Chapter 83
The commotion here shattered the café's peaceful atmosphere, and now everyone's eyes were fixed on their table.
Sarah looked at the stares coming from all directions, people looking at her like she was some kind of monster. Those eyes were full of contempt and mockery, as if nailing her to the pillar of shame as the other woman.
"I'm not the other woman, she is, she is..."
She muttered to herself, her body slowly sliding down until she collapsed on the floor and passed out.
Ava watched as she was loaded into the ambulance and called Steven. If she wasn't worried about Sarah trying to blame her for this, she would never want to dial that number again in her life.
Steven still went and complained to William with one phone call.
In the hotel, William stood by the window, listening to Steven's complaints on the phone. He didn't believe Ava was as vicious as Steven described, hitting Sarah in public and causing her to have an episode. Instead, he was angry about Steven's drastically different attitudes toward his two daughters.
As a father, it was understandable that he'd worry when Sarah had an episode, but how could he paint his other daughter as so evil?
"I understand. I'll arrange for the best doctor to treat Sarah."
After William finished speaking, he hung up. Thinking back to that slap Steven gave Ava at the hospital last time and his vicious expression, he felt anxious inside.
That old bastard wouldn't try to hit her again while he's away, would he?
"James, have someone keep a close eye on Steven. Don't let him get near Ava."
James took the order and immediately contacted his people in Emerald City.
"What is it? Something else?"
William saw James still standing there after finishing the task and looked up at him.
"Mr. Morgan, the Brown Group's stock price shot up again today. I've looked through all the news and haven't seen any positive developments. It feels a bit strange, like someone is deliberately manipulating the stock and disrupting the market."
William frowned slightly. "Just this one stock isn't enough to constitute market manipulation. Let's observe for a couple more days. I think it's more likely that someone is buying up a large amount of the Brown Group's scattered shares."
James was surprised. "Buying up scattered shares for what? Could the Brown Group be facing a power shift?"
William's expression remained calm. "Let's just keep observing. This is just my guess. Steven is a sly old fox with a thousand tricks up his sleeve. He's not easy to fool."
"Should we give him a heads up?"
William suddenly looked up. "What's my relationship with him that I should warn him?"
William used to respect Steven as an elder and was fairly polite to him. But since learning about his relationship with Ava as father and daughter, and witnessing him hit Ava with his own eyes, that respect had disappeared.
Why should someone who doesn't respect others deserve respect?
William didn't even realize he was being protective.
James was taken aback, thinking to himself that Steven was doing a terrible job as a father-in-law and must have done something to cross Mr. Morgan's line.
Meanwhile, Ava was upset thinking about her mother's villa being sold.
She decided to ask Daniel about it first. He should know something about this.
"Hello, Mr. Wilson, this is Ava."
Daniel was quite surprised to receive Ava's call. William's wife had very strong boundaries and never privately contacted any of his brothers.
"Ava, why are you calling me?"
"Sorry to bother you, but I have something I want to ask you. It's hard to explain over the phone. Do you have time later? Would it be convenient to meet for dinner?"
Ava checked her watch. There was still over half an hour until she got off work.
"Come to Crystal Elegance Dining. I'm here."
Crystal Elegance Dining was a top luxury restaurant under the Wilson family. If Ava remembered correctly, there was more than one in Emerald City.
"Which Crystal Elegance Dining?"
"The one closest to the Morgan Group building."
They made plans just like that.
Before leaving work, Ava looked up the address, and when it was time, she shut down her computer, grabbed her bag, and left.
In a private room on the top floor of Crystal Elegance Dining, Daniel was drinking tea. He had a pretty good idea of why Ava wanted to see him, but wasn't sure if he should tell her the truth.
He picked up his phone and sent William a message: [Your wife is looking for me. Should I tell her about that matter?]
Let's see what that guy says.
Before William could reply, Ava arrived.
"Ava, you got here pretty fast. I thought you'd be stuck in traffic for a while."
Ava walked into the private room and sat across from Daniel. She didn't beat around the bush and got straight to the point.
"Mr. Wilson, I came to see you today to ask about EastLake Villas."
Daniel cleared his throat. Just as he'd guessed. He checked his phone—William still hadn't replied. Should he tell the truth or not?
"Ava, let's order first and chat while we eat. It's dinner time now, and you must be hungry."
Daniel snapped his fingers to call in a server and handed Ava a menu.
Ava thought about it. She had invited him out to dinner, so it would be a bit rude to discuss business without ordering first. She looked at the menu and ordered several dishes. When she finished, she looked up at Daniel and said,
"I'm paying for this meal today."
Daniel laughed. "This is my family's restaurant. What are you paying for?"
"That's different. I said I'd treat you to dinner. How could I mooch off your restaurant?"
Daniel raised an eyebrow and gave in. "Alright, your husband has plenty of money anyway."
He kept checking his phone, but there was still no response.
"Ava, what have you been busy with lately?"
Ava picked up her water glass and took a sip. "Not busy right now."
"Really? Your husband is a slave driver. The Morgan Group's design department is famous in the industry for being overworked. How did you manage to escape that?"
Ava fell silent. It was true that she'd joined the Morgan Group's design department, but those people guarded against her like she was a thief. They didn't assign her any design work at all and wouldn't let her touch any core projects. She was the most idle person in the entire design department, though she was quite comfortable with that.
Compared to that, the period when she wasn't working was actually busier—she had to arrange William's daily life and meals every day, cleaning up everything related to him like a servant.
She hadn't realized that she'd been gradually letting go bit by bit.
Before Ava could answer, Daniel had a knowing expression.
"I know—William, that guy, gave you special treatment, right?"
Ava pressed her lips together and said nothing. On her first day at work, he'd made it clear that she should maintain proper boundaries at the company. They were in a secret marriage, and she kept that in mind at all times.
How could he be giving her special treatment?
While they were talking, the dishes filled the table. They both picked up their utensils and started eating.
Daniel was tired of eating at his own restaurant and only picked at a few bites. He glanced at his phone—still no message from William. Who knows what that guy was busy with?
"Mr. Wilson, that villa—I checked and it's now under your sister's name. I wanted to ask if you know anything about what happened?"
Daniel coughed a few times. He couldn't figure out what his buddy was up to. Buying the EastLake Villas property was supposed to make his wife happy, yet he stubbornly kept it secret. He knew that the house meant a lot to Ava. William probably just couldn't swallow his pride.
He thought to himself, 'What's so embarrassing about making your wife happy? That stubborn fool was too proud to say anything, so as a good friend, he should help him out.'
Ava was still quietly waiting for his answer.