Chapter 161
"How did the Morgan family end up with such a jerk like you!"
Howard cursed. Jeremy quickly went over to pat his back.
"Mr. Howard Morgan, the doctor said you absolutely can't get upset. Let the young people handle their own affairs."
Seeing Howard get angry, Ava's heart jumped. His health had just improved a little, and getting emotional was the last thing he needed.
She laughed and took William's hand, putting on a relaxed front.
"Grandpa, we were just messing around. I didn't even notice it was red until you mentioned it."
She shot William a playfully annoyed look.
"Be gentler next time, okay?"
William took the easy way out.
"Okay, I'll be gentler."
Then he intimately tucked her loose hair behind her ear.
The two of them put on their clumsy act of being a loving couple, not knowing that Howard had already overheard their conversation about divorce.
Howard sighed helplessly.
"Fine, everyone out."
As Jeremy said, let the young people handle their own business. You can't force love.
Bringing Ava into the family to marry that boy was the biggest mistake of his life.
The two were kicked out of the hospital room. William still had work at the company and had only stopped by briefly.
Since Howard didn't want to see him, there was no need to be an eyesore. He went straight back to the office.
Ava walked around the hospital garden to clear her head. Before long, Jeremy called, telling her to go home and rest. He said Howard's mood had stabilized, and he was willing to sleep now, so she should go home and not wear herself out.
Ava knew this call was Howard's idea. Howard felt bad that she'd been staying at the hospital without sleep and was sending her home to rest.
Ava sat in the pavilion for a long time, thinking over everything that had happened today. Her brain felt overloaded - she needed time to sort things out.
Thinking about how that jerk had bullied her in the car, she couldn't let it go. What gave him the right to treat her that way?
In the end, she took out her phone and called 911 to report it.
Meanwhile, William was in a meeting with several executives, completely swamped with work.
Several police officers appeared at the Morgan Group conference room door. After knocking a few times, they showed their badges directly.
"Which one of you is William Morgan?"
William raised an eyebrow.
"I am. What's this about?"
The officer said, "Someone reported you for sexual assault. Please come with us!"
At those words, the entire nineteenth floor went silent enough to hear a pin drop.
He was the man every socialite in Emerald City dreamed of - why would he need to assault anyone? But these were police officers, and their tone carried authority that no one dared question.
The executives looked at each other, no one daring to speak.
The young assistant following the police was nearly in tears, head bowed, saying quietly,
"I'm sorry, Mr. Morgan. I couldn't stop them."
William pinched the bridge of his nose. Thinking back to what happened that afternoon, he had a pretty good idea.
She'd been crying in the car, saying she'd call the police, and she actually went through with it!
That docile little lamb had really impressed him.
William's expression remained calm.
"Officer, I'm quite busy here. How long will this take?"
The officer had wanted to say that if it was confirmed as assault, he probably shouldn't expect to work today.
But William's confident expression made them swallow those words. Just looking at him standing there, no one would think he was desperate for women.
"If everything checks out, you can be out in a few hours."
William checked his watch. He had a video conference coming up - looked like that wasn't happening.
"Officer, if I'm cleared, who's going to compensate me for my lost time? As you can see, I'm very busy."
The officer was caught off guard. This was the first time someone being arrested had asked such a question.
"Let's prove you're innocent first."
What should have been a firm tone somehow lacked authority.
William turned to the room full of executives waiting to see the drama unfold and said, "Meeting's over!"
Then he led the way to the elevator.
For the first time in his life, he rode in a police car to the station to be questioned.
The police pulled up surveillance footage from the hospital parking lot. Sure enough, he was seen dragging a beautiful woman and roughly shoving her into a car.
What happened inside the car couldn't be seen - the windows had privacy film.
Only after about ten minutes could they be seen getting out of the car, adjusting their clothes.
The video was paused at this point.
The officer asked,
"The lady filed a report saying you attempted to assault her in the car. What do you have to say?"
Even sitting in this small interrogation room, William didn't lose his commanding presence. He adjusted his collar.
"The woman in the video is my legal wife. Have you guys ever seen a married couple fight?"
The officers looked at each other, unable to tell if he was telling the truth.
William handed over his ID.
"If you don't believe me, check the system. See if the woman who filed the report is named Ava Davis, and whether we're legally married."
One officer immediately took the ID and checked the system. Within two minutes, he came back and nodded to the other officers.
"He and the woman who filed the report are indeed married."
An older officer gave a stern warning.
"Forcing your spouse is still a crime. We need to bring the person in question here to confront you. If you did commit assault, being married won't help - everyone is equal before the law!"
He then ordered someone to call in the person who filed the report.
Ava had returned to her rented place. She'd just showered and was packing some clothes into a suitcase, planning to move completely to Howard's place until his health recovered.
She didn't have much, so packing went quickly. Looking around the house, though comfortable, it felt lifeless. If she'd known, she wouldn't have rented it at all. She could have just stayed at the hospital for a few days, and once the divorce was finalized, she could leave for good.
The villa her mother left behind - she'd hire someone to maintain it, but didn't have the courage to live there. Everywhere reminded her of when her mother was alive.
As soon as Ava got the call from the police, she regretted it. She thought that after filing the report, that would be it. She hadn't expected to be called in for questioning, which meant seeing him again.
She wanted him out of her sight. Completely.
Ava agreed to the police's request over the phone and went downstairs with her suitcase. Her car was blocked in the parking space and couldn't get out. She made her way to the complex entrance and hailed a taxi.
She was glad she didn't have much stuff, or she couldn't lift this suitcase now - she was worried about the baby.
The car drove straight to the police station, where she saw James looking extremely anxious outside.
When James saw her, he immediately jogged over.
"Mrs. Morgan, Mr. Morgan was taken away from a meeting. They said it was for sexual assault. I've been with him recently - that doesn't make sense."
Confused, James thought Ava had come to take William home. He never guessed she was the one who filed the report.
Seeing how anxious he was, Ava couldn't bear it and comforted him.
"It's okay, don't worry."
She might have taken this too far.