Chapter 35
After a few seconds of beeping, the call connected.
Before she could speak, William coldly gave her a preemptive warning,
"Sarah, if you're calling to plead for Steven, better not say it. Don't ruin our friendship of over ten years. Steven crossed my line. Just pulling out my investment is already showing enough respect."
Sarah slumped on the hospital bed, not knowing what to say for a moment.
He said Steven crossed his line, and his line was Ava.
Like a bolt from the blue, Sarah suddenly felt that faking illness, getting injections, sleeping on this hospital's hard bed, going through all this trouble—it was all pointless.
She felt herself getting further and further from him, and she wasn't even as important to him as she'd imagined.
On the other end of the phone, William sat in his office with a cold expression.
James had finally looked forward to William coming back to work, only to find him in a terrible mood. He was so scared he held his breath while working, afraid of upsetting William.
"Every time I ask you to track someone down, why is it so difficult? I'm starting to reconsider whether your salary is appropriate."
James was scared stiff,
"Mr. Morgan, I think there must be some expert protecting Mrs. Ava Morgan. Whenever Mrs. Ava Morgan's phone can't be reached, it's like she vanishes into thin air, leaving no trace. We can't find her on surveillance either."
William picked up his phone again to call Ava's number, but still got a busy signal.
"Search nationwide for people named Joseph, and get me detailed information on them."
James felt like he'd been granted amnesty, wanting nothing more than to roll out of the CEO's office as fast as possible.
William was certain she must have gone to find Joseph.
Who exactly was this man living in her dreams? Today, he would dig three feet underground if necessary to find him and see what was so special about him that made Ava think about him day and night, regardless of her own status.
Ava took Michael's car to a seven-star hotel.
"Michael, thanks for today. You can go ahead with your business, don't worry about me."
Michael gripped the steering wheel with one hand, performing a perfect parallel park.
"No rush, let me see you in first. I'm a VVIP at this hotel with a permanent suite here. You don't need to book a new room, just give my phone number at registration and get the room card."
Ava paused, carefully considering Michael's words.
If she understood correctly, he was asking her to stay in his suite?
Ava was someone with a strong sense of boundaries. After thinking it over, she felt it wasn't appropriate.
Just as they were about to reach the front desk, she suddenly stopped,
"Michael, I brought my ID. I'll book my own room."
Michael chuckled softly,
"Up to you."
He hadn't thought much of it—his suite was cleaned daily, and the sheets and bedding were changed.
Ava nodded, showing a row of white, even teeth. She took out her ID and went to the front desk to book a room.
After getting the room, before she could send him away, Michael offered to leave on his own.
"You go up and rest. I still have some things to handle."
Ava smiled politely, taking the room card as the staff led her to the elevator.
Once in the room, she first took a bath, cleared her mind, and had a comfortable sleep.
Olivia had told her to stay in a good mood—when the mother is happy, the babies in her belly can develop well.
Ava tried to adjust her mood and make herself stronger.
Right now, nothing was more important to her than the two babies.
These two children would be her only family in this world, and her spiritual support.
When she woke up, dusk had fallen outside.
Ava turned on her phone, and countless messages flooded in.
She read them one by one. First was from James,
[Mrs. Ava Morgan, please call Mr. Morgan back after you turn on your phone. Whether the employees at the Morgan Group can leave the building safely today depends on you. I'm begging you.]
Ava scoffed lightly. That cold-blooded William must be throwing a tantrum at the company again. She used to receive countless similar distress messages from James, and she would find ways to make him happy.
Now? Forget it.
Putting your warm face against someone's cold ass doesn't feel good.
Ava exited the chat with James and scrolled down to Lucas's message,
[Ava, Steven's company is facing a crisis. Someone leaked that the big boss behind it suddenly pulled out investment. I remember you said William invested a large sum in him. That big boss isn't him, is it?]
Ava clicked on the news link Lucas shared. A crowd of troublemakers had gathered at the Brown Group entrance, with comments below full of speculation about the company.
Just as she was about to add a comment, her phone rang. The caller was Steven.
As soon as the call connected, there was a groan,
"Ava, your phone finally went through."
There seemed to be quite a few people on the other end. Then she heard Steven cry out, "Ouch," followed by a harsh male voice ordering,
"Say what you're supposed to say!"
Steven quickly complied, crying into the phone,
"My dear daughter, I was wrong, I'm sorry."
Then another "Ouch," accompanied by a crisp slapping sound,
"Please stop hitting me, I know I was wrong."
Steven begged pitifully.
The harsh voice spoke again,
"Tell Ms. Davis what you did wrong."
"Ava, I know I was wrong. I shouldn't have hit you. Please forgive me, my old bones can't take this anymore."
Ava was confused for a while after answering the call. Before she could speak, it was like watching a drama unfold. She was shocked—Steven had been kidnapped?
"Steven, who's hitting you?"
She asked doubtfully.
Steven answered in a mournful voice,
"Ava, I'm your father. Are you really heartless enough to treat your own biological father this way? You have my blood in you, and you're trying to destroy me like this. Do you have no heart?"
After speaking, another slap landed on his face.
Steven howled in pain,
"I only slapped you once, and you're having people beat my face to a pulp? With your usually mild temper, how can you be so cruel?"
"I didn't send anyone to hit you, and I don't know about this. Also, our father-daughter relationship ended three years ago. Please don't refer to yourself as my father in front of me anymore. Out of courtesy, I'll call you Mr. Brown at most, or if we meet on the street, we don't even need to greet each other."
Steven's heart sank. Now was not the time to draw boundaries,
"Ava, forgive me this once. Put in a good word for me with William, I'm begging you. The Brown Group employees' salaries haven't been settled yet. Just help the Brown Group this once, and I'll agree to whatever you say."
Ava thought for a moment and asked skeptically,
"You'll really agree to anything?"
"Really, really. As long as you help the Brown Group get through this crisis, I'll agree to whatever you say."
"Then listen carefully. I want twenty percent of the Brown Group shares you hold, plus all my mother's belongings."
Steven acted like he'd heard the biggest joke, snorted coldly, and asked in disbelief,
"What are you talking about? I can give you those broken trinkets your mother left behind, but twenty percent of the shares—are you dreaming?"
"It's up to you. If you don't want to, no one's forcing you. Figure it out yourself."
Ava hung up after speaking.
If he really agreed to her conditions, she could try asking William, though she wasn't very confident—at least she could try.
If Steven didn't want to, then forget it.
She'd settle everything later. She had her own plan.
On the other end, Steven had just hung up when his right cheek took another solid slap.
Several men in black had been slapping only his right cheek all afternoon, making it swell up like it had been bitten by poisonous insects.
"Gentlemen, please stop hitting me. I've already apologized."
"Our boss told us to keep hitting until Ms. Davis forgives you. I don't think I heard Ms. Davis say she forgave you just now. Sorry, old man."
Steven wailed,
"Who's your boss? Can I meet him?"
The bodyguard in charge of hitting looked at his palm. It hurt a bit from swinging all afternoon. He worked out regularly and had calluses on his palms, but even so, his palms were noticeably redder than usual.
"Wait a moment, let me make a call."
Steven, tied to the chair, trembled and didn't dare speak. His right cheek had been beaten numb and was losing feeling.
A moment later, the bodyguard walked back holding his phone,
"Our boss says he can see you. Wait a bit."