My Ex-Husband Begged Me to Take Him Back - Chapter 20

Chapter 20: I am just no one.

Dylan found himself trapped in the grips of another nightmare. The scenes were chaotic, not clearly visible anything, but the panic pressing down on his chest felt all too real, suffocating him as he gasped for breath.

In the dim haze of his dream, sweat dripped down his face and neck, soaking his sheets as he tossed and turned, desperately trying to escape the terror closing in around him.

A shadowy figure loomed above him, its features were obscured—there were no eyes, no nose, no mouth. It was frightening, and his restlessness grew. No matter how hard he tried, he couldn’t see the face clearly, but he could feel the rising dread. His heart raced as he sensed the danger this figure represented.

“What did you do to me?” he asked.

Desperation surged through him as he attempted to rise and flee, but his body felt heavy and anchored to the place as if invisible chains held him down. The echo of a woman’s laughter reverberated in his head, chilling him to the core.

With a sudden jolt, Dylan’s eyes flew open, the remnants of terror still clinging to him. He sat up abruptly, his chest heaving with exertion. A cold sweat coated his skin. His body was still shaking from the horror and struggle in his dream. It was as if he had experienced that terror in the past.

“What is going on?” he whispered, wiping his brow with the back of his hand. He couldn’t shake the feeling of unease that had settled deep within him. Every night he couldn’t sleep properly because of these nightmares.

“Why am I having nightmares these days?” Dylan wondered, restless and bewildered. The restless nights had taken a toll, leaving him bleary-eyed and unfocused during the day, often dozing off at his desk, much to his dismay.

“Shit!” he cursed softly, rubbing his forehead as if trying to massage away the stress that had built up. “I can’t continue like this. I’ve got to see a doctor.”

He drank some water, hoping it would soothe his frazzled nerves. He then tried to sleep, but the night was spent in a restless, light slumber.

The next morning…

The news of the Moore Group facing trouble spread throughout the city. Thomas scrolled through the business news; his brow furrowed in confusion. “The Moore Group’s stock price is plummeting like crazy,” he mumbled in a daze. “Investors are pulling back left and right. I wonder what has gone wrong all of a sudden.”

Ava, sitting across from him, looked up. She had not told him about the incident that had happened the day before. But the flicker of surprise crossing her face was evident.

She hadn’t anticipated Dylan would strike so fiercely against Mr. Moore.

Was he doing this for her?

A brief glimmer of hope sparked in her chest, but it quickly dimmed as she recalled that Dylan hadn’t made any moves against the real mastermind: Gianna.

‘No, he is doing that to satisfy his ego,’ she told herself.

“How can such a big company like Moore Group face such a crisis out of nowhere?” Ava asked, keeping her tone casual and feigning ignorance.

Thomas sighed and set the tablet aside. “Maybe they’ve offended someone powerful,” he replied, rubbing his chin thoughtfully. “This seems like a targeted attack. If they can’t defend themselves, the company might go bankrupt soon.”

Ava nodded, processing his words. While she felt a sense of vindication at Mr. Moore’s misfortune, she couldn’t shake the nagging concern in her heart.

Over the past years, Dylan had grown in power, his company rising to the top. Anyone who crossed him could find themselves facing ruin. The knowledge that he had already set his mind to destroy her family sent chills down her spine. She had to find a way out.

~~~~~~~~~~

When Dylan came to work, he yawned widely. His eyes were puffy and rimmed with red, the bags beneath them stark against his otherwise sharp features. All he wanted was to collapse into his comfortable bed and lose himself in sleep, but he had dragged himself to work.

“Good morning, sir,” Justin greeted him with a polite nod as he entered the office. “Your meeting for the west port development project is scheduled in an hour. The details are in this folder.” He placed the folder in front of Dylan, who could barely muster the energy to acknowledge it.

Rubbing his eyes, Dylan reluctantly picked up the folder. Justin’s keen gaze caught the signs of his fatigue, and he frowned slightly. “You didn’t sleep well last night!”

Last night?

Sleep had been elusive ever since he returned from the business trip.

“I am having this – sleep disorder,” Dylan replied hoarsely. “I need to see a doctor.”

Justin nodded firmly. “I’ll fix an appointment for you.”

Dylan nodded. “Send Ava to my cabin,” he instructed, waving his hand dismissively.

As Justin stepped out of the cabin, he unexpectedly bumped into Ava. “Good morning, Madam,” he greeted, bowing his head slightly. “I was just about to call you.”

Ava raised an eyebrow, intrigued. “Why? What’s going on?”

“Sir has been asking about you.”

A calculating smile flashed across Ava’s face. “Well, I’m right here to see him,” she said, striding past him toward the cabin.

“Madam!” Justin called out from behind, halting her in the tracks.

Curious, she turned to face him.

“I know you’re upset with Mr. Brooks,” Justin began cautiously. “And you have every right to be. He has made mistakes in the past. But he does care about you. I saw how worried he was when he heard you were in the hospital.”

Justin’s mind flashed back to the moment Dylan had passed out in shock.

“Sometimes he seems cold and ruthless,” Justin continued, “but he is caring.”

“Caring?” Ava couldn’t help but scoff, a bitter laugh escaping her lips as she resisted the urge to roll her eyes. Who knew better than she how Dylan’s so-called care was only for Gianna, not for her?

“He is not doing well,” Justin continued. “You should come back home and look after him. He needs you.”

She chuckled, stepping toward him. “You are a good PA, Justin.” She patted his shoulder, appreciating his loyalty toward Dylan. “You know him well.”

She sneered at the notion that Justin was also well aware of Dylan’s revenge plan on her father. But he still wanted her to take care of the man, who was ready to ruin her family. The hypocrisy stung her.

“The fact that he only has one woman in his heart isn’t unknown to you—and that woman is not me,” she said coolly.

“You are misunderstanding him,” Justin defended his boss. “He is taking care of Miss Gianna because…”

“Over the past year, I looked after him, took care of his needs, and waited for him silently,” Ava interrupted him. “But he was indifferent to me. To him, I am just no one. He doesn’t want me in his life. So, don’t expect anything from me. If he is not well, you should inform Gianna.”

With those biting words hanging in the air, she turned sharply on her heels and stormed into the cabin, leaving Justin standing there.