LOGINEleanor's words left everyone staring in disbelief. Whispers immediately spread through the room, and all eyes turned toward Ava. Some looked at her with open curiosity. Others seemed unsure whom they should believe.Meanwhile, Bellicia could only stand there, her face growing paler by the second. She had never wanted this to happen because Ava would never do anything without considering the consequences. And what Ava had feared most all this time had finally come to pass.She continued looking at Ava, her concern becoming harder and harder to hide. She had worked alongside the woman for years. She knew exactly how much effort Ava had poured into building her reputation at this museum. Yet within a matter of minutes, everything she had worked so hard to achieve was being torn down by the words Eleanor Langham kept throwing at her.And what the woman was saying was truly cruel.Ava, however, remained standing with her back straight. Her expression was just as calm as before, though ben
"Hey, look. Isn't that middle-aged woman Mrs. Langham?" whispered a female visitor in casual clothes as she nudged her friend's arm."Yes, it is. And the young woman standing in front of her... isn't she Ava? The woman everyone was talking about for suddenly marrying Maverick Langham? Her own ex-fiancé's uncle?" her friend replied, her eyes widening as she leaned forward to hear more clearly."Wow, this looks like it's about to turn into a scene. What's going on?"Amid the growing attention focused on them, Eleanor stepped forward with an air of superiority. She was more determined than ever to humiliate Ava, just as she believed Ava had once humiliated her.Ava remained where she stood. Her expression was as calm as ever. "Aunt, if there's something you'd like to discuss, let's move to the reception room," she said politely. "There are a lot of visitors here."Eleanor gave her a mocking smile. "Why? Are you embarrassed?""No.""Then what? Afraid people will find out who you really ar
The car carrying Ava and Maverick pulled away from the mansion, the atmosphere far calmer than it had been just half an hour earlier. The city streets were beginning to fill with people on their way to work. Through the window, Ava watched the rows of buildings pass by one after another, though her thoughts occasionally drifted back to what had happened in front of the mansion.The marks on her wrist no longer hurt much thanks to the ointment Maverick had applied, but the image of Jackson's face, filled with anger, still surfaced in her mind from time to time."Does your hand still hurt?" Maverick's question pulled her out of her thoughts.Ava turned to him and gently shook her head. "It's much better now.""If it starts hurting again, let me know."Ava smiled faintly. "Okay."Their conversation came to an end once again. The silence inside the car didn't feel awkward. Maverick wasn't the type of man to fill every journey with endless conversation. Strangely enough, Ava found that com
For several seconds, Ava simply looked at him. Then, unable to stop herself, a soft laugh escaped her lips. It was light and carefree. For the first time since Jackson had caused a scene in front of the mansion, the tightness in her chest eased considerably, simply because of what Maverick had done for her.Seeing the change in her expression, the man smiled faintly as well. "I like seeing you like this. It suits you much better than staying silent."Ava slowly shook her head, a smile still lingering on her lips. "Thank you, Mr. Maverick.""For the ointment?""No." Ava looked at him for a few moments before continuing in a softer voice. "For everything."Maverick understood what she meant without needing any further explanation."I only did what I was supposed to do."He said it so simply, as though what he had just done was nothing worth making a fuss over. Yet it was precisely that simplicity that made Ava's heart feel warm again."To me, it wasn't just something ordinary, Mr. Maver
"Sir, let's go," Rio urged, even though the situation felt incredibly tense.Jackson's expression clearly showed his displeasure at what Rio was doing this time, but... what else could he do to stop his boss from causing more trouble here?Jackson roughly shrugged off his assistant's hand. Yet a few seconds later, he let out a short, bitter laugh."Fine," Jackson finally said. He gave a slow nod, then shifted his sharp gaze back to Maverick. "This isn't over."Maverick did not respond.Jackson then turned his gaze to Ava. His eyes still held a storm of complicated emotions, a mixture of anger, disappointment, and the lingering sense that she still belonged to him."I'll come back," Jackson said firmly.Ava did not reply. She simply stood there, watching everything Jackson did. As far as she was concerned, she had already made her wishes about the relationship that had once existed between them perfectly clear.Jackson drew a long breath before finally turning around. Rio quickly opene
Maverick's words left no one daring to interrupt, including Jackson.The man still stood frozen in place. A trickle of blood seeped from the split corner of his mouth, but he barely felt the sting. Far more painful was the fact that his uncle had just thrown a hard punch at his face. And it had all happened right in front of Ava.Slowly, Jackson wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth with his thumb. His gaze sharpened, fixed entirely on Maverick. "Because of this woman," he said quietly, his voice heavy with pressure. "You hit me, Uncle?"Maverick didn't bother responding. He remained standing in front of Ava, using his body as a boundary no one was allowed to cross. His stance only made Jackson's jaw tighten even more with resentment."So now you really see her as your wife?" he asked again, followed by a forced, mocking laugh. "Or is all of this just an act to make me back off?""Jackson." Maverick's voice was flat. "Enough."Jackson let out a bitter laugh that mocked the situ
Ava stared at the phone screen for a few moments after the call ended. Her fingers were still gripping the device a little tighter than they should have. Whether from irritation, exhaustion, or because the conversation had drained more energy from her than she had expected, she wasn't sure.For the
That afternoon, Jackson returned to Langham headquarters. The building was far quieter than it had been when he left for the hospital. His footsteps echoed briskly as he entered the executive floor. In his hand was still the folder containing the documents he had just received from Rio. Documents t
Having finished cursing herself out, Ava, who had remained standing in the same spot for some time after Jackson left, decided to leave the room. What was the point of lingering here? Waiting for Jackson to come back after taking care of Megan? That was impossible.For years, Ava had waited for Jac
Ava looked at Maverick with a furrowed brow and said softly, “I don't live with Jackson.”That answer made Maverick frown in disbelief. “You've been together for seven years but... you don't live together?”Ava let out a soft laugh. “Why would I have to live with him?” She gave a small shrug. “I wa







