hotel tonight.¡± Of course, Avery disagreed, ¡°Mom, I¡¯ll just wake him up.¡± The bodyguard interrupted, ¡°He¡¯s a patient! He needs to rest! Don¡¯t wake him up!¡± Avery red at the bodyguard. ¡°This is my home!¡± The bodyguard said to Laura, ¡°Madam Laura, I¡¯ll pay for the hotel room!¡± After that, he took out his wallet, took a few hundred dors, and handed them to Laura. ¡°Madam Laura, take it!¡± The bodyguard¡¯s voice was rough, and he sounded angry. Laura was a little scared of him. Avery chimed in, ¡°Mom, take it!¡± They should just take the money! Laura took the money, but she felt a little uneasy. ¡°Avery, i¡¯ll go and find a hotel.¡± Avery suggested, ¡°Mom, don¡¯t go yet. It¡¯s still early, and he should wake upter.¡± The bodyguard offered, ¡°Madam Laura, I¡¯ll take you to the hotel. Mr. Elliot won¡¯t necessarily g o back when he wakes up, and it¡¯s already sote.¡± The bodyguard was a prophet! As soon as he took Laura away, Elliot woke up. Avery reached out to check his temperature. It was normal. ¡°You¡¯ve slept all afternoon, and it¡¯s getting dark now. Get up and go home quickly!¡± Avery took the fresh set of clothes the driver had brought in the afternoon to him. Elliot surveyed the room with his bloodshot eyes. ¡°Get up! This is the only bed in our house!¡± Avery urged. Hearing this, Elliot said hoarsely, ¡°I¡¯m dizzy-¡± Avery said, ¡°Stop pretending! I touched your forehead just now, and your temperature is normal!¡± Exclusive content ? by N?(v)el/Dr/ama.Org. Elliot started to cough. It was so bad that Avery thought that he might cough out his insides. Avery pursed her lips and did not say anything. Even though he no longer had a fever, it did not mean he had fully recovered. Then, Avery walked out of the room and asked the driver for help. ¡°Elliot¡¯s awake, but he said he can¡¯t get up¡ª¡± The driver said, ¡°If he can¡¯t get up, let him continue to sleep! I¡¯ll go back and get his medicine. After saying that, the driver left. Avery rubbed her temples. Did she really have no choice but to let him stay overnight? Chapter 100 Chapter 100 Chapter 100 An hourter, the driver arrived with all of Elliot¡¯s necessities. He had even brought a sumptuous dinner. Mrs. Cooper used lunch boxes and thermal instion containers to pack dinners for at least three people. ¡°Miss Tate, this is Mr. Elliot¡¯s medicine. Thank you for your hard work tonight!¡± The driver carefully handed the medicine to Avery and then got off work. Avery sat on the sofa, looking at Elliot¡¯s things on the table, lost in thought Was she too soft-hearted?! She should have driven him away by noon! That way, it would not be so troublesome! Suddenly, a coughing sound came from the bedroom. Avery sighed, took Elliot¡¯s medicine, and pushed the bedroom door open. It was just the two of them at home now, so she left the door open to ventte the room. Elliot had showered and changed into clean clothes. However, the bed was a mess. Content is ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org. ¡°Do you have any hot water?¡± Elliot was a little thirsty. Avery put the medicine on the bedside table and went out to get him warm water. Elliot followed her all the way to the kitchen. ¡°Where¡¯s your mom?¡± He asked. ¡°Thanks to you, she¡¯s staying at the hotel tonight.¡± Avery handed him the water ss. ¡°Are you hungry? The driver brought you dinner. You should eat some!¡± He did not eat at noon and slept until now, so he must be hungry. ¡°I¡¯ll just have some soup.¡± He had no appetite. Avery went to the coffee table in the living room and brought dinner over. There was a bowl of soup in it. Elliot finished the soup and put down the spoon. ¡°I dirtied the bed. Do you have clean sheets? I¡¯ll change it.¡± His face was still pale, but he had just taken a shower and looked refreshed. ¡°Go and dry your hair. I¡¯ll change it.¡± Looking at his sick appearance, Avery could not get angry at him. ¡°Where¡¯s the hairdryer? I can¡¯t find it.¡± Avery got up and went to the bathroom to get it. He followed behind her and took the hairdryer from her. Then, she went to the room and changed the sheets and duvet cover. The two seemed to have a tacit understanding as husband and wife who have lived together for many years. It was nine in the evening when Avery¡¯s phone rang. It was a video call. She did not think much of it and directly hung up. However, the other party called again. Hence, Avery took a deep breath and epted the video call. It was a video conference call from thepany¡¯s management. After epting the call, three faces appeared on the screen. ¡°Avery, have you considered the offer? It¡¯s our honor that Trust Capital is willing to invest in u S¡­ What are you worried about?¡± ¡°I asked Charlie¡¯s assistant today, and he said that Charlie has not made any excessive demands on you and has been waiting for your reply.¡± ¡°Didn¡¯t we agreest time? Everything¡¯s for the benefit of thepany. Are you backing out o f your promise? We know that you have a bad rtionship with Chelsea¡­ But what does this have to do with Charlie? People are willing to pay actual money to invest in us. Besides him, w e have no other choice.¡± Avery¡¯s temple throbbed as she listened to their chatter. ¡°Give me another week.¡± ¡°Another week?! You said the samest time ¡°That¡¯s right! How long are you going to put it off? To put it bluntly, if you don¡¯t want thepany to survive, you can just reject Charlie! Yet, you¡¯re not epting or rejecting it! I really don¡¯t understand what you¡¯re thinking!¡± Avery replied, ¡°Charlie¡¯s father¡¯s birthday is next weekend, and he invited me to the party. After next weekend, I¡¯ll give you an answer.¡± ¡°An answer to us?! You¡¯re giving an answer to Charlie!¡± ¡°Oh¡­ I¡¯ll give him an answer next weekend. It¡¯s past nine o¡¯clock, and you guys should rest early.¡± Avery wanted to hang up the video call as Elliot was sitting right beside her, and he would surely not leave tonight. Chapter 101 Chapter 101 Chapter 101 Moreover, there was only one bed here. Since Elliot was sick, Avery nned to give him the bed. After taking a shower, she came to the sofa and sat down. She thought of spending the night on the couch tonight. However, Elliot also came over half an hourter. As he had slept the entire afternoon, it was understandable that Elliot was not sleepy, and Avery could not just force him to go to sleep. On the other side of the video call, the technical department manager said, ¡°You¡¯ve been dragging this, causing me to lose sleep for a week! Avery, let¡¯s have a heart-to-heart talk!¡± The head of the development department chimed in, ¡°I also have insomnia every day! Not only can I not sleep well, but I can¡¯t even eat!¡± ¡°I¡¯ve been losing more and more hairtely! My hair was never much to begin with!¡± The person in charge of the personnel department followed. These old men were just telling sob stories to force Avery to decide immediately. Elliot frowned and directly snatched Avery¡¯s phone. Avery was shocked. ¡°Hey! I¡¯m on a video call! Give me back my phone!¡± She moved toward him, trying to grab the phone back. ¡°Who¡¯s that man?! He looks familiar?¡± TOYO CV ¡°He¡¯s Avery¡¯s boyfriend, right! He¡¯s still with Avery even though it¡¯s sote! It must be her boyfriend!¡± ¡°Oh¡­ This guy looks like someone¡­¡± On the other side of the video call, the three old men discussed the identity of the man. ¡°Avery, how do you hang up? I can¡¯t find the button.¡± Elliot took her phone and studied it for a few seconds, and because he could not find the button, he returned the phone to her. After Avery got her phone back, she immediately hung up the call. ¡°Who told you to take my phone?!¡± Avery scolded. He opened his eyes and saidzily, ¡°Their voices are annoying. It¡¯s nine o¡¯clock in the evening, not nine in the morning.¡± ¡°If you think it¡¯s annoying, you can go back to your home! This is my house.¡± Avery frowned, took the phone, and walked toward the bedroom. Elliot followed her. At the same time, the three managers had a private video call. ¡°Don¡¯t you think Avery¡¯s boyfriend looks like someone¡­ Have you noticed it? That man looks like Elliot Foster!¡± ¡°I haven¡¯t seen Elliot in person, only pictures.¡± ¡°I¡¯ve seen Elliot in person, but I was sitting in the back row at least a few hundred meters away from him.¡± Exclusive content ? by N?(v)el/Dr/ama.Org. ¡°Haven¡¯t you two heard his voice before? That man, he sounds like Elliot.¡± ¡°We haven¡¯t even met him before. How do you know what he sounds like?¡± ¡°It must be Elliot! I swear! No wonder she is stalling with Charlie. It looks like there is a better option!¡± ¡°If that¡¯s the case, then Avery¡¯s really impressive! She hid her ability and fame well, even secretly getting bigger deals!¡± ¡°I¡¯ll have to apologize to Avery! I text her almost every day, using her of being ignorant!¡± ¡°There¡¯s no need to be so anxious! Let me confirm with her if that man is Elliot!¡± Avery was in her bedroom, battling a splitting headache. She had to lie down on her bed. Elliot, who saw her lying in bed, chose toy down beside her. He turned off the light in the room. Avery had her eyes closed, but she was breathing heavily. It meant she was in a bad mood. Elliot said, ¡°I¡¯ve seen one of the three people in the video call with you just now.¡± Avery looked at him sideways. ¡°Who?¡± . Elliot answered, ¡°The chubby guy with sses.¡± Avery seemed indifferent. ¡°Oh¡­ So what if you met him before?¡± Elliot replied, ¡°I think he recognized me, so we can¡¯t hide our rtionship anymore.¡± After a pause, he continued, ¡°I¡¯ll pay three hundred million. Tell Charlie and see if he follows.¡± ¡°Are you crazy!¡± Avery raised her foot and kicked him. ¡°Do you think this is an auction!¡± Chapter 102 Chapter 102 Chapter 102 Avery said solemnly, ¡°Elliot, I¡¯ll not ept your money, so don¡¯t say such a thing again.¡± ¡°Why don¡¯t you want my money? Is my money any different from the money of others?¡± he sounded gloomy. Avery hesitated before answering, ¡°I don¡¯t want anyone¡¯s money, and I don¡¯t want to depend o n others.¡± Avery¡¯s words made Elliot speechless. ¡°I¡¯m going to sleep, don¡¯t disturb me.¡± Avery rolled over, turning her back to him. Looking at her slender back, Elliot covered her with the nket, but she removed it immediately. ¡°I¡¯ll use mine, and you¡¯ll use yours. Don¡¯t touch me.¡± There were two nkets on the bed, and Elliot was covered with a thicker one, whereas Avery used a lightweight one. However, the heater in the room was turned on, so the space was warm. ¡°You should use the thick one, and I¡¯ll use the thin one,¡± Elliot said kindly. He was rtively weak and felt cold, so he thought that she was cold too. ¡°Are you trying to give me a heatstroke?¡± Avery said bluntly, ¡°Go to sleep. You have to go before my momes back tomorrow morning. You¡¯re seriously affecting our lives by staying here.¡± Exclusive content ? by N?(v)el/Dr/ama.Org. Elliot covered himself with the nket. ¡°Okay.¡± Ten minutester, Avery grabbed her phone and turned toward him. With the help of the light of her phone, she saw Elliot. His eyes were open, and they were dark and cold in the dim light. ¡°Why aren¡¯t you sleeping yet? Are you cold?¡± Avery asked. Elliot answered, ¡°A little. Are you feeling warm?¡± Avery was wearing a short-sleeved shirt, and she only covered her upper body with her nket. It was as if they were both in different seasons. ¡°Don¡¯t mind me¡­ I¡¯ll get you a nket¡­¡± Avery sat up. Elliot grabbed her and said, ¡°Just give me half of yours.¡± ¡°Oh¡­¡± Avery gave him half of her nket. However, now the only way she could cover herself was if she leaned toward him. Realizing this, she sat up again, trying to get the nket. ¡°Don¡¯t move¡­ I¡¯m trying to sleep.¡± He stretched out his long arms and pulled her back again. Rosalie was sitting on the sofa at Elliot¡¯s mansion. She was so angry that she had even skipped dinner. After the driver returned from delivering Elliot¡¯s stuff, Rosalie began questioning him. ¡°Is the rental house small?¡± The driver answered, ¡°It¡¯s tiny. The whole house is not as big as the living room here.¡± Rosalie nced at the living room, and her blood pressure rose. ¡°When I left, Avery¡¯s mother had already gone to stay at a hotel. Only Mr. Forester and Avery are in the house.¡± ¡°This Avery¡­ Will she do anything terrible to Elliot?! Elliot¡¯s so ill now. How can you leave him alone with her? Where¡¯s the bodyguard?! The bodyguard must never leave him!¡± Rosalie was very concerned. ¡°It should be alright¡­¡± The driver stammered and exined, ¡°I heard from the bodyguard that the two of them did¡­ did it at noon¡­ They should still have feelings for each other.¡± Rosalie was shocked. ¡°Elliot¡¯s so sick! How can he still have the energy to do it! Avery is indeed a vixen! I¡¯m going to bring Elliot back! If he continues to stay with her, won¡¯t he be exhausted!¡± The driver cast a knowing gaze at Mrs. Cooper. Mrs. Cooper immediately spoke to Rosalie. ¡°If you go, I¡¯m afraid that Mr. Elliot will turn against you. You should go back first, and I¡¯ll ask the driver to pick him up tomorrow morning. ¡°I think you¡¯ve been brainwashed by Avery too!¡± Rosalie shook off Mrs. Cooper¡¯s arm. Mrs. Cooper took two steps back, not arguing with Rosalie. ¡°Take me to where Avery lives. I¡¯ll just stay outside and see, and I won¡¯t go in!¡± Rosalie said to the driver. The driver immediately helped her. Forty minutester, Rosalie saw the old residential district where Avery lived, and she sat in the car, unable to hold back her tears. Chapter 103 Chapter 103 Chapter 103 ¡°My son has never lived in such a harsh environment since he was born¡­ Never! What type of karma is this! It¡¯s all my fault! Why did I get Avery to be his wife? There are so many women, yet I chose this vixen!¡± In the room, Elliot¡¯s breathing gradually became stable. Avery reached out and touched his forehead. Even though Elliot was mmy, his temperature was normal. As she was afraid that he would wake up thirsty at night, she got out of bed and poured a ss of water, and ced it on the table beside him. When Avery woke up the following morning, Elliot was nowhere to be seen. She picked up her phone and checked the time. It was already past eight in the morning. Elliot sent her a message just after six in the morning, (I slept wellst night, so I¡¯ll leave first. Avery¡¯s cheek instantly flushed. It was only a text from him, so why was she feeling warm? Then, she found the remote control and turned off the heater. After washing up and leaving the room, Laura called her for breakfast. ¡°What¡¯s the situation between you and him now?¡± Laura passed her breakfast and utensils. N?velDrama.Org is the owner. ¡°What situation?¡± Avery pretended not to understand. ¡°Don¡¯t pretend to be puzzled. Don¡¯t you want to divorce him? I think the two of you can¡¯t be separated.¡± Laura sat across from her and looked at her, adding, ¡°He doesn¡¯t want to divorce you at all, and he looks like he likes you a lot.¡± Avery sighed, ¡°Mom, so what if he likes me? My value shouldn¡¯t be determined by a man.¡± Laura was helpless. ¡°But he won¡¯t divorce you. What will you do?¡± ¡°If it really can¡¯t work out. I¡¯m going to study abroad.¡± ¡°That¡¯s great!¡± ¡°Mom, let¡¯s eat. The food won¡¯t taste good if it¡¯s cold.¡± Avery felt that every breath she took was filled with his scent. After breakfast, she had to take a shower. Elliot exited the bathroom wrapped in a towel. He walked to his closet and changed into his clothes before heading to the dining room for breakfast. Mrs. Cooper was a little puzzled when she noticed that he was wearing fewer clothes. ¡°Master Elliot, aren¡¯t you cold?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not cold, and I feel better today.¡± ¡°That¡¯s great! The doctor wille overter. Let him examine you.¡± ¡°There¡¯s no need for that. I¡¯ll go to thepanyter.¡± Elliot¡¯s words shocked Mrs. Cooper. Before he had visited Avery yesterday, he looked haggard and sick, but today, he lookedpletely normal. Was taking all that medication not as effective as spending the day with Avery? When Elliot showed up at thepany, several executives could not help but follow him to his office. ¡°Mr. Foster, are you fully recovered? Wasn¡¯t it quite serious?¡± ¡°h, h, h! Mr. Foster just had a cold and a fever. How serious could it be? Since he¡¯s here at the company, it means that he¡¯s almost healed.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right! Mr. Foster, if you feel ufortable, you can go back and rest at any time. We¡¯ll send you an email if there¡¯s anything urgent with thepany. You can work from home.¡± Elliot ignored their concern and turned to Chad. ¡°Get Chelsea over.¡± Chad called Chelsea immediately, and the others wisely retreated. ¡°Elliot, why did youe to work all of a sudden? Did the doctor allow you toe to work?¡± Chelsea was worried when she saw that he was looking unwell. ¡°Chelsea, your father¡¯s birthday ising up, right?¡± Surprise shed in Chelsea¡¯s eyes, and she answered, ¡°Yes, it¡¯s this weekend. I didn¡¯t tell you because you were sick.¡± Elliot said, ¡°I¡¯ll be there.¡± Chelsea smiled, and her heart was full of joy. ¡°Okay! I was worried that you wouldn¡¯t go! My dad will definitely be pleased to see you.¡± ¡°Chelsea, I have a wife. I¡¯m attending your dad¡¯s birthday party because your brother invited m y wife,¡± Elliot exined, destroying all of her fantasies. Chapter 104 Chapter 104 Chapter 104 Chelsea¡¯s smile disappeared. ¡°You¡¯ve never had eyes for me, have you?¡± Elliot replied, ¡°Find someone who does.¡± Chelsea turned around and left. In the evening, Chelsea was unhappy and asked Charlie out for a drink. Charlie noticed that she was dispirited, and he said impolitely, ¡°No man will like you when you look like this.¡± Chelsea¡¯s eyes were red with anger. ¡°I¡¯m tired enough in public! Do I still need to put on an act in my own home?!¡± Charlie poured her a ss of wine,forting her, ¡°Chelsea, we¡¯re still not on the same page a s siblings. If you listen to me, you¡¯ll get everything.¡± Chelsea gulped down the wine and asked him with bloodshot eyes, ¡°Can I get Elliot?¡± Charlie wrapped his long arms around her, leaned closer, and whispered in her ear, ¡°You can¡¯t get him alive, but if he¡¯s dead, I can give you his ashes. This means you have him indirectly. How about that?¡± Chelsea¡¯s face immediately dropped, and she pushed him away! ¡°Charlie! Are you f*cking crazy?! If you dare touch Elliot, you¡¯re my enemy!¡± Bang! Charlie mmed into the table behind him, and there was a sharp pain in his lower back. He hunched over, unable to straighten up.. ¡°Charlie! I¡¯m sorry! I didn¡¯t mean it!¡± Chelsea helped him up and apologized guiltily, ¡°I didn¡¯t mean to quarrel with you¡­ but Elliot¡¯s my bottom line. Don¡¯t be his enemy!¡± ¡°He¡¯s already an enemy¡­¡± Charlie gasped in pain. ¡°He wants to take out three hundred million to invest in Tate Industries. Chelsea, do you think Tate Industries is worth three hundred million? He¡¯s provoking me!¡± Chelsea froze. ¡°Are you serious? Why didn¡¯t I hear the news?¡± ¡°Because he doesn¡¯t trust you. Also, he deliberately asked someone to tell me the news. I guess he and Avery had a private conversation.¡± Charlie slowly sat down on the sofa with a painful expression. Then, he said, ¡°Chelsea, get me some medicine.¡± Chelsea went to the medicine cab, but her thoughts had drifted. Perhaps, Elliot and Avery would never get a divorce. Chelsea had never seen Elliot care so much for a woman. In fact, Elliot¡¯s every act toward Avery was better than how he had treated her for the past ten years. Chelsea had lost! She had beenpletely defeated! Charlie¡¯s father¡¯s birthday party was held at the Tierney family¡¯s hillside vi in Rosacus City¡¯s Santa¡¯s Elrich District. Since Avonsville was just next to Rosacus City, it only took more than a n hour to drive there. Charlie called Avery early in the morning and wanted to drive to pick up her and Laura. Avery politely declined, ¡°My mother doesn¡¯t want to go, and I need to go back to the school today. Don¡¯t worry about me. You should head over first!¡± Avery did not have anything nned, and Charlie also knew that she just did not want to be with him. Charlie said, ¡°Avery,e as early as possible. I have something to tell you.¡± Avery replied, ¡°Alright¡­ I have something to tell you too.¡± After hanging up, Avery went back to sleep. She had stayed up toplete her thesis, and she was rather sleepy. 0 It was noon and the Tierney Vi in Rosacus City, whose parking lot was several hundred meters wide, was filled with luxury cars. Elliot entered the ballroom and started looking for Avery in the crowd. ¡°Avery¡¯s not here yet,¡± Chelsea said. ¡°Have you two made up? I thought you woulde together.¡± Elliot answered calmly, ¡°Maybe we¡¯ll get back together tomorrow.¡± Chelsea took him to his seat. ¡°I heard that you want to invest three hundred million in Tate Industries. Elliot, from a friend¡¯s point of view, I think that¡¯s very irrational of you.¡± Chelsea poured him a ss of warm water. ¡°How much I give her is a matter between her and me.¡± Elliot picked up the water ss and took a sip. ¡°You don¡¯t have to worry about my family affairs.¡± Chelsea¡¯s face became ashen. Family affairs!This text is property of N?/velD/rama.Org. He could lightly say the three hundred million was a family affair! V ¡°I¡¯ll never express my opinion about you and Ayery in the future!¡± Chelsea retorted. Elliot scoffed. ¡°You better keep your word.¡± Chapter 105 Chapter 105 Chapter 105 Chelsea was speechless. She had mentally prepared herself the entire morning so that she would not be jealous of Avery when she saw Elliot. However, her psychological defenses had copsed! Chelsea endured the pain and left the banquet hall. Not far away, Charlie watched Elliot snub his sister again. What made it worse was she had been snubbed in her own house. It would be a lie if Charlie had said that it did not hurt him, and it would also be a lie if he had said that the situation had not embarrassed him. Charlie wanted Elliot topensate his sister for all ten years of her youth she had wasted on him. After lunch, Elliot went to the guest room to rest. He did not expect Avery to arrive just yet. Did she not say being with Charlie was reallyfortable? Was she lying to him? When Elliot arrived at the guest room, he did not lie down. He was not very sleepy, and he only came here because he did not want to socialize. Later, he sent a text to his bodyguard. 1 (Call me when Avery arrives.) After sending the message, Elliot put the phone on the table, and he took a book from the shelf next to him. At about four in the afternoon, there was chatter outside the door. ¡°Do you know Avery Tate?¡± ¡°Of course. That¡¯s the woman Young Master Charlie fancies!¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. Young Master Charlie just asked me to prepare a woman¡¯s daily necessities and bring them to his room. I think that Avery will be staying overnight.¡± ¡°When ites to wooing women, our Young Master Charlie has never missed a beat! Do you know why he seeds every time?¡± ¡°Why?¡± ¡°Our Young Master Charlie has a way of getting women to obey him! By-¡± The sound outside the door suddenly became quieter. Following that, the footsteps were getting further away. Elliot frowned and walked toward the door. At this time, his phone rang, so he turned around and answered the phone. ¡°Mr. Foster, Avery¡¯s here. Charlie greeted her at the door, and he¡¯s taking her to the south side now,¡± said the bodyguard. ¡°Follow her!¡± ¡°Mr. Foster, the Tierney family¡¯s bodyguards are guarding the south side, and outsiders are not allowed to enter. I inquired about it, and the south side is where Charlie¡¯s father lives.¡± Elliot hung up. Then, he searched through his address book, found Avery¡¯s number, and dialed ¡°Avery, my father prefers a quiet space as he gets a headache when he hears the phone ringing and so on¡­¡± Charlie said to Avery. Avery immediately replied, ¡°I¡¯ll silence my phone.¡± ¡°There¡¯s no need. Your cell phone should have no signal now. The signal is blocked in the area he lives in.¡± Avery was shocked. ¡°Is your father¡¯s illness that severe?¡± N?velDrama.Org is the owner. Charlie nodded. ¡°We visited a lot of doctors but to no avail. In the end, we had to let him live in a tranquil ce for him to feel better.¡± Avery asked, ¡°Since he prefers peace, why¡¯s he throwing a birthday party?¡± Charlieughed. ¡°It¡¯s not that he prefers peace, but it¡¯s because of his illness. Before he got sick, he liked the crowd.¡± Avery nodded in understanding. ¡°Why does your dad want to see me alone? I¡¯m a little nervous,¡± Avery admitted uneasily. Charlie replied, ¡°Don¡¯t be nervous. He just wants to have a chat with you.¡± Charlie and Avery did not turn up at dinner, and Elliot had called Avery several times, but he did not receive a response. He had called Charlie but to no avail. Heartbroken, Elliot came out of the banquet hall and strode toward the south area of the vi. Chapter 106 Chapter 106 Chapter 106 Elliot was stopped by the Tierney family¡¯s bodyguards on his way to the south side of the vi. ¡°You can¡¯t go in there, Mr. Foster.¡± ¡°Let me in!¡± Elliot roared with a savage fury. ¡°My wife¡¯s inside!¡± ¡°Do you mean Miss Tate?¡± asked the bodyguard, then added, ¡°She just went hiking with Mr. Tierney.¡± Elliot pursed his lips as his eyes turned into cial orbs of ice colder than the abyss. The bodyguard pointed in the direction of a hill not too far away and said, ¡°They went that way, but it¡¯s already dark out, and it¡¯s a pretty steep walk. If you are unfamiliar with the path, I suggest you wait for them inside. I¡¯m sure they¡¯ll be back soon.¡± Elliot clenched his fists, then he stormed up the hill. In the living room in the south wing of the vi, after listening to Charlie¡¯s father¡¯s two-hour history lesson on the establishment of hispany and his thoughts on Tate Industries, Avery was desperate to escape. ¡°Thank you for taking the time out to talk to me, Mr. Tierney. Since it¡¯s your birthday today, I¡¯ ll speak to Charlie another time about business.¡± If Charlie¡¯s father were not the star of the night, she probably would not have been able to sit through his rambling for much longer. Charlie nced at his watch, then said to his father, ¡°Get some rest, Dad. Avery and I are going to get something to eat.¡± As they walked out of the living room, Avery noticed the night sky and felt a peculiar surge of gloom rise inside of her. Perhaps it was because it was her first time there, but she felt uneasy about the vast unfamiliar terrain that surrounded her. ?¡±I have no ns on epting your investment, Charlie,¡± Avery said as she finally mustered the courage to give Charlie her answer. Charlie froze in his tracks, and the chivalry vanished from his face as he said, ¡°Why is that? Can you give me a clear reason?¡± ¡°It¡¯s because you¡¯re Chelsea¡¯s brother. I cannot keep my peace of mind and ept your invitation,¡± said Avery bluntly. ¡°Did Elliot Foster say something to you? Are you nning on having him invest in your Charlie was not surprised by her answer, but he felt hurt nheless. ¡°I won¡¯t be epting any investment from him either,¡± Avery answered with calm eyes and a determined voice. ¡°I have to catch the subway home, so I¡¯m afraid I won¡¯t be staying for dinner.¡± She had epted his invitation simply to give him her answer. Now that she had cleared things up with him, it was time for her to go. 1 Charlie did not expect her to be so callous about the whole situation. Her way of doing things was shockingly simr to that of Elliot. Was that the reason they could not help but be attracted to each other? Charlie grabbed onto Avery¡¯s arm, then said, ¡°Have some dinner before you leave. Elliot is here, so he can take you home after. I¡¯ll worry otherwise.¡± Avery withdrew her arm and said, ¡°I called a cab earlier. It should be here any minute now.¡± ¡°Stay for dinner!¡± Charlie snapped. ¡°There¡¯s no reason for our rtionship to turn sour just because we won¡¯t be working together. I¡¯m not your enemy, Avery!¡± Avery took a deep breath. She never nned on being on bad terms with Charlie. It was impossible for them to be friends, but she did not need another enemy in her life. N?velDrama.Org is the owner. When Charlie escorted Avery back into the banquet hall and sat her down, Chelsea charged toward them with icy daggers shooting from her eyes. She stopped in front of Charlie, then dragged him by the arm outside. The sight of the Tierney siblings walking away made Avery lose her appetite. Chelsea¡¯s expression earlier was strangely dark, as if something bad had just happened. Avery nced restlessly at her surroundings. Apart from those at her table, the other guests did not seem to have noticed the siblings¡¯ odd behavior. Charlie mentioned that Elliot was there, but why was he nowhere in sight? Chelsea dragged Charlie out of the banquet hall, then yelled, ¡°Where¡¯s Elliot, Charlie? Where the hell is he?!¡± Chapter 107 Chapter 107 Chapter 107 Charlie patted down his wrinkled shirt, then snapped coldly, ¡°I¡¯m not his bodyguard, Chelsea! I don¡¯t have time to keep tabs on him! Go look for him yourself!¡± Chelsea violently punched Charlie in the chest and shrieked, ¡°I can¡¯t reach his phone, and I can ¡®t find him! His bodyguard doesn¡¯t know where he is either! Stop pretending! You installed that signal blocker on purpose! This is all part of your crazy n!¡± Charlie sped a hand over her mouth and he flung her over his shoulder with the other. ¡°Listen to me, Chelsea! I have to lock you in your room for now. You won¡¯t suffer again after tonight!¡± Back in the banquet hall, Avery shot to her feet. The uneasiness in her heart rose as she took in the unfamiliar faces around her. She pulled out her phone and noticed Elliot¡¯s missed calls and text message which read: (Look for me when you see this! I¡¯ll be in the banquet hall!] Avery was in the banquet hall, but where was Elliot? She tried calling him, but her call was immediately rejected. Was the south wing not the only ce with no signal? With her suspicions rising, she walked out of the banquet hall to see a tall figure in ck approaching her in a hurry. ¡°Did you see the boss?!¡± cried Elliot¡¯s bodyguard with panic written all over his face. ¡°No! Isn¡¯t he with you?!¡± Avery asked as her chest tightened and paranoid thoughts filled her mind. ¡°I tried calling but I couldn¡¯t reach him. There¡¯s no signal here!¡± ¡°I bet Charlie Tierney used a signal blocker! I don¡¯t know where the boss went. I didn¡¯t even notice he was gone until Miss Chelsea ran over to ask me where he was!¡± Avery clenched her fists tightly as she recalled the dark expression on Chelsea¡¯s face when she had approached Charlie. ¡°Charlie¡­ I¡¯m going to look for Charlie!¡± Avery stammered. ¡°I¡¯ll go with you!¡± When they arrived at the south wing of the vi, Elliot¡¯s bodyguard charged toward one of Tierney¡¯s guards and grabbed his throat. ¡°Where is Charlie Tierney?! Take me to him!¡± Avery immediately shoved the bodyguard aside and said, ¡°How is he supposed to talk with you strangling him?!¡± The bodyguard coughed violently and gasped, ¡°How would I know where Mr. Tierney is? I¡¯m just in charge of guarding the south wing¡­ I don¡¯t know anything¡­¡± ¡°Did you see Elliot Fostere by, then?¡± Avery pried. She felt a strong sense of foreboding in her heart. Elliot had tried calling her all afternoon and even sent her a text. He had been waiting for her the whole time. He must have known where she was and came looking for her. Noticing the change in the bodyguard¡¯s expression, Elliot¡¯s bodyguard kicked him to the ground and roared, ¡°Where is my boss?! I¡¯m running out of patience. You have three seconds! Three¡­ two¡­¡± ¡°He went up the hill!¡± cried the bodyguard as he pointed toward the dark outdoors. ¡°He went that way!¡± ¡°F*ck! Why would he go up there? As if he¡¯d run out in the dark!¡± yelled Elliot¡¯s bodyguard as he nted his foot on the guard¡¯s head. ¡°Spit it out! F*cking tell me!¡± Avery¡¯s heart was thumping wildly in her chest and her eyes were brimming with tears. It had not been long since Elliot stopped using his wheelchair. He was in no shape to hike up that hill, especially not in pitch darkness. ¡°He¡­ He went up¡­ To look for¡­ Miss Tate,¡± stammered the Tierney guard before passing out.Exclusive content ? by N?(v)el/Dr/ama.Org. Chapter 108 Chapter 108 Chapter 108 The vi was located halfway up the hill. There was a winding but smooth road starting at the bottom of the hill that led straight to the vi. From there onwards, however, there were no roads leading to the top of the hill. It was already dark out when Elliot had begun his journey from the vi. Using his sh as a torchlight, he hurried up the hill. N?velDrama.Org is the owner. He was worried for Avery¡¯s safety. Charlie had bad intentions when it came to Avery, and he was terrified of what might happen to her if he was toote. He would never have allowed Avery toe alone if he knew about Charlie¡¯s evil ns. Half an hourter and Elliot was breathing heavily, but it was nothingpared to the hell his legs were going through. His doctor had ordered him not to do any extraneous activities for the next six months. He was only allowed to walk normally and not for long periods of time either. Activities like hiking that wear out the knees were out of the question and carried extreme risks. The cold wind rustled the leaves of the trees in the darkness. Elliot was forced toe to a halt as he began to feel a sharp pain in the lower half of his body. He tried to call his bodyguard, but there was still no signal. He could make his way down the hill. The little energy he had left would allow him to do that much. The thought vanished from his mind as quickly as it had appeared. He powered through his difort and continued up the hill. He had to find Avery and bring her safely down the hill. It was at that moment that Elliot met with an ident¡­ His aching legs could no longer support him, causing him to lose his bnce and fall backward. As he fell, he did not think of how afraid he felt, nor did he think of death. The only thought in his mind was Avery¡¯s face. Her smile, her tears, the way her brows furrowed when she was angry, her calmposure¡­ It was all Avery Fear only struck him at the very end, when he thought of what Charlie Tierney might be doing to her! He fell into a bottomless pit of darkness. The sharp, blunt thuds that rang in his ears were the sounds of him hitting against hard rocks and branches. He had no idea what he was falling into, nor did he know if this was how he would meet his doom. ¡°Elliot! Can you hear me? Elliot Foster!¡± Avery yelled at the top of her lungs into the silent darkness. ¡°I didn¡¯t go up there! Elliot! I¡¯m right here!¡± ¡°We¡¯reing for you, boss!¡± cried Elliot¡¯s bodyguard. ¡°Say something if you hear us! Say something! We¡¯lle get you!¡± Their calls were met with nothing but an unsettling breeze and eerie silence. The further Avery walked, the more terrified she became. The path up the hill was impossibly steep! She was only able to make her way up from holding on to the bodyguard¡¯s arm. With his legs still recovering, why would Elliote to a ce like this?! Why would he dare?! How could he? Hot tears escaped from the corners of Avery¡¯s eyes. ¡°Elliot!¡± she cried through gasping sobs. The bodyguard felt Avery was slowing down his progress, so he shook her off and said, ¡°Wait ?right here. I¡¯ll go look for him!¡± He then turned away and continued to walk up the hill. Avery wiped the tears off her face and resumed her way up the difficult path. She could not stand around and do nothing! It was impossible! She had to find Elliot! She had to tell him herself that she did not walk up that hill! She had to tell him that, even if she did go there, he should not have taken such a big risk to go after her! Was he not an intelligent person? Where did all of his intelligence go?! What about his reason? Did everything disappear into thin air?! Avery¡¯s tears blurred her vision as she continued her journey into the unknown. Chapter 109 Chapter 109 Chapter 109 A glimmer of light not too far away suddenly grabbed Avery¡¯s attention. She held up her phone and aimed the light in the direction of the glimmer. At the bottom of the sprawling ravine was the clear silhouette of a man lying on the ground. ¡°Elliot!¡± Avery let out a shrill cry before she got down on all fours and crawled toward the ravine. ¡°I¡¯ming, Elliot! Don¡¯t be scared! You¡¯ll be fine¡­ You¡¯ll be okay!¡± Hearing her cries, the bodyguard yelled down the hill, ¡°Did you find him?!¡± ¡°Yes! He fell! He¡¯s covered in blood!¡± Avery yelled as she tried to contain her emotions. ¡°Get over here!¡± She took a deep breath and jumped down to where Elliot was. Her foot slipped upon the sudden impact, which caused her to draw a sharp breath of pain. She swiped the tears off her face and quickly scrambled to where Elliot was and took him into her arms. ¡°Elliot! Wake up! Don¡¯t fall asleep! Stay awake!¡± His cheeks were cold to the touch. Blew her warm air onto his face. There was no signal up on the hill. There was no way for them to call for help. While Elliot¡¯s bodyguard carried him on his back down the hill, Avery trailed along behind them, using a branch for support. Tears streamed down her face. How did this happen? Who was the one who told Elliot she was on the hill? This was attempted murder! If Elliot had fallen into a deeper ravine, and if nobody had been able to find him, he would have frozen to death within twenty-four hours! Hot tears streamed down Avery¡¯s face when she thought of Elliot¡¯s close brush with death. She had been the reason he had gone up there in the first ce. After Elliot was rescued, two of the Tierney family¡¯s bodyguards walked into Charlie¡¯s room at the vi. ¡°We were waiting at the top of the hill for him the whole time, but he fell over before he even got to us!¡± reported one of the guards. Charlie mmed his clenched fist on the table, then snapped, ¡°What a weakling! He couldn¡¯t even climb up a d*mn hill! Why didn¡¯t he just fall to death?!¡± ¡°He got lucky! We took a look at where he fell. It was a pretty big ravine. Nobody would have found him if it was a narrow one!¡± Charlie rubbed the space between his brows, then growled, ¡°Nothing that happened tonight leaves this room! Get out!¡± After the guards left, Charlie walked out of the room. He got out the key to Chelsea¡¯s room and opened the door. Content from N?velDr(a)ma.Org. Chelsea¡¯s bloodshot eyes were filled with deep loathing. ¡°You killed him, didn¡¯t you? Was this what you meant by setting me free?! Didn¡¯t it ur to you that I¡¯d dly die with him?!¡± Her eyes were swollen from crying, and she was holding a knife in her hand. She was trembling uncontrobly. If Charlie told her that Elliot was dead, she might just stab herself in the chest with that knife. ¡°He¡¯s a lucky man. He isn¡¯t dead, but I might just be,¡± Charlie said as his expression turned dark. ¡°He¡¯ll come after me when he wakes up. You should leave the house, Chelsea!¡± The knife in Chelsea¡¯s hand ttered on the ground. ¡°Why did you have to go this far? Listen up, Charlie. Whenever you¡¯re up against Elliot Foster, you will lose every single time. Why don¡¯t you just ept your fate?¡± Chelsea smirked coldly, then picked up her bag and stormed out of the room. A weekter, Tate Industries officially announced its bankruptcy and began its liquidation proceedings. Since Avery had never epted her father¡¯s testamentary session, Jack¡¯s debt had nothing to do with her. On the day the news broke, Avery had received a text message from Shaun. [You¡¯re going to hell for this!) She turned her phone off after reading it. There were limits to how much she could handle. She did not have the time nor the energy to care about insignificant matters. Elliot¡¯s legs were severely injured. He would be wheelchair-bound again once he was discharged from the hospital. Avery never once visited him. It was not that she did not want to, but she could not. The Foster family¡¯s bodyguards were constantly stationed in front of his hospital room¡¯s door, and they did not allow a soul to enter. She could only receive news of his condition from Mrs. Cooper, who told her that Elliot¡¯s mood took a turn for the worse when he regained consciousness. He refused to speak and did not want to be disturbed. All Avery could do was wait. She was waiting for him to be willing to see her. Chapter 110 Chapter 110 Chapter 110 Avery was cooped up at the library at Avonsville University after having dinner on campus. A sudden cheer made her look up from her book. ¡°It¡¯s snowing! It¡¯s the first snow of the year! Look, it¡¯s getting heavier! Let¡¯s go out and y!¡± ¡°Sure! I want to take some pictures!¡± Half of the people in the library left. Avery walked over to the window and looked out at the snow gracefully fluttering down from the sky. It was a beautiful scene. It was no wonder there was a saying that you shall surely seed if you ask someone out during the first snow. Things of beauty put everyone in a good mood, after all. ¡°Your phone¡¯s ringing!¡± someone said as they came up behind Avery and tapped her on the shoulder. She snapped out of her daze and said, ¡°Oh, thank you!¡± She then limped her way back to her seat. Avery had not gone to the hospital to get her foot treated till muchter. The swelling was so bad that it was taking a while to heal. Even so, none of this affected her daily life. She picked up her phone and answered the call. After hearing what the person on the other line had to say, Avery¡¯s eyes lit up and her brows raised in excitement. ?The wide beam on her face did not disappear even after she hung up the phone. Her luck was finally turning around. Perhaps she had a guardian angel watching over her. Avery packed her stuff, picked up her bag, and walked out of the building as fast as she could. Her phone suddenly rang again, and she picked it up without hesitation. ¡°It¡¯s snowing, Avery! Don¡¯t tell me you¡¯re still in the library!¡± Tammy said on the other end of the line. ¡°Tammy! I¡¯ve decided to go to grad school!¡± ¡°What?! What happened?¡± Tammy eximed in shock. ¡°Didn¡¯t you say you weren¡¯t going? What made you change your mind so suddenly?¡± Her voice was so loud that Avery had to pull the phone further away from her ear. ¡°Do you know who Professor James Hough is?¡± ¡°No idea,¡± replied Tammy. ¡°Is he some bigshot professor?¡± N?velDrama.Org is the owner. ¡°He is! He¡¯s my hero! I just got a call from his assistant saying that the professor wants me to study under him¡­¡± Avery said as she burst into tears. ¡°This is a dreame true¡­ I still can¡¯t believe he picked me¡­¡± Tammy wanted nothing but to give her best friend a big bear hug. ¡°I¡¯ve always said that you were meant for great things, Avery! Why didn¡¯t you believe me? You believe me now, don¡¯t you? Where are you right now? Let¡¯s go out and celebrate!¡± Avery¡¯s head was spinning from all of the excitement. She wiped the tears off her face, then said, ¡°All I want to do now is go home and sleep. I¡¯m beat. Dinner¡¯s on me next time!¡± ¡°Have you been having trouble sleeping?¡± Tammy asked. ¡°I heard from Jun that Elliot was discharged today. You don¡¯t have to worry about him. He¡¯s got plenty of people looking after him, so I¡¯m sure he¡¯ll recover in no time.¡± , ¡°I know,¡± Avery responded. It was not that she was worried about his recovery, but she was crippled by guilt. He would not have gotten hurt if it had not been for her. Once the phone call ended, Tammy put her phone down and looked up at Jun. ¡°Avery¡¯s going to grad school,¡± she said with a sigh. ¡°She¡¯ll probably have to leave the country. I looked up that professor she was talking about and found out that he works at a medical school abroad¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s a good thing,¡± Jun said. ¡°I¡¯m sure Elliot would give her his full support.¡± ¡°What the hell is going on with him anyway? Why won¡¯t he see Avery? She was the one who found him when he fell down that hill¡­ It wasn¡¯t like she was the one who told him to go up there. How could he be upset with her?¡± Tammy could not help but stand up for her best friend. Jun wrapped his arm around Tammy¡¯s shoulder, and the two slowly strolled under the falling snow. Chapter 111 Chapter 111 Chapter 111 ¡°I don¡¯t think the reason why Elliot won¡¯t see Avery is that he¡¯s upset¡­¡± Jun said. ¡°His bodyguard told me that his face was covered in scratches from the fall. I doubt someone as proud as him would want anyone seeing him in that condition.¡± ¡°So, that¡¯s what it is! I have to tell Avery before she overthinks things,¡± Tammy said, then sent Avery a text telling her what she just heard from Jun. Avery simply replied with a smiling emoji. Tammy: (Elliot¡¯s birthday ising up in a couple of weeks. Have you thought about what you ¡®re getting him?] Avery: (Not yet. I don¡¯t know what to give him.] Tammy: (Since it¡¯s getting cold out, you should try knitting him a sweater!) Avery: (Are you serious? Who wears knitted sweaters anymore?!] Tammy: (Just do it. Men like stuff like that.) This text is property of N?/velD/rama.Org. Avery: (Problem is, I don¡¯t know a thing about knitting!) Tammy: (The people selling the yarn would teach you! Or you could look for tutorials online You¡¯re a smart girl. You¡¯ll figure it out!) Avery: (Why are you insisting that I knit him a sweater?] Tammy: (Because men always fall for that stuff! Jun told me that he still can¡¯t forget his first love because she knitted a sweater for him. He¡¯s kept it all this time¡­ It drives me nuts, but I refuse to knit him one myself!) Avery stood puzzled in the snow as she read her best friend¡¯s text. She only snapped back to reality when the cab she had called earlier came to a halt in front of her. She arrived at her mother¡¯s apartment with a bag of yarn in her hand an hourter. Laura noticed the bag in her hand and asked, ¡°Are you knitting a scarf?¡± Avery¡¯s cheeks flushed as she answered, ¡°I¡¯m thinking of making a sweater.¡± Laura gave her a meaningful look and asked, ¡°For whom? It can¡¯t be for me, right? Are you knitting it for Elliot?¡± ¡°It¡¯s for you, Mom¡­¡± Avery said, then added, ¡°Elliot¡¯s birthday ising up, so I¡¯m making one for him first. That way, the one I make for youter would be much better.¡± ¡°I¡¯m just messing with you!¡± Laura chuckled. ¡°Is it still popr to knit sweaters for someone you like now? I thought that was just back in my day¡­¡± ¡°Tammy said it¡¯s a thing.¡± ¡°I see. I guess this old trend is making aeback! Do you know how to knit? It¡¯s going to take quite some time. Do you need my help?¡± Avery shook her head and said, ¡°I¡¯ve got two weeks to go. I should be able to manage.¡± Elliot was sitting in his wheelchair on the second-floor balcony of his mansion. He was staring at the falling snow. His mind had been nk for the past few days. His heart also felt empty. It was as if all of the pain and agony before hade to a pause. He did not feel like seeing anyone, nor did he want to hear a sound. The only thought that crossed his mind came when his aching body made him think of how things would have turned out if he had fallen to his death. It was clear to him that nothing would have changed. The earth would continue to turn. Those who cried for him would slowly return to their daily lives. There was nobody in the world who would not be able to live on if someone left. However, at the end of the day, there was still something that he could not let go of. He had to stay alive. His hands tightened around the armrests of his wheelchair as his entire body stiffened. A tear escaped from the corner of his eye and rolled down his cheek. Rosalie was sitting in the living room with the doctor standing by her side. ¡°I¡¯m afraid the ident has caused a recurrence of Elliot¡¯s depression,¡± reported the doctor. Rosalie let out a heavy sigh and said, ¡°I thought so. He refuses to talk, and now he¡¯s locked himself up.¡± Chapter 112 Chapter 112 Chapter 112 ¡°I prescribed some medication to help, but he won¡¯t take them,¡± said the doctor with a frown. ¡°He won¡¯t get better if he continues to refuse help.¡±, ¡°I¡¯ll talk to him tomorrow,¡± said Rosalie. ¡°I heard that he listens to Miss Avery. Maybe we should¡ª¡± ¡°Absolutely not!¡± Rosalie snapped furiously. ¡°She¡¯s the reason my son is like this. That woman brings nothing but bad luck!¡± The doctor did not argue. His only responsibility was to Elliot¡¯s health. ¡°I know you didn¡¯t mean to take her side¡­¡± Rosalie said as she tried to quickly reach apromise. ¡°Let¡¯s see if he listens to me tomorrow.¡± She only hoped for her son¡¯s speedy recovery. Everything else could wait. After Avery took a shower, she walked to the window and looked outside. The snow on the ground looked like ayer of silver powder that illuminated the night. She felt a strangepulsion rise within her. She picked up her phone and wanted so badly to give Elliot a call. She wanted to hear his voice. After some thought, she was afraid that he would not answer her call, so she decided to send him a voice message instead. Even if she could not hear his voice, she wanted him to hear hers and know that she was thinking of him. Avery sent the message, then walked to the living room, took out the bag of yarn, and began to knit. With the world around her stuck in silence, she became immersed in her task. Elliot was startled awake from a nightmare in the middle of the night. His forehead was covered in sweat and his eyes were filled with an unusual restlessness. N?velDrama.Org is the owner. These days, he was having nightmares of himself dying every night. The most terrifying part of the dreams was that he was always an iplete corpse that was reduced to an unrecognizable mess of blood and flesh. In those dreams, he was rotting away, surrounded by flies and maggots. He hated himself more every time he woke up. Elliot picked up his phone and looked at the time. His fingers identally opened the text message notification on the home page, and his eyes met Avery¡¯s profile picture. He opened the message with trembling hands and yed her voice message. ¡°It¡¯s snowing outside, Elliot. Did you see? I heard you went home today. I hope you get well soon! I wanted to call, but I was afraid of bothering you. Which is why I¡¯m sending this instead. Here¡¯s a photo of the snow on our side!¡± Elliot clicked on the photo she had sent and saw the beautiful, snowy scenery. His throat tightened as the revulsion from the trauma subsided, temporarily. He yed Avery¡¯s voice message over and over again and allowed the gentle ring of her voice to slowly chase away the demons in his heart. A weekter, Elliot showed up at the headquarters of Sterling Group. He was in his wheelchair with a light nket over his legs. His face was as aloof and regal as ever, while he emanated an unapproachable aura. Other than the fact that he was wheelchair-bound, there was almost no evidence that he had a near- death experience only a few weeks ago. When Elliot entered his office, his assistant, Chad immediately briefed him on his work schedule. Once he was briefed, Chad asked, ¡°Do you want anything to drink, sir? Coffee? Some milk, maybe?¡± ¡°Coffee,¡± Elliot said, then added, ¡°Call Chelsea over.¡± Chapter 113 Chapter 113 Chapter 113 ¡°Yes, sir,¡± Chad responded. Soon after, a cup of coffee was ced in front of Elliot. As Chad exited the room, he bumped into Chelsea who was on her way over. She was not wearing any makeup, and her face looked unusually haggard. Chat approached her, intending to speak to her, but in the end, he said nothing. Chelsea entered Elliot¡¯s office and shut the door behind her. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Elliot,¡± she said in a hoarse voice as she stood in front of Elliot. ¡°This was all due to my brother¡¯s scheme. He knew that you were still recovering, so he made you go up that hill. It¡¯s an especially steep hill. We don¡¯t usually go up there ourselves. He wanted you dead.¡± Elliot stared silently at her pale face, then said, ¡°I know.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry. He won¡¯t apologize to you. He already left the country,¡± Chelsea said through the lump in her throat. ¡°Please forgive my family, Elliot. My father¡¯s getting old, and I¡¯m afraid he won¡¯t be able to handle the bacsh. If you have to punish someone, then punish me. I¡¯ll take it all without question.¡± Elliot continued to stare at her in silence. It was as if he was seeing her for the first time. She always had on the most immacte makeup and only presented her best self to him. ¡°I appreciate how you¡¯ve stayed by my side all these years, Chelsea,¡± he finally said in a soft voice that was void of emotion. ¡°Leave thepany and never appear in front of me again. If you can do that, then I¡¯ll leave your family alone.¡± Tears streamed down Chelsea¡¯s face as she digested Elliot¡¯s words. It was over! Things werepletely over between them! She took a deep breath and tried to hold back her tears, but they were uncontroble, and they continued to escape her eyes. She took one final, deep look at Elliot, then turned and ran out of the room. Once Chelsea was out of the building, it was Ben¡¯s turn to walk into Elliot¡¯s office. He knew that Elliot would not want to hear a word about Chelsea, so he did not mention her. ¡°Your birthday ising up next week, Elliot. If you don¡¯t want to have a party at a hotel, then let¡¯s organize something small at home,¡± Ben suggested. Elliot took a sip of his coffee, then said coldly, ¡°Forget it.¡± N?velDrama.Org is the owner. He hated crowds and never celebrated his birthday. ¡°Avery already prepared your birthday present, though. How is she supposed to give it to you if you don¡¯t have a party? You should know that what she¡¯s giving you isn¡¯t something you can get with money,¡± Ben said, throwing out the bait. Elliot wanted to pretend like he did not care, but the look in his eyes gave him away ¡°She knitted a sweater for you! She¡¯s been working on it all day and all night just so she could get it ready in time for your birthday,¡± Ben continued. ¡°Don¡¯t you want to see it for yourself? I don¡¯t think any girl has ever knitted you a sweater with their own hands before!¡± Elliot did not like wearing sweaters because he found them troublesome. The long process of knitting a whole sweater was even more troublesome! In his eyes, it was foolish of anyone to do something like that. However, he would never call Avery foolish. If she gave him a sweater, he would ept it. ¡°I know you don¡¯t like crowds,¡± Ben said. ¡°It¡¯ll just be lunch with a few of the guys.¡± Elliot¡¯s brows furrowed, and Ben realized that he had forgotten to mention the most important guest. ¡°Oh, of course, Avery would be there, too,¡± he added quickly. ¡°Since she¡¯s already prepared a gift for you, she¡¯ll definitely join us. Should we do it at your ce or at a restaurant?¡± ¡°Restaurant,¡± Elliot replied curtly. ¡°Got it! I¡¯ll go make the reservation right away! Should I let Avery know or will you?¡± ¡°You do it.¡± Ben stroked his chin and said, ¡°Haven¡¯t you two been in touch at all? Why not? Jun told me that she kept wanting to go see you¡­¡± ¡°She never did,¡± Elliot said in a muffled voice. One could tell just from his breathing that he was upset. Ben never expected that Elliot was always waiting for Avery to make the first move. ¡°I bet she¡¯s been busy knitting your sweater! It¡¯s not exactly an easy task, plus it¡¯s her first time making one¡­ Now that I think about it, didn¡¯t you hate wearing sweaters?¡± At that thought, Ben let his thoughts run wild and added, ¡°Why don¡¯t you give it to me once she¡¯s done knitting it? I¡¯ve never worn a hand-knitted sweater before!¡± Elliot¡¯s expression remained still as he said, ¡°You remembered wrong. I love wearing sweaters. Chapter 114 Chapter 114 Chapter 114 Elliot was lying through his teeth, but Ben had no reply. of all the years they had known each other, Ben had never once seen Elliot in a sweater. Although, perhaps a sweater that Avery knitted for him was much more meaningful than one that was bought with money, ¡°Your mom called me saying your nephew was discharged from the hospital,¡± Ben said. ¡°She wants you to go home for dinner tonight.¡± ¡°She can tell me that herself,¡± Elliot said. ¡°Did she upset you recently? She was pretty cautious when she talked to me earlier. Don¡¯t be mad at your mom, Elliot. There¡¯s nothing like a mother¡¯s love in this world¡± ¡°Please stop talking.¡± Ben burst intoughter. ¡°Do you want to go back to the old mansion for dinner with Avery?¡± Elliot thought for a moment, then said, ¡°Didn¡¯t you say she¡¯s been busy knitting?¡± ¡°That¡¯s true! There¡¯s only a week left. I wonder how she¡¯s doing.¡± When Elliot arrived at the old mansion that night, Rosalie was beside herself with joy. Everyone else, on the other hand, had different levels of caution on their faces. Elliot¡¯s cold gaze fell on Cassandra. ¡°She¡¯s Avery¡¯s sister, Cassandra Tate¡­¡± Rosalie exined when she saw her son staring at their guest. ¡°I didn¡¯t like her at first, but she¡¯s been taking care of Cole after he got hurt¡­¡± Cassandra grew apprehensive under Elliot¡¯s unwavering gaze. She mustered up the courage to greet him and said, ¡°Nice to meet you, Sir. I¡¯m Avery¡¯s sister. I thought that you¡¯d being with her tonight!¡± Elliot ignored her and shifted his gaze to Cole¡¯s haggard and sluggish face. The time he had spent at the hospital was the most agonizing period of his life. ¡°I broke up with Avery half a year ago, Uncle Elliot. She hated me after she found out that I was seeing Cassandra. There was no way that I would be able to devise a plot to keep her by your side,¡± exined Cole desperately. ¡°I could tell,¡± Elliot said, then added after a brief pause, ¡°I¡¯m afraid you don¡¯t have the ability to rule Avery Tate.¡± Avery¡¯s unique personality prevented anyone from controlling her. ¡°Insult me however you want. As long as you¡¯re happy,¡± Cole said humbly. ¡°I¡¯d be happy if you shut your mouth,¡± Elliot said bluntly. Cole remained silent. His finger reattachment surgery went well, but he was not fully recovered yet and had to depend on Cassandra to feed him. The tension remained strained throughout the night¡¯s dinner. Noticing the rigid silence, Cassandra decided to lighten the atmosphere. ¡°We had a credible fortune teller predict Avery¡¯s future for us before,¡± she said. ¡°They told us that Avery would bring bad luck to her husband¡­ I bet your recent ident was because of her. Content from N?velDr(a)ma.Org. As Elliot raised his eyes to look at her, his gaze chilled her to the bone. ¡°I¡¯m a pretty good fortune teller myself. I¡¯ll predict your future right now¡­ You won¡¯t live long.¡± Cassandra¡¯s fork fell from her hands and ttered to the floor. Sensing her son¡¯s rage, Rosalie called for the bodyguard and said, ¡°Throw her out!¡± Cole was upset that Cassandra was being kicked out. ¡°Grandma¡ª¡± ¡°Shut up! Feed yourself or don¡¯t eat at all! I never liked that girl! She¡¯ll be nothing but trouble for you!¡± Cole did not say another word and proceeded to try his best to pick up his fork with his injured hand. Elliot pulled out a check from his pocket, slid it across the table to his brother, and said, ¡°This is for taking care of Mother, Henry. Take it.¡± ?Rosalie lived with Henry, so Elliot would regrly give his brother some money to cover expenses. Henry was hesitant. He wanted to ept the money, but he could not help but feel humiliated. It was a child¡¯s duty to take care of their mother, after all. Chapter 115 Chapter 115 Chapter 115 Cole¡¯s previous run-in with loan sharks had forced Henry to cough up a huge sum of money. ¡°Since Elliot¡¯s offering, just ept it!¡± Henry¡¯s wife, Olivia, chimed in. ¡°We¡¯re all family here. There¡¯s no need to be so formal with Elliot.¡± Henry¡¯s face turned crimson. He picked up the check and said, ¡°You don¡¯t need to do this again, Elliot.¡± ¡°I¡¯m done eating,¡± Elliot said. ¡°I¡¯ll leave now.¡± Rosalie got up and sent him off. Once they were out of the house, Cole¡¯s fork fell heavily onto the floor. ¡°Dad! Why did you take his money?!¡± He felt humiliated. He hated being treated like charity. ¡°How dare you, you spineless piece of sh*t?!¡± Henry roared furiously. ¡°Return to me all the money that I had spent to discharge your loans if you can!¡± Olivia joined her husband in chastising her son and said, ¡°Your uncle may look down on us, but there¡¯s no reason why we shouldn¡¯t ept free money! Do you know how much he just gave us? Eight hundred thousand dors! Your dad¡¯spany wouldn¡¯t even be able to make that much in a year!¡± ¡°Are our finances really that bad?¡± Cole asked with bloodshot eyes. ¡°What did you expect? Most of our customers only work with us as a favor to your uncle. They stopped working with us during the second half of the year¡­¡± Olivia sighed. ¡°It¡¯s a good thing for you that Cassandra has no clue as to our situation. I¡¯m afraid she won¡¯t be rushing to take care of you if she finds out we¡¯re barely getting by.¡± This was a huge blow to Cole. His injured hand clenched into a tight fist, but he felt no pain. He had been living in his own fantasy the entire time. Now that the walls of that dream world were crumbling, he had no choice but to face the cruel reality. In the blink of an eye, it was the day of Elliot¡¯s birthday party. Avery woke up early in the morning, checked on the gift she prepared, then began to get ready for the day. On the other side of the city, Elliot was taking out a t-shirt from his closet. It would not be convenient to wear a sweater over a button-down shirt. What if the sweater Avery made was fitted? Elliot and Avery arrived at the restaurant at ten in the morning. They were there early because Ben had called them individually beforehand. He had told them to hurry as the other party had arrived. It was not until they had arrived did they realize that they were the only ones there. Avery secretly gave Elliot a once-over. The bruises on his face had already healed, and he looked rather handsome. She could not tell how his legs were doing since he was in his wheelchair. He was dressed in nothing but a t-shirt and a light jacket. As Avery was examining him, Elliot was also inspecting her. She was wearing makeup, but it did not cover the dark circles under her eyes. It appeared that she had truly dedicated herself to knitting the sweater. ¡°I knitted a sweater for you¡­ I wasn¡¯t sure about your measurements so I made it a little bigger¡­¡± Avery said as she passed him the paper bag she was holding. Elliot lowered his gaze, took the bag from her, and pulled out the sweater. It was a cream-colored sweater made from thick yarn, so it felt slightly heavy in his hands. It would probably feel extra warm on him. He took off his jacket and put the sweater on in front of her. Avery¡¯s cheeks flushed slightly. Not only did Elliot not find her giftme, but he had also chosen to wear it the moment she gave it to him. ¡°Happy birthday, Elliot Foster.¡±Content from N?velDr(a)ma.Org. Chapter 116 Chapter 116 Chapter 116 Elliot nced up at Avery¡¯s f?ce, then said in a hoarse voice, ¡°Thank you.¡± The sweater felt morefortable and warm than he had expected. Avery was shocked by how good he looked in it. She could not decide if it was the quality of the sweater, or if he was just that good looking. She picked up the paper bag and pulled out a gift box. ¡°I also got you this just in case you didn¡¯t like the sweater,¡± she said. Elliot stared at the box in her hand. ¡°It¡¯s a lighter,¡± Avery exined quickly. ¡°I didn¡¯t know what else to get you so I got this. It¡¯s practical and you could probably use it. You shouldn¡¯t smoke too much, though. It¡¯s bad for you.¡± Then, she ced the box in Elliot¡¯s hands. Elliot opened the box, pulled out the lighter, and sparked a light. ¡°I¡¯m not a heavy smoker,¡± he said in a sultry voice. ¡°I only smoke when I¡¯m stressed out.¡± Avery¡¯s brows raised in surprise as she said, ¡°You were always smoking when I was living at your ce.¡± ¡°That¡¯s because you were always driving me mad,¡± Elliot answered. Avery had no answer for that. ¡°Let¡¯s go out for some air,¡± Elliot said. He was feeling a little warm. The heater was on in the restaurant and drops of sweat were beginning to form on his forehead. ¡°Sure. Let me help,¡± Avery said as she made her way behind Elliot¡¯s wheelchair. ¡°It¡¯s fine. It¡¯s an electric wheelchair,¡± Elliot said as he began to roll out of the building at the push of a button. Avery caught up to him and said, ¡°You always had your bodyguard wheel you around before.¡± ¡°There was no need for me to do anything while they were around.¡± ¡°I could help you, too¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s fine.¡± ¡°I want to,¡± Avery said, then grabbed onto the handles of the wheelchair and pushed Elliot outside. ¡°How are your legs? What did the doctors say?¡± ¡°The right one¡¯s bruised, and the left one¡¯s broken.¡± Avery felt a sharp pang in her heart. ¡°Did it hurt a lot?¡± ¡°It was okay.¡± The cold air weed them as they exited the building. Avery wheeled Elliot to the side of the road, then ced her coat over his legs. ¡°Why didn¡¯t you reply to my message?¡± she said after finally finding the courage. She had found it hard to sleep for a few nights when she had not received a reply to her message. Their faces were close, and their breaths intermingled. Elliot did not want to tell Avery that he had a rpse and that he had only recently be stable after a few weeks of antidepressants. After that, he found out from Ben that Avery was busy knitting a sweater for him, so he did not want to bother her. ¡°Forget it. I guess it didn¡¯t warrant a reply anyway. It was the first snow of the year, so I impulsively sent you a message,¡± Avery said. She got to her feet, then moved to the back of the wheelchair and wheeled it along the street. ¡°Why didn¡¯t youe to see me?¡± Elliot asked suddenly. ¡°Jun said you were too proud. I was afraid that you wouldn¡¯t want to see me until the scratches on your face recovered.¡± ¡°You only sent me one message the whole time.¡± ¡°You didn¡¯t respond the first time, so I thought you didn¡¯t want to hear from me.¡± ¡°I did, though,¡± Elliot croaked. ¡°What?¡± Avery asked in bewilderment as her heart began to race. ¡°Elliot, what did you¡ª¡± ¡°There¡¯s a bakery over there,¡± Elliot interrupted as he pointed at a store in front of them, changing the subject. ¡°I feel like eating cake.¡±N?velDrama.Org owns this. Avery¡¯s attention was sessfully diverted. ¡°Oh, let¡¯s go get a cake, then!¡± she said, then added after a brief pause, ¡°Didn¡¯t you hate dessert?¡± ¡°It¡¯s fine to have some on my birthday.¡± ¡°That¡¯s true. Birthdays should be a little more special.¡± At the bakery, the shop readily offered her assistance and asked them to pick a cake. Elliot nced at Avery and said, ¡°You pick.¡± ¡°Should we get a mousse cake?¡± Avery asked. ¡°A butter cake might be too sweet.¡± Elliot turned to the shop assistant and said, ¡°We¡¯ll take the mousse cake.¡± ¡°Of course, Sir,¡± responded the shop assistant. ¡°What size would you like?¡± Elliot turned back to Avery again and asked, ¡°What size should we get?¡± ¡°How many people areing to the party?¡± Avery asked. Chapter 117 Chapter 117 Chapter 117 ¡°I have no idea,¡± Elliot said. ¡°Don¡¯t worry about them.¡± ¡°Let¡¯s get a bigger one, then!¡± Avery said. ¡°Ten inches, maybe?¡± Elliot turned to the shop assistant and said, ¡°Ten inches.¡± ¡°Sure thing. Are you guys on a date? You look cute together,¡± said the shop assistant with a smile. A wave of embarrassment washed over Avery¡¯s face, turning her porcin skin ruby red. On the other hand, Elliot nced at the desserts on disy and asked, ¡°Do you want to get anything else to bring home?¡± ¡°It¡¯s fine¡­¡± Avery answered. ¡°Go ahead and get something for your mother.¡± Avery noticed the rosy tint in Elliot¡¯s cheeks, chuckled to herself, then said, ¡°Sure! I¡¯ll get something.¡± They left the bakery an hourter. Elliot was holding the cake with an uneasy expression on his face. There were not many people out on the streets. The weather was cold, but the warmth that surrounded him helped him fight the chill. When they arrived at the restaurant, all the other guests were waiting for them in the private room. Upon Avery and Elliot¡¯s arrival, the noisy atmosphere instantly turned silent. Elliot¡¯s cream sweater took years off of his age. The cake he was holding also shed with his image. Everyone knew that he never ate dessert. Ben cleared his throat and approached the couple. ¡°Did you guys go and get a cake? I brought one, too, but it¡¯s not as big as this one.¡± Avery felt ufortable under the crowd¡¯s gaze and exined; ¡°He said he felt like eating cake, so we went and got one.¡± Ben coughed and asked, ¡°Elliot said he wanted to eat cake?¡± ¡°Yes,¡± Avery said. ¡°Is everyone here? I¡¯ll unbox the cake, then.¡± While Avery walked off with the cake, Ben reached out to touch Elliot¡¯s sweater and said, ¡°It feels pretty soft. Miss Tate is quite talented! Don¡¯t you feel a little warm wearing that in here? Let me take it off for you.¡± Elliot pped Ben¡¯s hand awake and hissed, ¡°Don¡¯t touch me.¡± Ben grinned, then wheeled Elliot to his seat at the table. After Avery ced the cake on the table, Ben instructed the waiters to serve their food. Elliot picked up the candles in the cake box and arranged them on the cake one by one. The whole room watched him in awed silence. When did Elliot Foster be this carefree? Did he not say that he hated birthdays? The way he was behaving, it looked like he was actually enjoying himself! Once he was done arranging the candles, Elliot pulled out a lighter and lit it. Everyone stared at the spark in a daze. ¡°Don¡¯t people usually light candles at night?¡± Avery asked awkwardly. This text is property of N?/velD/rama.Org. Ben walked over to the windows and drew the curtains, then said, ¡°No worries! Anytime is fine as long as Elliot feels like it!¡± The room was drowned in darkness the moment the curtains were drawn. Ben was an expert at analyzing Elliot¡¯s thoughts and emotions, so once Elliot had lit the candles on the cake, Ben asked, ¡°Is that a new lighter, Elliot? Let me light a cigarette.¡± Elliot shoved the lighter back in his pocket, then responded childishly, ¡°It¡¯s from Avery.¡± ¡°You gave him two presents, Miss Tate? How sweet!¡± praised Ben. Avery was flushed with embarrassment. She changed the subject and said, ¡°Let¡¯s sing a birthday song!¡± As she began to sing, the rest of the crowd joined in. At the end of the song, Elliot shut his eyes and made a wish. Avery was lost in thought as she stared at Elliot¡¯s handsome face illuminated in candlelight. She wondered what wish he would make. Chapter 118 Chapter 118 Chapter 118 Soon after, Elliot opened his eyes and blew out the candles on the cake. The curtains were pulled back, and light flooded the room once more. ¡°What did you wish for, Elliot?¡± Ben asked with a grin. ¡°Do you always reveal your birthday wishes to people?¡± Elliot countered. The room burst intoughter. Elliot cut a slice of cake and ced it in front of Avery. ¡°You should eat the first slice,¡± Avery said as she pushed the cake back to him. ¡°I can¡¯t eat that much,¡± Elliot replied. He picked up a fork, took a bite out of the slice, and pushed it back to Avery. It was as if they were immersed in their own world, separate from the rest of the room. The crowd began to roar and make fun of them. ¡°Should we start calling Miss Tate Mrs. Foster now?¡± ¡°Why don¡¯t you give it a try? I don¡¯t think the boss would mind!¡± ¡°Hahaha! Miss Tate wouldn¡¯t mind either, right?¡± Avery was so embarrassed and ufortable that her ears and the back of her neck turned red. ¡°Quit it, all of you,¡± Elliot ordered. ¡°Sure, sure¡­ Let¡¯s eat cake!¡± The cake was moved to the other side of the table, sliced up, and distributed. Once they were done with the cake, lunch officially began. ?¡±Would you like some wine, Miss Tate?¡± Ben asked as he held up a bottle of wine. Avery shook her head and said, ¡°Water is good enough for me.¡± ¡°We can¡¯t have that! What about juice or a ss of milk?¡± ¡°Water is fine.¡± Avery felt a little dizzy. It was likely due to the fact that she had woken up too early that morning. On top of that, since everyone else was drinking, the faint scent of alcohol permeated the entire room. After Ben poured Avery a ss of water, he noticed that she was not eating. ¡°Are you feeling ufortable, Miss Tate? There¡¯s no need for that. Everyone here has known Elliot for a long time. We¡¯re like a band of brothers!¡± Ben said in an attempt to help Avery rx. Avery lifted her heavy eyelids and said truthfully, ¡°That¡¯s not it. I¡¯m just feeling a little tired after all of that cake.¡± Ben shot to his feet and said warmly, ¡°I¡¯ll take you to the guest room to rest.¡± Elliot ced his hand on top of hers that was resting on the table, stared straight at Ben, and said, ¡°I¡¯ll take her.¡± Someone yanked Ben away and dropped him back in his seat. Ben was a mess ofughter and tears. ¡°Don¡¯t forget toe back! I still n on having a drink with you, Elliot!¡± Avery withdrew her hand from Elliot¡¯s warm grasp and said, ¡°The waiter can take me. You stay and eat.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll take you,¡± Elliot insisted in an especially stubborn tone. Avery felt that there was something different about him after the ident. She used to despise his domineering and obsessive behavior, but she now found herself unable to refuse him. She knew that no matter how bad he looked, he would never hurt her. Avery wheeled Elliot out the door, and the two quickly disappeared from the room. ¡°Who would¡¯ve thought that the boss could be so caring toward a woman? I always thought that he had no interest in women at all!¡± ¡°He just never met the right woman before this. Avery Tate¡¯s got him wrapped around her finger!¡± This text is property of N?/velD/rama.Org. ¡°Are you sure it isn¡¯t the other way around? Why would she knit him a sweater otherwise? I doubt many women are willing to do that nowadays.¡± ¡°What are you guys going on about?¡± Ben eximed, interrupting the heated debate. ¡°They¡¯re hooked on each other. I bet Elliot¡¯s developed feelings for Avery, and Avery¡¯s started to pay more attention to him, too¡­ If Avery decided to be a little more selfish, Tate Industries wouldn ¡®t have gone bankrupt. Elliot wanted to give her three hundred million dors to help, but she rejected it. Would any of you be able to refuse that amount of money?¡± Everyone shook their heads violently. ¡°No wonder the boss likes her so much. He might never find another woman who treats money like it¡¯s nothing but sh*t!¡± ¡°Watch your mouth! What are you doing talking about sh*t while we¡¯re eating?!¡± ¡°Hahaha! Let¡¯s bet on whether or not Elliot¡¯sing back to lunch,¡± Ben proposed. ¡°I bet he won¡¯t!¡± The rest of the room agreed and said, ¡°I bet the same.¡± How were they supposed to carry on with a bet like this? Chapter 119 Chapter 119 Chapter 119 At the door to the guest room, Avery said, ¡°I¡¯ll take you back to the room. I cane back here to rest after that. I¡¯ll join you after I wake up.¡± Elliot entered the room and said, ¡°I¡¯m tired, too.¡± Avery was stunned. ¡°You didn¡¯t eat anything! You should go eat,¡± ¡°Drop it. Get some rest.¡± How could Avery possibly drop this? She did not feel good about letting him starve on his birthday. She rushed back to the private room to get Elliot something to eat. Everyone in the room happily helped her. ¡°Get some more meat, Miss Tate! You have to make sure he eats it all! He lost so much weight ¡°We¡¯ll leave the boss to you, Miss Tate! Take care of him for us!¡± ¡°Get some rest after you eat, Miss Tate. We won¡¯t bother you at all!¡± Avery left the room with flushed cheeks and returned to the guest room with a tray of food. Elliot was texting someone. Avery ced the tray of food in front of him. ¡°Don¡¯t you want to take the sweater off? It looks like you¡¯re sweating,¡± she said. ¡°I shouldn¡¯t have used such thick yarn.¡± Elliot ced his phone down, then took off his sweater. .¡±I can use it as a coat.¡± Avery took the sweater from him and hung it in the closet. ¡°I got a bunch of food for you,¡± she said. ¡°Eat as much as you can.¡± She then sat down on the bed and watched his slender back. It was true that he had lost quite a bit of weight. On the other hand, her own weight was steadily increasing. She was already five months pregnant at this point, Her appetite was getting better. She was watching her diet, but she could not prevent her weight from increasing, not with the two growing babies within her. Avery had nned on helping Elliot get in bed after he was done eating, but she fell asleep before he was done. Elliot finished his food, then made his way over to the bed. He watched Avery¡¯s tired, sleeping face, and could not help but gently caress her cheeks. By the time Avery woke up from her deep slumber, it was dark outside. She shot up and saw Elliot sitting in his wheelchair, with his deep, dark eyes staring straight at her. Avery blushed, then took a deep breath and asked, ¡°Don¡¯t¡­ Don¡¯t tell me you were watching me sleep the whole time?¡± A tint of redness appeared on Elliot¡¯s face. He changed the subject and said, ¡°Are you hungry? It¡¯s seven now. I told them to carry on with dinner. Let¡¯s eat something else. Avery agreed, then went to the bathroom to wash her face. The night brought with it a drastic drop in temperature in Avonsville. Avery felt chilled to the bone as she wheeled Elliot outside. ¡°Let¡¯s get some ribs!¡± ¡°Sure,¡± Elliot responded. N?velDrama.Org is the owner. There were not many people on the streets, but they were surrounded by a plethora of restaurants. Avery, who did not have lunch earlier, was now suddenly ovee by a wave of hunger. ¡°Look, it¡¯s cotton candy! Wait here. I¡¯m going to go get one. I haven¡¯t had it in forever!¡± Avery said, then made her way toward the cotton candy stall up ahead. Elliot smiled softly at the sight of Avery¡¯s excitement. Momentster, Avery was grinning from ear to ear as she held the cotton candy in her hands. Suddenly, she saw a ck car speeding at an rming rate from the corner of her eye, and it was clearly charging in Elliot¡¯s direction! The cotton candy fell from her hands as she ran with all her might towards Elliot, her shrilling cry echoing in the cold air¡­ ¡°Elliot! Look out!¡± Chapter 120 Chapter 120 Chapter 120 The boom of a gunshot pierced through the night followed immediately by the sound of car tiresing to a screeching halt. Avery felt like her eardrums were about to burst as she held tightly onto Elliot. Tears were streaming down her face as her body shook uncontrobly. The tires of the ck sedan had been blown up. It had swerved and crashed into the cotton candy stand that Avery had purchased cotton candy from. Elliot had his arms wrapped around Avery as he watched the car from the corner of his eyes. Someone was trying to kill him but had failed. Then came the sound of another gunshot. This time the gun had been pointed at the driver¡¯s seat. N?velDrama.Org is the owner. Avery and Elliot were surrounded by cries of terror as people scattered and sought shelter from the danger Avery¡¯s skin was cold to the touch. Elliot cradled her face in his hands, stared at her terrified face, and said hoarsely, ¡°Don¡¯t be scared. It¡¯s over now.¡± Avery¡¯s chest rose and fell at a frantic pace. Uncertainty flickered in her eyes, but she kept her gaze fixed on his face. ¡°Elliot¡­ Elliot¡­¡± There was so much that she wanted to say, but nothing except his name escaped her lips. ¡°I¡¯m fine, Avery.¡± Elliot picked up her hand and ced her palm against his cheek, then said, ¡°It¡¯s warm, isn¡¯t it? Avery nodded and tears continued to stream down her face. ¡°I¡¯m so scared¡­ I don¡¯t want you to die¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯m invincible! Nobody can take my life away unless I allow them,¡± Elliot said as he held her hand tightly in his. ¡°Let¡¯s go for ribs.¡± Avery grabbed onto the handles of his wheelchair and quickly wheeled him into a nearby restaurant. They had not been sitting for long before Ben and the others rushed over. ¡°Are you okay, Elliot?¡± he asked as he sat down next to Elliot. ¡°I knew someone wasing for you when I heard that d*mned gunshot!¡± ¡°I¡¯m fine,¡± Elliot answered. ¡°Let¡¯s eat.¡± He picked up a piece of meat and ced it on Avery¡¯s te. She was much more settled than she had been earlier. ¡°Who shot the gun?¡± she asked as she nced at Elliot. She probably would not be having ribs here with Elliot if someone had not blown up the tires on that ck sedan. ¡°We buffed up security after Elliot¡¯sst ident. There was a bodyguard on the roof of the building where we were eating earlier,¡± Ben exined. ¡°I see¡­¡± ¡°You must have been terrified, Miss Tate,¡± Ben said, then passed her a bowl of soup and said,¡± This will calm you down.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not hungry.¡± All of the hunger Avery felt earlier had escaped her body. ¡°I bet you aren¡¯t.¡± Ben chuckled, then said, ¡°Let¡¯s get the driver to send two home!¡± Elliot nced over at Avery. ¡°Why are you looking at me?¡± Avery asked. Elliot pulled out his phone and began typing. As Avery was wondering about his strange behavior, she received a text message on her phone. She picked it up and read his text. (Do you want to know what I wished for earlier?] Avery felt like her phone was heating up in her hand! They were sitting right across from each other, but he sent her a text?! She wanted to look up at him, but she was too embarrassed with all eyes on the both of them. Avery: (Tell me if you want.] Elliot: (I wished that you woulde home with me.) Avery was baffled. Elliot: [My birthday wish is that you woulde home with me.] Chapter 121 Chapter 121 Chapter 121 Avery ced her phone on the table. Her mouth suddenly felt dry, so she picked up the bowl of soup that Ben had passed her. Ben knocked on the table, then said, ¡°Hey! Do you two think we don¡¯t know you¡¯re secretly texting each other right now?¡± Avery was afraid that Elliot would blurt out something shocking, so she quickly said, ¡°We¡¯re both full now, so we¡¯re heading home!¡± ¡°Sure! We¡¯re full too,¡± Ben teased. ¡°Full from watching your PDA!¡± Rosalie heard the news of the assassination attempt on Elliot and rushed through the night to the Foster mansion. Her face turned cold at the sight of Avery. ¡°When Mr. Foster was about to get hit by the car earlier, Miss Avery threw herself at him and wrapped him in her arms!¡± The bodyguard had witnessed the entire scene and felt obligated to report what he saw to Rosalie. ¡°If I hadn¡¯t shot its tires, the car would have crashed right into them. Miss Avery would have been crushed to a pulp and died on the spot. However, her shielding Mr. Foster might have actually given him a chance at survival.¡± Bloody images shed into Rosalie¡¯s mind as she listened to the bodyguard¡¯s description of that night¡¯s events. ¡°We haven¡¯t had dinner yet, Mother,¡± Elliot said. ¡°We¡¯re going to get something to eat.¡± ¡°Oh¡­ Hurry up and eat, then! I¡¯ll leave in a bit.¡± All of the resentment that Rosalie had felt for Avery slowly vanished. It was during the most dangerous of moments that someone could determine if another ¡®person was genuine or not. Avery had thrown herself in harm¡¯s way without hesitation; all to protect Elliot. If that courage was not born out of love, then what else could it possibly be? Elliot and Avery emerged from the dining room after dinner. Avery was about to return to her room when Rosalie spoke to her. ¡°I know how to distinguish right from wrong, Avery. Thank you for tonight,¡± Rosalie said. She rose from the couch and stood before Avery. ¡°Let¡¯s leave our grievances behind. I won¡¯t give you trouble as long as you¡¯re true to Elliot. He is my son, and I only hope for the best for him.¡± Avery was not used to the sudden change in her demeanor. After a moment of stunned silence, she said, ¡°It¡¯ste¡­ You should go home and get some rest!¡± Rosalie nodded, then said, ¡°Both of you get some rest, too.¡± Once Rosalie left the room, the living room faded into silence. Avery felt like her feet were glued to the ground. She was too embarrassed to go up to the second floor with Elliot, but how was she supposed toe up with an excuse that would allow her to leave? He had already told her that his birthday wish was for her toe home with him. Would he not be disappointed if she left now? ¡°I took all of my clothes with me when I leftst time¡± ¡°You can wear some of mine for now,¡± Elliot interrupted before Avery could finish her sentence. ¡°Change out of the clothes you¡¯re wearing now. They¡¯ll be washed and dried by the morning.¡± Avery pursed her lips as her mind went nk. ¡°You don¡¯t want to?¡± asked Elliot as he fixed his deep eyes on her. ¡°It¡¯s fine if you want to go back to your mother¡¯s ce. I¡¯ll get the driver to take you.¡± Avery was speechless. Setting aside her willingness, orck thereof, she could tell from Elliot¡¯s tone that he was upset. Suddenly, Mrs. Cooper appeared out of nowhere and said, ¡°You left behind a set of clothes before, Avery. Let me get it for you.¡± This time, Avery had run out of excuses to leave. After Mrs. Cooper walked away, Avery went behind Elliot and wheeled him toward the elevator. ¡°It¡¯s your birthday today. You can¡¯t get mad on your birthday,¡± she said, trying to reason with him. ¡°I¡¯m not mad,¡± Elliot responded in a calm voice. ¡°I just didn¡¯t want to force you.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not that¡­ It¡¯s just¡­¡± ¡°What is it?¡±This text is property of N?/velD/rama.Org. ¡°I left with such confidence and pizzazz before, but here I am again a few dayster. It just feels a little bit like a p in the face.¡± ¡°I was not there thest time you left. Your return should be more like a p in my face, not a p in yours,¡± said Elliot. Avery felt a little better, then asked, ¡°Who helps you wash up at night? Is it still the nurse from before?¡± When the elevator arrived on the second floor, Elliot lifted his gaze and looked at Avery with a spark of curiosity in his eyes. Chapter 122 Chapter 122 Chapter 122 ¡°I deal with it myself,¡± Elliot answered in a level-headed tone. ¡°However, you may assist me if you¡¯re worried.¡± Avery felt like she had just dug her own grave. Of course, she would be concerned if Elliot were to take care of his hygiene needs on his own, but what was the difference between her giving him a shower, and her taking a shower with him? They entered the bedroom, and Avery shut the door behind them. ¡°Could you pass me the walking stick, please?¡± Elliot asked in a deep, low voice. Avery was just about to ask him where the walking stick was when she spotted it and handed it over to him. Elliot held his walking stick and used it as a support as he struggled out of the wheelchair. Content from N?velDr(a)ma.Org. ¡°Are you okay?¡± Avery asked in a panic. ¡°I¡¯m fine. I¡¯ve been taking a shower by myself for the past few days,¡± Elliot answered with a hint of humor in his voice. ¡°Did I scare you?¡± Avery blushed, then said, ¡°Were you messing with me on purpose?¡± ¡°I just wanted to see your reaction,¡± Elliot said, then made his way to the bathroom. Avery was still worried and ended up trailing along behind him. Elliot stopped, then asked, ¡°Are you going to watch me?¡± Avery shook her head at first, then frantically nodded and said, ¡°I¡¯m a little worried¡­ Can you take your pants off by yourself? Won¡¯t you scrape your wounds?¡± ¡°These trousers are pretty loose, so they¡¯re easier to take off,¡± Elliot exined. Avery grunted in response. As if to reassure her, Elliot unbuckled his belt and was about to take his pants off in front of her. Avery¡¯s face turned a feverish red. She stumbled a few steps back, then said, ¡°I ¨C I better wait outside! Shout if you need help.¡± She escaped the bathroom in a hurry and shut the door. She sighed heavily and wanted to walk away, but she was afraid that he might call for help. At that moment, Mrs. Cooper knocked on the bedroom door and entered with Avery¡¯s clothes in her arms. ¡°Is Master Elliot taking a shower, Madam?¡± Avery nodded and took the clothes from Mrs. Cooper. ¡°Does she normally wash up by himself?¡± ¡°He does! He never wants any help.¡± ¡°He¡¯s stubborn,¡± Avery muttered. ¡°Master Elliot is rather stubborn, isn¡¯t he? It can be an unfortunate characteristic. He insists on dealing with everything by himself no matter how difficult things are,¡± said Mrs. Cooper. Avery agreed wholeheartedly, ¡°I sometimes hate that about him.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t hate him,¡± Mrs. Cooper said, then withdrew the smile on her face and added, ¡°I don¡¯t know what Master Elliot went through in the past, but from what I can tell, he is an extremely kind man.¡± Kind? It was not exactly the most suitable word to describe Elliot Foster. However, it would not be right to call him unkind either. Mrs. Cooper continued, ¡°The doctor said those who suffer from depression tend to be the kindest people,¡± ¡°He was depressed?¡± Avery asked with raised brows. Mrs. Cooper nodded and answered, ¡°He was on antidepressants for a week.¡± Avery¡¯s heart turned heavy as she felt like she never truly got to know the real Elliot Foster. He was cruel yet vulnerable, and heartless yet persistent. After his shower, Elliot emerged from the bathroom in a white bathrobe with the help of his walking stick When Avery walked over to help him, she noticed his wet hair and asked, ¡°How do you wash your hair?¡± ¡°Sitting down.¡± ¡°Oh, I¡¯ll dry your hair for you,¡± Avery said, then grabbed the blow dryer from the bathroom. While she dried his hair, Elliot sat down quietly and did not move a muscle. Avery wanted time to stop at that moment. Elliot¡¯s hand suddenly grabbed onto her wrist. ¡°It¡¯s dry,¡± he said. ¡°Oh, right,¡± Avery said as she snapped out of her daze and turned off the blow dryer. From the corner of her eye, she noticed blood seeping through the bandages on his leg. ¡°You need to redress your wounds. I¡¯ll get the first aid kit.¡± Avery ced the blow dryer back in the bathroom, then hurried downstairs to ask Mrs. Cooper for the first aid kit. Chapter 123 Chapter 123 Chapter 123 Avery reentered the bedroom with a first aid kit in her hand. She knelt down by Elliot¡¯s legs and began to undress his wounds. His injuries were more severe than she had imagined. Arge piece of skin was missing from his leg, revealing the bloody red flesh underneath¡­ He must have been in agony! Elliot barely twitched while Avery treated and dressed his wounds. He noticed that her breathing had turned heavy. ¡°It looks worse than it is. It doesn¡¯t hurt,¡± he said, his voice piercing through the silence. He wanted to make her feel better, but she did not want his false constion. Avery poked his wound with her finger, causing Elliot to inhale sharply. ¡°Tell me again how much it doesn¡¯t hurt,¡± she said as she red at him with reddened eyes. Elliot ced his arms behind him, then narrowed his eyes and said, ¡°It doesn¡¯t hurt.¡± He was betting on her not poking at his wound again. Her heart would ache at his pain. ¡°Go to bed! You have to be on bed rest for at least another week. Don¡¯t go running around!¡± Avery snapped, then turned and entered the bathroom. Elliot leaned against the bed¡¯s headboard and picked up his phone from the nightstand. He made a call, then asked, ¡°What did you find out?¡± The bullet had found its mark, but it had not punctured any major organs. It was not a lethal shot. The culprit was being interrogated at that very moment. ?¡±He¡¯s stubborn and won¡¯t say a thing. We¡¯re going to have to use some more drastic measures to get him to talk. We¡¯ll get what we¡¯re looking for before dawn,¡± reported the man on the other end of the line. Content from N?velDr(a)ma.Org. ¡°Don¡¯t let him die before he talks!¡± Elliot wanted to know exactly who was the one who went through such lowly means to try to take his life. The car crash half a year ago had put him in a vegetative state. He refused to let the same thing happen again. Elliot hung up and grabbed his pills from the nightstand drawer. He was on four types of medication and had to take a handful of pills every time. He swallowed the pills, then ced the ss of water back on the nightstand. At that moment, the bathroom door opened and Avery emerged. ¡°I thought about it, and I don¡¯t think it¡¯s a good idea for us to sleep on the same bed with the state of your injuries. I¡¯m afraid I¡¯ll end up bumping into you during the night,¡± she said as she approached the bed. ¡°Are you really worried about hurting me?¡± Elliot asked as he stared at her with clear yet deep eyes. ¡°Or are you trying to run away from me?¡± With flushed cheeks, Avery climbed into bed and sat up next to him. ¡°Are you happy now?¡± she said as she nced at him with a well-behaved expression on her face. ¡°The way you are now, I guess I won¡¯t have to worry about you doing anything to me. What do I have to be afraid of?¡± Avery¡¯s unbridled appearance aroused a desire in Elliot to overpower her. He grabbed onto the back of her head and forced her to lift her chin. His kiss came suddenly and unexpectedly. At three in the morning, Elliot reached over to Avery and pulled her into his arms. She was afraid of hurting him and had been sleeping on the edge of the bed the entire time. He was worried that she would fall out of bed in her sleep. She had groggily returned to the edge of the bed thest few times he had attempted to pull her to him. This time, however, Elliot did not loosen his grip around her. Avery¡¯s rigid body slowly rxed in his arms. Suddenly, Elliot¡¯s phone screen lit up. He had ced his phone on silent mode so that it would not ring. ? He picked up his phone and answered the call. ¡°We got it, boss! He said he was following Cassandra Tate¡¯s orders! She¡¯s Miss Avery Tate¡¯s half- sister.¡± Elliot¡¯s breathing turned heavy upon hearing the news. ¡°What do you want us to do with Cassandra Tate?¡± asked the man on the phone. ¡°Do we kill her or send her to prison?¡± Elliot nted a soft kiss on Avery¡¯s forehead, then ordered in a hoarse voice, ¡°Kill her.¡± Chapter 124 Chapter 124 Chapter 124 The news of Cassandra¡¯s death came out around 7 a.m. the next morning. She had jumped out of the window of the hotel room she was staying in and had died upon impact. The police retrieved Avery¡¯s contact information from identification that Cassandra had left in her hotel room. Jack was dead and Wanda was abroad. The only person who could identify Cassandra¡¯s body was Avery. Avery was still half asleep when she answered the call. Even after she had hung up, she thought she was dreaming. It was not until she snapped out of her trance and checked her phone¡¯s call history that she realized she was not in a dream. She leaped out of bed, skipped breakfast, and rushed to the hotel where the incident had taken ce. ¡°She had jumped, Sir. When we opened the door, she ran to the window and jumped before we could do anything. It was obvious that she was ridden with guilt.¡± Elliot¡¯s subordinate reported the events surrounding Cassandra¡¯s death to him.¡± Elliot took a sip of coffee, then ordered coldly, ¡°Keep an eye on Cole Foster.¡± Cassandra and Cole were close. Cassandra wanting Elliot dead meant that Cole had the same idea in his head. It was yet to be determined if Cassandra was the mastermind behind the assassination attempt, after all. She could be nothing but a scapegoat, but she still deserved to die. The police had closed off the hotel when Avery arrived. She followed a police officer to the crime scene. ¡°Miss Tate, our initial investigation identified the victim as your sister, Cassandra Tate. However, we will still need a positive identification from you,¡± said the officer. ¡°She died upon impact after the fall around five in the morning.¡± Avery¡¯s heart raced frantically in her chest as she felt like an invisible force was strangling her. It was not long until they arrived where Cassandra¡¯s body was. The thick, metallic smell of blood permeated the air. Avery¡¯s hand shot up to cover her nose as she stared at the bloodstains on the ground. The officer pulled back the white sheet covering Cassandra¡¯s body, revealing the bloody, unrecognizable face underneath it. Avery immediately began to vomit violently. It was impossible for her to identify that mangled mess of flesh and blood. Throughout her time in medical school, she had dissected small animals and human corpses¡­ N?velDrama.Org is the owner. However, this was the first time she hade face to face with such a disfigured body! ¡°Are you alright, Miss Tate?¡± asked the officer as he helped Avery up. Avery¡¯s chest rose and fell at a rapid pace. ¡°I¡¯m sorry¡­ I can¡¯t tell¡­ Just do a DNA test or something!¡± ¡°We can do that, but it will take some time¡­¡± ¡°I can¡¯t tell¡­ I really can¡¯t¡­¡± Avery took another nce at Cassandra¡¯s mangled face, and tears began to stream down her cheeks. Her emotions were a mess. This was not just a simple matter of losing a so-called family member. Her rtionship with Cassandra had always been unpleasant. However, not being fond of a person and seeing their lifeless body were twopletely different things. The police moved Cassandra¡¯s body away. They also took away all of the personal items that she left in her hotel room. Avery sat in a squad car and sobbed. Why would Cassandra kill herself? Did she get into a fight with Cole? Chapter 125 Chapter 125 Chapter 125 Avery pulled out her phone and called Cole. ¡°Hello? Avery?¡± Cole answered. ¡°Cassandra¡¯s dead. Did you know?¡± ¡°What?! What do you mean she¡¯s dead?! I¡¯m at the hospital for a checkup¡­. She was fine when I talked to her on the phonest night,¡± N?velDrama.Org is the owner. ¡°Did you fight?¡± ¡°No!¡± Cole eximed. A few secondster, almost as if he had remembered something, he added, ¡°I remember now. Cassandra was here when Uncle Elliot came home for dinnerst time. It wasn¡¯t a pleasant night. Uncle Elliot told her that she won¡¯t have much longer to live, and she¡¯s been terrified about that conversation ever since-¡± ¡°That¡¯s impossible! I was with Elliot all night. He didn¡¯t do anything!¡± Cole sighed, then said, ¡°Why do you lose all reason every time Uncle Elliot¡¯s involved? I¡¯m just saying what I know. You¡¯re the only one I¡¯d tell this to. If the police asked me, there¡¯s no way I¡¯ d mention this¡­¡± ¡°Listen up, Cole Foster! You better not have anything to do with Cassandra¡¯s death. The police will get to the bottom of this!¡± ¡°It wasn¡¯t me. I don¡¯t have a motive! I wouldn¡¯t resort to murder even if we got into a fight,¡± Cole responded coldly, then added, ¡°Avery¡­ Ever since you fell in love with Uncle Elliot, I¡¯ve be nothing to you.¡± ¡°Please keep that bullsh*t to yourself! What was I to you when you were messing around with Cassandra behind my back?!¡± Avery snapped, then furiously hung up the phone. ¡°Who were you talking to?¡± asked the officer. ¡°Cole Foster. He¡¯s Cassandra Tate¡¯s boyfriend,¡± Avery said. She gave the officer Cole¡¯s number, then said, ¡°Cassandra¡¯s been hanging out with him a lot recently. I¡¯m sure he knows why she killed herself.¡± Avery walked out of the police station that afternoon and took a cab to her mother¡¯s ce. After reporting the news of Cassandra¡¯s death to Laura, Avery muttered, ¡°I couldn¡¯t recognize her, Mom¡­ It was just all blood¡­ I couldn¡¯t see her features¡­.¡± Laura wrapped her arms tightly around her daughter and said, ¡°Don¡¯t be scared, Avery. It was her life! It had nothing to do with us! All we need to do is live our own lives!¡± ¡°Cole said that Elliot did it¡­¡± Avery said. ¡°I don¡¯t believe it! Elliot would nevermit murder!¡± ¡°Did you ask him?¡± Laura asked. ¡°Even if it was him, I¡¯m sure he had his reasons.¡± ¡°Come on, Mom. There¡¯s never a reason to kill someone. If Cassandra broke thew, then thew should be the one to deal with her.¡± ¡°Did thew do anything about her uncle¡¯s crimes?¡± Laura said, then held Avery¡¯s hands in hers and added, ¡°I didn¡¯t say that murder isn¡¯t wrong. I¡¯m just saying that Cole might not be telling the truth.¡± Avery quicklyposed herself and said, ¡°I just dropped by to tell you this¡­ I¡¯m leaving now ¡­ I need to see Elliot.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll take you there,¡± Laura said. ¡°You¡¯re not in your right mind right now. I¡¯m worried.¡± Avery had ordered Elliot to be on bed rest for at least a week, and so, he was obediently resting at home. Avery arrived at the Foster mansion at two in the afternoon. The sight of her aloof expression and paleplexion made his heart tighten in his chest. ¡°I need to talk to you, Elliot,¡± Avery said as she took a seat next to him. Elliot¡¯srge hand sped Avery¡¯s small one. His hand was like a lion¡¯srge paw. It wrapped around hers in a gesture of reassurance. Avery was not used to the affectionate act and withdrew her hand on reflex. After a few seconds of pondering, she tried to ease into the subject but ended up getting straight to the point. ¡°Cassandra¡¯s dead. Did you have anything to do with it?¡± This was always the straightforward, no-nonsense way that she got along with Elliot. ?Elliot¡¯s eyes darkened, and his voice was chilling as he asked, ¡°Why aren¡¯t you asking about who was trying to kill mest night? Is Cassandra Tate¡¯s life more important than mine?¡± Cassandra¡¯s death had taken up so much of Avery¡¯s mind that day that she almost forgot about the events of the night before. TIT ¡°Who was it?!¡± she asked with fiery eyes. ¡°Did you find out who was behind it?¡± ¡°Would you still feel sad about her death if I told you it was Cassandra?¡± Elliot asked as he fixed his eyes on Avery. He watched as her expression went from one of shock to suspicion, then turned into anxiety. ¡°So¡­ You really had something to do with Cassandra¡¯s death,¡± Avery said through the lump in her throat. ¡°Was there no other way to go about it? Why did you have to go to such extremes?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t look at me like that, Avery,¡± Elliot said as the earlier tenderness disappeared from his face. ¡°I¡¯ll send whoever crosses me straight to hell. I¡¯ve always been like that.¡± Chapter 126 Chapter 126 Chapter 126 The tension between Elliot and Avery grew drastically. They were seated next to each other, but it looked like they were on the verge of war. Afraid that they would break into a fight, Mrs. Cooper quickly brought over a fresh fruit tter. ¡°Have you had lunch, Madam? I left some food out for you.¡± Avery shot to her feet and stormed toward the dining room. Elliot watched her walk away. He could not figure out her thoughts. If she was furious, she probably would not stay for lunch. However, the rage in her eyes made it impossible to deny that she was mad. Avery had skipped breakfast and lunch, so her stomach was beginning to ache from hunger. She took over half an hour to finish her food since wolfing it down would only cause indigestion and add to her current difort. When she walked out of the dining room, Elliot was no longer in the living room. ¡°We tend to act impulsively when we¡¯re angry, Madam. Maybe you should get some rest for now,¡± Mrs. Cooper said. Avery¡¯s head was throbbing in pain, so she nodded and made her way up to her room on the first floor. Mrs. Cooper walked next to her and said awkwardly, ¡°I thought that you would be sleeping in the master bedroom from now on, so I already unmade your bed.¡± Avery raised her brows and said, ¡°I¡¯m not sleeping in his room.¡± ¡°Madam, please. Master Elliot¡¯s injuries are going to take some time to heal, and he refuses to let anyone help or take care of him,¡± Mrs. Cooper said as she tried to reason with her. ¡°You¡¯re the only one that he allows to get close to him. If you don¡¯t watch over him, he might fall one day and¨C¡± ¡°He looked fine to me with the walking stick. I doubt he¡¯ll fall,¡± Avery said cold-heartedly. ¡°You¡¯re just saying that out of anger.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not. I¡¯m being serious.¡± ¡°When you asked me for the first aid kitst night to redress his wounds, your eyes were all red¡ª¡± ¡°That¡¯s enough. I¡¯m going up,¡± Avery said, then walked up to the second floor. Elliot was taking a nap in the master bedroom. The curtains were half-drawn, allowing only some of the warm sunlight to shine in. When Avery entered the room and saw Elliot¡¯s sleeping face, all of the emotions in her heart hit a wall, and had no way of escaping. She had always been taught to follow the rules and not to behave in the arrogant crazy way that Elliot often did. She walked over to the bed and sat awkwardly on the edge for a while. Content from N?velDr(a)ma.Org. After what felt like an eternity, arge hand sped around Avery¡¯s arm and yanked her into bed. Elliot had never fallen asleep. From the moment Avery walked into the room, he had already given in. ¡°She jumped out of the window herself,¡± he exined in a hoarse voice. He hated exining himself to other people. However, when it came to Avery, it was impossible for him to be as self-centered as he used to be. He would rather swallow his pride than hurt her. ¡°Even if she didn¡¯t kill herself, I wouldn¡¯t have let her live.¡± Elliot opened up and revealed his true self to Avery. ¡°Just because I didn¡¯t get run overst night, doesn¡¯t mean that I¡¯ll never die. There are plenty of people who want me dead. If I show mercy to every single one of them, do you really think that they would repent and note after me again?¡± Avery stared silently at Elliot. She took in his chiseled face and felt her heart shrivel up into a tight ball. He was right. He was not invincible. Chapter 127 Chapter 127 Chapter 127 If Elliot had been run overst night, would it be guaranteed that the perpetrator would be punished? Even if the murderer paid for his crimes, would it bring Elliot back to life? Absolutely not. ¡°I¡¯m not ming you, Elliot¡­ I just can¡¯t immediately ept the way you handled things¡­¡± Avery said in a voice as soft as cotton. ¡°You don¡¯t need to ept it. You just need to know that I would never hurt anyone who was innocent.¡± This text is property of N?/velD/rama.Org. ¡°Okay.¡± ¡°Get some rest,¡± Elliot said, then gently caressed Avery¡¯s back to get her to fall asleep. Wrapped in his arms and surrounded by his unique scent, Avery quickly fell into a deep slumber. At 5 p.m. that evening, Avery got a call from the police requesting her presence at the station right away. She hung up the phone and rushed out of the house without telling Elliot. When she arrived at the station, her gaze immediately fell on Wanda¡¯s bloodshot eyes. Those same eyes filled with revulsion at the sight of Avery. The two women were escorted into the station by a police officer and seated down in a private room. ¡°The DNA test confirmed the victim¡¯s identity as Cassandra Tate.¡± Wanda burst into tears upon hearing those words. ¡°My daughter was murdered! She was always a happy-go-lucky girl! How could she be dead?!¡± ¡°From our investigation, we suspect Cassandra Tate of being the person responsible for a car .crash on Concord Streetst night,¡± revealed the police officer. ¡°She is also suspected to be behind the attempted assassination of Elliot Foster. Here is the evidence we collected.¡± A stack of documents and a cell phone wereid out in front of Avery and Wanda. Avery simply nced at the items and did not pick them up. ¡°That¡¯s impossible! She¡¯s not that brave!¡± Wanda cried as she violently shook her head in denial. ¡°She¡¯s still in college! How could she possibly try to murder anybody?!¡± ¡°She hired an assassin. If Mr. Foster¡¯s bodyguards had not reacted in time, he would be dead,¡± said the officer. ¡°Mr. Foster is a well-known entrepreneur in Avonsville and has contributed a lot to the city¡¯s welfare. Cassandra broke thew. If she had notmitted suicide, she would have had to answer for her crimes in the end.¡± ¡°You¡¯re saying my daughter killed herself?!¡± Wanda was at her limit after receiving blow after blow. She held her head in her hands and looked like she was about to fall from her seat. ¡°Yes, ma¡¯am. Surveince footage from the hotel revealed your daughter getting out of bed and jumping out of the window, all on her own.¡± The officer then yed the video on his phone for Wanda. Avery watched with her. It was dark, but the fear on Cassandra¡¯s face was clear as she ran toward the window and jumped. The whole thingsted less than ten minutes. ¡°Is that it?!¡± Wanda snapped as she mmed her hand on the table. ¡°Why did she jump out of the window? Something obviously scared her! Someone forced her to do it!¡± ¡°We looked into it and found out that it was the hotel¡¯s housekeeping manager that opened the room door. The assassin that your daughter hired admitted that she was the one who ordered him to murder Elliot Foster, so Mr. Foster¡¯s subordinates had gone to the hotel to confront Miss Tate about it. She could not handle the guilt and decided tomit suicide.¡± ¡°It was Elliot Foster¡­ He¡¯s the one who killed my baby¡­¡± Wanda hissed through gritted teeth. The police officer corrected her, ¡°Your daughter was the one who hired an assassin to kill someone. The fact that she was able to do something illegal like this has a lot to do with herck of proper upbringing, ma¡¯am.¡± ¡°Shut up!¡± Wanda snapped. ¡°My daughter would never kill someone! You b*st*rds! Not only are you not going after the real murderer, but you¡¯re also insulting my dead daughter! I won¡¯t let this go!¡± ?Wanda was filled with rage and stormed out of the room. Avery stayed behind to sign some documents. The evidence was solid, so the case was closed. Avery walked out of the station and made her way to the side of the road to hail a cab. Wanda suddenly appeared in front of her and grabbed Avery¡¯s arm. ¡°I know it was you and Elliot Foster! You wanted to take revenge on me and killed Cassandra! You¡¯re a cold-hearted b*tch, Avery Tate! Your father would have never left thepany to you if he knew how evil you were!¡± Wanda was in such a rage that, if she had a knife in her hand, she would have stabbed Avery on the spot. The sound of a car¡¯s horn suddenly pierced through the air. A ck Rolls-Roice sped toward Wanda and Avery, and came to a screeching halt right in front of them. Chapter 128 Chapter 128 Chapter 128 Avery violently shook off Wanda¡¯s grip on her arm. She recognized the car as Elliot¡¯s and strode over to it. When the door to the driver¡¯s side opened up, the bodyguard got out and charged straight at Wanda. Avery was afraid that he was about to strike Wanda. She rushed to the bodyguard¡¯s side and held him back. ¡°Don¡¯t touch her! Her daughter just died. It¡¯s only natural that she¡¯d be emotional. ¡°Ha¡­ I guess you haven¡¯t been kicked out of the Foster family yet! You¡¯re pretty good at seducing men, aren¡¯t you?¡± Wanda mocked. The bodyguard raised his arm in preparation to p Wanda across the face. Avery stopped him once again and said, ¡°Get back in the car. I¡¯ll get in after a word with her.¡± The bodyguard shot an intimidating re at Wanda, warning her not toy a finger on Avery. Wanda felt a chill run down her spine, but she had to put up with it. Now that her daughter was dead, she had to stay alive! That was the only way she could avenge Cassandra. Once the bodyguard returned to the car, Avery turned to Wanda and said, ¡°Say what you want about the murderer, but don¡¯t you dare bring up my father! You¡¯re the first person he¡¯d go after if he came back from the dead. You gave your brother a position at Dad¡¯spany and embezzled three hundred million dors in a matter of years¡­ I¡¯ll make sure you pay back every penny you took from him!¡± ¡°That was my brother¡¯s work. What does it have to do with me? Did you think that I wanted the Tate family to go bankrupt?!¡± Wanda scowled. ¡°I spent all those years with your father. Do you really think I¡¯d do that to him?!¡± ? ¡°You say that, and yet you¡¯re using the money your brother stole to live it up abroad. I doubt you¡¯d have evere back here if it weren¡¯t for Cassandra¡¯s death!¡± Wanda¡¯s face turned scarlet with fury. ¡°Shaun told me everything!¡± she yelled. ¡°You took your father¡¯s Super Brain program for yourself! Shaun said that your father spent hundreds of millions of dors to develop the program. What right do you have to chastise me?!¡± ¡°Of course, I have the right,¡± Avery responded. ¡°The things I have were given to me by my A father, but you stole from him! You¡¯re all a bunch of thieves! I¡¯ll make sure your brother coughs up every last penny that he took from Dad. I¡¯ll make sure he rots in prison!¡± Wanda¡¯s blood pressure was soaring, but she had no words to fight back. All she could do in the end was watch Avery get in the car and speed off. The moment she shut the car door, Avery quicklyposed herself. She turned to Elliot and asked, ¡°What are you doing here?¡± Elliot passed her a bottle of water and answered, ¡°I knew Wanda wasing. I was afraid she would pick a fight with you.¡± ¡°Am I that weak?¡± Avery asked as she took a sip of water. ¡°You only put up a strong front in front of me,¡± Elliot replied ndly. Avery red at him, then said, ¡°I¡¯m hungry. I don¡¯t have the energy to argue.¡± ¡°Should we eat out?¡± Elliot suggested. ¡°What do you feel like?¡± ¡°Anything¡¯s fine,¡± Avery said, then a thought suddenly popped into her head and she added,¡± I feel like having my mom¡¯s cooking.¡± ¡°Should we go to your mom¡¯s ce?¡± Avery nced over at Elliot¡¯s legs, then said, ¡°Forget it! The building isn¡¯t wheelchair essible. It won¡¯t be convenient for you.¡± ¡°We could head home and get the walking stick.¡± ¡°If we¡¯re going home, we might as well just eat at home. Why bother going to my mom¡¯s?¡± ¡°You said you wanted to eat your mom¡¯s cooking.¡± ¡°I was just saying that.¡± Avery did not expect him to take her words that seriously. Elliot pulled out his phone and made a call. ?Avery stared at him and wondered who he was calling. A momentter, Laura¡¯s voice came through his phone. ¡°Hello? Elliot?¡±N?velDrama.Org owns this. Chapter 129 Chapter 129 Chapter 129 ¡°Yes, Mom. It¡¯s me,¡± Elliot answered. Avery choked and began to cough violently. He actually called her mother ¡°Mom¡±! Text ? owned by N?velDrama.Org. ¡°Here¡¯s the thing. Avery said she feels like eating your cooking, but it¡¯s not convenient for me to go to your ce. I¡¯m thinking of booking a restaurant nearby, and I was wondering if you¡¯ll be able toe and cook there,¡± Elliot said in a gentle and calm voice. ¡°Sure! Just send me the address and I¡¯ll be right over,¡± replied Laura. ¡°Thank you,¡± Elliot said, then hung up the phone and sent an address to Laura. Avery stared at him inplete shock,pletely bewildered by his actions. ¡°Are you insane? I was just simply saying that¡­ You actually called my mom out to cook for me?!¡± Avery eximed. ¡°You never used to take my words seriously. What¡¯s going on with you?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll take you seriously from now on,¡± Elliot said as his eyes and tone turned serious. A wave of warmth washed over Avery and turned her cheeks red. She felt like she could hear her heart thumping wildly in her chest. ¡°Don¡¯t!¡± she cried. ¡°What if I say I want to kill you the next time we fight? Would you just go ahead and kill yourself?¡± ¡°Can you stop thinking about picking fights with me all the time?¡± ¡°That¡¯s because we always have different opinions. I think that¡¯s normal, though. Where in the world would you find two people who agree on everything?¡± ¡°Perhaps they exist. We just haven¡¯t met them yet.¡± ¡°I wouldn¡¯t want to find someone who agrees with everything I say to spend the rest of my life with. What¡¯s the fun in that?¡± Avery said as her gaze lowered and her ears turned a rosy pink. ¡°The asional bickering keeps the spark alive.¡± ¡®Elliot gazed deeply at her. ¡°You can go find someone more agreeable if you want. I won¡¯t stop you,¡± Avery said. Elliot¡¯s smoldering eyes made her heart race, so she could not help but run her mouth at him. ¡°There are more important things in my life than dating,¡± she added. ¡°I didn¡¯t say anything. Stop overthinking,¡± Elliot said in frustration. Avery opened up the bottle of water and took another sip. ¡°Don¡¯t you think you¡¯re going too far by calling my mom out to cook like this?¡± she mumbled. ¡°It¡¯s not like she¡¯s a servant. I¡¯d be mad if I were her.¡± ¡°You¡¯ve never been a mother yourself, Avery, so you wouldn¡¯t understand how your mom feels about this.¡± What Elliot meant by his words was that Laura was probably not angry. How could she be mad about cooking for her own child? It was not like she was cooking for her every day. Elliot had no idea that his words pierced through Avery¡¯s heart. ¡°Do you think I don¡¯t want to be a mother? You¡¯re the one who wouldn¡¯t let me!¡± When Elliot saw Avery¡¯s reddened eyes, he realized that he made a huge mistake. His lips moved as if he was about to say something, but he was at a loss for words. ¡°Is your depression the reason you don¡¯t want children?¡± Avery asked softly after a moment of silence. ¡°Depression won¡¯t necessarily affect the child. The doctor would rmend terminating the pregnancy if they find something wrong during the checkups. You don¡¯t get to decide whether or not a child gets to be born.¡± Elliot looked out the window and clenched his jaw. It looked as if he was trying his best to hold back and control his emotions. Momentster, his cold voice echoed through the car, ¡°Don¡¯t bring up children with me ever again. As long as you don¡¯t mention kids, I¡¯ll do whatever you want.¡± ¡°What if all I want is to have children?¡± Avery held Elliot¡¯s hand in hers, then said through the lump in her throat, ¡°What if I beg you?¡± Before she could say another word, Elliot pulled his hand back. This was his refusal. Chapter 130 Chapter 130 Chapter 130 At the restaurant, Lauraid out thepleted dishes on the table. ¡°Come with me for a second, Avery,¡± Laura called out to her daughter. Avery followed her mother and walked toward the bathroom. ¡°Did you and Elliot get into a fight?¡± Laura asked. ¡°Is it that obvious?¡± Avery responded, her face void of emotion. Perhaps it was because she had been disappointed so many times that she became numb to the feeling ¡°It is. You look like a couple that¡¯s on the verge of divorce,¡± said Laura. ¡°The expression on your faces is exactly what your father and I looked like when we went to sign the divorce papers.¡± Avery could not hold back a bitterugh. ¡°We didn¡¯t talk about the divorce. It¡¯s just¡­ About having kids¡­ We can¡¯t talk about it.¡± ¡°I see. Is he still not willing to have kids? Did he say why?¡± Avery shook her head and said, ¡°He has depression. Every time I think about that, I tell myself not to dwell on things.¡± ¡°That poor thing.¡± Laura sighed. ¡°What¡¯s the point of having all of that money? Your health is more important than anything else. I think we¡¯re more wealthy than he is in that regard.¡± ¡°That¡¯s because you don¡¯t know how rich he is,¡± Avery said with a grin, then held her mother¡¯ s hand and said, ¡°Thanks for cooking, Mom!¡± ¡°Don¡¯t mention it. I wish I could cook for you every day, but I¡¯m sure the chef at the mansion is a much better cook than I am.¡± ¡°No matter how good they are, nobody¡¯s cooking suits my taste buds more than yours,¡± Avery said with a warm smile. ¡°Let¡¯s go eat!¡± ¡°I ate at home before I got here. Besides, I lost my appetite seeing the looks on your faces,¡± ¡®Laura teased. ¡°I¡¯m going home. Stop fighting with him. We can¡¯t afford to offend him.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Mom! I¡¯ll deal with him myself.¡± After sending her mother off, Avery returned to her seat at the table. In front of her was a te of peeled shrimp. Elliot was the one who peeled them for her. ¡°You¡¯re pretty good at hitting on girls, aren¡¯t you?¡± Avery said, then picked up a piece of shrimp and shoved it in her mouth. ¡°I¡¯m usually the one getting hit on,¡± Elliot responded honestly. Avery almost choked on her food. ¡°It¡¯s an honor to eat shrimp that you peeled with your bare hands.¡± ¡°It¡¯d be great if you could always be this way, Avery.¡± Avery took a deep breath and suppressed her negative emotions. ¡°I¡¯ll try not to pick fights with you from now on,¡± she said gently, then added after a brief pause, ¡°I¡¯m going to the Christmas concert on campus next week. Do you have anything going on at the company?¡± ¡°We do, but I won¡¯t go.¡± ¡°That¡¯s true. You should take care of your legs.¡± Avery picked up a piece of shrimp, dipped it in some sauce, then offered it to Elliot. He froze for a moment, then parted his lips. He felt a warm, fuzzy feeling inside of him after eating the shrimp that she fed him. The harmonious atmosphere between them drew a veil over their earlier disagreement. Text ? owned by N?velDrama.Org. ¡°Are you performing?¡± Elliot asked. ¡°Of course! It¡¯s thest Christmas concert of my college life.¡± ¡°I see. I¡¯d like to go,¡± Elliot said nonchntly. Avery was taken aback. ¡°How would you get in? We¡¯re not even allowed to invite family!¡± ¡°I have my ways.¡± Avery looked at Elliot¡¯s stoic face and felt a sudden wave of relief. ¡°I guess that¡¯s true. With your money, all you¡¯d have to do is donate a building. Forget about the concert, they¡¯d probably let you peep around the female dorms, too.¡± Elliot lifted his head and stared at Avery. She was the one who just said that she would stop picking fights with him. Christmas arrived in the blink of an eye. Avery took off for campus first thing in the morning, and Elliot got out of bed after she left the house. Chapter 131 Chapter 131 Chapter 131 Elliot¡¯s legs had been recovering well, and he was able to move around more freely with a walking stick He got out of bed and walked into the closet to pick out his outfit for the day. Most of his clothes were in dark shades and colors. His brows furrowed as he took in the gloominess of his closet. Elliot walked out of the closet after failing to pick out a suitable outfit, then gave Chad a call. ¡°Chad, I need a light-colored suit.¡± ¡°Of course, Sir. Are you looking for something casual or a formal suit?¡± ¡°Something casual.¡± ¡°Roger that. I¡¯ll get it ready right away,¡± Chad said. ¡°By the way, the jewelry designer you asked me to contact has finished the sketch you asked for. I¡¯ve emailed it over to you. They can start working on it once you approve the sketch.¡± ¡°Alright,¡± Elliot responded. He hung up, then entered his study and turned on theputer. The uing New Year¡¯s Eve was the first one that he was going to spend with Avery, and he wanted to give her something special tomemorate it. Text ? owned by N?velDrama.Org. He clicked on Chad¡¯s email and opened up the sketch of the custom diamond ring he had commissioned The ring was designed to resemble a snowke, as Avery was like a snowke to him- pure and angelic. Over at Avonsville University, Avery and Tammy were having lunch after their morning rehearsals. ¡°Why did you back out of the dance performance?¡± Tammy asked. ?¡±Dancing is too tiring. I¡¯ll just focus on my song,¡± Avery answered, then nced at her phone and asked, ¡°Is your boyfriending to the concert?¡± ¡°He wanted to, but he won¡¯t be able to get in. He¡¯s not a student here, anyway. There¡¯s no way they¡¯d let him in!¡± Avery nodded in response. ¡°Is your husbanding? I heard that both of you have been stuck at the hip! Is that true? You never reply to my texts when I ask you about it,¡± Tammy grumbled. ¡°Did Jun tell you that? When did he get so nosy? You should pressure him into focusing on his career and making more money.¡± ¡°All I want is to be in a lovey-dovey rtionship right now! By the way, did you tell your husband about going to graduate school abroad? I told Jun to keep it to himself, so I don¡¯t think he¡¯s told Elliot.¡± The light in Avery¡¯s eyes dimmed. Tammy took one look at her and found her answer. ¡°Why won¡¯t you tell him about it? Are you worried that he¡¯ll stop you from going?¡± Avery took a sip of water, then said, ¡°I¡¯ll tell him after the new year!¡± ¡°Alright! So, is heing to the concert or not? Ask him to bring my Jun along if he is!¡± ¡°He¡¯sing.¡± Tammy sighed and said, ¡°Yet you won¡¯t admit that your rtionship is going well! He is ditching his company¡¯s party anding to our concert! Doesn¡¯t that tell you that he finds you more important than work?! Jun, on the other hand, wouldn¡¯t miss thepany party for the world! So, your husband won¡¯t have to trouble himself with my Jun.¡± Avery shuddered as goosebumps appeared all over her body. ¡°Can you please stop saying ¡®your husband¡¯ and ¡®my Jun¡¯? When did you get so cheesy?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not wrong, am I? Elliot Foster is your husband, and Jun might not be my husband yet, but isn¡¯t it normal for couples to give each other pet names?¡± Avery ordered some food, then passed the menu back to the waiter. ¡°Do you think he¡¯ll go on stage and give you flowers after your performance?¡± Tammy asked, suddenly looking to the night¡¯s concert with anticipation. ¡°How¡¯s he supposed to get up there? With his walking stick?¡± Tammy sighed, then said, ¡°What a pity! I was hoping to see the two of you go public with your rtionship in front of the whole college!¡± ¡°You need to quit it with all your romantic dramas,¡± Avery said, shattering Tammy¡¯s fantasy. ¡°What kind of rtionship do you two have?¡± Tammy said with furrowed brows. ¡°You¡¯re so boring! There¡¯s no fun at all!¡± Chapter 132 Chapter 132 Chapter 132 Avery did not react. It was true that her rtionship with Elliot was more boring than most. Justst week, they had spent the entire time at home. Elliot was either working in his study or reading a book in the living room. Avery, on the other hand, was either writing her thesis or reading in the living room with him. Elliot¡¯s book was in a foreignnguage that Avery did not understand. Avery was reading Professor Hough¡¯s book on neurology. She was sure Elliot would not understand a thing about it either, so she did not feel inferior to him. ¡°What do you think of my ne?¡± Tammy asked as she suddenly took off the ne she was wearing and showed it to Avery. ¡°It¡¯s pretty. Did your boyfriend give it to you?¡± ¡°He did! It¡¯s a Christmas gift. It¡¯s even got my name engraved on it!¡± ¡°You can purchase jewelry whiches with a free engraving offer for under ten bucks,¡± said Avery in earnest. ¡°You shouldn¡¯t let these things go to your head!¡± Tammy did not mind. ¡°It¡¯s not about the engraving, I¡¯m just happy that he got me something! When he stops being able to make me feel like this one day, I¡¯d probably break up with him.¡± Avery had nothing left to say. ¡°You¡¯re acting surprisingly cold about this. Has Elliot never gotten you a gift before?¡± Tammy guessed. ¡°He might be old and unromantic, but you¡¯re still young! Can you stop being so morbid? If he won¡¯t make the first move, then you should!¡± Avery ignored Tammy and began to eat her lunch. This text is property of N?/velD/rama.Org. The concert kicked off at seven that evening. Avery and Tammy were getting ready in the dressing room backstage. ¡°Avery! Is your husband¡± ¡°Remember where we are!¡± Avery hissed as she nced at their surroundings. Tammy cleared her throat, then asked softly, ¡°Is Elliot here yet? Has he called you? I took a peek at the audience just now, and it¡¯s crowded out there. Where¡¯s he sitting?¡± Avery checked her phone and saw that there were no new messages. A strange emotion hit her. Was he not here yet? He might note after all. ¡°He didn¡¯t call me. I don¡¯t know if he¡¯s here yet, nor do I know where his seat is. Just because he¡¯s coming to the concert, doesn¡¯t mean he wants to reveal his identity. He might even pretend not to know me if he sees me, and I¡¯d do the same.¡± Tammy was surprised, while Avery¡¯s words extinguished her passion for gossip. Elliot arrived on campus at eight in the evening. Avery¡¯s performance was the thirteenth on the program, which would be around an hour after the opening act. Elliot timed his arrival perfectly. He entered the performance hall under the protection of his bodyguard and campus security. Elliot was dressed in a baby blue t-shirt, a casual, white jacket, and matching cks. He was not in a wheelchair, nor was he using a walking stick. Since his legs were not fully recovered, he was walking at a slow but steady pace. He looked as dashing as a prince straight out of a romantic drama! Elliot caused a stir the moment he entered the hall. Backstage, Tammy looked out to the audience and recognized him right away. ¡°Oh my god! I almost didn¡¯t recognize him in that light suit! He looks so good!¡± Tammy eximed as she rushed over to Avery in excitement. ¡°He¡¯s here! He¡¯s actually here! He definitely showed up for you! He¡¯s sitting in the front row! Oh my god!¡± Avery¡¯s chest tightened. She took a few steps towards the main stage and peeped at the audience through the curtains. Elliot¡¯s white silhouette shone like a beam of light and shot right through her heart. ¡°Avery! You¡¯re up! Break a leg! Show your husband a side of you that nobody¡¯s ever seen before!¡± Tammy cheered as she tapped Avery on the back. Avery was on the verge of tears. ¡°Stop spouting nonsense, Tammy Lynch!¡± ¡°Next up is the diamond of the art department, Miss Avery Tate. She¡¯ll be gracing us with her rendition of ¡°Tim McGraw¡± on her guitar. Please give her a big round of apuse!¡± Once the host introduced her, Avery made her way to the center of the stage. Chapter 133 Chapter 133 Chapter 133 Avery¡¯s hair was pulled back in a simple ponytail, and she was dressed in a blue denim jacket over a long white dress. With her guitar in her arms, she took a seat on the high stool ced at the center of the stage. As she adjusted the mic stand in front of her, the room lights dimmed, and she was illuminated by the light of the spotlight that was trained on her. N?velDrama.Org owns this. The melodic strumming of Avery¡¯s guitar began to echo through the hall, followed by her angelic singing Her gaze did not search the crowd for anyone in particr, but she could feel a pair of eyes watching her intently. Avery shut her eyes to immerse herself in her performance. Soon after, the stage lights lit up and a colorful wave of flower petals floated down from the ceiling The audience burst into wild, frenzied cheers. Avery opened her eyes, her thickshes fluttering. Her face was a picture of bewilderment as petals rustled down in front of her eyes. Nobody told her that there would be a flower shower during her performance! Was this ast minute arrangement? Avery¡¯s cheeks were hot with embarrassment, but she powered through the rest of her song. Suddenly, a drone appeared out of thin air and flew towards the stage. On top of the drone was a bouquet of flowers! The audience broke into another roar of excitement. Avery¡¯s heart pounded along with the enthusiastic apuse and hurrahs. ¡¤ Tammy was so envious backstage that she began to sniffle. ¡°That old geezer sure has his ways!¡± She had just called Elliot Foster boring that afternoon. However, there was nothing boring about this flower shower and bouquet-sending drone! Tammy felt like she was getting countless ps to the face. The drone stopped in midair right in front of Avery as she came to the end of her song. With raised brows and pursed lips, she hesitantly picked up the bouquet of flowers from the drone. Thunderous cheers and apuse filled the room. ¡°Merry Christmas, everyone!¡± Avery said into the microphone as she held the bouquet in her arms. Her gaze wandered through the crowd until it fell on the white silhouette in the front row. ¡°Thank you! Thank you, everyone!¡± The drone flew off and the petals stopped falling from the ceiling. Elliot, who was sitting in the front row, was also nowhere to be found. It was as if it was all nothing but a dream. Even now that she had awakened from the dream, Avery was still moved beyond words. ¡°Are you dating someone, Avery?! I bet the flowers were from your boyfriend! He even used a drone to give them to you! That¡¯s so creative!¡± ¡°And that flower shower?! Your boyfriend prepared that, right? None of us got anything like that during our performances! That¡¯s so romantic!¡± Backstage, a group of people converged on Avery and surrounded her. Tammy ran over and rescued her from the mob. When they burst through the hall¡¯s exit, a tall, muscr student stood in their path. ¡°Hey, Avery. I heard that you got out of a rtionship recently¡­ I fell for you at first sight when I was a freshman, but I¡¯ve never had the guts to tell you. You¡¯re about to graduate soon, So I¡ª¡± Before Avery could say a word, Tammy jumped in and shattered the student¡¯s dreams. ¡°She¡¯s taken! Who did you think arranged that flower shower just now? Also, did you think .that drone flew over and gave her that bouquet itself?!¡± The student scratched his head, then said, ¡°I guess I was toote again.¡± At that moment, the sound of footsteps approaching came from behind them. Avery turned and saw Elliot¡¯s handsome yet sophisticated face. Under the pearlescent moonlight, his features looked particrly chiseled. ¡°Hello, you¡­¡± The student watched as Elliot made his way to Avery¡¯s side, then tried to guess who he was. ¡°You must be Avery¡¯s uncle?¡± Chapter 134 Chapter 134 Chapter 134 Avery felt Elliot¡¯s body stiffen next to her. His outfit had taken a few years off, however, people still wound up treating him like an older person. It must have bothered him. ¡°I¡¯m Avery¡¯s,¡± Elliot began to speak, but Avery interrupted him by grabbing his hand, then exined, ¡°I don¡¯ t know this guy. It¡¯s cold out here. Let¡¯s head to the car!¡± At the same time, Tammy pulled the male student out of their way. Avery threw Tammy a look of gratitude, then helped Elliot back to the ck Rolls-Roice. ¡°Your legs haven¡¯t fully recovered,¡± she said in a concerned voice. ¡°You shouldn¡¯t be walking around like this.¡± ¡°It doesn¡¯t hurt anymore,¡± Elliot said. His eyesnded on the bouquet of flowers in Avery¡¯s hand. ¡°There¡¯s a gift in the bouquet,¡± he said awkwardly. ¡°What?¡± Avery said as she stared at Elliot in shock. ¡°You got me a gift? I didn¡¯t get you anything, though.¡± The air around them turned thick with uneasiness. They had spent the past week sitting at home. How did he find the time to prepare a gift for her if he never left the house? Elliot opened the door to the backseat of the car and let Avery in first. ¡°I didn¡¯t ask for anything in return.¡± His deep, sultry voice made Avery¡¯s heart skip a beat. ?In the car, she sifted through the flowers and found a small, pink jewelry box. She opened it up, revealing the diamond ne inside it. It was a simple design, but the diamond itself¡­ was huge. Once Elliot sat down next to her, she could not help but tease him. ¡°I never thought you were much of a showoff before, but why do you have such tacky taste?¡± ¡°You don¡¯t like it?¡± Elliot asked as he locked eyes with Avery. ¡°What style do you like?¡± He assumed all women loved diamonds, and the bigger the diamond, the better. Avery took out the ne, ced it in her palm, and said, ¡°Don¡¯t you think the diamond¡¯s a little too big? Larger cuts like this can make me look bulky.¡± Elliot stared at her dainty, little hand and did not agree with her at all. Everything looked good in her hands. He had his own reasoning when choosing gifts, so he said, ¡°I couldn¡¯t bring myself to give out something too cheap.¡± ¡°Pretend I didn¡¯t say anything,¡± Avery said as she ced the ne back in the box.¡± Thanks for coming to the show.¡± ¡°You¡¯re a good singer,¡± Elliot said. Her angelic voice was on loop in his mind. ¡°Are you an art history major?¡± Avery¡¯s arms tightened around the bouquet. ¡°Do you know why I decided to major in that?¡± Elliot shook his head. ¡°My stepmother was the one who chose it for me. She told my father that it was an easy major, so he just went with it.¡± Avery took a breath, then continued, ¡°It doesn¡¯t exactly have the best career prospects, though. Most of the people who major in art history at the collegee from rich families.¡± ¡°Your father left you thepany in the end. He wasn¡¯t going to leave you without a future,¡± Elliot said. ¡°He never mentioned anything about it to me before he died. He cheated on my mother and was always indifferent when it came to me. I hated him.¡± ¡°Perhaps he thought that he had already let your mother down, so he didn¡¯t want to do the same to your stepmother.¡± ¡°How would you know? Are all men like that?¡± N?velDrama.Org owns this. ¡°Aren¡¯t we talking about your father?¡± ¡°Even so, why do I feel like you can sympathize with him?¡± . At the end of that sentence, Avery felt like they were on the verge of starting a fight, so she quickly changed the subject. ¡°Did you pick out your outfit to match mine tonight?¡± she asked. She was wearing blue over white, while Elliot was wearing white over blue. Avery¡¯s jacket may have been a deeper shade of blue, but it was hard to disagree if anyone said they were wearing matching outfits. Her question put Elliot on the spot. Why did she have to state the obvious? ¡°Yes, I did,¡± Elliot answered truthfully, leaving Avery speechless. When they arrived home, Avery took a shower first. Once she was done, Elliot entered the bathroom. While Avery was lying in bed with her phone, Elliot¡¯s phone screen suddenly lit up. She picked up his phone and saw a text message from Ben. Chapter 135 Chapter 135 Chapter 135 Avery could not help herself, and she tapped on the text message from Ben. (Your wife¡¯s got a great voice! It¡¯s a shame she¡¯s not a singer!) Avery had not expected to be able to ess Elliot¡¯s phone. She would not have been able to get in if he had set a passcode, but he did not have one set up.¡± After Ben¡¯s text came through, he sent over a video of Avery¡¯s performance. Tammy had sent her the same video earlier and told her that she was going viral on the college ¡®s online forum N?velDrama.Org is the owner. Avery returned to the home screen and ced the phone back where she had found it. It was at that moment that her finger slipped and opened up Elliot¡¯s photo gallery, revealing the photos within When Elliot emerged from the bathroom after his shower, Avery gestured at him, and he immediately sat on the bed. ¡°I suddenly feel like cooking. Should I cook for you from now on?¡± Avery asked. Elliot looked at her, confused. ¡°Are you serious?¡± ¡°I am!¡± Avery answered with enthusiasm. ¡°I can¡¯t guarantee that I¡¯d be any good at it. I¡¯ve never really cooked before.¡± ¡°You could try tomorrow,¡± Elliot suggested. ¡°Okay!¡± Avery responded, then nced at his gray bathrobe and said, ¡°You look good in light colors. You should wear it more.¡± ¡°I still got called your uncle, though.¡± ¡°How do you know he didn¡¯t do that on purpose?¡± Avery teased, then cradled Elliot¡¯s face in her hands and said, ¡°You looked very handsome tonight.¡± Elliot sped hisrge hand over hers as a hint of suspicion shed across his deep eyes. ¡°Why are you suddenly so passionate?¡± Avery¡¯s cheeks flushed under his smoldering gaze. She nestled her face in the nook of his neck, then uttered sweetly, ¡°No reason. I just felt like hugging you.¡± A wave of warmth enveloped Elliot¡¯s heart at the sound of Avery¡¯s words. He opened up his arms and wrapped them around her. Time flew by after Christmas. Elliot either spent his days working in his study or watching Avery cook in the kitchen. Avery, on the other hand, spent all of her time and energy perfecting her cooking. On New Year¡¯s Eve, Rosalie called first thing in the morning reminding them to visit her. Avery and Elliot took their time with breakfast, then headed out for the old mansion. ¡°Should we have lunch with your motherter?¡± Elliot suggested as he held Avery¡¯s hand. She had rejected his idea to bring Laura along to the old mansion. Even if Avery agreed, Laura would not. Avery shed a smile at Elliot and said, ¡°It¡¯s fine. I just want to spend time with you today. It¡¯s our first New Year¡¯s Eve together after all.¡± ¡°There will be many more toe,¡± Elliot said. Avery looked out the window and said, ¡°Look at that snow! It¡¯s perfect for making a snowman. Let¡¯s do thatter!¡± Elliot was about to tease her for the childish suggestion, but he kept quiet. He did not want to ruin her good mood. After lunch, Avery dragged Elliot out to build a snowman. The rest of the Foster family huddled aside and watched them from afar. ¨C It was the first time in years that they had seen Elliotughing and behaving like a kid! ¡°Are you happy, Elliot?¡± Avery asked suddenly as she stared at the finished snowman. ¡°I am.¡± ¡°I¡¯m happy as long as I¡¯m with you,¡± Elliot thought but kept those words to himself. Chapter 136 Chapter 136 Chapter 136 Avery and Elliot went home in the afternoon to rest because they nned on staying up to ring in the new year. Once Elliot was asleep, Avery opened her eyes and stared at his face. She felt as if she could never watch him for long enough. It was a shame that she could not stop time. It would be perfect if everything coulde to a stop at this moment. When Elliot woke up around four in the afternoon, Avery was not next to him. He got out of bed and went downstairs to look for her. ¡°You¡¯re up!¡± Avery was in the middle of making dinner. ¡°I¡¯m thinking of making steak tonight. What do you think?¡± Elliot stood at the entrance to the kitchen and watched as she worked away. ¡°How about I make dinner?¡± he asked. ¡°You cook?¡± Avery eximed with a look of surprise on her face, then took off her apron and said, ¡°Be my guest! I¡¯ve never tried your cooking before!¡± IT ¡°I¡¯ve never cooked before, but I can follow a recipe,¡± Elliot said as he took the apron from Avery. ¡°Take a break in the living room.¡± ¡°Can I stay here and watch?¡± Avery asked with sparkling eyes. Elliot did not refuse but pulled up a chair for her. Avery sat down and enjoyed the show as he prepared their dinner. Elliot gave off an air of expertise no matter what he did. .When Avery dug into the steak Elliot made that evening, she was singing his praises. ¡°It¡¯s even better than a five-star restaurant.¡± ¡°Maybe you haven¡¯t been to many good restaurants.¡± ¡°Can¡¯t you just ept my praise?¡± ¡°Sure. I think I¡¯m a pretty good cook, too.¡± Text ? owned by N?velDrama.Org. Avery burst intoughter. ¡°I don¡¯t like broli,¡± she said as she deposited the broli from her te onto Elliot¡¯s, and she took the cherry tomato from his te and popped it into her mouth. ¡°Don¡¯t be picky, Avery,¡± Elliot said earnestly as he chewed on her broli. ¡°I¡¯m not! I just don¡¯t like steamed foods.¡± They took a stroll outside after dinner, then returned to the living room and watched TV. Avery rested her head on Elliot¡¯s shoulder and dozed. He woke her up at half past eleven and said, ¡°Let¡¯s set off some fireworks. It¡¯s another half hour until the new year.¡± A wide smile appeared on Avery¡¯s face, but a hint of sadness shed across her eyes. They threw on their coats and made their way outside where the bodyguard was preparing the fireworks. Before long, a dazzling disy of fireworks covered the night sky above them. Avery lifted her head and felt the night breeze brush her skin. ¡°I have something for you, Avery,¡± Elliot whispered in her ear. Avery turned to him and asked, ¡°A gift? Didn¡¯t we agree not to prepare anything?¡± Once again, she had not gotten him anything. ¡°It¡¯s something I ordered beforehand,¡± Elliot said as he pulled out a red, square box from her pocket. Avery guessed what it was without opening it up. ¡°We¡¯ve been married for over half a year. This is your make-up wedding ring.¡± Elliot opened the box to expose the exquisite diamond ring within. Avery¡¯s eyes filled with tears at the sight of it. Elliot took out the ring, picked up Avery¡¯s left hand, and carefully slipped the ring onto her ring finger. ¡°It¡¯s beautiful,¡± Avery whispered hoarsely. ¡°I¡¯m d you like it,¡± Elliot said as his hand tightened around hers. The vibrant fireworks continued to light up the night sky. When the new year¡¯s countdown began to disy in the sky, Avery got on her tiptoes and kissed Elliot¡¯s cold lips. Elliot felt something wet on his face, then noticed the tears streaming down Avery¡¯s face. He wanted to ask why she was crying, but the countdown came to an end, signifying the arrival of the new year. ¡°Happy New Year, Elliot Foster,¡± Avery choked as she loosened her grip on Elliot. Chapter 137 Chapter 137 Chapter 137 This text is property of N?/velD/rama.Org. ¡°Happy New Year, Avery,¡± Elliot said as he lifted his hand to wipe the tears off of Avery¡¯s face. Avery took a big step back away from him. ¡°I¡¯m leaving, Elliot,¡± she said coldly. Before Elliot could react, Avery had already taken the diamond ring off her finger. ¡°I can¡¯t ept this,¡± Avery said as she shoved the ring into the pocket of his jacket. ¡°I love you, but I can¡¯t do this anymore.¡± Avery lifted her head as tears trickled down her cheeks. ¡°You have photos of that woman on yourputer and on your phone. I¡¯m sure you have her in your heart, as well. I admit that you¡¯re good to me, but you love her more. I won¡¯t force you to exin yourself, nor will I make you give her up¡­ Because I know that it would all be a waste of time,¡± Avery said. ¡°We¡¯re done!¡± This was not up for discussion. Avery was informing Elliot of her decision. Elliot was frozen in ce, and his eyes were filled with disbelief. Everything was going fine before this. Avery was cooking for him every day and sleeping in his arms every night¡­ He thought that they would be in love for the rest of their lives. When had she decided to break up with him? Elliot had no idea. It could have been after Christmas, or it could have been earlier than that. ¡°I¡¯m leaving soon. I¡¯ve hired awyer for the divorce proceedings. He¡¯ll contact you after the holidays,¡± Avery said as she wipes the tears off her face. She continued to step away from him, then said, ¡°Let¡¯s not see each other ever again, Elliot. Don¡¯t contact me. Let¡¯s just pretend like we never met!¡± Avery clenched her fists and tried her best to hold back her tears. She was merely curious the first time she saw the photos of that woman on Elliot¡¯sputer. However, seeing them again on his phone was the final straw for her. The only photos on Elliot¡¯s phone were those of that woman. Avery could no longer run away from the harsh reality. The man she loved had another woman in his heart. Avery hailed a cab by the street. Before she got in the cab, she could not stop herself from looking back. However, there was nothing but the lonely winter breeze behind her. Elliot did not run after her. It was just as Avery had thought. No matter how much she had tried to get Elliot to talk to her about the woman, he would never tell her anything, and she had seen it as impossible for him to give the woman up for her. The tears that Avery held back rolled down her cheeks like an exploded dam. She got into the cab, then said to the cab driver in a hoarse voice, ¡°Take me to the airport.¡± Laura had already moved out of her apartment and was waiting for Avery at the airport with their luggage. The two of them would leave the city together in another two hours. The cab sped through the night on the empty streets. As Avery watched the city¡¯s skyline sh by through the window, memories of Elliot-poured into her mind. Everything felt so real, yet so ethereal. Her heart was broken, and her tears would not stop flowing. Avery felt a sudden pang of pain in her stomach as the babies kicked. The children she shared with Elliot were now seven months old and will be born soon. It was a shame that they would never meet their father. Four yearster, it was three in the morning when a light illuminated the dark master bedroom at the Foster mansion. Elliot opened his eyes and picked up his phone from the nightstand. When he saw that it was a call from Professor Hough, he immediately answered. ¡°Elliot¡­¡± The professor¡¯s voice on the other end of the line was weak. ¡°I-I¡¯m afraid¡­ I don¡¯t have much time left¡­ That matter we discussed¡­ I¡¯ll be leaving it to someone else¡­ A student of mine¡­ H-Her name is¡­¡± What followed was the sound of a body falling to the ground. Elliot leaped out of bed and felt his heart sink into an icy abyss. There was no response no matter how many times he called out the professor¡¯s name. It was not until another hourter that he received a call from the professor¡¯s assistant. ¡°Mr. Foster, I regret to inform you that Professor Hough has passed away from a chronic illness. I noticed that thest call he made was to you, so I thought you should know.¡± Chapter 138 Chapter 138 Chapter 138 A weekter, Avery was carefully inspecting the property models at the sales department of the Starry River Vis. The salesperson noticed her youthful face, then asked, ¡°Which type of property are you interested in, Miss? We have detached vis, townhouses, and semi-detached properties.¡± ¡°Do you still have any detached vis avable?¡± Avery inquired. The salesperson¡¯s eyes lit up at her words, then said, ¡°We do! There¡¯s one left, and the square footage is pretty big. It¡¯s over three thousand square feet¡­ The price is also much higher than the townhouses and semi-detached houses, so¡ª¡± ¡°Can we move in right away if I make full payment now?¡± The salesperson nodded enthusiastically and said, ¡°Of course! All of our vis arevishly renovated and come fully furnished. All you need is your own belongings.¡± ¡°Alright. How much is it?¡± ¡°Four and a half million dors. It¡¯s pretty steep, but it¡¯s thest detached vi left in the neighborhood. If you think it¡¯s too much¡­¡± Avery shifted her gaze to the other side of the room. Laura was carrying Avery¡¯s sleeping daughter, La Tate, so they needed a ce to put up their feet as soon as possible. Avery turned back to the salesperson and said, ¡°Show me the ce.¡± The next moment, Avery left with the salesperson, leaving only Laura and the two children in the room. Avery¡¯s daughter was fast asleep in Laura¡¯s arms while Avery¡¯s son was standing next to Laura. The boy¡¯s youthful eyes were twin ck obsidian orbs, bright with caution. He was wearing a cap, a loose, white t-shirt, a pair of gray jeans, and sneakers. ?His features were exquisite yet soft, making him look like a young prince out of a storybook. N?velDrama.Org is the owner. A saleswoman walked over and offered two pieces of chocte to the boy. ¡°How old are you, young man? ¡°What¡¯s your name? ¡°Is that your little sister or your big sister in your grandmother¡¯s arms?¡± Hayden Tate did not respond to any of the woman¡¯s questions and simply turned his back to her. Laura shed the saleswoman an apologetic look and exined, ¡°I¡¯m sorry. He¡¯s not much of a talker.¡± ¡°It¡¯s okay. Here¡¯s some chocte for you,¡± said the saleswoman as she passed the choctes to Laura. She then nced at La¡¯s sleeping face and said, ¡°You have a beautiful granddaughter.¡± Soon Avery returned from checking the vi. She walked over to Laura and said, ¡°The house doesn¡¯t look too bad. Should we just buy it?¡± Avery had chosen this neighborhood as it was closer to the old Tate estate. ¡°It¡¯s a little expensive,¡± Laura said with furrowed brows. ¡°Your father¡¯s old ce cost under five hundred thousand dors.¡±: Avery chuckled and said, ¡°I wasn¡¯t even born when you guys bought that house! Things aren¡¯t the same anymore.¡± She then pulled out a credit card and passed it to the salesperson. Twenty minutester, Avery had signed all the necessary papers and left the sales building with her family. The salespeople gathered together and gossiped away once Avery left. ¡°I didn¡¯t expect that woman to be so rich! She actually paid for the house in full!¡± ¡°She¡¯s so young and she¡¯s already got two kids. I bet it isn¡¯t even her own money!¡± . ¡°I guess¡­ Her husband must be super rich since she¡¯s so gorgeous.¡± At the new detached vi, Laura carried La into the bedroom while Hayden trailed along behind them. ¡°Hayden, I¡¯m going to get some groceries for dinnerter. Can you watch your sister?¡± Laura asked. Hayden nodded, and Laura left the room without worry. Chapter 139 Chapter 139 Chapter 139 ¡°Avery, I¡¯m going to get some groceries. Get some rest if you¡¯re tired,¡± Laura said. Avery opened up their suitcases and took out their belongings one by one. ¡°Be careful out there, Mom. I¡¯m not tired, so I¡¯ll start unpacking our stuff.¡± ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll head out now.¡± Once Laura was gone, the house instantly fell into a calm silence. Avery quickly finished unpacking, then got up and checked on the kids. La was still fast asleep while Haydeny next to her with his eyes shut. When Avery left the room, she sighed as a hint of sadness washed over her face. Hayden was a healthy child, but he was different from other kids. He was a quiet boy that refused to speak to strangers. He was already four years old, but he had never gone to school. Avery had taken him for countless physical examinations. Every single checkup came out normal, with the exception of his cerebral cortex being much more developed than the average person. Hayden¡¯s problem was psychological. However, even the psychiatrists they visited could not solve his issues. It was a good thing that La was fine. She might not enjoy talking to strangers, but she was at least capable of expression. Avery¡¯s phone suddenly began to ring. She picked it up and answered the call. ¡°Have you found a ce to stay, Avery?¡± On the other side of the line was Professor Hough¡¯s assistant, Wesley Brook. ¡°We did. Hayden and La are asleep, and my mom¡¯s out getting groceries,¡± Avery replied.¡± When are youing back? We should meet up when you do.¡± . ¡°I¡¯lle see you when I get back,¡± Wesley said, then his tone turned solemn as he continued, ¡°There¡¯s something I need to tell you. About five years ago, Elliot Fostermissioned the professor to do something for him. It was a top secret matter that the professor didn¡¯t even reveal to me. About three days ago, Elliot Foster started gathering information on Professor Hough¡¯s students.¡± ¡°What is he looking for?¡± Avery wondered. ¡°When the police were investigating Professor Hough¡¯s death, they found a recording of hisst phone conversation with Elliot Foster. During that call, the professor told him that he would pass the case on to a student of his, but he died before he could mention a name. I¡¯m guessing¡­ You¡¯re the student that Professor Hough was talking about.¡± Avery was taken aback. ¡°There¡¯s no way I¡¯ll be able to figure out something that the professor didn¡¯t manage to solve after five years.¡± ¡°No one else is more qualified than you are. Professor Hough told me once that your abilities have already surpassed his¡­¡± Wesley paused briefly, then continued, ¡°I know you¡¯re trying to avoid Elliot Foster, so I didn¡¯t include your name in the list of the professor¡¯s students. I only gave him a list of students who became doctors after they had graduated. Nobody knows that you stayed on at the professor¡¯sb once you had graduated. There¡¯s no way he¡¯ll be able to find out.¡± ¡°Thank you, Wesley!¡± Avery said as she let out a sigh of relief. ¡°Drinks are on me when you get back!¡± Her children were her top priority. For the sake of their safety, she did not want to have any contact with Elliot. ¡°Don¡¯t mention it. You¡¯re in the same city as him now, so you need to be extra cautious.¡± At 9 p.m. that night, Hayden and Lay in bed in matching pajamas. The warm glimmer of themp on their nightstand twinkled in their bright, wide eyes. ¡°Did you find out who our dad is, Hayden?¡± asked La. Hayden¡¯s face was stern as he answered, ¡°Cole Foster.¡± ¡°Huh? Is that his name?¡± La asked excitedly as she grabbed ahold of her brother¡¯s arm.¡± How did you find out? What does he look like?¡± Hayden¡¯s brows furrowed, his cool expression was the spitting image of Elliot. He got out of bed, and La followed right behind him.This is from N?velDrama.Org. Hayden opened up a photo on hisptop and showed it to La. ¡°That¡¯s Cole Foster. That¡¯s our father.¡± He had hacked into Avonsville Hospital¡¯s system that afternoon and found Avery¡¯s medical records from four years ago. Her maternal health file at the time stated that the father of the children was Cole Foster. Chapter 140 Chapter 140 Chapter 140 La¡¯s eyes widened as she gazed at Cole¡¯s photo on theptop screen. ¡°Whoa! Our dad¡¯s so good-looking!¡± Hayden shut theptop, then thought to himself, ¡°So what if he¡¯s good-looking? A spineless freeloader isn¡¯t worthy of our mom!¡± ¡°When can we go see Daddy? Do you think he¡¯d be happy when he finds out about us?¡± The only concept that La had about their father was a pure one, as Avery had never once spoken ill of him in front of them. Every time La asked Avery who their father was, Avery would always patiently answer,¡± You don¡¯t have a father.¡± Hayden climbed back into bed,y down, and stared at the ceiling. ¡°He won¡¯t,¡± he answered bluntly. La was upset. ¡°Why not? It¡¯s not like we want his money. I just want to spend some time with him!¡± ¡°Go to sleep.¡± ¡°I can¡¯t sleep,¡± La huffed. ¡°I want Dad.¡± Hayden was disappointed in their so-called father, which put him in a bad mood. ¡°Shut up,¡± he snapped impatiently. La immediately quieted down. She could feel that her brother was annoyed, so she wrapped her little arms around Hayden, and cooed, ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Hayden. I didn¡¯t mean to make you mad. If you don¡¯t want to look for Dad, I won¡¯t either.¡± This text is property of N?/velD/rama.Org. Hayden pushed La¡¯s arms off of him, then said in a much calmer tone, ¡°I¡¯ll let you know.¡± | La ecstatically threw her arms around her brother once again and said, ¡°Okay! I¡¯ll do anything you say!¡± Avery stood in front of the floor-to-ceiling windows in the master bedroom and gazed nkly at the vista in front of her. Four years had passed by in a sh. It felt as if everything had changed, but it also felt like everything had stayed the same. Avery had not been in contact with Elliot at all for the past four years, but they were still tied by thew. Elliot had never signed the divorce papers. Avery picked up her phone and called herwyer. ¡°Ask him again tomorrow, Mr. Vaughn. If he still refuses to sign it, then please inform him that I will be taking this to court.¡± She heard her own calm and determined voice and could not help but recall the way she almost fainted from crying in the airport on the night she left four years ago. What a fool she was! Elliot waspletely unaffected. When she had left the country, she had looked him up online because she missed him. That was when she saw all the news and photos of him attending all kinds of social events. His world continued to turn even without her in it. Avery moved on quickly after seeing how well Elliot was doing. ¡°Are you back in the country, Miss Tate?¡± asked Mr. Vaughn. ¡°I am.¡± ¡°Since you¡¯re back, why not go and meet him yourself?¡± Mr. Vaughn sighed. ¡°He stopped answering my calls a long time ago. I¡¯m guessing he already blocked my number.¡± Avery was surprised. ¡°However, if you insist on having me represent you, I can use a new number to contact him,¡± continued Mr. Vaughn. ¡°To be honest, there¡¯s a higher possibility of sess if you meet him yourself.¡± ¡°In that case, please contact him using a new number!¡± ¡°Understood.¡± Avery hung up the phone, then scrolled through her contacts. Other than the fact that Aryadelle was her home, there was another reason had she returned to the country. She wanted to rebuild thepany that had gone bankrupt in her hands. Not only did she want to rebuild Tate Industries, but she also wanted to make it even more glorious than it ever was. She will get back every single penny and more that was stolen from her father. She found the contact for the former HR manager of Tate Industries and dialed the number. Chapter 141 Chapter 141 Chapter 141 The phone rang for a while before someone answered. ¡°Hi, Uncle Fred. This is Avery Tate. Do you remember me?¡± ¡°Avery Tate? Of course, I remember you! Ourpany wouldn¡¯t have gone under if it weren¡¯t for you! How dare you call me? Did you lose all of your money abroad and want to borrow some from me? Let me tell you right now that you won¡¯t get a penny from me!¡± Avery remained calm despite the hostilitying from the other end of the line. ¡°That¡¯s not why I¡¯m calling. I was just wondering if you have ns to switchpanies.¡± ¡°Switchpanies? Are you a headhunter now?¡± ¡°I¡¯m nning on rebuilding Tate Industries. If possible, I¡¯d like to bring back the old staff. If all of you are willing toe back, I can double your current sries.¡± This text is property of N?/velD/rama.Org. Fred Dover¡¯s jaw dropped! ¡°Are you interested?¡± Avery asked. Fred took a deep breath, then said, ¡°Did you hit the jackpot? Do you know how much doubling everyone¡¯s sry woulde up to?¡± ¡°I can afford it,¡± Avery responded. ¡°If you¡¯re serious about it, then, of course, I¡¯lle back! I have nothing against money!¡± Fred said without hesitation, then muttered, ¡°Did you actually hit the jackpot?¡±. ¡°Not exactly, but rebuilding Tate Industries isn¡¯t a problem. By the way, I¡¯ll need you to find out who bought the oldpany building before. I¡¯d like to buy it back.¡± ¡°Looks like you¡¯re for real! Give me some time¡­ I¡¯ll check it out right away! I¡¯ll let you know once I find out.¡± Avery nced at the time, then said, ¡°It¡¯ste. Ask around tomorrow! I¡¯m calling you now because I¡¯m happy to be home.¡± No matter how well things were abroad, she had always felt like she had never belonged there. The next morning, Avery took La out for a tour of the private preschool in the neighborhood. The preschool was designed and built to look like a castle. It was only natural for a preschool in a high-end neighborhood to be impressive. ¡°Miss Tate, if you¡¯re worried that La might not be used to things here, you¡¯re more than wee to send her here for a trial period,¡± said the school¡¯s director. She was especially fond of La because she looked as beautiful as a little princess. Avery looked La in the eye before asking for her opinion. ¡°Do you want to give it a try, baby girl? It¡¯d be a lot easier on Grandma to take you to school every day if you go here.¡± La¡¯s hands were clenched into tiny fists as she stared at her mother with obsidian eyes and asked, ¡°Are you sending Hayden to another school, Mommy? Can I go with him?¡± Avery patted her daughter¡¯s head, then exined gently, ¡°I¡¯m sorry, La. Your brother¡¯s situation is different. Once he is ready, I¡¯ll make sure the two of you will never be separated, okay?¡± La¡¯s expression was somber, but she nodded her head anyway. After handing her daughter over to the school director¡¯s care, Avery made her way home. Laura was washing the dishes in the kitchen while Hayden was ying with his new toys. Avery walked over to her son, then said, ¡°Shall we go take a look at a new school, Hayden? We¡¯ ll just check it out ande straight home if you don¡¯t like it.¡± Hayden put his toys away and got to his feet. He was an obedient child most of the time. He would cooperate when it involved things like seeing a new school, however, enrollment was a different matter altogether. Avery had tried both public and private schools, but none of them had worked. ¡¤ . Even the private tutor that she hired to homeschool him did not work out in the end. She did not want to send her son to a special needs school, but she was out of ideas. Ang Special Needs Academy was the most elite special needs school in Avonsville. The school¡¯s exorbitant fees meant only the top one percent of families in the city could afford to send their children there. Moreover, the academy¡¯s admissions followed a referral system. Avery only managed to get a spot thanks to her connections. Their cab arrived in front of Ang Special Needs Academy, and Avery and Hayden walked over to register themselves at the front gates. Avery turned around once she was done with the registration, and she caught sight of a ck Rolls- Roice that was nearing the school¡¯s exit. Chapter 142 Chapter 142 Chapter 142 The ck Rolls-Roice slowed down as it approached the school¡¯s iron gates and waited for them to open. Avery instinctively picked Hayden up in her arms and turned the other way. Soon after, the Rolls-Roice sped off in a sh. Hayden watched as the ck luxury sedan drove off into the distance, then nced at his mother¡¯s anxious expression. He had a feeling that she knew the person in that car. He had never seen his mother afraid of anyone, and her fear at this moment piqued his interest. Once Avery and Hayden walked into the school, a representative from the academy took them on a tour of the grounds. Ang Special Needs Academy truly lived up to its reputation as Avonsville¡¯s top special needs school. Not only was the campus an impressive sight, everything from the instructors to the facilities was world- ss. Even though the fees were high, Avery was very satisfied with the ce. She pulled her son aside and said, ¡°Would you like to give this school a try, Hayden? I can send you to ss every morning and pick you up in the evening. What do you think?¡± Avery would not force Hayden to enroll at the school if he shook his head. Even if he was different, he was still her baby boy. g She would dly spend the rest of her life taking care of him. Which was why she was taken aback when Hayden nodded his head yes. Was she imagining things? Hayden actually agreed! ¡°Are you sur¨¨, sweetie?¡± Avery asked as she held her breath. Hayden fixed his twinkling eyes on his mother and nodded once again. Avery pulled her son into her arms; tears began to form in her eyes. This was only the first step, but it was a giant leap from the past. At 10 a.m. that morning, Mr. Vaughn had finally managed to get through to Elliot on the phone. ¡°Hello, Mr. Foster. I¡¯m Miss Avery Tate¡¯swyer, Vaughn¡­¡± Mr. Vaughn was worried that Elliot would hang up the phone, so he quickly got to the main point and added, ¡°I¡¯m calling because Miss Tate is back in the country. Sure enough, Elliot did not hang up on him. Mr. Vaughn let out a sigh of relief, then said, ¡°Miss Tate called mest night and insisted that I get in touch with you today. She hasn¡¯t changed her mind about the divorce. She wishes for you to sign the divorce papers as soon as possible. Otherwise, she will be taking this to court.¡± On the other end of the line, Elliot¡¯s breathing turned distinctly heavier. ¡°Mr. Foster, I can¡¯t quite understand why you refuse to go through with the divorce. Miss Tate isn¡¯t asking for a penny from you. All she wants is to divorce you. You won¡¯t lose anything from this.¡± Vaughn¡¯s annoying voice led Elliot to rub the area between his brows. ¡°I¡¯ll only do it if she meets me face to face and asks me for a divorce!¡± he snapped, then hung up. Mr. Vaughn passed Elliot¡¯s answer over to Avery. ¡°Why won¡¯t you just go and meet him, Miss Tate? He said he¡¯d divorce you as long as you meet with him!¡± After a moment¡¯s consideration, Avery asked, ¡°Will not divorcing him affect my life?¡± This text is property of N?/velD/rama.Org. Mr. Vaughn was shocked, then answered, ¡°Of course, it will! First of all, all of the money you¡¯ re earning would be considered a part of your marital property¡­¡± ¡°You¡¯re kidding me. He makes a lot more than I do. Why should I be worried if he isn¡¯t?¡± ¡°You might have signed a prenuptial agreement, but he did no such thing. ¡°I¡¯ll just give him whatever he wants if he has the guts to ask me for it.¡± ¡°Has your rtionship irretrievably broken down or not? I honestly can¡¯t tell.¡± ¡°It¡¯s broken,¡± Avery answered bluntly. ¡°I see. Would you like to take this case to court, then? It¡¯s a lot more troublesome than meeting him.¡± Avery raised her brows, then said, ¡°Let me think about it.¡± ¡°Alright. I wish you a smooth divorce,¡± Mr. Vaughn said, then added after a brief pause, ¡°I still don¡¯t understand why you¡¯re divorcing him. He¡¯s THE Elliot Foster! Countless women couldn¡¯ t marry him no matter how much they wanted to, and here you are insisting on getting a divorce from him.¡± ¡°I wish you good business,¡± Avery said, then hung up. Her head was killing her. Chapter 143 Chapter 143 Chapter 143 Avery did not want to see Elliot at all. The Rolls-Roice she saw at the school that morning was not the same one from four years ago. He would not be driving the same car for four years, after all. However, the driver was the same one as before. What was Elliot doing at a special needs school? Could it be that he was an investor at the academy? Even so, it was unlikely that he would bother to check in on the school¡¯s operations. After all, the Sterling Group alone was enough to keep him busy. Chad noticed Elliot¡¯s somber expression at lunch, so he tried to cheer him up. ¡°Sir, Professor Hough might have a long list of students, but I¡¯m sure we¡¯ll be able to find who we¡¯re looking for in no time.¡± ¡°Avery¡¯s back,¡± Elliot stated. His voice was bleak and dull. It soundedpletely void of emotion, but it also had a deep undercurrent that was rich with feeling Chad was stunned, then snapped back to reality and asked, ¡°Did she contact you?¡± . ¡°No, but she will soon,¡± Elliot said, finally picking up his fork to eat. ¡°She wants a divorce, but I told her lawyer to inform her that she¡¯ll only get one if she meets me herself.¡± ¡°What if she doesn¡¯te to see you? It doesn¡¯t look like the divorce has much of an impact on your lives after all.¡± Elliot fired an icy re at Chad, instantly shutting his assistant up. Ben ordered a bottle of wine, then turned to Elliot and said, ¡°How do you feel about her now? I¡¯ ?d hate her if I were you, but I have a feeling you don¡¯t hate her at all. It actually looks like you kind of want to see her¡­¡± When the wine arrived, Elliot poured himself a ss. He took a sip of wine, then said, ¡°I won¡¯t go as far as to say I hate her, but there¡¯s certainly no love left.¡± If Elliot was still in love with Avery, he would have signed the divorce papers a long time ago and granted her freedom. He had given her everything in his power to give four years ago. Whether it was his money, his heart, or his soul, he had handed all of it to her unconditionally. In the end, Avery threw him aside like he was nothing. That was the first time Elliot had ever truly felt what it was like to get his heart torn into a million pieces. Everyone had the right to their privacy, but Avery insisted onying all of his personal matters out on the table. If he had the courage and ability to open up, he would not have had to suffer from depression. She had told him that she loved him and made him feel like he owned the world, then turned around and took it all away from him. Elliot swore that he would never again love another woman, especially not Avery Tate. ¡°That¡¯s good. I thought Avery was different from other women, but I never expected her to hurt you more than anyone,¡± Ben said, then picked up his ss of wine and gave a toast,¡± Chad and I will always have your back.¡± Once the sses clinked together, a thought suddenly popped into Chad¡¯s mind. ¡°By the way, Sir, your property manager told me earlier today that someone was interested in buying Tate Tower.¡± ¡°Who was it?¡± Elliot said as he tightened his grip around his wine ss. His fingers were white with the tightness of his grip. ¡°I looked into it. It was Tate Industries¡¯ former HR manager.¡± ¡°Are you sure he can afford it?¡± Elliot mocked. Chad had yet to look into the man¡¯s finances. He had to first confirm if Elliot was willing to sell or not. N?velDrama.Org owns this. ¡°I can meet with him if you¡¯re interested in selling. How much are you thinking of asking for?¡± Elliot¡¯s eyes flickered right before his body stiffened. Ben guessed his friend¡¯s thoughts when he saw the change in Elliot¡¯s gaze. ¡°You¡¯re not thinking that the one who¡¯s trying to buy Tate Tower is¡ª¡± ¡°Did you reveal your identity?¡± Elliot asked Chad, interrupting Ben. Chad shook his head and said, ¡°Not yet. They only know your property manager.¡± ¡°Get the property manager to ask the buyer for his proof of assets,¡± Elliot ordered. ¡°If he¡¯s not the one buying, get him to ask the real buyer for a meeting.¡± Chapter 144 Chapter 144 Chapter 144 Avery received a call from Fred at two in the afternoon. ¡°They want to meet us to discuss the purchase of the property, Avery. When will be a good time for you? Also, do you have proof of assets ready? The building is worth at least eighty million dors at the current market price.¡± Text ? owned by N?velDrama.Org. Fred¡¯s words took Avery by surprise. ¡°Didn¡¯t Tate Tower sell for half that amount back then?¡± ¡°It did, but it¡¯s prime real estate in a great location. With the rise in property prices in the past couple of years, of course, its price would increase.¡± ¡°I see. I¡¯m busy today. Let¡¯s meet them tomorrow!¡± ¡°Got it. I¡¯ll arrange it with them now.¡± Avery had promised to meet Tammy that afternoon. The two best friends had kept in touch throughout the years. They did not talk much, but their friendship remained strong. Tammy walked into the restaurant she had agreed to meet Avery with a bouquet of red roses. When the best friends spotted each other, they ran into each other¡¯s arms. ¡°You took your timeing home, Avery! I was considering breaking up with you if you still didn¡¯te back!¡± Avery and Tammy had met exactly twice in thest four years. Tammy had been the one to visit Avery abroad both times. Avery sniffed at the bouquet of roses, then said, ¡°Flowers from my best friend really smell extra sweet.¡± ¡°I was going to pretend like I didn¡¯t know you, but I couldn¡¯t do it! How could you note back to see me for four whole years?!¡± Tammy said as she sat Avery down next to her. ¡°You won¡¯t be leaving again after this, right?¡± ¡°Of course, I will¡­ To travel, maybe.¡± ¡°Look at you joking around with me! Where are you staying right now?¡± Tammy ordered a few dishes, then passed the menu to Avery, who nced through it and passed it back to the waiter. ¡°I got a ce at Starry River.¡± ¡°You mean the famous Starry River neighborhood with all those luxury vis?¡± Tammy gasped with wide eyes. Avery nodded, then said, ¡°I made a little money abroad.¡± ¡°Holy crap! Those vis cost millions! That¡¯s not a little money, that¡¯s a lot of freaking money! How did you do it? Can you teach me?¡± Tammy said as she jokingly batted her eyshes at Avery. ¡°I started apany, and it did better than I expected it to,¡± Avery answered nonchntly. ¡°You¡¯re incredible! I doubt Jun¡¯s made his first million since he started his own business. I don ¡®t think he¡¯s got the knack for business. My parents think so too, which is why they won¡¯t let me marry him,¡± Tammyined. ¡°It¡¯s been five years since we got together¡­ I don¡¯t know how much longer it¡¯llst.¡± ¡°Didn¡¯t you say that your parents would let you marry him if he took over his family¡¯s business?¡± ¡°They did, but that idiot refuses to take over his family¡¯spany! He said that he¡¯ll love me for the rest of our lives and take care of me with the peanuts that he makes,¡± Tammy said as she wiped an invisible tear from her eye. ¡°It¡¯s so hard, Avery! I might never get married at this rate.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it. If you really can¡¯t wait to marry someone, I¡¯ll marry you. I can take care of you. Since same-sex marriage is illegal here, we could just do it abroad,¡± Avery said in an attempt to cheer up her friend. Tammy burst intoughter, almost spitting the water in her mouth. Her tone then turned serious as she asked, ¡°Tell me the truth, Avery. Why are you divorcing Elliot? Did he cheat on you? I never heard anything about him having an affair! He hasn¡¯t even dated since you left.¡± Tammy was always too embarrassed to ask Avery about her rtionship with Elliot, but she no longer held back now that Avery was sitting right in front of her. ¡°If Jun had another woman in his heart, even if she never appeared in your lives, would you be able to ept it?¡± Avery asked. ¡®Tammy was dumbfounded. ¡°Elliot¡¯s got another woman?!¡± Avery took a sip of water, then said, ¡°It¡¯s all in the past now. We broke up a long time ago, and now all that¡¯s left is the divorce proceedings.¡± ¡°I never expected him to be such a sleazebag. All of his friends thought that you were the one who hurt him. They said he was the world¡¯s most devoted man, and you were the cruelest woman¡­ I think I¡¯m going to throw up.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t throw up. I¡¯m eating,¡± Avery said calmly with an enigmatic expression. ¡°That¡¯s it! Let¡¯s not mention that b*st*rd anymore! What are your career ns after this?¡± ¡°I¡¯m thinking of rebuilding my father¡¯spany.¡± Chapter 145 Chapter 145 Chapter 145 Tammy gazed at Avery in astonishment. ¡°Exactly how much money did you make?!¡± ¡°It¡¯s my desire to rebuild Tate Industries. It¡¯s a wish, okay? I don¡¯t know if I¡¯ll seed or not.¡± Tammy felt relieved, then said, ¡°Jun and I look like a couple of losers next to you. I¡¯m going to have to stay on your good side¡­ How about I set you up with someone? I have a cousin who¡¯s super cute. He¡¯s only seventeen, but he¡¯s a good kid¨C¡± ¡°Stop messing with me, Tammy,¡± Avery said as she held her head in her hand. ¡°You don¡¯t like the young ones? Do you like older men? That works, too! My personal trainer is forty this year, but I drool every time I see his muscles¡­ You should take him in, then make him your stay-at- home husband¡­¡± Avery let out a heavy sigh. After her breakup with Elliot, she had lost all interest in men, both young and old. Once tea was over, Avery and Tammy made their way to a car dealership. Tammy suggested a Bonz sedan, but a Rower SUV caught Avery¡¯s eye. ¡°How¡¯s this one? It doesn¡¯t look too bad,¡± Avery asked Tammy as she pointed at a sports model. Tammy gestured at the price tag on the car, then said, ¡°It¡¯s perfect as long as your wallet¡¯s fat enough! It better be good for that price!¡± Avery pulled out her credit card, then passed it to the salesperson and said, ¡°I¡¯ll take this one.¡± She had to pick Hayden up from schoolter, so it would not be convenient for her to take a cab. That evening, Avery arrived at Ang Special Needs Academy in her brand new SUV. Hayden¡¯s teacher led him to Avery, then said, ¡°Hayden was great today. I had a good time ?getting to know him.¡± Avery turned to her son with a surprised look on her face. ¡°Is that true, Hayden?¡± Hayden shoved his hands into his pockets, then lightly tipped his head. Avery was so moved that she was on the verge of tears. She did not expect Hayden to finally pick a school. Ang Special Needs Academy truly lived up to its name. N?velDrama.Org owns this. The school fees that cost hundreds of thousands of dors were worth every penny. The next morning, Avery and Fred made their way to the cafe where they were meeting Tate Tower¡¯s current owner. ¡°Did you not bring your proof of assets?¡± Fred asked in concern when he noticed that Avery had shown up empty handed. ¡°Let¡¯s see how much they¡¯re asking for first.¡± ¡°They said it¡¯d be the market price, then said we should meet up.¡± Once they entered the cafe, Avery ordered a cup of coffee. The meeting was set for ten in the morning, which is exactly when her coffee arrived at the table. When the ss doors to the cafe slid open, Avery looked up to see two men walking in¡­ And one of them looked very familiar! Chapter 146 Chapter 146 Chapter 146 Theposure on Chad¡¯s face disappeared the moment heid eyes on Avery. The one who wanted to buy Tate Tower was none other than Avery Tate! Avery¡¯s mind was also in a frenzy. What was Elliot¡¯s assistant doing there? Could it be¡­ When Fred saw the two men arrive, he got up to his feet and greeted the property manager. ¡°Good morning, Mr. Powell,¡± Fred said, then nced at Chad and asked, ¡°And this is?¡± This is from N?velDrama.Org. ¡°This is Mr. Elliot Foster¡¯s assistant, Chad Rayner,¡± answered Mr. Powell. ¡°Mr. Foster was the one who asked me to arrange for the purchase of the building four years ago.¡± Fred nodded, then greeted Chad, ¡°It¡¯s a pleasure to meet you, Mr. Rayner.¡± Chad shook Fred¡¯s hand and said, ¡°Likewise.¡± ¡°Let me present Miss Avery Tate,¡± said Fred. ¡°Miss Tate is myte boss¡¯s eldest daughter. She¡¯ s the one who¡¯s interested in acquiring Tate Tower. Back when Tate Industries went under, she moved abroad for business and has now returned in hopes of buying the old building and restoring thepany.¡± Avery felt as if she was surrounded by an eerie silence. She could not hear a thing that Fred had said. She found the entire thing absurd. Life was once again ying a sick joke on her! As if Elliot would sell Tate Tower if he found out that she was the buyer! From what Avery learned from Tammy, Elliot probably despised her. ¡°Gentlemen, I¡¯d like to speak to Miss Avery alone. Would you mind stepping out for a moment?¡± Chad asked as he smiled politely. Fred immediately shot to his feet. ¡°I¡¯ll wait outside,¡± he said to Avery, then made his way out the door with Mr. Powell trailing along behind him. In an instant, Avery and Chad were the only two people left in the cafe. An awkward tension filled the air. Avery picked up her cup of coffee and took a sip. Chad ordered a cup for himself, then turned to Avery and asked casually, ¡°Didn¡¯t you go abroad for graduate school, Miss Tate? How did you make enough money to afford a whole building?¡± ¡°That¡¯s my personal business, and I¡¯d rather keep that to myself,¡± Avery responded calmly. Chad adjusted his sses, then went straight to the point. ¡°Mr. Foster will go through with the divorce if you meet him face to face. Simrly, I¡¯m unable toment on your interest in buying Tate Tower. You¡¯re going to have to take that up with Mr. Foster.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t want to see him,¡± Avery said bluntly. ¡°Is guilt what¡¯s stopping you from seeing him, Miss Tate? All Mr. Foster wants is to end things with you face to face,¡± Chad said breezily. ¡°He no longer loves you, so you won¡¯t have to worry about him pestering you when you meet.¡± Avery felt as if someone had plunged a sharp knife into her heart, but she had to maintain her composure. ¡°I understand. I¡¯ll meet him when I have the time. Also, I¡¯m thest person who would feel any guilt in this matter.¡± She then stood up and went to settle the check. Chad watched Avery walk away. She was slender. Her final words echoed in his head. It was true that there was no trace of guilt on her face. Was there more than what meets the eye between Avery and his boss? After Avery left, Chad returned to the office to report back to Elliot. When Elliot received the news that Avery was the one who wanted to buy Tat¨§ Tower, his expression did not waver one bit. He had already figured that out by himself. Chapter 147 Chapter 147 Chapter 147 ¡°She hasn¡¯t changed much. She¡¯s still young and beautiful, but there was something very different about her temperament.¡± Chat reported to Elliot what had transpired when he had met Avery. ¡°She¡¯s a lot moreposed than she used to be. She has the air of someone who has made it. I wonder how she has managed to make that much money in a few short years.¡± Ben pulled out a stack of files, then said, ¡°I looked into it and found out that she had started apany called Alpha Technologies with a business partner three years ago. Thepany mainly sells drones. I¡¯m guessing she used the program that her father had left behind. I heard that the program itself wasn¡¯t complete, so she probably found someone to perfect it for her. Otherwise, sales wouldn¡¯t be through the roof.¡± ¡°She¡¯s no longer the same helpless, little Avery Tate from four years ago.¡± ¡°I never found her to be helpless. She might not have had much money four years ago, but she had a mind of her own. How did you think she managed to drive the boss insane?¡± Chad mused. ¡°That¡¯s true,¡± Ben agreed. ¡°She¡¯s pretty impressive now! Even with the asking price of a hundred and fifty million, I¡¯m sure she will be able to afford it.¡± Chad nced at Elliot, who had been silent the entire time, and asked, ¡°Will you sell, Sir? She¡¯ s very interested.¡± Elliot shifted his gaze from hisptop screen, then responded coldly, ¡°I¡¯ll wait for her toe to me.¡± That afternoon, a man and a woman were sitting by the window of a high-end restaurant. The man was Cole Foster, and the young woman was the daughter of one of the city¡¯s top financial groups. ¡°My uncle is Elliot Foster. I see him every week, and he¡¯s really close to my father,¡± Cole said, lying through his teeth. ¡°I¡¯ll take you to meet him if we start dating.¡± ¡°Why won¡¯t you work at your uncle¡¯spany, then? Sterling Group, wasn¡¯t it?¡± asked the woman. ¡°I don¡¯t want to depend on him. I want to make a name for myself.¡± ¡°I see. How many girlfriends have you had before?¡± ¡°Just two,¡± answered Cole. ¡°One in college, then one after I graduated. I haven¡¯t dated in thest four years because work¡¯s been busy.¡± ¡°Do you stay in touch with your exes?¡± asked the woman. ¡°Not since we broke up. I don¡¯t like getting entangled in past rtionships. We became strangers after we broke up. I wouldn¡¯t give them another look even if they came back begging on their knees.¡± The woman nodded at Cole¡¯s answer, seemingly satisfied with what she heard. At that moment, a tiny hand reached out and grabbed ahold of Cole¡¯s sleeve. ¡°Daddy¡­ Do you not want Mommy and me anymore? Thisdy isn¡¯t as pretty as Mommy, and Mommy¡¯s younger than she is. Do you like thisdy for her money? Daddy! Please don¡¯t leave Mommy and me!¡± Cole felt like he had just been shocked by electricity. He was about to push away the little girl who had mistaken him for her father, but his eyesnded on La¡¯s adorable crying face, and his heart melted! What a beautiful little girl! Under her doll-like haircut and wispy bangs were a pair of sparkling, wide eyes. Cole felt his heart skip a beat every time those eyes blinked. ¡°What the hell? You have a daughter? You sc*mbag!¡± The young woman threw her drink at Cole¡¯s face, then picked up her bag and stormed out. Cole wiped the tea from his face and got up to run after her. La burst into a wailing sob and cried, ¡°Daddy! Don¡¯t go! Don¡¯t leave me, Daddy!¡± Her heart-wrenching howl attracted the attention of everyone in the restaurant. Cole was defeated. N?velDrama.Org owns this. ¡°You got the wrong guy! I¡¯m not your Daddy! I¡¯m not even married! How could I have a daughter as big as you? Please don¡¯t cry! I¡¯m begging you! Stop crying, please!¡± When La saw from the corner of her eye that the young woman had sped off in her car, her tears came to a halt. ¡°You don¡¯t look like my Daddy. My Daddy wouldn¡¯t leave me.¡± La sniffled, then reached out her hand and asked, ¡°Could I borrow your phone, Sir? I lost my Daddy.¡± Cole clenched his teeth, but pulled out his phone and gave it to her anyway. Five minutester, La walked out of the restaurant. With one hand covering the bluetooth earpiece in her ear, she said delightedly, ¡°I did what you told me to do, Hayden. I have infected his phone with the Trojan horse!¡± Chapter 148 Chapter 148 Chapter 148 That evening there was a family dinner at the old Foster mansion. ¡°How did your date with Jenny Gibson of Gibson Group go?¡± asked Rosalie, turning to Cole. Cole looked dejected and did not lift his head. ¡°Your grandmother just asked you a question, Cole!¡± Olivia snapped as she threw a re at her son. ¡°Didn¡¯t you say the other day that you¡¯ve been texting hertely?¡± ¡°Things were going fine until a little girl showed up out of nowhere,¡± Cole exined with a frown on his face. ¡°She grabbed my shirt and called me daddy. She was screaming and crying the whole time. It was embarrassing! Jenny misunderstood and ended up blocking me. I haven¡¯ t been able to call her since.¡± Henry and Olivia¡¯s faces turned glum. They were depending on their son to marry into money to secure their ce in high society. After all, Elliot would never give them a penny no matter how powerful and wealthy he was. Unfortunately, their ns for Cole to snag the Gibson family¡¯s eldest daughter were ruined by a four- year-old little girl! ¡°How did something that absurd happen?¡± Olivia huffed angrily. ¡°Could the child have done it on purpose?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t think so,¡± Cold replied. ¡°She couldn¡¯t find her father, so she probably only mistook me for him out of fear.¡± The little girl¡¯s adorable face popped into Cole¡¯s mind once again, and he felt there was something strangely familiar about her. ¡°Now that I think about it, the kid really reminded me of someone¡­¡± he mused. When it finally hit him, he eximed, ¡°I got it! She looked like Avery Tate! The more I think about it, the more alike they look!¡± The moment Henry heard Avery¡¯s name, he let out a cough as a warning to Cole. It was an unspoken rule to never mention Avery Tate in front of Elliot. It was a slip of the tongue on Cole¡¯s part. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Uncle Elliot. I didn¡¯t mean to, but that little girl really was the spitting image of Avery-¡± Cole exined to Elliot. ¡°That¡¯s enough from you!¡± Henry roared. ¡°Finish your food! We¡¯re going to the Gibsons¡¯ to exin things later!¡± Cole admitted defeat and continued eating his food in silence. On the other side of town, Avery¡¯s family of four were having dinner at home. After a short while, the children put down their forks and rushed into their room. ¡°They ate at school beforeing home, so they¡¯re not that hungry,¡± Laura said, then smiled and added, ¡°I still can¡¯t believe that Hayden finally chose a school he likes.¡± Avery checked that the door to the children¡¯s room was closed, then whispered softly, ¡°It¡¯s a special needs school, so it¡¯s different from an average school. Hayden doesn¡¯t have ssmates there. It¡¯s just him and two teachers.¡± ¡°ssmates aren¡¯t that important. What¡¯s important is that he gets to have an education, which will end up giving him some advantage in life. It would be even better if he could find a stable job and take care of himself,¡± Laura said with a heavy heart.This text is property of N?/velD/rama.Org. ¡°Don¡¯t get ahead of yourself, Mom,¡± Avery said as she tried to cheer Laura up. ¡°His good health is the best happiness we can hope for.¡± Laura nodded in agreement. In the children¡¯s room, Hayden and La were having a secret conversation by the window. ¡°Daddy¡¯s a dirtbag,¡± La grumbled, rolling her bright eyes as her cheeks puffed in anger. ¡°I don¡¯t want a dirtbag for a dad, Hayden.¡± Hayden¡¯s eyes were filled with rage as he eximed, ¡°Dirtbags aren¡¯t worthy!¡± ¡°Exactly! A dirtbag isn¡¯t worthy of being our daddy! I¡¯d rather not have a daddy at all!¡± La huffed furiously. ¡°Let¡¯s teach him a lesson, Hayden! Just thinking about how he was following thatdy like a puppy tonight makes me so mad!¡± Hayden hopped off the bay window and said, ¡°I¡¯ll show him!¡± At 10 p.m. that night, Avery was pacing back and forth in her room after she had taken a shower. Even if she did not want to see Elliot, it looked like she did not have a choice in the matter. She would have to contact him soon. Fred had contacted Tate Industries¡¯ former employees, and everyone expressed that they were willing to join thepany again. It was imperative that she reimed Tate Tower as soon as possible. If Elliot refused to sell, Avery would have to give up and find another building. She had tapped on Elliot¡¯s contact multiple times, but she had yet to find the courage to push the call button. They had not broken up because she had wronged him, so why was she this nervous? Avery went downstairs and out. She bought a bottle of wine and took it home. By the time she was halfway through the bottle, her cheeks had a rosy tint to them. Her eyes were slightly zed from the alcohol, but her mind was clear. Avery dialed Elliot¡¯s number, then stared at her phone screen with cold eyes. Her call was answered about ten secondster. Chapter 149 Chapter 149 Chapter 149 Avery spoke first ¡°Tomorrow is a weekend. Are you free?¡± ¡°In the morning or afternoon?¡± Elliot asked. His voice sounded low and hoarse, yet it was still filled with the same maism and was just as attractive as it had been four years ago. ¡°In the morning!¡± Avery answered. Her judgment was impaired by the alcohol. She felt particrly brave, and so, she spoke without thinking things through. ¡°Remember to bring along your ID and marriage certificate. If our meeting goes well, we could sign the divorce papers tomorrow morning itself!¡± N?velDrama.Org owns this. Elliot had not expected Avery to be this aggressive. It waspletely different from what Chad described. ¡°You¡¯ll regret this, Avery,¡± Elliot said as his Adam¡¯s apple bobbed in his throat, and his grip around his phone tightened. ¡°I won¡¯t f*cking regret it!¡± Elliot¡¯s words had struck a chord in Avery. ¡°If the divorce goes through tomorrow, I¡¯m getting some fireworks and setting them off for the next twenty-four hours!¡± Avery said, then burst intoughter. As Elliot listened to her charmingugh, he realized that something was off. ¡°Did you drink, Avery?¡± he asked. She had never even used to touch a drop of alcohol! Not only was she drinking now, but she was drunk. A raging fury ignited in Elliot. ¡°What can you do about it?! I¡¯ll drink when I want to. No one can control me!¡± Avery yelled arrogantly. ¡°We¡¯re getting a divorce tomorrow!¡± Elliot hissed through gritted teeth. It was true that nobody could control Avery. As the head of Alpha Technologies, she was worth billions. They may be husband and wife, but that was purely in name. No, their rtionship no longer existed even in name! Everyone around them knew that they had broken up. Since that was the case, then it was time to put a full stop to this marriage! Avery was pping her hands. Elliot was livid and hung up on her. If he stayed on the phone, his blood pressure would reach a breaking point. When her phone screen turned dark, Avery let out a dryugh, then fell back heavily on the bed. ¡°I¡¯m finally free! We¡¯re finally getting a divorce!¡± Avery chuckled, staring at the ceiling as hot tears rolled down from the corners of her eyes. ¡°Elliot¡­ I do feel regret¡­ I regret meeting you. I regret marrying you. I regret falling for you¡­ The next day, as sunlight poured in through the windows, Avery rubbed her tired eyes as shey in bed. Her head was pounding from all the alcohol she had consumed the night before. She reached out to grab her phone, then saw a text message from Elliot. He had sent her the meeting location at midnight. Avery put her phone down and massaged her aching temples. Once the pain began to subside, she got out of bed. Avery arrived at the cafe that Elliot reserved at ten in the morning. She wore a ck dress with her hair pulled back. She had even dabbed on some light makeup. However, her exquisite makeup did not manage to cover her fatigued and bloodshot eyes. She ordered a cup of ck coffee. Half an hourter, she was finished with it. Avery nced at the time, then ordered another cup. By eleven in the morning, she had already finished her second cup of coffee. She did not order a third. Avery pulled out her phone and dialed Elliot¡¯s number. They had agreed to meet at ten, but why was he nowhere to be seen? Did he change his mind about the divorce, or did something happen? Chapter 150 Chapter 150 Chapter 150 A ck car came to a stop at the front yard of the Foster mansion. When the door to the car opened, a familiar, exquisite face appeared. ¡°Long time no see, Miss Tierney,¡± said Mrs. Cooper. Chelsea shed a smile and said, ¡°Long time no see, Mrs. Cooper. Is Elliot home?¡± Mrs. Cooper nodded, then said, ¡°Master Elliot has been waiting inside since he received your call this morning.¡± Chelsea nodded contentedly. Soon after, another woman emerged from the car. ¡°Watch your step, Miss Sanford,¡± Chelsea said as she helped the woman out of the car. Miss Sanford looked to be thirty. She looked mature and had a dignified air about her. She gave people the impression that she was a professor. She looked up and took in the mansion standing before her. One could not tell her emotion from her eyes. Mrs. Cooper did not dare to ask questions. She walked in front and led the two women to the living room. When Elliot saw them walk in, he immediately got up from the couch. Chelsea called him that morning and told him that she had found the student that Professor Hough said would be able to help him. The fact that Elliot was thest person the professor had talked to on the phone prior to his death had made the local news. Some money and connections were all it took to find out the contents of the phone call between Elliot and Professor Hough. It had taken Chelsea a long time to find Miss Sanford. She went through the trouble of escorting Miss Sanford to Elliot just so she could be by his side once again. It had been almost five years since she hadst seen Elliot! Chelsea had spent all those years away from Elliot, living abroad. Now that she had the chance to return to his side once more, she immediately reached out and grabbed it. Elliot¡¯s familiar face and his cold, restrained aura made Chelsea even more attracted to him than she had been five years ago. Her eyes instantly reddened. . Elliot, however, merely nced at Chelsea before he turned his attention to Zoe Sanford. ¡°Hello, Miss Sanford,¡± Elliot said as he offered his hand to Zoe. ¡°Hello, Mr. Foster,¡± Zoe said as she shook Elliot¡¯s hand. Elliot released his grip, then offered Zoe a seat. ¡°I¡¯ve looked through your resume, Miss Sanford. Is it true that you¡¯re the youngest professor at Mercy Medical Center?¡± Elliot asked with a twinkle in his eyes. Chelsea drank Elliot in, but he did not pay her any attention at all. However, Chelsea did not care even if Elliot did not see her. She had no regrets as long as she could stay by his side. The only thing she did not understand was why he was looking for Professor Hough and Zoe Sanford. Elliot was healthy, and Rosalie was also in good health for her age. Who was he seeking out medical help for? Zoe nodded, then answered, ¡°I am. You should have a good idea about my overall background if you¡¯ve read my resume. I got into medical school at the age of fifteen, and I have devoted all my time since then to medicine and the sick.¡± ¡°I see,¡± Elliot said, then added, ¡°I¡¯ve arranged a ce for you to stay, so you can get some rest for now. Let¡¯s talk once you¡¯re rested.¡± This is from N?velDrama.Org. ¡°Alright,¡± Zoe responded with a nod. Once Zoe was gone, Chelsea said, ¡°Elliot¡­¡± After watching Zoe leave, Elliot turned around and thanked Chelsea. ¡°Thank you, Chelsea. If you hadn¡¯t found her, it would have taken me a long time to find her.¡± There were simply too many of Professor Hough¡¯s students to filter through. On top of that, every single one of them had an impressive resume. ¡°It¡¯s my pleasure,¡± Chelsea replied, then added, ¡°Can Ie back to Sterling Group, Elliot? I haven¡¯t just sat around the past few years. I studied abroad for a year, then worked for over two years¡­¡± She wanted to express that she was qualified for a managerial position at Sterling Group¡¯s PR department Elliot did not like owing favors, and Chelsea had done him a huge favor. He was not particrly fond of her suggestion, but it was something that he could consent to. ¡°I¡¯ll grant your request, but if you return to Sterling Group, our rtionship should remain purely that of superior and subordinate.¡± Elliot might as well have told Chelsea to keep her distance. Chelsea¡¯s heart ached, but she nodded her head. Before she left, she asked cautiously, ¡°Elliot, could I ask who you¡¯re seeking medical help for? I ¡®m not trying to invade your privacy. I¡¯m just worried about you.¡± Chapter 151 Chapter 151 Chapter 151 ¡°Thank you for your concern, but I don¡¯t need it,¡± Elliot said. Met with a sharp rejection, Chelsea turned and left. The sound of a phone ringing pierced through the silent living room. When Elliot saw Avery¡¯s name shing on his phone screen, his temples twitched suddenly.¡± It was almost noon. He had agreed to meet Avery that morning. He received Chelsea¡¯s call while he was getting ready to leave and hadpletely forgotten about the meeting Elliot answered the call and said, ¡°I¡¯m sorry. Something came up, and I couldn¡¯t make it. I¡¯ll get mywyer to handle the divorce proceedings.¡± Avery was taken aback, then said calmly, ¡°Alright. It¡¯s the weekend, so we can¡¯t do it now. Ask your lawyer to contact me on Monday.¡± ¡°Alright,¡± Elliot said. They were done discussing the matter, and it was logical that the call woulde to an end, but Elliot prolonged it. ¡°I will sell Tate Towers to you.¡± He no longer had the desire to take revenge on Avery. All he wanted was for Shea¡¯s illness to be treated. Shea was Elliot¡¯s fraternal twin sister, but she had a mental disability. Their father was very strict with children. He could not ept having a disabled child, and he refused to allow others to use her to turn the Foster family into aughing stock. Shea¡¯s birth had been a cmity. ?Nobody ever knew that the Fosters had a daughter named Shea. Elliot¡¯s mind was filled with memories of his father abusing Shea during his drunken bouts. His sister had suffered through a lot¡­ She had evene close to death once. She had not escaped her father¡¯s clutches till their mother moved her and hid her. N?velDrama.Org owns this. Elliot would always feel sorry for his sister. To him, Shea was the source of the deep pain and concern in his heart. He was willing to do whatever it took in exchange for his sister¡¯s health. i He hoped that Shea could one day enjoy life as a normal person. With the advancement in medicine, Elliot had searched for famous doctors from all over the world in hopes of finding a cure for his sister. Zoe Sanford¡¯s appearance gave him a new sliver of hope. Avery felt an indescribable sense of disappointment. Elliot had spent thest four years refusing to sign the papers, and now, instead of meeting her, he had given in and agreed to sign them. However, now that she was sitting here waiting for him, he entrusted hiswyer to deal with things. It was hard for Avery not to think that this was Elliot¡¯s idea of revenge! At the same time, he had agreed to sell Tate Tower to her without making things difficult or asking a high price. This was not vengeance. This was indifference. Elliot no longer cared for her at all. Avery walked out of the cafe and into the blistering sunlight. The temperature in her car was over a hundred degrees when she got in, but Avery felt nothing. She sat in a daze, and her mind was empty of thought. It was almost as if she had destroyed all the memories she had of Elliot. Avery snapped back to reality when her phone rang. She took a deep breath,posed herself, then answered the call. ¡°Hey, Wesley. What¡¯s up?¡± ¡°Avery, do you remember Zoe Sanford?¡± Wesley asked with a hint of mirth in his voice. ¡°Back then, Professor Hough chose you over her to be his protege, because she couldn¡¯te close to you.¡± Avery¡¯s cheeks flushed as she said, ¡°Why are you bringing this up? I don¡¯t know her that well.¡± ¡°Well, Elliot Foster met with her. He thinks she¡¯s the one Professor Hough was talking about.¡± Wesley snickered mockingly. ¡°Zoe Sanford can¡¯t help the person he¡¯s trying to save.¡± Chapter 152 Chapter 152 Chapter 152 Avery instantly became clear-headed. She had a very strong feeling that the person Elliot was trying to save was probably the woman in his heart and mind. It was impossible for her to wish them happiness. Avery got the car on the road and turned on the air conditioning, filling the car with cold air. She decided to go home and take the kids out for the day. She had yet to have a day out with them since their return to Aryadelle. ¡°Where are we going to y, Mommy?¡± La and Hayden were both seated in their individual car seats. Both children were obediently seated in the back seat of the car. Avery had not decided where to take the kids. Compared to other children, La and Hayden were far more mature. ¡°What about the amusement park? There¡¯s a huge one in the city that looks like a castle!¡± Avery suggested enthusiastically. La exhaled, then said in a baby-like voice, ¡°It¡¯s too hot, Mommy! Can we find somewhere cooler to hang out?¡± ¡°How about a water park, then?¡± Avery asked. La furrowed her brows and said, ¡°I don¡¯t like ying in a pool with all those people¡­ It¡¯s so dirty! Let¡¯s just go get some ice cream, Mommy!¡± Avery was speechless. La was an eating machine. ¡°Let¡¯s just ride around in the car, Mommy! Then we could get something nice to eat and go home once we¡¯re full!¡± La said warmly after noticing her mother¡¯s frown. Hayden, who was a boy of few words, said, ¡°Agreed.¡± This was his way of seconding his sister¡¯s idea. Avery was defeated and gave in. It was as if the children had social anxiety. They especially hated going to crowded ces. Even if other children found something fun and exciting, La and Hayden would find it childish and boring Avery took the kids for a joyride around Avonsville. In a sh, two hours had gone by. At four thirty in the afternoon, Avery drove into the city, found a parking spot, and entered a nearby restaurant with the children. It was an expensive high-end restaurant. Therefore, there were not many customers. Text ? owned by N?velDrama.Org. Avery picked a table by the window for them. La and Hayden seated themselves across from their mother. The siblings got along extremely well. They argued asionally, but La was always the one topromise. Avery nced at the menu, noticed that there were pictures next to every item, then passed the menu to the children, allowing them to decide on what they wanted to order. ¡°Mommy, If I eat like a good girl, will you buy me an ice cream cone?¡± La asked before ordering her food. ¡°Hayden wants one, too.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t,¡± said Hayden. ¡°Be a good girl and eat first, okay, La? I¡¯ll buy you ice cream after this,¡± said Avery with a gentle smile. La nodded happily The night before, Cole visited the Gibson family with his father to apologize and exin. Seeing their sincerity, Jenny Gibson decided to give Cole another chance. That day, Cole invited Jenny out for dinner. ¡°I¡¯m sorry about yesterday, Jenny. Of all the men in the restaurant, that little girl just had to ?mistake me for her father. I me it on bad luck¡­ It¡¯s my fault for putting you in that embarrassing situation. I thought about it all night, and I think the reason why my luck sucks is because I¡¯ve used up all of my good luck to meet you.¡± Cole was a handsome and elegant man with a good figure. He was also good at dressing up, which made him look more outstanding. His good looks, paired with his sweet talk, amused Jenny and made herugh. ¡°This is something I picked out especially for you. I hope you ept it. It¡¯s not just a gift, but my sincerity towards you,¡± Cole said, then ced a red gift box in front of Jenny. Chapter 153 Chapter 153 Chapter 153 Jenny nced at the gift box, then said, ¡°I¡¯m getting old, Cole. I want a family and my own kids.¡± ¡°I¡¯m just like you, Jenny. I want a family of my own, too. We could try dating each other, and if everything goes well, we could get married and have kids,¡± Cole said as he stared at Jenny with eager eyes. Jenny lowered her gaze and said, ¡°My father has one request. If we get married, our first child, no matter boy or girl, has to take the Gibsonst name.¡± Cole¡¯s face instantly changed. ¡°If you¡¯re not willing, then there¡¯s no point in continuing with dinner,¡± Jenny said as she picked up her bag. She looked like she was about to leave. Cole instantly grabbed her arm and said, ¡°I¡¯m okay with that, Jenny. The child would be mine no matter whosest name they take. It¡¯s just¡­ I think my parents might not be happy about it. How about we have two kids. The first one will take yourst name, and the second one will take mine.¡± Jenny felt relieved after hearing Cole¡¯s words. ¡°Would your parents agree to that?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll change their minds. Listen to me, Jenny. After getting to know you the past few days, I¡¯ve found myselfpletely infatuated with you. You¡¯re elegant and generous. You¡¯re also dignified and calm. You¡¯re nothing at all like those young girls in their twenties. You¡¯ve captivated me!¡± Jenny blushed from the praise. She epted Cole¡¯s gift. ¡°I¡¯ve got this woman in the bag,¡± Cole thought. Once he married into the Gibson family, his ce in high society would be secure. He picked up his ss of wine and took a sip. From the corner of his eye, he noticed the silhouette of a child. It was the little girl who had mistaken him for her father yesterday! Cole had never expected to see her again! The little girl was holding hands with a boy who was slightly taller than her, and they were headed for the washroom. ¡°Excuse me, Jenny. I¡¯m going to the washroom,¡± Cole said with a soft smile. He then got up and strode toward the little girl. He caught up to her very quickly. When Hayden heard the approaching of swift feet, he cautiously nced behind him. The moment he noticed Cole, he immediately pulled his sister into the women¡¯s bathroom. ¡°Hayden! I don¡¯t need to pee! Why did you take me in here? I just need to wash my hands!¡± La said with furrowed brows as she looked at her brother in confusion. ¡°You¡¯re a boy, Hayden. You can¡¯te into the girl¡¯s bathroom!¡± Hayden shot her a stern look, then said quietly, ¡°Cole Foster¡¯s out there.¡± La¡¯s hands shot to her mouth as worry shed across her sparkling, obsidian eyes. ¡°What do we do, Hayden? Did he see me? He¡¯s not here to catch me, is he?¡± Hayden opened up the backpack he always carried around and pulled up a thinptop. ¡°Lights out. Fire rm,¡± he said calmly in a low voice. Five minutester, the lights in the restaurant went out. A secondter, the restaurant¡¯s fire rm went off. All of the customers poured out of the restaurant in a frenzy. Avery was the only one who ran toward the bathrooms. ¡°La! Hayden!¡± The children leisurely walked out of the bathroom. Copyright N?v/el/Dra/ma.Org. One of the restaurant¡¯s staff noticed them and cried out, ¡°Miss! Please hurry and take your children out of here!¡± Avery was so terrified that she felt faint. It was a good thing the kids were safe. She held Hayden¡¯s hand in one hand and picked La up with the other, then hurried out of the restaurant. At the same time, Cole saw the little girl from his car. She was being carried in her mother¡¯s arms. The mother was also holding a little boy¡¯s hand. The car was parked quite a distance away, so Cole could not clearly see the little girl¡¯s mother¡¯s face. However, the more he looked at the woman, the more he noted how familiar she looked. Chapter 154 Chapter 154 Chapter 154 Cole could not help but think of Avery. Avery was abroad, so the woman he was looking at could not be her. After he sent Jenny home that night, Cole happily returned to the old mansion. Olivia noticed the delighted look on her son¡¯s face and asked with a smile, ¡°Did everything go well today?¡± ¡°It¡¯s in the bag. She brought up kids and said that our first child should take the Gibsonst name, so I agreed.¡± Cole saw the change in his mother¡¯s expression, then quickly added, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Mom. I¡¯ll make sure she¡¯s on my side after we¡¯re married. I¡¯ll get her to willingly hand over everything the Gibsons own!¡± Olivia felt relieved, then said, ¡°I trust you, Cole. You must have the strength to ignore all these trivia matters if you want to achieve great things!¡± ¡°I¡¯ve got this!¡± Cole eximed. At 10 p.m. that night, Henry¡¯s phone rang. He answered it, only to hear Jenny¡¯s father yelling furiously at him on the other end of the line. ¡°Henry! What the hell is your son doing?! How could he send those photos to my daughter? My little girl is so disgusted that she¡¯s in tears! The marriage between our families is off!¡± Henry froze. ¡°What photos did my son send your daughter?¡± ¡°Naked photos! Is your son sick in the head? I could brush it off as some weird fetish if he¡¯s got a good body, but he¡¯s tiny! Is he not embarrassed to show people a photo like that?!¡± Henry¡¯s face reddened as the corners of his mouth twitched. He did not know whether or not his son was well endowed, but it was a shameless act to send naked photos to a girl! How could Cole go that far with a woman he had just met not too long ago? Henry tightened his hand around his phone, then stormed over to Cole¡¯s room. He kicked the door open with a bang. He went up to Cole, who was lying in bed, then yelled, ¡°You shameless piece of sh*t! You ruined the marriage! Why did you have to send naked photos to Jenny Gibson?!¡± Cole was in the middle of ying a mobile game, but his eyes widened when he heard his father¡¯s usations. He was dumbfounded. He got out of bed. His cheeks were flushed as he walked over to Henry andunched his defense. ¡°Dad! What are you wrongly using me of?! Why would I ever send her something like that? I ¡®ve never sent photos like that to women before!¡± Henry shoved his phone in Cole¡¯s face and roared, ¡°Mr. Gibson called me just now and told me himself! Did they wrongly use you? You know yourself if you did it or not! I¡¯m so disappointed in you!¡± He then turned and stomped out of the room. With reddened eyes, Cole exited the game on his phone and opened up his text conversation with Jenny. ¡°Look, Mom! I never sent her those photos! Thest time I texted her was when we agreed to meet this afternoon!¡± Olivia nced at the phone, but she was still disappointed. ¡°You could¡¯ve deleted the chat history. It¡¯s over, Cole. Just sit and think about what you¡¯ve done!¡± After that, Olivia also walked away. Cole was beyond outraged! Why were they using him of something he did not do? Besides, Jenny even kissed him when they said goodbye that night. Logically speaking, she would not frame him. Where did it all go wrong?! In the children¡¯s room at Starry River Vi, La and Hayden were having a secret discussion in bed. ?¡±Do you think that richdy would dump the dirtbag?¡± La asked. ¡°Yes,¡± Hayden responded. ¡°Did we go too far, Hayden? He¡¯s still our daddy after all.¡± ¡°He isn¡¯t as long as I don¡¯t acknowledge it.¡± La exhaled, then said, ¡°By the way, where did you dig up his naked photos?¡± ¡°From his private photo album.¡± ¡°I see¡­ Why won¡¯t you show me the photos?¡± Hayden pulled a long face and said, ¡°You¡¯d go blind.¡±This text is property of N?/velD/rama.Org. ¡°Why didn¡¯t you go blind, then?!¡± La said discontentedly. ¡°I¡¯m a boy! You¡¯re a girl, so you can¡¯t see it!¡± ¡°Fine!¡± After a short tantrum, La reached out to hug her brother, then said sweetly, ¡°You¡¯re amazing, Hayden! I don¡¯t need Daddy with you to protect me!¡± Chapter 155 Chapter 155 Chapter 155 Hayden did not respond to La¡¯s words, but a firm conviction materialized in his mind. He had to be stronger and more powerful! He had to protect his sister, his mother, and his grandmother! On Monday, Avery met Elliot¡¯swyer. Once the divorce paperwork was dealt with, thewyer said to Avery, ¡°Miss Tate, I¡¯ve prepared the contract for the building you want to purchase.¡± Avery was taken aback, then asked, ¡°He entrusted that to you?¡± Thewyer nodded, then pulled out the contract from his briefcase and said, ¡°Please take a look. What¡¯s important is the price.¡± Avery took the contract and looked straight at the asking price. Forty million dors! That was the amount Elliot had first bought the building for. He would lose money if he sold Tate Tower to Avery at this price! In the span of four years, one could get a decent interest from putting forty million in a deposit ount at a bank. ¡°What does he mean by this?¡± Avery asked in confusion. ¡°I believe Mr. Foster decided to sell the building to you at the original price due to the fact that you were once married,¡± exined thewyer. ¡°I don¡¯t need him to do me this favor. I heard that the building is worth around a hundred and twenty million dors based on its current market price,¡± Avery said. ¡°I won¡¯t allow him to sell the building to me at a loss. I¡¯ll give him a hundred million dors for it.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll give Mr. Foster a call and ask,¡± said thewyer. ¡°There¡¯s no need for that. Just take the contract back and change the price. We¡¯ll just sign it ourselves. I no longer have any connection to him. He¡¯s a businessman; profit is the priority. He won¡¯t give you trouble for it.¡± After a moment¡¯s consideration, thewyer nodded and said, ¡°In that case, I¡¯ll contact you again once the new contract is ready.¡± ¡°Alright,¡± Avery replied. Over at Ang Special Needs Academy, a tragedy was ying out in the splendid, castle-like building ¡°Stop crying! I¡¯ll stop being nice if you don¡¯t stop!¡± ¡°Exactly! Your parents died in a car crashst month! They may have paid us thirty years¡¯ worth of your fees, but nobody would evere see you again! If you don¡¯t quiet down, then you can forget about having lunch and dinner today!¡± The sound of harsh yelling intermingled with the weeping of a girl. Hayden walked by the room and took a peek inside. In it was a teenage girl with cerebral palsy who was unable to fend for herself. The nursing staff were chastising her for getting her breakfast on her clothes. Hayden took a seat on the floor and booted hisptop. His fingers began to ck away expertly at the keyboard. Soon after, the nursing staff¡¯s terrified screams came from the room behind him. ¡°Why did the roomba suddenly run into me?!¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know! Huh? Why is the microwave lighting up?!¡± 21 ¡°That¡¯s creepy! Is this ce haunted? Ahhh!¡± Both nurses instantly ran out of the room, and the roomba ran right after them! Hayden yawnedzily, then shut hisptop. The moment he stood up, he was met with a pair of pure, beautiful eyes. The owner of those eyes was a beautiful woman. She had a hime haircut and was wearing a pink puffy dress. She looked like a fairy who had mistakenly wandered into the human realm. ?¡±You¡¯re so cool, Big Brother! Can you get me out of here?¡± Shea Foster blinked her heartbreaking, wide eyes and said helplessly, ¡°They want to open up my brain¡­ It¡¯s going to hurt for sure¡­ I¡¯m so scared¡­¡± Hayden¡¯s brows furrowed. This woman looked at least thirty years old! Yet she was calling him ¡°Big Brother¡±! From the looks of it, she was mentally no older than three!This text is property of N?/velD/rama.Org. Chapter 156 Chapter 156 Chapter 156 Elliot was in his study at the mansion, passing some documents to Zoe. ¡°She is physically weaker than the average woman, and she is autistic, but apart from that, there is nothing wrong with her,¡± said Elliot. ¡°I was hoping that her I would be a little higher so that she is a little more aware of the world around her.¡± ¡°Mr. Foster, is your sister enrolled in Ang Special Needs Academy?¡± Elliot replied, ¡°Yeah.¡± ¡°Can I meet her?¡± asked Zoe. ¡°I need to talk to her. After that, I will conduct a full medical examination.¡± Elliot raised his head and said, ¡°Sure.¡± Zoe looked at the time. ¡°Let¡¯s go!¡± ¡°Miss Sanford, we should discuss payment!¡± They had not once talked about payment after Chelsea had brought her over. Zoe smiled and said, ¡°Let¡¯s not talk about payment yet. I won¡¯t charge you a penny if I can¡¯t cure your sister. We can talk about payment after I cure her.¡± Elliot noted that the freest service tended to be the most expensive. He preferred that the other party state their price upfront. ¡°How do you deal with Chelsea? It must affect your work toe back to the country.¡± Zoe replied, ¡°Mr. Foster, I¡¯m here on vacation. I have just finished a major project, so I¡¯m taking two months off work.¡± Elliot said, ¡°I should give you a deposit first!¡± This is from N?velDrama.Org. Zoe noted his insistence. Finally, she caved in and said, ¡°Alright, I will give you my bank details. Do what you will with that!¡± He stopped frowning. Elliot and Zoe hopped into the car at ten that morning. They were headed toward Ang Special Needs Academy. At that moment, Ang Special Needs Academy was a mess. . Shea Foster was missing! Elliot had hired the person responsible for her care. She used to be a nanny at the Foster family. She was loyal to the Fosters, and she took care of Shea. She was frightened when Shea went missing! Shea had always been a good girl. She would not go anywhere without thepany of her nanny. Shea¡¯s nanny had instantly informed the academy when she had discovered that Shea had gone missing The authorities instantly got all their staff to search the entire academy. Meanwhile, they headed toward the security room to check the security footage. For some reason, there was no footage to be found as there was a system error! ¡°I called for maintenance!¡± A member of the security staff said. ¡°The footage suddenly cked out half an hour ago. We tried everything, but we couldn¡¯t get it back on.¡± The headmaster looked severe when he asked, ¡°Will anything happen to the data?¡± A member of the security shook his head and said, ¡°We don¡¯t know what¡¯s the reason for the ckout. If it¡¯s just an ordinary system error, the footage won¡¯t be affected. I¡¯m afraid this might be an intentional attack.¡± The nanny went soft in the knees. She almost passed out. ¡°Did someone kidnap Miss Foster? No¡­ I have to call Mr. Foster!¡± The headmaster supported her and said, ¡°I will contact the security at the gates right away! The security guard would know if Miss Foster went out! They didn¡¯t call me to report it, that means Miss Foster has not left the academy yet!¡± The nanny sighed in relief. The headmaster called the security guard at the gates. ¡°I didn¡¯t see Miss Foster exit,¡± said the security guard. The guard, however, did not mention that there had been a ckout twenty minutes ago. The security guard instantly left his post and checked on the electrical vault. ?The headmaster wiped the sweat off his forehead. He told the nanny, ¡°Miss Foster did not exit the building. As long as she¡¯s here at the academy, we will find her!¡± Chapter 157 Chapter 157 Chapter 157 The nanny felt awful. She nodded and said, ¡°I will look for her!¡± Thirty minutester, Elliot had parked his car at Ang Special Needs Academy. After he parked the car, he and Shea walked to the pink building where Shea was staying at. She was staying alone. She had workers tend to the chores, teach her, and take care of all her medical needs. Elliot opened the door. The room was quiet. He furrowed his brows. The nanny was informed of his arrival and rushed over. ¡°Mr. Foster! Miss Shea is missing!¡± Her eyes were red from crying. ¡°We searched the entire campus, but we still don¡¯t know where she is¡­ My Shea¡­ My voice is hoarse from all the yelling. She wouldn¡¯t ignore me if she heard my voice.¡± He instantly tensed and clenched his fists! ¡°I told herst night that you hired an amazing doctor. I said she would recover after the surgery¡­ She asked me what the surgery was about¡­ I shouldn¡¯t have told her. My answer scared her. She cried from having nightmaresst night. I think she is hiding because she is afraid.¡± The nanny knelt on the floor in guilt. Elliot was hurt, but he could not be mad at the nanny. Throughout the years the nanny had tried her best to care for Shea. She had never made a mistake before. Shea was probably hiding because she was afraid. ¡°You searched the entire campus, but you can¡¯t find her?¡± Elliot yelled. ¡°Has she left the campus?!¡± The nanny cried and said, ¡°The security guard at the gates said that he did not see Miss Shea walk out the gates! Should we tell the staff to drain the campuske? What if Miss Shea fell into theke? She can¡¯t swim!¡± He instantly looked furious. ¡°I¡¯ll order someone to drain theke immediately!¡± The headmaster called someone immediately before Elliot could speak. Suddenly, the head of security rushed over. ¡°Sir! Mr. Foster! The security room cked out this morning around ten o¡¯clock. The security guard at the gates went to check on the electrical vault! He left his post for ten minutes! We can confirm that Miss Shea did not run out during those ten minutes.¡± Elliot instantly looked furious. Shea had the mind of a three-year-old child. She could not survive in the outside world! People would treat her as an adult because of her appearance. They would not treat her like a child. What if some miscreant could tell that she was atypical¡­ Elliot felt a sharp pain in his head. He did not dare imagine what could happen to her! This text is property of N?/velD/rama.Org. He strode out of the room and ordered his entire staff to search the city! He also rang the police and told them to acquire the security footage from the camera thaty outside the academy. He had to find Shea as soon as possible! Otherwise, she would be in danger! Meanwhile, Laura was at Starry River Vi, looking at the woman Hayden had brought home. Her expression did not betray how shocked she felt. ¡°Grandma, someone wants to slice her head open,¡± Hayden exined. ¡°I don¡¯t want her to die. She¡¯ll stay with us for a while.¡± Laura hugged Hayden and said, ¡°Hayden, she must have a family. Let¡¯s take her back home. Otherwise, her family will be worried!¡± Hayden asked Shea, ¡°Do you have a family?¡± She did not understand what family meant, so she shook her head. ¡°Grandma, she¡¯s sick.¡± He furrowed his brows and said, ¡°Let mom cure her before we let her go.¡± Laura sighed and asked, ¡°How did youe home from school? Does the teacher know you left?¡± ¡°Oh¡­ I have to go back to school,¡± he said. He looked at Shea and said, ¡°Behave yourself!¡± ¡®Shea nodded obediently. Laura watched Hayden get into a cab and left for school. She quickly called Avery after he left. ¡°Avery! Are you free at the moment? Come back home if you¡¯re not busy! Hayden brought a woman back home!¡± Chapter 158 Chapter 158 Chapter 158 Avery rushed back home after the phone call. She could not imagine how her son could have brought home a woman! Hayden would usually ignore strangers. He would never bring someone home. So, who exactly was that woman? What had she done to change Hayden?! Avery arrived home. She saw the woman¡­ She instantly lost her breath! ¡°Avery, you¡¯re back!¡± Laura walked to the door. She noticed how pale her daughter was, and the harshness of her breath. Laura quickly grabbed Laura¡¯s arm. ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Why do you look so ill?¡± Avery was staring at Shea as if she could see through her soul! The woman with the hime haircut and the pink puffy dress had always been on her mind! She did not expect to see her in real life! This text is property of N?/velD/rama.Org. Most unexpected was that her son had brought her home! How had that happened? What was her goal? Was she there for Elliot? Avery had a headache. She could not figure out what was happening because she had divorced Elliot! She would never talk to Elliot again! That woman did not have to show up! ¡°Mom, go to your room! I want to talk to her alone!¡± Avery told her mother. Laura could tell she knew that woman. She could also tell that they did not get along. However, she did not understand why her daughter held a grudge against a mentally disabled person. Was she that vengeful? Laura looked at them with mixed emotions before she went to her room. She did not wish for the However, she did not know who to help. Avery walked toward Shea after Laura left. She was tense, and she looked angry. ¡°Why did you approach my son? What the hell do you want?! Elliot and I have divorced! From today on, I have nothing to do with him! Do you want to harm my child? I won¡¯t have mercy on you if you dare touch my child!¡± As Avery issued her warning, she began to calm down. The woman in front of her looked scared. Her eyes were full of tears. Then, she wailed loudly. The sound of a childlike sobbing filled the room! Children sobbed differently from adults. Adults cried in a more subtle manner. However, children cried in a primal instinctual way. The woman in front of her cried without a care in the world. She looked pitiful, mistreated, and helpless. She sobbed and walked toward the bedroom. Avery was very confused. What was going on? This woman was behaving strangely! Avery followed her. ¡°Why are you crying? Answer me. Why are you talking to my son? Why are you in my house? Speak!¡± Avery sounded calmer. She was trying to be reasonable. ¡°Didn¡¯t youe to my house to look for me? I¡¯m here now. What do you want to say to me? Say it!¡± Laura opened the door. ¡°Avery, she doesn¡¯t understand what you¡¯re saying!¡± Laura walked out. Shea instantly hid behind her. She peeped at Avery with a frightened look. Avery was troubled. She asked casually, ¡°Did I speak in an aliennguage? Or is she mentally challenged?¡± ¡°Yes! She is mentally challenged. She doesn¡¯t understand a word I¡¯m saying either! She kept shaking her head!¡± Laura sighed and said, ¡°Hayden said someone wants to hurt her, so he brought her back. He wants you to cure her.¡± Avery was speechless. Chapter 159 ? Chapter 159 She had thought of all the scenarios, but never once did she imagine that her rival in love would be atypical. Was it the reason why Elliot would not mention it to her? Avery walked to the sofa in despair and sat down. She buried her face in her hands. It was hard to process. "Avery, what''s wrong?" Laura sat next to her daughter and asked, "Don''t you know her? Your conversation with her was so weird." Avery said, "Mom, I have a headache right now. Please leave me alone." Laura said, "Alright. I will tidy the guest room." Avery grabbed her arm and said, "Mom, don''t. She knew Elliot back then, and their rtionship was unusual... I''ll drive her somewhereter." Laura looked horrified. Shea also looked horrified. She was frightened when she heard the word ''Elliot''. She began crying again. She shook her head while she wailed. Laura held her hand andforted her. She asked, "Don''t be scared, do you know Elliot?" Shea shook her head vigorously. If she had not shaken her head, she would have been sent back. If she were sent back, they would slice open her head. She did not want that! She would rather stay with this stranger than go back there and have the surgery! Avery thought her reaction was ridiculous! The woman did not remember Elliot Foster?! Theke at Ang Special Needs Academy was drained, and they searched the campus in its entirety twice. Hayden entered the academy and noticed all the busy staff members. He lowered his t cap. He headed toward the other side while carrying his backpack. He passed through the parking lot and saw a ck Rolls-Royce. He edged closer to the car to get a better look at it. That car had made his mom nervously turn around when she drove him to the academy. He wondered who owned the car. He looked at the car number te. Suddenly, Elliot, the academy authorities, and the bodyguards walked out from the side of the building. "Mr. Foster, ording to our investigation, someone hacked our security system and electrical vault, at around ten in the morning." Elliot frowned, "Find out who this person is!" "We have contacted the best hackers in the world. We will get to the bottom of this as soon as possible!" said the vice headmaster. "It is also likely that the hacker is someone in the academy. "It isn''t easy to hack into the security system and electrical vault, but the hacker did it easily. They must have snuck in here a long time ago and prepared for this moment!" Elliot said, "Lock down the campus area!" The vice headmaster replied, "Yes! I will examine everyone myself!" Hayden hid at the corner of the parking lot. By the car te number, Hayden discovered that it was Elliot who owned the car. Why was his mother afraid of Elliot? Hayden began quickly typing away. He began investigating Elliot. Soon, Hayden found the news regarding the car crash that had taken ce five years ago. A whileter, he saw the news about his divorce. Wait?! Elliot Foster had just gotten a divorce that very day! His ex-wife was... his mom?! His mom and that man had been married! Hayden was confused. His mom and Cole Foster had two children. However, she had married Elliot Foster. So, the real question was, did his mom like Cole or Elliot?This text is property of N?/velD/rama.Org. Hayden was too deep in thought. It was the reason he had not noticed that Elliot was now right in front of him! Chapter 160 Chapter 160 Chapter 160 ¡°Why are you hiding here?¡± Elliot looked at the boy in a t cap. There was a hint of impatience in his voice. It was the parking lot. If his driver had not seen him, he might have reversed into the boy. The vice headmaster instantly exined, ¡°Mr. Foster, this boy enrolled in our academyst week. He doesn¡¯t talk to strangers.¡± All the students in the academy, irrespective of whether they were adults or children, had some form of mental impairment. Elliot remembered that the boy too was atypical, like Shea. He softened. Hayden ced his notebook into his backpack. He slung his backpack and stood up in a coolly. He stomped on Elliot¡¯s clean leather shoes when he passed him by. Elliot was speechless. That punk had done it on purpose, right? ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Mr. Foster! The boy didn¡¯t mean it.¡± The vice headmaster instantly knelt and wiped his shoes with tissue paper. Hayden turned around and red at him. Elliot looked at him, but he could only his features in the boy. The boy resembled him. The top half of his face was concealed under his t cap. When he saw the boy¡¯s smirk, he knew that the boy was rebellious and unusual! He had definitely stomped on him on purpose.Text ? owned by N?velDrama.Org. Fine! No one in that academy was normal anyway! He did not hold grudges against atypical children. Laura arrived at Starry Sky Vi at five in the afternoon. She had just gotten back from picking ¡¤ La up from pre-school. She had forewarned La that there was a special guest at home. La was ready. However, she was still shocked when she arrived home. The woman was very pretty! Her hairstyle and her dress were so unique. Also, she was so pretty to look at. She was like a princess from a fairytale. ¡°Hi, Miss!¡± La walked toward Shea and greeted her. ¡°Hi, Sis!¡± said Shea shyly. Shea was less tense when she saw La. She felt more rxed to see ¡°a girl her age¡±. She had not said anything till she had seen La. La covered her mouth with both of her little hands. She was shocked! ¡°La, I told you she¡¯s a special guest. She¡¯s sick. She thinks that she is younger than you,¡± exined Laura. La thought it was incredible. ¡°Oh¡­ Can I treat her like my younger sister and y with her? Laura looked at Avery and nodded. La instantly pulled Shea into the room. Laura walked toward Avery. She had been sitting on the sofa in a daze since she came back. ¡°Avery, should I pick Hayden up from school?¡± reminded Laura. Avery snapped out of her reverie and said, ¡°I¡¯ll pick him up, Mom. Is La back yet?¡± Laura sighed and said, ¡°She¡¯s in her room! Stay at home! You¡¯re too distracted, and I¡¯m too worried. There¡¯s food on the table. If you¡¯re hungry, you should eat something.¡± Laura walked out after she said that. Avery massaged her sore temples and stood up. She walked toward the washroom. She washed her face with cold water. She felt slightly more refreshed. She walked toward the children¡¯s bedroom and pushed the door open. ¡°Sis, her eyes are moving!¡± Shea had a doll in her hand. She had an innocent smile on her face. ¡°And she talks too! Pull her hand and she will speak,¡± said La. Shea tried to pull the hand of the doll. The sound system in the doll was instantly activated. Chapter 161 Chapter 161 Chapter 161 Shea¡¯s face instantly lit up. She did not seem to be pretending. This woman did not seem to be smarter than La. Avery¡¯s hatred and prejudice toward Shea gradually dissolved. Yes, Elliot loved this woman, but the more Avery looked at her the more pity she felt for her. After dinner, Hayden walked over to Avery. ¡°Is there something you¡¯d like to tell me?¡± said Avery as she looked at her beloved son. Hayden nodded. He looked rather pitiful with his doe like eyes. ¡°I pity her,¡± he said. Pity. The word brought back a wealth of memories of the night she had left Elliot. That night, Avery had felt as if her heart had been smashed into a million pieces. She felt as if she had died that night, and it was all because of this pitiful woman. She wasn¡¯t going to tell Hayden any of it. ¡°Yes, she is a pitiful woman,¡± replied Avery. ¡°I can¡¯t promise you that I¡¯ll teat her illness though.¡± Hayden looked up, ¡°Why?¡± ¡°Well, she has to undergo surgery to feel better. And there¡¯s a chance she might die from the surgery. ¡°Mommy cannot operate on her without her family¡¯s consent,¡± Avery tried to reason with her son. Though he really wanted to help Shea, he could not help but agree with his mom. ¡°Do you know her name?¡± Avery asked out of curiosity. Hayden shook his head. He walked toward Shea and asked, ¡°What¡¯s your name?¡± Shea took her time and thought hard. Finally, she uttered, ¡°She-a. Shea.¡± ¡°Shea! We will be sleeping in the same room tonight, yes?¡± La excitedly asked Shea, and Shea nodded her head with enthusiasm. Meanwhile, Elliot was at the police station, worried sick. His sister had been missing since the afternoon. ¡°Mr. Tate, I¡¯m afraid the person you are looking for has been taken by someone,¡± deduced the detective. ¡°We have checked every surveince camera near Ang Special Needs Academy, and there is not a sign of her in any of these cameras. ¡°Surely, if she had left on her own, she would have taken one of the roads.¡± Elliot¡¯s eyes turned red. He eximed, ¡°I am not about to let anything happen to her! I must find her!¡± ¡°Well, you could try putting up missing person¡¯s posters advertising a handsome reward for her return. As long as the reward is substantial, you will find her in no time,¡± the detective suggested That though would be thest resort. At eight in the evening, the neon lights and the starry skies lit up the entire city. Elliot exited the police station and headed into his ck Rolls-Roice. ¡°Where to, boss?¡± asked the driver. ¡°Home.¡± As the engine started, Elliot¡¯s phone rang He answered. ¡°Elliot, Avery has transferred over a hundred million dors!¡± The call was from Ben Schaffer. ¡°It has been deposited into your ount. Damn, this woman is loaded!¡± ¡°What a hundred million dors?¡± Elliot furrowed his brows. He did not understand what Ben had meant. ¡°What was the transfer of one hundred million dors for?¡± thought Elliot.¡± Text ? owned by N?velDrama.Org. ¡°Tate Tower! The contract for the sale of the building was finalized today!¡± Ben suddenly changed the topic. ¡°Where are you now? You don¡¯t sound happy about the news, is something wrong?¡± ¡°One hundred million dors?!¡± Elliot could feel the veins on his forehead pop. ¡°Wasn¡¯t it forty million dors?¡± ?¡±The market rate is eighty million dors. Avery insisted on ovepensating you. So, one hundred million dors it is!¡± Ben could not pass up the chance of mocking Elliot. ¡°Can¡¯t believe that face of yours is a moneymaker!¡± Elliot hung up. He looked up Avery on his contacts and dialed her number. This woman had never failed to infuriate him. Not then, and certainly not now. Avery looked at the caller ID. Her heart rate elerated, and she felt heat coursing through the hand that was gripping her phone. ¡°Elliot must be worried sick about Shea,¡± Avery thought. ¡°Should I tell him that Shea is with me?! Chapter 162 Chapter 162 Chapter 162 ¡°Avery Tate! What are you trying to prove by pulling such an act?¡± Elliot¡¯s voice was cial. Avery was dumbfounded. What did he mean by ¡®trying to prove¡¯? Then it hit her. Elliot was talking about the sale of Tate Tower. ¡°How about the fact that you are trying to sell it to me for a mere forty million dors?¡± Avery countered. ¡°Please, I don¡¯t need your sympathy!¡± Elliot frowned, and his brows formed deep furrows. He realized then that their rtionship was an unsalvagable wreck. Elliot had bought the building with the intention of giving it to Avery as a gift, back when they had been inseparable. He had never thought of profiting off Tate Industries. He was selling it to her for forty million dors. There were no reasons to spoil her with gifts. Furthermore, Avery would never ept it as a gift now. N?velDrama.Org copyrighted ? content. ¡°Fine, we will honor the market price of the tower then!¡± Elliot felt a burn in his throat. ¡°You don¡¯t need my sympathy, and I don¡¯t need your generosity!¡± ¡°Fine then! Return the bnce to me, and please be quick!¡± Avery clutched her phone tightly. She was furious. Elliot was breathing heavily. He had no more to say and hung up. Within five minutes, twenty million dors were transferred into Avery¡¯s ount. Staring at the figures in her bank statement, tears welled up in her eyes. The peaceful breakup that Avery had achieved had erupted into chaos. He was a rose full of thorns, but so was she. She was contemting whether or not to tell Elliot about Shea. However, the phone call proved how little he had thought of her. .Fine, good luck looking for Shea all by yourself! Averyy on the bed staring nkly at the ceiling. She felt trapped in the situation, and this was all Hayden¡¯s fault. He just had to bring that Shea woman back home. She had thought that she was finally free from Elliot¡¯s mess after the divorce, but Shea was now soundly sleeping in her daughter¡¯s bed. She found herself falling again and again into the same sticky situation. Avery thought that even if she were to send Shea back right now, he would not believe her story and use her of kidnapping Shea instead. Avery was distraught. She pulled up her sheets and hid beneath them. Momentster, her cell phone rang, dragging her back to reality. Avery sighed and got up. She felt for her phone and took the call. ¡°Avery, I saw that woman Elliot was with!¡± It was Tammy on the phone. She sounded both shocked and furious, ¡°Elliot Foster is a vicious, vicious man! How could he do this to you?¡± ¡°We got a divorce today.¡± Avery felt energetic from her short nap. ¡°How did youe to know about this?¡± ¡°Hispany put out a missing person¡¯s notice. They are looking for a woman named Shea, and if anyone could provide a lead, they will be rewarded one hundred and twenty million dors. ¡°And that is not all! If they find her, they will be given a whopping two hundred and forty million dors as a reward! Oh dear god, it broke the inte!¡± Tammy had yet to catch he breath, but she pushed on. ¡°Avery, it¡¯s no wonder you fell for it. I even asked Jun about this, and he has not the slightest clue who Shea is¡± Avery¡¯s heart felt as calm as the dead sea. She did not feel a thing, after all, she was already numb. ¡°Avery, I am fuming right now. He is spending two hundred and forty million dors just to look for this woman. One can only imagine how important she is to him!¡± ¡°Alright. What time is it now?¡± asked Avery. Tammy snapped, ¡°It is almost twelve. Oh,e on now, is that you are going to say after everything that I have told you?¡± Avery forced a smile, ¡°What do you want me to say? We have already gotten a divorce.¡± Chapter 163 Chapter 163 Chapter 163 ¡°That¡¯s right! How silly of me. Best decision you ever made, divorcing that man!¡± Tammy let out a sigh of relief. ¡°How¡¯s your schedule like tomorrow? I¡¯ll buy you dinner. We are celebrating you being single at longst!¡± ¡°My schedule is packed. I own the Tate Tower now,¡± said Avery. ¡°Yes, yes, I heard all about it from Jun. It cost you a hundred million dors, my loaded friend. ¡°Eighty million dors,¡± said Avery, unfazed. ¡°He returned the extra twenty million dors to me this evening.¡± ¡°Pfft! What is this between you two? ying around like children,¡± Tammy scoffed. ¡°I¡¯m setting some clear boundaries between us,¡± said Avery. ¡°Well, I agree. It¡¯s a wonderful thing you¡¯re doing. This man is vicious. I told Jun to stay away from him!¡± Tammy sounded resentful. ¡°It¡¯s gettingte. Have a good night¡¯s rest, I can barely keep my eyes open.¡± Avery was really exhausted at this point. Her eyelids felt like they weighed a thousand pounds. Elliot had proved his love andmitment for Shea. In the eyes of millions of people, it was all very touching This was good. She could finally let go of her feelings for Elliot. Meanwhile, in another luxurious apartment, Chelsea had seen the million-dor reward on the news. To Chelsea, it looked as if Elliot hadpletely lost his mind. Copyright N?v/el/Dra/ma.Org. ¡°Shea¡­ Who?¡± she thought. When and where did this womane from? Chelsea had overseen Elliot¡¯s business for years, and not once had she heard of this woman called Shea. She noticed that Shea had a hime-cut hairstyle, and she was wearing a pink puffy dress in that missing person¡¯s notice. She remembered the time that Avery had pulled a prank on her. She could not understand why Elliot had gotten so mad at the time. Now, after looking at Shea¡¯s photo, she had finally understood. No other woman, save for Shea, had a haircut like that. Shea was special. No one could imitate her. Tears streamed silently down her face. Chelsea raised her wine ss and downed its contents. Feeling tipsy, she picked up her phone and called her brother Charlie who was overseas. ¡°Charlie¡­you know¡­ Elliot has someone else in his mind all this time¡­¡± Chelsea could barely speak. ¡°He¡¯s willing to spend millions of dors on Shea! Have you heard of this woman, Shea? Charlie spoke, ¡°No I haven¡¯t. Chelsea, I told you not to go back to that country, and you ignored my advice. What good has it brought you?¡± ¡°Charlie, oh my dear brother, I feel foolish, even more so than Avery.¡± Chelsea began sobbing before suddenly breaking into manicughter. ¡°Guess what? Avery bought the Tate Tower and she paid one hundred million dors for it. One hundred million! I would never be able to do that, but that woman is one hell of a loaded bitch!¡± said Chelsea. Four years ago, Chelsea would not even look Avery in the eye. She had thought of her as some high streetmoner, and she had thought that Avery would be nobody without Elliot. Everything had changed since then. She no longer felt confident when she heard the name, Avery Tate. Charlie was astonished. ¡°Wow! Since when did Avery Tate be rich?¡± ¡°Yeah. I¡¯m the only one who¡¯s regressing. Elliot is never going to be interested in me. Even without Shea¡­ Avery is younger and much more sessful than I will ever be. I am a disgrace¡­ ¡°Hey Chelsea, get over it already!¡± Charlie felt sorry for his sister. ¡°Elliot is not who you think he is. He is just a greedy jerk. He has you, Avery, and somehow he still manages to find space in his heart for someone else. ¡°Plus, there is that whole thing about him murdering his father. That is a clear sign of violent tendencies! You have to stop wasting your time on this jerk!¡± Chelsea pulled her hair with her fingers and mumbled ¡°Fine¡­ Charlie¡­ I know what to do now It was three o¡¯clock at night when La was rudely awoken. Shea was burning up. She forced open her eyes and touched Shea. She was having a high fever. La got up and switched on the bedside tablemp. Shea¡¯s fever had caused her skin to turn red. Confused and half awake, Shea muttered in her sleep, ¡°Big Brother¡­ Big Brother hug¡­ Hug Little Shea¡­¡± Shea was having a dream about Elliot, her brother. Chapter 164 Chapter 164 Chapter 164 La jumped off her bed and yelled for her Mommy. Avery rushed into her daughter¡¯s room with a medical kit in hand. Her hair was a mess. ¡°Go to your brother¡¯s room, La,¡± instructed Avery. She felt Shea and realized that the fever was bad. La nodded. Her eyes were filled with worry, ¡°Mommy, did Shea catch a cold? Do I turn off the aircond?¡± Avery answered, ¡°There are many ways to catch a fever. I don¡¯t think she caught a cold.¡± The temperature in the room was fine, so there was no way she could have gotten sick that way. Avery sent La to Hayden¡¯s room before she went right back to Shea. The thermometer read at one hundred and three degrees. She must bring down Shea¡¯s fever immediately. Avery began running a saline drip, and she also brought arge bowl of warm water from the washroom in an attempt to bring down Shea¡¯s temperature. It was three o¡¯clock in the morning, and Avery was tending to her rival. After everything was done, Avery sat by the bed, and she could not help but feel sorry for herself. Copyright N?v/el/Dra/ma.Org. Why did God make her go through this? How was she going to return Shea back to Elliot? God knows that she had never intended to cause him misery. Avery¡¯s head felt like imploding. Meanwhile, in Hayden¡¯s room, Lay down in bed and woke Hayden up. Once Avery walked out of the room, Hayden asked La, ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± ¡°Shea has a fever, and she keeps calling for her brother in her sleep. She must be missing you, but I knew you were asleep, so I let her be,¡± La sounded slightly upset. ¡°Mommy¡¯s there for her. She will be fine,¡± Hayden said. ¡°Well, you see,¡± Hayden replied, with a sigh, ¡°if I were to go missing, Mommy¡¯s going to be very upset and nervous about it. Not just her, even you and Grandma would be worried too.¡± Hayden suddenly remembered something, and said, ¡°Mommy has a husband.¡± La was stunned, ¡°WHAT? Mommy¡¯s husband, who is he? Is he Cole Foster?¡± ¡°No. Mommy¡¯s husband is that dirtbag dad¡¯s uncle.¡± La sat up straight and made Hayden sit up as well. ¡°Tell me more about it, brother,¡± La¡¯s eyes glistened in the dark room. ¡°Elliot Tate,¡± Hayden said. ¡°Mommy has just divorced him.¡± ¡°Is he good looking?¡± La asked hopefully. She had always paid attention to looks. ¡°He is very old,¡± answered Hayden. La scoffed, looking displeased. ¡°But he is super wealthy,¡± Hayden added. ¡°Brother, do you have a photo of him? I want to take a look at it, please,¡± La said. ¡°But he¡¯s not mommy¡¯s husband anymore,¡± Hayden said. La felt deprived. ¡°I can¡¯t sleep if you don¡¯t show it to me. Just let me take a peek. One nce. Please?¡± Hayden had no choice. He got down from the bed, turned on hisputer, and found a photo of Elliot for his sister. La stared intently at Elliot¡¯s face, taking it all in. ¡°¡­He looks dashing! Brother, he is a lot more handsome than that dirtbag of a dad!¡± ¡°He¡¯s a dirtbag too,¡± Hayden replied half-heartedly. ¡°Otherwise, why would Mommy divorce such a man?¡± La snapped, ¡°Brother, we are such unfortunate siblings! Our biological father was a dirtbag, and now the ex-stepfather is one too! The Fosters are all vicious!¡± Hayden shut hisputer, held his sister¡¯s hand, climbed into bed, and said, ¡°Time to sleep now.¡± Avery sat by the Shea till five in the morning now. After two bottles of medical saline, Shea¡¯s temperature was back to normal. Avery dragged herself back to her room. It was seven in the morning now, and La and Hayden had both gotten up and had gone to check on Shea. Chapter 165 Chapter 165 Chapter 165 La and Hayden found Shea in a state of unrest. She was mumbling in a low voice, ¡°Brother¡­ Brother¡­¡± The siblings frowned and hurried to her bedside. Shea¡¯s face was red, and her skin felt really warm. ¡°She¡¯s got a fever again! I am going to get Mommy!¡± La said as she dashed for Avery. Hayden held Shea¡¯s hands still and tried tofort her, ¡°Shea! Don¡¯t worry!¡± Shea opened her eyes slightly when she heard Hayden¡¯s voice. She thought that her brother, Elliot, hade to her atst! Shea felt as if she was dying of heat. ¡°Brother¡­ hug me¡­¡± Shea cried. Hayden felt helpless. He could not hug her as he was too small when compared to Shea. Hayden waited for his Mommy to tend to Shea. ¡°Brother, do you not want Shea anymore? Why don¡¯t you hug me?¡± Shea cried hysterically. Streams of tears flowed from her eyes. Hayden looked just like Elliot as a child. It was no wonder Shea had mistaken him for Elliot. Avery rushed over to Shea as soon as she heard the news. She ced her hands on Shea¡¯s forehead. Shea was worse than she had beenst night. ¡°This is not good,¡± said Avery. ¡°We need to take her to the hospital and get a diagnosis now.¡± La looked at Shea¡¯s flushed face that was filled with despair and asked softly, ¡°Mommy, is she going to die?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry La. Mommy is taking her to the hospital right now.¡± Averyforted her daughter as she gave Shea some medicine to bring down the fever. Laura had gotten up earlier, and she rushed over when she heard the situation. ¡°Avery, do you think we should call for an ambnce?¡± asked Laura. Avery considered her suggestion for a moment, struggling toe to a decision. If she called for an ambnce now, someone was bound to recognize Shea, and they would surely inform Elliot. Once Elliot got hold of Shea, he would definitely take her to Zoe Sanford. James had once told her that Zoe was incapable of treating Shea. Therefore, there was no good reason to return Shea to Elliot in the state she was, right? Is she just going to watch Shea suffer till she dies? ¡°Mom, do you think I should help her?¡± Avery turned to Laura. Her voice was hoarse, and her hands were clenched into a fist. Laura looked at her daughter, understanding what she was going through, ¡°You are not obligated to help, my dear. There is nothing wrong with that.¡± ¡°But I¡¯m not just Elliot Foster¡¯s ex-wife. I am also a doctor!¡± cried Avery. Momentster, she took a huge breath, wiped away her tears, and helped Shea get off the bed. At the Sterling Group offices, everyone was talking about the same issue. ¡°Have you heard of Shea? What¡¯s the deal with her and the boss?¡± ¡°Must be his lover! An underground lover. I would do the same if I were him. A pretty doll face for a lover. Don¡¯t you think Shea looks like one?¡± ¡°Agreed. She¡¯s the prettiest woman I¡¯ve ever seen! It¡¯s no wonder our boss is spending millions looking for her.¡± N?velDrama.Org copyrighted ? content. High and low, the entire corporation could not keep it to themselves. Chad took a sip of his coffee, ¡°I have never heard our boss speak of her.¡± Ben took a sip of his coffee too, and snapped, ¡°I¡¯ve known him longer, and even I have not heard of her. I thought we were best friends, but now I¡¯m starting to doubt that. It¡¯s humiliating.¡± Chad tried to make Ben feel better, ¡°Ben, I heard that Shea had gone missing close to. Ang Special Needs Academy. I took the liberty to do some digging, and found out that it was a school for people who have special needs.¡± Ben looked serious. ¡°I looked it up too. This woman is not simple. Never had I thought that Elliot had a taste for people like her.¡± Chad gasped. ¡°¡­Are you making a pervert out of our boss?¡± Ben smirked and said wrily, ¡°Why would he keep it such a secret if he wasn¡¯t one?¡± Chad was convinced. ¡°Now I know why Avery wanted a divorce, she must have found out about this.¡± Ben continued, ¡°Avery left him because of them.¡± Chapter 166 Chapter 166 Chapter 166 Ben made assumption as though he were god or Avery. Chad really wanted to call Avery for verification, but he did not dare. She had divorced their boss. Perhaps she would not even pick up his call. ¡°Ben, have you called the boss?¡± Chad asked. Ben sighed resentfully, ¡°If this woman named Shea didn¡¯t get lost, I bet he would hide it for the rest of his life. This is something he doesn¡¯t want to disclose. If I ask, won¡¯t it annoy him?¡± Chad continued, ¡°Well, Shea is has yet to have been found. I guess his mood has just gotten worse.¡± Hayden was at Ang Special Needs Academy when he saw the news that Elliot had spent a fortune on trying to locate Shea. He had mixed feelings about that. ¡°What is the rtionship between Elliot and Shea?¡± he wondered. He typed (Shea) into the search engine. However, no information about her could be found at all. ¡®Shea¡¯ was her first name, and he wondered what her full name could be. Hayden hacked into Ang Academy¡¯s system, but he in there as well, the only name listed was ¡®Shea¡¯. N?velDrama.Org copyrighted ? content. Did she not have ast name? Or did her family deliberately do this to protect her? Who was her family? Hyaden had no other information about her, so the only thing he could do was continue investigating Elliot. ?After searching out Elliot¡¯s family members, Hayden frowned. There was no one named Shea amongst the Forster family. Elliot had only one elder brother. This left only one other exnation for the nature of the rtionship between Elliot and Shea. That was, the rtionship between a man and a woman! If Cole Foster was a sc*mbag, then Elliot was the king of all sc*mbags! How could he carry on a rtionship of that nature with a woman who was psychologically unsound. At the same time, Chelsea had found Zoe. Zoe was currently living in a mansion that Elliot had secured for her. There were twenty-four hour nannies and bodyguards in the mansion to care for her. After Chelsea came over, she was saddened to see the luxurious vi and servants. ¡°Doctor Sanford, can we chat outside?¡± Zoe nodded. Shea was lost, and Zoe had nothing to do. The two were walking in the neighborhood, with bodyguards following not far away. ¡°Doctor Sanford, do you know who Shea is to Elliot?¡± Chelsea had not slept. Once she had sobbered up, questions gued her. Zoe shook her head, ¡°Miss Tierney, I didn¡¯t ask, and he didn¡¯t say anything.¡± ¡°Can you ask him? I¡¯ve been by his side for many years, and not once have I heard about this woman. I¡¯m rather shocked and curious!¡± Chelsea was growing agitated. Zoe looked at her calmly, ¡°Miss Tierney, this is a private matter. I won¡¯t ask, and if you¡¯re that curious, you can ask him yourself.¡± ¡°I asked him before, but he wouldn¡¯t tell me.¡± ¡°If he won¡¯t tell you, then why would he tell me? I¡¯ve only met him twice,¡± said Zoe rationally. ¡°Didn¡¯t he just get divorced yesterday? At least it¡¯s certain that he and Shea are not husband and wife.¡± Chelsea said, ¡°I know they are not husband and wife. How could he marry an abnormal woman? But he did spend a billion dors on her¡­ It¡¯s incredible.¡± ¡°If you¡¯re jealous, you can always find ways to get him to spend money on you.¡± Chelsea frowned, ¡°I didn¡¯t mean that! I didn¡¯t want him to spend money on me. I just want him-¡°She did not truly want to reveal that all she wanted was to have Elliot fall in love with her. Zoe interrupted her, ¡°The way a man proves his love for you is by his willingness to spend money on you.¡± Chelsea felt enlightened. ¡°It¡¯s hopeless for me now. I¡¯m suffering because he found a woman with a disability better than me! He¡¯s better off with Avery!¡± Chelsea murmured. ¡°You¡¯re so selfless,¡± teased Zoe. ¡°Don¡¯t make fun of me. I¡¯m already miserable enough. I lost to Avery, and now, I have lost to a retard! And now I¡¯m even doubting myself.¡± Zoe looked at Chelsea and said nothing. She was suddenly very interested in Avery. Chapter 167 Chapter 167 Chapter 167 Avery definitely was an extraordinary person if she had managed to stay married to Elliot for more than four years. Moreover, Zoe had heard about her when she was abroad. Avery was also a student of Professor Hough, and she had published several good papers. However, she had heard nothing more of Avery after Avery had graduated. Avery had never worked for any major hospitals, nor had she joined the medical industry. How far could she go with only theoretical knowledge? Shecked clinical experience. Otherwise, why would Elliot have her treat Shea? It was evening, and Laura looked at the two children in front of her and said, ¡°Why don¡¯t you two eat?¡± La puffed her cheeks and asked, ¡°When is moming back?¡± Laura replied, ¡°She¡¯ll be back after she¡¯s done with her work. I can¡¯t tell for sure when will that be.¡± La asked, ¡°Is she saving Shea?¡± ¡°Yes. Don¡¯t worry, Shea will be fine.¡± At this same time, Hayden said glumly, ¡°Shea, bad woman!¡± ¡°Didn¡¯t you bring Shea back? Why did you suddenly say that about her?¡± Laura raised her hand to caress his head. ¡°She¡¯s with Elliot!¡± Laura did not expect that he would know this. ¡°Hayden, these are adult matters; you don¡¯t have to worry about it. Shea is not even as smart as you or La. What can she do wrong? And even if she has done something wrong, it¡¯s Elliot¡¯ s fault.¡± Laura could not me Shea for anything. Shea was no different from a three-year-old girl. Hayden med himself even more now. If he had known about the rtionship that Elliot and his mother shared and the rtionship that Elliot and Shea shared, he would never have brought her home! ¡°Mom must be very sad,¡± he thought to himself. When his mother returned, he must apologize to her! It was at eight when Elliot received a call. ¡°Mr. Foster, the hacker has been found! ording to the trail left by the hacker, the hacker appears to be your nephew, Cole Forster!¡± said the person on the other side of the line, frantically. Elliot was taken aback. When did Cole be a hacker? ¡°Mr. Foster, I told the technicians to triple check it, and the results were always the same! ording to the IP address, the current location of the hacker is the Foster family¡¯s old mansion.¡± Elliot clenched his hand into a tight fist. Murder shed in his eyes. The ck Rolls-Roice whizzed out of the mansion like an arrow. Ten minutester, the car stopped at the gate of the old mansion. N?velDrama.Org copyrighted ? content. Elliot got out of the car and strode into the living room. ¡°Where¡¯s Cole Foster!?¡± Elliot yelled thunderously. Henry and Olivia immediately went to find their son. Cole, who was in his room, heard his uncle¡¯s summons and dashed out without needing to be called a second time. ¡°Uncle, are you looking for me?¡± Cole was being forced into a divorce, and he had been down for the past couple of days. He did nothing more than y video games every single da?. A loud thud echoed through the room. Elliot was pummeling Cole in the head. The phone in his hand fell to the ground. ¡°You were the hacker who attacked Ang Special Needs Academy? How dare you!¡± Elliot shouted angrily. ¡°Hand Shea over! If anything happens to her, you will die, and I¡¯ll see to it that you will be denied a proper burial!¡± Cole was stunned. ¡°Elliot, what are you talking about? Cole isn¡¯t a hacker. Don¡¯t you know how useless he is? He¡¯ s just rubbish!¡± Henrytched on to Elliot¡¯s hand, fearing for his son¡¯s life. Elliot ordered Cole¡¯s notebook and mobile phone to be taken away and investigated. Two hourster, Cole¡¯s phone was found to be faulty. ¡°Uncle, I don¡¯t know how my phone has been infected with Trojan! My phone is always with me¡­ It was only the day before yesterday did I lend it to a little girl!¡± cried Cole bitterly. ¡°That girl looked to be only four or five. She couldn¡¯t possibly have installed the malware, right?¡± Chapter 168 Chapter 168 Chapter 168 ¡°Why did that little girl borrow your phone?¡± asked Elliot cautiously. ¡°She got separated from her father, and she wanted to borrow my phone to call him. Since I met her, there is not a day that goes by that I haven¡¯t been gued with bad luck! I think she cursed me!¡± Cole¡¯s cheeks were swollen, and he looked particrly miserable with the tears streaming down her face. Elliot stared at him. He looked like a loser. ¡°Do you still remember what she looks like?¡± he asked. His lips were pressed into a thin, grim line. Cole immediately answered, ¡°Yes! She¡¯s very beautiful! If it wasn¡¯t for her beauty, I wouldn¡¯t have lent her my phone in the first ce! As I saidst time, she looks like Avery!¡± When Elliot heard these four words, he looked a little defeated. ¡°Go put on some medicine.¡± ¡°Uncle, I¡¯m fine¡­ I want to know how my phone got set up! It automatically sent my private photos to my blind date, messing up my blind date. I suspect that it is also bugged!¡± Cole winced from the pain. He had no idea how he had be a target for hackers. He was clueless as to who he had offended. ¡°Cole, go back to your room and get your mother to help you with your medicine. I want to talk to your uncle alone,¡± said Henry. Cole got up and went to his room. Once the two brothers were alone in the living room, Henry said, ¡°This hacker is aggressive. First, he installed a Trojan virus on Cole¡¯s phone, and after that, he stole all of Cole¡¯s data. He then proceeded to hack into Shea¡¯s school. This is an organized attack! Why did they kidnap Shea? It¡¯s been a whole day, and they haven¡¯t taken the initiative to contact us.¡± This problem was also troubling Elliot. If they wanted money, he could have easily given it to them! ?He was only worried that they would hurt Shea! ¡°Elliot, have you offended anyone?¡± Henry asked. Elliot replied, ¡°It must be someone in the academy. A month before the incident, I had asked someone to look through the academy¡¯s personnel records.¡± ¡°Well, I believe your security must be very strict. Mother and I haven¡¯t been able to see Shea these past few years. It must be more difficult for outsiders to approach her,¡± Henry sighed.¡± If Shea hadn¡¯t walked off by herself, then this incident would not have happened.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not Shea¡¯s fault.¡± Elliot tightened his knuckles slightly and said guiltily, ¡°She was just afraid, so she left.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t mean to me her. She¡¯s just a child. What does she know?¡± Henry¡¯s eyes were a little red. ¡°I hope she¡¯s still alive.¡± It was the morning of the next day, and Avery had still yet to return. La¡¯s eyes were red and filled with tears. ¡°Grandma, I don¡¯t want to go to kindergarten¡­¡± La sniffed. ¡°I want to see mom.¡± Laura too was stressed, and she acquiesced. ¡°Then let¡¯s not go to the kindergarten today. Wait until your motheres back, okay?¡± Layle pursed her lips and nodded.Copyright N?v/el/Dra/ma.Org. After breakfast, Hayden leaned toward La, ¡°Do you want to see mom?¡± he whispered into her ear. La¡¯s eyes instantly brightened up, and she nodded hastily. ¡°Grandma, I¡¯ll take her to the neighborhood to y for a while, and we¡¯ll be backter.¡± Hayden took La¡¯s hand as he spoke to Laura. ¡°Hayden, are you not going to school today? Ah, forget it. Go ahead and have some fun!¡± Laura sighed. Hayden walked out with La in hand. The siblings got into a taxi. Hayden gave the name of a hospital. La whispered, ¡°Is mommy in this hospital?¡± Hayden nodded. Avery walked out of the operation theater of Elizabeth Hospital. She felt the world spinning around her, and she almost fell. ¡°Mom!¡± La threw herself in front of Avery and hugged her legs. Hayden also came to stand by her side, and his little handtched onto the hem of her clothes. Avery looked at the two children as her red eyes filled with surprise. ¡°Why are you two here?¡± Avery¡¯s exhaustion was wiped away. ¡°Who has told you that I¡¯m here? Where¡¯s your grandmother?¡± Chapter 169 Chapter 169 Chapter 169 N?velDrama.Org copyrighted ? content. Avery held La in her arms as La pointed her tiny finger at her brother. ¡°Big Brother brought me here.¡± ¡°Oh¡­ Hayden, how did you know that I¡¯m here?¡± Avery had a gentle smile on her face. She did not me the child. ¡°Did you ask Uncle Mike to check the location of my mobile phone?¡± Hayden nodded. It was Uncle Mike who had taught him how to hack. Avery was unaware of what level his skills were currently at. ¡°Let¡¯s go! Time to go home! I¡¯m so sleepy now.¡± Avery could no longer think coherently. She came out of the hospital with her two children, and she stopped a cab at the door. She fell asleep after getting in the car. It was 11:20 a.m. when Zoe received a call from a stranger. She was instructed to go to Elizabeth Hospital. When she reached Elizabeth Hospital, she saw Shea. Her head was wrapped in bandages, and her eyes were closed. She looked pale! About two hourster, Elliot received a call from Zoe. ¡°Mr. Foster, I found Shea! She¡¯s in the hospital now! I performed brain surgery on her!¡± Zoe¡¯s voice carried a hint of excitement. In the past two hours, Zoe had performed a scan on Shea¡¯s brain. She found out that someone had performed a rather delicate brain operation! Zoe asked the nurse who had performed the surgery, but the nurse said that she did not know Seizing the opportunity, Zoe borrowed the operating theater and pretended to look busy. After two hours had passed, she immediately called Elliot and took all the credit. Since the good samaritan did not leave their name, Zoe herself could not be med for iming credit! Elliot rushed to Elizabeth Hospital. After seeing Shea, his soaring heart rate began toe down. . ¡°Dr. Sanford, what¡¯s going on?¡± Elliot grabbed Zoe¡¯s arm in excitement. Zoe held hisrge hand and said, ¡°Shea had fainted, and a kind person had sent her to the hospital. I happened to know one of the directors here, and he knew that I had returned to Aryadelle to work for you. So, he told me what had happened, and here I am.¡± Elliot did not suspect her of lying, but he was still a little confused. ¡°Why do you suddenly operate on her?¡± ¡°She was not in a good condition when she was brought in. Had I dyed, even for a second, her chances of survival would have diminished. So, I performed the surgery first, and that is why I didn¡¯t inform you of the matter sooner.¡± Zoe gave told her story quickly as she felt slightly guilty for the lie she told. ¡°Thank you!¡± Elliot¡¯s eyes were filled with tears. The fact that they had found Shea safely, and she had undergone a sessful operation was the best thing that could have happened. The past two days had been torture for him. Fortunately, Shea was fine! ¡°Mr. Foster, do you want to transfer Shea to a better hospital? The conditions in this hospital are not very good,¡± Zoe said. ¡°She needs to recover, and for that, she needs a better hospital.¡± Elliot nodded, ¡°I¡¯ll transfer her now.¡± Zoe nodded in satisfaction. ¡°Dr. Sanford, thank you for your hard work!¡± Elliot thanked her again. ¡°Did you see the kind individual who brought her in? I must thank them personally.¡± ¡°When I had arrived, the person had already left. Since they didn¡¯t stay, I presume they must want to keep their identity a secret.¡± Elliot nodded, ¡°You¡¯re right.¡± One hundred and fifty-five million! In reality, how could anyone really resist the temptation of such arge sum of money? He wanted to know who this kind person was. After transferring Shea to the best hospital, Elliot called his subordinates and said, ¡°Get the footage from Elizabeth Hospital¡¯s surveince camera at the main gate. I want this morning¡¯s footage sent to me.¡± Chapter 170 Chapter 170 Chapter 170 Elliot got a response to his request twenty minutester. ¡°Mr. Foster, I contacted Elizabeth Hospital just now, and they told me that the surveince system of the hospital is undergoing maintenance, so there is no footage.¡± Hearing his subordinate¡¯s answer, Elliot frowned. Was it really a coincidence? Was there truly no surveince for that day, or was someone deliberately keeping it from outsiders? ¡°Clear all the news and pictures of this incident on the inte!¡± Elliot ordered. ¡°Okay, Mr. Foster. I¡¯ll do it now.¡± About an hourter, all the information pertaining to Elliot and his search for Shea, including the one hundred and fifty-five million dor reward was gone. Even all the photos of her had been deleted. Avery slept very deeply. If it was not for the phone ringing, she would never have woken up. Tammy had already called her many times before Avery finally answered her phone. Even then she had allowed it to ring for more than a minute. ¡°Hello¡­¡± As soon as she spoke, she yawned. ¡°Avery! Don¡¯t tell me that you¡¯re sleeping! It¡¯s only seven! Are you taking a nap or calling it a day?!¡± Tammy¡¯s voice was sharp. Avery rubbed her sleep filled eyes and looked out the window. It was still bright. However, it was going to get dark soon. ¡°Tammy, do you have something important to say? If it¡¯s not important, I¡¯m going back to sleep. I¡¯m just so sleepy.¡± Avery hugged her pillow. She soundedzy. ¡°Didn¡¯t you sleepst night? Are you getting a new job as a thief? Didn¡¯t we agree to go out and celebrate your divorce? I¡¯ve already booked the restaurant. If you don¡¯te, I¡¯ll have all this food packed and sent to your ce! Send me your address!¡± Tammy was always very decisive. ¡°No¡­ You send me the address of the restaurant, and I¡¯ll get dressed and meet you there.¡± Avery got up from the bed with difficulty. ¡°Didn¡¯t you just say you were sleepy? Just let me get them to pack the food, and I¡¯ll send it to you! I stole a good bottle of wine from my dad¡¯s collection¡­ I¡¯m taking it with me and storing it at your ce. We¡¯ll drink it next time.¡± In an instant, Avery was awake. If Tammy¡¯s boyfriend was anyone but Jun, she would not have been worried about Tammy finding out about the children. ¡°Tammy! I¡¯m not sleepy anymore! Where are you now? Send me your location, and I¡¯ll go right there!¡± ¡°Okay! I¡¯ll send you the location! Your mom stays with you, right? Ask her toe along!¡± ¡°It¡¯s fine! She has already eaten.¡± Copyright N?v/el/Dra/ma.Org. With the conversation done, Avery got out of bed and gathered her long messy hair into a ponytail. She walked to the closet and pulled out a long dress. After changing into it, she walked out of the room. The lights in the living room were off. They were not at home! She took out her phone and video called her mom. Laura answered the call, ¡°Avery, are you awake? I left your food in the kitchen.¡± ¡°Tammy asked me to go out for dinner, so I won¡¯t eat at home. Mom, where are you?¡± Avery walked to the door, hooked a bag onto her shoulder, and walked out. ¡°I¡¯m at the park! A parcel from abroad arrived today. It¡¯s a drone. The children really wanted to go out and y with it,¡± Laura said as she pointed her camera in the direction of the sky. A colorful drone, under Hayden¡¯s control, flitted here and there! Next to it, many other children were flying kites. Avery could not helpughing, ¡°You guys keep on ying! I¡¯m heading out.¡± ?Half an hourter, she arrived at the restaurant that Tammy booked. This was a high-ss restaurant. A handsome man was ying the piano on the stage. ¡°Tammy, you came alone?¡± Avery looked at Tammy and teased, ¡°I thought you would bring your family along!¡± Chapter 171 Chapter 171 Chapter 171 ¡°It¡¯s our date, why would I bring him along?¡± Tammy poured a ss of wine and handed it to her. ¡°What did you dost night? You have really bad dark circles under your eyes.¡± Avery raised her ss and took a sip, ¡°I stayed uptest night watching dramas!¡± ¡°You wish I believe that. Fess up, you have the fakest forced smile stered across your face,¡± Tammy said. ¡°Are you still into Elliot, and that is why you couldn¡¯t sleep?¡± Avery almost spat out her wine. ¡°Tammy, do I look so gullible?¡± Tammy nodded vigorously, ¡°Although you make a lot of money, you¡¯re still really gullible.¡± Ben was pouring Elliot a ss of wine at their table in the corner of the restaurant. This was the only high-ss restaurant closest to the hospital. ¡°Elliot, I won¡¯t ask about you and Shea. I asked you out to have a drink with you,¡± Ben said.¡± By the way, is Dr. Sanford that serves you really that good?¡± Elliot took the wine ss and took a sip, ¡°She performed the operation on Shea, but she¡¯s not awake yet.¡± ¡°Oh¡­ If it works, how much are you going to give her?¡± Ben raised his brows, and his eyes were filled with curiosity ¡°I¡¯ll see how much she wants.¡± ¡°What if she doesn¡¯t want money but you?¡± Ben said. ¡°Avery can¡¯t ept that your heart belongs to Shea, but some women don¡¯t care about that. For example, Chelsea. If Dr. Sanford doesn¡¯t care either and wants to date you, what are you going to do?¡± Elliot nced at Ben, ¡°She lives and works abroad. She only came here for a short time on vacation.¡± ¡°If you¡¯re willing to marry her, she canpletely give up living and working abroad,¡± Ben said. ¡°You¡¯re too attractive to women.¡± ¡°Dr. Sanford is not such a person,¡± Elliot said firmly. Ben nodded and did not mention Zoe Sanford again. ¡°Elliot, look at that table in front. Isn¡¯t that Tammy?¡± Ben pointed in a direction. ¡°That woman sitting opposite Tammy looks like Avery, or at least from the back it looks like it could be her.¡± Ben squinted his eyes. He stood up once he was done speaking and walked over to the table. Elliot looked in the direction that he was heading. It was indeed, Avery. He could recognize her back at only a nce. Although they had not seen each other for more than four years, Chad said that she had not changed much. ¡°Tammy, why didn¡¯t youe with Jun?¡± Although Ben addressed Tammy, he was looking at Avery. ¡°Huh? Is this Miss Tate?¡± Avery was startled to suddenly see Ben. Ben looked at the ss in her hand and sighed, ¡°You didn¡¯t drink alcohol back then, but now you drink? It just so happened that Elliot and I are drinking too. Let¡¯s have a drink together!¡± Ben did not wait for Avery to respond. He walked back to his table to get some wine and two wine sses. He then dragged Elliot over. Avery sat in stunned silence for a moment. Tammy frowned. Dissatisfied, she said, ¡°I¡¯m having dinner with my best friend! What makes you think you can suddenly join us?¡± ¡°Thest time you had dinner with me, you had affectionately called me your brother. Don¡¯t you remember?¡± said Ben, teasing her. ¡°Elliot and Avery were formerly married. Surely, they can still be friends despite their divorce. Isn¡¯t that right Miss Tate?¡± N?velDrama.Org copyrighted ? content. Avery scratched her head in embarrassment. Friends? Even if she had plenty to drink, it was impossible for her to remain friends with Elliot. ¡°Avery, I didn¡¯t mean to stand you up.¡± Elliot stood beside her, holding a wine ss in one hand while his other hand was buried in his pocket. He looked at her with his deep eyes. She had not changed from thest time he had seen her. However, she was more feminine now. ¡°You don¡¯t need to exin anything to me. I¡¯m not angry.¡± Avery met his eyes with a smile. ¡°I have something to handle at the moment. I have to go.¡± She got up and made to leave. However, Elliot stood in front of her like a solid wall with no intention of budging. Chapter 172 Chapter 172 Chapter 172 There was still plenty of wine in her ss and rice in her bowl. If he had not shown up, she would not have excused herself. ¡°You both enjoy your meal. I¡¯ll go.¡± Once he finished the sentence, he stretched his long legs and walked away. Ben immediately followed him with the wine sses still in hand. ¡°Elliot! Wait for me!¡± Tammy gave Avery a thumbs up, ¡°Avery, you¡¯re still the best.¡± Avery gave her an innocent look, ¡°He wanted to leave.¡± ¡°Hahaha! I think he still has feelings for you,¡± Tammy picked up her ss and clinked it against Avery¡¯s. ¡°His eyes. His love for you is clearly reflected in them.¡± ¡°Tammy, you should watch less of those idol dramas. You¡¯ll easily be stupider from watching too much.¡± ¡°Didn¡¯t you say you stayed uptest night to watch dramas?¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t say I was watching an idol drama.¡± Avery took a sip of wine and continued slowly, ¡°I¡¯ m just living my life. I will not put men and romance above my person.¡± Tammy agreed, ¡°Avery, you¡¯re right! It is clear that Elliot did not prioritize you.¡± ¡°Stop mentioning him. Let¡¯s eat.¡± Avery whispered, ¡°I came by car. I need to get my chauffeur to drive me hometer.¡± ¡°There are many chauffeurs outside,¡± Tammy said. ¡°Avery, I wanted to see your house. Why won¡¯t you let me? I haven¡¯t been to your new house yet.¡± Tammy knew that Avery lived in Starry River, but she did not know which mansion belonged to her friend. Avery took a sip of wine embarrassed. ¡°Someday! My house is in a mess now¡­¡± ¡°Doesn¡¯t your mother live with you? How could it be in such a mess?¡± ¡°Uh¡­¡± Avery tried hard to find a reason. At that moment, Elliot had taken a call and made his way toward the exit. Tammy looked at his retreating figure and said, ¡°Avery, Elliot is leaving.¡± Avery turned her head and saw Elliot leaving. This is from N?velDrama.Org. He left in such a hurry because¡­ Has Shea awakened? Shea had indeed awakened. Zoe had called Elliot and told him to return to the hospital quickly. Shea Foster was in the intensive care unit when she opened her eyes. She stared nkly at the unfamiliar room and the unfamiliar people that surrounded her. ¡°Shea, I¡¯m your doctor. My name is Zoe Sanford.¡± Zoe wanted to instill in Shea that she was the one who had performed the surgery. Zoe did now know what was going on in her mind now, and she could not predict how the operation had changed her. Shea looked at Zoe nkly. This face looked unfamiliar to her. When Zoe held her hand, Shea instinctively pulled away. Not long after, Elliot arrived. When Shea saw her brother, her frenzied heart finally calmed a little. She reached for Elliot. Elliot immediately went to her bedside and held her delicate hand. Seeing the unease in her eyes, Elliot said to Zoe, ¡°Dr. Sanford, she¡¯s uneasy around strangers. Please leave, and allow me to talk to her.¡± Zoe nodded and strode out of the ward. After the door to the ward slid shut, Elliot asked in a low voice, ¡°Shea, does your head hurt?¡± Shea nodded, ¡°Big Brother, what¡¯s wrong with me?¡± ¡°The doctor performed an operation on your brain. It will hurt a bit for now, but it will stop in a few days.¡± Elliot¡¯s voice was gentle, and his eyes were gentler. ¡°Shea, how did you leave the academy? Do you remember?¡± Hayden¡¯s face appeared in Shea¡¯s mind. ¡°Big Brother, you took me out with you!¡± Hayden and her brother looked identical to her, and she thought them to be the same person. Elliot frowned. ¡°Could she still be recovering from the surgery?¡± he thought. ¡°Big Brother, who was that person just now? I don¡¯t know her,¡± Shea thought of Zoe¡¯s face and furrowed her brows. ¡°That¡¯s Dr. Sanford. She performed the surgery on you.¡± Chapter 173 Chapter 173 Chapter 173 ¡°I don¡¯t know her,¡± Shea was showing her dislike for Zoe. ¡°I¡¯ve never seen her¡­ I don¡¯t know her¡­¡± ¡°You fainted, and you were taken to the hospital. So, you haven¡¯t seen her till now,¡± exined Elliot. ¡°Fainted?¡± she thought. Shea cried, ¡°No! No!¡± Thest thing she remembered was Avery¡¯s face. She had been lying in bed with a fever, and Avery had been talking to her. She could not remember what had been said. However, she vaguely remembered Avery¡¯s gentle eyes and gentle voice. Theyforted her greatly. Her emotional outburst caused her head to throb and tears flowed from her eyes. It felt almost as if her head was being torn apart. ¡°Shea, does it hurt? Close your eyes and don¡¯t think about anything. When you fall asleep, it won¡¯t be so painful.¡± Elliot wiped away the tears on her face with a tissue and then patted her shoulder, coaxing her to sleep. She had just had brain surgery and needed more rest. After coaxing her to sleep, Elliot came out of the ward. Zoe immediately stepped forward and asked, ¡°How is she?¡± Elliot smiled, and excitement was clear in his voice. ¡°She talks more than she has ever done before. She looks more alert as well. Dr. Sanford, the surgery was a sess!¡± Zoe breathed a sigh of relief. ¡°That¡¯s great! I was worried that the surgery might not have had the desired effects, or it would not have met your expectations!¡± Elliot was extremely grateful, and he could not help hugging Zoe. ¡°Dr. Sanford, thank you!¡± Zoe¡¯s heart beat faster, and she felt guilty, but at the same time, she also enjoyed Elliot¡¯s gratitude She tried to wrap her hands around Elliot. ¡°Mr. Foster, this is my job.¡± Her voice made Elliot regain hisposure. He released her, but the smile remained on his face. ¡°Dr. Sanford, it¡¯s a tiresome job, and I thank you for it. It¡¯s veryte. You should head back and get some good rest. We¡¯ll see you tomorrow.¡± Zoe nodded, ¡°If Shea has anything urgent, you can call me at any time.¡± Elliot nodded and sent her away. Ben saw all this with his eyes. Zoe Sanford. Even at first nce, he knew that she was not a simple-minded woman. Ben had nned on entering the ward to see Shea. This is from N?velDrama.Org. The bodyguard stopped him. Ben was confused, ¡°What? You don¡¯t know me anymore?¡± ¡°Mr. Schaffer, of course, I know you. It¡¯s just that I can¡¯t let you in without the boss¡¯s permission,¡± the bodyguard exined. ¡°Even if the boss¡¯s mother and eldest brother came, I have to stop them as well.¡± Ben was confused, ¡°Why? She can¡¯t see anyone else?¡± The bodyguard answered, ¡°She¡¯s scared of strangers.¡± Ben was speechless. Elliot¡¯s protectiveness of Shea bordered on perversion! Was she not allowed to meet anyone, just because she was afraid of strangers? The more protective he was of her, the more it negatively impacted her illness. ¡°You open the door of the ward. I¡¯ll stand at the door and take a look,¡± Ben said to the bodyguard. The bodyguard did notply, ¡°Mr. Schaffer, don¡¯t put me in a difficult position.¡± Ben continued, ¡°Your boss isn¡¯t here. Open the door and I¡¯ll give you a few bottles of good wine another day!¡± The bodyguard was a little tempted. At this time, Elliot appeared. ¡°Elliot, Dr. Sanford is gone? You said just now that the surgery was a sess, and shea was now back to normal? It¡¯s amazing! Can I go in and take a look?¡± Ben smiled as he walked to Elliot. ¡°No.¡± The smile on Ben¡¯s face disappeared, ¡°You can¡¯t keep her under your protection her entire life. It¡¯s not good for her. Let her meet other people and see new faces.¡± Elliot was adamant, ¡°Now is not the time.¡± Ben said, ¡°As long as you know the boundaries. How did you meet her? Does she not have a family? Are you nning on waiting for her to recover before you marry her?!¡± Elliot frowned deeply, ¡°Ask another question then we¡¯re no longer friends!¡± Chapter 174 Chapter 174 Chapter 174 Ben tugged at Elliot¡¯s arm and they walked toward the emergency exit. ¡°Elliot, you obviously still care for Avery. Why do you always act so irrationally? This, Shea. No matter how beautiful she is, are you sure she canpare to Avery?¡± Ben wanted Elliot to wake up to reality. ¡°No one is more important than Shea!¡± Elliot shouted sharply. ¡°Did Avery divorce you because of this?¡± Ben asked him. ¡°Yes!¡± ¡°If that¡¯s the case, Avery is not at fault! What is there for you to be sad about? It¡¯s you who disappointed her!¡± Ben rarely spoke to him this forcefully. ¡°As your friend, I won¡¯t judge you for who you choose to fall in love with. I just want you,¡± ¡°Then like Avery, you too should leave!¡± said Elliot, cutting him off. ¡°I don¡¯t need outsiders meddling in my personal affairs!¡± He used the word ¡®outsider¡¯. Ben exhaled heavily. Forget it! If he chose to be so obsessed, he would regret itter! Avery was single now, but it did not mean that she would stay single forever. . . Hopefully, he can continue living a life of no regrets when Avery married another man! When Avery came home, it was already ten o¡¯clock in the evening. She opened the children¡¯s room door, and La immediately raised her little head. ¡°Baby, why haven¡¯t you slept yet?¡± Avery walked to the bed and touched her daughter¡¯s little head. ¡°Mom! I was ying drones with Hayden today! It¡¯s fun!¡± This is from N?velDrama.Org. La said excitedly, ¡°Uncle Mike sent them.¡± ¡°Yeah, I saw it. It¡¯s gettingte, baby. It¡¯s time for you to go to bed.¡± La said in an affectionate voice, ¡°Mom, I was waiting for you toe back and kiss me.¡± Avery immediately kissed her daughter¡¯s cheek, ¡°Good night, baby.¡± ¡°Mom, you¡¯ve been drinking!¡± La¡¯s little hand touched her mother¡¯s cheek. Avery sighed into her hand. ¡°I¡¯m sorry baby. I forgot. I¡¯ll get a towel and wipe it.¡± La smiled innocently and cutely, ¡°It¡¯s okay, Mom! You smell nice even after drinking!¡± Avery¡¯s heart was instantly warmed. She went to the bathroom to get a wet towel and wiped her daughter¡¯s cheek. After her daughter fell asleep, she exited the room. Back in the master bedroom, she called Mike. ¡°I¡¯ve been waiting for your call! Why did you take so long to call me?¡± Mike wasining on the other side of the phone. ¡°I had something to do today, and I just came home.¡± Avery switched on the hands-free mode and ced her phone on her bed. She walked to her closet and took her pajamas. ¡°Is the drone you sent over a new product that you developed?¡± ¡°Yes! It¡¯s amazing! Its battery life is super-duper long! And it has amazing sensors. It¡¯s not an exaggeration to say that it¡¯s a robot!¡± Mike said excitedly. ¡°Once it¡¯s listed in Aryadelle, it will definitely take over the drone market here!¡± Avery frowned slightly, ¡°The team in mypany hasn¡¯t been established yet! I¡¯ll do it as soon as possible.¡± ¡± know you¡¯ve been busy with the divorce thesest few days.¡± ¡°It was a sess. Also, have you been secretly teaching Hayden how to hack? I¡¯ve seen him using the computer in my free time. Don¡¯t teach him anything bad!¡± ¡°He¡¯s interested in it, so I taught him. I didn¡¯t charge you for those lessons, but now you are finding fault with me.¡± ¡°Let¡¯s stop this here. I¡¯m rather tired.¡± Avery ended the call and went to the bathroom with her pajamas. It was one o¡¯clock, and Elliot was at the hospital. He had just gotten yesterday morning¡¯s surveince footage. Maintenance was indeed just a reason to refuse inspection. He began going through the footage. He really wanted to know who was the one who had sent Shea to the hospital. Even if they refused the reward, he just wanted to know the person¡¯s name. If they were to encounter any troubles in the future, he would offer his aid. It was three in the morning, and his eyes were sore, and he was tired. The coffee cup was empty. There was still an hour of surveince footage left. He nned to get some rest after watching the rest of the footage. Rubbing his brows, he looked at the screen again. A familiar figure came into view! There were people entering and exiting the hospital, but he could recognize Avery at a nce! Chapter 175 Chapter 175 Chapter 175 She was holding a little girl in one arm, and there was another one in her other arm! He began to doubt himself. Avery¡¯s face could not be seen clearly in the surveince footage. Copyright N?v/el/Dra/ma.Org. He suspected that this woman who looked like Avery was not Avery! Otherwise, why did she have two children by her side? Avery had no children! He watched the surveince video several times. The more his suspicions grew, the more awake he became! He copied the short video and closed the notebook. It was too early for him to confirm the identity of the woman and children. When it was dawn, he would ask Avery himself! At six in the morning, Shea woke up. When she woke up, she got out of the hospital bed. She walked to the side of the escort bed, reached out, and tugged at Elliot¡¯srge hand. ¡°Brother¡­ Brother¡­¡± Elliot suddenly opened his bloodshot eyes. ¡°Brother, let¡¯s go,¡± Shea did not want to stay in the hospital; she wanted to leave this ce. Elliot got up immediately. He had slept only for an hour. He felt very dizzy. However, Shea wanted to be discharged from the hospital. He had to take her away, or she might cause him trouble. Considering her improved intelligence after the surgery, he decided to take her home. Half an hourter, Shea looked at the Fosters¡¯ vi and asked curiously, ¡°Brother, where are we?¡± ¡°This is my house. Will you live with me in the future?¡± Elliot asked her. She was used to Ang Academy and had refused to leave the familiar ce. However, at the moment, she nodded. The effects of the operation were remarkable. Although Shea still looked like a child, her intelligence was definitely not at the level of a three -year-old. Looking at Shea¡¯s change, Elliot could not help thinking of Zoe. He must thank her well. Avery did not wake up until ten o¡¯clock in the morning. The two children had gone to school. Laura saw hering out of the room, and she immediately brought breakfast to the table. ¡°Avery, did you sleep well?¡± ¡°Yeah, I slept wellst night.¡± Avery smiled, ¡°Mom, I¡¯ll be heading to the companyter, and I¡¯ ll only be backter tonight.¡± ¡°If you¡¯re busy, you don¡¯t have to pick Hayden up. After I pick La, La and I will fetch Hayden,¡± said Laura. ¡°There are plenty of things to see to in the early stages of thepany. I hope you will outdo your dad.¡± Avery answered, ¡°I¡¯ll try my best.¡± Avery was in the meeting room of Tate Industries. She had sent the manual of their new product to all members of the staff. ¡°I believe that everyone here still remembers my father¡¯s dream of building a driverless car. My idea is different from that of my father. I think it is better to take control of one¡¯s own life. So, we won¡¯t be building driverless cars.¡± When she finished her sentence, the phone she ced on the table lit up. She muted it. However, she noticed the words, ¡®Elliot Foster¡¯ shing on the screen. Her heart was instantly disturbed. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I need to answer a call.¡± She picked up the phone and walked outside. ¡°Avery did you go to Elizabeth Hospital,¡± he asked the moment¡¯she answered the phone. ¡°I saw you holding a child in your arm, and you were holding the hand of another one. Why do you have two children?¡± Chapter 176 Chapter 176 Chapter 176 Avery felt suffocated as if someone was strangling her. It had never crossed her mind that her two children would go to the hospital to look for her. Moreover, she did not expect Elizabeth Hospital to give out the security footage when they had promised her they would not do so. Elliot had always been a suspicious person. Avery knew Elliot would investigate the person who brought Shea to the hospital. However, there was one thing that he would not have known. Shea was brought to the hospital the day before yesterday instead of yesterday. Hence, no matter how much of yesterday¡¯s security footage Elliot watched, he would not see that Avery was the one who brought Shea to the hospital. ¡°Elliot, we¡¯re divorced. It¡¯s none of your business whether or not I was at Elizabeth Hospital yesterday or however many children I was carrying or holding,¡± said Avery with a stern voice after calming herself down. ¡°They are not your children. I could never have a child with you. Don¡¯t you remember you were the one who killed our child?¡± Avery continued to speak emotionally. After that, Avery immediately hung up the phone. She did not want to hear any response from Elliot. She hoped that Elliot and Shea would stay together happily ever after and not try to hurt other people ever again. When Elliot wanted to respond, the phone was already hung up. He had no chance to say the things on his mind. His mind went nk as he listened to the disconnect tone. It seemed like Avery would never forget the pain of losing their child when he forced her to have an abortion. It was just that Avery had never mentioned it anymore. Hence, Elliot had also forgotten that they once had a child. The huge mansion was so quiet that his heartbeat could be heard clearly. Elliot asked himself in his heart, did he regret it? After hesitating for a few seconds, the answer emerged in his mind. It was the same answer he had before. ¡°Master Elliot, Doctor Sanford is here,¡± said Mrs. Cooper when she stood beside Elliot. Elliot reverted to his calm self instantly. He strode toward the living room. Zoe was in a good mood today. She wore a long bright-colored dress. She had light makeup on her face while letting her hair down. It was a different look from her previous capable and professional image. Elliot had reached the living room and was stunned for a moment when he saw Zoe. ¡°Mr. Foster, don¡¯t tell me you can¡¯t recognize me,¡± Zoe chuckled, ¡°I am not feeling tensed anymore since the operation was a sess. I¡¯m nning to go shoppingter. I¡¯m actually from Avonsville too. My father had brought me to settle abroad when I was very young. But I still have sentimental feelings here since Avonsville will forever be my hometown.¡± Elliot nodded and asked, ¡°Do you need someone to apany you?¡± Zoe¡¯s eyes sparkled and she nodded, ¡°It would be best if someone could apany me.¡± Elliot replied, ¡°I¡¯ll ask the driver to show you around.¡± Zoe was out of words. Elliot exined, ¡°Shea needs someone to apany her.¡± Zoe epted his blunt exnation and smiled to acknowledge it. ¡°Indeed. It¡¯s a pity that she doesn¡¯t like me. Otherwise, I can apany her too,¡± said Zoe regretfully. Copyright N?v/el/Dra/ma.Org. ¡°Well, Doctor Sanford, let¡¯s talk about your sry now,¡± said Elliot, ¡°Tell me your desired amount.¡± That was the reason why Elliot had asked Zoe toe over. Zoe¡¯s face shed with a trace of embarrassment, ¡°Mr. Foster, the deposit you gave me is more than enough. You don¡¯t have to pay me anymore.¡± Elliot had given Zoe 780000 dors before. However, he felt the amount was not sufficient enough. He had searched all over the world for professional doctors and yet, no one could make a breakthrough for Shea¡¯s condition. He had spent far more over the years than the amount of the deposit he gave to Zoe. Hence, Elliot felt he should pay Zoe more than that. ¡°I¡¯ll pay you 155 million dors.¡± Elliot offered. Elliot did not have the intention of owing Zoe any favors. Chapter 177 Chapter 177 Chapter 177 It was the best way to avoid Zoe asking for other types of repayment. Giving arge sum of money was the best solution. Zoe was shocked, ¡°Mr. Foster, please don¡¯t. Shea¡¯s condition needs more than one surgery. You should know that even though her intelligence has improved, it has only improved a little. After she recovers from this operation, if you want to continue giving her the treatment, there may be a second, third, or more operations in the future.¡± As Elliot listened to Zoe¡¯s exnation, he kept silent. Zoe was here on her annual leave. She might not have so much time in the future. ¡°Doctor Sanford, what¡¯s your future n for your career?¡± Elliot asked. Without a doubt, Elliot would want to continue the treatment for Shea. If her IQ could allow her to take care of herself, that would be the best. Zoe understood why Elliot asked such a question. He wanted to continue treating Shea but Zoe might not have the time to stay in Avonsville in the future. Zoe answered, ¡°Mr. Foster. To be honest, I am at a stage where I feel lost. I am 34 this year but I haven¡¯t had a rtionship, ever. My family is extremely anxious about this. So my career is not the most important factor at the moment.¡± As if Zoe had not expressed herself directly, she wanted to be blunt and said to Elliot that he would just need to marry her to repay her or for her to continue treating Zoe. Elliot frowned. ¡°Miss Sanford, I can introduce a boyfriend to you,¡± said Elliot after he hesitated for a moment. Zoe felt a little disappointed. However, she said with a face, ¡°I didn¡¯t expect you to say such things.¡± ¡°Because I need you to continue treating Zoe,¡± Elliot said frankly, ¡°I will never get married again in my life.¡± Zoe looked at Elliot¡¯s handsome face and was attracted by it. ¡°Mr. Foster, I don¡¯t necessarily need to be married to someone. I think hardly any women who have been in contact with you could easily fall for other men. Why don¡¯t we be together as a couple? Then my family won¡¯t bother me anymore and I can concentrate on studying Shea¡¯s case.¡± Zoe suggested. Zoe had discovered Elliot¡¯s weakness and that was Shea¡¯s illness. She wondered since Elliot would spend such a huge amount of money to cure Shea, it was not too much to ask to be Elliot ¡®s girlfriend. Unless Elliot did not want to continue treating Shea. Zoe was forcing him to make a choice. Before Elliot could find another doctor to treat Shea, he could only continue to be threatened by Zoe. At the Tate Industries, Avery had just finished her morning meeting. She was back in her office when her secretary entered the room. N?velDrama.Org copyrighted ? content. ¡°President Tate, Mr. Locklyn from Golden Technologies is here to see you. He used to work as the Vice President of ourpany,¡± the secretary reported. Avery did not have a good impression of Shaun. When Tate Industries went bankrupt, Shaun had the nerve to call her specifically and cursed her to hell. Avery strode into the meeting room. Shaun stood up and walked to Avery, ¡°Avery, it has been a while since Ist saw you. You are getting more and more beautiful.¡± Averybed her hair with her finger and put it behind her ear. She said concisely, ¡°Why are you here today?¡± Shaunughed, ¡°You have offered to pay double the sries in an attempt to recruit all of the former employees back. It has made Tate Industries the talk of the town. I wonder if I cane back too?¡± Avery raised her eyebrows and said, ¡°No.¡± The smile on Shaun¡¯s face disappeared. He thought Avery would have considered it and not be so frank ¡°I was just asking for fun. I am doing alright at Golden Technologies,¡± said Shaun as he tried to recuperate some of his image. Avery asked, ¡°Then why are you here?¡± Shaun stuttered, ¡°I just came to visit.¡± Avery mocked, ¡°Do you think Tate Industries is a zoo, or a cafe?¡± Shaun got angry and left. Avery went back to her office without being affected by Shaun¡¯s ¡®actions. Her phone rang as she sat down and wanted to drink her water. She put down the ss of water to pick up her phone. ¡°Avery! Elliot is in a rtionship with the doctor!¡± Tammy said angrily, ¡°I don¡¯t get it. Wasn¡¯t Shea the woman he loved the most? Why is he with another person then?¡± Chapter 178 Chapter 178 Chapter 178 Avery massaged her temples with her fingers. She thought that she would not be affected by his affairs anymore after getting a divorce. So why did her heart still feel hurt? Since Elliot cared about Shea so much, why could he not just focus on Shea and be together with Shea forever? After giving it some thought, Avery found her answer very quickly. She did not care which woman he was with. She just could not ept that he was such a scumbag. It was hard to admit that she fell in love with a scumbag as it would make her question herself about her choice in men. ¡°Avery, are you alright?¡± asked Tammy worriedly, ¡°I shouldn¡¯t have told you. But if I didn¡¯t tell you, you would still find out eventually.¡± ¡°I¡¯m alright,¡± said Avery as she picked up the ss of water and took a drink. Copyright N?v/el/Dra/ma.Org. ¡°This is his choice. As long as he is happy with it,¡± Avery continued to say. ¡°Jun said it was a request from Zoe. Her treatment was quite effective. Elliot wanted to pay her but she doesn¡¯t want any money,¡± exined Tammy. ¡°You don¡¯t have to exin it to me,¡± said Avery as she felt a little sick, ¡°If he is not willing to, no one can force him.¡± ¡°I heard Shea will need further treatment for her illness. Elliot wants Zoe to continue treating Shea so he had no choice but to agree with Zoe¡¯s request.¡± Tammy continued to exin. However, the more she exined, the more she felt like she was defending Elliot for his actions. Avery sneered, ¡°Good for them. Since Zoe doesn¡¯t mind Elliot being a womanizer, it¡¯s a win win situation for all three of them.¡± Tammy adhered, ¡°That¡¯s right. Zoe has moved in with Elliot now. It¡¯s just weird. Never mind, as long as they don¡¯t feel weird about it. Forget that scumbag. He will not exist in our topics anymore.¡± ¡°Okay. I¡¯m busy with work nowadays. Let me treat you to dinner when I¡¯m done with work,¡± said Avery ¡°Okay!¡± Tammy replied. After finishing the conversation with Tammy, Avery fell into deep thought as she held the ss of water in her hands. She did not know anything about Zoe. However, after this incident, she discovered that Zoe was quite courageous. In actuality, Zoe was not the one who performed surgery for Shea and yet, she dared to use it as leverage to ask Elliot to be her boyfriend. Was she not afraid that Elliot would discover the truth? Nevertheless, it did not matter to Avery at all whether Elliot knew the truth. Zoe wanted Elliot and Avery wanted nothing to do with him, not his money nor his person. The only thing Avery wanted was to live a good life with her children. Hence, Avery did not n on exposing Zoe¡¯s lie. It was already nighttime when Avery returned home feeling tired. The TV in the living room was on. La rushed towards Avery, ¡°Mummy, you are back! Are you tired?¡± Avery shook her head, ¡°I¡¯m not tired, La. Do you feel tired going to school?¡± ¡°Since mummy is not tired, so is La,¡± said La with her cute face. She pulled Avery to sit down with her on the sofa. When Avery sat down, the TV was broadcasting financial news. Coincidentally, Elliot¡¯s face appeared on the screen. ¡°La, was it you who switched on the TV?¡± Avery wondered why her daughter was watching the financial channel. La nced at Hayden, ¡°It was Hayden¡­ I switched the channel¡­¡± Since the financial news was showing Elliot on-air, La must have seen it and watched the news for the first time. ¡°Oh¡­¡± Avery put her arm around La and looked at Hayden, ¡°Hayden,e over here. I have something to tell the both of you.¡± Hayden was working on a puzzle. He came over after listening to Avery. When Hayden came over, Avery pointed at Elliot¡¯s handsome face on TV and instructed her children, ¡°You must remember his face. If you ever see him or bump into him, you must walk away and do not get close to him.¡± La looked puzzled, ¡°Why, mummy?¡± Avery pondered and said, ¡°He might strangle you to death if he ever finds out about the both of you.¡± Those were the exact words that Elliot had said before. He said, he would strangle their children if Avery ever give birth. Since Elliot knew that Avery had two children around her, it was better to tell her children to stay away from him. It would be best if Elliot did not look further into it. Avery was afraid that Elliot might find out that La and Hayden were his children. La frowned immediately. She took the remote control and switched off the TV. Originally, she was quite fond of Elliot since he was quite good-looking. However, it turned out that Elliot was a bad person. Chapter 179 Chapter 179 Chapter 179 ¡°Dinner¡¯s ready. Go wash your hands,¡± said Laura as she walked out of the kitchen. Avery immediately brought the two children to wash their hands. It was 9:00 p.m. in the children¡¯s room. Hayden had his eyes opened as he wondered about what Avery had said before dinner. ¡°La,¡± Hayden called out to his sister. ¡°Hayden, you are still awake too? I¡¯m scared. Elliot is so handsome, but he is a bad person. Sob, sob, sob. Why does he want to strangle us?¡± La stretched out her hands hoping her brother would hug her so she would feel safe. Hayden told La his spection, ¡°Maybe he is our father.¡± ¡°What?¡± La shouted in surprise. ¡°La, we need to take matters into our own hands. We need to find the truth.¡± Hayden decided with a n in mind. ¡°What should we do, Hayden?¡± La asked while she looked at Hayden with her big round eyes. ¡°Go to sleep first,¡± said Hayden. This belongs to N?velDrama.Org - ?. The next morning, the inte of the Sterling Group broke down. Thework security team started to investigate the problem that caused the inte to break down. Elliot rushed to thepany as soon as he heard the news. How could the inte of such a huge organization break down so easily? It was the first time such a major disaster had happened since the When Elliot arrived at thepany, the first thing he did was take a look at the IT department. After that, he returned to his office and switched on theputer. It turned out hisputer was being hacked too. All of the employees¡¯puter screens were showing a green screen with a tongue sticking out emoji. Whereas, Elliot¡¯s screen was different. His screen was showing a provocative sentence, ¡®Come and strangle me, you *sshole!¡¯. The wording was red-colored with a green colored background. The mixture of those two colors was high in contrast. While looking at the sentence, Elliot squeezed his eyebrows tightly together. *sshole? It was such a childish word. He tried hard and could not figure out what kind of an adult would have said it to him. An hourter, all of theputers were recovered back to their normal operation. However, it did not apply to Elliot¡¯sputer. The virus in hisputer was different from the rest of the employees. As a result, all of the IT experts gathered in Elliot¡¯s office trying hard to decrypt the virus. Chad guessed, ¡°Mr. Foster, your nephew was once hacked too. Could it be the same hacker?¡± Elliot said, ¡°The previous hacker purposely used Cole¡¯s information. We have not found out his real identity yet.¡± ¡°This hacker seems to be roaming around us,¡± Chad analyzed, ¡°First it was Cole¡¯s phone, then the security footage of Ang Special Needs Academy, and now he has targeted ourpany¡¯s inte. What is his goal?¡± Elliot did not know either. When Shea was lost, she was not hurt. Hence, the hacker was not after Shea. Thus, the hacker must have targeted either Cole or himself. At that moment, Hayden suddenly appeared in Elliot¡¯s mind. Elliot only knew that Hayden had just transferred into Ang Special Needs Academy. The principal said the boy does not talk to strangers. However, the teacher told Elliot that he had made a promise with Hayden that they would not get into each other¡¯s ways and that was why he continued studying at Ang Special Needs Academy. The boy was definitely not as simple and pure as he looked. Elliot decided to go check on Hayden¡¯s detailed information once he exited thepany. Chapter 180 Chapter 180 Chapter 180 Elliot had reached the administrative department of Ang Special Needs Academy. He was reading Hayden¡¯s information after requesting for it. Name: Hayden Tate Mother: Avery Tate Age: Four years and three months old When Elliot saw Avery¡¯s name, it shocked him deeply. The boy who stepped on him was actually Avery¡¯s son! In addition, the boy was already four years old. He and Avery had been separated for four years too. If the boy was Avery¡¯s son, it meant that Avery was pregnant when she left. Elliot¡¯s body shivered as he held the information in his hand. The administrative manager was unsure about what was happening and asked carefully, ¡°Mr. Foster, what¡¯s wrong with this boy? Did he do anything wrong?¡± Elliot swallowed his saliva and said with a hoarse voice, ¡°Bring me to see this boy!¡± The manager said awkwardly, ¡°This boy did not attend school today. Why are you looking for him? I can call his mother.¡± Elliot said, ¡°No need!¡± With Hayden¡¯s information in his hands, Elliot left the administrative department. He wanted to personally look for Avery to ask what was the deal with Hayden. In the meantime, Chelsea was feeling awfully tense while standing outside at the garden in Elliot¡¯s house. She did not know that Zoe was such a wicked and egoistic woman, so much so that she would go as far as toy her hands on Elliot. What was the meaning of it? Chelsea felt she had fallen into the trap that she had set up herself. Initially, Chelsea had introduced Zoe to Elliot hoping that Elliot would forgive and ept her again. However, this woman whom she brought back was instead stealing Elliot away from her. Chelsea had totally underestimated Zoe. ¡°Zoe, what about your current career? Are you going to just leave it?¡± asked Chelsea while pretending to be calm. However, the tremble in her voice had already shown that Chelsea was in a rage. If only Zoe was not an important person to Elliot, Chelsea would have pped Zoe in the face. ¡°It¡¯s just a job. I can get a good job anywhere I want,¡± said Zoe indifferently. Zoe knew that Chelsea was angry at her. Nevertheless, she didn¡¯t care about it. The fact that Chelsea was the daughter of the President of Tierney Holdings did not bother Zoe at all. It was not as if Chelsea was the sessor. Besides, Zoe has Elliot now. She does not need to stick up for other people anymore. ¡°I guess you are determined to be with Elliot,¡± Chelsea said while gritting her teeth. Zoe nced and said, ¡°Miss Tierney, are you saying no one should be together with the man you can¡¯t have? Let me give you a piece of advice, move on. Either you try hard to increase your ability or face the reality. Elliot will never choose to be with a normal woman who has no use to him.¡± Chelsea could feel her blood pressure increase tremendously. It had definitely hurt Chelsea when Zoe used her of being useless and normal to Elliot. From Chelsea¡¯s point of view, she was definitely betterThis belongs to N?velDrama.Org - ?. than any normal woman either through her appearance or her ability. It was very insulting for Zoe to say such a thing. ¡°Doctor Sanford, since you are feeling proud as a peacock, do you believe that I could pluck all of your feathers out now?¡± Chelsea sneered and teased. Zoe nced behind her and saw the bodyguards following her not far back and protecting her 24 hours a day. ¡°Do you believe that once I shout out loud, the bodyguards behind me will immediately rush over to protect me?¡± Zoe deliberately mocked, ¡°Or should I call my boyfriend now and ask him to seek justice for me? Are you sure you want to be my enemy, Chelsea?¡± Zoe did not wish to be Chelsea¡¯s enemy. She knew that the lesser the trouble, the better it was. Chapter 181 Chapter 181 Chapter 181 The most important thing was to cure Shea. Only then, could Zoe stay beside Elliot for a longer period of time. Chelsea felt so angry that red blood vessels started appearing in her eyes, especially when Zoe mentioned ¡®her boyfriend¡¯. However, there was nothing Chelsea could do. In the end, she could only leave. Zoe looked at Chelsea¡¯s back and sneered, ¡°What a loser. I don¡¯t even have to put in any effort. At the Tate Industries, Avery was busy recruiting employees for various departments. Although most of the former employees have returned, the nature of their business had changed so there was a need to recruit more experienced personnel. Mike would be flying in to help out today. Avery might be able to rx a little when Mike arrives. ¡°President Tate, should we look for a celebrity to be our ambassador?¡± asked the marketing manager while discussing the marketing n with Avery. Avery shook her head, ¡°No.¡± ¡°The popr trend is endorsing a famous celebrity or cooperating with influencers¡­¡± the marketing manager tried to persuade Avery. Avery interrupted, ¡°No. We solely rely on our product.¡± The manager was stunned, ¡°So we don¡¯t have to do any marketing or advertising?¡± Avery replied, ¡°I don¡¯t mean that. It is still necessary to promote the product, just not with celebrities or influencers.¡± The manager nodded, ¡°Then how should we promote it?¡± Avery put down the documents in her hand and said, ¡°We should hire those professionals and experts in this industry to promote. If our product is irreceable, then we will automatically see salesing in.¡± It was definite that the manager knew and understood the theory. However, the actual product was still nowhere to be seen and it caused the manager to worry quite a bit. ¡°President Tate, are you really feeling very confident with the product?¡± asked the manager. Avery raised the corner of her lips and said, ¡°I don¡¯t know how to exin it to you yet. Just wait till you see the product yourself.¡± The manager nodded to show that he acknowledged. Someone knocked on the door. ¡°Come in,¡± said Avery. The door was opened. A young man with exquisite facial features appeared. He was wearing asymmetrical fashion clothing. The manager frowned and asked, ¡°Who are you? Are you in the wrong ce? This is Tate Industries¡­¡± Mike strode passed the manager and gave Avery a very passionate hug. ¡°It¡¯s been only a few days but I have been missing you so much!¡± said Mike cheesily. The manager felt awkward and left the office immediately. It seemed like the man was Avery¡¯s boy toy. He guessed Avery must have changed her taste in men after living overseas for a couple of years. When the manager walked out of Avery¡¯s office, Avery¡¯s secretary was on her way to knock on the door. ¡°Don¡¯t go in! President Tates¡¯ boyfriend is here. They are snuggling together,¡± the manager hinted to the secretary, ¡°You should wait for him toe out before going in.¡± The secretary looked anxious, ¡°But Elliot Foster from Sterling Group is here and wants to meet with President Tates. I can¡¯t just let him wait downstairs, can I?¡± The manager was shocked. After taking a deep breath, the manager said to the secretary, ¡°I¡¯ll go down and talk with him first. I will find out why is he looking for President Tate.¡± After speaking, the manager marched towards the elevator. Coincidentally the elevator door slowly opened once the manager was in front of it. A tall man walked out from it. Copyright N?v/el/Dra/ma.Org. The manager looked up and saw Elliot¡¯s stern and solemn face. He was so scared that he did not even dare to breathe out loud. At that moment, he had forgotten what he had said to the secretary. ¡°President Foster, you are here. Let me lead you to President Tates¡¯ office,¡± the manager ttered. He swiftly walked ahead of Elliot with his back bent a little to show respect. When the manager was in front of the office door, he became a wuss. He had no courage to offend neither Elliot nor Avery. ¡°President Foster, this is President Tates¡¯ office. You may go in,¡± said the manager. Elliot frowned and did not hesitate to open the door with his long arm. He saw Avery sitting in her chair while Mike was sitting on the table facing Avery and ying with her hair. They were both very intimate with each other. Bang! Elliot kicked the door with his leg. Chapter 182 Chapter 182 Chapter 182 The loud sound startled Avery and Mike and they looked at the door with surprise. From there, they saw Elliot¡¯s face looking horrible and sunken as if someone had offended him. ¡°Hi, Avery¡¯s ex-husband!¡± Mike jumped off the table and marched towards Elliot as he greeted Elliot cheerfully. Avery felt pain in her temples. Mike had no idea what a scary person Elliot was. It was up to Avery to stop Mike from inviting his own death. Avery quickly strode toward Mike and pulled him backward. This action caused Elliot¡¯s anger to slowly rise. What was the rtionship between the both of them, Elliot wondered? Why was Avery being so protective of this inappropriate-looking man? ¡°Why are you here?¡± Avery stood in front of Elliot as she looked up at him, ¡°Is there still reason for us to meet anymore?¡± Elliot clenched his fingers so tightly that the paper in his hand almost ripped apart. He walked a step forward so that his body got closer to Avery. Avery could feel the anger in Elliot rising and he couldsh out at any time. She quickly pushed Mike out of the door and said, ¡°Wait for me outside.¡± After she pushed Mike out of the office, she closed the door. ¡°Who is that man?¡± Elliot questioned Avery with her cheek slowly turning red. There was no one else in the room spectating, so Avery was no longer afraid of Elliot. ¡°Elliot, don¡¯t force me to be rude. I don¡¯t want to fight with you,¡± Avery said as she took the piece of paper away from Elliot¡¯s hand, ¡°This is¡­¡± Before she could finish her sentence, she saw Hayden¡¯s name on the piece of paper. Her body started to shiver and her face was full of terror and nervousness. Elliot looked at the change of expression on Avery¡¯s face coldly. His intuition became stronger. ¡°Avery Tate! Is this child mine?¡± said Elliot with a cold and sharp voice, without any trace of warmth. Without any hesitation, Avery responded very quickly, ¡°No. Our child was aborted a long time ago. This child¡­ I adopted him while I was abroad.¡± The only way to get through this was to lie. Avery must lie. If she did not, then Elliot would use all means to take the child away. He hated children and he vouched to never have children in this life. In addition, Hayden was different from normal children. Who knew what would happen to Hayden if Elliot had custody over him. ¡°Adopted?¡± Elliot frowned as he did not expect that answer, ¡°Why did you want to adopt a child?¡± ¡°Because he was different from a normal child. I think he¡¯s pitiful and that¡¯s why I adopted him. This will be the only andst time that I¡¯ll exin it to you, Elliot. Stop messing around in my private life. If you have so much free time on your hands, why don¡¯t you go take care of your girlfriend?¡± Avery threw the piece of paper into the shredder. Looking at how emotional Avery was, Elliot suddenly felt as if he was being doused with a bucket of cold water. The anger he felt was instantly extinguished. News traveled so fast that even Avery now knew he had a new girlfriend. He wanted to exin to Avery, but he realized everything he said would be funny. ¡°Avery, the new boyfriend of yours doesn¡¯t seem good. You should have better taste in men.¡± It was supposed to be just an advice and yet, it turned out to be mockery. N?velDrama.Org copyrighted ? content. Avery was agitated by him and wanted to show him what it felt like, ¡°Your new girlfriend is nothing good as well. You should have picked Chelsea instead. I wonder what were you thinking.¡± Elliot gritted his teeth, ¡°Have you ever seen Zoe before? To me, she is far better than Chelsea!¡± Avery raised her eyebrows, ¡°What do you know about my Mike? He may look messy and yful but he has a pure heart. Unlike someone who is not only in two but even three rtionships at the same time!¡± Elliot¡¯s face turned pale after being agitated. Soon, he stormed out of Avery¡¯s office. Chapter 183 Chapter 183 Chapter 183 After Elliot left the office, Mike returned into the office. ¡°What does your ex-husband want with you? He looks very fierce. Did he bully you?¡± Mike asked as he brought Avery to her chair and gave her a ss of water. At first, Avery was feeling very angry. After seeing how attentive Mike was, Avery felt a little relieved, ¡°He thought you were my boyfriend and I did not deny it. Will it cause any trouble to you?¡± This belongs to N?velDrama.Org - ?. Mike blinked his eyes and said, ¡°Just your boyfriend? If you want, I can be your husband. We can get married now.¡± Avery said, ¡°I don¡¯t n on getting married. Leave the space to write your true love¡¯s name on it.¡± Mike said with a depressed face, ¡°I don¡¯t n on getting married too. My ex hurt me too deeply. I don¡¯t think there is a true love for me in this world.¡± Many years ago, Mike had a tumor inside of his brain. Avery was the one who operated on it and the operation was sessful. However, in the midst of his illness, his boyfriend who Mike had been with for five years, dumped him. After the operation, Mike and Avery founded Alpha Technologies. ¡°Stop thinking about the unhappy thoughts. Have you found a ce to stay? I can book a hotel for you if you haven¡¯t.¡± Avery took out her phone and wanted to search for a hotel. ¡°I¡¯m going to stay with you. I have already brought my luggage to your house. Your mother was very friendly to me,¡± said Mike pleasingly, ¡°Think about our rtionship. Your house is my house. Why should I stay in a hotel?¡± Avery was speechless. However, she was not going to argue with him since Mike was gay. Hayden did not attend school today. He and La went to Cole¡¯spany. They wanted to know who their real birth father was. Since Elliot was a harder target to get close to, they had no choice but to start with Cole. During the lunch break, Cole walked out of his office and nned to have lunch at a nearby restaurant. La appeared in front of the office with her backpack. Cole immediately recognized La since La had given him a longsting impression with her doll-like hair. He had been having nightmares for a few nights. He dreamt that La was the one who had hacked his phone with a trojan horse virus. Every time Cole woke up, he would not believe it. Who could have thought such a small child who might still be drinking milk could master the skill of the trojan horse virus. ¡°Kiddo!¡± Cole walked toward La and grabbed her arm, ¡°Why are you here? Are you looking for me?¡± La blinked her round, energetic eyes and nodded her head, ¡°Uncle, I have been looking for you!¡± ¡°Why are you looking for me? You borrowed my phone to call your father previously but I did not find the number you dialled.¡± Cole held La¡¯s hand and headed toward a nearby restaurant. The sun was scorching hot. ¡°Because I forgot my father¡¯s phone number. I found him afterward and my father wanted me to say thank you to you. He even asked me to bring you a gift,¡± said La with clear pronunciation of words and perfect sentence structure. Cole could not help but me himself. How could he suspect such a small kid to input a trojan horse virus into his phone? Look at how pretty and pure she was. Her father must be a well mannered gentleman. ¡°Did your father bring you here?¡± Cole asked. La nodded and tried to exin, ¡°My father works around here. He had something to do so he went back to his office.¡± Before Cole could ask another question, La took out the gift and put it on the floor. It was a small electrical toy. ¡°Uncle, can you switch it on?¡± La asked. Cole squatted down and looked for the switch. At that time, La moved quickly and used her fingers to pull a few strands of Cole¡¯s hair. Chapter 184 Chapter 184 Chapter 184 ¡°Uncle, don¡¯t move!¡± La screamed frantically. Originally, Cole wanted to stand up and ask what was La trying to do. However, La¡¯s shouting gave him a scare, so much so that he paused his movement. ¡°Uncle, you have grown plenty of gray hairs. Let me get rid of them for you. People might think you are an old man.¡± La took the opportunity and put the hair she pulled into a stic bag and put it back into her backpack. After finishing what she was doing, she patted Cole¡¯s shoulder and said, ¡°Alright, I have removed all of it.¡± Cole stood up while enduring the pain he felt from his scalp, ¡°Let me see. I don¡¯t remember having gray hairs.¡± La pointed at the air innocently, ¡°I have already thrown it away. Why do you want to see it? It¡¯s just any normal type of gray hair.¡± Cole was speechless. La continued to hurt Cole¡¯s heart by saying, ¡°Your hair is very oily. I need to go wash my hands or else my hands will be stinky.¡± After that, La left while feeling disgusted after touching Cole¡¯s hair. As Cole watched La¡¯s back, he had dozens of questions appearing in his mind. He reached out for his hair to check the status of his hair and scalp. It was unlike what La said, his hair was just dry and soft, not oily at all. Why would La say his hair was oily? He remembered clearly that he did not have any gray hair. What a strange little girl. That was the same feeling Cole felt thest time he met La. Could it be another conspiracy? With that thought in mind, he quickly took out his phone to check if his phone had been nted with another virus. La trotted towards her brother. She took out the hair to show her brother. ¡°Am I amazing?¡± La asked proudly. Hayden was very satisfied with La¡¯s performance, ¡°I¡¯ll buy you ice cream.¡± ¡°Oh yeah! Will mummy be angry since I skipped kindergarten today?¡± It was more fun being out with Hayden than going to the kindergarten. However, La was worried that her mother would be upset with her. Hayden said with a calm face, ¡°No.¡± Their mother was aware every time they skipped ss. However, their mother had never spoken to or scolded them for skipping. From Hayden¡¯s point of view, kindergarten was too easy and childish for him. This belongs to N?velDrama.Org - ?. ¡°Hehe! Let¡¯s go buy ice cream. I want chocte-vored ice cream!¡± La hugged her brother ¡®s arm and smiled brightly. Hayden put Cole¡¯s hair into his bag and took his sister for ice cream. Fifteen minutester, the two children were sitting down having ice cream. ¡°What should we do if our father is Elliot?¡± La looked worried, ¡°Mummy said he would strangle us.¡± Hayden said, ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I will protect you.¡± ¡°Are we going to call him daddy? Didn¡¯t you say he is very wealthy?¡± La was confused. Hayden answered, ¡°No.¡± Looking at Elliot¡¯s house, Shea was recovering pretty well after her surgery. Other than experiencing headaches and refusing to eat, she was pretty quiet most of the time. Mrs. Cooper took care of her with extra caution. It was only on the third day that Shea started to trust Mrs. Cooper a little. Although Shea still did not talk to Mrs. Cooper, she would ept the food and water Mrs. Cooper gave her. Mrs. Cooper was curious about the rtionship between Elliot and Shea. Due to her professionalism, she did not dare to ask anything. Of all the years Mrs. Cooper had worked for Elliot, this was the first time she saw Elliot being so tender, caring, and spoilt towards a woman. It was different from the way Elliot treated Avery and Zoe. Although he was good to the both of them, the way he treated Shea was more like a parental type of love. He was at his most tender loving moment when he was with Shea. Whereas, Elliot fought with Avery most of the time they were together. Perhaps it was because Shea¡¯s IQ was below average and that caused Elliot to be more patient with her, Mrs. Cooper thought. ¡°y outside,¡± Shea requested after her headache eased. Chapter 185 Chapter 185 Chapter 185 Mrs. Cooper replied troublingly, ¡°Shea, the doctor said you have to be in bed for at least half a month. It¡¯s not even one week after your surgery. If I bring you out, Master Elliot will be mad at me.¡± Shea raised her head slightly, ¡°Who is Master Elliot?¡± Mrs. Cooper answered, ¡°Elliot Foster,¡± and she paused for a while and asked again, ¡°What do you call him?¡± Shea thought for a while and pointed at the window, ¡°y outside.¡± N?velDrama.Org copyrighted ? content. Mrs. Cooper was lost for words. She did not dare to make the decision, so she called Zoe. After a while, Zoe came into the room. ¡°Shea, you want to y outside?¡± Shea asked with a smile, ¡°I can bring you out, but you¡¯ll have to sit in the wheelchair. I¡¯m scared that you will get dizzy walking by yourself.¡± Zoe offered. All Shea wanted was to get some fresh air, it did not matter to her if she had to sit in the wheelchair. Hence, Shea agreed and Mrs. Cooper took out the wheelchair Elliot had used before. ¡°Mrs. Cooper, I¡¯ll push Shea out,¡± said Zoe to Mrs. Cooper as she took over and pushed Shea out to the front yard. In order to reassure the status of being Elliot¡¯s girlfriend, Zoe would need to make a good connection with Shea. Zoe must make good use of each opportunity she has, such as pushing Shea out now. Shea was starting to show less resistance toward Zoe. It was very good progress. Zoe believed that with a little progress each day, her rtionship with Shea would definitely get a huge improvement. The temperature was over 86 Fahrenheit today, even when the sun was not out entirely. ¡°Shea, are you still having headaches? I can prescribe you some painkillers if you can¡¯t take the pain,¡± Zoe asked softly. ording to Zoe¡¯s analysis, Shea now had the IQ of a ten year old child. Hence, she would just need to treat Shea like a ten year old child. Shea replied, ¡°No.¡± Shea would not take any medicine given by strangers, especially Zoe. Unless Elliot was the one giving it to her. Zoe smiled, ¡°Shea, it¡¯s good that you are talking. Elliot and I are hoping you get well soon.¡± Shea did not respond. After having some fresh air, she suddenly asked, ¡°Is it really you who did my surgery?¡± If Zoe was the one who did the surgery, why did Shea not remember her face before she lost consciousness? Shea could only vaguely remember Avery¡¯s face in her mind. Unfortunately, she did not know Avery¡¯s name. Zoe was shocked to hear Shea¡¯s question since Shea did not talk but instead would only act like a ten year old child. Could it be that Shea remembers the person who performed the surgery? At that moment, Zoe¡¯s face blushed, and she started to think how would Elliot react if he knew of the truth. ¡°Doctor Sanford?¡± Shea called since Zoe did not respond to her question. Zoe took a deep breath and decided to take a chance, ¡°Yes, it was me. Did you remember anything? You can tell it to me.¡± Shea pursed her lips and stopped talking. The next morning, Avery¡¯s phone rang when Avery was still asleep. She looked at her phone and saw that it was Tammy calling. ¡°Tammy, it¡¯s seven in the morning. Why did you wake up so early?¡± Avery asked after answering the call. Since Avery had to work through the night, Laura was the one sending the children to school. Tammy replied, ¡°My parents are away traveling. I sent them off to the airport. I stopped by Starry River Vi on my way back since it was on the way. Which vi are you staying at? I bought breakfast and I want to visit your new home.¡± Avery was so shocked that she jumped off her bed vigorously and it caused her brain to spin as her blood supply to the brain was insufficient upon getting up so swiftly. ¡°Avery! I¡¯m already at the entrance. Surely you won¡¯t reject me, right?¡± Tammy said angrily as she put her hand on her hips. Avery quickly stormed out of her bedroom. Seeing that both children had went to school, she ¡®quickly took all the toys to the children¡¯s room. After she finished tidying up, she gave Tammy her location. Three minutester, the doorbell rang. Avery walked out of the toilet while brushing her teeth. Just then, Mike dashed over and opened the door while wearing just his pants. Chapter 186 Chapter 186 Chapter 186 The toothbrush in Avery¡¯s h?nd fell to the floor. Even Tammy was shocked and dropped the bag of breakfast when she saw Mike. Luckily, Mike reacted quickly and caught the bag of breakfast. ¡°Avery, is this your best friend?¡± Mike asked with a head of messy hair. After that, he opened the bag of breakfast, took out a pancake, and stuffed it into his mouth. Later, he took another pancake and wanted to feed it to Avery, ¡°Not bad, do you want it?¡± Avery saw Tammy¡¯s shocked expression and quickly pushed Mike into his room. ¡°Tammy, wait a second. Go sit down first,¡± Avery told Tammy. Suddenly, Tammy came to her senses. She took a deep breath and took out her phone and sent a message to Jun. Tammy texted Jun, ¡°Oh my! Avery really knows how to enjoy. She is living together with a handsome man!¡± Jun replied, ¡°Who? Avery?¡± Tammy replied, ¡°If I hadn¡¯t seen it with my own eyes, I would not have believed that she is such an open woman. I don¡¯t feel sorry for Elliot anymore. Elliot knows how to enjoy himself, and so does Avery. That man is so handsome. Other than being a little too slim, everything else looks good.¡± Jun asked, ¡°Did you take any photos? I want to see!¡± Tammy answered, ¡°Avery pulled the man back into the room. I will interrogate her when shees out. Wait for the updates!¡± Jun replied, ¡°Alright.¡± After Avery sent Mike back to his room, she went back to the living room to pick up her toothbrush and continued to freshen up in the bathroom. Five minutester, she finally calmed herself and went looking for Tammy. ¡°Avery, are you going to exin it to me, or do I have to force it out of you?¡± Tammy asked. Avery sighed, ¡°That¡¯s my business partner.¡± ¡°Oh, so you guys got together privately too?¡± Tammy asked. . Avery stopped drinking the water, ¡°Did you see us sleep together with your own eyes?¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t it obvious? If both of you are not sleeping together, then why doesn¡¯t he stay at a hotel? ¡± Tammy refuted. Avery put the ss of water onto the table and gave up arguing, ¡°Is it wrong for me to be with another man since I am single now?¡± ¡°Of course not! If that man is really your new lover, then I¡¯m happy for you,¡± said Tammy happily as she sat beside Avery, ¡°I didn¡¯t know you made such quick progress. Elliot will go mad once he finds out.¡± ¡°He already did, the day before yesterday,¡± Avery told. Tammy replied, ¡°What? Was he mad?¡± Avery spoke calmly, ¡°We are both adults, not children.¡± Tammy desperately wanted to know Elliot¡¯s reaction when he found out about it. Hence, once she left Starry River Vi, she quickly called Jun and asked Jun to convey the information to Elliot. Jun did what he was told. He called Elliot. ¡°Elliot. Tammy was visiting Avery just now,¡± Jun said while adding more re to the story,¡± She said there is a man staying with Avery. She even said that the man was very handsome.¡± Elliot thought of the man he saw in Avery¡¯s office. He did not expect them to be living together. ¡°She can live with anyone she wants. You don¡¯t have to call and tell me specifically,¡± Elliot scolded and hung up the phone. Jun was feeling wronged andined to Ben. Ever since Ben fought with Elliot, both of them had not spoken for a few days. However, after knowing that Avery has a new boyfriend, he no longer felt depressed. Could Avery purposely find a new boyfriend just to make Elliot angry? If that was the case, good on Avery. If it was not, then it was still good too. It was nice to see Avery torment Elliot for once. Changing the scene to Ang Special Needs Academy. Hayden had received the DNA report. The report stated that Hayden, La, and Cole were not father and child. It meant that Cole was not their father. ¡®However, the report stated that Hayden, La, and Cole were rted somehow. Summing it up, Hayden could conclude that Elliot was their birth father. When Hayden thought Cole was his father, he was quite dissatisfied. However, he now felt like he was faced with a bigger problem since he knew that Elliot was his father. This belongs to N?velDrama.Org: ?. Chapter 187 Chapter 187 Chapter 187 It did not require much effort to teach Cole a lesson. However, it was a different story if Hayden wanted to go after Elliot. Ever since Hayden sessfully hacked into the cyber security of Elliot¡¯spany, Elliot had spent a huge amount of money to install a powerful firewall. Now Hayden could no longer get past the firewall. Uncle Mike had been busy with Tate Industries and had no free time to help him. In the end, Hayden could only look at Elliot¡¯s photo and slowly unleash his dissatisfaction. There was only one student in the ssroom, Hayden. Whereas, there were two teachers looking after him in the ssroom, a teacher who looked after him and another one who was responsible for teaching. The teaching teacher was lecturing at the front while Hayden was wearing his headphones and ying with hisputer. It was very harmonious. Suddenly, a shadow appeared outside the ssroom door. Hayden spotted it and quickly retracted his gaze. Knock! Knock! Someone knocked on the door. It was Shea. The teacher saw her and immediately walked to the door. ¡°Shea, why are you here? Are you here alone?¡± The teacher looked at Shea enthusiastically. Since Shea was not having any more headaches, she could not stay put at home and was moring to go to school. As such, the driver drove her to school and would pick her up in the afternoon. After reaching the school, she quickly walked around the entire campus with the nanny apanying her. No one knew what she was searching for. It was until she arrived at the ssroom where Hayden was at. She looked inside and refused to leave. She saw Hayden and instantly recognized him. Hayden was wearing a cap which made it easy to identify him. Shea pointed at Hayden. The teacher walked over to Hayden and asked, ¡°Hayden, Shea is looking for you. Do you know her?¡± Hayden, ¡°No!¡± This belongs to N?velDrama.Org - ?. When Shea heard Hayden¡¯s reply, her mind got shocked. She moved her lips and shouted out loud, ¡°Yes!¡± The teacher was speechless. Why did these two who normally could not bother to talk, start talking now? Hayden shouted back, ¡°No!¡±, Shea countered, ¡°Yes!¡± After a few rounds, Hayden was feeling pain in his eardrums. He stood up from his chair and walked over to Shea. Both of them acted like they had been friends forever and moved toward a corner where no one was around. ¡°You are a bad woman! I am not going to help you anymore!¡± Hayden said with disgust. Shea felt wronged, ¡°Why? Why? I am not a bad woman! I am not!¡± Hayden said, ¡°No one would ever admit that they are a bad person. Don¡¯te looking for me. I won¡¯t talk to you anymore!¡± After saying that, Hayden hurried and left. Shea looked at Hayden leave and tears started welling up in her eyes. The nanny walked over to her and took a tissue out to wipe away Shea¡¯s tears, ¡°Don¡¯t cry, Miss Shea. Why did the both of you argue? When did you get to know that little boy? Howe I don¡¯t know that you know him?¡± At first, Shea was still holding back her tears. After listening to the nanny, she started crying. The nanny took her back to her room and called Elliot to report the incident to him. ¡°That boy¡¯s name is Hayden Tate. Miss Foster spent the entire morning looking for him. They started arguing when they saw each other. The boy insisted that he does not know Miss Foster but Miss Foster said he knows her,¡± the nanny sighed, ¡°Master Elliot, you need toe over. Miss Shea is still crying.¡± Hayden Tate! Avery¡¯s adopted son. Why would shea cry over him? Since when did they know each other? Did Avery know about it? Elliot clenched his fists so tightly that his knuckles were turning white. Chapter 188 Chapter 188 Chapter 188 When Elliot arrived at the school, he immediately held Shea in his arms and patted her back lightly upon seeing Shea¡¯s swollen eyes. . ¡°Stop crying, Shea,¡± Elliotforted. Shea was having a headache because she had been crying too hard. After hearing Elliot¡¯s voice, she felt safer and leaned on Elliot¡¯s chest while her emotions began to stabilize. After a while, she fell asleep This belongs to N?velDrama.Org: ?. Elliot carried her to bed and ced her on the bed. After that, he walked out of the room. He needed to go look for Hayden to find out what happened. Later, he arrived at Hayden¡¯s ssroom. The teachers saw Ellioting and left the ssroom. As such, only Elliot and Hayden were in the ssroom. Elliot walked over and stood in front of Hayden. Hayden saw himing and started to pack his books into his backpack. ¡°Hayden Tate, I already know who your mother is,¡± Elliot pulled a chair over and sat in front of Hayden to block him from leaving. Seeing how domineering Elliot was, Hayden knew that he did not have the chance to leave the ssroom. Hence, he sat quietly and pretended Elliot was not there. ¡°Since when did you know Shea?¡± Elliot asked while looking at Hayden¡¯s half-covered face. He had no idea why Hayden kept wearing his cap. It made sense to wear it outside, but why wear it inside the ssroom too? Was it because Hayden did not have any hair or was he just trying to be cool? ¡°As long as you answer my questions, I won¡¯t give you any trouble,¡± Elliot said while feeling his patience disappear little by little, ¡°If you are not going to talk, then we can sit here until you do.¡± It was a threat. However, Hayden was not afraid. He rested his head on the table and closed his eyes to sleep. There was nothing Elliot could do, other than stare at how cool and snobbish Hayden acted. He could not possibly bully a four years old boy, especially when this boy was actually Avery¡¯s son. The ssroom was so quiet that the both of them could hear their heartbeats. Ten minutes passed. Twenty minutes had passed and both of them were still at a standstill. Elliot was convinced that if he still did nothing, the boy would just fall asleep. He walked over to Hayden¡¯s side and used his strong arms to carry Hayden. Hayden was shocked and thought, ¡®What is this jerk trying to do?¡¯ ¡°Don¡¯t touch me!¡± Hayden shouted angrily. As Elliot heard Hayden speak, he felt he had the upper hand and that he had regained control. Looking at Hayden now, he had spoken even when he had a bad temper alongside his habit of not talking to strangers. It just meant that his illness was not that serious. If he was in the worst stage, he would not talk even under such circumstances. ¡°Tell me! When did you know Shea? Why did the both of you argue?¡± Elliot held Hayden¡¯s body tight as Hayden struggled to break free. Elliot could tell that Hayden disliked people touching him. If that was the case, Elliot was determined to hold him until Hayden answered. Hayden was outraged. How could this jerk hold him? Hayden decided not to answer the question. ¡®Why didn¡¯t Elliot just ask Shea if he wanted to know? Why should Elliot think it was other people¡¯s fault just because Shea cried? No wonder, mummy decided to divorce him,¡¯ Hayden thought in his mind. Hayden¡¯s eyes were reddened because he was really angry at Elliot. In the end, he took a bite out of Elliot¡¯s neck. Chapter 189 Chapter 189 Chapter 189 Hayden did not stop biting until he tasted blood in his mouth. It was four o¡¯clock in the evening. The school had called Avery telling her that Hayden had bitten someone and requested her to go to the school. Avery did not understand. Hayden was the only student in his ss. Since he did not have any ssmates, who could he bite? Was it the teacher who got bitten? With the possibility in her mind, Avery quickly shut down herputer and took her keys with her. ¡®How could Hayden bite his teacher? Even if he had an argument with his teacher, he should not resort to violence.¡¯ Avery kept on thinking. She remembered Hayden was a well-mannered boy. When did he change? Avery had been working veryte and she had recently somewhat neglected her two children. She decided to have a good talk with the both of them tonight. After reaching the school, Avery¡¯s teacher said apologetically, ¡°Miss Tate, your child has been taken away.¡± Avery was shocked. This belongs to N?velDrama.Org - ?. ¡°But don¡¯t worry, Hayden was taken away by Mr. Foster. You should have heard about him. I can give you his address and you can go pick Hayden up,¡± The teacher exined. Avery was so angry that her cheeks started to turn red, ¡°Why did he take Hayden away with him? Doesn¡¯t the school have any policies against it? Why didn¡¯t you inform me when he took Hayden away? I¡¯m very disappointed with the school.¡± The teacher exined immediately, ¡°Miss Tate, please listen to me. Mr. Foster has just taken Hayden away. I wanted to call you but since I knew you wereing, I did not call you. As for why Mr. Foster insisted on taking Hayden, it was because Hayden had a big argument with Shea. When Mr. Foster arrived, he asked Hayden for the reason they argued and Hayden refused to tell him. Shea woke up just now and wanted to go home. That¡¯s why Mr. Foster brought Hayden together with him. He wanted to understand why they had an argument.¡± Even though the teacher had exined in detail, Avery was still very angry. With the car keys in her hand, she strode off. The teacher followed closely behind Avery and said, ¡°Miss Tate, please don¡¯t be angry. I can go pick Hayden up with you. I can go with you since you don¡¯t know Mr. Foster¡¯s address¡­¡± Avery was having a headache, ¡°Stop following me! I will go on my own!¡± The teacher replied, ¡°Oh, okay. Let me tell you the address. It is¡­¡± ¡°Stop talking and stop following me!¡± Avery¡¯s heart was on fire. She had no idea how Hayden would be treated when he was in Elliot¡¯s house. She was extremely anxious and needed to rush to Elliot¡¯s house immediately. Her car sped off after Avery started the car engine. The teacher mumbled as she saw Avery¡¯s car driving off, ¡°Does she know Mr. Foster¡¯s address? Why didn¡¯t she let me tell her?¡± . After Elliot brought Shea and Hayden back to his house, Mrs. Cooper quickly served them snacks and fruits. Mrs. Cooper looked at Hayden and asked curiously, ¡°Master Elliot, who is this boy?¡± Hayden was wearing a baseball cap and carrying arge backpack. His hands were grabbing the shoulder strap of the backpack tightly. The baseball cap had covered his eyes. However, it did not prevent Mrs. Cooper from knowing that Hayden was very angry with his pouted cheek and pursed lips. ¡°Avery¡¯s son,¡± Elliot answered inly while sitting on the couch, ¡°adopted.¡± Thatst word had startled Mrs. Cooper and stunned Hayden ¡®Adopted? When did I be mummy¡¯s adopted son?¡¯ Hayden thought. Soon, he realized his mum must have told Elliot that on purpose. He remembered his mum say that Elliot would strangle both him and La if he found out about them. ¡°Oh¡­ Avery is such a kind-hearted person,¡± said Mrs. Cooper as she peeled a banana and gave it to Hayden. Hayden refused to eat any food from this house. He turned his body around. Mrs. Cooper put the banana down and went to the bathroom to take a bucket of warm water. Without asking for permission from Hayden, she took off his baseball cap, ¡°Look at all the sweat on your face, let me wipe it off.¡± The moment Mrs. Cooper took off Hayden¡¯s baseball cap, Elliot finally had the chance to see Hayden¡¯s face clearly. The thought of Hayden looking simr to Elliot immediately sprung into his mind. Chapter 190 Chapter 190 Chapter 190 ¡°Don¡¯t touch me!¡± Hayden yelled out. He quickly wore his cap back on his head. Mrs. Cooper got shocked when Hayden yelled at her. Elliot and Shea stared at Hayden while Shea was frightened because Hayden yelled out. Whereas Elliot was stunned because it was the first time he saw Hayden¡¯s full face. He even saw simrities between his and Hayden¡¯s face. ¡°Then can you wipe it yourself?¡± Mrs. Cooper asked after twisting the towel and handing it to Hayden, ¡°You have sweat on your face. It¡¯ll be morefortable after wiping it.¡± Hayden took the towel and threw it back into the bucket. Since Hayden was very temperamental, Mrs. Cooper took the bucket and left. ¡°If you don¡¯t tell me how you know Shea and why did you both argue, don¡¯t even think about going home tonight,¡± Elliot returned to his senses and threatened Hayden. Hayden turned a deaf ear and walked towards the door. Two bodyguards appeared outside of the door and stopped Hayden from going any further. Hayden raised his head and stared at them. The two bodyguards felt stressed as Hayden continued to stare at them. They wondered why this boy had such a fierce expression. Hayden was unlike any other normal kid. The bodyguards could tell that Hayden was a threat to them when he looked at them so fiercely. Hayden had a simr aura as Elliot and that pressured the bodyguards. Hayden looked at his watch. It was 4:50 p.m. He knew his grandma would inform his mum if she failed to pick him up from school at 5:30 p.m. He was certain that his mum woulde looking for him. All he needed to do was wait patiently. When Elliot saw Hayden sitting down beside the door, he knew that he had lost. There was nothing else he could do. It was impossible for Elliot to use any tactics against him. He knew ¡®Avery would never forgive him if he had tried anything. Exclusive content from N?velDrama.Org. ¡°Shea, when did you get to know Hayden?¡± Since Elliot could not get an answer from Hayden, he asked Shea instead. Shea was eating the banana that Mrs. Cooper had peeled for Hayden. As she listened to Elliot¡¯s question, her eyes shed with anxiousness and nervousness. At that moment, she remembered the time when she begged Hayden to bring her away from the school. She knew if she told it to Elliot, he would be mad at her. It did not matter if Elliot was mad at her. The most important factor was that she did not want Hayden to be mad at her. Hayden would totally ignore her if that was the case. Hence, she slowly ate her banana and looked at Elliot with a pair of innocent eyes. Her eyes were telling Elliot that she would not answer his question, and it was best if he stopped asking. A sense of failure slowly appeared in Elliot¡¯s heart. There were so many simrities between Shea and Hayden. Both of them disliked talking. They did not like to interact with strangers. Elliot was flustered as he kept thinking about how both of them knew each other and what had they said to each other. ¡°Master Elliot, how did you hurt your neck?¡± Mrs. Cooper was shocked to see the bite marks on Elliot¡¯s neck, ¡°I¡¯ll go get the first aid kit.¡± Elliot nced at Hayden and said, ¡°You don¡¯t have to.¡± He presumed that Avery would arrive anytime now and she would be very angry. He wanted to save the bite mark and show it to Avery. A Rower parked up outside in the front yard. Avery got off from her car. Hayden immediately stood up when he saw his mum. Chapter 191 Chapter 191 Chapter 191 It was only five in the morning. He did not expect mom to be here so soon! Although his mom had always said that he was adopted, he knew his mom loved him greatly. ¡°Hayden!¡± Avery saw her son sitting on the sill with two muscr men beside him. Tears welled up in her eyes. Hearing Avery¡¯s voice, Elliot stood up from the sofa and walked toward the door. The bodyguards dared not stop Avery. They had witnessed how much Elliot had loved this woman. Although she was now his ex-wife, she was different from all the other women that Elliot was acquainted with Elliot saw Avery carrying Hayden as her eyes reddened, she looked as if her son was being mistreated. ¡°Avery, let¡¯s talk.¡± Avery was fuming, ¡°What gives you the right to bring Hayden to your house!? Did you have my permission? What you did was against thew!¡± Elliot¡¯s brows furrowed, ¡°I did not hurt him! I only wanted to know when did he meet Shea? Why did they fall out?¡± Avery refuted, ¡°Can¡¯t you ask Shea instead?! Elliot, I know Shea means a lot to you, but this is not a reason for you to bully my son!¡± Elliot¡¯s head was hurting badly. Indeed, he did not have her permission to bring Hayden home. ¡°I did not bully your son!¡± Elliot said. ¡°You brought him to your house by force and made him sit on the floor. Is this not bullying? Then, tell me! What is bullying?¡± Avery suddenly saw the tooth mark and dried blood on Elliot¡¯ s neck. Did her son bite him? Suddenly, she grew uncertain. Mrs. Cooper saw the two of them fighting in the front yard, she walked out and helped Elliot exin, ¡°Avery, Master Elliot did not bully your son. I brought him food and drinks but he turned them down.¡± . When Avery saw Mrs. Cooper, she calmed down. She had not seen Mrs. Cooper for years but she still seemed as friendly as ever. ¡°Fighting won¡¯t solve the problem.¡± Mrs. Cooper walked to Avery and patted her shoulder,¡± Don¡¯t stand outside,e in and have a seat.¡± Avery was unwilling to go in but Mrs. Cooper pulled her by her arm as she walked in. The interior design and decoration were the same as they were four years ago. Avery had an unsettling feeling inside her. ¡°I¡¯d like to have a chat with you,¡± Elliot said. Avery was worried about Hayden so she nced at him. Somehow, she saw Shea. Shea was standing by the sofa as she looked at Avery nkly. Avery quickly retrieved her gaze from Shea. She followed Elliot into the study room on the first floor. Shea saw Avery¡¯s face and instantly recalled the memories from before! Instead of Doctor Sanford, she hoped that Avery could stay with her brother. That way, she would be able to see Avery more often. However, Avery seemed hostile toward her brother. She was scared of her. After the study room door was shut, Hayden instantly walked over. Shea saw and followed. The two of them leaned on the door of the study room, listening to the conversation inside. Mrs. Cooper saw the two of them and found them amusing. Inside the study room. This belongs to N?velDrama.Org - ?. Elliot broke the silence, ¡°Before Shea went missing, she had no friends from school. So I¡¯m guessing that she met your son when she was missing.¡± Avery remained a calm look, her tone was calm too, ¡°Oh, go and ask them, then! I don¡¯t know anything.¡± When Elliot saw her hardened face, he did not feel good, ¡°Your son never mentioned anything about Shea?¡± ¡°No. My son doesn¡¯t speak most of the time.¡± Avery ended the topic quickly, ¡°Stop asking about my son. If you want to know, ask shea. If there¡¯s nothing else, I will leave now.¡± Elliot said, ¡°There¡¯s another thing.¡± Avery halted. ¡°I heard that you¡¯ve moved in with that dude,¡± Elliot said directly, ¡°Moving in so soon, were you two together before our divorce?¡± Chapter 192 Chapter 192 Chapter 192 When Avery heard him, she frowned. ¡°What do you mean by that dude? He has a name.¡± Avery corrected him, ¡°Can you show some respect?¡± Elliot said, ¡°Respect? You¡¯re speaking of respect? You were together with that dude before our divorce, did you show me any respect?¡± ¡°Please be clear. I filed for divorce four years ago. You were unwilling to sign then!¡± ¡°As long as I haven¡¯t signed, we¡¯re still leg¨¢lly married. How could you cheat on me!?¡± Elliot interrogated her. Avery saw how serious he looked, she was almost convinced by him that she had cheated on him! ¡°Since when have I admitted that I was with him before our divorce?¡± Avery refuted, ¡°It¡¯s all your spection! If you want to suspect yourself of being cheated on, don¡¯t me me!¡± Elliot took a deep breath to calm himself down, ¡°Then, what¡¯s his name?¡± ¡°Why would you want to know his name?¡± Avery asked cautiously. ¡°Didn¡¯t you ask me to show some respect? How am I supposed to respect him if you don¡¯t tell me his name?!¡± ¡°Oh¡­even if I do tell you, you would not show him respect anyway.¡± Avery did not want to tell him because she did not want Elliot to run a background check on Mike, ¡°Elliot, you already have a new girlfriend. Since we both have new lives now, let¡¯s stop bothering one another!¡± Avery finished speaking as Elliot¡¯s phone rang. He took out his phone and looked at the screen. It was Zoe calling This belongs to N?velDrama.Org: ?. Today was Zoe¡¯s birthday. Yesterday, she had invited him to eat out with her today. Since this was Zoe¡¯s first birthday on her return, Elliot agreed. Zoe had arrived at the restaurant so she phoned Elliot to ask him when he would arrive. Elliot looked at his phone screen and hesitated. Avery saw the name on his screen and turned to leave. He grabbed her arm and did not want her to leave. He had not finished talking to her. Even though they got divorced, he did not want her to self-sabotage. That dude looked like a gangster! How could she find this type of man!? He epted the call, ¡°Doctor Sanford, apologies, something¡¯s up¡­¡± Zoe, ¡°Oh, it¡¯s okay! I can wait for you. It¡¯s still early.¡± Elliot said, ¡°I won¡¯t be able toe.¡± Zoe felt as if she was sshed in the face with water, she said disappointedly, ¡°Elliot, can you tell me why?¡± Elliot looked at Avery and said, ¡°Shea is not feeling well. I need to stay with her.¡± Zoe said, ¡°I see, why don¡¯t Ie to join you two?¡± Elliot said, ¡°No need. Shea needs to be alone.¡± After ending the call, he tossed his phone on the table. Avery found it ironic. It seemed that he was not so into his new girlfriend. To him, Zoe was merely a chess piece of his to treat Shea. How ironic and sad! ¡°Elliot, your wrongdoings wille back at you.¡± Avery kindly warned him. ¡°This was her choice, I made it clear to her in the beginning.¡± Elliot ended this quickly and changed the subject back to her. ¡°Why did you find such a man? Did you do it to trigger me?¡± Avery was speechless. Outside the study room. Shea almost wanted to knock on the door to go inside. ¡°I hear nothing¡­nothing at all¡­¡±, she frowned. ¡®Hayden did not hear anything as well. Either the room was sound-proofed or they were not fighting at all. Hayden went back to the living room and Shea followed behind him. ¡°I¡¯m sorry!¡± Shea grabbed the hem of her skirt. She stopped for a moment and said bravely,¡± Hayden, I¡¯m sorry!¡± Chapter 193 Chapter 193 Chapter 193 She thought about the reason why Hayden got angry. Could it be that she asked him to bring her out of school, and he was scolded for that? Other than this, she could not think of anything else. When Hayden heard her apologizing, he grew increasingly furious! Was she admitting to her inappropriate rtionship with Elliot? She was the reason why his Mom and Dad had a divorce?! ¡°Stop following me!¡± Hayden yelled at her, ¡°I hate you!¡± Shea stopped and her eyes teared up. When Mrs. Cooper saw this, she instantly helped Shea to sit on the sofa, ¡°Shea, don¡¯t cry. If he doesn¡¯t want to be your friend, stop following him.¡± Since Hayden was so ill-tempered, Shea would hurt herself doing so. However, Shea did not want to lose a good friend like Hayden. She shook her head vigorously. N?velDrama.Org copyrighted ? content. Mrs. Cooper held on to her head and did not want her to keep shaking her head, ¡°Stop shaking your head, you might hurt your head. Sit here, I will go and ask Hayden what it takes for him to befriend you, alright?¡± Shea nodded diligently. Mrs. Cooper picked up two pieces of chocte from the table and walked toward Hayden. ¡°Hayden, I was close to your mom in the past.¡± Mrs. Cooper had a friendly smile on her face as she gave the choctes to Hayden. Hayden recalled how calm his mom was when she saw this woman earlier so he did not toss the chocte away. ¡°Shea is just a kid and I hope she did not hurt you. Why do you hate her?¡± Mrs. Cooper asked. ¡°I don¡¯t need a reason to hate her!¡± Hayden said and walked toward the door. Mrs. Cooper did not follow him. She knew that Hayden was looking down on Shea¡¯sck of intelligence. Mrs. Cooper felt bad for Shea but she could not bring herself to hate Hayden. Hayden showed some traits of Elliot but he was not his son. Perhaps it was pure chance that they looked alike? Mrs. Cooper went back to Shea and gave her tissue papers to wipe away her tears, ¡°Shea, there¡¯ s a way for everyone to like you.¡± Shea looked at Mrs. Cooper curiously. ¡°That is, to focus on your studies and ept your treatments. Get well soon.¡± Mrs. Cooper looked at Shea with sympathy, ¡°By then, everyone will like Shea.¡± Shea believed her. Inside the study room, the topic of Avery¡¯s man finally ended due to Avery telling Elliot that, the more Elliot looked down on Mike, the more she liked Mike. This was reverse psychology. Avery knew very well how to beat Elliot in arguments. Therefore, he stopped mentioning Mike. She thought she could leave now, but he was not done! Avery saw him taking out a photo. It was a screenshot of the CCTV from Elizabeth Hospital. It was taken on the day when Avery performed surgery on Shea. Two children went to her and she left with both of them. ¡°The girl in your arms, you adopted her?¡± Elliot¡¯s eyes were fixed on her face. Avery tossed the photo into the bin, she said nonchntly, ¡°Yes! I adopted both of them. Why do you ask me? Do you want to adopt a child? Oh, I almost forgot, you don¡¯t like kids.¡± Elliot said, ¡°You don¡¯t even have time to take care of a child, so why did you adopt two children?¡± Avery said, ¡°I want to and I like to. What can you do?¡± Elliot was speechless. Avery saw that it was almost six. She had to bring Hayden home. She marched out of the study room and went to the living room. She saw a woman with her long hair down. She had avender-colored long dress on. Was she Elliot¡¯s new girlfriend, Zoe Sanford? Chapter 194 Chapter 194 Chapter 194 ¡°You must be Avery.¡± Zoe went forward to greet her, ¡°Nice to meet you, I¡¯m Zoe.¡± Avery nced at her and said without enthusiasm, ¡°Yeah, I¡¯m leaving now.¡± Avery and Hayden left. Zoe watched as she left and zoned out for a moment. Avery was younger and more beautiful than she imagined. Why did she look for Elliot today? She even brought a boy here¡­was that Elliot¡¯s son? So, she came here with the boy, trying to get back with Elliot? Thinking of this, Zoe felt disgusted. Would Elliot get back with Avery because of this? ¡°Elliot, sorry to show up unannounced.¡± Zoe pointed at the cake on the table, ¡°My friend bought this cake for me but I can¡¯t finish it on my own so I brought this over.¡± Elliot nced at the cake, ¡°Happy birthday, did you receive your gift?¡± Zoe halted, ¡°Someone did send me a parcel in the afternoon. I didn¡¯t know it was you who sent it, so I haven¡¯t opened it.¡± Elliot nodded, ¡°I don¡¯t eat cake, and neither does Shea. You can eat with Mrs. Cooper!¡± With that said, he walked toward Shea and brought her back to her room. . After they had left, Zoe took out the cake. ¡°Mrs. Cooper, when did Averye?¡± Zoe smiled as she cut a slice for Mrs. Cooper. Mrs. Cooper said, ¡°Not long ago. She came to pick up her son.¡± ¡°Oh¡­that boy was her son! He doesn¡¯t seem too young!¡± Mrs. Cooper said, ¡°He was adopted.¡± Zoe was shocked and at the same time, the rm in her was lifted, ¡°I thought he was a child of hers and Elliot.¡± ¡°They did have a child. If they did not abort the baby, the baby should be around the age of that kid now.¡± Mrs. Cooper thought there was no harm to say this. After all, this happened a long time ago. ¡°I guess Avery adopted this kid to make up for the aborted baby.¡± Zoe asked, ¡°Why did they abort the baby?¡± Mrs. Cooper said, ¡°Master Elliot didn¡¯t want it. He doesn¡¯t like children. Miss Sanford, my advice to you is that, if you want to stay with him, don¡¯t mention having a baby. Even if you have it, he will ask for an abortion.¡± Zoe nodded quickly, ¡°Thank you for reminding me.¡± On the way home, Avery asked her son, ¡°Did Elliot bully you?¡± Hayden said, ¡°No.¡± Avery asked, ¡°Was he mean to you?¡± Hayden said, ¡°No.¡± Avery let out a sigh of relief, ¡°Hayden, why don¡¯t I transfer you to another school?¡± ¡°You don¡¯t need to,¡± Hayden said. ¡°You like this school a lot?¡± Avery asked. ¡°I don¡¯t hate it,¡± Hayden replied. It was because he had no friends and nobody bossed him around. The teachers worshipped him and let him do anything he wanted. He had more freedom than when he was at home. ¡°I¡¯m afraid that you might bump into Elliot next time, what if he brings you home again¡­¡± Avery was worried. She imed that Hayden was adopted, how long would this excuse work? If Elliot started to suspect her one day and ran a DNA test on Hayden, her lie would be exposed. By then, both of her children would be in danger. Exclusive content from N?velDrama.Org. ¡°He is my father, right?¡± Hayden said as he fiddled with a piece of paper. Avery nced at her son, ¡°How do you know?¡± ¡°He looks like me,¡± Hayden replied. Avery did not know whether tough or cry, ¡°Was it that obvious?¡± Chapter 195 Chapter 195 Chapter 195 ¡°La looks like you.¡± Hayden said. ¡°Hayden, he¡¯s indeed the father of the both of you. However, he doesn¡¯t like kids so it¡¯s best if the both of you don¡¯t go to him. If he finds out that you¡¯re both his kids, I don¡¯t know what he¡¯ d do.¡± Avery said. Hayden replied, ¡°We don¡¯t want a father like him!¡± ¡°Hayden, I feel that after you¡¯vee back home, you¡¯ve changed and improved a lot,¡± Avery said. ¡°Mom, I¡¯m not ill, I just find those people childish and boring, ¡± Hayden said. Avery nodded, ¡°I know. You like smart people like Uncle Mile. However, when you¡¯re older, you will realize that the people who are not as smart are equally special. We must learn to focus on the merits of others, such as kindness and innocence.¡± Hayden did not agree with that but he did not refute her. Perhaps when he was older, he would understand what she meant. Zoe arrived home at seven in the evening. She opened the gift she received in the afternoon. She was disappointed in Elliot because it was likely that this gift was not chosen by Elliot. The shop assistant sent it over, it could have been Elliot¡¯s assistant choosing it. She was right. Elliot made Chad choose it. Chad picked her a Chavel handbag. Zoe looked at this bag and the image of Avery¡¯s face came to her mind. Elliot lied to her for Avery. He imed that Shea was not feeling well and that he had to stay home with her. The truth was that he was staying home for Avery. He canceled their date for Avery. Normally, she would not mind if he had done this to her. However, today was her birthday! She felt very mistreated. On the next day at Tate Industries. The front desk called and announced that Elliot¡¯s girlfriend came. ¡°Miss Tate, this woman would like to meet you.¡± The secretary said to Avery, ¡°I phoned Sterling Group to verify her identity. They confirmed that he did have a new girlfriend.¡± Avery looked down and thought for a moment. She put down the work she was working on. On the first floor, Avery saw Zoe. Zoe did not have makeup on today. She had a white t-shirt and jeans. She did look younger in this outfit. ¡°Miss Tate, I heard that you¡¯re a student of Professor Hough. So I came to you to have a chat¡­ I wonder if you have time in the afternoon to have lunch together?¡± Zoe smiled politely. It appeared as if Zoe merely wanted to catch up. Avery knew her intentions. Though she still agreed to have lunch with her. The both of them went to a restaurant close by.N?velDrama.Org copyrighted ? content. After getting a table, Zoe smiled and asked, ¡°Miss Tate, you started your business right after graduation? I heard that Tate Industries is yourpany. You¡¯re so sessful, unlike me. I have been working at the hospital and don¡¯t earn much.¡± Avery asked, ¡°Didn¡¯t Elliot pay you for treating Shea? No way! He spent a billion lucks searching for her, he should have paid you at least a billion, right?¡± Zoe¡¯s smile stiffened, ¡°He did try to pay me one billion but how would I take that from him?¡± ¡°Oh, you¡¯re afraid that if you take that, you won¡¯t be able to ask him to be your boyfriend?¡± Avery said directly. Zoe was speechless. ¡°Please excuse me, Miss Sanford, for being blunt. Hope you don¡¯t mind.¡± Avery picked up her green tea and took a sip. Zoe smiled, ¡°It¡¯s fine, I know you have your opinion on me. Without me, you might have a chance to get back with Elliot.¡± Avery said, ¡°Miss Sanford, you¡¯ve mistaken. The reason I have an opinion on you is because of how insensitive you are.¡± Zoe looked wronged, ¡°Why would you say that? Is it because of how I took Elliot away from you and so you hate me?¡± Chapter 196 Chapter 196 Chapter 196 Avery almost spat the green tea from her mouth. She took a tissue to dab on her lips. ¡°Miss Sanford, I was the one asking for a divorce with Elliot. As for you taking Elliot from me, what I hate is that you¡¯re not married yet! Look at how alike you two are! He¡¯s handsome and you¡¯re beautiful, you¡¯re made for one another! When are you two getting married? I will send a grand gift!¡± Zoe had an awkward smile on her face, ¡°Now I know this is what you¡¯re thinking. However, I¡¯ m sorry to disappoint you, as we don¡¯t n to get married yet.¡± ¡°Why not? Do you not want to? Or does he not want to? If he doesn¡¯t want to, why don¡¯t I help you talk to him?¡± Avery took another sip of green tea. Zoe said, ¡°You don¡¯t have to. We will let things happen at their course. Right, Miss Tate, you called me insensitive earlier, I don¡¯t understand why. This is only our first meeting, so why did you insult me?¡± Avery sensed how fake this woman was. Zoe looked pitiable and wronged, one would easily sympathize with her! ¡°Didn¡¯t your teacher teach you this in school? One has to keep one¡¯s greed at bay.¡± Avery thought she had made it clear. However, Zoe continued to look at her, waiting for her to continue. Avery found it exhausting to talk to her. Did she think nobody would see through her lies? Instead of using the operation as an excuse to force Elliot to be with her, if she just took his money, Avery would not dislike her. How could she be so greedy? Although Avery had divorced Elliot, she still did not like seeing how he was being yed by Zoe. ;¡±Miss Tate, do you think I¡¯m crossing a line by asking to be with Elliot?¡± Seeing that Avery did not speak, she continued, ¡°You might not know, Shea¡¯s illness can¡¯t be cured in one treatment. There are follow-ups. While my work was mainly overseas. Elliot hoped that I could stay here to treat Shea. This would affect my overseas work. Therefore, I resigned from my overseas work to come back here and treat Shea specifically¡­¡± ¡°Miss Sanford, you¡¯ve sacrificed so much.¡± Avery mocked, ¡°Didn¡¯t you say you don¡¯t earn much from the hospital? You could easily ask Elliot topensate you two-fold. Unless you think that by asking him to be your boyfriend, you can get half of his assets?¡± Zoe¡¯s face turned pale, ¡°Are you jealous of me? Just because my skills are better than yours?¡± Zoe could tell from Avery¡¯s tone. Avery was hungry but now she was full. ¡°Jealous¡­Miss Sanford, how can your skills be so good? We¡¯re both students of Professor Hough, how can you be so skilled while I¡¯m so ordinary?¡± Avery sighed, ¡°I heard that Elliot spent a lot of money to ask Professor Hough to treat Shea but he dared not perform the surgery on her! Who¡¯d have thought that Miss Sanford could have so easily treated her! You¡¯re more skilled than Professor Hough¡­¡± Zoe was taken aback by her! She felt that Avery was mocking her but she could not tell for sure. After all, there was no way for Avery to find out that she was not the one treating Shea! If Avery knew, she would have told Elliot a long time ago! ¡°Avery, stop being so passive-aggressive. I worked hard for my sess. If you¡¯re not as skilled as me, you should reflect on whether you worked hard back in school.¡± Zoe said calmly, ¡°I remember how Professor Hough praised my hand when he saw me for the first time. He said I was born to be holding the scalpel.¡± Zoe spoke as she showed Avery her hands. Avery did not want to look at her hands. She had hands too! Zoe was insensitive, it was obvious that Avery had no interest in her hands but she kept showing them to Avery. N?velDrama.Org copyrighted ? content. Avery felt as if she was in a nightmare. If not, how could this be happening? Avery pushed Zoe¡¯s hands away¡­ ¡°Ah!¡± Zoe cried out! ? Avery gently pushed her hands away but the teapot was knocked over. It was boiling water inside¡­ The water happened to ssh onto her special hands! Chapter 197 Chapter 197 Chapter 197 Even porcin would not crack! Avery looked at her bad acting in shock! In her head, she already pictured the dramatic scene from romantic movies when the female lead bickered with the other woman. The staff rushed over and helped Zoe up to treat her burn. Avery sat on her chair as she felt an iing threat. Now that Zoe was hurt, she had the upper hand. She could say that this was an ident. She could also say that Avery burned her intentionally and her words were to be taken seriously. Avery asked for the bill. Soon after, the news of Avery burning Zoe got to the ears of Elliot. Out of all parts of Zoe¡¯s body, her hands meant the most to him. This was because Zoe had to perform surgery on ¡®Shea. And now, Avery had burned her hands¡­ ¡°There¡¯s no way Avery would do this!¡± Elliot said. The bodyguard showed the video footage to Elliot. The camera was facing Avery, it clearly showed how when Avery pushed Zoe¡¯s hands away, the teapot was knocked over. When Elliot saw the footage, he said again, ¡°Avery did not intend to.¡±Exclusive content from N?velDrama.Org. Knowing Avery, he knew for sure she would not do this kind of thing. The footage was showing video without audio. If Zoe did not extend her hands in front of Avery, Avery would not have pushed her hands away. The bodyguard did not expect Elliot to side with Avery! ¡°Boss, we have their audio recording here.¡± With that said, the bodyguard yed it for Elliot. ¡°Look at how alike you two are! He¡¯s handsome and you¡¯re beautiful, you¡¯re made for one another! When are you two getting married? I will send a grand gift!¡± ¡°Why not? Do you not want to? Or does he not want to? If he doesn¡¯t want to, why don¡¯t I help you talk to him?¡± While Elliot listened to the recording, his face darkened. His fingers clenched tightly.¡± What Avery said stabbed him in the heart. She wanted him to marry Zoe? How funny! At the Tate Industries. Avery was waiting for Elliot¡¯s call. Zoe spent so much efforting all the way here to create this incident. This was a perfect opportunity for Zoe to badmouth Avery to Elliot. Suddenly, her phone rang. She saw Elliot¡¯s name on her screen. After picking up, Elliot¡¯s voice was heard, ¡°Avery, Zoe¡¯s hand was burned. Did you intend to do this?¡± Chapter 198 Chapter 198 Chapter 198 When Avery heard his questioning, she had a wave of emotions. ¡°What did your girlfriend say to you?¡± she asked. Elliot halted. He had not visited Zoe. After listening to the recording, he got triggered and so he called her first. ¡°Avery, I¡¯m asking you! Don¡¯t change the topic!¡± His tone was more serious this time. When Avery heard him yell, she began fuming, ¡°Isn¡¯t it obvious? I burned your girlfriend¡¯s hand with boiling water! Tell her to stay away from me, if not, I will burn her face!¡± Elliot was speechless. Avery, ¡°Why¡¯re you not speaking? Are you not trying to speak up for your girlfriend?¡± Elliot gulped and gritted his teeth. ¡°If Miss Sanford¡¯s hands are damaged, who will operate on your Shea? sigh, I¡¯m suddenly so worried. Elliot Foster, will you take revenge on me?¡± Avery continued. ¡°Avery Tate, even a fool knows you didn¡¯t mean that! Even so, I do get angry listening to what you say!¡± Elliot responded to her triggering words. ¡°Then stop calling me! You called on behalf of her, did you think I would cry to you saying I didn¡¯t do it and then ask for your forgiveness? This is more absurd than a dream!¡± Avery refuted coldly. There was a knock on the office door. Exclusive content from N?velDrama.Org. Avery held on to her phone as she called out to her door, ¡°Come in!¡± Her assistant came in, not knowing that she was on her phone, ¡°Miss Tate, a man named Cole Foster imed to be your friend. He would like to meet you.¡± Avery said to her phone, ¡°Your nephew is here, I¡¯m not talking to you anymore!¡± After hanging up, Avery walked to the washroom. Five minutester, Cole was brought to Avery¡¯s office by her assistant. Avery had already calmed herself down. Looking at that familiar face of Cole¡¯s, she felt disgusted as ever. Her assistant closed the door when leaving. ¡°Avery, I can¡¯t believe you¡¯re back! I just found out you¡¯re back a few days ago. You spent six hundred million buying the building for Tate Industries and it went viral! However, I was busy a few days ago so I couldn¡¯t visit you.¡± Cole walked toward Avery with a smirk. ¡°Cole, you¡¯re more annoying than before.¡± Avery looked at him, ¡°What brings you here?¡± ¡°I came here to catch up with you¡­¡± ¡°Okay, then let¡¯s talk about Cassandra¡¯s death.¡± Avery walked over from her table, ready to ¡± catch up¡± with him. Cole¡¯s face changed, ¡°She¡¯s dead, why do you mention her?¡± ¡°How could you be so cruel! Back then, during your Uncle and my wedding, you two were so happy! Have you forgotten?¡± Avery saw his face turning red and white, she continued, ¡°If this is the attitude you show to a woman you slept with, why would you even remember me?¡± Cole was extremely triggered but he dared not offend her, he wanted to please her but did not know how to. ¡°Since there¡¯s nothing left in us, you came here to talk about money?¡± Avery asked, ¡°Unless you think starting my business is tiring and you want to lend me money? Right, how¡¯s yourpany doing? You¡¯re probably earning quite a lot? If you want to lend me money, you won¡¯t take interest, right?¡± Cole was speechless. Regret was all he felt. He should not havee. Avery attacked him with words. ¡°Avery, can we not go against one another.¡± Cole sighed. Avery took out her phone and texted Tammy toin about him while speaking to him,¡± How are we going against one another? I¡¯m just trying to help you grow up. You¡¯re not young now and you¡¯re still thinking of using women to get rich? I¡¯d rather adopt a dog than find you! Chapter 199 Chapter 199 Chapter 199 Cole asked, ¡°Avery! Are youparing me to a dog?!¡± Avery replied, ¡°Yeah! I know Cassandra well enough to know that she won¡¯t have the guts to buy a killer! However, I¡¯m not interested in the two of you, so whether you two die or live has nothing to do with me! If you keep bugging me, I won¡¯t hesitate to find someone to investigate this!¡± Cole¡¯s face changed, ¡°Avery! I didn¡¯te here for you, I happened to¡­pass by. I will catch up with you another time!¡± Avery did not anticipate that random words from her would expose him. Cole did not like Elliot but dared not use his name to buy a killer and sacrificed Cassandra. The phone screen lit up as there was a message. Avery clicked open the message, it was from Tammy: (How¡¯s Elliot so low?! He called you for that woman! What¡¯s wrong with him! He should have known you better!) Exclusive content from N?velDrama.Org. Cole saw that she was on her phone, so he stood up ready to leave. Somehow, he nced over and saw the chat background on her phone. The background photo was two children. One boy and one girl. The girl looked familiar! ¡°Avery, who¡¯s the girl in the photo? I might have seen her before¡­¡± Cole walked toward Avery and asked. Avery instantly turned the phone away. She red at him coldly, ¡°You can go now!¡± Cole was taken aback by her look, ¡°I¡¯ll leave now¡­I have been pestered by the girl, the girl seemed strange. She looks like the girl in your photo¡­maybe I¡¯m wrong. I¡¯ll leave now.¡± After Cole had left, Avery was feeling uncertain Could it be that La had gone to look for Cole? .She knew that Hayden and La had been taking days off. She did not me them. Perhaps they just came back and were getting used to the lifestyle here. Therefore, Avery gave them a lot of freedom. The more she thought about it the more uncertain she was. Why did these children look for Cole? To her, Cole was as dangerous as Elliot. On the other side. After Elliot had phoned Avery, he went to visit Zoe. Her hands were burned so they were bandaged. He could not see the extent of the burn, so he did not know how severe ¡°Have you been to the hospital?¡± Eliot asked. Zoe shook her head, ¡°I can sort it out myself.¡± ¡°Severe?¡± he asked. Zoe continued to shake her head, ¡°Probably not, it¡¯s just hurting a lot.¡± Elliot¡¯s face sank, ¡°Why did you look for Avery? We had a divorce, you shouldn¡¯t have looked for her.¡± Zoe looked apologetic, ¡°Sorry, Elliot. I heard that she¡¯s a student of Professor Hough, so I thought we would have some mutual topics. I went over to look for her but didn¡¯t see thising.¡± Zoe spoke and grimaced in pain with tears falling. When Elliot saw her like this, he could not me her any further. ¡°It hurts¡­¡± Zoe sobbed and leaned her head into Elliot¡¯s chest. She said with a hoarse voice,¡± If my hands are badly burnt, what if I can¡¯t perform surgery anymore?¡± Elliot frowned and carried her in his arms, ¡°I will bring you to the hospital.¡± Zoe put her arms around his neck and cuddled into him. She had a sly smile on her face. Chapter 200 Chapter 200 Chapter 200 It was six in the evening. Avery was driving back to Starry River Vi. The vi door was open. There was a red BNW parked in the front yard. Avery recognized this car, it was Tammy¡¯s car. Why did Tammye all of a sudden? ¡°Avery!¡± When Tammy saw Averye home, she ran out, ¡°I saw your two children! If I didn¡¯t hear from other people about you adopting the children, were you going to hide it from me forever? Once Avery heard Tammy¡¯sining voice, she almost dared not get out of her car. She realized that whenever Elliot found out anything about her, the rest of the world would know! Furthermore, whenever Tammy found out anything, Elliot would get the news, too! One could only me Tammy¡¯s rtionship with Jun Hertz. Though, she could not cut Tammy off just because she was seeing Jun. ¡°How could you?!¡± Tammy walked toward Avery and pulled her out of her car, ¡°Isn¡¯t it just adopting two children? Why did you hide it?¡± Avery was speechless¡­ ¡°Also, the two adopted children do look like you and Elliot! Did you adopt them because they look beautiful?¡± Tammy asked. Avery said, ¡°¡­Yeah! Hayden did not look like Elliot when he was younger. If he did, I wouldn¡¯t have adopted him.¡± Tammy said, ¡°Oh! How magical! They look alike even though they are unrted!¡± ? Who knows. Kids change a lot as they grow.¡±. Avery said guiltily. ¡°I see¡­Avery, why did you adopt the children?¡± Tammy did not understand, ¡°I heard from your mother that Hayden has some issues, he¡¯s not easy to work with. How exhausting it must be to adopt this kind of child!¡± Avery knew Tammy was being kind, so she exined with patience, ¡°Tammy, the kids are angels even if they have issues.¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t say they¡¯re bad, I just feel that you must be exhausted.¡± ¡°He¡¯s a good kid. He never makes a mess.¡± Avery walked forward to change her shoes.¡¯ Hayden and La walked over instantly. ¡°Mom, is Aunt Tammy your best friend? She bought a lot of pretty dresses and hairpins for me. Can I keep them?¡± La asked curiously with her chin up. ¡°Of course! Aunt Tammy is my best friend.¡± ¡°Oh¡­thank you, Aunt Tammy!¡± La thanked Tammy right away. Tammy ruffled La¡¯s hair and said sadly, ¡°It¡¯s a shame that Hayden doesn¡¯t like the gift I got him.¡± 1:22 ¡°Aunt Tammy, my brother likes to solve puzzles. You can give him difficult puzzles next time. ¡°La exined, ¡°My brother solves the easier puzzles very quickly.¡± Tammy agreed, ¡°Okay! I will buy one tomorrow. La, you¡¯re so pretty, you look just like your mother when she was young!¡± La said proudly, ¡°I¡¯m my mother¡¯s daughter, of course I look like her!¡± Tammy was speechless¡­ Avery instantly pulled Tammy who was in shock into the bedroom. This belongs to N?velDrama.Org - ?. ¡°Avery! These are your kids? No wonder I thought they look like you and Elliot! They are yours, right?!¡± Tammy saw that Avery¡¯s lips parted, but she cut her off, ¡°Don¡¯t lie to me! If you lie to me, I will tell Elliot that these are his kids!¡± Avery was speechless. She should have known better about these secrets getting exposed. The secrets could only be kept if she never came back and avoided the people she knew However, the world was too small. How could she avoid the people she knew? Now it was toote. Chapter 201 Chapter 201 Chapter 201 Tammy knew. ¡°Avery, why didn¡¯t you tell Elliot? If he finds out that these are his kids¡­¡± ¡°He doesn¡¯t want kids, Tammy. If you tell this to anyone or even Elliot, we won¡¯t be friends anymore.¡± Avery said with a cold voice and her face was even colder as if she was a whole different person. ¡°If this is serious, of course I won¡¯t tell. This is your privacy and I will keep your secret.¡± Tammy said anxiously, ¡°I really don¡¯t understand Elliot. What do you think, does he have a mental problem?¡± ¡°Not unlikely.¡± Avery sat by the bed and articted each word, ¡°I only want to take care of the kids until they grow up.¡± ¡°Avery, don¡¯t worry. I promise you I won¡¯t tell anyone about this.¡± Text ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org. At the Foster family mansion. It was seven in the evening when Elliot came home. ¡°Elliot, is Zoe okay? Why was she so careless? A doctor¡¯s hands are the most precious body part of them all!¡± Rosalie heard about Zoe¡¯s burn and she was worried. ¡°It¡¯s no big deal.¡± Elliot did not want his mother to worry He sent Zoe to the hospital and saw the burn on her hands. They were quite severe. The skin surface waspletely damaged. ¡°That¡¯s good. We need Zoe to treat Shea¡¯s illness!¡± Rosalie mumbled. ¡°Mother, let¡¯s not talk about this.¡± Elliot helped his mother up to the dining table and sat her down. *There was a feast prepared on the table. Everyone did not eat and waited for him toe home. ¡°Uncle, do you remember the girl I told you about?¡± Cole was anxious, so he started the conversation with Elliot, ¡°I went to see Avery in the afternoon and saw a photo of the same girl on her phone.¡± . Elliot¡¯s eyes darkened and his movement halted. ¡°I¡¯m quite certain that she¡¯s the same girl who came to me. The girl looks just like Avery, I can¡¯ t forget that! I suspect that she¡¯s Avery¡¯s actual daughter.¡± Cole told Elliot about his spection. Elliot instantly put down his fork. Henry red at his son, ¡°Don¡¯t make things up when you¡¯re not sure! Also, why did you go to Avery today? Even though your Uncle had a divorce, she¡¯s still your ex-Aunt! Wake up!¡± Cole, ¡°Dad, I passed by Tate Industries so I went over to have a look. I won¡¯t look for her again. Avery¡¯s mouth was as dangerous as poison! How poisonous! Elliot fidgeted and stood up from the chair. ¡°Elliot, you haven¡¯t finished your dinner! Even if Avery has a daughter, she¡¯s not yours! Why¡¯ re you so excited?¡± Rosalie held onto her son¡¯s arm and tried to talk him out, ¡°You have Zoe now, don¡¯t go back to Avery.¡± At night, Elliot had trouble falling asleep. He had not met Avery¡¯s daughter. He wondered what she looked like. He wondered if she was adopted or Avery¡¯s. He had a strong gut feeling that Avery was keeping something from him. He must not trust everything she said. Including how she imed to have burned Zoe on purpose. How could he believe her? Also, he was disgusted by Zoe¡¯s act of recording their conversation to hand it to the bodyguard. He hated indirect and tactful women like her. Although he fought with Avery very often, Avery would never do silly things like this. The next morning, he phoned his assistant with his eyes red. He said with a hoarse voice,¡± Find out Avery¡¯s current address for me.¡± Chapter 202 Chapter 202 Chapter 202 He had two voices inside him. One voice was telling him not to get back with Avery. Another voice was telling him to find Avery¡¯s daughter. Even if the daughter was not his, he wanted to see how alike the girl was to Avery. And for that dude! A thorn to his heart! At the Starry River Vi. Tammy came with the newly bought puzzle. As a result, it was Mike who opened the door for her. ¡°Why don¡¯t you have clothes on again?¡± Tammy looked at Mike¡¯s naked top andined,¡± You¡¯re not alone at home, there are Laura and La! Can you care more about your appearance?¡± Mike looked half awake, ¡°Why didn¡¯t you bring breakfast? The buns you bought the other time were not too bad!¡± Tammy was speechless. She put down the puzzle and walked toward the master bedroom. However, Avery was not around. ¡°Is Avery at work?¡± Tammy walked out from the bedroom and asked. Mike yawned, ¡°If she¡¯s not around, then she¡¯s at work!¡± ¡°Where¡¯s Laura? Sending the kids to school?¡± ¡°If she¡¯s not around, she must be out!¡± Mike went back to his room and put on a t-shirt. Tammy chased after him and asked, ¡°You don¡¯t sleep in the same room as Avery? It seems like you two are not at that stage yet!¡± ¡°Why¡¯re you so nosy? Even though we¡¯re not sleeping together, no other man is closer to her than I am!¡± Mike said proudly as he walked out of the room. Laura had already prepared breakfast and left it in the kitchen. He walked over to have breakfast in the kitchen. Tammy followed him and wanted to get more information out of him. ¡°How did you meet Avery? Since when did you two start seeing each other? My Avery is not someone who sees two men at once. Did you two meet after her divorce?¡± IIT ¡°You should ask Avery. If she doesn¡¯t tell you, I can¡¯t tell you.¡± Mike ate the noodles, ¡°If you want information from me, you should trade it with other information.¡± Trading with other information? N?vel(D)rama.Org''s content. ¡°How¡¯re you so stingy? Is this how you treat Avery as well?¡± Tammy sat opposite to him and frowned. T ¡°Of course I don¡¯t treat Avery this way. I will do anything for Avery. As long as she says the word, I will do it.¡± When Mike said those sweet words with his charming and handsome face. Tammy had goosebumps all over her. ¡°I don¡¯t even know your name! I am Tammy, Avery¡¯s college friend.¡± Tammy said. ¡°I know you¡¯re Tammy, I also know that you¡¯re her college friend. Can you give me some more useful information?¡± Mikeined. Tammy took a deep breath and a sip of water, ¡°Did you know that Avery was framed by another person yesterday?¡± Mike raised his eyebrows, ¡°Oh?¡± Tammy said, ¡°Tell me your name first and I will tell you how she was framed.¡± ¡°Mike.¡± ¡°Oh, Mike. So, do you know Elliot? He has a new girlfriend and her name is Zoe. She went to have lunch with Avery and during the meal, she purposefully used boiling water¡­¡± ¡°D*mn it! She used boiling water to ssh at Avery?!¡± Mike dropped the fork and he was ready to fight. Tammy pulled him back, ¡°Hear me out! She did not ssh at Avery! She did it to herself! She then framed Avery for sshing it at her! How mean is she?!¡± Mike was flushed red with a glint in his eyes, ¡°How could she do this?! My Avery feels bad even when she kills an ant, how would she ssh boiling water on another person?¡± ¡°I know right! Most frustrating of all, the stupid Elliot even phoned Avery to question her for Zoe! Don¡¯t you find it triggering?¡± .Mike said, ¡°D*mn it! If I were Avery, I would have cursed at him badly!¡± Tammy was overwhelmed, ¡°That¡¯s too much.¡± Mike, ¡°Too much? Is Zoe looking for trouble? How dare she frame my Avery!¡± Mike had already started coming up with ideas to take revenge on Zoe. Chapter 203 Chapter 203 Chapter 203 Meanwhile, Hayden walked over to them. Tammy was shocked, why was Hayden not in school? Mike was equally shocked, ¡°Big H, why¡¯re you not in school? Let¡¯s go out and y!¡± Tammy was speechless. Mike called Hayden ¡°Big H¡±? Hayden pulled on Mike¡¯s arm and pulled him away. Tammy was speechless. It appeared that the two of them were quite close. No wonder Mike won Avery¡¯s heart. He got along with her kids. At the Sterling Group. After Elliot arrived, Chad came in to report to him. After the report, Chad pushed his sses over the bridge of his nose, ¡°Mr. Foster, Miss Tate¡¯s current address is at the Starry River Vi. Are you looking for her? You had a divorce, I¡¯m afraid she might not let you in.¡± Chad did not want Elliot to get into trouble. Elliot, ¡°Chad, keep looking for a doctor to treat Shea for me. No matter how much they want, we can negotiate as long as Shea can be treated.¡± Chad was surprised, ¡°Miss Sanford is no longer treating Shea?¡± Elliot threw him a nce and Chad instantly got it. Exclusive content from N?velDrama.Org. ¡°Miss Sanford did cross a line. How could she threaten you with this.¡± Chad said, ¡°I will keep looking. Right, Miss Tate has been quite busy recently. I have a friend who went over to work at Tate Industries. Miss Tate stayed backte every day.¡± ¡°I want to see her daughter. I heard that she looks just like Avery.¡± Elliot opened up, ¡°I think she¡¯s keeping something from me.¡± Chad, ¡°I see. You could go over in the evening. Right, my friend also said that the golden haired man is the Director of Operations at Tate Industries. His name is Mike.¡± ¡°Director of Operations?¡± Elliot had a glint of surprise in his eyes, ¡°Is he good?¡± Chad said, ¡°I can¡¯t find anything on him online. I can¡¯t get his information from his country as well. He is a mysterious guy.¡± Elliot¡¯s eyes dropped. A mysterious man? How did Avery meet him? ¡°Chad, ask your friend to keep an eye on him. I want to find out more about him.¡± Elliot said. Chad smiled, ¡°I already told my friend to. To be honest, I don¡¯t believe that Avery is in a rtionship with Mike. He is too different from you. A person¡¯s taste can¡¯t change so much.¡± Elliot had a pen in his hand as he said in a low voice, ¡°Cole said that Avery¡¯s daughter went to him twice. Avery would not have let her daughter do so. Someone else must have asked her daughter to do so.¡± ¡°You¡¯re suspecting Mike?¡± ¡°Not sure. They are strange.¡± ¡°Yes, not long ago, Ang Special Needs Academy¡¯s server was hacked. I wonder if Mike did it. ¡°Therefore, I need more information on this man.¡± Five in the afternoon. Laura went to the kindergarten to pick up La. ¡°Grandma, two boys got me snacks today but I didn¡¯t take them.¡± La mumbled, ¡°I¡¯m not a foodie! Also, my brother told me to not y with the boys. I will get unlucky!¡± Laura asked, ¡°Your brother actually said that?¡± La said, ¡°Yeah! Brother said that other than him and Uncle Mike, other men are bad!¡± La spoke with her eyes sparkling when she saw a tall and well-built man standing in front of their house. ¡°Grandma, why is that man standing in front of our house? Who is he?¡± Chapter 204 Chapter 204 Chapter 204 Laura walked toward Elliot., When he saw Laura walking toward him, he said, ¡°Hello, Aunt.¡± Laura looked cold, ¡°Did Avery invite you over?¡± ¡°No.¡± ¡°Then, why¡¯re you here? You had a divorce, please stop disturbing our lives.¡± Laura¡¯s attitude was harsh. This was their house and Elliot came uninvited out of the blue. Elliot looked at the closed gate and then at Laura¡¯s face. He had to leave, ¡°Sorry for disturbing. He could not break inside. When he left, he caught a small white object moving behind the bushes. Exclusive content from N?velDrama.Org. The small object must have been Avery¡¯s daughter. He really wanted to see her but not through this way. He walked away. After he left, La ran out from the bushes. ¡°Grandma! Why did Dade?¡± Laura held La¡¯s hand and walked toward the vi¡¯s gate, ¡°How do you know he¡¯s your Dad?¡± ¡°Because he is Mom¡¯s ex-husband!¡± La said worriedly and sighed, ¡°What a pity that he¡¯s a douchebag. My brother and I won¡¯t have a Dad for the rest of our lives.¡± Laura smiled, ¡°Not necessarily. Your Mom is still young. Who knows, she might meet a nice man. Your step-father will love you just as much!¡± Laura spoke because, as a mother, she hoped that her daughter could find a better man. After all, life is long and it would be less lonely to have a partner. ¡¤ La pouted, ¡°I don¡¯t want a stepfather! Brother also doesn¡¯t want a stepfather.¡± The gate was opened and the both of them went inside before Laura closed it behind them. ¡°Brother!¡± La knew that Hayden was not in school today, so she called out, ¡°Brother, I¡¯m home!¡± our brother is not home. He went to your Mom¡¯spany with Uncle Mike.¡± Laura brought La to the living room. ¡°What is my brother doing in Mom¡¯spany? To y? I also want to y there! Grandma, don¡¯t make dinner, bring me to find Mom and Brother!¡± La pulled on Laura¡¯s hand and pleaded. Laura could not resist, so she had to bring La over. This was the firstpany dinner after Tate Industries was re-built. As the owner, Avery made a toast before walking out from the restaurant. Her mother and two children were waiting for her outside. The two children did not like ces with a lot of strangers. She had to send them home. ¡°Avery, did you drink?¡± Laura asked. Avery shook her head, ¡°I had juice. I need to drive, they understood.¡± The mother and daughter each held onto one child and walked toward the parking lot. Not far away, in the darkness, part of Elliot¡¯s face showed under themppost He looked at the four of them darkly. How much he wanted to walk over but he knew he had to hold back Laura had made it clear to him earlier in the evening. As long as he had dignity, he must not disturb them. ¡°Mr. Foster, the girl that Avery is holding must be her daughter?¡± Chad looked over at Avery and said. Elliot gulped and said in a hoarse voice, ¡°Chad, should I stop harassing them? No matter who her daughter belongs to, it won¡¯t be mine. She already aborted the baby that we had.¡± Chad said, ¡°Even though you had a divorce, it¡¯s still okay to say hi. I don¡¯t think you¡¯re harassing them.¡± ¡°They stay away from me like I¡¯m a monster and they clearly don¡¯t want to see me.¡± Elliot stood transfixed on the spot. His voice was cold. ¡°Mr. Foster, why don¡¯t I say hi to them? I can have a look at her daughter.¡± Chad wanted to help him. ¡°No need. Your mission tonight is to get close to Mike.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Chapter 205 Chapter 205 Chapter 205 After the Tate Industries dinner had ended, there was a series of entertainment. Chad¡¯s friend promised him to let him join them. This way, Chad could get close to Mike. After Avery and her family sat inside the car, Chad said to Elliot, ¡°Mr. Foster, get some rest! Zoe¡¯s hands are hurt, you haven¡¯t visited her today, right? Why don¡¯t you check on her so that she¡¯s not disappointed.¡± Elliot spent the whole day working today. Chad could tell that Elliot was not feeling well and so he used work to numb himself. However, Elliot had to face her eventually. Now Shea needed Zoe¡¯s treatment. As Zoe¡¯s boyfriend, Elliot must not be too harsh. Around half an hour after Elliot had left, Chad¡¯s friend came out from the restaurant. There was a group of mening out along with him. Including Mike. ¡°Our Director of Operations will wing us to continue drinking at the bar¡­Chad, I remember that you can drink a lot. Come and join us.¡± Chad¡¯s friend patted Chad on the shoulder and said in a low voice, ¡°I feel like he is more of a sister to Miss Tate¡­normally a couple won¡¯t act like this. I don¡¯t know if you get what I mean¡­find out when you drink with himter.¡± Chad was shocked but pleased. If Mike was merely a friend of Avery, then that would be ideal In the past two days, Elliot was feeling down due to Mike and Avery. And yet, since they already had a divorce, Elliot could not do anything. ¡°To be fair, I¡¯m not sure about my boss¡¯ rtionship with Shea. They¡¯re not a couple but they¡­ do have something. I can¡¯t tell.¡± Chad said in a low voice, ¡°Don¡¯t spread this, if not, my boss will fire me.¡± ¡°Well, don¡¯t tell anyone about what I told you as well. After all, he¡¯s our Director of ¡®Operations. If he¡¯s not gay, he will definitely fire me.¡± ¡°Yeah!¡± At the bar. Under the dim light and with the alcohol working, one could lose consciousness easily. Mike had two drinks when Chad¡¯s friend brought Chad forward. ¡°Director, this is my friend, Chad. He is good at drinking, let him drink with you!¡± Mike nced at Chad. Chad had an ordinary look but his eyes were special. Mike had not seen such clear eyes for a long time. ¡°How much can you drink?¡± Mike held on to his ss and touched it with Chad¡¯s. Chad said, ¡°Half a bottle maximum, I don¡¯t really drink a lot.¡± ¡°Oh, that¡¯s not a lot. Well, then drink half a bottle with me, then!¡± Mike¡¯s face was red, forming a stark contrast with his neck. Chad had a drink with him. Based on their conversation and eye contact, Chad felt that Mike did not seem gay. However, his friend said Mike seemed gay, so Chad decided he would test it further. Chad took a deep breath and as the alcohol worked in their heads, Chad moved his legs toward Mike. Mike saw it and he was quite shocked. Chad coughed and moved his legs away. This belongs to N?velDrama.Org - ?. When he did this, Mike did not move his legs away. This showed that he might actually be gay. However, he was not sure yet. Both of them finished their second drink. They were talking when Mike¡¯s legs leaned forward out of the blue! Their legs were touching very closely. Skin to skin. Chad was speechless. Mike was definitely gay, but he was not! He stood up right away as he was going to leave but Mike hugged him tightly! Chapter 206 Chapter 206 Chapter 206 At 5 a.m. the next morning, Elliot¡®s phone vibrated. He had received a text message. It was not until two hourster that he woke up and saw the message from Chad. (Sir, ording to Mike, he¡®s an expert hacker.) (He¡®s gay.) (I¡®d like to take the day off, Sir.) Elliot¡®s brows furrowed as he read the three messages. How did Chad manage to find out this much crucial information in the span of a night? Mike was not someone who was easy to deal with. He would not simply reveal personal details to a stranger for no reason. At that thought, Elliot dialed Chad¡®s number. ¡°Chad, how did you get all that information from Mike?¡± Chad remained silent for two seconds, then said with a hint of exhaustion in his voice, ¡°I was drinking with himst night. He told me after a few drinks.¡± ¡°That¡®s it?¡± ¡°Yes. Also, I had too much to drink, so I¡®d like to take the day off.¡± ¡°Okay. Stay home and get some rest.¡± Chad¡®s eyes were red at the end of the phone call. No one would believe what happened to him the night before. He had no ns to talk about it, anyway. It was too humiliating. At eight in the morning at Starry River Vi, Avery was getting ready to take the children to school. ¡°Didn¡®t Uncle Mikee homest night, Mommy?¡± La asked with her backpack on her back and a curious expression on her face. ¡°I checked his room and he wasn¡¯t there!¡± Avery had called Mike at 11 p.m. the night before. I hope He had told her he was out drinking. When she called again at midnight, he had not answered her call. ¡°He probably had too much to drink and ended up staying at a hotel,¡± Avery answered. ¡°Don¡¯t worry about him. He¡®ll be fine.¡± Mike had always had an entertaining nightlife, so it was normal for him to be out all night. ¡°Oh. Will you and Uncle Mike get married, Mommy?¡± La pried nosily. ¡°I won¡¯t be mad if you and Uncle Mike got together.¡± N?vel(D)rama.Org''s content. Avery found her daughter¡®s words bothughable and infuriating. ¡°Mommy would never get together with Uncle Mike. Stop imagining things.¡± ¡°Hayden and I really like Uncle Mike, though.¡± ¡°I know you like him, and I will be friends with him forever,¡± Avery said, then led the children out the front door, where their eyesnded on the ck Rolls¨CRoice out front. Elliot was standing by the car outside the gates, and his gaze was fixed on Avery and the children. The expression on their faces instantly changed. It was only eight in the morning, so what was Elliot doing at their front gate? When did he get here? Why did hee? Avery felt the blood rise inside of her. Avery felt as if weights had been attached to her feet, and she could not move. From the living room, Laura noticed the three standing still outside and walked out to check on them. ¡°What¡®s wrong, Avery?¡± Laura asked as she walked out to the front yard. When she noticed Elliot outside the gates, Laura immediately began to charge at him. Avery ran after her and caught up to her. ¡°Take the kids to school, Mom!¡± Worried that her mother would start a fight with Elliot, Avery quickly grabbed onto Laura¡¯s arm. ¡°I forgot to tell you that he came byst night. Now he¡®s here again¡­ What¡¯s he doing hanging around like this?¡± Laura¡®s face was flushed with anger. Chapter 207 Chapter 207 Chapter 207 Avery nced at the children, then turned to Laura and said, ¡°Take the kids to school. I¡¯m sure he has a reason for being here.¡± As Laura led the children past Elliot, he noticed La¡¯s face. It was true that La looked simr to Avery. La¡¯s glistening wide eyes had a hint of hostility in them, and she red at him when they walked past. He wondered what thoughts could have been instilled in her for her to despise him to this extent. Avery approached Elliot soon after. ¡°Why are you here this early in the morning?¡± Elliot looked at Avery¡®s cool, clean face, then asked with aplicated expression on his face, ¡°Is she your biological daughter, Avery? She looks a lot like you.¡± ¡°Did youe by just to look at my daughter?¡± ¡°Who¡®s her father?¡± Elliot asked in a raised voice. ¡°Since she¡®s already in preschool, she¡®s definitely more than three years old.¡± It seemed like Avery could not get away with saying that La was adopted. Her daughter resembled her too much. La looked exactly like her when she was a little girl. It was as if someone had created La out of the same mold that had been used to create Avery. ¡°That¡®s right. She¡®s my biological daughter, but you¡®re not the father,¡± Avery answered with a smile. ¡°I found a random sperm donor from a sperm bank abroad to fulfill my wish to be a mother.¡± What a wish! Avery¡¯s words rendered Elliotpletely speechless. ¡°If that¡®s the only reason you¡¯re here, then you can leave now,¡± Avery said curtly. Elliot¡¯s face turned cold as he said, ¡°That man who lives in your house is gay.¡± The smile on Avery¡¯s face froze. ¡°How did you know that?¡± It was impossible to find any information on Mike online. Mike was the world¡¯s most notorious hacker. No one was able to find out his personal information unless he revealed it. Elliot felt a sense of relief. ¡°It looks like you already knew.¡± ¡°Do you have too much time on your hands, Elliot? How¡®s your girlfriend¡¯s wound? How¡¯s Shea recovering? With all these women waiting for you to dote on them, there¡¯s no reason for you to waste what little energy you have left on me. Do you think there could be anything left between us?¡± Exclusive content from N?velDrama.Org. Avery gave Elliot a hard shove, then turned and walked back into the front yard. ¡°Avery! My rtionship with Shea isn¡®t what you think it is!¡± Elliot called out at Avery¡¯s slender back as his fists tightened. Avery gritted her teeth. How long had she waited for those words? She had given him countless chances to exin himself. Why did he not say anything before? What was he trying to salvage by telling her now? ¡°Are you having fun messing with me like this, Elliot?¡± Avery turned and said mockingly several feet away from Elliot. ¡°The one who you owe an exnation to and who you should feel responsible to is Zoe Sanford! Not I!¡± Her words woke him up, but he did not agree with herst statement. ¡°I¡®m not obligated to exin to or feel beholden to any woman unless I feel I am. You know I don¡®t love Zoe.¡± ¡°What¡®s that got to do with me? I don¡®t care who you date!¡± Avery snapped, her words stabbing at Elliot¡®s heart. ¡°You¡®ve never truly loved me, so I won¡®t let you fool me again!¡± If he had truly cared for her, he would not have held back. He would have told her everything he needed to say. ¡°You said your rtionship with Shea isn¡¯t like that,¡± Avery said with a tremble in her voice.¡± Even so, she¡¯s the most important person in your heart. Please let me go, Elliot! I¡®m done being toyed with!¡± When Chad returned to the office after his day off, he noticed that Elliot¡®s mood was worse than before. He was surprised, then went to ask Ben. ¡°What¡®s wrong with Mr. Foster?¡± Ben was drinking a cup of coffee, then sighed, ¡°ording to his driver, Elliot went over to Avery¡¯s yesterday to make up with her, but ended up getting heartlessly rejected.¡± ¡°It looks like I suffered through that work¨Crted injury for nothing, then.¡± ¡°What work-rted injury?¡± Chad dejectedly exined everything that happened the night he met Mike at the bar. That afternoon, escorted by his bodyguards, Elliot appeared at Tate Industries surrounded by a murderous aura. Chapter 208 Chapter 208 Chapter 208 Avery rushed to the technical department the moment she received the notice. ¡°Our director isn¡®t here today, Mr. Foster.¡± The manager at the technical department had no clue what had happened, However, judging from the coldness on Elliot¡®s face, he guessed that Mike had somehow offended the man. ¡°Perhaps I should escort you to the president!¡± said the manager just as Avery walked into the room. Avery approached Elliot, noticed his rage, then said, ¡°Let¡®s talk in my office.¡± He probably came up to the technical department to see Mike about something that had happened between them. Mike did not tell Avery anything but based on how livid Elliot looked, she guessed that it must be something serious. Once they were in Avery¡®s office, Elliot and Ben sat down on the couch while the bodyguard waited at the door. ¡°What happened?¡± Avery said as she served each man a ss of water. ¡°Miss Tate, I¡®m afraid your director of operations vited Chad,¡± Ben said. Avery was speechless. Chad was Elliot¡®s most trusted assistant and right¨Chand man. Anyone who picked on Chad picked on Elliot. Avery¡®s head began to spin. She did not expect Mike to do something this outrageous! She picked up her phone and called Mike. He was quick to answer her call. Avery lowered her voice and hissed, ¡°Come to the office right now!¡± Mike was bewildered, ¡°I¡®m eating out! What¡¯s going on? Why are you snapping at me?¡± ¡°Did you mess with Elliot Foster¡®s assistant?!¡± ¡°What are you talking about? How am I supposed to know his assistant?¡± ¡°Elliot Foster¡¯s sitting in my office right now. He wouldn¡¯t be here if it weren¡¯t true!¡± Avery snanded as her breathing quickened. ¡°Did you sleep with him without even knowing his name?!¡± ¡°Of course not! I¡¯ve only slept with one person since I arrived -¡± ¡°What was his name?¡± ¡°Chad. I haven¡®t been able to contact him since that night.¡± Avery inhaled a slow tortured breath and said, ¡°That¡®s Elliot Foster¡¯s assistant! Get your *ss over here right now!¡± Once she hung up, Avery walked over to Elliot and Ben, then sat across from them. Her cheeks were flushed. ¡°How¡®s Mr. Rayner doing? My apologies. Mike didn¡®t tell me what he did,¡± she said apologetically, then added with a hint of suspicion, ¡°How do they know each other?¡± Aside from work, Mike spent his time bar¨Chopping. Avery could not imagine how he could have met Chad. After thinking over the matter for a few seconds, Ben said, ¡°Mike went to a bar after yourpany dinner the other night, and Chad was there, too. I admit that Chad went to that bar to dig up information about Mike¡ª¡± Avery instantly understood. ¡°So, you sent Chad Rayner to get close to Mike, and by some strange circumstances, they ended up sleeping together,¡± she said, then turned to Elliot and added, ¡°That¡®s how you found out Mike was gay.¡± Noticing that they were about to get into a fight, Ben quickly jumped in, ¡°There¡¯s something you don¡®t know, Miss Tate. We investigated Mike because ourpany had recently been hacked. Our entire network had been disabled. The hacker even left a written challenge on Elliot¡®sputer. We suspect that this hacker is the same one that hacked into Ang Special Needs Academy.¡± Avery¡®s heart tightened, and her fists clenched slightly as she asked, ¡°Why do you suspect it was Mike?¡± ¡°That¡®s because he¡®s your director of operations. I bet his technical skills are amazing! Besides, we found it suspicious that we could not find any information about him,¡± Ben said. ¡± We never asked Chad to sacrifice his body like that. Mike was the one who forced him into it.¡± Avery lowered her gaze as she lost confidence in her argument. N?vel(D)rama.Org''s content. If Mike really forced himself onto Chad and hacked into the school and the Sterling Group, then Avery would not stand up for him. There was nothing she could do even if she wanted to help. Elliot would be showing him great mercy if he decided not to kill him. Soon after, Mike arrived at the office. Chapter 209 Chapter 209 Chapter 209 Mike burst through the doors and strode into Avery¡¯s office. ¡°Avery! Chad was the one who had initiated it!¡± Mike said. His pale blue eyes filled with apprehension, ¡°We were just drinking and chatting at first when his leg slid against mine¡­ If he didn¡®t mean anything by it, then why did he bump my leg with his? Wasn¡¯t that a signal for sex? Avery¡¯s face turned scarlet. ¡°Chad was trying to find out if you were gay or straight,¡± Ben said awkwardly. Mike was determined to argue his case. ¡°I didn¡¯t know what his true intentions were! Besides, he had the time of his life that night!¡± The entire room dipped into pin¨Cdrop silence. Elliot picked up his ss of water and took a sip. Ben followed suit. Avery changed the subject, ¡°Did you ever hack into Ang Special Needs Academy? Also, were you behind the system breach at Sterling Group before this?¡± Mike raised both his hands and swore, ¡°It wasn¡®t me! I¡¯d admit it if it were me. It¡¯s true that my hacking skills are impressive, but it really wasn¡®t me.¡± He then shot a meaningful look at Avery. His eyes said, ¡°It was your son.¡± Avery was at a loss for words. Finally, sheposed herself and said, ¡°So¡­ I haven¡®t had lunch. What about you guys? Let¡®s go get lunch together!¡± In order to protect her son, she had no choice but to muster her courage and treat Elliot an Ben to lunch. ¡°There¡¯s a really good Mexican restaurant nearby.¡± Ben nced at Elliot and decided to help him win this round. ¡°Miss Tate, that¡®s¨C¨C¡± ¡°Didn¡®t you say you love Mexican food? Give it a try!¡± Elliot interjected before Ben could finish his sentence, and epted Avery¡®s offer. Ben was bewildered. Since when did he like Mexican food? ¡°Ha! Serves him right getting tortured by Avery!¡± Ben thought. This belongs to N?velDrama.Org - ?. ¡°Could you ask Chad out for me? I¡®d like to talk to him,¡± Mike said. He was not interested in joining them for lunch. All he wanted to do was to set things straight with Chad. ¡°Just head over to Sterling Group if you want to see him. I doubt you¡®d act recklessly once you¡¯ re on our turf,¡± Ben said. ¡°I never picked on him!¡± Mike said with an innocent expression on his face. ¡°That night, he was a little reluctant and twitchy at first, but then he¡ª¡± Avery did not want to listen to the details, so she interrupted him and said, ¡°Go apologize to him right now! And don¡®t harass him again after this!¡± Mike instantly turned meek and said, ¡°Okay.¡± Once they were at the restaurant, Avery ordered a few of the specials, then passed the menu to Ben, who then passed it to Elliot. ¡°Didn¡®t you say you loved Mexican food?¡± Avery asked. ¡°Elliot likes it, too,¡± Ben said with a grin. ¡°I see... Did you suffer any damage from the hacking attack?¡± Avery asked. Ben and Elliot had both seen Mikemunicating something to Avery with his eyes. Whoever the hacker was, even if it was not Mike, it was definitely someone close to Avery. ¡°Of course. We failed to close a hundred¨Cmillion¨Cdor contract that day, and anotherpany swooped in and got the contract. What¡®s worse was all the important information on Elliot¡®sputer was wiped clean! We¡®re still looking into the whereabouts of that hacker! Once we find out who he is, we¡®ll make sure he pays for his crimes financially and legally!¡± Ben¡®s words made Avery turn pale. Noticing her reaction, Elliot said, ¡°He¡®s just scaring you. We can excuse the financial matters, and I still have all the data that was on myputer. However, the written challenge the hacker left behind annoyed me. I¡®ll definitely find him and throw him in prison!¡± Chapter 210 Chapter 210 Chapter 210 Avery¡¯s chest tightened. She could hear the nervous tremor in her own voice as she tried to stay calm. This belongs to N?velDrama.Org - ?. ¡°I see... What did the challenge entail?¡± Elliot¡¯s thick brows furrowed as he said with a chilling expression, ¡°Come and strangle me, you *sshole!¡± Avery was speechless. Ben did not know whether tough or cry. ¡°I suspect the hacker¡®s pretty young!¡± ¡°Not necessarily!¡± Avery said. ¡°You can¡®t tell much from that one sentence!¡± ¡°An adult probably wouldn¡®t add in the term ¡®*sshole¡® right? Other than in those old, corny soap operas, of course.¡± To prevent them from suspecting a minor, Avery looked at Ben and muttered, ¡°*sshole,¡± then turned to Elliot and once again said, ¡°*sshole.¡± Both Ben and Elliot sat in stunned silence. ¡°See, there¡®s nothing silly about the word!¡± Avery said. ¡°Adults can easily use it, too.¡± She was hard at work, trying to clear her son¡®s name. Her expression had unwittingly given her away. Ben and Elliot exchanged nces for a moment as they came to the same conclusion. ¡°How did you and Mike meet, Miss Tate? It¡®s hard to imagine that you would know someone that special,¡± Ben said, changing the subject to something more lighthearted. ¡°Also, it looks like he¡®s especially obedient. He listens to your every word.¡± Avery took a sip of water and made up an excuse. ¡°We met at aworking event when I was studying abroad. We¡¯re friends, so there¡¯s no such thing as obedience.¡± ¡°I see... Did he follow you to Aryadelle?¡± ¡°He came because he felt like it, and he¡®ll leave when he feels like it. What¡®s this about following me around?¡± Avery said as she picked up a taco and ced it on her te. Mike was at Sterling Group trying to exin his intentions to the receptionist at the front desk ¡°I¡®m sorry, but you need an appointment to see Mr. Rayner.¡± ¡°It¡¯s lunchtime now,¡± Mike said. ¡°Exactly! It¡®s lunchtime, so you may make an appointment after lunch at two in the afternoon, ¡± said the receptionist. ¡°That¡¯s not what I mean... Elliot Foster and Ben Schaffer sent me to see him. Do you know who those two are?¡± The receptionist was taken aback. How could she possibly not know who the president and chief financial officer were? ¡°One moment, Sir. I¡®ll call Mr. Rayner and bring the matter to his attention.¡± After a short phone call, the receptionist turned to Mike and said, ¡°Mr. Rayner doesn¡¯t want to see you.¡± ¡°I know he doesn¡®t want to see me, but your boss told me toe here. Are you going to listen to him or your boss? Just take me to where he is,¡± Mike said. He was determined to see Chad because he was absolutely furious! The receptionist hesitated for a moment, then led Mike to Chad¡¯s office. The moment Chad saw Mike, he began to seethe with anger. Mike closed the door to Chad¡®s office behind him, then snapped coldly, ¡°You spy!¡± Faced with Mike¡®s chastising, Chad refused to back down. ¡°I admit, I had ulterior motives for getting close to you that night, but you¡ª¡± ¡°It¡®s good that you¡®re admitting to that! Avery gave me an earful! She even made mee here to apologize to you! There¡®s no way I¡®m apologizing!¡± Mike was infuriated, but he was still rtively level ¨C headed. ¡°Nothing would¡®ve happened between us if you hadn¡®t deliberately approached me, so don¡¯t act like the victim here!¡± ¡°Delete my number!¡± Chad hissed through gritted teeth. ¡°My pleasure!¡± Mike said as he pulled out his phone and deleted Chad¡¯s number. At the same time, Chad also got rid of Mike¡¯s number. ¡°Let¡¯s never meet ever again! Even if I run into you, we should pretend like we don¡¯t know each other,¡± said Chad. ¡°Ha! i¡¯d rather run into the devil than run into you!¡± Mike responded. After a heated argument, the two men parted ways. Mike walked out of Sterling Group, then entered a cafe nearby and ordered a cup of ck coffee. He then gave Hayden a call and said, ¡°Hey, Big H. Your mom knows about what you did. I¡¯ve got my own butt to worry about, so you¡¯re on your own this time!¡± ¡°It looks like I¡®ll have to bring the n forward,¡± Hayden mumbled. ¡°I think so! I bet your mom¡¯s going to confiscate yourptop and give you a piece of her mind. Elliot Foster gave her some trouble today, so I¡¯m guessing she¡¯s in a terrible mood! Shouldn¡¯t you just run away from home?¡± suggested Mike. ¡°I¡¯d rather get a beating than break Mommy¡¯s heart,¡± said Hayden. Chapter 211 Chapter 211 Chapter 211 Avery returned home earlier than usual that evening. Once Laura took Hayden home from school, she picked up La and went into the bedroom. Hayden already knew what was about to happen when he saw his grandmother carry his sister away. ¡°Give me your bag, Hayden,¡± Avery said as she stretched a hand out to Hayden Hayden passed his bag to his mother with both hands. Avery opened the bag and took out theptop. She did not open theptop, but said, ¡°Uncle Mike told me everything. You¡¯ve used the skills he taught you to do a lot of bad things. Did you know that was illegal, Hayden? Do you know what you would have to face if they caught you?¡± Hayden answered his mother without batting an eyelid, ¡°I¡®m only four. Can they throw me in jail?¡± Avery was at a loss for words. Even if Elliot ruled over Aryadelle, he probably had no way of sending a four-year-old to prison. However, that was not the point. The point was that Hayden¡®s values were beginning to get twisted. ¡°You won¡®t be four years old forever. You¡®re bound to grow up,¡± Avery said as she tried to educate her son. ¡°I can¡®t watch you make the same mistake again, so I¡®m confiscating yourptop for now.¡± ¡°Uncle Mike would just get me a new one,¡± Hayden said. Avery felt her head throb, then sighed and said, ¡°Are you nning on acting up again?!¡± Hayden shook his head and said, ¡°I won¡®t mess with Elliot Foster again.¡± As long as he left Elliot Foster alone, nobody else would be able to figure out that it was him. ¡°No dinner for you tonight,¡± Avery said, then walked towards her room with theptop in her arms. Her eyes were red. Hayden knew that his mother would nevery a finger on him, but the thought of Avery¡¯s angry face upset him. All he wanted to do was punish the person who picked on his mother. At seven in the evening, Zoe received a text message. N?vel(D)rama.Org''s content. (Meet me tonight at 10 at the Scenic Hotel, Room V809. I want to get to know you better. Elliot. Did Elliot just invite her to a hotel at 10 p.m.?! It was hard not to let one¡¯s imagination run wild considering the meeting ce and time. They were both adults. Even someone who had never dated would know the deeper meaning behind that text. Why was Elliot suddenly changing his behavior toward her? Zoe did not overthink it, because her head was spinning with joy. She had to dress up tonight and make sure to leave asting impression on him. She was determined topletely take over Avery¡®s ce in Elliot¡®s heart. Over at the Starry River Vi, Hayden and La climbed in bed after washing up. La pulled out a piece of chocte from underneath her pillow, then said, ¡°Grandma asked me to give this to you, Hayden. She was worried you¡®d be hungry... Hurry up and eat it!¡± Hayden shook his head and refused. La shoved her hands back under her pillow and fumbled around. Suddenly, she pulled out yet another piece of chocte. ¡°This was from Mommy. She¡®s also worried you¡®d be hungry. Just eat one of them, Hayden! We ¡®ll take one piece each. How¡®s that?¡± La begged gently. ¡°Did Mommy really ask you to give that to me?¡± Hayden said as he stared at the choctes in his sister¡¯s hand. They were clearly identical. ¡°That¡®s right! Actually, they¡®re both from Mommy. She told me to say it was from Grandma at first because she felt bad...¡± A hint of warmth washed over Hayden¡¯s cold face. At 10 p.m. that night, an alluring person appeared at the entrance of the Scenic Hotel. Chapter 212 Chapter 212 Chapter 212 Zoe had worn a strappy red dress to the hotel. She pushed open the door to Room V809. The darkness of the room took her by surprise, but she very quickly noticed the flickering of red candles inside. Red candles! Sitting by the candles was a decanter of red wine and some desserts, and on the chair next to the arrangement was a bouquet of red roses. Zoe was melting in the romantic atmosphere. Elliot was unexpectedly sentimental! Zoe was filled with anticipation for what was about to happen that night. As she picked the bouquet of roses, she became intoxicated by the strong floral fragrance. She ced the bouquet back on the chair, then pulled out her phone. It was almost ten o¡®clock, but why had Elliot not arrived? Was there traffic on the streets? When another fifteen minutes passed with no sign of Elliot, Zoe began to feel anxious. Was he noting? He could not possibly have painstakingly decorated the room on a whim, right? Or perhaps, did he mistakenly send the text to her? Zoe poured herself a ss of wine. She wrapped her fingers around the ss and gently swayed the red liquid inside of it, before taking a sip. It was not bad at all! It was a fragrant, full¨Cbodied wine. It was not until 11 p.m. that the unlocked door was pushed open, and a tall figure walked in. A spark of great excitement shed in her blurry eyes. She hurried toward the tall figure, threw her arms around him, and whispered softly, ¡°I knew you¡¯de, Elliot¡­ It was a painful wait, but you showed up in the end...¡± Scanned with CamScanner The man¡®s entire body suddenly stiffened, as if he was shocked Hoe ignored him and kept her arms tightly wrapped around him After two sses of wine, her reason had already flown out the window All she wanted was to be with him right now! Zoe was woken up by a splitting headache at seven the next morning She squinted her eyes and took in her unfamiliar surroundings as everything that happened the night before floated in her mind. A grin appeared on her face. Last night, Zoe took a substantial step forward in her rtionship with Elliot, She did not expect things between them to progress this quickly, let alone for the experience with him to be this amazing Elliot was gentle and patient with her, and he had given her a taste of the joys of being a woman. Zoe was even more in love with him now! At that thought, she turned to look at the man lying beside her. He was on his side, and there were faint scratches on his pale back. Exclusive content from N?velDrama.Org. She had scratched him in the heat of the momentst night, She had deliberately left her mark on his body as a sign that she had be his woman, She moved closer to him until their bare skin was touching and their body heat was entangled together. ¡°Hmm? Do you want to go another round?¡± The man¡¯s hoarse voice hit Zoe¡®s ears, leaving her speechless. Why was it not Elliot¡¯s voice?! Chapter 213 Chapter 213 Chapter 213 Zoe¡®s entire body went rigid as she felt her body instantly turn cold. Cole turned to face her, then teased bashfully, ¡°I didn¡®t know you were that rough in bed, Dr. Sanford. You almost squeezed me dry...¡± Zoe finally took a good look at Cole¡¯s face. This was not their first meeting. Text ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org. Back when she had burned her hand, Cole was the one who had driven Rosalie over to visit her. Zoe had too much to drink the night before, and the room was lit up with nothing but a few candles, so she did not realize that this man was not Elliot! How could something like this happen? Elliot was the one who had invited her herest night! What was Cole doing here?! ¡°How are you here? Why you?!¡± Zoe picked up her pillow and repeatedly smacked Cole¡®s face with it. Cole covered his head and cried, ¡°Dr. Sanford! Don¡®t hit me! I don¡®t know what¡¯s going on either! I got a text from Averyst night telling me toe to Room V809, so I came! Who knew that you¡®d hug me the moment I walked in... I tried to loosen your grip a few times, but you refused to let go... Not only did you not let go, but you also kept throwing yourself at me¡­ Who would be able to resist that?!¡± Zoe threw the pillow onto the ground, then burst into tears. ¡°Don¡®t cry, Dr. Sanford! I know the whole thing is fishy, but it¡®s true! I can show you the text! I wasn¡®t trying to trick you on purpose! Let¡®s just pretend that what happenedst night was a dream! I swear I won¡®t tell my uncle. He wouldn¡®t let me live if he found out about this. I won¡¯t dig my own grave!¡± Cole dropped to his knees in front of Zoe and swore to her. Through red eyes, Zoe stretched her hand out to him and snapped, ¡°Show me the text!¡± She wanted to know exactly what went wrong. Cole quickly found his phone and opened up his messages, but despite his wide eyes, he could not find the text he had receivedst night. ¡°Huh? Where is it?! The textst night disappeared! I remember I didn¡¯t delete it!¡± Zoe picked up another pillow and hit Cole with it once again! Cole was devastated! ¡°Let me exin, Dr. Sanford! I bet it was a hacker! My phone was hacked into not too long ago! ¡°Are you saying that the text from Avery Tate was the hacker¡¯s work? So, the hacker was the one who sent me that text from your uncle, too?!¡± Zoe sneered. She did not believe that the text she had received from Elliot was actually the work of a hacker. However, why did Elliot not show upst night? Zoe took a deep breath, found her phone, and opened up her messages. She instantly became livid! ¡°Did the text my uncle sent you disappear? Looks like you got hacked, too!¡± Cole said as the gears in his head turned at full speed. ¡°Last night was a setup to trap the two of us!¡± ¡°Who did it?! Who could it be?!¡± Zoe was about to lose her mind. If Elliot found out about what happened between her and Cole, he would surely not want her! ¡°I don¡®t know... This hacker¡®s too good, and I couldn¡®t find out anything about him,¡± Cole said as he passed a couple of pieces of tissue paper to her, then added, ¡°Don¡®t worry, I¡¯m sure this wasn¡®t my uncle¡®s work. He¡®s still counting on you to treat Shea. He won¡®t do something this despicable to you.¡± Zoe wiped her tears with the tissue, then said hoarsely, ¡°Could there be surveince cameras in here? Is there a possibility that what we didst night was recorded?¡± Cole nced around the room and said, ¡°There wouldn¡®t be... Right? This is a five-star hotel after all. I¡®ll sue them if we were recorded!¡± ¡°Send someone over to check and see if there are any cameras in here!¡± Zoe ordered. ¡°Oh... Okay...¡± Cole responded. Elliot had personally sent Shea to school that day. Once he dropped her off at her ssroom, he walked over to Hayden¡¯s ssroom. After their meeting with Avery yesterday, Elliot and Ben hade to the conclusion that the hacker who had hacked into Ang Academy and Sterling Group was someone close to Avery. Moreover, it was someone who she cared about very much. someo Otherwise, she would not have treated them to lunch, From that list of people, there was nobody else apart from Laura and the children. Elliot had also once seen Hayden with aptop. Althoughmon sense would argue that it was impossible for a four-year¨Cold child the hacker that challenged him, there were times when the impossible was possible. Elliot walked into the ssroom and walked over to the little boy wearing a t cap. ¡°Hayden Tate, give me your bag.¡± Chapter 214 Chapter 214 Chapter 214 Hayden pretended not to hear Elliot and ignored him. Hayden¡®s behavior shocked the teacher, who then quickly walked over and said, ¡°Mr. Foster, may I ask why you need Hayden¡®s bag?¡± These were two individuals that she could not afford to offend. However, after weighing the pros and cons, the teacher decided that the consequences of offending Elliot Foster were graver, and she picked up Hayden¡®s bag from the desk. ¡°Don¡¯t be scared, Hayden. Mr. Foster isn¡®t a bad person. He¡®s just worried about you,¡± she said, then handed the bag over to Elliot and said, ¡°He passed the security clearance when he arrived at school. There aren¡®t any dangerous items in there.¡± ¡°I remember he had aptop with him,¡± Elliot said as he took the bag from the teacher. The bag was light, causing him to raise his brows. When Elliot opened the bag, he found only a change of clothes but noptop in sight. ¡°Oh... Hayden does have a smallptop. He enjoys watching cartoons on it,¡± said the teacher. Elliot ced the bag on Hayden¡®s desk, then loomed over him and said, ¡°Why didn¡®t you bring your laptop today?¡± Hayden rested his head on the desk and went to sleep. ¡°Should I give his mother a call?¡± said the teacher with an embarrassed smile as she tried to smooth things over. Hayden shot to his feet, red at the teacher with his obsidian ck eyes, then grabbed his bag and walked out of the room. The teacher ran after him, yelling, ¡°Come back, Hayden! I won¡®t call your mother!¡± Hayden ignored her and continued walking away. Shea was standing at the door when she noticed Hayden had walked out of his ssroom. ¡°Hayden,¡± she called out timidly. Hayden nced coldly at her, then quickened his pace. When Elliot saw his sister following Hayden, he grabbed onto her and asked, ¡°Where are you going, Shea?¡± ¡°Hayden!¡± Shea cried as she pointed a finger at Hayden with a face filled with worry. ¡°Where¡¯s he going?¡± ¡°His teacher will take care of him. Let¡®s get back to your ssroom.¡± Just as Elliot finished his sentence, Shea broke free of his grip and ran after Hayden ¡°Wait for me, Hayden!¡± Shea¡¯s behavior caused Elliot to furrow his brows. Why did she like Hayden that much? What happened between them? Elliot went after them with long strides. Hayden managed to sessfully leave the school under the pursuit of the teacher and Elliot. If nobody was following him, he would have taken a cab home. However, he could not go home now with three people on his tail. With his backpack on his back, Hayden walked along the street. Elliot was holding Shea¡®s hand, and he was right behind Hayden. The teacher was walking on the other side. The group of four strolled aimlessly down the street. ¡°Hayden, I can take you home if you want,¡± said the teacher. ¡°I don¡®t want to!¡± Hayden responded. ¡°Where do you want to go, then? I¡®ll take you. It¡®s dangerous for you to be wandering outside like this,¡± the teacher said bitterly. Hayden frowned and stopped talking. They arrived at a crowded street about half an hourter. It was Shea¡¯s first time out in public, and she found the outside world to be new and strange. Elliot¡¯s eyes were fixed on her as she nced around her without blinking. Zoe had said that gradually allowing Shea to get in contact with society would be good for her condition. Text ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org. Shea used to refuse everything that had to do with the outside world, so Elliot had never got the chance to take her out. After thest surgery, there was an obvious change in her. She was beginning to have a rising interest in the world. This was a huge improvement. Seeing the change in Shea made Elliot think of Zoe. Perhaps he should treat her better. She was the only one who could save Shea, after all. Noticing their persistent pursuit, Hayden decided that he might as well just stop in the middle of the street. Elliot saw Hayden¡®s intentions, then said to Shea, ¡°Let¡®s head back, Shea! It¡®s too hot out here You could get a heatstroke.¡± Despite being drenched in sweat, Shea shook her head and said, ¡°Hayden could get a heatstroke, too.¡± ¡°Why are you following him?¡± Elliot asked, confused. ¡°Would you follow him if he went home?¡± Chapter 215 Chapter 215 Chapter 215 Shea nodded without hesitation. N?vel(D)rama.Org''s content. It was not like she had never gone to Hayden¡¯s house. She actually quite liked it there and wanted to go back again. Since Hayden had not brought hisptop to school, he was sure that Avery had taken it away from him. He could basically confirm that thewless hacker was the cool little boy in the t cap in front of him. Although Hayden was Avery¡¯s adopted son, Elliot wanted to teach him a lesson. However, Shea¡¯s behavior toward the boy left Elliot in a dilemma. Suddenly, a loud crash pierced through the air, followed by the ear-splitting sound of harsh cursing! The group nced over to where themotion came from and saw two people in the middl of a fight. Faced with the violent scene in front of her, the color drained from Shea¡¯s face and terror flooded into her eyes. ¡°Ah! Ahhh!¡± She screamed at the top of her lungs as she covered her ears with her hands. Elliot¡¯s heart tightened at the sight of his sister¡¯s breakdown. She must have remembered the violent abuse she had suffered as a child! Elliot took Shea into his arms and left in a hurry. As Hayden watched them leave, Shea¡¯s cries of terror reyed in his head. What happened to her? Was she frightened? Those people were fighting each other, not her. Why was she scared? ¡°It¡¯s too chaotic here, Hayden! Let¡¯s head back to school right away!¡± The teacher grabbed Hayden¡¯s arm and quickly led him away. Scanned with CamScanner That afternoon, Avery made a trip to the police station. Five years ago, Wanda Tate¡¯s brother, Richard Worsley, had embezzled close to three hundred million dors from Tate Industries before fleeing the country Despite the conclusive evidence, there was nothing that the local police could do. The country that Richard had fled to did not have an extradition treaty with Aryadelle which meant that the Aryadelle police could not arrest him as long as he was there Moreover, Richard had gotten an entirely new identity once he had escaped. Avery had spent the past few years looking into his whereabouts. It was not until recently that the private investigator that Avery had hired finally sent over Richard¡¯stest photos and address. Avery had handed over all these clues to the police. Today, they finally had a new breakthrough in the case. ¡°Miss Tate, we¡¯ve sent Richard Worsley¡¯s old friends to persuade him to return to the country. ording to our informant, Mr. Worsley¡¯s been living in rather difficult conditions. We¡¯re guessing that he¡¯s blown through most of the money he embezzled.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t care if I don¡¯t get the money back. I want him to answer to thew! I¡¯ve spoken to mywyers, and they told me that the amount of money involved in the case isrge enough for him to be given the death sentence. Is that right?¡± ¡°Yes. Once he¡¯s back in the country, we will arrest him immediately.¡± ¡°Alright. Thank you for your hard work!¡± When Avery walked out of the police station, she felt a strong sense of relief. Returning to Aryadelle and rebuilding Tate Industries was part of her n to bait him back into the country. She wanted Richard to know that she was now incredibly wealthy. He had seeded in embezzling money from thepany once, so he was sure to want to try his luck once again. She had asked thepany¡¯s current chief financial officer to get in touch with Richard¡¯s friends and give them the illusion that there was another chance to steal money from Tate Industries, and Richard had fallen for it. Avery got into her car and was about to head back to the office when her phone rang. When she saw who was calling, she immediately answered the phone and said, ¡°Hey, Wesley. Are you at the airport?¡± ¡°I am. Where are you right now? I¡¯lle to you,¡± said Wesley. ¡°I¡¯m not busy right now, so I¡¯ll pick you up.¡± Avery arrived at the airport half an hourter to pick Wesley up. She asked for his house address, then drove the car in that direction. ¡°How long are you back for this time?¡± she asked. ¡°For good,¡± Wesley said with a shrug. ¡°I quit and decided toe back home.¡± ¡°That¡¯s great! That way, we can see each other all the time,¡± Avery said with a pure and sincere smile. However, a hint of worry shed across Wesley¡¯s eyes. ¡°Zoe Sanford called me, Avery. She¡¯s more shameless than I imagined. You should be on your guard around her.¡± Chapter 216 Chapter 216 Chapter 216 ¡°What did she contact you for?¡± Avery asked. ¡°She said she needed an assistant and asked me to rmend one to her,¡± Wesley said with an expression of irony on his face. Then heughed and continued, ¡°Guess what her requirements were for picking an assistant? She wanted someone who was Professor Hough¡¯s student and whose skills weren¡¯t worse off than hers¡­ She might as well have just said that she wanted to find someone who could single¨Chandedly take on Shea¡¯s case. As if someone who was better than her would agree to be her assistant! i don¡¯t know if she¡¯s shameless or just in stupid.¡± Avery also found the entire thing ironic. ¡°She obviously doesn¡®t have the skills for the job, but she insists on sticking around. Elliot Foster isn¡®t an idiot. He¡®ll find the truth out sooner orter,¡± Wesley said. ¡°You¡¯re too soft hearted, Avery. Not many people would treat their own rivals in love.¡± ¡°As long as you¡®re not ufortable about it.¡± ¡°There¡®s no point in punishing myself over this. We should look ahead in life,¡± Avery said, then changed the subject, ¡°I¡®ve got some good news. I¡®m almost done rebuilding mypany. Everything is going smoothly.¡± Wesley was happy for her and said, ¡°That¡®s great. How is Hayden doing at the special needs school?¡± The smile on Avery¡®s face vanished at the mention of Hayden. ¡°He has learned to hack from Mike, and his skills are way beyond my imagination. Elliot¡¯s got his eyes on him,¡± she said as her head began to ache. ¡°I¡®m afraid that Elliot might uncover more things if this continues.¡± ¡°It¡¯s rare for secrets to be kept under wraps for a lifetime, Avery. You¡¯re no longer the same person you were four years ago. Even if he finds out that he¡®s the father of the children, he won ¡®t actually kill them.¡± ¡°That¡®s exactly why I need to make more money and be more powerful. That¡¯s the only way I can protect my children,¡± Avery said. ¡°I¡®ll keep this a secret for as long as I can! Considering the mess his personal life is in right now, the children are better off without a father.¡± Meanwhile, Elliot had taken Shea back to the Foster mansion where the family doctor had given her a sedative. thepletalo Once Shea was asleep, the doctor asked Elliot, ¡°Mental illness is beyond my scope I suggest you find a psychiatrist to treat her.¡± This was not something Elliot had not considered before. ¡°She¡¯s wary of strangers.¡± ¡°It¡¯s worth a try. Didn¡¯t you say that her condition is better than it was before the surgery?¡±forted the doctor. ¡°You never know, maybe solving her emotional woes could help her overall recovery.¡± Text ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org. Elliot nodded, then asked, ¡°Do you have a good psychiatrist to rmend?¡± ¡°I happen to know one of the country¡¯s more well-known psychiatrists, but I can¡¯t guarantee that they will be avable. I¡®ll ask and find out,¡± answered the doctor. ¡°You could also ask for Dr. Sanford¡®s opinion. She¡®s better than I am, so she might have a more professional view on this.¡± Elliot nodded in response. Zoe rushed over half an hourter. She was dressed in a long¨Csleeved top and long pants, while her face and neck were covered in a thick layer of makeup. ¡°Are you alright, Dr. Sanford?¡± Elliot asked as he took in her appearance. ¡°I heard you spent the night out last night.¡± Zoe had not allowed the bodyguard to follow her to the hotelst night. All the bodyguard knew was that she spent the night out, but not where she went or what she did. ¡°Yes. A friend of mine came to see me, so I spent the night with her,¡± Zoe answered with a light smile, then changed the subjeet quickly and said, ¡°Did something happen to Shea?¡± Elliot exined everything that happened that afternoon to Zoe. ¡°Did she suffer simr trauma in her past? If that¡®s the case, we need to keep her away from anything that might trigger her. It¡®s better for her to get plenty of rest after brain surgery,¡± said Zoe. ¡°Could we get a psychiatrist to see her?¡± ¡°We could give it a try with an expert psychiatrist, but this will also depend on Shea¡¯s reaction. We don¡®t need to rush things if she¡®s against it. Once her mental capacity recovers to a certain level, her psychological endurance will also increase ordingly.¡± ¡°Go get busy with your work, Elliot. I¡®ll look after Shea,¡± Zoe said. As Elliot walked in the direction of his study, Zoe watched his back and felt a huge sense of. relief. Cole had sent someone to search the hotel room that morning and did not find any hidden cameras. She did not have to worry about what happened the night before for now. Although she did not know who set the trap, she could deny everything since they did not have any proof. Chapter 217 Chapter 217 Chapter 217 Zoe was now using Elliot to climb the socialdder. Instead of being an aplished doctor, she would much rather be at the top of high society Moreover, she was aware of her own skills, and she knew that she would never reach Professor Hough¡¯s level of expertise. There was a limit to how far she could go if she remained in the medical field, Things would be different if she married Elliot. When the time came, she would be the envy of everyone around her. Not long after Elliot sat down in his study, he received a phone call from Ben. ¡°Hey, Elliot. How did things at the school go?¡± ¡°He didn¡®t bring hisptop today. I¡®m guessing Avery took it away from him.¡± ¡°It looks like it really was Avery¡¯s son! Isn¡®t he only four years old? Is he a so-called child prodigy?¡± Ben said enthusiastically. Elliot did not respond. ¡°What do you n on doing with the kid?¡± Ben asked. He found the entire thing especially entertaining. It would have been boring if the hacker turned out to be some creep. Who would have thought that the person who disabled Sterling Group¡®s entirework was a little brat? ¡°Why did he challenge you to strangle him?¡± Ben continued to ask. ¡°Why don¡®t you ask him that yourself if you¡®re so interested? He always ignores me,¡± said Elliot. ¡°Hahahaha! This kid¡¯s got personality! I really want to meet him.¡± ¡°In your dreams!¡± What Hayden did was wrong, but he was an ¡°atypical¡± child after all. Elliot would not do anything to him, nor would he allow Ben to bother him at school. ¡°Avery¡¯s birthday ising up. What if they invite us to the party? Wouldn¡¯t I get to see the kid, then?¡± Ben said excitedly. ¡°Do you want to get her a present beforehand, Elliot? You may be divorced, but you once shared an unforgettable rtionship. You won¡¯t be so stingy as to not wish her a happy birthday, right?¡± Elliot¡®s hawk-like eyes narrowed, then he said in a deep voice, ¡°Do you think she¡¯ll ept a gift from me?¡± ¡°Wasn¡¯t she pretty friendly when she treated us to lunch yesterday? Even though it was only because we had something on her.¡± ¡°There¡¯s no need for that ¨C¨C¡± Exclusive content from N?velDrama.Org. ¡°How much would a birthday present cost? I could give it to her for you if you¡¯re embarrassed. I really want to take a look at that son of hers,¡± Ben said. After a few seconds of deep consideration, Elliot gave in and asked, ¡°What would be a suitable gift?¡± ¡°How about jewelry? Women love sparkly things,¡± Ben suggested. ¡°Jewelry isn¡®t suitable. We¡®re divorced after all.¡± ¡°What else if not jewelry? You wouldn¡®t be able to give her something cheap, right? She¡¯s a millionaire now!¡± Elliot raised his hand and massaged the space between his brows, then said, ¡°Let¡®s just go with jewelry, then!¡± On the other side of the study¡®s door, Zoe¡®s heart was overwhelmed by jealousy as she listened in on their conversation. Elliot had asked his assistant to give her a handbag worth a few thousand dors on her birthday a while back. Now, he was about to give Avery expensive jewelry for her birthday! Who exactly was his girlfriend?! How could he do this to her? She was the only one who could save Shea now! As Zoe¡¯s eyes reddened with hatred, she pulled out her phone and texted her father. (Avery Tate has two children. Look up where she adopted them in Bridgedale, and for what purpose.) Chapter 218 Chapter 218 Chapter 218 It was dinner time at Starry River Vi, ¡°Avery, Wesley came by to see you this afternoon,¡± Laura said with bright eyes. ¡°He told me that he was going to settle down here in Aryadelle¡­¡± Avery figured out what her mother was thinking from the grin on her face. ¡°Mom, I know you¡¯re hoping I¡®ll find someone to get married to soon, but please don¡¯t pull that face while we are in public. Otherwise, people would think I¡¯m desperate for marriage!¡± Avery pleaded. ¡°I¡®m still in my twenties. I¡®m still young! This is the time I should be focusing on my career. Once I¡¯m sessful, men will be lining up to marry me.¡± The smile on Laura¡¯s face vanished. ¡°I¡®m not pestering you... I just really think that Wesley¡®s a great man. He took care of you the whole time you were abroad! Don¡¯t you see how well he treats you?¡± ¡°Am I supposed to marry anyone who¡®s good to me? In that case, Professor Hough was good to me, too!¡± ¡°Fine! Keep acting blind! Wesley really is a good man. You might never find someone like him again if you miss out now.¡± ¡°Can¡®t you have a little more faith in me? There will be men who will be attracted to me in the future,¡± Avery said as sheforted her mother. ¡°Besides, did you ask the children what they think? They don¡®t want a stepfather.¡± Avery shot a meaningful look at her children. La cleverly expressed her opinion and said, ¡°I don¡®t want a stepfather, but I¡®ll make myself ept anyone Mommy likes.¡± It was clear that her daughter did not understand what Avery was trying to signal to her. Avery pinned her hopes on her son. ¡°Let¡®s eat, Grandma,¡± said Hayden, ¡°Alright, I won¡®t say more,¡± Laura said. ¡°I¡®m just worried that your Mommy will regret this, so I¡®m just reminding her. I won¡®t waste my time worrying about it, since she has no such intentions.¡± Avery chuckled and said, ¡°Mom, if you¡®re so eager to y matchmaker, then find someone for Mike. He¡®s been hanging out at bars every day recently. I bet he¡®s dying to find a better half.¡± Laura was left speechless. It was dinner time at Starry River Vi. ¡°Avery, Wesley came by to see you this afternoon,¡± Laura said with bright eyes. ¡°He told me that he was going to settle down here in Aryadelle...¡± Avery figured out what her mother was thinking from the grin on her face, ¡°Mom, I know you¡¯re hoping I¡®ll find someone to get married to soon, but please don¡¯t pull that face while we are in public. Otherwise, people would think I¡®m desperate for marriage!¡± Avery pleaded. ¡°I¡¯m still in my twenties. I¡®m still young! This is the time I should be focusing on my career. Once I¡¯m sessful, men will be lining up to marry me.¡± The smile on Laura¡¯s face vanished. ¡°I¡®m not pestering you... I just really think that Wesley¡¯s a great man. He took care of you the whole time you were abroad! Don¡®t you see how well he treats you?¡± ¡°Am I supposed to marry anyone who¡¯s good to me? In that case, Professor Hough was good to me, too!¡± ¡°Fine! Keep acting blind! Wesley really is a good man. You might never find someone like him again if you miss out now.¡± ¡°Can¡®t you have a little more faith in me? There will be men who will be attracted to me in the future,¡± Avery said as sheforted her mother. ¡°Besides, did you ask the children what they think? They don¡®t want a stepfather.¡± Avery shot a meaningful look at her children. La cleverly expressed her opinion and said, ¡°I don¡®t want a stepfather, but I¡®ll make myself ept anyone Mommy likes.¡± It was clear that her daughter did not understand what Avery was trying to signal to her. Avery pinned her hopes on her son. ¡°Let¡®s eat, Grandma,¡± said Hayden. ¡°Alright, I won¡®t say more,¡± Laura said. ¡°I¡®m just worried that your Mommy will regret this, so I¡¯m just reminding her. I won¡¯t waste my time worrying about it, since she has no such intentions.¡± Avery chuckled and said, ¡°Mom, if you¡¯re so eager to y matchmaker, then find someone for Mike. He¡¯s been hanging out at bars every day recently. I bet he¡¯s dying to find a better half.¡± Laura was left speechless. At Tate Industries the next day, Wesley¡®s visit took Avery by surprise. ¡°Aren¡¯t you resting at home from the jetg?¡± Avery asked as she invited him to take a seat on the couch. ¡°Do you have coffee here?¡± Wesley asked. ¡°I do, but you shouldn¡®t have coffee now. Otherwise, you won¡¯t be able to sleep at night,¡± Avery said, then poured him a ss of water. ¡°How about I take you on a tour of each departmentter?¡± Wesley nodded, then said, ¡°I¡®ve actuallye to talk to you about something.¡± He then ced a photo in front of her. Avery picked up the photo, and her eyes were filled with curiosity as she asked, ¡°Who¡¯s this?¡± ¡°He¡®s a patient. He¡®s been bedridden for three years, but he is somewhat conscious. He is a little better than someone who is in a vegetative state. His parents contacted Professor Hough half a year ago. He took on the case but wasn¡®t able to put together a treatment n in time¡­¡± Wesley answered. Text ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org. ¡°I see... Since the professor gave his word, please send over his medical records for me to take a look at,¡± Avery said. ¡°Would it get in the way of your work? You just started yourpany after all,¡± Wesley said hesitantly. ¡°Let¡®s talk about this again once things settle down here.¡± Avery nced at the photo, then said, ¡°Send over his records first. It¡¯s a waste for such a handsome face to be lying on a hospital bed for so long!¡± ¡°I¡®ll send it to youter today,¡± Wesley responded. ¡°Now, take me on a tour of your empire!¡± Avery could not help butugh. ¡°Don¡¯t tease me. I didn¡®t make fun of you like this when I was at Elizabeth Hospital.¡± As Avery and Wesley left the office, they engaged in cheerful talk andughter. Very quickly, the news of Avery Tate¡¯s new boyfriend spread through the entire Tate Industries. Chapter 219 Chapter 219 Chapter 219 That afternoon, Ben showed Elliot a photo of Avery and Wesley together ¡°Avery¡¯s new boyfriend.¡± Elliot nced at the picture, and his eyes darkened as he asked, ¡°Isn¡¯t that Professor Hough¡¯s assistant?¡± He took Ben¡¯s phone from his hand and zoomed in. ¡°Do you know this man?¡± Ben asked as his interest rose. ¡°Rumor has it that Avery took him around Tate Industries all afternoon. They were walking side by side, chatting andughing with each other. They looked especially close to each other!¡± Elliot passed the phone back to Ben and said, ¡°I know him.¡± ¡°Oh. I think they look pretty good together,¡± Ben said deliberately when he saw Elliot¡¯s expressionless face. ¡°One has a gentle aura, while the other is elegant¡± Elliot looked up and shot a cold look at Ben. ¡°You never have anything nice to say, do you?¡± ¡°I¡®m innocent! It¡®s just that, looking at the jewel you picked for Avery makes me think you still have some love for her,¡± Ben teased. ¡°You didn¡®t want to give her a ne, earrings, a bracelet, or a ring because you think those are things you give your lover. You ended up picking a brooch, which is fine, but you went with such a huge diamond... Do you know what the jewelry designer said to me? He said that if someone wore such a massive diamond brooch right on top of their heart, it¡®d probably be able to block a bullet.¡± A wave of gloom instantly washed over Elliot¡®s face. ¡°Are you giving her a birthday present orpensation for the divorce?¡± Ben said as he continued poking fun at Elliot. ¡°Do you think Avery would dare ept such a gift?¡± ¡°Forget it, then,¡± Elliot said. He put down his knife and fork as he had lost his appetite. ¡°That¡®s not what I meant... I heard from Chad that you gave Zoe a bag worth a few thousand dors for her birthday,¡± Ben sighed. ¡°How could you give her something that cheap? Aren¡®t you worried she¡®d be upset when she finds out that you gave Avery such a huge diamond?¡± ¡°Chad was the one who picked the gift. I didn¡®t know how much it cost.¡± ¡°Weren¡¯t you the one who signed off on it?¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t take a good look at it.¡± Ben was utterly speechless. ¡°Since you have no interest in Dr. Sanford, then hurry up and find a way to break up with her!¡± Ben suggested. ¡°I don¡®t believe that there isn¡®t a better doctor than her in the world.¡± ¡°That¡¯s what¡¯s giving me a headache,¡± Elliot said with furrowed brows. ¡°You saw how much Shea recovered after the surgery Zoe did on her. Every doctor I¡¯ve met so far had no way of treating Shea, but Zoe managed to do it.¡± If it were not for the fact that Zoe could treat Shea, Elliot would never have given in to her threats. ¡°Wasn¡¯t Avery also a student of Professor Hough¡®s?¡± Ben asked. ¡°She was, but she started Alpha Technologies when she was in grad school,¡± Elliot said. ¡°She¡¯s a businesswoman now.¡± Ben shook his head and sighed, then said, ¡°It would be great if Avery could save Shea.¡± His words made Elliot¡®s chest tighten. As if something that perfect would happen! Exclusive content from N?velDrama.Org. His entire life, the heavens had never truly watched over him. A weekter, Zoe gave Avery a call and asked her to meet. ¡°No, thanks,¡± Avery refused without hesitation. She already witnessed Zoe¡¯s cunning and treacherous ways during theirst meeting. She was not about to give her another chance. Zoe chuckled coldly, then said, ¡°Since you won¡¯t meet me, then let¡¯s just talk on the phone! You said you adopted your children, but my people searched through all the orphanages in Bridgedale and didn¡¯t find any information on the adoptions. You never adopted them. They¡¯ re your biological children!¡± Chapter 220 Chapter 220 Chapter 220 Zoe¡¯s words left Avery frozen in shock. Exclusive content from N?velDrama.Org. ¡°If I¡®m right, the children are yours and Elliot¡®s,¡± Zoe said as her wickedughter traveled through the phone. Avery could not help but feel a chill run through her body. ¡°Adoption papers are private and confidential!¡± she retorted as she clenched her fists tightly. ¡°Of course! Adoption papers wouldn¡®t typically be disclosed, but my father isn¡¯t just your average Joe,¡± Zoe said as she let out an arrogant, maniacal cackle. ¡°My father¡¯s connections in Bridgedale confirmed that you lied! I heard Elliot hates children and had always been determined not to have them. I wonder what he¡®d do if he finds out that your children are his!¡± ¡°Zoe Sanford! You¡®re going too far!¡± Avery snapped furiously. ¡°Am I the one going too far, or are you?! Elliot is my boyfriend now! You¡®re his ex-wife! You¡¯ re divorced! Why do you keep getting in between us?¡± Zoe shrieked in a much sharper voice than Avery. ¡°I¡®ll keep your secret on the condition that you never meet Elliot again!¡± Zoe threatened. Her woman¡®s intuition told her that Avery would obediently follow her orders. Avery¡¯s children were her Achilles¡® heel. Avery would easily give in to Zoe¡®s request. After all, whether or not she met Elliot had no effect on her life whatsoever. However, Avery was not willing to surrender! She never did anything wrong, so why should she endure such injustice?! ¡°Let¡¯s meet!¡± Avery said as she quicklyposed her emotions. ¡°I¡®ll see you at the restaurant we met in before.¡± ¡°Fine!¡± Half an hourter, Avery and Zoe sat in the same seats at the restaurant from theirst meeting. As Avery took a seat, she said mockingly, ¡°There¡¯s no hot water today, Miss Sanford.¡± A look of embarrassment appeared on Zoe¡¯s face. Avery turned on the voice recorder on her phone, then showed it to her and said, ¡°Do you want to turn your voice recorder on? Let¡®s record this whole thing together!¡± Zoe was at a loss for words. How arrogant! Why was Avery behaving this cockily when she had something on her? Avery leisurely looked through the menu, ordered a ss of juice and dessert, then handed it to Zoe. Zoe ordered a ss of juice, then handed the menu over to the waiter. Once the waiter was gone, Zoe turned to Avery and said, ¡°You¡¯ve got it rough, Avery. Other women¡¯s worth and status rise after they give birth to a man¡®s child, but you¡¯re the exact opposite.¡± ¡°I¡®m afraid I don¡®t have it as bad as you do. You think that way because you treat yourself as nothing but a baby¨Cmaking machine. I¡¯m not like you. My children belong to me. I didn¡¯t have them for a man, nor did I have them to increase my worth,¡± Avery said as she shed a charming smile. ¡°It¡®s hard to believe that you¡®re an extremely educated woman.¡± Zoe¡®s shoulders trembled with rage, but she could not think of a goodeback at that moment. ¡°It looks like you¡®re not afraid of Elliot finding out about this at all,¡± she said through gritted teeth. ¡°If that¡®s the case, we better make sure the happy family of four quickly gets to know each other!¡± ¡°Ha! Do you know why I asked you to meet? I wanted to see how twisted your face would be when you threatened me,¡± Avery said. ¡°It looks like I was right.¡± Zoe wanted to m her hand on the table, but she had yet to recover from the burn. Her eyes reddened as she held back. ¡°Were you surprised by how easily things went for you when you used Shea¡¯s treatment as an excuse to threaten Elliot into bing your boyfriend?¡± Avery watched nonchntly at the drastic change in Zoe¡®s expression. ¡°I bet you have nightmares at night. After all, you¡®re not the one who operated on Shea.¡± The color instantly drained from Zoe¡¯s face. Chapter 221 Chapter 221 Chapter 221 Zoe¡®s body trembled uncontrobly. ¡°You! You ¨C Her head was buzzing as she turned blue in the face. ¡°I was also at Elizabeth Hospital that day, and identally caught a glimpse of the person who operated on Shea,¡± Avery said sternly as she watched the fear and anxiety on Zoe¡¯s face ¡°11 you want to threaten me, then you must first properly consider if you can handle being discarded!¡± At that moment, the drinks and desserts arrived. Avery casually began to enjoy her afternoon tea. ¡°I underestimated you, Avery Tate!¡± Zoe went from having the winning ticket in her grasp to beingpletely helpless in a matter of minutes. ¡°We¡®re even! Let¡®s just pretend like nothing happened! I won¡®t tell Elliot about your secret, so I hope you can keep your lips sealed, too!¡± ¡°Weren¡®t you pretty cocky just now?¡± Avery mocked. ¡°All you had was a tiny bit of leverage, and you decided to act so conceitedly. How could you be in research with that attitude? Even after ten years, you won¡®t be able to treat Shea¡®s illness.¡± ¡°Unless your skills surpass mine, you shouldn¡®t insult me!¡± Zoe snapped as she red at Avery. ¡°The kind of person Professor Hough despised the most was people like you who gave up on medicine to pursue business!¡± Avery took a sip of her juice. The tart sweetness of it was refreshing. ¡°Aren¡®t you curious about the person who operated on Shea?¡± Avery asked as she lifted her gaze and stared coldly at Zoe. ¡°You¡®re not thinking that your lie won¡®t ever be exposed, are you?¡± ¡°Don¡®t you think I¡®ve looked into it? I just haven¡®t found out yet¡­ You have information on them, but you won¡®t tell me. You¡®ve been so jealous seeing Elliot and I together¨C¡± Text ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org. ¡°Don¡¯t make me sick. If I really wanted to break you up, all I have to do is give Elliot a call and he¡®d dump you.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t you dare threaten me!¡± Zoe roared angrily. Scanned with CamScanner ¡°It doesn¡¯t feel too nice being threatened, does it? Don¡®t do unto others what you don¡¯t want to be done unto you.¡± Avery took a bite of her cake, then said casually, ¡°The person who operated on Shea was a middle aged man with very short hair. He was on the skinny side and was about five foot six¡­¡± Zoe¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°Why are you helping me?!¡± ¡°That¡¯s because I don¡¯t ever want to see you again,¡± Avery answered coldly. ¡°Don¡¯t contact me again. I¡¯m too busy for your constant bickering.¡± ¡°You got it!¡± eximed Zoe. ¡°Thank you for giving me this important clue!¡± A week until Avery¡®s birthday, Ben burst through Elliot¡®s office doors. ¡°Did you receive an invitation to Avery¡®s birthday party, Elliot?¡± ¡°I did not,¡± Elliot responded as his eyes dropped slightly. ¡°Did you?¡± ¡°Me neither. I definitely wouldn¡®t be invited if you weren¡¯t,¡± Ben said. ¡°I suspect she might not even have ns to celebrate her birthday.¡± ¡°That¡®s a possibility.¡± Avery always kept a low¨Cprofile. ¡°You already prepared a gift, so you have to send it out,¡± Ben said. ¡°Should I call up Tate Industries and ask around?¡± ¡°Ask all you want. There¡®s no need to report back to me.¡± Ten minutester, Ben returned to report his findings to Elliot. ¡°Elliot! Avery¡®s gone too far!¡± Ben ranted. ¡°She¡®s going all out for her birthday this year! She booked the biggest ballroom at the Oasis Hotel to celebrate, but she didn¡®t invite us!¡± Elliot felt like a sharp knife pierced through his heart. Perhaps in Avery¡®s eyes, he was nothing but a stranger. ¡°She has her own reasons for not inviting me,¡± Elliot said calmly and indifferently. ¡°Are you done with your work? Should I arrange more for you to do?¡± Ben immediately fled. The room instantly fell silent. However, Elliot¡®s heart was anything but calm. Half an hourter, he called the Oasis Hotel. Chapter 222 Chapter 222 Chapter 222 Since Avery booked thergest ballroom at the hotel, Elliot went ahead and booked the smaller ballroom right next to it. He wanted to see for himself exactly how grand Avery¡®s birthday party would be That weekend, everyone who received an invitation to the party gathered in thergest ballroom¨CAstor Hall¨C at the Oasis Hotel. ¡°Why isn¡¯t Avery here yet?¡± Tammy asked Mike the moment she stepped into the banquet hall. ¡°She hasn¡¯t even replied to my text fromst night.¡± Mike shrugged, then exined, ¡°She¡¯s been busytely. I don¡¯t know what she¡¯s busy with, but I already sent her the address, and she promised to be here.¡± ¡°Okay... Isn¡®t she busy with stuff at thepany?¡± Tammy asked. ¡°She isn¡®t! I really don¡®t know what she¡®s been so busy with. Everyone has the right to their own personal space. We might be close like sisters... I mean, brother and sister¡­ I won¡¯t force her to tell me anything she doesn¡®t want me to know about.¡± ¡°I see... Since she¡®s been busy, who¡®s the one who organized the party?¡± Exclusive content from N?velDrama.Org. ¡°It was me!¡± Mike dered. ¡°Who put the guest list together?¡± ¡°That was me, too!¡± Tammy let out a ¡°pfft¡°, then turned and walked over to Celestial Hall next door. Celestial Hall was much smaller in size than Astor Hall. Thanks to Mike, Elliot¡®s friends were having a gathering at Celestial Hall. Tammy walked in and immediately sat down next to Jun. ¡°Where¡®s Elliot? Why isn¡®t he here yet? Didn¡®t you say he was upset that Avery didn¡¯t invite him?¡± Tammy asked excitedly as she picked up Jun¡®s ss of wine and took a sip. ¡°He said he was stuck in traffic half an hour ago,¡± Ben said as he looked at Tammy, then asked, ¡°Isn¡®t Avery here yet?¡± ¡°She isn¡®t! Mike said she¡®s been busy, but he has no idea why. She didn¡¯t have time to n a party at all. Mike was the one who invited the guests. Since he¡¯s not on good terms with any of you, of course, he wouldn¡¯t invite you!¡± When he rushed over, he realized that things were not as simple as they seemed. Mike was getting beaten up by two men, and one of those men was Avery¡¯s ex¨Chusband, Elliot Foster. Wesley quickly yanked Mike to his side, then asked Elliot, ¡°Why are you hitting Mike?¡± Elliot had arrived three minutes ago. When he saw Mike pinning Chad down and beating him up, the blood shot to his head, and he kicked Mike without another word. Once he had leveled the ying field, the fight became a to¨Cagainst-one brawl. ¡°He was hitting my assistant, Mr. Brook,¡± Elliot exined as he dusted himself down. ¡°Chad¡¯s weak and can¡®t handle a fight. Chapter 223 Chapter 223 Chapter 223 Wesley noticed the fight as he left the hall When he rushed over, he realized that things were not as simple as they seemed. Mike was getting beaten up by two men, and one of those men was Avery¡¯s ex-husband, Elliot Foster. Wesley quickly yanked Mike to his side, then asked Elliot, ¡°Why are you hitting Mike?¡± Elliot had arrived three minutes ago. When he saw Mike pinning Chad down and beating him up, the blood shot to his head, and he kicked Mike without another word. Once he had leveled the ying field, the fight became a to-against-one brawl. ¡°He was hitting my assistant, Mr. Brook,¡± Elliot exined as he dusted himself down ¡°Chad¡¯s weak and can¡¯t handle a fight.¡± Wesley noticed Chad¡¯s broken sses, then shot a re at Mike. ¡°Avery¡¯s phone¡¯s turned off. We don¡¯t know if something¡¯s happened to her,¡± he said. ¡°I¡¯m going to look for her now. You can either go back to the hall and entertain the guests, or you cane with me to search for her.¡± Mike suppressed his rage and said, ¡°I¡®ming with you!¡± Elliot strode over to them and blocked their way. ¡°What happened to Avery?!¡± ¡°Mr. Foster, we don¡®t know what¡®s happening right now either. When I called her this morning, she said she would be here by six. However, it¡¯s almost seven and she¡¯s not here yet.¡± ¡°It¡®s the weekend. Isn¡®t she at home?¡± Elliot said as his eyes filled with worry. ¡°She isn¡®t. We¡®re going to search for her now, Mr. Foster. If there¡¯s more you¡¯d like to know, we can talk about it once we find her,¡± Wesley said, then rushed off with Mike. Elliot watched the two men leave, then walked over to another elevator. Chad followed him and exined, ¡°Sir, Mike was the one that organized Miss Tate¡¯s party. He was also the one who set the guest list. It wasn¡¯t Miss Tate¡¯s intention to exclude you.¡± Elliot frowned, then asked, ¡°Didn¡¯t she go through the guest list herself?¡± ¡°I heard she¡¯s been busy with something,¡± Chad responded. Elliot nced at him, then said, ¡°Don¡¯t follow me. Go and get yourself a new pair of sses.¡± ¡°Yes, sir.¡± ¡°You should use your head and not your fists when faced with someone who¡¯s obviously stronger than you are. You¡¯re usually a rational person, so what happened tonight?¡± Elliot asked as he looked at Chad¡¯s flustered face. Chad lowered his gaze and answered, ¡°I¡®m sure he didn¡®t invite you because of our previous run¨Cin.¡± ¡°You¡®re overthinking it. Even without your history, he still wouldn¡®t have invited me,¡± Elliot said calmly. ¡°Don¡¯t be so rash next time.¡± ¡°Yes, Sir.¡± Elliot exited the building and got into his car. ¡°Where to, Sir?¡± asked the bodyguard. ¡°I need to make a phone call first.¡± Elliot called up the telmunicationspany and inquired about thest location of Avery¡® s phone before it had been turned off. He received the approximate location soon after. ¡°Take me to the Starry River neighborhood.¡± Thest location her phone had recorded was near that neighborhood. When they were nearing their destination, Elliot asked the bodyguard to slow the car down. Exclusive content from N?velDrama.Org. Among the busy street, he vaguely noticed a white Rower stopped by the road. It looked like Avery¡®s car! ¡°Stop the car!¡± Elliot shouted, causing the bodyguard to bring the car to a halt. Elliot jumped out of the car and rushed over to the white Rower. The winds of early fall carried a slight chill. When he arrived at Avery¡®s car, he saw her slumped against the steering wheel. She looked lifeless. Elliot¡®s heart tightened. ¡°Avery! Through bloodshot eyes, he called out her name and violently yanked at the door handle. Chapter 224 Chapter 224 Chapter 224 Avery¡¯s car doors were locked! There was only a piece of ss between them, and Elliot had no way of getting to her. The bodyguard rushed over with an emergency hammer, smashed the windshield open, and jumped into the car. Once he was in the bodyguard unlocked the doors. Elliot opened the door to the driver¡¯s seat and took Avery in his arms. She had no visible injuries, but her breathing was shallow! She looked as if she was in aa. Otherwise, she would have been startled awake when the bodyguard broke the windshield. At the hospital, after giving Avery a thorough examination, the doctor said, ¡°She fainted fromck of oxygen. You sent her here just in time, so she¡®s not in any danger. All she needs is some rest. She¡®ll be fine when she wakes up.¡± ¡°How did she end up with ack of oxygen? Did her test results show that something was wrong?¡± Elliot asked. ¡°Her blood tests showed that all of her vitals are fine... Apart from some low blood sugar, there weren¡®t any issues,¡± answered the doctor as he took a look at the report, then handed it over to Elliot. ¡°Why is she still unconscious? When will she wake up? Does she really not need to be hospitalized?¡± Seeing Avery¡®s haggard face, Elliot could not help but feel that things were not as simple as they seemed. There were no external injuries, but she had ended up unconscious in a locked car. This meant that she had most likely suffered some kind of internal injury. ¡°She¡®s probably tired, Mr. Foster. That¡®s why she¡®s sleeping deeply and hasn¡¯t woken up,¡± the doctor exined, then added in case Elliot did not believe him, ¡°Look at the dark circles under her eyes and her bloodshot eyes.¡± The doctor gently lifted Avery¡®s eyelid for Elliot to see. Elliot finally felt a sense of relief after seeing the redness in Avery¡¯s eyes. He thought of how she must have nodded off while she was driving and finally fell asleep on the steering wheel What exactly had she been so busy with? Was she not getting any sleep at all? Otherwise, how did she get so tired to the point of locking herself in her car? If he had not found her, or if he was a littlete, she would have been in grave danger. N?vel(D)rama.Org''s content. An hourter, Elliot took Avery back to the Foster mansion, then called Laura to exin things to her. ¡°Why did you take my daughter to your house?!¡± Laura demanded as a chill went down her spine. ¡°The doctor said she didn¡¯t need to be hospitalized, so I brought her here to rest,¡± Elliot answered. ¡°You know where we live, so why didn¡®t you send her back here?!¡± Laura wanted to go pick Avery up, but she had to look after Hayden and La. She could not very well bring the children along to the Foster mansion. It was too big a risk. ¡°You wouldn¡®t be so quick to me me if you knew what happened.¡± Elliot had intentionally brought Avery back to his house. He wanted to know the reason why she was so tired. His voice made Laura¡®s heart skip a few beats. ¡°What does that mean? What¡®s wrong with Avery? What happened?!¡± ¡°She¡®s fine for now. She¡®s sleeping right now, but she¡®ll go home once she wakes up,¡± said Elliot. ¡°If you¡®re worried, you cane over with the children. I won¡®t mind.¡± ¡°... I¡®ll get Wesley to go check on her,¡± said Laura. An hourter, Wesley arrived at the Foster mansion. ¡°Did you say she fell asleep at the wheel?¡± Wesley asked in disbelief. ¡°She locked herself in her car?!¡± Elliot looked at him with cold eyes as he asked, ¡°What¡®s your rtionship with Avery, Mr. Brook?¡± Chapter 225 Chapter 225 Chapter 225 ¡°We¡¯re friends,¡± Wesley answered. ¡°Professor Hough had plenty of female students. You¡¯re not this close to Zoe Sanford, are you? ¡°Elliot said mockingly. ¡°Do you have feelings for Avery?¡± Wesley felt a strong sense of hostility from him. ¡°Isn¡¯t Avery allowed to start a brand new rtionship?¡± Wesley asked with a gentle smile.¡± Mr. Foster, has Avery ever said anything about your rtionship with Miss Sanford?¡± Elliot¡¯s eyes filled with a frosty chill as he said, ¡°That¡®s one thing I find strange. When I asked you to help me find the student that the professor mentioned before he died, you gave me a list of names. Why didn¡®t you just tell me that it was Zoe? She said she knew you. You probably know her, too, right?¡± Wesley was surprised to find that Elliot was not as clueless as he had thought. ¡°Of course, I know her. However, it¡¯s been many years since she graduated, so I can¡¯tment on her skills now. Which is why I gave you the list for you to find out for yourself.¡± Elliot was not fooled by his answer. ¡°Didn¡®t the professor ever mention her to you? Professor Hough did not dare operate on Shea, but he said he had a student who could. That means that the professor greatly respected that student... It¡®s impossible that he never mentioned someone that incredible to you.¡± Wesley was rendered speechless by Elliot¡®s questions. In a panic, he picked up his ss of water and took a sip. ¡°I think you¡®re keeping this from me on purpose, Mr. Brook,¡± Elliot said as he saw the guilt in Wesley¡®s eyes. ¡°Are you lying to me for Avery¡®s sake?¡± ¡°This has nothing to do with Avery,¡± Wesley exined. ¡°Professor Hough didn¡®t always tell me everything. He never said a word to me about your case, so I knew nothing about it. I¡¯m a cautious person. Even if I knew how great Miss Sanford was, I wouldn¡¯t dare tell you that she was exactly who you were looking for.¡± Elliot stared at Wesley in silence. To gain credibility, Wesley had no choice but to reveal his feelings. ¡°Even if I have feelings for Avery, I wouldn¡¯t tell her, because I know that she only sees me as an older brother.¡± The coldness in Elliot¡¯s eyes instantly vanished ¡°It¡®ste. You should go. She¡®ll get in touch with you once she wakes up,¡± Elliot said as he chased his guest out. Once Wesley was gone, Elliot made his way over to the master bedroom The room door was open, and Shea was standing by the bed with her eyes fixed on Avery Elliot walked over to Shea¡®s side and saw the innocence and curiosity in her eyes ¡°Do you like her, Shea?¡± he asked in a low voice. Shea instinctively avoided strangers. She was like that with Zoe, too. However, she had voluntarilye to see Avery herself. ¡°Yes, I do!¡± The memory of how Avery had gently nursed her back to health back when she had a fever filled Shea¡®s heart with warmth. ¡°Why do you like her?¡± Elliot asked, then nced at Avery and added, ¡°Is it because she¡¯s pretty?¡± ¡°She¡®s much prettier than Dr. Sanford,¡± Shea said as she reached out to hold Elliot¡¯s hand and looked earnestly at him. ¡°Don¡®t you think so?¡± ¡°You¡®re right,¡± Elliot said with a bitterugh. ¡°Why aren¡®t you with Avery?¡± Shea mumbled as if Elliot was an idiot. Even she knew that Avery was prettier than Zoe, so how could he not realize it? The question made Elliot¡®s heart ache. Shea had made great progress since thest surgery. Text ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org. He believed that she would be able to live a normal life as long as they continued her treatment. This was the reason why he could not break up with Zoe before they found a doctor who could continue to treat Shea¡¯s illness. ¡°That¡¯s between me and Avery, Shea. All you need to do is be happy,¡± Elliot said as he gently caressed Shea¡¯s hair and buried the bitterness in his heart. ¡°Are you happy, Big Brother?¡± Shea asked. She looked at Elliot¡®s handsome face, then frowned and said, ¡°You don¡®t look happy at all.¡± Avery vaguely heard the sound of people talking. She wanted to open her eyes and see who was speaking next to her. Chapter 226 Chapter 226 Chapter 226 After struggling for a while, Avery did not open her eyes in the end. She could make out Elliot¡®s voice, but who was the woman talking to him? It was an unfamiliar voice... Calling him ¡°Big Brother¡°, Was Elliot flirting with that woman? Ha! She was fast asleep, and he was flirting with another woman by her bed. How shameless! If she could wake up right now, she would definitely kick the two of them out of the room! Half asleep, Avery was so angry that her heart ached. Just like that, she fell asleep again. Elliot took Shea¡®s hand and took her back to rest. Once Shea was asleep, Elliot returned to his room. Avery turned in bed, still deep in her slumber. Elliot walked into the bathroom and took a shwoer. When Zoe heard that Elliot brought Avery home to spend the night, her eyes reddened with rage. Who exactly was his girlfriend now? She knew that the only reason Elliot agreed to date her was so that she would treat Shea¡¯s illness. Even so, he still should have maintained outward appearances! What did he mean by taking Avery home for the night? Was he publicly cheating on her? The humiliation Zoe felt from identally sleeping with Cole before vanished. She could not help but think that Elliot would not bat an eyelid if he found out that she slept with Cole. She opened up a bottle of wine and took it back to her room. Wesley arrived at the Foster mansion first thing the next morning to check on Avery¡¯s condition. Elliot was dressed in casual loungewear, and he frowned when he saw Wesley. ¡°Avery¡¯s mother asked me to stop by, Mr. Foster. She¡®s worried that Avery hasn¡¯t been home,¡± Wesley exined. He knew that it was rude to show up at someone¡®s house this early in the morning, but he could not refuse Laura¡¯s request. Elliot led Wesley to the bedroom. Wesley was concerned about Avery¡¯s safety. However, after seeing how she practically took over the entire bed with no space for Elliot to join her, he was relieved. ¡°Excuse my intrusion, Mr. Foster,¡± Wesley said, then walked out of the room. Elliot returned to the guest bedroom to continue resting. It was only seven in the morning! He did not fall asleep until two in the morning, so he was especially cranky. When Wesley walked out of the Foster mansion, he gave Laura a call. N?velDrama.Org: owner of this content. ¡°Avery¡¯s still fast asleep. Elliot Foster is sleeping in another room,¡± he said. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. She¡¯ s safe. She¡®ll definitely go home after she wakes up.¡± Laura let out a sigh of relief, then said, ¡°Thank you, Wesley. I wouldn¡¯t know how to head over there with the kids.¡± ¡°I¡®lle see her again if she¡®s not home by noon,¡± Wesley said. ¡°Alright. Thank you so much!¡± ¡°Don¡®t mention it. I¡®m partly responsible for Avery¡¯s condition,¡± Wesley said regretfully. ¡°She wouldn¡®t be this tired if I didn¡¯t ask her to pick up a new case.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t say that. Avery wouldn¡¯t have grown up so quickly if it weren¡¯t for Professor Hough. Saving lives is her duty. It might be a little hard on her, but you¡¯re not to me.¡± Laura felt much better after the phone call. ¡°I¡¯m going to get some groceries, Hayden. Stay at home with your sister, alright?¡± Laura said to Hayden. Hayden nodded in response. The children sprung into action the moment Laura walked out the door. La picked up her backpack while Hayden retrieved hisptop from Avery¡®s room. ¡°We should tell Grandma, Hayden! Otherwise she¡®ll be really worried,¡± La said as she held onto Hayden¡¯s sleeve and blinked her wide eyes. Chapter 227 Chapter 227 Chapter 227 Hayden¡¯s expression was stern as he said, ¡°Grandma won¡¯t let us go look for Mommy if we told her about it.¡± La puffed her cheeks and looked a little torn as she said, ¡°Okay¡­ Let¡¯s just go find Mommy, then! What if Dirtbag Dad¡®s picking on her?¡± Hayden pursed his lips, then came to a decision after a quick deliberation. ¡°I¡®ll go alone. You wait at home. Come up with an excuse if Grandmaes back,¡± he said, then left the house by himself. As La watched the room door close behind Hayden, her longshes fluttered, followed by streams of hot tears rolling down her cheeks. How could she allow Hayden to go after Dirtbag Dad by himself? What if he got caught? She could not lose her big brother! At that thought, La ran over to Mike¡¯s room in tears. She opened the door, rushed to the disheveled bed, then yanked at Mike¡¯s arm and wailed,¡± Wake up, Uncle Mike! Hayden¡®s gone! He left the house alone... He didn¡®t take me with him...¡± Over at the Foster mansion, a servant walked out of the kitchen and wondered, ¡°Why¡¯s the power out?¡± ¡°We didn¡®t get a notice about a power outage. I¡®ll go turn on the backup generator,¡± said Mrs Cooper. Everything went back to normal once the backup generator was connected. However, about ten minutester, the backup power also went out. When Elliot walked down the stairs, Mrs. Cooper approached him and immediately reported,¡± That power is out. It seems there¡¯s an issue with the backup generator, too. I¡¯ve called someone over to work on it. I called up the electric utilitypany to ask about it, but I was told that we don¡¯t have a power outage in the area.¡± Elliot¡¯s expression was unwavered by her words, He walked towards the front door as a bodyguard approached him. ¡°Sir, there¡¯s something weird about the power outage today. I¡¯ve sent more people over.¡± Elliot nodded, then continued to walk towards the front gates. Chrapifical The bodyguard had no idea what he was nning to do, but followed him anyway Once he was at the gates, Elliot narrowed his eyes, then pointed at a tiny figure not too far away and ordered his bodyguard, ¡°Bring him to me.¡± The bodyguard noticed Hayden earlier, but did not think much of it since he was just a small child. ¡°Do you want me to bring that little boy over here, sir?¡± asked the bewildered bodyguard. When Hayden heard their voices, not only did he not run away, but he walked over to them by himself. The bodyguard was speechless. Elliot kept his cold gaze on the child. Hayden had changed his clothes and was wearing a different cap that still covered his face and features, but Elliot recognized him right away. Elliot was sure that Hayden was behind the power outage. If everything went ording to n, he would have hacked into the house¡¯swork, too. It was certain that he was there for Avery. Hayden arrived before the two men very quickly. As he walked past Elliot, he ¡°identally¡± stepped on his foot. Elliot remained silent. The bodyguard watched in horror as Hayden walked into the house nonchntly, then immediately got to his knees and brushed off the dust on Elliot¡®s shoe. ¡°What a rude kid, sir! You can tell right away he¡®s a wild child whose parents never educated him!¡± cursed the bodyguard. ¡°He might just be an orphan! Don¡®t stoop to his level. I¡¯ll go kick him out right away.¡± Elliot¡®s expression was ice cold as he said, ¡°You¡®re right. He is, in fact, an orphan.¡± He then marched past the front yard towards the house. When Hayden entered the living room, a few servants curiously stared at him. N?velDrama.Org: owner of this content. ¡°Avery Tate! I¡¯vee for you!¡± he yelled at the direction of the staircase. Mrs. Cooper very quickly remembered the child. ¡°You¡®re Hayden, right?¡± Mrs. Cooper asked as she bent down. Once she saw his face, she pulled him over to the couch and said, ¡°Your Mommy¡®s still asleep! She¡¯ll come down after she wakes up.¡± Elliot walked into the living room just in time to see Mrs. Cooper graciously ced a generous tter of fruit and snacks in front of Hayden. With a sullen face, Elliot walked over to Hayden, picked up his bag and pulled out theptop inside of it. ¡°Did you cut the power? Bring it back this instant! Otherwise...¡± Upon hearing Elliot¡®s words, Hayden lifted his head and threw a defiant look at him. When Elliot saw Hayden¡®s face, both the wordsing out of his mouth and his heartbeat came to a halt! Chapter 228 Chapter 228 Chapter 228 Elliot felt a strong sense of familiarity every time he caught a glimpse of Hayden¡¯s face. It was as if he had traveled back in time and was looking at his younger self! Hayden shot a re at Elliot, then averted his gaze. ¡°Did you really cause the power outage, Hayden?¡± Mrs. Cooper asked in a panic. ¡°How did you do it? Is this yourptop? Do you know how to use it at your age?¡± Hayden pursed his lips, then quietly ced hisptop back in his backpack. He carried his bag, then walked over to the bottom of the stairs and sat waiting for Avery toe down. Mrs. Cooper nced over at Elliot to see his livid expression and the raging fury in his eyes. If Hayden were not a child, he would not be able to sit there safe and sound. About half an hourter, the bodyguard walked in and reported, ¡°Sir, there¡®s a suspicious foreigner who keeps looking our way. Should I bring him in for questioning?¡± Mike¡®s face popped into Elliot¡®s mind. He walked towards the front yard, but saw Mike¡®s golden hair before he reached the gates. ¡°Avery! Are you being falsely imprisoned? Scream if you are! I¡®ll call the cops right away!¡± Mike yelled in Elliot¡®s direction. A wave of wrath washed over Elliot¡®s face. N?velDrama.Org: owner of this content. Mike still had bruises on his face from the beatingst night, but here he was causing a ruckus again! ¡°Get him!¡± Elliot ordered as watching Mike hang around upset him. Two bodyguards immediately grabbed onto Mike¡®s arms. ¡°Hey! What are you doing? I didn¡®t break thew, so why are you seizing me? Doesn¡¯t thew exist anymore? I¡®m calling the cops! I¡®m calling them right now!¡± Mike hollered as the bodyguards dragged him into the living room. Surprise shed in Hayden¡¯s eyes when he saw Mike. After throwing a look at Hayden, Mike freed himself from the bodyguards¡¯ grapes, then swaggered around the living room. The bodyguards followed right behind him. ¡°Is this your hundred million dor mansion? Did you get scammed by the renovation team?¡± Mike ridiculed. ¡°It¡®s nothingpared to the vi that Avery got for four and a half million dors!¡± Elliot sipped his tea on the couch and ignored him. It seemed like Mike was not here for Avery, but to pick a fight. After all, he must still hold a grudge from getting beaten up the night before. When Mike tapped on the light switch on the wall, the room lights did not turn on. He was instantly excited. ¡°Is your power out? I was wondering why it was so hot in here! Aren¡®t you hot in that huge robe, Foster? Hurry up and give your electricians... I mean, give your technicians a call and get them to fix this!¡± Mike¡®s cackle was ear splitting, while the smirk on his face was even more blinding. Elliot¡®s entire body stiffened, and his fists were clenched so tightly they had turned pale. Just as he was about to teach Mike a lesson, the crystal chandelier on top of them lit up. The power was back! The central cooling system turned on, and the room¡¯s temperature quickly became pleasantly cool. Mike stared at the crystal chandelier for two seconds, then sighed. ¡°Let¡®s start a bet, Foster! I¡®m still p*ssed about how you beat me upst night! Let¡®s settle this once and for all. If you win, then I¡®ll let you punch me!¡± Elliot raised his brows and asked, ¡°What if you lose?¡± ¡°If I lose, then I¡®ll leave with Hayden!¡± Elliot was at a loss for words. Was there something wrong with this guy¡®s head? The bet was not appealing to Elliot to the least, so he refused to join in. At that moment, Hayden said, ¡°Elliot Foster! Are you a scaredy cat?¡± His clear, child¨Clike voice brought with it a strong hint of contempt and ridicule. Elliot knew that he was being provoked, but he changed his mind anyway. ¡°What¡®s the bet?¡± he asked Mike. ¡°I saw a tennis court outside. Let¡®s y against each other.¡± ¡°Let¡®s do it,¡± responded Elliot. After a change of clothes, Elliot and Mike made their way over to the tennis court. Apart from the guards at the gate and Mrs. Cooper, everyone else rushed to the court to show their support for Elliot. Hunched over, La snuck into the living room from the front yard. Chapter 229 Chapter 229 Chapter 229 La nned to search for her mother on the first floor, but suddenly heard the sound of footsteps coming from the kitchen! She was so terrified that did not dare let out a breath, then ran straight up the stairs. Forced to run up to the second floor, Layle held onto the wall and caught her breath. At that moment, the footsteps were closing in on her! That person wasing up the stairs! La panicked and quickly found a ce to hide. Soon after, Mrs. Cooper appeared on the second floor and made her way to the master bedroom to see Avery. She was worried about the match between Elliot and Mike. Even though Elliot had recovered from the car crash years ago, the doctor had instructed him to avoid strenuous activities. Mrs. Cooper did not want to see Elliot lose and get a punch from Mike, so she could onlye to see Avery. She opened the door, then walked over to the bed. Mrs. Cooper nced at Avery¡®s sleeping face, and no matter how bad she felt about waking her, she decided that she could sleep whenever she wanted to. Howeyer, everything would be over once the match was lost. ¡°Avery,¡± Mrs. Cooper said as she reached out to pat Avery¡®s shoulder. ¡°Avery!¡± Avery¡®s brows furrowed when she heard the calls. ¡°Wake up, Avery,¡± Mrs. Cooper said as she raised her voice. Avery slowly opened her eyes. When her groggy gazended on Mrs. Cooper, she broke into a smile. ¡°Wake up, Avery. Mike and Master Elliot are over at the tennis court. You have to stop them! You know Master Elliot¡®s legs aren¡®t in the best shape,¡± Mrs. Cooper said as she helped Avery sit up. Avery rubbed her tired eyes, then mumbled, ¡°Mike and Elliot are on the tennis court?¡± ¡°Yes!¡± Mrs. Cooper eximed, then told her everything that happened earlier. As Avery nced nkly around the room, her back broke into a cold sweat. ¡°How did I get here?!¡± After a moment¡®s hesitation, Mrs. Cooper answered truthfully, ¡°You locked yourself in your car and fell asleepst night. I can¡®t imagine what would have happened if Master Elliot didn¡®t find you in time and send you to the hospital. Let¡®s go to the tennis court now, Avery!¡± The tennis match came to halt with Avery¡¯s appearance. Avery¡¯s gaze brushed over Hayden and Mike, then finallynded on Elliot¡¯s face. ¡°Thank you forst night!¡± ¡°Don¡®t mention it. You should get checked out at the hospital again.¡± Seeing Avery¡®s delicate face calmed all of his emotions down. ¡°There were a few things off on your blood testst night.¡± ¡°Got it...¡± Avery said. N?vel(D)rama.Org''s content. Apart from feeling a little tired, she did not feel any other difort. Mike grabbed her arm, then said forcefully, ¡°I¡®ll take you to the hospital!¡± As they walked away, Avery could not help but gaze at Elliot. She was exhausted after her workst night, but Mike called her to the hotel for a birthday surprise. She declined, but Mike insisted, and she had no choice but to force herself to drive to the hotel. In the end, fatigue took over and she brought the car to a stop by the street before she fell asleep. She wanted to go home and wanted to call someone for help, but she could no longer move a muscle. That¡®s how she ended up falling asleep in the car. Avery felt a shiver run down her spine as she recalled everything. She probably would have died if nobody found her. When Elliot returned to the living room, Mrs. Cooper ced a bowl of chicken soup in front of her. ¡°This is Avery¡¯s favorite soup. It¡¯s too bad she didn¡®t get to drink it,¡± Mrs. Cooper said regretfully. Elliot finished the bowl of soup, then returned to his room to rest. At three in the afternoon, an ear shattering wail pierced through the entire mansion. Elliot was jolted awake by the child¨Clike yet deafening howl. It sounded like a child crying! Didn¡®t Hayden already leave? Could it be... Chapter 230 Chapter 230 Chapter 230 Could there be another child in the house?! Elliot took in a cold breath! He walked out of the room and saw La¡¯s tiny body trembling with tears at the top of the stairs. It was Avery¡¯s daughter! How ridiculous! When did she get in here? How was he unaware of this? Could it be that the mansion¡®s most advanced security system waspletely useless against them? Elliot suddenly remembered how they only managed to get the mansion¡®swork back up and running two hours ago. La was carrying a backpack in the shape of a bunny. She held a bunny doll in one hand and held onto the banister with the other, as she sobbed and carefully made her way down the stairs. She did not notice Elliot following behind her. The servants gathered at the bottom of the stairs and stared with eyes of shock at the little girl who appeared out of thin air! ¡°Mommy... My Mommy¡®s gone... I¡®m crying so loud... She¡®s noting for me... Ahhh!¡± La¡®s cries came one after another, simr to the rhythm of an engine starting up. ¡°Aren¡®t you Avery Tate¡®s daughter, little one?¡± Mrs. Cooper walked over to La and carried her down the stairs. La pouted and asked through teary eyes, ¡°Did my Mommy and brother leave?¡± ¡°They did! They left hours ago. When did you get here? Why didn¡®t we see youe in?¡± Mrs. Cooper carried La over to the couch, then wiped her tears with a napkin. She was a beautiful little girl and was the spitting image of Avery. One could tell right away that she was Avery¡¯s biological daughter. However, Mrs. Cooper did not dare ask about the child¡®s father, She reckoned that Elliot had already looked into it. ¡°I came in when nobody was around... I¡®ve been here for so long¡­ I came to look for my Mommy! I miss her so much...¡± La sniffled. ¡°Why didn¡®t they call for me when they left? Uncle Mike knew I was here¡­¡± Elliot walked to La¡¯s side and nced at her little face. ¡°I don¡®t want you looking at me!¡± La cried as she shot a re at Elliot, then turned her back on him. Elliot¡®s mood instantly turned foul. How dare she put on such a righteous face after sneaking into his home?! This was the result of Avery¡®s upbringing! Copyright by N?v/elDrama.Org. At that moment, Shea emerged from her room. When she saw La, she happily rushed over to her. Shea remembered La, but did not remember her name. Once she was next to La, Shea offered her hand to her. La lifted her gaze, then immediately frowned and red at Shea. As if that were not enough, La lifted her little chin and coldly huffed at her. Not only did La¡®s behavior not drive Shea away, she took it another step further and held onto La¡®s hand. Elliot had a splitting headache. Why did Shea like Avery and her children so much?! Did they meet before? Are they close? Otherwise, why would she hold their hands every time they met? Elliot was clueless! ¡°Go away!¡± La snapped disgustedly as she shook Shea¡®s hand off. ¡°I don¡¯t want to y with you!¡± Shea was stunned, and tears began to form in her eyes. Elliot¡¯s heart ached at the sight. Not only were Avery¡®s children rude, they were also cruel! What kind of sick joke was this?! ¡°La Tate! Take a look at whose house you¡®re in right now!¡± Elliot roared as he taught her a lesson. ¡°Didn¡®t your mother teach you to knock before entering someone¡¯s house? Also...¡± Chapter 231 Chapter 231 Chapter 231 ¡°Why are you shouting at me?! Of course Mommy taught me to knock before going into someone¡¯s house, but she never said anything about knocking before entering a dirtbag¡¯s house!¡± La retorted in a voice louder than Elliot¡®s as she red at him with her brilliant eyes. It was as if she waspeting with him to see whose voice was louder and more powerful. Elliot gritted his teeth. Dirtbag? Who taught her to say that? ¡°I didn¡®t want toe here anyway! I¡®m leaving right now!¡± La huffed angrily, then jumped off the couch and walked towards the front door with her doll in her arms. N?velDrama.Org: owner of this content. At the hospital, after going through a series of routine tests, Avery asked Mike for his phone so she could call Laura. Her phone was dead and she needed to let her mother know she was safe. Mike pulled out his phone and handed it to her. Laura answered the call soon after it rang. ¡°It¡®s Avery, Mom,¡± Avery said with a smile. ¡°I¡®m fine. I was too tired yesterday and fell asleep. You don¡®t have to worry about me. Mike and Hayden are with me, so we¡®ll head home soon.¡± ¡°That¡®s good,¡± Laura said. ¡°I¡®ll start cooking now.¡± ¡°Alright, Mom. Where¡®s La? I miss her. I want to hear her voice.¡± Laura was shocked. ¡°Mike took La with him to go find you! Isn¡®t she with you right now?!¡± Avery¡®s face changed drastically. Her hand tightened around the phone as her emotions shattered. Before she blew up, Mike smacked himself on the forehead and eximed, ¡°I forgot about La! She must still be at Elliot Foster¡®s house! I¡®ll go get her right now!¡± Avery followed him without hesitation. ¡°You need to wait here for the test results!¡± Mike said. ¡°You wait here with Hayden! I¡¯ll go get La!¡± Avery snapped in a tone that said she would not tolerate another word from Mike. ¡°I¡®m taking your phone! I¡®ll meet you back here once I have La.¡± Avery rushed out of the hospital and hailed a cab. Once she was in the backseat, she pulled out Mike¡®s phone and dialed Eliot¡¯s number. She prayed that La was still at the Foster mansion and did not run off somewhere else. That would be even more dangerous! Over at the Foster mansion, Elliot picked La up and did not allow her to leave. His gesture lit a fuse in La and she exploded in his arms! ¡°Let me go, you dirtbag! You¡®ve hugged other women and I don¡®t want you touching me!¡± La yelled with furrowed brows as she repeatedlynded blows on Elliot¡®s body with her tiny fists. Shea felt bad for her brother, but she also did not dare touch La. All she could do was watch them with reddened eyes. At that moment, the phone Elliot ced on the table began to ring. Mrs. Cooper quickly handed the phone over to him. Elliot held La in one hand and answered the phone with another. ¡°It¡®s Avery. Is my daughter there with you?¡± Avery said in a panic-stricken voice. ¡°I¡®m so sorry! I¡®ve caused so much trouble for you.¡± La vaguely heard her mother¡®s voice, then snatched the phone out of Elliot¡¯s hand and cried, ¡°Mommy! Is that you?! It¡®s your little baby, La!¡± Avery¡®s eyes filled with tears when she heard her daughter¡®s voice. ¡°La! I¡®m so sorry! I didn¡®t know you came along so I forgot to take you with us when we left. Mommy¡®s on the way now. Don¡®t be scared...¡± ¡°I¡®m not scared! I knew Mommy woulde get me!¡± ¡°Of course!¡± Once she was done talking, La handed the phone back to Elliot. Her sparkling eyes stared unblinking at his pale neck as she asked sweetly, ¡°Which side did my brother bite youst time?¡± Elliot pointed out the spot on his neck to her. ¡°Oh... There¡®s still a mark!¡± La said, then bit down on the other side of Elliot¡®s neck! Elliot was at a loss for words. He thought she asked him about his wound out of the kindness of her heart and wanted to apologize for her brother, but this was her motive! Elliot had run out of patience. So what if she was Avery¡®s biological daughter? He had to teach her a lesson once and for all! Chapter 232 Chapter 232 Chapter 232 Avery arrived at the Foster mansion half an hourter. She headed straight into the living room to find no one in sight. She was stunned, ¡°La!¡± she called out. Soon after, she heard the sound of La¡®s child¨Clike voice. ¡°Mommy! I¡¯m over here! Come save me! The dirtbag wants to hit me!¡± Avery followed the sound of her daughter¡®s voice into the dining room. La was hiding under the dining table with a panicked expression on her face. She did not let go of her guard until Avery appeared. ¡°La! What are you doing under the table? Get out here!¡± Avery said as she walked over to the table and pulled her daughter out from under it. La threw herself in her mother¡®s arms, then cried through reddened eyes, ¡°He¡®s trying to hit me! I was so scared... That¡®s why I tried to hide! I ran away quickly so he didn¡®t catch me¡­ If he caught me, then he would have beaten me to death!¡± Of course Avery did not believe a word La was saying. Why would Elliot raise his hand to a child? It was not like he knew that La was her biological daughter. ¡°He won¡®t hit you, La,¡± Avery cooed. ¡°Actually, I was about to hit her, ¡°Elliot said. Avery¡¯s eyes shot up and met his gaze. He was wearing a gray robe and there was a clear bite mark on his neck. ¡°Why did you bite him, La?¡± Avery noticed the rage in Elliot¡¯s eyes and had to give him some sort of exnation. Hayden had bitten Elliotst time because he had taken him home of his own ord. This time, however, La was the one who showed up at his house herself. La rubbed her swollen eyes, then said, ¡°He carried me! I didn¡¯t want him to touch me¡­ He did it anyway¡­ I was so mad!¡± ¡°Even if that¡®s the case, you can¡®t just go around biting people!¡± Avery said. ¡°Look, you bit him hard enough to draw blood. Hurry up and apologize.¡± La puffed out her cheeks and said stubbornly, ¡°I won¡¯t apologize to him! Hayden wouldugh at me if I did!¡± Avery had run out of ideas with her daughter. ¡°Let¡¯s talk privately, Avery,¡± Elliot said hoarsely with a sullen face. Avery handed La over to Mrs. Cooper, then followed Elliot out of the dining room. Once they were out of the room, Elliot turned to her and questioned, ¡°How exactly do you raise your children? Did you know how much they despise me?¡± Avery absent mindedly shook her head and said, ¡°I¡®ve never badmouthed you in front of them. ¡°It¡®s Mike¡®s fault, then,¡± Elliot said as his Adam¡®s apple rolled in his throat, then added mockingly, ¡°Your children have each taken a bite out of me. Do you want a turn, too?¡± Avery¡®s cheeks flushed as she said apologetically, ¡°I¡®ll get the first aid kit.¡± Elliot walked over to the couch and took a seat. Avery returned soon after with the first aid kit. N?vel(D)rama.Org''s content. As Elliot lifted his head, Avery¡®s eyesnded on his slender neck and sensual cor bone. Avery felt restless. She tended to his wound as she found a subject to talk about. ¡°Did you go to my birthday partyst night?¡± ¡°I didn¡®t,¡± Elliot said as his deep eyes filled with resentment. ¡°I wasn¡®t invited.¡± Avery was taken aback. ¡°Oh... Maybe Mike thought that since we¡®re divorced...¡± ¡°Didn¡¯t you see the guest list?¡± Elliot was still upset about the matter. ¡°I didn¡¯t. I only found out yesterday that Mike had nned such a huge birthday party for me.¡± Chapter 233 Chapter 233 Chapter 233 ¡°What have you been so busy with?¡± Elliot asked as his seething gaze bore into Avery. Avery finished tending to his wound, then turned and packed up the first aid kit. ¡°I¡¯ve been busy with work,¡± she answered casually. ¡°You¡®re lying. If it¡®s work, then why aren¡®t you going to the office?¡± Elliot sat up straight, then grabbed onto Avery¡¯s arm and continued, ¡°You¡®ve been giving me a weird vibe recently. I can¡¯t read you at all.¡± ¡°What¡®s there to read?¡± Avery said. ¡°Listen, Elliot. I¡®m thankful that you saved mest night and I can buy you dinner... Or I could give you a medal.¡± Copyright by N?v/elDrama.Org. Elliot was taken by surprise as he released Avery¡®s arm and said, ¡°I didn¡®t save you for your thanks. Take your daughter and go! Also, that bratty son of yours messed with my home¡¯s power and inte today. If you won¡®t discipline him, then don¡®t mind if I do so myself!¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± Avery apologized awkwardly. ¡°I¡®ll teach him a lesson when I get back. I promise this won¡®t happen again.¡± Avery put the first aid kit back where she found it, then picked up La and prepared to leave. ¡°Avery!¡± Elliot called out as he approached her and handed her a box. ¡°Happy birthday.¡± Avery¡®s gazended on the giftbox in his hand. She did not know exactly what was inside of it, but she could tell it was something expensive. ¡°Thank you, Elliot...¡± She was about to say that she was grateful for his wish and that there was no need for a gift. However, she did not get a chance to say any of that, because La already epted the gift for her. Avery was left speechless. Elliot let out an inner sigh of relief because he expected Avery to reject him. ¡°Let¡®s go home, Mommy! I miss Hayden and Grandma...¡± La whined sweetly as she nuzzled against her mother¡®s shoulder. ¡°Alright, we¡®re going home now,¡± Avery said. Her emotions were a mess as she lifted her gaze to look at Elliot and said, ¡°Goodbye.¡± Elliot watched as they left. If Avery¡®s children could be as gentle and obedient around him as they were with her, he felt like he could perhaps treat them as his own. Over at the Starry River Vi, Laura finally saw Avery and the children return home after much anticipation. ¡°Don¡¯t drive when you¡¯re tired ever again, Avery! That¡®s too dangerous!¡± Laura said through bloodshot eyes. ¡°I know, Mom. It smells amazing! Did you make my favorite m chowder?¡± Avery said as she made her way to the kitchen. Mike was starving, so he sat himself down at the dining table after washing his hands. On the other hand, La pulled her brother into their room. ¡°Do you have any idea how awesome I was today, Hayden?¡± La bragged. ¡°I took something back from Dirtbag Dad¡¯s house.¡± Hayden stared at his sister¡®s face, then said sternly, ¡°La, you can¡®t just take people¡®s things. How is this different from stealing?¡± La hung her head and pouted as she felt a little guilty. It was not like she was taking someone else¡®s stuff. She was taking something from her father. She wished very much that Elliot Foster was not a dirtbag, so she could have a Daddy! ¡°I¡®m not ming you,¡± Hayden said as he suddenly changed his train of thought. ¡°You can take whatever you want from Elliot Foster as long as you don¡®t get caught.¡± La broke into an ecstatic beam and said, ¡°Don¡®t tell Mommy, Hayden. I¡®d be in trouble if she knew.¡± ¡°Okay. Put it away for now. Let¡®s go eat.¡® ¡°Okay! Hayden, I was so scared when I was alone today. How could all of you leave me behind? ¡± La mumbled after cing the box under the bed. ¡°It¡®s a good thing I was brave. Otherwise, I would have been scared to death.¡± Hayden took La¡®s hand and said with remorse, ¡°I won¡®t forget you ever again.¡± ¡°Good!¡± La said as she was instantly cheered up. ¡°Dirtbag Dad gave Mommy a present, Hayden. Do you think he still loves her?¡± Chapter 234 Chapter 234 Chapter 234 Hayden watched his sister¡®s innocent little face, then shattered her fantasy. ¡°A dirtbag is called a dirtbag because he can love multiple women at once. Don¡¯t be fooled by Elliot Foster.¡± La felt a little disappointed. She did not dare tell her brother that, even though Elliot was a dirtbag, she could not help but feel drawn to him. After dinner, Avery called Hayden to her room for a private conversation. ¡°Do you know what I want to talk to you about, Hayden?¡± Hayden hung his head and said nothing. ¡°What did you promise me before? You said that you would never mess with Elliot Foster again, but you broke your promise,¡± Avery said as her heart filled with uneasiness. ¡°I know you did it for me today, but this isn¡®t the way...¡± ¡°I¡®m sorry, Mommy,¡± Hayden apologized as he lifted his gaze. ¡°I won¡®t do it again.¡± ¡°You don¡®t want to get on his bad side, Hayden. We¡®re already divorced. If you anger him again one day, and he decides not to take our past rtionship into ount, he won¡®t let us off that easily... I just want you, La and Grandma to live a quiet and peaceful life.¡± ¡°I know,¡± Hayden said as he lowered his head once again. ¡°Bring me yourptop,¡± Avery said. Hayden went back to his room to grab hisptop and handed it over to his mother. ¡°Get your Uncle Mike for me,¡± Avery said as she put theptop aside. Mike showed up soon after. ¡°I¡®m surprised you invited me into your room, Avery!¡± Mike said as he sat down next to Avery and hid his nervousness behind a smile. Avery looked at the bruises on his face, then said with a sullen expression, ¡°Did you fight with Chad Rayner again? You even broke his sses? Great job!¡± N?vel(D)rama.Org''s content. Mike lifted his hands in surrender and said, ¡°He was the one who yanked at my ne first. It was a gift from my ex boyfriend...¡± ¡°Who is it, Elliot?¡± she asked on purpose. She said it for Avery to hear. She wanted Avery to know that Elliot was out on a date with her. Chapter 235 Chapter 235 Chapter 235 If Avery had an ounce of dignity left, she would end the call immediately. As expected, Avery suddenly became aware when she heard Zoe¡¯s voice. ¡°I¡¯m sorry for interrupting your date. I¡®ll ept the gift, but I won¡®t give you anything in return. Please don¡¯t give me anything ever again.¡± She then hung up the phone before Elliot could respond. The sound of the call being ended made Elliot feel like his heart was pierced, and a dull ache radiated from it. ¡°I heard Avery locked herself in her carst night. Is she alright now?¡± Zoe asked. ¡°She¡®s fine.¡± Elliot was disinterested and did not want to discuss Avery. ¡°You mentioned there was a doctor you wanted to rmend. Who is it?¡± Zoe pulled out a business card from her bag and handed it over to Elliot. ¡°I heard that this is Aryadelle¡®s top psychiatrist. Her appointments are booked up until next year. I used my connections and managed to get you a slot for next Wednesday morning. You can take Shea to see her, then.¡± Elliot nced at the business card. It was the same psychiatrist that their family doctor had rmended. Over at the Starry River Vi, Avery came out from her shower and walked over to the children¡¯ s room. La was watching TV while Hayden was working on a jigsaw puzzle. Avery had set their bedtime at 9 p.m., so they were free to do whatever they wanted before that. ¡°Mommy,¡± Hayden called out when he noticed Avery and put his puzzle away. Avery walked over to her son, sat down and asked gently, ¡°Are you upset that I took yourptop away?¡± Hayden nodded. Life was notplete without hisptop. Text ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org. However¡­ ¡°I still love you all the same,¡± Hayden said as he looked earnestly at his mother. Avery¡®s heart melted instantly. She pulled her son into her arms and sniffled, ¡°I¡®ll give it back to you after a while.¡± ¡°Okay,¡± Hayden said as his eyes softened. ¡°Go to bed, Mommy. I¡®ll tuck La in soon.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± The room lights were turned off at 9 p.m. and the childreny in bed. La¡¯s gaze was fixed on the ceiling as her eyes filled with uneasiness. ¡°Hayden, I want to open up that box but I can¡®t. Can you open it for me?¡± La asked as she reached out and gently shook her brother¡®s arm. ¡°We¡®ll open it tomorrow.¡± ¡°I really want to see what¡®s inside right now. Do you think there¡®ll be some beautiful jewelry inside?¡± ¡°No way,¡± Hayden said firmly. Elliot Foster was a man. Why would he keep jewelry in his study? La shot up, suddenly refreshed. ¡°I won¡®t go to sleep if you don¡®t open it right now, Hayden,¡± La whined. ¡°I won¡®t sleep at all tonight... I¡®ll just tire myself to death.¡± Hearing his sister¡®s gibberish made Hayden take a deep breath. He sat up, turned on the bedsidemp and adjusted it to the lowest brightness. La immediately leaped out of bed and pulled the box out from underneath the bed. She handed the box over to her brother with both hands as if presenting him with a treasure. ¡°What if you can¡®t open it either, Hayden?¡± La mumbled as she stared at the box. Just as she said those words, Hayden easily opened up the box. La was stunned, then asked excitedly, ¡°What¡®s inside?¡± Hayden showed the open box to La. It was not beautiful jewelry. The light in La¡¯s eyes instantly vanished. ¡°What is that?¡± she asked as she poured out the contents of the box. Chapter 236 Chapter 236 236 Chapter Hayden turned up the brightness of the bedsidemp. The contents of the box were a CD and a piece of paper. La opened up the piece of paper and stared at the words on it. After inspecting it a few times, she cluelessly handed it over to Hayden and said, ¡°What does it say, Hayden? I don¡®t know how to read this.¡± Hayden nced at the piece of paper, then said indifferently, ¡°I can¡¯t read it either.¡± After all, he was also just a preschool kid. The words on the piece of paper looked like a foreignnguage to him, because it was filled with a bunch of professional jargon. ¡°What¡®s this, then?¡± La asked as she picked up the CD and inspected it. There were no pictures nor words on it. Hayden also felt curious about the CD. However, there was no way for him to check its contents without hisptop. ¡°Don¡®t we need to put this in aputer to see what¡®s inside, Hayden?¡± La asked, then something hit her. ¡°We could borrow Uncle Mike¡®sptop!¡± Hayden saw the spark in his sister¡®s eyes as if she was eager for action. ¡°I¡®ll go borrow it! Otherwise, Mommy would be mad at you again if she found out you were using a computer!¡± La said, then ran out of the room. Hayden was worried that La wouldn¡®t be able to carry theptop herself, so he ran after her. Mike did not go out to the bar that night. N?vel(D)rama.Org''s content. With the bruises on his face, he would end up scaring everyone if he showed up at the bar. When Hayden and La entered his room, Mike was in the middle of a video game. ¡°What are you two doing here? It¡®s past nine. Why aren¡®t you in bed?¡± Mike said as he nced at the children, then shifted his gaze back to hisputer screen. Hayden and La stared at Mike¡¯sputer screen. They were not interested in his game at all, but they had their eyes on hisputer. ¡°Uncle Mike, could we borrow yourputer for a second?¡± La asked charmingly. Hayden did not have time to watch the entire recording, so he used the mouse to drag the progress bar and scan through the video. It was aplete video recording of a funeral. Hayden turned off the video, then tapped his sister¡®s shoulder and said, ¡°It¡®s really scary. You shouldn¡®t see it.¡± La pouted in disappointment, then said, ¡°You¡®re not lying to me, are you?¡± ¡°It¡®s a funeral. Do you want to watch it?¡± La shook her head without hesitation, then asked, ¡°Who died?¡± ¡°No idea,¡± Hayden said as he shut theptop, then added, ¡°I¡®m giving theptop back¡± ¡°Okay...¡± Once Hayden left with theptop, La ced the CD and piece of paper back into the box. Chapter 237 Chapter 237 Chapter 237 If La had known about the contents in the box, she would not have gone through all the trouble to bring it home. However, it would be difficult for them to return it now without anyone finding out. She probably would never be able to go to her Dirtbag Dad¡®s house ever again. Forget it! She would just keep the box hidden under the bed. It was nothing but a CD and a piece of paper, so it definitely was not anything important. By the time Hayden entered the bedroom after returning theptop, La had already fallen into a deep slumber. In the other room, Avery was wide awake. Perhaps it was because she had overslept that day that she was now wide awake. When wide awake, one¡¯s mind would wander when they had nothing else to do. At this moment, for example, Avery¡¯s mind was obsessing over Elliot. Her head was filled with images of his handsome face, while every breath she took was his scent. N?vel(D)rama.Org''s content. She could even remember the touch and temperature of his skin. If he had not found herst night, she would either be dead or lying in the intensive care unit right now. There were many things she wanted to say, but she did not dare express. Elliot was no longer her husband. He had Shea in his heart and Zoe by his side. Avery was nothing but his ex wife. They could no longer turn back on their rtionship. As tears rolled down her cheeks, Avery shut her eyes and forced herself not to think A perfect life was never a guarantee. She had Hayden and La, as well as a career. She was more blessed than ny nine percent of people in the world. She should not be greedy Three dayster, Zoe noticed that her period was a weekte. Her suspicions arose because her menstrual cycle was normally on time. She left for the drugstore first thing in the morning and bought a pregnancy test. Instead of going home, she went to a nearby public restroom. When she emerged from the cubicle fifteen minutester, her face was void of color and she was holding onto the wall. She was pregnant! She was actually pregnant! The night she messed around Cole at the hotel was all it took for this to happen! Zoe bit down so hard on her lip that it turned purple. Shivers ran through her entire body as she trembled uncontrobly. Why was life ying this sick joke on her? She wanted to be Mrs. Elliot Foster, not Mrs. Cole Foster! Why did she get pregnant with Cole¡®s child of all people? Zoe clenched her fists so tightly that her nails dug into her palm, but she felt no pain. She felt like a knife was stabbed into her heart. She found a quiet corner and called Cole. It was not until a whileter than Cole answered the call. ¡°Yes, Doctor Sanford?¡± Cole said hoarsely as if he had yet to wake up. ¡°I¡®m going to kill you, Cole Foster!¡± Zoe hissed through gritted teeth. ¡°Come see me right away! You have ten minutes! If you¡®re not here in ten minutes, I¡®ll kill you with my bare hands! Cole leaped out of bed and broke into a cold sweat. ¡°Doctor Sanford, you...¡± Zoe hung up the phone, then slumped down and sobbed into her hands. She could never let Eliot find out about this! She had to stay by his side! She resigned from her job abroad because of him. Everyone around her knew that she was Elliot Foster¡®s girlfriend and were green with envy. No matter what, she could not allow the child she was carrying to be an obstacle in her ns! The problem was that she had difficulty getting pregnant in the first ce. If she were to get abortion, she may never have a chance to get pregnant ever again! Chapter 238 Chapter 238 Chapter 238 Ten minutester, Cole appeared in front of Zoe. He was dressed in his pajamas and a pair of sandals, His hair was disheveled because he had rushed over right after the phone call, He wanted to throw a fit! It was a strange phone call. How could Zoe be so rude to him? He was not the one who nned what happened at the hotel before. He was a victim, too! However, when he saw Zoe¡¯s eye reddened with tears, the rage inside of him instantly vanished. ¡°What¡®s wrong, Doctor Sanford?¡± Cole asked, then cleared his throat and said, ¡°My uncle didn¡¯ t dump you, did he?¡± Zoe let out a bitterugh, then held onto the tree next to her and got to her feet. ¡°I¡®m pregnant, Cole Foster!¡± she hissed through gritted teeth as her mouth filled with the strong taste of blood. ¡°You¡®re the father!¡± The corners of Cole¡®s lips twitched. ¡°No way... We only did it once...¡± he said in disbelief. Before he could let out a sharp cry, Zoe picked up her bag and violently attacked him with it. ¡°You b*st*rd! You human sc* m! It¡®s all your fault!¡± Zoe yelled as she continued to hit him.¡± What am I supposed to do now?! Tell me! What should I do?!¡± Cole covered his head with his arms and answered without hesitation, ¡°Get rid of it! What else can you do? My uncle will kill me if he finds out you¡®re pregnant with my kid!¡± Zoe¡¯s tears rolled down her cheeks when she heard his answer. Copyright by N?v/elDrama.Org. ¡°I want to get rid of it, too! The mere thought of carrying your child makes me sick! However, if I get an abortion now, I might never be able to get pregnant again!¡± Zoe felt all of the energy get sucked out of her body. She slumped down, wrapped her arms around her head and broke into uncontroble sobs. Cole realized the severity of the situation. Scanned with CamScanner it was no wonder Zoe had thrown such a fit. Things were moreplicated if she could not get an abortion Cole sat down next to Zoe and patted her back. ¡°I¡®m sorry, Doctor Sanford! It¡®s all my fault. You had too much to drink that night, but I was sober. I knew that you were my uncle¡®s girlfriend, but I gave into temptation and slept with you anyway! I¡¯m the worst!¡± he said, then pped himself in the face. Zoe lifted her gaze, and felt better after seeing Cole¡¯s remorseful face. ¡°Let¡¯s keep the baby for now,¡± Zoe said as she took a deep breath. ¡°Your uncle doesn¡¯t love me, so we probably won¡¯t stay together til the end. If I get an abortion now, when he finds another doctor that can treat Shea, he will definitely break up with me without hesitation...¡± She had always known that Elliot was secretly looking for another doctor who could treat Shea¡¯ s illness. ¡°I see¡­¡± Cole said with a tremor in his voice. ¡°You can¡¯t let him find out that the baby¡¯s mine. Otherwise, he¡®ll kill me for sure.¡± ¡°Are you that afraid of dying?!¡± Zoe snapped resentfully. ¡°I¡®m still young! I¡®m not done enjoying life!¡± Cole said as he helped Zoe to her feet. ¡°Aren¡¯t you afraid of death? Although, even if my uncle finds out your baby isn¡®t his, he still wouldn¡¯t kill you. You¡®ve saved Shea once, after all.¡± Cole¡®s words made Zoe decide to take a gamble. If the worst case scenario was breaking up with Elliot, then what was there to be afraid of? ¡°Go home. I¡®ll go to the hospital for a checkupter. I¡®ll let you know once I confirm the results,¡± Zoe said as she withdrew her arm from Cole¡®s grasp. ¡°You have to listen to everything I say from now on, or you¡®re dead!¡± she threatened. Cole did not have a choice. The child Zoe was carrying was proof that he wronged Elliot. Zoe had Cole wrapped around her finger. On the other side of the city, a ck Rolls-Roice pulled up at the entrance of Wedillia Psychiatric Treatment Center. Elliot and Shea emerged from the car. Once they entered the center, the doctor greeted Elliot, then asked him to wait in the waiting room. ¡°Don¡®t be scared, Shea. I¡®ll wait at the door for you,¡± Elliot said as he tried to let go of Shea¡¯s hand. However, Shea¡®s grip tightened around his hand and refused to let go. Chapter 239 Chapter 239 Chapter 239 Elliot took out a couple pieces of candy from his pocket and ced them in Shea¡¯s hand, Shea finally let go of Elliot¡®s hand when she saw the candy. After watching Shea enter the treatment center, Elliot¡®s heart filled with uneasiness. This was the first time he had taken her to see a psychiatrist. Moreover, she was one of the country¡®s top psychiatrists. He wondered if shea would be able to ovee her mental and emotional obstacles. The doors to the treatment center opened about half an hourter. Shea hurried out and ran straight into Elliot¡®s embrace. Her emotions were rtively stable. Copyright by N?v/elDrama.Org. She was not crying, but she was just a little scared and nervous. Elliot wrapped his arms around Shea and patted her back. ¡°It¡®s alright, Shea. I¡®ve been waiting here the entire time.¡± The doctor offered Elliot a seat on the couch next to them. ¡°Mr. Foster, I took a look at the information you sent overst night. From my interaction with Shea just now, I don¡®t think she¡®s suited for psychiatric treatment at the moment. Her issues aren¡®t purely psychological. I believe she requires professional surgical treatment first to regain her health. Once she recovers, she might not even require psychiatric treatment.¡± ¡°Did she say anything to you just now?¡± Ellio asked. The doctor shook her head and said, ¡°I asked her to nod or shake her head to answer my questions. She was quite cooperative.¡± The doctor then handed a questionnaire over to Elliot. It was the questions that the doctor asked Shea, as well as her answers. The questions were simple enough. They were things about the people she loved, what was her happiest memory and her worst... Every answer was rted to Elliot. ¡°Her mental issues outweigh her psychological issues,¡± said the doctor. ¡°There¡¯s no need for you to worry too much, Mr. Foster.¡± ¡°Thank you,¡± Elliot said as he picked up the questionnaire, stood up and prepared to leave with Shea. At that moment, a mother and son walked through the doors. Before Elliot could react, Shea was already making her way over to them. Avery booked an appointment with this psychiatrist the moment they returned to the country. She was concerned about Hayden¡®s inability to fit into a school environment. Whenever she caught wind of a good psychiatrist, she would take Hayden there to give it a try. Shea made her way over to Hayden and broke into a sweet smile. Avery was taken aback when she saw Shea. What was she doing here? Did Elliot bring her here? Immediately after, a tall figure made its way over to them and held Shea by his side. Elliot nced at Avery, then said in a deep voice, ¡°Your son should see a psychiatrist.¡± He bore no ill will. He felt that Hayden¡®s character was problematic, and the sooner he received treatment, the sooner he could recover. However, Avery heard another meaning from his words. ¡°Is there really a reason for the president of Sterling Group to make fun of a four-year-old boy?¡± Elliot¡®s cheeks flushed slightly, then said, ¡°I¡®m not making fun of him. I¡®m here with Shea, too. Avery pursed her lips, then took Hayden¡®s hand and walked around them. Half an hourter, the doors to the treatment center opened up, and Avery walked out of the waiting room. ¡°Miss Tate, just because your child is different from others, doesn¡®t mean he has psychological issues,¡± said the doctor as she handed a questionnaire to Avery. Avery nced at the questionnaire, then thanked the doctor. Soon after, she walked hand-in-hand out of the building with Hayden. Within two steps out of the center, a tall figure appeared before them and blocked their path. Chapter 240 Chapter 240 Chapter 240 ¡°Let¡®s have lunch together,¡± Elliot said, offering an invitation to Avery. Avery met his eyes and asked, ¡°Have you been waiting out here this entire time?¡± Elliot had noment. If he were not waiting for her, he would have left a long time ago. Avery looked up at the sun. It was early fall, so it was not as hot out, but the afternoon sun was still rather zing. Copyright by N?v/elDrama.Org. ¡°Where¡®s Shea?¡± she asked. Elliot shot a look over to the parking lot, then said, ¡°She¡®s in the car.¡± ¡°I see... You two go ahead! My mom cooked, so we¡®re going home for lunch,¡± Avery said, declining his offer without hesitation. She could not figure out what Elliot was thinking by asking her to eat at the same table as Shea. Did he not feel shame? Even if he wanted to two¨Ctime... No, three¨Ctime, there was no need for him to be this obvious about it! ¡°I made a reservation at that restaurant over there,¡± Elliot said as if he was unfazed by Avery¡¯s rejection. ¡°I need to send Shea to schoolter, and you need to send Hayden there, too. Let¡¯s have lunch, then send them to school.¡± Avery pursed her lips. After a moment¡¯s consideration, she refused once again. ¡°We¡®re going home for lunch. I¡®ll take the kids to school after a nap.¡¯ Realizing that being civil with her would not work, Elliot decided to go with a more aggressive tactic. ¡°Why are you so afraid of having lunch with me? Can¡®t we have a meal together after the divorce? Or are you avoiding me because you¡¯re still in love with me?¡± Avery was speechless from rage. She tried her best to remain calm, then held Hayden¡¯s hand and walked in the direction of the restaurant. Elliot went to the car to get Shea. Scanned with CamScanner Once the four of them were seated, they ordered their food. The awkward silence made the atmosphere slightly strange. Avery ordered a couple of dishes, then handed the menu over to Elliot. Elliot then passed the menu to Shea and let her order. Avery watched the entire thing as her heart burned with anxiety. She poured herself a ss of water, then picked it up and threw her head back for arge gulp. It was hot water! She was burned! Seeing this, Elliot immediately shot to his feet, grabbed the jug of water and walked over to the counter. He returned soon after with a jug of iced water and poured Avery a ss. ¡°Wash it down with some iced water,¡± he said in a low, powerful voice. Avery took a gulp of cold water, then said, ¡°I¡®m fine.¡± ¡°What were you thinking? How could you be so absent minded?¡± Elliot said as he gazed deeply at her. Avery blushed as her brows furrowed, then said, ¡°You can ask what I¡®m thinking if you¡¯re the one I burned.¡± ¡°Did I upset you?¡± Elliot asked, then withdrew his gaze, poured himself a ss of water and took a sip. ¡°I never wanted to have lunch with you in the first ce,¡± Avery said bluntly. ¡°We¡®ll see if you could eat if I brought a man over and flirted with him in front of you.¡± Since Hayden was around, she lowered her voice for the second half of her sentence. Elliot frowned, then asked, ¡°You think I¡®m being intimate with Shea?¡± Avery looked down at her phone and ignored him. If he did not think they were being intimate, then forget it! If he were able to date two women at a time, then what values and principles could he possibl have left? Elliot knew why Avery was upset. The moment she burned herself was the moment he handed the menu to Shea. If Avery was jealous simply because he allowed Shea to order their lunch, then it meant that she still cared for him. ¡°Don¡®t y with your phone, Avery,¡± Elliot said, then reached out and took the phone from her hand. Avery was stunned. Elliot wanted to ce her phone down and have a proper conversation with her. Although Shea and Hayden were with them, considering how they rarely spoke, there was no danger of anything getting leaked. Chapter 241 Chapter 241 241 Chapter This was Elliot¡¯s chance to start a deep conversation with Avery. ¡°Shea and ...¡± He began to speak, but the photo of Avery¡¯s phone screen grabbed his attention ¡°Who¡¯s this man?¡± He looked a little familiar. Elliot looked at the photo again and again. He was sure that he had seen the man before, but could not recall anything about him. Avery snatched her phone back. ¡°You haven¡®t changed at all. You¡®re still just as controlling. Is this amon problem that old men face?¡± She shoved her phone into her bag, then said mockingly, ¡°He¡®s a celebrity I¡®ve been following recently. He¡®s handsome, right? Not only that, he¡®s also very young. I¡®ve recently been into this type of man.¡± Elliot gritted his teeth in rage. Was she calling him old? He nned on having a proper conversation with her, but it looked like there was no need for that! After all, she had no interest in old men and only liked young men! ¡°What did you want to tell me just now?¡± Avery asked. The anger in Elliot¡®s face cheered her up. ¡°It¡®s nothing!¡± Elliot snapped coldly. ¡°Just eat!¡± It was an extremely unhappy lunch. While Elliot was settling the bill, Avery left with Hayden. At the hospital, Zoe¡®s tears escaped her eyes once again as she looked at her test results. The entire morning felt like a neverending nightmare. The worst thing about it was waking up and realizing that the nightmare was real! She was pregnant with Cole Foster¡®s child! As she walked out of the hospital, Zoe began to think of ideas. There must be a way out of this! Life had shut a door in her face, but it surely opened up a window of opportunity for her somewhere. As long as nobody found out that the child belonged to Cole, things really were not as bad as they seemed Besides, Elliot depended on her to treat Shea¡¯s illness. Copyright by N?v/elDrama.Org. No matter how bad things went for her, she would not be worse off than Avery. Her emotions calmed down at that thought. Once Zoe returned home, shey down in bed. She had a throbbing headache, but could not fall asleep no matter how tightly she shut her eyes. Half an hourter, she gave Cole a call. ¡°I need to find a way to sleep with Elliot,¡± Zoe said, revealing her n to Cole. ¡°That way, I can pin the child on him.¡± Cole was dumbfounded and filled with agitation. ¡°It¡®s not impossible... However, if my uncle insists on a DNA test after the baby¡¯s born, wouldn ¡®t our cover be blown?¡± ¡°I have a n! You just need to do as I say!¡± ¡°Alright! I won¡®t say anything else. I¡®ll do whatever you say,¡± Cole yielded in fear of saying too much. ¡°How do you n on getting my uncle to sleep with you? He¡®s pretty difficult.¡± ¡°Would I call you if I had any ideas?!¡± Zoe snapped. ¡°Hurry up ande up with something! If you don¡®t, then your uncle will definitely find out that the child is yours!¡± ¡°I got it!¡± Cole whined. ¡°I¡®ll think of something right away.¡± That afternoon, Avery got a call from Tammy. ¡°Avery, I heard from Mike earlier about your makeup birthday party.¡± Avery massaged her temples and said, ¡°That idiot¡¯s doing this without telling me again!¡± Tammy burst intoughter, then said, ¡°I think he just wants to have some fun and is using your birthday as an excuse to throw a party.¡± ¡°I think so¡­ Did he call you earlier?¡± ¡°He did! I¡®ll definitely be there this weekend. Are you inviting Elliot this time? He was pretty upset when he didn¡®t get an invitation to your party a few days ago,¡± Tammy said. ¡°He even booked the smaller banquet hall next to yours. How childish!¡± Avery held her head and said, ¡°I just got into a fight with him. He probably won¡¯t want toe to my party.¡± ¡°Why did you fight again?¡± ¡°It¡¯s a long story.¡± ¡°I see. Should I get Jun to ask him? If he wants to go, then you could invite him,¡± Tammy said, then chuckled and added, ¡°I heard you epted his gift. Could you really not invite him after doing that?¡± Chapter 242 Chapter 242 Chapter 242 Avery was left speechless by Tammy¡¯s words. It was all her own fault! Why did she have to ept Elliot¡®s gift?! Things would not be this awkward if she had just rejected it. Avery hung up on Tammy, then called Mike and said, ¡°Don¡®t you think you should tell me before organizing a makeup birthday party?¡± ¡°What if I told you first and you said no?¡± Mike said. He knew her too well. ¡°If I inform everybody else before I tell you about it, then you would have no choice but to show up.¡± Avery let out a bitterugh. ¡°You have fun with everybody on your own, then! I¡®m not going!¡± ¡°I already invited Elliot Foster! That shameless man epted the invitation right away!¡± Mike said mockingly. ¡°Your ex husband sure is thick¨Cskinned, Avery. Why do you like men like him? Avery lifted her hand to massage her temples, then hung up the phone. Tammy called again less than a minuteter. ¡°Elliot¡®s going to the party, Avery! I figured someone as proud as him would definitely take the chance to decline!¡± Tammy said. ¡°I can never predict his reaction. Is this a special trait that only sessful people have?¡± ¡°You can never predict the reactions of a madman, either. Stop looking at him through rose tinted sses, Tammy.¡± ¡°Hahaha! You always get so worked up when we talk about him,¡± Tammy assessed. ¡°It looks like you still love him! Otherwise, you wouldn¡®t react like this!¡± Avery took arge gulp of water, then found an excuse to end the call. She suddenly missed the days when she was too busy for anything else. After inviting Elliot to the party, Mike went into the bathroom topose himself. Once he was calm enough, he called Chad¡¯s number. Mike had deleted Chad¡¯s number long ago, but for some god forsaken reason memorized it. Scanned with CamScanner It took a while before his call was answered. ¡°I thought you wouldn¡¯t answer my call! Why didn¡®t you reply to my text a few days ago?¡± Mike was forced to send Chad an apology text a few days ago after Avery¡¯s threats. However, Chad did not respond to his text, and Mike could not stop thinking about it. ¡°You have the right to text me, and I have the right to not text back,¡± Chad said coldly. ¡°Please don¡¯t call me for no reason.¡± ¡°I do have a reason! Are youing to Avery¡¯s birthday party this weekend?¡± ¡°It depends if my boss is going or not.¡± ¡°Elliot Foster told me he wasing!¡± ¡°In that case, I¡®ll be going with him,¡± Chad said, then added, ¡°I¡®m busy right now. Please don¡¯ t call me again during office hours.¡± He then hung up the phone. A raging fury boiled inside of Mike. He was nothing but a puny assistant! What could he be busy with? Elliot did not say anything like that to him! N?vel(D)rama.Org''s content. Mike was second inmand at Tate Industries, but was he constantly saying he was bus Momentster, Mike created a text chain with some of thepany¡®s managers. The name of the chain was ¡°Down with Elliot Foster¡°. When the heads of department and managers saw the shocking title, nobody daredme in the chain. Mike: (We¡®re bringing Elliot Foster down at the party this Saturday! Is everyone in?!) One of the managers replied: (How?] Mike: (With alcohol, of course! How else?) Everyone in the group was relieved. Chapter 243 Chapter 243 Chapter 243 (No problem! I can handle my drink!) [I have pretty high tolerance, too!) (It¡®s all of us against Elliot Foster. We¡®ve got this!) Mike broke into a grin as he read the enthusiastic messages in the text chain. Why was he being gracious enough to invite Elliot to the party? This was his true motive. Picking on Avery meant picking on him. There was not much Mike could do to defeat Elliot, but getting him ckout drunk was right up his alley! That night, Rosalie asked Elliot to bring Zoe over to the old mansion for dinner. N?vel(D)rama.Org''s content. Dinner began once the two of them arrived. ¡°You should visit more often when you have the time, Doctor Sanford,¡± Rosalie said with a smile. ¡°Elliot¡®s usually too busy to spend time with you.¡± Zoe nodded and said, ¡°Alright. I¡®lle by more often as long as you don¡®t find me bothersome.¡± ¡°Why would I? I like how outstanding you are!¡± After a pleasant dinner, Rosalie called Elliot over to her room for a private conversation. ¡°Doctor Sanford seems like a good match for you, Elliot. You¡®re not getting any younger. Why don¡®t you get engaged?¡± Rosalie said. ¡°I won¡®t think about marriage until shea¡®spletely cured,¡± Elliot said as he searched for an excuse. ¡°Shea¡®s illness and your marriage have nothing to do with each other!¡± ¡°I hope Shea can be there at my wedding.¡± ¡°She¡®ll be there if you get married now, too! Didn¡®t you say her condition improved after the surgery?¡± Elliot shook his head. ¡°I¡¯m asking you to get engaged first, not get married. Doctor Sanford gave up her high-paying job for you. You should show her some gratitude,¡± Rosalie said, then asked, ¡°What are you thinking?¡± ¡°I¡®m not getting engaged,¡± Elliot said, then added, ¡°I don¡®t love her. I¡®ll break up with her the moment I find another doctor who can help Shea. You¡¯re a woman, Mom. You should know that I¡®d just be dragging her down by getting engaged to or marrying her.¡± The expression on Rosalie¡®s face turned rigid. ¡°Do you think I had a deep, loving rtionship with your father? Plenty of couples appear happy but are far apart under the surface. Even so, their marriages canst a lifetime.¡± ¡°Just because others can do that, doesn¡¯t mean that¡¯s what I want for myself,¡± Elliot said. ¡°You¡®re too stubborn! Since you¡¯re so adamant, I won¡¯t pester you any further,¡± Rosalie said bitterly, then changed the subject and said, ¡°Your father¡®s death anniversary ising up next month.¡± Elliot pursed his lips, then turned away and said, ¡°I know. I¡®m leaving if there¡¯s nothing else.¡± ¡°Think about things with Doctor Sanford again, Elliot!¡± Once he was out of the room, Elliot told Zoe he had to leave. Zoe walked him out, then said, ¡°I¡®ll leave after a little bit.¡± Elliot nodded in response. Half an hourter, Rosalie retired to her bedroom for the night. Cole finally found the chance to speak with Zoe in private. ¡°I looked into it, Doctor Sanford. My uncle¡®s attending Avery¡¯s birthday party this Saturday,¡± Cole said, exining his n to Zoe. ¡°I¡®m sure he¡®ll drink at the party. You should go fetch him once he¡®s drunk. If he¡®s cked out, you can do whatever you want with him. If he¡®s not quite drunk enough, all you have to do is give him this...¡± Cole pulled out a tiny bottle and handed it over to Zoe. ¡°As long as he drinks this, he¡®ll transform from a perfect gentleman into a beast in the sack!¡± Zoe was rendered speechless. It was shameless, but she had no other choice. She took the bottle, then mocked coldly, ¡°You sure are an expert at cheap tricks like this.¡± Cole¡¯s face flushed with embarrassment. ¡°You¡¯re the one who asked me to think of something, Doctor Sanford. When ites to my uncle, if we didn¡¯t resort to cheap tricks, he would never sleep with you!¡± ¡°Shut up! I know the one he loves is Avery Tate! So what? I¡®m his girlfriend now!¡± Zoe said haughtily. ¡°Once I¡®ve slept with him, I¡®ll make him marry me!¡± Chapter 244 Chapter 244 Chapter 244 The wild ambition in Zoe¡¯s eyes was clear and undisguised. Cole felt his dying soul reawaken. Now that he was on the same boat as Zoe, her sess meant his own sess. Women could gain honor through their children, so could he. He would gain honor from his child! At 10 p.m. that night, a ck Rolls¨CRoice pulled into the Foster mansion. . Elliot had attended a dinner event that night. He had gone to the dinner because one of the country¡®s top entrepreneurs in the drone sector was in attendance. Elliot wanted to understand every aspect of Avery¡®spany. From the information he gathered at the dinner, he found out that Tate Industries may have rebuilt, but their sales had hit a wall in the country. Alpha Technologies was formidable abroad. Their buzz and reputation were outstanding. However, Avery did not use Alpha Technologies¡® brand in Aryadelle, but that of Tate Industries instead. Although it was the same product, a different brand also meant a different worth. Avery did not market or advertise their products, which led to theck of sales. ording to the top entrepreneur, if Avery could not make it through the next six months in Aryadelle, she would move back to Bridgedale empty handed. The next day, Avery showed up at the Pacific Hotel by herself for a business meeting. The other party, Norman Puth, was the president of one of the country¡®srgest drone distributors. Avery met Norman at the restaurant, then took a seat at their table. N?velDrama.Org owns all content. ¡°Did youe alone, Miss Tate?¡± asked Norman. He was a chubby, middle¨Caged man. Behind his sses, were a pair of sharp eyes. ¡°Yes, everyone¡¯s been rather busy recently,¡± Avery said with a polite smile. She pulled out a file from her bag, then said, ¡°Mr. Puth, here is some detailed information on our company¡®s products. Please take a look.¡± ¡°Ha, I¡®ve seen it. That¡®s precisely why I asked to meet with you, Miss Tate,¡± said Norman His eyes shifted from Avery¡®s face to her chest, then down to her slender waist. ¡°I know your products are impressive, Miss Tate. However, the market isn¡¯t the same here as it is abroad.¡± ¡°I see.¡± Avery felt ufortable under Norman¡¯s wandering gaze. She picked up her ss of water, took a sip, then said, ¡°Please borate.¡± ¡°If you make me an authorized distributor for your products, I can guarantee that you¡¯ll take over the domestic market in no time,¡± Norman said as he suddenly tipped his leg in Avery¡¯s direction, then added, ¡°Could you consider lowering the price for me?¡± Avery pulled her legs back, and her tone was cold as she said, ¡°I¡®m sorry, the price we proposed to you is the best we can do. I¡®m afraid we can¡®t go any lower than that.¡± ¡°That¡®s too insincere of you, Miss Tate,¡± Norman said regretfully. ¡°How are we supposed to do business without sincerity?¡± Avery¡®s eyes narrowed as her lips curled up into a smile. ¡°What constitutes sincerity to you, Mr. Puth?¡± Seeing Avery¡®s provocative smile, Norman shot to his feet and walked over to her side. ¡°You¡®re young and beautiful, Miss Tate. More importantly, you¡®re capable. I¡®m sure there are plenty of men who are after you, right?¡± he said as his sleazy hand fell onto Avery¡¯s shoulder. Avery¡®s hand tightened around her tea cup. She silently counted down in her heart. ¡°Three, two...¡± A gust of wind pierced through the room and Norman was thrown to the ground with a violent punch! Avery¡®s head shot up and met with Elliot¡®s menacing face. ¡°Avery! I never expected you to stoop so low!¡± Elliot snapped as he yanked her from her seat.¡± Didn¡®t you say you didn¡®t like old men?! What are you doing right now?! Why don¡¯t you resist when fat b*st*rds like thisy their hands on you?! Is money more important than your dignity?!¡± Avery¡®s head was spinning from his relentless chastising. If Elliot had not punched Norman to the ground, she would have thrown her drink right at his face. ¡°Can¡®t you lower your voice, Elliot?¡± Avery blushed with embarrassment as she noticed that all eyes were on them. Elliot may be shameless, but she was not. She picked up her bag from her seat and nned to leave, but Elliot jerked her back into he seat. ¡°Are you willing to do anything for money?!¡± he roared through reddened, tear¨Cfilled ey Avery was repressing the frustration she felt for him, but his words set her off! Chapter 245 Chapter 245 Chapter 245 Avery wrapped her arms around her chest and stared coldly at him. She watched as Elliot took off his shirt, then covered her with us with the flick of his arm. His warm, familiar scent surrounded her entire body. Avery felt hatred for him, but she could not bring herself to truly despise him. Elliot walked out the restaurant with his upper body bare. Avery threw her head back and took breaths like a fish out of water. When the phone in her bag rang, she finally snapped back to reality. She took off Elliot¡¯s shirt, then picked up her bag and left in a hurry. Over at Sterling Group, Chad took in a sharp breath after receiving a phone call. Was the world going insane? He could not believe that his boss, Elliot Foster, had run off to some hotel to throw a fit. N?velDrama.Org owns all content. Not only did he make his bodyguards kick out all of the other guests, he also threw cash bills around the restaurant¡­ The most ridiculous part of it was the fact that he took off his shirt and left it there. If this was a drama, then it would be an outrageous farce! Half an hourter, the restaurant¡¯s manager personally sent over Elliot¡¯s shirt and cash. Among the other items sent over were two buttons from a women¡¯s shirt. ¡°Whose buttons are these?¡± Chad asked as he held the buttons in his hand. ¡°I think it belonged to a certain Miss Tate.¡± ¡°Avery Tate?¡± ¡°Yes! They broke into a fight at the restaurant, and almost started getting it on.¡± Chad was at a loss for words. Did ¡°getting it on¡± mean what he thought it meant? Chapter 246 Chapter 246 Chapter 246 Tammy brought out a t¨Cshirt for Avery. ¡°What on earth happened to you? How¡¯d you fall and got the buttons on your shirt broken off? Tammy looked at her all suspiciously and guessed, ¡°Avery, did you get into a fight with someone?¡± Avery replied as she put on the shirt, ¡°Yeah, you guessed it right.¡± ¡°And you lost right? You look terrible. Shall I hire you a bodyguard?¡± Tammy said as she poured Avery a ss of warm water, ¡°You are the owner of a multi¨Cbillion dorpany now.; It¡¯s essential to have one. Look at Elliot, he has a bunch of bodyguards following him around. I heard they were all extremely well trained...¡± Avery smiled wryly and said, ¡°If that¡®s the case, I don¡®t need to hire anyone else.¡± Tammy asked, ¡°Why?¡± and she understood as she asked it, ¡°Is he out of his mind? What¡¯d you have against that dirtbag?¡± Avery took a sip of the water and put down her ss. ¡°Thanks for the shirt. I¡®ll make my way back to the office now.¡± Mike was calling her to get some updates on the discussions. She needed to head back now. ¡°I¡®ll see you out,¡± said Tammy as she was worried about Avery. ¡°No need, I¡®m fine I promise. This isn¡®t the first time we fought.¡± Avery responded half heartedly. ¡°I know, but this is the first time he¡®sid his hands on you!¡± Tammy said as she thought of something. She turned around and walked to the cab and took out a bottle of pepper spray and handed it over to Avery, ¡°Carry this with you. You can use it on him the next time he bullies you again.¡± At the Tate Tower, Mike was surprised to see Avery¡¯s wardrobe change. ¡°It didn¡®t go as we nned?¡± ¡°Yeah,¡± said Avery. ¡°It¡®s fine,¡± Mikeforted her and said, ¡°We can recruit a few more sales agent and sell it ourselves.¡± Avery nodded and continued, ¡°I thought so too. After all, we just started up. Slowly but surely we¡®ll get there.¡± Mike was never interested in managing a business or moneymaking. He stayed with Avery out of gratitude. He¡®ll let her steer the wheel. ¡°Mike, the money we made from overseas might be chipped in for this project¡­ We might make some or we might even lose it all,¡± Avery confessed after a long pause. ¡°Don¡¯t you worry about this, we can always make more money! Just stay put,¡± Mike said as he ced his hand on her shoulders and continued, ¡°We had some rough sails too when we started our businesses overseas.¡± Avery felt a slightfort after hearing from Mike, ¡°Perhaps I was a nobody back then, so I wasn¡¯t pressured about the oue.¡± ¡°Just focus on your own business, don¡®t get sucked into other people¡¯s opinion of you,¡± said Mike. Avery sensed a huge relief as sheughed, ¡°You sounded extra clever today, Mike.¡± ¡°Ha¨Cha! Come on, I¡®ll take you shopping. This shirt is just awful on you,¡± said Mike with a slight aversed expression, ¡°It¡®s your birthday this weekend. You have to dress up!¡± Mike pulled Avery away from the offices. Late noon, Elliot arrived at the Sterling Group offices as Chad followed from behind. ¡°Chad, I¡®m not going to Avery¡®s party this weekend,¡± Elliot said with a familiar tone. Chad knew of course, as to why Elliot had a change of mind. He had a huge argument with Avery that afternoon, it will be hard for him to recover from it. He was sensitive about his reputation. Taking off her shirt and throw money in the public... Elliot felt ridiculed. Though the restaurant was mostly emptied, there must have been a bunch of people looking in from the outside. ¡°I¡¯ll go with Ben then,¡± said Chad, ¡°We shouldn¡®t be absent altogether.¡± Copyright by N?v/elDrama.Org. Elliot was distracted by the ck bag on the table and asked, ¡°What¡®s this?¡± Chad coughed and couldn¡¯t find words to say. Chapter 247 Chapter 247 Chapter 247 Elliot opened up the bag and found the shirt and cash inside. ¡°Swoop ¡ª¡± he smacked the bag and it fell to the ground. ¡°Get rid of it!¡°eximed Elliot coldly. ¡°Yes alright,¡± said Chad as he picked it up and walked out the door. At the mall streets, Mike threw on multiple pieces of clothing to Avery for her to try on. ¡°You got to try it on before you know if it fits,¡± said Mike as he pushed her into the fitting room. ¡°You¡¯ve such a good boyfriend, Miss. It¡®s rare to have an attentive man!¡± The salesperson grinned as she said to Avery, ¡°Do you need my assistance?¡± Avery shook her head vigorously, ¡°I can manage.¡± Mike and Avery spun around the whole stretch of mall street for that entire noon. The back of the car was filled with shopping bags. He bought clothes not only for Avery but also for Hayden, La, Laura, and himself. This might be thest time Avery would agree to go shopping with Mike. Avery was famished at this point. They sat down at a random restaurant and she nned to head home right after. ¡°Hurry up and eat, Avery, I¡®ll bring you to a hair salon next,¡± said Mike. ¡°But I¡®m all drained up!¡± eximed Avery. ¡°You can just sit and rx at the salon. How are you going to look for your next love with that look of yours?¡± Mike said as he scrolled through his phone for a photo, ¡°Look at this man from Edelweiss. Rich, tall, and handsome, so much better than that dirtbag Elliot. This man should be your standard from now on.¡± Avery was dumbfounded. She wasn¡®t feeling hungry anymore. ¡°Do you think this man from Edelweiss will fall for me with me buying new clothes and changing my hairstyle?¡± ¡°Of course not. You have to go there if you want an opportunity to woo him,¡± Mike was adamant about it, ¡°We will work towards the goal, baby steps.¡± Avery put down her utensils and wiped off her mouth with a serviette. ¡°Are you all done? To the salon!¡± Mike dragged Avery to the next stop as soon as he paid the bill. It was Avery¡®s birthday party that Saturday. She had it in a five-star hotel located in the city. Laura stayed home with the kids as they weren ¡®t too keen on joining a crowded event. Mike arrived at the hotel together with Avery at four in the afternoon. Some of the guests have already arrived. Avery let her hair down with her natural waves. She wore a v-neck cream-colored dress, and the hems were in brown ombre, and it was filled with sparkly sequins. She looked as if she had an entire gxy of stars shining on her. The guests all looked in her direction as she walked in. Ben and Chad walked towards Avery and greeted her, ¡°Happy Birthday, Miss Tate,¡± Ben said as he passed a gift to her, and praised her earnestly, ¡°You look beautiful today.¡± Chad passed over his gift as well and said, ¡°My boss can¡¯te over today as he had something else nned for.¡± Avery smiled and said, ¡°Thank you for your gifts and wishes.¡± As she said it, Mike yelled and Chad and gasped, ¡°Oh shit! Isn¡®t that your boss, Chad?¡± Everyone in the hall looked at the entrance and there he was, Elliot, looking dashingly handsome at the entrance. ¡°Are you all done? To the salon!¡± Mike dragged Avery to the next stop as soon as he paid the bill. It was Avery¡®s birthday party that Saturday. She had it in a five¨Cstar hotel located in the city. Laura stayed home with the kids as they weren ¡®t too keen on joining a crowded event. Mike arrived at the hotel together with Avery at four in the afternoon. Some of the guests have already arrived. Avery let her hair down with her natural waves. She wore a v-neck cream-colored dress, and the hems were in brown ombre, and it was filled with sparkly sequins. She looked as if she had an entire gxy of stars shining on her. The guests all looked in her direction as she walked in. Copyright by N?v/elDrama.Org. Ben and Chad walked towards Avery and greeted her, ¡°Happy Birthday, Miss Tate, ¡± Ben said as he passed a gift to her, and praised her earnestly, ¡°You look beautiful today.¡± Chad passed over his gift as well and said, ¡°My boss can¡®te over today as he had something else nned for.¡± Avery smiled and said, ¡°Thank you for your gifts and wishes.¡± As she said it, Mike yelled and Chad and gasped, ¡°Oh shit! Isn¡®t that your boss, Chad?¡± Everyone in the hall looked at the entrance and there he was, Elliot, looking dashingly handsome at the entrance. Chapter 248 Chapter 248 Chapter 248 Chad¡¯s face turned hot. Thought someone said he wasn¡¯t going toe today? Why did Elliot suddenly appear? Do his words not mean anything? Both Ben and Chad dashed towards Elliot as they tried to ask him. Elliot answered, ¡°I just happen to be around the corner, so I thought I¡¯d drop by and check the party out.¡± ¡°I thought you¡®d be too chickened toe!¡± Mike walked towards Elliot as he pulled him to the drinking table, ¡°Today we gather to celebrate Avery¡¯s birthday. Rule number one, no scolding is allowed. Secondly, no fighting. Let¡®s all drink!¡± Mike handed out an empty ss to Elliot and filled it up with liquor. Avery was stunned. Did they start on the drinks before dinner? She saw a group of men all staring at Elliot with Mike leading them. She realized what it was! As she walked over, Tammy stopped her. ¡°Let them be!¡± She pulled Avery to the side, ¡°Did you forget how he treated you a few days ago? I have warned Jun not to save him. You too!¡± Avery blushed, ¡°But dinner hasn¡®t even started yet...¡± N?velDrama.Org: owner of this content. ¡°I¡®ll get dinner started,¡± said Tammy. ¡°Okay,¡± Momentster, food was served. Tammy got Avery to sit down and asked, ¡°Avery, this dress looks gorgeous on you! It wasn¡®t your idea to wear this, eh?¡± Avery blushed and replied, ¡°Mike chose it for me.¡± ¡°I knew it. I¡®m going to ask him out next. He has great taste,¡± Tammy made a decision to befriend Mike. ¡°He¡®s an expert at it,¡± said Avery as her feet were still hurting from all the walking that day. Mike was fine though. ¡°Avery, I think you should remind Mike that Elliot¡®s not very good at drinking,¡± Jun looked at Elliot worriedly. ¡°Thought you were on our side?¡± Tammy red at Jun. ¡°Of course I am! But what if he was too drunk and something bad happens?¡± Jun took a look at Elliot¡®s table and continued, ¡°They already finished a bottle of liquor in thirty minutes!¡± Avery stood up, intended to walk over to stop them. ¡°Avery dear, Elliot is not alone by himself. He¡®s with Ben and Chad, they will take good care of him, don¡®t you worry.¡± Tammy held her hand and pulled her down on her chair, and added, ¡° Plus, he has a girlfriend now. He doesn¡®t need your concern.¡± Avery calmed down as soon as she heard what Tammy said. Ben and Chad both helped Elliot with the drinks, and not much went into Elliot¡®s systems. Mike pulled Chad away and said, ¡°Let¡®s drink one on one, Chad!¡± Chad walked away with Mike with his ss in his hand. Their table went quieter as Mike and Chad left. After all, Mike was the leading the ruse. The rest of them were not as courageous to intoxicate the boss of Sterling Group. No one dared to go up against him. Ben raised his ss andughed as he said, ¡°Let¡®s toast!¡± They resumed drinking again. Avery felt relieved as she saw Mike leave the table. She picked up her fork and started eating.¡± Avery, did you like the gift I sent you?¡± Tammy asked as they chatted away. Averyughed, ¡°Of course! But how did you manage to keep so many ugly photos of me?¡± Tammy gave Avery a photo album for her birthday. ¡°Avery dear, Elliot is not alone by himself. He¡®s with Ben and Chad, they will take good care of him, don¡¯t you worry.¡± Tammy held her hand and pulled her down on her chair, and added, ¡± Plus, he has a girlfriend now. He doesn¡®t need your concern.¡± Avery calmed down as soon as she heard what Tammy said. Ben and Chad both helped Elliot with the drinks, and not much went into Elliot¡®s systems. Mike pulled Chad away and said, ¡°Let¡®s drink one on one, Chad!¡± Chad walked away with Mike with his ss in his hand. Their table went quieter as Mike and Chad left. After all, Mike was the leading the ruse. The rest of them were not as courageous to intoxicate the boss of Sterling Group. No one dared to go up against him. Ben raised his ss andughed as he said, ¡°Let¡®s toast!¡± They resumed drinking again. Avery felt relieved as she saw Mike leave the table. She picked up her fork and started eating.¡° Avery, did you like the gift I sent you?¡± Tammy asked as they chatted away. Averyughed, ¡°Of course! But how did you manage to keep so many ugly photos of me?¡± Tammy gave Avery a photo album for her birthday. Chapter 249 Chapter 249 Chapter 249 Sage opened up the album Tammy gave to her, and it was filled with photos of them from college. It was a precious gift. ¡°We are best friends, that¡®s how! Other than my own photos, the rest of them are mostly yours.¡± Tammy said as she looked at Avery lovingly, ¡°Cheers to the friendship forever!¡± Avery raised her ss and cheered, ¡°Friendship forever!¡± She took a sip and put the ss down. Someone patted her shoulder. It was Ben looking blushing red. ¡°Come sit with us, Miss Tate!¡± Ben pointed at the table next to hers and said, ¡°Tell your staff to behave themselves, we are getting hammered by any minute now.¡± Ben looked pitiful. ¡°You¡®re kidding Ben, you are a master at drinking!¡± teased Tammy. Ben sighed and said, ¡°That was all in the past. I¡®m getting older now...¡± Avery got up and followed Ben to the next table. Ben signaled for her to be seated on Mike¡¯s seat. It was next to Elliot¡®s. She nced over at Elliot and saw him staring sharply back at her. She sat down as he was making her uneasy. ¡°Miss Tate, have some juice, ¡°Ben said as he poured her a ss of juice and asked Elliot, ¡°Do you want some?¡± No one was trying to make Elliot drink in her presence. Elliot raised his liquor ss and drank by himself. Ben awkwardly put down the jar of juice. ¡°Miss Tate, Happy Birthday. Cheers to you,¡± a manager stood up and raised his ss at her. ¡°It¡®s not my birthday today, you don¡®t have to drink with me.¡± She sipped on her ss of juice as she said it. The manager felt embarrassed as the ss of liquor was still in his hand. Elliot stood up and raised his ss with a hoarse voice, ¡°I¡®ll drink with you guys!¡± Avery took a deep breath and looked past Elliot with her eyesid sight on Ben. Why me it on her staff when Elliot was the one asking for drinks from everyone? Ben dug out his phone and sent Avery a text. It read, (He took a nce at your chest. I guess he didn¡¯t expect to see you dress sexily.) Avery replied and said, (I can wear whatever I like. If he doesn¡¯t like it, he may leave!] Ben replied, (I don¡®t mean it that way, Miss Tate. Let him drink if he wants to. Just ignore him.) Avery ced her phone on the table. Elliot red first at Avery, then Ben. He meant that he knew they were texting about him behind his back. N?velDrama.Org: owner of this content. He raised his ss, took a sip, and said, ¡°Do you guys know, what¡®s the most important thing about running apany?¡± The supervising managers were dumbstruck. Where did thate from? Were they suddenly looped into a free seminar? Avery looked stunned as well. She couldn¡¯t tell whether it was her or Elliot who was drunk She looked at him as his face now looked surreal. Elliot felt hot and he tugged at his cor ajar with his fingers. ¡°To start apany is easy. But to maintain it is another story. To keep thepany afloat, you got to have some management skills...¡± Elliot opened his mouth again. The managers all put down their sses and listened to him attentively. Ben sent another text to Avery saying, (He¡®s trying to warn you. He¡¯s worried that you will go broke.) Avery read the text as her face blushed red. Chapter 250 Chapter 250 Chapter 250 Elliot suddenly held Avery¡¯s hand. She let go of her phone in her hands and he let go of her instantly. Ben was right, he was directing the speech towards her. The managers¡¯ jaws all dropped. Oh shit! Is something about to happen between the both of them? Avery¡¯s face felt burning hot. She took a huge gulp of the juice she just poured for herself. Fortunately, today wasn¡®t her real birthday. It will be a real treat to have a lecture on her real birthday, Avery thought sarcastically. Elliot went on and on about his secrets of sess while drinking with everyone. It seemed as if he forgot today was her birthday celebration. Avery had two tes of pasta and a te of fresh fruits. An hourter, he¡®s still at it with his speech. She held her head and looked at him. Elliot cleared his throat and turned at her, ¡°Avery, you got everything I said jotted down?¡± ¡°Let¡®s drink!¡± Avery looked down as she helped herself a ss, and poured one for him, ¡°It¡¯s been ages since I knew you and we never drink together!¡± As Elliot contemted, Avery had already finished hers. Tammy looked wildly surprised at the table next to them and gasped, ¡°Avery has gone mad!¡± Jun said to Tammy, ¡°In the end, it was Avery who ended Elliot tonight, not Mike, and certainly not the managers.¡± As Jun said it, Tammy saw Elliot raise his ss and drank it all. She gasped, ¡°What are they trying at?!¡± Jun continued, ¡°It¡®s obvious, these two are attracted to each other. Either they get back together, or they be each other¡®s worst enemies.¡± ¡°They are never getting back together. There¡®s Zoe, and Shea¡­even if Avery¡¯s gone mad, she¡¯ ll stay away from a rtionship with him,¡± Tammy said with a scoff. They continued drinking for another half an hour. Elliot was dead drunk, and Avery drank quite a bit too. She rubbed her fingers against her temples, forcing herself to stay awake. Mike was thest man standing. Everyone was high from dri?king except him. Mike dragged Ben away for more drinks. Looks like Mike had nned to have all of them drunk today! At 10.30 at night, Zoe appeared at the banquet hall with a cold expression. Her heels clicked against the marble floors as they caught Avery¡®s attention. They looked at each other. ¡°Happy Birthday, Miss Tate,¡± Zoe stood taller than Avery and she looked down as she spoke, ¡°I ¡®m here for Elliot.¡± N?velDrama.Org owns all content. Avery had too much to drink. She tried to speak but nothing came out of her mouth. She waved her hands signaling at Zoe. That¡®s the best she could manage for now. ¡°Miss Tate, why did you get Elliot so drunk for? You knew that overconsumption is bad for health. I thought you would care for him since you used to be with him!¡± Zoe reprimanded as she tried to get Elliot up with his driver. They couldn¡®t get him to the parking lot as he was heavily inebriated. Zoe had no choice but to get a room. The driver left as soon as they got Elliot to the bed. Zoe took out the bottle of liquid Cole gave to her. She must seize the opportunity tonight. Ben replied, (I don¡®t mean it that way, Miss Tate. Let him drink if he wants to. Just ignore him.) Avery ced her phone on the table. Elliot red first at Avery, then Ben. He meant that he knew they were texting about him behind his back. He raised his ss, took a sip, and said, ¡°Do you guys know, what¡¯s the most important thing about running apany?¡± The supervising managers were dumbstruck. Where did thate from? Were they suddenly looped into a free seminar? Avery looked stunned as well. She couldn¡¯t tell whether it was her or Elliot who was drunk She looked at him as his face now looked surreal. Elliot felt hot and he tugged at his cor ajar with his fingers. ¡°To start apany is easy. But to maintain it is another story. To keep thepany afloat, you got to have some management skills...¡± Elliot opened his mouth again. The managers all put down their sses and listened to him attentively. Ben sent another text to Avery saying, (He¡®s trying to warn you. He¡®s worried that you will go broke.) Avery read the text as her face blushed red. Chapter 251 Chapter 251 Chapter 251 ¡°Have some water, Elliot!¡± Zoe said as she ced his head higher on the pillow and brought him the bottle of water, ¡°You must be feeling lousy. Here, drink and you will feel better.¡± Back at the banquet hall, Avery felt a lot sober. But it felt worse than being drunk. She knew she can no longer be entangled with Elliot anymore. Nothing good wille out of this. ¡°Zoe was such a snob!¡± Tammy walked to Avery andforted her, ¡°Don¡®t bother with her words. She should look into a mirror herself.¡± Avery carried her purse and prepared to leave as she said, ¡°I¡¯m only mad at myself.¡± ¡°You didn¡®t do anything wrong,¡± Tammy said. ¡°I¡®m being ridiculous,¡± Avery muttered to herself, ¡°I still think we could be together one day¡­ Tammy, please give me a good scolding if I still see him in the future!¡± Tammy nodded, as she wanted the best for her friend. ¡°I¡®ll get you home!¡± Tammy held her up and said, ¡°Don¡®t worry about the rest of them, Jun will make the necessary arrangements.¡± They went down on the elevator. Avery spotted Elliot¡®s car. ¡°Oh dear, look at you! You can¡®t even let go of the sight of his car,¡± Tammy turned over and mocked Avery, ¡°I heard that Zoe got a room in the hotel. Elliot was too drunk tonight, nothing will happen between them tonight,¡± she added. ¡°Was the added imagination necessary?¡± Avery asked. ¡°Tighten your seatbelts now!¡± Tammy teased her and then continued, ¡°Get some sleep tonight. Avery, you deserve better.¡± Avery felt touched. Her phone rang as she was about to say something. It was Mrs. Cooper calling. Avery felt weirded but she answered it anyway, and before Mrs. Cooper could say anything, she heard a loud cry. It was Shea crying on the other end of the phone. Tammy was about to start the car engine when she heard the crying sound from the phone. ¡°Avery, I can¡®t get through Master Elliot. I had no choice but to call you¡­ Shea kept crying for Master Elliot as she missed him all day. She wouldn¡¯t calm down. Is Master Elliot there at your party? Can you pass on the message to him?¡± Mrs. Cooper sounded anxious. N?vel(D)rama.Org''s content. Just as Avery swears off seeing Elliot forever. ¡°Tell her you can¡¯t,¡± Tammy reminded Avery. She couldn¡¯t form the words out of her mouth even when she wanted to. The crying sound was painful to the ears ¡°I¡®ll go get him,¡± Avery hung up as soon as she reassured Mrs. Cooper. Tammy was about to lecture Avery. ¡°I¡®ll go back by myselfter, go home and get some rest, Tam,¡± Avery said as she¡¯s fully sobered up now, though her eyes were red and voice hoarse, ¡°I know what I¡®m doing.¡± She got down and closed the door behind her. Tammy thought of what Jun said as she watched Avery walk back into the hotel. Either they get back together, or they will be enemies for life. Avery checked with the receptionist for Zoe¡¯s room number. It was Room V906. Avery took a deep breath and pressed the doorbell. There was no answer. She tried again, no response. As she was leaving, the door opened ajar. Elliot appeared with his shirt all buttoned wrong, his chest flushed red from the overconsumption of alcohol. His brows furrowed due to the migraine in his head. He grabbed Avery into his arms as his red eyes set sight on that familiar face. Chapter 252 Chapter 252 Chapter 252 Avery¡¯s nose felt a sharp pain as Elliot pushed her face into his chest. She checked out the room with her red nose and teary eyes. Where¡¯s Zoe? Why was Elliot left alone in the room? Wasn¡®t she supposed to be taking care of her drunk boyfriend? She pushed him away with her hands, but Elliot embraced her tighter than before. ¡°Don¡®t leave me, Avery...¡± He lifted her up midair and begged with his voice, ¡°I miss you so much¡­ I¡®ve missed you every day...¡± Elliot muttered as he carried her into bed. Avery¡¯s heart ached as she saw him like that. He was completely drunk! They said drunk words were sober thoughts. Does it mean he had a ce for her in his heart? He pressed his body against her on the bed. He stared into her eyes lovingly. ¡°Let go of me, Elliot Foster!¡± Avery breathed in and ced both her hands on his face, trying to wake him up, ¡°Shea was crying at home because she needed you. Mrs. Cooper called me and she wants to...¡± He pressed his lips against hers before she could continue. Did he just ignore the part where she mentioned Shea? Didn¡®t he care about her? Usually, he gets anxious upon hearing the name Shea, what¡®s with him tonight? She bit hard on his lips. The faint scent of blood lingered in between them. ¡°Elliot Foster, do you know what you¡®re doing now?¡± Avery cried out with tears streaming down, ¡°Shea is crying at home! Can you hear me? She¡®s waiting for you to get home!¡± Elliot pursed his bleeding lips as he gulped. His tears started falling down as Avery thought he was going to speak His tears fell on her cheeks. ¡°I heard, I heard! Avery, I¡¯m not going home tonight. I¡¯m staying with you...¡± His voice was determined though it was coarsened. All of her defenses broke down as he said it. They kissed again. Avery didn¡¯t push him away. She had no energy to defend him anymore. She kept reying the scene of his crying face. It was all too painful to bear. How did they end up here? Zoe came back with the shirt she bought from a menswear store. As she walked back into the room, she heard moaning soundsing from the bedroom. Her shopping bag dropped on the carpet. She couldn¡¯t believe her ears. She walked towards the Her shopping bag dropped on the carpet. She couldn¡®t believe her ears. She walked towards the door that was left slightly ajar. As she opened the door wide, N?velDrama.Org owns all content. Elliot was on the bed with... Avery. They were in the middle of it. Avery again! Zoe¡¯s hand curled into a fist, her face darkened. How she wished she could walk in and pulled on Avery¡®s hair and chase her out of the room. s, Elliot was on top of her. Wasn¡®t Elliot dead drunk? She had to pull Elliot away first if she wanted to chase Avery off. Zoe wouldn¡®t dream of doing that. She felt helpless, and she was only able to watch them from afar... Zoe¡¯s tears fell off silently. She felt so wronged! She wants to turn away and leave, but she couldn¡®t. Everything must fall ording to n. Else, all her efforts in months will be gone down to train. She clenched her teeth and close the bedroom door. Chapter 253 Chapter 253 Chapter 253 Zoe did not want to hear anymore. The sound of Elliot and Avery getting on was reminding her, so what if you¡®re Elliot¡®s girlfriend? He¡®ll always love Avery no matter what! She sat on the sofa. She felt part of her died today and her body froze. At 2 a.m. in the morning, the bedroom door was finally opened. Avery dragged her body out of the room. She stood frozen as she saw Zoe. ¡°Miss Tate, how did my boyfriend fare?¡± Zoe¡®s voice trembled as she looked at Avery full of hate, ¡°Can¡¯t believe I left him for no longer than 20 minutes and you snuck in. You knew he was drunk and yet you seduced him! Oh, you¡®re cheap!¡± Copyright by N?v/elDrama.Org. Avery tried to exin but nothing will make sense. She can¡®t believe she would be the other woman. It was hypocritical of her. ¡°I¡®m so sorry,¡± Avery said. ¡°What¡®s the use of saying sorry?¡± Zoe felt tears streaming down from the corners of her eyes. ¡°At least I got together after your divorce. Miss Tate, I¡®ve never hurt you before. Why did you hurt me?¡± Zoe cried. ¡°I¡®m sorry.¡± Avery walked to her side and apologized again. ¡°I¡®ll pretend nothing happened tonight. You can¡®t tell anyone about it, including him! I will tell him the same when he wakes up,¡± Zoe mocked Avery as she looked up at her, ¡°Who knows, he might not even remember anything. He was drunk after all.¡± ¡°Alright.¡± Avery left as she said. She walked out of the hotel room and felt a sharp breeze of the wind. She hugged herself for warmth, looked up, and breathed deeply. She felt confused and agonized. Yet she wasn¡®t allowed to talk about it to anyone. Avery sat by the roadside. She did not feel like going home or getting a room from this hotel. She¡®ll just sit here for the night! Tomorrow is a new day, and she could start fresh again. The next morning at 8 a.m., in Room V906, Elliot got up with a pounding migraine from drinking too much. He looked around at the unfamiliar surroundings and was alerted by the woman beside him. A naked woman with dark ebony hair. There¡¯s a mole on her shoulder des. The mole was obvious against her fair-skinned body. back! He sat up and realized he was naked too. Memories slowly came back to him. Avery came to himst night, and he couldn¡®t control himself and they did it. Where¡¯s Avery? He got off the bed and got dressed. As he was about to awaken the woman beside him, Zoe woke up. She rubbed her eyes and smiled at him, ¡°You got up? Why don¡®t youe over and get some sleep? Elliot waspletely dumbstruck. He froze as his eyes were filled with shock and disappointment! Zoe? Did he mistake Zoe for Avery? ¡°Elliot, what¡®s going on? Last night... you carried me to bed... I didn¡¯t get in by myself...¡± Zoe exined as she held up the sheets with both hands covering herself. Elliot¡¯s palm curled into a fist. He quietly uttered, ¡°I¡®m sorry.¡± He really took Zoe for Avery by mistake! How could he make such a huge mistake? ¡°Why are you apologizing? I¡®m your girlfriend, and you¡®re my boyfriend, This is amon thing to happen between us right?¡± Zoe said as she tried to squeeze out some tears. She felt a huge wave of relief in her mind. Seemed as though Elliot really forgot who the woman was in bed with himst night. Take that, Avery Tate! You¡®ve lost him forever! Chapter 254 Chapter 254 Chapter 254 ¡°I¡®m sorry, Doctor Sanford,¡± Elliot said as he immediately calmed down his nerves. He went back to his usual cold self and added, ¡°It was my mistakest night, I need to calm down now.¡± He left the room as he said it. Zoe stood frozen. She thought her tears will soften him up, and that Elliot will take her into his arms and comfort her. Why on earth was he still acting so cold? And just took off like that? He wasn¡®t like thisst night with Avery. Zoe wiped her tears off her face. Though she was heartbrokenst night, at least there was a positive oue for her. She looked for her phone and dialed Cole¡®s number. ¡°I¡®ve seeded,¡± said Zoe. ¡°Congrattions, Dr. Sandord! Let me know if I can be of any help in the future. I¡®ll be here for you,¡± said Cole with augh. Zoe¡®s heart turned sour as she heard that from Cole. If only Elliot was half as obedient as Cole to her. ¡°Tell me, do I look like a man? Your uncle never batted an eye on me,¡± said Zoe. ¡°He had zero reaction even when I had no clothes on,¡± she added. Coleughed even harder as he heard that from her, ¡°My uncle is abnormal! Dr. Sanford, He should seek medication as he¡®s the ill one.¡± Zoe thought that was mockery, and she said sadly, ¡°He waspletely normalst night when he was with Avery!¡± N?vel(D)rama.Org''s content. ¡°Oh...¡± Cole toned down his voice, and said, ¡°No man can refuse Avery, she¡®s a real beaute.¡± ¡°Did you just say I¡®m not as pretty?¡± Zoe asked, ¡°No, Dr. Sanford! You have a great body and a pretty face. Both of you are beautiful! I mean, maybe, men prefer Avery who¡®s more seductive yet innocent¨Clooking...¡± Zoe hung up. She didn¡®t need to hear more. She knew Avery was younger and prettier than her. She doesn¡®t even wish for Elliot¡®s heart, as long as he was hers. In another room of the hotel, Chad woke up looking for his sses. He was blind without them. As he felt a warm body with his hands, he gasped! ¡°Who¡®s that?¡± Chad asked nervously. He had too much to drinkst night. He couldn¡¯t recall how he got herest night. He needed to look for his sses and check what was going on. Mike yawned and kicked him with his leg and said, ¡°What the hell are you waking so early for? It¡¯s a weekend! ¡°Where are my sses? Where did you hide them?¡± Chad could see a shadow moving in front of him. ¡°Why would I want your sses for? Just say it if you want my help! Say please! If you just say please¡­¡± Chad kicked Mike down the bed before he could finish his sentence. ¡°You shameless prick! Why are you on my bed?¡± said Chad fuming with anger. ¡°Darn it! I was going to ask how did you end up on my bed! I can¡®t remember a thing sincest night as I got too drunk,¡± Mike got hold of Chad¡®s cor and they fought on the bed. Avery was woken by a phone call. She spent the night on the bench at the bus stop. She took out her phone as she heard the ringing tone and put the phone close to her ears. Her fingers touched her ears, and her skin felt hot. Avery had a fever. ¡°Avery, they beat me up again!¡± Mike cried from the phone, ¡°I slept with Chad against night as I got too drunk! How could they me me if I cked out?¡± Avery held up her head and breathed in deeply, ¡°If you think you¡®re innocent, just call for the cops this time.¡± Chapter 255 Chapter 255 Chapter 255 Mike coughed and said, ¡°There¡¯s no need to get the cops involved! Avery, where are you right now? You sounded weak and exhausted.¡± N?vel(D)rama.Org''s content. Avery stood up with the support of the pir next to her and lied, ¡°I¡¯m at home.¡± ¡°Oh, were you still sleeping? Get back to bed! I¡®m fine, just feeling wronged¡­ Chad mes me for everything, he¡¯s so unreasonable!¡± Mike felt better after a rant session with Avery. Avery got a cab and headed home. She popped a fever pill and fell asleep in her bed. Laura didn¡®t manage to ask what happened to her. At the old mansion, Elliot had been in the shower longer than an hour. He was still thinking aboutst night, and couldn¡®t ept that it was Zoe. He could settle Zoe anytime, but how could he face Avery? He was more certain than before that he was still very much in love with Avery. He couldn¡®t lie to himself that he was unable to forget about her. Elliot got out of the bathroom and stumbled upon Mrs. Cooper and Shea. ¡°Master, Shea waited for you all night,¡± Mrs. Cooper said. Yes! Elliot recalled Avery came over to his room and told him to go home to Shea! He felt a sharp ache against his heart. Did she or did she notest night? He remembered clearly that she did. The thought of them intimate on the bed¡­ How did Zoe end up on his bed? ¡°I couldn¡®t reach youst night, so I called Avery for help. She promised to look for you, but you didn¡¯t come homest night... She didn¡®t manage to get you.¡± Mrs. Cooper said to Elliot. Shea cried till 3 in the morning, and only stopped because she was exhausted. As was Mrs. Cooper. Elliot was shocked. His eyes looked down and uttered, ¡°She found me... I heard her informing me¡­¡± Mrs Cooper said, ¡°Oh? Then you must be too drunk toe home. I¡¯ll go get you some aspirin to sober up.¡± She left Elliot and Shea in the room. He looked at Shea, her eyes still swollen from all the cryingst night. ¡°Shea, why did you cryst night? Did you miss big brother?¡± Shea looked down and shook her head, ¡°I¡®m afraid of them... They hit me...¡± Elliot embraced Shea in his arms and asked, ¡°Did you have bad dreamsst night? They are already dead. Now, Shea, I will protect you forever! No one is going to bully you from now onwards! ¡°But¡­you weren¡¯t herest night.¡± Shea sobbed. ¡°I¡¯m so sorry, Shea.¡± Elliot felt a heartache against his chest. He got dressed as Shea fell asleep. Elliot was experiencing dream-reality consutions. He needed to talk to Avery. VENNER At the Starry River Vi, a ck rolls¨Croice was parked right at the entrance. Laura shut down the entrance as soon as she saw his car. ¡°Grandma, why did you close up the door?¡± La asked confusedly. Laura¡¯s face was grim, ¡°Elliot Foster is outside, you¡®re not allowed to open the door! Understand?¡± La nodded her head vigorously and went looking for her brother. Elliot looked at the closed entrance. He took out his phone and dialed Avery¡®s number. Chapter 256 Chapter 256 Chapter 256 ¡°Sorry, the number you have dialed cannot be reached, please try againter.¡± N?velDrama.Org holds ? this. Avery had switched off her phone. Elliot scowled. Despite being physically close to her, he felt as though they were miles apart. Both La and Hayden were in the mansion when she told him that Elliot was here. Hayden immediately went to his room to retrieve his drone the moment he heard her. ¡°Hayden! What are you doing?¡± La¡®s eyes widened as she watched him in confusion. ¡°I¡®m chasing him away!¡± ¡°Oh! Hayden, do you need my help?¡± La desperately wanted to help. Hayden brought over a soft pipe and passed it to her. Elliot stood majestically outside the door of the mansion. He was unwavering in his determination to see Avery today. Twenty minutester, a drone slowly flew down from the second floor balcony. seco When the bodyguard saw the drone, he frowned, ¡°What in the world?!¡± The bodyguard would not have picked up on it if it had been a normal drone, but this one was flying straight at them, and it had a pipe attached to it. Elliot looked up and spotted the drone as well. The drone was shy with its colorful and stylish design. Just as Elliot was trying to figure out who was controlling the drone, they heard a ¡®beep¡®, and a stream of water trickled down from above. The drone hovered over Elliot¡®s head. The pipe was attached to the indoor tap, and it was there to drench Elliot with water. ¡°Crap!¡± The bodyguard immediately started dragging Elliot toward the car. ¡°Avery is such a spiteful woman to have used such a trick!¡± Elliot refused to get into the car and shook off the bodyguard¡®s hand. ¡°It¡®s not her doing. She is not this childish.¡± Though he could not see who was controlling the drone, he could guess that this was probably Hayden¡¯s doing. If Hayden could master the art of hacking, controlling a drone would have been easy for him. The drone continued to follow Elliot. It moved when he did and stopped when he stopped. Water from the pipe continuously rained down on him. Soon, his hair and clothes werepletely drenched. Furious, the bodyguard said, ¡°I¡®m going in!¡± ¡°Stop!¡± Elliotmanded. If his bodyguard had barged in, it would have served to only deepen Laura¡¯s resentment, and he did not want to be in conflict with Avery and her family. ¡°Damn it! This has to be that brat, Hayden! I¡®m going to beat the crap out of him the next time I see him!¡± cursed the bodyguard as he searched the car for an umbre. Unfortunately, they had not brought one. When Laura saw what was happening outside from the first¨Cfloor window, she immediately went upstairs. ¡°Hayden! Get that drone back here right now!¡± Hayden frowned and refused to take his hand off the controller. Elliot had not left, and he wanted to chase him away. La held the pipe and exined sweetly, ¡°Grandma, we are making the bad guy Elliot go away!¡± Laura went and turned off the tap, before saying to Hayden with a stern expression, ¡°Hayden, if you don¡®t bring that drone back, I¡®m going to tell your mom right now.¡± Though Laura did not wish to see Elliot, she could not allow the two children to act so insolently. Hayden immediately guided the drone back while Laura nced through the balcony window. Elliot was soaking wet, but he remained standing as his bodyguard helped wipe off the water with tissue paper. Laura scowled. She struggled to decide whether she should go outside and apologize for what the children had done. Chapter 257 Chapter 257 Chapter 257 She simply could not find a way to change her views on Elliot. ¡°Mr. Foster, let¡¯s go back!¡± the bodyguard said. ¡°Your clothes are wet. If we don¡¯t go home and get you changed, you will catch a cold.¡± It was early autumn, and even with the sun above their heads, the temperature had dropped significantly ¡°I¡®m not cold,¡± Elliot said in a steady and calm voice. Seeing how stubborn he was, the bodyguard realized that Elliot was not going to change his mind and resorted to waiting alongside him. Shortly after, a red Porsche Kayenne slowly drove toward. It stopped beside Elliot. The car window rolled down, and Mike poked his head out. ¡°Hey, why are you here?¡± Mike was shocked to see Elliot drenched from head to toe. ¡°Did it rain?¡± The bodyguard red at him impatiently, ¡°It¡®s that brat Hayden¡®s doing!¡± ¡°Oh... As expected of Big H! He always has the guts to do what I wouldn¡¯t dare to!¡± The bodyguard could only stare daggers at him. Mike cleared his throat and got out of the car. ¡°You two look so silly standing here! Allow me to invite you in!¡± With that, he strode toward the mansion¡®s entrance. After a few moments of hesitation, Elliot followed. Mike keyed in the password and unlocked the gate. When Laura saw Mike leading Elliot into the house, her expression darkened, but she did not say a word. ¡°Laura, I¡®ll just take him to get a change of clothes. I won¡®t stop you if you want to chase him out after that,¡± said Mike to Laura. Laura nodded, and so, Mike brought Elliot up to the second floor. Hayden and La heard the sound of footsteps and immediately ran to stand outside the door of their mother¡¯s room. ¡°We are going to protect Mom! We won¡®t let that jerk near her!¡± they thought. When Elliot reached the first floor, he instantly spotted the two children, who were standing before a door. The look of determination on their faces betrayed their mother¡¯s whereabouts. Elliot realized that was Avery¡¯s room, but he did not go over. ¡°Elliot, your assistant is way out of line!¡± said Mike as he led Elliot to his room. ¡°And so is your chief financial officer! What the h*ll! The two of them ganged up nst me! The wound on my face has barely healed and now, I¡®m bleeding again!¡± CUVUUT LIICII sauscuU araliOLIUC: INC VUUTTU The siblings sighed a breath of relief when they saw Elliot entering Mike¡¯s room. They opened the door to the master bedroom and snuck in. Ever since Avery took the medicine, she had been sweating profusely; but the more she sweated, the colder she felt. Even with the nket, she felt as though she was standing in snow. La and Hayden stepped toward the bed, and they were both terrified when they noticed Avery shivering like a leaf caught in a gale. Hayden ced his hand on her face and realized her skin was burning hot. ¡°La, stay here with Mom! I¡®ll go get Grandma!¡± Hayden said, before rushing out of the room. N?velDrama.Org owns all content. He ran downstairs and brought Laura with him. When Laura saw the state Avery was in, her face paled in fear. ¡°Mike!¡± Laura came out of the room, calling for Mike. ¡°Avery is running a fever! We need to send her to the hospital!¡± Mike darted for the door at the sound of Laura¡®s voice, but Elliot beat him to it. By the time they were in front of Avery¡®s room, Elliot had shoved Mike aside and entered the room. Avery¡¯s mind was foggy, so she had no idea what was happening when Elliot picked her up. Her head hurt and her body felt heavy. For a moment, she wondered why she was still feeling horrible after having taken her medicine. ¡°What¡®s going on? She was just fine when I called her this morning.¡± Mike followed Elliot downstairs. ¡°Laura, stay home and watch the kids, I will drive Avery to the hospital!¡± ¡°Drive safe!¡± Laura said as she sent them off. Elliot carried Avery into his ck Rolls¨CRoice, and his bodyguard instantly drove off. Mike was left standing alone outside, thinking, ¡°What¡®s going on? Did Elliot just kidnap Avery?¡± Chapter 258 Chapter 258 Chapter 258 ¡°Mike, hurry up and catch up to them!¡± shrieked Laura. ¡°Ohh!¡± Mike snapped out of his daze and drove after them. Laura sighed in relief. ¡°Grandma, is Mom going to be okay? I¡¯m so worried about her!¡± La asked as her eyes grew red with tears. She grabbed onto Laura¡¯s blouse Laura lifted her up. ¡°Your mom is just down with a fever. It¡¯s nothing to worry about. Once she is in the hospital, the doctor will help her, and as soon as her feveres down, she will be okay.¡± ¡°Oh... but why did Elliote here?¡± La could not help but have a bad feeling about it. Laura frowned. ¡°I¡®m not sure either, but I don¡®t think he will do anything while your mom is sick.¡± Elliot had wrapped Avery in her nket before he carried her down. Despite Laura¡¯s prejudice toward him, she could not say that he had done anything wrong. One could always tell from the smallest details as to whether a man truly cared for a woman. No matter how many women Elliot had out there, he still had feelings for Avery, and because of that, Avery should be safe with him. In the hospital, Elliot carried Avery into the emergency room, and by the time Mike caught up to them, Avery was already on an IV drip. ¡°Elliot Foster! You run too damn fast!¡± Mike panted. ¡°Give Avery back!¡± The emergency room had run out of beds, and Elliot held Avery in his arms. He gave Mike a cold re and said, ¡°Get out of the way!¡± ¡°I¡®m in your way? If it wasn¡®t for you shoving me aside, I would have brought Avery here myself!¡± Mike probed his hands on both sides of his waist and retorted. Comment by Sharayu Tang: Hi, could you please tell me what this sentence means? Thank you. Comment by Lam Venise: I¡®m sorry, it¡®s supposed to be ¡®propped¡®, as in the person rest their hands on their hips N?velDrama.Org holds ? this. The patients around them were starting to pay attention to them. ¡°Are you trying to be the face of tomorrow¡¯s headlines?¡± Elliot said sharply. ¡°Pipe down!¡± Mike looked around him, before reluctantly quieting down and sitting down next to Elliot. ¡°Why are the people around you so violent?¡± Mike touched the wound at the corner of his mouth. ¡°I had too much to drinkst night and someone put me in the same room as Chad. It¡¯ s not like it¡®s my fault.¡± Elliot cast him a sidelong nce. Mike was fair-skinned, so the bruise looked obvious. ¡°Why didn¡®t you just hit them?¡± Elliot retorted. ¡°There were two of them, how could I?¡± ¡°Don¡®t you know how to call the police?¡± Elliot said. ¡°... Why is he saying the same thing as Avery did?¡± Mike thought to himself. ¡°It¡®s not that they punched me that hard... I am just pissed!¡± Mike continuedining,¡± Chad, that b*st*rd, he better hope he doesn¡¯t run into me when he is alone!¡± ¡°Are you interested in Chad?¡± Elliot frowned. ¡°Keep your dirty mind away from Chad!¡± ¡°What? How am I dirty¨Cminded? Speak for yourself! You are the one cheating on three women at the same time! I am far from dirty whenpared to you!¡± Mike¡¯s voice was loud, and people began to stare at them again. Feeling as though his pride had been dragged across the floor, Elliot gave his bodyguard a look, and the bodyguard immediately dragged Mike outside. The world finally quieted down. Shortly after, a few medics hurried over and led Elliot to a private room. He carried Avery into the room and set her down on the bed, before stretching out a hand to test her temperature. Her fever was beginning toe down. He frowned as he saw her pitiful condition. After a while, he stepped toward the balcony and made a call. Zoe went straight into the study room once she had returned home from the hotel. Not only did she need to find the doctor who had treated Shea, but she also had to work on finding a cure for Shea. Suddenly, she heard knocking on the door. ¡°Come in,¡± she said. At home, a bodyguard and nanny tended to her needs, and apart from them, there was no one else to bother her. The bodyguard stepped into the room and walked directly toward Zoe. Chapter 259 Chapter 259 Chapter 259 ¡°Dr. Sanford, the boss asked me to pass this to you.¡± The bodyguard handed a check to Zoe. Zoe epted the cheque and nced at the number written on it, before snorting. ¡°How generous of him! We slept together for one night and he is giving me five million.¡± She set the cheque on the table with a bitter smile. ¡°Apart from this cheque, did he tell you anything else?¡± The bodyguard shook his head. Zoe¡¯s heart ached as she thought to herself, ¡°Who exactly does Elliot think I am?! A prostitute? He just pays me off after sleeping with me! I suppose the only difference is that I¡¯ m getting paid way more than a prostitute would!¡± Zoe gritted her teeth and threw a medical book on the ground. ¡°Does he know what it means to respect someone?¡± ¡°Dr. Sanford, he already gives you enough respect. Otherwise, you wouldn¡®t even get a penny out of this,¡± the bodyguard said expressionlessly. ¡°That¡®s just because I am still useful to him!¡± she shouted, red¨Ceyed. ¡°If it wasn¡®t for that, he would have chased you out long ago,¡± said the bodyguard. He was simply informing her of the truth of the matter. ¡°Miss Tate never asked for money from the boss, and she is exceptionally obedient.¡± ¡°So you are saying that I¡®m asking for too much?!¡± ¡°You might as well spend more time fawning over Madam Rosalie,¡± said the bodyguard before leaving the room. Zoe felt like she just had an epiphany. She realized that she had made Elliot dislike her the moment she asked him to be her boyfriend. The bodyguard was right, she should not push him too far, and she should approach the Back in the hospital, Avery felt much better once her fever came down. She woke up from her slumber and looked around the strange environment that was her ward before turning her attention warily to her bedside. Elliot sat there wordlessly as he watched her. ¡°Why is he here? Why am I in a hospital?¡± she thought. ¡°I¡ª¡± She opened her mouth to speak but her voice was hoarse, and her throat felt as if someone had ripped it apart. Elliot poured some warm water into a ss before he helped her up and pressed the ss to her lips. As she drank the water, memories ofst night flooded her mind. ¡°Do you want more?¡± he asked. Avery shook her head and pulled her nket higher. ¡°Why are you here? Who sent me to the hospital?¡± They were the only two people in the room. Elliot might have been the person who had taken her to the hospital, but she could not remember what had happened. ¡°Mike is outside.¡± Elliot¡®s heart twitched in pain at the wariness on her face. ¡°Avery, I came looking for you to ask you something.¡± ¡°Oh? What is it?¡± She observed him calmly with nothing but rity and coldness in her eyes. ¡°Did youe looking for mest night?¡± He stared intently at her face, not allowing the most minute changes in her expression to escape his notice. ¡°I remember youing to me Copyright by N?v/elDrama.Org. ¡°No.¡± She interrupted him decisively. ¡°I had too much to drinkst night and haven¡®t been feeling well since. How could I possibly go looking for you?¡± ¡°Really?¡± he swallowed as he muttered sorrowfully. ¡°But I remember that you came to me saying that Shea was crying,¡± ¡°If you remember it so clearly, why bother asking me? This just proves that you have a bad memory,¡± said Avery, calmly denying his delusion. Elliot rose from the chair. All the confusion and sorrow drained from his face. ¡°If that¡®s the case, I¡¯m sorry for the trouble!¡± he said in a voice even colder than hers. Avery¡¯s heart ached, but she did not dare to let it show on her face. ¡°Did something important happenst night for you toe all the way here to ask this question?¡± She looked at him curiously while trying to keep up her carefree charade. She had thought that he would leave in frustration, but he did not; instead, he looked directly at her and said, ¡°I slept with Zoe. Is that something important?¡± Chapter 260 Chapter 260 Chapter 260 Avery¡¯s eyes darted away for a brief moment, but then, she started chuckling, ¡°Is this the first time you two slept together? It has been a long time since you went public with your rtionship. How innocent.¡± Elliot¡®s expression darkened. ¡°Speaking as if you have plenty of experience. Have you slept with any other men besides me?¡± She beamed at him, ¡°Of course!¡± Hayden was a ¡°man¡± too, after all. Theposure on Elliot¡®s face faded. ¡°Avery Tate! I will be damned if Ie looking for you again!¡± he said through gritted teeth before storming out of the room. Avery watched as he disappeared, and the smile on her smile copsed. It was good that he would note looking for her again. That way, they could both live their separate lives, but why did she not feel happy about it at all? She held onto the nket and took a deep breath. It still smelt like him. The door swung open, and Mike strode in. ¡°Avery, did Elliot do anything to you? Damn that guy! I was supposed to send you to the hospital, but he beat me to it!¡± Mike walked toward the bed and sat down before reaching over to touch her forehead. Her skin was cool to the touch, which meant that the fever had broken. N?velDrama.Org owns all content. ¡°He was the one who sent me here?¡± Stunned, Avery¡®sshes shivered. ¡°Yeah! He went looking for you at your house, and Hayden soaked him in water. He was drenched from head to toe, so I took him inside to change. That was when we discovered that you had a fever,¡± exined Mike. ¡°What did he say to you just now? He looked so angry when he left!¡± Avery could not be bothered and simply said, ¡°He didn¡®t say much. Why is my nket here as well?¡± ¡°Elliot carried it over! He¡®s strong! I couldn¡®t even catch up to him while he was carrying you.¡± Avery did not want to hear any more of Elliot and nced at the IV bag on the side. ¡°There¡¯s still one bag left. I will sleep for a bit.¡± ¡°Sleep!¡± Mike helped tuck her in. Three dayster, the sales department of Tate Industries received an order for drones. ¡°Sterling Group wants to buy our drones!¡± The manager of the sales department checked the order over and over again and reported it immediately after making sure that there was no mistake. Mike took the information about the order and went directly to Avery. ¡°Sterling Group¡®s purchasing department has ordered five thousand Storm series drones from us,¡± Mike eximed. ¡°What do they n to do with so many drones?¡± Avery took the order form from his hand and had a look. ¡°Our Storm series drone¡®s selling price is set at neen thousand nine hundred and ny nine per unit. Five thousand units will cost them ny¨Cnine million nine hundred and ny ¨Cfive thousand dors!¡± Mike took a deep breath and said, ¡°Why don¡®t we upcharge them? If we charge them twenty thousand dors per unit, we will earn more than one billion dors from this order alone.¡± Avery thought that she heard him wrong. She had originally thought that they ought to give discounts to clients with such big purchases. ¡°You can¡®t be thinking about giving him a discount, can you? Avery, do you think that Elliot Foster would care about that money? Aren¡®t you underestimating his wealth?¡± Mike took the order form back and said, ¡°It¡®s a big order; I need to check with Chad.¡± Avery watched as Mike left, and her brain started to run at high speeds. Elliot must know that his company was about to make a purchase worth a billion dors. Furthermore, it was a bulk order. She nced at the calendar on her desk. The Autumn Festival was approaching. Could Elliot be nning to give a drone to each of his employees as a gift? Mike headed back to the office and called Chad using the inte. Chapter 261 Chapter 261 Chapter 261 Chad picked up the phone. ¡°Hello.¡± ¡°It¡®s me.¡± Chad nced at the caller identification and responded in a cold tone, ¡°You need anything?¡± ¡°Careful with your tone, or we might not be selling you the drones,¡± Mike threatened. Chad scowled and retorted, ¡°Get over yourselves! Who wants your drones?¡± Mike paused for a moment. ¡°Your boss, of course! We received an order from your purchasing department, or is it a scam?¡± Chad took a deep breath. ¡°So you are saying that my boss instructed the purchasing department to put in an order for drones?¡± ¡°Yeah! Didn¡®t you know? Haha, and here I thought your boss trusted and confided in you. Looks like you aren¡¯t worth that much,¡± Mike said sarcastically, before hanging up. Provoked, Chad immediately went to verify the matter with Elliot. Elliot looked up from theputer screen and said, ¡°We always distribute gifts to our employees every Autumn Festival, and for this year, it is going to be drones. Do you have a problem with it?¡± Chad was defeated, and he shook his head frantically. ¡°No! I¡®m just a bit surprised.¡± ¡°It was decidedst night,¡± Elliot continued casually, ¡°Though I¡®m no longer in contact with Avery, the products herpany produces aren¡®t bad.¡± He would never forget how he had been chased by the drone, and how he had gotten drenched when he had gone to her house a few days ago. Technology advanced with the passing of time, so he thought of sharing the products with his employees as well. ¡°Oh¡­ Mike called me just now and I wasn¡®t all that polite... I¡®m not sure if that¡®s going to affect the order,¡± Chad said in frustration. ¡°I should go call him back.¡± Half an hourter, Chad and the manager of the purchasing department headed directly to Tate Industries for further discussion. Avery and Mike weed them into the meeting room. ¡°You want the drones for the Autumn Festival? Five thousand is toorge an order, and I¡¯m afraid that we will not be able to fulfill it in such a short period of time,¡± Mike said. ¡°Well, it¡®s not that nothing can be done if you absolutely have to have five thousand by then_¡± Chad could not stand Mike¡¯s arrogance. N?velDrama.Org holds ? this. ¡°Who exactly is the client here?! We are! So why are we taking this from him? It¡¯s not like Tate Industries is the only ce selling drones in this country!¡± he thought. ¡°How many can you produce by then?¡± Chad asked seriously. ¡°We will take what you can produce, and purchase the rest from a differentpany.¡± Mike raised an eyebrow. ¡°Haha, is that what your boss says?¡± The manager of the purchasing department leaned toward Chad and whispered, ¡°Mr. Rayner, please adjust your attitude. Our boss only wants the drone from Tate Industries.¡± Chad picked up the ss and took a sip of water. ¡°If you insist on getting five thousand units,¡± Mike continued, ¡°then we shall move some stock from some of our overseas branches, but the price will no longer remain at neen thousand nine hundred and ny¨Cnine dors per unit. We will need to raise the price.¡± Chad could feel the blood rushing to his head at Mike¡®s words. ¡°Shut up for a moment! I need to call my boss!¡± Chad turned on his phone and called Elliot. Avery picked up the ss and took a sip of water. Mike was right. The factories under them did not have the scale to manufacture five thousand drones at such short notice. If they were to move stock from overseas, they would need to take into consideration the cost of taxes and transportation. More importantly, the drones would fetch a higher price overseas than they would locally. Chad was having a hard time epting those terms as he believed that customers were supposed to be gods. Chad suppressed his anger and exined the situation to Elliot. ¡°Chad,¡± Elliot said coldly, ¡°do you think I don¡®t have the money to buy her drones?¡± ANAA ¡°Mr. Foster, that¡¯s not what I mean¡­ I just think that they are bullying us!¡± Chad said in a low voice. Avery tapped her fingers on the table and signaled Chad to pass her the phone. Chad readjusted his spectacles and said, ¡°Mr. Foster, Miss Tate would like to speak to you.¡± Chapter 262 Chapter 262 Chapter 262 Over on the other end of the line, Elliot fell into silence. Chad handed the phone over to Avery awkwardly, and she set it on the table after putting it on speaker. ¡°Hello, Mr. Foster.¡± Mike tried to suppress hisughter at how formal Avery sounded, while Chad did not say a word. On the other end, Elliot greeted her with a more formal tone, ¡°Hello, Miss. Tate.¡± Avery was stunned. Mike picked up his ss to take a sip of water; Chad did the same but realized his ss was already empty. ¡°I feel the need to exin to you that we are not trying to give you a hard time,¡± Avery readjusted her emotions and exined the situation in a steady tone. ¡°We have already established our factories not too long ago, but we don¡®t have sufficient equipment and manpower. ording to the current situation, it is true that we won¡®t be able to fulfill your order. However, we can assure you that we can have a number of drones shipped over from abroad, but our products are sold at a much higher price in the international market.¡± Chad calmed down at Avery¡®s exnation. Though she said the same thing as Mike, Chad simply found it more irritating to listen to Mike. ¡°But because this is our first bulk order in this country, I can sell you the units that we move from overseas at the same selling price as the ones here,¡± Avery continued. Mike was shocked. ¡°Why are we giving Elliot a discount?¡± Chad, on the other hand, felt relieved. ¡°This is how you show good faith!¡± he thought. Meanwhile, Elliot¡¯s emotionless voice came through the phone once again. ¡°I don¡¯t like discounted products.¡± Everyone in the meeting room was stunned, knowing perfectly well that Elliot meant to say that he had the money and that giving him a discount was just as bad as looking down at him. Mike immediately started pping. ¡°By the way, let me brief you on the payment process. Fifty percent of the total payment will be charged ahead as downpayment; the remaining bnce is to be paid three days after the products have been handed over to you.¡± Chad could not ept it. ¡°What you are asking as downpayment is too high an amount!¡± ¡°Yeah,¡± the manager of the purchasing department agreed. ¡°Thirty percent would have been considered extremely high, and you are asking for fifty!¡± ¡°Send over the bill. We will pay it in full right away,¡± said Elliot. Both Chad and the manager of the purchasing department were rendered speechless. ¡°If this is how Mr. Foster feels, there wasn¡¯t even the need to send us over! It¡¯s obvious that he ¡®s just trying to send Avery money... Oh!¡± The two thought to themselves, ¡°That¡¯s it! Mr. Foster wants to send Avery money, worrying that herpany might go bankrupt without any orders. How thoughtful!¡± After the contract was signed, Avery proposed to treat them to dinner. , Chad was not in the mood and wanted to leave, but the manager of the purchasing department took Avery up on her offer. ¡°Why the long face, Mr. Rayner? You are definitely not going to regret buying our drones,¡± Mike comforted him. ¡°You will know once you get them. The battery lifespan of our products ranks at the very top of the global market, and our Al system is also what sets our products apart from other brands¡ª¡± Chad raised his hand and interrupted Mike¡®s bragging. ¡°Let¡®s just go eat!¡± N?velDrama.Org owns all content. Meanwhile, in the Sterling Group, Ben had just heard that Elliot was about to spend a billion on Tate Industries¡® products. ¡°Elliot, do you really want those drones, or are you just looking for an excuse to send Avery money?¡± Ben could not read Elliot. ¡°Didn¡®t you two break all ties? When we were drinking the day before, you even said that you were never going to look for her ever again.¡± ¡°Why didn¡¯t you question me when I distributed electronics likeptops and smartphones the years before?¡± Elliot asked. Ben nodded. ¡°I guess Avery¡¯s drones really are that good then.¡± ¡°Do you think that the sales report of Alpha Technologies was forged or something?¡± Suddenly, the phone on the table started ringing. Elliot took one look at the caller identification and instantly picked up the phone. Taking the hint, Ben left with his coffee mug in hand. Chapter 263 Chapter 263 Chapter 263 ¡°Mr. Foster, we happened upon a piece of information suggesting that Miss Zoe is also looking for a doctor,¡± said the private investigator that Elliot had found overseas. Elliot had hired him to look for a doctor who could cure Shea. ¡°Miss Sanford is looking for a middle aged man around 1.7 meters tall.¡± Elliot scowled. ¡°Why is she looking for this doctor?¡± ¡°She¡¯s probably trying to get him to cure Shea,¡± said the private investigator. Hope emerged in Elliot¡¯s eyes as he said, ¡°We are going to find that doctor before she does!¡± ¡°Okay. I¡¯ve found something else. Before his passing, Professor Hough seemed to have taken a secret student. The information on this student ispletely confidential, and it appears that he had worked in Professor Hough¡®sb.¡± ¡°Can this student be the doctor Zoe is looking for?¡± ¡°Yes, that¡®s what I am thinking as well.¡± At five in the evening, Elliot went to Ang Special Needs Academy to pick Shea up from school. He happened to run into Avery, who was on her way to pick Hayden up, in the parking lot. The four of them stopped and stared at one another in the parking lot. Elliot immediately looked away and helped Shea into the car. Avery made her way to the driver¡® s seat once she saw Hayden settling himself in the child seat. The two cars started, turned, and arrived at the school gate at the same time. Luckily, there was enough space at the entrance, so the two cars exited at the same time. One turned left, and the other turned right. Just as the car was on the main street, Hayden said in a muffled voice, ¡°Mom, I want to go to a different school.¡± Shea kept peeping in at him from outside the ssroom door, and he had had enough. He had joined the academy to investigate the rtionship between Elliot and Shea. Now that he had solved that mystery, he no longer wanted to go to school there. ¡°Which school do you want to go to? Are you willing to learn and live alongside other kids now?¡± Avery asked. Hayden remained quiet. Ang Special Needs Academy was not a bad ce, but that could be because he was the only student in his ss. He wanted to leave because he did not want to see Shea anymore. ¡°Let¡®s wait until you finish this year, Hayden, okay?¡± Avery tried negotiating with him. ¡°If you hate kindergarten, we can try elementary school next year. How does that sound?¡± Hayden thought about it and nodded. Meanwhile, in the other car, Shea grabbed onto the seat belt. Her head was bowed. ¡°Big Brother, can we invite Elliot to my birthday party?¡± ¡°He won¡¯te.¡± Elliot¡®s tone was gentle, but his words hurt. ¡°Why don¡®t they like me? Is it because I¡®m stupid?¡± Tears started to well up in Shea¡®s eyes. ¡°No,¡± Elliot swallowed, before continuing in a hoarse voice, ¡°they don¡®t like you because they hate me.¡± ¡°Why don¡®t they like you? You are the best.¡± ¡°Shea, I am good to you, but that doesn¡®t mean that I am good to them,¡± said Elliot bitterly. ¡°I will spend your birthday with you.¡± Half an hourter, the car pulled into the front yard of Elliot¡®s mansion. After dinner, Mrs. Cooper took shea to the backyard to pick some fresh fruits. Shea enjoyed nature. They had nted plenty of flowers and fruit trees in the backyard, and every day after dinner, Mrs. Cooper would take her there to y. Elliot went into his study. His father¡®s memorial wasing up in a week¡¯s time, and he had been having nightmares the past few nights. N?velDrama.Org owns all content. Every year this time rolled around, he would be gued with nightmares. It had been like this for the past twenty years. He shut the door to the study and strode toward the bookshelf. There was a crimson box on the third row of the shelf. It housed his deepest secret. The reason he had kept it on his bookshelf was because the safest ce tended to be the one in in sight. Chapter 264 Chapter 264 Chapter 264 The box had been in the same spot for the past twenty years, and there had been no problems before. Now, it was gone! When he noticed that the box was gone, he immediately took all the books down from the third rack. As the shelf was attached to the wall, there was no possibility that the box could have fallen down a crack. After a while, he moved all the books to the ground and searched through the books once again. The shelf was empty, yet he still could not find the box. ¡°Who is it?!¡± he thought. His vision grew red with rage. ¡°Who came into my study and took what¡®s mine?!¡± He vaguely remembered seeing the box about a month ago. He immediately made a call to the surveince room. ¡°Pull all the footage from the recent month! Someone has been in my study!¡± The bodyguard was terrified. ¡°Yes! I will have the footage pulled immediately!¡± ¡°Gather all avable personnel tob through the footage!¡± Elliot barked as his heart thumped nervously. ¡°Yes!¡± Mrs. Cooper¡¯s heart sank when she took Shea back to the living room and saw the dark expression on Elliot¡®s face. ¡°Sir, what happened?¡± ¡°Someone took something from my study,¡± he said. Mrs. Cooper gasped. ¡°Compile a list of people who have been here in the past month and give it to me as soon as possible!¡± he said. Themand given, he took Shea¡®s hand in his and lead her to her room. Shea was slightly startled. Once they were back in her room, Elliot held her hands and said, ¡°Shea, have you been inside my study room?¡± She shook her head. ¡°It¡®s okay, I¡®m just asking.¡± Shea remained quiet for a while, before muttering, ¡°What did you lose, Big Brother? I can help you look for it.¡± A bitter smile appeared on Elliot¡®s face. ¡°I will find it, so don¡®t you worry.¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t take it¡­¡± Shea lowered her gaze sadly. ¡°I know you didn¡®t.¡± He led her to the bed and sat her down. Due to theck of mental development, Shea was sensitive and fragile, and she could not adjust herself like ordinary people could. He had to find a way to cure her. He decided to change the topic to a more casual one. ¡°Tell me, Shea, what birthday gift do you want? I will buy it for you.¡± The tension left Shea¡¯s expression. She considered for a while, before saying, ¡°I want¡­ Hayden to y with me.¡± Elliot scowled, troubled by her request. However, he did not want to disappoint his sister. After all, it was not an impossible request. Mrs. Cooper came to the room once she hadpiled the list of names. ¡°Sir, I have ced the list in your study room,¡± she said. ¡°I will tend to Shea now.¡± Elliot stepped out of Shea¡®s room and strode to the study. He was familiar with all the names on the list. However, the names: Zoe, Avery, Mike, Hayden, and La caught his attention. Before they hade, the box had always been on his shelf. This belongs to N?velDrama.Org. Elliot first crossed Avery¡®s name off the list, knowing that Avery would not possibly take what belonged to him. He did not know why he trusted her so much, but it felt as natural as trusting himself. After that, he moved his pen to Mike¡®s name. Two of his bodyguards had dragged Mike into the living room, and he had not been upstairs, so how could he possibly gain ess to the study room and the box? Chapter 265 Chapter 265 Chapter 265 Along with Mike¡®s name, he crossed Hayden¡®s name off as well. Hayden had been to his house twice, but he had remained in the living room during both visits. La, on the other hand, did go upstairs, where she hadter been discovered by the others. However, the girl did not seem all that bright, or she would not have broken down crying at the time. He did not cross La¡¯s name off the list, but he turned his attention to Zoe. Could it be Zoe? There were people around every time Zoe visited, and she would not have had the opportunity to take something from the study. Left with no other options, all he could do was wait for the surveince footage. Elliot had spent the entire night in the surveince room,bing through the footage. He did not rest for a moment. The day he had taken Avery home, the surveince cameras had been hacked, and there was a three¨C hour gap. At that time, he had only needed to know if the cameras were still working, but now, he needed to know what had gone wrong. He returned to his bedroom and try as he might, but he could not fall asleep. When he had discovered that the box was gone, he felt as though his heart had been crushed and ripped apart. If only he could face his dark past, he would have never had to divorce Avery. At noon, the bodyguards had finally finished watching all the footage from the previous month. ¡°Mr. Foster, we checked the surveince outside your study, but no one has been inside apart from you and Mrs. Cooper,¡± the bodyguard reported. ¡°Every time Mrs. Cooper came out, all she had were her cleaning tools and nothing else.¡± Elliot shut his eyes in despair. He had never suspected Mrs. Cooper to begin with. After all, she had served him for many years and had always remained dutiful and loyal. If Mrs. Cooper wished to betray him, she could have done so long ago. ¡°The surveince cameras stopped working the day Miss Tate brought her two children over. Could it be possible that someone went into the study room during that time?¡± suggested the bodyguard. Elliot¡¯s eyes darkened. Once the bodyguard excused himself, he picked up the phone and called Avery. When Avery saw him call, she answered, thinking that he was calling to discuss work, ¡°Avery, I lost something,¡± his voice was hoarse and hollow from theck of sleep. For a moment, she was taken off guard, ¡°What did you lose?¡± ¡°It was still there a month ago. I spent the whole night going throughst month¡¯s surveince footage but didn¡®t find anything. A while back when you came to my house, your son broke my surveince cameras, and there there are three hours of missing footage.¡± This belongs to N?velDrama.Org. Avery realized what he meant and felt her heart sink. ¡°Elliot Foster, I didn¡®t take anything from you! I wouldn¡®t!¡± He had given her plenty of expensive gifts from back when they were together, but she had not taken any one of them away with her. ¡°I don¡®t doubt you.¡± His heart ached at her tone, and he asked, ¡°Can you ask your kids to see if ¡°I haven¡®t seen a red box at my house, and if they had taken something from you, they would have told me,¡± she said confidently as she shut herptop. ¡°I will go home and have a look¡± ¡°Alright,¡± he said in a gloomy tone. Avery felt her heart soften slightly and asked, ¡°Did you stay up the entire night? Was it something important?¡± ¡°Very.¡± He reached up to massage his temple and said in a tortured voice, ¡°If you find that box at your house, please don¡®t open it.¡± Hokav.¡± her throat. She wanted tofort him but was not sure how. Perhaps the bestfort for Elliot at the moment would be to recover what he had lost. She stepped out of her office and strode toward the elevator. She had always known that he was hiding something, but she had not expected him to lose the box with said secret in it. She wondered who had taken it, but she was certain it was not Hayden or La. Though the children resented Elliot, they would not possibly steal. However, Avery still decided that she would search the house thoroughly. What if the box was really in her house? Chapter 266 Chapter 266 Chapter 266 Laura was at Starry Vi, and she was shocked to see Avery hurry in. ¡°Avery, have you had dinner?¡± ¡°Mom, have you seen a red box in our house?¡± Avery tossed her purse to the couch and walked toward the children¡¯s room. ¡°A red box?¡± Laura followed her and mumbled, ¡°I don¡®t think so. Why?¡± ¡°Elliot lost a box like that,¡± blurted Avery. ¡°He checked the surveince footage and didn¡¯t find anything out of the ordinary, but Hayden had hacked his surveince cameras when he went to Elliot¡¯s a while back, and Elliot suspects that something had happened during that time.¡± Laura scowled. ¡°He thinks Hayden took it?¡± Avery looked at her and said, ¡°Mom, I know that you don¡®t think that Hayden would do such a thing, and neither do 1; but how many things has Hayden done that have been out of line so far?¡± Laura sighed heavily but did not argue. ¡°A red box, right? Is there something important inside?¡± she asked as she began searching. ¡°He said it¡®s important,¡± responded Avery with a heavy heart. ¡°If it¡®s that important, why not keep it somewhere secure?¡± Laura was confused. ¡°If Hayden can just walk right in and take something that important to him, it means that he didn¡®t ce it in a secure spot.¡± ¡°There are bodyguards guarding his house day and night, and there are surveince cameras everywhere,¡± exined Avery. Due to the tight security, no matter where Elliot had chosen to ce his belongings, no ordinary person would dare take anything. Laura did not say anything. The two of them searched the children¡®s room thoroughly but did not find the box, so Avery stepped out of the room and started looking around the mansion. An hourter and they still had not found anything. ¡°Avery, if he suspects us, then ask him toe look for it himself.¡± Exhausted, Laura sat down on the couch. N?velDrama.Org holds ? this. Avery took out her phone and went to the balcony to call Elliot. ¡°I didn¡®t find that box you were talking about in my house,¡± she said. ¡°When the kids return from school, I will ask them about it.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± ¡°Elliot, what will happen if you don¡®t find the box?¡± Avery could not help but feel concerned. ¡°Nothing,¡± he said, not wanting her to overthink things. ¡°Oh... if nothing is going to happen, then go get some sleep and try looking for it again once you have rested.¡± Avery felt slightly relieved and said, ¡°Sometimes things just slip past us when we get flustered. Maybe it will appear when you stop looking for it.¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± Elliot had searched his entire mansion multiple times, and he had technicallye to the conclusion that the box was not in the mansion. He had no clue as to who had taken it. If Avery¡®s children had taken it, then it had to be in her house. If it was not there, it could only mean that her children did not take the box. Who else could it be? Why would someone take it and not use its contents against him? Even if the thief was not interested in money, were they not interested in harming Elliot? If the contents of the box were to be published, Elliot would fall. However, nothing had been published. If the thief did not intend on hurting Elliot, why did they steal the box to begin with? Elliot simply could not figure it out. Hey on the bed, trying to force himself to sleep, but he could not regain his formerposure. That evening when the two children had returned home from school, Avery had inspected their school bags. There was nothing out of the ordinary. The only thing in there were spare clothes and textbooks. ¡°Mom, what are you looking for?¡± La batted her doe like eyes, curiously. ¡°La, Hayden, have you two taken a red box from Elliot¡®s house?¡± Avery bent down to look the two of them in the eyes. La instantly flushed as she panicked, and her heart throbbed nervously. Chapter 267 Chapter 267 Chapter 267 ¡°No,¡± Hayden responded calmly. ¡°Really?¡± Avery checked with her son repeatedly. ¡°No,¡± Hayden repeated without a trace of emotion on his face. Avery could only call the quits. If they did not take it and she continued to ask them about it, the children might think that she did not trust them. Hayden took La¡¯s hand and led her back to their bedroom to store their school bags. Once they were inside the room, La whispered, ¡°Hayden, why are we lying? We shouldn¡¯t lie to Mom.¡± N?velDrama.Org holds ? this. La had only managed to keep it a secret because Avery was not aware; but now that she was asking her about it, La did not dare lie. ¡°Elliot must be going nuts now that he realizes the box is gone,¡± said Hayden coldly. ¡°If we return it now, he will just me us for taking it. We are not returning it. Let him worry.¡± ¡°Oh... Okay!¡± agreed La. Between their dirtbag dad and her brother, she would definitely side with her brother. He had originally kept the box under his bed, but they had moved it. They buried it under a tree in the yard two days ago. They had done it as Hayden had discovered the contents of the box, a piece of paper. Once he realized how important the box was, he knew that it could not be left carelessly under the bed, so, they moved it. It was a good thing that they did, or the box would have been discovered. ¡°But what happens if Elliot worries so much that he dies?¡± La was still concerned. ¡°He is still our dad!¡± ¡°Don¡®t worry, bad people don¡®t die that easily.¡± With that, La finally rxed. After dinner, Avery sent Elliot a message that read, (I asked the kids, and they said they didn¡¯t take the box.) She had thought that he was resting, but he replied immediately and said, (Got it.) She sent a reply that asked, (You still haven¡®t gone to sleep?). When Elliot received the message, he did not reply, because he did not know how to. It had been thirty- six hours since he hadst closed his eyes, and he could feel his mental defenses weakening In the midst of despair, he thought to himself, ¡°So what if someone goes public with the content of the box? I will lose money, and friends will leave me¡­ as for a lover¡­ I no longer have one. I have earned more than enough money for this lifetime, so I don¡®t have anything to worry about even if I can¡®t earn any more from now on. As for friends, I don¡¯t care if they go away. At least Shea won¡¯t leave me.¡± Prepared for the worst oue, Elliot slowly began to rx and drifted off to sleep. Avery kept waiting for his reply, but three days had gone by, and she had gotten nothing in return. The next time she heard about him was when she was talking on the phone with Tammy. ¡°Do you know that Elliot has been admitted to the hospital? Not sure what happened, but he refuses to eat! I¡®ve never imagined that someone asposed as he is would refuse to eat!¡± Tammy eximed. Avery stood abruptly at the news. It was no wonder she had been feeling uneasy these past three days. She had not thought the box to be that important to him. ¡°I shouldn¡®t have believed him when he said that nothing was going to happen even if he doesn¡®t find it. If that was true, he wouldn¡®t have stayed up all night looking for it,¡± she thought. ¡°How is he doing now?¡± Avery headed for the door anxiously but stopped at thest minute. ¡°He is getting an IV infusion in the hospital!¡± Tammy said. ¡°Jun just came back from the hospital, saying that Zoe has been looking after him. Avery, do you want to go see him?¡± Indeed, Avery wanted to visit, but with Zoe already there taking care of him, she decided against it. Even if she did go to the hospital, Zoe would not allow her into the room. Chapter 268 Chapter 268 Chapter 268 ¡°It¡®s better you don¡®t go. Shea is there as well, and with those two there guarding him, you are definitely going to feel provoked, ¡± Tammy said. ¡°Elliot¡®s isn¡®t all that mentally stable. I had thought that maybe his company had run into trouble, but Jun said nothing has happened. I was thinking that it has something to do with you?¡± Avery walked back to her office chair and sat down. ¡°You¡®ve overestimated me, Tammy. He didn¡¯t break down when I divorced him, so I don¡®t think that I matter that much.¡± ¡°Then why is he acting so oddly? It can¡®t be because of Zoe, right?¡± Tammy muttered in confusion. ¡°I heard that she has been visiting the old Foster mansion frequentlytely. That woman is too good at scheming!¡± The more she heard about Elliot and Zoe, the moreposed Avery found herself bing. Perhaps, she might be able to maintain her calm if they were to get married one day. N?velDrama.Org holds ? this. Elliot and her were two parallel lines running in the same direction but never crossing, and they would only move further and further apart in the future. ¡°Tammy, how are things between you and Jun?¡± Avery changed the subject. ¡°Same old, same old! He decides to keep trying until the end of the year, and if my parents aren¡®t satisfied by then, he will go home and carry on the family business next year,¡± Tammy sighed. ¡°Not everyone has Elliot¡®s mind for business. Maybe both Jun and I are destined to take over our family businesses.¡± ¡°You really are a spiritual high¨Cborn.¡± ¡°As if I can be in front of you,¡± Tammy chuckled and said, ¡°Avery, I¡®m actually quite d that you are not going to visit Elliot in the hospital.¡± Avery pretended not to be concerned. ¡°It¡®s not like he is terminally ill.¡± ¡°Will you go see him if he is?¡± ¡°If he is, then out of humanitarianism, I have to pay him a visit before he dies.¡± Tammyughed. ¡°It¡®s going to be his birthday soon; will you attend the party if he invites you? ¡°No.¡± ¡°Oh, well, he doesn¡®t n on celebrating anyway. He never does.¡± ¡°Then why are you asking me?¡± ¡°Just checking to see how determined you are!¡± Tammy acknowledged Avery¡¯s resolve and After hanging up, Avery hesitated for a while, before finally calling Mrs. Cooper. Mrs. Cooper picked up almost instantly. ¡°Avery?¡± ¡°Mrs. Cooper, it¡®s me.¡± She hesitated for a few seconds, before asking, ¡°I heard that Elliot is in the hospital, what happened?¡± Mrs. Cooper sighed. ¡°It¡®s his stomach. Something happened, and he had not slept for two whole days. In the end, he was so exhausted that he slept for two days, and because of that, he hadn¡¯t eaten for three days. His stomach acted out.¡± ¡°Oh, so it¡¯s not that he refused to eat on purpose?¡± ¡°No. He wanted to eat when he woke up, but he vomited blood after eating.¡± Mrs. Cooper thought back to the scene and felt terror flood her veins. Avery was relieved. As long as Elliot had not refused to eat, it should be nothing serious. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, he will get better in a few days,¡± said Avery tofort her. ¡°Yeah. Have you visited him in the hospital?¡± Mrs. Cooper asked. ¡°No, I¡®m quite busy,¡± Avery exined. Mrs. Cooper could tell that it was an excuse. ¡°Mrs. Cooper, don¡®t tell Elliot that I called you,¡± Avery said in a troubled voice. ¡°We broke up, and we are supposed to lead our separate lives.¡± ¡°Alright, I won¡®t,¡± Mrs. Cooper said understandingly, before suddenly changing the subject, saying, ¡°Avery, your son, Hayden, is he Master Elliot¡®s son?¡± Avery¡¯s heart sank at the question. ¡°Maybe I shouldn¡®t have asked that?¡± Mrs. Cooper said apologetically. ¡°I have met Hayden twice, and I feel like I¡¯m looking at Master Elliot every time I see him. They look simr, and they have simr personalities as well. Don¡®t worry, I¡®ve only spoken to you about this, and I won¡¯t say anything in front of Master Elliot.¡± Avery did not remember how she ended the call. She was not sure if she should feel d that Elliot had never suspected Hayden to be his. She did not want him to know about the children back then because he hated children to the point that he might hurt them. Now, there was another reason why she did not wish for him to know. There were two women by his side, and no matter the circumstances and how they ended, it would not be appropriate for the children to reacquaint themselves with their father. If they were not going to reconnect with him, then there was no point for them to learn the truth. During Autumn Festival, the five thousand drones that Sterling Group had ordered from Tate Industries hovered over the Sterling Group¡¯s building, changing into different formations and colors in the night sky under Mike¡¯s control. Chapter 269 Chapter 269 Chapter 269 ¡°Chad, aren¡¯t our drones great?¡± Mike asked proudly as he bit into an apple. Chad nced at the smug expression on his face and suddenly realized that Mike was not as bad as he thought he was. Chad had even started to think that he looked rather handsome. ¡°They are alright! Don¡®t get too proud. Your drones are not perfect, and they could do with some improvements,¡± Chad said pridefully. ¡°Even you guys in the Sterling Group can¡¯t im to be the best, can you?¡± Mike retorted. ¡°We have just started; it will get better from now on!¡± ¡°Good luck with that!¡± ¡°The moon tonight looks so round!¡± Mike sighed at the night sky. Chad looked up and hummed in agreement. ¡°Let¡®s not fight from now on.¡± Mike turned abruptly to look at him. He looked serious, ¡°What if we need to work together in the future?¡± Chad readjusted his spectacles and said, ¡°You really enjoy my boss¡¯s money that you can¡¯t get enough of it, huh.¡± ¡°Meh! We have met sillier clients overseas before.¡± ¡°The drones that my boss has purchased from you will bring far more than just the one billion you are getting. This is going to be tomorrow¡®s headlines, and everyone will know that Sterling Group purchased them in bulk. There will be many people trying to do the same.¡± ¡°I know, but I just think that it¡®s the least Elliot should do as an ex-husband, or does he expect Avery to be grateful?¡± Chad felt defeated and amused at the same time. ¡°But that doesn¡¯t mean you should take it for granted!¡± ¡°Elliot did this out of his own will.¡± N?velDrama.Org holds ? this. ¡°... Why isn¡®t your boss here?¡± ¡°Neither is yours.¡± ¡°Um...¡± Could it be that Avery and Elliot were both trying to avoid one another? Time flew by and the season changed. One day at nine in the morning, after dropping Shea off in her ssroom at Ang Special Needs Academy, Elliot made his way to Hayden¡¯s ssroom. When the teacher saw Elliot, she immediately left the ssroom to give them some privacy. Hayden nced at Elliot and lowered his head onto the table in a bid to ignore him. ¡°Hayden Tate, let¡¯s make a deal!¡± Elliot stood by the table and said, ¡°Today¡¯s Shea¡¯s birthday, and she wishes to spend it with you. If you agree to keep herpany, I will fulfill one wish of yours.¡± Hayden opened his eyes. Though he was reluctant to celebrate Shea¡®s birthday, Elliot had made him an attractive offer. Hayden thought of his mother and how Elliot might try to bother her. After a brief moment of consideration, Hayden took out a piece of paper and a pen. He was going to get this down in writing as proof of their agreement. Elliot was surprised that the boy was this careful, but he epted the paper and pen regardless and wrote down the conditions, before signing his name at the bottom. That evening, Avery came to pick Hayden up from school and was shocked to find Hayden in Shea¡®s ssroom. She was shocked because Hayden hated Shea, and also because her ssroom looked like it had been decorated in celebration of a birthday. On the side table, there was a beautiful cake that almost looked like a piece of art. ¡°Is it Shea¡®s birthday?¡± she wondered. Avery pulled out her phone and checked the date. She took a deep breath. If she was not mistaken, it was also Elliot¡®s birthday. Chapter 270 Chapter 270 Chapter 270 ¡°They have their birthdays on the same day? A coincident?¡± thought Avery. Avery took her son¡¯s hand and walked toward the door. A towering figure appeared before her. Elliot was dressed in a ck trench coat that made him look cold and distant. She was not sure if it was her eyes ying tricks on her, or if he really did look thinner. After two seconds of hesitation, Avery decided to wish him a happy birthday. Just as she was about to say something, she saw Shea throwing herself at Elliot, and with her arms around him, she said, ¡°Big Brother, here¡®s your cake.¡± Avery was standing right next to Elliot and heard every word Shea said. ¡°Big Brother?!¡± she thought, ¡°Did Shea just call Elliot big brother?¡± Avery scowled as she studied Shea. Shea could sense Avery¡®s re, and she met Avery¡®s eyes. Perhaps it was because of the stern expression on Avery¡®s face, but Shea felt slightly nervous. This belongs to N?velDrama.Org. She wanted to invite Avery to share the cake, but she ended up choking on her words. ¡°You called him Big Brother?¡± Avery asked sharply. She had not intended to scare Shea, but she could not help how sharp her words sounded. Startled, Shea hid behind Elliot, and he grabbed onto her hand tightly. ¡°Don¡¯t be afraid, Shea. Let¡®s go get some cake.¡± The two walked past Avery and stepped into the ssroom. When Hayden saw the dazed state his mother was in, he tugged at her and said, ¡°Mom, let¡®s go home.¡± Avery looked away, readjusted herself, and left with her son. When they were inside the car, Hayden noticed the frown on Avery¡¯s face and said, ¡°Shea calls me big brother as well.¡± Avery turned to look at Hayden as realization dawned upon her. How could she forget that Shea was mentally disabled? Just because she called Elliot ¡®Big Brother¡¯, did not mean that he really was her brother. She had addressed Hayden in the same manner because to her, Hayden was older than she was. Perhaps she referred to Elliot as such for the same reason. Scanned with CamScanner Chapter 270 ¡°Elliot¡®s record does not mention that he has a sister,¡± Hayden continued. Avery instantly snapped out of it. ¡°What am I fantasizing about?! It¡®s impossible between Elliot and 1!¡± she thought. As she drove, she asked, ¡°I thought that you don¡®t like Shea. Why were you celebrating her birthday?¡± Naturally, Hayden was not going to tell his mother that he had done so because he had struck a deal with Elliot, so he remained quiet. ¡°I know that you are a kind¨Chearted kid. Shea is a poor woman, so I¡®m not mad that you celebrated her birthday with her.¡± Hayden did not want to respond to anything rted to Shea. ¡°Elliot¡®s birthday is today as well.¡± Hayden did not remember Elliot¡®s birthday, and he had only realized it was today when he saw that there were two cakes in Shea¡®s ssroom. One cake had ¡®Elliot¡® written on it and the other had ¡®Shea¡® on it. ¡°How do you know? Do you care about him that much?¡± Avery cast her son a sidelong nce.¡± Do you, by any chance, want to acknowledge him as your father?¡± ¡°I don¡®t need a father.¡± CA Avery felt slightly upset. ¡°If only things aren¡®t asplicated, I believe that you and La would be happier with a father.¡± ¡°I don¡®t need one!¡± Hayden insisted stubbornly. Elliot¡®s image had taken root in Hayden¡¯s mind, and Hayden would never forgive him for it. Elliot had brought Shea back home when he saw Rosalie and the family of her eldest son. When Elliot saw them, displeasure filled his eyes. Chapter 271 Chapter 271 Chapter 271 They had not informed him ahead of time before visiting. Elliot did not want them over, as they were all strangers to Shea, and they would startle her. Rosalie stood at the very front and as soon as she saw Shea, her eyes gleamed, and she could not help but approach Shea. Elliot stood in front of Shea and said, ¡°Mom, why did youe here without telling me first?¡± ¡°Today¡¯s your¨C I bought a cake.¡± Rosalie lowered her gaze and mumbled, ¡°I know I shouldn¡¯te here unannounced, but I can¡®t help it...¡± She could not resist her urge to see Shea. This belongs to N?velDrama.Org. Shea heard Rosalie¡¯s voice and was both nervous and curious at the same time. Rosalie could see her doe like eyes peeking at her from behind Elliot. ¡°Shea, you aren¡®t afraid of me, are you?¡± Rosalie looked at her with anticipation. Shea immediately lowered her head again, her grip on Elliot¡®s clothes tightening in response. Elliot reached his hand behind and held her hand. ¡°Mom, go home! We¡®ve already had cake at school,¡± he said coldly. ¡°Take your cake with you.¡± Rosalie sighed. Though it was unfortunate, she still felt satisfied to see that her daughter was doing well. The group soon exited the building and Elliot led Shea back into the house. ¡°Madame Rosalie has just got here, and she wouldn¡®t let me tell you,¡± Mrs. Cooper said apologetically. Elliot looked over at Zoe, who was standing by the side. Zoe immediately exined, ¡°I¡®ve been here since six in the evening, Elliot. If you¡®ve already had your cakes, then I will take the cake away.¡± Zoe had brought a cake that she had made herself. Seeing how frightened she appeared to be, Elliot scowled. Was he that scary? ¡°Dr. Sanford, is there any progress on Shea¡¯s treatment?¡± Elliot asked while staring at her face. Zoe lifted her eyes to look at him and said, ¡°The soonest we can proceed will be spring next Scanned with CamScanner vear. She needs to recover after her first surgery, and technically speaking, the more time she has to recover, the better it will be for her.¡± Elliot nodded. ¡°I look forward to good news.¡± ¡°Yeah, I¡¯ll do my best.¡± With that, she took the cake and left; but since she came out, she had been absorbed in her thoughts. The way Rosalie had looked at Shea was not normal. It was Elliot¡®s birthday and he was supposed to be the main focus, but Rosalie could not seem to take her eyes off Shea. With all sorts of thoughts in her head, she messaged Cole. (Didn¡¯t your grandma know Shea already? She looked so excited just now.) Cole replied, (Dr. Sanford, I can¡®t talk to you about this, or my dad is going to skin me alive.) Zoe felt even more curious by his response, (I will skin you as well if you won¡¯t tell me. Do you prefer being skinned metaphorically by your dad or physically by me?) ¡°... What a vicious woman!¡± Cole thought to himself. When he did not reply immediately, Zoe sent another message. (Let me guess, Shea is rted to the Foster family, isn¡®t she? Is she Elliot¡®s ex¨Cwife? Maybe it¡®s because of her disability that the Foster Family decided to keep everything about her a secret?] Cole read her theory with resignation and replied, (Dr. Sanford, I don¡®t know what¡¯s really going on with Shea either, but I don¡®t think it¡®s like that.) (Then what is it like?] (She is definitely not my uncle¡®s girlfriend. How could I not know if they had been married before?) Zoe was overjoyed. As long as she knew that Shea was not Elliot¡®s girlfriend, who she truly was did not matter. At three in the morning, in the master bedroom of the Starry River Vi, Avery¡¯s phone started ringing. She reached up to rub her eyes, before answering the call. Someone on the other side of the line said something, and she sat up from the bed abruptly. Chapter 272 Chapter 272 Chapter 272 She sat on the bed with unconceble joy on her face. Five years ago, her stepmother and Wanda¡¯s younger brother, James, stole three hundred million from Tate Industries. After spending most of that fortune, greed had taken over him, and he had nned on making another fortune from Tate Industries. Only this time, he would not be met with three hundred million dors, just the cold hard hand of thew. A moment ago, officer Boyd, the police officer who was responsible for the case, had contacted Avery and informed her that James had already boarded the flight back to the country There was a team of officers at the airport, ready to ambush him. As soon as Jamesnded, he would be arrested. This was something that Avery had spent years waiting for, and even after hanging up, she could not seem to calm herself down. She wanted to share the good news with her friends, but it was three in the morning, and she could not bring herself to wake them. She got out of bed and stepped out of the bedroom. She went to the kitchen and opened the fridge to find a few cans of beer that her mother used for cooking. She took out the beer and went to sit down in the living room. At four in the morning, Elliot was rudely woken from his sleep by the sound of a ringing phone. He scowled and picked up the phone. When he saw Avery¡¯s name, he thought that he had seen it wrong. He massaged the bridge of his nose and focused on the screen once again, but he was right. It was a call from Avery. He sat up and picked up the phone without further hesitation, thinking that something bad had happened for her to call him at this hour. The two of them had long be strangers who barely even spoke to one another when they met, so she could not possibly call him unless something had happened to her. ¡°Hello... Elliot? Happy Birthday!¡± N?velDrama.Org owns all content. When he heard Avery¡¯s drunken voice, his heart eased slightly, before tensing again. ¡°She is calling because she¡¯s drunk! She is okay!¡± de thought to himself, ¡°But why is she drunk at this time? Is she not at home? She couldn¡¯t be this drunk if she was home.¡± ¡°Avery Tate, you are bing more and more ridiculous!¡± he scowled with disappointment in his voice. ¡°... I called to wish you Happy Birthday, why are you yelling at me?¡± She squeezed and smashed the beer can in her hand. If only she had her hands on Elliot instead of the can, she would have strangled him to death. ¡°My birthday¡®s past,¡± Elliot reminded her, before asking, ¡°Why are you drinking? What happened? Where are you? Give me the address!¡± He swung his legs off the bed and got out. Striding toward the closet, he took out a set of clothes. ¡°Haha! I¡®m at home! Why do you think I¡®m this happy?¡± she giggled, abandoning herposure. Her happiness shone through her voice. He sat down by the bed at the sound of her wondrousughter. He could tell that she really was happy, but he simply did not know why. ¡°It¡¯s been so long since I heard youugh, Avery,¡± he said in a husky and seductive voice. The smile froze on her face, and for a moment, it felt as though the two of them were still in love. A sharp pain shot up her head and Avery tossed all the beer cans into the dustbin, before getting up from the couch to walk back to her bedroom. ¡°Elliot Foster... I called you... to, to wish you Happy Birthday...¡± ¡°You already did.¡± ¡°Oh... Then I hope that you get a son soon.¡± Elliot could not work up a fit of anger at her thoughtlessment and simply said, ¡°No, thank you.¡± ¡°No son? Then I wish you good fortune!¡± She stumbled her way back to the bedroom and threw herself back onto the bed. She breathed heavily as she felt heavy. An idea appeared in Elliot¡®s mind when he heard her heavy breathing. It was said that the truth came when one was drunk, and he happened to have a question for her. ¡°Avery, back then when you were pregnant with our child, did you really get rid of it?¡± he asked in a hoarse voice. Hayden resembled him, and he had simr ws in his personality as Shea did. Elliot could not stop thinking about Hayden. If their child had survived, he would have been the same age as Hayden, Chapter 273 Chapter 273 Chapter 273 Avery heard his question. She slightly sobered her up. Did he think that she would spill the truth simply because she had a bit too much to drink? He had underestimated her. She had drunk a little too much, but it was only beer and not wine. Beer would notpletely make her lose her mind. She decided to ignore him and go to sleep. Elliot listened to her breathing and stared at the screen of his phone, reluctant to hang up. She would have never called unless she was drunk. Avery jolted awake at eight in the morning. It was a nightmare that had woken her. A nightmare about the time when her father had just passed away. With his death and thepany dering bankruptcy, Avery and her mother had wandered the streets like homeless strays. She had been thirsty and dying for water, but they had not a penny to their name, so they could not buy water. Avery was drenched in sweat when she woke up. She sighed a breath of relief at the familiar sight of her bedroom and whispered to herself, ¡°It¡®s in the past, Avery... don¡®t be afraid.¡± Just then, a man¡®s husky voice came from her phone, ¡°Are you awake?¡± Avery gaped and stared at her phone, thinking, ¡°What¡®s going on? Is my phone possessed? Why is Elliot¡®s voiceing from it?¡± ¡°Calm down, ghosts don¡®t appear during the daytime.¡± She took a deep breath to prepare herself, before picking up the phone. Elliot had heard her mumbling to herself. He looked forward to her reaction. When Avery unlocked the phone and saw the screen, her face stiffened. The screen showed that she had been on call with Elliot for five hours. She instantly felt like tossing her phone away. ¡°I called Elliot? Why?¡± she thought as she stared at her phone dazedly. She flushed. She wanted to ask about what had happened, but she could not bring herself to ask. ¡°Avery, are you awake?¡± He took the initiative and broke the moment of silence. ¡°... Yeah.¡± She gasped and massaged her temples. ¡°I¡¯m sorry¡­ I didn¡¯t say anything weirdst night, did I?¡± ¡°Of course,¡± he said, ¡°you did.¡± Avery¡¯s head started to hurt even more as she tried her best to remember what had happened the night before. ¡°You wished me happy birthday,¡± he said calmly, ¡°and then you wished that I would get a son soon.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± Avery finally remembered. She had been drinking because James was on his way back to the country and was about to get arrested. It was already eight in the morning, and ording to the time, James had probablynded. ¡°Elliot, I have something I need to take care of, so bye!¡± she blurted out and hung up. She got out of bed and called Officer Boyd. Her call was immediately answered. N?velDrama.Org holds ? this. ¡°Officer Boyd, have you caught James?¡± She could hear her heart beating as though it was about to jump out of her chest. ¡°Yes, he has already been brought to the station and is currently being questioned,¡± Officer Boyd said. ¡°I was afraid that I might wake you so I didn¡®t call.¡± ¡°Thank you! Thank you!¡± Avery instantly rxed, and even her head started to hurt less. ¡°You¡¯re wee. I will keep you posted.¡± ¡°Alright! Thank you!¡± At ten in the morning, Avery received a phone call from her stepmother from overseas. They had not spoken for over four years, but she had never once forgotten her stepmother¡®s vicious face and hateful voice. ¡°Avery Tate! You think you are so smart, how dare you set up such a trap!¡± snarled Wanda. ¡°If something happens to my brother, I won¡®t let you off easy!¡± Chapter 274 Chapter 274 Chapter 274 It simply filled Avery¡¯s heart with joy to hear Wanda¡¯s frustrated screams. ¡°And how are you going to do that?¡± she teased sarcastically. ¡°You are either behind your brother¡¯s crime, or you condoned it at the very least. After all, you spent quite a lot of the money your brother stole from us! How dare you call me?¡± ¡°You got my daughter Cassandra killed! I haven¡¯t even made you pay for that!¡± ¡°Oh¡­ Who else died in your family? Why don¡¯t you just me it all on me as well?¡± mocked Avery. ¡°Do you think that I¡®m still the girl that you can bully? Wanda, you¡¯ve lost yourst chance when you failed to kill me five years ago!¡± Avery¡¯s voice was cold and vicious. She soundedpletely different from how she did five years ago. Wanda furiously hung up. She did not intend on letting it slide and booked a ticket back to Aryadelle immediately. The headlines for the afternoon news read: (Tate Industries to obtain an extra three hundred million dor boost? Mr. Worsley, the previous finance director, had been arrested this morning at the airport after five years on the run!) When Mike saw the news, he stormed into Avery¡®s office. ¡°How can you not tell me about something this huge?¡± he said in excitement. ¡°Ourpany is getting three hundred million!¡± N?velDrama.Org holds ? this. Avery picked up the ss of water to take a sip. ¡°You should believe everything you see on the news. Do you think he woulde back if he hadn¡®t spent all the money he stole?¡± ¡°Avery, you lost three hundred million, and you are here drinking tea?¡± ¡°My dad lost three hundred million, not me.¡± She corrected him. ¡°People always need to pay for the mistakes they made, and that was the price my dad paid for marrying Wanda.¡± ¡°Let¡¯s go celebrate tonight?¡± Mike proposed. ¡°Sure!¡± Avery¡®s lips curled into a smile. ¡°You organize it.¡± ¡°Okay!¡± Mike picked up a strand of her hair and asked shyly, ¡°Can I invite Chad?¡± LE The smile froze on Avery¡®s face. ¡°You two...¡± Could the two of them be in a rtionship? ¡°We made peace and are now on good terms!¡± Mike confessed. ¡°I will only invite Chad, not your ex, okay?¡± your ex, okay?¡± ¡°What do you mean you are on good terms?¡± Avery could not help but imagine what Mike could mean. ¡°Did you two.¡± ¡°Avery, do you prefer that Chad and I fight every time we see each other?¡± he interrupted her and said, ¡°Get your mind out of the gutter, okay?¡± ¡°Oh, invite him then!¡± Avery studied Mike¡¯s flushed face and instinctively felt that things were not as innocent as Mike imed. Regardless, she did not intend to stop the two from developing a rtionship. Once Mike went out, Avery called Wesley and invited him to go out with them. Wesley agreed and asked, ¡°Are you free this afternoon? Can you make a trip to the hospital?¡± ¡°Yeah, sure,¡± she said. After lunch, Avery drove to Elizabeth Hospital, and Wesley went to pick her up at the entrance, before taking her to the ward. ¡°Avery, I have good news. Eric is getting better¡± Wesley said. ¡°As expected of Professor Hough¡¯s best student!¡± Avery beamed at him. ¡°Is he awake?¡± Eric Santos was the first patient she had treated since her return. ¡°Yeah! He regained consciousness,¡± Wesley said. ¡°All the famous doctors in this country had pretty much announced that Eric was pretty much dead back then. Who knew that you would save him?¡± ¡°He has just regained consciousness. It¡®s far from a full recovery,¡± Avery said modestly. ¡°I believe in you. You will definitely help him back on his feet!¡± Avery wanted to help Eric back on his feet as well. Before he had be a vegetable, he had been one of the country¡®s most famous male idols. Even after fading out of the entertainment | industry for two years due to a certain ident, he was still within the listed top ten most popr idols. After performing the first surgery on him, Avery had gone and watched all his shows. Chapter 275 Chapter 275 Chapter 275 Eric was born for the stage Whenever he was on stage, he could move the hearts of many without doing anything. That evening, Avery drove Wesley to the gathering venue Mike had told her about. The two got out of the car when they arrived at the hotel. ¡°Wesley, everyone here tonight is either a friend of mine or a friend of Mike¡¯s, so don¡¯t hold back,¡± said Avery with a smile. ¡°We are mainly celebrating the fact that James got arrested. It¡¯s something that¡¯s been on my mind for some time now.¡± ¡°I know. I heard you mention it before.¡± Wesley smiled while looking at her. ¡°I can see that you are in an exceptionally good mood today.¡± The two went to the event hall that Mike told her to go to. As soon as they entered the hall, the smile faded from Avery¡¯s face. ¡°What the heck? Why are there so many strangers? Did we walk into the wrong ce? But ¨C I can see Mike¡¯s golden hair from here,¡± she thought. When Mike spotted Avery, he walked up to her. ¡°Avery, here you are! Wee, Wesley!¡± Avery dragged Mike outside and asked him what happened. ¡°Well... When I invited Chad, he said that they are having apany gathering tonight in a big event hall. He said that we can juste join them... That way we can save the money for gathering, right?¡± Mike¡®s eyes shone in a calctive manner. Avery¡¯s eyes filled with anger as she thought, ¡°I¡®m in such a good mood, and he thinks that I want to skimp on food?!¡± ¡°Rx, Elliot usually doesn¡®t show up to gatherings for the Sterling Group,¡± Mike exined.¡± Their company has a gathering every fortnight, so he couldn¡®t possibly show up every time. ording to Chad, Elliot only shows his face during special asions¡­ and tonight¡®s not an asion, so he won¡¯t be here! I swear it!¡± Mike ced his hand on his chest and swore. Just then, they heard the distinct sound of leather shoes hitting the floor. Avery looked in the direction of the sound and saw Elliot walking toward them. He was dressed in ck. Avery instantly smacked Mike¡¯s hand. Mike took a deep breath awkward breath and whispered, ¡°What do we do? The people I invited are already inside... I can¡®t just ask them to get out.¡± Elliot walked toward them. His dark, brooding eyes focused on Avery¡¯s face as he said,¡± Congrattions.¡± Material ? N?velDrama.Org. Avery scowled. ¡°... On getting three hundred million,¡± he added. Avery lifted an eyebrow. ¡°Oh... Don¡®t you usually stay out ofpany gatherings?¡± ¡°Ie when I want to. Nothing is fixed,¡± he said casually, before teasing her, ¡°Are you drinking tonight?¡± ¡°I drink when I want to. Nothing is fixed,¡± she retorted stubbornly. Elliot pursed his lips and gave her a look, before looking away and stepping into the event hall. Mike dragged Avery along and followed Elliot closely. ¡°We are already here. If we leave now, he is going to think that we are afraid of him!¡± Mike tried to brainwash her by saying, ¡°Not only are we going to eat more, but we are also going to order a few bottles of good wine! He¡®s paying, anyway.¡± Avery red at him. ¡°Don¡®t you ever feel embarrassed?¡± Mike gave her a charming smile. ¡°He is not my ex¨Chusband, so the only one who would feel embarrassed would be you.¡± Avery silently decided to never organize a gathering again. Suddenly, she realized that Wesley was nowhere to be found and looked around. ¡°Where is Wesley?¡± Chapter 276 Chapter 276 Chapter 276 ¡°Elliot pulled him away.¡± Mike pointed her in the direction the men had gone. Avery turned to see Elliot and Wesley at a table by themselves with the bodyguards standing next to them. There was a bottle on the table, and it appeared that they intended on drinking. Avery scowled. Wesley did not drink very often and his alcohol tolerance was not at all great. ¡°Two amateurs! Let¡¯s see who goes down first,¡± Mike teased. Avery suddenly remembered that Elliot could not drink as well. ¡°Avery, it¡¯s a contest between the two men. Just let them drink!¡± said Mike, tapping her on her shoulder. She looked up and shoved his handsome face away. ¡°This is all your fault!¡± ¡°I will never get fooled by Chad again! Next time I will ask him to join us instead!¡± Mike swore. ¡°There won¡¯t be a next time!¡± Avery walked toward Tammy. Tammy raised her middle finger at Mike. It had been a while since Avery had been in contact with Elliot or seen him, and because of Mike, they had met tonight. Seeing him only added to her headache and reluctance to cut all ties with him. ¡°Avery, congrattions on getting that money.¡± Tammy took a ss of juice and passed it to Avery. ¡°Doesn¡®t matter if you can actually get it back or not, at least you have fulfilled your dad ¡®s wishes.¡± Avery nodded. ¡°Yeah, I intend on going to the cemetery to visit my dad tomorrow.¡± T¨ºxt belongs to N?velDrama.Org. ¡°Sure! You should take the two kids with you... If your dad was still alive, he would have been overjoyed.¡± Avery considered it for a moment and nodded. Just then, her phone rang. She nced at the caller identification and went to the side to pick up the call. After the call, she went back to Tammy and said, ¡°I need to go out for a bit. I¡¯ll be back soon.¡± It was a call from Wanda, who had just returned to the country. She panicked after learning from her lawyer that James might face legal sanctions, so she called Avery hoping to meet her and talk things over. The two met at a caf¨¦ near the hotel. Wanda scanned Avery from head to toe. Avery still looked the same, but her demeanor had changed drastically. Her eyes were cold and distant. She felt unapproachable. ¡°Avery, I did not make my brother steal that money,¡± Wanda had taken the initiative and broke the silence. ¡°How could I possibly want the Tate Family to fall after all those years I¡¯ve spent with your father?¡± ¡°My father is dead. What¡®s the point of ying the victim?¡± Avery exposed her hypocrisy right away. ¡°I don¡®t have much time to waste here with you, get to the point.¡± ¡°Let¡®s settle this in private!¡± Wanda scowled, ¡°I will find a way to return the money he stole from you! Had he not done what he did, both Cassandra and I would have a share of that three hundred million dors. Now you can have it all, are you satisfied?!¡± Wanda sounded as though she had granted Avery a generous gift. Avery smirked. ¡°Wanda, is your brother only worth three hundred million to you? I suppose some of your companies overseas must be doing quite well. There isn¡®t a chance that we can settle the matter in private, unless, you can give me fifty billion, at the very least.¡± ¡°Fifty billion!¡± Wanda gasped and thought to herself, ¡°You might as well just kill me!¡± With a vicious expression, she clenched her fists. ¡°Avery Tate! You are being too greedy!¡± ¡°Looks like this negotiation is a failure. We¡®ll just go with thew!¡± drawled Avery and got up from her chair. A fire was ignited within Wanda when she saw that Avery was leaving. She stood up as well and growled, ¡°Wait! Fifty billion isn¡®t a small amount! Let me think about it!¡± Chapter 277 Chapter 277 Chapter 277 ¡°Since you are my stepmother, I will give you a day,¡± Avery said coldly and stepped out of the caf¨¦. Back at the event hall, both Elliot and Wesley were looking rather drunk after only having a few sses to drink ¡°Mr. Brook, I heard that Professor Hough had a secret student,¡± asked Elliot casually as he poured Wesley another ss. Wesley looked at him and flushed. ¡°Where did you hear that, Mr. Foster?¡± Elliot lifted his ss and touched Wesley¡®s. ¡°You only need to tell me yes or no, Mr. Brook.¡± Wesley took a sip and responded in a troubled tone. ¡°I¡®m sorry, but I cannot disclose any personal information regarding Professor Hough.¡± ¡°Professor Hough has passed away. Besides, it¡®s not like it¡®s something to be ashamed of.¡± ¡°What if that person doesn¡¯t wish to be found?¡± Elliot beamed and said, ¡°So, Professor Hough did have a secret student.¡± The person Wesley was referring to had to be the mysterious student. Wesley picked up his ss and took another sip. ¡°Mr, Brook, you are that secret student of Professor Hough, aren¡®t you?¡± Elliot finally revealed his theory. Wesley immediately spat out the wine in his mouth, and Elliot passed him the tissue box. ¡°Thank you.¡± Wesley wiped his mouth with the tissue, before exining with a blush on his face, ¡°Mr. Foster, I was just Professor Hough¡®s assistant. I studied medicine as well, but I am nowhere near worthy of being his student. That¡®s the whole reason why I was his assistant to begin with.¡± ¡°Really?¡± Elliot looked into his eyes as he tried to determine whether Wesley was telling the truth. ¡°Of course! Oh, right, haven¡®t you already found Zoe?¡± Wesley changed the subject and said,¡± She is brilliant.¡± Material ? N?velDrama.Org. ¡°That, she is, but I want more options,¡± Elliot said in a low voice, ¡°I heard that Professor Hough¡®s secret student is a middle aged man, and I¡¯ve sent people to find him. It¡®s been two months since then, and I haven¡¯t even found a clue.¡± That was the reason why Elliot had decided to talk to Wesley. Wesley was not sure if he wanted to cry orugh. ¡°So I¡¯m a middle aged man to you, Mr. Foster?¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but I am at my wit¡®s end.¡± Wesley felt slightly impulsive after drinking and said, ¡°Your information is wrong. Even if Professor Hough had a secret student, it wouldn¡®t be a middle aged man.¡± ¡°Oh? So it¡¯s a woman?¡± Wesley pursed his lips but did not respond. ¡°Mr. Brook, can you just give me some information?¡± Elliot continued, ¡°Name your price, I am willing to pay any amount for it.¡± Feeling overwhelmed, Wesley was left with no options but toy his head on the table in an effort to appear drunk. When Avery walked into the hall and saw Wesley on the table, she was furious. ¡°That b*st*rd Elliot! How dare he get my friend drunk?¡± She strode toward Elliot, and he turned abruptly to look at her when he sensed her approach. ¡°What is the meaning of this, Elliot Foster?!¡± She red at him. Flushed, his eagle eyes appeared innocent for a moment. He picked up the bottle on the table and showed it to her. The two of them had only drunk half the bottle, and he suspected that Wesley was only pretending to be drunk. ¡°Wesley can¡®t drink!¡± Avery set the bottle back onto the table with a frown and went to help Wesley up Elliot scowled when he saw her reaching for Wesley, and he pulled her back. Unprepared, she fell into his arms, ¡°Avery, I-¡°He swallowed heavily as he studied her familiar face intently and muttered in a hoarse voice, ¡°I think I¡®m drunk.¡± Chapter 278 Chapter 278 Chapter 278 She could feel his breath brushing against her cheeks, and it smelt like alcohol. She believed that he was drunk, otherwise, he would not have wrapped his arms around her in front of all his employees. ¡°You shouldn¡®t drink so much if you can¡®t handle it.¡± Avery tried to get up from hisp, but he tightened his arms around her waist and refused to let go. ¡°Avery, let¡¯s drink.¡± He picked up the bottle and poured alcohol into the sses. ¡°Were you drunkst night because James was arrested?¡± | His arms loosened slightly, and she immediately got up from hisp. She turned to look in Wesley¡¯s direction, but he was nowhere to be found. ¡°Elliot! Where is Wesley?¡± She stared at Elliot¡®s flushed face and felt that he was getting more and more sly. His subordinates must have taken Wesley away when Elliot was holding her. ¡°Given how drunk he got, of course, they escorted him to a ce so he might rest,¡± Elliot drawled and handed her a ss. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I won¡®t do anything bad to Mr. Brook.¡± Just then, Avery¡®s phone rang. She unlocked the screen and saw one new message from Wesley that said, (Avery, I¡®m not drunk. He kept asking about Professor Hough¡®s secret student, so I had to pretend to be drunk. He might find out about you, so be careful.] Avery felt relieved when she saw the message but tensed almost immediately again. She looked at Elliot with mixed feelings and epted the ss, before taking a gulp. ¡°What were you doing out there just now?¡± he asked, taking a sip from his ss. Her breathing grew heavy when she realized that Elliot had been watching her while he had been drinking with Wesley. She felt her emotions roiling within her. ¡°Elliot, have you forgotten what you said?¡± She sat down on the chair next to him and reminded him, ¡°You said you will be damned if youe looking for me again.¡± Elliot had not forgotten. He lifted an eyebrow and retorted with a husky voice, ¡°I came here for the gathering, not for you.¡± ¡°Ha, then why bother with what I was doing outside? Careful not to get yourself damned!¡± she mocked. ¡°Avery, you don¡¯t believe that I¡¯m drunk, do you?¡± He narrowed his eyes with interest and drawled, ¡°If living feels miserable, I might as well be damned.¡± Under the warm light, his eyes looked gentle and sensual. Avery emptied her ss and said to Elliot¡®s bodyguards, ¡°Your boss is drunk, take him back to rest.¡± With that, she walked away from him. After she left, Elliot set the ss down and left the hall. ¡°Avery! What were the two of you doing clinging onto each other like that?¡± Tammy dragged Avery to the washroom. ¡°Look at your face! It¡®s all red! I don¡®t even know what to say!¡± Avery put her hands on her own heated cheeks and said, ¡°I¡®m just a bit drunk.¡± ¡°Oh. Was Elliot drunk? The way he was holding onto you was like how a hungry wolf would hang onto a lamb!¡± gushed Tammy. ¡°I¡®ve never seen Elliot that wild before... I¡®m shocked!¡± Avery was not sure whether tough or cry over how Tammy had exaggerated the story. ¡°Do you not see him as human?¡± she sighed. ¡°I¡®ve never seen him as a human. All this time I¡¯ve known him, he has always been cold and untouchable... Sometimes, I think he is actually a robot.¡± ¡°If he was a robot, I would have switched him off so that he can¡®t piss me off anymore.¡± Tammy was convinced. The two returned to the event hall from the washroom and sat down for dinner. ¡°Who was looking for you just now? I wanted to ask, but you left so quickly,¡± Tammy said. ¡°Guess.¡± Avery purposely tried to be mysterious. Tammy shook her head. ¡°I can¡®t guess. I tried when you were out... but everyone you know is here, so who else could be looking for you?¡± ¡°My stepmother.¡± Avery picked up a piece of meat and chewed slowly. ¡°I might just get more than three hundred million.¡± Avery emptied her ss and said to Elliot¡¯s bodyguards, ¡°Your boss is drunk, take him back to rest.¡± With that, she walked away from him. After she left, Elliot set the ss down and left the hall. ¡°Avery! What were the two of you doing clinging onto each other like that?¡± Tammy dragged Avery to the washroom. ¡°Look at your face! It¡®s all red! I don¡®t even know what to say!¡±. Avery put her hands on her own heated cheeks and said, ¡°I¡®m just a bit drunk¡± Material ? N?velDrama.Org. ¡°Oh. Was Elliot drunk? The way he was holding onto you was like how a hungry wolf would hang onto a lamb!¡± gushed Tammy. ¡°I¡®ve never seen Elliot that wild before¡­ I¡¯m shocked!¡± Avery was not sure whether tough or cry over how Tammy had exaggerated the story. ¡°Do you not see him as human?¡± she sighed. ¡°I¡¯ve never seen him as a human. All this time I¡®ve known him, he has always been cold and untouchable... Sometimes, I think he is actually a robot.¡± ¡°If he was a robot, I would have switched him off so that he can¡®t piss me off anymore.¡± Tammy was convinced. The two returned to the event hall from the washroom and sat down for dinner. ¡°Who was looking for you just now? I wanted to ask, but you left so quickly,¡± Tammy said. ¡°Guess.¡± Avery purposely tried to be mysterious. Tammy shook her head. ¡°I can¡®t guess. I tried when you were out... but everyone you know is here, so who else could be looking for you?¡± ¡°My stepmother.¡± Avery picked up a piece of meat and chewed slowly. ¡°I might just get more than three hundred million.¡± Chapter 279 Chapter 279 Chapter 279 If Wanda was willing to consider fifty billion as a price to pay, it meant that she had the money. The next day in the director¡®s office of Sterling Group, the golden rays of the sun shone through the window and into the neat office. Elliot opened the list of students that had been taught by Professor Hough. ording to what Wesley said the night before, Professor Hough¡¯s secret student was not middle aged, nor a man, which narrowed his search by quite a lot. Suddenly, his eyes focused on Avery¡¯s name. Avery was one of Professor Hough¡®s students as well, but because she had chosen a career in medicine, he had simply nced through the report on her time as a student. Her portfolio was simple, she had done nothing more than learn and author academic papers. He did an online search on one of the papers she had written, reading it, however, felt like reading an alien language, so he gave up. Perhaps Avery was not as simple as he had originally thought her to be. Professor Hough would not have epted her as a student if she was ordinary. ording to Wesley, had been deemed unworthy as a student and therefore, ended up as his assistant instead. Material ? N?velDrama.Org. Why did Avery not continue her career path in medicine after graduation if she had the abilities and talent for it? Was it truly for money? If it was, why did she bother wasting two years studying under Professor Hough? Elliot frowned and picked up a pen to write down her name, before branching out to writing down words such as ¡®Professor Hough¡® and ¡®Alpha Technologies¡®. In the end, he wrote Mike¡®s name next to Alpha Technologies. The profit of Avery¡®spany was a result of Mike¡®s joining. Mike had once told Chad that he was an exceptional hacker and indeed, there was no information about Mike on the inte. Why would such a skilled hacker willingly work for Avery? Elliot wrote a question mark after Mike¡®s name. Meanwhile, in the cemetery, Avery had taken her mother and two children to visit her father¡®s grave. ¡°Dad, Mom and I are here.¡± She set down a bouquet of lilies and said, ¡°My kids are here to see you too.¡± Jack¡¯s photo was on the grave. ¡°Dad, I¡®ve rebuilt Tate Industries. James has been arrested as well, so rest in peace!¡± Following a breeze, her phone started ringing in her bag. Avery took out the phone and noticed that it was from Wanda. Without hesitation, she picked up the call. ¡°Avery, I¡¯ve thought it through. I can¡®t pay you fifty billion at one go, but I can draw up a contract that states I will pay you the full amount within a year!¡± Wanda¡¯s voice was weak from staying up the entire night. She did not want to spend the fifty billion on saving her brother, but her parents had threatened to kill her, so she was left with no other option than to ept the deal. ¡°Oh,¡± Avery responded emotionlessly. ¡°What¡®s there to talk about if you can¡®t even pay fifty billion?¡± Wanda paused for a moment, before screaming frantically, ¡°What do you mean?! Didn¡®t you say that if I give you fifty billion, you will agree to settle this in private?!¡± ¡°What¡¯s wrong with you? Can¡®t you understand words? I said that I would consider negotiations if you gave fifty billion dors, but after considering it for a bit, I¡®ve decided to go through the legal system and let James hang,¡± Avery said coldly as she stared at her father¡¯ s grave. Chapter 280 Chapter 280 Chapter 280 She had never truly considered settling the matter in private. She had simply said that to give Wanda hope so that she could take it away a dayter. Avery wanted her to taste what it was like to suffer. ¡°Very well! Avery, very well!¡± Wanda was so angry that her lips trembled. ¡°I didn¡¯t want to pay fifty billion, to begin with! It¡®s not like my moneyes easy!¡± ¡°Well, let¡®s hope that your brother won¡®t haunt you when he dies,¡± Avery said sarcastically. ¡°I wonder how you two split the twenty billion you stole from us.¡± Wanda could feel her blood raging in her. ¡°Avery Tate¡­ Just you wait¡­ I won¡®t let you off easy... My brother and my daughter¡­ I will take revenge for them!¡± ¡°Oh, you want to send someone to assassinate me? Aryadelle¡¯s surveincework and the police force¡¯s investigation skills have long surpassed the levels of what they were five years ago. I would rmend thinking it through. Think of whether you can handle the consequences of harming another human being,¡± said Avery. ¡°After all, murder and contracting an assassin are both punishable by death in Aryadelle!¡± The blood drained from Wanda¡®s face, and she hung up. Laura looked at Avery. ¡°Is Wanda still as arrogant as she was?¡± ¡°She has opened up a cosmeticpany overseas which earned her a fortune.¡± Laura lowered her gaze wordlessly. ¡°Mom, she opened thatpany with the money her brother stole.¡± Avery knew what her mother was thinking and said, ¡°It doesn¡®t matter how good she is at running a business, nothing is going to cover up the fact that she was the one who got Dad killed and left Tate Industries in a state of bankruptcy! She will get what¡®sing for her!¡± Laura nodded. ¡°It was karma that her daughter died at such a young age. Avery, all I ever wanted is for you to be well. I don¡®t care about the money.¡± That night, Chad called Mike to invite him out for a drink. Mike was at home at the time and Avery immediately turned to look at him when he answered Chad¡¯s call. Mike had too much to drink the night before and had decided to have dinner at home, but he could not seem to turn Chad down. ¡°Didn¡®t you drinkst night? Why are you drinking again?¡± Mike said while ncing at Avery guiltily ¡°What, you can¡®t?¡± Chad challenged him. Since he had made peace with Mike, Elliot had ordered Chad to try digging out some information from Mike. He wanted to know what had prompted Mike to start apany with Avery. Could there be something else to the story? Mike was young and would never admit that he could not drink. ¡°Send me the address. I¡®m going there right now!¡± Mike hung up and walked toward Avery. Avery gave him a sidelong nce and said, ¡°Was it Chad?¡± Mike flushed and scratched his head awkwardly. ¡°How do you know?¡± ¡°Who else can get you out other than Chad? Don¡®t you remember how drunk you gotst night, and what you said to me this morning? You said that you won¡®t be drinking this week,¡± she said. ¡°I meant I won¡®t drink wine this week. Beer is like water to me,¡± Mike said proudly and stepped out onto the porch. Avery followed closely. ¡°Haven¡®t you thought of why Chad is asking you out?¡± ¡°Huh?¡± Mike paused while changing his shoes. T¨ºxt belongs to N?velDrama.Org. Avery told him about how Elliot tried to pry for information from Wesley the night before and reminded Mike, ¡°If Chad asks you the same thing, you don¡®t need me to tell you what to say, do you? If you spill the beans, this is the end of our friendship!¡± Mike clenched his fists in realization and snarled, ¡°That Chad! He¡®s always calling me with an agenda! Damn it! I am going to get him so drunk tonight to teach him a lesson!¡± ¡°... Don¡®t do that! He has work the next day!¡± ¡°How¡¯s that any of my business? Rx, I won¡®t tell him about you,¡± Mike promised. Slightly uneasy, Avery asked, ¡°If you are in a rtionship with Chad, will you tell him?¡°. ¡°I won¡¯t say a thing that you don¡¯t want me to even if he was my wife! You saved my life and to me, you are always my top priority!¡± Relieved, Avery sent him off. Chapter 281 Chapter 281 Chapter 281 The next day, Chad bore through the pain of being hungover and arrived at the office. Elliot nced at him and said, ¡°How did you end up in this state?¡± ¡°Mike deliberately made me drinkst night! Before I could ask him any questions, I was drunk. Although I didn¡®t get to ask him much, I realized that he has a scar on his head.¡± ¡°Is it an obvious scar?¡± ¡°Yes, he must have had a craniotomy before.¡± Mike had carried Chad to the hotel, and on their way there, he had noticed a secret scar hidden under Mike¡®s blond hair. N?velDrama.Org holds ? this. That morning when he woke up, as expected, he shared the same bed with Mike. However, this time, he was not angry. He did not even kick or hit Mike! On the contrary, while Mike was sleeping soundly, he pried his blond hair apart and took a picture of the scar. It had clearly been caused by surgical sutures. ¡°Look¡± Chad showed Elliot the photo that he had secretly taken. ¡°This huge round scar. He must have had a craniotomy!¡± ¡°Craniotomy is not a minor surgery.¡± Elliot looked at the photo and said in a low voice, ¡°Ask him the next time what happened. Don¡®t drink with him the next time, just ask him directly. Go back and rest!¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Although Chad¡®s head hurt badly, he was still lucid. ¡°Mr. Foster, are you investigating Mike because you¡¯re suspicious of Miss Tate?¡± Elliot¡®s eyes fluttered a little. ¡°Don¡¯t you think she¡®s acting strange?¡± ¡°Yes! I do find her strange! She clearly loves you, but why did she divorce you?¡± Chad asked in confusion. ¡°I know that she is jealous of Shea, but can¡®t she be more tolerant of atypical people? I¡®m a little disappointed in her!¡± Elliot was speechless They were not talking about the same thing. ¡°Go back and rest. In the future, if you¡®re hungover, don¡®te to work.¡± Elliot turned around in his leather chair. When Avery had divorced him, she had not known that Shea was disabled. He never once med Avery. If they really had to find fault with someone, it had to be him. Elliot received a phone call from Zoe at five in the afternoon ¡°Elliot, my dad is back in the country. Are you busy right now? He wants to have dinner with you tonight.¡± Elliot looked at the time for a moment and replied, ¡°Okay.¡± ¡°Right, by the way, I told you that my parents are divorced. My dad will be bringing his new girlfriend as well. I hope you don¡®t mind?¡± Zoe hesitated for a while beforeing clean. Elliot replied, ¡°No, I don¡®t mind.¡± He did not have his eyes on Zoe, and neither was he interested in her father¡®s new girlfriend. An hourter, Elliot met Zoe¡®s father and his new girlfriend. Instantly, his mind went nk. He forgot what he should say or do. His sharp gazended on the new girlfriend. ¡°Mr. Foster, do you recognize me?¡± Wanda smiled and said, ¡°Although we used to be rted, we have never truly met! I never thought that we would meet this way.¡± Elliot¡®s expression instantly darkened. The atmosphere was getting awkward and colder as time went by. At that moment, Elliot¡®s phone rang. He picked the call up and strode out of the restaurant. Chapter 282 Chapter 282 Chapter 282 It was a call from Chad. ¡°Mike said that there used to be a malignant tumor in his brain. When it got serious, he would pass out and lose consciousness. It was Professor Hough that removed his tumor,¡± said Chad. Elliot said, ¡°He still did not mention why he was working together with Avery?¡± ¡°He did. He said he likes drones. Avery possessed a system that Jack Tate invented. After he perfected Jack¡¯s system, he was very satisfied with it, so he joined up with Avery and started apany together.¡± N?velDrama.Org holds ? this. The answer was wless. After the call, Elliot headed back to the restaurant. Although he resented Wanda, he was asking a favor from Zoe, so he had to show some respect to the woman. After he entered the restaurant, Zoe immediately walked over to him and said, ¡°Elliot, I¡®m sorry. This is the first time I¡®m meeting Wanda. I did not know that she was Avery¡¯s stepmother. I rarely talk to my father, so he didn¡¯t tell me about this beforehand either.¡± After listening to her exnation, Elliot strode over to the table and sat down. ¡°Hello, Richard,¡± said Elliot to Zoe¡®s father. As for Wanda, he treated her as if she were nothing more than a passing breeze. ¡°Hello, Elliot.¡± Richard smiled awkwardly. ¡°I¡®m sorry, I¡®ve been abroad for a long time, and I have never discussed the past with Wanda, so I didn¡®t know that you two have history.¡± ¡°It¡¯s fine. Avery and I are divorced,¡± Elliot said calmly. Wanda could see that Elliot had a problem with her. She thought for a while before saying,¡± Elliot, I am very sorry about what happened in the past. I¡®ve also called Avery and apologized to her already. I offered her seven hundred million, but she didn¡®t want to ept it.¡± Elliot¡¯s eyes swept over Wanda. Zoe eximed in surprise, ¡°You have seven hundred million dors?!¡± The amount was enormous! She never thought that Wanda would have so much money. ¡°I don¡®t have that much money, but if I mortgage mypany, it would be enough to gather this amount. I did it to show my sincerity,¡±mented Wanda. ¡°I hoped to reconcile with Avery, but it¡®s not going well.¡± Elliot received a phone call from Zoe at five in the afternoon ¡°Elliot, my dad is back in the country. Are you busy right now? He wants to have dinner with you tonight.¡± Elliot looked at the time for a moment and replied, ¡°Okay.¡± ¡°Right, by the way, I told you that my parents are divorced. My dad will be bringing his new girlfriend as well. I hope you don¡®t mind?¡± Zoe hesitated for a while beforeing clean. Elliot replied, ¡°No, I don¡®t mind.¡± He did not have his eyes on Zoe, and neither was he interested in her father¡®s new girlfriend. An hourter, Elliot met Zoe¡®s father and his new girlfriend. Instantly, his mind went nk. He forgot what he should say or do. His sharp gazended on the new girlfriend. ¡°Mr. Foster, do you recognize me?¡± Wanda smiled and said, ¡°Although we used to be rted, we have never truly met! I never thought that we would meet this way.¡± Elliot¡®s expression instantly darkened. The atmosphere was getting awkward and colder as time went by At that moment, Elliot¡®s phone rang. He picked the call up and strode out of the restaurant. It was a call from Chad. ¡°Mike said that there used to be a malignant tumor in his brain. When it got serious, he would pass out and lose consciousness. It was Professor Hough that removed his tumor,¡± said Chad. Elliot said, ¡°He still did not mention why he was working together with Avery?¡± ¡°He did. He said he likes drones. Avery possessed a system that Jack Tate invented. After he perfected Jack¡¯s system, he was very satisfied with it, so he joined up with Avery and started apany together.¡± The answer was wless. After the call, Elliot headed back to the restaurant. Although he resented Wanda, he was asking a favor from Zoe, so he had to show some respect to the woman. After he entered the restaurant, Zoe immediately walked over to him and said, ¡°Elliot, I¡®m sorry. This is the first time I¡®m meeting Wanda. I did not know that she was Avery¡®s stepmother. I rarely talk to my father, so he didn¡®t tell me about this beforehand either.¡± After listening to her exnation, Elliot strode over to the table and sat down. ¡°Hello, Richard,¡± said Elliot to Zoe¡®s father. As for Wanda, he treated her as if she were nothing more than a passing breeze. ¡°Hello, Elliot.¡± Richard smiled awkwardly. ¡°I¡®m sorry, I¡®ve been abroad for a long time, and I have never discussed the past with Wanda, so I didn¡®t know that you two have history.¡± ¡°It¡®s fine. Avery and I are divorced,¡± Elliot said calmly. Wanda could see that Elliot had a problem with her. She thought for a while before saying,¡± Elliot, I am very sorry about what happened in the past. I¡®ve also called Avery and apologized to her already. I offered her seven hundred million, but she didn¡®t want to ept it.¡± Elliot¡¯s eyes swept over Wanda. Zoe eximed in surprise, ¡°You have seven hundred million dors?!¡± The amount was enormous! She never thought that Wanda would have so much money. ¡°I don¡®t have that much money, but if I mortgage mypany, it would be enough to gather this amount. I did it to show my sincerity,¡±mented Wanda. ¡°I hoped to reconcile with Avery, but it¡¯s not going well.¡± Zoe saw how dark Elliot¡¯s expression was, so she said, ¡°Wanda, let¡¯s not talk about this.¡± ¡°Okay, I¡®ll stop,¡± Wanda knowingly stopped talking. Returning from the meal, Elliot was even more determined that he should not follow Zoe¡¯s advice. If Avery knew that Wanda was Zoe¡¯s father¡¯s current girlfriend and possibly even Zoe¡¯s future stepmother, Avery would stop contacting him. Shea suddenly walked over and hugged him. Elliot felt his sister¡¯s warmth and how much she relied on him. His chest felt tight. Although she showed more intelligence than before, she still could not take care of herself. It was almost New Year¡¯s. After that, she would begin the next stage of her treatment. He was looking forward to that. However, tonight¡¯s meeting with Wanda disgusted him. As long as he and Zoe were so-called lovers, then they might still have a second meal, third meal, and so forth with Wanda. ¡°Shea, do you like Dr. Sanford?¡± Elliot held Shea¡®s hand and sat down on the sofa. Shea pursed her lips. Her bright eyes looked at Elliot. She did not like Zoe, but she knew that Zoe was her brother¡®s girlfriend. ¡°What about you?¡± Shea had learned how to answer a question with one of her own. Elliot shook his head and exined, ¡°I need her to treat you. Shea, she could cure you.¡± Upon hearing how he did not like Zoe, Shea got bolder. ¡°Avery can treat me too!¡± Elliot furrowed his brows. He realized that things were not as simple as they seem! ¡°Shea, has Avery treated you before?¡± She pursed her lips and nodded. Elliot ced his hands on her shoulders. He studied her with his dark eyes, ¡°When has she treated you? Was it when you were lost?¡°. When Shea was around, she always had a nanny to look after her. Elliot could keep track of Shea all day. Thus, it was easy for him to figure out that shea had met Avery only when she went missing! Chapter 283 Chapter 283 Chapter 283 Shea knew she could no longer hide it, yet she was afraid as her brother looked so serious and stern. So, she lowered her head and said nothing. At the Starry River Vi, Mike was in the hall boasting about how great his alcohol tolerance was, and how easily he had gotten Chad drunk! He also paraded how easy it was to lie and fool Chad. ¡°Avery, I¡¯m great, right?¡± Mike was looking for praise. ¡°Chad definitely reported it to his boss! Don¡¯t worry. Elliot will not suspect you.¡± Avery was peeling some apples. She passed them to him. ¡°You finally have some brains.¡± ¡°Hey! That was uncalled for! I always have brains, please!¡± Mike angrily epted the apple and took a hard bite. ¡°I just don¡®t like to think. Once I do, even Sherluck Helmes is no match for me.¡± At that moment, La brought an album over. ¡°Mommy, who is this man? He¡®s so handsome! I like him very much!¡± La hade out of Avery¡®s room. Avery looked at the album in La¡®s hands. She immediately ced her knife down. ¡°La, why are you going through my things again?¡± Avery took the album and shut it. Eric¡®s photos were in the album. Avery was a fan of his. ¡°Mommy, if you didn¡®t want me to see it, you should have locked it up!¡± La looked aggrieved. ¡°Why won¡®t you let me see it? I like that handsome man too!¡± Hayden nced at the album and said, ¡°Infatuated fool.¡± ¡°Mommy likes him too! If you¡®re calling me an infatuated fool, that means you¡®re calling Mommy a fool too!¡± La retorted logically. Hayden could not win, so he turned around and returned to his room. Lay in Avery¡¯s arms and said sweetly, ¡°Mommy, if you¡®re going to find a boyfriend in the future, use this handsome man as a benchmark. If you can bring such a handsome man home, Grandma and I won¡®t object to it.¡± Laura could not help butugh when he heard what La said, Avery¡¯s head hurt. She was just about to lecture her daughter when someone rang the doorbell. It was nine at night. Other than Tammy, no one would usuallye over to visit. However, Tammy neveres at night. Mike was already at the door. He looked through the peephole. ¡°Damn! Avery! Your ex-husband is here!¡± Mike did not dare open the door. He quickly returned to the living area. ¡°He has even brought someone over.¡± Who? Avery passed La to Laura. Laura immediately took La to the room. ¡°Shea is here too,¡± whispered Mike. Avery furrowed her brows. Why did Elliot bring Shea over here sote at night? She walked over to the door and opened it. Before she could say anything, Elliot asked Shea,¡± Is It here?¡± Shea walked into the room. When she saw Avery¡®s cold expression, Shea pursed her lips not daring to make a sound. Elliot held on to Shea¡®s hand and walked past Avery, entering the living area. ¡°Elliot¡ª¡°Avery took a deep breath, turned around, and went after him. ¡°Shut up!¡± Elliot barked. He interrupted her and said, ¡°Avery, when Shea went missing, was she here with you?¡± Avery was speechless. He had still found out about it in the end. Elliot saw the reaction on Avery¡®s face and got his confirmation. An ice¨Ccold feeling rose from the bottom of his heart. ¡°How did she end up here? Why didn¡¯t you tell me?¡± Elliot approached Avery and looked at her coldly. He enunciated each word, ¡°Were you happy looking at me going crazy looking for her!¡± T¨ºxt belongs to N?velDrama.Org. Chapter 284 Chapter 284 Chapter 284 Back then, Elliot had spent one hundred and fifty¨Cfive million dors looking for Shea. The entire county knew of his search for her. He had not believed that Avery had anything to do with the matter. Avery¡¯s face flushed from Elliot¡¯s questions! The tone of his voice made it clear that he thought that Avery had abducted Shea and had taken Shea to her house. At that point in time, Avery had not even had the time to think. She had a high fever! If she had returned Shea to him while Shea still suffered from a fever, he would think that she had not even cared for her while Shea had been with her. T¨ºxt belongs to N?velDrama.Org. ¡°Yes!¡± Avery yelled, agitated. ¡°I was extremely happy to see you go crazy!¡± Suddenly, everything went ck! The lights in the house went out! ¡°Ah!¡± Shea was so frightened she immediately found someone to hug. Mike jumped. ¡°Why are you hugging me? Let go!¡± ¡°I¡®m scared! Scared!¡± Shea continued eximing in rm. Mike gave in and exhaled. It was just a hug! He did not lose anything by it! Why should he argue with a mentally challenged woman? Furthermore, Elliot would soon take her away. Just when Mike thought that Elliot would reim Shea, he said, ¡°It¡®s your son that took Shea out of school, right? You were the one who told him to do it!¡± Mike was perplexed. What the hell was going on with Elliot? Shea was yelling in fright, yet he did not care. Instead, he was pursuing his argument with Avery. ¡°Yes! I told my son to do so!¡± Avery¡®s voice was louder than his. Her emotions overpowered his. ¡°I deliberately got my son to take Shea home. I wanted to see what type of woman you desired; I wanted to see how powerful she was! Who would have thought that she¡®s an idiot!¡± Elliot could insult her all he wanted, but she would not stay calm if he had dragged Hayden into the argument. His string of questions made Avery lose it. He wanted her to be that evil woman, so she was going to show him how evil she was! After what she said, the entire world went silent. Suddenly, the lights came back on! Avery saw Elliot¡¯s dark expression. His eyes were red, and his fists were clenched tightly. It felt as if he was about to hit her the very next second! Avery¡¯s heart was beating wildly. She quickly came to her senses. How could she call Shea an idiot? Even if it was out of spite, she should not say that in front of Shea! Avery looked around in search of Shea, trying to locate where she was. Laura and the two children were in the children¡®s room, staring at Shea. Shea looked at the ground. They had all heard what Avery had said. At that moment, despite not liking her, all they could feel for her was sympathy. ¡°Shea, what my mommy said just now is not true,¡± La said in her childish voice. ¡°My mommy didn¡¯t ask my brother to take you home. My mommy is lying. So, she¡®s also lying when she says you¡¯re an idiot.¡± Shea¡¯s eyes brightened at La¡®s words. Previously, La had always ignored her. At that moment, La was the one who had made the first move. Shea felt a little delighted. ¡°I am an idiot!¡± Shea blinked her sparkling eyes and said honestly, ¡°Avery is not lying.¡± Everyone in the room fell silent. In the living area. Elliot¡®s body stiffened. His eyes were red, and they looked watery. He looked at Avery, heartbroken, ¡°Avery, you can hurt me, but you can¡®t say that about Shea!¡± His every word wasced with hatred and disappointment. Avery was just about to apologize, but she swallowed her words. ¡°Take Shea and leave!¡± she spat coldly before striding into her bedroom. Chapter 285 Chapter 285 Chapter 285 Avery mmed the door and locked it from within. Mike saw that the argument had ended. He immediately took Shea out of the children¡¯s room. ¡°Hey! Foster!¡± Mike had initially wanted to stand up for Avery. Elliot red at him warningly, ¡°Shut up!¡± Mike held his tongue. He saw Elliot walking over to Shea and taking her away. It was drizzling when they exited the vi. Elliot took off his jacket and draped it over Shea¡¯s head. When they entered the car, Shea was hugging his jacket. She looked at the vi. Elliot put on the safety belt for her and said hoarsely, ¡°Shea, stop looking.¡± ¡°Big Brother, I¡®m sorry...¡± Shea said. Tears streamed down her face. ¡°Shea, you did nothing wrong. You don¡®t have to apologize to anyone.¡± Elliot raised his hands and wiped the tears away from the corner of her eyes. Shea cried, ¡°Big Brother, it was me. I was afraid of the surgery, so I ran away. I was the one who begged Hayden to take me away...¡± She had not dared to tell him the truth earlier on, however, at that moment, she had finally found the courage to tell the truth. Elliot¡¯s mind was suddenly filled with Avery¡®s cold gaze. Why did she not exin herself? Could it be that she felt pleasure by infuriating him? ¡°Big Brother, don¡®t me Avery. She treats me well. I was feeling terrible when I was sick. She was the one who cared for me.¡± Shea choked. She remembered the scene from that night.¡± She gave me an injection. Avery is amazing...¡± Material ? N?velDrama.Org. Elliot took a tissue to wipe her tears away. He swallowed. ¡°You got Hayden to take you back to his ce, then you got sick. Avery treated you. What happened then? Was she the one who sent you to the hospital?¡± Shea looked at Elliot with tears in her eyes. ¡°I don¡®t remember anymore. I only remember that Avery treated me very well. She was not like tonight. She is not a bad person.¡± ¡°She called you an idiot, aren¡¯t you angry?¡± Elliot¡®s eyes were pricked with tears. The thought of it still broke his heart. He knew that Avery was not a bad person, but what she said hurt him deeply. In the years they were children, Shea¡®s condition was not as bad as it currently was. Her current condition was a result of the abuse she had suffered at the hands of their father. He would never let anyone else bully Shea! Shea¡¯s eyes were red. She shook her head. ¡°You got Dr. Sanford to treat me. Isn¡®t that because I¡¯ m an idiot?¡± Elliot hugged Shea tightly. He choked, ¡°Shea, no! You¡®re not an idiot. I¡®m asking Dr. Sanford to treat you so that you can experience more of the beauty of this world¡ª¡°. ¡°Because I¡¯m an idiot, I¡®m not smart enough. Big Brother, I¡®m an idiot. Avery is not wrong. I¡¯m not angry. You don¡¯t have to get angry too, please?¡± pleaded Shea. When Elliot heard his sister¡®s soft and gentle pleas, he caved in. He gripped the steering wheel with one hand. He looked out the window. Tears fell silently from his eyes. ¡°There¡®s nothing wrong with being an idiot.¡± Shea hugged his jacket and took a deep breath. She said to herself, ¡°As long as Big Brother is with me all the time, I can always be an idiot.¡± Elliot¡®s lips moved a little, but he said nothing. He must cure his sister. She will not stay an idiot forever! In the vi, Avery was lying on her bed in pain. She felt as if there were no difference between living and dying. She should not have been this agitated. She could have properly exined it to him, but she did not do it! She had failed to do so because he had not confronted her with the right intentions. From the moment he had entered her house, he had never looked her in the eye, nor did he have the patience to listen to her exnations. He hade over this night only to find fault with her! This was her house, why did she have to be wronged here! Avery picked up her pillow and covered her face. She was filled with regret! She should not have called Shea an idiot. How was that any different than Elliot immediately assuming that she kidnapped Shea? How could she insult Shea because of Elliot¡®s hurtful words? However, it was toote. She heard the sound of the car roaring to life outside her window. Chapter 286 Chapter 286 Chapter 286 T¨ºxt belongs to N?velDrama.Org. Avery came out of her bedroom. Everyone looked at her at the same time. No one said anything. The atmosphere was extremely awkward. ¡°Did I cross a line just now?¡± Avery walked to the sofa and sat down. ¡°I shouldn¡¯t have said that about Shea.¡± ¡°No! It was that jerk Elliot who yelled at your first. The moment you said anything he asked you to shut up. I feel like you should have really given it to him! If I were you, I would have yelled him to death! Not only would I have called Shea an idiot, but I would have said that their entire family was a family of idiots!¡± said Mike, hoping tofort her. Avery was slightly stunned at Mike¡¯sments. Laura also chimed infortingly, ¡°Avery, you were angry. If he had any sense in him, he would know that you did not do it on purpose.¡°| ¡°I don¡¯t care what he thinks of me. I¡®m afraid that Shea would be sad.¡± Avery lowered her gaze and sighed. She did not care what Elliot thought. She was afraid that her words spoken out of spite would hurt Shea. ¡°Shea is not angry. She said that she is an idiot anyway,¡± Mikeforted her. ¡°And that is why I¡®m feeling guilty.¡± Avery was antsy. She got up from the sofa and returned to her room once again. La and Hayden saw how their mother med herself, and they felt terrible too. Tonight, Hayden finally understood how truly different shea was from them. Although Shea looked like an adult woman, she did not have the intelligence of an ordinary person. If a young child were to be called an idiot, they would cry and resist the insult. Thus, it seemed pointless for him to be so hostile toward Shea. Returning to their room, La took out her watercolor pens and started drawing. Hayden went over to have a look. ¡°Hayden, can you give this to Shea tomorrow?¡± La drew a flower on a piece of white paper. Hayden was reluctant, but he did not refuse La. ¡°I just feel sad for Shea!¡± La¡®s eyes were red. She pouted. ¡°Who would want to be an idiot? Only an idiot would not mind being an idiot.¡± Hayden epted her painting and ced it in his bag. ¡°Let¡®s not bully Shea too much in the future, okay?¡± La took Hayden¡¯s hand and said to him, ¡°We can hate our dirtbag dad, we don¡®t have to hate Shea.¡± During recess the next day, Shea went to Hayden¡¯s ssroom as usual. Hayden turned around Shea was delighted to be given the painting. It was as ifst night¡®s incident had no effect on her. ¡°I like it!¡± Shea hugged Hayden. Hayden was speechless. He had decided that he would not be so hostile toward her, but he still could not take her being so emotional! Hayden pushed her away with all his might and quickly returned to the ssroom. He closed the door. Soon, Shea¡®s nanny came over with a basket of fresh fruits and snacks. The nanny handed the basket to Hayden¡¯s teacher. ¡°Shea got me to give this to Hayden,¡± the nanny said. She nced at Hayden. Coincidentally, Hayden looked up too. In that split second, the nanny seemed to have seen Elliot instead of Hayden. The nanny returned to Shea¡®s room. Shea was still admiring the painting. ¡°Shea.¡± The nanny sat down next to her. ¡°Do you think that Hayden looks like your brother?¡± Shea nodded. ¡°I like Hayden.¡± ¡°What I mean is that Hayden might be your brother¡¯s son.¡± There was no one in the room, which was why the nanny spoke freely. ¡°If Hayden is truly your brother¡¯s son, that means you¡¯ re his aunt.¡± ¡°Aunt?¡± Shea furrowed her brows a little. Chapter 287 Chapter 287 Chapter 287 ¡°Yes! Shea, you¡®re an aunt!¡± The nanny chuckled, then sighed. ¡°But I don¡®t think your brother knows about it. I can¡®t be sure that Hayden is your brother¡¯s son too.¡± ¡°He doesn¡®t like Big Brother.¡± Shea looked disappointed. The nanny said, ¡°That¡®s because your brother has a girlfriend right now. I should really stop talking about this. Their affairs are tooplicated.¡± Shea automatically filtered out theplicated matters and continued admiring the painting that Hayden had given her. That weekend, Tammy and Avery went out clothes shopping. ¡°If everything goes right, I¡®m going to Jun¡®s house to celebrate New Year¡®s.¡± Tammy sounded a little nervous. ¡°I heard my father and his father discussing our marriage.¡± Avery smiled and said, ¡°Isn¡®t that a good thing? You guys have been together for a long time. It ¡®s time you got married.¡± ¡°But we¡®re both still young! We have not had enough fun yet!¡± Tammy pulled Avery into a Avery said, ¡°What¡®s the difference between you two right now and getting married? When ¡°Yes, we do n to spend our lives together, but who knows how we would think in the future? What if we get sick of each other?¡± Tammy walked to the section that held thetest season¡®s collection and picked up a casual jacket. ¡°Avery, what do you think of this jacket?¡± ¡°It¡®s too old fashioned,¡± Avery answered without thinking. Avery replied, ¡°Oh, I was wondering since when did you have such strange tastes.¡± ¡°Avery, what¡®s with you today? How could I buy Jun this type of clothing?¡± Tammy took a jab at Avery, ¡°Are you in love?¡± Avery said, ¡°Have mercy! I want to live a few more years.¡± ¡°Haha! You¡®re right. It¡®s less troublesome being single.¡± Tammy had a look at the size of the jacket before asking the staff, ¡°Is there a triple XL for this jacket?¡± ¡°There is only double XL for this model. What do you think of this one? Thises in triple XL.¡± The staff showed Tammy another version of the jacket. Avery did not have a father or any uncles, so there was nothing she wanted to buy. Avery did not have a father or any uncles, so there was nothing she wanted to buy She sat down on the sofa, casually flipping through a fashion magazine. Suddenly, a pair of ck boots came into view. She looked up and saw Zoe¡®s face. It was sudden and unexpected. ¡°Avery, what a coincidence!¡± Zoe was apanying her father shopping that day. She had heard Tammy say Avery¡®s name a moment ago which was why she walked over. ¡°What a coincidence.¡± Avery sat on the sofa without moving. Material ? N?velDrama.Org. Richard walked over and looked at Avery. He asked his daughter, ¡°Is she your friend?¡± Zoe replied, ¡°She is Elliot¡®s ex¨Cwife, Avery Tate.¡± ¡°Oh...¡± Richard knew about Avery. However, this was his first time seeing her in person. She was different from her photos. She was much more attractive in person. ¡°I¡®m done trying on clothes,¡± said Richard to Zoe. He did not acknowledge Avery. Wanda loathed Avery to death, cursing her in front of him every single day ¡°Oh, if you like them, just get them all!¡± said Zoe. She took a card out from her bag. ¡°After all, Elliot is paying for them.¡± Zoe was insinuating that Elliot had given her that card. The staff epted the card and got her to sign the receipt. ¡°This is my boyfriend¡®s card. Should I sign my signature or his?¡± Zoe¡®s voice was deliberately loud. It was loud enough for Avery to hear. ¡°You can sign yours,¡± the staff member said with envy. ¡°Your boyfriend sure spoils you. There is no spending limit on this card!¡± Zoe smiled happily, ¡°Yes! He treats me the best. I love him very much too.¡± Chapter 288 Chapter 288 Chapter 288 Avery continued to flip through the magazine. She did not react. Her magazine was suddenly taken away. ¡°Won¡®t you feel ufortable staying here?¡± Tammy pulled her up from the sofa ¡°How unlucky! Meeting annoying people while out shopping.¡± Tammy intentionally said it out loud so Zoe could hear. Avery said, ¡°The shop is here, and anyone can enter.¡± ¡°Which is why I said we¡¯re unlucky! I¡®m not shopping here anymore! Let¡¯s leave.¡± Tammy tugged Avery¡®s hand. She wanted to pull her away. Avery said, ¡°Why are you such a coward?¡± Tammy was stunned by this statement. Yes! Why was she being a coward? She was not afraid of Zoe, why did she have to leave? Tammy randomly took a few pieces of clothing and headed to the cashier, pulling Avery along. ¡°What¡®s so great about swiping another person¡®s card that you have to boast about it? It¡®s like they¡¯re not afraid to let people know that they rely on others.¡± Tammy mocked Zoe with a smile and said, ¡°True power is the ability to spend one¡®s own money!¡± Although Tammy did not directly mention Zoe¡®s name, Zoe smiled and turned around when she heard what Tammy had said. T¨ºxt belongs to N?velDrama.Org. ¡°My, isn¡®t it Miss Sanford?¡± Tammy pretended to be stunned and exaggerated her reaction,¡± Miss Sanford, you¡®re here shopping? Why is your boyfriend not with you? I heard that you and your boyfriend have gotten closer recently. Could all of that have been a ruse? If not why, why did he only give you his card? Everyone has a card, Miss Sanford.¡± Zoe¡¯s expressions darkened to the shade of her ck card. She knew that Tammy was the only daughter of the Lynchs, and they owned departmental stores all around the country. She was wealthy. Zoe thought about Avery being the boss of the Tate Industries. She was wealthy too. Although Elliot had given her a card to use as she pleases, without Elliot, her wealth could not match that of Avery¡¯s or Tammy¡¯s. The staff started packing the clothes Tammy had ced on the counter. ¡°Miss, didn¡®t you ask for triple XL? These sizes are not right,¡± said the staff member gently. Tammy smiled calmly and said, ¡°Pack these and everything else I looked at. It doesn¡¯t matter if they are all the wrong sizes, I can always use them as rags.¡± Zoe¡®s face tumed blue. Richard realized that Tammy was not a woman to be offended, so he pulled his daughter away. Coming out of the shop, Zoe shrugged Richard¡¯s hand away. ¡°Dad! Why did you pull me away? I¡®m not afraid of them! It¡¯s so embarrassing this way!¡± Richard said, ¡°We¡¯ve already paid. Why are we still staying there? What good coulde out of you fighting them? If Elliot finds out about this, do you think he will like you? Men do not like feisty vixens.¡± Zoe took a deep breath and suppressed her indignations. In the shop, Avery ced the clothes whose sizes were not right back on the rack. ¡°Tammy, you were too reckless.¡± Tammy harrumphed, ¡°You need to be firm when you go up against b*tches like her. Did you hear how loud she was when she showed off her card? It was as if she was using a megaphone. She was clearly talking loudly for you to hear. You might be able to take it, but I can¡®t!¡± Tammy had seen too many b*tches like Zoe whose tactics were not great, so it was a piece of cake for Tammy to deal with people like them. Coming out of the shop, they found a restaurant to have a meal. ¡°Elliot has been treating Zoe extremely well.¡± Tammy nced at Avery, ¡°Zoe¡®s father has been back in the country for some time already. He wanted to invest in some businesses in the country. Elliot used his connections to introduce her to a few people.¡± She did not care about his rtionship with Zoe. ¡°I just think that you don¡®t really love him anymore, so I want to see your reaction when I ¡°Even if I don¡¯t love him, that doesn¡®t mean I want to hear about him.¡± Avery picked up the ss of water and took a sip. ¡°I want to see if you would be happy if I mentioned your ex in front of you.¡± Chapter 289 Chapter 289 Chapter 289 ¡°I¡®ll still be happy! My ex and I are still good friends!¡± Avery was speechless. ¡°Avery, who knows. Maybe they would get married,¡± Tammy continued, ¡°Rosalie likes Zoe a lot. Also, Elliot seemed to havee to his senses. Jun and I are specting that if Shea¡¯s second operation is a sess by New Year¡®s, he will definitely marry Zoe.¡± Content is property ? N?velDrama.Org. Avery said calmly, ¡°I wish them all the best.¡± ¡°You have to look ahead too!¡± Tammy was worried for Avery. ¡°You¡®re still young. Your mom can help you take care of your two kids. Also, they are already in school, so you don¡¯t have to worry about them too much. You can start enjoying life.¡± ¡°I will enjoy it,¡± Avery said with a smile. ¡°Can you stop looking at me with pity? It¡®s not illegal to be single, right?¡± ¡°Don¡®t overthink it. I think you just have too much time on your hands. Why don¡®t you n your wedding?!¡± ¡°I have two children, how am I going to be your bridesmaid?¡± ¡°Whoever said that a divorcee who has children can¡®t be a bridesmaid? I will make whoever I want my bridesmaid,¡± Tammy said. ¡°This is perfect. Your children can be my page boy and flower girl.¡± Avery did not know whether tough or cry. Her phone rang. She immediately picked up her phone and saw that it was from Officer Boyd. She immediately answered the call. ¡°Miss Tate, James Worsley decide to appeal. I just got thetest arrangement from the supreme court. His case will only be heard in court next year, so have a good New Year¡®s.¡± ¡°Okay, thank you!¡± ¡°Don¡®t worry. His appeal is just him trying to dy the oue. The oue will not change. ¡°Hmm, I have faith in our justice system.¡± That evening, Avery returned home with an assortment of bags. The moment she entered, her two children immediately came over and took her shopping bags from her ¡°Mommy, what did you buy? The next time you go shopping with Aunt Tarnmy can you take me along?¡± La was already on winter break. ¡°It¡®s cold outside. You¡®ll freeze to death.¡± Avery caressed her daughter¡¯s head. ¡°I won¡®t! I¡¯ll wear a beanie and a mask!¡± La took out the new clothes and shoes from the shopping bag. Gradually, delight reced her dissatisfaction. Laura came over and said to Avery, ¡°Your Uncle Ron is asking us to go back for New Year¡¯s. If you don¡¯t want to go, I¡®ll go alone.¡± ¡°Let me ask Mike if he is going back to Bridgedale.¡± ¡°I¡¯ve asked him. He said he is staying. He doesn¡®t celebrate the New Year¡¯s in Bridgedale,¡± Laura said. ¡°Oh, then why don¡®t you go see Uncle Ron on your own? If you want to take the kids along too, Laura shook her head. ¡°I¡®m not taking the kids with me. They know that you have money now, which was why they contacted me. While I was abroad, not once did they contact me. They didn ¡®t even inform me when your grandmother passed away.¡± ¡°Why not just stay here?¡± Avery felt sad when she saw her mother¡®s disappointment. ¡°I have to go. I need to visit your grandmother¡®s grave.¡± Avery hugged her mother. ¡°Mom, you have to take good care of yourself. If not, I won¡®t have any close family with me anymore.¡± ¡°What nonsense! Even if I pass on, you still have your children!¡± ¡°It¡®s different. I can be cheeky with you. I can¡®t do that with my kids?¡± Avery took a deep breath. After dinner, the two children were ying in the living area with Mike. Avery was on her phone when she came across a news article. (Elliot Foster, President of Sterling Group, Buys His Girlfriend an Extravagant Wedding Ring!) The photo was a secret snapshot. Avery recognized the figure in the photo. It was indeed Elliot. Next to him was Zoe, smiling brightly with a ring in her hand! Chapter 290 Chapter 290 Chapter 290 Avery looked at the photo. Without knowing it, she fell into a daze. How could she not feel anything when it came to him? Her heart hurt a little would she give him her blessing? No. This belongs to N?velDrama.Org. ¡°Avery, what are you daydreaming about? Your children are bullying me! Come and help me!¡± Mike walked over to the sofa and pulled Avery up, cing himself behind her. Avery immediately snapped back to reality. She looked normal. ¡°Hayden, about changing schools after the New Year¡¯s. Have you thought about it?¡± This question instantly subdued the atmosphere in the living room. ¡°Mommy, are you letting Hayden go to the same preschool as me?¡± La asked excitedly. ¡°Hayden is not going to preschool; he is going to elementary school,¡± Avery said. Hayden nodded. Although his rtionship with Shea was not as bad as it was before, Shea was one of Elliot¡¯s people, and he did not like Elliot one bit. So, only by leaving Ang Special Needs Academy and Shea would he stay out of trouble. ¡°Woo, woo! I¡®m as big as Hayden. Why does he get to go to elementary school while I¡®m still stuck in preschool? I want to go to elementary school too!¡± La grumbled while tugging on Avery¡®s hand. Laura came over and picked La up. ¡°La, even if you want to go to elementary school, you have to wait for Hayden to get used to it before going. Okay?¡± ¡°Oh. Okay then!¡± Avery smiled and said, ¡°La, there¡®s an entrance exam for the elementary school. Let¡®s see whether Hayden can pass it or not.¡± La was in a daze. ¡°Uh, that sounds hard. I think I¡®ll stick to preschool!¡± It started snowing heavily at eleven that night. When Avery opened the window of her bathroom, she caught a glimpse of the view. Coming out of her bathroom, she opened the curtains of her room. Looking at the snowing down, she felt calm. She thought about her past to a time before she had broken up with Elliot. She remembered the things they had gone through. The passing of the seasons was a cycle of life and death. For a person who was alive, what mattered the most was life and death. The others were unimportant Avery took a deep breath. If it snowed through the night, she could build a snowman with her children tomorrow. They would be delighted. with this sense of peace in her, Avery got in bed, switched off the lights, and went to sleep. Elliot exited the study of his mansion and returned to his bedroom. Elliot just came out from his study and returned to his bedroom. Just when he was about to close his curtains, he noticed the snow outside his window. He blinked for a while. His hands hesitated for a bit too. He suddenly thought back to the winter five years ago. Avery had knitted a sweater for him. It was a thick sweater. He never liked sweaters. However, when he had received the sweater, he had immediately put it on. He still remembered how his heart had thrummed with joy when he wore the sweater she had made. He walked over to his closet and opened it. In it, that ordinary¨Clooking sweater was still hanging there. It stood out against all the other branded shirts and suits. After their breakup, he had never worn it again. He did not know why, but he took the sweater out and put it over his head. The sweater was warm, but his heart was cold. That day, Zoe had asked him. She wanted to go shopping with him. He apanied her. When they passed by a jewelry shop, she was attracted by the pieces of jewelry there. She picked a very cheap ring. Elliot said nothing but paid the bill. It was as if he had given her the ring. He was still not in love with her, but she was quiet. She never disturbed him. If he had to find a woman to settle down with, he could bear living with a woman like her. In theing spring, if she could cure Shea, he was going to marry her. Chapter 291 Chapter 291 Chapter 291 A package was delivered to Starry River Vi the next morning. Laura epted the package and ced it on the table. This belongs to N?velDrama.Org. The kids saw the thick pile of snow outside, so they eagerly put on their coats and ran out. the temperature to drop by a fair amount. Avery came out of her room in her pajamas. It was so cold in the living area that she returned to her room to grab her coat. ¡°Avery, there¡¯s a package for you on the table!¡± Laura¡®s head popped out from the kitchen. ¡°Oh, I didn¡®t buy anything!¡± Avery walked to the table and picked up the package. She was stumped. ¡°What is it?¡± ¡°The thing in the package seemed very soft, like a sweater or some sort,¡± Laura said. Avery took a pair of scissors and opened the package. Sure enough, it was a sweater. The moment she saw the sweater, she instantly recognized it as the one she had given Elliot. His return of the sweater signified the end of their rtionship. He was cutting all ties to her. Avery wanted to throw the sweater into the bin, but she thought back to the amount of effort she had ced into making the sweater, and she could not bear to throw it away. When punishing others, one should be careful to not punish oneself. Avery picked up the sweater, and Elliot¡®s scent instantly flooded her. She furrowed her brows, When Laura saw Avery carrying the sweater, she immediately understood what had happened. ¡°Avery, you should give it away.¡± ¡°No, I put a lot of effort into making it. I¡®m going to wear it.¡± She could not bear to throw it away or donate it. The sweater was as good as new. Elliot must have worn it only a couple of times. Laura sighed. ¡°Avery, why don¡®t you go and see the kids. They are building a snowman.¡± ¡°Hmm.¡± Avery ced the sweater into the washing machine before heading outside. The moment she appeared La immediately tugged on her hand. ¡°Mommy, help Hayden with the snowman! I¡®ll go look for Grandma to get some carrots for the snowman¡®s nose!¡± La said excitedly and ran into the vi. Avery looked at Hayden¡¯s small red hands. ¡°Are you cold?¡± Scanned with CamScanner Avery looked at Hayden¡®s small red hands. ¡°Are you cold?¡± ¡°No ¡± Hayden grabbed Avery¡®s hands. His hands were hot. ¡°What do you want for your New Year¡®s gift?¡± Avery smiled and asked. ¡°Aputer,¡± Hayden answered without thinking. Avery furrowed her brows, slightly troubled. ¡°I will return yourputer to you, but you can¡¯ t use it to do bad things.¡± ¡°Hmm!¡± he hummed. In the afternoon, Mike found Avery and said to her, ¡°I asked Chad toe here and hang out with me for the New Year¡®s. I¡®m sure you¡®re alright with that, right?¡± enough for them? ¡°Let me buy you an apartment! There are so many offers on the market. Let¡®s go. We¡®ll go look at houses right now!¡± Avery pulled Mike along, intending to take him out. ¡°I want to stay with you! What if I fall sick? If I¡®m with you, at least you can take care of me when I fall sick. If I were to stay alone, no one would know if I died.¡± After falling ill, Mike no longer liked staying alone. ¡°Have you confirmed your rtionship with Chad?¡± Avery¡®s mind was a mess. Mike had an incredulous look. ¡°What are you thinking? Chad and I are just purely friends!¡± ¡°But you two have done it with each other.¡± ¡°Stop bringing up the past! He says that he is a good cook, so I got him to cook a meal for me, ¡± Mike exined. ¡°You just tell him that you don¡®t know how to cook and we¡®ll let him do it.¡± Avery reluctantly agreed. Soon, it was New Year¡®s Eve. Laura made a feast. Avery ced three tripods and cameras around the dining table. She wanted to record the first festive meal they had after returning to the county. After setting the cameras up, her phone on the dining table rang. ¡°Mommy! Your phone!¡± La picked up Avery¡®s phone and rushed to Avery¡¯s side excitedly, passing it to her. Chapter 292 Chapter 292 Chapter 292 Avery took her phone from La She saw that it was from Wesley. She immediately answered ¡°Avery, happy new year!¡± Wesley¡®s delighted voice carne through Avery chuckled. ¡°Wesley, happy new year¡®s eve! I¡®ll save the new year greeting for tomorrow.¡± ¡°Hahaha! Have you all had your dinner? I initially wanted to call youter, but the hospital just passed on a piece of good news to me, so I can¡®t wait to tell you about it,¡± Wesley paused for a while before saying, ¡°Eric can sit up! He is slowly gaining consciousness!¡± Avery said, ¡°That¡¯s amazing!¡± ¡°Avery, he and his family wanted to thank you. They said that they want to visit you after the New Year¡¯s,¡± Wesley said. ¡°There¡¯s no need to trouble them. I¡¯ll go see him after the New Year¡®s. Right now, all he needs to focus on is his rehab. The others are unimportant.¡± ¡°How is it unimportant? They want to pay for his medical expenses. They asked me what would be an appropriate amount. I told him to discuss the matter with you.¡± Avery was silent for a while. ¡°I was just helping Professor Houghplete his unfinished work. If they want to pay for his medical expenses, tell them to pay it to Professor Hough¡¯s family at the rate they had previously agreed upon.¡± Wesley said, ¡°I knew you wouldn¡®t want it.¡± ¡°Professor Hough left too suddenly.¡± Avery¡®s voice suddenly turned glum. ¡°I find it hard to ept it even now. He had saved so many people, yet in the end, he left us so early.¡± T¨ºxt belongs to N?velDrama.Org. ¡°Perhaps God saw how tired Professor Hough was, so He let him rest early. Avery, let¡®s think you.¡± ¡°I should be the one visiting you,¡± Avery said. ¡°I¡®ll take my kids along too.¡± ¡°Okay! I¡®m free after the second day of New Year¡®s. You cane any time.¡± ¡°Okay!¡± After hanging up, Avery carried La back to the dining table and sat down. Laura passed her a bowl of ravioli. ¡°Mom, your ravioli sure is huge today.¡± Avery looked at the ravioli in her bowl, smiled, and said, ¡°Did you give me the ravioli with the coin?¡± Laura merelv smiled. Laura merely smiled Avery carefully put the ravioli in her mouth and gently bit down. She bit into something hard. Taking out the coin, she said with a grin, ¡°I knew that you love me the most! I will be very lucky in theing year!¡± Mike sneered and ced a ravioli in his mouth too. Then, he took out a coin from his mouth. ¡°Laura ced coins in all the ravioli. I saw her do it.¡± Avery said, ¡°Mom, it won¡¯te true that way.¡± ¡°Why not? I hope that every one of you has good luck!¡± Laura retorted. ¡°Then, if there was only one ravioli with the coin, who would you give it to?¡± Avery was deliberately making things difficult for her mother. Laura looked at how childish Avery was being. She gave in. ¡°Of course, it would be you! Once you¡®re lucky, you can take good care of La, Hayden, and Mike.¡± Avery was pleased with the answer. After the pleasant meal, Avery got her mother to rest. Mike stayed in the kitchen and helped Avery with the dishes. Soon, it was the third day of New Year¡®s. Laura returned to her old home early in the morning. Not long after Laura left, Avery took her two children and left. Chad would be having Mike over that day, so she chose that day for her visit with Wesley. ¡°Avery, let¡®s go skiing!¡± Wesley suggested. ¡°They made a snow pce over there. It¡®s gorgeous. I¡®ll take a photo of you three.¡± ¡°Okay!¡± Avery agreed when she saw how excited her children were. At the same moment, in the back of the ck Rolls¨CRoice, Shea was looking out at the snow in excitement. Elliot had booked the snow pce for the day so that Shea could y. Shea liked to y, but she was afraid of crowded ces. So every time Elliot took her out, he would reserve the ce beforehand. Zoe was with them today. This time, it was Elliot who had asked her out. Elliot rarely looked at Zoe, but even so, he realized that she was much weaker than before. He did not know whether she had found him exhausting or whether Shea¡¯s treatment had taken a lot out of her. Soon, Shea would undergo her second surgery. He hoped that Zoe would be able to stay in good shape. Chapter 293 Chapter 293 293 Chapter This belongs to N?velDrama.Org. There was arge crowd at the ski area. ¡°Where is the snow pce?¡± Avery asked Wesley. There were too many people there. She was afraid for her children¡®s safety, so she wanted to head to the snow pce to have a look ¡°Behind the ski area,¡± Wesley pointed her in the direction of the pce. One of the tourists overheard their conversation and said kindly, ¡°Are you heading to the snow pce? It¡¯s not open to the public today. I heard that someone has booked it for the day.. ¡°The huge snow pce has been booked?¡± Wesley was a little surprised. . ¡°Yes! Death to the rich! Why did they have to book it during the New Year¡®s! How terrible! The ski area is filled with people today because the snow pce has been booked,¡± the tourist said angrily Wesley said to Avery awkwardly, ¡°Why don¡®t we head over and have a look. I can try talking to the person who booked the area.¡± The trip would have been in vain if they did not at least try. The journey had taken close to two hours, but the children had been in good spirits throughout the journey. If they could not enter the pce, they would be extremely disappointed. Avery nodded. She smiled and tried to smoothen the situation, ¡°It¡®s fine if we can¡®t go. We can see it from the outside! The surrounding scenery is gorgeous too! We can just take photos around us.¡± Wesley nodded. ¡°Avery, I¡®m sorry! I should have checked online beforeing.¡± ¡°It has nothing to do with you. We can stille here again next time.¡± ¡°Hmm.¡± At the snow pce, Shea was happily wandering around the dreamy castle made of ice and snow. Elliot held the camera, capturing her smiles. Zoe stood by the side, watching this warm and sweet scene. ¡°Elliot, let me take a photo of the two of you!¡± Zoe offered. Elliot passed the camera to her and walked toward Shea. Wesley, Avery, and the kids stood outside the gates of the snow pce. Just when Wesley was about to talk to the bodyguards guarding the snow pce, Avery pulled him back. ¡°Wesley, we can¡®t go in!¡± Avery¡¯s expressions suddenly turned cold. She had recognized Elliot¡® s bodyguard. The person that booked the snow pce was Elliot. He was never into funfairs, so did he book it for Zoe or Shea? Pulling Wesley along, Avery turned around. Right at that moment, while the bodyguards were distracted by Avery and Wesley, La, pulling Hayden, dashed past the gates. ¡°Mommy! We¡¯re inside!¡± La said excitedly. Avery was speechless. The bodyguards were baffled too. Just when the bodyguards were about to catch the two children, Avery immediately ran after them. ¡°Don¡¯t hurt my kids! I¡®ll take them out right now!¡± The two bodyguards saw Avery and Wesley entering. They were even more baffled. One of the bodyguards came to his senses. ¡°It¡¯s fine. That¡®s Miss Tate. Mr. Foster won¡¯t me us.¡± ¡°But they are divorced!¡± ¡°They are divorced but that doesn¡®t mean they are enemies. Also, Miss Shea seems to be close to that boy.¡± ¡°Oh, I heard that the boy is Mr. Foster¡®s son. Say, why do you think he won¡®t acknowledge his son?¡± ¡°Who did you hear it from?¡± ¡°¡­ I came to that conclusion myself. Don¡®t you think that boy looks like Mr. Foster?¡± ¡°Mind your own business.¡± La and Hayden ran deeper into the snow pce. ¡°Mommy, let me and Hayden y here for a while! If they can¡®t catch us, we can y here for a while... ouch!¡± La was running so quickly that she had identally bumped into arge figure! Chapter 294 Chapter 294 Chapter 294 Elliot lowered his gaze and saw La¡¯s face scrunched up in pain. His heart skipped a beat! La could not havee alone! Did that mean¡­ Avery was here as well? He looked behind La and only saw Hayden quickly running over and pulling La into his arms. He looked at her clutching her face. He immediately took her hand away and checked if she was injured. ¡°Hayden, I¡¯m fine. I bumped into someone, and my nose hurts a little.¡± La¡®s eyes were red. She looked pitiful. Content is property ? N?velDrama.Org. Hayden held her hand tightly and looked up to face Elliot¡®s cold face. An inexplicable hostility sprang up between father and son. At that moment, Shea saw Hayden and La. She was delighted and surprised! ¡°Hayden! La!¡± Shea quickly walked toward them. Hayden noticed and immediately pulled La to him. He turned and left. La kept looking back, reluctant to leave the beautiful ice kingdom. When her gaze finally fell on Elliot, she stuck her tongue out at him. Elliot ignored La¡®s provocation. He immediately pulled Shea back, not letting her go after them. Avery and Wesley arrived not too far from the scene. When they saw Hayden and La, Avery sighed in relief. At the same time, she said sternly, ¡°La, how could you be so reckless!¡± La reached out and rubbed her eyes. She said, aggrieved, ¡°Mommy, it¡®s pretty in here. I wanted to come and y!¡± ¡°Not today! I¡®ll take you here another time!¡± Avery picked her daughter up. From the corner of her eye, she saw Elliot and his two women. She had never thought that he would bring them here together. How harmonious! Sure enough, if one waited long enough, one would get what they wanted. Zoe was amazing. When Elliot noticed Avery, his gaze quicklynded on Wesley, who was next to her. Although Wesley looked ordinary, he seemed like a nice guy. They did not look like a good match, but if he was Avery¡¯s choice, Elliot could only respect that. ¡°Shea, let¡¯s go somewhere else to y, okay?¡± Elliot said to Shea. Shea nodded distractedly. She did not understand why Hayden had ignored her. Previously, in school, she was rather close to him. Elliot held Shea¡¯s hand. When he walked past Avery, he stopped and said, ¡°We¡®re leaving. You guys go y!¡± If it were not for her children wanting to y, Avery would not have epted his charity. After they had left, La pulled Hayden along and started running around. Wesley saw how cold Avery¡¯s expression was. He tried tofort her, ¡°Avery, don¡®t let him affect your mood. He is quite generous. I guess they must have arrived not too long ago.¡± ¡°Yes! If we did not enter, they would not have left,¡± Averyughed self¨Cdeprecatingly. ¡°He is great, giving it up for us.¡± ¡°The reason you are so angry at him, could it possibly be because you still care for him?¡± Wesley¡¯s tone was rxed, teasing. Avery realized she had lost herposure. She instantly blushed. ¡°Wesley, don¡®t y jokes like this on me in the future. He is extremely happy. He has the people he loves around him now. My appearance only ruined his mood.¡± ¡°Hahaha! Don¡®t look down! Let¡®s go find the kids, in case they run too far away!¡± ¡°You go ahead and look for them. I¡¯ll go let the staff know they can open up the snow pce,¡± Avery said and strode out to the entrance. She was not in the habit of reserving the entire area to herself. She stopped by the entrance of the ticketing booth and exined the situation to the staff.¡± But Mr. Foster has reserved it for the day,¡± said a member of the staff. ¡°Donate the extra money you get from the tickets to charity.¡± The staff member replied, ¡°Let me consult my manager.¡± Chapter 295 Chapter 295 Chapter 295 Avery nodded. just as she was about to re enter the snow pce, she saw Zoe, who was not far away, go limp. She was about to fall. Elliot reacted quickly and picked her in his arms! When Avery saw this scene, her eyes fluttered. The air seemed to have frozen. Time seemed to have stopped. ¡°Dr. Sanford, are you alright?¡± Elliot lifted Zoe. His eyes were filled with worry. Zoe saw how worried he looked. She smiled gently and said, ¡°Elliot, I¡®m sorry! I was so excited about going out with you today that I couldn¡®t sleepst night. I felt a little dizzy just now. I¡¯m fine.¡± Elliot sighed in relief. Nothing could happen to Zoe! He still needed her to treat Shea! ¡°Let¡®s go home!¡± Elliot carried Zoe and headed to the parking lot. After the staff member consulted his manager, he said to Avery, ¡°Miss, my boss has agreed to your solution, but we need you to give us your contact details. This is in case Mr. Foster asks us about the matter at ater time, then we have an exnation for him.¡± Avery came to her senses. The staff member passed her a notebook and pen. ¡°Miss, please write down your name and your contact number.¡± Avery had not heard what he had previously said, but she stiffly wrote down her contact details. Laura was at the Jensens. She had brought some expensive gifts with her and gave them to her younger rtives. Everyone was extremely friendly and passionate toward her. Even her sister¨Cinw, who used to be hostile toward her, not only served her tea but also fruits and desserts. ¡°Laura, why didn¡®t you bring Avery along with you?¡± Laura epted the cup of tea. ¡°She went to visit a friend.¡± ¡°Oh, get her toe when she is free! We all miss her very much!¡± ¡°Hmm! I will tell her that, but she doesn¡®t listen to me much anymore. After all, she has her own opinions. Also, she¡®s quite busy with herpany,¡± Laura said politely. ¡°Yes! Who would have thought that she could revitalize Tate Industries! How impressive!¡± Laura¡¯s sister- inw said. She looked at her own son. ¡°Laura, our Brent has just finished graduate schoolst year. He has been looking for jobs, but it was always either the y was Laura¡¯s sister-inw said. She looked at her own son. ¡°Laura, our Brent has just finished graduate school last year. He has been looking for jobs, but it was always either the y was too low or the job was not suited to him. Do you think you could talk to Avery and see if she could get Brent a job in the finance department of Tate Industries?¡± Laura refused without thinking, ¡°Avery is still fighting a legal battle with the previous finance director. I can¡®t interfere with the finance department.¡± Laura¡¯s sister-inw¡¯s expression immediately changed. ¡°You are her mother. How could she not listen to you? You just don¡®t want to help us, right?¡± Laura ced her teacup down. ¡°Say all you want. I won¡¯t do something that will make things difficult for Avery.¡± Laura stood up. ¡°Laura, don¡®t be angry! I¡®ll take you to visit mom¡®s grave!¡± Laura¡®s brother ?aw what happened and immediately took Laura out. At five in the afternoon, Laura had just finished dinner and left the Jensens. She walked to the side of the road to hail a taxi. In a moment, a taxi pulled up in front of her. Once she got in the car, the taxi drove onto the highway. Material ? N?velDrama.Org. A driver in a ck Sentana downed a bottle of wine. He was tailing her. Downing his wine, he floored the car, chasing after the taxi. At five thirty in the afternoon, an ident caused by a driver driving under influence happened on Creek¡®s Road! Once the traffic police arrived at the scene, they picked up the phone of the deceased and dialed her family. When Avery saw that it was her mother calling, she smiled and picked up the call. ¡°Mom, we¡®ll be returning soon!¡± ¡°Hello, this is the Captain of the Second Squad talking. A serious ident happened on Creek¡¯s Road, causing the death of a woman. I am contacting you with her phone. Are you a member of her family? If you are, pleasee here quickly!¡± Chapter 296 Chapter 296 Chapter 296 Screech! Avery immediately mmed on the emergency brakes, stopping her car by the road. An ident? Death? An explosion went off in her brain, then tears quickly fell! ¡°Mommy, why did you suddenly stop the car?¡± La eximed. Hayden got nervous too. ¡°Mommy, why are you crying?¡± ¡°Mommy, what happened to you? Don¡®t cry!¡± La said and started to choke up. She started to cry too. Avery heard her children¡®s voices and suddenly drew a sharp breath. She wiped the tears off her face with both hands and said hoarsely, ¡°I¡®ll send you two home. Wait for me there. I have something I need to handle.¡± The car was once again on the road. La and Hayden were still quite worried. ¡°Mommy, what happened? Why are you so sad?¡± Avery took a deep breath and lied, ¡°Something... happened to Mommy¡®s friend. When you go home, behave. I might be backte. If Uncle Mike is not home, I¡®ll call him toe to take care of you two.¡± Content is property ? N?velDrama.Org. ¡°Oh, Mommy! Don¡®t cry! Your friend will get better!¡± La said caringly. ¡°Mommy, don¡®t cry,¡± Haydenforted awkwardly. Avery responded hoarsely. The car arrived at Starry River Vi. Mike and Chad were having dinner at home. Avery opened the door, let the children in, and left without entering. When Mike came out of the dining hall, she had left with her car. ¡°La! Where is your mother going? Why did she not evene in?¡± Mike asked in confusion. ¡°Mommy said that something has happened to one of her friends. She was crying terribly,¡± La said heartbrokenly. She spected, ¡°Could it be Aunt Tammy? I really liked Aunt Tammy Mike ruffled her head. He turned around and picked up his phone from the table and dialed Avery No one picked up After hanging up, he called once again. Still, no one picked up. Avery did not have many friends besides Tammy. Could something really have happened to Tammy? Mike found Tammy¡¯s number and called her. Soon, the call was answered. Tammy¡®s confused voice came through, ¡°Did you have the wrong number? Or is there a party?¡± Clearly, Tammy was fine. If something were to happen to her, she would not have been thinking of parties. ¡°I¡®m sorry, I misdialed.¡± Mike hung up. His expression was grim. He dialed Avery once more. This time, she finally picked up. ¡°Avery Tate! What the hell are you doing? Why are you not picking up my calls! If you still had not answered, I would have gone looking for you!¡± Mike said with his hand on his waist. He took his phone and went out to get some cold air. ¡°Who¡®s in trouble? I called Tammy and she seems fine.¡± Avery took a deep breath and sobbed. ¡°My mom. Mike. Please help me look after the kids for a while.¡± ¡°What happened to Laura!¡± Mike¡®s chest felt tight. The call was dropped. Mike held his phone and furrowed his brows. Chad came out from the living room. He asked, ¡± What¡®s going on? What happened?¡± ¡°Something happened to Avery¡®s mom. I think it¡®s serious. She¡®s crying hard! I bloody want to look for her, but she¡®s asking me to look after the kids at home!¡± Mike swore in a low voice. Chad¡®s expression turned grim. ¡°I¡®ll go check out what happened to her mother. You take care of the kids at home!¡± When Avery rushed to the scene of the ident, it was already dark Chapter 297 Chapter 297 Chapter 297 Under the street lights, Avery saw her mother¡®s bloody face. She raised her trembling fingers and ced them under her mother¡¯s nose. A breeze blew by. Avery wailed, ¡°Mom, I know you¡®re not dead! You promised to be with me for the rest of my life! I¡®m going to send you to the hospital now! Don¡¯t be afraid! I¡¯ll be with you! I¡¯ll always be with you!¡± This belongs to N?velDrama.Org. When Chad found out about Laura¡¯s ident, he hesitated for a while before calling Elliot. He would not have disturbed Elliot except he wanted to know that Avery at least had someone by her side. ¡°Mr. Foster, Avery¡®s mother, met an ident this evening. She died on the spot. Avery still can ¡®t ept this news. She sent her mother to the hospital. Mike is taking care of the kids at home. She¡®ll be alone dealing with her mother¡®s funeral. I feel it would be hard on her. Do you want to¨C¡± ¡°Which hospital?¡± Elliot swallowed. His voice sounded stern yet nervous. ¡°Which hospital is she at right now?!¡± His terrifying expression and voice frightened Shea so much that she cowered in fear. Zoe had never seen Elliot that way before. It was as if all the care and heartbreak he had kept in his heart had surfaced. Zoe did not know who was on the other end of the line, but she knew that his heartbroken and worried for Avery. They had barely spent half an hour at the snow pce because Avery and her children had wanted to y. He had left the ce in a heartbeat for them. In his heart, Avery was more important to him than Shea was. If Shea was not mentally challenged, he would ce Avery before shea. After Elliot finished his call, he walked out. Zoe panicked and chased after him. ¡°Elliot, what happened? What¡®s going on?¡± He heard her voice, but he ignored her. He did not even stop. Zoe only heard the sound of her heart breaking into pieces. Recently, Elliot had been good to her. She had thought that he hade to ept her, and they would soon get married and be happily in love. However, all it took was one phone call for their rtionship to return to square one. At the hospital, Avery had sent her mother to the emergency room. She cleaned her mother¡®s wounds, dressing them, and stopping the bleeding. She had sown the opened wound stitch by stitch. Under the lights, her mother¡®s skin turned paler by the moment. Her body temperature was dropping Her hopes were all gone! ¡°Mom¡­ I¡¯m sorry! Mom! I should have followed you to Uncle Ron¡®s! I should not have left you alone! I¡¯m sorry! It¡®s all my fault! It¡®s all my fault!¡± Averyy on the operation table, hugging her mother¡¯s cold body, sobbing in tears. Elliot rushed to the hospital. He looked cold and unapproachable Chad saw him and immediately went up to him. ¡°Mr. Foster, the perpetrator was driving under the influence of alcohol. He did not die but suffered serious injuries. At that moment, we can¡®t be sure if it was purely an ident or murder.¡± Chad reported what he had found to Elliot. ¡°Where¡®s Avery?¡± ¡°She¡®s in the operation theater.¡± Chad paused for a while before saying, ¡°She wanted to save her mother, but her mother has passed away. I¡®m worried that she can¡®t take the blow, and this might cause her psychological trauma.¡± Elliot¡®s eyes reddened. He clenched his fists tightly. It was as if a huge hand was choking his neck. He hoped badly that he could bear her pain for her. In a moment, he was outside the operation theater. He could vaguely hear her sobs. He was heartbroken. It was as if someone had stabbed him with a knife. He held onto the handles of the door to the operation theater. Just when he was about to push the door open and enter, his phone rang! ¡°Elliot, where are you right now!?¡± On the other end of the line, Rosalie¡®s anxious voice came through. ¡°Zoe passed out! She is pregnant with your child! Your child is almost five months old!¡± Avery¡¯s suppressed sobs were mixed with his mother¡®s agitated voice. Elliot¡¯s face turned miserably pale! Zoe was pregnant? Pregnant with his child?! Chapter 298 Chapter 298 Chapter 298 Elliot has only slept with Zoe once, yet she got pregnant from that time? He released the handles to the door of the operation theater. Chad noticed the changes in his expression. His heart was beating wildly. What happened? Why was he not entering to see Avery? ¡°Chad, stay here,¡± Elliot said bitterly, ¡°I have to go back.¡± Chad nodded. He dared not ask any questions. After Elliot left, Chad pushed the door to the operation theater open and took a nce inside. Avery had taken her jacket off and ced it over Laura. She sat listlessly next to Laura. Avery grabbed Laura¡®s hand tightly, crying, and muttering something. Chad¡¯s eyes reddened upon seeing this. He closed the door. He took his phone out, found Wesley¡¯s contact, and called him. This belongs to N?velDrama.Org. Once he notified Wesley, he left the hospital and drove back to Starry River Vi. He could do nothing for Avery at the hospital, so he thought he might swap ces with Mike. He would take care of her two kids while Mike went to take care of Avery. When Chad returned to the vi, the two children were already asleep. Chad updated Mike about the situation before Mike rushed out with reddened eyes. Instantly, the vi was silent. Chad entered the children¡®s room. The two of them were quietly asleep in bed. They had a long day out, so they slept soundly. A warm night light was ced next to the bed. Chad wanted to have a good look at the children ¡®s faces, so he turned the lights brighter. Instantly, it was bright as day. La looked very much like Avery. She was pretty and adorable. Even in sleep, she looked extremely lovely As for Hayden, without his cap, he was not that icy and aloof. When he was sound asleep, he looked more like how a kid his age should. Chad dimmed the lights and turned to see a long children¡®s study desk. On it was stationery, books, and aptop. Theptop should be Hayden¡®s. From what Chad had seen of him, Hayden was not a problematic child. He was a genius. He should not be sent to a school for children with special needs, but to a special school for gifted children. It was a pity that Avery only thought of him as an ordinary boy. When Mike arrived at the hospital, Laura had already been sent to the morgue. Wesley was sitting next to Avery on one of the long benches that lined the hospital corridors. Nurses and other family members rushed by them from time to time, bringing in the freezing wind with them. ¡°Avery!¡± Mike was extremely heartbroken to see Avery that way. She looked so empty. Upon hearing Mike¡¯s voice, Avery lifted her head. ¡°Why are you here? What about the kids?¡± She sounded hoarse. Her eyes were extremely red and puffy too. Avery stood up from the bench. Mike strode over to her and hugged her. ¡°Avery, don¡®t be afraid! You still have me! I will always be with you¡ª¡± Avery¡®s head hurt. She shoved Mike away and yelled, ¡°I¡®m asking you where are the kids? Didn tI ask you to watch over them?¡± ¡°The kids are asleep, don¡®t worry. Chad is looking after them. He is the one who suggested that I be here with you. I want to be with you, so I came.¡± Mike grabbed Avery¡®s hands. He was shocked by how cold her hands felt. Chapter 299 Chapter 299 Chapter 299 Mike immediately took off his jacket and draped it over her. ¡°Go back!¡± Avery¡¯s eyes were filled with tears, but her voice was aloof and stern. ¡°How could you let an outsider take care of the kids!¡± Her mother had passed away. She had decided that she could not let anything happen to her children. If anything were to happen to her children, she would not be able to live. Mike looked at how sad and angry she was. His mind was a mess. ¡°I¡¯ll go back now! Stop crying!¡± Mike reached out and wiped the tears from her face. ¡°I won¡¯t bring him home in the future! Don¡¯t cry anymore!¡± Mike said frantically before leaving quickly. While all this was going on, Elliot was at another hospital. He pushed the door to the ward open. Zoe was on the bed, and when she saw him, she immediately squeezed two streams of tears out of her eyes. Rosalie strode to the door and pulled him in. ¡°Elliot, how could you two be so careless? The child is already so huge, yet none of you knew about it.¡± Although Rosalie¡¯s tone was reproachful, her face was filled with smiles. ¡°The doctor has just checked up on Zoe. Mother and son are safe.¡± Mother and son? Zoe was pregnant with a son? How ridiculous! ¡°Elliot, I¡¯m sorry! I didn¡¯t know I was pregnant. I have hypomenorrhea, my menstruation is usually never on time. When I¡¯m stressed, my period usuallyes after every six months. So, unlike other women, I can¡¯t tell whether I¡¯m pregnant or not based on howte my period is. I never thought I would be pregnant,¡± Zoe exined while looking at Elliot¡¯s cold face. ¡°Abort it!¡± His voice was cold and ruthless. Those two words almost killed Zoe. At the same time, Rosalie almost passed out. Content is property ? N?velDrama.Org. ¡°No! You can¡¯t abort the child!¡± Rosalie, with the help of the nanny, quickly collected her thoughts and said strongly, ¡°Zoe has hypomenorrhea. It¡¯s hard for her to get pregnant! Also, she is quite old. The child in her is quite big too. If you abort the child at this stage, it might kill her! Do you want to continue Shea¡¯s treatment? Elliot, consider that!¡± Elliot¡¯s face turned blue upon hearing his mother¡¯s words. He needed Zoe to treat Shea, so nothing can happen to Zoe. He took a step back. He was so heartbroken it was suffocating. His pride, dignity, and courage had been stepped on by others. Every step he took had been a mistake! Other than bearing it, was there any other choice? Other than bearing it, was there any other choice? He strode out of the ward. Zoe¡¯s tears fell silently. ¡°Zoe, don¡¯t cry! I¡¯m here. He won¡¯t dare to touch you!¡± Rosalie passed Zoe a tissue to wipe her face. ¡°You must have the child. Only by having the child, can I guarantee that he will marry you! As long as I¡¯m alive, your standing in the Fosters will never change!¡± Zoe croaked, ¡°He must hate me to death. He doesn¡¯t like children. Even if I gave birth to one, he would not like it -¡± ¡°Zoe, no! As long as you give birth to a healthy child, he will like it. Who wouldn¡¯t like their own children?¡± In an effort tofort Zoe, she told her the truth about Elliot. ¡°Elliot is kinder than anyone else. He only doesn¡¯t want a child because he is afraid that the child would be unhealthy, and it might suffer from pain and discrimination in the future.¡± ¡°Why? Wouldn¡¯t there be checkups? If the child is not healthy, I will not carry it to term,¡± said Zoe. She stopped crying. Rosalie hesitated. She did exin the deeper reason behind her statement. ¡°Zoe, just remember what I said. As long as the child in you has no problems, he will not treat you and your child badly.¡± Zoe nodded. ¡°I got it.¡± The next day, the news of Zoe¡¯s pregnancy was released, and it spread throughout the city of Avonsville. Avery was at the funeral parlor when she heard the news. ¡°That woman sure is smart! Getting pregnant with Elliot¡¯s child. Even if she doesn¡¯t marry into the Fosters in the future, she could ensure her standing with the child!¡± ¡°Yes! How infuriating! Elliot is not only rich, but he is also good-looking! To be able to be selected by him to bear his child, isn¡¯t that just a modern-day Cinderelli!¡± Avery carried her mother¡¯s urn as she walked, step by step, out of the funeral parlor. Chapter 300 Chapter 300 Chapter 300 Mike and the children were at Starry River Vi having breakfast when he told them about Laura¡¯s death. ¡°I know that you are very sad, and I¡¯m very sad too. But, your Grandma is gone. I hope that you can be strong for Mommy because she is extremely sad right now. If you are sad too, your Mommy will be even more in pain.¡± Mike took each child in one arm and hugged them and kissed them on the head. La did not take the news well. She was sobbing, and her lips were quivering. She said weakly, ¡°I want Grandma¡­ I want to look for Grandma...¡± Hayden¡¯s eyes were wet too, but he was much stronger. Not only did he not cry, but he even hugged La. ¡°La, don¡®t cry. I¡®ll be with you.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t want to be apart from Grandma. Without Grandma, what would happen to us?¡± La felt as if the sky had been ripped apart. Laura had been the one to send her to school, made delicious food for her, and who had taken her out to y. ¡°La, don¡¯t be afraid. Without Grandma, we can still live well. When your Mommyes back, we will not cry in front of her, okay?¡± Mike said. ¡°I take you out to y, and we¡¯ll have good food in the future.¡± ¡°I want my Grandma¡­ Where do dead people go when they die? I want to go get her...¡± La rubbed her eyes. Her tears drenched her hands. Mike saw how sad La was. He decided to tell her the truth. It was much better to rip the band -aid off in one go. ¡°Once a person dies, that¡®s it. Your Grandma will note back. She has vanished from our lives and this earth.¡± La hugged Hayden and sobbed louder when she heard what Mike said. Mike clutched his forehead with both hands. After a while, he called Wesley. ¡°Mike, how are the kids?¡± Wesley had barely asked the question when he heard La¡¯s sobs. Mike replied, ¡°Not good. You know how close they were to Laura. How¡¯s Avery?¡± Wesley looked at Avery and said, ¡°We are at the graveyard right now. Laura has been buried. But Avery did not sleep the entire night. I¡®m afraid she can¡®t take it.¡± The moment Wesley said that he saw Avery go limp and fall to the ground. ¡°Avery!¡± Wesley eximed. He could not hang up the phone in time. He immediately rushed over and picked her up. Content is property ? N?velDrama.Org. An hourter, Mike and the children rushed into the hospital. Scanned with CamScanner wapie: 300 ¡°Don¡¯t worry. Avery is fine. She has passed out from grief,¡± Wesley said. ¡°She did not sleep the entire night, let her rest for now.¡± Mike said, ¡°Wesley, you should get some rest. I can take care of things here.¡± Wesley shook his head. ¡°I¡¯m not tired.¡± The two children stood by the bed and looked at Avery. Grandma has left. Would their Mommy be fine? If their Mommy left, what would happen to them? Elliot was sitting in the captain¡¯s office of the police station. He was listening to the captain break down the ident. ¡°At this time, the ident appears to have been caused by a drunk driver. The driver¡®s family is poor. I don¡¯t think he is able to pay any form ofpensation to Miss Tate.¡± Compensation? Avery did not care about money at all. ¡°The perp is a gambler. Did you ignore this fact?¡± said Elliot coldly. ¡°He is currently one hundred and fifty thousand dors in debt. His wife and kids have left him, and creditors have abducted his parents. They were only recently released.¡± The captain was stunned. He said, ¡°Elliot, the incident took cest night and already you have gathered this much information.¡± Elliot replied, ¡°The deceased is my mother-inw. I cannot let her die in vain.¡± The captain nodded. ¡°Are you trying to say that this might be murder?¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t it obvious,¡± said Elliot. ¡°Someone paid the driver to murder her.¡± The captain furrowed his brows. ¡°Luckily, the perpetrator is not dead. Once he has recovered, we will question him.¡± ¡°I¡¯m only afraid that someone might do him in.¡± Chapter 301 Chapter 301 Chapter 301 ¡°I¡¯ll send more men over. They will be on twenty-four hour guard duty,¡± said the captain before changing the topic, ¡°I hear your girlfriend is pregnant. Congrattions!¡± ¡°I don¡¯t like kids.¡± Elliot¡¯s face darkened a little. His tone turned cold too, ¡°if there are any updates on the case, inform me at once.¡± The captain nodded. ¡°Okay. How is Miss Tate? She was not too well yesterday. I wonder how she is today.¡± Elliot¡¯s gaze darkened. His lips thinned into a tight line. He got up from the sofa and left. He could not answer that question. He had been outside the operation theater the previous night, but his mother had called him, and he did not go in. Zoe¡¯s pregnancy had be an obstacle in his mind. He could barely face it, let alone face Avery. Avery slept the afternoon away in the ward. She slowly opened her eyes. Before grief could enter her mind, she heard Hayden say, ¡°Mommy, I¡®ll go to whichever school you want me to go to.¡± Then, she heard La¡®s soft but hoarse voice, ¡°Mommy, I will behave too. Can you wake up soon? Please?¡± La had been crying nonstop, so her eyes were red. Her voice was hoarse too. Avery¡¯s eyelids fluttered. She could not bear to hear that voice. She immediately sat up and grabbed her children¡®s hands. ¡°I¡®m fine. I was only tired, so I slept.¡± Then, Avery got down from the bed. ¡°Let¡®s go home!¡± She had only just stood up when Mike came forward and hugged her. ¡°Avery, you still have your two children and me. I will never betray you. As long as you need me, I will never leave you.¡± Mike rarely has such serious moments. Avery ced her chin on his shoulder. She took in a breath and said, ¡°Let¡¯s go home! I miss home.¡± Shea was sitting in the living room of Elliot¡®s mansion. He had not returned for three days, and she refused to return to her room. Mrs. Cooper was sitting next to her, keeping herpany. ¡°Does he not want me anymore?¡± Shea¡¯s voice suddenly broke through the silence in the living area. ¡°That¡¯s impossible.¡± Mrs. Cooper held Shea¡®s hand. ¡°Master Elliot has gone to Starry River Vi.¡± ording to the bodyguards, Elliot would go to the Starry River Vi every night, staying outside her door till dawn arrived, then, he would leave. ¡°He went to look for Avery?¡± Shea¡®s voice rose in pitch. ¡°I want him to be with Avery.¡± Mrs. Cooper sighed. ¡°He can¡®t be with Avery.¡± Material ? N?velDrama.Org. ¡°Why not?¡± Shea¡®s eyes sparkled brightly, yet they looked so lost. Mrs. Cooper was extremely sad as she thought of how Avery had lost her mother, and how Elliot has been standing guard outside her door every night, wanting to see her, and yet, unable to. ¡°It¡¯s because of your condition. Dr. Sanford is treating you, and she used that to force Master Elliot to be with her. She told him that if he did not stay with her, she would not treat you. Master Elliot needs to be with Dr. Sanford,¡± said Mrs. Cooper, her voice breaking slightly.¡± Shea, do you understand me?¡± Shea shook her head in a daze. ¡°Please repeat it.¡± Mrs. Cooper took a deep breath and repeated it once again. This time, Shea roughly understood ¡°I don¡®t want to get better anymore,¡± said shea, her eyes sparkling. She clenched her hands into fists. She kept muttering, ¡°I¡®m not getting better...¡± Chapter 302 Chapter 302 Chapter 302 At seven thirty in the morning, the ck Rolls-Roice slowly pulled into the courtyard. Mrs. Cooper had not slept the entire night. When she saw Elliot returning, she immediately walked to the door. She had told Shea the truth the previous night, and Shea had be rather agitated. She med herself for that. Words spoken could not be taken back Elliot entered with a gust of chilly wind. ¡°Master Elliot, I have done a terrible thing. Please punish me.¡± Mrs. Cooper followed Elliot. Elliot froze. He looked at Mrs. Cooper with red eyes. ¡°I told Sheast night about how Dr. Sanford threatened you, and she is now refusing treatment.¡± Mrs. Cooper lowered her head. ¡°It¡®s my fault! I shouldn¡®t have told her that!¡± ¡°Why did you tell her then?¡± Elliot raised his eyebrows. He looked gloomy. ¡°She said that she hoped you and Avery could be together, so I couldn¡®t resist telling her the truth,¡± Mrs. Cooper said hoarsely, ¡°Fire me! I¡®m too old and clumsy. I¡®m no longer fit to serve T¨ºxt belongs to N?velDrama.Org. you.¡± Elliot¡¯s gaze shifted away from Mrs. Cooper. He sounded exhausted. ¡°Go and rest. Don¡¯t tell her about complicated matters in the future.¡± Mrs. Cooper nodded, but she dared not say anything else. After lunch, Elliot took Shea out for a walk. It was still cold outside. When the wind blew, it pierced through skin. ¡°Shea, are you cold?¡± Elliot held her hand tight. Shea shook her head. ¡°Big Brother, I¡®m not getting better anymore.¡± ¡°No,¡± Elliot said without giving it a moment¡®s thought. ¡°Avery and I got a divorce because we don¡¯t like each other anymore. Even if Dr. Sanford and I are no longer together, I won¡¯t go back to Avery. You don¡¯t have to worry about us.¡± Shea tried hard to process Elliot¡¯s words. ¡°I hope that you can feel more joy and love in the future,¡± Elliot said gently. Shea was silent for a while. Then, she suddenly said, ¡°You¡¯re not happy, Avery is not happy either. Only I¡®m happy every day. If I don¡®t get better, I¡®ll be happy every day. So, I don¡¯t want to get better,¡± Shea said with determination. Elliot looked at her and said bitterly, ¡°You don¡¯t know how you could be after you get better. How do you know you won¡¯t be happy after you get better? And even if you don¡¯t get treated, 1 won¡¯t break up with Zoe because she is pregnant with my child.¡± ¡°Am I going to be an aunt?¡± Shea asked naturally. Elliot¡¯s heart tightened. He looked at Shea with a complicated gaze. ¡°Shea, who told you about this?¡± Shea pulled her hand out of Elliot¡¯s and turned around. Whenever she was unwilling to answer a question, she would avoid it this way. Elliot walked over to her and grabbed her shoulders. He lowered his gaze and looked at her.¡± Tell me.¡± ¡°Mrs. Scarlet said that your children have to call me aunt.¡± Shea looked up and said, ¡°Big Brother, am I Hayden¡®s aunt?¡± Mrs. Scarlet was Shea¡®s nanny at school. Elliot suddenly stiffened upon hearing Shea¡®s question. ¡°What do you think?¡± When he said that, he thought about the answer Avery had previously given him. Avery had said that she had adopted Hayden. ¡°I hope that he is your child, that way, Hayden has to call me aunt.¡± Shea sounded a little emotional. ¡°If you have a child with Dr. Sanford, they won¡¯t like you anymore.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t need them to like me. I only need you to be healthy.¡± Elliot¡®s gaze turned cold. His heart was even colder. It was the eighth day after New Year¡¯s, and it was the first day back at work Mike could not go to the office. He had to care for the children at home. Avery had not set foot out of Laura¡¯s room. She had been in there for four days. She had been rewatching the video they had taken on New Year¡¯s. She would never have dreamed that that would be thest video that she would have of her mother. Mike and the children were having breakfast. He nned to take them out to y that day. If they passed by his office, he would bring them into the office to have a look Suddenly, the door to Laura¡¯s room opened. Chapter 303 Chapter 303 Chapter 303 Avery came out of Laura¡¯s room. Content is property ? N?velDrama.Org. When Mike saw her, he thought he saw a ghost. She had not seen daylight for the past few days. She looked pale and weary. On top of that, she had barely eaten anything. She looked emaciated. When the children saw her, they were stunned too. Avery turned and entered her room. Mike immediately chased after her. ¡°Avery, don¡®t tell me you¡¯re going to work?¡± Mike guessed. Avery took out a set of clothes from her closet and headed to the bathroom. ¡°You stay at home with the kids. I¡¯ll head to the office and have a look.¡± ¡°Oh, so I¡®ll stay at home and look after the kids in the future?¡± Mike asked. Avery shook her head. ¡°I¡®ll hire bodyguards.¡± ¡°Shouldn¡¯t it be nannies?¡± ¡°No need.¡± Avery nned to care for all her children¡®s needs herself. The bodyguards only needed to send the children to school and pick them up from school, ensuring their safety. That was enough. ¡°By the way, I heard that Laura¡¯s ident was not an ordinary ident but murder,¡± Mike said. ¡°Go to the police station and ask about itter.¡± Avery¡¯s eyes darkened. Her voice sounded tight. ¡°Who told you that?¡± ¡°Chad,¡± Mike said. ¡°He said that Elliot sent his men to investigate the perpetrator. They found out quite a lot.¡± The peace that Avery felt was crushed. If it was murder, she did not need to pause for a second to think of a suspect Other than Wanda, who else could it be? Avery had just left when Tammy¡®s car pulled in. Mike passed the children to Tammy. ¡°Tammy, please help look after the kids. Something is off about Avery today. I must go look for her!¡± Mike said, then he took the car keys and bolted. When Mike arrived at the police station, Avery had juste out from it. ¡°Avery!¡± Mike got down from the car and ran toward her. It was as if Avery has lost her soul. She did not hear Mike. She got in the car, started the engine, and quickly left. Mike saw her car passing him by. He ced his hands on his hips and sighed. Avery¡¯s vision was getting blurry as she drove. Sure enough! It was not an ident! It was murder! She initially thought it was Wanda, but the police told her that currently, the evidence showed that it was James who had hired the killer James had transferred the money from his ount into the perpetrator¡®s ount. James himself had also confessed to murder. Howical! How ridiculous! He was in prison. How could he have hired a murderer? Moreover, he was about to be executed! One could not be hung a second time for killing another person. It was a perfect n. Tears fell from Avery¡®s eyes. All this was Wanda¡®s doing! As all the evidence pointed to James, Wanda would not be in any trouble. An hourter, Avery and Wanda met in a cafe. ¡°Avery, I never would have thought your mother¡®s death would take such a toll on you. Look a t how haggard you look,¡± Wanda looked at Avery¡®s face and said insincerely, ¡°I hope you get better soon. After all, many terrible things are waiting for you in the future.¡± Wanda picked up the cup of coffee and elegantly took a sip. ¡°By the way, I forgot to tell you,¡± Wanda continued to say with a smile, ¡°My current boyfriend is Zoe¡®s father. Zoe is now pregnant with Elliot¡®s child. Soon, they will get married. In the future, Elliot and I will be considered family too.¡± Chapter 304 Chapter 304 Chapter 304 Avery¡¯s grip on her coffee cup tighter. She was not interested in Wanda talking about Elliot. ¡°Your brother is in prison. How could he have hired a killer?¡± She looked at Wanda and said,¡± You did it, right?¡°? Wanda maintained her smile. ¡°Avery, you should not resort to nder! In Aryadelle, murder is a crime punishable by death! Even hiring a killer is too! This was what you told me previously. How could I have done such a thing?¡± It was as if she was saying, ¡°I¡®m not an idiot! Even if I did it, I will never admit it.¡± The coffee sloshed inside the cup as Avery tightened her grip around the cup. ¡°Do you know why I asked to meet you?¡± Avery released the coffee cup. Wanda nced at Avery coldly. ¡°Avery, your mother is dead. It¡®s useless to pester me about it. I said I didn¡®t do it, which means I didn¡®t do it. Even if you kill me, I didn¡®t¨C¡± Avery got up from the chair. She swallowed her bitterness. ¡°Of course, as long as you won¡®t admit it, it wasn¡®t you who did it.¡± Then, Avery quickly walked over to Wanda. When Wanda realized what she was about to do, she quickly eximed, ¡°Help!¡± When Mike reached the cafe, he saw Avery grabbing Wanda by her hair and smashing her head against the wall. There was fresh red blood on the wall! Blood flowed from Wanda¡®s pretty face! ¡°Shit!¡± Mike swore and quickly ran over. ¡°Avery! Let go! You¡®re going to kill her!¡± Mike tried to stop the fight. He pushed the staff who were trying to stop the fight away. Their efforts had been in vain anyway. He hugged Avery, trying to pull her away, yet she kept holding onto Wanda¡®s hair, not letting her go! ¡°She killed my mother! I am going to get my revenge!¡± Avery yelled hysterically. ¡°Let me go! I¡®m going to kill her!¡± ¡°Are you nuts?! You still have two kids! Are you nning to make them orphans!¡± Mike yelled loudly, ¡°Avery, wake up! Don¡®t ruin your life for some evil person! Your mother will not rest in peace if she sees you like this!¡± A member of the staff rushed over with a pair of scissors. She used it to chop off Wanda¡¯s hair. It was the only way to tear them apart. Avery looked at the hair in her hands. She disgustedly threw it at Wanda¡®s face! ¡°Wanda, I will never let you go!¡± Avery could not calm down. She was still looking at Wanda viciously. ¡°You either hire a murderer to kill me, or I¡®ll make sure you die!¡± Mike had never seen such a vicious Avery. She might look weak, but she was extremely strong. Two members of the staff sent Wanda to the hospital. Only then, did Mike dare release Avery. Mike took his wallet out and said to the cafe owner. ¡°I¡®m sorry. Please calcte the loss. I¡®ll pay you double!¡± The owner epted the card and reminded him, ¡°If thatdy makes a police report, thisdy will be arrested.¡± Mike immediately said to the owner, ¡°I¡®ll pay your triple. When the policee to investigate, just say that I was the one who beat her up.¡± Avery pulled Mike to the side. ¡°I¡®ll bear the consequences of my actions! Didn¡®t I ask you to look after the kids? Why are you here?¡± ¡°Tammy came over. I got her to look after the kids.¡± Mike went over to Avery and sighed.¡± Thank goodness I sensed that something was off with you and followed you. If I didn¡®t, the next time I see would be in prison.¡± Mike was in the police station at two in the afternoon. ¡°Officer, I was the one that beat the woman up. Arrest me! It has nothing to do with Avery!¡± Mike said loudly, confessing to the crimes. Avery was touched by his loyalty, but the situation did not call for it. Text ? owned by N?velDrama.Org. ¡°Mike, I¡¯m going to count to three. If you don¡¯t leave, I won¡¯t talk to you anymore,¡± Avery said coldly, sitting in the chair. Chapter 305 Chapter 305 Chapter 305 Mike was speechless. ¡°One. Two¡­¡± Avery started counting. T¨ºxt belongs to N?velDrama.Org. Mike¡¯s face flushed. ¡°Avery! Fine, live with your own mess! I¡®ll leave you alone!¡± Then, he turned and left the police station. Coming out of the police station, Mike called Chad. ¡°Chad! Is your boss around? I¡®m looking for him!¡± Mike was standing outside the police station, with the icy wind blowing against him. He was feeling extremely aggrieved. Despite how he was feeling, he could not leave Avery alone. Avery was in a special situation at that moment. When one was extremely agitated, they could do anything. She could kill someone today, but what if she killed herself the next day? ¡°We just started work today. It¡®s a little busy. Why are you looking for him?¡± Chad was talking fast. After asking his question, he came to a realization. ¡°You¡®re looking for my boss. Did something happen to Avery?¡± ¡°She¡®s in a mess. She almost killed Wanda today. She¡®s at the police station right now. I think she is going to be detained. Isn¡®t your boss powerful? Get him to bail her out! If he does not post her bail, I''ll tell everyone that this was all his doing!¡± Chad swore, ¡°Are you nuts! How are you going to do that? If you were to talk to my boss this way, you¡®ll be deported from Aryadelle!¡± The officer took a piece of paper and a pen and passed them to Avery. ¡°Miss Avery. I know you¡®re upset right now, but it¡®s wrong to beat someone up.¡± The officer looked at her coldly. He said patiently, ¡°List your transgressions and pay Wanda¡®s medical fees, and you will be released.¡± Avery looked at the piece of paper and sneered, ¡°Why do I have to list it down? I wanted to hit her.¡± The police officer was speechless. ¡°You want me to pay for her medical bills? Sure! Once she dies, I¡¯ll do it,¡± Avery continued. The police officer was once again at a loss for words. Avery pushed the pen and paper away with her slender fingers. ¡°Just go ahead with your procedures!¡± The police officer furrowed his brows. ¡°Miss Tate, I know you have your own opinions, but the evidence we have right now has nothing to do with Wanda. But if we suspect her even a little, we will arrest her and question her.¡± Avery lowered her gaze and pursed her pale lips, saying nothing. She was angry, but not at the police officer. She did not want to trouble everyone, but she was extremely upset. If she did nothing and allowed Wanda to go just like that, she could not bear to see herself. Half an hourter, a ck Rolls¨CRoice parked right in front of the entrance of the police station. Mike saw Elliot alighting the car, so he quickly approached him. However, Elliot was quicker. He immediately passed Mike by without even noticing him! Mike cursed silently, ¡°Sure! Treat me like air!¡± When Elliot entered the police station, he immediately saw Avery¡®s slight person. ¡°Elliot! You¡®re finally here!¡± The captain waved to Elliot. ¡°Please persuade Miss Tate! As long as she writes a list of her wrongdoings, we¡®ll let her go immediately.¡± When Avery heard his name, she looked up and looked at him, stunned! Why was he here? Elliot picked up the piece of paper on the table, tore it in half, and threw it into the bin. Chapter 306 Chapter 306 Chapter 306 ¡°I¡¯ll settle this myself,¡± Elliot said to the captain. Then he grabbed Avery¡¯s slender wrist and said, ¡°I¡¯m taking her with me.¡± The captain simply nodded. Once they were out of the station, Avery shook off Elliot¡¯s slightly cold hand. Elliot raised his brows as he stared at Avery¡¯s defensive posture. ¡°Your mother wouldn¡¯te back to life even if you did kill Wanda, Avery. There are many ways to take revenge, yet you chose the most foolish one.¡± ¡°Who are you to judge me?¡± Avery looked at Elliot¡¯s familiar yet unrecognizable face and sneered. ¡°Are you judging me as the mighty President Elliot Foster, or because Wanda Tate is your future mother-inw?!¡± Every word she spoke was sharp and fractious. An unreadable emotion shed through Elliot¡¯s eyes as he said, ¡°Calm down, Avery.¡± ¡°I can¡¯t calm down!¡± Averyshed out, her voice breaking. ¡°My mom¡¯s lifeless face appears in front of me every time I close my eyes! What did she do wrong?! She never did anything wrong! How could someone kill her?!¡± She broke down into wailing sobs. All of Elliot¡¯s reason vanished the moment he saw her frail body crumple and an expression of agony twist her face. He pulled her into his embrace and wrapped his arms tightly around her. Avery snapped when she smelled Elliot¡¯s unique musky scent. Even if the scent of his cologne was unchanged, he was no longer the same Elliot Foster! ¡°Let me go!¡± she cried as she pushed against his muscr chest. ¡°I won¡¯t!¡± Elliot held Avery in his arms. His voice was hoarse when he said, ¡°Calling Wanda my future mother-inw is utter bullsh*t! I¡¯ve only ever had one mother-inw, and she was your mother.¡± Avery could not escape his hold and so decided to stop struggling altogether. She numbly contemted his seemingly profound statement. Looking up at him with tear filled eyes, she coldly asked, ¡°Now that Zoe¡¯s pregnant with your child, will you order your bodyguard to force her to get an abortion?¡± Avery¡¯s question made Elliot abruptly release his grip on her. ¡°Didn¡¯t you hate children, Elliot? Then why can you ept Zoe¡¯s child?¡± Avery demanded as she stood before him. ¡°Did she force you to? Did you give in once again to save your dear Shea? Aren¡¯t you always acting so high and mighty in front of me? You didn¡¯t even bat an eyelid when you made me get an abortion¡­ Do you find me easier to pick on?¡± Elliot¡¯s heart throbbed with pain, but his eyes were fixed calmly on Avery. Her emotions were much stabler than they were before, but the wordsing out of her mouth were growing harsher. ¡°Don¡¯t mention my mother to me ever again. She never acknowledged you as her son,¡± Avery said as she stared at Elliot¡¯s face. ¡°Even though she¡¯s dead, it just feels misfortunate to have you talk about her.¡± She watched as a dreadful expression appeared on Elliot¡¯s face. Not only did her heart not break for him, she actually found it gratifying. Perhaps it was because she had finally given up on him. Elliot could have a child with Zoe or recognize Laura¡¯s killer as his mother-inw¡­ As long as he did not appear in front of her, he could do whatever he wanted. ¡°Let¡¯s go home, Avery!¡± Mike said as he drove the car out onto the road. He nced at Avery and added, ¡°You must be exhausted.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not,¡± Avery answered in a clear, calm voice. ¡°I don¡¯t feel like going home.¡± ¡°Okay. Where do you want to go, then?¡± T¨ºxt belongs to N?velDrama.Org. As though she did not hear Mike¡¯s voice, Avery looked out the window and uttered softly, ¡°If I hadn¡¯t insisted oning back here, this wouldn¡¯t have happened to Mom¡­¡± Mike¡¯s heart ached with concern as he saw Avery¡¯s haggard face grow ovee by guilt. Could she have some kind of stress-induced mental disorder? Mike turned the car around at the next turning, then drove toward Elizabeth Hospital. After hearing about Avery¡¯s condition, Wesley felt worried but certain. ¡°She¡¯s a strong woman. I know she can get through this.¡± He prescribed some sleeping pills for Avery and handed them to Mike. ¡°What she needs now is rest. Let¡¯s see if she improves after some time.¡± A weekter, Avery¡¯s mental state appeared stable. The children returned to school. Chapter 307 Chapter 307 Chapter 307 After breakfast, Avery took the children to school. Hayden was the one who had suggested going to the same preschool as La. That way, Avery would not have to drive around picking them up and sending them off. It felt like everything had remained the same after Laura¡¯s death, but it also felt like everything had changed. ¡°Winter¡¯se and gone, Avery,¡± Mike said as he drove the car onto the main road. ¡°Let¡¯s move on from all this unhappiness! Every day from now on will be filled with good luck.¡± Avery stared at him nkly. ¡°Can¡¯t you speak like a normal person?¡± Mike cleared his throat and said, ¡°I know you¡¯ll still be down for a while, but we should keep our eyes facing forward. There are many more beautiful things and people that await you in the future.¡± ¡°Keep your eyes on the road.¡± ¡°Okay,¡± Mike responded, then turned on some music. After taking a moment to ponder his words, Avery suddenly said, ¡°Thank you, Mike.¡± ¡°Hmm?¡± Mike said as he turned the music off. ¡°Thanks for helping me with the kids through all of this.¡± ¡°Why are you mentioning this all of a sudden? Your kids are my kids. Your mom¡¯s gone, but, even if you were to leave, I would still raise the kids myself!¡± Mike said earnestly. Avery shot him a meaningful look. Mike coughed, then said, ¡°You get what I mean.¡± Text ? owned by N?velDrama.Org. ¡°I do.¡± Over at the Foster Mansion, Rosalie had rushed over first thing in the morning in high spirits. She was showing off a 4D ultrasound scan to the servants. ¡°Do you think this child looks like Elliot? He looks just like Elliot when he was a baby! Hahaha! The servants nodded in agreement, and Rosalie burst into an even more effusive guffaw. Elliot heard the racket from upstairs and took the stairs in long strides. ¡°Elliot! Take a look at your son!¡± Rosalie said as she ran toward Elliot with the ultrasound scan. ¡°Zoe took this at the hospital yesterday. Look at how much he looks like you! The doctor said the child is perfectly healthy. There¡¯s nothing to worry about!¡± Elliot¡¯s brows furrowed as he gazed at the wrinkly fetus in the image. He did not see any resemnce to him at all. If it were not for Shea, he never would have agreed to let Zoe keep this baby. ¡°What kind of reaction is that, Elliot? Zoe¡¯s painstakingly carrying your child. Even if you don¡¯ t care about her, how could you be so cold toward your own flesh and blood?¡± Rosalie said. Then, she changed the subject and said, ¡°I moved Zoe over to the old mansionst night. To me, she¡¯s already my daughter-inw!¡± Elliot was not in the mood to argue with his mother, so he maintained hisposure. ¡°You don¡¯t need to inform me of anything regarding that child. So long as you¡¯re happy.¡± ¡°What does that mean? This is your son!¡± ¡°Did any of you seek my approval before deciding to keep that child?¡± Elliot asked with a cold expression. ¡°I have no intention of hurting anyone¡¯s feelings, but that does not mean you can brazenly disregard my own.¡± The ultrasound scan fell to the ground. An hourter, Rosalie was taken away by the driver. The mansion fell into pin-drop silence. Elliot nced at the time and noticed it was almost noon. His phone suddenly began to ring. It was the family doctor. ¡°Elliot! Have you heard about Eric Santos?! He got into an ident on a film set two years ago, which left him bedridden and unconscious. He¡¯s somehow miraculously recovered now!¡± Elliot¡¯s chest tightened. There was a tremor in his voice as he asked, ¡°Who cured him?! Do you know who his doctor is?!¡± Chapter 308 Chapter 308 Chapter 308 Zoe had gone into full ¡°child-bearing mode¡± after she got pregnant. She had even pushed Shea¡¯s treatment aside. So it could not have been Zoe who cured Eric Santos! ¡°I¡¯m not clear on the details,¡± said the family doctor regretfully. ¡°However, the probability of him waking up from his illness was extremely low. I think he found a neurologist on par with Professor James Hough.¡± After the call, Elliot immediately sent someone to contact the Santos family. Eric Santos had left the entertainment industry two years ago, so all his known contact information and addresses were useless. Even as evening approached, Elliot¡¯s people could still find nothing of use. Zoe heard about Elliot¡¯s search at dinner, which made her feel nervous. ¡°My health has improved a lottely, Elliot,¡± she said. ¡°I think we can schedule Shea¡¯s second surgery soon.¡± Elliot nced at her and asked, ¡°Are you certain?¡± Zoe nodded, then said, ¡°I¡¯m feeling very confident about the next procedure. I¡¯ll take Shea to the hospital for a checkup tomorrow and see how her wound has recovered.¡± ¡°Okay,¡± Elliot responded. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Elliot,¡± Zoe said as her eyes reddened. ¡°My father broke things off with Wanda Tate. He¡¯s nning on returning to Bridgedale in the next few days. I¡¯m sorry for all the trouble we¡¯ve caused you.¡± Elliot picked up his wine ss and took a sip. ¡°Also¡­ about our child¡­ I know you don¡¯t like children, so I don¡¯t expect you to like our baby. My body can¡¯t withstand an abortion, so I¡¯ll most likely have to give birth to this child. If you don¡¯t want him, I can raise him myself.¡± Zoe had raised a sensitive subject. Ever since Elliot found out about her pregnancy, he had made no effort to contact her. She felt like she had been banished. If he did not find a use for her, she would probably end up like Avery. ¡°Once the baby is born, I won¡¯t tell him who his father is. You don¡¯t need to worry about his care,¡± Zoe said soundly. ¡°I¡¯ve had some time to think about it, and I¡¯ve decided that I shouldn¡¯ t force you to love him if you don¡¯t love me.¡± ¡°Dr. Sanford, if I asked you to get an abortion¡­¡± Zoe felt a chill shoot through her heart, but she maintained herposure and said, ¡°If you insist, abortion isn¡¯t impossible¡­ I don¡¯t know how long it will take for my body to recover after that. Now that the baby¡¯s taken form, aborting it would be about the same as giving birth. Elliot began to weigh the pros and cons of an abortion after hearing her words. ¡°I¡¯m worried that my recovery will dy Shea¡¯s treatment,¡± Zoe said, then took a sip of her soup. ¡°Elliot, I know you¡¯ve been searching for other doctors that can treat Shea this entire time¡­ I¡¯m sorry for using this against you.¡± ¡°That¡¯s your asset.¡± ¡°You must hate me.¡± ¡°Nothing else matters as long as you can cure Shea,¡± Elliot said. ¡°It¡¯s been a while since we¡¯ve talked like this,¡± Zoe said. ¡°I won¡¯t force you to do anything, Elliot. Could you please not hate me so much?¡± As she said this, she reached out to hold his hand. Elliot moved her hand away and said, ¡°I¡¯ll say it again, Zoe. Nothing else matters as long as you can cure Shea.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll do my best to help her,¡± Zoe said. ¡°It¡¯s your mother¡¯s birthday this weekend. Your brother ¡®s nning a party, and your mother¡¯s looking forward to some excitement. I hope you can be there.¡± ¡°Noted,¡± Elliot responded casually. His mind continued to be filled with thoughts about Eric Santos¡¯s doctor. Why was this person so elusive? At the courthouse, the judge mmed his gavel down, sentencing James Worsley to death! Avery stood up from her seat. Not far off, Wanda red resentfully through her veil at Avery. Material ? N?velDrama.Org. Avery met her hateful gaze, then prepared herself to walk toward her. ¡°Don¡¯t be rash, Avery! This is a courthouse,¡± Mike said and quickly held her back when he noticed her peculiar behavior. ¡°Fine,¡± Avery said, restraining herself. She turned around and strode out of the courthouse. Chapter 309 Chapter 309 Chapter 309 When Wanda walked out of the courthouse, Avery blocked her path. ¡°You¡¯re next,¡± Avery said. Avery wore light makeup, ensuring that her smoothplexion looked good. Beneath her calm veneer, however,y a burning hatred that had never dampened. ¡°Bring it! Both my daughter and my brother are gone. You better watch out, Avery Tate!¡± Wanda had suffered a concussion from the beating Avery had given her at the cafe, so she was filled with raging fury. She would never have backed down if Elliot Foster had not stood up for Avery! Avery got into the car with a nd expression and fastened her seat belt. Mike opened a bottle of water and handed it to her, then said, ¡°Elliot Foster¡¯s looking into Eric Santos¡¯s doctor. I¡¯m guessing he¡¯s nning on getting rid of Zoe Sanford. What a cruel man! She¡¯s pregnant with his child!¡± Avery took the bottle of water from him and took a sip. The cool liquid made its way down her throat and into her body, bringing with it a weed sense of vigor. ¡°Let him be!¡± A look of nonchnce shed across her eyes. She wanted to see what Elliot could manage to dig up! Eric Santos and his family had promised her absolute secrecy. The ce where they were living now was also fairly secluded. It was possible that Elliot had yet to find out where the family lived. It was Rosalie¡¯s birthday that weekend, and she was in an especially good mood because of Zoe¡¯ s pregnancy. Content is property ? N?velDrama.Org. All of the Foster family¡¯s closest friends had been invited to the celebration. Zoe had sent Elliot a text first thing in the morning to remind him of the party, but he had still barely made it to the banquet hall on time. Once the host was done with the opening speech, he invited Rosalie to the stage. Rosalie held Zoe¡¯s hand in one of hers and clenched her other hand tightly around Elliot¡¯s. Once the trio was up on stage, the host handed the microphone over to Rosalie. ¡°Today is my birthday. In light of that, I would like to take this opportunity to announce some fantastic news!¡± Rosalie reached out her wrinkled hand, caressed Zoe¡¯s bell?, then announced enthusiastically, ¡°My grandson is five months old! He will being into the world soon!¡± At first, the LED screen on the stage was broadcasting photos of Rosalie¡¯s younger days. Suddenly, it turned a blinding green! The crowd was in an uproar! ¡°Apologies!¡± said the host as he tried to save the show. ¡°Our technicians will fix this right away! Please don¡¯t worry, everyone!¡± Themotion died down, but Elliot could still hear the sound of his raging heartbeat! The light from the screen had draped every member of the audience in a shroud of green. As Elliot gazed at the green screen behind him, an ominous feeling rose within him. For some reason, his first thought was not that the LED screen had malfunctioned. Instead, he thought of Hayden Tate¡¯s aloof little face. Just as Elliot was wondering if Hayden was behind the night¡¯s fiasco, the green screen suddenly turned into the image of a vast meadow! All kinds of green hats were floating above the meadow! Elliot was at a loss for words. ¡°Look at all those green hats!¡± cried an innocent child in the audience. ¡°Who did this? Who¡¯s being cheated on?¡± The crowd broke into a frenzy of discussion. Zoe¡¯s expression was filled with inordinate dread. She thought that nobody knew about the night she spent fooling around with Cole. She did not expect to get a p in the face! Who was the one behind all of this?! Chapter 310 Chapter 310 Chapter 310 Rosalie¡¯s face was drenched in a green glow. If Elliot had not been holding her up, she probably would have passed out from the shock. The staff disconnected the LED screen¡¯s power, and the disturbing green light vanished. ¡°What the h*ll is going on?!¡± Henry yelled. ¡°Why did that mess show up on screen? How exactly do all of you do your jobs around here?!¡± The manager rushed over to apologize. ¡°I¡¯m so sorry, Mr. Foster. I asked the staff and was told that ourputers had caught a virus. We have no idea how those images appeared on the LED screen.¡± Henry nced at his mother. Rosalie had caught her breath. ¡°Hurry up and get a newputer. Don¡¯t let anything like this happen again!¡± Henry ordered the manager. The awkward atmosphere on stage did not dissipate with the manager¡¯s departure. Other than being a vibrant color, there was a deeper meaning to the color green. For example, it symbolizes betrayal in a rtionship. Zoe felt the eyes of everyone in the room fall on her. She exined through flushed cheeks, ¡°I¡¯ve never done anything to betray Elliot, Rosalie. The bodyguard can be my witness.¡± ¡°Are you saying that I¡¯m the one who betrayed you?¡± Elliot asked. Zoe shook her head, then said, ¡°I don¡¯t suspect you of anything, Elliot. I¡¯m sure the stage technicians just messed up¡­ Perhaps it wasn¡¯t implying anything. Let¡¯s not overthink it.¡± Elliot¡¯s thin lips parted slightly as he murmured, ¡°Is that so? Let¡¯s hope nobody¡¯s trying to insinuate anything, then.¡± ¡°Zoe spends all of her days at home. How could she do anything to betray you?¡± Rosalie said. She decided to calm things down for the sake of the child Zoe was carrying. ¡°I have a birthday wish, Elliot.¡± Elliot¡¯s temples began to ache. The woman standing before him proimed herself to be the one who loved him most, but she was always forcing him to do things he hated in the name of that love. ¡°I¡¯m a woman, too. I¡¯ve also carried a child for nine months, so I know how tough it is. I hope you can treat the mother of your child better, even if it¡¯s just a little bit¡­ Can you promise me that, Elliot?¡± Rosalie was forcing Elliot to make a stand in public. If he were to refuse in front of all their friends and family, he would forever be seen as a heartless man! ¡°Since you love your unborn grandchild so much, you should wish for a longer life!¡± Elliot said, before storming off the stage. The entire banquet hall froze in stunned silence as if someone had hit the pause button on time. Suddenly, Cole stood up, raised his ss, and passionately said, ¡°It¡¯s my grandmother¡¯s birthday today. I¡¯d like to make a toast to Grandma¡¯s long and prosperous life! Let¡¯s drink the night away tonight!¡± The atmosphere returned to normal after Cole¡¯s toast. Elliot walked outside and lit a cigarette. Who was behind the green hats and meadow that had appeared on the screen? Was it Hayden? However, considering how much Hayden despised Elliot, he probably would not tell him if Zoe was cheating on him even if he knew. After all, getting cheated on was not as horrific as being made a fool of for the rest of one¡¯s life. Besides, had Avery not confiscated Hayden¡¯sptop? Who else could it be, if not Hayden? Text ? owned by N?velDrama.Org. Although he did not have a clue, tonight¡¯s episode had made him wary. Once Zoe gave birth to the child, he would insist on a paternity test right away. With that thought, he felt he would not mind being cheated on if that turned out to be the case! It would be a relief if the child Zoe was carrying was not his. However, that steamy night five months ago still felt so real to him! Chapter 311 Chapter 311 Chapter 311 Elliot had thought that the woman he spent that night with was Avery! He would never have touched Zoe if he had known it was her On the other side of the city, Avery was having dinner with a few good friends at Golden Beach Street. If it were not for the care and support of her friends, she would not have been able to get back on her feet so quickly after her mother¡¯s death. Although the thought of her mother¡¯s passing continued to pain her, Avery was not so impulsive as to go down with Wanda. Mike poured Wesley a ss of wine, but Wesley declined, saying, ¡°I drove here.¡± a Avery then poured Wesley a ss of juice and said, ¡°Wesley isn¡¯t a good drinker. I¡¯ll drink with you tonight, Mike!¡± ¡°Are you underestimating me, Avery? My tolerance is pretty good!¡± said Tammy. ¡°I know it is, but Jun already told me to keep an eye on you and make sure you don¡¯t get too drunk.¡± Tammy grunted nonchntly, then began to drink with Mike. ¡°Pace yourselves, you two. I called you out tonight for some good seafood, not for you to get drunk¡­¡± Avery cautioned. ¡°What¡¯s so great about seafood? What¡¯s a party without booze?¡± Mike said. Tammy chimed in, ¡°Exactly! If we¡¯re going to have a party without booze, then we might as well just sit at home and munch on some peanuts!¡± Avery decided to ignore them. After a few drinks, the two began to drunkenly banter. Once Avery was done peeling shrimps and crabs for her children, she began to eat. Noticing that Mike and Tammy were immersed in their drunkenness, Wesley turned to Avery and said, ¡°Eric really wants to thank you personally, Avery.¡± ¡°He should focus on rehab for now. We can meet once he¡¯s able to stand on his own two feet.¡± She lowered her gaze, pondering something, and then said, ¡°I wouldn¡¯t have to be so cautious if he was just an average person. But he¡¯s still a popr celebrity. If anyone was to discover where he is, there¡¯d be a real ruckus made; and, if that were to happen, not only would it get in the way of his rehabilitation, his personal life would be affected, too.¡± Wesley nodded and said, ¡°You¡¯re right. He¡¯s young, so he¡¯s a bit more impulsive.¡± He passed some crab meat to Avery. ¡°Eat it yourself!¡± Avery said, her cheeks turning pink. ¡°I don¡¯t eat crab,¡± Wesley replied. ¡°You were tending to the children this entire time and haven¡¯t had a bite to eat. You should eat more. I¡¯m worried you¡¯ll get blown away by the wind one day.¡± La lifted her head, then said seriously to Wesley, ¡°Hayden and I will hold on to Mommy¡¯s legs! We won¡¯t let the wind blow her away!¡± ¡°No matter how strong the wind is, I won¡¯t have to worry as long as I have the both of you around!¡± Wesley chuckled. He turned to Hayden and asked, ¡°Are you getting used to things at your new school?¡± Hayden nodded. Hayden might not have been sociable, but he never bothered the other children, so his teachers favored him. ¡°Why did you bring yourptop with you?¡± Wesley asked as he noticed theptop sticking out of Hayden¡¯s unzipped bag. Hayden quickly zipped his bag shut. Avery nced at her son, rm bells beginning to ring in her head. She did not immediately interrogate Hayden. Text ? owned by N?velDrama.Org. Instead, she pulled out her phone to check if Elliot had contacted her. It was a good thing he had not! Avery was relieved. ¡°I heard Zoe¡¯s nning on carrying out another surgery on Shea,¡± Wesley said, his expression conveying his mixed feelings. ¡°I don¡¯t know if Zoe is being too generous, or if Elliot¡¯s being a fool. Zoe¡¯s skills might not end up killing Shea, but I doubt the results would be ideal.¡± Avery¡¯s hand clenched tightly around her fork. ¡°Are you sure you don¡¯t want to tell Elliot that you were the one who operated on Shea the first time?¡± Wesley asked softly. Chapter 312 Chapter 312 Chapter 312 Wesley¡¯s question left Avery silent for a moment. ¡°Have you ever loved somebody, Wesley?¡± Avery asked quietly. ¡°If you have, then you probably won¡¯t have such a tough time understanding how I¡¯m feeling.¡± Wesley shook his head. ¡°You be possessive when you love someone. I want everything he owns, and I want to be the only one he sees. Most importantly, I want the rtionship to have no reservations,¡± Avery said. Then she smiled and continued, ¡°You¡¯ve seen it yourself. He has Shea, and he¡¯s willing to sell himself out for her treatment.¡± ¡°Before I knew about Shea¡¯s mental disability, I saw her as a thorn in my side. After I discovered she wasn¡¯t normal, the hostility I felt against her slowly began to fade away. Of course, I can carry out Shea¡¯s second surgery, but I won¡¯t do that.¡± Wesley stared nkly at Avery. ¡°How do you think Elliot would react if he found out I could treat Shea?¡± Avery asked. She poured herself a ss of wine and continued, ¡°How has he been treating Zoe? He¡¯s so grateful to her that he¡¯s willing to grant her every request¡­ Wesley, I don¡¯t want him thanking me for the sake of another woman.¡± Avery let out a bitterugh, then said, ¡°I don¡¯t care for that at all!¡± Wesley took the bottle of wine away from Avery, then said, ¡°I get it, Avery. If he can¡¯t give you a perfect love, then you¡¯d rather take nothing from him at all.¡± ¡°That¡¯s not all. Not only is he unable to reciprocate my love, but he is also incapable of being a father to my children!¡± Avery had only had one ss of wine, but her face had turned scarlet, and the tone of her voice was filled with hurt and loathing. ¡°He didn¡¯t want our children! Why is he allowing Zoe to keep her baby? Why isn¡¯t he forcing her to get an abortion? Huh?!¡± Wesley poured Avery a ss of juice, then said, ¡°Don¡¯t get upset, Avery.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t be mad, Mommy!¡± La pulled on Avery¡¯s arm. ¡°Hayden and I don¡¯t need Dirtbag Dad! All we need is Mommy.¡± Avery caressed her daughter¡¯s head, then said with smiling eyes, ¡°I¡¯m not mad. I¡¯m just thinking out loud to wake myself up.¡± When Wesley asked if she wanted to tell Elliot the truth, Shea¡¯s innocent eyes instantly popped into Avery¡¯s mind. She had felt her heart soften. She had said everything out loud for Wesley to hear, but it was also for herself. The worst thing that could happen from Zoe operating on Shea was that there would be no progress. This was eptable. However, if Elliot ever found out that the person who operated on Shea was Avery, he would definitely end up being entangled with her again! As if having Shea around was not bad enough, now there would be a pregnant Zoe to give Avery an even bigger headache! How could she possibly tell Elliot the truth? It was Monday at Starry River Kindergarten. The school was located near the Starry River Vi. Avery would send her children to school every morning. If she could not make it back in time in the evenings, Hayden would take La home first. The children were paying attention to the teacher¡¯s lesson when a figure suddenly appeared at the ssroom door. La immediately recognized the person! ¡°Hayden! Shea¡¯s here!¡± La cried out, then walked over to the ssroom door with Hayden. A wave of gloom washed over Shea¡¯s face when she saw them. ¡°I have to go into surgery tomorrow. I¡¯m scared,¡± she muttered softly in a voice filled with anxiety. ¡°Is Dr. Sanford going to operate on you?¡± Layle asked. Shea nodded. C¨°ntens bel0ngs to N?(v)elDr/a/ma.Org ¡°Don¡¯t let her touch your brain, Shea. You¡¯re not that smart to begin with. What if she makes you even dumber?!¡± La said. ¡°You should hide like you didst time. Don¡¯t let anyone find you! That way, they can¡¯t force you to get surgery!¡± Hayden nced at his sister intently and said, ¡°Stop meddling!¡± Chapter 313 Chapter 313 Chapter 313 ¡°Didn¡¯t we agree to stop being upset with Shea?¡± La asked dejectedly. Hayden took his sister¡¯s hand and walked back into the ssroom. Shea¡¯s surgery was going to happen no matter what. Coming to see them in her nervousness and fear would not change a thing. She should have gone to see Elliot Foster and seek hisfort. Elliot received a call from Mrs. Scarlet at three in the afternoon. Content is property ? N?velDrama.Org. ¡°Shea¡¯s missing again!¡± cried Mrs. Scarlet. ¡°The bodyguard and I have been looking for her for over an hour. We¡¯ve searched through the entire Starry River neighborhood and we still can ¡®t find her!¡± ¡°Why did you go to Starry River?!¡± Elliot eximed as he picked up his keys and walked toward the front door. ¡°Shea¡¯s been begging to see Hayden since she got to school this morning¡­ She threw a tantrum when I told her she couldn¡¯t. She refused to eat or drink anything. She never used to be like this. I had no other choice but to take her to see Hayden,¡± Mrs. Scarlet said as she sobbed pitifully. Ever since she had regained her self-perception after the surgery, Shea had be a pain to look after! ¡°So you took her to see Hayden Tate?¡± Merely hearing the name felt like a stab to Elliot¡¯s heart. ¡°Did he hide her away again?¡± ¡°He didn¡¯t! When I took Shea to see Hayden and La at school, they went back into the ssroom after only exchanging a few words,¡± Mrs. Scarlet said truthfully. ¡°Shea insisted on going to the neighborhood after we left the school, so I took her there¡­ She just disappeared in the blink of an eye!¡± Mrs. Scarlet was out of breath from all her sobbing. Elliot frowned, then said, ¡°Don¡¯t cry. I¡¯m on my way! She should still be in the neighborhood.¡± Mrs. Scarlet sniffled and said, ¡°Shea¡¯s a good girl. She¡¯s only hiding because she¡¯s afraid of getting surgery.¡± ¡°I know,¡± Elliot said. It took him a long time to coax Shea into going to bedst night. He did not want her to suffer, but the surgery had to be done for the sake of her health. He did not want her to be called an idiot ever again. That evening, when Avery drove her car into the neighborhood, she noticed a group of police officers at the gates. There was a long line of police tape around the area, and a mob of nosy onlookers had gathered. Avery furrowed her brows tightly. Had something bad happened? She quickly parked the car, then hurried towards the house. Please let the children be safe! Avery opened the front door and saw her children ying in the living room. The atmosphere inside the house was in stark contrast with the tense air outside. ¡°Well done, my babies! I¡¯m d you listened to me and didn¡¯t join the crowd outside,¡± Avery said, as she gave the children a peck on the cheek each. ¡°There¡¯s nothing to see, anyway,¡± La said with a calm expression. ¡°Shea¡¯s hiding. They¡¯re looking for her.¡± Avery¡¯s mind was blown. ¡°Shea¡¯s hiding in our neighborhood?!¡± ¡°Probably! I told her to hide, but I didn¡¯t tell her to hide in our neighborhood¡­¡± La grumbled, pulling a long face. ¡°What are we going to do if Dirtbag Dad shows up looking for her? I don¡¯t want to see him.¡± Avery¡¯s face flushed. ¡°Did you hide her in the house again?!¡± Hayden and La shook their heads. ¡°We didn¡¯t. She went to hide. We don¡¯t know where she is.¡± Avery let out a heavy sigh and quicklyposed herself. ¡°It¡¯s fine as long as she¡¯s not in our house. I¡¯m going to make dinner now. Don¡¯t go outside. If someone rings the doorbell¡ª¡± Before Avery could finish her sentence, the doorbell rang. Chapter 314 Chapter 314 Chapter 314 La and Hayden rushed to the front door and clearly saw the face of the man standing outside through the screen on the door security system. ¡°Mommy! Dirtbag Dad is here!¡± La cried in a panicked yet excited voice as she ran towards her mother. Avery put down her apron, then picked up her daughter. ¡°Don¡¯t be scared, sweetie. Follow your brother to your room for now,¡± she said as she nced at Hayden. Hayden reluctantly walked over, then stayed in the bedroom with La. Avery exited the children¡¯s room, then strode past the living to the front door and opened it up. Text property ? N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org. Elliot was standing right outside the door. The glow from the sunset shone from behind him, enhancing his chiseled features. ¡°Shea¡¯s missing. Her nanny said she lost her in your neighborhood,¡± Elliot said, exining his intentions. ¡°I¡¯ve looked through all the houses around here and still can¡¯t find her.¡± ¡°Are you saying you want to search my house?¡± Avery asked as she gazed at him coldly. Elliot met her icy eyes, then said calmly, ¡°I¡¯m here to find someone, not to raid your home.¡± ¡°What happens if you don¡¯t find her here?¡± Avery asked as she opened the front door fully. ¡°What do you want?¡± Elliot said as he took a forceful step towards her. The tense aura came at her like a scorching heatwave! Avery took an abrupt step back, then quickly said, ¡°If shes isn¡¯t here, then you have to swear to never step foot in my house ever again!¡± Elliot frowned slightly, as if in deep thought. When his lips parted a momentter, it was not to answer her question. ¡°Shea! Come out! Big Brother is here to take you home!¡± Elliot called out towards the empty living room behind Avery. If Shea were here, she would certainlye out one she heard his voice. ¡°Shea! Can you hear me? Big Brother is here to pick you up!¡± he called out once more when there was no response. Avery heard the intimate way Elliot referred to himself as ¡°Big Brother¡±. It was as if he really was Shea¡¯s brother! Even if he was, he could not be her biological brother. After all, there was no information about Shea in the Foster family records. Besides, would a normal man treat someone who was not his biological sister better than he treated his wife? ¡°Stop shouting, Elliot. Shea isn¡¯t here. Go ahead and search the rooms if you don¡¯t believe me, ¡°Avery said, then began to open up every room door in the house. Elliot followed closely behind her. Shea was not in the first or second rooms. When they arrived at the third room, his eyesnded on the two children inside! Hayden was holding La in his arms and ring at him with eyes filled with resentment. ¡°Why do your children hate me so much, Avery?¡± Elliot asked Avery, confused. ¡°Do you really not badmouth me in front of them?¡± ¡°They hate you because you have an aura about you that children dislike. You¡¯re not worth the effort of discussing in front of my children,¡± Avery responded. Elliot was angered by her eloquent reply, but he held back when he thought of how he had forced her to get an abortion before. ¡°You were losing your mind when Shea went missingst time! Why do you have the time to pick a fight with me this time?¡± Avery said mockingly. ¡°Did you think some good samaritan will take her to the hospital again?¡± Elliot epted her ridicule, then exined patiently, ¡°Her intellect was lower thest time she went missing. She¡¯s much better now.¡± ¡°I see¡­ What if she gets even better?¡± Avery asked nonchntly. ¡°Will you care about her more or less?¡± ¡°There¡¯s no need to be spiteful, Avery,¡± Elliot said as he suppressed the emotions in his dark eyes. ¡°She¡¯s nothing but an idiot to you!¡± It was as if Avery had struck a nerve in Elliot. The expression on his face turned ominous and terrifying. He did not continue his search, but walked away with clenched fists. Once he was gone, Avery let out a heavy sigh andposed her emotions. He could not find Shea, but why did he bring up the past? Chapter 315 Chapter 315 Chapter 315 Was Elliot going to hold the things Avery said in a fit of rage against her for the rest of their lives? After dinner, Avery dialed Mike¡¯s number, then put her phone on speaker and began to clean the kitchen. ¡°I¡¯ll be homete today, Avery!¡± Mike said in a stern and serious voice. ¡°I¡¯m not going to the bar tonight. It¡¯s for work¡­ It¡¯s about thepany! I¡¯ll tell you about it tomorrow.¡± ¡°Okay. It¡¯s nothing too serious, is it?¡± Avery said. ¡°I¡¯m not used to this sudden discipline in you.¡± Mike chuckled and said, ¡°I was just worried you think I¡¯m out messing around. You don¡¯t need to keep dinner for me.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± After Avery hung up the phone, she nced around the empty house and could not help but think of her mother. She refused to hire a nanny because she wanted to do all of the things Laura used to do. . She wanted to guess what her mother was thinking about when she did those things. The more she thought about it, the more guilty she felt. Laura always took care of her after Avery got pregnant. After the children were born, Laura gave her all to help raise them. She never lived a day of her life for herself. Avery never thought that there was anything wrong with that kind of life. It was not until Laura was gone that she realized she had put all of her energy in her work and the children. ¡°Mommy! Hayden¡¯s picking on me!¡± La cried suddenly as she ran out of the room. Avery quickly wiped the tears off her face and recovered her normal expression. ¡°How did he pick on you?¡± ¡°He said I wasn¡¯t doing my homework right, then said he¡¯d rip my books apart if I didn¡¯t do it properly!¡± La whimpered. Avery took her daughter¡¯s hand, then walked her to the bedroom and checked La¡¯s homework. It was no wonder Hayden was frowning in rage. La¡¯s homework was a mess. ¡°I¡¯ll teach you, La. Let¡¯s erase this line first,¡± Avery said patiently as she sat down at the desk next to La. By the time she was done helping the children with their homework and getting them ready for bed, it was already ten at night. Avery dragged her tired body back to her room. Her mind was nk. She felt like she had done a lot, but nothing at all at the same time. Laura was the one who took over these errands for her before. She owed a lot to her mother, and would have to wait until their next lifetimes to pay her back. Avery walked into the closet, opened up her wardrobe and was about to pick out a pair of pajamas. The moment she opened the wardrobe door, the body curled up inside almost fell right out! Avery reached out and caught Shea on reflex before she fell to the ground! What was Shea doing here?! How long had she been hiding here?! Avery had no time to think. Sheid Shea on the ground and checked on her condition. Momentster, she called Wesley for help. When La and Hayden woke up the next morning, they noticed that their mother was not at home and that she did not prepare breakfast for them. Their preschool provided breakfast, but Hayden was not used to the food. Which was why Avery would always make breakfast for them. ¡°Where did Mommy go, Hayden?¡± La asked with a confused expression on her face. ¡°If Mommy isn¡¯t home, does that mean we don¡¯t have to go to school?¡± Hayden took on the role of a big brother and said, ¡°If Mommy¡¯s not here, I¡¯ll take you to school.¡± ¡°Can you tell me where Mommy went?¡± La asked with concern. ¡°Mommy wouldn¡¯t have thought we were dragging her behind and decided to run off by herself, right?¡± Text ? owned by N?velDrama.Org. Hayden tapped on a button on his smart watch. Momentster, the sound of Avery¡¯s ringtone echoed from the master bedroom. ¡°She didn¡¯t bring her phone. She must have left in a hurry,¡± Hayden concluded, then walked to Avery¡¯s room and checked to see who thest person she called was. Chapter 316 Chapter 316 Chapter 316 At the Foster mansion, Elliot did not get a wink of sleep all night. Logically, Shea¡¯s mental state was better than it was before. She could even memorize Elliot¡¯s phone number. Text ? owned by N?velDrama.Org. There was no reason for her to spend all night hiding outside by herself. The night before, Elliot stationed some of his people at the Starry River neighborhood. He had not received any news since, which means that there was still no trace of Shea. The weather was warmer than it was during the new year, but she could still catch a cold if she was roaming around on the streets. Where could Shea be hiding? Did a good samaritan take her in? Elliot med himself. Shea had tried to run away before her first surgery. Since her intellect had improved, Elliot thought that she would have higher endurance, too. He had exined to her again and again the reason behind the surgery, so he had thought that she understood him to some extent. Who would have thought that she would still be so against it? If he had known this would be the oue, then perhaps he would not have been so insistent about the surgery. However, he did not want her to be mentally disabled for her entire life! What if he dies before her? Who was going to care for her once he¡¯s gone? Elliot could not bear the thought of Shea being picked on. The mere thought of it was uneptable to him. To Elliot, there were two types of people in this world. The first was the average person, and the second was him and Shea. Elliot drove over to the Starry River neighborhood and searched every corner once again. Later, he visited the neighborhood¡¯s surveince center and checked the entry and exit records of every car. At two in the afternoon, Elliot¡¯s bloodshot eyes saw a familiar Rower leaving the underground garage in the surveince footage. He moved the mouse and paused the video. ¡°Isn¡¯t that Avery¡¯s car?¡± he mumbled to himself, then nced at the time on the footage and added, ¡°Where was she going at 10.30 p.m.?¡± The people next to him did not know how to respond. Was he not searching for Shea? Why did he bring up Avery Tate? Elliot pulled out his phone and dialed Avery¡¯s number. When Avery¡¯s phone rang at the Starry River Vi, the two children immediately turned their heads around. Since Avery was not at home, they did not go to school. Hayden wanted to take La to school. After all, he had an obligation as a big brother to be a good role model to his sister. However, La had used the fact that Hayden also did not feel like going to school that day to change his mind. In the end, Hayden went to the school that morning to inform his teachers that La was sick and that he had to stay home to take care of her. The teachers suspected nothing and allowed them to take the day off. Now, the fact that Avery¡¯s phone was ringing overwhelmed the children. ¡°Isn¡¯t that Dirtbag Dad¡¯s name?¡± There were not many words that La could read, but she remembered very clearly what the name ¡°Elliot Foster¡± looked like. ¡°Why is he calling Mommy?¡± Hayden mumbled, then proceeded to reject the call. ¡°Don¡¯t you want to know why he called Mommy? I do! Let¡¯s answer if he calls again!¡± La said grumpily. ¡°Don¡¯t be silly. He won¡¯t speak if he doesn¡¯t hear Mommy¡¯s voice!¡± Hayden said, then blocked Elliot¡¯s number to prevent him from calling again and disturbing the peace. Over at the surveince center, Elliot¡¯s eyes were filled with bewilderment as he stared at his rejected call. Even if they were divorced, did Avery have to go as far as not answering his calls? His phone rang just as he was about to dial Avery¡¯s number again. It was Zoe, but the voice on the other end of the line belonged to a stranger. ¡°Hello, Mr. Foster. Doctor Sanford asked me to give you a call and inform you of the current situation,¡± said the woman. ¡°Doctor Sanford is in the operating room right now with Shea. Don¡¯t worry. The surgery should be done in about an hour.¡± Chapter 317 Chapter 317 Chapter 317 Elliot jolted from his seat. Shea was at the hospital?! Who sent her there? Why was he not informed before the surgery? ¡°Who sent Shea to the hospital? Which hospital is she at?!¡± Elliot¡¯s hand clenched tightly around his phone and he stormed out of the surveince center. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I¡¯m not too clear on the details myself. We are at Elizabeth Hospital,¡± the woman said, then hung up the phone. Elizabeth Hospital! It was Elizabeth Hospital again! Zoe had nned to carry out Shea¡¯s surgery at Central Hospital. This meant that Zoe was informed that Shea was at Elizabeth Hospital and headed over there. Who was the one who sent Shea to Elizabeth Hospital? Was it Avery? However, Shea was not at her house when Elliot went over the night before. Shea had a stubborn streak, but she was always well behaved in front of Elliot. It was impossible that she would not react if she heard Elliot¡¯s voice. Elliot¡¯s mind was a mess! He decided to brush everything aside for now. What was important was that Shea was safe. Two hourster, Elliot finally saw Shea at Elizabeth Hospital after her surgery. Her head was wrapped in a thickyer of bandages and her eyes were shut, as if asleep. ¡°How is she?¡± Elliot asked anxiously. Zoe smiled and said, ¡°She¡¯s doing well. I spoke to her throughout the entire operation. She was very clear headed.¡± Elliot felt relieved after seeing the smile on Zoe¡¯s face, but there was still something fishy about the entire ordeal! ¡°Why didn¡¯t you inform me before, Zoe?¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry! I was too busy at the time because we had to move a bunch of things over from Central Hospital. I didn¡¯t think of calling you until I was already in the operating room!¡± Zoe said with an innocent expression on her face. Elliot did not continue to pester her after seeing the blood stains on her surgical gown and gloves. ¡°Thank you, Zoe,¡± he said hoarsely. ¡°Don¡¯t mention it! You¡¯re my boyfriend. This is my duty,¡± Zoe said, then left to change. Elliot walked to the hospital room¡¯s door, and felt a peace of mind when he saw the bodyguard and Mrs. Scarlet inside the room. Text property ? N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org. He stepped aside and dialed Wesley¡¯s number. He had to find out the truth from Wesley! Why was Shea sent to Elizabeth Hospital every time she was in trouble? There was definitely something strange going on. Wesley¡¯s voice was calm and collected as he said, ¡°How can I help you, Mr. Foster?¡± ¡°Mr Brooke, is your father the director at Elizabeth Hospital?¡± ¡°May I know why you¡¯re suddenly asking me about this?¡± ¡°Could I see the surveince footage from today, please? I want to know who sent Shea here,¡± Elliot said as he held back his emotions. ¡°You can go straight to the surveince room for that. I¡¯m technically just a simple doctor at Elizabeth Hospital,¡± Wesley responded. ¡°Noted,¡± Elliot said, then hung up the phone and made his way over to the surveince room. Out of the many surveince screens, there were a few that were ck. ¡°What¡¯s going on with the ck screens?¡± Elliot asked with a frown. ¡°Those ones malfunctionedst night. We¡¯re still waiting for the repairmen toe and fix it! ¡°answered one of the staff. ¡°Which cameras broke down?¡± ¡°The front entrance, the entrance to the wards and the south parking lot¡­¡± said the staff member. The timing and locations of the broken down cameras were too coincidental! Did they truly malfunction, or was something trying to hide something from him? Avery¡¯s face suddenly popped into Elliot¡¯s head. Where did she go when she left the underground garage at 10.30 p.m. the night before? Elliot pulled out his phone and dialed Avery¡¯s number. ¡°Sorry, the number you have dialed is unavable. Please try againter.¡± The bot¡¯s monotonous voice made the coldness in Elliot¡¯s eyes turn even more chilling. Chapter 318 Chapter 318 Chapter 318 Elliot dialed Avery¡¯s number once again, but was stili met with the bot¡¯s message. He could not believe his ears! How dare Avery hang up on him? Or was her phone turned off? Elliot searched for Mike¡¯s number in his contacts and called him. They lived under the same room and worked in the samepany, so they were practically together 24/7 Mike was confused when he received Elliot¡¯s call. Why was he calling him? Were they that close? Mike nced at Avery who was lying on therge bed, and it suddenly dawned on him. He answered the call, but before he could say a word, Elliot¡¯s vicious voice came right at him. ¡°I¡¯m looking for Avery!¡± Mike was dumbfounded. What was he being so aggressive about?! ¡°Avery¡¯s asleep! What do you want with her?¡± Mike watched Avery¡¯s sleeping face and did not raise his voice at Elliot. She had arrived three hours ago, butid down and fell asleep without a word. Mike was thinking of leaving, but decided to stay and wait for her when he noticed she did not bring a thing with her. ¡°Wake her up! I have something to talk to her about!¡± Elliot¡¯s tone was overbearingly domineering. Shea went missing in the Starry River neighborhoodst night, and Avery drove out in the middle of the night. Then, Shea ended up being sent to Elizabeth Hospital. By some strange coincidence, several surveince cameras in key locations at the hospital broke down the night before. Elliot hated being dragged around in circles! Was he being taken for a fool? He was certain that Avery had something to do with this! Content is property ? N?velDrama.Org. Mike could tell from Elliot¡¯s tone that things were not as simple as they seemed. He leaned down, then gently patted Avery¡¯s back and said, ¡°Wake up, Avery! Your ex husband¡¯ s looking for you!¡± Ex husband! The title made Elliot frown! He absolutely hated it! Even so, Mike was always addressing him that way. Avery did not move a muscle and did not react at all. She must have stayed up all night to be this exhausted! ¡°Avery! Elliot Foster¡¯s looking for you! Elliot Foster! If you don¡¯t wake up now, that b*st*rd going toe here and get you!¡± Mike threatened into Avery¡¯s ear in a raised voice. Avery was sessfully awakened. She rubbed her tired eyes and nced nkly at her surroundings. ¡°You said Elliot¡­ Where is he?¡± ¡°Here!¡± Mike said as he handed the phone over to Avery. ¡°He¡¯s looking for a fight. Prepare yourself.¡± Avery narrowed her eyes, then took the phone from Mike. At the same time, she gestured at the bottle of water on the nightstand and said, ¡°Give me some water. I¡¯m thirsty.¡± When Elliot heard Avery¡¯s hoarse voice, he was even more certain! She was definitely with Shea all night and did not get any sleep! Otherwise, how could she still be in bed by now? Mike opened up the bottle of water and handed it to Avery. Avery took a big gulp of water, then ced the phone by her ears andzily said, ¡°Hello?¡± Chapter 319 Chapter 319 Chapter 319 ¡°Are you finally up?¡± Elliot asked mockingly. Averyid back on the bed, then massaged her aching temples and said, ¡°Weren¡¯t you the one who called and woke me up? Why did you call?¡± ¡°I saw you drive out of the neighborhoodst night at 10.30 p.m., Avery. Where did you go thatte at night?¡± Elliot asked. Avery gave Mike, who was sitting at the end of the bed, a little kick and shot him a look. Then, she answered Elliot¡¯s question. Text ? owned by N?velDrama.Org. ¡°Mike had too much to drinkst night. The bar called to ask me to go settle his check for him, so I drove out to where he was¡­ He was in a drunken craze. I was worried he¡¯s wake the kids if we went home, so we got a room at a nearby hotel¡­ What¡¯s up? Are you interested in going bar hopping? Should I get him to invite you next time?¡± Elliot¡¯s brows furrowed. Why was Avery¡¯s answer different from what he had imagined? ¡°Is there anything else?¡± Avery asked as she let out a yawn. ¡°Mike kept me up all nightst night¡­ I¡¯m exhausted. I¡¯m hanging up if that¡¯s all!¡± Just as she was about to end the call, she asked as if something just urred to her, ¡°By the way, did you manage to find Shea?¡± That final sentence made Elliot give up hope. Avery was not the one who sent Shea to the hospital. She had gone to the bar when she left the neighborhoodst night! She even went to a hotel with Mike and slept until now! ¡°I found her,¡± Elliot said, then hung up the phone. Avery gave up her act the moment she saw that the call had ended. She handed the phone back to Mike. ¡°Why did you lie?¡± Mike eximed in bewilderment. ¡°Also, did Shea go missing again?!¡± Avery pulled up the covers and shut her eyes, then said nonchntly with a stagnant face,¡± That¡¯s right! Why do you think she¡¯s so good at picking a ce to hide? Why did she have to hide in my wardrobe of all ces? If she was in yours or Mom¡¯s closet, she would be dead by now.¡± When Avery found Sheast night, her face was pale and her breathing was shallow. She would have died if she was discoveredter. Shea¡¯s mental state might be disabled, but it was a good thing luck was on her side. She was at Avery¡¯s house the both times she went missing. ¡°Holy sh*t! You didn¡¯t operate on her again, did you?¡± Mike guessed after he processed the situation. ¡°Are you letting Zoe Sanford take credit for everything again?¡± Avery¡¯s eyes shot open upon hearing his words. ¡°What do you mean by credit? It¡¯s more like a hot potato. If she wasn¡¯t close to death when I found her last night, I would have handed her over to Elliot right away. If I didn¡¯t treat her, Elliot would definitely think I did something bad to her.¡± ¡°Just admit it! Yo¨´ couldn¡¯t bring yourself to let Zoe operate on Shea,¡± Mike said, instantly seeing right through her. ¡°You¡¯ve felt bad this entire time about calling Shea an idiot before. This was a chance for you to redeem yourself, so you went ahead and carried out the surgery on her!¡± Avery said nothing. Mike¡¯sprehensive skills were surprisingly impressive! ¡°You don¡¯t want to get entangled with Elliot Foster again, so all you can do is do good deeds in the dark!¡± Avery frowned and said, ¡°Can you shut up and let me sleep? I¡¯m exhausted!¡± ¡°Fine, i¡¯ll let you sleep! You better get all the sleep you can get just in case you lose sleep over some other bad news when you wake up!¡± Mike goaded. Avery did not fall for his trap. ¡°Get out, then! Is watching someone sleep some weird fetish of yours?¡± ¡°Hey! You didn¡¯t bring your phone or your wallet. When we have to pay for the roomter¡­¡± ¡°Can¡¯t you just go and pay at reception right now? I wonder how the kids are doing. Go home and check¡± ¡°Got it! I called Hayden earlier. He said they didn¡¯t go to school today because neither of them felt like it.¡± Avery¡¯s expression instantly turned stern. She took a breath, then waved her hand at Mike and said, ¡°Go home and watch them, then! They should be hungry by now.¡± ¡°Oh, please. They know how to order takeout. How¡¯s the search for a bodyguard going?¡± Avery was suddenly no longer tired. She pulled the covers off, then tied her disheveled hair up into a ponytail. ¡°I haven¡¯t decided on anything yet. I¡¯m worried whoever I find won¡¯t be reliable, but I¡¯m also worried about the children¡¯s safety. They¡¯re always running around.¡± Mike raised his brows, then said, ¡°Should I ask Chad for a rmendation?¡± Avery looked at him in shock and said, ¡°Do you think my children have lived long enough and can¡¯t wait for them to die? Why don¡¯t you just go ahead and get Elliot toe be their bodyguard?¡± Chapter 320 Chapter 320 Chapter 320 When Mike realized he said something wrong, his hand shot up to cover his mouth. ¡°You¡¯ve been infiltrated!¡± Avery sighed. ¡°No way! He hasn¡¯t been asking about us recently,¡± Mike said as his pale blue eyes rolled. ¡°I¡¯m sure! He¡¯s not as good a drinker as I am. I get him drunk every time we drink together. He isn¡¯t capable of getting anything out of me.¡± Avery did not doubt the veracity of his words. She was just worried that he was hiding something from her or that he might one day be infiltrated. ¡°If you fall for Chad¡¯s pillow talk¡­¡± A pained expression appeared on Mike¡¯s face. Then, he changed the subject and said, ¡°Are you nning on continuing to help Shea unconditionally? It¡¯s a huge loss to not ask Elliot Foster for medical fees!¡± Avery shook her head and said, ¡°There won¡¯t be a next time. It¡¯s not that I won¡¯t help her. It¡¯s just that her condition is too severe and there are limits to my abilities. There¡¯s no way of knowing how her condition will be after this surgery, but she won¡¯t be worse off than she was before.¡± ¡°Doesn¡¯t that mean Shea would have to suffer if Elliot doesn¡¯t know about the situation and continues to get her treatment?¡± Mike said regretfully. ¡°Elliot might be a dirtbag, but Shea¡­ She might be mentally disabled, but she¡¯s still adorable and sweet!¡± Avery did not retaliate. She was beginning to feel tired. She wanted to go home and catch up on some sleep. At the hospital, Elliot stood by Shea¡¯s bed and watched her pale, haggard face. He hoped that her condition would have improved when she woke up. It would be even better if she could remember what happened before the surgeryst night. He really wanted to know what happened during that time. Zoe opened the door and entered the room. Elliot nced at her and said, ¡°You should go home and rest. I¡¯ll let you know when she wakes up.¡± Zoe¡¯s pregnancy was clearly showing. Elliot felt conflicted about the child she was carrying, but he was grateful to her for Shea¡¯s treatment. His people had yet to be able to contact Eric Santos. It was as if he had vanished off the face of the earth. For now, he still had to depend on Zoe for Shea¡¯s treatment. ¡°I think you¡¯re the one who needs to rest. You stayed up all night when Shea went missing, didn¡¯t you?¡± Zoe said as she walked to Elliot¡¯s side and patted his shoulder. ¡°Go home and rest, Elliot. I¡¯ll watch over things here.¡± Elliot lowered his gaze and took her in. On top of being gentle and kind, Zoe had superb medical skills. He could not find fault in her. He could not help but ask himself why he could not be nicer to her. C¨°ntens bel0ngs to N?(v)elDr/a/ma.Org ¡°I¡¯ll leave after Shea wakes up,¡± Elliot said. He was tired, but he would not be able to sleep even if he went home now. ¡°Go home and rest, Zoe.¡± At his insistence, Zoe could only do as she was told. Shea woke up about an hour after Zoe left. Her eyes were stone-cold as she nced around her unfamiliar surroundings. Elliot did not blink. He had never seen that look in Shea¡¯s eyes before! Inyman¡¯s terms, her mental disability made her a moron and an idiot. Sheughed when she was happy and cried when she was not. Other than that, she had no otherplex emotions or expressions. However, she was different now! This was the result of the surgery! Elliot did not expect the effects to be this obvious. ¡°How do you feel, Shea?¡± he asked as he held her cold hand and gazed eagerly at her. Shea studied his face for a few seconds, then fluttered her eyshes and asked hoarsely,¡± Where¡¯s Avery? Wasn¡¯t she talking to me? Where is she?¡± Elliot felt as if his heart had stopped. He took in a shaky breath and asked, ¡°When did she talk to you?!¡± Avery had been at a hotel with Mike since the night before! ¡°Just now!¡± Shea said lightly. Elliot was dumbfounded. Chapter 321 Chapter 321 Chapter 321 The world began to spin around Elliot and he almost passed out. Did Avery lie to him, or was Shea imagining things after the surgery? Elliot pulled out his phone, called Zoe and told her to hurry back to the hospital. Zoe had a bad feeling when she heard the anxiety in Elliot¡¯s voice. ¡°Slow down, Elliot. Is there something wrong with Shea? She just woke up. She needs some time to slowly recover.¡± The apprehension in Elliot¡¯s heart calmed down. However, Shea did not have this strange reaction after herst surgery. He hung up the phone, then returned to Shea¡¯s bedside. ¡°You just got out of surgery, Shea. Don¡¯t think too much. You¡¯ll get a headache,¡± he said as he gazed tenderly at Shea and smiled. ¡°I can feel that you¡¯re getting better.¡± Content is property ? N?velDrama.Org. ¡°My head hurts a little,¡± Shea said as she took a breath. ¡°Doctor Sanford¡¯s on her way over. We¡¯ll see if she can prescribe some painkillers.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t want to see Doctor Sanford,¡± Shea said wearily as she lowered her gaze. Elliot¡¯s Adam¡¯s apple rolled in his throat. ¡°Doctor Sanford was the one who operated on you, Shea. You know your manners. You should thank her when she arrivester.¡± ¡°No¡­¡± Shea said stubbornly as she lifted her eyes to meet Elliot¡¯s. ¡°It was Avery¡­ She was by my side. I heard her talking to me¡­ She asked me to talk to her and answer her questions¡­ She was gentle, unlike usual¡­¡± ¡°That was just an illusion, Shea. Avery¡¯s been with another man sincest night. There¡¯s no way she was with you.¡± Elliot was beginning to feel anxious, but he did not show it. He was worried that Shea would feel even more nervous if she saw him that way. Shea was stunned when she heard his words. An illusion? Was it really just an illusion? She clearly remembered Avery¡¯s voice and the questions she asked her. Avery told her that she had to stay awake, and that she could sleepter. That was why they kept talking. How could such a fresh, real memory be an illusion? Zoe arrived half an hourter. She checked Shea¡¯s temperature and blood pressure, then said to Elliot, ¡°Everything¡¯s fine. Did she say something just now?¡± Elliot nced at Shea, then walked onto the balcony with Zoe. ¡°She said that you weren¡¯t the one who operated on her. She said Avery was with her the entire time and talking to her,¡± Elliot exined softly in confusion. ¡°If she remembered wrongly, then why didn¡¯t she say Mrs. Scarlet was the one who was talking to her? She¡¯s very close with her.¡± Elliot¡¯s words sent shockwaves through Zoe¡¯s entire body. Was Avery Tate the one who operated on Shea?! How was that possible? How could Avery be that capable She was young, and there were no public records of her clinical experience. How was it possible for her to carry out such aplicated and intricate operation on Shea? Zoe felt like she was about to lose her mind. Before the energy escaped from her body, sheposed herself and said, ¡°Shea¡¯s mistaken. I was the one who was talking to her. I¡¯ve mentioned before that we need to speak to the patient during a craniotomy. It¡¯s so that the surgeon is able to confirm the progress of the surgery and keep an eye on the patient¡¯s condition.¡± After giving her excuse, Zoe closely studied Elliot¡¯s reaction. The expression on his face turned from being suspicious to that of eptance. ¡°Let¡¯s observe her for a few days,¡± he said. If Zoe was not the one who did the surgery, then was it Avery? However, Avery told him that she was not with Shea. The only thing he could do for now was to ept Zoe¡¯s answer. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. It¡¯s normal for her to say some odd things and have some mood swings right now,¡± Zoe said as she tried tofort him. ¡°Her condition¡¯s looking good. You should go home and rest!¡± Elliot returned to the hospital room and did not leave until after he repeatedly instructed Mrs. Scarlet to watch over Shea. Once he was gone, Zoe immediately went to Shea and began brainwashing her. ¡°Shea, I was the one who operated on you. How could you say it was Avery Tate? It hurts me that you¡¯d say that to your brother!¡± Chapter 322 Chapter 322 Chapter 322 Zoe¡¯s performance was convincing, but Shea was not swayed. She could tell the difference between deception and sincerity by looking at a person¡¯s eyes. Shea could tell that Zoe was fawning over her brother, but she did not think that she truly cared about her. ¡°Big Brother asked me to thank you,¡± Shea said angrily. ¡°I won¡¯t.¡± Zoe nced at Mrs. Scarlet then said, ¡°Would you mind stepping out for a moment? I¡¯d like to speak to Shea alone.¡± y troubled, but now that Zoe was the Foster family¡¯s savior, she did not Mrs. Scarlet fe dare offend her. Once Mrs. Scarlet was out of the room, Zoe said, ¡°I don¡¯t know why you¡¯re always so hostile towards me, Shea. Did something say something bad about me to you? Ever since I returned to the country, I¡¯ve been painstakingly researching information anding up with your treatment n. Why can¡¯t I get a simple word of thanks from you?¡± Shea went straight to the point and said, ¡°I don¡¯t think you¡¯re the one who did the surgery.¡± Otherwise, why did Avery¡¯s face and voice appear in her mind before each surgery? She would not suspect a thing if Zoe was the one she saw before the surgery. There were not that many twists and turns in her mind. She believed what she saw and heard. ¡°You don¡¯t think so? Heh. You¡¯re a patient right now. Your thoughts aren¡¯t urate,¡± Zoe said as she continued to try to brainwash Shea. She used to be mentally disabled, after all. Even if her condition had improved, she was still a patient who was fresh out of the operating room! Zoe could manipte her thoughts. Even if what Shea said was the truth, it could still be considered wrong. People would only trust the doctor, and not the patient. This was the reason Zoe had the guts to lie to Elliot. Since the real person behind Shea¡¯s surgery did not reveal their true identity, it probably meant that there was no need for them to benefit from Elliot. Whoever it was had asked the hospital to contact Zoe after both surgeries. This meant that the person was silently allowing her to take credit for the deeds! How could she refuse something that just dropped into herp like this? ¡°You¡¯re a bad person!¡± Shea snapped. Her resentment for Zoe rose as she saw the conceited look on her face. Shea¡¯s intellect might notpare to the average person, but she still had the ability to sense good and evil. A genuinely kind person would not speak in such an overbearing way. ¡°You¡¯re probably only saying that because you haven¡¯t met a truly bad person. I know you¡¯re the woman that Elliot cares about the most. I¡¯ve never thought of hurting you. I can stay by Elliot¡¯s side with you, but why can¡¯t you ept me?¡± Zoe¡¯sst sentence came across as a rhetorical question, but it was actually a cry of injustice. ¡°Get out!¡± Shea¡¯s voice suddenly rose as her emotions intensified. Mrs. Scarlet burst into the room when she heard Shea¡¯s voice. ¡°What¡¯s wrong, Shea?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Mrs. Scarlet,¡± Zoe said soundly. ¡°Her intense emotions are a sign that her self perception has improved. It proves that the surgery went well.¡± Mrs. Scarlet was taken aback, then quickly nodded and said, ¡°Thank you so much, Doctor Sanford!¡± ¡°You¡¯re wee. Her condition right now isn¡¯t good for her recovery. I¡¯ll prescribe some mild sedatives for her. Make sure to give them to her when she eats.¡± ¡°Yes, ma¡¯am!¡± When Avery returned to the Starry River Vi, there were different levels of anxiety on the children¡¯s face. They wondered if their mother would be upset that they skipped school that day. ¡°Mommy! Your phone!¡± La said as she held out Avery¡¯s phone to her as if she was presenting a prize. Her eyes glistened as she said, ¡°Someone called you earlier, Mommy! Guess who it was!¡± ¡°I blocked his number,¡± Hayden said. Avery opened up the blocked contacts on her phone and saw Elliot¡¯s name sitting alone on the list. She frowned as she hesitated whether to keep him on the list or not. Mike sauntered over and teased, ¡°What¡¯s there to think about? He¡¯s got another woman now. I would have cut off all contact with him long ago if I were you!¡± Avery looked up at him and said, ¡°Who was the one who cried every day for an entire year after breaking up with his boyfriend¡­ Who was it again?¡± Mike immediately raised his hands in surrender and changed the subject. ¡°Go get some sleep, Avery! I¡¯ll take the kids out so they won¡¯t disturb you.¡± Once Mike left with the children, Avery took a deep breath and decided to let Elliot stay in her blocked contacts! After today, his rtionship with Zoe would certainly progress by leaps and bounds. They might even end up getting married soon! There was no reason left for Avery to contact Elliot again. C¨°ntens bel0ngs to N?(v)elDr/a/ma.Org She held her phone in her hand and walked towards the master bedroom. Meanwhile, at the Foster mansion¡­ Chapter 323 Chapter 323 Chapter 323 Elliot had a nightmare. He dreamt that Avery blocked his number on her phone. Not only could he never see her again, he could not even call her. They were bothpletely cut off from each other forever! Elliot¡¯s heart throbbed with pain, as if he had lost his most precious possession. He opened his eyes as his body was dripping in cold sweat. There was a mist over his deep set eyes that were filled with unimaginable pain. He found his phone and dialed Avery¡¯s number. It was seven in the evening. She had slept all day, so she was probably at home and awake right now! ¡°Sorry, the number you have dialed is unavable. Please tryter.¡± The cold, monotonous voice of a bot rang in Elliot¡¯s ear. His fingers clenched down rightly around his phone. It seemed like his nightmare had turned into reality! Avery actually blocked his number! There was no other reason why he repeatedly failed to reach her number. To verify his spections, Elliot pulled off the covers and leaped out of the bed. He used the house¡¯sndline and dialed Aveyr¡¯s number. His heart throbbed with every button he pressed. Although he had not confirmed his suspicions, he had a very bad feeling about the entire thing. Once he dialed the number¡­ It went through! C¨°ntens bel0ngs to N?(v)elDr/a/ma.Org The call actually went through! His fingers wrapped so tightly around the phone¡¯s receiver that they turned white! His eyes were filled with the redness of rage! With his old temper, either the phone or Avery would be torn to pieces! However, this time he was holding back and waiting for Avery to answer the call. When Avery¡¯s phone rang, she had one hand wrapped around her nket. She reached for her phone with her other hand and answered the call. ¡°Hello?¡± she said in a voice that was sluggish and hoarse. ¡°Avery Tate!¡± Elliot¡¯s furious voice hit Avery¡¯s ear with intense force. ¡°Unblock my number right now!¡± Avery instantly woke up. It was embarrassing how quickly she was discovered. Sheposed herself, then said, ¡°What¡¯s the point, Elliot? From now on, the both of us¡­¡± ¡°Unblock my number!¡± Elliot interrupted before Avery could finish her sentence. Her eardrum hurt from the loudness of his voice. ¡°Can you not speak so¡­¡± ¡°Unblock me right now!¡± ¡°I won¡¯t!¡± Avery snapped as her blood began to boil with rage. ¡°Don¡¯t order me around with that domineering attitude! You can¡¯t order me around!¡± Her clear, powerful voice instantly silenced the man on the other line. In the silence, Avery noticed that her breathing had quickened, her heart was beating so fast that it felt like it was about to jump out of her chest, and her body temperature had risen. She did not want things to be this unpleasant between them. How¡­ Did it end up like this? ¡°Are you really going to draw the line here?¡± Elliot said momentster. The misery and hurt in his voice was undisguised. No matter how hard things were, he had never lost hisposure in front of people. However, when it came to Avery, all of his principles vanished in an instant. Avery¡¯s eyes teared up as she said through the lump in her throat, ¡°Zoe¡¯s pregnant with your child. You should have a good life with her!¡± Chapter 324 Chapter 324 Chapter 324 Mike and the children had their ears glued to the door of the master bedroom and were eavesdropping Avery¡¯s loud roar earlier lured them over. C¨°ntens bel0ngs to N?(v)elDr/a/ma.Org Momentster, the door opened without warning. Mike almost fell into Avery¡¯s embrace. Avery stared at them in bewilderment and said, ¡°What are you guys doing?¡± ¡°Who were you fighting with, Mommy?¡± La asked as she lifted her head with innocent eyes filled with curiosity. ¡°Was it Dirtbag Dad?¡± ¡°Your mother turns a little feral in front of him and her enemies,¡± Mike teased. ¡°Otherwise, she¡¯s a perfectdy.¡± ¡°Oh, so Dirtbag Dad¡¯s Mommy¡¯s enemy.¡± La¡¯sprehensive skills were on point. Avery felt a throbbing pain in her temples. She walked out of her room and moved downstairs. ¡°There¡¯s dinner for you in the kitchen, Avery!¡± Mike called out to her slender back. ¡°Okay.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll help the kids wash up. Let¡¯s talk after you eat,¡± Mike continued. With one hand on the banister, Avery turned her head and asked in confusion, ¡°What¡¯s there to talk about? Why can¡¯t you just say it now?¡± ¡°Have you forgotten what I told you in the afternoon?¡± Mike said in frustration. ¡°Go and eat. I¡¯ lle to youter.¡± Avery tried her best to recall their earlier conversation, but she did not have a clue. Things have been chaotic in the past couple of days. On top of that, her sleeping patterns were messed up. Her spirit was drained and her memory was deteriorating Avery had a couple of bites of food to eat then made her way back upstairs. When Mike saw here up, he asked in shock, ¡°Are you done with dinner already?¡± Avery leaned against the door frame of the children¡¯s bedroom, then asked, ¡°What did you want to talk about? Stop being so mysterious.¡± Hayden shoved Mike towards the door and said, ¡°I¡¯ll take care of La.¡± Mike agreed, then grabbed onto Avery¡¯s arm and pulled her downstairs. ¡°I was worried about disturbing your rest,¡± Mike said bitterly. ¡°It¡¯s about work. It¡¯s nothing serious. It¡¯s just that there were some issues with our product.¡± Avery raised her brows and asked, ¡°What kind of issues?¡± ¡°Our business partners tricked us. Didn¡¯t we order high-end lenses from Nycra? They ended up giving us one of their mid-range products.¡± ¡°That¡¯s uneptable! How did this get past quality assurance?¡± ¡°Things were hectic towards the end of the year. Our manager didn¡¯t know much about these things either, so something like this happened,¡± Mike said as he opened a video on his phone and showed it to Avery. There were over two millions views on the video. Master Up was the most popr influencer in the field of drones. The title on the video was especially shocking. ¡°The Most Awesome Review in History!: Let¡¯s see how Alpha Technologies¡¯ subsidiary, Tate Industries, is cheating our citizens!¡± The video described the products in detail, including both its pros and cons. Master Up even went through the trouble of buying a drone that was produced by Alpha Technologies andpared it with Tate Industries¡¯ Storm Series drone.. The conclusion was that, despite owning bothpanies, Avery Tate¡¯s products abroad were of better quality and more cost-effective! Chapter 325 Chapter 325 Chapter 325 The Storm Series, which was manufactured in Aryadelle, had the same battery life as the product that was made abroad. However, its lousy lens made it impossible to take professional photos! Even so, it was selling at the price point of a professional drone! Tens of thousands ofments were rolling in under the video. (This is just rude! Did Avery Tate forget that she¡¯s from Aryadelle?! How could she trick her fellow citizens? Disgusting!) [Down with Tate Industries!) (Should we tag Sterling Group here? After all, their president Elliot Foster is Tate Industries¡¯ top customer!) Avery sat down on the couch, picked up a ss of water and took a sip. ¡°I¡¯ve contacted Nycra. They said that they¡¯re willing to reimburse everything as per the contract,¡± Mike said. ¡°Also, they said they can¡¯t sell us their high-end lenses.¡± ¡°Why not?¡± Avery asked in confusion as she put her ss down. ¡°Is it the price?¡± Mike shook his head and said, ¡°We pose a threat to the other dronepanies in the country. They¡¯re worried that we¡¯ll monopolize the market, so they joined forces to kick us out.¡± I Avery could not help butugh. ¡°Do they think we can¡¯t survive if Nycra doesn¡¯t sell us their high-end lenses? What a joke!¡± ¡°The other domestic camerapanies won¡¯t work with us either.¡± Avery nodded and said, ¡°Let¡¯s look for apany abroad.¡± ¡°The cost would be too high, Avery,¡± Mike said. ¡°Besides, there aren¡¯t that many famous camera companies in the world. Most of them have exclusive contracts and already signed special agreements.¡± ¡°I know,¡± Avery said ndly. ¡°It¡¯s just like how Alpha Technologies has an exclusive contract with Bohmer Holdings. Although we own Tate Industries, too, Bohmer Holdings can¡¯t sell lenses to us as long as we go by that name and not Alpha Technologies.¡± Avery hung her head and began to think of a n. At that moment, Mike spoke up. ¡°Nycra gave me Golden Technologies¡¯ president¡¯s business card. I talked to him earlier. He said Nycra will work with us if we share information on our core technology for the Super Brain system.¡± Avery scoffed and said, ¡°Golden Technologies? Isn¡¯t their vice president my father¡¯s former vice president, Shaun Locklyn? He almost killed me over the Super Brain program.¡± ¡°Haha! You¡¯re old enemies, then!¡± ¡°That¡¯s right! You can tell the president of Golden Technologies to dream on!¡± ¡°I knew you wouldn¡¯t ept, which was why I declinedst night.¡± An idea suddenly popped into Avery¡¯s mind. ¡°Recall the Storm Series and give a refund to every customer.¡± Mike raised his brows in disbelief, then said, ¡°Are you sure? The lens on the Storm Series may not be high-end, but it¡¯s not considered that bad. As long as it¡¯s used in a professional setting, the average consumer would find it just fine.¡± Avery corrected his way of thinking and said, ¡°We have to brave the consequences of our mistakes. The loss of money is nothingpared to the loss of reputation.¡± ¡°Roger that!¡± Mike said with a grin. ¡°Our biggest customer is Elliot Foster. Should I go talk to him, or will you?¡± Avery¡¯s cheeks turned crimson red. Text ? owned by N?velDrama.Org. She had just drawn the line between herself and Elliot and even blocked his number. In the end¡­ Such a serious issue just had to ur with their sales! How embarrassing! ¡°Of course you¡¯re going!¡± Avery said as her eyes glistened and her cheeks flushed. ¡°Didn¡¯t you hear my argument with him earlier?¡± ¡°Okay. I¡¯ll go see him tomorrow,¡± Mike said, then pulled Avery over to the kitchen. ¡°You should eat! The problems will be solved. If worsees to worst, we could invest in Bohmer Holdings and let them open a brand newpany here in Aryadelle!¡± Avery chuckled and said, ¡°My thoughts exactly.¡± ¡°They underestimated you! They thought you¡¯d be scared to tears! Ha!¡± Mike sweet-talked.¡± If Elliot Foster doesn¡¯t scare you, who could?!¡± The mention of Elliot¡¯s name made the smile on Avery¡¯s face disappear. ¡°I had a pretty big fight with him earlier, Mike. Be careful tomorrow.¡± Chapter 326 Chapter 326 Chapter 326 Text ? owned by N?velDrama.Org. The next day, Elliot showed up at the intensive care unit first thing in the morning. After drinking the soup that Mrs. Scarlet made her the night before, Shea¡¯s mind turned cloudy. She felt drained and fell asleep. When she woke up after a night of sleep, her eyes were lifeless. That was until Elliot appeared. ¡°How are you feeling today, Shea? Does your head hurt?¡± His gentle, familiar voice made the emotion return to Shea¡¯s face. ¡°Why isn¡¯t Averying to see me, Big Brother?¡± she asked dejectedly. Elliot¡¯s brows furrowed slightly, and the tenderness in his eyes disappeared. ¡°She won¡¯te to see you. Don¡¯t think about her or her children anymore, Shea.¡± She was even more upset now. ¡°None of you believe me¡­ Avery spoke to me. She asked me a lot of questions¡­¡± Elliot¡¯s heart ached at the sight of his sister¡¯s sicklyplexion. ¡°It¡¯s not that I don¡¯t believe you. Perhaps she really did speak to you, but it was only in your dreams.¡± ¡°Really?¡± Shea nced at Elliot, as if in a trance. Was it all truly just a dream? ¡°I always dream of our childhood, but Ie back to reality when I wake up. No matter how real the sights and sounds feel, it¡¯s all still just a dream. None of it is real,¡± Elliot exined patiently. Shea lowered her gaze, as if she was processing and trying to ept his words. Elliot left the hospital at 10 a.m. and made his way to Sterling Group. Mrs. Scarlet was taking care of Shea, so he was not worried. Shea was a little downcasted today, but it was still a more suitable mood to be in during recovery compared to the intense emotions from the day before. Mrs. Scarlet mentioned that Zoe had prescribed some sedatives to Shea. Perhaps this was the work of the medication? Speaking of Zoe¡­ When Avery told him to live a good life with Zoest night, he was so furious that he did not get a wink of sleep. However, his mind changed slightly after he had time to calm down. When Elliot arrived at Sterling Group, he entered his office with Chad following closely behind him. ¡°Tate Industries is in trouble, sir. Have you seen the news?¡± Chad asked. ¡°Not interested,¡± Elliot responded coldly. Chad had found out about Elliot¡¯s fight with Avery from Mike, so he was not surprised by his boss¡¯s reaction. ¡°Here¡¯s the thing, Tate Industries released a public statement this morning announcing their decision to recall all of the Storm Series drones,¡± Chad said cautiously as he observed Elliot¡¯s expression. ¡°Mike called me this morning and wanted me to ask you if you¡¯d like to return all the products we bought before.¡± Elliot turned on hisputer, then raised his brows and said nonchntly, ¡°Do you know why Mike was the one who contacted you?¡± Of course Chad knew the reason, but he did not dare show it. ¡°Avery blocked¡¯my number,¡± Elliot said with a bitter chuckle. ¡°She can¡¯t contact me, so she asked Mike to do it.¡± Chad was speechless. He did not expect this at all! Fighting aside, was there a need for something as childish as blocking someone¡¯s number?! ¡°What would you like to do?¡± Chad saw Elliot¡¯s broken heart through his coldugh and tried to guess what he was thinking. ¡°Shall we return everything and let them suffer the loss?¡± Elliot¡¯s face froze. ¡°She won¡¯t suffer from a mary loss. I won¡¯t return anything. Let her feel bad about it.¡± Chad was dumbfounded. It was getting harder for him to figure out the way his boss¡¯s mind worked. Did he want Avery to suffer, or did he feel bad about making Avery refund the money? Chad called Mike when he walked out of the office. ¡°How did it go? What did Elliot Foster say?¡± Mike asked. Chad adjusted his sses, then said, ¡°Make Avery unblock my boss¡¯s number right away! He¡¯s furious about this.¡± Mike held his head in his hand and said, ¡°He won¡¯t return the goods if she unblocks him?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right,¡± Chad said with certainty. Mike opened the door to Avery¡¯s office. There was nobody inside. Avery had left for the office first thing in the morning to deal with this fiasco. Chapter 327 Chapter 327 Chapter 327 Mike did not know where Avery was, but her phone was on her desk. He picked up the phone and quickly opened up the list of blocked phone numbers. Huh?! Elliot¡¯s name was not in the list at all! Mike quickly put the phone back on the desk and pretended like nothing happened. At that moment, the doors to the office opened and Avery walked in. ¡°Has Sterling Group responded?¡± she asked as she walked over, picked up the ss on the desk and took a sip of water. Text property ? N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org. ¡°They won¡¯t return the goods,¡± Mike reported. ¡°You¡¯re not going to insist on them returning the products, are you?¡± Avery put down the ss of water, then lifted her gaze to Mike and said, ¡°You really do understand me. However, even if I insist, they won¡¯t return the goods. There¡¯s no point in getting entangled with them.¡± Mike gave Avery a thumbs up. ¡°Wire over seven and a half million dors to them!¡± Avery added. Mike was at a loss for words. ¡°Forget it,¡± Avery said as she quickly changed her mind, then calmly said, ¡°He¡¯ll throw a tantrum if I give him a refund. We¡¯ll just end up fighting again.¡± ¡°Exactly!¡± Mike agreed. ¡°Head on out! I want to be alone.¡± ¡°Okay¡­ Don¡¯t look up news about thepany on the inte and don¡¯t read thements, ¡°Mike said before leaving the room. Since Tate Industries got in trouble, the other dronepanies in the country got together to start a smear campaign against Avery and thepany through the use of inte trolls and paid news articles. Now, nderous posts about Avery Tate and Tate industries were everywhere online. Once Mike was out of the room, Avery opened up herptop. ¡°Tate Industries Apology¡±, ¡°Tate Industries Bankruptcy¡±, ¡°Avery Tate Scammer¡±, ¡°Deport Avery Tate¡± and many other simr topics were trending on social media. Someone who was not aware of the situation would think that Avery hadmitted a heinous and despicable sin. Only less than seven thousand Storm Series drones were sold, five thousand of which were sold to Elliot. That meant that only about two thousand drones reached the hands of the average consumer. Was it necessary for this to be made such a big deal? (Do you know why Avery Tate is so rich? She has a married sugar daddy abroad! She made all her money from being a homewrecker! It¡¯s not hard to imagine her character!] [You can tell from her looks that she¡¯s not a decent woman! How could she do something this disgusting? Does she think we¡¯re all stupid?!] [I¡¯m never buying anything from Tate Industries again!] [Me, too!] Avery¡¯s eyes turned cold as she read the fabricated rumors. Her opponents would win if she was affected. She closed the website,posed her emotions, then opened up her email inbox and began to work. That night, the Foster family gathered at the old Foster mansion. Even so, the atmosphere was erriely cold. This was due to Elliot¡¯s stone-cold expression. ¡°Didn¡¯t Shea¡¯s surgery go well, Elliot? Why the long face?¡± Rosalie asked. ¡°We really owe it to Zoe this time. If it weren¡¯t for her¡­¡± ¡°How do you want me to thank her?¡± Elliot interjected. Rosalie saw the savage fury on her son¡¯s face and held back the words she wanted to say. In the end, she said cautiously, ¡°I know you¡¯re not willing to get married. You don¡¯t have to make it official. Just get engaged. At least you¡¯d be giving Zoe some kind of acknowldgement.¡± ¡°Fine.¡± One simple word left everyone in awe. Nobody was more excited than Zoe. Elliot actually agreed to get engaged to her! My god! She was about to be Mrs. Foster! Chapter 328 Chapter 328 Chapter 328 Elliot took his leave after dinner. He wanted to drop by the hospital to see Shea. The other Foster family members also left soon after. Once Rosalie retired to her room, Cole opened up the door to Zoe¡¯s room. Zoe had been staying at the old mansion since her pregnancy became public. ¡°You¡¯re amazing, Doctor Sanford!¡± Cole eximed after he entered the room and shut the door behind him. ¡°You actually managed to handle someone as difficult as my uncle! Should I start calling you Aunt Zoe soon?¡± The smile Zoe wore was elegant and calm as she said, ¡°Of course. Once we¡¯re engaged, I would be his fiance. What¡¯s the difference between a fiance and a wife?¡± ¡°Congrattions! It¡¯s just¡­¡± Cole said as a look of concern appeared on his face. ¡°Is there a way to make sure my uncle doesn¡¯t suspect the baby you¡¯re carrying? After all, we have to depend on the kid to get my uncle¡¯s inheritance!¡± Zoe¡¯s face changed as she said, ¡°There¡¯s no way I¡¯m letting this child live!¡± A wave of gloom washed over Cole¡¯s face. ¡°The moment this child is born, your uncle will definitely insist on a paternity test,¡± Zoe said coldly. ¡°If the results show that the baby isn¡¯t his, he¡¯ll surely break up with me! You¡¯d be done for, too!¡± Cole¡¯s lips trembled as he said, ¡°That¡¯s why I¡¯m asking if there¡¯s a way to change the results on the paternity test.¡± ¡°There isn¡¯t! Unless he lets me carry out the test! He won¡¯t let me do that! He¡¯s always been wary of me and searching for other doctors that can help Shea¡­ He¡¯ll kick me to the curb once he manages to find someone else,¡± Zoe said as her emotions ran wild. Cole patted her on the shoulder and said, ¡°He hasn¡¯t found anyone else, right? You really are amazing, Doctor Sanford! Both surgeries were sesses. It¡¯s no wonder my uncle would change his mind and agree to get engaged to you. I would marry you if it were me.¡± Zoe was startled back to reality. She shoved Cole¡¯s hand away, then red at him with a look of disgust and snapped, ¡°Get out if there¡¯s nothing else! Don¡¯te into my room ever again!¡± ¡°Okay¡­ You said you didn¡¯t want to keep the baby, so how do you n on getting rid of it?¡± Cole asked as he gazed at Zoe¡¯s protruding belly withplicated emotions. ¡°You¡¯ll find out when it happens!¡± Zoe was setting up her chess pieces. The next day, the news of the uing engagement between Elliot Foster and Zoe Sanford spread through the entire Avonsville. Even the date was confirmed. The engagement party was to be held in two weeks. The news became an instant viral hit online. Mike was having breakfast while scrolling through the news. ¡°Do you think Elliot¡¯s using the news of his engagement to help draw negative attention away from us?¡± he mocked. ¡°Not as many people are badmouthing us today.¡± Avery was peeling a hard-boiled egg. The expression on her face was unfazed as she said, ¡°Do you think a problem that ourpany can solve using money is worth the attention of the president of Sterling Group? He can go public about his rtionship whenever he wants. Don¡¯t mind other people¡¯s business.¡± ¡°Fine. We¡¯re losing quite a lot this time!¡± Mike said as he put his phone down, then took a sip of milk. ¡°We have to use up all the money we made from Elliot for the refunds.¡± Avery took a bite of the egg, chewed slowly, then said, ¡°Money isn¡¯t as important as our reputation.¡± Mike gazed deeply at her, then said, ¡°You don¡¯t seem affected by the news of Elliot¡¯s engagement at all. Are you really fine with this? He¡¯s the man that you used to be deeply in love with!¡± ¡°It¡¯s all in the past. Why bring it up again?¡± Avery finished her breakfast, then got up and said, ¡°I¡¯m going to Bridgedale today to talk to Bohmer Holdings about our next coboration.¡± ¡°Hey! When did you book the tickets? You didn¡¯t tell me anything¡­ Are you fleeing the country because you can¡¯t handle the news of Elliot¡¯s engagement?¡± Mike teased. Avery showed the email with her flight ticket on it to him and said, ¡°I booked the flightst night. Do you think I found outst night that they¡¯re announcing their engagement today?¡± ¡°Okay! How long will you be gone?¡± Mike said as he walked her to the front door. ¡°I¡¯m not sure. I¡¯lle back as soon as I can. Nobody¡¯s watching the kids, after all. I¡¯m worried.¡±Belongs to N?velDrama.Org - All rights reserved. ¡°It¡¯s fine if you want to spend some time abroad. I¡¯ll make sure to take care of the kids.¡± Mike felt that the current atmosphere in the country was too hostile for Avery. On the one end was social media trolls insisting that she leave Aryadelle, and on the other end was the news of her ex husband¡¯s engagement. The mere thought of it was suffocating. That night, Ben invited Elliot out for drinks. Elliot refused with a frown and said, ¡°I¡¯m going to see Shea after this.¡± Chapter 329 Chapter 329 Chapter 329 ¡°Can¡¯t the bodyguard and nanny watch her? It¡¯s been so long since we¡¯ve had a drink!¡± Ben said, then whispered in Elliot¡¯s ear, ¡°Avery went abroad today.¡± Elliot¡¯s eyes turned dark. He suddenly had the urge to drink. Ben booked a spot at a rooftop restaurant. The two men stood by the railings with a bottle of wine in hand each and looked out into the starry night sky as they drank in silence. The spring breeze was cool and stuck to every inch of their skin. When they were done with their first bottles, Ben turned to Elliot and asked, ¡°Did you agree to the engagement with Zoe as thanks for Shea¡¯s treatment?¡± ¡°My mother wanted me to marry her. Avery also told me to live a good life with her. Shea¡¯s treatment is just a minor reason.¡± Elliot lifted his head slightly, revealing his long, sensual neck. His Adam¡¯s apple rolled in his throat, then he said hoarsely, ¡°Avery wanted nothing but to draw a line between us, so I¡¯m simply granting her wish.¡± Avery should be happy now that he was engaged to Zoe! ¡°What¡¯s with that expression? It¡¯s just an engagement, not marriage. Even if you get married, you can always get a divorce!¡± Ben said as he patted Elliot¡¯s shoulder when he saw the pained expression on his face. ¡°Come on. Let¡¯s have another drink.¡± A weekter, Shea suddenly appeared at the door to Hayden and La¡¯s ssroom at Starry River Kindergarten. This time, there was no smile on her face. She always had a silly grin on her face every time they met before. Hayden and La walked out of the ssroom. ¡°I¡¯m here to see you onest time, Hayden and La¡­¡± Shea said as tears glistened in her eyes. ¡°Why is it thest time? Dirt¡­ I mean, is Elliot Foster stopping you from seeing us again?¡± La said, catching herself before she slipped her tongue. Shea shook her head as tears streamed down her face. ¡°I¡¯m dying. I don¡¯t think¡­ I have much time left to live.¡± Belongs to N?velDrama.Org - All rights reserved. Hayden and La looked helplessly at her as sadness surged inside them. Shea took out the bag she brought with her. ¡°I wanted to give you my most precious treasure because you are my best friends.¡± She wiped the tears off her face, then pulled out a jewelry box and several photo albums from the bag. These were her most valuable and favorite things. Elliot had bought them all for her. Tears escaped La¡¯s eyes, then she burst into sobs, ¡°Don¡¯t die, Shea! You won¡¯t die! Put these things away! Hayden and I don¡¯t want them!¡± Mrs. Scarlet wiped her own tears next to them. Shea was falling into unconsciousness every night ever since the surgery. Logically, she was supposed to be energetic the next day after a night of sleep. However, things were the exact opposite. Shea threw a tantrum that day and insisted on going to see Hayden and La. Mrs. Scarlet snuck her out behind Elliot¡¯s back. ¡°My Mommy¡¯sing home today, Shea! Let¡¯s go see her! She can save you!¡± La said as she grabbed onto Shea¡¯s hand and pulled her away without a care. Hayden thought that was too impulsive. Avery might be upset, but he did not stop them. His heart ached when he heard that Shea was dying. Thest time he felt pain like that was back when his grandmother passed away. Chapter 330 Chapter 330 Chapter 330 In the master bedroom at the Starry River Vi, Avery had gone to sleep from jetg since she returned at six in the morning. La rushed to the bed, held her mother¡¯s hand in hers, then cried out in a baby-like voice,¡± Mommy! Wake up! I have something to tell you! Hurry and wake up!¡± Avery vaguely heard the sound of her daughter¡¯s voice, then struggled to open her eyes ¡°Shea said she¡¯s dying, Mommy! Please save her!¡± La pleaded when she saw her mother¡¯s eyes open. Avery instantly jolted awake. She sat up in bed and saw Shea standing next to La. She took a breath and wanted to refuse, but the words that ended uping out of her mouth were, ¡°Why do you think you¡¯re dying, Shea?¡± Mrs. Scarlet interjected before Shea could respond, ¡°She¡¯s been exhausted ever since the surgery. She¡¯s always tired even after sleeping all night. She¡¯s just sluggish all day¡­¡± ¡°Has she gotten a checkup at the hospital?¡± Avery asked. Mrs. Scarlet shook her head and said, ¡°Doctor Sanford said that this was a normal post surgical reaction and that she just needed more rest.¡± ¡°You and Shea don¡¯t think this is normal, do you?¡± Mrs. Scarlet hesitated, then said, ¡°I don¡¯t have an opinion, so I just listen to the doctors. However, it doesn¡¯t feel good seeing Shea like this.¡± ¡°Take her to the hospital, then!¡± Avery sighed. ¡°If you can bring her here, why can¡¯t you send her to the hospital for a checkup?¡± ¡°I wouldn¡¯t dare take her to the hospital myself,¡± Mrs. Scarlet responded dejectedly. ¡°I¡¯m worried that would upset Doctor Sanford.¡± ¡°She¡¯ll be even more upset that you brought her to me.¡± ¡°Shea wanted toe here. Please take her to the hospital for a checkup, Miss Tate! Mr. Foster won¡¯t be angry if it was you.¡± Avery was speechless. The truth was that Mrs. Scarlet did not want to offend Elliot and Zoe herself, so she wanted to use Avery as a scapegoat. ¡°I¡¯m begging you, Miss Tate,¡± Mrs. Scarlet pleaded as she bowed her head. At that moment, Layle chimed in, ¡°Take Shea to the hospital, Mommy! She wasn¡¯t like this before. What if she really dies?¡± ¡°La, you¡­¡± ¡°Mommy! La isn¡¯t a bad person! She¡¯s already so pitiful. Please help her!¡± La cried through reddened eyes. Avery surrendered and gave in. Text ? owned by N?velDrama.Org. She sent the children back to school, then drove Shea and Mrs. Scarlet to the hospital. ¡°Did you bring any ID, Shea?¡± Shea shook her head. ¡°Do you remember any ID numbers?¡± Avery asked again. ¡°Shea doesn¡¯t have any ID, Miss Tate,¡± Mrs. Scarlet answered. Avery was at a loss for words. How could that be? That was unimaginable! Every citizen in Aryadelle had some form of identification. Even the children in the orphanages had them. Why did shea not have any ID? Avery did not pester further. Mrs. Scarlet would not tell her anything even if she asked. Momentster, Shea said in the backseat, ¡°I think you¡¯re the one who did my surgery, Avery.¡± Avery saw the shock on Mrs. Scarlet¡¯s face in the rearview mirror. ¡°It wasn¡¯t me,¡± Avery denied right away. ¡°I¡¯m just taking you to the hospital for one checkup, Shea. Go to Elliot if anything ever happens again. Got it?¡± Mrs. Scarlet picked up the dismay in Avery¡¯s voice, then quickly said, ¡°I¡¯m sorry for the trouble, Miss Tate. I won¡¯t let her bother you again.¡± ¡°Thank you for understanding,¡± Avery said. ¡°I understand,¡± Mrs. Scarlet said with an embarrassed face. Chapter 331 Chapter 331 Chapter 331 Elliot and Zoe were getting engaged in a week. As Elliot¡¯s ex wife, Avery certainly did not have to get entangled in any of his affairs. Mrs. Scarlet took Shea home at 3p.m. after her checkup. Avery drove the car to the office. Belongs to N?velDrama.Org - All rights reserved. In the week that she was abroad, Tate Industries had basically issued refunds to every customer who returned their products. Thanks to the scandal about the quality of their products, all of the orders that were made around the new year were canceled. Thepany was not only suffering a loss from the refunds to its customers, it was also facing the dangers of having no new orders. This was a fatal blow to any business. Apany with no stable funding might notst for long and would dere bankruptcy. Everyone at Tate Industries was living in constant fear of losing their jobs. When Avery arrived at the office, a few of the department heads immediately approached her. ¡°What do we do now, Miss Tate?¡± ¡°We have no new orders and the workshop downstairs is closed. Emotions are running high among the employees!¡± ¡°It¡¯s all my fault,¡± said the head of the quality inspection department. ¡°I was careless and did not detect the problem. Thepany wouldn¡¯t be suffering such a huge loss if it weren¡¯t for me.¡± Avery nced at them, then said soundly, ¡°Ask everyone to go home and get some rest if they have nothing urgent to do. Their sries will be issued as normal. It¡¯s true that the quality inspection team made a severe mistake, but that¡¯s alright. Just don¡¯t make the same mistake again. If there is a next time, then please resign!¡± ¡°What¡¯s our next move, then? We¡¯re theughing stock of the entire industry!¡± said the vic president. Avery took a sip of water. There was a knock on her door, followed by her secretary saying, ¡°Miss Tate, Mr. Locklyn from Golden Technologies is here to see you.¡± Avery had chased Shaun away before and warned him not to return. Unexpectedly, he had the guts to show up again. He must be here tough in her face. ¡°Let him in,¡± Avery said, then turned to the department heads and said, ¡°For now, go and try to settle everyone down. Let¡¯s talk again in a meetingter.¡± ¡°Yes, ma¡¯am!¡± The department heads then left the room. Shaun strode into Avery¡¯s office with a delighted grin on his face. Avery walked over to the couch from behind her desk, then offered Shaun a seat. ¡°You¡¯ve hit a wall, Avery Tate!¡± Shaun said as he casually sat down and nced around her office. ¡°It¡¯s a shame! It hasn¡¯t even been six months since you rebuilt thepany, but it will probably go bankrupt again soon!¡± ¡°Thanks for your concern, Uncle Shaun. However, just as you will never get my father¡¯s Super Brain system in your hands, I¡¯m afraid your predictions will also nevere true!¡± The grin on Shaun¡¯s face vanished upon hearing Avery¡¯s words. ¡°Don¡¯t force me to take more extreme measures, Avery Tate! Even if you get through this rough patch, we will still join forces to defeat you in the future! Don¡¯t expect things to go smoothly for you in Aryadelle!¡± Shaun threatened. ¡°Let¡¯s just wait and see! We¡¯ll see who between us ends up defeated,¡± Avery said nonchntly. ¡°Do you even know who you¡¯re up against? It¡¯s more than eighty percent of domestic capital! Are you sure you want to be this stubborn?¡± Shaun hissed softly. ¡°If your father was still alive, he wouldn¡¯t act this foolishly!¡± Avery raised her brows and retaliated, ¡°Do you know why you¡¯ll always be a vice president? It¡¯ s because you¡¯re definitely not as smart as I am.¡± Shaun shattered his ss in a rage! Then, he stormed out of the room. At the same time, Elliot received a call from Mrs. Scarlet. ¡°Mr. Foster, please hurry home!¡± Mrs. Scarlet sobbed as her voice trembled. ¡°I took Shea for a checkup today. The test results show that she¡¯s overdosed on sleeping pills!¡± Elliot¡¯s brows furrowed tightly as he snapped, ¡°Who gave her sleeping pills?!¡± Mrs. Scarlet held the white bottle of pills that Zoe had given her. ¡°I¡¯ll tell you when you get back,¡± she said nervously. Chapter 332 Chapter 332 Chapter 332 Elliot hung up the phone with an ominous look on his phone, then stormed out of his office. Not just anybody could get their hands on sleeping pills. Where did these onese from? The moment the ck Rolls-Roice pulled up into the front yard, Mrs. Cooper took Shea back to her room. When Elliot walked into the living room, Mrs. Scarlet handed him the test results. ¡°You took Shea to the hospital for a checkup?¡± Elliot asked as he nced at Mrs. Scarlet. Mrs. Scarlet averted his gaze and did not dare meet his eyes. Avery had instructed her not to mention that it was Avery if Elliot did not pester her. ¡°It was Miss Tate,¡± Mrs. Scarlet said as she gave in to the pressure of Elliot¡¯s re. ¡°Shea insisted on going to see Miss Tate¡¯s children today¡­¡± ¡°Avery¡¯s back?¡± Elliot said, interrupting her. ¡°She got back this morning,¡± said Mrs. Scarlet. ¡°She didn¡¯t want anything to do with this, but I begged her to check on Shea because she¡¯s been saying she¡¯s dying since this morning. I was so worried.¡± ¡°Why didn¡¯t you tell Zoe?¡± Elliot¡¯s reason had begun to falter. He lost hisposure the moment Avery¡¯s name was mentioned. ¡°I¡¯ve talked to Doctor Sanford about Shea¡¯s condition, but she said it was a normal post surgical reaction every time,¡± Mrs. Scarlet said dejectedly. ¡°I couldn¡¯t just sit back and watch Shea be so depressed.¡± ¡°I see.¡± Elliot stopped ming her. He picked up the test results and carefully examined them. ¡°What¡¯s this about ¡°I suspect it¡¯s gone something to do with the sedatives that Doctor Sanford prescribed, but I can¡¯t be sure,¡± Mrs. Scarlet said warily as she handed the white pill bottle to Elliot. Elliot took the bottle, opened it up and took a look inside. It was a bunch of whit Zoe rushed over an hourter. The atmosphere in the living room was cold and suffocating, and abnormally quiet. The moment she saw the white pill bottle on the coffee table, she instantly understood what had happened. She put on an innocent expression, then said to Elliot¡¯s cold face, ¡°This is the sedative I prescribed to Shea a few days ago. I instructed Mrs. Scarlet to give her a pill during each meal for a total of three days. Shea¡¯s emotions were too intense before, which wasn¡¯t good for her recovery. I only prescribed the medication after thorough consideration.¡± Mrs. Scarlet¡¯s expression changed drastically after hearing Zoe¡¯s words. ¡°Doctor Sanford, you didn¡¯t tell me to only give her the pills for three days! That¡¯s why I¡¯ve been giving them to Shea every day with her meals¡­¡± Zoe¡¯s brows furrowed as she said, ¡°I remember very clearly that I told you to only give the pills to her for three days. If her emotions were still unstable after three days, then extend it to a week. However, you can¡¯t continue giving her the pills after a week no matter what. Did it slip your mind?¡± Mrs. Scarlet did not expect to be a patsy! ¡°Doctor Sanford¡­ I remember you told me this was a sedative¡­ I wouldn¡¯t give this to Shea every day if I had known that they were sleeping pills. I know you can¡¯t take too many sleeping pills¡­¡± ¡°Sedatives are also known as sleeping pills,¡± Zoe said in a voice so calm that it was almost void of emotion. ¡°I know you¡¯re nervous, Mrs. Scarlet. It¡¯s been about ten days, after all. Her body will excrete the drugs slowly as long as she doesn¡¯t take them again. This won¡¯t have too much of an affect on her body.¡± Things were not as bad as they could have been because they caught it just in time, but Mrs. Scarlet still felt wronged. She remembered very clearly that Zoe did not mention that the pills were sleeping pills and for Shea to only take them for a maximum of one week. If she had not taken Shea to go see Avery that day and gone to the hospital for the checkup, she would have fed the entire bottle of pills to Shea. ¡°Mrs. Scarlet¡¯s getting old, Elliot. She¡¯s bound to make some mistakes. I hope you don¡¯t me her,¡± Zoe said as she took on the role of a hero and asked for forgiveness on behalf of Mrs. Scarlet. Elliot nced at Zoe¡¯s face, then retorted, ¡°Why did you give her a whole bottle if it¡¯s only meant to be taken for three days?¡± Zoe was taken aback, but quickly reacted and said, ¡°Perhaps I was tired at the time and also Text ? owned by N?velDrama.Org. trusted Mrs. Scarlet too much. That¡¯s why I took the bottle and just gave it to her instead of splitting them up.¡± ¡°Inform me about all of Shea¡¯s prescriptions from now on, even if they¡¯re vitamins and supplements,¡± Elliot ordered. ¡°There better not be a second time!¡± Once he gave his warning, he strode over to Shea¡¯s room. Chapter 333 Chapter 333 Chapter 333 Shea was tidying her desk with Mrs. Cooper¡¯s help. Elliot¡¯s Adam¡¯s apple rolled in his throat as guilt overcame him. Every time Shea told him she felt dizzy the past few days, he had told her to get more rest. He did not expect sleeping pills to be the cause of her difort. If Avery had not taken her to the hospital for the checkup, who knows how long she would have continued taking the pills. Elliot felt grateful towards Avery, but he did not know how to express his thanks. The next day, Mrs. Cooper showed up at Avery¡¯s house first thing in the morning. Avery was surprised, and quickly invited Mrs. Cooper into her home. Text property ? N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org. ¡°I¡¯m sorry for showing up without notice, Avery,¡± Mrs. Cooper said as she handed two food to you.¡± ¡°Thank you! Why did youe by this early?¡± Avery said as she poured a ss of water for her guest. ¡°To be honest, Master Elliot was the one who asked me toe by and thank you,¡± Mrs. Cooper said warily. ¡°It was a good thing you took Shea to the hospital yesterday. Otherwise, we wouldn¡¯t know what could have happened.¡± The smile on Avery¡¯s face vanished. ¡°You have no idea how scary things were, Avery,¡± Mrs. Cooper said as fear lingered inside of her. ¡°Zoe said she had instructed Mrs. Scarlet to only give Shea the pills for three days, but Mrs. Scarlet said Zoe never mentioned any of that to her. Mrs. Scarlet was in tears when she confided in mest night¡­ I¡¯d much rather trust her. After all, she¡¯s been taking care of Shea for over twenty years. She would never hurt her.¡± Avery picked up on a key point and asked, ¡°Mrs. Scarlet¡¯s taken care of Shea for twenty years? Does that mean Shea¡¯s been with the Fosters for twenty years?¡± ¡°I think so! All Mrs. Scarlet ever told me was that Shea was a poor little thing. She never revealed anything else to me.¡± Avery recalled how Elliot had kept his lips tightly sealed whenever she used to ask him about Shea. ¡°I didn¡¯t expect Zoe to be such a scheming woman.¡± Mrs. Cooper suddenly let out a sigh, then said, ¡°Master Elliot¡¯s about to be engaged to her. I¡¯m afraid she¡¯s not a good person.¡± ¡°He¡¯s not worried, so you shouldn¡¯t be either,¡± Averyforted her. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Avery. I shouldn¡¯t talk to you about these things. I¡¯m sure you¡¯ll find a much better man in the future,¡± Mrs. Cooper said. Then, she rose from her seat and said, ¡°Give me a call if you finish the pickles and want more. I¡¯ll send more over.¡± ¡°Okay. Thank you,¡± Avery said, then sent Mrs. Cooper on her way. She wanted to pretend as if she was too busy to care about the news of Elliot¡¯s engagement. However, she spent the entire time tossing and turning in bed the night before. In the end, she went on social media and searched for some key words. She identally came across Zoe¡¯s social media page. Zoe had uploaded several new posts in the past few days. She showed off photos of high-end wedding gowns, expensive diamond rings, and¡­ photos of her pregnant belly. Every single photo was apanied by captions of pure bliss. Apart from Zoe¡¯s social media page, Avery also came across a bunch of rted images. For example, there were photos of ?oe and Elliot that people took when they bumped into them while shopping. Avery opened up the photos and saw Zoe clinging onto Elliot¡¯s arm. They looked as close as a couple on a shopping spree. Some of their friends also posted photos of the invitations they received for their engagement party. Avery clicked on the invitation. Elliot¡¯s and Zoe¡¯s names were right next to each other, and they had signed the invitations off personally. A strange feeling of disappointment washed over Avery! This was because she never received an invitation to their engagement party. Chapter 334 Chapter 334 Chapter 334 Five dayster, Elliot showed up at the Sterling Group offices at ten in the morning as usual. ¡°Your engagement is tomorrow, sir. Don¡¯t you want to take the day off?¡± asked Chad as he greeted Elliot. ¡°I don¡¯t,¡± Elliot said, then walked through his office doors. Chad followed closely behind him. ¡°Sir, I heard from Mike that they¡¯ve sessfully talked Bohmer Holdings into starting a newpany here in Aryadelle to supply high-end lenses to them.¡± ¡°If I¡¯m not mistaken, doesn¡¯t Bohmer Holdings work with Alpha Technologies?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. This shows just how good the rtionship is between Miss Tate and the owner of Bohmer Holdings. Otherwise, they wouldn¡¯te all the way to Aryadelle to set up a newpany just for her,¡± Chad deduced. ¡°I looked into the head of Bohmer Holdings and found something interesting. ¡°What is it?¡± Elliot asked as his curiosity got the better of him. ¡°The current head of Bohmer Holdings is the son of Professor James Hough¡¯s cousin,¡± Chad reported the findings of his recent investigations. ¡°Alpha Technologies¡¯ sess was not a coincidence, but the result of several people¡¯s hard work.¡± Elliot¡¯s brows furrowed. of all his students, why did Professor Hough¡¯s cousin¡¯s son know Avery? Did the professor introduce them, or was it purely coincidental? ¡°The problems that Tate Industries will have to face moving forward have nothing to do with their product quality, but with their sales and reputation,¡± Chad continued. ¡°I advised Mike to engage a professional marketing agency, but he said Avery refused. She has always insisted on focusing on product quality¡­¡± Elliot lifted his gaze to look at Chad, then asked, ¡°Why are you reporting Tate Industries¡¯ situation to me? Who exactly do you work for?¡± Chad was taken aback. Who was the one who was listening so intently just moments ago? Elliot withdrew his gaze, then turned on hisputer and said, ¡°Avery and I are officially over. You don¡¯t need to purposely report to me about her or her personal life.¡± ¡°Yes, sir.¡± Text property ? N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org. Chad walked out of Elliot¡¯s office and bumped into Ben. ¡°The boss said that things were officially over between him and Avery,¡± Chad said. ¡°We both know he¡¯s in denial.¡± Ben burst intoughter, then said, ¡°When did you be so brave? How dare you mock your superior? Mike¡¯s a bad influence on you!¡± ¡°I know you won¡¯t snitch on me to him. He¡¯s about to get engaged tomorrow, but he¡¯s in a terrible mood. I feel like I¡¯m watching a tragedy unfold.¡± ¡°It¡¯s his own choice,¡± Ben said. ¡°We should just sit back and watch the show.¡± ¡°I feel like you¡¯re taking pleasure in his misfortune, Ben.¡± ¡°That¡¯s nonsense. I¡¯m thinking of forging his signature and sending an invitation to Avery,¡± Ben said as he contemted fanning the mes of the situation. ¡°He might not end up getting engaged to Zoe if that happens,¡± Chad reckoned. ¡°Isn¡¯t the reason why he¡¯s so against sending an invitation to Avery because he¡¯s worried he¡¯d regret his decision if he sees her?¡± Ben coughed slightly, then patted Chad on the shoulder. ¡°What¡¯s wrong, Ben? Don¡¯t you think I¡¯m right? I think¡­¡± ¡°Chad Rayner! Get in my office right now!¡± Elliot snapped coldly with a menacing expression on his face. Chad felt like he died on the spot. Around lunchtime, Avery received a call from the preschool. ¡°Miss Tate, La isn¡¯t feeling too well, so we sent her home to get some rest. Please go home and take a look if you have the time,¡± informed the teacher. Avery instantly lost her appetite. She put down her knife and fork, then picked up her bag and rushed home. Everything was fine when she dropped the children off at school that morning. Why was La suddenly feeling sick? Avery called Hayden the moment she got into the car. Hayden had a smartwatch that could make phone calls. Her call was answered momentster. ¡°Hayden, your teacher called to tell me La isn¡¯t feeling well. What¡¯s going on?¡± While Avery was speaking, she heard a whistling noiseing through the phone. This meant that the children were not at home. Chapter 335 Chapter 335 Chapter 335 ¡°La¡¯s dizzy, Mommy. She¡¯ll be fine after she gets some rest,¡± Hayden said. ¡°You don¡¯t need to worry.¡± ¡°I see¡­ That¡¯s good. Take care of your sister.¡± ¡°I will.¡± After she hung up the phone, Avery did not return to the office. She continued to drive towards the house. She had basically concluded that the children were not at home. If she had told Hayden that she was on the way home, the children would immediately make their way back to the house. Now that she was quietly returning home, she would call Hayden again if they were not there! Avery thought that the children were using sickness as an excuse to do something secretive. La was more innocent and did not haveplex thoughts. Her w was that she was too obedient towards Hayden. Considering Hayden¡¯s history of ¡°bad behavior¡±, Avery could not help but have an ominous feeling inside her heart. She pulled up in front of the Starry River Vi, then rushed towards the front door. She keyed in the security code on the door then pushed it opened. Soon after, Hayden heard the noise and walked out. As mother and son met eyes, a peculiar spark flickered in the air. ¡® Avery felt slightly ashamed. How could she suspect her children of doing bad things outside?! Text ? owned by N?velDrama.Org. They were at home, after all! It seemed like La really was not feeling well. ¡°Hayden, I was worried about you two so I came home to check on you. How¡¯s your sister?¡± Avery asked gently then walked towards the children¡¯s room. ¡°She¡¯s asleep,¡± Hayden exined. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Mommy.¡± Avery responded, then watched her daughter who was fast asleep on the bed and touched her forehead. Her temperature was normal. ¡°Go back to work, Mommy!¡± Hayden said tenderly as he looked up at his mother. ¡°I¡¯ll stay home with you guys.¡± Avery recalled how she had been too busy with work recently and ended up neglecting the children. ¡°Uncle Mike said that things weren¡¯t settled at thepany yet,¡± Hayden said, going straight to the point. ¡°Go to work, Mommy!¡± Avery¡¯s cheeks flushed in embarrassment. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I¡¯ll settle things soon.¡± ¡°Okay!¡± Hayden said as he walked Avry to the door. Once Avery was gone, Hayden quickly shut the front door. On the other hand, La leaped out of bed. ¡°That was close, Hayden!¡± La said as she let out a sigh. ¡°It¡¯s a good thing Uncle Mike called to let us know. Mommy would be really mad if she came home and didn¡¯t see us here!¡± Hayden¡¯s face was void of emotion.¡± He picked up his backpack, put on his cap, then said, ¡°Stay home. I¡¯m going alone.¡± ¡°No way! I¡¯ming with you! I¡¯ll be scared if I stay home alone!¡± La quickly picked up her own bag and ran after her brother. The siblings walked out of the neighborhood and hailed a cab. Once they were in the car, they asked the driver to take them to a high-end hot?l. It was the hotel where Elliot Foster¡¯s engagement party would be held the next day. ¡°Hayden, you said you wanted to give Dirtbag Dad a huge surprise¡­ What kind of surprise is it? How big is it?¡± La asked as her bright eyes glistened with sparks of curiosity. ¡°I can¡¯t tell you.¡± La pouted and asked, ¡°Why not?¡± ¡°It¡¯s not suitable for children.¡± Chapter 336 Chapter 336 Chapter 336 ¡°You¡¯re a kid, too!¡± La eximed as her curiosity escted. ¡°My eyes were dirty after I saw it. Do you want to dirty your eyes, too?¡± La shook her head. She was curious, but she decided not to see whatever it was after hearing Hayden¡¯s words. ¡°Mommy wants to hire a bodyguard for us,¡± La said as she changed the subject. ¡°We can¡¯t go around freely once we have a bodyguard.¡± ¡°When that happens, you¡¯ll be in charge of distracting the bodyguard while I move alone.¡± La hesitated, then said, ¡°If Dirtbag Dag really marries that Sanforddy, then we shouldn¡¯t go look for him again! We should just act as if we don¡¯t have a dad!¡± Hayden nced at his innocent sister, then said assuredly, ¡°He won¡¯t marry her.¡± ¡°Why not?¡± ¡°She¡¯s not a good woman.¡± ¡°Daddy isn¡¯t a good man, either! Wouldn¡¯t they be perfect together?¡± Hayden did not have a response for La¡¯s words. He suddenly felt like his sister was the smartest person in the world. Text property ? N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org. He should let Elliot Foster y the fool until he got older, then release the footage of Zoe Sanford and Cole Foster¡¯s steamy night at the hotel. That would be a much stronger attack! However, Hayden did not want to wait that long. He was going to settle the score now! He would have many other ways to make Elliot suffer again in the future! During the upper management meeting at Tate Industries, Avery announced the ns that she had spent the past few days mulling over. Everyone in attendance was in disbelief. They all looked at each other with wide eyes and open jaws. Mike was Avery¡¯s biggest fan, so he took the lead and started a round of apuse. He would cry ¡°bravo¡± even if she burned all of their money! With frozen expressions on their faces, the other department heads joined in on the apuse on reflex. Since Avery was the boss, she could do whatever she wanted¡­ As long as she was happy. ¡°Do you think it¡¯s a bad n?¡± Avery asked modestly when she saw the expressions on everyone¡¯s faces. The room burst into a frenzy of opinions. ¡°Miss Tate. We know you¡¯re rich, but this is too much of a loss! That¡¯s at least six million dors! We haven¡¯t even picked up any new orders this year, but we keep staying in the red¡­¡± ¡°That¡¯s right! Recing the lenses on two thousand drones with high-end lenses would already cost a ton of money. Giving them out for free would be a great loss!¡± ¡°I think it¡¯s a pretty good n,¡± Mike said. ¡°Besides, we¡¯re not giving it out for free! They would have to buy it for a dime.¡± ¡°Can a dime really be considered money?¡± ¡°Why not? If two thousand people spent a dime to buy their modified drones back, we would make two hundred dors.¡± The room fell silent. Avery picked up her cup of coffee and took a sip. ¡°I know what you¡¯re all thinking, but what we need to do now isn¡¯t turn our losses into profit, but to improve our reputation. We can discuss profits only after our reputation improves. With the way things are now, nobody would order our drones no matter how good they are.¡± ¡°Since you¡¯re willing to invest that much money to redeem our name, then let¡¯s give it a try!¡± said the vice president.¡± ¡°If we agree to go with the n, I¡¯ll go announce it now,¡± said the head of ventures. Avery nodded in agreement. Very quickly, Tate Industries released a public statement on their website. ¡°All customers who previously purchased a Storm Series drone can redeem a brand new drone with a high-end lens for the price of one dime!¡± This meant that one could buy a three thousand dor high-end drone for only a dime! The news shook the entire inte to its core! Chapter 337 Chapter 337 Chapter 337 No matter how cruel the customers were before, who could resist the temptation of basically getting a brand new high-end drone for free? The entrance to Tate Industries was soon crowded with returning customers. Avery did not leave the office until 9 p.m. that night. She got in her car and rushed home. The children should be asleep by now. Once everything was settled, she wanted to stay home and spend more time with the kids. Avery¡¯s phone suddenly rang. She nced at the screen, then turned on her bluetooth earphones and answered the call. ¡°Avery! Have you seen what they¡¯re saying on social media? I¡¯m so mad!¡± Tammy said angrily on the other end of the line. ¡°You were kind enough to practically give out free drones to your previous customers, but a bunch of trolls are still insulting you online!¡± Avery expected this to happen. Shaun had told her that, as long as she did not share their core technology, he would make sure that she would not be able to run her business smoothly in Aryadelle. This was because she would be offending over eighty percent of domestic capital. No matter what she did, they woulde at her and smear her name! What Avery needed to do now was pull through this. She had faith that her product could truly impress her customers. ¡°I didn¡¯t read it. You shouldn¡¯t either,¡± Avery said soundly. Text property ? N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org. ¡°How can I pretend as if I didn¡¯t see it if I already did? I¡¯m fighting back at those trolls on your behalf!¡± Tammy said unhappily. ¡°I¡¯ve already asked all of my friends to support your product! You¡¯ve got this!¡± ¡°Thank you! I just don¡¯t know what to do from now on.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll help you if you¡¯re in trouble!¡± Tammy said, then changed the subject and added, ¡°I¡¯m not going to Elliot Foster¡¯s engagement party tomorrow.¡± Avery could not help butugh. ¡°There¡¯s no need for that, Tammy.¡± ¡°There is a need! I absolutely despise that sleaze bag! Also, that conniving b*tch Zoe Sanford! Wouldn¡¯t I just be disgusted if I went to their engagement party?¡± Tammy¡¯s tone was especially intense, so Avery did not advise her further. Over at the Foster mansion, Elliot emerged from the shower but did not feel sleepy at all. He opened a bottle of wine, then sat at the bar and read the news on Tate Industries while sipping his wine. Theirtest business n might seem foolish at first nce, but it was actually a very smart move. The best way to move away from negative press was not to run away, but toe up with the most sincere solution. However, the inte was still scornful of this method. Some people said that Avery Tate pulled the entire thing as part of a marketing scheme! Some were even saying that her true ambition was to monopolize the domestic market. If she shuts down herpetitors, she would be able to forgo product quality and raise prices! She could easily make back all of the money she was losing now! The most ridiculous thing was the rumor that all of Avery¡¯s money came from foreign investors! Buying products from Tate Industries was equivalent to giving money to foreigners! In just a few hours, the trending topic of boycotting Tate Industries exceeded a hundred million readers! If things continued down this path, Avery might not be able to get out of this hole. Elliot tightened his hand around the ss of wine. Avery was getting picked on by the domestic market, but all he could do was sit aside and watch. She would not ept any of his help. At that moment, he did not realize just how terrifying the look on his face was! At seven the next morning, a breaking news report appeared on social media, causing the page servers toe to aplete standstill! Elliot was awakened by the sound of his ringtone. He answered the call with furrowed brows. Whatever was said on the other end of the line made him throw back the covers and jump out of bed! Chapter 338 Chapter 338 Chapter 338 Just moments ago, Eric Santos, who Elliot had been searching for far and wide, finally appeared on social media! As a once formidable king of pop icons, his ident on stage three years ago was the biggest tragedy of his life! Since then, he disappeared from the limelight. Everyone assumed that he was dead. Even so, his diehard fans spent every day leavingments on and liking his social media posts in hopes of a miracle. In the end, a miracle finally happened! Eric Santos uploaded a new post on his social media page at 6.55 a.m. that morning. [Dear friends. It¡¯s been three years. How have you all been? I¡¯ve been well, but I¡¯ve felt a little lonely. I bought a Storm Series dronest year. I flew it to faraway ces every day, and it brought back different exciting footage with it every one. It made me feel like I was immersed in a city glowing with fireworks. I¡¯m very grateful for itspany. To me, my drone was not a cold machine, but an old friend. Now, my dear friend is going through a dark time because of some imperfections. I could not stay silent. I hope everyone will give it a chance to grow, just like the way you stayed by my side when I was growing up in the industry.] The post was uploaded alongside a video with a series of thrilling footage taken using a Storm Series drone. The video ended with a scene of Eric Santos tenderly brushing the dust off of the drone. Nobody expected the popr idol to appear once again to the public in this way after a three year hiatus! All of his fans were losing their minds! It was enough to bring the social media page¡¯s servers down. The servers recovered half an hourter. The number ofments on Eric Santos¡¯ post rose at an rming rate. (Aaaahhhh! I¡¯m crying! I knew Eric was alive! He promised that he would always be with us! Woooo!) (Santosians! Eric¡¯s back! He¡¯s finally back!] (Wooo! I ordered ten Storm Series drones from Tate Industries¡¯ website on a whim! It¡¯s all for Eric!) Elliot stared at Eric Santos¡¯ post and suspected he was hacked. The post seemed like a giant advertisement for Tate Industries. Belongs to ? n0velDrama.Org. Mike was a world ss hacker. It would be a piece of cake for him to hack into someone¡¯s social media ount. Their Storm Series drones were suffering major bacsh at the moment and needed emergency crisis management to deal with the bad press! This post from Eric Santos was the lifeline they were desperate for! However, the hacking theory did not exin the way his hand appeared at the end of the video. Elliot searched for photos of Eric Santos¡¯ hands andpared them with the hand in the video. In the end, he confirmed that the hand in the video definitely belonged to Eric Santos. Why did someone who was in hiding for the past three years suddenly appear back into the limelight for a product? Did Tate Industries pay him a huge sum of money? Elliot had gone given his all to search for Eric Santos. How did Avery get in touch with him? Could there be some private rtionship between the two of them? Elliot needed to get in contact with Eric Santos and find out who his doctor was. Shea¡¯s condition improved slightly after thest surgery, but she was still far from being fully recovered. Perhaps Eric Santos¡¯ doctor could help Shea recover even more quickly! The only problem was that the background of the video he posted was nothing but woods. It was impossible to pinpoint his location. The only thing he could do now was ask Avery! The doorbell at the Starry River Vi rang at nine in the morning. Mike walked to the door with his disheveled blond hair. He took one look at the surveince camera at the front door, then opened the door. Chapter 339 Chapter 339 Chapter 339 ¡°Mike! Why aren¡¯t you and Miss Tate answering your phones?¡± said the vice president anxiously as he gave Mike a once over. ¡°Something huge happened! Hurry up and wake Miss Tate up!¡± With an embarrassed face, Mike scratched his head and walked into the house. ¡°It¡¯s not like thepany shut down. What happened?¡± The vice president followed Mike and said, ¡°Did you two engage a celebrity to advertise for us overnight? Some pop idol called Eric Santos spoke up for our products! He¡¯s a major celebrity!¡± The embarrassment vanished from Mike¡¯s face as bewilderment took over. ¡°Why don¡¯t I understand a thing you¡¯re saying?¡± ¡°My god! There¡¯s a huge celebrity called Eric Santos who showed his support for the Storm Series on social media. Since his post went up, our customer service lines have been blowing up. What¡¯s even more crazy is that new orders areing in at an rming rate¡­ I¡¯ve never seen this kind of chaos before!¡± said the vice president with flushed cheeks. He could not reach Avery or Mike on their phones, so he showed up at the vi. Mike felt that things were not that simple after hearing the vice president¡¯s words. He rushed over to the master bedroom, knocked on the door, then entered to find the roompletely empty. ¡°Avery isn¡¯t home,¡± Mike muttered. ¡°You can¡¯t reach her phone?¡± The vice president shook his head and said, ¡°I even tried calling before I rang the doorbell! Her phone¡¯s off.¡± Mike quickly went to his room and changed his clothes. ¡°I looked into Eric Santos. He had disappeared for three years before he spoke up for ourpany! After his post went up, all of the trolls that ndered ourpany instantly vanished! The fighting power of his fans is incredible!¡± ¡°I know Eric Santos. Avery is a fan of his,¡± Mike said as he became more clear headed. ¡°I don¡¯t know why he¡¯s helping us. We have to ask Avery about it.¡± ¡°Didn¡¯t she say where she was going?¡± asked the vice president frantically. ¡°My phone¡¯s been blowing up all morning. Other than switching it on to call you, I¡¯ve had it on airne mode the entire time.¡± Mike raised his brows and asked, ¡°Is it that serious?¡± The vice president¡¯s forehead was dripping with sweat as he said, ¡°It is! Everyone thinks we¡¯re working with Eric Santos and asking me how we made hime back to life! They even asked me how much we paid him! My own daughter¡¯s been pestering me for his autograph!¡± Mike was speechless. It was the day of Elliot Foster and Zoe Sanford¡¯s engagement party. The guests were already gathered at the hotel venue. Zoe was dressed in a custom, high-end gown with her hair and makeup ready, and she had been anticipating Elliot¡¯s arrival since the morning. As eight in the morning turned into nine in the morning, she was beginning to lose patience. ¡°Let¡¯s head over to the hotel first!¡± Rosalie said as she tried tofort Zoe. ¡°I tried to call him earlier but his phone was turned off. I¡¯m sure he¡¯ll call us back right away when he sees our missed calls.¡± Zoe maintained a polite smile on her face, but her heart was filled with misery. They had agreed for Elliot to pick her up from the old mansion and drive to the hotel together. It was the day of their engagement. No matter what happened, he should not have his phone turned off! The bottom line was that Elliot did not care for Zoe at all. On the way to the hotel, Zoe scrolled through her phone in frustration and happened upon Eric Santos¡¯ latest social media post. Her brows furrowed. Why was Eric Santos helping Avery Tate? If he did not stand up for her, Tate Industries was sure to go under soon! Something suddenly clicked inside of Zoe¡¯s head. Did Avery have anything to do with Elliot¡¯s absence? At that thought, Zoe dialed Avery¡¯s number with trembling fingers. ¡°Sorry, the number you have dialed is unavable.¡± Text property ? N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org. Zoe burst into tears! Elliot¡¯s phone was turned off! Avery¡¯s phone was switched off, too! Were they together right now?! Chapter 340 Chapter 340 Chapter 340 The doors to the ck Rolls-Roice were locked shut. Avery sat in the car filled with regret. She must not have been fully awake when she entered the car that morning. C¨°ntens bel0ngs to N?(v)elDr/a/ma.Org By the time she hopped it, the doors were already locked. What was the meaning of this? Was this an abduction? ¡°What do you want, Elliot?¡± Avery asked as she red at Elliot with furrowed brows. Was it not the day of his engagement? Where did he find time toe and see her? ¡°Do you know Eric Santos, Avery?¡± Elliot asked as he lifted his gaze to look at Avery with eyes that sparkled. ¡°Don¡¯t lie to me!¡± After Avery answered his call that morning, her phone had run out of battery and shut down. She had no way of knowing what was happening online. rm bells went off in Avery¡¯s head at the sudden mention of Eric. ¡°I don¡¯t. Why?¡± She stared at Elliot¡¯s familiar yet distant face and forced herself to stayposed. ¡°Why would he help you if you didn¡¯t know him?¡± Elliot snapped as he spoke faster. ¡°I saw his photo on your phone before. You¡¯ve never fawned over celebrities, but you liked him for some reason. Yet, you say you don¡¯t know each other. Do you think I¡¯m an idiot?!¡± Avery was angered by his tone and retorted loudly, ¡°What does my rtionship with him have anything to do with you?!¡± Her words instantly made Elliot calm down. Was this her confession? It would be amazing news if Avery actually knew Eric Santos. ¡°Help me contact him,¡± Elliot said in a hoarse voice with a hint of a plea. ¡°I¡¯ll owe you one.¡± Avery could not hold back a scoff. ¡°I don¡¯t know Eric Santos! Go find him yourself if you want!¡± ¡°Avery!¡± ¡°I won¡¯t know him no matter how much you yell at me! Aren¡¯t you getting engaged to Zoe Sanford today? You can look for Eric Santos whenever you want, so why did you choose the day of your engagement to do it? Your fiance would be crushed if you¡¯rete!¡± Avery said. Her words dragged a bitterugh out of Elliot. His Adam¡¯s apple rolled in his throat, then he said, ¡°If you help me contact Eric Santos, then I¡¯ ll get engaged to Zoe!¡± ¡°What does your engagement have anything to do with me?!¡± Avery mocked. ¡°Are you actually using that to negotiate with me? Do you think I still love you?!¡± Her words pierced through Elliot¡¯s heart. He had a strong feeling that Avery definitely knew Eric Santos! Otherwise, he would note out of hiding just to stand up for Tate Industries! However, Avery was not willing to help him. If she was in trouble and went to him for help, he would give it his all without hesitation. They may be divorced, but they still once had a rtionship. Why was she acting this heartless? She was a cruel woman! Elliot fought through his aching heart and dialed Zoe¡¯s number on his phone. The disappointment in Zoe¡¯s heart saw a glimmer of hope when she saw Elliot¡¯s name light up on her phone screen. ¡°Where are you, Elliot? I¡¯m at the hotel with Aunt Rosalie and the others. We couldn¡¯t reach you this morning. All the guests were already here, so we didn¡¯t wait for you.¡± ¡°I can¡¯t go through with the engagement, Zoe,¡± Elliot said in a calm, restrained voice. ¡°I¡¯m with Avery right now. I realized that I still love her.¡± Avery sat frozen in the passenger seat in utter shock! Was he insane? He must have lost his mind! Otherwise, how could he be doing this right now? How could he say those things? He was making a fool out of everybody! Zoe instantly burst into tears upon hearing Elliot¡¯s words. She did not expect this to be the result of her waiting an entire morning! Avery Tate was a homewrecker! She actually seduced Elliot away on the day of his engagement with her! How was she supposed to exin everything to the guests now? How would everyone look at her? They would surely beughing behind her back! ¡°What¡¯s wrong, Zoe?¡± Rosalie asked frantically when she saw Zoe crying uncontrobly. At that moment, Henry walked over after answering a phone call. Chapter 341 Chapter 341 Chapter 341 ¡°Elliot said to cancel the engagement. He¡¯s noting,¡± Henry said, then quickly held on to his mother. Rosalie was dumbfounded. ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Did something happen?¡± Henry shook his head and said, ¡°I don¡¯t know. He hung up the phone right away. Maybe something happened! I¡¯ll get the driver to send you home for now. I¡¯ll exin everything to the guests and send them home after lunch.¡± The entire thing was an embarrassing mess! However, nobody dared speak up about it. All of the guests¡¯ eyes fell on Zoe¡¯s crying face. She had never been through anything as humiliating as this in her entire life! She did not want to stay there for another moment. She picked up her gown and ran out of the banquet hall in tears. She was not going to let Avery get away with this! Over at the Starry River Kindergarten, Hayden was watching the engagement party venue when Zoe suddenly ran out! This made his little brows furrow. If Elliot Foster was not at the banquet hall by now, did it mean that he was not going? Otherwise, why would Zoe Sanford leave? Was the engagement called off? Hayden¡¯s chest tightened, and he steadied his breath. He despised Elliot, but he could not change the fact that he was his biological father. He said that he did not want a dirtbag for a father. However, if his father was not a dirtbag, then how would he be able to refuse to acknowledge his biological father? At noon, the luncheon proceeded as scheduled in the banquet hall. The guests quickly finished their food, then hurried out of the venue. Hayden did not have a chance to y the video he had prepared. ¡°La,¡± he said suddenly. ¡°What¡¯s wrong, Hayden?¡± ¡°Dirtbag Dad isn¡¯t getting engaged.¡± ¡°Huh? Why not?¡± La asked in confusion as she walked over to her brother. Belongs to N?velDrama.Org - All rights reserved. ¡°The dirtbag didn¡¯t show up,¡± Hayden said bluntly. ¡°Is he trying to humiliate all womankind?¡± La asked sternly. . Hayden had no idea what had happened, so he did not have an answer to his sister¡¯s question. In the ck Rolls-Roice, Elliot took Avery¡¯s phone and charged it in his car. Avery¡¯s emotions had slowly simmered down. He would not let her out of the car if she did not calm down his anger. Elliot was adamant on finding proof that Avery knew Eric Santos. She could only allow him to search for it. Once Avery¡¯s phone was charged, Elliot opened up her call history. He nced through it, then asked, ¡°Why are there so many initials in your contacts?¡± ¡°They¡¯re my ssmates from abroad.¡± Her answer made him frown. If Avery was not lying, then Eric Santos¡¯ name would not appear in her phone. ¡°I¡¯m asking you for thest time, Avery. Do you know Eric Santos?¡± Elliot asked as he held onto her phone and stared at her with his hawk-like eyes. ¡°You can ask me a thousand times and I still wouldn¡¯t know him,¡± Avery answered without batting an eyelid. ¡°At least not anytime before today.¡± Elliot returned Avery¡¯s phone to her. Avery took her phone back, then teased, ¡°Aren¡¯t you going to woo your Doctor Sanford? What if she decides not to treat your precious Shea anymore?¡± ¡°Does my misery amuse you?¡± Elliot asked with a furious expression on his face. He unlocked the car doors, but Avery stayed unmoving from her seat. Elliot¡¯s brows furrowed. He did not know what she was thinking. ¡°I¡¯m not going anywhere unless you send me home,¡± Avery said. She was starving from being cooped up in the car with him all morning and had no energy to get out. Elliot stepped on the gas pedal and drove the car towards Starry River Vi. Before Avery got out of the car, she grabbed onto the door handle and hissed through gritted teeth, ¡°You¡¯re despicable, Elliot Foster!¡± ¡°Despicable?¡± Elliot snapped as the vein in his forehead pulsed. ¡°Who¡¯s a gentleman in your eyes, then? Mike? Or your dear Wesley?¡± ¡°Anybody would still be better than you!¡± Avery said coldly, then pushed the door open and began to get up from her seat. Elliot reached out and yanked her back into the car. Before Avery could struggle, Elliot¡¯s lipsnded forcefully on hers, trapping her into a domineering kiss! Chapter 342 Chapter 342 Chapter 342 The kiss felt like itsted an eternity. Elliot did not release Avery from his clutches until he heard the sound of someone tapping on the car window. Mike was staring confusedly into the car. Avery was so shocked that the color drained from her face. She was about to open the door and get out when Elliot grabbed onto her and said hoarsely,¡± The windows are tinted. He can¡¯t see us.¡± Avery was relieved! The kiss had driven her into a frenzy of emotions. Her cheeks were unusually flushed while her hair was a disheveled mess. Elliot had taken off her jacket and thrown it to the ground! Avery picked up her jacket. Elliot handed her a bottle of water. ¡°I don¡¯t want it!¡± she snapped as she red coldly at him. The thought of what he just did to her made her so mad her head was throbbing. She would rather die of thirst than drink the water he was offering. Elliot ignored the hateful gaze Avery shot at him. All of the anger and resentment he felt melted away with their kiss. Was all the unhappiness he felt this entire time simply a symptom of him missing the taste of her lips? ¡°Didn¡¯t you enjoy that, Avery?¡± Elliot took a sip of water, then used his fingers to elegantly wipe away the droplets on his lips. ¡°You haven¡¯t had a man in a while. You must be lonely, right? If you have the need for it, I could always help you out for free.¡± ¡°Get out of my sight, Elliot Foster!¡± Avery felt like she was stabbed in the heart. She immediately jumped out of the car. She mmed the door shut, then gave the car a violent kick! ¡°Holy sh*t! Avery!¡± Mike eximed. ¡°What were you doing in Elliot Foster¡¯s car?! You weren¡¯t fighting in there, were you? What¡¯s the point of kicking his car? You shouldnd a kick right on him!¡± ¡°Don¡¯t you think I wanted to kick the sh*t out of him? It was just too cramped in there for that!¡± ¡°I see¡­ I almost called the cops when you disappeared all morning! What were you doing with him? Wasn¡¯t he supposed to get engaged today?¡± Mike pestered as he followed closely behind Avery. Avery walked ahead, walked through the front door and hurried into the bathroom. Her face was boiling up! She had to wash her face! She had to take a shower! Otherwise, his scent would be lingering on her body! ¡°Can you stop asking questions? Can¡¯t you see how annoyed I am right now? Give me some peace, won¡¯t you?¡± Avery washed her face in the first floor bathroom, then hurried upstairs. ¡°Let¡¯s not talk about that b*st*rd, then! Let¡¯s talk about Eric Santos! Why did she speak up for our company? Do you know him? If you don¡¯t, then why did you buy all of those portraits of him before?¡± Mike badgered on. Tate Industries was aplete mess. However, everyone was quite happy despite the chaos. Mike was ecstatic, too. The huge problem that bothered him just the day before disappeared overnight like a godly miracle! Avery picked up her phone to check on the situation and asked, ¡°How exactly did Eric Santos help us?¡± ¡°He posted a video online basically advertising the Storm Series. After that, his fans not only scared off the trolls who were bad-mouthing us, they also caused our new orders to go through the roof¡­ Isn¡¯t that interesting?¡± Mike said as he could not hide the joy he was feeling Avery¡¯s mood wasplicated. Eric¡¯s actions might have helped her out, but he was also exposing himself. She did not want him to make that kind of sacrifice. However, at this point, all she could do was ept his kind gesture. ¡°Avery, what exactly were you doing in that b*st*rd, Elliot Foster¡¯s car earlier?¡± Mike suddenly asked with a stern look on his face. ¡°Why are your lips all red and swollen?! You look like you just got fillers!¡± Avery was speechless. She wanted nothing more but to p a piece of duct tape on Mike¡¯s lips to make him shut up! Over at the old Foster mansion, Rosalie had spent the entire timeforting Zoe after they returned from the hotel. Zoe¡¯s heart was broken, but she refused to turn into aughingstock, and maintained aposed demeanor.Text property ? N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org. Chapter 343 Chapter 343 Chapter 343 Forget about the engagement. Zoe was already prepared for the day Elliot would break up with her and make her leave the Foster house. Even if he could not give her his love, he would still give her a hefty reward. It would not be a total loss for her as long as she got that money. When the ck Rolls-Roice pulled up in front of the entrance, Rosalie eximed to Zoe,¡± Elliot¡¯s back! I¡¯ll make him give you an exnation right away!¡± Zoe stayed seated on the couch and did not get up. Her heart waspletely shattered! How could Elliot tell her that he was still in love with Avery Tate on the day of their engagement? Not only did he not love Zoe, he also did not respect her at all. All of this was still based on the premise that she was Shea¡¯s doctor and had operated on her twice. Without any of that, Elliot might not even give her another look. Elliot got out of the car and walked into the living room. ¡°Mother,¡± he greeted when he saw Rosalie. ¡°Are you okay, Elliot?¡± Rosalie asked as he held her son¡¯s arm and looked him up and down. ¡°I¡¯m fine,¡± Elliot responded as he walked into the house with his mother. Then, his gazended on Zoe¡¯s cold face. ¡°I¡¯ll let you talk alone!¡± Rosalie said. ¡°Remember, Elliot, we Zoe no matter what. You need to give her an exnation.¡± Elliot nodded. Soon after, he was left alone in the living room with Zoe. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Zoe,¡± he said as he stood by the coffee table and informed her of his decision. ¡°I can¡¯t force myself to be with you.¡± ¡°I see,¡± Zoe responded ndly. ¡°I¡¯ll pay you for treating Shea¡¯s illness. If you don¡¯t ept¡­¡± Elliot was resolute. He did not have to finish his sentence for Zoe to understand his meaning. ¡°I ept. I¡¯ll take however much you give me,¡± Zoe said with a smile. ¡°It¡¯s all my fault. I was in over my head and barking up the wrong tree. I¡¯m not good enough for you. I¡¯ll just take the money and go.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t put yourself down, Zoe. You will meet someone who will treasure you. Unfortunately, I can¡¯t be that man.¡± ¡°I know,¡± Zoe said, then gulped and stood up. ¡°I¡¯ll move out right away.¡± ¡°It¡¯s alright.¡± Elliot felt a pang of pity when he saw her protruding belly. ¡°Since you¡¯re carrying my child, you should stay here for now. We¡¯ll decide on what to do after the baby isC¨°ntens bel0ngs to N?(v)elDr/a/ma.Org born.¡± Zoe nced down at her baby bump, then smiled sarcastically and said, ¡°Thank you.¡± Then, she turned and hurried to her room. Rosalie walked back into the living room with a face filled with disappointment. ¡°How could you be so cruel to Zoe, Elliot? What happened to make you suddenly change your mind?¡± Elliot helped his mother to the couch, then said, ¡°I¡¯ll find a better doctor to help Shea. You don ¡®t have to worry about anything else.¡± ¡°Have you found someone even better than Zoe?¡± Elliot nodded and said, ¡°I will.¡± ¡°Okay¡­ Thank you for taking care of Shea all these years, Elliot! Since you have no feelings for Zoe, I won¡¯t force you. However, the doctors said that the child she¡¯s carrying is very healthy. We should keep it,¡± Rosalie said. A wave of gloom washed over Elliot¡¯s face. If it were not out of consideration for Zoe¡¯s weak body being unsuitable to get an abortion, he would never had agreed to keep the baby. Other than that crucial point, he also did not love Zoe, and would not be able to bring himself to love their child. This child¡¯s birth would be a guaranteed tragedy. Elliot¡¯s phone rang suddenly and snapped him back to reality. He picked up his phone and answered the call. ¡°We¡¯ve found information on Eric Santos, sir!¡± said the person on the other end of the line. A spark flickered in Elliot¡¯s eyes. He shot to his feet and hurried out the door. Chapter 344 Chapter 344 Chapter 344 At the Starry River Vi, Avery¡¯s phone rang the moment she walked out of the shower. She immediately picked it up and answered the call. ¡°Hey, Wesley,¡± she said. ¡°Why was your phone switched off all morning, Avery?¡± Wesley had tried to call her several times before finally getting an answer. ¡°My phone was dead. I just charged it,¡± Avery exined regretfully. ¡°Did you call me to talk about Eric Santos?¡± ¡°Yes, I did. Eric¡¯s worried you¡¯d be mad.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not mad,¡± Avery said. ¡°I just feel like this is too troublesome for him. I¡¯ll call himter.¡± ¡°Okay,¡± Wesley said as he felt relieved. ¡°I almost went over to your house when I couldn¡¯t reach you all morning. Mike told me you weren¡¯t home when I called him to ask¡­ Where did you go?¡± Avery was taken aback and rendered speechless by the question. She came up with an excuse momentster and said, ¡°I went out for a jog.¡± ¡°I see¡­ I guess it¡¯s important to get regr exercise. Are you able to settle the problems with your company this time? You have to take care of your mental health no matter what happens. Nothing is more important than your health,¡± Wesley saidfortingly. ¡°I will! Thanks, Wesley! I¡¯ll buy you lunch soon.¡± ¡°Haha! You¡¯re always buying me lunch. It¡¯ll be my treat when you have time to meet.¡± ¡°Okay!¡± After the phone call, Avery grabbed a change of clothes from the closet. When she walked downstairs after changing, Tammy was charging towards her before she could react. ¡°Avery Tate! You have no idea how exciting things were today!¡± Tammy eximed as she kicked herself with remorse. ¡°If I knew that Elliot was going to ditch the engagement party, then I definitely would have gone to the hotel with Jun! I heard that Zoe Sanford was crying like a baby before she stormed out of the banquet hall!¡± The image popped into Avery¡¯s mind, but she could not bring herself tough out loud. Zoe must despise her right now! ¡°I got you lunch, Avery,¡± Mike said as he pointed at the food on the dining table. ¡°Drop by the office when you have time. I¡¯m heading out.¡± Avery nodded in response. Once Mike was out the door, Tammy began to lousy describe everything that happened at the engagement party. ¡°How much of a dirtbag could Elliot be? Zoe Sanford isn¡¯t as pretty or adorable as you are. More importantly, she¡¯s not a good person!¡± Tammy yammered on as she pulled out the photos of the venue that Jun had sent to her and showed them to Avery. ¡°Let me eat in peace, Tammy,¡± Avery said as she pulled out the food from the paper bag on the table. ¡°I¡¯m starving.¡± ¡°Didn¡¯t you have breakfast today?¡± Tammy put down her phone, then changed the subject.¡± What¡¯s your rtionship with Eric Santos? You and I are both human and beautiful women, but why can¡¯t I get to know a hot guy like Eric Santos?¡± Avery almost spat out the food in her mouth. ¡°If you¡¯ve got so much time on your hands, then do me a favor!¡± ¡°What favor? I¡¯ll definitely help with whatever I can!¡± Tammy said dutifully. ¡°I¡¯m looking for a bodyguard for the kids to help out with driving them around.¡± Avery wanted to settle this matter as soon as possible. ¡°I¡¯ve got a few candidates right now, but I don ¡®t know which one to pick. Help me pick someone.¡± ¡°Sure! Send me their contact information and I¡¯ll meet with them.¡± ¡°A securitypany rmended them. You can just head on over to their office.¡± Avery sent a phone number to Tammy, then said, ¡°I¡¯m stopping by the office after I eat. Call me once you¡¯ve made a decision.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± After lunch, Avery drove towards Tate Industries. While stopping at a red light, she tapped into the private section of her phone and dialed Eric Santos¡¯ number. Her call was answered very quickly. Belongs to ? n0velDrama.Org. ¡°Doctor Tate,¡± Eric said. ¡°Thanks for your help, Eric,¡± Avery said gratefully. ¡°However, what you did could expose your location.¡± ¡°I flew my drone pretty far out for the shots. I don¡¯t think that would reveal my address, right? ¡°As long as they find the woods in your video and narrow it down to the furthest distance the drone can go, they would be able to get a general area. Elliot Foster¡¯s been looking for you this whole time.¡± Chapter 345 Chapter 345 Chapter 345 ¡°It¡¯ll be fine. I won¡¯t mention you even if he manages to find me. Don¡¯t worry!¡± Eric said. ¡°Okay. Make sure to work on your rehabilitation therapy. I¡¯ll be waiting for youreback.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll give it my all!¡± That evening, Eric received an unexpected guest at his vi in the mountains. He did not anticipate Elliot Foster to find him so soon. Elliot arrived with a woman next to him. ¡°Hello, Eric. I¡¯m sorry for barging in on you,¡± Elliot said politely. ¡°I¡¯ve looked for you for a long time. I¡¯m afraid it would¡¯ve taken even longer if it weren¡¯t for the video you posted online this morning.¡± There were no excess emotions on Eric¡¯s face. He responded to Elliot in an equally courteous manner and said, ¡°How can I help you, Mr. Foster?¡± Elliot nced at Shea, then said, ¡°There¡¯s a cat over there, Shea. Why don¡¯t you go and take a look?¡± Shea walked away to see the cat with the bodyguard. Elliot withdrew his gaze from Shea andnded his eyes back on Eric. ¡°She¡¯s my sister. She¡¯s had a mental disability since she was born.¡± Eric was taken aback. ¡°My sister is adorable and kind,¡± Elliot said in a hoarse voice as tears formed in his eyes. ¡°You would understand what I mean if you know about what she¡¯s been through.¡± He handed over a few photos to Eric. Eric took the photos and saw the photo of a little girl lying on a bed. She was skin and bones and covered in bruises. It was a ghastly sight! Text property ? N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org. Eric could not bring himself to look further and put the photos down. ¡°Do you know how she got hurt?¡± Elliot said as he put the photos away. ¡°My father beat her. Due to her illness, my father was always ashamed of her and abused her. It¡¯s hard to imagine that she¡¯s been through such dark times after seeing the way she smiled at you earlier, right?¡± Eric was affected by Elliot¡¯s words. ¡°Mr. Foster, are you thinking of asking my doctor to help your sister?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. I¡¯m willing to give up anything as long as it can help my sister¡¯s condition.¡±. ¡°My family contacted Professor James Hough after my ident,¡± Eric exined honestly.¡± The professor would probably have been the one to operate on me if he did not pass away.¡± Elliot raised his eyebrows as he waited for Eric to continue. ¡°After the professor¡¯s sudden passing, his assistant, Wesley, arranged another doctor for me.¡± Eric paused for a moment. In the end, his emotions won over his reason. ¡°I¡¯m sure you know Miss Avery Tate. She isn¡¯t willing to reveal that she was the one who carried out my surgery.¡± Elliot was at a loss for words. Avery Tate! How could it be her? She was a medical student, but she did not have a career in medicine after she graduated. How was it possible that she could operate on Eric Santos?! ¡°Miss Tate told me that she had followed Professor Hough¡¯s treatment n to help me, so she asked me to pay the medical fees to the professor¡¯s family,¡± Eric added. ¡°Miss Tate doesn¡¯t wish to be bothered. I sympathize with your sister, Mr. Foster, and I hope she recovers soon, but I also hope that you won¡¯t bother Miss Tate.¡± ¡°Do you know what rtionship I have with the Miss Tate you¡¯re speaking of?¡± Elliot said sarcastically. Eric shook his head. ¡°She¡¯s my ex wife,¡± Elliot said as his heart ached. Avery lied to him! She said that she did not know Eric Santos. Was this what she meant by not knowing him?! Chapter 346 Chapter 346 Chapter 346 Has Avery ever spoken the truth? Was she being cautious or was she treating him as the enemy? If she was being cautious of him, why? What was she afraid of? If she treated him as the enemy- That was even harder to understand! He had never done anything to hurt her, why was she so hostile toward him? Elliot¡¯s brows were scrunched tightly the entire journey back. Once he reached home, Mrs. Cooper took Shea. Elliot received a call and immediately drove away. At the Twilight Bar, Ben saw Ellioting over. He immediately pulled him over to the sofa. ¡°Elliot! You have been missing the entire day, where have you been?¡± Ben poured him some wine. ¡°I went to see Eric Santos.¡± He epted the ss of wine and took a sip. ¡°None of you will guess who performed his surgery.¡± Everyone looked at Elliot, waiting for him to continue, but he did not want to continue. ¡°Have I been treating Avery badly?¡± He furrowed his brows and downed the alcohol. ¡°She was the one who had asked for the divorce. No matter how I tried to make her stay, she insisted on leaving. After the divorce, she rebuilt herpany; I lived my life. When she¡¯s in trouble, I try to help her as best I can, yet she wants a clean break. She wants to draw a line. She asked me to go with Zoe, and I listened to her¡­ But in the end, she still hates me. Why?¡± Elliot¡¯s tone signified that he was rather drunk. Zoe was his current woman, yet the woman he constantly thought of was Avery. Even at that moment, he was drowning himself in his alcohol and sorrow because of Avery. ¡°Elliot, you have done your best with Avery! She¡¯s only that arrogant because you treat her too well! I have long seen through her! The better you treat her, the more she disrespects you! Only by being ruthless will she show you some respect!¡± ¡°I too think that you treat Avery too well! You gave her fifteen millionst year. Did she thank you? I¡¯m sure she did not, right?¡± ¡°Dunking fifteen million into a pool at least gets you a ssh! Elliot, Avery is not worth it!¡± Everyone joined the fray. They cursed and ran their mouths. At eleven that night, Elliot exited the bar reeking of alcohol. Once he got in the car, the driver drove away. Elliot took his phone out. He found a number in his contacts. He had a question he wanted to ask the family doctor. After the call connected, he asked in a hoarse voice, ¡°Could an ordinary medical student operate on a patient as well as a qualified doctor? I¡¯m not talking about a minor surgery. I¡¯m talking about brain surgery. The most outrageous part about this is that the surgery was a sess!¡± Only silence came from the other end of the line. Elliot¡¯s breathing got heavier. He rubbed the middle of his brows and continued, ¡°I¡¯m talking about Professor Hough and his pupils. His pupil¡­ is¡­ Avery. I could not find any records of her in the medical field, but the thing is, she operated on Eric Santos! I find this whole thing strange! How did Wesley dare let Avery operate on Eric?¡± On the other end of the line, Zoe¡¯s blood was boiling! Elliot had dialed the wrong number! He was supposed to call the family doctor, but he called her instead! He said that Avery had operated on Eric! No wonder Eric would help Tate Industries. However, how did Avery have such abilities? Could she be Professor Hough¡¯sst pupil? ¡°Elliot, you got the wrong number.¡± Zoe¡¯s voice was cold and tight as if she was being choked by someone. Upon hearing Zoe¡¯s voice, Elliot suddenly sobered! He looked at his phone. When he saw Zoe¡¯s name, he immediately hung up! He had made a huge mistake while he was drunk! Did that mean that Zoe heard all the things he had said a moment ago?Belongs to ? n0velDrama.Org. Chapter 347 Chapter 347 Chapter 347 Elliot started to carefully think back about what he had said, but his head hurt. He could not think in peace. Forget about it! No matter what he had said, it was alright if Zoe heard. Zoe felt as if something huge had hit her head! It felt like her mind was being slowly pulled apart! Although she did not want to ept that Avery¡¯s skills were better than hers, she had no choice but to do so. Avery was Professor Hough¡¯sst pupil! The anonymous doctor that operated on Shea twice was her too! She was the only one who did not want anything from Elliot. That would not be the case if it was anyone else! Thus, everything that she had received from Elliot was thanks to Avery. If Avery were to reveal the truth to Elliot one day, she would everything that she now had. Instantly, she went from the dominating to subservient. She had to quickly try ande up with a way to turn the tables around. After breakfast the next morning, Zoe apanied Rosalie on a walk in the garden. ¡°Aunt Rosalie, Elliot had told me the reason he canceled our engagement when he called me yesterday,¡± said Zoe. Rosalie felt guilty, so she had an apologetic expression on her face. Content ? N?velDrama.Org. ¡°Do you know where he was yesterday morning?¡± Zoe smiled bitterly and exhaled. ¡°He was with Avery.¡± ¡°Oh! What a terrible thing!¡± Rosalie furrowed her brows. ¡°Elliot told me that he still loves Avery, which was why he could not be engaged to me.¡± Zoe¡¯s eyes were red. ¡°I¡¯ve been thinking all night long. I don¡¯t me Elliot. I was the one who forced him to be with me. I¡¯m happy to bear his child, and I hope that he too will find happiness.¡± Rosalie did not expect Zoe to be such a forgiving and generous person. ¡°Aunt Rosalie, can you help me get Avery? If I were to ask her myself, she will note.¡± Zoe lowered her gaze. ¡°I only want to talk to her. As long she treats Elliot well, I will leave.¡± Rosalie could not refuse Zoe¡¯s request. An hourter, Avery appeared by the Fosters. Avery initially had not wanted toe, but Rosalie made here. Not only was Rosalie Elliot ¡®s mother, but she was also senior to Avery. Avery could not refuse her. After parking her car right outside the mansion, she entered the courtyard. With a single nce, she could vaguely tell that it was Zoe who was standing under the tree. When Zoe saw her, she immediately approached her. ¡°Avery, let¡¯s talk!¡± Zoe stood before her and said honestly, ¡°I was the one that asked Aunt Rosalie to get you toe. Avery turned, wanting to leave, but Zoe grabbed her arm. She prevented Avery from leaving. ¡°Avery! You stole my man, so you¡¯re embarrassed to see me now, aren¡¯t you?¡± Zoe sneered. ¡°I¡¯ m such a failure! Even if Elliot hugged me at night, the name he whispers is yours, but God was kind to me. He gave me Elliot¡¯s child. My child is extremely healthy, unlike yours- an idiot.¡± Avery clenched her hands tightly into fists. Her voice trembled, ¡°Who are you calling an idiot? ¡°Your son! He goes to a special needs school, right? If he is not an idiot, what is he? Even if Elliot knows that he is his son, he will not let him inherit the family business. The person who will inherit Foster¡¯s wealth will be my son!¡± Zoe rubbed her tummy and looked at Avery provocatively Avery gritted her teeth, rage burning in her eyes. Thest straw of her sensibility told her to leave, quickly. However, Zoe had grabbed her hands, preventing her from leaving. ¡°Let go!¡± Avery forcefully shook Zoe off. ¡°Ah!¡± Zoe suddenly fell backward, hitting the stone table behind her! Chapter 348 Chapter 348 Chapter 348 Avery was so stunned to see what happened she was at a loss for words. She had merely shaken Zoe off, how could she have caused her to fall? Zoe was lying on the ground, clutching her tummy and wailing in pain. ¡°My child¡­ my child¡­¡± Zoe¡¯s screams attracted the attention of the nanny and bodyguards as well as Rosalie. ¡°Zoe! How did you fall!¡± Rosalie said with a furious expression. ¡°Did Avery push you?¡± How could Zoe have fallen if not for Avery? She could not have identally fallen. The ground was t and even, therefore she could not have tripped. Zoe cried terribly and gasped in pain. ¡°Avery! You have already stolen Elliot¡¯s heart! You won¡¯t even let our child go? My child is innocent,¡± Avery shuddered in the face of Zoe¡¯s nder. She realized that that was a setup. However, Avery could not understand why Zoe had risked her child in doing so. Could she have done this because she knew that this is what would finally make Elliot hate her? What if something were to truly happen to the child? ¡°Zoe. You use your own child to nder me. You are not worthy of motherhood!¡± Avery was furious. ¡°It, it hurts! Avery! It was you! You pushed me! So many people saw it!¡± The bodyguard helped Zoe up. She sounded so miserable. ¡°If anything were to happen to my child, I will not let you go! Even in death, I will haunt you!¡± The bodyguard carried Zoe and quickly headed to the car. Rosalie stiffened! The ball of fury in her heart was getting bigger by the moment! She raised her hand and pped Avery across the face, hard! ¡°Avery, is it because of Elliot¡¯s lenience that you dare behave so boldly? We are the Fosters! How dare you harm my grandchild?! If anything were to happen to the child, I¡¯ll make sure that you are buried with him!¡± spat Rosalie, and she stormed off to assist the nanny. After the cars left, there was dead silence. Avery¡¯s face was burning. Her feet were as heavy as lead. She did not push Zoe. She did not even n on doing anything to Zoe¡¯s child. At that moment, a figure came out of the mansion. Avery looked up to see that it was Cole. He had heard the exchange, but he had note during the altercation. What was he doing here now? Did he want to see if his child had been murdered? He walked over to Avery and stood in front of her. He smiled coldly. ¡°Avery, I¡¯m saddened to see how miserable you look.¡± ¡°Stop your pretensions!¡± Avery retorted. ¡°Even if I did push Zoe, so what?¡± She turned around and left. ¡°Avery, if I were you, I would stay away from Elliot!¡± Cole warned her, ¡°But I think it¡¯s toote now¡­¡± Zoe¡¯s child was definitely dead, and the me would bey at Avery¡¯s feet. He wondered how Elliot would react when he found out about that.Belongs to N?velDrama.Org - All rights reserved. At the hospital, Zoe was sent to the emergency room. Rosalie was outside the emergency room, calling Elliot, ¡°Elliot, I saw it with my own eyes! Avery pushed Zoe!¡± exaggerated Rosalie. ¡°Avery is a vicious woman! She pushed Zoe into the stone table! When we were at the hospital, Zoe started bleeding. My grandchild ¡ª¡±. At that, Rosalie could no longer hold back, and she started crying. Chapter 349 Chapter 349 Chapter 349 On the other end of the line, Elliot¡¯s hand gripped his phone tighter. Half an hourter, he arrived at the hospital. ¡°Mr. Foster, I¡¯m sorry. Your child couldn¡¯t be saved,¡± said the doctor. ¡°Miss Sanford passed out from sadness.¡± Rosalie was choking on her tears as she stood by the side. She could not speak. Zoe¡¯s father, Richard, was carrying a ck bag. His face was blue. In the bag he held was the dead fetus. . ¡°Elliot, it was fine that you were unable to honor my daughter, however, how could you allow someone to harm my grandchild?! How terrible could you be!¡± Richard barked. Elliot nced at the ck bag and said, ¡°Give me the child.¡± ho His feelings for the dead child wereplicated, however, sadness was not one of them. However, the thought of Avery being responsible for the death of the child left him burning with rage. At the same time, a part of him was telling him to conduct a paternity test on the fetus. ¡°Hehe! Why do you want the child? Can you bring it back to life?¡± Richard held onto the tiny bag. ¡°You don¡¯t deserve to be a father! Falling in love with you was the stupidest mistake that my daughter has ever made in her life! You killed your child! Even if this childes back as a ghost, it will haunt you!¡± Richard was too agitated. His words grew agitated with every passing second. The bodyguard could not bear to hear them. He wanted to pull them apart. The two men began shoving each other. At that moment, a nurse yelled from the ward. ¡°Dr. Shaw! Patient on bed thirty-eight is bleeding out!¡± The nurse ran out of the ward, yelling for the doctor. She needed him to handle the situation. Elliot nced inside. Zoe was lying on the bed. Her face was chalky, and she looked dead. Elliot¡¯s heart could not help but constrict. He walked into the room. The doctor measured the amount of blood she had lost, and then checked on her blood pressure. ¡°The patient is losing too much blood! We have to stop the bleeding!¡± Avery was at Tate Industries, and she was distracted. She would nce at her phone from time to time, checking for messages or calls. What happened to Zoe? She did not know. After waiting the entire morning to see whether the child lived or not, she was getting antsy for an answer. There should have been news by now. Could the child be fine? If not, why had Elliot not called her and interrogated her? It would be the for the best if the child lived. She did not want any trouble. ¡°Avery, let¡¯s go for lunch!¡± Mike yelled, pushing her office door open. Avery shook her head. ¡°I¡¯m not hungry, you go ahead!¡± ¡°Then, I¡¯ll bring food back for you. What do you feel like eating?¡± Mike asked concerned. ¡°Anything!¡± ¡°What¡¯s going on? You seem down.¡± Mike walked over to her. He touched her forehead with his hand. ¡°Are you having a fever? Who pissed you off?¡± Avery looked at Mike and blurted out her worries. ¡°This morning Rosalie called me over on behalf of Zoe. I have been set up.¡± Then, the phone on her table rang. She picked up her phone and saw that it was a call from Elliot. Her heart constricted tightly. She answered the call. She heard Elliot say, ¡°Avery, do I have to go looking for you or are you going to come to the hospital?¡± Belongs to ? n0velDrama.Org. He sounded calm, but the calm masked an undercurrent of terrifying emotions. Avery did not want him toe, nor did she want to go to the hospital to look for him. She did not want to see him! ¡°I did not push Zoe. At that time, I wanted to leave, but she did not let me leave, so I shook her off her arm. I did not push her! She fell on her own!¡± Avery blushed. She was defending herself. ¡°Are you telling me that aside from Zoe, my mother and everyone else at the house was wrong?¡± Elliot¡¯s voice sounded ice-cold. Avery sneered in her heart. She was lost in her emotions. ¡°So, what if I pushed her? Are you going to avenge her?¡± Chapter 350 Chapter 350 Chapter 350 Elliot was silent for a few seconds. He had never thought that she could be this arrogant. ¡°Avery, this is a life you¡¯re talking about!¡± he growled. ¡°How could you be so coldblooded?¡± ¡°Is your son gone?¡± Avery took a deep breath. She saluted Zoe. ¡°Is Zoe secretlyughing right now? Trading her son to set me up, no wonder she is the woman who is still by your side!¡± Avery¡¯s words carried a double meaning. Not only did she mean that Zoe was vicious and ruthless, but also that he possessed the same nature as her. Elliot¡¯s expressions darkened. ¡°She is bleeding out, and the doctors are trying to resuscitate her. If this is all part of her n, then not only did she risk her child, but she also risked her own life. Do you think that you are so smart now?¡± Avery¡¯s lips moved, but no words came out. ¡°Avery, this time, I will not go soft on you anymore!¡± Elliot said each word slowly before hanging up. Avery held onto her phone. Her face was pale, and she felt weak as if someone had sucked up all her energy. Mike looked at her, worried. From what she had said a moment ago, it seemed that things were serious. ¡°Avery, what on earth happened?¡± Avery quickly collected her emotions. ¡°It¡¯s fine. Go have lunch!¡± ¡°What do you mean it¡¯s fine! I heard it all. Zoe had a miscarriage. Did she me it on you? That shameless woman! She deserves to get beaten up!¡± Mike clenched his fist. He could no longer hold back his fiery temper. ¡°I don¡¯t need you to beat her up. She is bleeding out, and they are trying to resuscitate her,¡± said Avery calmly. ¡°I¡¯m now even starting to think that I might have pushed her by mistake. And it is because of me that she is bleeding out. But if she did do it, then the price she is paying is too high.¡± At her words, Mike furrowed his brows. ¡°Is Elliot looking for trouble?¡± ¡°You don¡¯t have to worry about me. Even if hees for me, he won¡¯t bury me with his son,¡± said Avery calmly. Belongs to ? n0velDrama.Org. ¡°His son was not even born. So, it can¡¯t really be called human! I used to studyw!¡± boasted Mike. ¡°But he mighte for revenge, and he would fight you because of this.¡± ¡°Hmm, go for lunch!¡± ¡°But I¡¯m worried for you.¡± ¡°Does your concern stop him from getting his revenge?¡± Avery stood up from her desk and pushed Mike out the door. ¡°Bring some food back for me, thank you.¡± ¡°Avery, if hees looking for you, you must call me. I will protect you,¡± Mike advised. ¡°Hmm.¡± After Mike left, Avery sat down once again. She clenched her fists tightly. Her mind started reying the scenes of that morning. Zoe had gotten Rosalie to contact Avery to meet her at the old Foster mansion. Once she had reached, every single word Zoe had said was provocative. It had easily infuriated her. She had wanted to leave many times, but Zoe had refused to release her arm not allowing her to leave. If Zoe had truly wanted to say something to her, she could have easily told it to her over the phone, and yet, she had taken the trouble to ensure that she was at the Foster mansion. The more Avery thought, the more that she had felt that the entire situation had been a setup! She too had given birth to children before. Technically, even if one were to suffer a fall, the end result would not have necessarily been a miscarriage, and even then, a miscarriage would not have resulted in a bleed out. Zoe could not have predicted the hemorrhage that urred, but the fact that she had gambled with the life of her child was proof that she did not have any feelings for it. Zoe wanted to marry Elliot so badly, so how could she possibly not have feelings for the child? Could the child be the problem? At that thought, Avery¡¯s back was dripping with cold sweat. Chapter 351 Chapter 351 Chapter 351 It was five in the evening at Starry River Kindergarten. This was the bodyguard¡¯s first day on the job. Once he picked up the children, he brought them home. ¡°Uncle Bodyguard, can Hayden and I y outside for a while?¡± La looked up at him. She was trying to see where the boundaryy. The bodyguard replied clearly, ¡°Sure! I¡¯ll take you out to y after dinner.¡± La replied, ¡°Oh! What are we eating for dinner? Are we ordering in or are you making dinner for us? What time do you finish work?¡± The bodyguard said, ¡°I get off work when your mom or uncle Mike gets home. If you¡¯d like, I can cook you a meal.¡± La muttered, ¡°Then, do we have to go to the supermarket to get groceries? If you make meals for us, does my mom have to pay you double? But, if your cooking is bad, then does she not pay you double?¡± The bodyguardughed. ¡°Your mom pays me enough for me to cookten meals a day for you two!¡± Then, the bodyguard brought the two children to the supermarket. At seven in the evening, the bodyguard received a call from Mike. Mike asked about the kids before saying, ¡°I might be homete tonight. The kids go to bed at nine. If Avery and I are not back by then, you can end work.¡± Mike could not locate Avery! He had gone to look for her so that they might go home together, but she was not in her office. He had tried calling her, but she did not pick up. After a while, he tried calling her again, but she had turned her phone off! Mike was so furious he wanted to swear! Elliot must have taken her away because Mike could not get to him either! Mike was driving to Elliot¡¯s mansion. He had his bluetooth earpiece on. ¡°How could they me Zoe¡¯s miscarriage on Avery? Avery isn¡¯t that type of person!¡± he grumbled to Chad who was on the other side of the call. Chad said, ¡°Mr. Foster did note to work today. I have heard about Zoe¡¯s incident too, but I was not there. I can¡¯t say much about it. My advice to you is to not get too angry about it. They are adults; they will surely solve the matter properly.¡± Content ? N?velDrama.Org. ¡°How funny! Avery might be an adult, but I can¡¯t be so sure about your boss!¡± Mike said sarcastically. ¡°If he had any brains, he should not have suspected Avery! He called Avery in the afternoon and threatened her. I was next to Avery. I heard everything! If anything were to happen to Avery, I will not let him go easily!¡± Chad was infuriated by Mike¡¯s threats. ¡°How are you nning to deal with Mr. Foster?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll expose him! I have tons of dirt on him!¡± ¡°You¡¯re nuts! If you dare to expose him, he will send you to prison!¡± Chad pushed his sses higher up his nose. ¡°Don¡¯t be reckless. Let me make some calls to see if anyone knows where he is.¡± Avery was at a hotel. She was staring at the man in front of her with confusion. Elliot had called her out here because he wanted to solve the problem. So, she hade here. She never thought that he would take her to a hotel after she had met him. ¡°Elliot, how are you nning to solve the problem?¡± Avery asked him sternly. She had asked him this after he had taken her phone from her. ¡°Let¡¯s have some food first.¡± He picked up the menu in the room and started ordering. Avery looked at the luxurious presidential suite. She had a vague feeling that things were bing strange. She strode over to the exit and opened the door. Outside, two bodyguards were looking at her with dark expressions. She gasped, took a step back, and shut the door! ¡°Elliot, are you imprisoning me?¡± She walked over to him, snatched the menu away, and threw it on the floor! Elliot looked at her coldly. ¡°You killed my child, you will give me one in return!¡± Chapter 352 Chapter 352 Chapter 352 Give him one in return? Avery thought she had misheard him. A child is not a product, how could she give him one in return? Looking at the confusion on her face, he said calmly, ¡°You will use your womb to give me another one. I don¡¯t care if the child is dead or alive, just so long as it¡¯s mine!¡± Avery shuddered. She yelled hysterically, ¡°Elliot! Have you gone nuts!¡± When she had been pregnant with his children, he had gotten his bodyguards to drag her to an abortion clinic! Had he forgotten about it?! Now, he was forcing her to bear him a child! What was he treating her as? A toy? Forcing her to get pregnant whenever he wanted, forcing her to have an abortion whenever he did not want a child? ¡°Hehe! ¡°Yes! I am nuts!¡± His eyes reddened with hatred. ¡°Avery, you¡¯re the one who drove me crazy! You and your lies! You kept driving me to the edge, and my patience has its limits!¡± Avery was so intimidated by how terrifying he was behaving that she did not dare make a sound. She retreated and finally fell to the sofa. ¡°Avery, I will no longer show you mercy! You have made a mistake, so you must ept the consequences! I don¡¯t care if you conceive a stillborn!¡± he said coldly. ¡°From today onward, you will appear whenever I need you. You will do so until you are pregnant with my child!¡± Elliot towered over Avery, looking down on her, backing her to a corner. Avery gripped the sofa¡¯s sheets tightly. Her chest heaving quickly. The thought of a child being born, and how coldly he would treat it made Avery¡¯s heart lurch, so she fought back. ¡°No! Go and find another woman!¡± ¡°This is not up to you! This time, even if you run to the ends of the world, I will find you and take you!¡± Elliot looked at her coldly and said frigidly, ¡°If you want freedom, you either die or you give me a child! Don¡¯t think you can use death as an escape unless you are taking your kids with you. If you die, your kids will pay the price!¡± Avery was speechless. His cool fingers unbuttoned her buttons one by one. Hepletely got rid of her dignity! Mike parked the car outside the Foster mansion and exined his reason foring to the guard on duty. ¡°I¡¯m a Mike a good friend of Mr. Foster. He asked me here for a drink.¡± Mike thought it was best to get in first before ying things by ear. Mike came over once, and the guard still remembered him. He was not a friend of his boss. He was Avery¡¯s friend. ¡°Mr. Foster is not home. Come back when he¡¯s here!¡± The guard stopped him. ¡°Oh, do you know when he ising back?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡± ¡°Oh, then, is Shea home? Shea and I are friends too.¡± Mike¡¯s mind was spinning. Then, he yelled at the mansion, ¡°Shea! Come open the door! It¡¯s Mike! Hayden and La asked me toe and look for you!¡± Hearing Mike¡¯s yells, Mrs. Cooper walked out. ¡°Mrs. Cooper! Is Shea home? Get her to open the door for me!¡± Mike craned his head and yelled at Mrs. Cooper, who was in the courtyard. A momentter, Mrs. Cooper brought Shea out. When Shea saw Mike, she immediately walked to the entrance and opened the door for him. In this house, after Elliot, Shea was the most powerful. The bodyguard did not dare offend Shea. Belongs to ? n0velDrama.Org. ¡°Shea! Avery has gone missing! I suspect that Elliot has taken her away!¡± Mike grabbed Shea¡¯s hand and asked for her help. ¡°If I can¡¯t contact Avery, will you follow me home? I¡¯ll exchange Avery for you. Please, come with me?¡± Shea nodded, barely giving it any thought. Mike thought that he was aplete genius! This method was brilliant! Chapter 353 Chapter 353 Chapter 353 Mike told his brilliant idea to Chad. Chad said, ¡°Mr. Foster will not be threatened. Shea¡¯s nanny and bodyguard will always follow her. Taking her to Avery¡¯s house is just a change of living amodations.¡± Mike was baffled. Chad continued, ¡°Mr. Foster will not harm Avery. I can guarantee you that.¡± Mike said, ¡°How are you going to guarantee that?¡± ¡°If you don¡¯t believe me, fine! I¡¯m at the hospital seeing Zoe now. She has note around yet.¡± Mike¡¯s anxiety lessened slightly. ¡°What¡¯s going on with her now?¡± ¡°She has been unconscious since the blood transfusion.¡± ¡°Oh, Avery said that she did not push Zoe. What do you think Zoe is thinking?¡± Mike wondered. ¡°Is the child in her not Elliot¡¯s?¡± ¡°Of course, you¡¯re siding with Avery. It¡¯s hard to say what the truth is,¡± Chad said objectively. Mike chuckled. ¡°I think the child in her is not Elliot¡¯s. If the child was Elliot¡¯s, she would have fought with all her might. She would not have fallen with a single push. You should get Elliot to do a paternity test.¡± ¡°No can do. Zoe¡¯s father took the child away at the hospital.¡± ¡°Hahaha!¡± ¡°Stopughing. Zoe¡¯s life is still hanging by the thread. No matter who the child belongs to, it doesn¡¯t matter,¡± Chad said. ¡°After all, the child is dead.¡± ¡°What do you mean it doesn¡¯t matter? Avery is being wrongfully med!¡± Mike said angrily. ¡°Don¡¯t be such a pessimist. Mr. Foster never wanted the child. Now that the child is gone, perhaps he might even thank Avery!¡± Chad said. ¡°Avery is not home right now, aren¡¯t you going to look after the kids?¡± ¡°We hired a bodyguard.¡± ¡°Oh, then you just wait at Mr. Foster¡¯s ce then! I¡¯ve already contacted everyone. No one knows where he is either.¡± Content ? N?velDrama.Org. Mike furrowed his brows in worry. ¡°By the way, I heard a piece of news today.¡± Before Chad hung up, he suddenly remembered something. ¡°Wanda sold off her cosmeticspany. The one abroad. She cashed it for four hundred and fifty million. It looks like she is preparing to return to the country.¡± ¡°Oh, that witch! Once she returns, I¡¯ll make sure her life is hell!¡± ¡°Don¡¯t underestimate her. Wanda is business savvy. If she has decided to return, she must have a n. You have to remind Avery to be careful,¡± Chad said, then he switched topics. ¡°I think you should still go back home! It¡¯s pointless for you to wait at Mr. Foster¡¯s ce.¡± ¡°You only know how to protect your boss!¡± Mike said in annoyance and hung up. Avery was at the hotel, and she thought that she was going to die. What was worse than hunger was how rough Elliot was with her. He seemed to have an abundance of energy when it came to torturing her. At two in the morning, there was a knock on the door. Elliot stopped what he was doing. Avery pulled the covers over her body. Elliot put on a robe and walked to the door. ¡°Mr. Foster, Miss Sanford hase around. She¡¯s asking to see you,¡± the bodyguard said. Elliot turned around and looked at the messy bed. ¡°All of you stay here. Don¡¯t let her escape.¡± ¡°Yes, sir!¡± Avery¡¯s eyes reddened. She waspletely infuriated. He had already spent the night with her! Why not let her go? ¡°Elliot! What makes you think you can keep me here?!¡± She wrapped the sheets around herself, dragged her sore body out of bed, and shouted at Elliot. Elliot walked over to her, picked her up, and ced her back on the bed. His unique scent wafted across her. ¡°I¡¯ll let you go after twenty-four hours. What if you take contraceptives? Then, all my efforts tonight will go to waste?¡± Chapter 354 Chapter 354 Chapter 354 Avery grabbed Elliot by his robe and looked at him coldly with reddened eyes. ¡°Whether I decide to take contraceptives or not is my right! Don¡¯t push it! If you do, you¡¯ll get nothing!¡± Her shrill voice pierced through the dark. His sexy Adam¡¯s apple bobbed. ¡°Give me my phone!¡± Avery looked at his long neck. If he was not going toply, she was going to bite him! ¡°Avery, you better heed my words.¡± Elliot¡¯s eyes darkened. He said hoarsely, ¡°If you dare to take any contraceptive pills, we¡¯ll sleep be sleeping together forever!¡± He then returned her phone. Once Avery was in possession of her phone, she immediately jumped off the bed. She picked her clothes up and quickly put them on. Before he left, she bolted the door! It was half-past two in the morning, and there were not many cars on the road. The night breeze took her exhaustion away. Avery turned on her phone. There were dozens of missed calls, and all of them were from Mike. She wanted to return his calls, but how was she going to exin things when she returned home? The incident that had taken cest night was too absurd. When she had thought about it, she felt rather the entire thing was rather surreal. Elliot was in Zoe¡¯s ward at three in the morning. When Zoe saw him, she began to cry. Elliot took a piece of tissue and wiped her tears off her face. ¡°Zoe, stop crying.¡± ¡°Our child¡­ is gone. I¡¯m¡­ So¡­ sad. It¡¯s all my fault. I¡­ didn¡¯t protect him well¡­¡± Zoe was sobbing hard. If she kept it up she might suffocate. Content ? N?velDrama.Org. ¡°You¡¯ll still have children in the future,¡± Elliotforted her. ¡°You need to rest.¡± Zoe looked at him with teary eyes. ¡°But I can never have any more children! Elliot, our child died so horribly! He was almost a fully formed baby!¡± ¡°I know.¡± ¡°It¡¯s Avery,¡± ¡°Why did you want to meet Avery?¡± Elliot interrupted her. ¡°You got my mother to call her over. Was it necessary to get her toe to the house?¡± Zoe¡¯s tears fell harder. ¡°I regret it, Elliot! I should not have been so reckless! You canceled our engagement the day before You said you loved her, and I lost it. I decided to take myself out of the picture, but I wanted to see her and settle things between us. I hoped that after you two got together, she would still ept our child. The child is innocent-¡°. Elliot looked at Zoe¡¯s aggrieved face. He asked, ¡°So she pushed you?¡± Zoe took a deep breath. ¡°Maybe seeing our child provoked her? She probably still loves you, so she could not bear seeing our child. I never thought that she could do such evil ¡ª¡± Elliot¡¯s expressions darkened instantly. If what Zoe said was true, then Avery was indeed vile. ¡°Now, every time I close my eyes, I see our child covered in blood, crying terribly. He keeps calling to me, asking me to help him-¡± ¡°Zoe! Stop talking!¡± Elliot interrupted her. ¡°The child is dead. You¡¯re in pain now. It¡¯s pointless.¡± ¡°Elliot, is our child going to just die for nothing?¡± Zoe sobbed and said softly. ¡°I¡¯ll look for Avery! You just get better!¡± ¡°Okay, I¡¯m relieved to hear that!¡± Zoe took a deep breath. ¡°I¡¯m sorry for calling you over so