My Ex-Husband Begged Me to Take Him Back - Chapter 138

Chapter 138: He is playing a game.

“Who was the guy you were talking to?” Dylan demanded.

Ava blinked, taken aback. “What are you—”

“My sister and her husband were here,” Dylan interrupted, his tone rising. “Couldn’t you have ignored the call? Or was that guy so important you had to take it right then and there?”

He was furious, assuming she had been speaking with Nicholas.

“Enough, Dylan,” Ava said sharply, yanking her arm free from his grasp. “I have a family too—people who care about me and worry when something happens.”

Her voice trembled with irritation as she rubbed her sore arm, glaring at him. “That was Ethan on the phone. He called because he heard about the attack and wanted to make sure I was okay.”

“Ethan?” The name only added to his fury. “You were talking to that man!”

Ava let out an exasperated sigh, her patience wearing thin. “Yes, Ethan. And what’s wrong with that? He is family—practically like a brother to me.”

“Family? Brother? Are you blind or something?” He snapped. “Can’t you see his true intentions?”

Ava raised a hand to stop him. “I’m too tired for this. I don’t have the energy to argue with you right now.” Without waiting for a response, she turned and walked past him, heading straight to the bedroom.

Dylan stood rooted in place, his hands planted firmly on his hips as he watched her retreating figure. Frustration etched into his face. “How do I get her to see what kind of man he really is?”

~~~~~~~~~~

Ava came to a café to meet with Ethan, who was already there, waiting for her. He looked tense, his fingers tapping rhythmically against the surface of his coffee cup.

She approached, sliding into the chair across from him. “What’s going on, Ethan? Why are you so distressed?”

He sighed as he leaned forward. “Gianna has escaped from jail,” he said, his voice low.

“What are you talking about?” Ava’s voice dropped to a whisper. “When did that happen?”

“The night before yesterday,” Ethan replied grimly. “There was a prison break. A few inmates managed to escape, and Gianna was one of them.”

Worry lines were visible on Ava’s forehead. She leaned back in her chair, her thoughts spiring. ‘Why hadn’t Dylan told me about this? Could he not know, or was he keeping it from me?

“And this is not the only thing that is troubling me,” Ethan’s voice pulled her back to the moment. “The man who attacked you recently—he had ties to one of the escapees.”

“What?” Ava gasped. “Are you sure about this?”

Ethan nodded firmly. “I’ve been digging into it. And I have a strong feeling that someone influential helped orchestrate the escape. It would’ve been almost impossible otherwise.”

His expression darkened as he added, “I don’t know why, but I can’t shake the suspicion that Dylan might be involved in this.”

Ava froze, her heart skipping a beat. “Dylan?” she whispered, disbelief flashing across her face.

“Think about it, Ava,” Ethan pressed. “Gianna has a history with him, and this timing is too coincidental. We can’t rule it out.”

‘Could it be true? Could Dylan have a hand in something so dangerous?’ Ava narrowed her eyes, her mind working to process Ethan’s accusation.

Dylan wasn’t perfect, but she found it hard to believe he could orchestrate something as heinous as aiding Gianna’s escape. He had severed ties with her long ago—or at least, that’s what he claimed. And lately, he had been nothing but persistent in trying to make things right with her.

Although she wasn’t thinking about getting back to him, she couldn’t deny his sincerity. She refused to believe that he was involved in bringing Gianna out of jail. But Ethan’s conviction couldn’t be ignored.

“Why do you think Dylan would be involved in something like this?” she asked with both skepticism and curiosity. “Do you have any proof?”

She wanted to know if he had discovered something. Or was it just a hunch?

“Isn’t it obvious?” he said, irritation seeping into his tone. “Dylan’s grudge against the Williams family is no longer a secret. His mission is to take revenge. In front of the public, he pretended to cut ties with Gianna. But in reality, he still cares about her. And let’s not forget his loyalty to his so-called ‘dead friend.’ Do you really think he would betray Gianna?”

Ava’s stomach twisted at his words, her grip tightening on the edge of the table. Ethan’s accusations planted troubling thoughts in her mind.

‘What if Dylan had been playing her this entire time? What if his efforts to reconcile were just part of a larger scheme?’

Ava’s mind was a tangled mess of conflicting emotions. Part of her was convinced by what Ethan had said. And yet, another part of her resisted the idea. Dylan’s recent actions had felt sincere—too earnest to be an act. He had shown vulnerability, something she had rarely seen from him before.

Would someone so intent on fixing their mistakes jeopardize everything by helping Gianna again?

“I don’t know, Ethan,” she murmured with uncertainty. “It doesn’t add up. Dylan has been trying so hard to… change. Why would he risk ruining all of that by doing something so reckless?”

Ethan shook his head, exasperated. “That’s exactly what he wants you to believe. He is playing a game, Ava. Don’t let your emotions blind you to the truth.”

Her chest tightened at his words. She wanted to defend Dylan, but she couldn’t shake the unease that had taken root. Her trust in him wavered, teetering on the edge of doubt and belief.

‘Was Ethan right?’ Ava thought. ‘Or was Dylan truly the man he was trying to prove himself to be?’

The implications of Ethan’s words pressed down on her, making her restless.

“Besides, I’m facing tremendous pressure while investigating the accident case back then.” Ethan’s voice snapped her out of her reverie. “Someone doesn’t want me to continue the investigation. Who do you think it could be?”

“You’re having problems with the investigation?” Ava’s frown deepened.

“Yes. Believe it or not, Dylan is doing all this,” Ethan asserted. “Right now, I don’t have proof, but I will find it. No one can stop me.”

He reached out and grabbed her hands. “Ava, you need to get out of his house and stop working in his company. As long as you’re entangled with him, he can manipulate you, hurt you, and hurt your family.”

Ava pulled her hands out of his grasp. “We’re already divorced, Ethan. I’m not planning to get back with him. I’m only at his house for a few more days. Lilianna’s husband has come to take her home. Once she leaves, I’ll leave Dylan’s place too.”

She stood up to leave.

“Wait.” Ethan also stood up. “I’ll give you a ride.”

Ava hesitated for a moment but relented in the end. “Okay.”

They walked out of the café together, but a tall figure blocked their way. Ava instinctively clasped the straps of her bag when her eyes landed on Dylan’s brooding figure. The way he looked at her made her chest tighten.