My Ex-Husband Begged Me to Take Him Back - Chapter 102

Chapter 102: Dylan’s twin sister, Lilianna.

When Ava finally woke up, it was well past noon. She had been so restless the night before that she had turned to sleeping pills, desperate for an escape from her swirling thoughts. But now, the harsh sunlight flooding through the window made her realize how late it was.

“Damn it,” she muttered, squinting against the brightness as she tossed the blanket aside. “What time is it?” Sitting up sluggishly, she reached for her phone, only to have it buzz loudly in her hand, startling her.

She almost dropped the phone but managed to catch it just in time, and her eyes widened as she saw the caller ID.

“Lilianna!” she murmured, feeling a warmth stir within her.

It was Dylan’s twin sister, the only person in the entire Brooks family who had treated her with genuine warmth. All thoughts of bitterness vanished momentarily as she quickly answered.

“Hello?” Her voice was thick with sleep, but a genuine smile softened her features.

“Still in bed at this hour?” Lilianna asked, sounding surprised. “Did Dylan keep you up all night? Or did he do something to annoy you again?”

Ava’s smile faded at the mention of Dylan. She hadn’t yet told Lilianna about their separation; in fact, she wasn’t sure if Lilianna knew anything about what had happened between them. She braced herself, deciding it might be time to be honest.

“What a wonderful surprise, Lilianna,” she said, doing her best to keep her tone light. “It’s been way too long since we’ve spoken.”

“I know! That’s why I thought I’d come to see you in person.” Lilianna’s voice brightened. “Guess what? I just landed, and you’re the first person I called. Dylan has no idea I’m in town. Can you come pick me up?”

“What?” Ava jumped out of bed. “You’re here already? Of course! I’ll be there right away!”

“Uh!” Before Lilianna could say something, the call was disconnected abruptly. She sighed, her shoulders sagging. “I wanted to ask if everything was okay between you and Dylan,” she murmured, pouting slightly as she looked down at the blank screen.

After talking to Dylan the night before, she hadn’t been able to shake the worry that clung to her. His tone had sounded off that she had rarely heard from her confident, often guarded brother.

Lilianna wanted to make sure Dylan was okay and insisted her husband book a flight ticket for her. Thankfully, her husband allowed her to come and arranged a ticket for her urgently.

She smiled as she recalled how she had thrown tantrums to convince her husband to let her go. But that smile soon vanished when she thought of Dylan’s worried tone.

‘What was bothering him so much?’ she thought, anxiety creeping back in. ‘I hope everything is fine between him and Ava.’

Meanwhile, Ava hurriedly washed up, threw on a pair of jeans and a crop top, and grabbed her purse. She dashed out the door, her thoughts racing as she got into her car and sped off.

Soon enough, Ava reached the airport, quickly spotting Lilianna through the glass windows of a small café just outside the terminal. She saw Lilianna wave, her grin broad and warm, a sight that instantly melted away Ava’s lingering tension.

“Ava! Over here!” Lilianna called, practically beaming.

Ava let out a relieved sigh and hurried over. “Why didn’t you tell me sooner?” she teased, an exasperated smile on her face. “I would’ve been here waiting for you.”

Lilianna laughed as she stood, wrapping Ava in a warm, tight embrace. “I wanted to surprise you. I missed you so much.”

Ava relaxed into the hug. “I missed you too.” She lingered a moment, savoring the familiar comfort, before pulling back to take in her friend’s face. “How are you?”

Lilianna stretched her arms wide with a radiant grin. “As you can see, I’m doing just great.” She placed her hands over her stomach, her eyes shining with excitement. “I’m pregnant,” she announced, bubbling with joy. “I just found out last week.”

“You are pregnant!” Ava exclaimed, surprised, her gaze dropping to Lilianna’s belly.

The news brought a flurry of emotions, and a faint ache tugged at her heart. She couldn’t help but remember her own unborn child who had never seen the light of day in her past life. A bittersweet feeling bloomed within her, mixing joy for Lilianna with a quiet, unresolved sorrow.

Swallowing back her emotions, Ava forced a smile, letting warmth fill her voice. “Congratulations!” she said, squeezing Lilianna’s arm with gentle affection. “I’m so happy for you.”

Ava’s initial plan to tell her about the issues between her and Dylan died down. This was not the time to make her distressed.

“Thank you.” Lilianna held her hands. “Have a seat first.”

They settled side by side, Lilianna’s hand still wrapped around Ava’s. She glanced at Ava, concern shadowing her otherwise joyful expression. “Now tell me, what is going on between you and Dylan? Is everything okay? Has he been giving you a hard time?”

For a moment, Ava’s mind went blank. She hadn’t expected Lilianna to bring up Dylan so directly. “Why do you ask?” she responded carefully.

Lilianna shrugged. “Dylan called me last night. He sounded… distraught like I had never heard him before. He told me he needed my help, that something was really wrong. I was so worried about him that I immediately booked a flight ticket and came over.”

Ava’s heart clenched as she listened, her thoughts spiraling. She hadn’t realized Dylan had reached out to his sister. She shifted her gaze to the side as she struggled to deflect the conversation.

“Did you two fight?” Lilianna pressed.

“No!” Ava replied quickly, shaking her head a bit too eagerly. But Lilianna’s skeptical look told her she wasn’t convinced. Without breaking eye contact, Lilianna picked up a tabloid from the table, flipping it in front of Ava.

“Take a look at it.”

Ava glanced down, her stomach dropping as she saw the headline plastered across the front page: ‘Gianna: A Homewrecker!’ These words were written in bold letters. Beneath it was a photo of Gianna, being led out of the banquet hall in handcuffs.

“So much happened, and yet you’re saying there was no fight with Dylan?” Lilianna arched an eyebrow. “Come on, Ava, tell me what’s going on.”

Ava let out an involuntary gasp, startled that Lilianna knew this much already. She quickly masked her reaction, giving a small shrug. “Well, you’ve read the story, haven’t you?” she replied, attempting to keep her tone light. “Gianna has been nothing but trouble. She has bullied me from the start, framing me for things I didn’t do. So, I began gathering evidence against her.”

“I know all this,” Lilianna interjected firmly. “That’s not what I’m worried about. I’m worried about you and Dylan.” She paused for a moment, her eyes searching Ava’s face. “Did you believe what Gianna said about Dylan? About his… supposed revenge plan?”