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Chapter 11

Author: Velvet
last update publish date: 2026-05-09 15:04:23

Author’s pov

The ride to the Hale family estate was quiet.

Ava sat beside Dominic in the back seat, trying her best to stay calm, but it was impossible. Her hands rested tightly on her lap, and every few seconds, she glanced out the window just to avoid looking at him too much.

The dress she wore still felt unfamiliar on her body. Even the heels on her feet made her nervous. She was scared of tripping, scared of saying the wrong thing, and even more scared of embarrassing Dominic in front of hi
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  • The Love We Never Expected    Chapter 69

    The dining room was quiet except for the soft sound of plates and cutlery. Mrs rose had prepared breakfast early that morning. Fresh bread, eggs, fruit, and hot coffee were neatly arranged on the table.Dominic was already dressed for work.He sat at the head of the table with a cup of black coffee beside him while reading through a few documents on his tablet.Across from him, Ava was spreading butter on a slice of toast.Mrs rose walked into the dining room carrying another plate of freshly made pancakes.She smiled as she placed it in front of Ava.“I made your favorite.” Ava smiled warmly.“Thank you.”“You’ll need plenty of energy today.” Ava laughed softly.“I think you’re feeding me enough for three people.” Mrs Rose looked pleased.“You’ve been studying hard so you should eat well.” Dominic finally looked up from his tablet.“Mrs rose is right.” Ava glanced at him.“You too?” He placed the tablet on the table.“Your practical exams are almost over and you’ve already been promo

  • The Love We Never Expected    Chapter 68

    The drive back to the city was unusually quiet and the lights from passing cars flashed through the windshield one after another, but neither Ava nor Dominic spoke. The silence inside the car wasn’t uncomfortable, yet it carried a heaviness that neither of them could ignore.Ava rested her head against the window and watched the streets pass by. Her thoughts kept drifting back to the Hale mansion.She remembered the moment Amelia stepped through the front door.The way Vanessa had reacted and the look on her mother in law face.Even Grandpa Hale’s excitement had surprised her.Then there was Dominic.He hadn’t said much, but she had noticed how quiet he became the moment Amelia appeared.Ava wasn’t the type to jump to conclusions. She trusted her husband.Still, she couldn’t pretend she wasn’t curious.After several minutes, she finally broke the silence.“Can I ask you something?” Dominic kept both hands on the steering wheel.“You just did.” A faint smile appeared on Ava’s face bef

  • The Love We Never Expected    Chapter 67

    Nobody spoke for several seconds. The room remained unusually quiet after Amelia introduced herself. Her words still lingered in the air, making everyone wonder what kind of relationship she and Dominic had shared in the past.Ava, however, remained composed.She withdrew her hand after their handshake and smiled politely.“It’s nice to meet you too.”Amelia studied her for a brief moment before nodding.“I’ve heard a lot about you.”“Hopefully nothing bad,” Ava replied with a small smile.Amelia let out a soft laugh.“Quite the opposite.” The simple exchange surprised everyone in the room.Vanessa had expected sparks to fly the moment Amelia mentioned being close to Dominic. Instead, the two women were speaking to each other with remarkable courtesy.Even Diana couldn’t hide her surprise. She quietly glanced at Vanessa, whose expression had already begun to darken.This wasn’t the reaction she had hoped for.Grandpa Hale looked from one woman to the other before laughing heartily.“T

  • The Love We Never Expected    Chapter 66

    The sound of the Ferrari’s engine faded into silence. The woman standing outside adjusted the strap of her handbag before removing the black sunglasses resting on the bridge of her nose.The movement was slow and effortless. As soon as her face became visible, Vanessa’s eyes widened.Her heartbeat quickened. She stared through the glass doors as though she had seen a ghost.“Amelia…” The name slipped from her lips before she even realized she had spoken.The room immediately fell quiet. Everyone turned toward Vanessa.Diana frowned.“What did you just say?” Vanessa didn’t answer.She continued staring at the woman outside. Following Vanessa’s line of sight, everyone looked toward the entrance.The woman had already begun walking up the marble steps leading into the mansion.She looked exactly the same as Vanessa remembered. Almost impossible to ignore.The servants opened the doors before she reached them.She thanked them with a gentle smile and stepped inside the mansion as though s

  • The Love We Never Expected    Chapter 65

    The birthday celebration continued long into the evening before the first group of guests finally began leaving.Luxury cars lined the driveway as chauffeurs waited patiently outside the Hale mansion. Business partners, family friends, and important guests walked toward the entrance one after another, stopping to shake Grandpa Hale’s hand before leaving.“Thank you for coming,” Grandpa Hale said warmly to an elderly businessman who had traveled from another city. “I’m glad you could make time for an old man.”The businessman laughed.“If this old man keeps looking this energetic at eighty, I’ll need to ask for your secret.”Grandpa Hale laughed just as loudly.“I’ll tell you after I turn ninety.”The joke earned another round of laughter before the man climbed into his car.Margaret stood beside Grandpa Hale throughout the farewell, greeting everyone with a polite smile. Nathan also helped escort some of the older guests to their vehicles, while Sophie thanked those who congratulated

  • The Love We Never Expected    Chapter 64

    Dora could barely contain her excitement as she led Lina through the front garden.“You have to keep a straight face,” she whispered and Lina laughed.“You’re asking the wrong person.”“I’m serious.”“I’ll try.”The two girls entered the mansion together. Most of the staff members were too busy preparing for the birthday celebration to pay much attention to them.Fresh flowers decorated every corner of the house.The smell of expensive perfume drifted through the hallways as makeup artists, stylists and assistants hurried from one room to another.Lina looked around in amazement.“I’ve only seen houses like this in movies.” Dora smiled proudly.“You’ll get used to it.”“I don’t think so.” A housekeeper noticed them and smiled politely.“Good afternoon, Miss Dora.”“Good afternoon.”“Is this your guest?”“Yes.” The housekeeper nodded.“I’ll let Madam Ava know you’ve arrived.”Dora quickly shook her head.“No.” The woman looked confused.“I want to surprise her.” Understanding immediate

  • The Love We Never Expected    Chapter 56

    The moment Dominic ended the call, Ava knew something was wrong.The calm and relaxed mood she had been enjoying all afternoon disappeared instantly. Just a few seconds earlier, she had been smiling while thinking about Lina and Mabel. Now, uneasiness sat heavily in her chest.She lowered the phone

  • The Love We Never Expected    Chapter 50

    Ava returned to the mansion shortly before evening. The lunch with her classmates had been fun. Chloe had been her usual cheerful self, making everyone laugh with her endless stories. The other girls had been friendly too. Everything should have left Ava in a good mood.Instead, her thoughts kept

  • The Love We Never Expected     Chapter 49

    Saturday morning arrived faster than Ava expected. She woke up feeling excited about something that had nothing to do with the Hale family, Dominic, or her classes. Today was simply lunch with friends, normal friends, normal people. The thought alone made her smile as she got out of bed.After tak

  • The Love We Never Expected     Chapter 48

    Cynthia drove through the gates of her house just after seven in the evening. The day had been long. Not because of work. Work was the easy part. She had spent years building her reputation and earning her position at Hale Corporation. Handling schedules, meetings, negotiations, and impossible dea

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