Chapter 50
"Let's drop what happened today. Making a big deal out of it won't be good for Sarah's reputation."
Knowing Ava was upset, he took the initiative to bring it up, his tone calm—for him, this was already close to asking her nicely.
Ava clenched her fists.
"I don't have the right to care anyway, do I? You won't take my side, so what's the point of saying any of this?"
William gently lifted her chin, bringing them close enough to feel each other's breath.
"Ava, I bought a small island in Eldoria for you. How about we name it Ava?"
Ava suddenly laughed, but her smile looked worse than crying.
In his mind, the wrongs she suffered, the unfair treatment—all of it could be settled with money.
"William, next time Sarah sends someone to kill me, what will you give me? A mansion? A private jet?"
To protect Sarah's image in front of everyone, he was willing to spend a fortune on an island to shut her up. Ava had always thought that even though he was ruthless, he was at least fair.
Now it seemed he played favorites. When it came to Sarah, he could forgive anything—no bottom line whatsoever.
William frowned, his eyes seeming to warn her: take the out I'm giving you, don't be ungrateful.
"There won't be a next time," he said.
"You're not a mind reader. How do you know there won't be a next time? William, I have my own way of handling things. Sarah threatened my life. Whatever I do to protect myself is reasonable. Don't expect me to just take it endlessly—I'm not her mother."
"She wouldn't dare."
William said with certainty.
Ava looked at him mockingly. He still didn't understand Sarah. What made him so sure she wouldn't dare?
At that moment, William still had tissue stuffed in one nostril.
"Ava, let's change the subject. How about we talk about what you and Grandpa have been feeding me every day?"
Ava naturally knew what he was eating wasn't just simple food—Jeremy had let it slip last time. But what did he mean by "you and Grandpa"?
"You're overthinking it. I have no interest in you."
William licked his lips and asked, "No interest, yet you parade around in front of me in lingerie?"
Bringing up old history, Ava was so embarrassed that she wanted to crawl into a hole.
"Three years ago was three years ago. Now is now. You have no gender to me now—no different from Jeremy or Lucas."
William was successfully provoked. She was comparing him to an old man and someone with questionable orientation.
"Say that again, I dare you."
Ava was trapped under his tall frame with no chance of escape.
She glanced back at the transparent glass door behind her. The top half was frosted, but you could still see legs through the bottom. Lunch break was already over. She wasn't sure if someone might come to his office to report soon.
"Someone might see."
She kindly reminded him.
William didn't care at all. "Let them see. So what?"
"What are you trying to do?"
William bent down, moving even closer.
His handsome face kept approaching. Ava's breathing became erratic.
"You don't know what I want to do? You feed me that stuff and then just want to walk away?"
He easily captured her lips, kissing her gently over and over, serious and tender—unlike his usual style.
Ava's mind turned to mush.
She pressed her hands against his chest, which to him seemed like playing hard to get.
"Ava, come back to the master bedroom and sleep with me."
His kisses moved to her earlobe, exploring down along her delicate neck.
The temperature in the office suddenly rose, the oxygen growing thin.
Footsteps sounded outside. Ava's heart jumped to her throat. She wanted to leave, but her feet seemed rooted to the spot.
"William, someone's coming."
William glanced up, his warm lips returning to her neck, moving to go deeper.
"It's James."
He said three words between kisses, his voice hoarse beyond recognition, his eyes full of desire.
Ava struggled briefly, but he easily pinned her hands above her head. He kissed her passionately, completely unlike two people about to divorce.
When those eyes looked at her, it was as if he was deeply in love.
Ava desperately closed her eyes. How could she escape this life? Their marriage was a three-person marriage.
Her top was pulled apart messily.
She waited for him to finish venting. Things she couldn't resist, she could only silently endure.
"Is that enough?"
William's eyes fell on her heaving chest, feeling even more uncomfortable.
"A bit small, but the feel isn't bad."
Still mocking her after the passion.
Ava straightened her clothes and leaned weakly against the glass door. "Can I go now, Mr. Morgan?"
William looked at her submissive, bullied, pitiful appearance, and his mood instantly improved. As long as she didn't mention divorce, he still cared about her.
"Ava, sleep in the master bedroom tonight."
He emphasized again.
Ava just wanted to quickly escape his sight.
A knock came from behind.
James stood outside the door, eyes on his nose, nose on his heart. He was really risking his career by knocking, but the matter was urgent.
"Mr. Morgan, there's a new lead on the Lolly you're looking for."
Ava's heart sank. She didn't know he'd been searching for Lolly all along.
His methods were extraordinary. Ava felt anxious, not knowing what James had found. She didn't want to expose her identity. She'd always used a pen name for her work to avoid unnecessary trouble.
She just wanted to do the design she loved, not get caught up in competition between luxury brands. She chose SWAN because they gave her enough freedom to produce only two pieces a year, giving her plenty of time for family.
And now the trouble was William, making her want to avoid it even more.
Their already complicated relationship couldn't have another layer added to it.
Ava lost the desire to leave. She wanted to stay and hear what James had to say.
William collected his emotions and sat back in his leather chair.
James gently pushed the door open, nodded politely at Ava, and got straight to the point.
"Mr. Morgan, our people found that at yesterday's jewelry exhibition in the west district, someone bought Mr. Nicholas Jackson's collection, and the buyer was the Lolly we're looking for."
"Did you contact Mr. Jackson?"
James looked troubled. "Mr. Jackson is stubborn. He only believes in fate. Money and gifts don't work with him."
"If shortcuts don't work, think of another way. Get me a list of everyone who attended the jewelry exhibition."
James directly presented the printed paper in his hand. "Mr. Morgan, we got the list."
Ava's hands behind her back nervously hooked her fingers together, her palms sweaty.
She tried hard to remember whether she'd signed Lolly or Ava when viewing the exhibition yesterday. She couldn't remember clearly.
William was focused on reading the list.
Time seemed deliberately slowed down, each second leaving heavy marks on her heart. She was waiting for a verdict.