6

Clara led Ava down the long corridor on the second floor. As they walked, the middle-aged woman continued explaining various things, making Ava increasingly aware that this house was run with remarkable precision and order.

“Do you have any favorite foods, Mrs. Langham?” Clara asked warmly. “Or perhaps any ingredients you dislike?”

Still lost in her thoughts, Ava looked slightly confused. “I’m sorry?”

Clara smiled understandingly. “We’ll need to adjust the kitchen menu from now on. It would be much easier if we knew you’re eating habits from the beginning.”

She looked at Ava with quiet admiration. And not without reason. As long as Clara had known her employer, Maverick had never allowed himself to become particularly close to any woman.

Well... except for that woman.

No.

Clara immediately shut down the thought.

That snake of a woman was not someone she intended to remember today. In fact, she would personally warn every maid, housekeeper, and even the drivers not to mention that woman in front of Ava.

For Clara, the news of Maverick’s marriage had come completely out of nowhere. No one had expected it. And at first, she had assumed Maverick was simply bringing home a woman who had become his wife without much thought or consideration.

Clara had genuinely believed this sudden marriage was nothing more than an impulsive decision on his part.

But after meeting Ava in person, she was beginning to understand. The woman was beautiful. Elegant. And she possessed a presence that was impossible to ignore. For the first time in all her years working in this house, Clara found herself thinking that her employer might have finally brought home someone worthy of standing beside him.

And Maverick’s reaction when the woman at his side had kissed his cheek...

He hadn’t pushed her away. No. Actually, Clara distinctly remembered seeing the faintest smile appear on Maverick’s face.

An incredibly rare sight.

“So...” Clara continued with a gentle smile. “Can you tell us what you like and dislike?”

Ava hadn’t expected a question like that.

“I don’t think there’s anything specific,” she replied after a moment. Then she thought for a second and added, “I’m not particularly picky about food.”

“How about allergies?”

Ava shook her head.

“That’s good.” Clara made a note on the small tablet she was carrying. “Mr. Maverick has a peanut allergy, so the kitchen staff are extremely careful about that.”

Ava immediately turned her head. “Mr. Maverick... has a peanut allergy?”

“Yes.” Clara nodded. “It’s not particularly severe, but his doctor still forbids him from eating peanuts. Because of that, the kitchen staff have gotten used to checking every ingredient carefully before serving anything.”

For some reason, that simple piece of information felt strangely significant to Ava. For years, while she was with Jackson, she had known almost everything about him. His favorite drink. His favorite color. Even the schedule of his business meetings.

As for Maverick... that piece of information felt surprisingly valuable. “I’ll remember that too. Thank you, Clara.”

Clara blinked in confusion. Somehow, Ava’s politeness felt almost unfamiliar to her. “It’s no trouble at all. You can ask me anything about Mr. Maverick. I’d be happy to tell you.”

“Really?” Ava’s face brightened immediately.

“Of course.” Clara smiled warmly. “Ah, and for dinner tonight? Is there anything specific you’d like?”

Ava returned a small smile. “Anything is fine. I’m actually used to cooking for myself, so I’ve never really thought much about specific menus.”

Clara looked genuinely surprised. “You cook for yourself?”

“Yes.”

The light conversation made the walk feel much more comfortable.

Ava was incredibly grateful that, at the very least, the first person to welcome her into this house had accepted her so warmly.

A few moments later, Clara stopped in front of a large ivory-colored door. “This is your room.”

Ava nodded lightly, but the moment the door opened, she fell silent. The room was larger than the entire apartment she currently lived in. High ceilings. Floor-to-ceiling windows overlooking the back garden. A private sitting area beside a modern fireplace. A separate walk-in dressing room.

And a warm color palette that made the entire space feel elegant without being excessive.

“Oh my God... this is my room?”

Clara smiled at her reaction.

“This room is enormous.”

“On the contrary.” Clara looked puzzled. “As the lady of the house, this is the most suitable room for you.”

Ava didn’t know how to respond. Everything still felt far too unreal. Just a few hours ago, she had been moments away from becoming the laughingstock of the entire city.

And now she was standing inside a room that felt more like a luxury hotel suite than a bedroom.

“And now, allow us to help you change.”

Two other female attendants entered carrying everything that might be needed. Ava instinctively wanted to refuse. She wasn’t accustomed to being taken care of like this.

But Clara spoke before she could object. “At least for tonight, please allow us to do our jobs.”

In the end, Ava gave up and nodded.

Not long afterward, the wedding gown that had been clinging to her body since morning was finally removed. She changed into a comfortable, simple set of loungewear that Clara had prepared for her.

After making sure Ava didn’t need anything else, the three women finally left the room, leaving her alone in the vast, unfamiliar space.

And for the first time that day... Ava was truly alone.

The room suddenly felt quiet. Peaceful. Comfortably so.

Ava let herself fall onto the edge of the bed before reaching for her phone. The first person who came to mind was, of course, Sophia.

She immediately called her.

The call was answered before the second ring even had a chance to sound.

“FINALLY!”

Ava immediately laughed softly. “You’re going to make me deaf.”

“I’m serious!” Sophia exclaimed. Her voice was overflowing with excitement. “I’ve been debating whether I should call you or not.”

“How are you? Is Mr. Maverick treating you well?”

“At least I’m still alive.”

“That’s not what I meant.” Sophia huffed. “If he turns out to be as awful as Jackson, I’m coming over and dragging you out of there myself.”

This time, Ava’s laughter sounded lighter. More genuine. A sign that she was in a much better state than she had been back at the ballroom. “Relax. So far, he’s been kind.”

“Thank God.” Sophia sounded genuinely relieved.

“What about the ballroom?” Ava asked. “What happened after we left?”

“Oh.” Sophia’s tone immediately brightened. “Now that was the best part.”

Ava could practically picture the mischievous grin spreading across her friend’s face. “Tell me.”

“Jackson had to deal with his mother’s wrath all by himself.”

Ava burst out laughing. “Seriously?”

“Completely serious.” Sophia sounded immensely satisfied. “Eleanor was practically ready to explode over everything that happened. They left looking like people who had just lost a multi-billion-dollar contract.”

Ava couldn’t stop herself from laughing again. For the first time all day, the tightness in her chest eased a little. The weight she had been carrying since morning finally felt slightly lighter.

But after a moment, the laughter faded. And in its place came a sadness so deep it settled quietly in her heart. “I don’t think I should feel happy hearing that.”

“No.” Sophia immediately disagreed. “You should feel very happy.”

Ava fell silent.

“You did everything for that relationship, Ava.” Sophia clicked her tongue in irritation. “But what did he ever do for you? The two things aren’t even remotely comparable.”

Everything that had happened in Ava’s life over the past twenty-four hours came rushing back to her mind. Her entire world had changed so dramatically that it still felt unreal. Without realizing it, she lifted the hand adorned with the simple ring that shimmered softly on her finger.

Under the warm light of the bedroom, the ring seemed even more beautiful.

That strange feeling returned again. “I still can’t believe any of this actually happened.”

Sophia immediately fell silent. “Ava...”

“Do you think I did something wrong?”

The question slipped out before Ava could stop it. For the first time since the wedding, doubt began creeping into her heart. What if everything had happened too quickly? What if she had just made the biggest mistake of her life?

But Sophia’s answer came without a second of hesitation. “You’re asking for my opinion?”

“Yes.”

“Well, you’re already soaked. Why not go all the way and dive in?”

Ava let out a soft laugh despite the warmth slowly spreading through her chest. Sophia continued, her voice much gentler this time.

“Listen to me carefully. If you had married Jackson today, you would’ve cried. If you’d done what he wanted and canceled the wedding at the last minute, you still would’ve cried. So at least now, you have a chance to try something different.”

Ava fell silent.

For the first time that night, she seriously considered that possibility. Maybe... Maybe her life really had changed. And maybe, for the first time in seven years, that change wasn’t entirely a bad thing.

A knock at the door suddenly made Ava turn her head. “Mrs. Langham, Mr. Maverick is waiting for you in his study. Are... are you ready?”

“Oh, yes.”

Ava quickly stood up and checked her appearance. She smoothed her hair to make sure nothing was sticking out awkwardly. Then she glanced down at the dress she was wearing. At the very least, she wanted to look presentable.

“I’ll be there in a moment.”

Since the call was still connected, Ava spoke into the phone again. “I’m going to—”

“Yeah, I know,” Sophia interrupted immediately. “Enjoy your wedding night, sweetheart. I hope you’ll still be able to walk properly tomorrow. Make sure you ask whether he uses condoms or not.”

“SOPHIA!”