Chapter 229: Not What It Looks Like

>>Riona

A strange, ugly thought slithered into my mind as I stared at them.

Ava and Milo.

Together.

I hated that the idea even crossed my mind, but why else would they be here, sitting right next to each other? Why had she been with him in the hospital back then? I had told myself it was nothing, that Ava was just being Ava—kind, trusting, always wanting to help. But was there something more?

The idea made my stomach churn.

I couldn’t move, couldn’t breathe as I watched them. Ava was gripping the armrests of her chair so tightly her knuckles turned white, her shoulders stiff with tension. I couldn’t see her face from this angle, but Milo was leaning in, his lips moving, saying something low. Something just for her.

Then Ava pushed back from the table abruptly.

Her chair scraped against the floor, cutting through the casino noise like a blade. She shot to her feet, anger rolling off her in waves. She turned to leave, but Milo’s hand darted out, catching her wrist before she could take a step.

I tensed.

Ava froze, her whole body rigid.

Milo said something again, his voice too low for me to hear, but whatever it was, it only made Ava’s expression darken.

Then she yanked her arm away, eyes burning with fury.

“I’m disgusted by you,” she spat, loud enough that I heard it even through the thick noise of the casino. “How dare you try to make a move on me when you were my sister’s fiancé?”

The breath I didn’t realize I had been holding rushed out of me.

Huh?

I noticed Milo’s red cheek then and Ava’s trembling hand, indicating she had slapped him just moments ago.

Wait… I was wrong?

Of course, I had been wrong.

I felt something in my chest loosen, but shame curled in right after it. How could I have doubted Ava, even for a second? She had always been by my side. Always. And yet, the second I saw her with him, my mind had gone to the worst possible place.

Maybe it was all because of recent events. Because of the blame on me, we fell apart…

I stared at the duo, trying to understand what was happening there. She was furious. She looked like she wanted nothing to do with him.

And Milo…

Milo was still sitting there, unfazed, like he had expected this reaction from her.

Ava turned on her heel, ready to storm off, but Milo grabbed her wrist again, yanking her back.

“Ava, stop.” His voice was lower this time, smooth, coaxing—like he thought he could charm her into staying. “Riona is gone now. You don’t have to worry about her anymore.”

Ava froze.

A deadly silence fell between them. The crowd around them was mostly busy in their own thing but many people were turning their heads to look at the drama.

I saw it in the way her whole body tensed, the way her free hand clenched into a fist at her side. Her breathing had turned shallow, her shoulders rising and falling unevenly, like she was trying to hold back something dangerous.

Then, in a blink, she whirled on him.

“How dare you,” she hissed, her voice trembling with rage. “How dare you say something like that?”

Milo didn’t flinch. If anything, he smirked. “It’s the truth, isn’t it? She—” He tried to move in towards her, like he was going for a hug.

A sharp sound cut through the air.

But it wasn’t Ava.

Riker had moved so fast, I barely saw it happen. One second, he was at my side, and the next, he was standing next to Milo, gripping his wrist in a brutal hold.

Milo’s smirk faltered.

“Let. Her. Go.” Riker’s voice was calm. Too calm. The kind of calm that came before something truly violent.

I was surprised how fast he got to her, but I couldn’t help but turn my face around and look to the side to see what had happened to Niall.

Oh?

Two security guards were already taking Niall out of the place but even when he was being dragged out his eyes were fixed on me.

It sent a shiver down my spine so I turned around to look at Riker and Ava again.

Milo scowled and tried to shake him off, but Riker squeezed harder, his knuckles going white. I saw Milo’s fingers twitch like he wanted to fight back, but he was smart enough to hesitate.

“I said let her go.” For some reason, it felt like Riker was being emotional. I might be wrong- no, I must be wrong. Why would he get emotional here?

Milo sucked in a sharp breath through his teeth, finally loosening his grip on Ava’s wrist. She immediately took a step back, rubbing the skin where his fingers had dug in.

Riker didn’t let go.

Instead, he leaned in close, his voice dropping to something that sent a shiver down my spine.

“If you ever put your hands on her again, I’ll break every bone in that hand before you even have the chance to beg.” I stared at him as I thought about how that threat felt personal.

Milo’s jaw tightened. He looked like he wanted to say something, but he was outmatched, and he knew it. Riker wasn’t bluffing.

After a tense moment, Riker finally shoved Milo’s arm away, nearly knocking him back into the chair.

Milo wasn’t smart enough to stay down.

The moment Riker shoved him back, he snarled, his pride outweighing his common sense. With a growl, he swung at Riker, his fist cutting through the air.

Riker barely blinked.

He sidestepped effortlessly, his movements precise, like he’d done this a hundred times before. Before Milo could even react, Riker’s fist shot forward, slamming into his gut. Milo choked out a strangled gasp, doubling over.

“Bad idea,” Riker muttered as many other people turned to look at the commotion. But as if this was something that happens every now and then, they also continued to play their games.

Milo wheezed but still had the nerve to try again. He pushed off the table for balance and lunged, his fists flying wildly.

Ava took a sharp step back, but Riker was already moving.

He stepped in front of her, shielding her effortlessly, and this time, when Milo attacked, Riker didn’t just dodge—he countered. His fist connected with Milo’s face in a sickening crack, sending him stumbling backward. Blood dripped from his nose, but Riker wasn’t done.

He grabbed Milo by the collar and drove his knee into his ribs, making him cough violently. Another punch to the side of his head, and Milo crumpled like a puppet with its strings cut.

Unconscious.

!?!?!?

The casino floor was eerily silent around them, people watching in stunned silence. Even the dealer from Ava’s table had paused, his hands hovering over the chips.

I guess commotions happen all the time but it doesn’t get this violent. I moved my gaze around.

Everyone was staring.

Riker exhaled sharply, shaking out his hand like he hadn’t just knocked a man out cold in seconds. Then, without looking back, he turned away from Milo’s limp form and started walking.

Ava stood frozen for a moment before she spun on her heel, ready to leave without another glance. I could tell she was shaken by the encounter too and wanted to leave.

But just as she took her first step, something made her hesitate.

She turned her head slightly, and her gaze swept over the room—until it landed on me.

Our eyes met.

Everything stopped.

Her expression wavered, shock flickering in her dark eyes like she couldn’t believe what she was seeing. Her lips parted slightly, like she wanted to say something but couldn’t find the words.

For a moment, neither of us moved.

The casino noise faded into the background, drowned out by the pounding of my own heart. Ava’s eyes stayed locked on mine, her lips parted slightly like she was still trying to figure out if I was really standing there.

Then, movement.

Security arrived, two men in black suits stepping past me to grab Milo’s unconscious body. One of them muttered something into a radio, and within seconds, Milo was being hauled away, disappearing into the sea of people.

And just like that, the world started moving again.

The murmurs and whispers around us dulled as gamblers returned to their games, conversations resumed, and the commotion became just another fleeting event in the endless chaos of the casino.

But I didn’t move.

Neither did Ava.

I wasn’t sure what to say.

I wasn’t sure what she would say.

Would she be angry? Would she demand answers? Would she—

Ava took a step toward me.

!!!

Panic shot through my chest.

I turned on my heel and bolted.

I didn’t think. I just ran.

I heard her sharp inhale, the shuffle of her shoes against the marble floor, and then—

“Riona!” She yelled my name and I glanced back only to receive more panic.

She was chasing me.