Chapter 105

Chapter 105
Ava’s POV

My body shook as I reviewed the last document for the day. It was begging for food, but I refused to give in. It was not time yet.

This was my last day at the office for the year. The company was officially going on Christmas break today. It was way past my closing hour, and I ought to be in the comfort of my bedroom resting, but I wasn’t. I didn’t want to carry this part of my job over to the next year.

I wanted to resume next year on a clean slate. Everything was set in place for the execution of the program I had suggested at the board meeting, and I just wanted to review things and ensure they were done according to the specifications I had provided.

My phone rang beside me, and I almost jumped up from my chair at the sudden sound. I glanced at the screen—it was Justin calling. I sighed, wondering what his reason for calling me was. Despite that, I paused my review and took his call.

“Hey, Justin,” I greeted.

“Hey, Ava. So, your mom has been at my dad’s, and I learned from her that the company has gone on its annual Christmas holiday. I was wondering if you could come out so we could go somewhere together. There’s this really nice place I’d like to take you to,” he said, and I grimaced at his suggestion.

“Umm, today really isn’t a good day. Can we reschedule?” I suggested, knowing that from tomorrow, I would be as free as a bird.

“Do you mind telling me why we can’t make it today?” he pressed, and I rolled my eyes.

That was the only issue I had with Justin. He could be nosy when you didn’t want him to be. If he got a sniff of something, he never let go until he figured it out.

“I’m at the office, Justin. Since it’s the last day of the year, I want to make sure everything is in order. This will influence how next year starts for me,” I explained.

“Oh well, that makes a lot of sense. Alright, I’ll be at your office to pick you up,” he said.

“You don’t even know when I’ll be done,” I protested, even though I expected to finish in about an hour.

“Don’t worry. Take your time. I’ll wait until you’re done,” he said and hung up.

About an hour later, I rounded up just as I had projected, and when I got out, Justin was waiting for me at the parking lot, just as he had said.

“You seem to know how to keep to your word,” I said as I sat beside him in the car.

“I’m a man of my word,” he bragged and started the engine.

“So where are we off to?” I asked, wondering where he was taking me so late at night.

“To your house, obviously,” he replied.

“Aren’t you scared you might meet Dale?” I asked, trying to get a reaction out of him.

“I told you I already started taking fighting classes, right? Even if he beats me up this time, he won’t get away without scratches of his own,” he bragged.

I burst out laughing, knowing he wasn’t one to crave a fight. Of course, Dale wasn’t going to beat him up. I was going to make sure of that.

We arrived at the house a few minutes past 10 p.m. I was starving, and my entire body was shaking. I couldn’t wait to go in and wolf down a large plate of food.

At my invitation, Justin came into the house with me. The entire place was dark and quiet, and I couldn’t tell if Dale was home. Mom was probably going to spend the night at Mr. Rice’s, and I didn’t envy her for that. He was her man, and she deserved to enjoy every bit of him.

One of the maids came out and served Justin and me. I didn’t ask her if Dale was in. Even if he was, it wasn’t as though I intended to run away from him. This was my home as much as it was his, and I was entitled to have visitors over.

Justin and I were chatting animatedly after dinner when Dale walked into the dining room. His presence carried a dark, heavy chill, and Justin and I paused mid-conversation.

“Hey, man,” Justin finally greeted after a few long seconds of tense silence.

Dale didn’t respond. Instead, he stared long and hard at me, then finally walked away.

I let out a breath as soon as he left us alone. I couldn’t explain it, but his presence made my entire body riot. I still hadn’t gotten over the fact that he had tricked me into making love to him just so he could get back at me. It was silly, and I hated him for it. Moreover, I hadn’t seen him for an entire week, and seeing him tonight had caught me off guard.

“That is one hell of a cold dude,” Justin hissed after Dale left.

“You can say that again,” I agreed, letting out a long hiss.

“Okay, Ava. Forgive me for this, but you and him, you’re not related by blood, right? That’s what makes your relationship complicated?” Justin asked.

I was taken by surprise at his question and stared at him. I had never given him a clear answer that day at his house, so I wondered how he had drawn this conclusion. However, there was nothing to hide at this point, so I let out a breath and explained how Dale and I were related.

“Great! So I wouldn’t be wrong to assume that you both have had sex, right?” Justin threw at me, and all the food I had eaten immediately rose to the surface.