Chapter 61
William's eyes darkened. This whole thing was just too much of a coincidence - anyone would be suspicious.
But the person under suspicion was his bedmate, someone who'd slept in the same bed with him for three years. He knew her capabilities better than anyone.
William thought about that pile of messy scribbles she'd drawn in his study, wasting his paper, constantly mixing up his documents, once making him look foolish in front of employees during a meeting.
Without much thought, William replied directly to James, "It won't be her."
It could be anyone but her.
"Mr. Morgan, actually, Mrs. Ava Morgan's work isn't bad. She previously..."
The conversation was cut short.
Daniel, completely wasted, was being supported by his assistant, stumbling along.
James hurried over to help.
There was a rest suite on the top floor. William followed along to help get Daniel upstairs.
Downstairs, Emily and Sarah huddled in a corner, whispering.
"Did you see Ava? How did she disappear in the time it took to use the restroom?"
Emily patted her chest confidently, "Don't worry, her fate with my brother ends here. My brother won't want a woman who seduces his close friend. Just wait and watch the show."
Sarah was half-convinced. Now that William was giving her the cold shoulder, she had nothing else to do. Might as well take a chance on this. Besides, Emily was the one doing this - even if something went wrong, it had nothing to do with her. William couldn't blame her for this.
"How do we catch them in the act?"
Emily smiled, "I've already contacted alumni from the journalism department to bring their equipment tomorrow morning. We'll just wait for the news."
Sarah felt more reassured seeing how thoroughly she'd arranged everything.
The two toasted and drank together.
"Sarah, doesn't that guy in the silver-gray suit look kind of handsome?"
Sarah looked in that direction and shook her head, "He's nowhere near as good as your brother."
Emily hiccupped, "Your taste is off. To me, he looks like a prince charming, the kind that sparkles."
Sarah scoffed in disagreement.
Emily suddenly raised her glass, "I've decided - I'm going after him, starting tomorrow."
After getting Daniel settled, William thought about Ava at home with her elegant black swan-like presence and felt uncomfortable all over. He'd already warned her last time not to get too close to Michael. From the looks of it, she hadn't listened at all, or if she had, she didn't take it seriously.
Most of the guests downstairs had left. He loosened his tie and told James,
"Back to SilkGrove Estates."
James was in a good mood - it had been a while since William had him drive to SilkGrove Estates instead of JadeDragon Bay Residences. He couldn't quite explain his feelings, but he just preferred having Ava around William.
Sarah was completely fake - polite to others in front of William, but privately acting like the boss's wife, ordering company colleagues around, just short of publicly declaring herself Mrs. Morgan.
Keys in hand, he unconsciously hummed a tune as he walked to the parking lot.
William observed him the whole way. James wasn't usually this giddy - today he seemed really off.
"You're in a good mood?"
James coughed suddenly, "Not bad, not bad. My wife made a late-night snack and is waiting for me at home."
He made up an excuse on the spot.
"Eating this late, aren't you worried about indigestion?"
William spoke with his usual lack of romance.
"Mr. Morgan, you don't understand us ordinary folks. For working-class people, a warm home with a wife and kids is the ideal life - it brings more happiness than champagne, wine, and luxury cars."
William disagreed, "What I pay you is about twice that of Alexander's assistant, right? That counts as ordinary working-class?"
James was stumped. His salary was at the top of the industry pyramid. Calling himself ordinary was actually pretty humble to the point of being annoying - like a straight-A student scoring ninety-nine and saying it was just okay.
William was picky, cycling through assistants weekly like water. Until James came along and finally stabilized the position.
Having found a satisfactory assistant, William valued talent and was generous, offering a high salary to keep him.
James's annual salary could easily buy a large villa, putting him ahead of eighty percent of people.
The car drove steadily on the main road. William leaned back with his eyes closed, his mind full of Ava's alluring fox-like eyes.
It was almost eleven at night, and Ava hadn't even called to ask if he was coming home. He suddenly realized that woman hadn't called him in quite a while.
She used to call at least three times a day - at noon, asking if he needed her to bring lunch, before dinner, asking if he was coming home to eat, and what he wanted, and if he had business dinners, she'd still call to check in.
Thinking back carefully, the distance started after they signed the divorce agreement.
The phone rang, breaking the quiet in the car.
Seeing it was Sarah, disappointment flashed in William's eyes, and he rejected the call without thinking. A few seconds later, the phone rang again - this time it was Emily.
He rubbed his temples and answered,
"William, Sarah and I can't get a cab. Can you give us a ride?"
"If you can't get a cab, have Jeremy send someone. I'm not your driver."
On the other end, Emily had it on speaker. Hearing his words, both women froze.
Emily sounded hurt, "It's the middle of the night. We're your sister and future wife - aren't you worried something might happen to us?"
William's tone grew irritated, "If there's nothing else, I'm hanging up."
He hung up directly.
Sarah's face darkened. She realized William truly didn't care about her safety anymore. Before, no matter when, one call from her would bring him running. Now, even getting him to answer the phone was difficult.
Was Ava really that important? Important enough that he'd cut off over a decade of feelings over one small thing? How cruel.
Sarah knew she couldn't just sit and wait anymore. She had to do something to salvage the situation.
When William returned to SilkGrove Estates, Ava was already asleep in the guest room.
She wasn't in the living room, making the whole villa feel empty. Before, no matter how late he came home, she'd be waiting on the sofa, making late-night snacks. Even though he wouldn't eat them, she'd insist on making them, playfully coaxing him to try a few bites.
Even if he just tasted it, she'd hum contentedly.
William took off his suit jacket and draped it over his arm, looking at her usual spot on the sofa, feeling empty inside, too.
He went to his room to change and shower. The huge master bedroom was his to sleep in alone.
When he first married her, he found her presence unnecessary. No,w without her, it felt like half his world was missing.
William realized that, without noticing, that woman had seeped into his life like air. Her sudden absence left him uncomfortable everywhere.
He changed into a robe and stood by the window, lighting a cigarette. She liked him in robes - at night she'd always slip her little hands inside to touch his abs.
Half the pack was gone when he finally couldn't resist calling Lily.
"Lily, where did you put the key to the guest room door lock?"