Chapter 158
Steven let out a smug snort, thinking to himself that women just need to be kept in line - give them an inch and they'll take a mile.
After Nola left, he jogged a few steps to catch up with Ava at the elevator.
"Ava, you're not really going up there to cause trouble for Sarah, are you? She's pregnant now, and it's confirmed to be a boy. I'm warning you to stay clear-headed. Don't mess with Sarah. If William finds out you're giving her a hard time, with that terrible temper of his, he'll skin you alive."
Ava had just come out to do some shopping, and not only did she run into this disgusting pair, but now he was chasing after her with warnings.
"Steven, please just stay away from me. Can we just not talk to each other when we meet from now on?"
She'd said it before - from now on, they should act like strangers when they meet. After all, he wasn't short on daughters, and she didn't want a scumbag for a father.
Steven frowned.
"What kind of talk is that? You're my daughter. That's blood relation - you can't deny it. You think you can just stop acknowledging it?"
Ava was completely speechless at Steven's shamelessness.
"Then tell me, how can we completely cut ties?"
She said it bluntly, with only one goal: to be strangers when they met again.
Steven saw the elevator was almost there and pulled her aside.
"Come outside with me first. You can't go disturb Sarah. She's pregnant now and can't handle stress."
Ava couldn't match his strength and was pulled away from the elevator. Just then, Jeremy came in from outside carrying a meal box and immediately spotted Ava.
"Mrs. Ava Morgan, is Mr. Howard Morgan awake?"
"Still sleeping. Be quiet so you don't wake him."
Jeremy had worked for the Morgan family for decades. When he was younger, he was also Howard's capable assistant. Everyone in this circle knew him.
Steven naturally knew him, too. Only then did he realize he'd misunderstood the girl - she was going up to see Howard, not to cause a scene in Sarah's room. In front of Jeremy, his tone softened.
"Ava, don't leave yet. I need to talk to you."
Ava felt disgusted. Normally, Steven never acknowledged her as his daughter - he'd sooner send her to the operating room to donate organs to Sarah. Now, with this act, he must want something from her.
"Whatever it is, say it now. You heard - my grandfather is in the hospital. I don't have time to listen to your nonsense."
Steven thought to himself, 'She calls him grandfather so affectionately, when her own real grandfather is lying in the ground!'
Thinking that Sarah and William's situation still needed this girl's cooperation to work out, he forced himself to smile, trying to look like a kind and loving father.
"Ava, a few days ago, when I was sorting through things, I found a photo album your mother left behind. Nola had thrown it away, but I secretly retrieved it. I just haven't had a chance to give it to you."
Hearing this, Ava's expression softened.
"Where's the album now?"
"In my car. Come with me to get it. It'll only take a few minutes."
It was noon, and the hospital's outdoor parking lot had people coming and going. Thinking about the security guards and surveillance cameras, and that Steven with his agenda probably wouldn't dare do anything out of line - plus the bodyguard she'd borrowed from Michael was nearby - Ava was tempted.
The mention of an album her mother left behind - she really wanted it. Maybe she could find some information about Joseph in it.
"Let's go then."
Seeing Ava willing to follow him, Steven thought, sure enough, you have to mention that woman Nancy to get this dead girl to cooperate. Along the way, he talked about old times with Nancy, from when he met her to when Ava was born, picking out happy moments to share.
Ava was happy to hear these things. Steven had never talked about them when she was young - he was either away on business or out with Sarah and her daughter, never caring about her, the unwanted girl.
Ava thought maybe she could get some information about Joseph from Steven. He'd known her mother early on, so maybe he knew something.
The two walked along, each with their own thoughts.
Seeing they were almost at the parking lot, Ava tentatively asked,
"When you met my mom, did she have any relatives?"
Steven cleared his throat.
"Your mom wasn't from the north. She had no relatives here."
Ava naturally knew her mother wasn't from the north. She'd grown up with Nancy and remembered her childhood pretty clearly.
Nancy was the kind of refined woman who would change into her favorite dress and touch up her makeup just to take out the trash. She paid great attention to ceremony in life - clearly not from an ordinary family. The elegant grace in her bones couldn't be erased even by the daily grind of married life.
Ava clearly remembered her mother couldn't get used to northern food and would often study recipes to make things she couldn't find in Emerald City.
Unfortunately, Nancy never talked to Ava in detail about her hometown, which made Ava very curious. Later, before she could ask her mother, she passed away.
Sadness flickered in Ava's eyes.
"Where are my mother's relatives? Where was she from?"
Steven looked embarrassed. As a straight-laced man, he cared most about face.
The startup capital he used for his business when he was young came from Nancy's savings, and his business sense was all taught by Nancy, too.
He was a man who had to rely on a woman to make his fortune - that was his dark history if it got out.
Thinking back to when he married Nancy, her family absolutely refused to let their pampered daughter marry a poor guy like him, who couldn't even afford a house. Because of this, Nancy cut ties with her family, giving up being a wealthy young lady to be his poor wife.
This history - he absolutely didn't want the younger generation to know. The past should stay in the past.
Now, he was the boss of a publicly traded company, living large every day, with thousands of employees who had to respectfully call him Mr. Brown. Those hard years from the past - he never wanted to remember them.
Thinking of this, Steven's old face hardened.
"Your mother had no relatives. I don't know where she was from either."
Ava felt disappointed. Looking at Steven, she felt he was lying.
Steven had talked so much about Nancy earlier just to set the stage, playing the emotional card.
His real purpose was to get Ava to divorce William and make way for Sarah.
"Ava, that William guy is no good. Listen to me and break it off with him. Men know men best - you won't have a good outcome with him."
Seeing him suddenly shift to this topic, Ava instantly understood his purpose this time - he still wanted to trick her into divorcing William. He was making a move for Sarah. The hard approach didn't work before, so now he was trying the soft approach, completely treating her like a fool.
Ava felt her intelligence was being insulted. But she hadn't gotten the photos yet and was afraid that if she angered him, he wouldn't give them to her, so she pretended to go along with him.
"William really isn't a good man. I've wanted to divorce him for a while now."
At these words, Steven's old face broke into a huge smile.
"That's what I'm saying! My daughter isn't someone without sense. There are plenty of good men in Emerald City. Divorce him quickly and don't waste your time. How many years does a woman have in her youth? You need to learn to plan for yourself."
Having said this much, Steven pressed further.
"Why don't we go divorce him right now? I'll find you an excellent young man tomorrow. That marketing manager at our company is a pretty good, honest guy, good-looking too. When looking for a man, you need an honest one. A guy like William - you can't handle him."