Chapter 130
-Ava’s POV
Why did the universe hate me?
It was a serious, valid question because there was no other reason why all of this would be happening again. And now, as I sat tapping my legs anxiously, I was struck by an unsettling sense of déjà vu. Once again, Grayson was missing. This time, it wasn’t a car crash. It was worse- -a freaking plane crash.
Liam was on the phone, pacing back and forth as he made calls, trying to piece together what had happened. In the corner of the office, Elaine sat stiffly, glaring at me as though all of this was somehow my fault.
But at least Monica wasn’t here.
But, as if the universe had read my thoughts and decided to spite me, the door opened. Monica stepped in, her presence like a storm cloud darkening an already dismal room. It took every ounce of willpower not to groan in frustration.
Her sharp eyes flickered over to me briefly before settling on Elaine. “Any news yet?”
Elaine, without breaking her glare at me, replied, “I don’t know. Maybe you should ask Ava.”
I blinked, incredulous. “Ask me? Why? What have I done wrong now?”
Elaine leaned forward slightly, her tone icy. “The better question is, what have you not done wrong? Ever since you came into Grayson’s life, it’s been nothing but drama, chaos, and endless problems. Sure, he was the epitome of cruel before, but I’d take that version of him any day over this–over all of this. This is the second time he’s gone missing, and I’m sure the only reason he was on that flight to Italy was to deal with something related to you. In case no one has told you yet or you’re too blind to see it, you are the problem, Ava.”
Her words hit like a slap. I opened my mouth to respond, but no words came out. A part of me wanted to fight back, but another part knew she wasn’t entirely wrong.
Grayson’s life before me had been clear–cut, no matter how ruthless it was. He’d been the all–powerful, untouchable Alpha King. But ever since fate had thrown us together, chaos seemed to follow. From the endless drama with my father, to Dylan, to my mother, to me trying to uncover secrets of his past–it all traced back to me.
“Don’t listen to her. This isn’t your fault,” my wolf’s voice echoed softly in my mind. But I didn’t believe her.
I let out a shaky breath as my phone vibrated in my pocket. Grateful for the distraction, I glanced down to see my mother’s name flashing on the screen. Normally, I would’ve ignored her, but I needed an excuse to escape the suffocating tension in
the room.
Without a word to Elaine or Monica, I pushed myself up and walked out of the office, brushing past Liam on my way. Once I was outside, I swiped to answer the call.
Before I could even speak, my mother’s sharp voice rang out. “You are really pushing it, Ava. Really, really pushing it.”
“Do you think I’m the reason bad things happen to people?” The question slipped out before I could stop it. I hadn’t planned to ask her of all people, but there it was, hanging awkwardly in the air between us.
There was a pause on the other end, then her voice came back, colder than before. “Why are you asking me that? And why would you expect me to have the answer?”
Of course, Evelyn couldn’t even pretend to be a mother for five seconds. Anger bubbled up inside me, and I snapped, “Why did
you call me?”
“Because I just got word that your insolent friend is telling people you’re hosting the Pierce Ball this year at that vile estate
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Chapter 130
you’ve chosen to stay in.”
I ran a hand through my hair, frustration mounting. With everything going on–Grayson missing, the curse weighing over me–this felt so irrelevant. But because Evelyn had brought it up, I wasn’t about to let it slide.
“First of all, Mother, my best friend’s name is Isabella. And yes, we’ll be hosting the ball at Grayson’s estate. You wanted me to attend, and I will. You never said I couldn’t choose the venue. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I have more pressing matters to deal with.”
0
I moved to end the call, but her voice stopped me. “You really have become something else.” There was a hint of something in her tone–was it awe? I couldn’t tell, and I didn’t care.
“I’m ending the call.”
“Who’s to say I won’t just throw the ball myself?”
I let out an irritated sigh. “Then go ahead. We’ll see whose event they attend.” With that, I ended the call and slipped my phone back into my pocket.
For a moment, I stood there in the quiet hallway, unwilling to return to the office. Elaine’s words echoed in my mind, her accusations striking deeper than I wanted to admit..
The door opened behind me, and Liam ste
out. “Can you come back inside?”
I sighed but nodded, following him back in. I made a point to avoid looking at Elaine and Monica as Liam spoke.
They’ve pinpointed the area where Grayson’s plane went down. Rescue teams are being sent to search the location,” he said, his gaze flicking to me. “I’m confident they’ll find him.”
“What’s to say he survived the crash?” Monica asked bluntly.
“He survived it,” Elaine and I said at the same time. The unison startled me, and I glanced at her, catching the flicker of conviction in her eyes before she rolled them and looked away.
Liam’s voice broke through the silence. “I’ll keep you all updated. For now, I have a lot to coordinate.” He leaned down to place a kiss on Elaine’s forehead, and I watched her soften in a way that reminded me of the girl in the old photograph.
I couldn’t stay in the room a second longer. Without another word, I turned on my heels and walked out.
My head was pounding, my thoughts spinning. Worry gnawed at the edges of my mind, but somewhere deep in my bones, I knew Grayson was alive. Somehow I could feel it. I just didn’t know how long that would last.
For now, I needed to focus on what I could control. I needed to get back to Isabella and make sure the ball preparations were moving along. If nothing else, it would give me something to do Something to distract me from the weight of everything else crashing down around me.
I stood in the hallway, trying to steady my thoughts. I could still feel the tension from the office, like a storm brewing inside me. My head was pounding, but I refused to let anyone see just how shaken I was.
The sound of the office door opening snapped me out of my thoughts. Elaine and Monica stepped out together, their eyes locking onto me immediately.
Elaine’s gaze was sharp and unyielding as she tilted her head slightly. “Why are you still standing here?”
I narrowed my eyes at her, already exhausted from the constant attacks. “I’m not in the mood for this, Elaine. You don’t own this hallway. This is Grayson’s company, and in
case you’ve forgotten, I’m married to him.”
Monica smirked, stepping forward as if she knew some secret I didn’t. “You’ve really placed yourself high on that horse of yours, haven’t you?” Her voice was mocking, her gaze piercing. And, of course, you refuse to climb down.”
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Elaine let out a bitter langh, her voice dripping with sarcasm as she turned to Monica. “Don’t worry. She’ll be thrown off that horse soon enough.”
The two of them exchanged a look before starting to walk away, their heels clicking against the marble floor. Just as they passed me, Elaine stopped abruptly, turning her head slightly to glance at me over her shoulder.
“I hear you’re throwing a ball,” she said, her tone light but with an edge that sent a shiver down my spine.
I straightened, refusing to let her words affect me. “Yes, I am.”
She smiled faintly, a dangerous glint in her eyes. “Good. That’ll be very interesting.”
Monica added something under her breath, but I couldn’t catch it. I was too focused on Elaine as she took a step closer, her voice dropping just enough to make the hairs on the back of my neck stand up.
“Oh, and happy birthday in advance,” she said casually, her smile widening into something that wasn’t friendly at all.
The words struck me like a slap. My breath hitched, and my heart started to race. It was exactly what Crystal had said to me. The same phrasing, the same eerie tone.
Before I could say anything, Elaine leaned in slightly, her voice dropping to a near–whisper.
“Don’t worry, Ava,” she said, her tone soft but cutting. “This will be a birthday you’ll NEVER forget.”
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