Chapter 84
"Ava, that house you mentioned was put up for sale online a while back. William asked me to buy it. He didn't want the seller to know it was him buying it. Everyone knows I'm close with him, so after thinking it over, I put the house under my sister's name.
But you figured it all out anyway. Once Sarah stops paying attention to this house, we'll transfer the ownership. This house was bought for you by him."
Daniel scratched his head and spilled everything.
Ava's jaw dropped. "How is he the one who bought it?"
Why would he bid on that house from Sarah? He owned who knows how many properties - he wouldn't even look twice at an old house in that kind of neighborhood.
"Why did he buy that house?"
Daniel sighed. "Ava, can't you see that guy is trying to make you happy?"
Then he cursed his hopeless buddy again. "Well, I guess when someone's this low-key about making his wife happy, no wonder you can't tell."
Ava thought it seemed unlikely. William had never shown any interest in her affairs, let alone buying her mother's house, especially from Sarah.
"What else did he say when he asked you to buy the house?"
"He said that don't let Sarah know it was him buying it. That's all."
Ava felt confused inside. She couldn't believe William would take something from Sarah to give to her.
Daniel pulled out a set of keys. "Stop doubting it. Let's eat first. Here, you take the front door keys - saves me from worrying about losing them every day. After we eat, I'll take you to see it. The digital lock inside has been changed."
Ava had completely lost her appetite. This news shocked her so much that she couldn't calm down, and her mind was flooded with surprise and joy.
Was her mother's house really coming back to her?
Daniel shoveled down a few bites of rice, watching Ava look so unsettled. He put down his utensils.
"Let's go. I'll take you to see the house."
Ava couldn't hide her eagerness. "Let's go."
Daniel was driving his flashy Ferrari sports car today. Ava felt uncomfortable all over, sitting in it.
William liked low-key luxury cars, unlike Daniel, who was so showy - the car body was even pink. All along the way, it turned heads. Everyone passing by stared at them, and some young girls even held up their phones to take pictures.
So embarrassing.
The car stopped at EastLake Villas.
Standing at the entrance, Ava was overwhelmed with emotions. Looking at the familiar bricks and tiles, her mind was filled with her mother's voice calling her.
"Ava, time to get up."
"Ava, I'm coming to cheer you on at your school performance today."
"Ava, don't be picky with your food."
...
Memories from childhood flooded back. In her memory, her mom was gentle and virtuous, spending every day taking care of her and her father.
In the morning, she'd take Ava to school and make beautiful lunch boxes for Steven. She could manage the household perfectly.
Steven had just been a man full of enthusiasm at first. It was Ava's mother who provided him with his first startup capital, allowing him to slowly build up his business.
Even so, Steven still didn't want to come home. He kept a mistress outside and had Sarah.
Ava couldn't help but tear up.
Daniel reminded her, "Go in and take a look."
The villa door opened. The furnishings inside had been changed to a different style. Ava couldn't wait to go upstairs to her mother's room. Everything inside had been completely replaced with new things. Not a single one of her mother's belongings remained.
Her own room was like it had a new owner. All the paintings she'd done were gone. Sarah's portrait photos hung on the walls, and Sarah's little items were placed on the desk.
Everything was so unfamiliar she could hardly believe this was the house she'd lived in for over ten years.
Ava's throat tightened. She frantically searched everywhere, finally finding her mother's trunk in the first-floor storage room, along with some of her childhood books.
She sorted through the contents bit by bit. Daniel watched her cry so sadly, couldn't bear to leave, and stood quietly by her side.
"Ava, this house is back in your hands now. Don't rush, take your time."
Ava's hands couldn't stop trembling.
All the valuable things her mother left behind had been taken away. Only these unremarkable items remained.
Inside the trunk were her mother's notebooks, recording some recipes. The paper had yellowed, looking quite old. In the notebook, Ava found an old photo. It had probably been looked at often - the edges had yellowed.
In the photo, her mother had shoulder-length bob hair. She looked bright and lively, appearing only eighteen or nineteen years old.
She was holding a chubby-cheeked baby in her arms. Next to it was a line of small characters: March 18, 1993, Joseph's 100-day commemoration.
Ava was shocked for a moment. Joseph was an unsolvable mystery to her, and this was the closest she'd ever come to solving it.
Who exactly was Joseph, and what was his relationship with her mother?
Ava's mind was in chaos. She kept looking through things, but didn't find anything else related to Joseph.
Just then, the phone rang. Ava put down what she was holding and took out her phone. It was Lucas.
"Hello, Lucas. What's up?"
Hearing the name Lucas, Daniel's heart jumped. He kind of wanted to escape, but felt it wouldn't be right to just sneak away. He was the one who drove her here, and this villa area wasn't easy to get a cab in. Plus, it was getting late - if something happened, William would skin him alive.
"That's it then, hanging up. I'll send you my location."
Ava only talked for two or three minutes on the phone, then opened Facebook to send Lucas her location.
Daniel's nerves were tightly wound. Lucas was coming?
Ava didn't notice Daniel's discomfort and continued sorting through things on her own.
Before long, a car engine sound came from outside, then the doorbell rang.
Ava stood up to open the door.
Daniel felt a bit awkward. He couldn't figure out why he wanted to escape. What was there to escape from? In this era of casual relationships, sleeping together was nothing - one-night stands were totally normal among young people.
Lucas came in wearing a simple white T-shirt, work pants wrapping around a pair of impossibly long legs.
"Ava, your husband's on a business trip, right?"
Lucas asked as soon as he entered. He knew William didn't like Ava associating with him. Worried that William would make things difficult for Ava, he usually didn't dare contact her proactively.
A perfectly innocent friendship made to seem like an affair.
Ava paused. "He said he'd be gone for a week."
Lucas made a sound of acknowledgment and walked further in.
"Olivia's at my place today. We bought stuff to grill tonight. Want to come?"
"Daniel and I already ate."
Ava's eyes fell on Daniel. Only then did Lucas notice there was another living person in the house.
The atmosphere instantly became awkward. The first one to feel uncomfortable was actually Ava.
"You guys talk first. I'll order some water."
The villa had been unoccupied for a long time and didn't even have anything to drink. Ava opened her phone to order water.
"You guys talk. I still have some things to do."
Daniel made moves to leave. He had nothing to talk about with this rough guy.
Lucas thought for a moment. "Why did you block me on Facebook again?"
"Why would I keep you unblocked?"