My Ex-Husband Begged Me to Take Him Back - Chapter 146

Chapter 146: Birthday celebration (Part – 2)
A mix of unease and irritation simmered in his chest. Dylan’s thoughts spiraled as he tried to make sense of the situation. ‘Maybe she is having dinner with her father.’ Then, a more troubling possibility crept into his mind. ‘What if Ethan is there too? Celebrating with her?’

The thought gnawed at him, stirring a fresh wave of unease.

With growing desperation, he dialed her number as he paced the room. But the result wasn’t different from earlier. Ava didn’t answer the call.

He let out a heavy sigh and slumped into the chair by the table, his earlier excitement now replaced with a sinking feeling of helplessness. His gaze fell on the spread he had meticulously prepared.

Dylan ran a hand through his hair as guilt began to gnaw at him. For the first time, he thought about how Ava must have felt on all those nights when she waited for him—when his late meetings, excuses, or inattentiveness left her disappointed.

“Are you taking revenge on me?” The ache in his chest deepened.

~~~~~~~~~~~

The party had finally quieted. The guests started to leave. Ava stood near the doorway, bidding goodnight to her friends. When her last friend exited the hall, Ava turned to her father.

“It’s time to leave,” she said with a beaming smile.

“Why don’t you come with me?” Thomas asked.

But Ava turned him down. She had promised Dylan to go back early, and now she was late. “I’ve promised Dylan to be with him as long as Lilianna is in town. I need to go back there.”

Thomas nodded understandingly. “Alright, I’ll ask the driver to drop you.”

Before Ava could respond, another voice interjected smoothly, drawing their attention. “No need for that, Mr. Williams.” Nicholas stepped closer. His presence was magnetic. “I’ll take her home safely.”

The conviction in Nicholas’s voice softened Thomas’s concerns, easing the lines of worry on his face. “You make me feel reassured, Nicholas. Go with him, Ava.”

After hugging her father and exchanging goodbyes, Ava followed Nicholas out of the hotel. As they stepped into the night, but their path was abruptly blocked. Ethan appeared from the shadows, his expression dark.

“Are you leaving with him?” he asked, his tone sharpening with irritation.

“Yes,” Ava replied evenly. “Good night, Ethan. And thank you for arranging such a wonderful party. I really enjoyed it.”

But Ethan wasn’t in the mood to listen to it. His insides burned with indignation as he watched her with Nicholas. “Come with me. I’ll drop you home.” His hand shot out, intent on taking Ava’s, but Nicholas moved swiftly, gripping Ethan’s wrist mid-air.

“Mr. Moss, you don’t need to worry about Ava,” Nicholas said sternly. “She is in safe hands.”

Safe hands?

Ethan’s temper flared even more. Nicholas was only using Ava to trap him and snatch everything from him – that was what Ethan thought.

“She doesn’t need you,” Ethan hissed venomously. “She has me.”

Sensing an argument was about to break out, Ava interjected, “Ethan, calm down. I asked Nicholas to give me a ride. You should stay with Papa. Take him home safely.”

Her words landed like a gavel strike. Ethan’s face darkened, his fists trembling. ‘How could Ava trust this man so blindly? She was ready to go in his car at this hour of night.’

“I’ll be safe with him.” Ava flashed a smile as she gave Ethan a gentle squeeze on his arm. With that, she turned to Nicholas. “Let’s go.”

Ava walked past him with Nicholas. Ethan stood rooted to the spot, watching them go, his chest tight with a mixture of fury and helplessness.

Nicholas looked back at Ethan and winked at him in a challenging way.

Ethan’s mouth twitched in anger. His stomach churned with a toxic mix of jealousy and fury.

“Safe with him,” he muttered disdainfully. “You have no idea what trouble you have gotten yourself into. Since you don’t listen to me, don’t blame me for being cruel.”

He clicked a photograph of Nicholas opening the car door for Ava. He didn’t miss clicking the way Ava smiled at Nicholas and thanked him while settling into the passenger seat. Ethan watched the photos, his eyes darkening with a calculating glint.

“Nicholas, you’re digging your own grave,” he muttered coldly.

His fingers moved swiftly, attaching the photos to a message. He scrolled through his gallery, selecting additional pictures from earlier in the evening—Ava cutting her birthday cake, laughing with friends, and sharing moments with her family.

He typed a message alongside the images: “Seems like your ex-wife is slipping out of your grasp. She celebrated her birthday tonight with her friends and family, but you weren’t invited. It’s clear she no longer sees you as someone important. Her preferences have clearly changed.”

He added a smile emoji before sending the message. His lips curled into a devilish smirk as he watched Nicholas’s car mingling with the traffic. “Let them tear each other apart,” he muttered menacingly. “While they’re too busy fighting, I’ll make my move. Ava will see that I’m the one she can truly trust.”

He turned around and walked into the hotel.

As Ethan made his way back to the banquet hall, he noticed Thomas standing alone amidst the remnants of the evening’s festivities. The older man’s posture was rigid, his expression unreadable, but the moment he saw Ethan approaching, his gaze turned sharp.

“Ethan, I need to talk to you,” Thomas said seriously.

A faint tremor ran through Ethan at the tone, though he masked his unease with a steady front. “Is there something troubling you?”

“Why didn’t you invite Dylan and her sister?” Thomas asked, raising his eyebrow suspiciously. “I told you explicitly to invite them. Ava may have her differences with Dylan, but she adores Lilianna like a sister. It doesn’t reflect well that all of Ava’s friends were here tonight, yet Lilianna and Dylan were absent. Did you forget to send them an invitation?”

Ethan’s face turned pale as he felt a chill crawl down his spine. He hadn’t thought that Thomas would raise this question.

‘Wasn’t he angry with Dylan?’ Ethan pondered, befuddled, recalling how Thomas had chastised Dylan for breaking Ava’s heart. He had assumed Thomas wouldn’t care about Dylan’s presence—or notice his absence.

Forcing a neutral expression, Ethan said, “I… apologize. I was preoccupied with organizing the party, and it slipped my mind to send an invitation to Dylan and his sister.”

Thomas’s face turned gloomy. “I didn’t expect such negligence from you, Ethan,” he said sternly.

Ethan gritted his teeth, his frustration mounting, but he remained outwardly composed. “I’m sorry to disappoint you, Mr. Williams,” he said carefully. “But, honestly, I don’t think it’s a significant issue. Ava and Dylan are divorced, after all—”

“They may be divorced,” Thomas interrupted sharply, “but Ava is still staying at Dylan’s house. Whatever their personal issues, they are still trying to work through them. And don’t forget—Dylan is an important client. We cannot afford to let personal matters interfere with professional relationships. I don’t want to see such oversights happen again.”

Without waiting for a response, Thomas strode out of the hall, leaving Ethan standing alone. Ethan’s fingers curled into fists. Anger boiled in his chest.

“Dylan, always Dylan,” he hissed. “Fine… If you value Dylan so much, then it’s time to remind you why that loyalty is misplaced.”