My Ex-Husband Begged Me to Take Him Back - Chapter 153

Chapter 153: I want revenge.

Ethan eased his car to a stop by the side of the deserted road, his gaze drifting over the surroundings. The road stretched ahead, empty and silent, with no sign of movement in any direction. Tall trees loomed on either side, their thick branches interwoven to form a dense canopy overhead. The sunlight struggled to pierce through, casting fragmented shadows on the ground.

“Where is she?” His brow furrowed as he glanced at the weathered sign nearby: Reserve Forest Area. This was the location she had given him, wasn’t it? Yet, there was no sign of her or her car. “Has she not arrived yet?”

Just as he was wondering, his phone buzzed in the cupholder. The familiar number flashed on the screen, and he answered immediately. “I’m here,” he said briskly. “Where are you? I don’t see your car. Are you coming or not?”

“Too many questions.” The voice on the other end was cold, with an edge of irritation. “I don’t like it when people doubt me.”

“I’m just trying to figure out where you are,” he explained, choosing his words carefully. “I didn’t mean to offend you.”

“Drive forward,” the voice instructed, cold and detached. “Take the next turn. You’ll see my car.”

The call was disconnected.

Before he could respond, the line went dead. Ethan stared at the screen for a moment before tossing the phone onto the passenger seat. With a small shake of his head, he shifted the gear and pulled back onto the road.

Following the directions he had just received, he took the turn and drove for a few kilometers.

A sleek black Rolls Royce soon came into view, parked casually in the middle of the road like it owned the place. Ethan slowed his car to a halt, cutting the engine as he stepped out.

As he approached the car, the driver emerged and opened the rear door. Ethan’s eyes met those of the woman inside, her sharp features accentuated by the soft glow of the cigarette she held between her fingers. Without hesitation, he slid into the backseat beside her.

Lydia turned her head slightly. She studied him with an air of disdain, exhaling a plume of smoke lazily. “You were quite arrogant the other day, refusing my offer,” she said, her tone dripping with condescension. “What has changed? What makes you crawl back to me now?”

“I was wrong,” Ethan said apologetically. “But when I considered your offer, I realized my mistake. I shouldn’t have turned you down. I’m ready to join forces with you—to break up Dylan and Ava.”

Lydia didn’t respond immediately. She leaned back, her expression unreadable as she took another drag of her cigarette. “Why do you think that I still need you? I’m more than capable of handling my own affairs.”

“I don’t doubt your capability, Miss Brooks,” he said carefully. “But even the smartest person needs an ally. I’ll do whatever it takes to separate them. I can’t stand seeing Ava with another man.”

Lydia’s lips curled into a faint, knowing smile. She saw through him—his desperation, his obsession—and she knew it could be exploited.

“Alright…” She turned to face him fully, her sharp eyes boring into his. “But there are rules. You’ll be sincere to me—no lies, no secrets. And you’ll follow my instructions without question or hesitation. Is that clear?”

Ethan hesitated a flicker of doubt crossing his face as he mulled over the situation. He knew Lydia wasn’t someone to trust—a woman like her always had ulterior motives. Still, for now, he needed her. If he could sever Ava’s ties with Dylan, he could walk away from this toxic alliance. Or so he told himself.

“Yes, I get it,” he said curtly and gave a firm nod, masking his unease. “What’s the plan?”

Lydia turned her gaze to the outside and blew the smoke. After a few moments of silence, she stated calmly, “You want Ava to rely on you, don’t you? To make her yours, you need to dismantle her support system. Make her feel that without you, she has no one to turn to.”

Ethan frowned, her words unsettling him. What did she mean by making Ava feel “helpless”? He tried to decipher her intentions.

Lydia pulled out a small vial and held it up, eyeing the clear liquid inside it. “Do you know what it is?” she asked, glancing at him.

Ethan shook his head, his eyes fixed on the vial, a growing sense of unease bubbling in his chest.

“It’s a potent substance.” Lydia’s lips curled into a slow, predatory smile. “In high doses, it’s lethal—can kill someone in minutes. But in small doses, it can make a person ill. Weak. Vulnerable.”

Ethan felt a knot in his stomach, cold sweat pricking on his brow. ‘Is she going to ask me to kill someone?’ he wondered to himself, nervous and anxious.

“And the beauty of it?” She turned to him with a malevolent smile that could make anyone shudder in fear. “It’s untraceable. No test can detect it unless you go overboard. Isn’t that fascinating?”

Ethan swallowed hard, his pulse quickening as he stared at the vial. He had walked into this partnership believing he could use this opportunity to snatch Ava from Dylan, but now he wasn’t so sure. Lydia was dangerous—more dangerous than he had anticipated.

Lydia turned her gaze back to the vial, her memories drifting to the past. “It took a long time for me to find it,” she murmured in a daze.

While she had been away from the town, she had met a man who had knowledge of ancient herbal medicines and poisons. She worked with him for a few months and gained his trust, intending to learn more about the lethal poisons. After learning about the poisons’ secrets, she fled, taking with her the very poison she now held.

With deliberate precision, she extended the vial toward Ethan. “Here. Keep this with you.”

Ethan recoiled slightly. His hand trembled as he hesitated to take it. “Me?” he stammered. “Why are you giving this to me?”

Lydia’s smile vanished. “Don’t you want Ava?” she snapped.

“Yes, I do…but this is…”

“You’re a fool if you think Ava will ever be yours while she’s strong and independent,” Lydia interrupted, her tone icy. “As long as she has her father, she’ll never need anyone else. She’ll never need you.”

Ethan started to understand what Lydia actually intended to do. “You’re planning to hurt Mr. Williams, aren’t you?” he exclaimed with a mix of anger and fear. “This isn’t just about separating Ava and Dylan. You’re using me to carry out your revenge against her father. That’s your real goal, isn’t it?”

“Of course, I want revenge.” Lydia’s composure snapped. Her chest heaved as rage consumed her. “That man—he killed my brother!” Her voice rose with each word, trembling with the weight of her hatred. “Do you think I’d let him live after what he did? No. I want nothing less than to see him dead.”