My Billionaire king 193

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Chapter 193

Chapter 193

-Ava’s POV-

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K

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The silence stretched between us, heavy and suffocating. Eighteen long seconds passed before Monica finally broke it with a sigh, her gaze shifting from Isabella to me. Her eyes flickered down to my stomach, and she spoke, her tone surprisingly soft. “I guess congratulations are in order?”

The words caught me off guard–not just their content but the sincerity in her voice. I blinked, stunned, unable to respond for a moment.

Isabella, however, didn’t miss a beat. “I know you have an obsession with Lilian,” she shot back, her voice sharp as a blade, “but following her here? That’s just another level of crazy, even for you.”

Monica’s irritated expression hardened as she turned her attention to Isabella. “Do you always have to be so aggressive?”

“Do you always have to be a bitch?” Isabella snapped.

I opened my mouth to intervene, to put an end to the back–and–forth before it escalated, but I just couldn’t summon the strength. Whatever Monica was here for, whatever plan or scheme she had in mind, I didn’t have the energy for it. “I have to get back to the food truck,” I said instead, turning to leave.

“Oh no, you don’t,” Isabella said quickly, stepping forward to block my path. “We’re not done talking, and we’re definitely not done discussing the fact that you’re-” she waved a hand vaguely toward my stomach, “with child.”

Eliza, still chewing on a muffin she’d somehow procured, chimed in, “Saying ‘with child‘ is just plain weird.”

Isabella turned to glare at her. “When did you take that from me, and why are you eating it?”

Eliza shrugged, completely unfazed. “Because you dragged me from work all the way here. You’re lucky Grayson-” The air seemed to crackle the moment his name slipped out. The tension in the space tightened like a coiled spring. Eliza stopped mid–sentence, her face turning pale as she looked at me apologetically. “I’m so sorry. I didn’t mean to-”

“It’s fine,” I cut her off quickly, though my voice wavered. I forced myself to take a steadying breath, then turned to Isabella “I really am sorry, but I can’t do this right now. I promise I’ll call you once I’m done with the day. Please, I just can’t handle all of this right now.”

Isabella opened her mouth, probably to argue, but then she stopped. Her jaw tightened, but she nodded reluctantly.

I turned to Eliza, gave her a small nod, and began walking away.

“Excuse me?” Monica’s voice called after me.

“Can you not see that we’re ignoring you?” Isabella said, spinning on her heel to face her. “We’re pretending like you don’t exist.”

I heard Monica click her tongue, then she spoke again, her voice softer. “I need your help with something, Ava.”

That made me stop in my tracks. I didn’t turn around, though, not yet.

“I didn’t come here to fight,” Monica continued, her words quick and rushed like she was trying to get them all out before Isabella could cut her off. “I really didn’t. I know I’ve done some terrible things to you-”

“Terrible is an understatement,” Isabella interjected, crossing her arms. “I made a list. Do you want me to read it out loud?”

Chapter 193

I finally turned back to face them, my eyes narrowing at Monica, “You need my help?”

Isabella threw her hands up. “Lilian, you cannot seriously be considering helping her with whatever this is. This is probably a scheme from The Threesome of Evil. Or wait–what did we call them again?”

“The Threesome Alliance of Doom,” Eliza supplied, stuffing the last bit of muffin into her mouth.

“Eliza!” Isabella groaned, looking downright betrayed. “You didn’t even save me a bite?”

An argument broke out between the two of them. Monica sighed and stepped closer to me, her voice low so only I could hear, “Something bad happened to Elaine and Grayson and no one will listen to me.”

My heart clenched at his name. It had been so long since I let myself think about him, since I’d even spoken his name aloud I had locked all of it–him, the pain, the heartbreak–into a box and shoved it into the deepest recesses of my mind.

I backed away from her, shaking my head firmly. “That’s not my business anymore.”

“Ava, please-”

“No,” I said sharply. “It’s not my problem, Monica.”

Without another word, I turned on my heel and walked back to the food truck. The line had grown longer in my absence, and I rushed inside to help Tessa.

In between, I turned to her, guilt gnawing at me. “I’m really sorry about earlier. Isabella is just…” I trailed off, not even sure how to explain it.

Tessa smiled knowingly. “A friend who would follow you to the ends of the earth, no questions asked?”

I nodded, the words echoing in my mind. A friend who would follow me to the depths of the earth. That is what Isabella really was.

The rest of the day blurred as I threw myself into work. The hustle and noise of the food truck became my sanctuary, a place where I could shove everything–Grayson, my mother, and Monica’s bizarre arrival–to the back of my mind. I focused on each customer, each order, each second that passed, ignoring the gnawing ache inside me.

Tessa moved with practiced ease beside me, but I could feel her curious glances. Not until the rush finally died down, and the last customer walked away with a smile and a bag of food.

I stepped outside to take a breather. The cold air hit my skin, and I took in a deep breath, hoping it would cleanse me, ease the heaviness in my chest. But I barely had a moment of reprieve before my wolf growled in warning.

Her presence hit me before her scent did. My eyes snapped up, and there she was–my mother, standing several meters

away.

I groaned aloud, dragging my hand down my face. How did they find me? First Isabella then Monica, now her. What part of leave me alone did no one seem to understand?

I turned my back to her, ready to walk away, when she spoke.

“I have permitted you to be angry for two weeks, Ava,” she said, her voice calm yet sharp, cutting through the quiet. “It is time for you to stop whatever this thing you’re doing and come back home.”

1 froze. Permitted me?

I whipped around, glaring at her. “You have permitted me to be angry?” My voice dripped with disbelief. “Permitted me?”

Chapter 198

“Ava,” she sighed, as if my reaction was the one out of line. “I didn’t come here to be on the receiving end of your tantrum. This is no place for you to be, especially in your condition?

“Oh,” I laughed bitterly, hollowly, “You’ve suddenly found the urge to be maternal? Don’t make me laugh.” I shook my head, my voice sharpening with every word. “I told you I didn’t want you in my life anymore. Don’t make me get a restraining order, mother”

Her expression faltered, just for a moment, before she let out another sigh. “I understand that you’re angry-”

“No,” I interrupted, shaking my head again. “You don’t understand anything”

I wasn’t just angry, I was tired. Tired of the pain that consumed me, the ache that I couldn’t escape no matter how hard I tried. I was tired of pretending I was okay when every night, I cried into the silence, feeling my heart clench tighter and tighter,

All I wanted was to be left alone. To not have my wounds ripped open every time someone dragged me back into the chaos I’d been trying to escape.

“Please,” I said, my voice softening. “Just leave me alone, Mother. Please.”

I turned back toward the food truck, hoping this time she’d listen, but before I could reach the door, Isabella’s voice rang out behind me.

“Lilian!”

I groaned again, clenching my fists. I thought they’d left.

Looking back at the truck, then at Isabella–who was approaching with Eliza and, of all people, Monica–I sighed. Chaos refused to leave me alone, but I could at least keep it away from Tessa. Stepping away from the food truck, I waited for them to reach me.

“What is it now, Bels?” I asked tiredly.

Isabella paused, her eyes narrowing as she caught sight of my mother. My mother, in return, shifted back into her usual icy expression, giving Isabella a look that could turn blood cold. Without a word, she turned back to me, her face softening again.

“I’ll be back tomorrow,” she said simply.

I didn’t respond. I didn’t want her to come back, but I knew she would anyway. She walked away, and for a moment, the four of us stood in silence.

Then Isabella turned to me, her expression urgent. “I didn’t want to listen to what Monica had to say earlier, but then Eliza said… Grayson.” She paused, apologetic. “I’m sorry, Lilian, but Grayson had barely stepped out of his office for two weeks. Then Elaine showed up, and they both left. No one has seen them for three days.”

“Bels-”

“Please, just listen, Lilian.”

I fell silent, though I didn’t want to hear it. Grayson was missing again. He always reappeared eventually. It wasn’t my problem anymore.

Isabella took my silence as permission to continue. “Remember when Ivan said the mole was Elaine? Well, Monica says Elaine has been acting weird for months. Like, something’s been… off.”

15:01 Thu, 6 Eeb ww

Chapter 193

I sighed, tired of the intrigue. “So, Elaine really is the mole?”

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It was Monica who answered, “I don’t know about any mole, but I’ve known Elaine a long time. She’s opinionated, sharp, and manipulative. Most of the things we did to you were her idea. But lately, she’s been… different. Like she’s under someone’s control. Not to mention the pregnancy. Almost four months in, she should at least have a bump, or at least symptoms or something.”

I frowned. “What are you saying?”

Monica stepped closer. “I took a sample of her blood and had it tested. Elaine isn’t pregnant.”

I blinked, “What?”

Isabella cut in, clearly irritated. “And I still think that is really creepy, by the way, but listen to this. Ivan thought she was the mole, but maybe someone else was making her act that way. Who’s the perfect person no one would suspect? Who has enough power to eliminate Alphas subtly and no one would suspect that he has that power? And if the King were to fall… She trailed off, letting the implication hang in the air.