My Ex-Husband Begged Me to Take Him Back - Chapter 154

Chapter 154: The lethal plan

Lydia immediately realized she was losing her cool. She closed her eyes for a moment, inhaling deeply to steady herself. “But I am not like him – a murderer.” When she spoke again, her tone was cold but measured. “I don’t want to kill Thomas. All I want is to sever ties with the Williams family. But Dylan refuses to leave Ava, and that leaves me no choice.”

“But hurting Mr. Williams is not an option,” Ethan retorted. “I can’t do this. He helped me a lot. I can’t hurt him.” He stretched the vial toward her.

Lydia didn’t move to take the vial. She looked away from him, her face turning stern even more. “Don’t be so impulsive,” she said, her voice colder now, as though trying to freeze his resolve. “I’m not asking you to kill him. Just… make him weak, sick, and helpless.”

“I’m not a part of your revenge game,” Ethan shot back. He shoved the vial into her hand and reached for the door handle, ready to leave.

“If Thomas falls sick, you can take control of the business,” she said quickly.

He froze, his hand lingering on the door handle.

“With her father sick, Ava will be lost,” Lydia pressed. “She’ll be vulnerable and alone. She’ll seek comfort—someone to rely on. And that someone will be you, Ethan. You’ll be the only one she can turn to.”

Ethan turned his head slightly, his expression unreadable.

Lydia seized the moment and said, “You say you love her. This is your chance to be the man she needs.” She was hopeful that her words would convince him to stay. She needed someone close to Thomas to execute her plans.

Ethan’s expression shifted, his initial defiance giving way to conflicted consideration. He knew Ava saw him as family, a constant presence in her life. If Thomas fell sick, Ava would feel lost and turn to him for support—it was almost inevitable.

Sensing he was considering her words, Lydia was satisfied. A sly smile crept onto her lips. “You’re beginning to understand,” she said smoothly. “This is the perfect chance to drive a wedge between Ava and Dylan. She already suspects he harbors ill intentions toward her father. If Thomas falls sick, she’ll blame Dylan without hesitation.”

Ethan hesitated, but he couldn’t deny the logic in her words. This plan could bring Ava closer to him. He turned back to her and asked, “What do I have to do?”

“It’s simple. Add just one drop of this liquid to his food or drinks over the next few days.” Her voice dropped, and her expression grew serious. “You must be cautious. Even a slight increase in dosage could make his condition critical. It could trigger a heart attack.”

Ethan swallowed nervously as she handed him the vial again.

“I don’t want him dead yet,” Lydia added with a chilling calmness. “I have got a lot of scores to settle with him.”

Ethan clasped the vial. “I don’t want to kill him either,” he hissed. “This is only about Ava. If not for her, I wouldn’t even entertain this.”

He opened the door and jumped out of the car. But he didn’t notice someone sneakily taking his photographs, hiding behind a tree across the road.

Ethan glanced at the vial one last time before shoving it into his pocket. He strode toward his car, the tension in his shoulders betraying his inner turmoil. A part of him screamed to turn back, to throw the vial into the woods and abandon this twisted scheme. Yet his burning desire to be the one Ava leaned on, he resolved to carry out the plan.

He climbed into his car and gripped the steering wheel, his heart trembling with the prospect of hurting Thomas.

“But I have to do it,” he mumbled decisively. “To make Ava mine. Don’t worry, Ava. You will have me by your side – always.” He started the engine and drove away.

~~~~~~~~~~~~

Ava returned home and found the house empty. She paused for a moment, glancing toward the living room, but it was empty.

“He is not back yet,” she murmured, her brows furrowing in mild confusion. Dylan’s absence was not unusual, though lately, his unpredictable schedule had become the norm. She couldn’t help but wonder what had kept him so busy. As she approached the bedroom, she noticed Martha coming out pulling a suitcase.

“Martha!” Ava was surprised to see her there, her eyes moving to the suitcase. “What is going on?”

Martha stopped mid-step. “Sir called about half an hour ago,” she explained. “He asked me to pack his bag urgently. He is leaving for a business trip.”

“A business trip?” she echoed, frowning. Her mind raced back to the early-morning phone call from Justin.

‘Was there trouble brewing at the company?’ The thought unsettled her. But another question loomed larger—why hadn’t Dylan told her himself?

She quickly brushed the concern aside. It was nothing new. Dylan had always kept certain things to himself. She shouldn’t be surprised.

‘He is capable enough to deal with the issues.’ She tried to convince herself it wasn’t worth worrying about.

“Is he coming home before he leaves? Or is he going straight from the office?” she asked, a trace of irritation creeping into her voice.

“He is leaving directly from the office,” Martha replied with a calm professionalism. “The driver will come by to pick up the suitcase.”

“Fine,” Ava muttered, brushing past her toward the bedroom with a gloomy face. Once inside, she shut the door with more force than necessary. “Can’t he call me once and tell me about the trip?” Her chest rose and fell with restrained frustration. “Does he think I’d ruin his trip or something?”

She tossed her bag on the bed, huffing in annoyance. But her gaze was drawn to her bag, her fingers itching to pull out her phone.

“No…” Ava muttered, shaking her head as if trying to cast away her thoughts. She turned away from her bag, crossing her arms tightly.

“I’m not calling him. Why would I? He should’ve told me about the trip himself. But no, he had Martha pack his things. Fine. Fine…It seems you’re finally ready to let me go. That’s good. Good for both of us.”

She reached into her bag to fish out her phone. “I’ll ask Papa to send the driver to pick me up.”

As soon as she unlocked her phone, her hand froze. A list of missed calls from Dylan stared back at her, along with an unread text message.

“What?” Her eyes widened in disbelief. She remembered putting the phone in silence while she was in the meeting. She hadn’t checked it since.

“He actually called me,” she murmured, a mix of confusion and guilt flickering across her face. Her fingers quickly tapped the message.

‘I tried to call you. Why are you not answering? Anyway, I’m leaving on an urgent business trip. I won’t be coming back for a few days. Sorry, I have to leave urgently. I thought I would spend more time with you. Listen, there is something for you in the study. Go and check it. And…Happy birthday. I hope you will like the gift.’