My Ex-Husband Begged Me to Take Him Back - Chapter 39

Chapter 39: It’s not the way a brother looks.

Dylan returned his focus to Ava, only to meet her scathing glare. The intensity of her glare made him shift uncomfortably. “What? Don’t look at me like I’m the one at fault. I don’t like that guy,” he muttered defensively.

Ava’s expression hardened. “Ethan is like a brother to me,” she snapped, her frustration bubbling over. She couldn’t stand that Dylan was twisting the situation, throwing suspicion on her relationship with Ethan.

“Brother!” Dylan scoffed disdainfully. “I can see the way he looks at you,” he muttered under his breath. “It’s not the way a brother looks.”

He knew full well that Ethan had feelings for Ava—he had seen the way that man looked at her. It was not a look of adoration for a sister, but an affectionate stare that lingered a little too long.

“Did you say something?” Ava squinted at him. She heard him saying something, but she couldn’t catch his exact words. There was no mistaking the icy edge of Dylan’s voice, though; it only fueled her fury.

“That man shouldn’t be around you,” Dylan said, his tone cold and commanding.

Ava’s blood boiled at his audacity. How dare he dictate who she could be close to, especially after everything? “I don’t care what you think about me and Ethan. You and I are getting divorced anyway.”

Divorce again?

Dylan felt a surge of frustration, his nerves tightening. It was like a switch had flipped inside him, and before he could stop himself, he growled through clenched teeth, “There won’t be a divorce.” His hands moved to clasp Ava’s shoulders with more force than intended.

Ava winced, a soft cry of pain escaping her lips. Her discomfort snapped him out of his fury.

He released her instantly, his chest tightening with regret. “Where is it hurting?” he asked with concern. “I’ll call the doctor.”

He turned, ready to rush out, but Ava’s icy words stopped him cold. “Stop it, Dylan. I don’t need your care.”

Her words struck him harder than any punch, and he froze, stunned. He whirled toward her. “What did you say?”

Dylan couldn’t understand. He had gone to great lengths—tracking down those who had attacked her, punishing them swiftly in less than an hour, even sending Erica away to ensure she wouldn’t trouble Ava again. He had done things he never thought he would, all for her – to make things right with her. But it seemed that nothing was enough for her.

Each time he tried to fix things, it felt like she drifted further away. He could feel the distance between them growing, and with every passing day, her resentment toward him seemed to deepen, compelling him to wonder how much his actions had hurt her.

“You never cared about me in the past year,” Ava started coldly. “You never gave me time. This sudden change in your attitude means nothing to me now. You’ve already destroyed the love I had for you.”

Dylan speechlessly stared at her. The weight of her rejection felt unbearable as if the walls were closing on him. The feeling he was experiencing at that moment was suffocating. Ava, the woman who had never tired of proclaiming her love for him, was now telling him that she no longer loved him.

He felt an overwhelming sense of uneasiness, which soon transformed into an uncontrollable rage. “You kept saying you loved me,” he growled as he tugged at her arm, his grip firm. “But now you lost the love just like that? Did you ever love me? Was it all a lie?”

“I did love you.” Ava yanked her arm free, her glare sharp and unyielding. “Wholeheartedly. I endured everything—your cruelty, your neglect, the constant humiliation—without a word of complaint.”

Her eyes glittered with unshed tears, her chest tightening with emotions. “Even when I was sick, I worked tirelessly to make sure you were comfortable, to make sure you never had to lift a finger. But you never noticed, did you? You never cared. Now I’m tired, Dylan. I’m exhausted from trying. I don’t want to waste my life on someone who never appreciated me.”

Dylan’s legs shuffled back unwittingly as if he felt a punch to his gut, his grip on her arm slacking. He had never seen her like this before, her strength and resolve shining through the cracks of her broken heart. And it terrified him. But he would never let her slip away—never allow her to leave him, no matter what she said.

“Whether you like it or not, you’re staying in this marriage,” he growled with a dangerous finality. “I am not divorcing you. Rest for a while, and I’ll bring something to eat.”

He stormed out, his expression set in grim determination. Ava’s words echoed in his ears. ‘Had she suffered so much this past year?’ he wondered to himself, unsettling him in ways he hadn’t expected.

Gianna, who had been listening to their conversation sneakily outside the ward, walked away quickly to hide herself the moment Dylan walked out.

When she heard the footsteps going away, she paused and looked at Dylan’s departing form, a sharp pang of jealousy pierced her heart. She didn’t like the way Dylan was taking care of Ava.

“I can’t believe he refused to divorce Ava,” she muttered.

Gianna had been fuming inside her room, restless and annoyed, waiting anxiously for Dylan. She had expected him to look after her and stay beside her all the time, but he had been missing all day.

A while ago, she had received Erica’s call, informing her of Dylan’s swift actions against those women who had attacked Ava. He had sent Erica away, banishing her from the city.

The information had shocked Gianna and only at that point did she realize where Dylan had been busy all day. This very thought that he was willing to go to any length to protect Ava twisted in her gut with jealousy and resentment, fueling the storm of emotions brewing inside her.

With a sense of urgency, Gianna had come to confront Ava. But when she arrived, she found the two of them locked in a heated argument.

Gianna had a feeling that Dylan was growing closer to Ava, and that realization made her restless. If this continued, he would completely slip from her grasp. Erica’s warning, ‘I think Dylan is falling for Ava – be careful,’ rang in her ears.

“No, I can’t let this happen. I have to do something quickly.”

Gianna’s fingers trembled as she dialed the number. “Hello,” she said in a hushed tone when the call connected. “I need you to end someone’s game.”

“Hey, Gianna,” the man snapped, his tone sharp and accusatory. “Are you asking me to kill someone? Look, don’t involve me in that kind of mess. I’m not a criminal. Besides, you still haven’t paid me. Send the money, or I’ll expose everything.”

“Darling, why are you getting angry?” Gianna purred, her voice turning sweet and seductive. “I’ll make you really rich, trust me. Once I become Mrs. Brooks, you’ll never have to worry about money again. Everything I have will be yours, too. But before that can happen, we need to get rid of a little obstacle named Ava before it’s too late.”

“I get it, darling. Wait for my update.”

Gianna’s lips curved into a wicked smile as she ended the call, her gaze drifting toward the closed door of Ava’s hospital room. “Poor Ava! Your time will be up soon.”